Invitation to Bid: Education Program Evaluator

Kenaitze Indian Tribe Phone: 907-335-7200
P.O. Box 988 Fax: 855-335-8865
Kenai, Alaska 99611 www.kenaitze.org
KENAITZE INDIAN TRIBE
Invitation to Bid
Education Program Evaluator
Issued: July 6, 2026
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 ORGANIZATION
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribal
Government, re-organized in 1971 under the statutes of the Indian
Reorganization Act of 1934, as amended for Alaska in 1936. The
Tribe serves over 5,000 community members, Alaska Natives, and
American Indians in the central and upper Kenai Peninsula. The
Tribe's Headquarters is located at 150 N Willow Kenai, Alaska
99611.
1.2 MISSION STATEMENT
1.2.1 To assure Kahtnuht'ana Dena'ina thrive forever.
2. OVERVIEW
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe (Kenaitze/Tribe) funded by Federal, state and private grant
fund sources, seeks a responsive and responsible firm to conduct an external evaluation
of the Nutughedu Project, a program designed to enhance academic achievement,
school readiness, and parent and family engagement for young learners, ensuring
successful progression and preparedness for post-secondary education and future career
opportunities, funded by a Department of Education Grant, part of the Native Youth
Connections Program. The purpose of this Invitation to Bid (ITB) is to solicit responses
from competent and experienced firms capable of providing the services as specified
herein in a prompt, cost-effective, and efficient manner.
3. INQUIRIES
Questions regarding this ITB must be directed in writing to Tami Murray, Procurement
Manager, (907) 335-7213, or by email at tmurray@kenaitze.org. All emails must identify
the ITB title in the subject line, include the contact information for the person submitting
the question, and indicate any relevant ITB section number. All questions must be
submitted using this format and must be received no later than 5:00 PM Alaska
Time July 20, 2026. The Tribe will review the submitted questions and respond to all
inquiries in writing by emailing all inquirers and interested vendors at once. The email will
provide every question received and each accompanying response. This will ensure all
potential vendors receive the same information.

4. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE
To be considered, a complete proposal package must be received by the Tribe by
the deadline via either of the following methods:
a) Hand delivered or mailed to: Kenaitze Indian Tribe
Attention: Tami Murray
Procurement Manager
150 N. Willow St.
Kenai, Alaska 99611
b) Electronically transmitted to: tmurray@kenaitze.org
The submission deadline is 5:00 PM Alaska time, August 10, 2026. Proposals
received after the deadline may not be accepted. Proposals sent via email
should be in a single PDF document format, with the ITB title noted in the subject
line.
5. SCOPE OF WORK
The Scope of Work, which may be further defined in the final executed contract
between the selected firm and Kenaitze, is described below.
Kenaitze is seeking written proposals from a firm to provide external evaluation of
the of the Nutughedu Project.
5.1 Required Services/ Specifications
5.1.1 Assess the extent to which the project successfully supports local
Alaska Native and America Indian (AN/AI) students and families in
improving school readiness, academic achievement, and family
engagement.
5.1.2 Ensure replicability, an external evaluator will coordinate a site visit
within the first six (6) months of the performance period (October 1,
2026-September 30, 2030).
5.1.3 During the site visit, meet with project staff and conduct a process
evaluation, including;
5.1.3.1 Review the measures used to assess project implementation.
5.1.3.2 Track outputs.
5.1.3.3 Evaluate short-term outcomes.
5.1.3.4 Facilitate focus groups with Project staff, participating AN/AI
students and families, and Kenai Peninsula School District
administrators to gather diverse perspectives on the Project's
effectiveness and areas for improvement.
5.1.4 Produce annual progress reports
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5.1.5 Produce a formative evaluation detailing the strengths and challenges
associated with Project implementation, with recommendations for
improvement and sustainability will be conducted in Years 2-4.
5.1.6 Conduct at least one additional site visit within this timeframe, collecting
qualitative data on project outcomes.
5.1.7 Produce a comprehensive final evaluation no later than three (3)
months following the conclusion of the project, documenting key
components of the project such as staffing, timelines, student
participation, and progress toward meeting project outcomes and
objectives.
6. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All firms interested in submitting a proposal in response to this ITB must adhere to the
following requirements. Failure to do so may result in the Tribe deeming the proposal non-
responsive and, therefore, not eligible for consideration.
6.1 Proposal Submittal Items
Offerors must only submit one proposal, follow the format outlined below, and
clearly identify each of the following four criteria within the submittal.
6.1.1 Cover page
a) Please include your organization's name, address, and contact
information.
b) Please include an authorizing official's name, title, and contact
information.
c) Are you a Kenaitze Tribal Member
d) Are you Alaskan Native/American Indian
a) Scope of Work submit a written, detailed description of how each
subsection within section 5 Scope of Work will be accomplished.
Please refrain from using marketing information in this part of the
proposal submittal.
6.1.2 General Qualifications
a) Provide a narrative of your firm, company culture, and experience.
a) Provide a brief description of key personal experience proposed to be
assigned to the project.
b) Please provide a list of clients similar to Kenaitze with whom you have
an ongoing relationship.
6.1.3 Fees
a) Describe your proposed form of compensation and fee rate.
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6.1.4 References
a) Provide references with contact information from at least three clients
who currently use your services
Proposals should be straightforward, concise, and provide layperson explanations of
technical terms that are used. Emphasis should be concentrated on conforming to the
ITB instructions, responding to the ITB requirements, and providing a complete and clear
description of the Offeror's services, fees, experience, and capacities.
Proposals that fail to address each of the submission requirements above may be
deemed non-responsive and will not be further considered. Note that responses to ITB
requirements must be specifically answered within the context of the submitted proposal.
Kenaitze's evaluation team will not refer to a designated website, brochure, or other
location for the requested information.
All proposals will become the property of the Tribe and may be returned only at the option
of the Tribe. Any information marked as proprietary or confidential will be held in
confidence to the greatest extent possible.
6.2 Proposal Preparation Cost
The Tribe shall not be responsible for any costs associated with preparing and/or
submitting a proposal in response to this ITB, in any manner or for any reason.
6.3 Proposal Validity
A vendor's price proposal will remain valid for 45 calendar days from the ITB
submission deadline or until an award is made to the successful vendor, whichever
is sooner. No price proposal will be accepted if marked "price prevailing at time of
delivery", "estimated price", or something similar. All price proposals must be in US
dollars.
7 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
7.1 Term of Service
The agreement resulting from this ITB shall be effective from the date of execution.
Interested Offerors should consider their workload and capability of the program required
site visit within the first 6 months of the program. Kenaitze reserves the right to issue one
or more awards as a result of this ITB.
Discretion
Kenaitze may, at its sole discretion and after the evaluation process, choose not to issue
any agreement as a result of this process.
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Kenaitze may also, at its sole discretion, choose to issue as many or as few agreements
as deemed necessary to meet the Tribe's business needs.
7.2 ITB Modification
The Tribe reserves the right to:
a) Modify or otherwise alter any or all of the requirements herein. In the
event of a modification, vendors will be given an equal opportunity to
modify their proposals as identified in writing by the Tribe.
b) Reject any proposal not adhering to the requirements set forth within this
ITB, either in whole or in part.
c) Reject any or all proposals received.
d) Terminate this ITB at any time, without reason.
7.3 Order of Precedence in the Event of a Conflict
If an agreement is awarded, all terms and conditions herein shall be incorporated
into the award along with the vendor's proposal. Any change to the agreement
must be through a written amendment agreed upon by both Parties. In the event
of a conflict between the ITB and the vendor's proposal, the more stringent
language shall apply.
7.4 Subcontracting
The vendor must disclose to the Tribe the use and identity of all subcontractors it
uses in carrying out the requirements herein. The Tribe reserves the right to
approve all subcontractors if it so chooses. The vendor is solely responsible for the
satisfactory performance of and compensation to any and all subcontractors.
7.5 Insurance
The vendor shall have, maintain, and provide proof of Commercial General Liability
Insurance and Workman's Compensation Insurance, in addition to any applicable
insurance required by the State of Alaska or the vendor's primary state of location.
The vendor must provide the Tribe with proof of the insurance required herein. The
vendor shall be financially responsible for all deductibles, costs, and self-insured
retention's and/or self-insurance required herein.
The Tribe is a sovereign nation, and as such the vendor waives all rights against
the Tribe and its officers, employees, and agents for recovery of damages to the
extent these damages are covered by the required policies.
7.6 Indemnification
Except in the case of the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the Tribe, the
vendor shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Tribe, and the Tribe's
officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all liability, claims,
damages, losses, expenses, actions, attorney fees and costs and lawsuits
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whatsoever (including without limitation all claims involving damage to real or
personal property, civil rights claims, or claims of infringement of a patent,
copyright, trade secret or trademark) caused by or arising out of the performance,
acts, or omissions under this ITB by the vendor or any of its officers, agents,
representatives, employees or subcontractors or arising from or related to a failure
to comply with the requirements herein, and/or applicable state or federal statute,
law, regulation, or rule. Nothing in this ITB is a waiver of sovereign immunity.
8 PRICE AND PAYMENT
8.1 Proposal Price
The vendor must submit a written price proposal to provide the good(s) or
service(s) as specified herein. The proposed price must include all of the vendor's
costs associated with providing the good(s) or service(s) as called for within this
ITB and including, but not limited to, wages, administrative overhead, travel,
transportation, lodging, and other similar costs unless stated otherwise. No other
costs will be considered for payment.
8.2 Payment
The vendor shall be paid for actual work completed in accordance with the
requirements herein and the accepted price proposal. The Tribe retains the right
to require additional documentation to support the submitted invoice. The Tribe will
provide payment to the vendor within 30 calendar days of acceptance of the
invoice.
9 EVALUATION AND SELECTION
Proposals will be evaluated by staff based upon the responsiveness to the submission
requirements described in Section 4, and/or the following point system, and/or any other
manner deemed appropriate by the Tribe to determine the proposal most advantageous
to the Tribe.
Point System:
Capability and Experience (20 points)
Provide a summary of the proposed project team, identifying the primary point of
contact for the Tribe throughout the project and relevant experiences for the identified
individual. List all subcontractors that will play a key role in the project and describe their
relevant experiences.
Work Plan (20 points)
Provide a detailed work plan that outlines the timeline for all phases of the project,
including, but not limited to, the starting date and other milestones/deadlines for each
phase.
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Proposal and Professionalism (10 points)
Provide a comprehensive and professional proposal with all key elements as stated
herein.
Value Proposal (50 points)
The Tribe will award these points based on the vendor's quoted price.
Alaska Native, American Indian AN/AI Member (15 points) or Tribal Member (25
points) Preference
Provide proof of AN/AI membership or Tribal membership for the vendor's owner to
receive preference. In order to be considered for preference, proof of membership and at
least 51% ownership must be submitted with the proposal.
The Tribe reserves the right to waive informalities and minor inaccuracies and reject any
and/or all proposals which it deems to be not in the best interests of the Tribe and to
proceed with the next proposer or to utilize an entirely different process at any time during
the process.
End or proposal
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