OUtreach, Admissions, and Career Transition Services in Support of the Job Corps Program

Sources Sought Notice for Request for Information (RFI) No. SSOCMCHIC2011-0001. The government reserves the right to compete any acquisition resulting from this survey among small businesses or to make award to an 8(a) firm, based on the responses received. This sources sought notice is for planning purposes only and does not commit the Government to pay for the information requested, issue a solicitation, or award a contract. No solicitation document exists at this time. All qualified small businesses including 8(a) businesses are invited to participate. The United States Department of Labor is conducting market research for upcoming procurement requirements, entitled - Operation of Outreach Admissions and Career Transition Services (OA/CTS), for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA). The NAICS Code for the Operation of OA/CTS is 561990, with a size standard of $7M. A listing of procurements tentatively scheduled to be issued in Fiscal Year 2011 in the Chicago Region for these Job Corps OA/CTS contracts is provided below. The type of contract will be cost-reimbursement, incentive fee, with 2 base years and 3 unilateral option years. Job Corps is a national residential training and employment program administered by the Department of Labor to address the multiple barriers to employment faced by disadvantaged and at-risk youth throughout the United States. Job Corps provides educational and career technical skills training and support services. The unique combination of services provided in the Job Corps is intended to better prepare youth to obtain and hold gainful employment, pursue further education or training, or satisfy entrance requirements for careers in the Armed Forces. The Job Corps OA/CTS procurements will involve the management and operation of Outreach Admissions and Career Transition Services. Contractors will be expected to provide all material, services, and necessary personnel to operate as set forth in Title 1, Subtitle C of the Workforce, Investment Act of 1998, and the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook (PRH). The PRH is available at http://jobcorps.dol.gov. For Outreach Admissions and Career Transition Services the contractor will provide: 1. Trained professional staff 2. Integration with local workforce development systems 3. Project oversight, financial and project management OA: 1. Outreach to local communities about the Job Corps Program 2. Recruitment to eligible youth in assigned geographical areas 3. Information to eligible applicants about the Job Corps Program 4. Eligibility screening and application processing for Job Corps enrollment 5. Enrollment, assignment and arrival of a specified number of Job Corps eligible youth to centers as assigned by the contract CTS: 1. Career transition support resulting in placement in careers aligned with training attained in Job Corps 2. Placement of specified number of graduates and former enrollees as defined by the PRH and contract 3. Job development and referral services 4. Follow up placement services to graduates and former enrollees 5. Transition support with housing, childcare and transportation for Job Corps graduates during the specified service window Statement of Qualifications/Capabilities Statement Interested Contractors responding to this Request for Information No. SSOCMCHIC2011-0001 will be required to indicate their ability to successfully manage and operate an OA/CTS contract by responding to the 6 Qualifications/Capabilities requirements stipulated below: 1. Provide experience for the most current three years which is relevant/equivalent in content, scope and/ or complexity to the requirements of operating an OA/CTS contract. 2. Provide "demonstrated" past performance information, to include contract value of each contract, for the most current three years for the management and operations of similar contracts, and how such experience demonstrates the ability to perform a cost-reimbursement type contract. 3. Provide information demonstrating access to financial resources to satisfy requirements of operating an OA/CTS contract or the ability to obtain them. 4. Describe your organizational experience with recruitment, screening, and placement services. 5. Describe your organizational experience in managing and ensuring data integrity. 6. Does your organization have a current negotiated indirect costs rate issued by a cognizant agency? a. Yes_____ No_____ b. If yes, provide a copy. All interested parties who believe they can provide the above mentioned information are invited to submit in writing, by the closing date indicated below for receipt of responses, a package entitled "Statement of Qualifications / Capabilities. The Statement of Qualifications / Capabilities package must be transmitted under a cover letter. The Cover Letter must cite the following information at a minimum: 1. Response to RFI No. SSOCMCHIC2011-0001; 2. Company Name, Address, Contact Person Information; 3. DUNS Number; 4. Business Size Standard/Classification and socio-economic category of your company. The closing date for the receipt of responses is Monday, April 11, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Send your responses to Sandra Perkins, Contracting Officer, at the following e-mail address: perkins.sandra@dol.gov. No questions pertaining to this notice will be entertained; please only submit your responses to the Qualifications and Capabilities requirements. All contractors doing business with the Federal Government shall be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. The website for registration is https://www.bpn.gov/ccr. The following unrestricted OA/CTS procurements are tentatively scheduled to be issued by the Chicago Region in Fiscal Year 2011: Illinois/Wisconsin OA/CTS, Ohio OA/CTS