Request for Proposals: Philadelphia Talent Hub Model Design RFP
| Agency: | Philadelphia Works, Inc. |
|---|---|
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Level of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
|
| Opps ID: | NBD17710549193347084 |
| Posted Date: | Jan 22, 2024 |
| Due Date: | Feb 23, 2024 |
| Source: | Members Only |
Request for Proposals: Philadelphia Talent Hub Model Design RFP
Released Monday, January 22, 2024
Philadelphia Works, Inc. is inviting competitive proposals for an experienced consultant (or consultant team) to guide a comprehensive planning process in close consultation with staff, partners, and stakeholders. Specifically, the consultant will gather multiple rounds of feedback to inform the overarching goals, design, and operational structure of a Talent Hub model.
Organizations interested in submitting a proposal are recommended to complete this Notification of Intent form by Friday, February 9, 2024. Full proposals are due Friday, February 23, 2024 by 12:00 pm ET.
To ensure Philadelphia Works maintains an open competition process, all inquiries regarding this RFP must be submitted via email to operationsRFP@philaworks.org .
Training Provider Information
Expand career opportunities for Philadelphians through vocational training.
Philadelphia Works is committed to continuously expanding education and training opportunities for Philadelphians. Accordingly, we’d love to learn more about high quality, skills-based training programs in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
Benefits of Becoming an Eligible Training Provider:
- Resources and investments that directly benefit your training program
- A platform for communication, outreach, and recruitment
- Connection to Philadelphia Works’ network of industry and workforce professionals
- Technical support to become a state approved Eligible Training Provider
- Access to industry workforce data and trends to inform your program offerings and economic valuation
Attachment Preview
Request for Proposals
Consultant Services: Philadelphia Workforce Talent Hub Model Design
Release Date: Monday, January 22, 2024
Questions Due: Monday, January 29, 2024
Notification of Intent Due: Friday, February 9, 2024
Proposals Due: Friday, February 23, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET
Submission Details
Applications must be submitted electronically to operationsRFP@philaworks.org, with the subject line
“RFP Proposal” to the contact listed below:
Contact: Patricia Blumenauer, Chief Operating Officer
Email: operationsRFP@philaworks.org
Introduction
Philadelphia Works, Inc., (“PhilaWorks”) the city’s workforce development board, is a non-profit, quasi-
public organization serving employers and connecting career seekers to employment and training
opportunities. We invest public resources in a variety of workforce solutions that drive economic
growth, influence public workforce policies, and optimize funding and resources to build a skilled and
thriving workforce. For more information, please visit our website. PhilaWorks is supported by federal,
state, city and privately raised employment and training funds.
A. Background and Purpose
New leadership at the state and local levels and unprecedented federal investment in job creation
presents a unique moment for Greater Philadelphia to align around an equity-centered, industry-
focused, regional economic development strategy that prioritizes growing both the number and
accessibility of quality jobs. City leaders from the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, the
City’s Commerce Department, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), PhilaWorks, and
Visit Philadelphia joined with Pew Charitable Trust to form and support The Roadmap for Quality Jobs
Steering Committee. This group has committed to engage, align, and support all critical stakeholders in
this effort.
To achieve equitable growth, an economic development strategy must include an overarching, well-
coordinated framework for helping employers leverage the resources available to attract, prepare, hire,
retain, and advance local talent. These resources include funding, programming, and partnership
opportunities available through the public workforce system, industry collaboratives, workforce
development providers, and institutions of higher education.
In its current state, the public workforce system and the larger Philadelphia workforce ecosystem is not
appropriately structured, staffed, or resourced to meet the needs of employers at an optimal level.
PhilaWorks and its partners seek to develop a comprehensive Talent Hub model to better help
employers citywide seeking resources and support to meet their talent needs, as well as make more
transparent to job seekers the availability of employer-informed programs and opportunities designed
to facilitate connection to quality jobs. The goal of the hub is to provide a clear and consistent “front
door” for employers to simplify and streamline access to existing services and resources as well as bring
to light and address gaps in resources and expertise across Philadelphia’s ecosystem of workforce
partners. If done successfully, this will lead to equitable access to high-quality, employer-informed
services across Philadelphia.
PhilaWorks invites competitive proposals for an experienced consultant (or consultant team) to guide a
comprehensive planning process in close consultation with staff, partners, and stakeholders. Specifically,
the consultant will gather multiple rounds of feedback to inform the overarching goals, design, and
operational structure of a Talent Hub model. The project will culminate in a comprehensive proposal to
include a detailed delineation of start-up and ongoing costs, necessary partnership agreements, and
operational structures required to pilot, test, evaluate and scale the model citywide in the short term,
and potentially regionally over time.
Page 1
B. Philadelphia Talent Hub Model: Vision and Functions
The proposed model must include a systematic approach that, at a minimum, will enable the hub to:
1. Assess employer need, capacity, and readiness to explore new talent attraction and
development strategies
A well designed and operationalized Talent Hub will help employers assess the efficacy of their
existing efforts to meet pressing talent needs, as well as their willingness and capacity for the
change management that may be required to engage external partners and leverage available
resources intended to support more effective approaches to recruitment, training, hiring,
retention and/or advancement.
2. Connect employers to the right combination of resources, programs, and partnership
opportunities
Based on information gathered, employers will be connected to financial resources, workforce
training organizations that offer established and/or customizable training programs, and/or
potential partnership opportunities across a range of systems and structures, including public
funding streams and incentives, industry collaboratives, higher education, and workforce
programs and partnerships.
3. Facilitate ongoing coordination and data collection
The Talent Hub will be supported by a cross sector advisory body tasked with assessing and
supporting the first two functions, including identifying gaps in the existing resources and
services available to help employers identify, prepare, connect, retain, and advance local talent.
The hub should be informed by national best practices and emerging local frameworks, as well as input
from key stakeholders in the region. The consultant should utilize various methodologies to gather
insight into the following:
● Employer interest: How does this approach resonate with employers? How might employers
envision utilizing and engaging with this type of resource? How will interest, engagement and
need differ by industry and employer size?
● Format and function: What complement of staff experience and expertise will be needed to
operationalize the hub? Can services be delivered virtually or is there a need for a physical
location?
● Partnership model: How can the hub build upon existing partnership structures to ensure the
broadest range of resources are made available to employers?
● Communications and outreach: How will resources and services be marketed and
communicated to employers? How will the ROI of engaging in the Talent Hub structure be
calculated and communicated to all stakeholders?
● Funding structure: How can existing workforce funding be blended with new resources to fully
execute the model? What “up-front” resources are needed? What are the ongoing costs that
need to be sustained over time, and likely grown as the model scales?
Page 2
● Governance structure: What type of oversight structure and staffing is needed to ensure each
of the three functions of the hub are met, and that gaps are identified and addressed
consistently over time?
C. Who Is Eligible
Entities eligible to apply include any private for-profit agency, private non-profit organization,
government agency, or educational institution that can demonstrate the capacity and experience to
successfully perform the scope identified in this RFP. Applicants may also include a group of consultants
or subcontracts to address the diverse needs of the scope. Organizations that are tax exempt under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code must submit a copy of their most recent IRS
Determination Letter. The RFP process is open to both current contractors, as well as qualified
organizations that have not previously contracted with PhilaWorks.
Applicants must be in good financial standing and may not have been declared ineligible by the City,
state, or federal governments for funding. The selected applicant will be required to supply evidence of
appropriate licenses, insurance, relevant internal procedures, data security, and financial controls prior
to contract execution.
PhilaWorks, in soliciting requests for proposals, shall not discriminate against any person or organization
submitting a response pursuant to this Request for Proposal because of race, color, creed, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnic group, national origin, or other basis prohibited by law.
D. Contract Period and Awarding of Funding
Contracts awarded will be negotiated based on service needs for up to 5 months. Contract extensions
are at the discretion of PhilaWorks dependent on provider’s ability to meet defined deliverables and
performance outcomes, changes in legislation, changes in the program design, and/or continued
funding. Selected provider(s) must be ready to begin full operations of the project; there will not be
start-up funding included in this contract period.
PhilaWorks requests that proposers submit a reasonable and detailed budget for this request outlining
the proposed costs, ensuring that each cost is in line with the scope of this proposal. Funding for this
project is contingent upon the availability of funds.
Administrative costs can be included in the budget at a rate of 10% of the programmatic costs.
PhilaWorks reserves the right to negotiate the costs of all services upon award selection.
The payment structure for all awarded funds will be cost reimbursement. Providers must seek approval
from PhilaWorks for costs associated with this contract. Selected providers must track and document all
costs necessary to operate their program and submit these to PhilaWorks on a monthly basis.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Service Delivery Modernization RFP is supported
by the U.S. Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. A total range of $75,000, or 100%
percent of the RFP, is financed with federal funds. Additional funding may be available depending on the
scope of services.
Page 3
Scope and Proposed Services
Description:
A successful applicant will demonstrate their ability to assist PhilaWorks and its partners to design a
Talent Hub model that can meet its three goals of:
1. Assessing employer need, capacity, and openness to new talent attraction and development
strategies
2. Connecting employers to the right combination of resources, programs, and partnership
opportunities
3. Facilitating ongoing coordination and data collection
Timeline and Deliverables:
PhilaWorks and its partners seek recommendations related to the development of the Talent Hub.
These recommendations should include considerations related to employer interest, operational needs,
staffing structure, format and function, partnership model, communications and outreach,
funding/budget needed, and governance structure. A final deliverable will include a comprehensive
report with a detailed delineation of start-up and ongoing costs, necessary partnership agreements, and
operational structures required to pilot, test, evaluate and scale the model citywide in the short term,
and potentially regionally over time. This will have been tested with stakeholders and can be utilized to
move into a pilot and implementation phase, with clear next steps on implementation within the
Philadelphia workforce ecosystem.
A successful proposal will include a description of activities required to design and inform
implementation of the Talent Hub model and should include:
● A clear plan for the completion of the work, including project phases, suggested deliverable
dates, and a clear path to a final proposal
● A plan for completing interviews, focus groups, and/or surveys, as appropriate, with relevant
stakeholders
● A review of national and local models and best practices
● An iterative process in which intermediate work products are presented to relevant
stakeholders with feedback incorporated into future versions
● Specific details related to how the model will be operationalized in the context of the
Philadelphia workforce ecosystem
● Regular updates to a core group of partners
Note that each deliverable should have a proposed due date within the proposed project timeline.
Page 4
This is the opportunity summary page. You are currently viewing an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
For more information, please visit the Publication URL Web page.
TRY FOR FREE
Not a USAOPPS Member Yet?
Get unlimited access to thousands of active local, state and federal government bids and awards in All 50 States.