RFP 27-01_Event Planning Services_ELCNWF_10.28.26_V2

EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # ELCNWF 2027-01
Event Planning Services for Provider Conference
RELEASED:
October 28, 2026
SUBMISSION DUE DATE:
November 30, 2026 @ 1:00 PM (CDT)
SPONSORED BY THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, DIVISION OF EARLY LEARNING

SECTION 1: GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Background
The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc. (ELCNWF) was organized as a not-for-profit Florida
corporation under the laws of the State of Florida on September 26, 2005. ELCNWF has been granted an
exemption from income taxes under Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c) (3) as a not-for-profit
corporation.
ELCNWF is primarily funded by support from federal and state agencies contracted through the Florida
Department of Education (hereinafter "DOE"), Division of Early Learning (hereinafter "DEL"). ELCNWF
provides a coordinated delivery system of early learning programs that is designed to provide access to
quality early learning opportunities that set a course for life-long success in its seven-county service area (Bay,
Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties). In addition, part of ELCNWF's mission
is to increase the availability, affordability and quality of child care services to children. Many of the
children who qualify for these programs are at-risk and/or from low-income families.
ELCNWF services are allocated into three main categories:
1. Direct Child Care - payments to approved providers for child care via tuition assistance for eligible
families.
2. Non-Direct Child Care - directly incurred costs for support of child care services such as eligibility
determination, training for providers, and resource and referral services.
3. Quality Initiatives - payments for directly incurred costs designed to enhance experiences for children
and families, staff, or other early childhood professionals.
In addition, the ELCNWF provides training and resources to advance the skills of early care and
education providers and staff, enhancing their ability to inspire learning and prepare children for
future academic success.
1.2 Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (hereinafter referred to as "RFP") by ELCNWF is to
procure a contract for a qualified Event Planning Consultant to plan and host a regional provider
conference in Walton County in January 2028. The Coalition anticipates entering into a contract
period through March 1, 2028. Through the RFP, ELCNWF will select one Proposer to provide the
2

services described herein. Small, minority-owned, women-owned, and service-disabled veteran
business enterprises are encouraged to submit a Proposal.
It is the Proposer's responsibility to examine this RFP, to understand ELCNWF's requirements and
to submit its proposal ("Proposal") in a timely, complete, and procedurally correct manner. The
services described in this RFP will be procured in accordance with s. 287.057, F.S. Contract(s)
resulting from this solicitation, if any, are anticipated to commence February 1, 2027 and end on
March 1, 2028, and will be awarded through written notice to qualified and responsive Proposer(s)
who(se) proposal is determined to be most advantageous to ELCNWF, taking into consideration
price, quality and other criteria. A contract resulting from this RFP will be based on an initial
contract. Renewals shall be contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory performance
evaluations by, and at the discretion of, ELCNWF.
SECTION 2: RFP PROPOSAL PROCESS
2.1 Point of Contact
The contact person listed below is the single point of contact for this RFP. The contact person for
this RFP is:
Micaylee Clayton
Grants and Contracts Specialist
Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc.
4636 US 90, Suite P
Marianna, FL 32446
Email: micaylee.clayton@elcnwf.org
2.2 Proposer Disqualification
In accordance with s. 287.133, F.S., any individual, entity, or affiliate who has been placed on the
convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a Proposal
for a period of thirty-six (36) months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor
list, whether as a Proposer, a member of a Proposer, or a subcontract of a Proposer.
In accordance with s. 287.134, F.S., any individual, entity, or affiliate who has been placed on the
discriminatory vendor list may not submit a proposal for a period of thirty-six (36) months
following the date of being placed on the discriminatory vendor list, whether as a Proposer, a
member of a Proposer, or a subcontractor of a Proposer.
The failure to have performed any contractual obligations with ELCNWF in a manner satisfactory
3

to ELCNWF shall also constitute sufficient cause for disqualification. To be disqualified as a
Proposer under this provision, the Proposer must have:
A. Previously failed to satisfactorily perform in a contract with ELCNWF, been notified
by ELCNWF of the unsatisfactory performance, and failed to correct the
unsatisfactory performance to the satisfaction of ELCNWF; or
B. Had a contract terminated for cause by ELCNWF, State agency, subcontractor,
subrecipient, or such like entity.
2.3 Cone of Silence
All parties to this solicitation shall be bound by a "Cone of Silence" surrounding solicitations and
prohibitions against ex-parte communication. During the Cone of Silence, respondents to this
solicitation or persons acting on their behalf may not contact, between the release of the
solicitation and the end of the seventy-two (72) hour period following the agency posting the
notice of intended award, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays, any of the following:
(a) ELCNWF board members; (b) any ELCNWF staff; (c) any proposal evaluation committee
members; and/or (d) any member of the executive or legislative branch regarding any aspect of
this solicitation.
Respondents directly contacting board members, staff, or proposal evaluation committee
members risk disqualification of their response from consideration. Written communications are
allowable at any time, but only if addressed to the designated contact person.
2.4 Inquiries
All questions regarding this RFP must be forwarded in writing by U.S. Mail or by email to
micaylee.clayton@elcnwf.org on or before November 10, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. (CDT) to ensure
that sufficient analysis can be made before answers are supplied. Written responses to questions
will be posted on ELCNWF's website www.elcnwf.org by November 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (CDT).
2.5 Rejection of Proposals and Waiver of Minor Irregularities
ELCNWF reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals received pursuant to the RFP at any time
if such action is in the best interest of ELCNWF as determined in its sole and absolute discretion.
ELCNWF shall have the right, but not the obligation, to waive any minor irregularities in submitted
Proposals if doing so would serve the best interests of ELCNWF, as determined in its sole and
absolute discretion. For purposes of this Section 2.5, a minor irregularity shall mean a variation
from the RFP terms and conditions that does not affect the price of the Proposal, does not give
4

the Proposer an advantage or benefit not enjoyed by other Proposer(s), and/or does not
adversely impact the interest of ELCNWF.
2.6 Notice of Contract Award
The Contract shall be awarded to the Proposer whose Proposal is determined to be most
advantageous to ELCNWF, taking into consideration price and technical merits.
2.7 Protests and Disputes
Any unsuccessful Proposer who is adversely affected by ELCNWF's decision concerning a
procurement solicitation or contract award under this RFP may protest such decision by filing a
protest in compliance with s. 120.57(3), F.S. A Proposer may file a notice of protest in writing
within seventy-two (72) hours after the posting of the notice of decision (or intended decision),
and may file a formal written protest within ten (10) days after the date the notice of protest is
filed as required by s. 120.57(3), F.S. Failure to file a timely notice of protest shall constitute a
waiver of the Proposer's rights to any proceedings under Ch. 120, F.S.
Any Proposer desiring to file a formal written protest to this RFP must accompany such protest
with a bond payable to ELCNWF in an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the estimated
Contract amount in accordance with s. 287.042(2)(c), F.S. The bond shall be conditioned upon
the payment of all costs which may be adjudged against the Proposer in any administrative
hearing in which the action is brought and in any subsequent appellate court proceedings. In lieu
of a bond, ELCNWF may accept a cashier's check, official bank check, or a money order in the
amount of the bond. Failure to file the proper bond at the time of filing the formal written protest
will result in a denial of the protest.
The notice of protest must be submitted to ELCNWF's Executive Director at 4636 US 90, Suite P,
Marianna, FL 32446 in writing within seventy-two (72) hours of the Notification of Intent to
Award. The formal written protest must be submitted within ten (10) days after the date the
notice of protest is filed and must fully identify the facts resulting in the contested issues. The
protest procedure shall be governed by s. 120.57(3), F.S.
2.8 Appeals
1. Unsuccessful Proposers affected by the denial, determination of eligibility, or ineligibility
for contract award by ELCNWF with respect to any federal or state funded program or
activity may appeal if the action or decision of ELCNWF is alleged by the Proposer to be:
(1) In violation of applicable federal or state law;
(2) Based upon an error of material and relevant facts; or
5

(3) Invalid because of an alleged denial of procedural due process.
2. Unsuccessful Proposers affected by the denial, determination of eligibility, or
ineligibility for contract award by ELCNWF with respect to any federal or state funded
program or activity may not appeal if:
(1) The Proposer agrees that the procurement process was fair;
(2) The Proposer's score was acceptable for funding but budget limitations,
due to program allocations or the availability of funds, prevented the
proposal from being funded;
(3) No error of material and relevant fact occurred, but the Proposer does
not agree that the proposed services failed to satisfy the technical
requirements of the competitive procurement process; and/or
(4) The Proposer was awarded funding, but the Proposer does not agree
with the amount awarded.
2.9 Evaluation Process
ELCNWF shall conduct a comprehensive review of the responses to the solicitation by convening
a proposal evaluation committee. The composition of the evaluation committee will depend on
the total potential dollar value of the award and whether it is programmatic or administrative as
determined by ELCNWF's Scoring Committee.
Responses will be evaluated using the RFP Evaluation Forms, which contains two sections, Initial
Screening (Exhibit 2), and Quantitative Evaluation Criteria (Exhibit 3). The initial screening
consists of a series of pass or fail questions that ensure respondents meet certain compliance
items. Responses that are incomplete or do not satisfactorily address each and every
requirement may be disqualified. The second portion, Quantitative Evaluation Criteria is based
on the Minimum Programmatic Requirements set forth in Section 3 below and assigns a
maximum point value to a series of questions that ensure the respondents have satisfactorily
addressed each and all requirements. Responses submitted by Proposer must be concise and
comply with the RFP page limit requirements of 10 pages. Proposer will be judged based on
overall percentage achieved.
The evaluation process is designed to assess the Proposer's ability to meet ELCNWF requirements
and to identify the Proposer likely to satisfy those requirements. The evaluation process will be
conducted in a thorough and impartial manner at a proposal evaluation committee meeting held
according to Ch. 286, F.S. Proposers are advised to periodically check ELCNWF's website calendar
www.elcnwf.org for the scheduled date, time, and location of this session, should changes occur.
Proposers should also reference Appendix "A", which contains a list of the currently scheduled
events in connection with this RFP.
6

Subsequent to the end of the evaluation process, the proposal evaluation committee will rate
Proposers, who in their judgment, best meet the needs and requirements of ELCNWF. While price
is an important factor in selecting Proposer(s) for an award, other factors in the competitive
process will be considered and may take precedence over price. Those factors may include, but
are not limited to, the following: quality of service offered, operating characteristics, technical
innovations, administrative capability, previous experience in providing the same or similar
services, and the ability to achieve the deliverables as specified in Section 3.4.
ELCNWF's Board of Directors, in their sole discretion, may elect not to award a Contract to any
Proposer under this RFP. Proposer(s) may be selected for further evaluation in the context of an
oral presentation, in-person interview, conference calls, or a combination of the foregoing.
References may be checked and background checks may be performed to verify information
submitted in the Proposals.
SECTION 3: SCOPE OF WORK
3.1 Scope of Work
The Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida is seeking Event Planning Services to
plan and host a regional provider conference addressing the needs of professionals
working with children ages birth to 12 years old. The selected vendor must have
experience with developing and implementing conferences and/or meetings for a variety
of audiences. These services are being procured through an RFP to select the best
qualified responsible vendor through an open, competitive process whose proposal is
most advantageous to the Coalition with regard to price, service value, and other
qualifications.
All proposals must include the following required services:
Develop a two-day early learning conference for audiences residing in:
Escambia County
o
Santa Rosa County
o
Walton County
o
Okaloosa County
o
Bay County
o
Calhoun County
o
Franklin County
o
Gulf County
o
Holmes County
o
Jackson County
o
Washington County
o
7

Incorporate topics for the following audiences:
Early Learning Provider Businesses
o
Families with children ages birth to 12 years old
o
Community Leaders
o
Staff of agencies who service young children and their families
o
Services must include end-to-end pre-event planning, on-site set up and event
management and post-event management
Coordination of conference or meeting location(s) in Walton County, Florida.
Identify and secure potential sponsors and/or sponsorship donations.
Conference must be held prior to February 1, 2028, and may be held over multiple
dates based on conference design. All conference components, including post-
conference components, must be completed by March 1, 2028. The conference
must be held in Walton County, Florida.
Speakers should include subject matter experts within the educational field of
early childhood education and/or child development.
Conference should incorporate topics such as, but not limited to, the importance
of adult-child interactions, positive behavioral supports, trauma-informed care
and resiliency, professional development for early childhood professionals, and
parents as a child's first teacher.
Documentation of attendees' participation must be provided with a conference
summary.
Oversee registration services for attendees and speakers.
Research and book accommodation for attendees and speakers as needed.
Secure and oversee an event caterer.
Number of attendees is anticipated to be between 300-400
REMAINDER OF PAGE LEFT BLANK
8

3.2 Proposer Technical Qualifications
Qualified Proposers shall provide a written summary demonstrating exemplary past experience in
expeditiously and efficiently providing Event Planning Services, to include:
1. Provide a detailed plan of how the Proposer intends to meet and/or exceed
the scope of work provided in this proposal. The Proposer is responsible for
arranging and managing the caterer; ELCNWF is not selecting the caterer.
2. Number of years the Proposer has been in business in the United States and in
Florida.
a. Indicate if the Proposer is a State of Florida based corporation and if it
has an office in ELCNWF's service area of Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gulf,
Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties.
b. Provide a copy of your State business license and/or incorporation
documentation.
c. Provide Federal Employer Identification Number.
d. Indicate if the Proposer has been certified as a Minority Business
Enterprise for the purposes of doing business with state government
and include a copy of Minority Business Enterprise Certification
3. Any additional Industry Recognized Awards/Certifications
4. Credentials and experience of the Proposer's administrative, human
resources, and event planning staff and indicate the average staff tenure with
the organization.
5. A minimum of five professional and client references.
6. The Proposer, in its proposal, shall include the price to perform work for the
contracted timeframe.
7. Plan for working on-site or virtually with the project manager.
8. Proposed project approach and schedule of work, list of current project
management tools used by the company, list of current projects and possible
wait time.
9. Identify the point of contact for the contract term.
10. List of personnel and biographies for key staff that will be working on this
project.
9

SECTION 4: INVOICING AND PAYMENT OF INVOICES
1. ELCNWF intends to allow the selected Proposer to utilize their own invoice/form. All invoices and/or
forms to be used during the Contract period must be approved by ELCNWF.
2. Invoice approval for payment will occur only after the Contract deliverables have been received,
verified, and accepted by ELCNWF.
3. Scheduled payments will be based on Contract terms.
4. Invoices must include detailed supporting documentation of all amounts that are to be paid.
Timing of payment of invoices by ELCNWF to the Contractor and similar issues regarding payment
is governed by s. 215.422, F.S.
SECTION 5: INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS
5.1 Response Content and Format
A completed Proposal must include the following items:
(1) Title Page
a. Early Learning Coalition of Northwest Florida, Inc.
b. Titled: Event Planning Services for Provider Conference
c. Request for Proposal Number: RFP # 2027-01
d. Proposer's Name
(2) Table of Contents:
a. Include a standard Table of Contents adding the appropriate page numbers for each
section.
(3) Application (Appendix "B")
(4) Proposer's Technical Qualifications:
Response should include:
a. Description of Proposer's expertise in event planning services.
b. Description of Proposer's relevant work history in Northwest Florida with
non- profit organizations;
c. Description of Proposer's knowledge of the rules and regulations that
govern non-profit funding;
d. Description of Proposer's timeline for completion of the event planning
services project, bearing in mind that all deliverables are to be met by or
10