Randolph-Sheppard Training Standards

The Randolph-Sheppard program provides persons who are blind with remunerative employment and self-support through the operation of vending facilities on Federal and other property. The goal of the program is to enlarge the economic opportunities of blind persons, and encourage these individuals to strive to become self-supporting. Sites covered by the program include military mess halls, cafeterias, snack bars, miscellaneous shops, and facilities comprised of vending machines. There currently are approximately 2,200 vendors participating in the Federal Randolph-Sheppard program. The program recruits qualified individuals who are blind, trains them on the management and operation of small business enterprises, and licenses qualified blind vendors to operate the facilities. In order to implement a Randolph-Sheppard program within a State, a State licensing agency (SLA) is responsible for recruiting, training, and licensing individuals who are blind to manage vending facilities. SLAs are operated by State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies that are also authorized to use funds under the VR program to support Randolph-Sheppard Vending Facility participants who are also VR clients. There is an urgent need to develop voluntary model standards for what should be included in a training program to license blind vendors in the Randolph-Sheppard Program. Currently, there is no guidance for states when licensing a vendor. The U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is conducting market research to identify potential commercial sources with the proven capabilities to develop comprehensive standards for initial and continuing training. Training is necessary for a potential vendor to prepare to acquire a vending facility. In addition, continuing education or in-service training is necessary for vendors to maintain skills and remain current with evolving technology and best practices. Through establishment of voluntary training standards, consistency among the states would begin to emerge. Setting standards will help vendors move from one state to another. States vary in the amount of training and breath of the training provided and what is necessary to become and continue to be licensed. The topics a vendor needs to know in order to be successful are quite varied and dependent upon the type of facility to be operated. Areas of proficiency needed by a vendor may include purchasing inventory; food preparation and safe food handling; accounting, audits, record keeping requirements; employee, and customer safety; security; day-to-day operation a facility; leadership and staff management; marketing and sales promotion; and developing menus and menu cycles; and profitability issues; machine and coin mechanism repair; etc. Establishing voluntary standards would help ensure consistency among state programs and ensure a standardized competency level among vendors. The U.S. Department of Education RSA is planning to enter into a two-year contract that will include a 12 month Base Period and a 12 month Option Period. During the first year, the contractor will: (a) assess existing State requirements, training resources, and best practices in providing training (b) develop voluntary standards for training potential vendors and continuing education standards for training existing vendors participating in the Federal Randolph-Sheppard program, and (c) disseminate the draft standards to relevant constituencies and solicit feedback. In the second year, the contractor will finalize the standards and implement them in the field through webinars, conference presentations, mailings, and other appropriate dissemination techniques. Interested parties are requested to submit capability statements that are customized to meet the operational requirements summarized herein. The Department is not intetested in receiving capability statements that simply describe the contractor's general capabilities. The Department is only interested in receiving capability statements that demonstrate a proven capability to perform the specific functions described herein. Customized capability statements should be limited to 10 pages and should not include detailed resumes. Interested parties who desire to describe key staff may do so through the use of brief cameo resumes that will be included in the 10 page limit. The Department has a preference for small business set-asides, particulary with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and HUBZone Small Businesses (HUBZones) but has not yet determined if this procurement opportunity will be set aside for small businesses. It is conducting this market research, in part, to determine if any type of set-aside is appropriate. Interested parties should also provide the following information: 1. Business size and any specific socio-economic small business categories for which it meets the established federal governent criteria. 2. Any relevant General Service Agreement (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts that may be used for this purpose. 3. Any other GWACs that may be used for procurements such as this one. Interested parties are requested to submit their responses to this Sources Sought Notice on or before 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, December 1, 2014. Responses to this Notice should be submitted to Nammi Shadrach at nammi.shadrach@ed.gov with cc to Steve Scheffer at stephen.scheffer@ed.gov. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND IS INTENDED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING MARKET RESEARCH. ANY INTERESTED PARTIES THAT PLAN TO SUBMIT A FORMAL PROPOSAL WILL NEED TO WAIT UNTIL A FORMAL RFP OR RFQ IS ISSUED IN ORDER TO DO SO.