Explanation
BACKGROUND:
The City of Columbus, Columbus Public Health, receives funding for the Implementing Enhanced HIV Prevention and Surveillance for Health Departments to End the HIV Epidemic in Ohio Grant Program from the Ohio Department of Health. The purpose of this grant is to create “Disruptive Innovation” by seeking to prevent new HIV infections by focusing on four (4) pillars: treating HIV to achieve viral suppression, diagnose HIV so that all persons know their HIV status, prevent infections through PrEP and syringe support programs, and respond to HIV clusters or outbreaks within the community. This grant specifically focuses on the diagnoses and prevention pillars and is contingent upon ordinance 2211-2022.
This ordinance authorizes the Board of Health to enter into and, if needed, modify contracts with the following vendors to provide HIV-related early intervention services and any other services allowable under the grant. The term of the contract with each qualified vendor is August 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023, with funding based on vendor estimates of annual funding requirements for allowable services. Using Bonfire, competitive bids were advertised and solicited in accordance with the relevant provisions of Columbus City Code 329 relating to competitive bidding. Specifically, Bonfire RFQ021189 and RFQ015537. RFQ021189 was posted on March 8, 2022 which covers a 58-month grant period (5/1/22-2/28/27) with annual contracts being issued with the grant fiscal year, according to bidding requirements of the City Code. In addition, RFQ015537 was posted in May 2020 which also covered a five-year period (7/1/2020 - 2/28/2025). This RFQ was also for EHE services specifically resource navigation. At that time, Equitas Health bid and was awarded a contract. We are requesting the same services under the ODH EHE grant and received an updated budget and proposal from Equitas and because they completed the bid process on RFQ015537, the bidding was...
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