Request for Proposals (RFP) For Youth Workforce Development Services Responding to Identified Service Needs and Gaps 

The San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP) strives to create a thriving region that offers all San Diegans opportunities for economic mobility. All our work and partnerships are grounded in the framework of helping an individual find the intersection between what they love to do, what they can be paid for, what employers need, and the education, training and support they need along their career pathway. 

When providing services to the community, SDWP follows the values of Collaboration, Excellence, Stewardship, and Inclusion. Our mission: To empower job seekers to meet the current and future workforce needs of employers in San Diego County guides our vision that every business in our region has access to a skilled workforce, and every job seeker has access to meaningful employment. Thus, the aspiration for opportunity youth funding is centered on helping youth align their interests and skills with education, training, and career pathways. We hope to see bidders infuse these tenets into the foundation of youth-focused workforce development program design, while still meeting the federally required program elements and services.

SDWP must receive proposals no later than February 13, 2026, and no later than 5:00pm (PST). Late proposals will not be accepted.

To submit a proposal, log on to the Workforce eBid site using the email address along with the unique password that was created when the NOI was submitted. The proposal can be digitally signed as confirmation of submission of proposal once it has been uploaded onto Workforce eBid site. An email confirmation with a snapshot of the submission of proposal form along with the digital signature will be provided as proof of submission.

A virtual Bidders’ Conference was held on January 14, 2026, at 10:00am (PST) via Zoom. To watch a recording of the Bidders’ Conference, click here. To access the Zoom chat from the Bidders’ Conference, click here. This was an opportunity for potential Bidders to request additional clarity on the RFP and potential eligibility questions. No inquiries will be answered outside of the Bidders’ Conference or Q&A process outlined in section D. 

SDWP anticipates that potential Bidders will have questions as they review the RFP and is committed to providing answers to the best of their ability, as well as publishing these questions and answers for all potential Bidders to review. 

The final day to submit questions was January 21, 2026, by 5:00pm (PST). Questions received after that time will not receive a response. All questions and answers have been publicly posted online here. Technical support questions can be submitted in writing on the Workforce eBid Site. Technical support questions will be answered as soon as possible.

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Is the rest of the RFP Bidder’s Conference after minute 30 posted anywhere? The one posted on the RFP Recording stops at 30:02. I would like to see the recording of Paul regarding the budget please.
The full RFP Bidder’s Conference video is posted on the website.

Working Metrics – This is listed as a requirement in the RFP, but I can’t find information online for this site. Workingmetrics.com redirects to the Aspen Institute, and I can’t find reference to an assessment even though that’s referenced on page 25 of the RFP. Please provide guidance on how to access “working metrics” including instructions on completing the required assessment.
Working Metrics has been removed from the RFP. Please reference Amendment #1.

I can’t find a link to Working Metrics. Can you provide that please?
Working Metrics has been removed from the RFP. Please reference Amendment #1.

Given that SDWP seeks to procure subrecipients to address youth service gaps and requires funded providers to deliver services at accessible sites and times within their region, are agencies encouraged to structure their proposals based on regional service delivery (reference ATTACHMENT – SAN DIEGO REGIONAL BOUNDARIES BY PUMA)?
Yes.

In regards to the Past Performance Questionnaire is that for us the Bidder to fill out or for Organizations that we  have partnered with in the past? I ask because one of the questions is: Would you do business with this organization (the bidder) again?
Yes, the Past Performance Questionnaire is for Organizations that you have worked with in the past to provide feedback regarding their experience working with the bidder.

The budget asks for a contract #. What would I type in there? Would it be Your bidder number is B103? or my SAM unique identifier?
Bidder number is the correct entry.

For the required staff positions: Can community partners who are subcontracted under the primary grant applicant/subrecipient fulfill the required staff positions or does this requirement solely fall on the primary applicant/subrecipient?
Yes, subcontracted partners under the primary grant applicant/subrecipient may fulfill the required staff positions. 

We would like to ask for further clarity on the total available funding for this program. Page 6 of he RFP states that “the total funding opportunity is estimated to be $4,000,000 in Year 1.” Furthermore, during the bidders conference (1:39:04 of the video), SDWP stated that “We will award based on scoring and rank. We absolutely have no preconceived notion about how many qualified applicants we are going to receive, and how innovative and creative you are going to be in serving the youth population. … We will award all qualified and innovative projects.” So does the term “total funding opportunity of $4,000,000” refer to $4 million per award, or $4 million total for all awarded contracts?  Hypothetically, if the #1 scoring applicant proposed a program of $1 million in Year 1, and a close-scoring #2 applicant proposed a program of $4 million, and a close-scoring #3 applicant proposed a $1 million program, would all awards be made in their full amount?
We will award up to $4,000,000 for this procurement in year 1 for all contracts.

With the total funding opportunity estimated at $4,000,000 in Year 1, how many applicants does SDWP anticipate awarding funding to
We will award as many qualified applicants as the funding allows for.

Can an applicant propose serving only one of the two populations (OSY or ISY), or must they propose to serve and target both?
The bidder can propose to serve one of the two populations (ISY/OSY), or both, bearing in mind that 75% of the awarded funding will be for OSY and 25% of the awarded funding will be for ISY.

Can you please confirm that all items on page 2 of the Proposal Checklist should be submitted in the order listed in that table and as a single PDF, excluding the budget?
The checklist includes all items to be submitted. Please reference the sections listed on the checklist to note any special submission instructions. This will be amended.

In our proposal, do we need to specify which Tier 1 and Tier 2 training topics in each category we will offer (e.g., HL 101, C103, etc.), or can we decide that later on? Do we need to specify how we would offer the required BEST trainings (e.g., monthly 2.5-hour trainings over 10 months)?
Your proposal should articulate your program design in the clearest terms. The specific training topics are not required, but your program design should clearly articulate how you are including the 14 elements.

The RFP mentions summer employment opportunities and other employment opportunities available throughout the year count towards Element 3. Based on our experience with the target population, we anticipate that many of these students will be working part-time during high school. Does their existing part-time job count towards the work experience requirement?
Yes, if WIOA staff supported with preparation (pre-employment skills), ongoing case management and supportive services. Unsubsidized employment can be WEX.

When completing the proposal, should I use the table on page 20 of the RFP to guide the order of each section? Or, should I use the chart on page 2 of the proposal checklist?
The checklist includes all items to be submitted. Please reference the sections listed on the checklist to note any special submission instructions. This will be amended.

When separating work experience expenses and non-work experience activities and expenses, would we include career readiness skill-building activities in the work experience category, since these prepare students to have the skills needed to succeed in jobs?
Those activities may be included in work experience.

Does the Eligibility, Compliance, and CalJOBS Specialist need to be a full-time position? The RFP does not provide specific guidance, but the requirements analysis tab of the budget says “minimum 100%.” Does that mean minimum full-time? If not, what does that mean?
The “minimum” refers to the total FTE, not the FTE on the project. A part-time person should not be listed as part of the RFP response & budget.

Slide 3 of the Budget-Slides.pptx document provided with the RFP states the following under bullet 4 for Indirect Costs: “A copy of the approved Indirect Cost Rate or a proposal memo to use a de minimis rate must be attached.” Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200.414(f) states, “…The de minimis rate does not require documentation to justify its use and may be used indefinitely.” Please confirm that documentation is not required to utilize the de minimis rate.
That is correct. No documentation is required if your budget reflects the de minimis rate.

Page 18 indicates bidders must serve staff at all Career Center locations. Please provide:
a. a list of Career Center locations
b. details on how much space is available at each
c. a breakdown of costs associated with using each space
Please see page 9 of the RFP for Career Center locations. There is no cost for subreicpients to be co-located therein.

Pages 17 and 21 indicate in-kind and cash match resources are not required. However, page 24, question prompt 9.b. asks bidders to “Describe established or planned partnerships and resources to leverage funding to meet the in-kind match requirement to provide supportive services.” Please confirm the in-kind match is not required and that question 9.b. does not need to be answered.
Question 9. b. is only required if you are seeking bonus points for matching resources.

The last line of “I. Job Quality,” on page 25 states, “All partners and organizations that are part of the proposal must submit their own assessment.” Is the assessment to be submitted with our proposal? If yes, please clarify (or provide) what assessment tool/form should be utilized
To be addressed

To best ensure compliance with the identified page limits, please confirm question prompts may be single spaced, truncated, or removed.         
Question prompts need not be included, however each response must be clearly labeled for the appropriate section.

May tables, charts/graphs, and graphics be single-spaced and in a smaller font as long as legible?
Yes, however, please do not use a font smaller than 10pt for any attachments.

Our understanding of the instructions on page 20 of the RFP, requiring the proposal to be written in 11 point font and double-spaced is only applicable to the 2 pages of organizational qualifications and project management and thus the rest of the proposal may be single spaced. Is that correct?
If III. B. Formatting Requirements are not followed, you will be deducted two (2) points in the Organizational Capacity and Qualifications category.

We noticed that page 20 of the RFP and the separately provided “13.-Attachment-Proposal-Checklist.docx” list the requirements in a similar, but different order with the roman numeral outlines being slightly different. Which outline we should follow when preparing our proposal package?
The checklist includes all items to be submitted. Please reference the sections listed on the checklist to note any special submission instructions. This will be amended.

To best ensure compliance with the identified page limits, please confirm question prompts may be single spaced, truncated, or removed.          
Question prompts need not be included, however each response must be clearly labeled for the appropriate section.

Pages 27-28 of the RFP lists several questions regarding “Required Staff Positions”, while p. 17 of the RFP indicates that the “Work Plan Worksheet” also be included as part of the Required Staff Positions section. Can you confirm whether the 2-page limit to the “Required Staff Positions” section includes or excludes the pages required for the Work Plan Worksheet?
The Work Plan Worksheet may be included in Additional Attachments.

“The RFP mentions “”The Subrecipient must provide access points throughout San Diego County relative to the areas where service needs will be provided and must have, at minimum, a main office/location, and satellite locations to provide access points for communities identified in the outreach and recruitment plan.”” – My first question is two parts.  -1.a) How are satellite locations being defined by this opportunity, and 1.b) is it a correct interpretation of these guidelines that a main office location situated in the community identified in the outreach and recruitment plan is not compliant alone without additional satellite locations?
1.a Satelite location can be identified as a permanent/semi-permanent organizational footprint from which services can be rendered. 1.b. The identification of main office location in a target community is the same as having a satellite location in a target area. The request for location specificity is to confirm service provision in target areas.

Is a program providing services targeted to a single regional community eligible and competitive?
Yes and yes.

How are Indirect Costs and Support costs being differentiated in this opportunity?
Support cost include administrative cost directly tied to the service delivery. Indirect costs are those, incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more than one (1) cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objective specifically benefited without effort disproportionate to the results achieved (see 2 CFR 200.414)

The RFP states “SDWP requires that the following positions and corresponding functions be fulfilled. Bidders are encouraged to propose creative staffing structures that may include full-time dedicated staff, shared positions, multiple part-time staff or other designs that have proven to be successful in serving youth in the past.” Does this mean that if a role listed in section B7 of the RFP does not represent someone’s full time job but instead is folded in among other responsibilities as well, that that staffing structure is still in compliance with the needs of the RFP?
Yes.

I want to be sure I understand the relationship between the awardee of this opportunity and SDWP correctly.  SDWP offers BEST, which incorporates each of the 14 required elements.  SDWP will offer the BEST curriculum and deliver BEST training to the youth in the awardee’s program. SDWP offers all trainings listed on the BEST attachment included on the RFP website entitled “02. Attachment – Basic and Essential Skills Training BEST.” Is this a correct understanding? Or, is the function of this document to demonstrate the required Basic and Essential Skills training needs, with ONLY the options listed with an asterisk indicating training that is offered by SDWP?
The BEST Training platform will be provided by SDWP to schedule trainings offered by subricipients to implement the 14 elements. The Attachment provides BEST training needs and options that may be offered by subricipients. An asterisk on the course indicates training designed and delivered by SDWP.

What are the restrictions around match funding sources for this grant?
Please refer to page 16 in RFP. For more information on cost sharing or matching, refer to 2 CFR part 200 and 2900.

Does SDWP require proposers to operate from a dedicated, full-time physical facility, or are mobile, partner-based, and community-hosted service delivery models acceptable if regular hours and youth access points are clearly defined?
Please see Access and Locations sections of the RFP page 9 and 23

Can organizations without prior WIOA Youth Title I contracts apply as a lead applicant, or is SDWP more strongly prioritizing experienced WIOA operators as fiscal agents?
Any eligible applicants may apply. See page 6 of RFP.

Are sector-based pathways in emerging fields such as drone technology, GIS, digital heritage preservation, and marine science considered aligned with the RFP’s workforce priorities, even if participants are entering non-traditional or project-based employment pathways?
For more information on priority sectors please visit our website. https://workforce.org/my-next-move/prioritysectors/

Is there a restriction on program length? For example, can we offer a two-year program with 12 months of follow-up, or does it need to be a one-year program since initial funding is for one year?
Not mandatory. You are free to propose any program you believe will serve the population(s).

The RFP indicates that bonus points will be awarded for demonstration of an in-kind or cash match. Our proposed budget includes documented in-kind staff time supporting program activities, reflected as an overall in-kind match of 1.1% in the budget. Please confirm that an in-kind match applied to program personnel costs (with 0% allocated to Support costs) meets the criteria for demonstration of a match for purposes of scoring the five (5) bonus points
The bonus points will be awarded as a function of the match amount. 1-20%=1 point, 21-40%=2 points, etc.

To clarify the paid participation for students, can the following qualify? Does a monetary incentives qualify? Does a paid internship and or paid apprenticeship qualify? It does not have to be an hourly wage job correct?
The examples provided qualify as participant costs if the incentive, paid internship and or paid apprenticeship, or are subsidized wages are provided to the participant directly and are funded by WIOA Title I Youth.

Organizational Capacity Page Limit The Organizational Capacity section is limited to five (5) pages; however, this section also requests staff resumes. Inclusion of resumes alone would exceed the five-page limit. Please advise whether resumes should be included within the five-page limit or submitted as attachments outside the page limit.
Resumes of Key Staff are not included in the page limit. Please see Attachment 13 – Proposal Checklist for more information.

If a subrecipient needs to refer participants for occupational training/education, does SDWP prefer that it utilize current ETPL providers or can other programs/providers be utilized?
We do not have a preference, however we can verify the credentials offered by subcontractors on the ETPL, therefore the program design and outcomes are already vetted.

Our organization previously served as a Youth WIOA service provider under contract with the San Diego Workforce Partnership. For purposes of completing the Past Performance Questionnaire, could you please advise who the appropriate point of contact at SDWP would be to complete or verify our Past Performance form?
Please send to Proposals@workforce.org, Subject: Past Performace Questionnaire verification

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Submission Timing Page 30, Section IV.A of the RFP states that the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is due at the time of award, while Attachment 14 references failure to submit the SOQ as a common error to avoid. Please confirm whether the SOQ is due at the time of award and not required with the proposal submission.
Yes. The SOQ is due at the time of award.

Stipends Requirement Are stipends mandatory under this RFP, and required for all enrolled youth? Additionally, please confirm whether the $30.71 hourly rate referenced in the RFP applies to stipends. At this level, stipend costs would substantially increase the cost per participant and significantly limit the number of youth that can be served within the available funding.
Not mandatory. You are free to propose any program you believe will serve the population(s).

3.Living Wage vs. Self-Sufficiency Wage Clarification On page 19 of the RFP (Job Quality section), the living wage is referenced as $30.71. However, Attachment 04 (Budget), line 57, lists a self-sufficiency wage of $21.14. Please clarify which wage benchmark SDWP expects bidders to use when addressing job quality and wage assumptions for this grant.
The Job Quality wage ($30.71) is the benchmark wage as the Gold Standard. Self-Sufficiency is listed as a guideline, as the minimum wage identified by local sources as a requirement to live in San Diego County. SDWP considers the self-sufficiency wage as the minimum to be qualified for this proposal.

Partnerships and Notice of Intent to Bid The eBid system indicates that partnering organizations included in the budget must be listed on the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Bid. Given that the NOI deadline precedes the proposal submission deadline, please confirm whether a partnering organization that is finalized after the NOI is submitted may still be included in the proposal budget.
We will allow partnering organizations to be included in a proposal as long as the lead agency has subitted a timely NOI.

Work Experience Expenditure Requirement Can staff wages associated with delivering registered or pre-apprenticeship training be counted toward the required minimum of 25% expenditure on work experience, when combined with other allowable activities such as internships?
If the position is inputted on the Budget Template as a “work experience position” then it will auto-calculate as part of the Work Experience 25% minimum.

Use of Existing Incentive Policy May a Bidder use its own internal incentive policy, if it has been previously approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, in lieu of SDWP’s Incentive and Stipend Policy?
Yes, you may use your own federally-approved incentive policy, in lieu of SDWP’s.

In-Kind Match and Bonus Points The RFP notes that up to five (5) bonus points may be awarded for in-kind or cash match. Please clarify whether these bonus points are only awarded if a full 100% match threshold is met, or whether points are awarded on a graduated basis depending on the percentage of in-kind or cash contributions committed.
The bonus points will be awarded as a function of the match amount. 1-20%=1 point, 21-40%=2 points, etc.

Allowable Source of Matching Funds Are federal funds allowable as a source of matching or leveraged funds for purposes of earning the in-kind/cash match bonus points, or must matching funds be non-federal?
Matching funds must be an allowable match by the funder. Specifically, the funder must allow for matching with a WIOA fund source. See CFR part 200 and 2900

Use of Pre-Existing MOUs If a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was executed prior to submission of this RFP but covers future years and includes the proposed grant period, may that MOU be used in support of this application?
Yes.

Is there a recording available of the webinar from Jan. 16?
The recording is available on the RFP website, under the Bidder’s Orientation heading.

Are we able to submit an application as lead AND be included on a different agency’s application as a subrecipient?
Yes.

To ensure thorough review of documents to be signed, please provide the Conflict of Interest Disclosure form as indicated as step #3 in the eBid system instructions.
The Conflict of Interest form is available on the RFP website as Attachment 20.

Solutions Profile is included as a section on your chart on page 20 of the RFP (proposal outline), but not on the chart on page 21 (evaluation). Can you clarify whether there is supposed to be a section titled Solutions Profile in our proposal?
Solutions Profile is not a required section and has been removed from the proposal outline. Please see Amendment III.

Does the Eligibility, Compliance and CalJobs Specialist need to be a full-time position to complete the activities and responsibilities that you’ve outlined? Does this position need to be local or could someone work remotely in this role?
Please see Attachment 05. Budget Instructions for detailed information regarding staffing.

Can you explain more about the mental health services requirement? Would we need to provide mental health counseling to all students, or just demonstrate the ability to refer students who need that service to a partner?
You may explain how your proposal provides mental health services directly and/or how mental health services will be available to your participants through referral based systems and partnerships.

Can you confirm that students who have been reclassified as English proficient could be included in the ELL category?
Please see Attachment 09. Glossary of Terms

In the RFP, do we need to list all 14 WIOA Youth Program Elements and describe how we would address them?
Please see page 22, Section H 1.-13. (ends on page 25).

For the Alternative secondary school services and dropout recovery services element, do we need to include this if we are serving in-school youth? Would a partnership with an alternative school be sufficient here? This seems to only apply to orgs serving out-of-school youth.
Elements referencing OSY are required for out-of-school youth program proposers only.

The RFP mentions that awardees will have to provide continuing services to former youth participants who are currently active or in follow-up from previously funded Subrecipients. Can you provide information on the number and location of these students? Are there supplemental funds to support these students, or do we need to allocate funding in our proposal for these students?
Funding from this proposal is designed to serve all participants from the program proposed. If your design requires funding durig follow-up, then you should include it in the budget.

Question: how many awards does SDWP plan to make for this RFP?
We will award as many qualified applicants as the funding allows for.

Do we need to be on the ETPL list to qualify?
No.

For occupational training, does SDWP prefer if a subcontractor utilize the ETPL programs offered through SDWP vs other contractors and programs?
We do not have a preference, however we can verify the credentials offered by subcontractors on the ETPL, therefore the program design and outcomes are already vetted.

Is there a limit on the amount that can be requested?
No.

Our programs serves both youth who fall into the eligibility and adults who don’t.  Would our program still qualify for funding?
Yes, your program could propose to serve all eligible participants.

Follow up question about the number of awards: does that mean SDWP may issue multiple awards, as long as the total value of these awards equal $4 million for year 1? In other words, how would SDWP handle the scoring of two excellent proposals: one organization that submits a proposal for $1,000,000, and an organization that submits a proposal for the full $4 million? Would there be a negotiation for the final cost of the award?
SDWP may issue multiple awards as long as the total value of these awards is equal or less than $4 million for year 1. An evaluation committee will be scoring based on the entire proposal of service delivery and budget. Negotiation may be required for final awardees. Details may be found on page page 7 of the RFP.

Can partner or subs participate in multiple applications. What are your outcomes?
Yes. Attachment 12 and Page 12-13 of the RFP provides information on performance outcomes.

Is a Local Educational Agency (county office or school district) limited to the number of proposals that other community-based organizations will be submitting?
No.

At United Way of San Diego County, we run a career readiness program for high school students (grades 9-12). Currently, this program provides the opportunity for select students to earn a monetary award for their program participation (during the summer portion). Would this qualify us to fulfill the requirement regarding paid positions for In School participants?
Paid positions, or employment placement, must be unsubsidized Employment – Employment in the private or public sector where the employer does not receive a subsidy from public funds to offset all or part of the wages and costs of employing the individual.

Is the plan to allocate the funds to one awardee or more than one?
There will be an opportunity to award multiple awardee’s based on the strength of their proposal

Does only the lead applicant organization need to submit a letter of intent, or do partnering organizations need to do so as well? (eBid)
Only organizations planning on submitting a proposal need to submit a Notice of Intent.

Does the funding require that the In School participants be placed/hired in actual paid hourly wage jobs as a part of their participation in the workforce development program?
Participants in Secondary
The number of Youth participants who obtain a secondary school diploma, or its recognized equivalent, during the program or within one year (365 days) after exit and who are either employed or enrolled in a postsecondary program leading to a recognized postsecondary credential within one year* of program exit (numerator) divided by the total number of participants who enrolled in an education or training program (excluding OJT or customized training) who exited during the reporting period (denominator). WSD24-07

Will there be a downloadable conflict of interest form prior to uploading budget/proposal docs?
The Conflict of Interest form has been updated to be an attachment to the RFP. Please see Amendment II.

Do Subs need a Sam’s UE Number?
The Subrecipient must ensure that Subcontractors comply with the same standards that they are held to in this agreement and other contractual requirements. Please see Attachment 7, Contractual General Provisions, Section 5(b) Subcontracting.

I’m not an authorized signer for our org – is there a way to upload a copy of the signature form with our authorized signer’s signature? (ebid)
The Conflict of Interest form has been updated to be an attachment to the RFP. Please see Amendment II.

Does the requirement to have a “main office in San Diego County” mean that our corporate headquarters must be located there, or would our primary program office qualify instead?
Outside of headquarters, there must be a physical location that is located within the County to serve participants. Primary and satellite locations must be available to the community.

I hope you are doing well. We are in the process of submitting our Letter of Intent (LOI); however, submission requires access approval from someone at SDWP, and I am not sure who the appropriate contact is. Could you please assist us or connect me with the correct person who can grant access? The LOI is due tomorrow before 5:00 PM, so any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your support.
The technical issues with eBid have been resolved.