Request for Bids (RFB) for Job Search, Work-Readiness and Occupational Skills Workshops

Organizational Background

The San Diego Workforce Partnership is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization chartered by the County and the City of San Diego to support workforce development in the San Diego region. The organization’s primary funding is allocated by the Department of Labor under the provisions of WIOA. The organization receives additional funding from the County of San Diego, the City of San Diego and private philanthropy, among other sources. The organization’s mission is to empower job seekers to meet the current and future workforce needs of employers in San Diego County. The vision of the Workforce Partnership is that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment. For additional information, please visit workforce.org.

Project Scope

The Workforce Partnership seeks to engage one or more vendors to provide job search, work-readiness and occupational skills trainings and workshops for clients enrolled in its direct services programs.

The successful respondent(s) will be asked to conduct virtual and/or in-person workshops on the following topics in either virtual or physical classroom spaces arranged by the Workforce Partnership, with approximately 25-50 students in the class. The topics below provide a basis which must be covered to meet minimum qualifications set forth by the Workforce Partnership’s funders and do not represent an exhaustive list. Respondents are strongly encouraged to propose additional topics as part of their final proposal. Respondents may choose to bid for a subset of the below topics if they so desire, with the understanding that this will limit the opportunities available for them to book.

Job Search	Work-Readiness	Occupational Skills
Building a resume Elevator pitches Interview skills Labor market information Navigating post-secondary school options	Confidentiality Diversity in the workplace Financial literacy Mental health at work Preparing for your first day at work Setting goals	Customer service Retail skills Digital literacy Online communication Virtual work performance

The Workforce Partnership expects to need approximately the following total instructional hours during fiscal year 2021 (July 2020–June 2021). These numbers are estimates and are subject to change.

Q2 (October–December): 20-30 total instructional hours
Q3 (January–March): 100-110 total instructional hours
Q4 (April–June): 80-90 total instructional hours

Budget

Respondents should propose either a fee-for-service price structure or a cost-per-instructional hour price structure. The Workforce Partnership expects to spend no more than $25,000 in total on services procured under this RFB in fiscal year 2021.

Bid Format

Submit the following items by email to procurement_DS@workforce.org by no later than 5 p.m. pacific time on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 with “RFB RESPONSE: Job Search, Work-Readiness and Occupational Skills Workshops” in the subject line of the email.

A single PDF document containing:
1. Title page
  - Include organization name, address, phone number, website, and federal tax identification number, as well as the name, phone number, email, and electronic signature for the person authorized to negotiate the contract and make decisions for the organization.
2. Organizational background and qualifications (no more than 1 page)
3. List of workshop topics proposed, including the number of instructional hours for each workshop topic (no more than 1 page)
4. Pedagogical statement describing your organization’s approach to instructional design and workshop delivery (no more than 2 pages)
  - Respondents are encouraged to demonstrate adaptability to meet the needs of a wide variety of populations (e.g. immigrants and refugees, the formerly incarcerated, opportunity youth, and so on).
  - Respondents are also encouraged to demonstrate the ability to host online/virtual workshops in the event in-person workshops are not feasible.
5. Proposed project plan for implementation (no more than 1/2 page)
  - Include a description of how Workforce Partnership staff will arrange for and schedule workshops with your organization
6. Proposed fee structure and pricing (no more than 1/2 page)
7. Three references from organizations with whom you have conducted similar work in the past.
  - Include the name of the organization, the name of an individual who we can contact at the organization, the contact’s email address and phone number, and a brief (no greater than 25 words) description of the work performed for the organization.
8. Letter(s) of support (optional)
9. Certification(s) of small, minority-owned, women-owned, or labor surplus area business (if available)

In the format of your choosing:
1. Sample of curriculum materials (for example, PowerPoint slide decks, workshop outlines and worksheets)
2. Sample of recent customer service data reflecting the experiences of individuals trained by your organization
  - Third party evaluations are most preferred, followed by reviews posted directly by customers on the internet, and then internal customer service surveys if no other resources are available.

Completed and signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form (Attachment)

Timeline

Questions are due no later than 5 p.m. pacific time on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.
Responses to questions will be posted on the procurement page of the Workforce Partnership website no later than Friday, August 21, 2020.
Responses are due no later than 5 p.m. pacific time on Wednesday, August 26, 2020.
Successful respondent(s) will be notified no later than Tuesday, September 8, 2020.
Services may begin as early as Monday, September 14, 2020.

Miscellaneous Requirements

Questions

Questions must be submitted by email to procurement_DS@workforce.org with “RFB QUESTION: Job Search, Work-Readiness and Occupational Skills Workshops” in the subject line no later than 5 p.m. pacific time on Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

We summarized the following three questions regarding the age range & demographics of the participants who will receive training:

It notes a pretty wide range of target demographic – do you have a sense if these trends older or younger people in nature? The age range depends on the specific requirements of the program. We operate programs for youth 16 – 24, as well as programs for aging workers 50+.
Who is the target audience for these trainings? Are there age restrictions? Must the participants be in-school, out-of-school, etc? The age range depends on the specific requirements of the program. We operate programs for youth 16 – 24, as well as programs for aging workers 50+. The school status also depends on the program. Some programs are specific to in school youth, and other programs are specific toward aging workers not in school.
Who is responsible for student acquisition? Does the Workforce Partnership refer students or is the contractor responsible? We are responsible for student acquisition. These are participants who are already enrolled in a program with us.

Service Agreement Template

By submitting a proposal, you are agreeing to the terms outlined in the Attachment labeled “Service Agreement Template” should you be selected as a successful bidder.

Conflict of Interest

Bidders are required to list any and all individuals who contributed to the preparation of the proposal in the attachment labeled “Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form.” Disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest relative to this Competitive Proposal is required. All bidders must fill this out and submit if even if there are no actual or potential conflicts of interest.