Overview: The Downtown San Jose Property-Based Improvement District (PBID or District) is a special benefit assessment district that conveys special benefits to the properties located within the district boundaries.  It is issuing this Request For Proposal (RFP) in order to solicit proposals from qualified firms. 

Proposals are due by 5 p.m. PST on February 10, 2023 and should be submitted to the PBID in care of the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA), the organization contracted by the PBID to manage District operations.  

Definitions (General):

• City: The City of San Jose, a municipal corporation of the State of California.
• San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA): A non-profit membership based organization founded in 1986. SJDA represents business and property owners working to enhance the vitality and livability of downtown San Jose.  SJDA has been managing the PBID since its inception in 2007.
• Operations Manager: SJDA staff member who will be the primary contact for the Contractor with respect to services provided to the District, per this RFP.
• Contractor: Company that is to be selected for the services described in this RFP and who will enter into an agreement described therein.
• District: The service area that encompasses the San Jose PBID.  A map of the district boundary is attached as Exhibit 1.
• Social Impact Team: The team that will be established as a result of this RFP. This team will work with the unhoused population and coordinate efforts with other social service providers and City and County services to mitigate the impact of homelessness for all in downtown, including the unhoused.

Proposal:

• SJDA will accept proposals based on the scope of services (Appendix A) included in this packet.  
• It is essential that the Proposal clearly define and demonstrate how the services to be provided will be accomplished.  Please include as much detail as applicable and specific examples of how your firm has planned, deployed, executed, evaluated and refined service delivery.  In addition, please provide your expectations of how the PBID is involved in the oversight of the contract and program management.
• Proposers must describe what criteria they intend to use in deploying the services across the District.  Deployment plans may vary with seasonal requirements, special projects, emergency operations, major special events and other factors, so Proposers are required to clearly demonstrate how they would assign, schedule and dispatch staff, both routinely and in response to changing conditions.
• The District reserves the right to make reasonable changes in the general scope of work and in the work force, including shifting working schedules to accommodate holiday staffing needs or other seasonal fluctuations.  Any such changes will be directed by SJDA.

Proposals must be accompanied by a summary sheet addressing the following items in numerical order (please number responses).  

1. Contractor’s name and address.
2. Name of parent company (if any).
3. Number of years in business.
4. Total compensation for services over a twelve (12) month period.
5. Location of Contractor office(s). 
6. Audited or Reviewed Financial Statements for previous two (2) years.
7. Three business references.
8. Two financial references.
9. Description of Contractor’s experience (both in San Jose and outside the region).  Please include:

• Name of contracting agency or business, duration of contract, scope of work and value of contract.

• Profile of experience with street level outreach, service coordination and peer support programs. 

1. Brief resume of persons proposed to be assigned to this project (primarily managerial or supervisory roles).
2. Implementation plan providing detail on timely and cost-effective roll out of services on April 1, 2023.
3. Overarching Contractor service philosophy and delivery approach and explanation of why contractor is uniquely qualified over all other proposers to deliver the services requested in this RFP.
4. Description of additional innovative service delivery techniques, equipment or service frequencies, including any approaches for services that would benefit the District that are not explicitly stated in this RFP or currently being performed.
5. Description of methodologies and processes for handling an unexpected increase in service levels during contract period. 

Proposals must be received by SJDA Operations Manager Chris Arkley via email at carkely@sjdowntown.com  no later than 5 p.m. PST on February 10, 2023.

Term and Length of the Agreement: 

Upon selection, Contractor must execute a formal agreement with the term of the resulting contract being one year, with one one-year option that can be exercised at sole discretion of the SJDA. The SJDA reserves the right to negotiate for upgrades to services, equipment, or both, at any point during the contract term upon mutual agreement with the Contractor.  Agreement between Contractor and the SJDA for District services may be terminated by the SJDA at any time during the term of the agreement with 60-days written notice to Contractor.

Insurance:

Contractor shall procure and maintain for the duration of the contract insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from, or in connection with, the performance of the work hereunder by the Contractor, his agents, representatives, employees or subcontractors.  Contactor’s insurance shall be primary in all occurrences associated with the services outlined in this RFP.  The cost of such insurance shall be included in the Contractor’s bid, covering, at a minimum, the following categories:

1. Commercial General Liability:  $2,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage.  If Commercial Liability Insurance or other form with a general aggregate limit is used, either the general aggregate limit shall apply separately to this project/location or the general aggregate limit shall be twice the required occurrence limit.
2. Automobile Liability:  $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. 
3. Workers’ Compensation and Employers Liability:  Workers’ Compensation limits as required by the California Labor Code and Employers Liability limits of $1,000,000 per accident.
4. Professional Liability Errors & Omissions $1,000,000 Aggregate Limit.

It will be required that the Contractor name: (1) The City of San Jose, its officials, employees and agents, (2) The San Jose Downtown Association, its officers, directors, employees, agents and subcontractors and (3) The San Jose Downtown Property Owners’ Association, its officers, directors, employees, agents and subcontractors as additional insured parties under its policies.  Contractor shall provide SJDA with all required certificates and endorsements upon awarding of this contract.  Additional provisions, as necessary, will be made available prior to and integrated into the final contract.

Human Resources:

1. Contractor shall be subject to living wage payment and reporting requirements as outlined by the City of San Jose.  Detailed specifications on these requirements should be obtained from the City of San Jose Office of Equality Assurance (408-535-8430) or https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/public-works/labor-compliance/living-wage
2. It will be required that all staff providing services in the District be approved prior to assignment by the Operations Manager.  All Contractor employees providing services in the District must provide evidence of a criminal and a California Department of Motor Vehicles background check. All Contractor employees must provide evidence of  Employment eligibility verification, Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, negative Tuberculosis test, and CPR/First Aid Training. 
3. Records must be kept by the Contractor and be available for review as requested by the Operations Manager.
4. Operations Manager reserves the right to request a Contractor’s employee providing services in the District be replaced at any time, for any reason.

Metrics:

The District will work with the Contractor to determine appropriate service related metrics..  The Contractor will be required to keep these service statistics as defined by the District in order to produce regular benchmarking reports.  The Contractor will have an opportunity to make recommendations on modification of these metrics, including data analysis and optimization. Additionally the District will be applying for Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) access to be managed by District staff. District staff will require Contractor to provide metrics and information for entry into HMIS and service coordination efforts. 

Training:

Contractor employees are to receive training specific to their assigned role, at the expense of the Contractor, with training process and material reviewed by the Operations Manager. Training should include but is not limited to de-escalation tactics, street level outreach best practices, harm reduction strategies, and culturally competent care.  Training must be at a level deemed sufficient to successfully provide the services described in this RFP.  Please include in the RFP proposal, how many hours of training each employee will receive upon hire and on an annual basis.  Also include examples of training topics and identify how new topics will be developed and incorporated.  Training is expected to be an ongoing and an evolving process to ensure that both the Social Impact Team is able to adjust to the changing needs of the District.  Collaboration between the Contractor and Operations Manager on District specific training is required. 

Evaluation Criteria / Process:

The PBID/SJDA is seeking a highly qualified and experienced contractor to establish the Social Impact Team, which will bridge the gap between our members, downtown’s vulnerable unsheltered population and public and private social service partners. The Contractor will provide a superior service level in a cost efficient manner to help achieve the goals of the District of a safe and inviting place for people to work, live and visit.  The Contractor must understand the mission of the District and have a designed program that addresses the unique characteristics and challenges of providing services in the District.  

The SJDA and representatives of the San Jose Downtown Property Owners’ Association will evaluate each proposal pursuant to this RFP on the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated experience and capability of Contractor, its management, and employees in providing services in public and private outdoor space.  Contractor should also detail their ability to coordinate and work effectively with public and private entities.  Contractor should also detail their methods for reporting and analyzing outcome indicators with clients.
2. Demonstrated ability of Contractor, through a detailed implementation and operations plan, to assume all contract responsibilities and to perform the scope of services in a high quality manner, on the schedule and frequencies outlined in this RFP, including being fully operational on April 1, 2023.  
3. Responsiveness to RFP in terms of proposing innovations, improvements and cost savings measures that demonstrate the Contractor’s ability to continuously evaluate and improve its methods of social service outreach. Additionally, the Contractor should highlight service delivery, specifically integration of technology for public reporting, equipment application, management, employee training,, which will result in continuous improvement through the term of the agreement.
   1. Training requirements for all social impact staff must include the following:
      1. De-escalation training conducted on an on-going basis.
      2. Trauma informed practices.
      3. Basic first aid, including CPR certification.
   2. Peer support: Demonstration of the Contractor’s ability to recruit and support team members who have lived experience with homelessness, navigating the behavioral  health system, or recovery is preferred. Peer support is a proven outreach strategy that helps connect individuals experiencing homelessness with outreach staff who have had similar experiences, and can connect in a way that a clinician or other professional may not be able to. 
4. Overall cost for the provision of services and its individual sub-elements.  Respondents must include a completed cost sheet by category (example Exhibit 2).
5. Response of business and financial references and contractor track record in the industry.

Please be advised that the SJDA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or portions thereof.

Up to three (3) finalists may be invited to interview with the PBID Contractor selection committee.  These interviews will be conducted February 27 through March 1st, 2023.  Notification of the award of the contract is expected no later than March 3rd, 2023.  

Should a proposer find a discrepancy in or an omission from this RFP or should be in doubt as to any meaning therein, the proposer shall at once notify SJDA in writing, who will send written instruction to all who received the RFP.  Any such notice from a potential proposer must be received by SJDA by February 10th.  SJDA will not be responsible for any oral instructions.

Timeline: 

RFP Released: January 23, 2023

Deadline for questions and submittal February 10  2023, 5 p.m.

Selection committee interview: February 27-March 1, 2023

Notify contractor no later than March 3, 2023

Begin new contract April 1, 2023

APPENDIX A

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The scope of services for this RFP is broken in, Appendix A.1 covering the requirements for the Social Impact Team.  The District area is shown in Exhibit 1.

The performance standards noted in this appendix shall be maintained by the Contractor throughout the term of the contract on a daily basis, seven days a week, unless otherwise noted. 

The Operations Manager or designated SJDA representative will monitor compliance on a regular basis.  Contractor will accompany the Operations Manager (or SJDA representatives) on a weekly basis to monitor and discuss compliance. 

Uniform / Logo Requirements

Contractor is responsible for supplying, at its own expense, uniforms to all employees, which will be specified in style, logo compliance and color by the Operations Manager.  All employees are expected to be in uniform while on duty, and the uniform is to be kept clean and in good condition.  Employees, likewise, should be neat and clean and present a good image.  Contractor must provide employees with sufficient quantities of the uniform and provide replacements as needed.  A minimum of 5 sets of the uniform is required.  In addition to uniforms, adherence to District branding and imaging requirements provided by the Operations Manager will be required on all equipment and vehicles providing services in the District.

A.1 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR THE SOCIAL IMPACT SERVICES WITHIN THE DISTRICT

The intent of the services detailed in this RFP is to establish a team that will assist the unhoused population in the District in obtaining services.  The Social Impact Team members are expected to interact with those experiencing homelessness and responding to disruptive behaviors in the District. The Social Impact Team will utilize resources already provided by the business community, City, County of Santa Clara, and social service agencies, e.g., PATH. The Social Impact Team will employ approximately 4.0 FTEs with daily coverage. The Social Impact Team will supplement, not replace, other ongoing social services provided by the City, County, or social service agencies.  

Team members will connect with downtown’s unsheltered population in an effort to connect individuals with low-barrier services and referrals to service provider partners for housing, health, and behavioral health case management.  The philosophy to govern the performance of this program is one of service and outreach, with the intent of making downtown San Jose a safer and more inviting place for people to live, work, and visit.  When possible, recruiting team members who have lived experience with homelessness, navigating the behavioral  health system, or recovery is preferred to compliment the overall effectiveness of the team.  When needed, team members will identify conditions that warrant assistance and interventions from clinicians and emergency response. Team members must be professional, assertive, empathetic, and people-oriented individuals.  They should be energetic and enthusiastic about interacting with the unhoused community and the various complexities within the District. 

Equipment

It is expected that the Contractor will provide the following equipment:

• Electronic devices to facilitate email and phone communication in the field.
• Radios compatible with existing clean and safe team communications.
• General care kit items. (First aid, socks, water, etc.)

Service Requirements

1. General

• The program operates seven days a week.   The individuals who have these positions must be flexible about the days and hours they work.  
• Contractor will be required to show centralized dispatch, a regular deployment schedule throughout the District, and should be able to adjust the schedule as the needs of the District change.  
• Contractor will provide a weekly report of Social Impact Team activities and progress.
• Contractor will communicate with Operations Manager, city staff and homeless services agencies on trends and issues with the homeless population in the District. This communication could include sharing information on specific individuals, providing homeless individuals with contact information for service providers, and alerting the Operations Manager to changes in the status quo. 
• Direct collaboration with public and private social service agencies on day to day needs of unsheltered individuals, including but not limited to:
  • Coordinating social service outreach with appropriate partner agencies
  • Identifying individuals and neighborhoods with increased needs
  • Identifying potential improvements in the social service delivery process
  • Responding to member concerns and questions
• Social Impact Teammembers will be responsible for the following daily activities:
  • Complete daily deployment assignment, visiting homeless individuals and encampments within the District.
  • Organize focused outreach to encampments within the District to distribute care items and information for additional support services. 
  • Build trust with clients through conversation and regular interaction.
  • Identify and relay any client emergency or priority needs. 
  • Complete daily reporting of individual activities.
  • Contribute to regular Social Impact Team outreach report as requested by the Operations Manager.