INFORMATION BULLETINS (PY 2003)

Youth RFP Questions and Answers

BIDDER’S CONFERENCES

QUESTION & ANSWERS

From Friday, 12/19/03

Q1. Question: Please clarify Geographical Area?
A: (Refer to page 8 of RFP “Geographic Service Areas”.)
· Service Provision must be provided to eligible residents of Alameda County, excluding Oakland.
· Targeted Youth Services – Tri Valley Service Area: Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore area only.
· At-Risk Older Youth Services – Services to Older Youth (age 19-21) participants only, delivered within
Alameda County, except for Oakland, and/or residents of Alameda County (Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro, Hayward,
Union City, Newark, Fremont, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore and incorporated areas, Castro Valley).

Q2. What type of activities will be required for Summer Employment opportunities?
A: (Refer to page 11 of RFP.)
· The WIA law requires that summer employment opportunities, which link academic and occupational learning to be offered to
participants, not as a stand-alone activity, but as an integrated element of a total comprehensive strategy.
· Providers may offer seminars, workshops and/or service learning projects for youth during the summer months, activities that prepare Younger Youth to return to school in the fall.
· Providers may offer Older youth with short-term summer internships or casual job placements as they prepare or return to post-secondary schools.

Q3. Do we need to submit proof of specific jobs established and listed for the proposal?
A: Provider may describe their job development system and relationships to employers and “potential jobs” that may be ready available for youth.
Not required to show proof of jobs established.

Q4. Are there resources that can be presented to employers regarding “Tax Credit Incentives” in hiring youth?
A: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides a “Tax Incentive Guide for Businesses” in the renewal communities, Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. For more information and to obtain copies of this guide, please call HUD’s Community Connections Hotline at
1-800-998-9999 or visit www.hud.gov/cr. To obtain copies of IRS Publication 954, Tax Incentives For Empowerment Zones and other Distressed Communities, and all other tax forms, call 1-800-829-3676 or visit www.irs.ustreas.gov.



Q5. Will ACWIB Staff and Review Panel consider past performance of existing ACWIB Youth Providers?
A: Current Providers must include a summary of the most recent program evaluation or monitoring review. Review Panel members will review current performance indicators reports at that time period (January 2004).

Q6. If selected as a finalist and awarded a grant from ACWIB, can a provider start sooner than July 1, 2004?
A: (Refer to page 3 of RFP “Procurement Timeline.”) Final approvals of contractor(s) will be conducted at the March 11, 2004 Workforce Investment Board Meeting. Contract Negotiations and Contracts will be signed and services will begin July 1, 2004. No sooner.

If for any reason that ACWIB cannot make a funding decision or final approval of contracts in the month of March 2004, the Procurement Timeline will be readjusted and possibly a shorter contract period may be considered.

Q7. What is the number of Youth can be trained under this RFP?
A: (Refer to page 16 of RFP.) ACWIB recommends the following status of expenditures as a guide for Out-of-School-youth - $8,000 per participant and In-School youth - $3,000 per participant. Providers are not required to use these cost factors to determine the number of youth to be served. Providers will need to assess their overall budget that would include WIA funds and determine how many youth they will be able to best serve.

Q8. Is there a limit on the number of pages for the proposal?
A: There is not a limit on the number of pages for proposals submitted. The maximum pages for the Executive Summary may be two (2).

Q9. How many copies of the Single Audit do we need to submit?
A: One copy

From Monday, 12/22/03

Q10. Can WIA ADULT or DISCLOCATED WORKER funds used for One-Stop operations be considered as leveraged funds for youth activities?
A: Although youth providers are highly encouraged to engage in collaboration with the One-Stops, because WIA YOUTH dollars are from the same source as WIA ADULT and DISLOCATED WORKER funds, they cannot be considered as leveraging each other. Co-enrollment of participants as OLDER YOUTH and ADULTS is technically permitted; however, participant assignments will be strictly enforced to prevent the duplication of services and payment for services to individual participants.

Q11. Is there a standard testing instrument to verify skill attainments for Younger Youth?
A: No. Each provider may use any instrument or tool they determine as sufficient to verify skill attainments. The ACWIB retains the right to review these instruments as part of the contract monitoring process.

Q12. Can youth residing in Oakland receive these services?
A: No. The city of Oakland is its own Local Workforce Investment Area with its own Workforce Investment Board and WIA funds. The funds offered in this RFP is strictly for participants residing in Alameda County, except for Oakland. Direct services may be offered within the city of Oakland, as long as the participants are not residing in Oakland. However, applicants are strongly encouraged to offer services within one or more of the Geographic service areas as defined in the RFP. (Refer to page 8 of the RFP.)