Apprenti Issues 4th Request For Proposals for Related Technical Instruction

Apprenti is seeking proposals from providers to deliver training in a variety of tech roles (outlined below). In September 2022, Apprenti was awarded a Good Jobs Challenge grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce to scale tech apprenticeships across the Aerospace & Aviation and Cloud related ecosystems.

Over the three year grant term, Apprenti will use the proposed funds to place 2,000 apprentices, from mostly underrepresented groups, in a broad range of IT and Cyber roles including:

Our program is employer-driven, meaning that we schedule training on an ad-hoc basis when demand arises. Our preference is for instruction to be delivered prior to on-the-job training (OJT). Total student effort should hover around 40-50 hours per week and span 2-5 months, depending on the occupational role. This means that a 10-week program should cover adequate material and assignments to occupy roughly 400 hours of student time. 

Apprenti is looking for: 

• Proposals that meet our occupational standards at a minimum both in topics and RTI hours
• Full time programs
• Mostly synchronous training
• Preference for training fees to be <$850 per student per week, including any applicable certification exam fees (+ one retake)

In this RFP, we ask for information about your current capabilities as well as your experience providing instruction to the occupations listed above. Our goal is to identify existing resources and work alongside the training provider to build capacity, either through supplemental education or refining the existing offerings.

Please review the Apprenti occupational outlines with close attention to the role(s) you plan to submit a training proposal for.

 If You Are Responding to the Apprenti RFP for Delivery of Related Technical Instruction for the First Time:

If this is your first time responding to Apprenti’s Good Jobs Challenge RFP for Related Technical Instruction, you must complete the Training Provider Intake form. Upon submission of the Intake Form, you will be prompted to submit program information for each occupation included in your proposal.

Training Provider Intake Form

If You Previously Responded to an Apprenti RFP for Delivery of Related Technical Instruction:

If you have been contracted to deliver RTI through one of Apprenti’s previous Good Jobs Challenge RFPs for Related Technical Instruction, you do not need to complete the training provider intake form, nor do you need to respond to occupations for which you have already been contracted to deliver.

You only need to complete this form if you would like to be considered to deliver additional occupations for which you have not already been selected and contracted to deliver.

Complete the Program Information form for each occupation included in your proposal.

Program Information Form

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Proposals are due no later than 5:00 pm Pacific Time on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Apprenti assumes no responsibility for formatting or transmission errors. 
• Responses must be submitted via the jotforms linked above. Responses must NOT be emailed or mailed.

TIMELINE

• RFP Issued May 29, 2024
• Proposals submitted by June 20, 2024 by 5:00pm PDT 
• Possible Interviews Week of July 8, 2024 
• Work Begins upon contract execution or as agreed upon by both parties.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

• Mission Alignment: 5%
• Curriculum: 30%
• Administration/Delivery: 20%
• Capacity/Scale: 15%
• Pricing: 25%
• Outcomes/Reputation: 5%

SECTION CRITERIA

• Proposals will be evaluated to determine the training provider(s) best suited to complete the project’s scope of work based on the evaluation criteria above.
• Apprenti may choose to interview one or more proposers but reserves the right to choose or to contract with the training provider(s) that best meets the qualifications without conducting any interviews. Apprenti also reserves the right to reject all proposals.
• Apprenti makes no guarantee regarding the number of apprentices who will be placed with any training provider selected pursuant to this RFP. 
• Submitting a proposal or being chosen as the most qualified proposal does not guarantee a contract will be executed. 

QUESTIONS 

Please direct all RFP related questions to Becky Baumann, Commerce Grant Project Manager, at bbaumann@apprenticareers.org.

Questions received will be published and answered here: GJC RFP #4 Questions and Answers

GENERAL INFORMATION

Proposers must agree to comply, at a minimum, with the following: 

General Requirements 
The successful candidate must comply with all the terms and conditions of the Award, including, applicable OMB cost principles, and applicable regulations at 2 CFR part 200 and 13 CFR Chapter III. The contractor must also be eligible to receive EDA assistance.

Discrimination Laws
Contractor shall comply with all federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies. Contractor noncompliance with certain anti-discrimination laws may result in canceling the contract. 

Required Disclosures 
Contractor shall disclose any potential or actual conflicts of interest, including but not limited to, any recent business dealings that could be perceived as a conflict, any current or recent state employee working on behalf of Contractor. Contractor shall also certify that it has not been debarred from contracting with the Federal government and shall further disclose if there are any legal actions against it.