Evaluation Contractor for the Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success Grant

Agency of Administration, Buildings and General Services on behalf of
Agency of Human Services, Department of Health
133 State Street, 5th Floor | Montpelier VT 05633-8000
802-828-2211 phone |802-828-2222 fax
http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing
SEALED BID
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Evaluation Contractor for the Strategic Prevention
Framework-Partnerships for Success Grant
ISSUE DATE March, 20, 2026
QUESTIONS DUE April, 3, 2026 - 4:30 PM (ET)
RFP RESPONSES DUE BY April, 17, 2026 - 4:30 PM (ET)
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:
http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php
THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH UPDATED
INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO PERIODICALLY CHECK THE
ABOVE WEBPAGEFOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP.
STATE CONTACT: Kyle Emerson
E-MAIL: sov.thepathforward@vermont.gov
USE SUBJECT: DSU EVALUATION SERVICES
Revised: March 18, 2025
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1. OVERVIEW:
SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: In the fall of 2025, the Vermont Department of Health (hereinafter the
"State") was awarded a five (5) year federally funded cooperative grant called the Strategic Prevention
Framework-Partnerships for Success for States (hereinafter "PFS"), from the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). PFS is designed to reduce the onset and progression
of alcohol and cannabis use/misuse by youth and young adults by expanding the capacity of community-
based organizations statewide to implement and sustain prevention services in communities with high
substance misuse rates; promoting the use of evidence-based interventions and/or practices to maximize
positive health outcomes; and, addressing larger, more systematic structural issues related to access to
high quality prevention services for all populations that are relevant, recovery-oriented and trauma-
informed as a means of improving overall health and wellbeing. The PFS initiative is grounded in the
Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), a model based in public health principles, including being data-
driven and focused on providing evidence-based services to underserved communities. PFS requires the
collection of outcome data that enables SAMHSA to report on key outcome measures relating to the
program. In addition to outcome data, performance measures collected by recipients will be used to
demonstrate how SAMHSA's programs are reducing disparities in behavioral health access, service use,
and outcomes nationwide.
Vermont's PFS initiative - Regional Prevention Partnerships (hereinafter "RPP") - will utilize the existing
Vermont Prevention Lead Organization (VPLO) structure to strengthen and increase state, regional, and
community prevention capacity to identify and address substance use prevention concerns related to use
and misuse of alcohol and cannabis. The population of focus is largely rural youth and young adults ages
13-25 statewide. Youth and young adults in Vermont use cannabis and drink alcohol at higher rates than
the national average. The program goals are:
Goal 1: Establish a data-driven statewide, regional, and community-specific approach for
delivering evidence-based substance misuse prevention strategies to reduce rates of cannabis and
alcohol use among youth and young adults, including the development of an updated registry of
evidence-based and promising practices specific to the communities where youth and young adults
are served.
Goal 2: Implement evidence-based strategies to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors
that minimize the initiation of use or misuse of cannabis and alcohol among youth and young
adults.
Goal 3: Maintain and strengthen state, regional and community level capacity and infrastructure to
reduce high-risk behaviors in communities that may contribute to youth and young adult substance
use/misuse.
Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the State is seeking to establish a contract with one company
that can provide evaluation services for the five-year PFS grant, including a comprehensive evaluation of
the RPP program that meets federal data collection, reporting and submission requirements, engages
stakeholders (hereinafter "interest holders"), and utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods, with
an emphasis on community-based qualitative work.
1.1. CONTRACT PERIOD: The contract arising from this RFP will be for a period of five (5) years. The State
anticipates the start date for such contract(s) will be on or around June 1, 2026.
1.2. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be addressed in writing
to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or attempted contact with any other
individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.
1.3. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of this RFP or
wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions in writing no later than
the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP. Questions may be e-mailed to the point
of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or comments not raised in writing on or before the last
day of the question period are thereafter waived. At the close of the question period a copy of all
questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted on the State's web site
http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Every effort will be made to post this information as soon as
possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions. All
information provided by vendors during this process will be public and bidders shall not provide
confidential information, except as described in 4.1 below.
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1.4. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State through the
issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php .
Modifications from any other source are not to be considered.
1.5. SOURCE OF FUNDS: This project is being funded in whole or in part using federal monies and are
therefore applicable to federal funding limitations and guidance (see SAMHSA's Standards for Financial
Management and Standard Funding Restrictions, Section F). If a bidder requires assistance in preparing
their proposal or needs guidance on socioeconomic certifications, the bidder may contact the VT APEX
Accelerator. The APEX Accelerator specializes in helping small businesses navigate the documentation
associated with State and Federal procurement. Their website is: http://apex.vermont.gov.
If incentives are required for data collection, please note the incentive restrictions of this funding:
https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grants-management/policies/additional-directives.
2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:
The State is seeking to contract with one external evaluation partner to provide evaluation services for the five
(5) year PFS grant.
The contracted evaluator will complete a mixed-methods evaluation of RPP program activities, ensuring that
evaluation findings are relevant to interest holders and the populations of focus. The evaluation contractor will
refine the existing program logic model, develop a comprehensive evaluation plan to guide evaluation activities
and provide an accessible evaluation report based on findings. The scope and content of the evaluation will be
determined in conjunction with State staff and program interest holders and will be based on programmatic
needs, federal grant requirements, and available funding.
Evaluations are intended to determine programmatic/intervention reach and impact and guide program
improvement. The contracted evaluator will be expected to be involved in engaging interest holders, creating
evaluation design, conducting data collection and analysis, preparing recommendations, and facilitating the use
of evaluation findings. The evaluation will also need to be designed such that they can determine if there are
any negative/unintended results from programmatic activities that need to be addressed, corrected, and
improved. In such cases where negative/unintended effects are identified, the contractor will be asked to
identify and recommend remediation approaches when appropriate. The evaluation must meet SAMHSA grant
requirements, and the contractors must use funder-provided templates, forms, and approaches for evaluations,
as required unless otherwise specified.
The contracted evaluator will:
* Collaborate with the State project team, evaluation staff, and contracted partners throughout the project
duration.
* Update and refine the RPP program logic model.
* Develop an evaluation plan for a participatory evaluation of the RPP program which aims to provide
relevant and useful findings to interest holders and identified populations of focus. The evaluation plan
will also assess evidence-based strategy implementation (e.g., fidelity) and approaches used to build
organizational capacity at the community-level related to prevention.
* Identify performance measures and outcome data, develop data collection tools, and collect and
analyze data as outlined in the evaluation plan.
* Support grant reporting, including but not limited to PFS required annual targets, quarterly reports,
annual impact reporting and programmatic progress reports. At a minimum, grant-required performance
and outcome data from existing data sources will include:
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Performance Measures Data Source Collection Frequency
Number of individuals reached through one or more Grantee quarterly Quarterly
indirect/population-based prevention efforts reports via Alchemer
Number and demographics of individuals served Grantee quarterly Quarterly
through direct/individual-based prevention efforts. reports via Alchemer
Prevention strategies by IOM category (universal, Grantee quarterly Quarterly
selected, indicated) and approach (policy, program, reports via Alchemer
practice)
Perceived risk of harm from using substances Young Adult Survey, Bi-Annual
(Intervening variable - Risk Factor Reduction) Youth Risk Behavior
Survey
% of Policy and Communication Evaluation (PACE) PACE Annual
participants who have seen a prevention messaging
campaign have made a positive behavior change in
the subsequent three months (Intervening Variable -
Protective Factor Promotion)
Past 30-day alcohol and cannabis use by youth and Young Adult Survey, Bi-Annual
young adults (Consumption or Behavior Variable) Youth Risk Behavior
Survey
The rate of Youth Substance Abuse Safety Program YSASP Annual
(YSASP) alcohol and marijuana citations for youth
under 21 (Consequence Variable)
* Submit data via SAMHSA's Performance Accountability and Reporting System (SPARS) within
established reporting deadlines in coordination with Grant Manager.
* Utilize qualitative and quantitative methods in the evaluation, with an emphasis on community-based
qualitative work.
* Ensure all prepared documents meet federal accessibility requirements.
* Participate fully in all aspects of a cross-site evaluation, as requested by SAMHSA.
The contracted partner may also be requested to conduct, or assist State staff to conduct, evaluation capacity
building activities for State staff and partners including technical assistance and/or trainings.
The anticipated funds for this work are $175,000 per grant year. Management of activities under the contract
awarded through this procurement will be provided by the program team and other evaluation staff within the
State Division of Substance Use Programs (DSU). The program team, evaluation staff, and contractor will
discuss and clarify the project specifications, including an agreement on the scope, workplan, and budget,
before work begins.
3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
3.1. PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all costs that
Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If applicable, all equipment
pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No request for extra delivery cost will be
honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled, serviced, and ready for immediate use, unless
otherwise requested by the State.
3.1.1. Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing policy submitted by
Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii) cover the full spectrum of
materials and/or services required.
3.1.2. Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive
bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome to submit the pricing in response
to this solicitation.
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3.2. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and select the
Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent with the goals and
performance requirements outlined in this RFP. The State of Vermont reserves the right to obtain
clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal. Failure of bidder to
respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that bidder's
proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of the State, the State reserves
the right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to waive
technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to make purchases outside of the
awarded contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.
3.2.1. Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and prior to the final
selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may invite Bidder(s) to provide a
BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from only those Bidders that meet the minimum
qualification requirements and/or have not been eliminated from consideration during the evaluation
process.
3.2.2. Presentation. An in-person or webinar presentation by the Bidder may be required by the State if it
will help the State's evaluation process. The State will factor information presented during
presentations into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs associated with providing
the presentation.
3.3. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:
3.3.1. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCOI): An OCOI arises when a bidder as a business entity has
interests (for example, customers, partners, contracts) that could undermine, or reasonably be
perceived to undermine, its faithful and unbiased performance of a contract with the State that may
result from this solicitation.
3.3.2. Personal Conflict of Interest (PCOI): A PCOI arises when an interest held by an individual, agent or
employee of a bidder could undermine, or reasonably be perceived to undermine, its faithful and
unbiased performance of a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.
3.3.3. Requirements: The State does not seek to contract with any individual or business entity having a
conflict of interest which cannot be mitigated to the State's satisfaction. To ensure the State's
awareness of actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs and OCOIs, bidders shall:
a) Prior to submitting a proposal, conduct an internal review of its current affiliations and activities and
identify actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs or OCOIs relative to a contract with the
State that may result from this solicitation.
b) Disclose in your proposal any actual or potential PCOI or OCOI or the existence of any facts that
may cause a reasonably prudent person to perceive a PCOI or OCOI with respect to a contract
with the State that may result from this solicitation. Disclose, also, any actions proposed to mitigate
the PCOI or OCOI.
3.3.4. The State shall have sole discretion to determine whether a PCOI or OCOI can be mitigated to the
State's satisfaction and may discuss the conflict with the bidder if and to the extent the State deems
discussion necessary to its determination. The State reserves the right to (a) reject from further
consideration any proposal having a PCOI or OCIO that cannot be mitigated to the State's full
satisfaction and (b) terminate a contract upon discovery that a contractor failed to disclose facts
pertaining to a PCOI or OCOI in its proposal, or otherwise misrepresented relevant information to the
State.
3.4. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS: In accordance with Section 32 of The
Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), Bidders must comply with the following
provisions and requirements.
3.4.1. Self Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidder shall complete the appropriate
section in the attached Certificate of Compliance for purposes of self-reporting information relating to
past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information related to past performance
relative to coding and classification of workers. The State is requiring information on any violations
that occurred in the previous 12 months.
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3.4.2. Subcontractor Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidders are hereby notified that
upon award of contract, and prior to contract execution, the State shall be provided with a list of all
proposed subcontractors and subcontractors' subcontractors, together with the identity of those
subcontractors' workers compensation insurance providers, and additional required or requested
information, as applicable, in accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54). This requirement does not apply to subcontractors providing
supplies only and no labor to the overall contract or project. This list MUST be updated and provided
to the State as additional subcontractors are hired. A sample form is available online at
http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing-contracting/forms. The subcontractor reporting form is not
required to be submitted with the bid response.
3.5. EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE PROCUREMENTS:
For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the Climate Change
Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the Certificate of Compliance for
this RFP.
After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business practices that promote
clean energy and address climate change as identified in the Certification, shall be given favorable
consideration in the competitive bidding process. Such favorable consideration shall be consistent with
and not supersede any preference given to resident bidders of the State and/or products raised or
manufactured in the State, as explained in the Method of Award section. But, such favorable
consideration shall not be employed if prohibited by law or other relevant authority or agreement.
3.6. METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made in the best interest of the State. The State may award
one or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other compliant bidders at
any time if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. All other considerations being
equal, preference will be given first to resident bidders of the state and/or to products raised or
manufactured in the state, and then to bidders who have practices that promote clean energy and
address climate change, as identified in the applicable Certificate of Compliance.
3.6.1. Evaluation Criteria: Consideration shall be given to the Bidder's project approach and methodology,
qualifications and experience, ability to provide the services within the defined timeline, cost, and/or
success in completing similar projects, as applicable, and to the extent specified below.
Criterion Points
Background and Qualifications 20
Evaluation Approach and Timeline 30
Staffing Proposal 20
Price Schedule 10
References 10
Work Sample(s) 10
Total Possible Points 100
3.7. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State may select one or
more bidders with which to negotiate a contract, based on the evaluation findings and other criteria
deemed relevant for ensuring that the decision made is in the best interest of the State. In the event
State is not successful in negotiating a contract with a selected bidder, the State reserves the option of
negotiating with another bidder, or to end the proposal process entirely.
3.8. COST OF PREPARATION: Bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in the
preparation of a response to this RFP and shall be responsible for all expenses associated with any
presentations or demonstrations associated with this request and/or any proposals made.
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3.9. CONTRACT TERMS: The selected bidder(s) will be expected to sign a contract with the State, including
the Standard Contract Form and Attachment C, D, E, F, and G, as attached to this RFP for reference. If
IT Attachment D is included in this RFP, terms may be modified based upon the solution proposed by
the Bidder, subject to approval by the Agency of Digital Services.
3.9.1. Business Registration. To be awarded a contract by the State of Vermont a bidder (except an
individual doing business in his/her own name) must be registered with the Vermont Secretary of
State's office https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/registration/ and must obtain a Contractor's
Business Account Number issued by the Vermont Department of Taxes http://tax.vermont.gov/ .
3.9.2. The contract will obligate the bidder to provide the services and/or products identified in its bid, at the
prices listed.
3.9.3. Payment Terms. Percentage discounts may be offered for prompt payments of invoices; however,
such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or more in order to be considered in making
awards.
3.9.4. Retainage. In the discretion of the State, a contract resulting from this RFP may provide that the
State withhold a percentage of the total amount payable for some or all deliverables, such retainage
to be payable upon satisfactory completion and State acceptance in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the contract.
3.9.5. Quality. If applicable, all products provided under a contract with the State will be new and unused,
unless otherwise stated. Factory seconds or remanufactured products will not be accepted unless
specifically requested by the purchasing agency. All products provided by the contractor must meet
all federal, state, and local standards for quality and safety requirements. Products not meeting these
standards will be deemed unacceptable and returned to the contractor for credit at no charge to the
State.
4. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES: The content and format requirements listed below are the
minimum requirements for State evaluation. These requirements are not intended to limit the content of a
Bidder's proposal. Bidders may include additional information or offer alternative solutions for the State's
consideration. However, the State discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals, and Bidders are advised to
include only such information in their response as may be relevant to the requirements of this solicitation.
4.1. Unsolicited Bidder-Confidential Information Prohibited. Bidders are hereby expressly directed not to
include any confidential information in their proposal submissions, except as specifically permitted below.
By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, bidders acknowledge and agree to abide by the terms
and conditions outlined in this document, including the prohibition on submitting confidential information.
This prohibition reduces the burden on the State while preventing bidder-confidential information from
entering the public record.
4.2. Disclosure under Public Records Act. All information received by the State in response to this
solicitation will become part of the contract file and subject to public disclosure in accordance with the
State's Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. 315 et seq. The State may also choose to publicly post responses to
this solicitation and the resulting agreement(s), following conclusion of this procurement process.
4.3. Unsolicited Confidential Materials. The State intends to redact or withhold only those confidential
materials specifically requested below. All other materials, including those marked as confidential by
bidders, are subject to disclosure if requested under the Public Records Act, or public posting.
4.4. State Not Responsible for Disclosure of Unmarked Bidder-Confidential Information. It is the
sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure that, other than where specifically directed or permitted by this
RFP and accordingly marked as described below, no information that should not be publicly disclosed is
included in their proposal materials, including any 1) trade secrets or intellectual property, 2) proprietary
financial or business information, 3) personal information, or 4) any other information that should not be
disclosed to the public. For example, bidders should avoid including specific details of their proprietary
technologies or methodologies that they consider confidential, and any references to previous client
engagements should be presented in a manner that does not disclose the client's confidential information.
4.5. The bid should include a Cover Letter, Technical Response, References, Work Samples and Price
Schedule.
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4.6. COVER LETTER: Your cover letter should include a brief company introduction, highlights of relevant
experience and experience working with an IRB, and a proposal summary and should address
readiness to deliver requested evaluation services.
4.6.1. Confidentiality. To the extent your bid contains information you consider to be proprietary and
confidential, you must comply with the following requirements concerning the contents of your cover
letter and the submission of a redacted copy of your bid (or affected portions thereof).
4.6.2. The successful response will become part of the contract file and will become a matter of public
record, as will all other responses received. If the response includes material that is considered by the
bidder to be proprietary and confidential under the State's Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. 315 et seq.,
the bidder shall submit a cover letter that clearly identifies each page or section of the response that it
believes is proprietary and confidential. The bidder shall also provide in their cover letter a written
explanation for each marked section explaining why such material should be considered exempt
from public disclosure in the event of a public records request, pursuant to 1 V.S.A. 317(c),
including the prospective harm to the competitive position of the bidder if the identified material were
to be released. Additionally, the bidder must include a redacted copy of its response for portions that
are considered proprietary and confidential. Redactions must be limited so that the reviewer may
understand the nature of the information being withheld. It is typically inappropriate to redact entire
pages, or to redact the titles/captions of tables and figures. Under no circumstances can the entire
response be marked confidential, and the State reserves the right to disqualify responses so marked.
4.6.3. Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions. If a bidder wishes to propose an exception to any
terms and conditions set forth in the Standard Contract Form and its attachments, such exceptions
must be included in the cover letter to the RFP response. Failure to note exceptions when
responding to the RFP will be deemed to be acceptance of the State contract terms and conditions. If
exceptions are not noted in the response to this RFP but raised during contract negotiations, the
State reserves the right to cancel the negotiation if deemed to be in the best interests of the State.
Note that exceptions to contract terms may cause rejection of the proposal, and that the State's non-
rejection of a proposal on this basis does not indicate acceptance of the exceptions.
4.7. TECHNICAL RESPONSE. In response to this RFP, a bidder shall (10-page maximum):
4.7.1. Provide details concerning your form of business organization, company size and resources.
4.7.2. Describe your capabilities and particular experience relevant to the RFP requirements, including
particular experience relevant to performing the work as described in Attachment 7.4 Standard State
Contract Form, Attachment A - Statement of Work.
4.7.3. If you have experience working with the State of Vermont, identify all current or past State projects.
Provide the name of the Vermont department or agency and the project title or a brief description of
the work. Do not include references or statements from State of Vermont agencies or employees.
4.7.4. Identify the names of all subcontractors you intend to use, the portions of the work the subcontractors
will perform, and address the background and experience of the subcontractor(s), in response to the
questions described above in this section.
4.7.5. Provide your evaluation approach, including proposed methods, data collection and tools, expertise,
and evaluation timeline relevant to performing the work as described in Section 2: Detailed
Requirements/Desired Outcomes and Attachment 7.4 Standard State Contract Form, Attachment A -
Statement of Work. Identify if any proposed methods will require IRB, review and confirm willingness
to obtain necessary IRB approval.
4.7.6. Provide details regarding staff to be assigned to the evaluation project, including resumes. Resumes
are not included in the 10-page Technical Response maximum.
4.8. REFERENCES. Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with
whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names
who can talk knowledgeably about performance. Do not list a State of Vermont agency or employee as a
reference.
4.9. WORK SAMPLES: Provide at least one example evaluation plan and evaluation report that
demonstrates the ability to perform the work as described in Attachment 7.4 Standard State Contract
Form, Attachment A - Statement of Work.
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4.10. PRICE SCHEDULE: Bidders shall submit their pricing information in the Price Schedule attached to the
RFP. The anticipated funds for this work are $175,000 per grant year.
4.11. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response
for the proposal to be considered valid.
5. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:
5.1. CLOSING DATE: Bids must be received by the State by the due date specified on the front page of this
RFP. Late bids will not be considered.
5.1.1. The State may, for cause, issue an addendum to change the date and/or time when bids are due. If a
change is made, the State will inform all bidders by posting at the webpage indicated on the front
page of this RFP.
5.1.2. There will not be a public bid opening. However, the State will record the name, city and state for any
and all bids received by the due date.
5.2. ELECTRONIC BIDS ONLY: All bids under this RFP must be submitted electronically in accordance with
the submission requirements herein. Electronic bids will be accepted via email submission to
SOV.ThePathForward@vermont.gov. The subject line of the email submission must reference the
Project Title as indicated on the front page of this RFP.
5.2.1. Bids must consist of a single email with a single, digitally searchable PDF attachment containing all
components of the bid. Multiple emails and/or multiple attachments will not be accepted.
5.2.2. There is an attachment size limit of 40 MB. It is the Bidder's responsibility to compress the PDF file
containing its bid if necessary in order to meet this size limitation. It is also the Bidder's responsibility
to ensure that their own email system can send and receive messages up to this size.
6. BID SUBMISSION CHECKLIST:
Cover Letter
Technical Response (10-page limit)
Redacted Technical Response, if applicable
References
Work Samples
Price Schedule
Signed Certificate of Compliance
7. ATTACHMENTS:
7.1. Certificate of Compliance
7.2. Price Schedule
7.3. Worker Classification Compliance Requirement; Subcontractor Reporting Form
7.4. Standard State Contract with its associated attachments, including but not limited to:
* Attachment A: Statement of Work
* Attachment B: Payment Provisions
* Attachment C: Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants (February 13, 2026)
* Attachment D: Information Technology Professional Services
* Attachment E: Business Associate Agreement
* Attachment F: Agency of Human Services' Customary Contract & Grant Provisions
* Attachment G: Federal Terms Supplement
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RFP/PROJECT:
DATE:
Page 1 of 4
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
For your bid to be considered valid, this form must be completed in its entirety, executed by a duly
authorized representative of the bidder, and submitted as part of the response to the proposal.
A. NON COLLUSION: Bidder hereby certifies that the prices quoted have been arrived at without collusion
and that no prior information concerning these prices has been received from or given to a competitive
company. If there is sufficient evidence to warrant investigation of the bid/contract process by the Office of
the Attorney General, bidder understands that this paragraph might be used as a basis for litigation.
B. CONTRACT TERMS: Bidder hereby acknowledges that is has read, understands and agrees to the terms
of this RFP, including Attachment C: Standard State Contract Provisions, and any other contract
attachments included with this RFP.
C. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT: In accordance with Section 32 of The
Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), the following provisions and requirements
apply to Bidder when the amount of its bid exceeds $250,000.00.
Self-Reporting. Bidder hereby self-reports the following information relating to past violations, convictions,
suspensions, and any other information related to past performance relative to coding and classification of
workers, that occurred in the previous 12 months.
Summary of Detailed Date of Notification Outcome
Information
Subcontractor Reporting. Bidder hereby acknowledges and agrees that if it is a successful bidder, prior to
execution of any contract resulting from this RFP, Bidder will provide to the State a list of all proposed
subcontractors and subcontractors' subcontractors, together with the identity of those subcontractors' workers
compensation insurance providers, and additional required or requested information, as applicable, in
accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), and Bidder
will provide any update of such list to the State as additional subcontractors are hired. Bidder further
acknowledges and agrees that the failure to submit subcontractor reporting in accordance with Section 32 of
The Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54) will constitute non-compliance and may
result in cancellation of contract and/or restriction from bidding on future state contracts.
Revised: March 18, 2025
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