On-Call Emergency Shelter Beds and Case Management for Adult Human Trafficking Victim-Survivors

As outlined in the Scope of Work, the County of San Mateo seeks highly qualified contractors to provide on-call emergency and interim shelter beds and comprehensive case management services within their existing facilities and frameworks for victim-survivors of human trafficking (referred to in this RFP as "clients", "victims", or "victim-survivors"), including during and following sting operations and enforcement actions. Placement lengths will vary based on individual need. Some clients may require only short-term emergency shelter, while others may need an extended stay of up to one year or until they have achieved sufficient stability to transition safely to other stable housing.

This procurement covers both sex trafficking and labor trafficking victim-survivors, including adults of all gender identities and expressions. However, if an agency only provides services to a certain subset of human trafficking victim-survivors, they are still invited to apply. All applicants must be committed to inclusive, equitable, and trauma-informed services.

Background

San Mateo County (SMC) has identified human trafficking as a significant public safety and public health issue. SMC hosts SFO international airport, the 10th busiest airport in the country, and is nearby two other international airports (Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport and San Jose Mineta International Airport), making it a significant transit hub within the Bay Area. The County has convened a coordinated, multi-agency effort let by the District Attorney's office to identify, disrupt, and prosecute trafficking networks and connect victim-survivors to services. Activities have included updating the County's Human Trafficking Protocol for all police departments and the Sheriff's Office; collaborating with local, state, and federal agencies to proactively shutdown illicit human trafficking activity; and creating a team of inspectors and detectives to work on human trafficking fulltime.

Currently, there are no shelters in San Mateo County that specifically serve human trafficking victim-survivors. As a result, victims seeking services may struggle to find placement on their own, and law enforcement cannot reliably offer safe, appropriate, and immediate shelter to victims during or following enforcement operations.

This RFP is in response to that gap. Effective programs should provide trauma-informed, survivor-centered service delivery that prioritizes survivor autonomy and low-barrier access. Shelter sites should maintain an undisclosed location with appropriate on-site staffing, robust security infrastructure, and written security breach protocols. Sites should be located where survivors have access to a variety of support services. Staff should be extensively trained and have all required state and federal certifications.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFP-00519
• Department: County Executive's Office
• Department Head: Michael Callagy (County Executive)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-12T00:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Project Approach (30 pts)
• Firm Qualifications (30 pts)
• Price (35 pts)
• Preferential Points (5 pts) —

  Where price is not the sole evaluation factor for a solicitation (e.g., in the case of a "best-value" solicitation), five percent (5%) of the total evaluation points otherwise awardable will be added to the proposal score for each Local Business or Local Non-Profit score for evaluation purposes. In the event of a tie between a Local Business or Local Non-Profit and another bidder, the Local Business or Non-Profit shall be awarded the Contract, assuming agreement on other contract terms.

  An additional three percent (3%) preference shall be given to a Local Business or Local Non-profit (for a total of eight percent (8%) of total points otherwise awardable) if the proposer is a Small Business or Small Non-Profit, or an additional 5 percent preference (for a total of ten percent (10%) of total points otherwise awardable) if the proposer is a Micro Business or Micro Non-Profit.

Submission Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications
• Has Proposer has been providing similar services for a minimum of three (3) years within the last seven (7) years? (required)
• Account manager has a minimum of two (2) years of experience within the last five (5) years in providing account services? (required)
• Please confirm your firm is registered with System for Award Management (SAM) (required) —

  SAM.gov

• What is the registered Business Name and Unique Entity ID (UEI) No.? (required) —
  • UEI number can be obtained by registering your business through SAM.GOV
  • Should you be in the process of obtaining your UEI number, please enter the digits ‘123’ temporarily for your response below in order to proceed with proposal. This temporary number should be replaced with the correct registration number for submission of the proposal.
• Is the Proposer a Non-Profit? (required) —

  A Non-Profit is defined as a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes. 

• Is the Proposer a "Local Non-Profit" —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Non-Profit" means a tax-exempt public charity organization (within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code) that is formed for purposes other than making a profit, is exempt from paying federal income taxes on the income generated for their exempt purposes, and has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response. 

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank.

• Procurement Preference for Local Businesses and Local Non-Profits
• Is the Proposer a "Local Business"? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, a “Local Business” means any for-profit business which has its principal place of business, or is headquartered, in San Mateo County. If this designation applies to the proposer, a self-attestation form must be completed and provided with this response. 

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Is the Proposer a Local "Small" or "Micro" Non-Profit? —

  As Defined by Chapter 2.89.020 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code:

  “Small Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of $1,000,000 to $2,500,000 according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

  “Micro Non-Profit" means a Local Non-Profit with an annual revenue of less than $1,000,000, according to its most recently filed IRS Form 990.

  If the above designations apply, please provide your latest filed IRS form 990. A filing from the last two calendar years is acceptable. 

  If this designation is not applicable, please leave blank. 

• Technical Proposal
• Introduction and Executive Summary (required) —

  Submit a letter of introduction and executive summary of the proposal.  The letter must contain:

  • Name, title and contact information (email, phone, and address) for representative of proposer that is responsible for communication related to this RFP.
  • Name, title, contact information, and signature of person authorized to obligate firm to perform the commitment contained in the proposal.

  Submission of the letter will constitute a representation by proposer that it is willing and able to perform the commitments contained in the proposal and has not violated the terms of this RFP.

• Statement of Minimum Qualifications (required) —

  Describe how the proposer meets the minimum qualifications as set forth in Minimum Qualifications of this RFP.

  Submission of the Minimum Qualifications checklist is not a substitute for providing a detailed written response.

• Project Approach (required) —

  This section should correlate to the Scope of Work.

  1. Describe the program and model service delivery you are proposing, including how it complies with the service components and approach as described in this RFP. Ensure that you provide a detailed explanation of the services that will be offered and the program structure. Address how the program meets the needs of human trafficking victim-survivors (clients).
  2. Describe how staff will support clients with group programming and connections to additional resources and assist with transportation to them.
  3. Describe how the program will support clients with managing conflict and/or any other problems that may occur during their stay and avoids using involuntary exits except as a last resort strategy.
  4. Describe how case managers support clients to develop and execute case management plans.
     1. Include frequency that each client will meet with their case manager.
     2. Propose a service schedule and hours of operation of case management services.
     3. Provide a sample completed case plan document that reflects what a completed case plan will be for program clients.
  5. Provide a description of the program rules that will be in place. Provide a copy of program rules for one or more of the programs your organization operates(ed).
  6. Describe the intake process for each client.
  7. Describe the staffing plan for the program. Include a list of positions. For each role, include the qualifications and a brief description.
     1. Specify the staff position(s) that will be responsible for:
        1. Staff supervision and training
        2. Overall program oversight
        3. Tracking and reporting compliance
        4. Implementation of procedures and policies
        5. Data entry
        6. Quality improvement and quality assurance
        7. Consistent, high-quality service delivery
     2. Specify the number of staff that will be on site during each shift.
  8. Describe onboarding and training process for staff as well as ongoing training.
  9. If you plan to utilize volunteers in any way for these services, describe what role the volunteers will be screened, trained, and supervised.
  10. Describe the sites emergency procedures in place for natural disasters and other emergency situations.
  11. Identify your program targets and expected performance measures.
  12. Describe any items listed in this RFP that you cannot provide or that are not included in your proposed interim housing program.
• Agency Qualifications, Experience, and Outcomes (required) —
  1. Provide a statement of qualifications for your organization to demonstrate your agency's capacity to operate this contract. Include a statement of the following:
     1. Size of your organization (number and FTE of staff, delineating between employees and consultants).
     2. Description of services provided by your organization.
     3. Experience providing services requested in this RFP or similar services.
     4. Specify the target populations you have served through existing programs and the results achieved.
     5. A description of the populations served, number of beds, and number of years in operation. Indicate how many clients were served in your program(s) each year for the past 3 fiscal years.
     6. Describe the organizational structure of your organization, including 501(c)(3) status, for-profit status, or other status, and size and membership of governing board.
• References (required) —

  Provide three (3) references for each of the following, including the name, address, and telephone number of recent clients (preferably other public agencies):

• Fee Proposal (required) —

  The Fee Proposal should be submitted as a separate PDF file from the Technical Proposals detailed in Required Documents.

  The County reserves the right to accept other than the lowest priced offer and to reject any proposals that are not responsive to this request.

• Agreement term (years) (required) —

  Update below if needed.

• Is there an extension to this agreement? (required) —

  Is there an extension to this agreement?

• Extension (required) —

  Modify the extension information below, if needed

• Will there be a Pre-Proposal Meeting and/or a Site Visit? (required)
• Include the information that will be covered in the site visit. (required)
• Require vendors to provide References? (required)
• References (required) —

  How many references are required by the vendor? (Number)

• Use Electronic Line Item Pricing? (required)
• Allow vendors to submit Confidential Information? (required) —

  In rare circumstances where there is an expectation that proposers will need to submit trade secrets or other confidential information in order to respond to an RFP. 

• Sample Agreement (required)