Kensington, Maryland 20895-2484 Telephone (240) 627-9786 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #1992 Financial Literacy Training Program Proposal Submission Deadline: April 25, 2016 2:00 p.m. To Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County Procurement Office Gina Smith Angela McIntosh-Davis Contract Administrator Acting Procurement officer (240) 627-9479 (240) 627-9474 gina.smith@hocmc.org angela.mcintosh-davis@hocmc.org
Page 2 of 5 Background The Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) of Montgomery County administers a number of programs and services that are designed to assist and empower families to achieve financial independence and better the quality of their lives. Many of the administered programs focus on improving self-sufficiency. HOC acknowledges that many families lack the financial literacy necessary for achieving self-sufficiency and that many considerable economic obstacles may exist. By partnering with an agency that provides financial literacy education, HOC aims to provide the opportunities, skills and actionable steps toward financial fitness and self-sufficiency. Scope The Scope of Work outlined below describes the tasks to be performed by the financial literacy partner. Programmatic Goals The goal of this agreement is to provide HOC families, children and adults, with the necessary financial literacy skills to improve and support their financial situation and future financial ventures. The successful offeror will provide financial literacy workshops, which include print and digital learning, tailored to provide each participant with a thorough understanding their families finances and provide instruction on how to better manage financial resources. At the conclusion of the class, participants should understand their monthly income and expenses, debts, credit report. Furthermore, successful participants will be able to set goals to improve the financial well being of their families and begin working fulfilling those goals. Term and Locations The initial term of the contract will be for a period of one (1) year, with the option to renew for up to three (3) additional one year periods. There will be one class per calendar year quarter with 10-15 students per class. HOC anticipates up to 60 students per year. HOC will provide the classroom space for instruction and other classroom resources such as laptop computers, Wi-Fi access, whiteboards, etc. Classes may be held at HOC offices located at, Kensington, MD or at 231 East Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD. Objectives and Deliverables Evaluation of each program participant s level of financial literacy. The evaluation shall include an evaluation of: o General financial knowledge; o Patterns of financial behavior; and o Needs and goals of program participants. Instruction on basic principles of financial literacy, including but not limited to: o Budgeting; o Credit awareness and management; o Banking; o Taxes; o Saving and investing; o Housing and home purchase; and o Savings for retirement.
Page 3 of 5 Provide print and digital learning tools that reinforce the basic principles of financial literacy: o Participants will be provided with an instructional manual and exercises to reinforce learning objectives; and o Digital learning tools will also be utilized. Weekly Classroom Instruction o Partner agency will provide instructors and/or train HOC staff to provide instruction to programs utilizing a standard curriculum; and o Financial literacy principles learned in the classroom will be reinforced with homework assignments. Introductory Training of HOC Staff o Prior to beginning instruction of program participants, the selected partner will provide an introductory overview and training to HOC staff on the curriculum to be provided to program participants. Contract Administrator The designated Contract Administrator for this contract will be: Gina Smith, Chief Operating officer (240) 627-9479 Invoices All true and corrected invoices shall be submitted to: Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, MD Attention: Accounts Payable Invoices must reference Contract Number and Purchase Order number.
Page 4 of 5 Submission of Proposals All proposals must be received at the HOC Purchasing Office,, Kensington, Maryland 20895, no later than April 25, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. An electronic copy, via CD or flash drive, and an original and five (5) signed copies of the proposal are required. The proposal must be organized in the following manner: o Transmittal letter: 1. The Offeror s understanding of the program goals, and the positive commitment to perform the work within the required time period. 2. The names, titles, addresses and telephone numbers of the persons authorized to make contractual obligations on behalf of the Offeror. o Table of Contents: 1. Scope of the program, in accordance with HOC s stated goals. 2. Program Plan: This is the basic approach and techniques used to complete the program engagement. The plan must include a timetable, a scheduling plan, and the number of hours which will be allocated to program training services by the offeror s staff. 3. Profile of your firm: a. Basic organization of staff, to include experience and qualifications of the staff to be assigned to the program engagement; b. Statement of MFD (minority, female, or disabled-owned) status. Fees: The proposal is to include a maximum fee for each complete series of training sessions. Please include a schedule of hourly rates for all personnel levels. The proposed fees are to be for all services covered in the proposal. Insurance: The proposal is to contain a statement certifying that the firm has professional liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000.00. Evaluation of Proposals Experience with providing financial literacy programs within the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan areas, and any prior experience with the Housing Opportunities Commission may also be considered. Evaluation of written proposals will be based upon the following criteria: Program Plan 40% Related experience and professional qualifications of the team 25% Fees 35%
Page 5 of 5 The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible offeror based on program plan, fees, related experience and professional qualifications of the team. The HOC staff will evaluate and score the written proposals and will enter into contract negotiations with the highest ranked offeror. If final agreement cannot be negotiated to the satisfaction of both parties, negotiation may then proceed to the second highest ranked offeror. If the negotiation again fails to result in a contract, all proposals may be rejected and HOC may reissue a solicitation if it is determined to be in the best interest of the entities.