Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Youth Program Services

Program Year 2016

(July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017)

With option to renew annually for a total of three years

RFP Issued: February 29, 2016

Proposals Due: April 15, 2016, 5:00 p.m.

Federal Contractor

Equal Opportunity Employer & Programs – Minorities/Women/Disabled/Veterans

Reasonable accommodations will be made upon request.

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN COMMUNITY ALLIANCE (SEMCA)

25363 Eureka Road

Taylor, MI 48180

(734) 229-3500

Request for Proposals

WIOA Youth Program Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

SECTION I Timetable 3

SECTION II Background and General Information 4

SECTION IIIGeneral Instructions/Proposal Format and Content 7

SECTION IVScope of Services 16

SECTION V Proposal Evaluation 21

SECTION VINote to Bidders 23

SECTION VIIResponse Questions 24

ATTACHMENT AStaffing28

ATTACHMENT BProposed Budget30

EXHIBIT ACrisis Plan31

EXHIBIT BEqual Opportunity is the Law33

SECTION I – TIMETABLE

  1. Release Date: February 26, 2016
  1. Bidders’ Conference: March 11, 2016

1:00 p.m.

SEMCA Offices

25363 Eureka Rd.

Taylor, MI 48180

  1. Proposal Due Date, Time, and Location:April 15, 2016

5:00 p.m.

Deliver or mail proposals to:

Patricia LeBlanc

Workforce Programs Manager: Youth

SEMCA

25363 Eureka Rd.

Taylor, MI 48180

SEMCA will not accept emailed or faxed proposals. Proposals received after this time will only be considered if it is in the best interest of SEMCA to do so.

  1. Winning Bidders Notified:May 20, 2016

E.Contract Start Date: July 1, 2016

  1. Contract Term:July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017

With option to renew annually for a total of three years.

NOTE: This schedule is subject to change.SECTION II –Background and general information

A.The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

On July 22, 2014, President Obama signed Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) into law, which supersedes the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. Key changes under WIOA for serving youth include increasing the minimum percentage of funds to be spent on out-of-school youth (OSY) from 30% to at least 75%, an increased focus on work-based learning and career pathways, extending the OSY age limit from 21 to 24 years, and streamlining the eligibility process.

These changes are consistent with DOL’s commitment to providing high-quality services for disconnected youth and young adults; beginning with career exploration and guidance, continued support for educational attainment, opportunities for skills training in high-demand industries, occupations, apprenticeships and culminating with a good job along a career pathway, enrollment in post-secondary education, or a Registered Apprenticeship.

This RFP is based on current law, WDA Policy and any subsequent changes that apply specifically to WIOA funds. Additional information can be found online through the following links:

WDA

WIOA

The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA), Public Law (PL) 113-128, was enacted by Congress on January 3, 2014. Final regulations have not yet been issued; however draft regulations were issued on April 16, 2015, under 20 CFR Part 675 through 688. Both documents and other resources can be accessed at

  1. RFP Purpose, Funding Period, and Funds Availability

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit competitive proposals for the delivery of youth services under WIOA funding. Contracts resulting from this RFP are anticipated to commence July 1, 2016 and end June 30, 2017. Based on future funding availability and contractor’s performance,SEMCA reserves the option to extend the contract annually for a maximum of three years, with renegotiation to be initiated by the WIB before the contract expires.

Services to be delivered under this RFP will be funded mainly under WIOA. Other funding sources may be utilized to support shared services in accordance with applicable laws. Such funding sources may include Federal, State and/or local sources including but not limited to General Fund/General Purpose (GF/GP), Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Welfare Reform.

This RFP does not commit SEMCA to award a contract(s) for any of the services identified in the RFP. SEMCA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this request, or to cancel or amend in part or in its entirety, this RFP if it is in the best interest of SEMCA to do so.

  1. Eligible Bidders and Subcontractors

Proposing organizations may be public or private, for profit, or not-for-profit entities.

If your proposal involves asubcontract, you must provide a letter of commitment generally outlining the partnerships and the activities or services that will be provided by each of the partners.

If your agency is awarded a contract and you choose to subcontract services, you must obtain prior written approval from SEMCA and must follow all procurement procedures as outlined by SEMCA when selecting and contracting with subcontractors.

  1. Bidders’ Conference

SEMCA is hosting a bidders’ conference on Friday, March 11, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at SEMCA, 25363 Eureka Road, Taylor, Michigan 48180.Prior to the bidders’ conference, prospective bidders are encouraged to submit questions via email to . Questions submitted via email prior to March 9, 2016will be answered at the bidders’ conference.

  1. About the SEMCA Workforce Investment Board

The Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) is a non-profit agency designated as a funding agency for various program contractors serving residents in Monroe and Wayne Counties, excluding the City of Detroit. It serves as a local Workforce Investment Board (WIB). Through its role as a WIB, SEMCA supports and funds employment and training services and connects job seekers with employers. Through strategic partnerships with educational institutions, business, labor, and community organizations, SEMCA supports innovative employment-related programs. These programs serve adults, youth, dislocated workers, and employers throughout the SEMCA region, creating employment opportunities that lead to independence and self-sufficiency and nurture a vibrant, well-trained workforce.

SEMCA is particularly committed to our local youth and helping them to engage in their own development and progress toward long-term self-sufficiency. SEMCA has adopted these four principles of youth development in its approach to developing a comprehensive youth and workforce development system. The system will:

  1. Value the individual strengths of young people rather than focusing exclusively on their problems.
  2. Give youth authentic opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
  3. Provide youth with caring adults who provide structure, accountability, and high expectations.
  4. Take a holistic approach to providing services to youth and address academic, employability, civic and social involvement, emotional, and physical needs.

Strong proposals will adopt these principles in program design and management.

  1. SEMCA’s Geographic Service Area

SEMCA’s WIOA Youth Program service region includes all of Monroe and out-Wayne Counties (excluding the City of Detroit). SEMCA has established One-Stop Service Center locations based upon geographic, demographic, and other relevant criteria. SEMCA currently has the following six locations throughout Monroe and out-Wayne County where WIOA Year-Round Youth services are provided:

  • Dearborn, 6451 Schaefer Road, Dearborn, MI 48126
  • Highland Park, 144 E. Manchester Street, Highland Park, MI 48203
  • Livonia, 30200 Plymouth Road, Livonia, MI 48150
  • Monroe, 1101 S. Raisinville Road, Monroe, MI 48161
  • Southgate, 15100 Northline Road, Southgate, MI 48195
  • Wayne, 35731 W. Michigan Avenue, Wayne, MI 48184

Bidders should specify the particular geographic area within the SEMCA service area that they are proposing to serve and/or state that they are willing to be placed at any location based upon SEMCA’s discretion.

Highland Park, Livonia, and Wayne are SEMCA leased facilities. Successful bidders for those locations will be physically located within the existing One-Stop Center. All other locations are independently leased facilities and will be required to establish a facility in the same city within reasonable proximity to the existing One-Stop Center.

SEMCA reserves the right to award contracts to any number of bidders in a respective area and to negotiate the area to be served.

  1. Service Center Hours/Closings

Services must be available at all times the State of Michigan is open for business, unless sites are closed locally for public safety (e.g. inclement weather). Minimum hours of operation are 8:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, though some extended hours are encouraged.

Services should reach out to other physical locations and into the community, but much of the outreach will be defined by the service providers responding to this RFP. This system is structured to allow service providers to have significant input on the design and building of an effective workforce delivery system for our customers.

SECTION III – GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS/

PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

A.Proposal Submission

  1. All proposals must be sealed and date and time stamped in the SEMCA offices. The deadline for submission is 5:00 p.m., Friday, April 15, 2016. Proposals received after this time will only be considered if it is in the best interest of SEMCA to do so. SEMCA will time stamp and record each proposal as it is received. SEMCA will not be responsible for delays caused by the method of submittal chosen by the proponents. Deliver or mail proposals to:

Patricia LeBlanc

Workforce Programs Manager: Youth

SEMCA

25363 Eureka Rd.

Taylor, MI 48180

  1. Bidders must submit an original and four (4) hard copies of each proposal. Bidder will also submit one (1) electronic version of the proposal in PDF format submitted on a USB drive. Each copy must be divided into clearly labeled sections and contained in a 3-hole punched binder. This is a sealed bid. All bid materials must be received in a sealed envelope or box. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  1. Proposals must be submitted in the legal name of the organization. Proposals should not be submitted in the name of a project. SEMCA will only contract with the legal entity named in the proposal.
  1. Proposals must follow the instructions as indicated in the RFP. Do not include letters of support. Do not use elaborate binding or include miscellaneous information and/or promotional materials.
  1. Proposals must be compiled and submitted in the following order:

a.Proposal signatory sheet (see page 22)

b.Proposal response questions (see pages 24-27)

c.Attachments

  1. Legal History (see page 26)
  2. Proposed Budget
  3. Federal Single Audit and Audited Financial Statement includingManagement Letter (see page 27)
  4. Indirect Cost Plan (see page 27)
  5. Cost Allocation Plan (see page 27)
  6. Certification of Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion
  7. Certification Regarding Lobbying
  1. All proposals must be typed using a twelve (12) point font or larger and one (1) inch margins. Bidders must answer every question or should indicate the question is not applicable by responding with,“N/A.” All proposals must be printed in black ink.
  1. Any bidder may include a proposed subcontract with another entity within the bidder’s proposal; however, the same details that are required in the description of the services for the prime applicant must be included in the description for the proposed subcontractors. Proposed subcontractors must demonstrate the same capacity to perform as would be expected of the primary contractor.
  1. Bidders should specify the particular geographic area within the SEMCA service area that they are proposing to serve and/or state that they are willing to be placed at any location based upon SEMCA’s discretion.
  1. SEMCA reserves the right to award contracts to any number of bidders in a respective area and to negotiate the area to be served based upon information provided in the proposal.
  1. All proposals become public information after contracts are awarded and may be open for public scrutiny, upon request. Proposals become the property of SEMCA and will not be returned to the bidder.
  1. Bidders submitting a response to this RFP must be willing and legally able to sign a contract that will provide a full indemnification and hold harmless to any liability of SEMCA or its governing bodies for any activities conducted by the contractor agency. The contractor will be solely responsible for activities and services performed under the contract.
  1. Contracts will be awarded for one year. SEMCA may, at its discretion, extend the contracts annually for a maximum of three years.
  1. All requirements stated in this RFP must be met. Contracts awarded as a result of this RFP will be monitored closely for compliance.
  1. SEMCA will follow appropriate protest procedures in the event the awarding of a bid is questioned or challenged. These procedures are outlined in the SEMCA procurement policy and are available at any time upon written request.
  1. Case Management: One-Stop-Management-Information-System (OSMIS) is currently utilized for SEMCA’s WIOA Youth Program. Contractors will be offered technical assistance as needed.

B.General Information

  1. Funding:

SEMCA recognizes that changes in grants, both program and funding, are possible due to new or revised legislation and will incorporate changes as necessary. Accordingly, all funding is contingent on the availability of continued authorization for program activities from the funding source, the Workforce Development Agency State of Michigan (WDASOM). All items submitted as part of a proposal are subject to modification based upon rules and regulations imposed by funding sources.

WIOA requires a minimum of 75 percent of State and Local youth funding to be used for out-of-school youth. WIOA also requires at least 20 percent of SEMCA’s Youth formula funds be used for work experiences, such as summer and year-round employment, pre-apprenticeship, on-the-job training, internships and job shadowing.

Exact funds available under this RFP will not be known until WDASOM releases its allocations for PY 2016. Bidders may base their proposal budgets on the figures below, which indicate the last two program years’ allocations to SEMCA’s WIA/WIOA Youth Program providers. The allocations below are solely for the purpose of offering guidance to bidders. PY 2016 contracts will be based upon allocations received from WDASOM.

Total Allocations to SEMCA’s WIA/WIOA Youth Program Providers for PY2014 and PY2015:

  • PY 2014 (July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015) WIAAllocations: $1,548,370
  • PY 2015 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016) WIOA Allocations: $1,410,346

SEMCA reserves the right to award contracts to any number of bidders and to negotiate the population and area to be served based upon information in the proposal.

  1. Technical Assistance:Technical assistance will not be provided during the bid process.
  1. Proposals Selected for Funding:Prior to contract execution, SEMCA will require submission of additional information, including, but not limited to, bidder’s cost allocation plan or a federally approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (whichever applies to bidder), inventory listing, proof of insurance and bonding.

  1. Limits:
  1. Proposal Preparation: This RFP does not commit SEMCA to pay any cost incurred in the preparation of the bidder’s proposal.
  1. SEMCA may require the bidder selected to participate in negotiations, to submit any price, technical, or other revision to their proposals as may result from negotiations.
  1. Contract Award: This RFP does not commit SEMCA to award a contract(s) for any of the services identified in this RFP.
  1. SEMCA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this request, to negotiate with all qualified sources, or to cancel in part, or in its entirety, this RFP if it is in the best interest of SEMCA to do so.
  1. Allowable Profit:

WDA PI15-12 states the profit requirements for private-for-profit agencies:

  1. Profit is an allowable cost payable only to commercial organizations. The profit must be separately negotiated from the contract’s price and cannot be based on a percentage of costs budgeted or expended in the agreement. Profit must be tied to performance and cannot be paid as a guaranteed fixed fee. Profit is only earned when performance outcomes are attained and can only be disbursed when those outcomes are validated. Profit cannot be paid in addition to performance payments or incentive payments. [2 CFR Part 200.323(b); 48 CFR Part 15.404-4]
  1. Factors to consider when negotiating profit are the complexity of the work to be performed, the risk borne by the contractor, the contractor's investment, the amount of subcontracting, the quality of its record of past performance, and industry profit rates in the surrounding geographical area for similar work. [2 CFR Part 200.323(b);48 CFR Part 15.404-4(d)]
  1. Profit rates can be negotiated up to a maximum of ten percent. Profit rates can only be applied against the commercial organization’s personnel-related costs (i.e., salaries, wages, and benefits) for the staff that contributed to the organization’s unique capacity to manage and achieve the performance of the contract. [48 CFR Part 15.404-4(c)(4)(i)]
  1. Under cost reimbursement contracts there is little to no risk to the commercial organization. Therefore, profit is usually not warranted.

C.Proposal Evaluation

  1. Proposal Acceptance: All proposals will be stamped with the date and time received.
  1. Method of Review:
  1. Proposals will be primarily evaluated based upon the bidder’s experience, program design, administrative/management capacity, and financial capability. Specific weights per category are listed on page 21. SEMCA reserves the right to consider factors outside of the RFP that it deems relevant in making its final selection of WIOA Youth contractors that will serve the best interest of the SEMCA WOIA Youth Program, its customers, and the communities it serves.
  2. A committee will review all proposals to determine if they meet a minimum qualifications threshold as determined by SEMCA. The proposals determined to best meet SEMCA’s needs will be reviewed for further consideration and/or recommendation to SEMCA’s Chief Executive Officer, who will make final recommendations to the Workforce Development Board.
  3. Successful bidders will be notified in writing upon approval by the Workforce Development Board. Bidders will be contacted to schedule subsequent negotiations if necessary.
  1. On-Site Review: SEMCA, at its discretion, may require a pre- and/or post-award review of facilities, staffing and program design. SEMCA will contact the bidder at least two days in advance of the visit. The bidder will be expected to have at least one knowledgeable and authorized staff member available to respond to SEMCA’s questions.

D.Proposal Instructions