Credible Messengers

Request for Proposal

RFP Cover Sheet

Administrative Information:

Introduction

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.

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.

"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.

Additional Definitions specific to this RFP:

"Academy for Transformational Change" or "ATC" means a specialized training organization focused on reducing violence, incarceration, and Recidivism by empowering human services professionals, community leaders, and Credible Messengers.

"Adverse Childhood Experiences" or "ACEs" refers to stressful or traumatic events that children face before reaching 18. These events include various forms of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual), neglect (emotional, physical), and household challenges such as witnessing domestic violence, living with individuals with substance use disorders, having an incarcerated relative, or experiencing family separation. Studies have shown that individuals with a high number of ACEs are at an increased risk for negative outcomes in adulthood, including chronic diseases, mental illness, substance misuse, and reduced life potential.

"Authorization of Release of Information" means a form used for the purpose of authorizing the release of confidential information, signed and dated by the person(s) empowered to release the information.

"Case Plan" means a written document, developed with input from the child, custodians/guardians, and Juvenile Court Services that identifies the youth's criminogenic needs and risk factors and includes a plan for how to address, lower and ultimately resolve the risk areas.

"Chief Juvenile Court Officer" (CJCO) means the person responsible for overseeing Juvenile Court Services' operations to promote safe and positive outcomes for at-risk youth, victims, and communities. The CJCO acts as a community leader, collaborating with support agencies, law enforcement, and institutions to implement effective youth initiatives, rehabilitative programs, and coordinated responses. This CJCO enforces research-based best practices and ensure compliance with applicable rules and directives. This CJCO administers efficient budgets, contracts, funding, and grant management.

"Contract Administrator" (CA) means the person responsible for administering and tracking the JCS district allocation, drafting and overseeing district service contracts for JCS, and overseeing assigned statewide contracts. This person prepares, negotiates, reviews, oversees, and administers contracts including both formal and informal procurement processes as well as contract terms to ensure contracts conform to legal requirements and meet objectives.

"Credible Messengers" or "Mentors" are neighborhood leaders, experienced youth advocates and individuals with relevant life experiences who coach guide, mentor, and advocate for youth and families in both group and one on one settings.

"Goal Achievement Plan" means a plan for attaining a particular goal, often called a tactic or action plan, involving defining a specific, measurable, and time-bound objective (SMART) and breaking it into small, actionable steps.

"JCS Supervisor" means the responsible person providing oversight to Juvenile Court Officers.

"Lived Experience" means direct, firsthand knowledge, understanding, and personal insights gained through experience rather than through academic study or secondhand information.

"Motivational Interviewing" (MI) means a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. MI is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person's own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion." (Miller & Rollnick, 2013)

"Prosocial Activities" means structured, positive, and developmentally appropriate experiences that help youth build the skills, relationships, and habits necessary to succeed in school, work, and community life. For youth who are justiceinvolved these activities are intentionally designed to strengthen socialemotional skills such as selfregulation, communication, conflict resolution, and empathy; increase connection to positive peers and adults; promote lawabiding behavior and reduce opportunities for delinquency; build confidence, purpose, and belonging; reinforce healthy decisionmaking and goaldirected behavior.

"Recidivism" means any misdemeanor or felony level offense referred to the juvenile justice system, the adult corrections system, or both, within a twelve (12) month period after date of discharge from service.

"Restorative Justice Practices" means a collaborative process for repairing the harm caused by delinquent offenses rather than determining guilt and imposing punishments.

"Restorative Justice Circle-Practice" means structured, voluntary, and dialog-driven processes used to address harm, resolve conflict, or build community by bringing together those affected.

"Social Capital" means the value derived from positive social networks that acts as a resource built on relationships, mutual care, and reciprocity, fostering cooperation for shared benefits like jobs, support, or community improvements.

"Transformative Mentoring" means the core component of the Credible Messengers initiative and centers on pairing youth with Credible Messenger-Mentors, whose shared Lived Experiences uniquely position them to build authentic, trusting relationships with system involved youth. These Mentors provide structured group and individualized one on one sessions designed to promote personal growth, accountability, and sustained engagement with youth. In partnership with Juvenile Court Officers (JCOs), Credible Messengers also help reinforce youth's goals, and ensure that mentoring supports are aligned with each youth's Case Plan and developmental needs.

"Trauma-Informed" or "Trauma-Informed Care" means the incorporation of an understanding of trauma and traumatic experiences and the effect they can have on children in foster care into the care and services provided to a child. These experiences may include, but are not limited to, betrayal of a trusted person or institution and a loss of safety; experiences of violence; physical, sexual, and institutional abuse, neglect, intergenerational trauma, and disasters that induce powerlessness, fear, recurrent hopelessness, and a constant state of alert. Trauma-Informed is an approach to help engage people with histories of trauma that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives.

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. It 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 via email to the Issuing Officer.

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 within the Seventh Judicial District (JCS D7) seeks proposals from qualified Respondents to deliver Credible Messenger Transformative Mentoring for youth involved with JCS D7, within Scott County within the State of Iowa. JCS D7 seeks proposals that integrate authentic engagement, peer support networks and mentor well-being into service design and delivery to strengthen public safety, youth belonging, and long-term community outcomes. Respondents will provide delivery and ongoing management of the Credible Messenger program within Scott County.

Scott County implemented Credible Messenger services beginning in April 2025 for JCS-involved youth with delinquent acts involving guns, expanding in December 2025 to include youth returning from placement, youth with high-risk gang/group affiliation and high-risk youth with delinquent acts involving selling drugs. JCS D7 seeks proposals for Respondents to employee and maintain Credible Messengers and deliver Transformative Mentoring with fidelity to the ATC model.

Youth participation with the Credible Messengers program is expected to last 6-12 months in duration, with rolling admissions and flexibility based on age, goals, progress and outcomes. Community-based mentoring is preferred and facility-based mentoring may begin for youth in out-of-home placement to support their reentry planning.

Program Approach and Values

The Credible Messenger initiative implements Restorative Justice Practices that enable youth to learn important skills in conflict resolution that empower them to be leaders in their communities. These skills include self-reflection, being respectful of others, and reducing future conflict. Restorative Justice Practices assist youth in building empathy and understanding how harm affects themselves and others. The Credible Messenger model utilizes trained Mentors with Lived Experience in the justice system to build trust and guide youth toward positive outcomes. The program emphasizes relationship-building, Restorative Justice, and community engagement, aligning with Trauma-Informed and culturally responsive practices ensuring all communications made in preparation for, and during the program are kept confidential as required by law.

Goals and objectives for the Credible Messenger initiative include:

Connect youth to services, supports, and resources that help them reach their goals and developmental milestones;

Engage youth in positive, developmentally appropriate, and structured activities to enhance public safety; and

Invest directly in local organizations and businesses with the goal of maximizing the Social Capital of youth by building connections and community supports to help to strengthen the youth's long term economic and social-emotional stability.

Transformative Mentoring is primarily a group-based process that brings together JCS youth and adult Mentors in a community setting, using a standard curriculum through which Mentors guide youth through the transformation of thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors while ensuring all communications made in preparation for, and during the program are kept confidential as required by law.

Transformative Mentoring is designed with the assumption that participant attendance will likely be irregular at first, and that some participants may continue to display negative attitudes and behaviors during the initial phases of engagement. There should be no expulsion or rejection of participants who engage in negative behavior. Instead a Restorative Justice approach that balances community accountability and support should be employed to continually engage young people who are struggling to adhere to expectations established through justice system-involvement. Recognizing that sustained engagement takes time, JCS will not penalize providers for youth whose attendance is irregular. However, it is expected that providers collaborate with JCS to regularly participate in outreach and re-engage participants with attendance lapses.

Examples of group and one-on-one interactions are as follows:

Mentoring Groups:

Weekly curriculum grounded in the evidence-based principles of Motivational Interviewing, the stages of change, and cognitive-behavioral approaches provided by a mentor.

Restorative Justice Principles Circle-Practice to build a safe space for youth engagement.

One-on-one Mentoring:

Weekly check ins to monitor youth progress in accessing both formal and informal supports and services.

Assisting youth with enrollment/attendance and advocacy for school and other programs and services.

On call availability for support, crisis response, advice and guidance.

All Credible Messengers shall be trained to deliver Transformative Mentoring programming prior to delivery of the service.

Administrative Information

Issuing Officer

The Issuing Officer identified in the RFP cover sheet is the sole point of contact regarding the RFP from the date of issuance until a Notice of Intent to Award the Contract is issued.

Restriction on Communication

From the issue date of this RFP until a Notice of Intent to Award the Contract is issued, Respondents may contact only the Issuing Officer. The Issuing Officer will respond only to written questions regarding the procurement process. Questions related to the interpretation of this RFP must be submitted as provided in Section 2. Oral questions related to the interpretation of this RFP will not be accepted. Respondents may be disqualified if they contact any State employee other than the Issuing Officer about the RFP except that Respondents may contact the State Targeted Small Business Office on issues related to the preference for Targeted Small Businesses.

Downloading the RFP from the Internet

The RFP document and any addenda to the RFP will be posted at , .

The Respondent is advised to check the website periodically for Addenda to this RFP, particularly if the Respondent downloaded the RFP from the Internet as the Respondent may not automatically receive addenda. It is the Respondent's sole responsibility to check daily for addenda to posted documents.

Procurement Timetable

The dates provided in the procurement timetable on the RFP cover sheet are provided for informational and planning purposes. The IJB reserves the right to change the dates. If the IJB changes any of the deadlines for Respondent submissions, the IJB will issue an addendum to the RFP.

Questions, Requests for Clarification, and Suggested Changes

Respondents are invited to submit written questions and requests for clarifications regarding the RFP. The questions or requests for clarifications must be in writing and received by the Issuing Officer before the date and time listed on the RFP cover sheet. Oral questions will not be permitted. If the questions or requests for clarifications pertain to a specific section of the RFP, Respondent shall reference the page and section number(s). The IJB will post written responses to questions, requests for clarifications, or suggestions received from Respondents on or before the date listed on the RFP cover sheet to the website(s) referenced on the RFP cover sheet. The IJB's written responses will become an addendum to the RFP.

The IJB assumes no responsibility for oral representations made by its officers or employees unless such representations are confirmed in writing and incorporated into the RFP through an addendum.

Amendment to the RFP

The IJB reserves the right to amend the RFP at any time using an addendum. The Respondent shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda in its Proposal. If the IJB issues an addendum after the due date for receipt of Proposals, the IJB may, in its sole discretion, allow Respondents to amend their Proposals in response to the addendum.

Amendment and Withdrawal of Proposal

The Respondent may amend or withdraw and resubmit its Proposal at any time before the Proposals are due. The amendment must be in writing. Electronic mail is acceptable. Respondents must notify the Issuing Officer in writing prior to the due date for Proposals if they wish to completely withdraw their Proposals. Electronic mail is acceptable for notice of withdrawal.

Submission of Proposals

Each Respondent is responsible for submitting its Proposal at the Issuing Officer's email address identified on the RFP cover sheet before the "Proposals Due" date and time listed on the RFP cover sheet, unless such date and time is extended by the IJB, at its sole discretion, through the issuance of an addendum to this RFP. This is a mandatory requirement and will not be waived by the Agency. Any Proposal received after this deadline will be rejected and the IJB will notify the Respondent. It is the Respondent's responsibility to ensure that the Proposal is received by the Issuing Officer prior to the deadline. Late proposals, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered for evaluation, and will be disqualified from further consideration. It is the Respondent's sole responsibility to ensure delivery at the stated location and time.

Respondents must furnish all information necessary to enable the IJB to evaluate the Proposal. Oral information provided by the Respondent shall not be considered part of the Respondent's Proposal unless it is reduced to writing.

Proposal Opening

The IJB will open Proposals after the deadline for submission of Proposals has passed. The Proposals will remain confidential until the Evaluation Committee has reviewed all of the Proposals submitted in response to this RFP and the IJB has issued a Notice of Intent to Award a Contract. See Iowa Code Section 72.3. However, the names of Respondents who submitted timely Proposals will be publicly available after the Proposal opening. The announcement of Respondents who timely submitted Proposals does not mean that an individual Proposal has been deemed technically compliant or accepted for evaluation.

Costs of Preparing the Proposal

The costs of preparation and delivery of the Proposal are solely the responsibility of the Respondent.

No Commitment to Contract

The IJB reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals received in response to this RFP at any time prior to the execution of the Contract. Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the IJB to award a Contract.

Rejection of Proposals

The IJB may reject outright and not evaluate a Proposal for reasons including without limitation:

The Respondent fails to email the cost proposal in a separate attachment.

The Respondent acknowledges that a mandatory specification of the RFP cannot be met.

The Respondent's Proposal changes a material specification of the RFP or the Proposal is not compliant with the mandatory specifications of the RFP.

The Respondent's Proposal limits the rights of the IJB.

The Respondent fails to include information necessary to substantiate that it will be able to meet a specification of the RFP as provided in Section 3 of this RFP.

The Respondent fails to timely respond to the IJB's request for information, documents, or references.

The Respondent fails to include Proposal Security, if required.

The Respondent fails to include any signature, certification, authorization, stipulation, disclosure or guarantee as provided in Section 3 of this RFP.

The Respondent presents the information requested by this RFP in a format inconsistent with the instructions of the RFP or otherwise fails to comply with the specifications of this RFP.

The Respondent initiates unauthorized contact regarding the RFP with state employees.

The Respondent provides misleading or inaccurate responses.

The Respondent's Proposal is materially unbalanced.

There is insufficient evidence (including evidence submitted by the Respondent and evidence obtained by the IJB from other sources) to satisfy the IJB that the Respondent is a Responsive Respondent.

The Respondent alters the language in Attachment 1: Certification Letter or Attachment 2: Authorization to Release Information letter.

Nonmaterial Variances

The IJB reserves the right to waive or permit cure of nonmaterial variances in the Proposal if, in the judgment of the IJB, it is in the State's best interest to do so. Nonmaterial variances include but are not limited to: minor failures to comply that do not affect overall responsiveness, that are merely a matter of form or format, that do not change the relative standing or otherwise prejudice other Respondents, that do not change the meaning or scope of the RFP, or that do not reflect a material change in the specifications of the RFP. In the event the IJB waives or permits cure of nonmaterial variances, such waiver or cure will not modify the RFP specifications or excuse the Respondent from full compliance with RFP specifications or other Contract specifications if the Respondent is awarded the Contract. The determination of materiality is in the sole discretion of the IJB.

Reference Checks

The IJB reserves the right to contact any reference to assist in the evaluation of the Proposal, to verify information contained in the Proposal and to discuss the Respondent's qualifications and the qualifications of any subcontractor identified in the Proposal.

Information from Other Sources

The IJB reserves the right to obtain and consider information from other sources concerning a Respondent, such as the Respondent's capability and performance under other Contracts, the qualifications of any subcontractor identified in the Proposal, the Respondent's financial stability, past or pending litigation, and other publicly available information.

Verification of Proposal Contents

The content of a Proposal submitted by a Respondent is subject to verification. If the IJB determines in its sole discretion that the content is in any way misleading or inaccurate, the IJB may reject the Proposal.

Proposal Clarification Process

The IJB reserves the right to contact a Respondent after the submission of Proposals for the purpose of clarifying a Proposal. This contact may include written questions, interviews, site visits, a review of past performance if the Respondent has provided goods and/or services to the State or any other political subdivision wherever located, or requests for corrective pages in the Respondent's Proposal. The IJB will not consider information received from or through Respondent if the information materially alters the content of the Proposal or the type of goods and/or services the Respondent is offering to the IJB. An individual authorized to legally bind the Respondent shall sign responses to any request for clarification. Responses shall be submitted to the IJB within the time specified in the IJB's request. Failure to comply with requests for additional information may result in rejection of the Proposal.

Disposition of Proposals

All Proposals become the property of the State and shall not be returned to the Respondent. Once the IJB issues a Notice of Intent to Award the Contract, the contents of all Proposals will be in the public domain and be available for inspection by interested parties, except for information for which Respondent properly requests confidential treatment or according to exceptions provided in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other applicable law.

Public Records and Requests for Confidential Treatment

The IJB's release of public records is governed by Iowa Code chapter 22. Respondents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Chapter 22 before submitting a Proposal. The IJB will produce public records upon request as required to comply with Chapter 22 and will treat all information submitted by a Respondent as non-confidential records unless Respondent requests specific parts of the Proposal be treated as confidential at the time of the submission as set forth herein AND the information is confidential under Iowa or other applicable law.

Form 22 Request for Confidentiality

Form 22 must be completed and included with respondent's proposal. Completion and submittal of form 22 is required whether the proposal does or does not contain information for which confidential treatment will be requested. Failure to submit a completed form 22 will result in the proposal being considered non-responsive and not evaluated.

Confidential Treatment Is Not Requested

A Respondent not requesting confidential treatment of information contained in its Proposal shall complete Section I of Form 22 and submit Form 22 with the Proposal.

Confidential Treatment of Information is Requested

A Respondent requesting confidential treatment of specific information shall perform all the following:

Complete Section II of Form 22,

Include the word "CONFIDENTIAL" in file name of its Proposal containing confidential information,

Mark each page upon which the Respondent believes confidential information appears and clearly identify each item for which confidential treatment is requested; marking a page in the page margin is not sufficient identification, and

Submit a "Public Copy" from which the confidential information has been excised.

Form 22 will not be considered fully complete unless, for each confidentiality request, the Respondent:

Enumerates the specific grounds in Iowa Code chapter 22 or other applicable law that supports treatment of the material as confidential,

Justifies why the material should be maintained in confidence,

Explains why disclosure of the material would not be in the best interest of the public, and

Sets forth the name, address, telephone, and email for the person authorized by Respondent to respond to inquiries by the IJB concerning the confidential status of such material.

The confidential material in the Public Copy must be excised in such a way as to allow the public to determine the general nature of the material removed and to retain as much of the Proposal as possible.

Failure to request information be treated as confidential as specified herein shall relieve the IJB and State personnel from any responsibility for maintaining the information in confidence. Respondents may not request confidential treatment with respect to pricing information and transmittal letters. A Respondent's request for confidentiality that does not comply with this section or a Respondent's request for confidentiality on information or material that cannot be held in confidence as set forth herein are grounds for rejecting Respondent's Proposal as non-responsive. Requests to maintain an entire Proposal as confidential will be rejected as non-responsive.

If the IJB receives a request for information that Respondent has marked as confidential and if a judicial or administrative proceeding is initiated to compel the release of such material, Respondent shall, at its sole expense, appear in such action and defend its request for confidentiality. If Respondent fails to do so, the IJB may release the information or material with or without providing advance notice to Respondent and with or without affording Respondent the opportunity to obtain an order restraining its release from a court possessing competent jurisdiction. Additionally, if Respondent fails to comply with the request process set forth herein, if Respondent's request for confidentiality is unreasonable, or if Respondent rescinds its request for confidential treatment, the IJB may release such information or material with or without providing advance notice to Respondent and with or without affording Respondent the opportunity to obtain an order restraining its release from a court possessing competent jurisdiction.

Copyright Permission

By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent agrees that the IJB may distribute the Proposal for purposes of facilitating the evaluation of the Proposal or to respond to requests for public records. By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent consents to such distribution and warrants that such distribution will not violate the rights of any third party. The IJB shall have the right to use ideas or adaptations of ideas that are presented in Proposals.

Release of Claims

By submitting a Proposal, the Respondent agrees that: (a) the IJB and the State shall not be liable to any extent for any information, facts or data (or the completeness or accuracy thereof) provided in the RFP or for any information, facts or data that may be omitted from the RFP, regardless of whether such inaccurate, incomplete or omitted information or data would be considered material or relevant to a Respondent for purposes of making an informed decision to either submitting a proposal or entering into a Contract if awarded to a successful Respondent; and (b) it will not bring any claim or cause of action against the IJB or the State based on any misunderstanding concerning the information provided in the RFP or concerning the IJB's or the State's failure, negligent or otherwise, to provide the Respondent with complete, pertinent, or accurate information in this RFP or for any failure to provide information that any Respondent might consider relevant for purposes of making a decision to submit a proposal or to enter into any Contract resulting from this RFP.

Evaluation of Proposals Submitted

The submission of a Proposal shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Respondent that it:

is a sophisticated party possessing sufficient knowledge and expertise concerning the subject matter of this RFP;

is able to fully and independently evaluate the advisability of submitting a proposal and in assuming and performing all duties, liabilities, and obligations described in or contemplated by this RFP;

has conducted its own independent gathering, review, and investigation of all information, facts, and data necessary for purposes of making an informed decision whether to submit a proposal and to assume and perform all duties, liabilities, and obligations described herein, without relying on any specific facts, information or representations of any kind made or provided by or on behalf of the IJB, including any information presented in this RFP; and

has investigated all aspects of the RFP, and it is aware of the applicable facts of the RFP process and its procedures and requirements, and it has read and understands the RFP.

No request for modification of the provisions of the Proposal shall be considered after its submission on the grounds the Respondent was not fully informed as to any fact or condition. Statistical information that may be contained in the RFP or any addendum is for informational purposes only. The IJB disclaims any responsibility for any information or facts that may subsequently be determined to be incomplete or inaccurate. The IJB does not represent or warrant the accuracy or completeness of any such information, and the IJB shall not be liable for any errors or omissions, or the results of errors or omissions, which may be discovered, at any time, to exist in RFP, including any appendices, attachments or amendments thereto.

Proposals that are timely submitted and are not rejected will be reviewed in accordance with Section 5 of the RFP. The IJB will not necessarily award a Contract resulting from this RFP to the Respondent offering the lowest cost. Instead, the IJB will award the Contract(s) to the Responsible Respondent(s) whose Responsive Proposal the IJB believes will provide the best value to the IJB and the State.

Award Notice and Acceptance Period

Notice of Intent to Award the Contract(s) will be sent to all Respondents submitting a timely Proposal and may be posted at the website shown on the RFP cover sheet. Negotiation and execution of the Contract(s) shall be completed no later than thirty (30) days from the date of the Notice of Intent to Award or such other time as designated by or acceptable to the IJB. If the successful Respondent fails to negotiate and deliver an executed Contract by that date, the IJB, in its sole discretion, may cancel the award and award the Contract to the remaining Respondent the IJB believes will provide the best value to the State.

No Contract Rights until Execution

No Respondent shall acquire any legal or equitable rights regarding the Contract unless and until the Contract has been fully executed by the successful Respondent and the IJB.

Choice of Law and Forum

This RFP and the Contract shall be governed by the laws of the State of Iowa. Changes in applicable laws and rules may affect the award process or the Contract. Respondents are responsible for ascertaining pertinent legal requirements and restrictions. Any and all litigation or actions commenced by any party in connection with this RFP or any contract shall only be brought in the appropriate Iowa forum.

Restrictions on Gifts and Activities

Iowa Code Chapter 68B restricts gifts which may be given or received by State employees and requires certain individuals to disclose information concerning their activities with State government. Respondents are responsible for determining the applicability of this Chapter 68B to their activities and to comply with its requirements. In addition, pursuant to Iowa Code section 722.1, it is a felony offense to bribe or attempt to bribe a public official.

No Minimum Guaranteed

The IJB does not guarantee any minimum level of purchases under the Contract.

Appeals

If appealed, the state court administrator shall consider the evaluation committee's recommendation when making the final decision, but the state court administrator is not bound by the recommendation. The state court administrator may either accept or reject the recommended Respondent, or accept the Proposal of another Respondent, or elect not to select any Respondent. Appeals of the Notice of Intent to Award need to be received in the office of the state court administrator within 5 calendar days following the posting of the Notice of Intent to Award a contract.

Form And Content Of Proposals

Instructions

These instructions prescribe the format and content of the Proposal. They are designed to facilitate a uniform review process. Failure to adhere to the Proposal format may result in the rejection of the Proposal.

Specifications

The Proposal shall be submitted as an electronic file, in either Microsoft Word, or text searchable PDF format. The Proposal shall be divided into two separate electronic files: (1) the Technical Proposal and (2) the Cost Proposal. The Technical Proposal and the Cost Proposal shall be labeled in the file name as such and submitted as separate files.

All cost information MUST be contained ONLY in the Cost Proposal and NOT included in the Technical Proposal.

The electronic submissions should be sent to the email address below:

Connie Murphy, Issuing Officer

Issuing Officer Email Address:

In addition to submitting separate files for the Technical Proposal, as well as the Cost Proposal, the following information should also be included within the text of the email:

RFP Number: JUV-27-CM-07-004

RFP Title: Credible Messengers

The IJB shall not be responsible for misdirected emails or premature opening of Proposals if a Proposal is not properly labeled.

Confidential Information

If the Respondent designates any information in its Proposal as confidential pursuant to Section 2, the Respondent must also submit one (1) electronic copy of the Proposal from which confidential information has been excised as provided in Section 2 and which file is labeled "Public Copy".

Promotional or Display Materials

Proposals shall not contain promotional or display materials.

Attachments

Attachments shall be referenced in the Proposal.

If a Respondent Proposes Multiple Solutions

If a Respondent proposes more than one solution to the RFP specifications, each shall be labeled and submitted separately and each will be evaluated separately.

Technical Proposal

The following documents and responses are required and shall be included in the Technical Proposal in the order given below:

Transmittal Letter

An individual authorized to legally bind the Respondent shall sign the transmittal letter. The letter shall include the Respondent's mailing address, email address, fax number, and telephone number. Any request for confidential treatment of information shall be included in the transmittal letter in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.

Table of Contents

The Respondent shall include a table of contents of its Proposal and submit with its Proposal.

Executive Summary

The Respondent shall prepare an executive summary and overview of the goods and/or services it is offering, including all of the following information:

Statements that demonstrate that the Respondent has read, understands and agrees with the terms and conditions of the RFP including the Contract provisions in Section 6.

An overview of the Respondent's plans for complying with the specifications of this RFP.

Any other summary information the Respondent deems to be pertinent.

Mandatory Specifications and Scored Technical Specifications

Respondent shall answer whether it will comply with each specification in Section 4 of the RFP. Where the context requires more than a yes or no answer or the specific specification so indicates, Respondent shall explain how it will comply with the specification. Merely repeating the Section 4 specifications may be considered non-responsive and result in the rejection of the Proposal. Proposals must identify any deviations from the specifications of the RFP or specifications the Respondent cannot satisfy. If the Respondent deviates from or cannot satisfy the specifications of this section, the IJB may reject the Proposal.

Vendor Background Information

Respondent shall provide the following general background information:

Name, address, telephone number, fax number and email address of the Respondent including all d/b/a's or assumed names or other operating names of the Respondent and any local addresses and phone numbers.

Form of business entity, i.e., corporation, partnership, proprietorship, limited liability company.

State of incorporation, state of formation, or state of organization.

The location(s) including address and telephone numbers of the offices and other facilities that relate to the Respondent's performance under the terms of this RFP.

Number of employees.

Type of business.

Federal Tax ID.

Name, address and telephone number of the Respondent's representative to contact regarding all contractual and technical matters concerning the Proposal.

Name, address and telephone number of the Respondent's representative to contact regarding scheduling and other arrangements.

Name, contact information and qualifications of any subcontractors who will be involved with this project the Respondent proposes to use and the nature of the goods and/or services the subcontractor would provide.

Respondent's accounting firm.

The successful Respondent will be required to register to do business in Iowa before payments can be made.

For vendor registration documents, go to:

Experience

The Respondent must provide the following information regarding its experience:

Number of years in business.

Number of years of experience with providing the types of goods and/or services sought by the RFP.

The level of technical experience in providing the types of goods and/or services sought by the RFP.

A list of all goods and/or services similar to those sought by this RFP that the Respondent has provided to other businesses or governmental entities.

Letters of reference from three (3) previous customers or clients knowledgeable of the Respondent's performance in providing goods and/or services similar to the goods and/or services described in this RFP and a contact person and telephone number for each reference.

Personnel.

The Respondent must provide resumes for all key personnel who will be involved in providing the goods and/or services contemplated by this RFP. The following information must be included in the resumes:

Full name

Education

Years of experience and employment history particularly as it relates to the specifications of the RFP

Termination, Litigation, Debarment

The Respondent must provide the following information for the past five (5) years:

If the Respondent had a contract for goods and/or services terminated for any reason, provide full details regarding the termination.

Describe any damages or penalties assessed against or dispute resolution settlements entered by Respondent under any existing or past contracts for goods and/or services. Provide full details regarding the circumstances, including the dollar amount of damages, penalties and settlement payments.

Describe any order, judgment or decree of any Federal or State authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting the right of the Respondent to engage in any business, practice or activity.

A list and summary of all litigation or threatened litigation, administrative or regulatory proceedings, or similar matters to which the Respondent or its officers have been a party.

Any irregularities discovered in any of the accounts maintained by the Respondent on behalf of others. Describe the circumstances and disposition of the irregularities.

Failure to disclose these matters may result in rejection of the Proposal or termination of any subsequent Contract. The above disclosures are a continuing requirement of the Respondent. Respondent shall provide written notification to the IJB of any such matter commencing or occurring after submission of a Proposal, and with respect to the successful Respondent, following execution of the Contract.

Criminal History and Background Investigation

The Respondent hereby explicitly authorizes the IJB to conduct criminal history and/or other background investigation(s) of the Respondent, its officers, directors, shareholders, partners, and managerial and supervisory personnel who will be involved in the performance of the Contract.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

By submitting a Proposal, Respondent acknowledges its acceptance of the terms and conditions of the RFP and the Contract terms set forth in Section 6 as well as the General Terms for JCS Services Contracts linked on the RFP cover page, without change except as otherwise expressly stated in its Proposal. If the Respondent takes exception to a provision, it must:

identify it by page and section number;

state the reason for the exception;

set forth in its Proposal the specific RFP or General Terms language it proposes to include in place of the provision; and

comply with all requirements set forth in Section 6 of this RFP.

If Respondent's exceptions or responses materially alter the RFP, or if the Respondent submits its own terms and conditions or otherwise fails to follow the process described herein, the IJB may reject the Proposal, in its sole discretion.

Certification Letter

The Respondent shall sign and submit with the Proposal, the document included as Attachment #1 (Certification Letter) in which the Respondent shall make the certifications included in Attachment #1.

Authorization to Release Information

The Respondent shall sign and submit with the Proposal the document included as Attachment #2 (Authorization to Release Information Letter) in which the Respondent authorizes the release of information to the IJB.

Firm Proposal Terms

The Respondent shall guarantee in writing the goods and/or services offered in the Proposal are currently available and that all Proposal terms, including price, will remain firm Bid Terms 120 days following the deadline for submitting Proposals.

Cost Proposal

The Respondent shall provide its cost proposal in a separate electronic file, in either Microsoft Word or text searchable pdf format, identified as such for the proposed goods and/or services. All cost information MUST be contained ONLY in the Cost Proposal and NOT included in the Technical Proposal. The Respondent must also complete and include Attachment # 4 - Cost Proposal Form with its Cost Proposal.

Payment Methods

The State of Iowa, in its sole discretion, will determine the method of payment for goods and/or services as part of the Contract. The State of Iowa's Purchasing Card (Pcard) and ePayable solution (EAP) are preferred payment methods, but payments may be made by any of the following methods: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)/Automated Clearing House (ACH), or State Warrant. Respondents shall provide payment acceptance information in this section 3.3.1 in their Cost Proposals. This information will not be scored as part of the Cost Proposal or evaluated as part of the Technical Proposal.

Credit card or ePayables

Pcards and EAP are commercial payment methods utilizing the VISA credit card network. The State of Iowa will not accept price changes or pay additional fees if Respondent uses the Pcard or EAP payment methods. Pcard-accepting Respondents must abide by the .

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) by Automated Clearing House (ACH)

Respondents shall provide a statement regarding their ability to accept payment by EFT by ACH. Payments are deposited into the financial institution of the claimant's choice three working days from the issue date of the direct deposit.

State Warrant

The State of Iowa's warrant drawn on the Treasurer of State is used to pay claims against the departments of the State of Iowa. The warrant is issued upon receipt of proper documentation from the issuing department.

Payment Terms

Per Iowa Code 8A.514 the State of Iowa is allowed sixty (60) days to pay an invoice submitted by a Vendor/Respondent.

Respondent Discounts

Respondents shall state in their Cost Proposals whether they offer any payment discounts, including but not limited to:

Prompt Payment Discount

The State can agree to pay in less than sixty (60) days if an incentive for earlier payment is offered.

Cash Discount

The State may consider cash discounts when scoring Cost Proposals.

Specifications

Overview

The successful Respondent shall provide the goods and/or services to the IJB and other agencies using the Contract in accordance with the specifications as provided in this Section. The Respondent shall address each specification in this Section and indicate whether it will comply with the specification. If the context requires more than a yes or no answer or the section specifically indicates, Respondent shall explain how it will comply with the specification. Proposals must address each specification. Merely repeating the specifications may be considered non-responsive and may disqualify the Respondent. Proposals must identify any deviations from the specifications of this RFP or specifications the Respondent cannot satisfy. If the Respondent deviates from or cannot satisfy the specification(s) of this section, the IJB may reject the Proposal.

Mandatory Specifications

All items listed in this section are Mandatory Specifications. Respondents must mark either "yes" or "no" to each specification in their Proposals. By indicating "yes" a Respondent agrees that it shall comply with that specification throughout the full term of the Contract, if the Respondent is successful. In addition, if specified by the specifications or if the context otherwise requires, Respondent shall provide references and/or supportive materials to verify the Respondent's compliance with the specification. The IJB shall have the right to determine whether the supportive information and materials submitted by the Respondent demonstrate the Respondent will be able to comply with the Mandatory Specifications. If the IJB determines the responses and supportive materials do not demonstrate the Respondent will be able to comply with the Mandatory Specifications, the IJB may reject the Proposal.

The Issuing Officer must receive the Bid Proposal, and any amendments thereof, prior to or on the due date and time.

The Respondent is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from receiving federal funding by any federal department or agency.

Scored Technical Specifications

All items listed below are Scored Technical Specifications. All specifications will be evaluated and scored by the Evaluation Committee in accordance with Section 5.

Evaluation And Selection

Introduction

This section describes the evaluation process that will be used to determine which Proposal(s) provides the greatest value to the IJB. The IJB will not necessarily award the Contract to the Respondent offering the lowest cost to the IJB. Instead, the IJB will award to the Respondent whose Responsive Proposal the IJB believes will provide the best value to the State.

Evaluation Committee

The IJB will evaluate Proposals received in response to this RFP. The IJB will use an evaluation committee to review and evaluate the Proposals. The evaluation committee will recommend an award based on the results of their evaluation to the IJB or to such other person or entity who must approve the recommendation.

The IJB's Evaluation Committee, or a subset of the Evaluation Committee, will initially review and evaluate each proposal received to determine the Respondent's ability to meet the RFP requirements.

The IJB may request additional information or clarification of proposals and hereby reserves the right to select the particular response to this RFP that it believes will best serve its business and operational requirements, considering the evaluation criteria set forth below.

The IJB reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFP if it is in the best interest of the IJB.

Technical Proposal Evaluation and Scoring

All Technical Proposals will be evaluated to determine if they comply with the Mandatory Specifications.

5.3.1 Technical Proposal Specifications Scoring Guide.

Points will be assigned to each specification as follows, unless otherwise designated:

Cost Proposal Scoring

The Cost Proposal file(s) will remain unopened during the evaluation of the Technical Proposals and any Contractor presentations. After the Technical Proposals are evaluated and scored, the Cost Proposals will be opened and scored. Cost Proposal pricing will be scored based on a ratio of the lowest cost proposal versus the cost of each higher priced Contractor Proposal. Under this formula, the lowest Cost Proposal will receive all of the points assigned to pricing. A Cost Proposal twice as expensive as the lowest Cost Proposal will earn half of the available points. Percentages and points will be rounded to the nearest whole value. The formula is:

Weighted Cost Score = (price of lowest Cost Proposal/price of each higher priced Cost Proposal) X (points assigned to pricing)

Example:

Contractor A quotes $35,000; Contractor B quotes $45,000 and Contractor C quotes $65,000.

Contractor A: $35,000 = receives 100% of available points for cost.

$35,000

Contractor B: $35,000 = receives 78% of available points for cost.

$45,000

Contractor C: $35,000 = receives 54% of available points for cost.

$65,000

Total Points Assigned to Cost: 500

Total Scores

Each Contractor's Technical Proposal points will be added to its Cost Proposal points to obtain the total points awarded for the Contractor's Proposal.

Total Points Possible: 7,500

Tied Score and Preferences

An award shall be determined by a drawing when responses are received that are equal in all respects and tied in price. Whenever it is practical to do so, the drawing will be held in the presence of the Respondents who are tied in price. Otherwise the drawing will be made in front of at least three non-interested parties. All drawings shall be documented.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a tied score involves an Iowa-based Respondent or products produced within the State of Iowa and a Respondent based or products produced outside the State of Iowa, the Iowa Respondent will receive preference. If a tied score involves one or more Iowa Respondents and one or more Respondents outside the state of Iowa, a drawing will be held among the Iowa Respondents only.

In the event of a tied score between Iowa Respondents, the Agency shall contact the Iowa Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) committee for confirmation and verification as to whether the Respondents have complied with ESGR standards. Preference, in the case of a tied score, shall be given to Iowa Respondents complying with ESGR standards.

Second preference in tied scores will be given to Respondents based in the United States or products produced in the United States over Respondents based or products produced outside the United States.

Preferences required by applicable statute or rule shall also be applied, where appropriate.

Contractual Terms And Conditions

Contract Terms and Conditions

Any Contract(s) resulting from this RFP between the IJB and any Respondent(s) selected by the IJB shall be a combination of the specifications, terms and conditions referenced in this RFP, including without limitation, the General Terms for Juvenile Court Services (the "General Terms") located on the website linked on the RFP Cover Page (with such modifications thereto as the IJB determines to be necessary or desirable), the offer of the Respondent contained in the Respondent's proposal (excluding any exceptions taken by Respondent in accordance with this Section 6 that are not accepted by the IJB specifically in writing and contained in an executed Contract), written clarifications or changes made by the IJB through an amendment to the RFP in accordance with the provisions of this RFP, and any other terms deemed necessary by the IJB. The Contract terms and conditions in Section 6 and the General Terms will be incorporated into and become part of the Contract. The IJB reserves the right to supplement and modify any of the foregoing terms and conditions prior to the execution of any Contract.

The IJB reserves the right to either award a Contract without further negotiation with any successful Respondent(s) or to negotiate Contract terms with any selected Respondent(s) if the best interests of the IJB would be served. No exception or proposed amendment by a Respondent to the provisions or terms and conditions of this RFP, including the General Terms, shall be incorporated into any resulting Contract unless the IJB has explicitly accepted the Respondent's exception or amendment in writing in the resulting Contract.

All costs associated with complying with such terms and conditions should be included in any pricing quoted by Respondent.

By submitting a proposal, each Respondent acknowledges its complete acceptance of the terms, conditions, and specifications contained in this RFP, including the General Terms, without change except as otherwise expressly stated in its Proposal.

If a Respondent takes exception to any terms, conditions, specifications or other provisions of this RFP (including those set forth in the General Terms), it must state the reason for the exception and set forth in its proposal the specific Contract language it proposes to substitute in place of the excepted provision(s).

If a Respondent takes exception to any term, condition, or provisions contained in the General Terms, the Respondent must produce a redlined draft of such terms, conditions, or provisions, and such redlined draft must clearly reflect all of Respondent's exceptions thereto and all alternative language or other changes that Respondent specifically proposes to make.

Exceptions and/or proposed changes that materially change the terms, conditions, specifications, or provisions of the RFP (including those in the General Terms) may be deemed non-responsive by the IJB, as determined in its sole discretion, resulting in possible disqualification of the Respondent's proposal.

A Respondent's failure to state an exception to any term, condition, requirement or other provision of this RFP (including those contained in the General Terms) and propose alternative language in accordance with this Section 6.1 may be conclusively deemed by the IJB to constitute Respondent's acceptance thereof.

Any term, condition, provision, or requirement to which a Respondent fails to take exception and propose changes and/or alternative language in accordance with this Section 6.1 will not be subject to negotiation.

A Respondent may not take exception to any of the provisions or terms contained in this RFP or the General Terms.

A Respondent may not state that it takes exception to any of the terms, conditions, requirements, or other provisions of the RFP (including those contained in the General Terms) to the extent any of the foregoing conflict with any terms or conditions contained in the Respondent's standard form contracts. If a Respondent submits its own terms and conditions or otherwise fails to follow the process described herein, the IJB may reject the Respondent's Proposal, at its sole discretion.

The IJB reserves the right to refuse to enter into a Contract with the successful Respondent for any reason, even after delivery of notice of selection or intent to award or negotiate a contract. The IJB further reserves the right to negotiate contract terms with the successful Respondent if the best interests of the IJB or the State would be served.

The IJB will evaluate all Proposals without regard to any proposed modifications to any terms and conditions of the RFP or the General Terms. Once a Proposal has been identified as the one for which an Award recommendation has been made, but prior to notifying Respondents of the decision, the IJB, in its sole discretion, may consider any modifications to the terms and conditions of the RFP or the General Terms proposed by a Respondent in that Proposal. The IJB reserves the right to either award a Contract(s) without further negotiation with the successful Respondent or to negotiate Contract terms with the successful Respondent if the best interests of the IJB or the State would be served. As such, if any proposed modifications are not determined to be in the best interests of the IJB or the State, or appear to pose a substantial impediment to reaching agreement, the IJB may, in its sole discretion:

1. Issue a Notice of Intent to Award in favor of the successful Respondent, but decline to agree to or further negotiate any modifications to terms and conditions proposed by Respondent in its Proposal;

2. Issue a Notice of Intent to Award in favor of the successful Respondent, and may identify in the Notice any modifications to terms and conditions proposed by Respondent in its Proposal with which the IJB will or will not agree or further negotiate;

3. Enter open-ended negotiations with the successful Respondent; provided, that any such negotiations shall be limited to the modifications to terms and conditions proposed by Respondent in its Proposal;

4. Change the IJB's recommendation for Award and issue a Notice of Intent to Award to a Respondent whose proposal does not pose as great of a challenge to the IJB.

Any ambiguity, vagueness, inconsistency or conflict, either internal to such modification(s) or arising when read in conjunction with other portions of the Contract, shall be construed strictly in favor of the State. Only those proposed modifications identified in the Notice of Intent to Award issued by the IJB as terms and conditions with which the IJB will agree, or ultimately agrees to after further negotiations, shall be part of the Contract. The State may ignore all modifications or exceptions proposed by a Respondent, accept one or more and ignore others, accept all or, through negotiations after an award, agree to compromise language concerning one or more proposed modifications to be incorporated into a final Contract between the parties. By executing and submitting its Proposal in response to this RFP, Respondent understands and agrees that the State may exercise its discretion not to consider any or all proposed modifications or exceptions Respondent may request and may accept Respondent's proposal under the terms and conditions contained in this RFP and the General Terms.

Term Length

The Contract shall have an initial term of one (1) year, beginning on the later date of Contract execution or the anticipated start date for the initial term specified on the RFP Cover Page. At the end of the Contract's initial term, the IJB shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to a total of five (5) additional one-year terms. The resulting Contract may be terminated in accordance with its terms. The IJB may not agree to penalties for termination in any of the above-described scenarios.

Insurance

Insurance Requirements.

Insurance requirements are set forth in Section 2.7 of the General Terms for JCS Services Contracts, which can be found on the website linked on the RFP Cover Page.

Insurance Policies.

Unless otherwise requested by the State of Iowa, Respondent shall cause to be issued insurance policies with the coverages set forth below:

Quarterly Report

The Respondent shall provide an electronic detailed quarterly report on all services provided under this agreement within the State of Iowa via email to Iowa Judicial Branch, Attn: Connie Murphy, connie.murphy@iowacourts.gov.The report file format shall be Microsoft Excel compatible format. The report at minimum shall include the information as described in section 4.3(P) in the Scored Technical Specifications section above.

Vendor proposals must include a sample report and a description of the reporting that will be provided. The State reserves the right to request more detailed information (ad-hoc reporting) at any time and on an individual or specific basis for a specific service, client, time frame, or for a range of services, clients or time frames.

Attachment 1: Certification Letter - Required

Alterations to this document are prohibited, see section 2.14.14.

Connie Murphy, Issuing Officer

Iowa Judicial Branch

Connie.murphy@iowacourts.gov

Re: RFP JUV-27-CM-07-004 - PROPOSAL CERTIFICATIONS

Dear Issuing Officer:

I certify that the contents of the Proposal submitted on behalf of [Name of Respondent]_______________________________ (Respondent) in response to the Iowa Judicial Branch for RFP JUV-27-CM-07-004 for Credible Messengers are true and accurate. I also certify that Respondent has not knowingly made any false statements in its Proposal.

Certification of Independence

I certify that I am a representative of Respondent expressly authorized to make the following certifications in behalf of Respondent. By submitting a Proposal in response to the RFP, I certify in behalf of the Respondent the following:

1. The Proposal has been developed independently, without consultation, communication or agreement with any employee or consultant to the Agency or with any person serving as a member of the evaluation committee.

2. The Proposal has been developed independently, without consultation, communication or agreement with any other Respondent or parties for the purpose of restricting competition.

3. Unless otherwise required by law, the information found in the Proposal has not been and will not be knowingly disclosed, directly or indirectly prior to Agency's issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award the Contract.

4. No attempt has been made or will be made by Respondent to induce any other Respondent to submit or not to submit a Proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

5. No relationship exists or will exist during the Contract period between Respondent and the Agency or any other State agency that interferes with fair competition or constitutes a conflict of interest.

Certification Regarding Debarment

6. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, neither Respondent nor any of its principals: (a) are presently or have been debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by a Federal Agency or State Agency; (b) have within a three year period preceding this Proposal been convicted of, or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud, a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction, violation of antitrust statutes; commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; (c) are presently indicted for or criminally or civilly charged by a government entity (federal, state, or local) with the commission of any of the offenses enumerated in (b) of this certification; and (d) have not within a three year period preceding this Proposal had one or more public transactions (federal, state, or local) terminated for cause.

This certification is a material representation of fact upon which the Agency has relied upon when this transaction was entered into. If it is later determined that Respondent knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available, the Agency may pursue available remedies including suspension, debarment, or termination of the Contract.

Certification Regarding Registration, Collection, and Remission of Sales and Use Tax

7. Pursuant to Iowa Code sections 423.2(10) and 423.5(8) (2011) a retailer in Iowa or a retailer maintaining a business in Iowa that enters into a contract with a state agency must register, collect, and remit Iowa sales tax and Iowa use tax levied under Iowa Code chapter 423 on all sales of tangible personal property and enumerated services. The Act also requires Respondents to certify their compliance with sales tax registration, collection, and remission requirements and provides potential consequences if the certification is false or fraudulent.

By submitting a Proposal in response to the (RFP), the Respondent certifies the following: (check the applicable box)

Respondent is registered with the Iowa Department of Revenue, collects, and remits Iowa sales and use taxes as required by Iowa Code Chapter 432; or

Respondent is not a "retailer" or a "retailer maintaining a place of business in this state" as those terms are defined in Iowa Code subsections 423.1(42) and (43).

Respondent also acknowledges that the Agency may declare the Respondent's Proposal or resulting Contract void if the above certification is false. The Respondent also understands that fraudulent certification may result in the Agency or its representative filing for damages for breach of contract in additional to other remedies available to Agency.

Sincerely,

_________________________________ ________________

[Signature, Name and Title] [Date]

Attachment 2: Authorization to Release Information Letter - Required

Alterations to this document are prohibited, see section 2.14.14.

Connie Murphy, Issuing Officer

Iowa Judicial Branch

Re: RFP JUV-27-CM-07-004 AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE INFORMATION

Dear Issuing Officer:

[Name of Respondent]_____________________________ (Respondent) hereby authorizes the Iowa Judicial Branch or a member of the Evaluation Committee to obtain information regarding its performance on other contracts, agreements or other business arrangements, its business reputation, and any other matter pertinent to evaluation and the selection of a successful Respondent in response to RFP JUV-27-CM-07-004.

The Respondent acknowledges that it may not agree with the information and opinions given by such person or entity in response to a reference request. The Respondent acknowledges that the information and opinions given by such person or entity may hurt its chances to receive contract awards from the State or may otherwise hurt its reputation or operations. The Respondent is willing to take that risk.

The Respondent hereby releases, acquits and forever discharges the State of Iowa, the Agency, their officers, directors, employees and agents from any and all liability whatsoever, including all claims, demands and causes of action of every nature and kind affecting the undersigned that it may have or ever claim to have relating to information, data, opinions, and references obtained by the Agency or the Evaluation Committee in the evaluation and selection of a successful Respondent in response to the RFP.

The Respondent authorizes representatives of the Agency or the Evaluation Committee to contact any and all of the persons, entities, and references which are, directly or indirectly, listed, submitted, or referenced in the Respondent's Proposal submitted in response to RFP.

The Respondent further authorizes any and all persons and entities to provide information, data, and opinions with regard to its performance under any contract, agreement, or other business arrangement, its ability to perform, business reputation, and any other matter pertinent to the evaluation of the Respondent's Proposal. The Respondent hereby releases, acquits and forever discharges any such person or entity and their officers, directors, employees and agents from any and all liability whatsoever, including all claims, demands and causes of action of every nature and kind affecting the Respondent that it may have or ever claim to have relating to information, data, opinions, and references supplied to the Agency or the Evaluation Committee in the evaluation and selection of a successful Respondent in response to RFP.

A photocopy or facsimile of this signed Authorization is as valid as an original.

Sincerely,

____________________________________

[Printed Name of Respondent Organization]

____________________________________ ____________

[Signature and Title of Authorized Representative] Date

Attachment 3: Form 22 - Request for Confidentiality - Required

The submission of this form 22 is required.

This Form 22 (Form) must be completed and included with your Proposal to the RFP. The Form is required whether the Proposal does or does not contain information for which confidential treatment will be requested.

Failure to submit a completed Form will result in the Proposal being considered non-responsive and eliminated from evaluation.

Section I

Confidential Treatment Is Not Requested

A request for confidential treatment of information contained in our Proposal is not submitted.

_________________________________ _______________________ ___________________

Company RFP Number RFP Title

_________________________________ _______________________ ___________________

Signature Title Date

**************************************

Section II

Confidential Treatment Is Requested

If you are submitting a request for confidential treatment of any information submitted in your Proposal, complete the rest of this form.

The below information is to be completed and signed only if Respondent is requesting confidential treatment of any information submitted in its Proposal.

Per the paragraph labeled as Public Records and Requests for Confidential Treatment in section 2 of the Request for Proposal (RFP), Respondent requesting portions of its Proposal be maintained in confidence must complete this form and submit it with its Proposal. Respondent should read and familiarize themselves with chapter 22 of the Iowa Code regarding release of public records before completing this Form. Respondent shall refer to the paragraph labeled as Public Records and Requests for Confidential Treatment in section 2 of the RFP for instructions regarding how to request confidential treatment of portions of its Proposal.

Notes

Completion of this Form is the sole means of requesting confidential treatment.

Respondent may not request pricing proposals be held in confidence.

Completion of the Form and the IJB's acceptance of Respondent's submission does not guarantee the IJB will grant Respondent's request for confidentiality. The IJB may reject Respondent's Proposal entirely in the event Respondent requests confidentiality and does submit a fully completed Form or requests confidentiality for portions of its Proposal that are improper under the RFP.

To request confidentiality, Respondent must provide the following information:

Respondent must conspicuously mark confidential material in its Proposal in accordance with the section titled Public Records and Requests for Confidential Treatment. Check box when completed.

Respondent must specifically identify and list the Proposal section(s) for which it seeks confidentiality and answer the following questions for each section listed:

Explain the specific grounds in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other applicable law which support treatment of the material as confidential.

Justify why the material should be kept in confidence.

Explain why disclosure of the material would not be in the best interest of the public.

Provide the name, address, telephone, and email for the Respondent's person authorized to respond to inquiries by the IJB concerning the status of confidential materials.

Please provide the information in the table below. Respondent may add additional lines if necessary or add additional pages using the same format as the table below.

For each section with confidential material, provide the following information in the table below. Respondent may add additional lines if necessary or add additional pages using the same format as the table below

Specific grounds in Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other applicable law which supports treatment of the material as confidential

Justification of why the material should be kept in confidence.

Explanation of why disclosure of the material would not be in the best interest of the public.

Name, address, telephone, and email for the person at Respondent's organization authorized to respond to inquiries by the IJB concerning the status of confidential materials.

Respondent must submit a Public Copy of its Proposal from which the confidential information has been excised. The Public Copy is in addition to the copies required in the cover letter. The confidential material must be excised in such a way as to allow the public to determine the general nature of the material removed and to retain as much of the Proposal as possible. Check box when completed.

This Form must be signed by the individual who signed the Respondent's Proposal. The Respondent shall place this Form completed and signed in its Proposal immediately following the transmittal letter. A copy of this document shall be placed in all Proposals submitted including the Public Copy.

*Failure to provide the information required on this Form may result in rejection of Respondent's submittal to request confidentiality or rejection of the Proposal as being non-responsive.

*Please note that Section II of this Form is to be completed and signed only if you are submitting a request for confidential treatment of any information submitted in your Proposal.

_________________________________ ___________________ ___________________

Company RFP Number RFP Title

_________________________________ ___________________ ___________________

Signature Title Date

Attachment 4: Cost Proposal Form - Required

This form must only be included in submitted Cost Proposals.

It cannot be included with the Technical Proposal.

Payment Terms

Per Iowa Code 8A.514 the State of Iowa is allowed sixty (60) days to pay an Invoice submitted by a vendor.

Cost Proposal

Respondent's Cost Proposal shall include an all-inclusive Unit rate(s). Respondent MUST propose one of the two options below:

A set monthly Unit rate

Unit rate (15, minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour increments)

The rates shall be inclusive for all of the services provided under the Credible Messengers program. When determining rate(s) for this Cost Proposal, all other costs, including direct client contact time, travel, training, professional meetings and development, administrative, case work, documentation hours, indirect time, youth/family incentives and any other cost must be considered since these would not be eligible as separate billable hours. The following template is required. Please use additional pages to provide any additional narrative support for the costing information.

Provide a detailed breakdown in your Cost Proposal for all costs included below.