Request for Proposals
National Disability Institute (NDI) is seeking proposals from qualified firms and individuals with demonstrated expertise in designing and facilitating strategic planning processes for cross-sector groups. Experience with federal workforce systems, WIOA-related programs, ODEP-funded initiatives or disability employment initiatives is preferred.
At the request of the LEAD Center’s federal funder, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the LEAD Center will convene and facilitate the 2026 Knowledge Translation (KT) Consortium Annual Session. This session is tentatively scheduled to occur virtually in April 2026.
The KT Consortium is a collaborative network of approximately 15-25 federally funded training and TA centers. Each center with their own unique mission addresses different aspects of employment, career readiness and development, transition from school to post-secondary options, and accessibility for youth and adults with disabilities. KT
Consortium members come together to: 1) meet and interact; 2) share information on each center’s focus, funding and use of KT tools; and 3) develop a framework for sharing resources and training opportunities to collectively improve employment and economic advancement outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The KT Consortium annual session serves as a critical forum for shared learning, cross-system dialogue, coordinated planning and alignment among grantees and federal partners. Its purpose is to ensure that federally funded insights, tools and promising practices are effectively translated into actions that improve workforce access, participation, opportunities and outcomes for people with disabilities —ultimately strengthening the on-the-ground impact of federal policies across programs and communities.
Project Scope and Timeline
The selected Contractor will partner with NDI to design, facilitate and support the successful execution of the 2026 KT Consortium Annual Session. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following components:
1. Project Planning and Design
- Consult with NDI project leadership to understand project goals, stakeholder needs, constraints, desired outcomes and expectations from the project funder, ODEP.
- Conduct a pre-session assessment of the current KT environment, including existing processes, challenges, opportunities and stakeholder perspectives, to inform the session design.
- Develop a comprehensive design plan for a half-day strategic planning session, with flexibility to adjust based on funder direction.
- Create a session framework that supports meaningful cross-system engagement, knowledge exchange, and strategic alignment among the participating training and TA centers.
- Recommend facilitation approaches, activities and tools that promote collaboration and inclusive participation.
2. Facilitated Strategic Planning Session
- Co-lead and co-facilitate the 2026 KT Consortium Annual Session, utilizing methods appropriate for a multi-stakeholder national audience.
- Guide participants through structured strategic planning exercises that support:
- Shared learning across federally funded TA centers,
- Identification of collective priorities,
- Systems-level coordination and alignment and
- Strengthening of knowledge and evidence translation across the public workforce system
