Coordination of New York Statewide Systems Advocacy Network

The full RFP will be posted to https://www.acces.nysed.gov/procurement. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR) is seeking proposals to select an entity to administer, direct, communicate with, and collect data and report on the activities of up to 15 funded Statewide Systems Advocacy Network (SSAN) Centers. Coordination of the SSAN is an objective to be delivered as a component of the New York State Title VII State Plan for Independent Living for 2024-2027. Eligibility to fulfill the role of Coordinator of the SSAN is predicated on the tenets of Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which emphasizes the overall goal of promoting a philosophy of independent living. A philosophy of independent living is characterized by consumer control, peer driven approaches, self-determination, and efforts to bring about systemic change to improve inclusion, integration, and independence for people with all disabilities. The coordination role provides for administration and accountability of the activities and results of the SSAN funded by ACCES-VR through up to 15 provider contracts. The 15 SSAN Centers act as a statewide network coordinated by the SSAN Coordinator. The SSAN Coordinator organizes advocacy efforts identified within New York’s State Independent Living Council’s disability public policy agenda. The SSAN Coordinator is responsible for dissemination of information to the network, training SSAN centers on key issues, collecting data on SSAN Center actions and reporting on SSAN activity and results. Eligible bidders are statewide, consumer controlled, cross-disability, not-for-profit organizations. Subcontracting will be limited to thirty percent (30%) of the total contract budget. Subcontracting is defined as non-employee direct personal services and related incidental expenses, including travel. NYSED will award one (1) contract pursuant to this RFP. The contract resulting from this RFP will be for a term anticipated to begin October 1, 2024, and to end September 30, 2027. Bidders are required to comply with NYSED’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBE) participation goals for this RFP through one of three methods. Compliance methods are discussed in detail in the Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Participation Goals section below. Proposals cannot exceed one hundred and twenty-three thousand dollars ($123,000) in the first and third year and one hundred and three thousand dollars ($103,000) in the second year for a total of three hundred and forty-nine thousand dollars ($349,000) for the three (3) year contract period. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Set Aside: No Minority Owned Sub-Contracting Goal: 17% Women Owned Sub-Contracting Goal: 13% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Contracting Goal: 6% Due date:06/03/2024 3:00 PM Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by email to contact@example.gov no later than the close of business 4/29/24. A Questions and Answers Summary will be posted no later than 5/13/24. Contract term: 3 years County(ies): All NYS counties Location: Statewide Business entities awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: New York Association on Independent Living, Inc.