BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The mission of the New York State Unified Court System (UCS) is to deliver equal justice under the law and to achieve the just, fair and timely resolution of all matters that come before our courts. In the service of our mission, the UCS is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, and to ensuring that all who enter or serve in our courts are treated with respect, dignity, and professionalism. We affirm our responsibility to promote a court system free from any and all forms of bias and discrimination and to promote a judiciary and workforce that reflect the rich diversity of New York State. More information about the UCS is available at https://www.nycourts.gov.
The UCS Office of Court Administration’s (OCA) Division of Grants, Contracts & Procurement (DGCP) is soliciting proposals via this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for the purpose of providing evaluation services for the courts in the six (6) counties participating in the New York State Overdose Intervention Initiative: Fulton and Clinton in the 4th Judicial District; Herkimer in the 5th Judicial District; Monroe and Wayne in the 7th Judicial District; and Cattaraugus in the 8th Judicial District. Specific courts within each of the participating counties, which may include criminal, family and civil courts, will be identified through the planning process and with technical assistance guidance.
The widespread misuse of drugs, including opioids and stimulants, has led to a historic surge in overdose deaths in New York, and this crisis demands urgent and comprehensive action across systems to provide effective prevention, treatment, and recovery support. The UCS’s Office for Justice Initiatives has worked to address this crisis through the development of innovative treatment courts and by regularly assisting judges and court staff in addressing the needs of vulnerable individuals involved in our criminal and family justice systems. The UCS currently operates 93 adult drug treatment courts and 31 opioid intervention courts to help address these complex issues and prevent overdoses. Independent evaluations have shown that New York’s treatment courts reduce reoffending, promote long-term recovery, and reduce system costs. The UCS now seeks to meet the needs of a broader population of justice-involved individuals who are at high risk of overdose but may not be eligible for treatment diversion. Through the Overdose Intervention Initiative, the UCS will enhance the ability of communities to address the high risk of overdose by rapidly connecting court users at high risk of overdose to critical, lifesaving treatment and recovery support services.
PROJECT INFORMATION
UCS is the recipient of a grant (the “Grant Award”) by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (“BJA” or the “Grantor”) to provide process evaluation services for the courts in six (6) counties in New York State identified as high priority jurisdictions that demonstrated an annual increase in overdose death rates exceeding 50%: Cattaraugus, Clinton, Fulton, Herkimer, Monroe, and Wayne Counties (the “Project”). Pursuant to the terms of the Grant Award, $718,022 is the maximum available funding for Project Services (as set forth in Article V below) performed during July 1, 2025 – September 30, 2027, provided, however, that such period may be extended upon mutual agreement of Grantor and UCS (the “Project Term”). UCS reserves the right to request a no-cost extension of the Project Term from the Grantor.
UCS anticipates that the selected applicant will be designated a “contractor” rather than a “subrecipient” for purposes of federal requirements of the Grant Award.
Note: Throughout this RFP, the terms bidder, proposer, vendor and applicant are used interchangeably, as are RFP, bid and solicitation.
AWARD
UCS intends to award one contract for a term commencing on or about July 1, 2025, and terminating on or about September 30, 2027 (“Contract Term”).
Awarded contractor shall be contractually obligated to provide the Project Services (as described below) for the Project Term, as it may be amended or extended. UCS and awarded contractor shall communicate regularly concerning the remaining amount of grant funds and the approximate timing of complete expenditure.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Proposals will be considered only from applicants who meet the following minimum qualifications:
Individuals or organizations with at least three (3) years of experience performing services relevant to those described herein.
PROJECT SERVICES
UCS seeks proposals describing how the applicant will provide the services listed below (“Project Services”). The selected applicant shall be required to:
1. Develop a process evaluation plan, logic model, and action planning in collaboration with UCS, local stakeholders and technical assistance providers (the “Project Team”).
2. Review current databases to ensure all necessary quantitative and qualitative data is collected.
3. Assist the courts and the Project Team in each of the participating counties in collecting and compiling data to analyze data on implementation efforts and in-program outcomes. Design an Excel-based form in collaboration with the Project Team in each of the (6) participating counties to collect performance measures and evaluation data.
4. Complete a process evaluation for the courts in each of the six (6) participating counties (Fulton, Herkimer, Cattaraugus, Monroe, Wayne and Clinton) examining both organizational and individual level measures.
5. Participate in an in-person convening of all six (6) counties to work with the Project Team, interview stakeholders and collect relevant data.
6. Ensure all necessary qualitative and quantitative data is collected for quarterly and annual evaluation reports as required by the Grantor for periodic reporting pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).
7. Provide recommendations for sustainability and replication.
8. Maintain documentation (such as project logs, reports and records in appropriate files and database(s)).
9. Provide feedback to the Project Team on an ongoing basis to promote continuous quality improvement and make recommendations for data-informed policy changes.
10. Produce a final program evaluation report summarizing overall findings and insights.
11. Provide appropriate supervision and oversight of any staff included on this Project.
RFP Issue Date April 30, 2025
Deadline to Submit Written Questions May 21, 2025 at 2PM EDT
Deadline to Submit Proposal June 13, 2025 at 2:00PM EDT
Estimated Contract Start Date July 1, 2025
The UCS looks forward to your response.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Set Aside: No
Due date:06/13/2025 2:00 PM
Contract term: On or about July 1, 2025 thru September 30, 2027
County(ies): Cattaraugus, Clinton, Fulton, Herkimer, Monroe, Wayne
Business entities awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: N/A
