PROWD Staffing RFP Q&A

Agency:	Southern Mississippi Planning & Development District (SMPDD)
State:	Mississippi
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	561320 - Temporary Help Services
Posted Date:	Nov 26, 2025
Due Date:	Dec 4, 2025
Original Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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1. For re-entry participants, will drug screens and background checks be required? If so,

can we bill SMPDD for the cost?

Pre-hire testing is contingent on employer requirements. SMPDD can be billed.

2. For skilled trades, will specific screenings be required (Ex. Respirator fit testing, hair

follicle drug testing, physicals etc.) If these are a possibility, can we bill SMPDD for the

cost?

Pre-hire testing is contingent on employer requirements. SMPDD can be billed.

3. Will stipends be part of the contract as the responsibility of the payroll provider?

No.

4. What are the maximum weekly hours participants will be working?

No more than 8 hours a day for a maximum total of 40 hours per week. We feel this

would be seasonal/temporary employment. No overtime is allowed.

5. What are the maximum hours expected to work for the completion of their internship?

Approximately 320 hours per participant.

6. I see there are 3 funding streams in the RFP with budgets totaling $5,713,006.31. Is this

the estimated budget for the first year of payroll for work experience internships? If not,

what is the approximate budget for the first year of payroll?

No, that is the total grant award amount. $439,520 is allocated for work-based

learning initiatives over the next 2 (two) years.

7. Would you like 3 different rate sheets per grant or 1?

One rate sheet for the proposal.

8. Will you require us to provide full health, vision and dental insurance to the people we

payroll?

No.

9. Will you require PTO and sick day pay?

No. Participants are only allowed to be paid for hours worked.

10. Can you confirm your policy for holidays and can you provide a list of the current

holidays your organization recognizes?

Participants are only allowed to be paid for hours worked. (no overtime or holiday

pay)

11. Do you have a target number of people you anticipate payrolling?

Approximately 50, no more than 125.

12. Do you have an average length of time you foresee each person needing to be

payrolled?

Approximately 320 hours.

13. Is there a current incumbent providing these services for you currently?

No.

14. Please confirm if this is a new initiative or a re-bid of an existing contract?

New initiative.

15. Are there any specific challenges, pain points or areas of concern that you are currently

experiencing with the existing vendors?

N/A

16. Please clarify the anticipated number of awards expected under this RFP.

Minimum of one, possibly more.

17. Is there a local preference in connection with this RFP?

No, but proposer must have the ability to service target clientele in the service area.

18. Could you please confirm the list of roles or job titles that fall under the Non-Skilled

Trade and Skilled Trade categories?

The participants will be placed in occupations of interest or necessary for career

pathway advancement. We are unable to predict which roles or job titles participants

will be placed.

19. Please confirm the evaluation criteria and weighting (e.g., technical vs. cost).

Ability to service clientele/service area, cost/price, and demonstrated ability/past

performance are weighted evenly.

20. Will there be an opportunity for an oral presentation or negotiation meeting during the

evaluation process?

No.

21. What is the expected timeline for award notification and contract execution?

Refer to Page 8 of the RFP.

22. What is the anticipated volume of staffing requests (e.g., estimated number of

requisitions per year)?

Approximately 50 requests.

23. Could you please provide details on the job categories, labor classifications or skill sets

most requested?

Unable to determine at this time. TDWDA Priority Sectors: Advanced Manufacturing,

Logistics, Energy & Chemical, Healthcare, and Information Technology, but positions

are not limited to this list.

24. Is there an employee conversion policy (i.e., can the department directly hire contractor

staff after a defined period)?

No.

25. Will timekeeping be handled through the department’s system or will vendors be

required to provide a platform?

Vendors will be required to provide a platform.

26. In the event of a contract award, please clarify whether awarded vendors will be

permitted to directly engage with individual departments/agencies for staffing requests

or if all requirements will be routed through a centralized system?

Staffing requests will be referred through SMPDD.

27. What is the tentative start date of this engagement?

Refer to Page 8 of the RFP.

28. What is the work location of the proposed candidates?

Refer to Page 4 of the RFP.

29. Is there any mandatory subcontracting requirement for this contract? If yes, Is there any

specific goal for the subcontracting?

No.

30. If the resources we provide at the time of proposal submission are not available at the

time of a potential contract award could vendors replace them with equally qualified

resources?

The vendor must have the ability, capacity, skill and financial resources to perform the

service required upon proposal submission.

31. Can we provide hourly rate ranges in the price proposal?

Flat-fee hourly billing rate must be provided. Refer to Pages 11 & 12 of the RFP.

32. Will the County allow mid-contract price adjustments (e.g., for agency fees or wage

rates) during the three-year term, and if so, under what conditions?

No. The initial contract will only be for one (1) year, with the option to extend

annually for up to three (3) years. Only during the negotiation of the extension will

price adjustments be considered.

33. If adjustments are permitted, is there a specified mechanism (e.g., annual review, CPI-

based increase, or mutual negotiation) that governs such changes?

N/A

34. Should the initial proposal reflect fixed pricing for the entire term, or can adjustments

be proposed in advance as part of the contract?

Fixed pricing for the entire one (1) year term.

35. Is it entirely onsite work or can it be done remotely to some extent / Does the services

need to be delivered onsite or is there a possibility for remote operations and

performance?

The work based learning must be performed onsite. The selected vendor does not

have to operate onsite.

36. Are resumes required at the time of proposal submission? If yes, Do we need to submit

the actual resumes for proposed candidates or can we submit the sample resumes?

Actual resumes are not required. However, the “Management Plan” requirements on

Page 11 of the RFP must be followed.

37. Do we also need to submit a hard copy if we are submitting the proposal by email?

No.

38. Are there any mandatory subcontracting goals?

No.

39. Is it a single award contract?

One or more vendors may be chosen.

40. Could you clarify whether this solicitation is exclusively for Minority and Woman-Owned

Business Enterprises, or if M/WBE firms are simply encouraged without restricting

eligibility?

Encouraged without restricting eligibility.

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

PROWD Staffing RFP Q&A

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