Frequently Asked Questions

The solicitations website offers an easy place to find, read and apply to open solicitations. Specifically, it will:

• Improve the viewing experience for all open solicitations and supporting documents.
• Provide easy access to information and documents required at every step of the procurement process.
• Inform proposers/applicants about the procurement process in general, including what they can expect at each step of the process.

DHS’s procurement process applies only to services and supports that advance our human service mission. It doesn’t include the purchase of materials or concrete goods utilized for the operation of County functions.

A listing of active solicitations can always be found on the website and we also post new solicitations on social media. However, to be kept informed on a regular basis, sign up for our mailing list and you will be notified each time a solicitation is issued. You can also login or create and account on our DHS Bonfire Portal and sign up to be a vendor to receive notifications whenever a new solicitation has been issued.

Details about responding to a solicitation can be found on the website and in each individual solicitation. In general, however, you will first create an account or log in at Allegheny County DHS’s Bonfire Portal. After reviewing the solicitation, complete the Response Form; you will submit it and any other required attachments/documentation through the DHS Bonfire Portal on the appropriate Opportunity Page.

An evaluation committee will review all responses, as detailed in each individual solicitation. The committee may ask you to submit additional information or to make an oral presentation. They will rank each response based on the criteria laid out in the solicitation and make a recommendation to the DHS director.

If successful, you will be notified via a “notice of intent to award” you will receive from DHSProposals. If unsuccessful, you will be notified via an email from DHSProposals which will offer an opportunity to obtain feedback on why your Proposal was declined.

Yes, simply send an email to DHSProposals and we’ll contact you to arrange a feedback call.

If you are selected and are new to DHS, you will submit a New Provider Application. Once complete, or if you are already a DHS provider, DHS’s contracts unit will work with you to gather all necessary information/documentation for the contracting process. As the necessary information/documentation is being prepared, the final recommendation for the contract award will undergo the County’s Executive Action, MWDBE and VOSB approval processes. Contract terms and the final budget may be negotiated at this stage, after which the contract will be signed off on by both parties. Any contract award is contingent on the successful completion of this process.

Specific contract requirements are outlined in each RFP/RFQ/RFI. Additional details about contracting with Allegheny County and insurance requirements are available in the DHS Contract Specifications Manual and the Insurance Requirements Overview. Once you are selected, you will be assigned a contract lead, who will help you through the contract process.

See the next section for information specific to MWDBE/VOSB contract requirements.

All prior solicitations and information about their outcomes can be found at the Solicitations Archive.

Allegheny County has MWDBE goals of 13% participation for Minority Business Enterprises, a 5% goal for Veteran Owned Small Business, and 2% participation for Women Enterprises and expects that Successful Proposers will make a “good faith effort” in assisting the County in meeting these goals. The good faith effort means to pass on those percentages to the organizations you subcontract with for inventory and services such as office supplies and janitorial services. Only organizations that are certified meet those percentages. If you do not meet those percentages, you should request a waiver. For more information, visit the Allegheny County Equity and Inclusion Department website.

No, you are not required to be a certified MWDBE or VOSB organization in order to submit a response for one of our solicitations.

DHS does not score or evaluate MWDBE documentation during the proposal evaluation process. Allegheny County’s Allegheny County Equity and Inclusion Department will review the Proposal and their accompanying MWDBE documentation to determine if the Proposer is demonstrating a good faith effort at helping to meet Allegheny County’s goals of 13% MBE contracts, 5% VOSB and 2% WBE contracts. Please complete the MWDBE and VOSB documentation to the best of your ability. If, during their review, the Equity and Inclusion Department finds errors in your MWDBE or VOSB documentation, they will contact you and help you correct them.

You may count yourself toward one of goals. If you are already certified as a Woman Business Enterprise, you must make a good faith effort to meet the Minority Business Enterprise goal. Conversely, if you are already certified as a Minority Business Enterprise, you must make a good faith effort to meet the Woman Enterprise goal. If you are registered as both, you must choose one to count towards the contract goals. You cannot cover both.

You must choose to count the firm towards only one of the contract goals – you cannot cover both with one entity.

Yes, every Proposer must provide the MWDBE documentation.

You should make a good faith effort to try to meet the County’s goals. You can solicit quotes from MWDBE organizations for your gloves, for example.

Yes, this is a good faith effort. In your MWDBE documentation, you would state your current pricing and the quotes you received. Give us as much information as you can so we can understand why you can’t meet the goals.

To be certified, you have to be for-profit. Visit Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program to find details about the certification process and the application. The application is lengthy and there are many supporting documents required. The County Equity and Inclusion Department’s MWDBE Program certifies organizations and conducts counseling sessions. If you are interested in becoming certified, or if you know of a woman- or minority-owned business who is not yet certified, visit Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program or contact the Allegheny County Equity and Inclusion Department.

Allegheny County accepts certifications by PA UCP and by others on a case-by-case basis. The County does not accept self-certifications.

If you have any further questions about MWDBE, please contact the Allegheny County Equity and Inclusion Department. They will be happy to provide you with more information.

Click on “Support” in the main navigation of this website or email us at DHSProposals.

Current DHS providers can find additional information and resources at the Current DHS-contracted Providers page of the DHS website.