Bring to Market New Preferred Source Service Offerings

Students will explore NYSID’s current Preferred Source service offerings and the regulatory environment in which it must operate. Students should have an understanding of the following:

• The regulatory environment that NYSID must operate in. What are the potential barriers/opportunities
• The service offerings currently approved under the Preferred Source guidelines & the definitions of these offerings.
• The role of Member Agencies/Corporate Partners.
• Executive Leadership will be engaged throughout this program, via check-in calls, and virtual Zoom video conferencing meetings.

Students will have the opportunity to speak with Executives from various Member Agencies and Corporate Partners, with the goal of gaining an in-depth understanding of:

• The population that NYSID serves.
• The challenges our Member Agencies/Corporate Partners face.

Students should have the first 3 steps on the application process completed. These are:

1. Commodity Specification/Service Description – The application shall include the name of, and a description of, the commodity or service (either by specification or narrative explanation), including a recitation as to how it is new or substantially different from the commodities/services already offered by the preferred source.

2. Market Information – The applicant should provide information on the scope of the potential market for the commodity or service.

3. Client Employment – The applicant should identify the nature of the tasks the clients of the preferred source will perform in the preparation of the commodity or in providing the service. Projected employment opportunities for clients should be quantified.

Students should have steps 4-6 of the application process completed.

4. Preferred Source – The applicant should identify the specific preferred source which will provide the commodity or service, and provide evidence of the preferred source’s qualifications and expertise to manufacture, produce or assemble the commodity or provide the service. If applicable, the Preferred Source shall also identify the corporate partner the preferred source will be working with to provide the services.

5. Value Added – The application must specifically address the value added by preferred source client labor to the finished commodity or service.

6. Direct Labor Workforce – The application must specifically detail the number and hours of the direct labor employed in the provision of each preferred source commodity and service agreement and reflect the objective that 75% of the direct labor be provided by people who are blind or by people with disabilities. The following guidelines allow exceptions for commodity and service agreement phase-in, and for commodities and service agreements requiring a workforce of 10 people or less (measured as full-time equivalents):

a. 75% of the direct labor under a preferred source agreement must be provided by people who are blind or by people with disabilities. For commodity or service agreements requiring a workforce (working supervisors and laborers) of 10 people or less, a majority of the direct labor must be provided by people who are blind or by people with disabilities.

b. Upon application by the preferred source and approval by the Office of General Services, up to a six-month period will be allowed for phase-in of commodity and service agreements, after which the 75% direct labor requirement will apply. During phase-in, a majority of the direct labor must be provided by people who are blind or by people with disabilities.

c. Preferred source applications will indicate a start-up date (based upon the termination of the existing contract or other factors as applicable). This start-up date will key the phase-in period. d. These workforce standards will apply to all new commodity and service requests and to all requests for changes in, or renewal of, approved commodities and services.

e. Direct labor includes all labor other than non-working supervisors. If it is anticipated that a preferred source will not be able to meet the 75% direct labor requirement for a commodity or service agreement within the allowable phase-in period, the preferred source application must specifically address staffing and related timing issues.

Students should complete steps 7 & 8 of the Preferred Source Application.

7. Cost/Benefits Analysis – The application will provide a summary of projected costs and benefits expected to accrue to the State, its agency(ies), a political subdivision(s), public benefit corporations(s), or the preferred source, as well as any broader social and economic impacts on client employment and government costs. (For example, will a successful application maintain client employment, create employment opportunities for new clients, or result in reduced governmental support being provided to clients through other government programs?) The analysis should be quantitative but may include qualitative factors.

8. Cost/Price Data – The application should include information sufficient to enable OGS to approve the price data on the commodity or service in accordance with the statute. In the case of Corcraft, the application should include its price for the offered Corcraft commodity. For applications involving multiple commodities (e.g., complete product line, various sizes, and packaging, etc.) and individual service rates (e.g., wage rates), the price of each commodity or individual service component may not exceed 15% above the prevailing market price. Preferred sources are encouraged to provide independent market analyses to be considered in the OGS determination of prevailing market price.

9. Current Suppliers – If the commodity or service is already being purchased by State agencies, public benefit corporations, or political subdivisions, the application will list the current suppliers or contract holders if known to the applicant.

10. Preferred Source Suppliers – The application should contain the projected first-year value of anticipated contracts and the name(s) and location(s) of the contractor(s) who would supply raw materials, semi-finished or finished products required by the preferred source, including any information as to methods employed in selecting such suppliers, if appropriate. The application and supporting documentation must be submitted to the State Procurement Council coordinating Office, via the Procurement Services Group of the Office of General Services. If PSG determines that the application is a new offering, the preferred source will be instructed to submit the application to ESD for review.”

Students will present the final application to NYSID’s Executive Leadership Team.