Credible Messenger - To provide intensive mentoring and advocacy services through the Credible Messenger Program.

Agency:	State of Connecticut Judicial Branch
State:	Connecticut
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services 541990 - All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 611430 - Professional and Management Development Training
Posted Date:	Dec 16, 2025
Due Date:	Dec 30, 2025
Solicitation No:	4621
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

Due Date	Bid No	Pre-Bid Date	Description
Dec 30, 2025 02:30 P.M. Jan 09, 2026 02:30 P.M.	4621	Nov 25, 2025	Credible Messenger - To provide intensive mentoring and advocacy services through the Credible Messenger Program. Virtual Proposers' Conference: Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. Registration required prior to 4:00 p.m. Friday, November 21, 2025. Deadline to Submit Written Questions: Friday, November 28, 2025 by 4:00 p.m. PROPOSERS CURRENTLY REGISTERED UNDER THE STATE’S SUPPLIER DIVERSITY SET-ASIDE PROGRAM ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Click Here to View Addendum No. 1 Commodity Class: 007

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SERVICE

JUDICIAL BRANCH

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF COURT ADMINISTRATOR

MATERIALS MANAGEMENT – PURCHASING

90 WASHINGTON STREEET, 4TH FLOOR

HARTFORD, CT 06106

(860) 706-5200 FAX: (860) 706-5099

MEMORANDUM

TO:

Potential Respondents

FROM:

Alyson Carberry

Purchasing Services

DATE:

December 16, 2025

SUBJECT: Addendum No. 1 RFP # 4621 Credible Messenger

The purpose of this addendum is to provide revisions and written responses to questions

posed by bidders during the Proposer’s Conference held on November 25, 2025, and by the

deadline for written questions of November 28, 2025.

I. Revisions

1. The proposal submission date has been extended to Friday, January 9, 2026, at

2:30pm. Late proposals cannot be accepted. This extension will also extend the

timeframe for the Judicial Branch to review proposals, make selections, and

notify all proposers of the outcome.

2. Under D. CREDIBLE MESSENGER PROGRAM OVERVIEW, 13.

Transportation, on Page 54 of 77 of the RFP, the first and second paragraphs are

hereby replaced as follows:

As Credible Messengers are available 24/7, 365 days per year and most of their

work will be conducted in the youth’s home or in the community, access to safe,

reliable vehicles is critically important. All bidders must include cost for

purchasing and/or leasing sufficient vehicles to provide all services noted in this

RFP. All costs associated with vehicles (purchase/lease, gas, maintenance,

insurance, etc.) shall be included in the proposed budgets.

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II. Proposers’ Conference Questions and Answers

1. Q. Can you share the names of the organizations that received the first round

of funding in each of the initial cities?

A. Youth Advocate Program, Inc. (YAP) is the current contractor for Bridgeport,

Hartford, and New Haven locations and CJR is the contractor in Waterbury.

2. Q. Understanding that a Credible Messenger can carry no more than 4 youth

on a caseload at a time; what is the average number of clients served by a

Credible Messenger?

A. The average number of youth served by a full-time Credible Messenger is

between 8 and 12 youth. The average number of clients is fluid as it depends

on how long the client remains active in the program.

3. On page 38 it reads you are interested in New Britain as well, but priorities

will include Hartford. If we are interested in proposing services in New

Britain, would we submit a proposal specific to New Britain? Or mention

that location in our proposal for a priority area?

A. Each location requires a separate stand alone proposal.

4. Q. Can there be stipends per session, like $25 and transportation to in person

or group sessions/meeting? Also, can there be funds for enrichment

activities, college tours, movie trips, amusement parks, museums?

Historically in my experience in this work coming from NYC these

enrichment activities and stipends motivate clients to attend along with the

trust they have built with their mentors and group sessions where they are

actively engaging with other youth.

A. JBCSSD has a separate contract for flex funds that awarded contractors will

have access for discretionary spending for clients. Flex funds are to be

utilized primarily for basic needs but can also be utilized for incentives and

enrichments activities. Bidders shall not budget for flex funds in their

proposal. See attachment M- Flex Funds of the RFP for more information.

5. Q. Should we include a separate line in our budgets for these enrichment

activities, or is that something we would have to come to you and ask for?

A. See response to question #4 under Proposers’ Conference Questions and

Answers.

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6. Q. Are you expecting to use curriculum like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or

Moral Reconation Therapy?

A. JBCSSD doesn’t have any specific curriculum written into this contract.

Bidders may propose a curriculum as part of their proposal for consideration

by JBCSSD.

7. Q. Why such a short RFP turnaround when the contract begins on July 1st?

A. Our planning process does include an approach that allows for separation of

our annual procurements. For example, CSSD had/has approximately 15

RFPs to release for contract start dates on or before July 1, 2026. Every effort

is made to maintain our timelines for all aspects of procurement to take place

and allow for timely awards to be made.

8. Q. Can referrals happen in reverse? For instance, if a client that’s on

probation who has heard about the program wants to join but is not referred.

A. All referrals are made through probation. It is expected the providers will

build relationships and have ongoing communication with probation which

could lead to instances where the program might know of a youth on

probation and not referred. The program and probation can collaborate for that

referral so long as the client is appropriate.

9. Q. What if the program receives a large number of referrals, how is that

handled?

A. When a program meets the slot capacity, all other referrals will be placed on

the pending slot availability list. The program and probation will meet at least

monthly to discuss referrals, openings, and other areas. JBCSSD regularly

monitors referrals and trends. If referrals are consistently higher, JBCSSD

may consider contractual changes to increase the slot capacity.

10. Q. Can you tell us the current providers’ length of stay?

Location

FY24

FY25

Bridgeport

142

116

Hartford

242

198

New Haven

274

257

Waterbury

158

116

Grand Total

183

166

Average Days Active

132

213

264

138

175

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11. Q. Referencing page 57, file review requirements; when saying twice a

month, do you mean bimonthly or every other month?

A. The expectation is that these file reviews are completed bimonthly, which is

every other month.

12. Q. Is the database you referred to accessible to Credible Messengers so that

they can enter case notes daily/weekly or just to the director?

A. CDCS is available to whomever the contractor deems appropriate within their

agency to use the system to aid in reporting requirements, managing clients,

and assisting with contract oversight.

13. Q. Are organizations allowed to include flex/ancillary funds in their proposed

budgets?

A. See response to question #4 under Proposers’ Conference Questions and

Answers.

14. Q. Are applicants for each Credible Messenger site required to submit a

separate budget for the BJA grant funding, in addition to the budget they

submit for Credible Messenger services?

A. Yes, if proposing for Bridgeport, New Haven, or Waterbury separate budgets

are required for additional BJA grant staff for Fiscal Year 2026/2027 (July 1,

2025 – June 30, 2027) and for three (3) months of Fiscal Year 20207/2028

(July 1, 2027 – September 30, 20207) in addition to submitting your year 1

and year 2 budgets, and any separate start up budget (if applicable). This is

noted on page 66, Section B- Budget/Financial Instructions within the RFP

document. This requirement for separate BJA grant funding budgets does not

apply if proposing for Hartford, New Britain or Stamford.

15. Q. Are proposers required to submit separate narrative and budget proposals

for each site proposed to provide Credible Messenger Services?

A. See response to Question #3 under Proposers’ Conference Questions and

Answers.

16. Q. How many grantees/agencies are anticipated to be awarded?

A. JBCSSD’s initial focus is to contract for the 4 (four) primary locations of

Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury which will result in 4 (four)

separate contracts. At this time, we cannot determine how many agencies will

be awarded as that is part of the procurement process of this RFP.

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17. Q. The existing 3 (three) vehicles referenced in the RFP will be transferred to

the 3 (three) CM programs; just making sure the RFP isn’t referencing the

vehicles used in the current CJR Waterbury Credible Messenger program as

those vehicles are on lease.

A. See Revision #2 above.

18. Q. Do programs need to lease or purchase vehicles?

A. All bidders must include cost for purchasing and/or leasing sufficient vehicles

to provide all services noted in this RFP. All costs associated with vehicles

(purchase/lease, gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.) shall be included in the

proposed budgets.

19. Q. Does it make sense to allot for one car per credible messenger, correct?

A. Bidders are encouraged to base their bid proposals on the specifications of this

RFP and Addendum to determine their costs to provide the services of this

program. The number of vehicles is at the bidder’s discretion.

20. Q. We are not allowed to transport clients in personal vehicles, correct?

A. Correct, personal staff vehicles shall not be used to transport youth and/or

families.

21. Q. I imagine everyone applying is including a car per Credible Messenger,

can public transportation be used in some urban areas?

A. Yes, public transportation can be an option.

22. Q. Can an extension of 1 – 2 weeks be provided due to the holiday periods

during the RFP period?

A. Please see Revision #1 above that extends the submission deadline.

23. Q. Would any extension provided be across the board?

A. Yes, an extension applies to the entire RFP for all locations.

24. Q. Have you considered funding 2 organizations in some of your high-need

cities?

A. JBCSSD will award one agency per location but always encourages sub-

contractual relationships.

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This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.

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Credible Messenger - To provide intensive mentoring and advocacy services through the Credible Messenger Program.

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