Administration & Analysis of the YRBS, School Health Profiles, & YTS Surveys

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION & ANALYSIS OF THE YRBS,
SCHOOL HEALTH PROFILES, & YTS SURVEYS
ISSUED BY
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH
RFP NUMBER HSS-26-057
Contents:
I. Overview
II. Scope of Work
III. Required Information
IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information
V. Contract Terms and Conditions
VI. RFP Miscellaneous Information
VII. Attachments
Appendix A - Minimum Mandatory Submission Requirements
Appendix B - Scope of Work and Technical Requirements
Appendix C - Vendor Forms
Attachment 2 - Vendor Information Form
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Attachment 3 - Non-Collusion Statement
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Attachment 4 - Exception Form
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Attachment 5 - Confidentiality Form
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Attachment 6 - Business References
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Attachment 7 - Subcontractor Form - if applicable
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Appendix D - Templates/Sample Agreements
Professional Services Agreement
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Business Associate Agreement
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DTI Terms & Conditions
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** Ctrl + Click on the headings above will take you directly to the section.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
I. Overview
The State of Delaware, Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health
seeks professional services for the Administration & Analysis of the YRBS, School Health
Profiles, & YTS Surveys. This request for proposals ("RFP") is issued pursuant to 29 Del. C.
6981 and 6982.
The proposed schedule of events subject to the RFP is outlined below:
Public Notice Date: May 14, 2026
Deadline for Questions Date: June 4, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST
Response to Questions Posted by: Date: June 25, 2026
Deadline for Receipt of Proposals Date: July 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM EDT
Estimated Notification of Award Date: August 7, 2026
Estimated Project Start Date Date: November 1, 2026
Each proposal must be accompanied by a transmittal letter which briefly summarizes the
proposing firm's interest in providing the required professional services.
The transmittal letter must also clearly state and justify any exceptions to the requirements of
Appendix D of the RFP (Templates for the Professional Service Agreement, Business
Associate Agreement and DTI Terms & Conditions) which the applicant may have taken in
presenting the proposal. (Applicant exceptions must also be recorded on Attachment 4).
Furthermore, the transmittal letter must attest to the fact, at a minimum, that the Vendor shall
not store or transfer non-public State of Delaware data outside of the United States.
For technology related solicitations, Vendors may refer to the Delaware Department of
Technology and Information identified terms and conditions included in this solicitation.
The State of Delaware reserves the right to deny any and all exceptions taken to the RFP
requirements.
A pre-bid meeting has NOT been established for this Request for Proposal.
Questions may be submitted no later than June 4, 2026 @ 4:30 PM EST.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
All inquiries must be submitted in the Q/A section of the project listing in the Euna
Procurement (formerly Bonfire) Portal (https://dhss.bonfirehub.com).
The Department's response to questions will be posted, according to the procurement
schedule, under the project listing in Euna Procurement (formerly Bonfire) and to the State
of Delaware Bid Solicitation Directory Website: http://www.bids.delaware.gov/ by June 25,
2026.
II. Scope of Work
A. Background
Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) is a nationally accredited State Public Health
agency, recognized by the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) for demonstrating
commitment to quality improvement, performance management, accountability,
transparency, and ability to address public health needs. DPH serves as the center of a
comprehensive network of public health services, establishing public health priorities and
evaluating the effectiveness of health initiatives.
The mission of the Division of Public Health is to protect and enhance the health of the
people of Delaware. The Division accomplishes its mission by:
* working together with others;
* addressing issues that affect the health of Delawareans;
* keeping track of the State's health;
* promoting positive lifestyles;
* responding to critical health issues and disasters;
* promoting the availability of health services.
The accomplishment of this mission will facilitate the Division in realizing its vision of
creating an environment in which people in Delaware can reach their full potential for a
healthy life.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
In Delaware, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) will consist of two
components:
* the Delaware Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and
* the Delaware School Health Profiles (Profiles).
These two components are conducing in opposing years.
The YRBS is an approximately 130 question in-person survey taken by high school
students in grades 9-12 in a randomly selected sample of Delaware public high schools
in odd years. The sample of schools is selected by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention based on a sampling frame provided by the contracted vendor.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
The YRBS will be conducted three times within the five-year project period (spring 2027,
2029, 2031). The Delaware Profiles are online/electronic surveys sent to and completed
by school principals, and lead health education teachers related to school policies that
impact health and health education curriculum. These surveys will be conducted with a
randomly selected sample of Delaware public high schools twice within the five-year
project period (spring 2028 and 2030).
In order for Delaware to receive weighted data that is usable, the Delaware YRBS must
be completed by 70% of the students within the sampled selection of schools and the
Profiles must be completed by 70% of identified principals and health education teachers
within the sampled selection.
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), a project funded by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was developed in 1990 to monitor a selection
of health behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability. These
behaviors are often developed during childhood and adolescence. Behaviors monitored
through the YRBSS include those that relate to injuries, violence, unintended pregnancy,
sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), alcohol and drug use, tobacco use,
unhealthy dietary behaviors, and lack of physical activity. The YRBS is the largest
evidence-based public health surveillance system in the U.S. and the only reliable source
of state-level, health behavior data for the teen population in Delaware. Policies,
systems, and environment influence health, and understanding the school context related
to health is essential to ensuring equity among population health outcomes. The YRBSS
also monitors the prevalence of obesity and asthma and provides data on demographic
information and sexual identity. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data provide
methods for assessing health behaviors and trends over time, comparable data across
states, and is a resource for performance management, program improvement, and
policy priorities.
The collection of data on Delaware youth risk behaviors actively works to strengthen our
capacity to address health inequities in Delaware. Health equity is defined as the
attainment of the highest possible level of health for all people achieving the
environmental, social, economic, and other conditions in which all people have the
opportunity to attain their highest level of health. The important work and outcomes of
these surveys help to understand disparities in the health outcomes and behaviors
among Delaware youth.
Data from the YRBS and Profiles are used by the Delaware Department of Health and
Social Services (DHSS), Division of Public Health (DPH), and a wide variety of other
public, private and nonprofit agencies to plan, implement and evaluate effective health
promotion and disease prevention programs to improve the health of Delaware residents.
Data obtained from these surveys are also used in federal grant applications to secure
federal grant funding for both public and private partners in the state. Without it, it is
difficult to compete and tell Delaware's story. YRBS and Profiles provide key measures
for a variety of state, Department of Education (DOE), and local school plans related to
the education and prevention of risk behaviors in our youth.
Youth Tobacco Surveys (YTS)
The Delaware Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS) is a state-level surveillance survey funded
by the CDC that monitors tobacco use behaviors, secondhand smoke exposure, and
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
tobacco-related attitudes and beliefs among youth. Beginning in 2000, this survey has
been administered biennially to students in Delaware's public middle and high schools.
The YTS provides data for planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs aimed
at preventing and eliminating youth tobacco use in Delaware. Community outreach
partners use YTS data to develop age-appropriate youth programs at the local, county
and state levels. The Delaware IMPACT Coalition uses YTS data to develop and evaluate
the five-year statewide Plan for a Tobacco Free Delaware, and State Legislators use YTS
findings to help inform state-wide policies aimed at reducing the health and economic
impacts of tobacco use. The Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public
Health uses YTS data to assess disparities in youth tobacco use and apply for state and
federal funding to implement targeted tobacco prevention and control initiatives.
The Youth Tobacco Survey will be conducted two times within the five -year project
period, in the 2027-28, and 2029-30 school years. Separate random samples of
classrooms will be drawn from a census of public middle schools and high schools.
Approximately 2100 students in grades 6 to 8 and 2500 students in grades 9 to 12 will
complete the survey. The survey instrument has between 90-100 questions and will be
administered using electronic and traditional pencil and paper formats.
The YTS has been administered as a pencil and paper survey in-person in randomly
selected classrooms every other year since 2000. In 2016, an electronic version of the
YTS was piloted with a small population of students as part of an exploratory research
project aimed at enhancing accessibility of standardized health surveys. The project
demonstrated the potential for computerized surveys, embedded with skip patterns, to
reduce survey completion times, increase participation and improve comprehension
among students with special needs. Administratively, online/computerized surveys offer
potential savings in printing and processing costs and can improve the quality of the data
by reducing the number of steps in data management.
As schools pivot to providing online learning as a result of COVID-19, moving to an
online/computerized version of the survey has become not only feasible, but a preferable
option than in previous years. During the pandemic and post-pandemic periods, giving
schools the flexibility of choosing traditional pencil and paper and/or online/computerized
survey formats is likely to improve school and student participation rates and ensure the
viability of the YTS.
Please Note: The use of the terms 'bidders', vendors', 'contractors', and 'applicants'
are used interchangeably when describing the activities outlined in this Scope of
Services. Likewise, the use of 'shall', 'must', and 'will' are used interchangeably when
describing applicant duties.
Project Overview
The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to solicit proposals that will allow the
Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) Division of Public Health
(DPH) to select the most qualified applicant to provide data collection and analyses
services of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the School Health Profiles
(Profiles) survey, and the Delaware Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS).
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
These surveys are grouped into two survey groups based on federal grant funding.
Each survey group represents a separate contract. There are two contracts that will
result from this RFP.
1. YRBS (conducted in odd-numbered years) and Profiles surveys (conducted in
even-numbered years) are combined into one survey group
2. YTS survey (conducted in even-numbered years) is another survey group
The collection of data on Delaware youth risk behaviors actively works to strengthen our
capacity to address health inequities in Delaware. Health equity is defined as the
attainment of the highest possible level of health for all people achieving the
environmental, social, economic, and other conditions in which all people have the
opportunity to attain their highest level of health. The important work and outcomes of
these surveys help to understand disparities in the health outcomes and behaviors
among Delaware youth.
The purpose of the contract(s) resulting from the RFP is to provide the DHSS/ DPH and
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with datasets containing a
required minimum number of responses to the YRBS questionnaire, Profiles
questionnaire, and YTS questionnaire. The surveys must be administered in
accordance with established CDC policies, guidelines, and protocols.
For the first year of the contract, the selected contractor will sign contracts effective on or
around November 1, 2026 covering the subsequent 12 months (or through October 31 of
the following year). In subsequent years, the selected contractor will sign effective on or
around November 1, covering the subsequent 12 months for each fiscal year of the
remaining optional four one-year extension periods. The contractor agrees that the State
retains all rights to the completed interviews and datasets, and that the contractor will not
release any surveillance information or results without prior written approval from the
State.
B. Project Goals
YRBS and Profiles Surveys
Goal 1: Increase the understanding of youth risk behaviors in Delaware.
Objective 1: Obtain weighted behavioral data for the middle and high school
populations of Delaware by administering the YRBS to achieve a
minimum 70% response rate of sampled students in order to obtain
target sample size of an estimated 3,000 students, as determined by
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). These rates
incorporate both school response rate and student response rate.
Goal 2: Increase the understanding of school health policies and practices in
Delaware.
Objective 2: Administer School Health Profiles survey and achieve a minimum
70% response rate of sampled principals and health teachers in
order to obtain target sample size as determined by CDC.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
For both goals, the objective is to obtain weighted data in accordance to, and in
compliance of all policies, procedures, and protocols of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS)
Goal 1: Increase understanding of the patterns, knowledge, and attitudes of tobacco
use among youth in Delaware.
Objective 1: Monitor trends in use of traditional and emerging tobacco products
among middle and high school students, as well as their exposure to
secondhand smoke from tobacco products, perceptions of related
health risks, and exposure to risk and protective factors influencing
their attitudes and decisions around tobacco use.
Objective 2: Identify demographic and geographic disparities in risk of tobacco use
among Delaware youth
Objective 3: Disseminate findings from YTS to key stakeholders and the public
Goal 2: Obtain valid population estimates of tobacco use among Delaware youth and
obtain information regarding disparities in their patterns of tobacco use,
including the risks and protective factors affecting sub-populations of students
across multiple demographic variables.
Objective 1: Obtain weighted behavioral data for Delaware's middle and high
school populations by administering two cycles of the Youth Tobacco
Survey to an estimated 4500 public school students and attaining an
overall response rate (school response x student response rate) of at
least 70%.
Objective 2: Maximize student participation, survey comprehension and
completion, and inclusion of students with disabilities by providing
electronic and pencil and paper survey options.
Objective 3: Maximize school participation through the coordinated administration
of youth health surveys, and supplementing incentives provided by
YRBS to remainder of schools in the YRS. The purpose of all of
these surveys is to help better inform the programs we provide in
order to improve the overall health of Delawareans.
C. Scope of Work/Bidders Requirements
The State of Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public
Health, seeks professional services for the Administration and Analysis of the Youth Risk
Behavior Survey (YRBS), School Health Profiles (Profiles) survey, and Youth Tobacco
Survey (YTS).
Please refer to Appendix B for details/requirements for the Scope of Work.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
III. Required Information
The following information shall be provided in each proposal in the order listed below. Failure
to respond to any request for information within this proposal may result in rejection of the
proposal at the sole discretion of the State.
A. Minimum Requirements
1. Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as
identified in the scope of work.
Prior to the execution of an award document, the successful Vendor shall either furnish
the Agency with proof of State of Delaware Business Licensure or initiate the process
of application where required.
2. Vendor shall provide responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) scope of work and
clearly identify capabilities as presented in the General Evaluation Requirements
below.
3. Complete all appropriate attachments and forms as identified within the RFP.
4. Proof of insurance and amount of insurance shall be furnished to the Agency prior to
the start of the contract period and shall be no less than as identified in the bid
solicitation, Section V, Item G, subsection 8 (Insurance).
B. General Evaluation Requirements
1. Qualifications of Vendor
2. Methodology Proposed
3. Responses to Scope of Work, Appendix B
4. Ability to recruit, hire, schedule, and train qualified applicants
5. Evaluation of Costs
IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information
A. RFP Issuance
1. Public Notice
Public notice has been provided in accordance with 29 Del. C. 6981.
2. Obtaining Copies of the RFP
This RFP is available in electronic form through the State of Delaware Procurement
website at https://mmp.delaware.gov/Bids/ and on Euna Procurement (formerly
Bonfire) at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com.
Paper copies of this RFP will not be available.
3. Assistance to Vendors with a Disability
Vendors with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of
communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more
information, contact the Designated Contact no later than ten days prior to the deadline
for receipt of proposals.
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
4. RFP Designated Contact
All requests, questions, or other communications about this RFP shall be made
through Euna Procurement (formerly Bonfire) at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com.
Communications made to other State of Delaware personnel or attempting to ask
questions by phone or in person will not be allowed or recognized as valid and may
disqualify the vendor.
Vendors should rely only on written statements issued by the RFP designated
Contracts, Management and Procurement contact.
The RFP designated contact is:
Bill Ingram
417 Federal Street, Dover, DE 19901
William.ingram@delaware.gov
Contracts, Management and Procurement Contact:
Eddie Mui
Management Analyst III
DHSS_DMS_dmsprocure@delaware.gov
5. Consultants and Legal Counsel
The State of Delaware may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review
and evaluation of this RFP and the vendors' responses. Bidders shall not contact the
State's consultant or legal counsel on any matter related to the RFP.
6. Contact with State Employees
Direct contact with State of Delaware employees other than the State of Delaware
Designated Contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent.
Vendors directly contacting State of Delaware employees risk elimination of their
proposal from further consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations currently
doing business in the State who require contact in the normal course of doing that
business.
7. Organizations Ineligible to Bid
Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint
venture, or any other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended
is ineligible to bid. Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware
for any reason is ineligible to respond to the RFP.
8. Exclusions
The Proposal Evaluation Team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal
from a vendor who:
a. Has been convicted of commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining
or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the
performance of the contract or subcontract:
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STATE OF DELAWARE
DIVISON OF PUBLIC HEALTH
b. Has been convicted under State or Federal statutes of embezzlement, theft,
forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or
other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that
currently and seriously affects responsibility as a State contractor:
c. Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State
or Federal antitrust statutes:
d. Has violated contract provisions such as:
1) Known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the
specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or
2) Failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of
one or more contracts;
e. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation; and
f. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be
serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a State contractor, including
suspension or debarment by another governmental entity for a cause listed in the
regulations.
B. RFP Submissions
1. Acknowledgement of Understanding of Terms
By submitting a bid, each vendor shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully
read all sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and
has fully informed itself as to all existing conditions and limitations.
2. Proposals
To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in through Euna
Procurement (formerly Bonfire) at https://dhss.bonfirehub.com/ and respond
to the items outlined in this RFP.
The State reserves the right to reject any non-responsive or non-conforming
proposals.
Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, facsimile, or e-mail will not be
accepted.
All proposals must be submitted prior to 1:00 PM EDT on July 16, 2026.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
a. Proposals must be received before the Proposal Due Date and Time, as
identified in the Procurement Schedule for this RFP.
Responses received after the Proposal Due Date and Time will not be
accepted.
b. Upload your submission at: https://dhss.bonfirehub.com/
Important Notes:
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