Project Information

Bid Title

RFP-DV-2026-007 - First Source Referral Center

Issuing Agency

City of New Rochelle

Location

New York

Published Date

Mar 27, 2026

Closing Date

Apr 22, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

2026-007

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Number:	2026-007
Bid Title:	RFP-DV-2026-007 - First Source Referral Center
Category:	*Current Bids & RFPs
Status:	Open

Description: The City of New Rochelle seeks proposals to engage the services of a local non-profit or for-profit entity to operate the First Source Referral Center for the purpose of coordinating employment referrals and facilitating gainful employment for the City for New Rochelle’s residents. Questions are due 04/06/2026 and should be submitted to For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. Answers will be posted 04/08/2026 on the website The City reserves the right to amend the RFP based on questions and issues raised at any time prior to the RFP submission deadline. Publication Date/Time: 3/27/2026 4:30 PM Closing Date/Time: 4/22/2026 3:00 PM Contact Person: aross@newrochelleny.gov Related Documents: RFP-DV-2026-007 - First Source Referral

Attachment Preview

Department of Finance

515 North Avenue

New Rochelle, NY 10801

(914) 654-2072

Adam F. Ross

Deputy Commissioner

Ivonne Droese-Solomon

Purchasing Specialist

City of New Rochelle

New York

Specification No.

RFP-DV-2026-007

Request for Proposal:

First Source Referral Center

1) INTENT/BACKGROUND

INTENT

The City of New Rochelle seeks to engage the services of a local non-profit or for-profit entity to

operate the First Source Referral Center for the purpose of coordinating employment referrals and

facilitating gainful employment for the City for New Rochelle’s residents.

The First Source Center shall coordinate referrals from multiple sources in and around New Rochelle,

including existing workforce development programs, and shall prioritize referral of targeted

community residents to certain employment opportunities. In addition, First Source will provide

retention services as an added layer of support and guidance once employment is gained to ensure

continued employment for New Rochelle residents.

Pursuant to the City’s Economic Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Policy, employers working under

City contracts and in certain redevelopment projects are required to provide priority consideration to

applicants referred by the First Source Center.

The City reserves the right to award this Request for Proposal through the City of New Rochelle, the

New Rochelle Corporation for Local Development, or the New Rochelle Industrial Development

Agency.

BACKGROUND

The City has embarked on an historic revitalization of its downtown with a Master Redevelopment

Plan. The result is a dynamic mixed-use and transit-oriented development incorporating sustainability

and green technology throughout. Significant job creation has occurred and is still anticipated through

this development and the City is committed to ensuring that its residents obtain the training and

support needed to participate in the career opportunities that will be available. Currently, the City of

New Rochelle has been driving its economic opportunity and non-discrimination goals in partnership

with the First Source Referral Center operating out of a 1,100 SF space located at 173 Huguenot Street,

New Rochelle, NY 10801.

RFP-DV-2026-007-1

2) PROPOSAL DUE DATE

Sealed proposals will be accepted up until 3:00 p.m. on April 22, 2026 in the Purchasing Office, City of

New Rochelle, City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 and mailed to the attention of

Ivonne Droese-Solomon, Purchasing. Please note Spec # “RFP-DV-2026-007” on your outside mail

package.

The City of New Rochelle is a sponsor of the Westchester Affirmative Action Equal Employment

Agreement and strongly encourages all firms qualified and certified as Women/Minority Business

Enterprises (W/MBE) to submit proposals.

3) PRE-PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

All questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail, no later than noon, April 6, 2026 to

aross@newrochelleny.gov and idroese@newrochelleny.gov. The City will post the answers to the

questions received on the City’s website no later than 4:30 p.m., April 8, 2026.

The City reserves the right to amend the RFP based on questions and issues raised at any time prior to

the RFP submission deadline.

4) ADDENDUMS

A Respondent, prior to submitting its Response, shall check the City’s website to see if any Addendum

or Addenda has/have been issued for the RFP and, if so, the Respondent must establish in writing that

they have received any and all Addendum or Addenda issued for the RFP. See attached Exhibit D.

5) CONE OF SILENCE

Cone of Silence, means a prohibition on any communication regarding a particular Request for

Proposal (“RFP”), Request for Qualification (“RFQ”) or Request for Bid ("RFB").

Pursuant to State Finance Law §139-j and §139-k, this solicitation includes and imposes certain

restrictions on communications between the City and a Bidder during the procurement process. A

Bidder is restricted from contacting, other than designated staff, from the earliest notice of intent to

solicit offers through final award and approval of the Procurement Contract by the Designated

Contracting Officer ("Restricted Period") unless it is a contact that is included among certain statutory

exceptions set forth in State Finance Law §139-j(3)(a). City employees are required to obtain certain

information when contacted during the Restricted Period. The designated staff contact is the Deputy

Finance Commissioner or his/her representative, telephone (914) 654-2072. Bidders responding to

this RFP must familiarize themselves with these State Finance Law requirements and will be

expected to affirm that they understand and agree to comply in their Proposal.

6) SCOPE OF WORK

The City sees the First Source Center as a key aspect of the workforce development pipeline and

the City’s economic development approach. Respondents to this Request for Proposals will be

expected to demonstrate understanding of local workforce development pipelines; the ability to

provide prompt, quality referrals to employers; and the ability to track outcomes.

Responses should demonstrate the respondent’s ability to perform the following core functions

RFP-DV-2026-007-2

related to program operation:

OUTREACH AND AGREEMENT

• Establishment of a network of local worker referral sources serving New Rochelle residents

and employers;

• Referral and coordination with workforce development organizations regarding training,

job opportunities and other services beneficial to job placement

• Interaction with the City’s compliance contractor to enable compliance with the City’s

Economic Opportunity and Non-discrimination Policy objectives

• Participation in City-led events to expand awareness of offerings to New Rochelle residents

(expected to be about 9 events per year occurring both within and outside normal work

hours)

JOB READINESS SERVICES

• Employment assessments

• Case management services

• Referral to internal and external training opportunities including, but not limited to:

o Soft-skills training (the attitudinal/motivational component)

o Job readiness

o Career development

o Computer skills training

o Customer service

o Construction and “Green” construction

o Office Operations

JOB DEVELOPMENT, MATCHING AND JOB PLACEMENT

• Develop relationships with multiple sources in and around New Rochelle, including other

workforce development programs, to maintain a pipeline of employment opportunities;

• Manage receipt of notifications of available jobs from employers;

• Provide prompt distribution of notifications of available jobs to referral sources;

• Coordinate with employers and referral sources to track outcomes on an individual and

programmatic basis;

RETENTION SERVICES

• Provide services to support and guide residents once employment is attained to ensure

continued employment;

• Track Retention track at key milestone periods including 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 180

days, 270 days and 365 days with the first year of employment;

• Maintain documentation of promotions, salary changes, job changes; and,

CENTER OPERATIONS

• Operate the First Source Referral Center facility as a steward for the City of New Rochelle

• Manage a digital presence for the Center and engage the community via website and

social media

REPORTING

• Maintain records of referrals to employers by referral sources;

• Maintain records of hiring decisions by employers;

• Establish KPIs and report to City monthly; and,

• Provide annual written reports on program operation and the capacity and needs of

workforce development sources serving New Rochelle with the potential of presentations

RFP-DV-2026-007-3

to senior City management and City Council.

RESPONDENTS

• May be either for-profit or non-profit entities; (preference to Respondents recognized by

or have applied to become recognized by the NYSDOL as a Direct Entry Provider and

recognized or have applied to become recognized as a NYSDOL Eligible Training Provider);

• May be either a workforce development program or an entity performing other types of

services;

• Must have a demonstrated familiarity with workforce development systems serving New

Rochelle;

• Must have familiarity with both construction- and non-construction workforce

development systems; and

• Must have familiarity with union-based construction apprenticeships, employment

standards and overall membership pathways.

Responses should indicate proposed staffing levels to adequately develop and maintain the

functions of job development, applicant management and job retention.

The City encourages respondents think expansively about program services that could be provided

as part of the First Source Center. We anticipate the First Source Center being a hub for the City’s

workforce development pipeline. Streamlined and effective operation of core functions is

essential; but we are also interested in development of new approaches and utilization of best

practices from other communities. Please provide your vision for a robust, effective, and creative

program that can make a real difference in lives of New Rochelle residents, by helping build long-

term careers.

7) PROPOSAL FORMAT/REQUIREMENTS

Proposal shall include your completed Exhibit A, and a completed Vendor Responsibility Form as provided.

Your proposal must include the following in the same order as herein:

a) Company name, address, telephone number, fax number and email of the firm, as well as the

primary contact individual.

b) Narrative about the history of the firm, including the date of inception, and experience with

relevant workforce development projects in the United States

c) State the size of the firm, the location of the office from which the work on this engagement

is to be performed and the number and nature of the professional staff to be employed in this

engagement.

d) Organizational chart for this project and one-page resumes for key team members to be

assigned to this effort.

e) Identify any professional affiliations, licenses and other relevant qualifications.

f)

Detail experience in providing workforce development services for localities similar in size to

New Rochelle.

g) Identify the accessibility of the proposed designated lead staff member, and the response time

that individual offers to the City.

h) Narrative about the resources of the firm/individual, to include clerical and support staff,

research capabilities, and other relevant information.

i)

Has the firm been in bankruptcy, reorganization or receivership in the last 5 years? If so, please

explain current status.

j)

Has the firm/individual been disqualified or terminated from any public agency? If so, please

RFP-DV-2026-007-4

explain under what circumstances this disqualification or termination occurred.

k) The budget for completing all tasks and deliverables associated with this project should include

all costs associated with the operation of physical center, overhead, and other expenses.

Please include hourly rates for all employees likely to be assigned to this project. Please itemize

(in table format) all costs for tasks and/or deliverables outlined in the RFP. Please identify any

other direct project costs. Photocopies, faxing, postage, office supplies, and all administrative

tasks should be included in the overhead. Travel expenses, including, but not limited to,

airfare, lodging, transportation, mileage, tolls, and parking, will not be reimbursed by the City.

Meals, entertainment, and incidental expenses such as cell phones are also non-reimbursable.

Proposers shall also include a year-by-year billing projection for the full term of the contract,

including any optional renewal periods, clearly identifying anticipated annual costs.

8) AWARD CRITERIA

The City of New Rochelle reserves the right to award this RFP to the respondent who presents a

proposal that best meets the requirements as listed herein and represents the most beneficial

procurement as determined by the City. The award of a contract for the described services will be

made by the City’s RFP Evaluation Committee. If an agreement is not reached within a reasonable

period, the City may pursue negotiations with the next ranked firm or reissue the RFP altogether.

Firms may be asked to meet with the Evaluation Committee and the City Council.

Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the basis of the following criteria:

EVALUATION CRITERIA

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF THE RESPONDENT:

Consideration will be given to proposers demonstrating strong capabilities,

experience and reputation in undertakings of similar projects to those

described in this RFP.

MAXIMUM

POINTS

40 Points

Creativity and Practicality of Previous Work:

Proposal responses will be evaluated on creativity coupled with feasibility

to fulfill the scope of work.

35 Points

FINANCIAL TERMS

Consideration will be given to proposals that present the best value to the

City over the term of the contract and cost estimate. (EXHIBIT C)

25 Points

The City reserves the right to waive any minor deviation in proposal responses received when such

waiver is in the best interests of the City, and reserves the right to modify any requirements, terms or

conditions as outlined in this request for proposal (RFP) when such modification(s) is in the best interests

of the City.

Proposals will only be accepted from thoroughly competent and experienced individuals or entities as

determined solely by the City of New Rochelle. Respondents are responsible for submission of accurate,

adequate and clear descriptions of the information requested. Omissions, vagueness or inaccurate

descriptions or responses shall not be interpreted in favor of the bidder and shall be grounds for bid

RFP-DV-2026-007-5

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