Q&A

Question 1:

What is the anticipated funding range and number of awards?

Answer 1:

Amity anticipates that we will select one awardee (subcontractor) per county. The awarded agency will receive sufficient funding to cover reasonable operational costs associated with serving the projected caseload, subject to a thorough budget review and approval process by Amity Foundation. Budgets must be comprehensive and account for all essential expenses required to deliver the Six Core Services effectively while ensuring compliance with program guidelines. Please refer to the RFP for more information on your county's projected caseload and a full description of the Six Core Services.

Question 2:

In the advance notice it says "The YEI is designed to provide youth with disabilities who are justice-involved with the tools, resources, and support necessary for successful reintegration into the community through meaningful employment opportunities." Is there specific disabilities or all disabilities?

Answer 2:

All disabilities.

Question 3:

What is the total amount of funding for this project?

Answer 3:

Amity anticipates that we will select one awardee (subcontractor) per county. The awarded agency will receive sufficient funding to cover reasonable operational costs associated with serving the projected caseload, subject to a thorough budget review and approval process by Amity Foundation. Budgets must be comprehensive and account for all essential expenses required to deliver the Six Core Services effectively while ensuring compliance with program guidelines. Please refer to the RFP for more information on your county's projected caseload and a full description of the Six Core Services.

Question 4:

How long is the project and what is the start date?

Answer 4:

We expect to finalize contracts by March 31, 2025. The project term is 3 years.

Question 5:

Will there be any meeting before the application deadline to review the RFP and Q&A? 

Answer 5:

Yes, we will provide a webinar to walk through the application. The webinar will be recorded if you cannot attend the live session.

Question 6:

Is it possible for an organization to only serve people who are 18 and up (16 yo would be the youngest we could accommodate but would prefer 18 and up)? 

Answer 6:

Though we expect the majority of participants to be 16 and older, organizations able to serve the entire age range (14-25) will be more competitive. We encourage you to apply.

Question 7:

Ani Kitsinian – ani.kitsinian@equusworks.com

Regional Director

Equus Workforce Solutions

RFP states that the agency must be the Employer of Record.  Equus uses a 3rd party as the employer of record called MMC.  Is this disallowed? 

Answer 7:

The agency can use a third-party provider as the Employer of Record, such as MMC, as long as the arrangement complies with all applicable State requirements for being the Employer of Record. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Payroll Management: The third-party must ensure timely and accurate wage payments in accordance with state labor laws, including minimum wage requirements and overtime regulations where applicable.

• Tax Withholding and Reporting: The Employer of Record must withhold and report applicable state and federal taxes, including Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance.

• Workers' Compensation and Liability Coverage: The Employer of Record must provide proper workers' compensation coverage in compliance with state laws and maintain liability insurance.

• Compliance with Employment Laws: This includes adherence to anti-discrimination laws, workplace safety standards (OSHA), and compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

• Employment Documentation: Proper completion and retention of all employment forms, including I-9 and W-4 forms, and maintenance of accurate personnel files.

• Background Checks: Ensure compliance with any required background checks, especially for individuals working in proximity to justice-involved youth.

Ultimately, the contracted agency remains responsible for ensuring that all requirements are fully met, even when using a third-party service. The third-party arrangement must not compromise the quality-of-service delivery, participant protection, or financial accountability under the terms of the RFP.

Question 8:

Salomon Gallo- sgallo@ceoworks.org

Center of Employment Opportunities-Inland Empire

 Can you provide an age range that encapsulates the "youth" that are meant to be served? Does that include young adults, or primarily minors? 

Answer 8:

Youth Age Range and Eligibility: The YEI program is designed to serve youth ages 14-25 who have disabilities and face challenges entering the workforce. While the eligible age range is broad, program eligibility will ultimately be determined by the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) during the referral and intake process.

The focus of the program leans toward supporting older youth and young adults since the primary goal is to help them achieve employment outcomes. This includes career exploration, vocational skills training, and job placement support, which tend to be most impactful for youth transitioning into adulthood and entering the workforce.

Question 9:

Salomon Gallo- sgallo@ceoworks.org

Center of Employment Opportunities-Inland Empire

What are the parameters around a youth's justice involved status? Do they have to actively be on Probation (or Parole), been a juvenile, etc...? 

Answer 9:

Justice-Involved Status: The YEI program is specifically designed to support justice-involved youth who are:

In custody: Youth currently in a probation facility or secured youth treatment facility.

Community Supervision: Youth released from custody and actively under Probation supervision.

The intent is to reach those currently navigating the justice system and who could benefit from comprehensive employment services as part of their reentry process. Participation is not limited to those with active cases as long as they are involved with Probation services during the program period.

Question 10:

What will be the process for requesting supportive services?

Answer 10:

Upon contract award, Amity will add supportive services' costs to the agency's budget. Agencies will be able to manage these funds based on the needs of the participants. As agencies utilize the funds, they will report the expenditures in their financial invoices to Amity. The funds will be replenished based on actual usage and proper documentation.

Question 11:

Are training dollars allowed to be included in the budget or would those fall under supportive services?

Answer 11:

Training dollars for participants should NOT be included in the agency's main program budget. Upon contract award, Amity will add training costs to the agency's budget based on projected expenditures. As agencies use the funds for training activities, they will report the expenditures in their financial invoices to Amity. The funds will be replenished based on actual usage and proper documentation.

Question 12:

What is the review process for each county?

Answer 12:

The applications for each county will be reviewed by a panel including a State of California Department of Rehabilitation for the county, a representative from the county’s Probation Department, and a representative from Amity Foundation. Each application will receive three independent reviews.

Question 13:

Can an organization be awarded multiple counties it applied to?

Answer 13:

Yes, an organization can be awarded services for multiple counties, as long as they submit separate applications for each county. The decision to award multiple counties will be based on the quality of the proposals and the capacity to deliver services effectively in each location.

Question 14:

Does Amity prefer to select four organizations or one organization to provide services across all four counties?

Answer 14:

Amity is committed to awarding the organization in each county that submits the best proposal / demonstrates the best chance for success. We have no restrictions on awarding the same organization in multiple counties.

Question 15:

What is the estimated caseload for Year 2 and Year 3?

Answer 15:

The estimated caseload for Year 2 and Year 3 will increase as it is expected that agencies will be serving a percentage of clients from Year 1, in addition to adding new participants in Year 2. Caseload numbers will continue to grow based on referral patterns and the expansion of services, with adjustments made as necessary to meet the needs of the participants. The caseload projections will be reassessed annually and adjusted accordingly.

Question 16:

What is the desired timeline for data collection and reporting of services and outcome data?

Answer 16:

Awarded organizations must track and report data throughout the program. The data collection timeline will be provided by Amity Foundation at the time of the contract. Regular progress reports and service outcome data will be required, including quarterly or annual reports detailing participant enrollment, service delivery, employment outcomes, and other relevant metrics.

Question 17:

What system(s) will Amity use for reporting services and outcome data?

Answer 17:

Amity uses Apricot for data collection. Awardees will be trained on and provided with licenses to use Apricot at no additional cost to the awardee.

Question 18:

Regarding Section 1, question 9: the form does not allow applicants to select multiple counties. How should organizations proceed if applying to all four counties?

Answer 18:

We have fixed the issue. NOTE: The correction is not retroactive, meaning you will have to open a new application to successfully select multiple counties in question 9. Cut and paste any responses from your old application into your new application. Remember: Every time you save and close an application, the entire draft is emailed to you from “mail@grantapplications.com”. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam/junk folder. Thank you for letting us know!

Question 19:

Can we include additional attachments in the online application to share materials such as curriculum samples and project team resumes?

Answer 19:

The application cannot accept any additional attachments.

Question 20:

I can’t fill in my Organization name in Attachments A and B. The cell is locked. How will you know these attachments belong to my organization?

Answer 20:

We are aware of the issue. Please fill out the accessible cells in the Attachments with as much information as possible. Your attachments are fully integrated into your application and will not be separated from the rest of your submission, even if you cannot access the “Organization Name” cell. Thank you for letting us know!

Question 21:

On the attachments for the budget and the partnerships, the rows and columns are not wide or long enough and we are not able to adjust or wrap the text because it is locked.  When the cells are hovered over you can read what we have written.  Is this how you would like it submitted or is there another way to adjust the cells?

Answer 21:

Please submit the attachments as is. Even if the cells won’t expand to show all of your text when you submit the form, we will be able to read all of it when we retrieve your attachment.

Question 22:

On the references template, the cells are unable to be formatted to expand therefore the data (contact name, phone and email) overlap into the next column.  Are you able to fix the formatting or how shall we include all information when it does not fit?

Answer 22:

Please submit the attachments as is. As long as all of your text is visible in the relevant cell (even if the information overlaps the next column / is not visible when you move out of the cell), we will be able to score your attachment.

Question 23:

Do you accept applications from Ventura County?

Answer 23:

Amity is accepting applications for the Youth Employment Initiative for services in four counties: Imperial, Kern, Riverside, San Mateo. The services provider does not necessarily need to be located in the proposed county, but services providers with a verifiable history of providing services in the proposed county, with strong partnerships in the proposed county, and good institutional knowledge of the needs of the proposed county, will be more competitive.