REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)
MHDS 21-012

Eric DeTemmerman, MHA
Hoover State Office Building 5th Floor
Department of Human Services/MHDS
1305 E Walnut
Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1833 
edetemm@dhs.state.ia.us
(515) 725-2237

RFP Purpose.
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals from qualified bidders with experience in providing services to individuals who are Homeless or at risk of becoming Homeless to administer the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program in the designated Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Areas.

The PATH program coordinates services to meet the needs of Eligible Homeless Individuals who have a Serious Mental Illness, Co-occurring Disorder, or are veterans. The PATH program provides services that will enable those who are Homeless, or at risk of becoming Homeless to obtain appropriate housing. 

Duration of Contract.
The Agency anticipates executing a contract that will have an initial 1-year contract term with the ability to extend the contract for five additional 1-year terms.  The Agency will have the sole discretion to extend the contract.  

Bidder Eligibility Requirements.
Community Mental Health Centers, Primary Health Centers and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based organizations, are eligible to submit a Proposal. 

Procurement Timetable	
There are no exceptions to any deadlines for the Bidder; however, the Agency reserves the right to change the dates.  Times provided are in Central Time.

Event	Date	

Agency Issues RFP Notice to Targeted Small Business Website (48 hours):	
March 4, 2021	

Agency Issues RFP to Bid Opportunities Website	
March 6, 2021	

Bidder Letter of Intent to Bid Due By 	March 19, 2021
4:30 p.m.	

Bidders’ Conference Will Be Held on the Following Date and Time 	March 24, 2021
1:00 p.m.	

Bidder Written Questions Due By	March 31, 2021
4:30 p.m.	

Agency Responses to Questions Issued By	
April 7, 2021	

Bidder Proposals and any Amendments to Proposals Due By	April 14, 2021
4:30 p.m.	

Agency Announces Apparent Successful Bidder/Notice of Intent to Award 	
May 12, 2021	

Contract Negotiations and Execution of the Contract Completed 	
June 9, 2021	

Anticipated Start Date for the Provision of Services	
July 1, 2021	

Section 1 Background and Scope of Work                                                                                                              	

1.1 Background. 
The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) is a formula funded grant authorized by the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1990.  PATH grants are distributed annually to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These states and territories are referred to as PATH Contractors. PATH, the first major federal legislative response to Homelessness, is administered and funded through the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), a division of SAMHSA, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

The overall goal of the PATH program is to reduce Homelessness by:
•	Engaging individuals
•	Assist individuals in accessing community based resources while addressing mental health, substance-use disorder, and primary health needs
•	Increasing employment and income
•	Locate housing and assist individuals become stable in their housing environment.
•	Support the work to self-sufficiency. 

The Iowa Department of Human Services currently contracts with seven provider agencies and the Institute for Community Alliances to implement the PATH program in Iowa since 2007. The providers engage with the mission of PATH and are under contract through June 30, 2021. 

PATH-Eligible Services
PATH funds provide Outreach services to contact and engage individuals experiencing Homelessness not currently connected to mainstream services. PATH Contractors are not required to offer all eligible services, rather they can choose to provide PATH-eligible services most appropriate for their communities, according to local needs and resources.  Contractors are encouraged to use PATH resources to fund street Outreach, Short Term Case Management, and services not financially supported by mainstream services and/or behavioral health programs. The 10 eligible services through PATH include the following:

1.	Outreach
2.	Screening and diagnostic treatment
3.	Habilitation and rehabilitation
4.	Community mental health
5.	Alcohol and drug treatment
6.	Staff training, including the training of individuals who work in shelters, mental health clinics, substance use treatment programs, and other sites where individuals who are experiencing Homelessness and Serious Mental Illness seek services.
7.	Short Term Case Management services, including:
•	Preparing a plan for the provision of community mental health and other supportive services for the eligible Individual Experiencing Homelessness and reviewing such plan not less than once every 3 months.
•	Providing assistance in obtaining and coordinating social and maintenance services for the eligible Individual Experiencing Homelessness, including services relating to daily living activities, personal financial planning, transportation services, Habilitation and Rehabilitation services, prevocational and vocational services, and Housing Services. 
•	Providing assistance to the eligible Individual Experiencing Homelessness in obtaining income support services, including housing assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits.
•	Referring the eligible client for other such services as may be appropriate.
•	Providing representative payee services in accordance with Section 1631(a)(2) of the Social Security Act, if the eligible Individual Experiencing Homelessness is receiving aid under Title XVI of such act and if the applicant is designated by the Secretary to provide such services.
8.	Supportive and supervisory services in residential settings.
9.	Referral for community health services, job training, educational services, and relevant Housing Services.
10.	Housing Services as specified in Section 522 (b)(10) of the Public Health Service Act, including:
•	Minor renovation, expansion, and repair of housing.
•	Planning of housing
•	Technical assistance in applying for housing assistance.
•	Improvement in the coordination of Housing Services.
•	Security deposits.
•	Costs associated with matching eligible individuals who are experiencing Homelessness with appropriate housing situations.
•	One-time rental payments to prevent eviction.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data submitted from 2020 PATH providers indicate the following statistical information in Iowa for Homeless individuals with Serious Mental Illness.

Type of Service	Number of people receiving service	
Reengagement	2	
Screening	124	
Clinical Assessment	10	
Habilitation/Rehabilitation	3	
Community Mental Health	441	
Substance Use Treatment	60	
Case Management	477	
Residential Supportive Services	0	
Housing Minor Renovation	0	
Housing Moving Assistance	11	
Housing Eligibility Determination	3	
Security Deposits	72	
One-time Rent for Eviction Prevention	106	

Destination at Exit	Count	
Emergency shelter, including hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher; or RHY-funded Host Home Shelter	9	
Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA TH	1	
Transitional housing for homeless persons	2	
Staying or living with family, temporary tenure (e.g. room, apartment, or house)	20	
Staying or living with friends, temporary tenure (e.g. room, apartment, or house)	12	
Place not meant for habitation (e.g. a vehicle, an abandoned building, a bus/ train/subway station, or airport, or anywhere outside)	
1	
Safe Haven	0	
Hotel or motel paid for without emergency shelter voucher	2	
Host-home (non-crisis)	0	
Subtotal	47	

Institutional Situation	Count	
Foster care home or foster care group home	0	
Psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric facility	1	
Substance abuse treatment facility or detox center	1	
Hospital or other residential non-psychiatric medical facility 	0	
Jail, prison, or juvenile detention facility	1	
Long-term care facility or nursing home	1	
Subtotal	4	
Permanent Destinations	Count	
Moved from one HOPWA funded project to HOPWA PH	0	
Owned by client, no ongoing housing subsidy	6	
Owned by client, with ongoing housing subsidy	1	
Permanent housing (other than RRH) for formerly homeless persons	6	
Rental by client, no ongoing housing subsidy	128	
Rental by client, with RRH or equivalent subsidy	25	
Rental by client, with VASH housing subsidy	3	
Rental by client, with GPD TIP housing subsidy	0	
Rental by client, with other ongoing housing subsidy	40	
Rental by client, with HCV voucher (tenant or project based)	0	
Rental by client in a public housing unit	6	
Residential project or halfway house with no homeless criteria	0	
Staying or living with family, permanent tenure	6	
Staying or living with friends, permanent tenure	10	
Subtotal	231	

PATH programs serve as the front door to Continuum of Care services and to community mental health, community health care and substance-use service systems. PATH follows these guiding principles:

•	Person Centered Services: The PATH program is committed to services that meet the needs and preferences of individuals who are Homeless and have mental illnesses and or co-occurring substance-use disorders. Services are effective when they meet needs identified by the individual. Service plans are developed in partnership with individuals receiving services. 

•	Culturally Competent Services: The PATH program is committed to meeting needs and preferences of individuals within the context of culture. Services delivered will utilize first person appropriate language, customs, and cultural norms.

•	Consumer-run services: The history of the PATH program proves the effectiveness of service provided by staff who have been Homeless or at risk of being Homeless. Individuals who have achieved recovery serve as powerful examples, and peer-run services are a strong tool in efforts to address Homelessness. 

Allowable use of PATH funds include: 
The Agency receives a minimum formula-funding amount from the Federal government; therefore, Iowa PATH grant awards will only be for services not supported by mainstream health systems. These are:
•	Outreach services, 
•	Screening and diagnostic treatment services,
•	Habilitation and rehabilitation services,
•	Community Mental Health Services,
•	Substance-Use Disorder Services,
•	Residential support services,
•	Housing Services/supports such as security deposits and one-time rental payments to prevent eviction, and
•	Referral for Community Mental Health Services, substance-use treatment, primary health services, job training, educational services, relevant Housing Services, housing placement assistance, income assistance, employment assistance, and medical assistance, 

Non-allowable use of PATH funds include:
•	Support to emergency shelters,
•	Inpatient psychiatric treatment,
•	Inpatient Substance-Use Disorder Services,
•	Cash payments to intended recipients of mental health or Substance-Use Disorder Services,
•	Payment for the purchase or construction of any building or structure to house any part of the grant program, or
•	Payment for Housing Services beyond 2% of the Contractor's total award.

PATH requirements related to entry into community mental health services:
Entry into community mental health services begins when the PATH enrollee agrees to participate in mental health services. The transition steps are as follows:
•	PATH staff assist the individual set up initial appointments for mental health.  This usually includes an intake appointment and an appointment to complete the clinical and psychiatric assessments.  Assistance can include sending reminders, providing or arranging transportation, accompanying individuals to appointments, and debriefing afterward.
•	PATH staff assist the PATH enrolled individual in obtaining housing and continue to provide support until community based mental health services are established.  
•	After an individual has obtained community mental health services and supports, the PATH staff will transition an individual off the PATH caseload.
•	Unless otherwise specified by the Agency, the transition periods may be up to 3 months, with the exception of unique circumstances.  Any need for PATH services beyond 3 months need documentation as services are time-limited and reviewed frequently.

PATH requirements related to Substance Use Disorder:
PATH is intended to serve individuals who are experiencing or at imminent risk of Homelessness, with a Serious Mental Illness, and may have a co-occurring Substance Use Disorder.  This means that persons who have co-occurring mental and Substance Use Disorders are eligible for PATH, provided they meet the other eligibility criteria, whereas individuals who have Substance Use Disorders but are not diagnosed with mental disorders are ineligible.  Individuals diagnosed with Serious Mental Illnesses do not need to have a Substance Use Disorder to qualify for PATH.

A co-occurring Substance Use Disorder is not required for PATH eligibility. PATH services must be accessible to participants who do have Co-occurring Disorders.  SAMHSA requires provider organizations not deny mental health services to those with or suspected of having Substance Use Disorders, or deny substance use services to those with or suspected of having mental health disorders.

PATH Contractors are subject to annual reporting requirements related to participants with co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and to the services they receive. Reporting requirements include documenting the following:
•	The number of individuals receiving substance use treatment services through PATH.
•	The number of individuals referred to and attaining substance use services.
•	The number of enrolled individuals receiving substance use services (through any source).
•	PATH entry and PATH exit (outcome data)
•	The number of enrolled individuals with a co-occurring Substance Use Disorder.

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Planning
When disaster strikes, over-extended systems must work to meet the needs of the impacted population to include individuals experiencing homelessness.  Prior planning and coordinated response that reaches across agencies and systems can advance recovery from disasters.  PATH grantees are encouraged to design, review, update, and test emergency response plans in consideration of continuity of care needs for people experiencing homelessness with a serious mental illness and/or co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders.  Grantees are encouraged to review current emergency services plans in collaboration with key stakeholders across shelter providers, housing agencies, and mental health, substance use, and emergency management services—and where not present, propose for inclusion specific provisions that would address and or ensure continuity of services for people experiencing homelessness during and immediately following a disaster.  

Funding estimates for this RFP are estimates on the SFY2020 allotment. Bidders should be aware that funding amounts are subject to the availability of funds. The federal portion of the Iowa State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2021 PATH grant is approximately $334,573. In past contracts, the Agency has distributed unequal amounts to eight (8) contracting organizations to provide PATH services, with amounts based upon historical distribution, intended use plans, and cost proposals from each contracting organization. The Agency intends to continue to issue multiple contracts with the number and value based on the quality of the bidder Proposals. 

Matching Funds
PATH funding leverages state and local resources.  Contractors must match PATH funds directly or indirectly through donations from public or private entities to provide non-federal contributions in an amount that is not less than one dollar for every three dollars of federal PATH funds received.  

The Agency requires each Proposal to include only one (1) Metropolitan Statistical Area. If a bidder intends to submit for more than one (1) Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, then the Bidder must submit separate Proposals for each Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area.  

1.2 RFP General Definitions.  
When appearing as capitalized terms in this RFP, including attachments, the following quoted terms (and the plural thereof, when appropriate) have the meanings set forth in this section.

“Agency” means the Iowa Department of Human Services.  

“Bid Proposal” or “Proposal” means the Bidder’s proposal submitted in response to the RFP.  

“Bidder” means the entity that submits a Bid Proposal in response to this RFP.

“Contractor” means the Bidder who enters into a Contract as a result of this Solicitation.

“Deliverables” means all of the services, goods, products, work, work product, data (including data collected on behalf of the Agency), items, materials and property to be created, developed, produced, delivered, performed, or provided by or on behalf of, or made available through, the Contractor (or any agent, contractor or subcontractor of the Contractor) in connection with any contract resulting from this RFP.

“Invoice” means a Contractor’s claim for payment.  At the Agency’s discretion, claims may be submitted on an original invoice from the Contractor or may be submitted on a claim form accepted by the Agency, such as a General Accounting Expenditure (GAX) form.

Definitions Specific to this RFP. 
When appearing as capitalized terms in this RFP, including attachments, the following quoted terms (and the plural thereof, when appropriate) have the meanings set forth in this section.

"Short Term Case Management" means 90-day short-term services delivered by PATH staff, who develop plans for referral to community services for PATH eligible recipients. 

“Community Mental Health Referral” means active and direct PATH staff support on behalf of or in conjunction with a PATH-enrolled individual to connect to an appropriate agency, organization, or service that stabilizes, supports, or treats people for mental health conditions or co-occurring mental health conditions and Substance Use Disorders.

“Co-occurring Disorder,” means co-occurring disorders describe individuals who have at least one serious mental disorder and a Substance Use Disorder, where the mental disorder and Substance Use Disorder diagnosed independently of each other.

"Government Performance and Results Act Measures (GPRA)" means a series of laws designed to improve government performance management. The GPRA requires agencies to engage in performance management tasks such as setting goals, measuring results, and reporting their progress. In order to comply with the GPRA, agencies produce strategic plans, performance plans, and conduct gap analyses of projects. 

“GPRA Outcome Measure” means the outcome measure for community mental health services that refers to the percentage of enrolled persons experiencing homelessness who receive community mental health services.  Additional information about PATH GPRA measures can be found in SAMHSA’s Congressional Budget Justification and in the PATH Policy, Procedures, and Monitoring section of this guide. (See Appendix IV for 2015–2016 PATH GPRA Measures and visit this link for 2017-2018: https://www.pathpdx.org/UserFiles/2017-2018%20PATH%20GPRA%20Measures.pdf.

"Habilitation and Rehabilitation” means community-based treatment and education services designed to promote maximum functioning, a sense of well-being, and a personally satisfying level of independence for individuals who are Homeless and have mental illnesses/Co-occurring Disorders. 

“Homeless” means the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) definition on Homelessness to determine eligibility for services provided with PATH funds.  The statutory language for the definition is in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by S.896, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009, m.

"Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)" means a class of database applications used to confidentially aggregate data on Homeless populations served in the United States. Such software applications record and store client-level information on the characteristics and service needs of Homeless persons. An HMIS is typically a web-based software application that Homeless assistance providers use to coordinate care, manage operations, and better serve clients.  

"Housing Services" means specialized services designed to increase access to and maintenance of stable housing for PATH enrolled individuals who have significant or unusual barriers to housing. These services are distinct from and not part of PATH funded Short Term Case Management, Supportive and Supervisory Services in Residential Settings, or housing assistance referral activities. These activities include:
•	Minor renovation: Services or resources provided to make essential repairs to a housing unit in order to provide or improve access to the unit and/or eliminate health or safety hazards. 
•	Planning of housing: Activities related to the analysis and formulation of a detailed set of actions steps, timelines, and resources necessary to create or expand housing for the target population. 
•	Technical assistance in applying for Housing Services: Targeted training, guidance, information sharing and assistance to, or on behalf of, PATH enrolled individuals who encounter complex access issues related to housing.
•	Improving the coordination of Housing Services: The process of systematically analyzing interagency interactions among housing service providers, developing relevant information, and informing appropriate authorities of viable alternatives for selection of the most effective combination of available resources to best meet the residential needs of the target population.
•	Security deposits: Provision of funds for PATH enrolled individuals who are in the process of acquiring rental housing but who do not have the assets to pay for the first and last month's rent or other security deposits required to move in. 
•	Costs associated with matching Eligible Homeless Individuals with appropriate housing situations: Expenditures made on behalf of PATH enrolled individuals to meet the costs, other than security deposits and one-time rental payments of establishing a household. These may include items such as rental application fees, furniture and furnishings, and moving expenses. These may also include reasonable expenditures to satisfy outstanding consumer debts identified in rental application credit checks that otherwise preclude successfully securing immediately available housing.
•	One-time rental payments to prevent eviction: One-time rental payments are made for PATH enrolled individuals who cannot afford to make the payments themselves who are at risk of eviction without assistance and who quality for this service on the basis of income or need. 

“Individual Experiencing Homelessness” mean an individual with the least restrictive defined by the Public Health Service (PHS) Act: an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.

“In-reach" means when PATH staff work in a service site frequented by individuals who are Homeless, such as a shelter or community resource center, and conduct face to face interactions at that site. 

"Institute for Community Alliances (ICA)" means Iowa’s contract provider for the PATH grant. The ICA is
a non-profit organization based in Des Moines, Iowa that provides HMIS training and support for Iowa Homeless service agencies.

"Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area" means at least one urbanized are of 50,000 or more population and may include adjacent counties that have a minimum of 24 percent of workers community to the central counties of the Metropolitan Statistical Area. Iowa has nine Metropolitan Statistical Areas made up of 20 Iowa counties and 11 counties in other states:
•	Ames: Story county
•	Cedar Rapids: Benton, Jones, and Linn counties
•	Davenport: Scott county and in Illinois: Henry, Mercer, and Rock Island counties
•	Des Moines: Dallas, Guthrie, Madison, Polk, and Warren counties
•	Dubuque: Dubuque county
•	Iowa City: Johnson, Washington counties
•	Council Bluffs: Harrison, Mills, Pottawattamie and in Nebraska: Cass, Douglas, Saunders, and Washington counties
•	Sioux City: Woodbury county and in South Dakota: Dakota, Dixon, and Union counties
•	Waterloo-Cedar Falls: Black Hawk, Bremer, and Grundy counties

"Literally Homeless" means an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility that provides temporary living accommodations and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing. 

"Outreach" means the process of bringing individuals into treatment who do not access traditional services. Effective Outreach utilizes strategies aimed at engaging individuals into the needed array of services, including identification of individuals in need, screening, development of rapport, offering support while assisting with immediate and basic needs, and referral to appropriate resources. Outreach results in increased access to and utilization of community services by individuals who are Homeless and have a mental illness. Outreach may include methods such as distribution of flyers and other written information, public service announcements, and other indirect methods. 

“PDX” means each Contractor receiving federal PATH funds must submit an annual report via PDX (www.pathpdx.org).

"Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)" means to coordinate services designed to meet the needs of Eligible Homeless Individuals who have Serious Mental Illness, Co-occurring Disorder, or are veterans. The main goal of the PATH program is to provide services that will enable those who are Homeless, or at risk of becoming Homeless to obtain appropriate housing. 

"Serious Mental Illness" means persons ages 18 or over with a diagnosable mental disorder for such severity and duration as to result in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits major life activities. 
Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning.  

"Service Point" means the required software used in Iowa for the HMIS data entry. Service Point is a software system used by human service organizations to manage and coordinate services and guide resource allocation. 

"SOAR" is the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery for the Homeless, federal money available to provide technical assistance programs assisting Eligible Homeless Individuals with Social Security benefit applications. For more information on SOAR, visit http://www.praine.com/SOAR/.

“Substance Use Disorder” means Substance Use Disorders occur when the recurrent use of alcohol, drugs, or combined use of alcohol and drugs causes significant clinical and functional impairment, including health issues, disability, and failure to meet major responsibilities at work, school, or home.

1.3 Scope of Work. 
1.3.1 Deliverables. The Contractor shall provide the following:  

1.3.1.1 Prerequisite Requirements. The Contractor shall:
a)	Create an Outreach plan to provide PATH services in their designated Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area.
b)	Provide $1.00 in non-federal funds as match for each $3.00 in federal funding awarded through the grant. County, state, or private funds are examples of non-federal funds.
c)	Have a SOAR trained staff member or a plan to connect the individual with an appropriate entity in the community to assist the individual with the SSI/SSDI application process. 
d)	Create an Access to Housing plan. The Access to Housing plan should demonstrate the following:
i.	Prior success in housing individuals who are Homeless in supportive and permanent housing.
ii.	Demonstrate success in participating in community housing development projects, such as local Continuum of Care, Community Block Grant process and Shelter Plus Care Programs.
iii.	Submit how suitable housing for Eligible Homeless Individuals will accompany the provision of services. 
e) PATH Annual Report data is collected in PDX during the PATH reporting period, which typically opens in October or November and closes in December each year.  The Agency and PATH Contractors are notified when the reporting period is open and of the date of the federal deadline.  The Agency establishes an early submission deadline for Contractors to allow time for the Agency to review and confirm the data reports by the federal deadline.

1.3.1.2 Quality Data. The Contractor shall:
a)	Obtain or maintain a valid Service Point license to meet the federal requirement that PATH providers utilize the HMIS system to report data and submit reports.
b)	Work with the ICA to ensure all staff receive technical assistance for standard compliance.
c)	Assign staff for data entry and adhere to HMIS and PATH standards and guidelines and work with ICA staff when technical assistance is needed.
d)	Submit quarterly updates to the Agency along with the corresponding quarterly invoice for payment.
e)	Participate in annual reporting pertaining to community mental health services/treatment.  Reporting elements including:
i.	The number of active, PATH-enrolled individuals receiving community mental health services/treatment through any funding source during the reporting period;
ii.	The number of PATH-enrolled individuals receiving at least one Community Mental Health Referral; and
iii.	The number of PATH-enrolled individuals who attained community mental health services from a referral.

1.3.1.3 Outreach. The Contractor shall:
a)	Conduct Outreach and In-reach to individuals who are Literally Homeless.
b)	Assist individuals with referrals to needed community-based services.

1.3.1.4	Enrollment. The Contractor shall:
a)	Ensure Homeless individuals in the PATH program are referred to Community Mental Health Services.
b)	Document the number of Homeless persons contacted and enter such data in the HIMIS system. 

1.3.1.5	Short Term Case Management. The Contractor shall:
a)	Prepare a Short Term Case Management plan for the referral of Community Mental Health Services to eligible individuals and review PATH case progress every three months. The plan shall provide assistance in obtaining and coordinating social and maintenance services for Homeless individuals, including daily living activities that include personal financial planning, transportation, prevocational and vocational services. 
b)	Assist Homeless individuals obtain income support services, including referrals for appropriate services and providing referrals for representative payee services. 
c)	Create a Housing Services plan for eligible Homeless individuals.
d)	Provide or refer individuals to community mental health centers or other social service agencies for screening, assessment, crisis intervention, Habilitation and Rehabilitation Services and Substance-Use Disorder Services.

1.3.1.6	Reports. The Contractor shall:
a)	Provide quarterly data to the Agency that includes the following fields: data information, housing status, service provider, referrals provider, demographics, and residence prior to night of enrollment and length of time living outdoors in in short term shelter. 
b)	Submit an annual report to the Agency as outlined in the resource referenced in section 2.4 of this RFP.

1.3.2	Performance Measures.  The Contractor shall:
a)	Ensure 100% of the PATH Metropolitan Service Area specified in the contract are included in the Outreach plan.
b)	Outline annual match budget and report to the Agency annually 100% of the time. 
c)	Submit quarterly reports along with the corresponding invoice for payment 100% of the time.
d)	Submit quarterly data reports to the Agency 100% of the time: October 15, January 15, April 15, and July 15 of each contract year.
e)	Submit an Annual Report to the Agency by November 20 of each Contract year. 
f)	Maintain a Service Point license for 100% of the contract duration.
g)	PATH designated staff will attend HMIS data collection and related training 100% of the time.
h)	Maintain 100% compliance in PATH service data collection and reporting in Serve Point while working with ICA on updates, training, and feedback.
i)	Follow GPRA Outcome measurement 100% of the time.
j)	Refer 80% of SOAR eligible Homeless individuals to appropriate resources for assistance in the application process and document what barriers exist when unable to refer.
k)	PATH enrolled individuals will exit the program with a housing plan 75% of the time.
l)	Exceed or maintain the federal requirement that at least 66% of the individuals Outreached are Literally Homeless when enrolled in PATH or explain why the program cannot meet this outcome based on existing local factors.
m)	Ensure the Literally Homeless individuals enrolled in PATH are referred to appropriate Community based mental health services as appropriate 100% of the time.
n)	Ensure 80% of PATH enrolled individuals will apply for a housing resource.
o)	Ensure 100% of PATH enrolled individuals are screened for Medicaid or receiving medical services provided by the Veterans Administration. 
p)	Ensure 100% of PATH enrolled individuals without health insurance are referred for assistance to apply for medical insurance.

1.3.3 Contract Payment Methodology.
The Contractor will submit quarterly Invoices to the Agency Contract Manager for Contracted work for the preceding three-month period. Payment is contingent upon successful completion of all Contract Deliverables. 

Section 2 Basic Information about the RFP Process	
2.1 Issuing Officer.
The Issuing Officer is the sole point of contact regarding the RFP from the date of issuance until selection of the successful Bidder.  The Issuing Officer for this RFP is:

Eric DeTemmerman, MHA
Hoover State Office Building 5th Floor
Department of Human Services/MHDS
1305 E Walnut
Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1833 
edetemm@dhs.state.ia.us
(515) 725-2237

2.2 Restriction on Bidder Communication. 
From the issue date of this RFP until announcement of the successful Bidder, the Issuing Officer is the point of contact regarding the RFP.  There may be no communication regarding this RFP with any State employee other than the Issuing Officer, except at the direction of the Issuing Officer or as otherwise noted in the RFP.  This section shall not be construed as restricting communications related to the administration of any contract currently in effect between a Contractor and the Agency.

The Issuing Officer will respond only to questions regarding the procurement process.  Questions pertaining to the interpretation of this RFP may be submitted in accordance with the Questions, Requests for Clarification, and Suggested Changes section of this RFP.  

2.3 Downloading the RFP from the Internet.
The RFP and any related documents such as amendments or attachments (collectively the “RFP”), and responses to questions will be posted at the State of Iowa’s website for bid opportunities:  http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/.  Check this website periodically for any amendments to this RFP.  The posted version of the RFP is the official version.  The Agency will only be bound by the official version of the RFP document(s).  Bidders should ensure that any downloaded documents are in fact the most up to date and are unchanged from the official version.  

2.4 Online Resources. 
All resources related to this RFP are available at the following website:  http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/.  

2.5 Intent to Bid.
The Agency requests that Bidders provide their intent to bid to the Issuing Officer by the date and time in the Procurement Timetable.  Email is the preferred delivery method.  The intent to bid should include the Bidder's name, contact person, mailing address, email address, fax number, telephone number, and a statement of intent to submit a bid in response to this RFP.  Though it is not mandatory that the Agency receive an intent to bid, the Agency will only respond to questions about the RFP that have been submitted by Bidders who have expressed their intent to bid.  The Agency may cancel an RFP for lack of interest based on the number of letters of intent to bid received.    

2.6 Bidders’ Conference. 
The Bidders’ conference will be conducted as a conference call on the date and time listed in the Procurement Timetable.  The purpose of the Bidders’ conference is to inform prospective Bidders about the work to be performed and to provide prospective Bidders an opportunity to ask questions regarding the RFP.  Verbal discussions at the conference shall not be considered part of the RFP unless incorporated into the RFP by amendment.  Questions asked at the conference that cannot be adequately answered during the conference may be deferred and responded to in writing.  Participation in this conference call is optional, but recommended as this will be the only opportunity to ask verbal questions regarding this RFP.

The Bidder’s conference will be a conducted via a Microsoft Teams meeting. An invitation to join the meeting will be provided prior to the conference. 

2.7 Questions, Requests for Clarification, and Suggested Changes. 
Bidders who have provided their intent to bid on the RFP are invited to submit written questions, requests for clarifications, and/or suggestions for changes to the specifications of this RFP (hereafter “Questions”) by the due date and time provided in the Procurement Timetable.  Bidders are not permitted to include assumptions in their Bid Proposals.  Instead, Bidders shall address any perceived ambiguity regarding this RFP through the question and answer process.  If the Questions pertain to a specific section of the RFP, the page and section number(s) must be referenced.  The Agency prefers to receive Questions by email.  The Bidder may wish to request confirmation of receipt from the Issuing Officer to ensure delivery.

Written responses to questions will be posted at http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/ by the date provided in the Procurement Timetable.    

The Agency assumes no responsibility for verbal representations made by its officers or employees unless such representations are confirmed in writing and incorporated into the RFP.  In addition, the Agency’s written responses to Questions will not be considered part of the RFP.  If the Agency decides to change the RFP, the Agency will issue an amendment.    

2.8 Submission of Bid Proposal.
Each Bidder is responsible for ensuring that the Issuing Officer receives the Bid Proposal by the time and date specified in the Procurement Timetable at the address provided in the RFP for the Issuing Officer.  The Agency will not waive this mandatory requirement.  Any Bid Proposal received after this deadline will be rejected and will not be evaluated.  

Bid Proposals are to be submitted in accordance with the Bid Proposal Formatting section of this RFP.  Bidders mailing Bid Proposals shall allow ample mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt of their Bid Proposals.  It is the Bidder’s responsibility to ensure that the Bid Proposal is received prior to the deadline.  Postmarking or submission to a courier by the due date shall not substitute for actual receipt of the Bid Proposal by the Agency. 

2.9 Amendment to the RFP and Bid Proposal.    
Each Bidder is responsible for ensuring that the Issuing Officer receives the Bid Proposal and any permitted amendments by the established deadlines at the address provided in the RFP for the Issuing Officer.       

Bidders may amend a previously submitted Bid Proposal at any time before the bid submission date and time.  Any such amendment must be in writing and signed by the Bidder.  The Bidder shall provide the same number of copies of the amended Bid Proposal as is required for the original Bid Proposal, for both hardcopy and electronic copies, in accordance with the Bid Proposal Formatting Section.

The Agency reserves the right to amend or provide clarifications to the RFP at any time.  RFP amendments will be posted to the State’s website at http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/.  If an RFP amendment occurs after the closing date for receipt of Bid Proposals, the Agency may, in its sole discretion, allow Bidders to amend their Bid Proposals.    

2.10 Withdrawal of Bid Proposal.
The Bidder may withdraw its Bid Proposal prior to the closing date for receipt of Bid Proposals by submitting a written request to withdraw to the Issuing Officer.  Email and faxed requests to withdraw will not be accepted.    

2.11 Costs of Preparing the Bid Proposal.
The costs of preparation and delivery of the Bid Proposal are solely the responsibility of the Bidder.      

2.12 Rejection of Bid Proposals.
The Agency reserves the right to reject any or all Bid Proposals, in whole and in part, and to cancel this RFP at any time prior to the execution of a written contract.  Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the Agency to award or enter into a contract.    

2.13 Review of Bid Proposals.
Only Bidders that meet the mandatory requirements and are not subject to disqualification will be considered for award of a contract.    

2.13.1 Mandatory Requirements.
Bidders must meet these mandatory requirements or will be disqualified and not considered for award of a contract: 
•	The Issuing Officer must receive the Bid Proposal, and any amendments thereof, prior to or on the due date and time (See RFP Sections 2.8 and 2.9).
•	The Bidder is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from receiving federal funding by any federal department or agency (See RFP Additional Certifications Attachment).
•	The Bidder is eligible to submit a bid in accordance with the Bidder Eligibility Requirements of this RFP (See RFP Bidder Eligibility Requirements Section).  
•	The Bidder’s Cost Proposal adheres to any pricing restrictions regarding the project budget or administrative costs (See RFP Section 3.3). 

2.13.2 Reasons Proposals May be Disqualified.
Bidders are expected to follow the specifications set forth in this RFP.  However, it is not the Agency’s intent to disqualify Bid Proposals that suffer from correctible flaws.  At the same time, it is important to maintain fairness to all Bidders in the procurement process.  Therefore, the Agency reserves the discretion to permit cure of variances, waive variances, or disqualify Bid Proposals for reasons that include, but may not be limited to, the following: 
•	Bidder initiates unauthorized contact regarding this RFP with employees other than the Issuing Officer (See RFP Section 2.2);
•	Bidder fails to comply with the RFP’s formatting specifications so that the Bid Proposal cannot be fairly compared to other bids (See RFP Section 3.1);
•	Bidder fails, in the Agency’s opinion, to include the content required for the RFP;
•	Bidder fails to be fully responsive in the Bidder’s Approach to Meeting Deliverables Section, states an element of the Scope of Work cannot or will not be met, or does not include information necessary to substantiate that it will be able to meet the Scope of Work specifications (See RFP Section 3.2.3); 
•	Bidder’s response materially changes Scope of Work specifications;
•	Bidder fails to submit the RFP attachments containing all signatures (See RFP Section 3.2.6);
•	Bidder marks entire Bid Proposal confidential, makes excessive claims for confidential treatment, or identifies pricing information in the Cost Proposal as confidential (See RFP Section 3.1);
•	Bidder includes assumptions in its Bid Proposal (See RFP Section 2.7); or
•	Bidder fails to respond to the Agency’s request for clarifications, information, documents, or references that the Agency may make at any point in the RFP process.
•	Bidder is a “scrutinized company” included on a “scrutinized company list” created by a public fund pursuant to Iowa Code §12J.3. This list is maintained by the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System. The list is currently found here: https://www.ipers.org/about-us/investments/restrictions-regarding-companies-boycotting-israel#main-content. 

The determination of whether or not to disqualify a proposal and not consider it for award of a contract for any of these reasons, or to waive or permit cure of variances in Bid Proposals, is at the sole discretion of the Agency.  No Bidder shall obtain any right by virtue of the Agency’s election to not exercise that discretion.  In the event the Agency waives or permits cure of variances, such waiver or cure will not modify the RFP specifications or excuse the Bidder from full compliance with RFP specifications or other contract requirements if the Bidder enters into a contract.  

2.14 Bid Proposal Clarification Process.    	
The Agency may request clarifications from Bidders for the purpose of resolving ambiguities or questioning information presented in the Bid Proposals.  Clarifications may occur throughout the Bid Proposal evaluation process.  Clarification responses shall be in writing and shall address only the information requested.  Responses shall be submitted to the Agency within the time stipulated at the occasion of the request.    

2.15 Verification of Bid Proposal Contents.    
The contents of a Bid Proposal submitted by a Bidder are subject to verification.  

2.16 Reference Checks.
The Agency reserves the right to contact any reference to assist in the evaluation of the Bid Proposal, to verify information contained in the Bid Proposal, to discuss the Bidder’s qualifications, and/or to discuss the qualifications of any subcontractor identified in the Bid Proposal.    

2.17 Information from Other Sources.
The Agency reserves the right to obtain and consider information from other sources concerning a Bidder, such as the Bidder’s capability and performance under other contracts, and the Bidder’s authority and ability to conduct business in the State of Iowa.  Such other sources may include subject matter experts.      

2.18 Criminal History and Background Investigation.
The Agency reserves the right to conduct criminal history and other background investigations of the Bidder, its officers, directors, shareholders, or partners and managerial and supervisory personnel retained by the Bidder for the performance of the resulting contract.  The Agency reserves the right to conduct criminal history and other background investigations of the Bidder’s staff and subcontractors providing services under the resulting contract.    

2.19 Disposition of Bid Proposals.    
Opened Bid Proposals become the property of the Agency and will not be returned to the Bidder.  Upon issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award, the contents of all Bid Proposals will be in the public domain and be open to inspection by interested parties subject to exceptions provided in Iowa Code chapter 22 or other applicable law.    

2.20 Public Records and Request for Confidential Treatment.
Original information submitted by a Bidder may be treated as public information by the Agency following the conclusion of the selection process unless the Bidder properly requests that information be treated as confidential at the time of submitting the Bid Proposal.  See the Bid Proposal Formatting Section for the proper method for making such requests.  The Agency’s release of information is governed by Iowa Code chapter 22.  Bidders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Chapter 22 before submitting a Bid Proposal.  The Agency will copy public records as required to comply with public records laws.    

The Agency will treat the information marked confidential as confidential information to the extent such information is determined confidential under Iowa Code chapter 22 or other applicable law by a court of competent jurisdiction.  However, the Bidder shall certify by signing and returning RFP Attachment B its understanding that any Agency references to Bid Proposal information marked confidential made during the evaluation process may become part of the public domain  

In the event the Agency receives a request for information marked confidential, written notice shall be given to the Bidder seventy-two (72) hours prior to the release of the information to allow the Bidder to seek injunctive relief pursuant to Iowa Code § 22.5 or 22.8.    

The Bidder’s failure to request confidential treatment of material pursuant to this section and the relevant law will be deemed, by the Agency and State personnel, as a waiver of any right to confidentiality that the Bidder may have had.    

2.21 Copyrights.
By submitting a Bid Proposal, the Bidder agrees that the Agency may copy the Bid Proposal for purposes of facilitating the evaluation of the Bid Proposal or to respond to requests for public records.  By submitting a Bid Proposal, the Bidder acknowledges that additional copies may be produced and distributed, and represents and warrants that such copying does not violate the rights of any third party.  The Agency shall have the right to use ideas or adaptations of ideas that are presented in the Bid Proposals.    

2.22 Release of Claims.
By submitting a Bid Proposal, the Bidder agrees that it shall not bring any claim or cause of action against the Agency based on any misunderstanding concerning the information provided herein or concerning the Agency's failure, negligent or otherwise, to provide the Bidder with pertinent information as intended by this RFP.    

2.23 Reserved.  (Presentations)  

2.24 Notice of Intent to Award.
Notice of Intent to Award will be sent to all Bidders that submitted a Bid Proposal by the due date and time.  The Notice of Intent to Award does not constitute the formation of a contract between the Agency and the apparent successful Bidder.    

2.25 Acceptance Period.
The Agency shall make a good faith effort to negotiate and execute the contract.  If the apparent successful Bidder fails to negotiate and execute a contract, the Agency may, in its sole discretion, revoke the Notice of Intent to Award and negotiate a contract with another Bidder or withdraw the RFP.  The Agency further reserves the right to cancel the Notice of Intent to Award at any time prior to the execution of a written contract.    

2.26 Review of Notice of Disqualification or Notice of Intent to Award Decision.
Bidders may request reconsideration of either a notice of disqualification or notice of intent to award decision by submitting a written request to the Agency:    

Bureau Chief
C/O Bureau of Service Contract Support
Department of Human Services 
Hoover State Office Building, 1st Floor
1305 E. Walnut Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0114
E-mail:  reconsiderationrequest@dhs.state.ia.us

The Agency must receive the written request for reconsideration within five days from the date of the notice of disqualification or notice of intent to award decision, whichever is earlier.  The written request may be mailed, emailed, or delivered.  It is the Bidder’s responsibility to assure timely delivery of the request for reconsideration.  The request for reconsideration shall clearly and fully identify all issues being contested by reference to the page and section number of the RFP.  If a Bidder submitted multiple Bid Proposals and requests that the Agency reconsider a notice of disqualification or notice of intent to award decision for more than one Bid Proposal, a separate written request shall be submitted for each.  At the Agency’s discretion, requests for reconsideration from the same Bidder may be reviewed separately or combined into one response.  The Agency will expeditiously address the request for reconsideration and issue a decision.  The Bidder may choose to file an appeal with the Agency within five days of the date of the decision on reconsideration in accordance with 441 IAC 7.41 et seq.  

2.27 Definition of Contract.
The full execution of a written contract shall constitute the making of a contract for services and no Bidder shall acquire any legal or equitable rights relative to the contract services until the contract has been fully executed by the apparent successful Bidder and the Agency.    

2.28 Choice of Law and Forum.
This RFP and the resulting contract are governed by the laws of the State of Iowa without giving effect to the conflicts of law provisions thereof.  Changes in applicable laws and rules may affect the negotiation and contracting process and the resulting contract.  Bidders are responsible for ascertaining pertinent legal requirements and restrictions.  Any and all litigation or actions commenced in connection with this RFP shall be brought and maintained in the appropriate Iowa forum.    

2.29 Restrictions on Gifts and Activities.    	
Iowa Code chapter 68B restricts gifts that may be given or received by state employees and requires certain individuals to disclose information concerning their activities with state government.  Bidders must determine the applicability of this Chapter to their activities and comply with the requirements.  In addition, pursuant to Iowa Code § 722.1, it is a felony offense to bribe or attempt to bribe a public official.    

2.30 Exclusivity.
Any contract resulting from this RFP shall not be an exclusive contract.

2.31 No Minimum Guaranteed.
The Agency anticipates that the selected Bidder will provide services as requested by the Agency.  The Agency does not guarantee that any minimum compensation will be paid to the Bidder or any minimum usage of the Bidder’s services. 

2.32 Use of Subcontractors.
The Agency acknowledges that the selected Bidder may contract with third parties for the performance of any of the Contractor’s obligations.  The Agency reserves the right to provide prior approval for any subcontractor used to perform services under any contract that may result from this RFP.

2.33 Bidder Continuing Disclosure Requirement.
To the extent that Bidders are required to report incidents when responding to this RFP related to damages, penalties, disincentives, administrative or regulatory proceedings, founded child or dependent adult abuse, or felony convictions, these matters are subject to continuing disclosure to the Agency.  Incidents occurring after submission of a Bid Proposal, and with respect to the successful Bidder after the execution of a contract, shall be disclosed in a timely manner in a written statement to the Agency.  For purposes of this subsection, timely means within thirty (30) days from the date of conviction, regardless of appeal rights.  

Section 3 How to Submit a Bid Proposal: Format and Content Specifications
These instructions provide the format and technical specifications of the Bid Proposal and are designed to facilitate the submission of a Bid Proposal that is easy to understand and evaluate.  

3.1 Bid Proposal Formatting.
	
Subject		Specifications	
Paper Size	8.5" x 11" paper (one side only).  Charts or graphs may be provided on legal-sized paper.	
Font	Bid Proposals must be typewritten.  The font must be 11 point or larger (excluding charts, graphs, or diagrams).  Acceptable fonts include Times New Roman, Calibri and Arial. 	
 Page Limit	Pages included in Proposal Tab 3 and any attachments the Bidder creates in a “Tab 3 Attachments” section is limited to 100 pages.  See Section 3.2 for further information about Tab 3 Attachments.  	
Pagination	All pages in Proposal Tabs 1-5 are to be sequentially numbered from beginning to end (do not number these Proposal sections independently of each other).  The contents in Proposal Tab 6 may be numbered independently of other sections.	
Bid Proposal General Composition
	•	Bid Proposals shall be divided into two parts: Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal. 
•	Technical Proposals submitted in multiple volumes shall be numbered in the following fashion: 1 of 4, 2 of 4, etc.
•	Bid Proposals must be bound and use tabs to label sections.	

Envelope Contents and Labeling 	•	Envelopes shall be addressed to the Issuing Officer.
•	The envelope containing the original Bid Proposal shall be labeled “original” and each envelope containing a copy of the Bid Proposal shall be labeled “copy.”  Each envelope must be numbered to correspond with the number of copies of Proposals.
•	The Technical and Cost Proposals must be packaged separately with each copy in its own envelope.  All envelopes may be included in the same box	

Number of Hard Copies	Submit one (1) original hard copy of the Proposal and 3 identical copies of the original.  The original hard copy must contain original signatures.  	
USB Flash Drive	•	The Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal must be provided on separate USB flash drives.  The USB flash drives must be placed in the envelope with the original Bid Proposal.  
•	The Technical Proposal must be saved in less than three files, with a preference for the entire Technical Proposal in one file.  Proposals shall be provided in either PDF or Microsoft Word format.  Files shall be text-based and not scanned image(s) and shall be searchable and not password protected or contain restrictions that prevent copying, saving, highlighting, or printing of the contents.   	
Request for Confidential Treatment	Requests for confidential treatment of any information in a Bid Proposal must meet these specifications:
•	The Bidder will complete the appropriate section of the Primary Bidder Detail Form & Certification which requires the specific statutory citation supporting the request for confidential treatment and an explanation of why disclosure of the information is not in the best interest of the public. 
•	The Bidder shall submit one (1) complete paper copy of the Bid Proposal from which confidential information has been redacted.  This copy shall be clearly labeled on the cover as a “public copy”, and each page upon which confidential information appears shall be conspicuously marked as containing confidential information.  The confidential material shall be redacted in such a way as to allow the public to determine the general nature of the material removed.  To the extent possible, pages should be redacted sentence by sentence unless all material on a page is clearly confidential under the law.  The Bidder shall not identify the entire Bid Proposal as confidential.    
•	The Cost Proposal will be part of the ultimate contract entered into with the successful Bidder.  Pricing information may not be designated as confidential material.  However, Cost Proposal supporting materials may be marked confidential if consistent with applicable law.   
•	The transmittal letter may not be marked confidential.   
•	The Bidder shall submit a USB flash drive containing an electronic copy of the Bid Proposal from which confidential information has been redacted.  This USB flash drive shall be clearly marked as a “public copy”.  
•	The Technical Proposal must be saved in less than three files, with a preference for the entire Technical Proposal in one file.  Proposals shall be provided in either PDF or Microsoft Word format.  Files shall be text-based and not scanned image(s) and shall be searchable and not password protected or contain restrictions that prevent copying, saving, highlighting, or printing of the contents.  	
Exceptions to RFP/Contract Language
	If the Bidder objects to any term or condition of the RFP or attached Sample Contract, specific reference to the RFP page and section number shall be made in the Primary Bidder Detail & Certification Form.  In addition, the Bidder shall set forth in its Bid Proposal the specific language it proposes to include in place of the RFP or contract provision and cost savings to the Agency should the Agency accept the proposed language.
The Agency reserves the right to either execute a contract without further negotiation with the successful Bidder or to negotiate contract terms with the selected Bidder if the best interests of the Agency would be served. 	

3.2 Contents and Organization of Technical Proposal.
This section describes the information that must be in the Technical Proposal.  Bid Proposals should be organized into sections in the same order provided here.  Hard copies of Bid Proposals should use tabs to separate each section.  If a Bidder chooses to provide information in attachments to respond to any section below, please create a new tabbed attachment section immediately behind the applicable section.  For example, to add attachments related to information asked for in Section 3.2.3 Information to include behind Tab 3: Bidder’s Approach to Meeting Deliverables, the Bidder would create a new tab in the Technical Proposal that is called Tab 3 Attachments and place the attachment(s) there.  The Bidder would follow suit by creating new tabbed sections for attachments created to respond to any other section below in their bid proposal.

3.2.1 Information to Include Behind Tab 1: Transmittal Letter.
The transmittal letter serves as a cover letter for the Technical Proposal.  It must consist of an executive summary that briefly reviews the strengths of the Bidder and key features of its proposed approach to meet the specifications of this RFP.  

3.2.2 Information to Include Behind Tab 2: Proposal Table of Contents.
The Bid Proposal must contain a table of contents.

3.2.3 Information to Include Behind Tab 3: Bidder’s Approach to Meeting Deliverables.
The Bidder shall address each Deliverable that the successful contractor will perform as listed in Section 1.3, Scope of Work, by first restating the Deliverable from the RFP and then detailing the Bidder’s planned approach to meeting each contractor Deliverable immediately after the restated text.  Bid responses should provide sufficient detail so that the Agency can understand and evaluate the Bidder’s approach, and should not merely repeat the Deliverable.    

Bidders are given wide latitude in the degree of detail they offer or the extent to which they reveal plans, designs, examples, processes, and procedures.  Bidders do not need to address any responsibilities that are specifically designated as Agency responsibilities.

Note:
•	Responses to Deliverables shall be in the same sequence as presented in the RFP.  
•	Bid Proposals shall identify any deviations from the specifications the Bidder cannot satisfy.  
•	Bid Proposals shall not contain promotional or display materials unless specifically required.

If a Bidder proposes more than one method of meeting the RFP requirements, each method must be drafted and submitted as separate Bid Proposals.  Each will be evaluated separately.  

3.2.4 Information to include behind Tab 4: Bidder’s Experience.  

3.2.4.1 Level of technical experience in providing the types of services sought by the RFP.

3.2.4.2 Description of all services similar to those sought by this RFP that the Bidder has provided to the Agency and other businesses or governmental entities within the last twenty-four (24) months. 

3.2.4.3  Letters of reference from three (3) of the Bidder’s previous clients knowledgeable of the Bidder’s performance in providing services similar to those sought in this RFP, including a contact person, telephone number, and email address for each reference.  It is preferred that letters of reference are provided for services that were procured in a competitive environment.  Form letters of reference that do not elaborate on the Bidder’s performance under the specific relationships addressed in the reference letter may negatively impact the Bidder’s evaluation/score.  Persons who are currently employed by the Agency are not eligible to be references.  

3.2.4.4 Description of experience managing subcontractors, if the Bidder proposes to use subcontractors.

3.2.5 Information to Include Behind Tab 5:  Personnel.  
The Bidder shall provide the following information regarding personnel:  

3.2.5.1 Tables of Organization.
Illustrate the lines of authority in two tables:
•	One showing overall operations
•	One showing staff who will provide services under the RFP  

3.2.5.2 Names and Credentials of Key Corporate Personnel. 
•	Include the names and credentials of the owners and executives of your organization and, if applicable, their roles on this project.  
•	Include names of the current board of directors, or names of all partners, as applicable.  
•	Include resumes for all key corporate, administrative, and supervisory personnel who will be involved in providing the services sought by this RFP.  The resumes should include: name, education, years of experience, and employment history, particularly as it relates to the scope of services specified herein.  Resumes shall not include social security numbers.

3.2.5.3 Information About Project Manager and Key Project Personnel.
•	Include names and credentials for the project manager and any additional key project personnel who will be involved in providing services sought by this RFP.  Include resumes for these personnel. The resumes shall include: name, education, and years of experience and employment history, particularly as it relates to the scope of services specified herein.  Resumes shall also include the percentage of time the person would be specifically dedicated to this project on a monthly basis, if the Bidder is selected as the successful Bidder.  Resumes should not include social security numbers.
•	Include the project manager’s experience managing subcontractor staff if the Bidder proposes to use subcontractors.

3.2.5.4 Disclosures.
List any details of whether the Bidder or any owners, officers, primary partners, staff providing services or any owners, officers, primary partners, or staff providing services of any subcontractor who may be involved with providing the services sought in this RFP, have ever had a founded child or dependent adult abuse report, or been convicted of a felony.  

3.2.6 Information to Include Behind Tab 6: RFP Forms.
The forms listed below are attachments to this RFP.  Fully complete and return these forms behind Tab 6:
•	Release of Information Form
•	Primary Bidder Detail & Certification Form
•	Subcontractor Disclosure Form (one for each proposed subcontractor)
•	Certification and Disclosure Regarding Lobbying

3.2.7 Reserved.  (Financial Statements)

3.3 Cost Proposal. 
Pricing Restrictions. 
Contract Budget.
It is anticipated that the total funding will be a total of $334,559. This amount is subject to change based on the federal allocation to Iowa. The Agency intends to issue multiple contracts in an effort to cover as many Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Areas as possible. If a bidder intends to submit for more than one (1) Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area then the bidder must submit a separate Proposal for each Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. The bidder may propose a total budget up to $55,000 for the period of July 1, 2021- June 20, 2022 for one (1) Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area; however the budget will be negotiated at the time of Contract execution based on funding allocated for each Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area. 

Content and Format.
The Bidder shall provide the following information in the Cost Proposal: 

The bidder's Cost Proposal shall be submitted using the pricing worksheet referenced in Attachment F of this RFP. The bidders shall not modify the preset text of the worksheet, but it is acceptable for the Bidder to add additional row(s) into the worksheet if necessary to describe all itemized costs. If extra rows are added, the bidder shall enter informational text in the “PERSONNEL” column describing the additional itemized cost. The rows “FRINGE BENEFITS”, “TRAVEL”, “SUPPLIES” and “OTHER” category headers, so the bidder shall not make entries in the cells to the right of these rows. The bidder shall base the budget on the anticipated project costs for the period of July 1, 2021- June 20, 2022. The total costs from this form will be used to score the cost proposal pricing. 

The Bidder shall enter the following information in the cells under these column headers:
a.	Column 1”PERSONNEL”: in the empty cells below the column header, enter the informational text that describes the itemized costs in the rows within the categories “PERSONNEL”, “FRINGE BENEFITS” and “OTHER.”
b.	Column 2 “ANNUAL COST”: in the empty cells below the column header, enter the total annual dollar amount in rows within the categories “PERSONNEL”, “FRINGE BENEFITS”, “TRAVEL”, “SUPPLIES” and “OTHER.” The remaining cells remain blank. 
c.	Column 3 “% PATH FUNDED”: in the empty cells below the column headers, enter the percentage charged to PATH in the rows within the categories “PERSONNEL”, “FRINGE BENEFITS”, “TRAVEL”, “SUPPLIES” and “OTHER”. The remaining cells remain blank.
d.	Column 4 “PATH FUNDED LINE ITEM”: in the empty cells below the column header, calculate the dollar amount for the rows within the categories “PERSONNEL”, “FRINGE BENEFITS”, “TRAVEL”, “SUPPLIES” and “OTHER”; the calculation is Column 2 multiplied by Column 3. The remaining cells remain blank.
e.	Column 5 “Category Subtotal”: Entries are required in the “PERSONNEL SUBTOTAL”, “FRINGE BENEFITS SUBTOTA”, “TRAVEL SUBTOTAL”, SUPLIES SUBTOTAL”, “OTHER SUBTO”AL" and “TOTAL COSTS” rows. Each subtotal row requires a mathematical calculation that sums the dollar amounts within each category in the “PATH FUNDED LINE ITEM” column. The “TOTAL COST” row requires a mathematical calculation that sums the subtotal of all categories. Correct mathematical calculations are required. 

Section 4 Evaluation of Bid Proposals

4.1 Introduction.
This section describes the evaluation process that will be used to determine which Bid Proposal provides the greatest benefit to the Agency.  When making this determination, the Agency will not necessarily award a contract to the Bidder offering the lowest cost to the Agency or to the Bidder with the highest point total.  Rather, a contract will be awarded to the Bidder that offers the greatest benefit to the Agency. 

4.2 Evaluation Committee.
The Agency intends to conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of Bid Proposals received in response to this RFP.  In making this determination, the Agency will be represented by an evaluation committee.  

4.3 Proposal Scoring and Evaluation Criteria.  
The evaluation committee will use the method described in this section to assist with initially determining the relative merits of each Bid Proposal.

Scoring Guide.
Points will be assigned to each evaluation component as follows, unless otherwise designated:
4	Bidder has agreed to comply with the requirements and provided a clear and compelling description of how each requirement would be met, with relevant supporting materials.  Bidder’s proposed approach frequently goes above and beyond the minimum requirements and indicates superior ability to serve the needs of the Agency.	
3	Bidder has agreed to comply with the requirements and provided a good and complete description of how the requirements would be met.  Response clearly demonstrates a high degree of ability to serve the needs of the Agency.	
2	Bidder has agreed to comply with the requirements and provided an adequate description of how the requirements would be met.  Response indicates adequate ability to serve the needs of the Agency.	
1	Bidder has agreed to comply with the requirements and provided some details on how the requirements would be met.  Response does not clearly indicate if all the needs of the Agency will be met.	
0	Bidder has not addressed any of the requirements or has provided a response that is limited in scope, vague, or incomplete.  Response did not provide a description of how the Agency’s needs would be met.	

Technical Proposal Components.
When Bid Proposals are evaluated, the total points for each component are comprised of the component’s assigned weight multiplied by the score the Bid Proposal earns.  Points for all components will be added together.  The evaluation components, including maximum points that may be awarded, are as follows:

Technical Proposal Components	Weight	Score (0-4)	Potential Maximum Points	
Prerequisite Requirements	15
	-------	60	
Quality Data	15
	-------	60	
Outreach	25
	-------	100	
Enrollment	15
	-------	60	
Short Term Case Management	20
	-------	80	
Reports	10
	-------	40	
Experience and Personnel	10
	-------	40	

Scoring of Cost Proposal Pricing.
Cost Proposal pricing will be scored based on a ratio of the lowest Cost Proposal versus the cost of each higher priced Bid Proposal.  Under this formula, the lowest Cost Proposal receives all of the points assigned to pricing.  A Cost Proposal twice as expensive as the lowest Cost Proposal would earn half of the available points.  The formula is:

Weighted Cost Score = (price of lowest Cost Proposal/price of each higher priced Cost Proposal) X (points assigned to pricing)

Total Points Assigned to Pricing: 300.

Total Points Possible for Technical and Cost Proposals:  740  

4.4 Recommendation of the Evaluation Committee.  
The evaluation committee shall present a final ranking and recommendation(s) to the Division Administrator for consideration.  In making this recommendation, the committee is not bound by any scores or scoring system used to assist with initially determining the relative merits of each Bid Proposal.  This recommendation may include, but is not limited to, the name of one or more Bidders recommended for selection or a recommendation that no Bidder be selected.  The Division Administrator shall consider the committee’s recommendation when making the final decision, but is not bound by the recommendation.  

Attachment A: Release of Information
(Return this completed form behind Tab 6 of the Bid Proposal.)

	_________________________________ (name of Bidder) hereby authorizes any person or entity, public or private, having any information concerning the Bidder’s background, including but not limited to its performance history regarding its prior rendering of services similar to those detailed in this RFP, to release such information to the Agency.    

	The Bidder acknowledges that it may not agree with the information and opinions given by such person or entity in response to a reference request.  The Bidder acknowledges that the information and opinions given by such person or entity may hurt its chances to receive contract awards from the Agency or may otherwise hurt its reputation or operations.  The Bidder is willing to take that risk.  The Bidder agrees to release all persons, entities, the Agency, and the State of Iowa from any liability whatsoever that may be incurred in releasing this information or using this information.    

_______________________________
Printed Name of Bidder Organization

_______________________________		___________________________
Signature of Authorized Representative 		Date

_______________________________		
Printed Name		

Attachment B: Primary Bidder Detail & Certification Form
(Return this completed form behind Tab 6 of the Proposal.  If a section does not apply, label it “not applicable”.)

Primary Contact Information (individual who can address issues re: this Bid Proposal)	
Name:		
Address:		
Tel:		
Fax:		
E-mail:		
Primary Bidder Detail	
Business Legal Name (“Bidder”):		
“Doing Business As” names, assumed names, or other operating names:		
Parent Corporation Name and Address of Headquarters, if any:		
Form of Business Entity (i.e., corp., partnership, LLC, etc.):		
State of Incorporation/organization:		
Primary Address:		
Tel:		
Local Address (if any):		
Addresses of Major Offices and other facilities that may contribute to performance under this RFP/Contract:		
Number of Employees:		
Number of Years in Business:		
Primary Focus of Business:		
Federal Tax ID:		
DUNS #:  		

Bidder’s Accounting Firm:		
If Bidder is currently registered to do business in Iowa, provide the Date of Registration:  		
Do you plan on using subcontractors if awarded this Contract?  {If “YES,” submit a Subcontractor Disclosure Form for each proposed subcontractor.}		
	(YES/NO)	

Request for Confidential Treatment (See Section 3.1)	
Check Appropriate Box:                  
  Bidder Does Not Request Confidential Treatment of Bid Proposal 
  Bidder Requests Confidential Treatment of Bid Proposal	
Location in Bid Proposal (Tab/Page)	Specific Grounds in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or Other Applicable Law Which Supports Treatment of the Information as Confidential	Justification of Why Information Should Be Kept in Confidence and Explanation of Why Disclosure Would Not Be in The Best Interest of the Public	

	

Exceptions to RFP/Contract Language (See Section 3.1)	
RFP Section and Page	Language to Which Bidder Takes Exception	Explanation and Proposed Replacement Language:	Cost Savings to the Agency if the Proposed Replacement Language is Accepted	

PRIMARY BIDDER CERTIFICATIONS 

1.	BID PROPOSAL CERTIFICATIONS.  By signing below, Bidder certifies that:  

1.1	Bidder specifically stipulates that the Bid Proposal is predicated upon the acceptance of all terms and conditions stated in the RFP and the Sample Contract without change except as otherwise expressly stated in the Primary Bidder Detail & Certification Form.  Objections or responses shall not materially alter the RFP.  All changes to proposed contract language, including deletions, additions, and substitutions of language, must be addressed in the Bid Proposal.  The Bidder accepts and shall comply with all Contract Terms and Conditions contained in the Sample Contract without change except as set forth in the Contract;
1.2	Bidder has reviewed the Additional Certifications, which are incorporated herein by reference, and by signing below represents that Bidder agrees to be bound by the obligations included therein;
1.3	Bidder has received any amendments to this RFP issued by the Agency; 
1.4	No cost or pricing information has been included in the Bidder’s Technical Proposal; 
1.5	If Bidder requests confidential treatment of any information submitted in its Proposal, the Bidder expressly acknowledges and agrees that the Agency’s evaluation document(s) may reference information of which the Bidder requested confidential treatment in the Bid Proposal.  These Agency evaluation documents may then be in the public domain and be open to inspection by interested parties upon the Agency’s issuance of a Notice of Intent to Award.  The Agency will not redact information or references to information in evaluation documents even in instances which a Bidder requested confidential treatment in the Bid Proposal; and,
1.6	The person signing this Bid Proposal certifies that he/she is the person in the Bidder’s organization responsible for, or authorized to make decisions regarding the prices quoted and, Bidder guarantees the availability of the services offered and that all Bid Proposal terms, including price, will remain firm until a contract has been executed for the services contemplated by this RFP or one year from the issuance of this RFP, whichever is earlier.

2.	SERVICE AND REGISTRATION CERTIFICATIONS.  By signing below, Bidder certifies that:  

2.1	Bidder certifies that the Bidder’s organization has sufficient personnel and resources available to provide all services proposed by the Bid Proposal, and such resources will be available on the date the RFP states services are to begin.  Bidder guarantees personnel proposed to provide services will be the personnel providing the services unless prior approval is received from the Agency to substitute staff;
2.2	Bidder certifies that if the Bidder is awarded the contract and plans to utilize subcontractors at any point to perform any obligations under the contract, the Bidder will (1) notify the Agency in writing prior to use of the subcontractor, and (2) apply all restrictions, obligations, and responsibilities of the resulting contract between the Agency and contractor to the subcontractors through a subcontract.  The contractor will remain responsible for all Deliverables provided under this contract;
2.3	Bidder either is currently registered to do business in Iowa or agrees to register if Bidder is awarded a Contract pursuant to this RFP; 
2.4	Bidder certifies it is either: 1) registered or will become registered with the Iowa Department of Revenue to collect and remit Iowa sales and use taxes as required by Iowa Code chapter 423; or 2) not a “retailer” of a “retailer maintaining a place of business in this state” as those terms are defined in Iowa Code subsections 423.1(42) & (43).  The Bidder also acknowledges that the Agency may declare the Bid Proposal void if the above certification is false.  Bidders may register with the Department of Revenue online at:  http://www.state.ia.us/tax/business/business.html; and,
2.5 Bidder certifies it will comply with Davis-Bacon requirements if applicable to the resulting contract.

3.	EXECUTION.

By signing below, I certify that I have the authority to bind the Bidder to the specific terms, conditions and technical specifications required in the Agency’s Request for Proposals (RFP) and offered in the Bidder’s Proposal.  I understand that by submitting this Bid Proposal, the Bidder agrees to provide services described herein which meet or exceed the specifications of the Agency’s RFP unless noted in the Bid Proposal and at the prices quoted by the Bidder. The Bidder has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to the anti-competitive obligations outlined in the Additional Certifications.  I certify that the contents of the Bid Proposal are true and accurate and that the Bidder has not made any knowingly false statements in the Bid Proposal.  

Signature:	
	
Printed Name/Title:	
	
Date:	

Attachment C: Subcontractor Disclosure Form
(Return this completed form behind Tab 6 of the Bid Proposal.  Fully complete a form for each proposed subcontractor.  If a section does not apply, label it “not applicable.” If the Bidder does not intend to use subcontractor(s), this form does not need to be returned.)

Primary Bidder (“Primary Bidder”):		
Subcontractor Contact Information (individual who can address issues re: this RFP)	
Name:		
Address:		
Tel:		
Fax:		
E-mail:		

Subcontractor Detail	
Subcontractor Legal Name (“Subcontractor”):		
“Doing Business As” names, assumed names, or other operating names:		
Form of Business Entity (i.e., corp., partnership, LLC, etc.)		
State of Incorporation/organization:		
Primary Address:		
Tel:		
Fax:		
Local Address (if any):		
Addresses of Major Offices and other facilities that may contribute to performance under this RFP/Contract:		
Number of Employees:		
Number of Years in Business:		
Primary Focus of Business:		
Federal Tax ID:		
Subcontractor’s Accounting Firm:		
If Subcontractor is currently registered to do business in Iowa, provide the Date of Registration:  		
Percentage of Total Work to be performed by this Subcontractor pursuant to this RFP/Contract.		
General Scope of Work to be performed by this Subcontractor	

Detail the Subcontractor’s qualifications for performing this scope of work	

By signing below, Subcontractor agrees to the following:

1.	Subcontractor has reviewed the RFP, and Subcontractor agrees to perform the work indicated in this Bid Proposal if the Primary Bidder is selected as the winning Bidder in this procurement;
2.	Subcontractor has reviewed the Additional Certifications and by signing below confirms that the Certifications are true and accurate and Subcontractor will comply with all such Certifications;
3.	Subcontractor recognizes and agrees that if the Primary Bidder enters into a contract with the Agency as a result of this RFP, all restrictions, obligations, and responsibilities of the contractor under the contract shall also apply to the subcontractor; 
4.	Subcontractor agrees that it will register to do business in Iowa before performing any services pursuant to this contract, if required to do so by Iowa law; and,
5.	Subcontractor certifies that it will comply with Davis-Bacon requirements if applicable to the resulting contract.  

The person signing this Subcontractor Disclosure Form certifies that he/she is the person in the Subcontractor’s organization responsible for or authorized to make decisions regarding the prices quoted and the Subcontractor has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to the anti-competitive obligations outlined in the Additional Certifications.

I hereby certify that the contents of the Subcontractor Disclosure Form are true and accurate and that the Subcontractor has not made any knowingly false statements in the Form.

Signature for Subcontractor:	
	
Printed Name/Title:	
	
Date:	

Attachment D: Additional Certifications
(Do not return this page with the Bid Proposal.)

1.	 CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST
By submission of a Bid Proposal, the Bidder certifies (and in the case of a joint proposal, each party thereto certifies) that:

1.	The Bid Proposal has been developed independently, without consultation, communication or agreement with any employee or consultant of the Agency who has worked on the development of this RFP, or with any person serving as a member of the evaluation committee;
2.	The Bid Proposal has been developed independently, without consultation, communication or agreement with any other Bidder or parties for the purpose of restricting competition;
3.	Unless otherwise required by law, the information in the Bid Proposal has not been knowingly disclosed by the Bidder and will not knowingly be disclosed prior to the award of the contract, directly or indirectly, to any other Bidder;
4.	No attempt has been made or will be made by the Bidder to induce any other Bidder to submit or not to submit a Bid Proposal for the purpose of restricting competition;
5.	No relationship exists or will exist during the contract period between the Bidder and the Agency that interferes with fair competition or is a conflict of interest.
6.	The Bidder and any of the Bidder’s proposed subcontractors have no other contractual relationships which would create an actual or perceived conflict of interest.

2.	CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION -- LOWER TIER COVERED TRANSACTIONS
By signing and submitting this Bid Proposal, the Bidder is providing the certification set out below:

1.	The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was entered into.  If it is later determined that the Bidder knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the federal government the Agency or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.
2.	The Bidder shall provide immediate written notice to the person to whom this Bid Proposal is submitted if at any time the Bidder learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or had become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.
3.	The terms covered transaction, debarred, suspended, ineligible, lower tier covered transaction, participant, person, primary covered transaction, principle, proposal, and voluntarily excluded, as used in this clause, have the meaning set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of rules implementing Executive Order 12549.  You may contact the person to which this Proposal is submitted for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations.
4.	The Bidder agrees by submitting this Proposal that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is proposed for debarment under 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4, debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the Agency or agency with which this transaction originated.
5.	The Bidder further agrees by submitting this Proposal that it will include this clause titled "Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transaction," without modification, in all lower tier covered transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions.
6.	A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not proposed for debarment under 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4, debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous.  A participant may decide the method and frequency by which it determines the eligibility of its principals.  A participant may, but is not required to, check the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Non-procurement Programs.
7.	Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause.  The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.
8.	Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 4 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction knowingly enters into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is proposed for debarment under 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4, suspended, debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the federal government, the Agency or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

3.	CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND/OR VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION--LOWER TIER COVERED TRANSACTIONS
1.	The Bidder certifies, by submission of this Proposal, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency.
2.	Where the Bidder is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such Bidder shall attach an explanation to this Proposal.

4.	CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH PRO-CHILDREN ACT OF 1994
By signing and submitting this Bid Proposal, the Bidder is providing the certification set out below:

The Bidder must comply with Public Law 103-227, Part C Environmental Tobacco Smoke, also known as the Pro-Children Act of 1994 (Act).  This Act requires that smoking not be permitted in any portion of any indoor facility owned or leased or contracted by an entity and used routinely or regularly for the provision of health, day care, education, or library services to children under the age of 18, if the services are funded by federal programs either directly or through State or local governments.  Federal programs include grants, cooperative agreements, loans or loan guarantees, and contracts. The law also applies to children’s services that are provided in indoor facilities that are constructed, operated, or maintained with such federal funds.  The law does not apply to children’s services provided in private residences; portions of facilities used for inpatient drug or alcohol treatment; service providers whose sole source of applicable federal funds is Medicare or Medicaid; or facilities (other than clinics) where WIC coupons are redeemed.

The Bidder further agrees that the above language will be included in any sub-awards that contain provisions for children’s services and that all sub-contractors shall certify compliance accordingly.  Failure to comply with the provisions of this law may result in the imposition of a civil monetary penalty of up to $1000 per day.

5.	CERTIFICATION REGARDING DRUG FREE WORKPLACE
1.	Requirements for Contractors Who are Not Individuals.  If the Bidder is not an individual, by signing and submitting this Bid Proposal the Bidder agrees to provide a drug-free workplace by:
a.	publishing a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the person’s workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition;  
b.	establishing a drug-free awareness program to inform employees about:
(1)  The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace;  
(2)  The person’s policy of maintaining a drug- free workplace;  
(3)  Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs; and  
(4)  The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations;  
c.	making it a requirement that each employee to be engaged in the performance of such contract be given a copy of the statement required by subparagraph (a);    
d.	notifying the employee in the statement required by subparagraph (a), that as a condition of employment on such contract, the employee will:
(1)  Abide by the terms of the statement; and 
(2)  Notify the employer of any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than 5 days after such conviction;  
e.	notifying the contracting agency within 10 days after receiving notice under subparagraph (d)(2) from an employee or otherwise receiving actual notice of such conviction;  
f.	imposing a sanction on, or requiring the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program by, any employee who is so convicted, as required by 41 U.S.C. § 703; and  
g.	Making a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of subparagraphs (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f).  
2.	Requirement for Individuals.  If the Bidder is an individual, by signing and submitting this Bid Proposal the Bidder agrees to not engage in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance in the performance of the contract.  
3.	Notification Requirement. The Bidder shall, within 30 days after receiving notice from an employee of a conviction pursuant to 41 U.S.C. § 701(a)(1)(D)(ii) or 41 U.S.C. § 702(a)(1)(D)(ii):
a.	take appropriate personnel action against such employee up to and including termination; or  
b.	Require such employee to satisfactorily participate in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law enforcement, or other appropriate agency.  

6.	NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Bidder does not discriminate in its employment practices with regard to race, color, religion, age (except as provided by law), sex, marital status, political affiliation, national origin, or handicap.

Attachment E: Certification and Disclosure Regarding Lobbying Attachment
(Return this executed form behind Tab 6 of the Bid Proposal.)

Instructions: 
Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 93 requires the bidder to include a certification form, and a disclosure form, if required, as part of the bidder’s proposal.  Award of the federally funded contract from this RFP is a Covered Federal action.  

1)	The bidder shall file with the Agency this certification form, as set forth in Appendix A of 45 CFR Part 93, certifying the bidder, including any subcontractor(s) at all tiers (including subcontracts, sub-grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) have not made, and will not make, any payment prohibited under 45 CFR § 93.100.  
2)	The bidder shall file with the Agency a disclosure form, set forth in Appendix B of 45 CFR Part 93, in the event the bidder or subcontractor(s) at any tier (including subcontracts, sub-grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds, including profits from any covered Federal action, which would be prohibited under 45 CFR § 93.100 if paid for with appropriated funds.  All disclosure forms shall be forwarded from tier to tier until received by the bidder and shall be treated as a material representation of fact upon which all receiving tiers shall rely.

Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements
The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:
(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of an agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of  any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to  influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the  undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, ‘‘Disclosure Form  to Report  Lobbying,’’ in accordance with its instructions.
(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all sub-awards at all tiers (including subcontracts, sub-grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all sub-recipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.
This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into.  Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code.  Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be   subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

Statement for Loan Guarantees and Loan Insurance
The undersigned states, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:
If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, ‘‘Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,’’ in accordance with its instructions.
Submission of this statement is a pre-requisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code.  Any person who fails to file the required statement shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 for each such failure.

I certify that the contents of this certification are true and accurate and that the bidder has not made any knowingly false statements in the Bid Proposal.  I am checking the appropriate box below regarding disclosures required in Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 93.

  The bidder is NOT including a disclosure form as referenced in this form’s instructions because the bidder is NOT required by law to do so. 
  The bidder IS filing a disclosure form with the Agency as referenced in this form’s instructions because the bidder IS required by law to do so.  If the bidder is filing a disclosure form, place the form immediately behind this in the Proposal. 

Signature:	
	
Printed Name/Title:	
	
Date:	

Attachment F: Cost Proposal

(Return the Cost Proposal spreadsheet with the Bid Proposal.)

Instructions to Bidders:  

The cost proposal shall be submitted using the “Attachment F: Cost Proposal” pricing worksheet. The cost proposal pricing worksheet can be found on the State’s procurement website at http://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/ along with the information for this RFP. Bidders should follow the instructions as provided on the pricing worksheet and in accordance with the table in Section 3.1 Bid Proposal Formatting. When completed the form must be submitted in both an Excel and a PDF version with the Technical Proposal documents

Attachment G: Sample Contract

(These contract terms contained in the Special Terms, General Terms, and Contingent Terms for Services Contracts are not intended to be a complete listing of all contract terms but are provided only to enable Bidders to better evaluate the costs associated with the RFP and the potential resulting contract.  Bidders should plan on such terms being included in any contract entered into as a result of this RFP.  All costs associated with complying with these terms should be included in the Cost Proposal or any pricing quoted by the Bidder.  See RFP Section 3.1 regarding Bidder exceptions to contract language.)

This is a sample form.  DO NOT complete and return this attachment.

CONTRACT DECLARATIONS AND EXECUTION

RFP #	Contract #	
MHDS 21-012	{To be completed when contract is drafted.}	

Title of Contract	
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}	

This Contract must be signed by all parties before the Contractor provides any Deliverables.  The Agency is not obligated to make payment for any Deliverables provided by or on behalf of the Contractor before the Contract is signed by all parties.  This Contract is entered into by the following parties:

Agency of the State (hereafter “Agency”)	
Name/Principal Address of Agency:   
Iowa Department of Human Services
1305 E. Walnut
Des Moines, IA 50319-0114

	Agency Billing Contact Name / Address:
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}
	
Agency Contract Manager (hereafter “Contract Manager” ) /Address (“Notice Address”): 
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}
 
	Agency Contract Owner (hereafter “Contract Owner”) / Address:  
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}

Contractor:  (hereafter “Contractor”)	
Legal Name:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}	Contractor’s Principal Address:
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}	
Tax ID #:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}	Organized under the laws of:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}	
Contractor’s Contract Manager Name/Address (“Notice Address”):  
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}	Contractor’s Billing Contact Name/Address:  
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}	

Contract Information	
Start Date:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}	End Date of Base Term of Contract:  
End Date of Contract:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}	
Possible Extension(s):  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}	
Contract Contingent on Approval of Another Agency:  
No
	ISPO Number:  N/A	
Contract Include Sharing SSA Data?  No
	DoIT Number:  N/A

Contract Execution	
This Contract consists of this Contract Declarations and Execution Section, the Special Terms, any Special Contract Attachments, the General Terms for Services Contracts, and the Contingent Terms for Service Contracts.

In consideration of the mutual covenants in this Contract and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt, adequacy and legal sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties have entered into this Contract and have caused their duly authorized representatives to execute this Contract.

SECTION 1: SPECIAL TERMS

1.1 Special Terms Definitions.
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}
1.2 Contract Purpose. 
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}

1.3 Scope of Work. 
1.3.1 Deliverables.
The Contractor shall provide the following:  
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}

1.3.2 Performance Measures.  
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}

1.3.3 Monitoring, Review, and Problem Reporting.   

1.3.3.1 Agency Monitoring Clause.  The Contract Manager or designee will:
•	Verify Invoices and supporting documentation itemizing work performed prior to payment;
•	Determine compliance with general contract terms, conditions, and requirements; and 
•	Assess compliance with Deliverables, performance measures, or other associated requirements based on the following:
The Agency will monitor the service data quarterly to ensure services are offered in the specific geographic areas.
The Agency will monitor the outlined match budget.
The Agency will work with the Contractor on an ongoing basis regarding SOAR barriers and referrals.
The Agency will work with the Contractor and review HMIS data.
The Agency will monitor data reports on a quarterly basis.
Agency staff will meet with ICA and Contractor on a quarterly basis to review the quality of the data.
Agency staff will work with ICA and the Contractor to create a manageable training schedule.
Agency staff will review the submitted quarterly report and Invoice.
The Agency will ensure the percentages will be documented in the HMIS system and will be included in the required annual report.
The Agency will monitor the quarterly reports that include enrollment data.
The Agency will meet with the Contractor on a quarterly schedule to monitor the required data elements. 
The Agency will review HMIS data on a quarterly basis for contract compliance.
Agency staff will monitor the Contractor's data reports on a quarterly basis.
Agency staff will meet with the Contractor on a quarterly basis to review the quality of the data. . 

1.3.3.2 Agency Review Clause.  The Contract Manager or designee will use the results of monitoring activities and other relevant data to assess the Contractor’s overall performance and compliance with the Contract.  At a minimum, the Agency will conduct a review annually; however, reviews may occur more frequently at the Agency’s discretion.  As part of the review(s), the Agency may require the Contractor to provide additional data, may perform on-site reviews, and may consider information from other sources. 

The Agency may require one or more meetings to discuss the outcome of a review.  Meetings may be held in person.  During the review meetings, the parties will discuss the Deliverables that have been provided or are in process under this Contract, achievement of the performance measures, and any concerns identified through the Agency’s contract monitoring activities.  

1.3.3.3 Problem Reporting.  As stipulated by the Agency, the Contractor and/or Agency shall provide a report listing any problem or concern encountered.  Records of such reports and other related communications issued in writing during the course of Contract performance shall be maintained by the parties.  At the next scheduled meeting after a problem has been identified in writing, the party responsible for resolving the problem shall provide a report setting forth activities taken or to be taken to resolve the problem together with the anticipated completion dates of such activities.  Any party may recommend alternative courses of action or changes that will facilitate problem resolution.  The Contract Owner has final authority to approve problem-resolution activities.

The Agency’s acceptance of a problem report shall not relieve the Contractor of any obligation under this Contract or waive any other remedy.  The Agency’s inability to identify the extent of a problem or the extent of damages incurred because of a problem shall not act as a waiver of performance or damages under this Contract.  

1.3.3.4 Addressing Deficiencies.  To the extent that Deficiencies are identified in the Contractor’s performance and notwithstanding other remedies available under this Contract, the Agency may require the Contractor to develop and comply with a plan acceptable to the Agency to resolve the Deficiencies.

1.3.4 Contract Payment Clause.
1.3.4.1 Pricing.  In accordance with the payment terms outlined in this section and the Contractor’s completion of the Scope of Work as set forth in this Contract, the Contractor will be compensated as follows:  
{To be determined.}

1.3.4.2 Payment Methodology.
{To be completed when contract is drafted.}

1.3.4.3 Timeframes for Regular Submission of Initial and Adjusted Invoices.  The Contractor shall submit an Invoice for services rendered in accordance with this Contract.  Invoice(s) shall be submitted quarterly.  Unless a longer timeframe is provided by federal law, and in the absence of the express written consent of the Agency, all Invoices shall be submitted within six months from the last day of the month in which the services were rendered.  All adjustments made to Invoices shall be submitted to the Agency within ninety (90) days from the date of the Invoice being adjusted.  Invoices shall comply with all applicable rules concerning payment of such claims.  

1.3.4.4 Submission of Invoices at the End of State Fiscal Year.  Notwithstanding the timeframes above, and absent (1) longer timeframes established in federal law or (2) the express written consent of the Agency, the Contractor shall submit all Invoices to the Agency for payment by August 1st for all services performed in the preceding state fiscal year (the State fiscal year ends June 30).  

1.3.4.5 Payment of Invoices.  The Agency shall verify the Contractor’s performance of the Deliverables and timeliness of Invoices before making payment.  The Agency will not pay Invoices that are not considered timely as defined in this Contract.  If the Contractor wishes for untimely Invoice(s) to be considered for payment, the Contractor may submit the Invoice(s) in accordance with instructions for the Long Appeal Board Process to the State Appeal Board for consideration.  Instructions for this process may be found at:  http://www.dom.state.ia.us/appeals/general_claims.html.  

The Agency shall pay all approved Invoices in arrears and in conformance with Iowa Code 8A.514.  The Agency may pay in less than sixty (60) days, but an election to pay in less than sixty (60) days shall not act as an implied waiver of Iowa law.

1.3.4.6 Reimbursable Expenses.  Unless otherwise agreed to by the parties in an amendment to the Contract that is executed by the parties, the Contractor shall not be entitled to receive any other payment or compensation from the State for any Deliverables provided by or on behalf of the Contractor pursuant to this Contract.  The Contractor shall be solely responsible for paying all costs, expenses, and charges it incurs in connection with its performance under this Contract. 

1.4 Insurance Coverage.  
The Contractor and any subcontractor shall obtain the following types of insurance for at least the minimum amounts listed below: 

Type of Insurance	Limit	Amount	
General Liability (including contractual liability) written on occurrence basis	General Aggregate

Product/Completed
Operations Aggregate

Personal Injury

Each Occurrence	$2 Million

$1 Million

$1 Million

$1 Million	
Automobile Liability (including any auto, hired autos, and non-owned autos)
	Combined Single Limit
	$1 Million	
Excess Liability, Umbrella Form	Each Occurrence

Aggregate	$1 Million

$1 Million	
Workers’ Compensation and Employer Liability	As required by Iowa law	As Required by Iowa law	
Property Damage
	Each Occurrence

Aggregate	$1 Million

$1 Million	
Professional Liability	Each Occurrence

Aggregate	$2 Million

$2 Million	

1.5 Data and Security.  If this Contract involves Confidential Information, the following terms apply:
1.5.1 Data and Security System Framework.  The Contractor shall comply with either of the following: 
•	Provide certification of compliance with a minimum of one of the following security frameworks, if the Contractor is storing Confidential Information electronically: NIST SP 800-53, HITRUST version 9, SOC 2, COBIT 5, CSA STAR Level 2 or greater, ISO 27001 or PCI-DSS version 3.2 prior to implementation of the system and again when the certification(s) expire, or
•	Provide attestation of a passed information security risk assessment, passed network penetration scans, and passed web application scans (when applicable) prior to implementation of the system and again annually thereafter.  For purposes of this section, “passed” means no unresolved high or critical findings.

1.5.2 Vendor Security Questionnaire.  If not previously provided to the Agency through a procurement process specifically related to this Contract, the Contractor shall provide a fully completed copy of the Agency’s Vendor Security Questionnaire (VSQ).

1.5.3 Cloud Services.  If using cloud services to store Agency Information, the Contractor shall comply with either of the following:
•	Provide written designation of FedRAMP authorization with impact level moderate prior to implementation of the system, or
•	Provide certification of compliance with a minimum of one of the following security frameworks: HITRUST version 9, SOC 2, COBIT 5, CSA STAR Level 2 or greater or PCI-DSS version 3.2 prior to implementation of the system and again when the certification(s) expire.

1.5.4 Addressing Concerns.  The Contractor shall timely resolve any outstanding concerns identified by the Agency regarding the Contractor’s submissions required in this section.

1.6 Reserved.  (Labor Standards Provisions.)  

1.8 Incorporation of General and Contingent Terms.  
1.8.1 General Terms for Service Contracts (“Section 2”).  The version of the General Terms for Services Contracts Section posted to the Agency’s website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/contract-terms that is in effect as of the date of last signature in the Contract Declarations and Execution section, or a more current version if agreed to by amendment, is incorporated into the Contract by reference.  The General Terms for Service Contracts may be referred to as Section 2.  

The contract warranty period (hereafter "Warranty Period") referenced within the General Terms for Services Contracts is as follows:  The term of this Contract, including any extensions. 
1.8.2 Contingent Terms for Service Contracts (“Section 3”). The version of the Contingent Terms for Services Contracts posted to the Agency’s website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/contract-terms that is in effect as of the date of last signature in the Contract Declarations and Execution section, or a more current version if agreed to by amendment, is incorporated into the Contract by reference.  The Contingent Terms for Service Contracts may be referred to as Section 3.  

All of the terms set forth in the Contingent Terms for Service Contracts apply to this Contract unless indicated otherwise in the table below:

Contract Payments include Federal Funds?  Yes
{The items below will be completed if the Contract includes Federal Funds}  
The Contractor for federal reporting purposes under this Contract is a:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.} 
Office of Child Support Enforcement (“OCSE”) Funded Percentage:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}
Federal Funds Include Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) funds?  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}
DUNS #:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}
The Name of the Pass-Through Entity:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}
CFDA #:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}
Grant Name:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}
Federal Awarding Agency Name:  {To be completed when contract is drafted.}  
	
Contractor a Business Associate?  Yes	Contractor a Qualified Service Organization?  No	
Contractor subject to Iowa Code Chapter 8F?  Unknown	Contract Includes Software (modification, design, development, installation, or operation of software on behalf of the Agency)? No