Out-of-School-Time Youth Programs

The City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services is seeking experienced youth-serving organizations to implement year-round and project-based out-of-school-time programs for young people ages 6 to 21, with total planned funding of $13.5 million.

City of Chicago > Department of Family and Support Services

General

Status:Open

Solicitation Identifier:67226

Due Date:Oct 30, 2026 05:00 PM

Posted Date:Sep 18, 2026 12:00 PM

Estimated Value:$3,750,000.00

Contract Period:3 years base + 2 × 1 year options

Type:Request for Proposal (RFP)

Level:Local

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Original Solicitation Links

http://www.chicagotribune.com

[

67226

]https://www.cityofchicago.org/eProcurement

Original Notices

Chicago Tribune — Chicago, IllinoisSep 18, 2026

City of Chicago Department of Family and SupportServices Legal Advertisement Request Form Department offamily anD Support ServiceS (DfSS), out-of-School time programS rfp The Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) seeks to fund experienced City of Chicago youth-serving organizations to implement high-quality out-of-school time(OST)programsfor young peopleages 6to21. Through the Year-Round and Project-Based Learning program models,thisinvestment is intended to foster safety, strengthen belonging, build youth skills, and cultivate positive relationships with peers and caring adults through evidence-informedpositive youth development practices. DFSS envisions aChicago whereevery young person regardlessofneighborhood,race, income, or circumstance has accesstohigh-qualityout-of-school opportunities that inspire them to exploretheir interests,build confidence, developleadershipskills, anddiscovertheirstrengthsinwelcomingenvironmentsthatpreparethem forlifelong success. Theterm of contract(s)executed under this RFPwill be from January1,2027 –December 31, 2029.All awarded delegate agencies are expected to begin contract executiononJanuary 1but will receive onboarding, training, and supporttolaunch programming on March 1, 2027. Based on need,availability of funds and contractor performance, DFSS may extend this term for up to two additional years, with each extension not toexceed one year.DFSS intends to allocate atotal of $3,500,000 for the OST Year-Round Program model and atotal of $10,000,000 for the Project-Based Program model. Total awards will depend on theprogram model(s) selectedand theamount of youthserved, ranging between $125,000and $3,750,000. DFSS anticipatesawardingbetween 10 and 28 OSTYear-Round program awards and between 10 and 60 OST Project-Based program awards. This contract will operate on areimbursement basis only.Noadvanceswillbegiven. This initiative is administered byDFSS through City of Chicago Corporate funds. Consequently, all guidelines and requirements of DFSS and the City of Chicago must be met. Additionally,all delegate agencies must complywiththe SingleAuditAct if applicable. Formore information, pleaserefer to the applicationposted on theCityofChicago'seProcurementpageundercurrent bids: www.cityofchicago.org/eProcurement Solicitation#67226 ANOTEABOUT THECITY'S EPROCUREMENTSYSTEM: For those who have not done business with the City of Chicago before, registration in iSupplier isthe first step to ensuring your agency's ability toconduct businesswith theCity of Chicago and DFSS. Please allowfive to seven days foryour registration to be processed. Currentcontractorsneed onlytostart an applicationvia theirexistingiSupplier/eProcurement account. AllvendorsmusthaveaFederal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) and an IRSW9for registrationand confirmationofvendorbusiness information. RFP DUE DATE/SUBMISSION LOCATION: October 30, 2026 12:00, NOON CST Proposals must be submittedvia on-lineapplication. E-mailedorfaxed proposalswill not be accepted. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: APre-Proposal Webinar will beheld onOctober 1, 2026 at 10am. Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly suggested. Location: CTU Headquarters, 1901W.Carroll Ave Chicago,IL60612, Room 115. Pre-proposal Conference registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dfss-out-of-school-time-ost-programs-rfp-pre-proposal-conference-tickets- 2001090346093?aff=oddtdtcreator Alink tothe completed conference will be available on-line atthe DFSS website after the time and date listed above for those who cannot attend at the live scheduled time. Please register prior tothe Webinar's start. The purpose of this pre-submittal event is to clarify the RFP process and the scope ofthe required services. AngelaJ.Green Brandon Johnson Commissioner Mayor Department of Family and SupportServices City of Chicago

Submission Instructions

Method:Online

Portal:https://www.cityofchicago.org/eProcurement

Description

The City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services is soliciting proposals from experienced youth-serving organizations to implement high-quality out-of-school-time programs for young people ages 6 through 21. The opportunity includes Year-Round and Project-Based Learning program models intended to promote safety, belonging, youth skill development, positive peer and adult relationships, leadership, and positive youth development in welcoming environments. Contracts are planned for January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029, with onboarding, training, and launch support beginning March 1, 2027. The department may extend the term by up to two additional years, with each extension limited to one year. Planned funding totals $3,500,000 for the Year-Round model and $10,000,000 for the Project-Based model; individual awards are expected to range from $125,000 to $3,750,000. Reimbursement-only contracting applies, with no advances. Proposals must be submitted through the online application system; email and fax submissions are not accepted.