Emergency Shelter Support Services

BUNCOMBE COUNTY
Request for Proposal
Emergency Shelter Support Services
Date of Issue:
09/25/2026
Proposal Submission Deadline: 10/16/2026
At 2:00 PM ET

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT
2.2 NOTICE REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS
2.3 RFP SCHEDULE
2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND EVALUATION
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD
3.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA
4.0 REQUIREMENTS
4.1 CONTRACT TERM
4.2 PRICING
4.3 VENDOR EXPERIENCE
4.4 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS
5.0 SCOPE OF WORK
6.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Buncombe County is seeking one or more qualified vendors capable of providing emergency support services during
activation of Buncombe County emergency operations and Mass Care activities.
Emergency support services may include:
* General social work wraparound services
* De-mobilization/transition planning
* In shelter behavior management
* Clinical support & debriefing for staff
The County may award contracts to multiple vendors to support operational needs, provide surge capacity, and ensure
continuity of service. Vendors may apply for all or a subset of service categories, based on capacity and geographic
reach.
Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT
The RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award.
All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by
reference.
2.2 NOTICE REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS
It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read the Instructions, the County's terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and
attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications
herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all addenda and other changes that may be
issued in connection with this RFP.
If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP,
those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in Section 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS. If
the County determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be
communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The County may also elect to leave open the possibility for later
negotiation and amendment of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question and
answer period. Other than through this process, the County rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any
additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor's proposal. This applies to any language appearing
in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor's proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors'
instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor's proposal shall
constitute a firm offer. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or
modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and
will be disregarded. Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute
sufficient grounds to reject Vendor's proposal as nonresponsive.
2.3 RFP SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The County will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFP County 09/25/2026
Submit Written Questions Vendor 10/02/2026 at 5:00 PM ET
Provide Response to Questions County 10/09/2026
Submit Proposals Vendor 10/16/2026 at 2:00 PM ET
Contract Award County 11/01/2026
Contract Effective Date County 01/01/2027
2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the
best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by
the above due date.
Written questions shall be emailed to procurementsubmittals@buncombenc.gov by the date and time specified above.
Vendors should enter "RFP Emergency Shelter Support Services Questions" as the subject for the email. Questions
submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section.
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the County's response, and any additional terms deemed
necessary by the County will be posted in the form of an addendum. No information, instruction or advice provided orally
or informally by any Buncombe County personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection
with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding.
2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Proposals will be received until 2:00 PM, 10/16/2026. All proposals may be submitted electronically via email and
properly identified with the title RFP "Emergency Shelter Support Services Proposal."
Proposals may be emailed to:
Nina Alexander, Procurement Agent
E-mail: Procurementsubmittals@buncombenc.gov
The County's capacity for email attachments is 9mb. It is the bidder's responsibility to ensure the proposal is received
prior to the proposal acceptance time. Late proposals will not be accepted. The County reserves the right to accept
or reject all or any part of any proposal, waive informalities and award the contract to best serve the interest of the
County. It is the responsibility of the applicant that their proposal is received. Receipt of proposals can be verified by
calling 828-250-4311.
2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an
authorized signature where requested. Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and those attachments
should be arranged in the following order:
a) Cover Letter
b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative.
c) Describe the background, experience, and capabilities of your firm as it relates to the Scope of Work outlined in
the RFP.
d) Identify all subcontractors you intend to use for the proposed scope of work. For each subcontractor listed,
proposers shall indicate 1.) What products and/or services are to be supplied by that subcontractor and; 2.) What
percentage of the overall scope of work that subcontractor will perform.

e) Submission of three (3) references from organizations for which the Vendor has provided similar services,
including emergency response, shelter management, behavioral support, or clinical services. Provide telephone
numbers and contact names for references.
f) Provide specific costs for services
g) Each Vendor shall submit with its proposal the name, address, and telephone number of the person(s) with
authority to bind the firm and answer questions or provide clarification concerning the firm's proposal.
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD
All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP requirements and
best fits the needs of the County.
Buncombe County reserves the right to reject any and/or all submittals, and to waive defects, technicalities and/or
irregularities in any submittal. The County reserves the right to finalize a contract with one or more firms based on all
factors involved in the written qualification submittal without further discussion or interviews.
Proposals will generally be evaluated according to completeness, content, and experience with similar projects, ability
of the Vendor and its staff, and cost.
Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the County reserves the
unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the County.
3.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA
Following the deadline for submittals, a selection committee will review the submitted proposals. The selection
committee will review, analyze, and rank all submittals based on their response to the information requested. The
selection process will include the following criteria in the evaluation of proposals. These criteria are not necessarily listed
in order of importance
The Vendor must dem. onstrate the capacity, experience, and organizational stability necessary to provide high quality
e mergency shelter support services. At minimum, the Vendor shall meet the following qualifications:
* Relevant Experience
* A minimum of 3 years of experience providing emergency response, social services, behavioral support, or
shelter-based operations.
* Experience Serving Vulnerable Populations
* Documented experience working with individuals affected by displacement, trauma, behavioral health
conditions, homelessness, or other complex needs.
* Surge Staffing Capability
* Demonstrated ability to rapidly expand staffing capacity during emergency activations, including providing
qualified personnel across multiple shelter sites simultaneously.
* FEMA Compliance
* Ability to operate within FEMA reimbursement guidelines, including maintaining documentation standards,
audit readiness, and accurate timekeeping.
* References
4.0 REQUIREMENTS
The Vendor must demonstrate the capacity, experience, and organizational stability necessary to provide high-quality
emergency shelter support services. At minimum, the Vendor shall meet the following qualifications:
Relevant Experience
A minimum of 3 years of experience providing emergency response, social services, behavioral support, or shelter-
based operations.

Experience Serving Vulnerable Populations
Documented experience working with individuals affected by displacement, trauma, behavioral health conditions,
homelessness, or other complex needs.
Surge Staffing Capability
Demonstrated ability to rapidly expand staffing capacity during emergency activations, including providing qualified
personnel across multiple shelter sites simultaneously.
FEMA Compliance
Ability to operate within FEMA reimbursement guidelines, including maintaining documentation standards, audit
readiness, and accurate timekeeping.
References
Submission of three (3) references from organizations for which the Vendor has provided similar services, including
emergency response, shelter management, behavioral support, or clinical services.
4.1 CONTRACT TERM
The Contract shall have an initial term of 1 years, beginning on the Effective Date.
This is a preposition contract and would only be activated when an Emergency Shelter is activated by Buncombe County.
4.2 PRICING
Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to Buyer for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and
specifications herein, including all applicable charges handling, administrative and other similar fees. Vendor shall not
invoice for any amounts not specifically allowed for in this RFP.
4.3 VENDOR EXPERIENCE
In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size
and complexity to Buncombe County. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all
executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including citing experience with
similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person.
4.4 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS
a) Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner.
"Professional manner" means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence
consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement
with a third party that may abridge any rights of the County under this Contract. Vendor will serve as the prime
contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that
may be approved by the County. Names of any third party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for
purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor's obligations hereunder. Vendor will
retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by
third party subcontractor(s).
b) If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this Contract are required for
Vendor's proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under this Contract, or are an
inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such service, they will be deemed to be implied by and
included within the scope of the contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in
the contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management,
supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and
materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and Deliverables.
c) Vendor warrants that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue perform its obligations under the
contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being

brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into
this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.
5.0 SCOPE OF WORK
Estimated staff needs are for planning purposes only and are not guaranteed.
Estimated Support Services
The need to activate emergency support services may be triggered by an incident or significant event requiring
activation of the EOC, field support or Mass Care activities.
Emergency Shelters
* Approximate number of active shelters depends upon the event complexity
Typically shelters will house up to 50 residents +staff
o
Some shelter sites can expand to 150 residents +staff, dependent upon the need
o
* Historically, the maximum number of active shelters operating in Buncombe County is three (3).
Encourage all vendors to provide plans that support activation of 1-3 shelters, housing a minimum of
o
50 residents each.
Services should be able to expand and contract based on shelter sites, residents and needs.
o
Support Service Requirements
Vendors are invited to respond indicating their interest and desire to provide services in any or all of the following
categories. Respondents are not required to address all sections but must indicate which sections they are proposing
to offer the county support.
General social work wraparound Services
* Substance Use/Mental Health treatment referrals
* Work with interested residents to assess social determinants of health needs associated with shelter
residency.
* Provide referrals to link residents to appropriate services and community resources based on identified social
determinants of health challenges (e.g., housing assistance, food programs, transportation, employment
support).
Shelter de-mobilization/resident transition planning
* Provide comprehensive case management services to support residents in transitioning out of emergency
shelter. These services must go beyond referral-only functions and include active, direct assistance. At
minimum, case management must include:
Resident Assessment and Planning
o
Conduct individualized needs assessments and develop actionable transition plans for each
resident.
Active Coordination and Service Navigation
o
Contact shelters, housing providers, and community organizations directly on behalf of
residents.
Assist in arranging placements, confirming availability, and coordinating necessary steps for
admission.
Logistical Support and Arrangements
o
Help residents secure transportation to placements or appointments.
Support residents in completing required intake documentation or preliminary steps.
Transition Support and Follow-Through
o
Services must be available to all residents, with prioritization for unhoused individuals or those
without safe discharge options.

Maintain communication with all involved parties until the resident is safely placed or linked to
alternative support.
Documentation and Reporting
o
Reports shall include data on successful placements, unsuccessful placement attempts,
identified barriers, and unresolved cases.
Provide timely reports to the Agency on progress, gaps, and case status.
Vendor must document all case management activities in County-approved formats or
systems to ensure continuity of care and audit readiness.
Resident-Facing Behavioral Support (In-Shelter Behavior Management)
Qualified personnel will provide frontline behavioral support to maintain a safe, regulated environment for all
emergency shelter residents. Responsibilities include:
* Partnering with county staff to maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment.
* Communicating and reinforcing shelter rules and behavior expectations.
* Using active listening to triage resident concerns and support alignment with shelter policies.
* Applying emotional co-regulation strategies for residents experiencing behavioral health stressors.
* Managing the physical environment to promote safety.
* Implementing behavioral de-escalation and redirection techniques to prevent or resolve disruptive behaviors.
* Responding to crises or disruptive incidents calmly and in a trauma-informed manner to protect residents and
staff.
Clinical Services (Residents and Staff)
Licensed clinicians will deliver therapeutic and crisis-response services to support both residents and staff. These
services include:
* Individual and group mental-health support for residents.
* Crisis intervention for acute behavioral or trauma-related incidents.
* Guidance and implementation of trauma-informed care practices throughout the shelter.
* Telehealth options when in-person support is unavailable.
* Clinical supervision and consultation for contracted behavior-management personnel.
Staff Wellness & Critical Incident Support
Focused support will help staff process stress, recover after incidents, and maintain long-term resilience. Services
include:
* Structured debriefings following shifts or critical incidents.
* Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) protocols such as psychological first aid and group defusing.
* Regular peer support groups to promote emotional processing and mutual support.
* Training and resources to prevent vicarious trauma and burnout.
Vendor Training & Credential Requirements
All vendor personnel providing behavioral, clinical, or staff-support services must demonstrate training or
certification in:
* Crisis intervention
* Trauma-informed care
* De-escalation techniques

* Emotional co-regulation strategies
* Vendors must submit documentation of all required training as part of their proposal.
Pricing
Vendors must list regular and overtime hourly rates for each proposed staff classification. Overtime must be
preapproved by the County unless activation intensity requires extended hours.
Support Services Staffing Regular OT Hourly Total Qty for 12 Hrs
Hourly Rate Rate Hours
(2 Shifts)
Performance Metrics
The County will monitor vendor performance throughout emergency shelter activation. Vendors must meet baseline
performance expectations and propose additional metrics that reflect their service approach and capacity. At minimum,
vendor performance will be evaluated against the following measures:
* Timeliness of Deployment
Ability to mobilize staff and arrive onsite within the approved deployment timeframe established in the contract.
* Responsiveness to County Communication
Consistent acknowledgment and response to County communications within the required timeframe during
active operations.
* Documentation Accuracy and Completeness
Submission of clear, complete, and timely documentation necessary for operational tracking, case
management continuity, invoicing, and FEMA reimbursement.
* Resident Transition Outcomes
Effective support in resident transitions out of shelter, including successful placements, completed transition
plans, and demonstrated problem-solving for residents with no identified exit options.
* Staff Support Delivery
Provision of staff support services such as debriefings, crisis intervention, and other behavioral or clinical
supports, tracked through frequency, participation, and qualitative feedback where applicable.
* Incident-Based Measure
Number of behavioral incidents per 100 residents require de-escalation, and the percentage of those incidents
in which staff or contracted personnel successfully use de-escalation techniques without needing external
emergency assistance (e.g., law enforcement, EMS).
Vendors may also propose additional quantitative or qualitative performance metrics in their response, reflecting their
method of service delivery, organizational strengths, and strategies for continuous quality improvement.
6.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. READ, REVIEW AND COMPLY: It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read this entire document, review all
enclosures and attachments, and any addenda thereto, and comply with all requirements specified herein,
regardless of whether appearing in these Instructions to Vendors or elsewhere in this RFP document.
2. LATE PROPOSALS: Late proposals, regardless of cause, will not be considered, and will automatically be
disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the Vendor's sole responsibility to ensure the timely submission of
proposals.
3. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION: Buncombe County reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive
any informality in proposals and, unless otherwise specified by the Vendor, to accept any item in the proposal.

4. INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: If required elsewhere in this proposal, each Vendor shall
submit with its proposal any sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products
and Services offered. Reference to literature submitted with a previous proposal or available elsewhere will not
satisfy this provision. Failure to comply with these requirements shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a proposal
without further consideration.
5. SUSTAINABILITY: To support the sustainability efforts of the State of North Carolina we solicit your cooperation
in this effort. Pursuant to Executive Order 156 (1999), it is desirable that all print responses submitted meet the
following:
* All copies of the proposal are printed double sided.
* All submittals and copies are printed on recycled paper with a minimum post-consumer content of 30%.
* Unless absolutely necessary, all proposals and copies should minimize or eliminate use of non-recyclable or
non-reusable materials such as plastic report covers, plastic dividers, vinyl sleeves, and GBC binding. Three-
ringed binders, glued materials, paper clips, and staples are acceptable.
* Materials should be submitted in a format which allows for easy removal, filing and/or recycling of paper and
binder materials. Use of oversized paper is strongly discouraged unless necessary for clarity or legibility.
6. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES: Buncombe County is committed to retaining Vendors from
diverse backgrounds, and it invites and encourages participation in the procurement process by businesses owned
by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely
disabled. In particular, the County encourages participation by Vendors certified by the State Office of Historically
Underutilized Businesses, as well as the use of HUB-certified vendors as subcontractors on County contracts.
7. INELIGIBLE VENDORS: As provided in G.S. 147-86.59 and G.S. 147-86.82, the following companies are ineligible
to contract with the State of North Carolina or any political subdivision of the State: a) any company identified as
engaging in investment activities in Iran, as determined by appearing on the Final Divestment List created by the
State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.58, and b) any company identified as engaged in a boycott of Israel as
determined by appearing on the List of restricted companies created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-
86.81. A contract with the Buncombe County by any company identified in a) or b) above shall be void ab initio.
8. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: To the extent permitted by applicable statutes and rules, the County will maintain
as confidential trade secrets in its proposal that the Vendor does not wish disclosed.
As a condition to confidential treatment, at the time of submittal, each page containing
trade secret information shall be identified in boldface at the top and bottom as
"CONFIDENTIAL" by the Vendor, with specific trade secret information enclosed in boxes,
marked in a distinctive color or by similar indication.
Cost information shall not be deemed confidential under any circumstances. Regardless of what a Vendor may label
as a trade secret, the determination whether it is or is not entitled to protection will be determined in accordance with
G.S. 132-1.2. Any material labeled as confidential constitutes a representation by the Vendor that it has made a
reasonable effort in good faith to determine that such material is, in fact, a trade secret under G.S. 132-1.2. Vendors
are urged and cautioned to limit the marking of information as a trade secret or as confidential so far as is possible.
If a legal action is brought to require the disclosure of any material so marked as confidential, the County will notify
Vendor of such action and allow Vendor to defend the confidential status of its information.
9. MISCELLANEOUS: Any gender-specific pronouns used herein, whether masculine or feminine, shall be read and
construed as gender neutral, and the singular of any word or phrase shall be read to include the plural and vice
versa.
10. INFORMAL COMMENTS: Buncombe County shall not be bound by informal explanations, instructions or
information given at any time by anyone on behalf of the County during the competitive process or after award. The
County is bound only by information provided in writing in this RFP and in formal Addenda issued through IPS.
11. COST FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION: Any costs incurred by Vendor in preparing or submitting offers are the
Vendor's sole responsibility; Buncombe County will not reimburse any Vendor for any costs incurred or associated