Development of a New Preferred Source Service Offering

Select 2 new service offerings that you plan to propose to NYSID’s Executive Team as areas of growth & opportunity.

Develop a Preferred Source application for the new service offering completing as many of the application requirements as possible.

• 1. Service Description – The application shall include the name of, and a description of, the service (either by specification or narrative explanation), including a recitation as to how it is new or substantially different from the services already offered by the preferred source.
  2. Market Information – The applicant should provide information on the scope of the potential market for the service.
  3. Client Employment – The applicant should identify the nature of the tasks the clients of the preferred source will perform in the preparation in providing the service. Projected employment opportunities for clients should be quantified.
  4. Preferred Source – The applicant should identify the specific preferred source which will provide the service, and provide evidence of the preferred source’s qualifications and expertise to 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 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 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 service agreement phase-in, and for 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 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 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 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 service requests and to all requests for changes in, or renewal of, approved 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 service agreement within the allowable phase-in period, the preferred source application must specifically address staffing and related timing issues.

  7. Cost/Benefits Analysis – The application will provide a summary of projected costs and benefits expected to accrue to the State, its agency(ies), 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. For applications involving multiple individual service rates (e.g., wage rates), the price of each individual service component may not exceed 15% above prevailing market price. Preferred sources are encouraged to provide independent market analyses to be considered in the OGS determination of prevailing market price. The application submitted must include the following elements: