2 026 RFP -EnlightenMENT, Peer2Peer Mentoring

Agency:	New Jersey Department of Children and Families
State:	New Jersey
Type of Government:	State & Local
Posted Date:	Feb 2, 2026
Due Date:	Mar 5, 2026
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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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR

EnlightenMENT, Peer2Peer Mentoring

Publication Date: February 2, 2026

Questions Due: February 13, 2026

AOR Form Due: February 26, 2026

Response Deadline: by 12:00 Noon March 5, 2026

Funding of $968,400 Available

There will be a non-mandatory virtual conference on

February 10, 2026, at 10:00 A.M.

The link for the conference is:

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1617323024

Christine Norbut Beyer, MSW

Commissioner

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the agency

dedicated to ensuring all New Jersey residents are safe, healthy,

and connected. To that end, DCF announces to potential

respondents its intention to award a new contract.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I - General Information

A. Summary Program Description

B. Funding Information

C. Pre-Response Submission Information

D. Response Submission Instructions

E. Required PDF Content of the Response

F. Respondent Eligibility Requirements

Section II - Required Performance and Staffing Deliverables

A. Subject Matter

B. Target Population

C. Activities

D. Resources

E. Outcomes

F. Signature Statement of Acceptance

Section III –Documents Requested to be Submitted with This Response

A. Organizational Documents Prerequisite to a DCF Contract Award Requested

to be Submitted with This Response

B. Additional Documents Requested to be Submitted in Support of This

Response

Section IV - Respondent’s Narrative Responses (exclude from an RFQ)

A. Community and Organizational Fit

B. Organizational Capacity

C. Organizational Supports

Section V - Response Screening and Review Process

A. Response Screening for Eligibility, Conformity and Completeness

B. Response Review Process

C. Appeals

Section VI - Post Award Requirements

A. General Conditions of Contract Execution

B. Organizational Documents Prerequisite to Contract Execution to be

Submitted After Notice of Award:

Post-Award Documents Prerequisite to the Execution of All Contracts

Post-Award Documents Prerequisite to the Execution of This Specific

Contract

C. Reporting Requirements for Awarded Respondents

D. Requirements for Awarded Respondents to Store Their Own Organizational

Documents on Site to be Submitted to DCF Only Upon Request

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Section I - General Information

A. Summary Program Description:

The New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), Division of Family

and Community Partnerships (FCP), through its Office of Family Preservation

and Reunification (OFPR) administers the New Jersey Mentoring Peer2Peer

Program (P2P), also known as EnlightenMENT. This program provides young

people, who are ages 14 to and including 21-year-olds, and in the care of the

DCF’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P), with peer support

through trained professional staff and credible messengers with lived experience

in the state’s child welfare system. The EnlightenMENT program delivers

supportive services, including advice, guidance, and empowerment strategies,

that assist young people to navigate and thrive while involved in New Jersey’s

foster care system. Generally, youth engage in direct services for up to a year

and are eligible for up to three months of after care services.

This proposal seeks to expand the existing EnlightenMENT program from its

current ten county service area to statewide coverage through the inclusion of

Region 4 (Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem and Cape May counties) and Region

5 (Bergen, Passaic, Sussex, Hunterdon and Warren counties). A respondent

may apply for both regions but may only be awarded one region. A separate

application must be submitted for each region if applying for both.

B. Funding Information:

All funding is subject to appropriation. The continuation of funding is contingent

upon the availability of funds and resources in future fiscal years.

This is a competitive process. Respondents are on notice that no annual

increases will be considered as part of this contract to salaries, fringe, or benefits

in future negotiations or contracts, unless approved by the State legislature for

all contracting entities. Funds awarded under this program may not be used to

supplant or duplicate existing funding.

DCF will make available $968,400 in funding ($484,200 per award for up to two

(2) fifteen-month awards). DCF reserves the right to award all or a portion of

these funds. DCF will not reimburse expenses incurred prior to the effective date

of the contract except for approved start-up costs. Contract renewal is contingent

on the availability of funds.

Intended funding period: The intended funding period for the contract is fifteen

months: April 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027. The funds available are to be budgeted

to cover the expenses incurred during the initial contract term to implement the

program and operate program services for fifteen months.

2026 EnlightenMENT RFP - Page 1 of 43

FY26: DCF will make available up to $172,900 in funding per award for up to two

awards in FY26. Each award supports anticipated operating costs of up to

$77,900 for the 3-month FY26 budget period beginning April 1, 2026, through

June 30, 2026, and one-time approved start-up costs of up to $95,000. Funding

awarded for FY26 may not be carried forward into the FY27 budget period.

Start-up: DCF may reimburse start-up expenditures for these initial contracts.

• Respondents may propose up to $95,000 for start-up expenditures to be

expended in FY26.

• Start-up costs shall include but shall not be limited to two vehicles (one

per Navigator), laptops/tablets equipped with broadband to be used in the

field and the purchasing of or upgrades to Electronic Health Records

(EHR) to align with documentation expectations. Start-up costs may also

include staff recruitment and a percentage of administrative staff costs.

• All start-up costs are subject to contract negotiations and DCF approval.

Funds for approved start-up cost funds will be released upon the

execution of a finalized contract and will be paid via Scheduled Payments.

FY27: DCF anticipates making available up to $311,300 in funding per award for

the 12-month budget period beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027,

contingent on availability.

Matching funds: Matching funds are not required. Responses that demonstrate

the leveraging of other financial resources are encouraged.

Proposed budgets and budget narratives: Two proposed budgets (one for

each fiscal year) are required with your response to this RFP. Those proposed

budgets, including anticipated costs for program operations and start-up, if

applicable, must be submitted using the Proposed Budget Form for NJ DCF

found at: https://www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/contracting/forms/. Award amounts

may not exceed the proposed budget amounts for a budget period.

• One proposed budget is required for the initial 3-month budget period

from April 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026. This proposed budget should

detail proposed operating expenses of up to $77,900 and proposed start-

up expenses of up to $95,000 for a total DCF funding request of up to

$172,900.

• A second proposed budget is required for the 12-month budget period

from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. This proposed budget should

detail proposed operating expenses for a total DCF funding request of up

to $311,300.

In addition to the proposed budgets, your response requires proposed budget

narratives that include a justification and detailed summary, including basis of

allocation and a breakdown of categories where applicable, for the costs in each

of the two proposed budgets.

2026 EnlightenMENT RFP - Page 2 of 43

The proposed budget forms and the proposed budget narratives must be

submitted as documents included in “PDF 3” of your proposal. For additional

information on PDF 3, see Section III, Documents Requested to be Submitted

with This Response, below.

Actual Budgets: The proposed budget submitted with a response is not the

actual budget an awarded respondent will submit for DCF approval as part of the

contract. If awarded a contract, the awarded respondent then will be required to

submit budget information again using the more detailed Annex B Budget Form

found at: https://www.nj.gov/dcf/documents/contract/forms/AnnexB.xls.

The awarded respondent shall prepare and submit an annual budget each fiscal

year. Each budget will require Quarterly Reports of Expenditures to be submitted

10 days following the close of the quarter and be subject to the DCF contract

close out process.

Once awarded a contract, the awarded respondent will submit for approval its

first Annex B Budget for the fifteen-month period of April 1, 2026, through June

30, 2027. For the April 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026, budget period, in addition

to these first 3 months of operating costs, all start-up costs also must be included

in this Annex B Budget.

The awarded respondent shall prepare and submit an annual budget each fiscal

year. Each budget will require Quarterly Reports of Expenditures to be submitted

10 days following the close of the quarter and be subject to the DCF contract

close out process.

At the time of contract close out following the end of the first contract term, DCF

will compare the actual approved expenditures appearing on the final report of

expenditures and the independent audit with the total contract revenue realized

through the receipt of scheduled payments. DCF may complete a preliminary

closeout at the end of the contract’s first budget period. DCF may determine that

the funds from scheduled payments in excess of the approved budgets

reimbursable ceiling is an overpayment to be refunded to DCF in accordance

with the DCF Contract Close Out policy at:

https://www.nj.gov/dcf/documents/contract/manuals/CPIM_p7_closeout.pdf

C. Pre-Response Submission Information:

There will be a non-mandatory Virtual Conference for all respondents held on

Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 10:00 A.M.

Join ZoomGov Meeting

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1617323024

Meeting ID: 161 732 3024

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2026 EnlightenMENT RFP - Page 3 of 43

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

Title	Sponsoring Division	Related Information	Publication Date	Due Date	Applications Received
2 026 RFP -EnlightenMENT, Peer2Peer Mentoring	Family and Community Partnerships (FCP) Office of Family Preservation and Reunification (FPR)	Virtual Conference: 2/10/2026 at 10:00 A.M. Zoom Conference Link Questions Due: 2/13/2026 AOR Forms Due: 2/26/2026	2/2/2026	3/5/2026

2 026 RFP -EnlightenMENT, Peer2Peer Mentoring

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