RFP JUV-27-CB-05-004 Early Services Program (ESP)

Location:	Iowa
Posted:	Apr 24, 2026
Due:	May 29, 2026
Agency:	Iowa Judicial Branch
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	D - Automatic Data Processing and Telecommunication Services R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Iowa Judicial Branch

1111 East Court Avenue | Des Moines, IA 50319

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Administrative Information:

RFP COVER SHEET

Title of RFP:

Agency:

Early Services Program (ESP)

Iowa Judicial Branch (IJB)

RFP Number: JUV-27-CB-05-004

Number of years of the 1 year

initial terms of the

Contract:

Number of possible

annual renewals:

5 additional 1-year

terms exercisable

by the IJB in its sole

discretion

Anticipated Initial

Contract Term Beginning:

July 1, 2026

Anticipated Maximum Annual Contract Budget:

Ending: June 30,2027

$300,000.00

Issuing Officer:

Kelly Cox

515-561-5786

kelly.cox@iowacourts.gov

222 5th Avenue

Des Moines, Iowa 50309

PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE—Event or Action:

Agency Posts Notice of RFP on TSB website

Date/Time(Central time):

April 22, 2026

Agency Issues RFP

April 24, 2026

Letters of Intent to Bid: This is a mandatory requirement

RFP written questions, requests for clarification, and suggested changes from

Respondents due:

The IJB’s written response to RFP questions, requests for clarifications and

suggested changes due: (will be available on bidding website)

Proposals Due Date:

Proposals Due Time:

Anticipated Date to issue Notice of Intent to Award:

May 1, 2026

12:00 P.M.

May 1, 2026

12:00 P.M.

May 18, 2026

May 29, 2026

12:00 P.M.

June 15, 2026

Anticipated Date to execute Contract:

July 1, 2026

RFP JUV-27-CB-05-004

Relevant Websites:

Web-address:

Internet website where Addenda to

this RFP will be posted:

Internet website where General

Terms for Juvenile Court Services

(JCS) Services Contracts are located:

https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/rfp/

https://bidopportunities.iowa.gov/

https://www.iowacourts.gov/static/media/cms/General_Terms_fo

r_JCS_Services_Cont_1257FB3D72AAA.pdf

Electronic Copies of Proposals Required to be Submitted to Issuing Officer.

Firm Proposal Terms

120 Days

Per Section 3.2.11, of the RFP the minimum Number of Days following the

deadline for submitting proposals that the Respondent guarantees all proposal

terms, including price, will remain firm:

Iowa Judicial Branch

JCS Update 10/15/25

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RFP JUV-27-CB-05-004

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from Responsible Respondents to

provide the goods and/or services identified on the RFP cover sheet and further described in Section 4 of

this RFP to the IJB, as identified on the RFP cover sheet. The IJB intends to award a Contract(s) beginning

and ending on the dates listed on the RFP cover sheet, and the IJB, in its sole discretion, may extend the

Contract(s) for up to the number of annual extensions identified on the RFP cover sheet.

1.2 DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this RFP and the resulting Contract, the following terms are defined.

“Agency” means the agency identified on the RFP cover sheet that is issuing the RFP.

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

“Contract” means the Contract(s) entered into with Respondent(s) as described in section 6.

“Contractor” means the awarded business/person to provide the contractual services agreed upon.

“General Terms” and “General Terms and Conditions” shall mean the General Terms for Juvenile Court

Services service contracts as linked on the RFP cover page.

“IJB” shall mean the Iowa Judicial Branch.

“Invoice” means a Contractor’s claim for payment. At the IJB’s discretion, claims must be submitted on

an original invoice from the Contractor and on a claim form accepted by the IJB, such as a General

Accounting Expenditure (GAX) form.

“Juvenile Court Officer” or “JCO” means a person appointed as a juvenile court officer under section

602.7202 of the Iowa Code and also includes a chief juvenile court officer appointed under section

602.1217 of the Iowa Code.

“Juvenile Court Services” or “JCS”, for the purposes of this RFP, means a unit of the Iowa Judicial Branch

in which juveniles adjudicated by the Iowa Juvenile Court as delinquent and youth at risk of entering the

court system receive services as directed by the Chief Juvenile Court Officer or designee.

“Respondent” means the company, organization or other business entity submitting a proposal in

response to this RFP.

“Responsible Respondent” means a Respondent that has the capability, as determined in the sole

discretion of the IJB, in all material respects to perform the scope of work and specifications of the

Contract. In determining whether a Respondent is a Responsible Respondent, the IJB may consider various

factors including, but not limited to, the Respondent’s competence and qualifications to provide the goods

or services requested, the Respondent’s integrity and reliability, the past performance of the Respondent

and the best interest of the IJB and the State.

Iowa Judicial Branch

JCS Update 10/15/25

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RFP JUV-27-CB-05-004

“Responsive Proposal” means a Proposal that complies, in the sole discretion of the IJB, with the material

provisions of this RFP.

“RFP” means this Request for Proposals and any attachments, exhibits, schedules or addenda hereto.

“State” means the State of Iowa, the IJB, and all state agencies, boards, and commissions, and any political

subdivisions making purchases from the Contract as permitted by this RFP.

“Vendor” means anyone who provides goods or services to another entity.

1.2.1 Additional Definitions specific to this RFP:

“Fifth Judicial District JCS” includes Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Dallas, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison,

Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren and Wayne counties responsible for Juvenile Court Services.

“Informal Adjustment Agreement” or “IAA” means an agreement between an intake officer, a child who

is the subject of a complaint, and the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian providing for the informal

adjustment of the complaint that requires that the child admit the child’s involvement in a delinquent act

and agree to certain conditions. If the child obeys the conditions of the informal adjustment agreement,

the IAA will be terminated and no delinquency petition is ever filed.

“Intake Interview” means a meeting that is held by the intake officer and is a first stage of the juvenile

court process. This interview allows the intake officer to collect information and determine the disposition

in the case. The disposition is the decision made whether to dismiss the complaint, informally adjust the

complaint or request the county attorney file a delinquency petition.

“Intake Officer” means a juvenile court officer or other officer appointed by the court to perform the

intake function.

“Restorative Justice” A philosophy that aims to repair the harm caused by crime through a collaborative

process involving the victim, the offender, and the community. Instead of focusing solely on punishment,

restorative justice emphasizes accountability and healing for all parties affected by the crime. This

approach encourages open dialogue and mutual understanding, allowing those impacted to address the

harm and work towards resolution.

“Victim Offender Reconciliation Program” or “VORP” means a meeting with the youth and the victim

where the impacts of the delinquent act are discussed from the perspective of the youth and the victim.

A VORP often serves the purpose of youth developing more empathy towards others as well as closure

for victims.

“Wraparound Approach” means a structured, team-based approach designed to support youth and

their families in navigating the juvenile justice system. Wraparound services aim to address the complex

needs of juveniles and their families, often involving multiple agencies and professionals to create a

comprehensive plan of care. Services typically include social services, healthcare, education, and legal

support, ensuring that all supports are coordinated and tailored to the unique needs of each individual

youth. Wraparound emphasizes strengths and focuses on the prevention of further delinquent behavior

and promoting positive outcomes for the youth. Services are characterized by ongoing collaboration

among the juvenile, their family, and service providers to ensure service delivery effectively. This

coordinated support can reduce risks such as truancy, school attendance and delinquent acts, ultimately

improving the chances of success for the youth involved.

Iowa Judicial Branch

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RFP JUV-27-CB-05-004

1.3 OVERVIEW OF THE RFP PROCESS

The RFP process is for the IJB’s benefit and is intended to provide the IJB with competitive information to

assist in the selection process. The RFP process is not intended to be comprehensive. Each Respondent is

responsible for determining all factors necessary for submission of a comprehensive Proposal.

Respondent should review Attachment 3, Form 22 Request for Confidentiality, for more information if its

Proposal contains confidential information. Any Proposal marked “Confidential” or “Proprietary” on every

page may be disqualified.

Respondents will be required to submit their Proposals electronically, in accordance with Section 3 Form

and Content of Proposals, via email to the Issuing Officer.

1.4 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Early intervention and follow-up programs/graduated sanctions services are services to be provided to

children adjudicated delinquent and children who have been referred to juvenile court services for a

delinquency violation or who have exhibited behaviors that put them at risk of a juvenile delinquency

referral. The services are directed to enhance personal adjustment to help the children transition into

productive adulthood and to prevent or reduce delinquent acts, out-of-home placement, and recidivism.

Juvenile Court Services (JCS) within District 5 seeks one or more vendors to provide Early Services Program

(ESP) throughout seven (7) counties within JCS District 5, with the option to expand the program to the

remaining counties within JCS District 5 in future years. The initial seven counties to be covered include

Polk, Dallas, Guthrie, Jasper, Madison, Warren and Marion. The Early Services Program (ESP) is for very

young youth ages 12 and under who are referred to Fifth District Juvenile Court Services for delinquent

acts. Because of the very young age of these youth, it is desirable to prevent an early juvenile record

and/or placement out of the home, and surround young youth involved with delinquent acts with

community-based services that address the issues that led them to Juvenile Court Services. Studies show

that youth who are very young when first referred to juvenile court for delinquent behavior are much

more likely to become chronically involved in serious delinquent acts than those who commit their first

delinquent act at age 16 or older. Research illustrates that without intervention, younger youth who are

involved in a delinquent act pose a higher risk of becoming chronically involved in delinquent acts

compared to those with later onset of delinquent behavior.

That being said, not all disruptive children will become involved in a delinquent act, and not all children

who are involved in delinquent acts will become chronically involved in serious and/or violent delinquent

acts. However, most of the eventual serious, violent, and chronic juveniles involved in delinquent acts have

a history of problem behaviors that dates back to the childhood years. The provision of strategic

community-based interventions can break the trajectory of youthful delinquent behavior.

The most promising school and community prevention for youthful delinquent behavior focus on

integrating the following types of prevention programs:

• Classroom and behavior management programs

• Multicomponent classroom-based programs

• Social competence promotion curriculums

• Conflict resolution and violence prevention curriculums

• Bullying prevention

Iowa Judicial Branch

JCS Update 10/15/25

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

RFP JUV-27-CB-05-004 Early Services Program (ESP)

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See also