request for proposals for ohio manufacturing workforce ......which includes a quarterly narrative...

Request for Proposals for:

Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership

Region 4 Fiscal and Administrative Agent

RFP Issue Date: November 13, 2019

Response Due Date: December 11, 2019

Table of Contents

Invitation .......................................................................................................................................................3

Notice !! ........................................................................................................................................................3

Background information ................................................................................................................................4

Overview .......................................................................................................................................................4

Scope of Work ...............................................................................................................................................5

I. Performance Outcomes ...............................................................................................................................7

II. Milestones .................................................................................................................................................8

III.Submittal Requirements.............................................................................................................................8

VI. The Selection Process .............................................................................................................................. 10

VII. Disclaimers and Disclosures .................................................................................................................... 10

VIII. Supplemental Information .................................................................................................................... 12

IX. Appendix ................................................................................................................................................ 12

Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership Region 4

of 16

Evaluation Matrix ........................................................................................................................................ 12

Attachment A: Cover Sheet .......................................................................................................................... 13

Attachment B: Conflict of Interest Form........................................................................................................ 14

Attachment C: Budget .................................................................................................................................. 15

Attachment D: References............................................................................................................................ 16


of 16

INVITATION

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Lorain County Community College (LCCC) is extending an invitation for Proposals pertaining to the expansion

of apprenticeship programs in Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership Region 4 which encompasses

Butler, Hamilton, Warren, Clermont, and Brown counties in the state of Ohio. This project is funded by a U.S.

Department of Labor Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant DOL-ETA HG-33034-19-60-

A-39.

Notice !! In order to receive any Addenda or supplemental information, you MUST register with the LCCC Purchasing

Office, either by mail, at 1005 Abbe Road North, Elyria, Ohio 44035-1691, by telephone at 440-366-4633, by

fax at 440-366-4648, or by email to Becky George at [email protected] .

The following information is required:

Name of Firm

Contact Name

Street Address

City, State Zip

Telephone

Fax Phone (optional)

Email address

mailto:[email protected]


of 16

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Lorain County Community College (LCCC) seeks bids from a qualified workforce professional organization skilled

in the design and launch of innovative apprenticeship programs to support achievement of outcomes for a

federally-supported initiative called the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP). The U.S.

Department of Labor (USDOL), through its Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies initiative,

has provided a $12 million award to the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership, a collaboration between

Ohio TechNet (OTN), a consortium of Ohio’s community colleges and other post-secondary education

institutions, facilitated by LCCC, and The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), which facilitates a statewide

network of manufacturer-led regional sector partnerships.

The Scaling Apprenticeship initiative plays a vital role in helping Ohio address the workforce shortage and skills

gap affecting manufacturing, as manufacturers across the state have repeatedly cited workforce as their top

issue of concern. With the grant funds, OMWP will upskill 5,000 Ohioans over the next four years through

expansion of apprenticeship throughout Ohio.

OMWP’s project will focus on career pathways in advanced manufacturing. The selected contractor will play a

key role in helping partners achieve project goals, including implementation of 25 new and 45 expanded

apprenticeships targeting production, machining, welding and industrial maintenance, with an eye toward

technological advances, including Industry 4.0 and cybersecurity.

OVERVIEW

The Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP) aims to establish Ohio as a leader in developing

innovative manufacturing apprenticeship programs by expanding apprenticeship programs statewide and

nationally, under the Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies Grant Program. To this end,

Lorain County Community College seeks a workforce leader located in Southwest Ohio to assume a project

management role by providing regional leadership, strategic guidance, and support to Lorain County

Community College (LCCC), in partnership with regional, state and national stakeholders, to support the

achievement of deliverables and outcomes of Grant Award DOL-ETA HG-33034-19-60-A-39.

LCCC serves as the lead for administrative and fiscal management for this Scaling Apprenticeship initiative,

including providing guidance and technical assistance to sub-recipients on the effective management of

federal resources, monitoring, and compilation of sub-recipient reports into quarterly reports to DOLETA; and

through its facilitation of Ohio TechNet, a consortium of Ohio community colleges and public universities,

which offers an efficient link to help drive educational innovation related to Scaling Apprenticeships. State


of 16

and national partners providing project leadership and technical assistance include the Ohio Manufacturers’

Association (OMA), and the Manufacturing Institute / National Association of Manufacturers (MI). Additional

resources and technical assistance will be available to the regions via the lead project team and/or through

additional services to be procured.

SCOPE OF WORK

The selected vendor will manage the use of $620,000 in Federal funds ($380,000 operating funds and

$240,000 for Educational Innovation) to carry out a program for a public purpose, and provide documentation

of matching funds which have been committed, for grant-supported activities in Region 4 as described in the

Grant Award.

The key goal is to provide fiscal and administrative grant compliance expertise for OMWP Region 4 to support

the development and expansion of apprenticeship pathways that include: (1) a paid work-based learning

component delivered by employers, (2) on-the-job training and mentorship, (3) related technical instruction

that advances apprenticeships along an OMWP apprenticeship pathway, (4) obtainment of a nationally-

portable industry recognized credential, and (5) employment must meet standards for safety, supervision, and

equal opportunity.

The selected vendor will commit to the following to ensure successful implementation:

(1) Project Ramp-Up and Administration

Serve as fiscal and administrative agent for Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership Region 4 which

includes Butler, Hamilton, Warren, Clermont, and Brown counties in the state of Ohio.

Submit required documents for project launch and participate in project trainings

Submit Quarterly Financial Reports, including expenditures and record of matching funds, to LCCC on a

schedule identified within an OMWP Handbook. Matching funds may be in the form of cash, in-kind and

third party contributions.

Submit Quarterly Performance Reports to LCCC on a schedule identified within the OMWP Handbook,

which includes a quarterly narrative report that details all grant activities that occurred during the quarter,

as well as a quarterly performance report.

Maintain all records pertaining to grant activities for a period of at least three years from the date of

submission of the final expenditure report

(2) Expand apprenticeships through sector partnerships

In collaboration with industry-led sector partnerships in the targeted counties, coordinate business

engagement activities including:


of 16

o Business recruitment and education about the Scaling Apprenticeship initiative, including

requirements and technical assistance related to ensuring apprenticeship quality.

o Technical assistance coordination to businesses for incorporation of OJT, paid work components,

and mentorship

o Incumbent worker strategies

Manage participant recruitment (with industry and community partners), data collection, and participant data reporting, ensuring the integrity and security of confidential participant data per guidelines to be provided by LCCC.

Coordinate Educational Innovation investments in the targeted counties. o Ensure that priorities for use of funds are driven by industry via input from regional industry-led

sector partnerships, while advancing statewide goals such as wider adoption of acceleration strategies (such as competency-based education, credit for prior learning, innovative delivery models, etc) and articulation and transfer agreements to encourage ongoing learning and education by participants.

o Manage procurement processes required by federal regulation, with support and technical assistance to be provided by LCCC.

Coordinate regional strategies for wrap around supportive services in support of apprenticeship completion and advancement.

(3) Learning Community participation

Participate in and support industry engagement in an OMWP Learning Community that will support organizations to implement innovative apprenticeships, enable the development of new models, and support the identification and spread of promising practices.

Manage processes in collaboration with regional institutions of higher education for the design and delivery of Related Technical Instruction and incorporation of industry-recognized credentials.

Support regional sector partnerships and their education, community and workforce partners to leverage MakingOhio assets to recruit participants and drive outreach to under-represented populations identified within Attachment D ("Statement of Work") of the grant agreement.

Participate in a federal evaluation of the Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies program, if selected by the DOL.


of 16

I. Deliverables, activities, and milestones detailed in the Project Work Plan for OMWP Region 4:

Performance Outcomes and Expanding Apprenticeship Outputs

# Outcome Y1

Goal

Y2

Goal

Y3

Goal

Y4

Goal

Total

Goal

A.1 Total apprentices served 60 180 180 180 600

A.2 Total apprentices that are hired by an employer and

enrolled in an apprenticeship education/training program 60 180 180 180 600

A.3 Total apprentices who complete an apprenticeship

education/training program 42 126 126 126 420

A.4 Total apprentices who complete an apprenticeship

education/training program and receive a degree or other

credential 42 126 126 126 420

A.5 Total number of unemployed and underemployed

apprentices prior to enrollment who complete an

apprenticeship education/training program and maintain

their employment status with a current or new employer 12 38 38 38 126

A.6 Total number of incumbent worker apprentices who

complete an apprenticeship education/training program

and advance into a new position 13 35 35 35 118

A.7 Average hourly wage of apprentices at completion of

apprenticeship education/training program 16 16 16 16 16

B.1 Total number of newly created apprenticeship programs,

including Registered Apprenticeship programs 1 2 2 2 7

B.2 Total number of employers engaged 3 9 9 9 30

B.3 Total number of expanded apprenticeship programs,

including Registered Apprenticeship 3 4 4 4 15


of 16

II. Milestones

Milestones Timeframe

Project administrative processes and procedures implemented 1/15/2020

Participate in workshops re: allowable use of funds, DOL compliance, allocation of educational innovation funds, tracking usage of credentialing funds, and data reporting

Ongoing

Business outreach and engagement strategy launches and ongoing with regional sector partnership(s)

1/6/2020 – 7/14/23

OMWP Region 4 Budget submitted to LCCC 2/15/2020

Launch initiatives to improve access for veterans, women, people of color, and ex-offenders

03/01/2020 – 7/14/23

Quarterly reports submitted to LCCC See OMWP Handbook for schedule

First apprenticeship programs developed and launched; first participants enrolled

02/15/2020 – 6/30/2020

Engage with Learning Community 1/15/20 – 7/14/23

Educational Innovation priorities identified with industry sector partners that support project goals including acceleration strategies for adult learners and articulation and transfer strategies, and procurement process initiated as needed

06/30/2020

Credit programs aligned with apprenticeships *Note – Regions are encouraged

to have reportable progress by 4/15/2021, and it is understood that it may take until 7/14/2023 to complete this milestone

04/15/21 – 7/14/23

III. Submittal Requirements

1) Inquiries and Information Requests Prior to Submission

The LCCC Purchasing Office will act as the clearinghouse for all inquiries and information requests. All inquiries and information requests must be submitted electronically to Rebecca George, Manager, Procurement and Distribution Services: [email protected]. The answers to all inquiries will be provided to all registered parties by the LCCC Purchasing Department. All answers will be electronically distributed to all those registered as being in receipt of the RFP documents. Addendums will also be posted on the College website with the original Proposal document. Any other responses to questions, not via the Purchasing Office, are considered casual and not binding.



of 16

2) Timeline

The tentative schedule for evaluation, product selection and implementation is as follows:

Issuance of RFP – First ad November 13, 2019

Second ad November 20, 2019

Third ad November 27, 2019

Last day for question submittal December 3, 2019

Final Addendum issued December 6, 2019

Submittals Due December 11, 2019

Notification of Vendor/Vendors Selection December 20, 2019

Commence work January 6, 2020

Key dates may be altered by the College; registered parties will be updated via Addendum should any alteration occur.

3) Proposal Instructions:

Each bid should be completed entirely, should not exceed 10 pages, and be typed in 12-point font, single-

spaced, 1” margins on all sides. Bids should include page numbers and table of contents. The cover page,

table of contents, and attachments will not count against the 10 page limit.

Proposals will clearly and concisely define the processes, skills, and tools to be used toward project

requirements. Proposals will include project plans with specific milestone dates, action items, outcomes

measurements and costs of the project while demonstrating:

Knowledge and familiarity with apprenticeship and other earn-and-learn models, industry

recognized credentials, workforce development or similar subject matter expertise

Familiarity with credentialing standards, assessment, and accreditation, particularly as it relates

to welding careers

Capacity to provide technical assistance to employers and other stakeholders

Willingness to participate in ongoing communication with the OMWP

Expertise and capacity for carrying out the scope of work

Plans for carrying out the work, including staffing, major milestones, timelines, and outcomes

measures.

Please have your proposal organized in the following manner for each component:

Attachment A: Cover Page

Attachment B: Conflict of Interest Form

Attachment C: Budget Form & Narrative

Attachment D: References

Documentation of registration for private, for-profit, or non-profit organizations (if applicable)


of 16

Organizational Chart

Proposal (scope of work)

4) Complete Submittals: Respondents shall electronically submit their proposal containing all the requested information to the Lorain County Community College Purchasing Office: Becky George at [email protected] by December 11, 2019 by 4:00 P.M., Local Time. a) Late responses may be deemed unresponsive. At its sole discretion, the College reserves the right to

reject any proposal not deemed satisfactory and to waive any and all irregularities in the procedure. Omission, inaccuracy, or misstatement may be sufficient cause for a proposal to be deemed unresponsive and/or irresponsible.

b) There will be NO public opening; submittals may be viewed by appointment with Purchasing.

VI. The Selection Process

1) Evaluation of Proposals Scoring by the evaluation committee will be via the Evaluation form included in the Appendix.

2) Evaluation/Selection Committee

Name/Title Institution Contact Information

Eric Burkland (or designee) OMA [email protected]

Terri Burgess Sandu LCCC [email protected]

Chris Leedy Pilot Chemical [email protected]

Amy Meyer Rhinestahl [email protected]

Debby Combs AMIP [email protected]

VII. Disclaimers and Disclosures

Disclaimers

In its sole discretion, the College may withdraw the RFP either before or after receiving submissions, may accept

or reject submissions, and may accept submissions which deviate from the RFP as it deems appropriate and in

the College’s best interest. In its sole discretion, the College may determine the qualifications and acceptability

of any party or parties submitting in response to this RFP.

Following submission of a RFP, the respondent agrees to deliver such further details, information and

assurances, including financial and disclosure data, relating to the response and/or the respondent, including

the respondent’s affiliates, officers, directors, shareholders, partners and employees, as requested by the

College in its discretion.



of 16

The College and its advisors shall have no obligation or liability with respect to this RFP, the selection and award

process contemplated hereunder, or whether any award or recommendation will be made. All costs incurred

by a respondent in preparing and responding to this RFP are the sole responsibility of the respondent. Any

recipient of this RFP who responds hereto, fully acknowledges all the provisions of this disclosure and disclaimer

and agrees to be bound by the terms hereof. Any response submitted pursuant to this RFP is at the sole risk

and responsibility of the party submitting such response.

Respondents are advised that participation in the design of evaluation strategies might result in exclusion or

restriction from participation in other phases.

Disclosures

The College is governed by the Ohio “Open Records Law” and all responses and supporting data shall be subject

to disclosure as required by the law.

All submittals will be available for review by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training

Administration. Lorain County Community College complies with all DOL regulations in purchasing equipment.

Selected vendor, in accepting a Purchase Order or entering into an agreement with any of the Ohio TechNet

colleges, agrees to comply with DOL regulations and cost principles as per TAACCCT grant agreement, sections

8-11. The grant agreement can be found at www.lorainccc.edu/ohiotechnet.

http://www.lorainccc.edu/ohiotechnet


of 16

VIII. Supplemental Information

Supplemental information is located at https://www.lorainccc.edu/about/purchasing-department/

https://ohiotechnet.org/ is also a useful reference.

The LCCC Code of Conduct is applicable to all participants and awarded vendors, and may be viewed at:

https://www.lorainccc.edu/policies/campus-policies/code-of-conduct/

IX. Appendix

Evaluation Matrix

Organizational qualifications and experience Possible Experience managing DOL-funded projects of similar, or greater,

program/intent, size and scope 30

Ability to work with a limited budget and an aggressive timeline 10

References 10

Work plan and timeline Plan to accomplish the scope of work (includes description of established

relationship with key collaborators to accomplish goals of this RFP) 30

Cost

Budget submitted with this RFP is reasonable. 20

Total 100

https://www.lorainccc.edu/about/purchasing-department/

https://ohiotechnet.org/

https://www.lorainccc.edu/policies/campus-policies/code-of-conduct/


of 16

Attachment A: Cover Sheet

Please complete this mandatory cover sheet accordingly.

Organization Name

Address

Phone Number

Number of Years in Business

DUNS #

Acknowledgement that Proposing Entity is up-to-date on taxes and

not currently debarred or suspended.

YES

NO

Type of Organization

(check all that apply)

Higher Education Private

Community-Based Org. Business Organization

Government Agency Other (explain)

Labor Organization

Non-Profit

Employment Service State Agency (Wagner-Peyser)

Contact Person’s Email Address

Signatory Authority Signature


of 16

Attachment B: Conflict of Interest Form

By submitting a proposal, the authorized signatory authority of the bidding entity certifies to his/her knowledge

and belief that there is no conflict of interest (real or apparent) inherent in the bid or in delivering the scope of

work if LCCC awards a contract. A conflict of interest would arise if any individual involved in the preparation of

this proposal and delivery of services has a financial or other interest or would be likely to gain financially or

personally from the award of a contract. The same would hold true for any member of the individual’s family,

partner, or an organization employing or about to employ any of the above as a direct result of the successful

award of a contract under the RFP. LCCC reserves the right to disqualify a bidding entity should a conflict of

interest be discovered during the solicitation process.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Signatory Authority Name and Title Signature Date

Note: This form is a mandatory required document to be considered for either component. Bidders should only

complete this form once per entry.


of 16

Attachment C: Budget

Please complete the mandatory budget form and narrative explanation below. In creating a budget, the

applicant should provide per unit costs by completing the following table and providing a justification for costs

in a budget narrative.

Budget Line Item Cost

Salaries $

Benefits $

Travel $

Operational (supplies, memberships, communications, etc.) $

TOTAL $

Budget Narrative: Please provide a detailed explanation for each budget line item to justify the cost.


of 16

Attachment D: References

Bidders are required to provide three references who can verify their experience, along with a contact phone

number and email address. References should be for experience in the past 5 years.

Reference Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Title: _______________________________________________________________________________

Organization: ________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________________________

Reference Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Title: _______________________________________________________________________________

Organization: ________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________________________

Reference Name: _____________________________________________________________________

Title: _______________________________________________________________________________

Organization: ________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _____________________________________________________________________________

Email: ______________________________________________________________________________

request for proposals for ohio manufacturing workforce ......which includes a quarterly narrative...

Documents