DCY-C-2627-0098Q Fiscal Agent for Residential Staff Core Training

STATE OF OHIO

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

RFQ NUMBER: DCY-C-2627-0098Q

The Department of Children and Youth (DCY), is issuing the following Request for Qualifications (RFQ):

Fiscal Agent for Residential Staff Core Training RFQ

Proposals received after the due date and time will not be evaluated.

Section 1 - Overview

A. Definitions in this RFQ

The following definitions apply to the RFQ and Contract.

Agency or DCY: Ohio Department of Children and Youth.

Children’s Residential Agency (CRA): A DCY certified public or private entity operating as either a CRC or a Group Home.

Children’s Residential Center (CRC): A CRA in which eleven or more children, including the children of any staff residing at the facility, are provided placement services, non-secure care, and supervision twenty-four hours a day.

Contract: The contract resulting from this RFQ.

Contractor: The selected Offeror.

DAS: Ohio Department of Administrative Services.

Deliverable: Any Contractor-provided products, supplies, services, or work described in the specifications of the Contract.

Group Home: A CRA which provides placement services for no more than ten children. .

Offeror: An offeror submitting a Proposal in response to this RFQ.

Proposal: Documents submitted by Offerors in response to this RFQ.

State: State of Ohio.

Work: The scope of work described in this RFQ.

B. Term of Contract

Once awarded, the term of the Contract will be as set forth in Part 6, Draft Contract. The State may solely renew this Contract at its discretion for a period of one month. Any further renewals will be by mutual agreement between the Contractor and the State as set forth in Part 6. Each renewal is subject to and contingent upon the discretionary decision of the Ohio General Assembly to appropriate funds for this Contract in each new biennium. The State may renew all or part of this Contract subject to the satisfactory performance of the Contractor and the needs of the Agency.

C. Purpose and Background

The purpose of this RFQ is to solicit proposals from qualified Offerors to serve as the administrative fiscal agent for the Residential Staff Core Training (RSCT).

Children placed in residential care settings represent a highly vulnerable population within Ohio’s child welfare system and are often present with elevated needs related to trauma and crisis. Ensuring that child care staff and administrators receive required training in a timely manner is critical to meeting these needs and supporting positive outcomes.

Ohio Administrative Code 5180:2-9-03 requires residential child care staff to complete specified training within defined timeframes. DCY developed the RSCT pathway, which is delivered through the Child and Adult Protective Services (CAPS) Learning Management System and serves approximately 180 CRAs statewide.

DCY established RSCT to encourage participation and compliance. DCY seeks a Contractor to administer this program by collecting and validating training data, managing the application and intake process, processing incentive payments, and providing reporting to DCY.

By May 15, 2026, DCY’s goal is for 100 percent of administrators, and at least 75 percent of child care staff, at each CRA to complete the RSCT.

Section 2 – Evaluation Process and Evaluation Metrics

A. Evaluation of Proposals Generally

To maintain fairness in the evaluation process, the State will obtain all information sought in a manner such that no Offeror is provided an unfair competitive advantage.

1. Determination of Responsibility

The State will review the highest-ranking Offeror and proposed subcontractors to ensure that the Offeror is responsible prior to Contract award. The State may reject any Proposal if an Offeror or a subcontractor is determined not to be responsible. The State’s determination of an Offeror’s responsibility may include the following factors: (i) experience, (ii) financial condition, (iii) facilities, (iv) past conduct and performance on previous contracts, (v) ability to execute the Contract properly, (vi) management skills, and (vii) information security assurances. The State will make such determination of responsibility based on the Proposal, reference evaluations, and any other information the State requests or determines is relevant.

2. Waiver of Defects

The State may waive any defects in any Proposal or errors in the submission process by an Offeror, but the State will only do so when it is in the State's interest and will not cause any material unfairness to another Offeror.

3. Clarifications, Corrections, and Changes

During the evaluation process, the State maintains discretion to request clarifications from any Offeror or give any Offeror the opportunity to correct defects in its Proposal if doing so would not result in an unfair advantage for any Offeror. The State may reject any clarification that is non-responsive or broader in scope than what the State requested. If the State rejects the clarification, or if the Offeror fails to respond to the request for clarification, the State may request additional clarification, consider the Proposal without the clarification, or disqualify the Proposal.

After the Proposal due date, the State may change the requirements or terms and conditions of this RFQ and request updated Proposals from those Offerors whose Proposals are under active consideration. In such cases, the State will permit Offerors to withdraw their Proposals if they are unable to meet the changed requirements or terms and conditions.

B. Scoring

1. Work Plan Scoring

The Scoring Scale table below will be used to rate each Proposal on the technical metrics listed in the Work Plan Evaluation table, also below. Numerical values are defined as follows:

SCORING SCALE

Numerical Rating	Adjective	Description
5	Excellent	• Response demonstrates an approach to the proposed work with an exceptional solution or level of quality. • Response contains many significant strengths and few minor weaknesses, if any. • There is very little risk that the Offeror would fail to satisfy the requirement(s).
4	Very Good	• Response demonstrates an approach offering unique or innovative methods of performing the proposed work or delivering a solution. • Response contains many strengths that outweigh the weaknesses. Weaknesses, if any, are very minor and can be readily corrected. • There is little risk that the Offeror would fail to satisfy the requirement(s).
3	Acceptable	• Response demonstrates an approach that offers an acceptable solution or level of quality. • Response contains strengths that are balanced by the weaknesses. Weaknesses are minor and can be corrected. • There is some probability of risk that the Offeror may fail to satisfy some of the requirement(s).
2	Weak	• Response demonstrates an approach that inadequately addresses the requirements and/or objectives. • Response contains weaknesses that are not offset by strengths. There are significant weaknesses and very few strengths. • There are questions about the likelihood of success and there is a risk that the Offeror may fail to satisfy the requirement(s).
1	Poor	• Response demonstrates an approach that does not meet the stated requirements and/or objectives, lacks essential information, is conflicting, and/or is unproductive. • Response contains many significant weaknesses and very minor strengths, if any. • There is not a reasonable likelihood of success and a high risk that the Offeror would fail to satisfy the requirement(s).
0	Completely Deficient	• Response is missing necessary information to demonstrate that the Offeror can perform. • Response is devoid of strengths. • Response has an unacceptable level of risk that the Offeror will fail to satisfy the requirement(s).

WORK PLAN EVALUATION

Metric	Weight	Rating (0-5)	Raw Score
Offeror Profile
1. Organizational Experience and Capacity The Offeror demonstrates experience administering grant, incentive, or reimbursement programs that include fiscal management, payment processing, and compliance monitoring for entities.	3
1. Fiscal and Payment Administration Capability The Offeror demonstrates the operational capacity to manage public funds, issue incentive payments accurately and timely, and maintain appropriate fiscal controls and documentation.	5
1. Systems and Data Management Experience The Offeror demonstrates experience using secure systems, including a COTS or an existing custom software solution, to collect training applications, validate data from external sources, and manage RSCT-related information.	2
Work Plan Narrative
1. Program Administration and Implementation Approach The Offeror presents a clear, feasible work plan for administering RSCT, including application intake, eligibility verification, coordination with DCY, and incentive payment processing.	5
1. Data Validation and Quality Assurance Approach The Offeror describes an effective approach for validating training completion, verifying uploaded documents, reconciling discrepancies, and ensuring accuracy prior to payment issuance	3
1. Existing or COTS Software Solution The Offeror provides a COTS or existing custom software solution that is secure and auditable to provide payment disbursement functionality and proof of training.	4
1. Reporting and Performance Monitoring Approach The Offeror describes a clear and practical approach to producing monthly and final reports that provide DCY with visibility into agency participation, incentive distribution, fund balances, and progress toward DCY goals.	2

The Offeror with the highest raw score for the Work Plan will receive 400 points. The remaining Offerors that are not otherwise disqualified will receive a percentage of the maximum points available based upon the following formula:

Work Plan Score = (Offeror’s Work Plan points / highest Work Plan points) x 400

2. Cost Evaluation

Before review of the Work Plans or at any time during the evaluation process, the State may review the cost proposals to determine whether any Proposals should be rejected because of excessive cost. After evaluating the Work Plans, or after any interviews, presentations, and demonstrations have occurred, the State may consider the costs of one or more of the higher-ranking Proposals.

a. Cost Proposal Scoring

The Offeror with the lowest proposed cost will receive 100 points. The remaining Offerors will receive a percentage of the maximum cost points available based upon the following formula:

Cost Score = (lowest proposed cost / Offeror’s proposed cost) x 100

3. Final Scoring

The Offeror with the highest total score will be recommended for the next phase of the evaluation process.

Technical Score + Cost Score = Total Score

C. Preferences

The State will apply all preferences pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code 123:5-1-06.

Following the initial evaluation and scoring, all Proposals will be considered for preferences. Preferences will be calculated at a rate of five percent (5%) for the first preference and two percent (2%) each for the second and third preferences. The preferences shall be combined and applied as a total percentage of the original Proposal to determine the score for evaluation purposes.

Preferences will only be applied if there is at least one Offeror that does not qualify for that particular preference. For purposes of qualifying for a preference, an Offeror failing to complete the certification for each preference will be deemed as not qualifying for that preference.

(a) For the Buy American preference, if any Offeror offers a product that is not a domestic source end product, the State will add the applicable percentage of the total available points to the total score of each Offeror offering a domestic source end product.

(b) For the Buy Ohio preference, if any Offeror is a Buy Ohio Offeror claiming the preference, the State will add the applicable percentage of the total available points to each Buy Ohio Offeror’s total score.

(c) If claiming the preferences in (a) and (b) based on the product(s) offered, an Offeror is only eligible to receive the preference if the cost of the product(s) offered exceeds 50% of the total offered cost for products and services. A Buy Ohio Offeror is also eligible to receive the Buy Ohio preference based on its significant economic presence in Ohio or a border state.

(d) For the Veteran-Friendly Business preference, the State will add the applicable percentage of the total available points to any certified veteran-friendly business Offeror’s total score.

Section 3 – Instructions to Offeror

A. Introduction to General Instructions

The following sections provide details on how to get more information about this RFQ and how to respond to this RFQ. All responses must be complete and in the prescribed format.

B. Inquiries

Offerors may not contact the State directly at any time during the solicitation process, however Offerors may make inquiries regarding this RFQ any time during the inquiry period listed in OhioBuys.

To make an inquiry, Offerors must login to OhioBuys, navigate to the solicitation, open the Inquiry tab and submit their inquiry. Offerors will not receive a personalized e-mail response to their question, nor will they receive notification when the question has been answered. Offerors may view inquiries and responses on the OhioBuys Public Solicitations page by opening the Solicitation Overview and navigating to the inquiries section of that page.

The State will attempt to respond to all inquiries within three business days of receipt, excluding State holidays. The State will not respond to any inquiries received after 8:00 a.m. on the inquiry end date listed in OhioBuys. The State will use its discretion in deciding whether to provide responses as part of this RFQ process. Responses to inquiries are not considered changes to the RFQ.

C. Restrictions on Communication

Other than the communication options described in this RFQ, Offerors must not make unsolicited contact with any elected official or office of the State, any staff member of DAS or the Agency, or any agent or representative of DAS or the Agency, regarding this RFQ. Offerors must not represent themselves to anyone as having the endorsement of the Agency or the State, nor as the Agency’s next supplier of the Work. For contractors currently doing business with the Agency, any communication regarding this RFQ is prohibited except as provided for in this RFQ. Any such unauthorized contact may result in an Offeror being disqualified from further consideration under this RFQ. The State will not discuss the particulars of this RFQ process with external parties.

D. Proposal Format

1. These instructions describe the required format for a responsive Proposal.

Each Proposal must include sufficient data to allow the State to verify the total cost for the Work and all of the Offeror's claims of meeting the RFP's requirements. Each Proposal must respond to every request for information in this RFP, whether the request requires a simple "yes" or "no" or requires a detailed explanation. Simply repeating the RFP's requirement and agreeing to comply may be an unacceptable response and may cause the Proposal to be rejected.

Proposals should use a consistent contrasting font and color so that the responses are readily distinguishable to the State; using the color blue to provide responses is suggested to contrast with the black text of this document. Formats are acceptable that use different typefaces, styles, or shaded backgrounds, so long as the use of these formats is consistent throughout the Offeror’s Proposal and readily distinguishable from the original RFP. Below is an example of the required format for responding to the RFP requirements. Alterations to the State-provided RFP language are strictly prohibited. The State will electronically compare Offeror Proposals to the posted RFP, and deviations or alterations to the State’s RFP requirements may result in a rejection of the Proposal.

Illustrative Example: Customers Served in the Widget Space Instructions: The Offeror is to describe the customers (i.e., companies, agencies, entities, etc.) served in the Widget domain and the nature of the services provided, as well as the duration of the service. Offeror Response: The Acme Corporation has been in business for over 20 years. Acme is a leading supplier of Widget and Widget-based services with clients in a variety of sectors, including public (23 states) and private (125 companies).

Offerors are advised to limit Offeror marketing statements and pre-printed technical inserts to the area(s) of the Proposal applicable to those statement(s) and not include duplicative or otherwise repetitive statements throughout its Proposal.

Any additional links or documents incorporated by reference by the Offeror will not become part of the Contract unless expressly accepted by the State.

2. Technical Proposal: The Offeror’s Work Plan must be submitted in Microsoft Word®, if possible (certain forms may be submitted as PDFs), through OhioBuys and as instructed in the technical questionnaire in OhioBuys. The Work Plan shall consist of all questionnaire responses and documents submitted in response to this RFP excluding the cost proposal. All Work Plan documents must be submitted in the order listed below.

3. Cost Proposal: The Offeror’s cost proposal must be submitted through OhioBuys as instructed in the cost questionnaire in OhioBuys. The cost proposal shall consist of a separate cost section as described below and in the required format.

E. Proposal Submittal

Each Offeror must submit a Work Plan and a cost proposal as separate sections of its Proposal before the Proposal due date and time and pursuant to the instructions in this section. Proposals, including all components of the Proposals, must not be password protected or the State may reject any such Proposals.

Offerors must submit their Proposals electronically in OhioBuys before the noted time on the Proposal due date. Paper submissions will be destroyed and will not be considered. OhioBuys will not allow submission or modification to a submission after the deadline. An Offeror submitting an electronic Proposal must allow for adequate time for uploading a Proposal prior to the due date and time. Technical difficulties experienced by the Offeror will not be an exception.

Each Offeror must carefully review the requirements of this RFQ and the contents of its Proposal. Once opened, Proposals cannot be altered or withdrawn, except as allowed by this RFQ.

The State may reject any Proposal if the Offeror takes exception to the terms and conditions of this RFQ, includes unacceptable assumptions or conditions in its Proposal, fails to comply with the procedure for participating in the RFQ process, or fails to meet any requirement of this RFQ. The State also may reject any Proposal it believes is not in its interest to accept, cancel this RFQ, or decide not to award a Contract to any or all of the Offerors responding to this RFQ.

All Proposals and other material that Offerors submit will become the property of the State and may be returned only at the State's option. All Proposals will be open to the public after the State has awarded the Contract. The State will retain all Proposals, or a copy of them, as part of the Contract file for at least six years. After the six-year retention period, the State may dispose of the Proposals and any copies of them.

The State is not responsible for any costs an Offeror incurs in responding to this RFQ or from participating in the evaluation process or negotiations process (if any), regardless of whether the State awards the Contract through this process, decides not to go forward with the Contract award, cancels this RFQ for any reason, or contracts for the Work through some other process or through another RFQ.

D. Rejection of Proposals Generally

The State may reject any Proposal for the reasons listed in this RFQ, that fails to comply with the procedure for participating in the RFQ process, that fails to meet the RFQ requirements, or that is not in the State’s interest to consider or to accept. In addition, the State may cancel this RFQ, reject all Proposals, and seek to do the Work through a new RFQ or by other means.

E. Proprietary Information

As set forth in Ohio Administrative Code 123:5-1-07 and 123:5-1-08, if an Offeror includes in its Proposal information it considers exempt from disclosure in a public records request, it must submit a redacted version of any document containing such information, as further described in this paragraph. Offerors must only redact (black out) the specific language that is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act. Examples of actions that are not acceptable for the protection of information in a Proposal include: (a) redaction of sections in their entirety simply because they may contain some information exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act; (b) inclusion of a blanket confidentiality or copyright notice anywhere in the Proposal; and (c) redaction of the cost proposal in its entirety. Prices, makes, models, catalog numbers of the items offered, deliveries, and terms of payment will be available for public inspection regardless of any designation to the contrary.

In addition to the redacted document(s), Offerors must submit a list of each redaction, using the Offeror Redaction Justification Form (Form 5d) in Part 5, with a detailed legal explanation for each redaction to demonstrate that the redacted information is protected under the Ohio Public Records Act. A blanket statement that all redactions are exempt from disclosure pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act and/or the Uniform Trade Secrets Act is not a sufficient explanation. The redacted version(s) must be submitted as an electronic copy in a searchable PDF format. The redacted version(s) and accompanying explanation, as submitted, will be available for inspection and released in response to public records requests.

By submitting a redacted Proposal, the Offeror agrees to indemnify the State, DAS, and the Agency for any court costs, statutory damages, attorney fees, or other award issued against the State, DAS, or the Agency for any violation of the Ohio Public Records Act resulting from the State, DAS, or the Agency providing the Offeror’s redacted version of its Proposal in response to a public records request.

By not submitting a redacted version of the Proposal with accompanying explanation, an Offeror consents to the release of the original Proposal submission in response to a public records request. If redacted version(s) with the accompanying explanation are not submitted, or if an improperly redacted version or insufficient explanation is submitted, the State will advise the Offeror in writing what portions of the Proposal are subject to disclosure in response to public records requests.

F. Proposal Components

1. Work Plan. The specifics of the Work Plan must include sufficient detail for the State to understand the Offeror’s knowledge and approach to the following: managing the Work; documenting planning decisions; facilitating communication among stakeholders; defining key management review as to content, scope, and schedule; and providing a baseline for progress measurement and Work control.

At a minimum, the Work Plan must include the following:

a. A description of the project management approach; and

b. A high-level overview of the following subsidiary project management plans:

If applicable to the Work, the Offeror must identify all proposed equipment needed for the Work during the installation, customization (as applicable), implementation, and ongoing operations phases. The Proposal must include the proposed manufacturer's name and model for all equipment. Additionally, the Offeror must identify any equipment that the State will require for the implementation and ongoing operation of the Work that is not otherwise specified in this RFQ.

Additionally, in the Work Plan, the Offeror should address potential and known risks, and proposed risk mitigation strategies.

2. Cost Proposal components.

a. Cost Proposal Form. The Offeror’s total cost for the Work must include all one-time and ongoing costs and be represented as a firm fixed price.

Contractor will be paid according to the fee structure within the Cost Proposal Form.

The Offeror must ensure its cost proposal is submitted separately from the Work Plan as indicated in the Proposal Submittal paragraph above. Cost information must not be included in the Work Plan.

The Offeror may not modify or reformat the Cost Proposal Form. The Offeror must complete the required portions of the Cost Proposal Form. Additionally, all portions of the Cost Proposal Form must be completed in the exact format provided. The Offeror must not include exceptions, additional terms and conditions, or assumptions in the submitted Cost Proposal Form. The State may reject any Proposal with a modified or reformatted Cost Proposal Form; a Cost Proposal Form that is not separately submitted; or a Cost Proposal Form that includes exceptions, additional terms and conditions, or assumptions.

The State will not be liable for any costs the Offeror does not identify in its cost proposal. There will be no additional reimbursement for travel or other related expenses.

b. Preference Certification Form (Form 5c). Offerors claiming preference for Domestic Source End Products, the Ohio (Buy Ohio) preference, and/or Veteran Friendly Business Enterprise (VBE) must complete the Preference Certification Form.

3. Offeror Redaction Justification Form (Form 5d). The Offeror must complete the Offeror Redaction Justification Form pursuant to the instructions above, Proprietary Information, and Form 5d if the Offeror includes in its Proposal information it considers exempt from disclosure in a public records request.

4. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions. The Offeror must include the entire content of Parts 2 and 3 as a single section in its Proposal. The Offeror must include a statement at the beginning of this section indicating that the Offeror has read, understands, and agrees to all of the terms and conditions contained in Parts 2 and 3.

5. Requests for Revisions or Additions to the RFQ. Offerors are required to comply with all of the terms and conditions of the RFQ regardless of any statement or omission in the Proposal that might indicate a Offeror’s contrary intention. DCY will not agree to any additional or inconsistent terms or conditions proposed by the Offeror. The terms and conditions of the RFQ prevail over any inconsistent or additional terms or conditions in the Proposal proposed by the Offeror.

6. Pre-Existing Materials. If applicable, the Offeror must list any Pre-Existing Materials (defined in Part 2 that will be included in a Deliverable in Form 5e in Part 5. The State may reject any Proposal that includes Pre-Existing Materials for a custom solution if the State believes that such is not appropriate or desirable for the Work.

7. Commercial Material. If applicable, the Offeror must list any Commercial Material (defined in Part 2, including Commercial Software (defined in Part 2), that the Offeror will deliver in which the State will have less than full ownership in Form 5e in Part 5. Generally, these will be from third parties. The Offeror need not list patented parts of equipment.

The Offeror must attach the applicable license agreement(s) for all Commercial Material for the State to review. However, the State may require the Offeror or third party to enter into the State’s Master Contract for Software Licensing.

8. Information Security Assurances. The Offeror should provide assurance documentation of the offerors effective design and implemented controls to meet the foundational trust principles of security, confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy. Documentation can include, but is not limited to, Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 18, Service Organization Control 2 Type 2, Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Certification or Assessment, Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) status, StateRAMP status, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Attestation of Compliance (PCI-DSS AOC), or other relevant IT security assurance documentation.

CONTRACT

Part 1 – Scope of Work

A. Work Overview:

DCY seeks a qualified Contractor to serve as the administrative fiscal agent for the RSCT. The Contractor will support the administration, validation, payment processing, and reporting functions necessary to incentivize timely completion of required development training of administrators and child care staff at CRAs across Ohio.

The Work supports DCY’s goal of improving outcomes for children placed in CRAs by ensuring staff complete required training pursuant to Ohio Administrative Code 5180:2-9-03. Training is delivered through the RSCT pathway via the CAPS Learning Management System and applies to approximately 180 DCY CRAs statewide.

B. Contractor Responsibilities:

The Contractor must perform all services necessary to administer RSCT, including but not limited to the following:

1. Program Management and Fiscal Management:

i. Serve as the fiscal agent for RSCT;

ii. Manage RSCT incentive payment funds totaling $2,463,600; and

iii. Distribute incentive payments to eligible CRCs.

2. Application Design and Management:

The Contractor must provide, implement, and maintain a secure COTS or existing custom software solution for collecting, managing, and retaining RSCT incentive applications submitted by CRAs, and including payment disbursement functionality. The system may include a database, structured electronic forms, and associated clerical or recordkeeping processes and must allow CRAs to apply for RSCT incentives. The software solution must:

i. Allow CRAs to submit applications upon meeting incentive eligibility requirements;

ii. Capture required application data elements;

iii. Support receiving documents, including training certificates;

iv. Allow customization to capture additional benchmark or performance indicators as directed by DCY; and

v. Protect sensitive and financial information consistent with state security requirements.

3. Application Requirements:

The Contractor must require, at a minimum, the following information from CRAs:

i. Name of CRA;

ii. Name of each approved CRC and/or Group Home facility currently operating;

iii. Name of CRA administrator(s);

iv. CRA primary contact name, email address, and phone number for purposes of incentive application;

v. Name of each child care staff member and the administrator team assigned to each CRC and/or Group Home facility;

vi. Collection and maintenance of training completion documentation for each CRC and/or Group Home administrator who completes the required training at a CRCs and/or Group Homes;

vii. Collection and maintenance of training completion documentation for each child care staff member assigned to each CRC and/or Group Home facility who completes the required training;

viii. Calculation of the percent of child care staff and administrators required to complete the training per CRC and/or Group Home facility, rounded up;

ix. Ability to collect additional information from CRC and Group Home facilities based on DCY defined goals (see C., below);

x. CRA banking information required for payment processing;

xi. A statement acknowledging DCY reserves the right to award incentive payments based on accuracy and timely completion of training;

xii. An attestation that all named administrators and at least 75 percent of child care staff members assigned to each facility must complete the required training to qualify for payment.

• If a child care staff member is assigned to multiple facilities, training completion must be attributed to the single facility where that staff member spends the greatest proportion of their work time, and the same staff member may not be counted toward the threshold for more than one CRC and/or Group Home facility;

xiii. An attestation that the CRA will distribute incentives to eligible administrators and child care staff members;

xiv. Statement agreeing to participate in a post-incentive survey; and

xv. Statement attesting to all information provided on the application is truthful and accurate.

4. Training Data Verification:

i. Verify the CRA has uploaded the completed training certificates from CAPS Learning Management System.

5. Award Confirmation and Approval:

Prior to issuing any incentive payment, the Contractor must confirm award eligibility with the designated DCY representative. The Contractor must submit the following information to DCY for confirmation:

i. Agency Name;

ii. Verification that required training completion thresholds have been met; and

iii. Confirmation that required documentation has been collected and validated. The Contractor must not issue payments without documented DCY approval.

6. Incentive Payment Processing:

The Contractor must issue incentive payments only to eligible CRAs that have achieved 100 percent administrators training completion and at least 75 percent child care staff training completion. Incentive payment tiers are as follows:

i. $5,000 for each Group Home facility or location; and/or

ii. $9,000 for each CRC facility or location.

7. Reporting and Monitoring:

The Contractor must develop and maintain reporting tools to track RSCT participation, training completion, incentive distribution, and overall RSCT impact. At a minimum, the Contractor must provide:

i. Monthly reports to DCY summarizing applications received, approvals, payments issued, and remaining incentive payment fund balance;

ii. Data reflecting CRA and participation levels relative to DCY benchmarks; and

iii. A final project report summarizing outcomes, incentive distribution, and training completion progress toward DCY goals.

C. Program Performance Goal:

By June 30, 2026, DCY’s performance goal is that:

i. 100 percent of CRAs have administrators complete the RSCT; and

ii. At least 75 percent of child care staff at those CRC and/or Group Home facilities complete the RSCT.

D. Deliverables and Reporting Requirements:

The Contractor must provide the following Deliverables in accordance with the timelines below. All Deliverables must be submitted to DCY in a format approved by DCY.

1. Deliverable 1:

Application Tracking Process.

i. The Contractor must establish and maintain a secure application intake and recordkeeping process for RSCT, which may include a database, structured electronic forms, and supporting clerical or administrative processes; and

ii. The process must support the collection, organization, validation, retention, and reporting of application information and required documentation.

• Due Date: Within 30 calendar days of Contract start date.

2. Deliverable 2:

Incentive Payment Process.

i. The Contractor must establish and document procedures for validating eligibility, confirming eligibility with DCY, and issuing incentive payments.

• Due Date: Within 30 calendar days of Contract start date.

3. Deliverable 3:

Monthly Program Activity Report. The Contractor must submit a monthly report that includes, at a minimum:

i. Total number of applications received during the reporting period.

ii. Total number of applications approved and denied.

iii. CRA entity type: CRC or Group Home.

iv. Names of CRC and Group Home facilities reimbursed during the reporting period.

v. Number of administrators and child care staff included per CRA.

vi. Percentage of administrators and child care staff members completing Core Training per CRC and/or Group Home.

vii. Incentive payment tier applied for each payment during the reporting period.

viii. Cumulative total of incentive payments paid to date.

ix. Remaining incentive payment fund balance.

x. Any issues, risks, or delays impacting RSCT administration.

• Due Date: No later than the 15th calendar day of each month for the preceding month.

4. Deliverable 4:

Training Data Validation Log.

i. The Contractor must maintain a log of training completion data and uploaded certificates.

• Due Date: Ongoing, with updates included in monthly reporting or as requested by DCY.

5. Deliverable 5:

Incentive Payment Register.

i. The Contractor must maintain an incentive payment register documenting all incentive payments issued.

ii. The register must include agency name, payment date, incentive payment tier, payment amount, and confirmation of DCY approval.

• Dute Date: Ongoing, with updates included in monthly reporting.

6. Deliverable 6:

Final Report. The Contractor must submit a final report summarizing outcomes for the full Contract period. The report must include, at a minimum:

i. Total number of CRAs detailed by CRC and/or Group Home facility participating in RSCT.

ii. Total number of facilities receiving incentive payments.

iii. Names of all facilities receiving incentive payments.

iv. Total number of administrators completing Training.

v. Total number of child care staff completing Training.

vi. Percentage of participating CRA and Group Homes meeting the training threshold.

vii. Total incentive payment funds distributed by tier.

viii. Final incentive payments total and remaining balance, if any.

ix. Progress toward DCY’s May 15, 2026, training completion goal (in C., above).

x. Summary of lessons learned and management recommendations, if requested by DCY.

• Due Date: Within 30 calendar days of Contract end date.

Part 2 – Contract-Specific Terms and Conditions

A. Contract Construction and Compensation

1. Terminology

For purposes of this Contract, any references to “Offeror” in the documents that make up this Contract will mean “Contractor” as of the effective date of this Contract.

2. Compensation

In consideration of the Contractor's promises and satisfactory performance, the State will pay the Contractor the amount(s) identified in the Contract (the Fee), plus any other expenses identified as reimbursable in the Contract. In no event will payments under this Contract exceed the “not-to-exceed” amount in the Contract without the prior, written approval of the State and, when required, the Ohio Controlling Board and any other source of funding. The Contractor's right to the Fee is contingent upon the complete and satisfactory performance of the Work or, in the case of milestone payments or periodic payments of an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or annual rate, all relevant parts of the Work tied to the applicable milestone or period. Payment of the Fee is also contingent on the Contractor delivering a proper invoice and any other documents required by the Contract.

B. Ownership of Deliverables

1. Submittal of Deliverables.

The Contractor must perform its tasks in a timely and professional manner that produces Deliverables that fully meet the Contract’s requirements. The Contractor must complete the Work in steps that will result in Deliverables associated with those steps, and the Contractor must provide the required Deliverables no later than the due dates proposed in the RFQ or included in the Contractor’s Work plan as approved by the State. At the time of delivery of a written Deliverable, the Contractor must submit an electronic copy of each Deliverable. The Contractor must provide the electronic copy in a file format acceptable to the State.

The Contractor must provide all Deliverables to the Agency Representative, who will review (or delegate review of) the materials or documents within a reasonable time after receipt, as specified in the Work plan.

If the State determines that a Deliverable is not in compliance, the State’s project manager assigned to the Work (the State Work Manager) will note the reason for non-compliance and notify the Contractor’s Project Manager. At no expense to the State, the Contractor then must bring the Deliverable into conformance and re-submit it to the State Work Manager within 10 business days.

If the State agrees the Deliverable is compliant, the State Work Manager will indicate that by notifying the Contractor. In addition, if the State Work Manager or designee determines that the State should make a payment associated with the Deliverable, the State Work Manager will indicate that the payment should be made.

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