HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County procurement officials on Oct. 27 reviewed technical specifications and bidder requirements for ITB 25-00275, the county's solicitation for Head Start and Early Head Start educational partners.

Dawn Zemina, the county's chief buyer, opened the pre-bid conference and told attendees the meeting was recorded and publicly noticed. "This meeting is not mandatory," she said, and cautioned bidders that "only a written addendum may change the bid document." She walked bidders through submission materials and said the deadline for bid submission is Nov. 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

Maggie Jones, contracts manager for the Head Start program, summarized the solicitation's scope and basic eligibility: the county seeks licensed childcare providers to operate Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms under federal and state requirements. "Please ensure that you are familiar with" Head Start performance standards, Florida statutes and county code, Jones said.

County staff set out facility and program minimums. Classrooms must be at least 750 square feet to accommodate a 20-child Head Start classroom or an 8-child Early Head Start classroom and provide 35 usable indoor play square feet per child, exclusive of toilets, kitchens and hallways. Outdoor play areas should provide a minimum of 100 usable square feet per child; site quality and modern playground surfacing are selection factors. Food-preparation areas must have at least 150 square feet and meet local sanitation approval.

Staffing and personnel rules were emphasized. The solicitation requires contractors to employ education supervisors and curriculum specialists and to meet minimum qualifications for classroom teachers and aides. "You will be required to ensure that the staff that you hire meet the standards for this," Jones said. Contractors are responsible for criminal background checks, physicals and TB testing for staff, and those costs are not reimbursable by the county.

County finance and program staff described reporting and payment procedures. Dane Telfer, manager of fiscal services for Head Start, said contractors will submit monthly invoices using the provided template and will be paid weekly on a per-classroom basis. "Once the classroom is open, you will be paid for the full classroom capacity," Telfer said, noting that the county's case managers are responsible for filling enrollments.

The county also described monitoring and audit rules. Quality-assurance reviews, on-site monitoring visits and required monthly claims reporting will be used to measure contractor performance. An annual audit is required if a contractor's total income exceeds $750,000.

Administration of meal services was addressed: Telfer said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Childcare Food Program funds meals for Head Start and that facilities must be eligible for that program. Curriculum for classrooms is provided by the county; Telfer named Frog Street as the current curriculum and said assessment tools include CLASS and other instruments, with final details to be posted on the procurement portal.

Geography and capacity priorities are organized into two ZIP-code clusters targeted to areas of higher need. Jones and Telfer provided cluster-specific slot targets (for example, cluster 1 Early Head Start sought 20 classrooms of 8 children each for 160 slots; cluster 1 Head Start sought six classrooms of 20 children each for 120 slots) and said the county may prioritize location and service to high-need ZIP codes when bids are otherwise comparable.

The county explained pre-award site visits: Head Start staff will evaluate each responsive bidder's center and playground with a checklist (Head Start performance standards, Florida childcare licensing, ADA compliance, classroom equipment, parking and drop-off logistics). Delivery of services should be ready within seven days of the county's purchase order.

Bidders asked procedural questions during the Q&A. Dawn advised that bidders submit clarifying questions in writing through the county procurement portal so formal answers can be published to all prospective bidders; the deadline for questions is 14 calendar days after the pre-bid conference. On multiple questions, staff confirmed that any proposed deviations are optional and that additional space or separate payment for office space would require a post-award negotiation.

A Kindercare representative asked whether centers outside the listed ZIP codes could be considered; Telfer said any facility located within Hillsborough County falls into one of the two clusters and is therefore eligible; locations outside the county are not eligible.

The pre-bid concluded with a reminder of requirements, the submission deadline (Nov. 21, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.), and that the meeting recording will be posted when available. County staff encouraged bidders to read solicitation attachments closely (sample bid tables, facility information questionnaire, calendar and classroom materials list) and to submit questions through the procurement portal so answers appear in a public addendum.

Next steps: prospective bidders should confirm registration with the USDA Childcare Food Program if they intend to provide meals, complete and submit the bid tables and facility questionnaire in the ITB packet, and plan for a mandatory site visit if their bid is responsive and recommended for award.