Head Start Nutrition And Dietary Services

HEAD START NUTRITION AND DIETARY SERVICES PROPOSAL APPLICATION

1. Proposal Deadline and Pre-Submittal Conference The due date for this RFP is March 1, 2013 by 4:30 P.M. One original and one copy should be submitted to: Vanessa Rich Deputy Commissioner Department of Family and Support Services 1615 West Chicago Avenue, 2nd Floor Chicago, Illinois 60622

Additionally, a complete copy of the proposal should be sent to [email protected] by this due date.

Proposals will be accepted prior to the due date, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday at the same location. All proposals must be complete. Incomplete proposals may not be reviewed. In-person or bonded messenger delivery of proposals is encouraged . Time stamped receipts will be issued as proof of timely submittal.

No proposal will be considered complete and therefore reviewed unless the original copy is delivered and received at DFSS offices.

Proposals received after the due date and time may be deemed NON- RESPONSIVE and, therefore, subject to rejection.

Questions Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all questions and comments related to the RFP via e-mail. For answers to program-related questions please contact the following people:

Paulette Mercurius: [email protected]

All other questions regarding the administrative aspects of this RFP may be directed to: Julia Talbot, [email protected].

Pre-Submittal Conference A pre-proposal conference will be held on February 15, 2013, 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. At the Department of Family and Support Services, 1615 W. Chicago Ave. Rm. 205 Chicago, IL

To request reasonable accommodation for the pre-proposal conference, please contact, Monica Rafac, [email protected]. Requests for accommodations will be accepted up to 48 hours prior to the event.

Timeline

1 Request for Proposal Issued: February 7, 2013 Pre-Proposal Conference: February 15, 2013 Responses due to DFSS: March 1, 2013 Anticipated Announcement of Grantees: April 1, 2013

2. Application Requirements

Formatting Submitted proposals must adhere to all of the following requirements:

 One original and one copy will be submitted for each proposal  One complete set of the proposal containing original signatures in blue ink signed by an authorized representative of the organization will be marked “Original” by March 1, 2013, 4:30 p.m.  Recycled paper  8 1/2 x 11 letter size  Double-sided printing  One inch margins  At least 1.5 -spaced  At least 11-point font

In addition to the requested information stated in accompanying application and budget files (constituting the narrative and budget portions of the proposal), Respondents must supply the following additional information in their response to this RFP identified in the list below in items 4-10). The proposal should consist of the following items, in this order:

1. A proposal cover sheet signed by an authorized representative of the Respondent’s organization (found in the accompanying application packet). 2. Written response, supporting documentation and required attachments (if any) to questions (found in the accompanying application packet). 3. An itemized budget request developed using the guidelines and budget forms (found in the accompanying application packet/files). 4. A System for Award Management (SAM) number. For information on how to obtain a SAM number for your organization, please refer to the following website: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ 5. Proof of 501(c) (3) Good Standing from the IRS (for non-profits only). This can be accomplished by filling out the following form and printing the result for inclusion in your application packet. http://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/mainSearch.do? mainSearchChoice=pub78&dispatchMethod=selectSearch 6. Copy of Official Articles of Incorporation. 7. A copy of the Respondent’s most recent fiscal audit report. 8. Certificate of Insurance 9. A Certificate of Good Standing from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. 10. A Certificate of Economic Disclosure will be required for all awarded contracts but is not required at the time of submission.

2 The Narrative portion of the proposals should be no longer than 25 pages in length.

Failure to submit a complete proposal and/or to respond fully to all requirements may cause the proposal to be deemed unresponsive and, therefore, subject to rejection.

Receipt of a final proposal does not commit the department to award a grant to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of an application.

3. Evaluation and Selection Procedures

Process for Evaluation of Proposals Each proposal will be evaluated on the strengths of the Respondent and the responsiveness to the selection criteria outlined below. DFSS reserves the right to consult with other city departments or public or private funders during the evaluation process.

General Selection Criteria The following criteria will be used in evaluating all Respondents.

a. Previous Service Experience Applicants should demonstrate knowledge of the populations (both on an agency- wide and individual basis) to be served and in the way in which these populations should be served as evidenced by previous or current operation of a successful program in the desired field. Familiarity with Head Start desired.

b. Previous Contracting Experience Applicants will have experience contracting with the City of Chicago and/or other government or private agencies to administer federal and state-funded grants of similar size and complexity to the one they are applying for through this proposal.

c. Quality of Proposed Scope of Work Applicants should clearly articulate how they will complete the proposed scope of work in a timely and coordinated manner including how the program will be implemented both at the Head Start grantee and DFSS program levels. Staffing charts, institutional and individual qualifications and experiences with the type of work and the Head Start program as well as providing an overall vision for the execution of the proposed work will be taken into account.

d. Administrative/Fiscal Capacity and Experience Applicants will demonstrate the ability to assume and meet all payroll and fiscal requirements of the proposed program. Expertise of current staff and the staffing plan for the proposed program, supervising and program monitoring experience and capacity will also be reviewed. Applicants will indicate the level of resources and expertise to manage the proposed program.

Additional Selection Criteria

3 a. The Respondent demonstrates relevant prior experience and deep knowledge in executing programs of similar scope, topic and size. b. Respondent demonstrates prior positive experience in developing and delivering services/materials and providing training and technical assistance to similar or same population groups as served by Head Start/Early Head Start. c. Quality of Respondent’s proposed plan for outreach and assistance to low socio- economic clients. d. Quality of proposed plan for supervision. e. Quality of proposed plan for staffing. f. Evidence of fiscal capacity to execute the program. g. Willingness and capacity to participate in the evaluation component/data collection. h. The reasonableness of the cost of the proposal. i. The quality and strength of alliances and resources. j. Appropriate licensure of staff. k. If applicable management of subcontractors including the experience of the subcontractors. l. Reference checks.

4 HEAD START NUTRITION SERVICES APPLICATION

Agency Application Information

Legal Name of Applicant Agency FEIN Number

Administrative/Mailing Address DUNS Number

Executive Director Executive Director’s Phone Number

Executive Director’s Fax Number Executive Director’s Email Address

Contact Person for Proposal Contact Person’s Phone Number

Contact Person’s Fax Number Contact Person’s Email Address

Type of Organization (check one) Not-for-Profit Agency For-Profit Agency Faith-Based Agency Other, if yes Description:

Please indicate the type of program(s) you are applying for. Respondents can apply for one, two or all three program components:

____ Nutrition and Dietary Services ____ Breastfeeding Services ____ Subject Matter Expert Amount Requested: $______

Agency Statement of Certification This proposal has been duly authorized by the governing body of the proposed. The proposed activities, dates, availability of resources, staff, cost, and all statements made are true and correct. The applicant will comply with all rules and regulations of the funding agency and will revise this proposal if necessary.

Authorized Signer’s Name Authorized Signature

Authorized Signer’s Title Date Signed

5 PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

The Head Start Nutrition proposal is divided into four different sections; 1. Executive Summary (2 page limit) 2. Program Related Questions 3. Budget 4. Attachments

1. Executive Summary Please attach an Executive Summary, which briefly describes your organization’s qualifications and proposed program under this RFP. The Executive Summary may be no more than two pages. The Executive Summary must include:

 The total amount requested for the proposed program/services  A commitment to provide the requested services.  An overview of the qualifications of the respondent and any other organization(s) that will provide or will significantly contribute to the requested services.  The name and telephone number of the lead contact person for the proposal.

2. Program Questions The Proposals will be evaluated on the respondent’s prior experience and ability to provide Nutrition Services to Head Start and Early Head Start providers and parents as defined in the scope section of this RFP. Please limit your response to 25 pages or less in a narrative format addresses the following questions below. a. Provide a narrative overview of your organization. The narrative should minimally address the following items: brief history of your department or program, its philosophy and mission and the programs or projects you are currently are engaged in or provide, that are of a similar nature to that described in the Nutrition Service RFP. b. Please describe your organizations’ and /or specific staff’s experience in providing nutrition or dietician services to Head Start, early childhood, and/or low income populations. Please include any relevant promotional literature your agency may have developed as an attachment. c. Please discuss the specific experiences and qualifications of your department and/or the individual staff members who would be assigned to the work of this contract. If interns are to be used, please discuss how and by whom they will be supervised and how they will interface with Head Start agency staff as well as DFSS staff. Additionally, please discuss the staff qualifications of those persons who will be supervising the interns. Discuss how you will utilize qualified (based on HS regulations) nutritionists in the Head Start program as required by the HS Performance Standards. d. Attach an organizational chart that describes your proposed staffing pattern for this proposal. Include job descriptions and staff resumes. If interns will be used for this

6 program, please describe their qualifications, who and how they will be supervised and what specific services will they provide to whom in the proposed program. The organizational chart, job descriptions and staff resumes will not count toward the 12 page limit. e. Please describe how your proposed program will work. Please attach a detailed description of the services and programmatic elements you will provide to DFSS and Head Start. f. What resources, talents and experiences will you draw upon to complete the work of the proposed program? g. How do you see the proposed program enhancing your department or agency’s work or mission? h. Please discuss your department’s ability and experience to work on several different organizational levels; DFSS, Head Start agencies, staff and parents. i. Please describe your program’s fiscal and administrative capacity and previous history in managing programs of similar size and scope. j. Referring specifically to the items outlined in the Program Deliverables section of the RFP, please describe how you would accomplish the following tasks. Please outline the anticipated activities by quarterly (three month) increments.

i. Assisting Head Start and Early Head Start sites and agencies in understanding Head Start performance standards, city, state, and federal nutrition regulations. This includes assisting the development and review of system-wide and agency- specific policies and procedures concerning diet and nutrition services.

ii. Providing assistance to Head Start agencies in interpreting nutrition screens and acting as a resource to staff and parents when children have been identified as having special dietary needs. Children’s anthropometric measurements, allergies, special diet needs and personal food preferences will be provided as part of the review materials and applicants will work with Head Start staff to develop necessary dietary accommodations to promote good nutritional intake; iii. Providing nutrition assessments, recommendations, information on breastfeeding, and appropriate referrals (as needed) for pregnant women enrolled in the Early Head Start program. iv. Training Head Start staff members, parents and children to help address child nutrition needs, health and eating behaviors. Training topics might include: children’s nutritional needs, assessing family eating patterns, breastfeeding, and special diet requirements. Applicants will be expected to develop resource materials around chosen training topics and train classroom staff in leading classroom food experiences as required by regulations.

7 v. Menu review and analysis to assure that meals reflect cultural and ethnic preferences, provide a variety of foods to broaden the child’s food experience and are nutritionally balanced as specified by the federal, state and city regulations and Head Start guidelines;

vi. Developing parent nutrition classes, handouts and bulletin boards sample menus and etc…to assist Head Start staff members and families to work together to be consistent in promoting healthy eating behaviors by children;

vii. Providing menu analysis and recommendations for the Summer Food Nutrition and CACFP Programs. viii. Working on an annual community assessment to help identify issues and links to available resources.

ix. Representing DFSS Head Start/Early Head Start at relevant internal and external meetings and conferences both as a participant and a presenter.

Attach, at minimum, three verifiable reference letters regarding your agency’s performance. The references should include a variety of sources (i.e., other agencies with which you have formal linkage agreements, funding agencies, clients or professional agencies). References should include evaluation of quality of service provided by your agency in respect to relationship with the referee. References must be on letterhead and include contact information, if further follow-up is needed. These letters will be counted as attachments and do not contribute to the 25 page maximum assigned to this section.

3. Budget Instructions The budget pages consist of three forms, a summary form, personnel form and non- personnel form. While the initial contract term for this contract will only be four months, please prepare a 12-month budget. If you are applying for an individual component, please budget no more than the following per program component (total is not $300,000): Dietary and Nutrition Services: $250,000 Breastfeeding Services: $ 20,000 Subject Matter Expert: $ 25,000

The maximum allowable budgeted amount for all three program components will be $300,000.

Budget Summary - Form 1

The purpose of this form is: 1) to summarize, by item of expenditure, the total budget of a program or project to be funded in whole or in part with Head Start funds; and 2) to specify the share of total cost charged to the awarded grant program and the share of total cost charged to other matching or supplemental funding sources.

Please show both the expenses that will be paid for with awarded funds and those that will be paid for with other share. Numbers should be rounded to the nearest dollar.

8 A. Delegate - Name of Respondent.

B. Department Program - filled out by City Department.

C. Project Name - Name of project.

D. Department - filled out by City Department.

E. Contract Term - Indicate beginning (month/day/year) and ending (month/day/year) of contract period.

F. Allocation – Indicate the amount of awarded funds allocated for this project.

G. Vendor Code Number - filled out by City Department.

H. Service Contract Number - filled out by City Department.

I. Fund/Dept./Organization #: filled out by City Department.

J. Project Budget - Columns (1) and (2): Item of expenditure and account number -The required information has already been provided in these two columns. Delegate budgets are limited to the accounts listed on the Budget Summary. In exceptional cases, City Departments may obtain approval to use "other" accounts by contacting their budget analyst at the Office of Budget and Management.

Personnel Costs (Account 0005) - salaries, stipends, overtime, salary adjustments.

Fringe Benefits (Account 0044) - term life insurance, worker’s compensation, health insurance, unemployment insurance, dental plan, Medicare.

Operating/Technical Costs (Account 100) - accounting, auditing (if anticipating expending $500,000 or more in federal funds), legal, publications, rental of property, rental of equipment/services, repair/maintenance of property, repair/maintenance of equipment, utilities, telephone, local transportation, postage, advertising, technical meeting costs, general liability insurance, reproduction, dues, promotions, memberships, messenger service.

Professional and Technical Services (Account 0140) -consultants/subcontractors.

Materials and Supplies (Account 0300) - stationery and office supplies, tools, materials and supplies, books and related material.

Equipment Costs (Account 0400) - office machinery, furniture and furnishings, equipment, and communication devices. If purchases are $5,000 or greater a property inventory must be maintained.

9 Other Program Costs (Account 0900) - expenses that do not fit in the other account categories.

The OMB Circular A-122 “Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations” establishes federal cost principles of awarded grant funding, contracts and other agreements with nonprofit organizations.

Insurance - The City Comptroller’s Office has established minimum insurance requirements for applicants awarded federal or state funds. If all insurance requirements have not been met, the City Comptroller will withhold reimbursement from an applicant until such requirements are met. The types of insurance required include worker’s compensation; general liability; a fidelity bond (if applicable); automobile liability; and professional liability. The City Comptroller reserves the right to require additional types of insurance, if deemed necessary. City Departments should contact the City Comptroller’s Insurance Division, Maria Santiago at (312) 744-7923 with questions regarding your agencies’ insurance requirements.

Local Transportation - The automobile allowance for applicant staff is the same as the allowance for City employees - .585 cents per mile. The per-person reimbursement cannot exceed $350 per month.

Column (3): Provider Share of Cost - Summarize by budget line item the of the awarded budget allocation for this program or project.

Column (4): Other Share - Summarize by budget line item the share of the project’s cost which will be funded with matching or supplemental public or private funds. If funding is supporting the agency's general operations then "Other Share" should represent all non-funded awarded operating support. Remember for this proposal, the share must be equal to or exceed 20% of the total amount your organization is applying for.

Column (5): Total Cost - Add columns (3) and (4) to derive the amount of the total budget for the program or project.

K. Percentage of Total Project Costs Paid by Other Share - Column 4 divided (÷) by Column 5. This number must be equal to or exceed 20%.

Personnel Budget – Form 2

The purpose of this form is to estimate the total personnel costs the sub-recipient expects to incur in operating its funded project, and to provide a brief summary of job responsibilities for each budgeted position.

A. Name of Delegate Agency: Self-explanatory.

B. Department: Filled out by Department.

C. Project Name: Self-explanatory.

10 D. Federal Employer Identification Number - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assigns a 9-digit Federal identification number to every organization employing one or more individuals. Indicate the sub-recipient's number in the space provided. Should an agency have questions concerning its identification number, call the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

E. Personnel Budget Allocation

Column (1): Position Title - List all positions (even those for which the salary will be paid exclusively with an "other share" funding source) that will be funded under this project during.

Columns (2) and (3): Number and Rate - For each position listed in Column (1) indicate the number of employees to be funded and the corresponding salary rates (either annually or hourly). If there are different rates for the same position, list the rates one under another.

Column (4): % of Time Spent on Project - Often an employee spends only a fraction of his or her time on the funded project because they are engaged in other sub-recipient projects. Please indicate for each employee to be funded, percentage (%) of time that will be spent on this project. If the employee is part time, please show the percentage (%) of the hours they work on this project out of the total hours they work.

Column (5): Grant Award Share of Total Cost - For each position listed, please indicate the amount of total salary cost to be paid with grant funds.

Column (6): Total Cost - To determine the total salary cost for each position; multiply Column (3) by Column (2) for each position/rate. Then multiply this amount by the percentage of time to be spent on the project Column (4) and put the final amount in Column (6).

Column (7): Brief Summary of Job Responsibilities - Describe briefly the duties and responsibilities associated with each position listed in Column (1).

Line (8): Positions/Salaries Subtotals - Add the number of positions to be funded for this project and indicate the number at the bottom of Column (2). Also, subtotal Columns (5) and (6) to derive respectively the funded share of total cost and the total salary cost.

F. Fringe Benefits and Total Personnel Costs: Both the federal and state governments require employers to pay various employee taxes and contributions. These taxes and contributions, along with certain fringe benefits that a sub- recipient may wish to offer its employees, are funded eligible expenses. The share of fringe costs to be borne by funded amount must be reasonably proportional to the share of the salary costs borne by funded amount. Please estimate these various costs on the form where indicated. You must have written organizational policies to support those costs.

11 Line (9): F.I.C.A. and Medicare - Federal Insurance Contribution Act tax otherwise known as the Social Security Tax and Medicare.

Line (9a): The Social Security Tax is computed every payroll period as 6.2% of total payroll, up to $106,800 per employee year in 2009. Please check http://www.ssa.gov/ for soon to be released 2010 maximum payroll amounts.

Line (9b): The Medicare Tax is computed every payroll period as 1.45% of total payroll per employee year.

For further information regarding the F.I.C.A., contact the Internal Revenue Service at 800-829-1040 or refer to Publication 15 - Circular E. Calculate the funded share of the total F.I.C.A. cost for the annual value of the contract in columns (5) and (6) respectively.

Line (10): State Unemployment Insurance - It is likely that your organization is liable for Unemployment Insurance. For further information contact the Illinois Department of Employment Security hotline at (312) 793-1905. In Columns (5) and (6) show respectively the share of this total to be borne by funded share and the total State Unemployment Insurance Cost.

Line (11): State Worker's Compensation Insurance - This insurance is computed at a rate determined by the employee's type of business or organization. How often an employer must pay worker's compensation is based on the size of its insurance premium. All applicants are encouraged to call the National Council of Compensation Insurance (NCCI) at 800-622-4123 for technical assistance in this matter. In Columns (5) and (6) show respectively the share of this total to be borne by funded share and the total State Worker's Compensation Insurance cost.

Lines (12-13): Other - Please list any other employer expenses or benefits the agency will offer its employees. Most non-profit agencies do not have to pay the Federal Unemployment Tax, which is computed every payroll period as .008 of total payroll up to $7,000 per employee per year. This rate is subject to change and will be determined by the Internal Revenue Service. Check with the IRS at (800) 829-1040 to determine if your agency is exempt. An agency should also check with the lead City department to determine whether additional benefit(s) it wishes to offer are grant awarded eligible expenses. In Columns (5) and (6) show the GRANT AWARD share and the total cost for each benefit listed.

Line (14): Subtotal Fringe Benefits - Add lines (9) through (13) to obtain the total fringe benefits (account number 0044).

Line (15): Total Personnel Costs - Add lines (8) and (14) in both Column (5) and (6), to obtain both the Grant award Share of the total costs and the Total Personnel Costs for the project.

Non-Personnel Budget – Form 3

12 The purpose of this form is to estimate and justify the non-personnel line item amounts shown on the Budget Summary (Form 1).

A. Name of Delegate Agency.

B. Self-explanatory.

C. Self-explanatory.

D. Federal Employer Identification Number - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assigns a 9-digit Federal identification number to every organization employing one or more individuals. Indicate the sub-recipient's number in the space provided. Should an agency have questions concerning its identification number, call the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

E. Detailed Schedule of Non-Personnel Allocations

Columns (1) and (2): Item of Expenditure and Account Number - List the account descriptions and the corresponding account numbers specified on the Budget Summary (Form 1) which are applicable to this project. Do not include the personnel account.

Column (3): Grant Award Share of Cost - Indicate the share of the total cost listed in Column (3) that will be paid from awarded Grant.

Column (4): Total Cost - Indicate the total amount of funds budgeted for each item of expenditure specified in Column (1).

Column (5): Line Item Description and Justification - Each amount of budgeted funds listed in Column (4) must be justified. Please show all calculations. Include quantities and unit costs wherever possible (add additional sheets if necessary).

Column (6): Total - Indicate the totals for Columns (3) and (4).

13 Checklist for Submission of the Proposal

Use the following list as a guide before submitting your application.

YES N/A Original application plus one copy consisting of: 1. IRS statement of tax exempt status/Proof of Good Standing 2. Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) 3. A System for Award Management (SAM) number 4. Copy of Official Articles of Incorporation 5. Most Recent Fiscal Audit Report 6. List of Board of Directors 7. Certificate of Insurance (found in Attachment A) 8. A Certificate of Good Standing from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office 9. Signed Agency Application Cover Form 10. Executive Summary (2 pg. limit) 11. Application Narrative (25 pg. limit) ATTACHMENTS – not counted as part of the 25 pg. narrative limit. 12. Staff resumes, job descriptions and organizational chart 13. Staffing Plan and flow chart of program service provision 14. Three (3) references regarding your agency’s performance. 15. Supportive service linkage agreements (as desired) 16. Complete Budget Packet