Specialized Mentor Academy BIPOC Cohorts

Request for Qualifications No. 2026-18
Specialized Mentor Academy BIPOC Cohorts
STATE OF WASHINGTON
OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: 1:00 p.m., Pacific Time (PT) on February 24, 2026
PROPOSAL DUE DATE: 3:00 p.m., Pacific Time (PT) on March 16, 2026
ESTIMATED CONTRACT PERIOD: July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Amendments extending the
period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of OSPI.
CONSULTANT ELIGIBILITY: This solicitation is open to those Consultants who satisfy the
minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State.
SUBMIT PROPOSAL TO: contracts@k12.wa.us
All communications concerning this RFQ must be directed only to the RFQ Coordinator via email.
Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on OSPI. Consultants
are to rely on written statements issued by the RFQ Coordinator. Communication directed to
parties other than the RFQ Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Consultant.
This RFQ is available at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) website and at
the Department of Enterprise Services, Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS)
Procurement website. All RFQ amendments and/or Consultant questions and OSPI answers will
be posted to these sites. All interested Consultants must be registered with WEBS under the
following commodity codes to receive automatic notifications: 918-38: Education and Training
Consulting; 924-16: Course Development Services, Instructional/Training; 924-64: Partnering
Workshop Facilitation Services; 924-78: Teaching and Instruction Services; 918-83:
Organizational Development Consulting; 918-32: Consulting Services (Not Otherwise Classified);
952-77: Research and Evaluation, Human Services
OSPI, and its contractors and subcontractors, must not discriminate in any programs or services based on
sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military
status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or
service animal by a person with a disability, and must comply with state and federal nondiscrimination laws,
including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the
Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Questions and complaints of
alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162/TTY: 360-
664-3631; or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200; or equity@k12.wa.us.

In order for the Application to be considered complete, the following documents must be
included in your proposal:
Component Checklist
Letter of Submittal
Application including:
* Project Management/Team Structure/Internal Controls
* Experience of the Consultant
* Examples of related experience
* References
* Past Performance
Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A)
The certification must be signed and submitted by a duly authorized representative for
the bidder.
Download an editable version from OSPI's website
Qualification Affirmations (Exhibit B)
Bidder must confirm that the bidder meets all minimum qualifications set forth in the
Minimum Qualifications section.
Download an editable version from OSPI's website
Contractor Intake Form (Exhibit F)
Must be signed and submitted by a duly authorized representative for the bidder.
Download an editable version from OSPI's website
Washington State Business License, if applicable (see Contractor Intake Form).
Provide a copy of the business license, or the UBI number on the Contractor Intake Form.
A bidder without a Washington State Business License may submit a proposal. Contingent
upon award, the bidder may be required to obtain a license.
For more information about this, visit the Department of Revenue website.
Contract Issues List (Exhibit E)
Bidders need only to complete and submit this Exhibit IF bidder has issues, concerns,
exceptions, or objections to any of the terms or conditions contained herein.
Download an editable version from OSPI's website
*This checklist does not need to be submitted with your proposal.
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Table of Contents
Section A. SCOPE & REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................... 5
A.1. DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 5
A.2. PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ................................................................................... 7
A.3. BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................................... 7
A.4. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................. 8
A.5. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................. 9
A.6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................ 10
A.7. FUNDING ................................................................................................................................................. 10
A.8. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT ....................................................................................... 11
Section B. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS ...................................................................... 12
B.1. RFQ COORDINATOR ........................................................................................................................... 12
B.2. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ................................................................................................................ 12
B.3. ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES.................................................. 13
B.4. PRE-BID CONFERENCE ...................................................................................................................... 13
B.5. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................ 14
B.6. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ....................................................... 14
B.7. ADDENDUMS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE RFQ ................................................................ 15
B.8. SMALL BUSINESS, MINORITY & WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (MWBE),
AND VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS PARTICIPATION ...................................................................... 15
B.9. ETHICS, POLICIES, & LAW ............................................................................................................... 16
B.10. ACCEPTANCE PERIOD ........................................................................................................................ 16
B.11. RESPONSIVENESS ................................................................................................................................ 16
B.12. MOST FAVORABLE TERMS .............................................................................................................. 17
B.13. CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS .......................................................... 17
B.14. COSTS TO PROPOSE ........................................................................................................................... 18
B.15. NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT ................................................................................................. 18
B.16. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS ............................................................................................................ 18
B.17. COMMITMENT OF FUNDS .............................................................................................................. 18
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B.18. STATEWIDE VENDOR PAYMENT REGISTRATION ............................................................... 18
B.19. WASHINGTON STATE BUSINESS REGISTRATION ............................................................... 18
B.20. INSURANCE COVERAGE ................................................................................................................... 19
Section C. PROPOSAL CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... 20
C.1. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS ....................................................................................................... 20
C.2. PROPOSAL OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 20
C.3. LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (NOT SCORED) ................................................................................... 21
C.4. APPLICATION ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Section D. EVALUATION AND AWARD ................................................................................................ 23
D.1. EVALUATION PROCEDURE .............................................................................................................. 23
D.2. EVALUATION AND SCORING ......................................................................................................... 24
D.3. SCORING PREFERENCES ................................................................................................................... 24
D.4. REFERENCE CHECKS ........................................................................................................................... 25
D.5. INTERVIEW (SCORED) ....................................................................................................................... 26
D.6. SELECTION OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER ................................................................ 26
D.7. NOTIFICATION TO BIDDERS .......................................................................................................... 26
D.8. DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL BIDDERS ............................................................................. 26
D.9. PROTEST PROCEDURE ....................................................................................................................... 27
D.10. ADDITIONAL AWARDS ..................................................................................................................... 29
Section E. RFQ EXHIBITS ............................................................................................................................. 30
EXHIBIT A .............................................................................................................................................................. 31
EXHIBIT B............................................................................................................................................................... 33
EXHIBIT C ............................................................................................................................................................... 34
EXHIBIT D .............................................................................................................................................................. 39
EXHIBIT E ............................................................................................................................................................... 55
EXHIBIT F ............................................................................................................................................................... 57
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Section A. SCOPE & REQUIREMENTS
This section describes the purpose of the RFQ and provides information about this procurement,
including the potential scope of the opportunity and requirements.
A.1. DEFINITIONS
Definitions for the purposes of this RFQ include:
Agency or OSPI - The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; the
entity issuing this RFQ.
Amendment - A unilateral change to the Solicitation that is issued by OSPI at its sole discretion
and posted on WEBS and OSPI's website.
Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) - A Bidder submitting a response to this Solicitation that is
evaluated and is identified and announced by OSPI as providing the best value to the Agency.
Upon execution of a Contract, the ASB is referred to as the successful Bidder or the Contractor.
Bid - An offer, proposal, or quote for goods or services submitted in response to this RFQ.
Bidder - Individual organization, public or private agency submitting a proposal to attain a
contract with OSPI. For purposes of this Solicitation, the terms Bidder, Consultant, and Vendor
are interchangeable.
Competitive Solicitation - A documented formal process providing an equal and open
opportunity to Bidders or Consultants culminating in a selection based on predetermined
criteria.
Complaint - A process that may be followed by a Consultant prior to the deadline for bid
submission to alert OSPI of certain types of asserted deficiencies in the Solicitation.
Consultant - Individual organization, public or private agency submitting a proposal to attain
a contract with OSPI. For purposes of this Solicitation, the terms Bidder, Consultant, and Vendor
are interchangeable.
Contractor - Individual or company whose proposal has been accepted by OSPI and is awarded
a fully executed, written contract.
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Debriefing - A short meeting an unsuccessful Bidder may attend with an evaluation team
member, following the announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder, for the purpose of
receiving information regarding the review and evaluation of that Bidder's Response.
Fiscal Year - In Washington State, a 12-month period extending from July 1 of one calendar
year to June 30 of the next calendar year.
Proposal - A formal offer submitted in response to this RFQ.
Proprietary Information - Information such as patents, technological information or other
related information that the Bidder or Consultant does not want released or shared with the
public.
Protest - A process that may be followed by a Bidder after the announcement of the Apparent
Successful Bidder to alert OSPI to certain types of alleged errors in the evaluation of the
Solicitation.
Request for Proposals (RFQ) - Formal procurement document in which services needed are
identified, and Consultants are invited to provide their qualifications to provide the services.
Responsible Bidder - An individual, organization, public or private agency, or other entity that
has demonstrated the capability to meet all the requirements of the Solicitation and meets the
elements of responsibility. (See RCW 39.26.160 (2))
Responsive Bidder - An individual, organization, public or private agency, or other entity who
has submitted a Bid that fully conforms in all material respects to the Solicitation and all its
requirements, in both form and substance.
Revised Code of Washington (RCW) - The compilation of all permanent laws now in force in
Washington state.
RFQ Coordinator - An individual or designee who is employed by OSPI and who is responsible
for conducting this Solicitation.
Solicitation - A formal process providing an equal and open opportunity for Bidders
culminating in a selection based upon predetermined criteria.
Subcontractor - An individual or other entity contracted by a Consultant to perform part of the
services or to provide goods under the Contract resulting from this Solicitation. Subcontractors,
if allowed, are subject to the advance approval of OSPI.
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Vendor - Individual organization, public or private agency submitting a proposal to attain a
contract with OSPI. For purposes of this Solicitation, the terms Bidder, Consultant, and Vendor
are interchangeable.
WEBS - Washington's Electronic Business Solution, the Consultant notification system found at
Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) Procurement website and maintained by the
Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. Consultants are encouraged to register
with WEBS to receive automatic notifications about this and other procurements.
A.2. PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The purpose of this Competitive Procurement is to receive competitive bids to evaluate and, as
appropriate, award a Contract for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to
procure goods and/or services as set forth herein. Pursuant to Washington's Procurement Code
for Goods and Services, RCW chap. 39.26, state agency purchases of goods and services must
be based on a competitive solicitation.
Therefore, OSPI is initiating this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit proposals from
consultants with expertise in supporting the professional growth of teacher mentors and
induction specialists in their work to ensure comprehensive support of early-career teachers in
pursuit of educational equity. Consultants will recruit, select and provide stipends to participants
to participate in one (1) of three (3) specialized Mentor Academies (these academies are twenty-
four (24) hour cohort based learning experiences that are equivalent to BEST Mentor Academy
101 and 201):
* Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mentor Cohort
* BIPOC School Counselor Mentor Cohort
* Indigenous Educator Mentor Cohort
A.3. BACKGROUND
Led by Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public
K-12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's two hundred ninety-five (295)
public school districts, eight (8) state-tribal education compact schools, and public charter
schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every
student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
The Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) program, part of the Educator Effectiveness
Department at OSPI, promotes sustained and comprehensive professional support for teachers
in the early years of their career. BEST is committed to uprooting systems of oppression in
education through advocacy for equitable, anti-racist policies and practices at all levels within
the education system.
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BEST provides professional development for mentors, coaching and resources for districts, and
grants (as appropriated by legislative funding) to bolster comprehensive induction. OSPI has
been tasked by the legislature with supporting comprehensive induction in Washington,
including the marginalized educator groups. For the three (3) categories of specialized Mentor
Academies, OSPI supports all aspects of content development and academy facilitation. In
cooperation with BEST and ONE, the successful bidder will support recruitment, selection, event
logistics, and participant communication. The successful bidder will also be tasked with
providing stipends and assigned resources to participants.
A.4. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF WORK
A.4.i. Objective:
Contractor shall partner with the Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) and Office
of Native Education (ONE) to provide mentor and leadership development for
educators. Contractor shall provide stipends to recruited and selected educators in
three (3) specialized Mentor Academies:
* Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Mentor Cohort
* BIPOC School Counselor Mentor Cohort
* Indigenous Educator Mentor Cohort
A.4.ii. Scope of Work:
BIPOC Mentor Cohort
1. Recruit and select up to one hundred twenty (120) BIPOC participants to participate in
BEST's specialized Mentor Academy cohort collaboration.
2. Provide up to one hundred twenty (120) five-hundred-dollar ($500) stipends to
participants that complete at least four (4) of the eight (8) scheduled sessions.
3. Provide Arise by Elena Aguilar or equivalent BEST assigned reference for up to one
hundred twenty (120) participants.
4. Engage in on-going collaboration with BEST Program Staff around communication with
participants and training dates.
5. Collaborate with OSPI and other Mentor Faculty to determine facilitation schedule.
6. Partner with BEST Program Staff to track participation of the BIPOC participants.
7. Provide participant and academy data analysis.
8. Other duties as requested by OSPI.
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BIPOC School Counselor Mentor Cohort
1. Recruit and select up to thirty (30) BIPOC participants to participate in BEST's specialized
Mentor Academy for school counselors of color.
2. Provide up to thirty (30) five-hundred-dollar ($500) stipends to participants that
complete at least four (4) of the eight (8) scheduled sessions.
3. Provide Arise by Elena Aguilar or equivalent BEST assigned reference for up to thirty (30)
participants.
4. Engage in on-going collaboration with BEST Program Staff around communication with
participants and training dates.
5. Collaborate with OSPI and other Mentor Faculty to determine facilitation schedule.
6. Partner with BEST Program Staff to track participation of the BIPOC participants.
7. Provide participant and academy data analysis.
8. Other duties as requested by OSPI.
Indigenous Educator Mentor Cohort
1. Recruit and select up to thirty (30) indigenous educators to participate in ONE's
Indigenous Educator specialized Mentor Academy.
2. Provide up to thirty (30) five-hundred-dollar ($500) stipends to participants that
complete at least four (4) of the eight (8) scheduled sessions.
3. Provide Arise by Elena Aguilar or equivalent ONE assigned reference for up to thirty (30)
participants.
4. Engage in on-going collaboration with ONE staff around communication with
participants and training dates.
5. Collaborate with OSPI to determine facilitation schedule.
6. Partner with ONE staff to track participation of the Indigenous participants.
7. Provide participant and academy data analysis.
8. Other duties as requested by OSPI.
A.5. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications:
* Licensed to do business in the State of Washington. If not licensed, provide a written
intent to become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being
selected as the Apparent Successful Bidder.
Consultants who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be rejected as non-
responsive and will not receive further consideration. Any proposal that is rejected as
non-responsive will not be evaluated or scored.
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Desirable Qualifications:
* Has attended or hosted Mentor Academy 101 and Mentor Academy 201 or Nakia
Academy in the last two (2) years.
* Proven experience aligning training content with Washington State Standards for
Mentoring and Induction.
* Successful experience with cohort-based academy or event management of large
groups of Educators of Color focused on mentorship and coaching.
* Ability to provide up to one hundred eighty (180) stipends of five hundred dollars
($500) to participants.
* Ability to deliver high-quality, culturally-responsive professional development for
BIPOC educators, including beginning educators and school counselors.
* Statewide reach within the Washington State K-12 BIPOC educator community.
* Established data research experience in tracking and analyzing participant growth
and measuring impact.
A.6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFQ is tentatively scheduled to
begin on or about July 1, 2026, and end on or about June 30, 2027. The option to extend
any contract resulting from this procurement shall be at the sole discretion of OSPI.
As such, OSPI reserves the right to amend to extend the contract for three (3) additional contract
years through 2028, 2029, and 2030. Decision to amend shall be based on sustained satisfactory
performance as decided by the Contract Manager, successful completion of project objectives,
and availability of funding. If OSPI provides a renewal notice to the Contractor, the Contractor
shall be obligated to enter into a contract with the same fiscal obligations as the previous
Contract year, provided that OSPI and Contractor shall negotiate any revision of additional
services or goals beyond those encompassed in the previous Contract.
Additional services that are appropriate to the scope of this RFQ, as determined by OSPI, may
be added to the resulting contract by a written amendment mutually agreed to and executed
by both parties.
A.7. FUNDING
OSPI will award a contract in the amount of one hundred sixteen thousand, five hundred dollars
($116,500) for the initial term of this project; however, OSPI does not represent or guarantee
any minimum purchase from the resulting contract.
Any applicable mileage, meals, lodging, or other travel-related expenses, will be reimbursed in
accordance with Washington State travel regulations established by the Office of Financial
Management.
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