Youth Positive Prevention Ages 6-12

The City of Little Rock is soliciting proposals for the 2025 Youth Positive Prevention Program Services, targeting at-risk youth ages 6 to 12 within the city limits. The program aims to cultivate positive environments and equip children with coping skills to improve mental health and social-emotional development. The initial contract term runs from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, with the possibility of two additional one-year extensions. Awards are capped at a maximum of 100,000 dollars per initial contract and extension. Qualified vendors must provide in-person services, maintaining a minimum of 1,260 contact hours per month and an average participant attendance rate of 70 percent. Key requirements include Arkansas Department of Human Services licensing, annual background checks for all staff, and mandatory certification through the Arkansas Youth Development Institute's Youth Worker Orientation. Performance is measured by the Department of Community Programs, with a goal for 75 percent of participants to show improvement in social-emotional learning, academic skills, health and safety, and community engagement. Proposals are evaluated using a best-value trade-off method, with the technical proposal accounting for 90 percent of the score and the pricing proposal accounting for 10 percent. To be considered, vendors must meet a minimum technical threshold of 720 out of 900 points. The technical evaluation heavily weights program design and the vendor's capacity to serve diverse or marginalized populations. Budgetary guidelines restrict administration costs to a maximum of 15 percent of the total budget. All submissions must be made electronically via the Little Rock Procurement Portal.