REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS FOR LIHEAP SUB-SUBRECIPIENTS (STUART AREA OF MARTIN COUNTY ONLY) The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc. PO Box 3126 Winter Haven, FL 33885 Application Deadline: 4:00 pm, Friday July 6, 2012 Page 1 of 8
Purpose The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc. The Agricultural and Labor Program, Incorporated (ALPI) is requesting application from community based organizations, faith-based organizations, non-profits, and other organizations that are able to sub-contract with ALPI for the delivery of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Services through a Sub-Subrecipient Agreement. Services are to be provided in the Stuart area of Martin County only. About ALPI ALPI is a 501(c.)(3), non-profit corporation that provides various services throughout Florida. Its primary service areas are in the Central Region of the state of Florida with the Corporate Office located in Lake Alfred, Polk County, Florida and an Administrative Office in Ft. Pierce, St. Lucie County, Florida. ALPI is directed by a Chief Executive Officer appointed by an 18-member Board of Directors. The Board of Directors receives advice and counsel from four (4) Regional Advisory Councils as well as a Head Start Policy Council and a Head Start Policy Committee. With a staff of more than 250 and over 20 sub-subrecipients, ALPI s major programs are as follows: 1) Community Action Agency (CAA) for Polk and Highlands Counties including the receipt of Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding for both counties; 2) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provider for Collier, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Martin, Polk and St. Lucie Counties; 3) Head Start/Early Head Start Agency for St. Lucie County; 4) Head Start Delegate Agency for Polk County in Frostproof; and, 5) Owner/Operator of a Technical-Education Center in Volusia County. The majority of ALPI funding comes from Federal, State, and/or Local grants. ALPI is designated as a charitable organization under Florida Law. General Requirements All Responses to this Request are subject to the following conditions: Applicant must be able to provide services in the Stuart area of Martin County. An original, signed Applications (with two copies) must be received at 300 Lynchburg Rd., Lake Alfred, Florida, no later than 4:00 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012. Faxed Page 2 of 8
The Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc. submittals will not be accepted. Any Applications received after that time and date will not be considered. ALPI reserves the right to reject any and all Applications, in whole or in part, to waive any informalities or irregularities, and to accept any Application that is deemed most favorable to ALPI at the time and under the conditions stipulated in this Request. ALPI may award a Sub-Subrecipient Agreement to one or more applicants responding to this Request. ALPI may extend the due date or cancel this RFA at its sole discretion. ALPI reserves the right to request additional information for clarification purposes or to allow corrections to errors or omissions, provided; however, said errors or omissions do not provide a competitive advantage to an applicant. The selected Applicant(s) may be subject to further negotiation if deemed necessary by ALPI. Submission of a Proposal by an applicant indicates acceptance of all terms and conditions set out in this Request and any subsequent modification, or amendments. A written Sub-Subrecipient Agreement will be entered into between ALPI and the successful Applicant(s). The successful Applicant(s) will be deemed an independent contractor(s) and shall be solely responsible for any and all expenses, taxes, insurance, etc. required to meet the requirements of the resultant Sub-Subrecipiet Agreement. Award of a Sub-Subrecipient agreement will be based, in part, upon a scoring matrix as identified below. The resulting Sub-Subrecipient Agreement will be for the period of July 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013. Description of Services to be Provided Direct Services It is anticipated that the Sub-Subrecipient will provide energy assistance to a minimum of 60 eligible clients, per month, under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the identified County and/or geographic location(s). Applicant(s) may propose to provide services to a smaller number per month; however, the estimated service level Page 3 of 8
proposed must be included in the applicant s response. All services provided under this Agreement shall be in accordance with ALPI Policies and Procedures as well as the requirements of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the LIHEAP Grant. PLEASE NOTE: Generally, it takes 30-45 minutes for Sub-Subcontractor staff to complete an application for service. The provision of Direct Services to LIHEAP eligible clients may include: 1. Answering telephone calls from individuals seeking LIHEAP assistance. 2. Scheduling appointments for individuals to complete Applications for LIHEAP Service. 3. Assisting individuals in the completion of an Application for LIHEAP Service. 4. Verifying that applicant has not received services within the twelve month period immediately preceding the date the application is completed. This verification will be performed through a phone call to ALPI or a review of the ALPI CMTools database. 5. Determining eligibility of applicants for LIHEAP services. 6. Contacting the appropriate utility company, when necessary, to determine the amount of payment necessary to avoid disconnection or to reconnect utility services for eligible individuals. 7. Submitting a Letter of Commitment to the appropriate utility company. All Letters of Commitment shall be issued with the full understanding that ALPI will make the final determination of the client s eligibility and, if ineligible, ALPI reserves the right to cancel any Letter of Commitment submitted on behalf of the ineligible client with no further responsibility for the commitment by ALPI. 8. Forwarding the original application to ALPI and maintaining a copy on-site. 9. Providing Community Outreach to local communities regarding the availability of services. Data Entry - In addition to the above services, the Sub-Subrecipient will be responsible for entering each Application for LIHEAP Services into ALPI s CM Tools database system or its equivalent through an internet connection. PLEASE NOTE: Generally, its takes 15-20 minutes for Sub-Subcontractor staff to enter an application into CM Tools. Payment Terms and Conditions For the provision of services outlined above, the Sub-Subrecipient will be paid in accordance with the following: 1. Sub-Subrecipient will be paid a unit price of $30.00 per client for the provision of all services under this Agreement. All such payments will be based on submission of an acceptable invoice to ALPI by the Sub-Subrecipient, including all required and Page 4 of 8
acceptable documentation. Any invoice for the provision of services for more than the authorized amount per month may be deemed unacceptable and returned to the Sub-Subrecipient at the sole discretion of ALPI. 2. Said fee is to cover any and all costs, including staff time, incurred by the Sub- Subrecipient in the provision of required services under this Agreement. 3. ALPI will be responsible for making all payments to the appropriate utility company based on the Commitments, made by the Sub-Subrecipient, to the Utility Company. ALPI shall have the sole authority to cancel any Commitments made by the Sub- Subrecipient or to pay an amount different than the amount committed by the Sub- Subrecipient. Minimum Qualifications To be considered for a Sub-Subrecipient Agreement, the applicant should meet the following minimum requirements: Evaluation 1. Three (3) years experience in the delivery of community services and/or LIHEAP Services under a Sub-Subrecipient arrangement. 2. Ability to maintain sufficient staff (volunteer or paid) to deliver the requested services to the community. If an applicant does not have sufficient staff at the time of its application, it must provide a description of how it will meet the requirements of this Requirement, if awarded. 3. Have internet access that allows the applicant to log on to ALPI s Data Management System (currently CM Tools). 4. The Applicant cannot have been debarred or otherwise prohibited from entering into contracts with Federal and/or State entities. Award of a Sub-Subrecipient Agreement will be based on the ability of the applicant to meet the needs and requirements of ALPI in the delivery of LIHEAP Services based, in part, on the following scoring criteria. Criteria Minimum of three (3) years experience in the Delivery of similar Social Services to the local Community. (see note below) Points 25 Page 5 of 8
Sufficient staff (volunteer and/or paid) to provide the required service 5 levels. (see note below) BONUS POINTS - Applicant has 3 to 5years providing services in the local community Max - 5 - Applicant has 5 or more years providing services in the local Max - 10 community - Applicant has previous experience (more than 1 year) in the delivery of LIHEAP Services as a grant recipient or as a sub-subrecipient of Max - 5 a LIHEAP grant recipient. NOTE: Applicant must score a minimum of 30 points for further consideration and scoring. All accepted applications will be scored based on the above matrix. Once scored, all applications will be ranked from highest to lowest score. Unless otherwise determined, solely by ALPI to be in its best interest, the award of Sub-Subrecipient Agreement(s) will begin with the highest ranked application followed by the next ranked application until all funds budgeted for Sub-Subrecipient Agreements have been exhausted. Contact Information Any questions or requests for clarification must be submitted in writing and received by ALPI no later than seven (7) days prior to the closing date of this RFA. The questions or requests should be addressed to: Al Miller, Deputy Director Agricultural and Labor Program, Inc. PO Box 3126 Winter Haven, FL 33885 (863) 956-3491 (amiller@alpi.org) Written questions or requests may be submitted via U.S. Mail, Fax, or Email. Page 6 of 8
Response to Request for Applications 1. Name of Applicant: 2. Address: 3. City, State, Zip code: 4. Phone Number: Fax Number: 5. Website address (if available): 6. Has this organization or any member of its Board of Directors, Deacons, etc. been debarred or otherwise prohibited from contracting with the U.S. Government? a. If yes, please provide the name(s) and the circumstances surrounding the debarment or prohibition. 7. Number of years of experience in the delivery of LIHEAP Services, this may include religious mission experience in the local community:. a. Please attach a brief summary of the types of services currently provided. 8. Has your organization provided Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Elderly Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP) services? Yes No a. If Yes, how many years: b. What County or Counties 9. How many LIHEAP clients will you be able to service monthly? 10. How many staff (volunteer or paid) will you be able to provide for this service level? a. If known, please attach a list of each staff that will be responsible for delivery of services, including a brief description of their experience. 11. Provide attach a list of all Officers, members of the Board of Deacons, Elders, or other persons involved in the operation of this organization. 12. Attach a brief description of the computer systems and internet access available to the organziation. 13. Also attach following, if applicable: 1. If incorporated in the State of Florida, a certified copy of its Certificate of Status from the Florida Secretary of State, Office of Corporations or other acceptable evidence of corporate status. Page 7 of 8
2. Any promotional materials used by the Applicant in its community outreach efforts. Certifications The individual signing this proposal hereby certifies that he/she has read the entire document and fully understands the requirements contained herein. He/she also certifies that he/she is authorized to submit this Application on behalf of the identified organization. Submitted this day of, 2012. Signature of authorized representative Printed name of authorized representative Proposer s Name Page 8 of 8