Resources

WIA Title I-B WIA Title I-B Youth Program Services for Out-of-School Youth

General

The Snohomish County Workforce Development Council Request for Proposal (RFP) for the selection of contractor(s) for WIA Title I-B Youth Program Services for In-School Youth.

Attachments

Evaluation Process and Timeline

March 15, 2007

Public Notice.

March 15, 2007

Request for Proposal (RFP) available on WDC Website.

March 22, 2007

1:30PM–3:30PM

Mandatory Bidders' Conference

Snohomish County Workforce Development Council

917 134th Street, S.W., Suite B-3

Everett, Washington  98204

April 16, 2007

Must be received by 5PM

RFP responses are due at Snohomish County Workforce Development Council.

April 17-30, 2007

Committee reviews and hears presentations. Makes recommendations.

May 2, 2007

Youth Council reviews recommendations and forwards to Executive Committee.

May 9, 2007

Executive Committee reviews recommendations and forwards to Full Board.

May 15, 2007

Full Board reviews recommendations and approves awards.  Bidder(s) notified.

May 30, 2007

Must be received by 1PM

Documentation of Qualification is due for any awarded bidder(s) that does not have such documentation on file at the WDC.

June 1-29, 2007

Contract Negotiation

July 1, 2007

Contracts begin

Questions & Answers

Q.  I noticed that you included in the Out of School RFP package a certificate of support for Out of School Youth but when you open it up the heading says “WIA TITLE I-B YOUTH PROGRAM SERVICES FOR IN-SCHOOL YOUTH, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, CERTIFICATE OF SUPPORT”, does this apply to the Out of School Youth Response?

A. This certificate applies only to In School Youth.  It was placed on the Out of School section in error.
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Q. What do you mean by Certificate of Support?

A. The Certificate of Support requires all school superintendents and school principals to sign off for every school district and school in which a program will provide services.

Q. What if you serve all school districts in Snohomish County?

A. Then you need all school principals and all superintendents to sign off.

Q. Do pages need to be single or double spaced for the Executive Summary?

A. It is not specified, but has been single spaced in the past.

Q. So the letters of support do not have to be submitted electronically?

A. No, they are not required to be electronic.

Q. With the contract change, should we only do enrollments during first year?

A. No, you can enroll youth during the second year too.

Q. So we have to provide for the follow up period after the second contract year?

A. All programs serving WIA youth should plan for follow up services after the conclusion of the contract period.  The WDC understands it’s commitments to youth spanning a longer period of time, and may provide funds for those youth who are still enrolled in WIA at the conclusion of a contract.  A program may need to assume youth from another program if necessary.

Q. On the AmeriCorps item, it says we have to have a matching requirement outside of WIA funding?

A. If you can secure non WIA funds with an AmeriCorps member, that’s ideal so it frees up WIA funds.  If you do not have the ability to match with non WIA funds, that will still be acceptable.

Q. Do we combine the two contract years for “Salaries and Benefits Detail Narrative” (there is usually an increase the second year)?

A. You can reflect changes in the Line Item Budget (e.g. COLA).  If you plan to change your staffing significantly you should then document two pages for each contract year.

Q. “…out-of-school youth defined as a school drop out…”, what does that mean?  We have kids who have been out of school for months, but are still officially enrolled.

A. The term “school dropout” means an individual who is no longer attending any school and who has not received a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent.  We do not require the withdrawal form.

Q. Do we do a Line Item Budget for each year?

A. Yes, the contract covers two years, so please do both.

Q. A Certificate of Support is not required for Out-of-School?

A. Correct, it is only required for In-School program proposals.

Q. Under page 5-C, what does “involved in the juvenile justice system” mean?

A. It means they have been involved in the juvenile court system to include a adjudication, diversion for criminal activity that has had some sort of formal proceeding.

Q. Isn’t this just a characteristic of a youth, not a criterion?

A. Yes.

Q. Is this new?

A. No.

Q. What does being required to have a Youth Center mean?

A. The intent of a youth center is to not be a stand-alone program.  A youth center should be a grouping of partners and should include an alternative educational component.  Programs that have more control of the educational component have better outcomes across the state.

Q. What does it mean to participate in the concept?

A. We want a youth center type program.  Any contract should minimally be a partner at such a center.  The concept is similar to the adult system, where programs work with each other in shared spaces to deliver services in a holistic way to customers.

Q. We don’t have a youth center, but we work with them, do we have to have one?

A. If there was a new youth center, it would need to have partnerships to make it complete.  It’s the bridge between the adult system and the youth system.  If you don’t have a center, then you would work with the already existing youth center as a “partner” to move away from a silo program into a comprehensive program of multiple partners.  It also should have an educational component.

Q. If you propose a consortium, does each entity need to present separate paperwork to include financial audits?

A. Yes.

Q. Since we are submitting a two year budget, would that enable us to take carry in funding into the second year?

A. No.

Q. If your program design involves in and out-of-school youth would you need to submit two separate proposals?

A. Yes.

Q. Are there specific points we should address in our executive summary since it’s only two pages?

A. It’s up to your discretion, but be sure to address all sections of the main narrative response.

Q. When we present, should we be prepared to present or just prepare for Q&A?

A. It’s a 30 minute presentation and then a Q&A period of up to 30 minutes. 

Q. Question for in-school RFP:  Is the indirect rate calculated on the entire amount requested or just salaries and benefits of staff?

A. The indirect rate is calculated based on an agency’s negotiated federal indirect rate, or on salaries and benefits.

Q. In the RFP it says "If more that one agency-service provider would like to provide service to youth, utilizing this funding, the partners must form a consortium and choose one lead agency to be the primary contact for the WDC."
My question is: If one agency is the only agency in the partnership, receiving funding for the project from WDC, does the consortium need to be formed?

A. If only one agency is bidding to receive WIA funds through this RFP, it would not be considered a consortia application.

Q. Am I understanding your reply correctly?  Are you saying that each proposal should calculate the indirect rate on just staff salaries and benefits and nothing else?  In previous grants indirect rates were calculated on the entire grant amount.  Has this changed?

A. It depends on what the terms of the negotiated indirect cost rate is.  Our Specific Terms and Conditions for this current year reads:

"Costs other than those costs associated with the direct delivery of the services in this Agreement are limited to no more 10% of direct service delivery staff salaries and benefits.  Only entities with an indirect cost rate negotiated with a federal or state cognizant agency may have indirect costs, and may charge either their negotiated indirect cost rate or 10% of direct service delivery staff salaries and benefits, whichever is lower.  Documentation of the indirect cost rate must be provided on an annual basis.  If an agency does not have a negotiated indirect cost rate, no indirect costs may be charged.  No costs may be charged to any budget line for which costs are not budgeted in the Line Item Budget Detail.  No costs may be charged for staff positions, software or equipment purchases, or professional services subcontractor(s) not shown in the Line Item Budget Detail."