Request for Qualifications: Reentry Services 2026

Request for Qualification (RFQ) 1205 – RS2026

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

• Issuing Agency Name: Cook County Justice Advisory Council
• Application Contact: Juandalynn Johnson, email JAC.Info@cookcountyil.gov
• Announcement Type: Initial Announcement – Request for Qualifications
• Title: Cook County Justice Advisory Council Reentry Services Request for Qualifications
• RFQ Number: 1205-RS2026
• Application Release Date: April 27, 2026
• Application Due Date: May 26, 2026, 5:00pm (Central)
• Pre- Submittal Conference: Non-mandatory session offered May 11, 2026 at 10:00am (Central)
  • Pre-Submittal Conference Information and Registration at CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants
• Questions: Questions may be emailed to JAC.Info@cookcountyil.gov. 
  • Due date for submitting questions: May 13, 2026 11:59 PM (Central) 
  • The funding opportunity question and answer document will be posted to the JAC website CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants on May19, 2026
• Application Review Period: May 26, 2026 - June 30, 2026

Background - Cook County Justice Advisory Council

Cook County Government is a home rule county pursuant to Article VII, Section 6 of the Illinois State Constitution and is governed by a 17-member Board of Commissioners that is elected from single-member districts. The Commissioners and a County Board President are elected to four-year terms by the citizens of the County. Cook County represents one of the major metropolitan areas in the state and nation, and contains 134 municipalities, (including the City of Chicago), 29 townships, 221 special districts, and 164 school districts. Cook County is home to 5.28 million residents making it the second most populous county in the United States.

The Cook County Justice Advisory Council (JAC) implements Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle's public safety policy and criminal and juvenile justice system reform efforts. The JAC’s mission is to promote equitable, human-centered, community-driven justice system innovation and practice through rigorous stakeholder engagement, policy work, service coordination, and grantmaking that increases community safety and reduces reliance on incarceration.

There are four key pillars that define the work of the JAC: 1) Policy Work; 2) Community Engagement; 3) Reentry Services; and 4) Grants and Investment.

APPLICATION GUIDE

Reentry Services RFQ Background and RFQ List Term

The JAC Reentry Services’ pillar conceives of reentry work as beginning at the first point of contact with the system. Through our ARPA-funded Reconnect program, we provided rental assistance and services for returning residents, addressing housing insecurity, health, employment and other needs of returning residents coming back to Cook County from prison. Our reentry services team also includes housing placement for individuals on pretrial release through our No Place To Stay Program, initially growing out of a program merely focused on those ordered to electronic monitoring and now serving a broader set of those experiencing acute housing insecurity while navigating their criminal cases. 

This request for qualifications is aimed at building a collection of agreements to serve all along this continuum of need, continuing our rental assistance and housing navigation work for those returning prison, providing short term housing placements for those in their pre-trial phase along with other phases along the continuum of reentry, and enhancing these services with more case management and transportation where possible. 

To this end, this RFQ shall establish a prequalified pool of providers of these, which may include providers qualified in any, some, or all of the service subject matters indicated in the following section. 

The qualified providers list will be valid for thirty-six (36) months, with three (1) one-year renewal options. The JAC may enter into Professional Services Agreements with prequalified providers to provide services, as needed and as funding may be available, throughout the period of the list’s validity. Those Professional Services Agreements would have their own terms and renewal options. 

Following the preparation of this pre-qualified list, the Cook County Justice Advisory Council will negotiate individually with individual providers on both the scope of services to be provided as well as the cost for those services.

Applicant Eligibility Criteria

Organizations applying for this RFQ must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

• Non-profit status:  Applicant, lead applicants, or fiscal agents must be a community based nonprofit organization with a 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 status at the time of application submission. Applicants must submit an IRS determination letter proving its 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status. These letters must be dated before the application deadline and the name on the IRS determination letter must match the organization name used to apply for this RFQ.
• Solvent and Competent: The Applicant must be financially solvent; and each of its members, if a joint venture, its employees, agents or subcontractors at any level must be competent to perform the work and services required under this application.
• Licensure: It is understood that the selected Applicant is in good standing and licensed in any areas of service which require licensure.
• Experience: Applicants must have at least 3 years of experience providing the services under the service categories they are applying for.

Service Categories

Applicants should apply to provide services under at least one (1) of the following categories listed below. If applying under more than one category, applicants should still only submit one application with multiple categories addressed therein. Collaboration across organizations under a lead applicant’s proposal are permitted.

Category 1: Housing Navigation and Rental Assistance

The JAC and its designated government and community referral partners seek to support individuals coming back to Cook County from periods of incarceration with housing supports. Some returning residents may initially go to transitional housing or other community housing, while others may be in a position to start renting a home in their own name. Faced with barriers to housing and employment, returning residents may benefit from substantial assistance in finding, securing and maintaining viable rental housing options. To this end, JAC seeks to find qualified providers to provide the following supports and services: 

• Provide housing navigation (assistance with searching for and viewing available rental units),
• Advocate for participants in communications with landlords, help them complete housing applications, ensure they understand their lease obligations, and equip them with knowledge of their rights under Cook County’s Just Housing Amendment.
• Introduce participants to communities that may be new to them as well as communities familiar to them; in this, the provider should respect the right to self-determination of participants in choosing where to live. 
• Pay rental application fees, security deposits, and landlord incentives equal to no more than one month’s rent on behalf of the participant (through JAC provided funds). 
• Assist with setting up utilities, pay utility deposits (with JAC provided funds), and help participants apply for utility assistance (LIHEAP). 
• Coordinate participant move-in to a new unit. 

• Provide rental support through JAC provided funds (the portion and rules regarding which to be set later in agreement formulation to accord with the broader initiative). 

  Category 2: Transitional Housing (Pre-trial and Post-Incarceration)

  JAC and its designated criminal legal system and community referral partners seek housing to support individuals in the pre-trial period of their criminal cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County who are in a critical state of housing instability (what we term our No Place To Stay program) as well as individuals returning to Cook County following a period of incarceration (post-trial), particularly as they search for more long-term housing (likely in conjunction with the providers under Service Category One “Housing Navigation and Rental Assistance.” Those referred to transitional housing may be under certain release conditions, such as electronic monitoring and/or regular court dates. Transitional Housing providers must comply withthe following requirements:

• Maintain an appropriate venue for the provision of the services offered, complying with relevant building code provisions, zoning, and other local government requirements.    
• Staff facilities used by participants 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  
• Ensure the physical safety of residents, with due regard to the safety of staff and neighbors as well.  
• Maintain sufficient staff to coordinate efforts with the Cook County Justice Advisory Council, and through them to other units of county government.  
• Interview and assess participants upon arrival for needs related to their house placement.   
• Document and refer to services for any urgent health concerns, including urgent behavioral health concerns, promptly.   
• Maintain individualized records and take care that these records remain confidential.   
• Not employ any resident served through a for-profit organization operated by the provider without full disclosure and approval from the Cook County Justice Advisory Council. 
• Support program participants as they engage in pro-social behaviors, including accessing health care, maintaining or qualifying for employment, continuing their education, participating in faith- based activities as they may choose, and maintaining healthy contacts with friends and family. 
• Have policies and protocols (or willingness to develop) that explicitly support participants receiving all FDA approved forms of medications for addiction treatment (e.g., methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, Naloxone), including safe storage of medication, transportation to and from appointments, and other logistics to support ongoing care engagement.   
• Have staff that are trained in first aid protocols including administering naloxone (NarcanTM), and mental health first aid. Have policies and protocols (or willingness to develop) that allow participants to be trained in overdose prevention and carry naloxone.  
• Have staff that are trained (or a willingness to implement with JAC) in the principles of harm reduction and trauma-informed care.   
• Provide each participant with appropriate sleeping, dining, recreational and bathroom facilities, and a safe place to store identification and other valuables, including medications, and should have reliable access to laundry facilities that are free or affordably priced. 
• Facilitate and monitor transportation to and from court as needed. 
• Document clear and understandable rules for residents, including an orientation and a copy of the rules for residents.  Such rules shall be fairly and evenhandedly enforced.   
• Promptly request removal or transfer from the facility if a participant is a danger to self or others. 

• Offer equitable treatment by staff towards all participants throughout their stay at the facility.   

  Category 3: Case Coordination

For the pretrial population encountering acute housing needs, case coordination and case management support will be needed to aide our criminal legal system government partners to identify and appropriately place these individuals across the transition housing providers serving service Category 1: Transitional Housing. A Case Coordination provider would be able to:

• Interface with JAC’s identified referral partners, such as the pre-trial services department of the Circuit Court of Cook County, working appropriately with them to screen their clients for acute housing insecurity. 
• Work with transitional housing providers to refer clients (as overseen by the pre-trial services department within the Circuit Court of Cook County) that match with the housing providers’ programs, specializations and restrictions. 

• Help facilitate transportation from the criminal legal system partner or community housing to the transitional housing provider (likely through a provider serving ‘Category 4: Transportation.

  Category 4: Transportation 

For the pretrial population encountering acute housing insecurity, transportation is often needed to our transitional housing providers from either the Cook County Department of Corrections or from a community housing location that an individual may currently have. A transportation provider would be able to:

• Interface with the JAC’s identified partners, such as the pre-trial services department of the Circuit Court of Cook County, any case management agency retained by the JAC for this purpose, the transitional housing providers, and the clients receiving the housing referral, to transport the individuals to the transitional housing location. 
• Provide suitable and safe vehicles for transportation, meeting all appropriate and required licensing and registration rules.
• Where needed, attaining the appropriate public chauffeur licenses. 
• Maintaining drivers that have valid permanent driver's licenses of any state, district or territory of the United States, for at least one year, and who do not currently have a suspended or revoked driver's license in any state, district, or territory of the United States.

Performance Measures and Budgets

Following the formulation of a qualified list, the Cook County Justice Advisory Council may seek to enter into agreements with qualified applicants at any time during qualified list’s term. If such an agreement is sought, fiscal and programmatic reporting requirements, including performance measures will be established. Rules regarding appropriate budgets and will also be addressed during that agreement negotiation and finalization stage. 

APPLICATION

The application consists of 4 parts: (1) Application Narrative (7-page maximum) (itself consisting of a 5-page maximum qualification description, organization readiness information, and references); (2) a current and previous year operating budget document, submitted in the JAC-provided template titled “Current and Past Year Operating Budget Template”; (3) most recently available audited financial statements; and (4) a list of other small supporting documents. This section will detail the application narrative and then provide a detailed checklist of the total application, including the requirements for all supporting documentation. 

Application Narrative (Application Part 1)

This document must be less than 20 Mb in size, and must be in .DOC or .DOCX  format, and should be single-spaced, no smaller than 12-point font throughout.   The Application Narrative should contain three sections: (A) Reentry Services Qualification Description (5-page max.); (B) Organizational Readiness to Serve Populations; and (C) References Section 

Application Narrative Part A: Reentry Services Qualification Description (5 page maximum)

In this section, please provide a statement of the organization’s readiness and experience providing services under one or more of the service categories detailed earlier in this RFQ. This should include:

1. A clear statement of which service category(y/ies) are being applied for. 
2. A thorough description of your experience and capacity to provide the services in one or more of the service categories. 
   1. A description of projects or agreements for which you’ve provided such services.
   2. Any coordination with partner agencies and units of government.
   3. Total number of employees in your organization, year of incorporation, and number of years providing services. 
   4. The names and length of relevant professional experiences of key personnel involved in this work (resumes are not requested).  
3. For those applying for Service Category 2: Transitional Housing: a list of the locations, features, and licensure of all facilities utilized for services with a statement expressing how such facilities meet state and local standards regarding health and safety.     
4. A description of any limitations that may prevent the accommodation of all participants, including non-English speaking participants and those living with disabilities.   

Application Narrative Part B: Organizational Readiness to Serve Populations (1 page)

The following list describes areas of organizational readiness that the JAC is seeking from service providers. Applicants need not supply all of these; however, applicants should speak to each area with consideration to how they do or do not engage with that area of organizational readiness. This list of organizational readiness areas is not exhaustive. If there are additional areas you would like to speak to, in addition to this list, you may.  

1. Populations Served  
2. What population or populations is your organization designed to serve?  
3. In what ways are your staff representative of the populations your organization is designed to serve, if any?  
4. Racial Equity 
5. How do you ensure equity in access to supports and services as well as outcomes? 
6. How do you address racial disparities in the communities you serve?  
7. Disability Supports  
8. Do you serve individuals with a physical or cognitive disability on-site or in-house? If yes, please name any disability or accessibility needs you may already have built-in. 
9. Do you require staff to complete any training that might prepare them to serve individuals with a physical or cognitive disability?  
10. LGBTQ+ Supports  
11. Do you provide culturally responsive supports to LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender individuals? If yes, please describe any services that are tailored to be culturally responsive to the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender individuals. 
12. Do you require staff to complete any training that might help them build cultural-responsivity and better serve members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender individuals? 
13. Complete the following tables with demographic data on your board, staff and clients as much as you are able: 

Application Narrative Part C: References Page (1 page)

In this section to be included as part of Document 1, please provide at least three relevant professional references, external to your organization, for individuals that can attest to your qualifications and experience with proposed services. These individuals are not to be employees of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council and may not be Cook County Commissioners. 

Each reference shall include, at a minimum: 

• The reference’s name, title and organizational affiliation. 
• The reference’s work contact information: street address, telephone number, and email address – not their personal contact information. 

• A description of work performed by the organization for which the reference can vouch, and the amount your organization was paid for that work. 

  Application Components

The below checklist of application components and required items should be used to ensure a complete application. 

Note: When you submit your application, items within each component should be submitted together as one file. Please note that missing the above listed items can render the application incomplete and not be scored.

Application Evaluation Process 

Technical Review Process

After the close of the application period for this request for qualifications, all applications undergo an initial technical review process to establish if they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the RFQ. The technical review is limited only to the eligibility requirements to be considered a qualified applicant for this funding opportunity. The merits of the underlying application or proposal are not subject to the technical review.  Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria do not pass the technical review will be given an opportunity to cure the deficiencies. Those that do not so cure will be disqualified, not receiving further review. These applicants will be notified in writing of their ineligibility for the current funding opportunity. All technical review findings will be maintained as part of the application file. The Cook County Justice Advisory Council reserves the right to reject any or all qualifications or any part thereof, to waive a non-material irregularity as an informality.

Application Review Process

Applications that successfully pass technical review will be reviewed by a panel of no less than 3 Application Reviewers (ARs). ARs are given an Evaluation Rubric, to complete their scoring of applications. Once AR review is complete, the scores and AR comments are analyzed and compiled by the JAC Grants Management Team in collaboration with the JAC Research and Data Team. 

Qualifications will be reviewed and scored based on the following criteria: 

• Program Readiness and Experience: 50 points maximum.   

  Respondent’s readiness to implement the specific service components associated with the project, as evidenced by their general experience with providing similar services, as described in the Application Narrative.

• Fiscal Capacity: 20 points maximum.   

  Respondent’s fiscal capacity to deliver services on an ongoing basis, as evidenced by the Current and Previous Year Operating Budget Document, Audited Financial Statements, and Supporting Documentation. 

• References: 20 points maximum.   

  The reputation and strength of the respondent’s services programming will be evaluated based upon the quality and relevance of the references provided in the Application Narrative. 

• Further Evidence of Organizational Capacity: 10 points maximum. 

  Completeness, consistency and clarity in the respondent’s execution of all required sections of response, as evidenced by each part of the submission. 

There are a total of 100 points in the categories above.  To be included on the qualified provider list for this RFQ, a response must achieve an average minimum score of 70 points. 

Applications that do not get a score of 70 from all of their ARs will require a consensus review panel meeting facilitated by a JAC staff member. During the review panel meeting, each said application is considered with ARs discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the application at issue and their individual rationale for scoring how they did. As a result of discussions, ARs may change their scores but are not required to do so. Once consensus review panel meetings are completed, final scores are submitted to the JAC Executive Leadership Team for review and final determinations. 

JAC Executive Team Review

Once all AR comments, scores and any needed consensus meetings are complete, the JAC Executive Team will convene to determine which, if any, of the applications with an average AR score of 70 or higher will be placed on the qualified list.

The JAC Executive Team will consider other factors to maximize the accurate determination of qualification. Those factors may include, but are not limited to: 

• Current experience or past history of managing other government agreements.
• Past performance of organization on previous JAC agreements.

Executive Summary

Once the JAC has determined the qualified list, the JAC will formally indicate the closeout of the RFQ by issuing an Executive Summary available to the public.  The Executive Summary will be sent to all applicants and posted on the JAC grants website: www.cookcountyil.gov/JACGrants. Executive summaries and all past RFQ and NOFO opportunities will be archived on the website for public access. 

Applicant Debriefing Feedback

Applicants interested in receiving feedback on their application can request feedback by following the process outlined in the Executive Summary. Unless otherwise specified in the Executive Summary, an applicant seeking feedback has no more than 6 months since the issuance of the Executive Summary to request feedback. Upon request, Grants Management Leadership will arrange a 30-minute virtual meeting with applicants to provide application feedback. At a minimum, provided feedback will include: reviewer comments including strengths and weaknesses. Reviewers will not be identified, nor will other applications be specifically discussed.

Other Items to Consider

• The Cook County Justice Advisory Council reserves the right to reject any or all Applications or any part thereof, to waive informalities, and to accept the Application deemed most favorable to the County.
• The County reserves the right to check references on any projects performed by the applicant whether provided by the applicant or known by the County.
• In evaluating applications, the JAC Executive Review Team may consider past performance for Applicants who had prior agreements with the Justice Advisory Council. In the event that an organization was designated as “non-compliant,” the JAC may consider this designation in determining whether to deem an agency qualified.
• Applicants should not begin programming until and only if following placement on the qualified list the JAC seeks to start an agreement with the applicant and said agreement is fully executed. Expenses incurred outside of an agreement will not be allowable.

Application Instructions

To submit an application, visit the Cook County Justice Advisory Council’s Grants website: CookCountyIL.gov/JAC Grants. The application deadline is May 26, 2026 at 5:00 pm Central. The Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) online submission portal for this RFQ will be posted at CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants. 

Notes: Creating a Login is not required. Please be sure you have all materials ready to submit before completing this submission form - you will not be able to save as you go along.

Steps to Submit 

1. Complete the Organization Information and contact fields on the form. Please make sure your Headquarter Address is accurate and consistent with the Headquarter Address you provide in your application cover sheet. Please note that the individual listed as the primary contact for this grant application will receive all communications related to this application. 
2. Upload the following four (4) required files (as outlined in the application narrative and components sections above):

• Application Narrative - Upload as one .DOCX or .DOC including Parts A, B, and C
• Current and Previous Year  Operating Budget Document - Upload either as an excel document or PDF. 
• Audited Financial Statements  – Upload as a PDF.
• Other Supporting Documentation  - Upload all supporting documentation in one (1) PDF document

3. Enter the CAPTCHA validation characters shown on the screen, and press “Submit” to complete your submission.

4. Once the application has been submitted, the primary contact person identified on the application will receive an automated e-mail indicating that the application has been successfully submitted. Please save this e-mail when you receive it. 

5. Once the application has been acknowledged by the JAC, the primary contact person identified on the application will receive an automated email indicating the JAC has acknowledged receipt of your application. Please save this email when you receive it.

Note: It is HIGHLY recommended to submit early to avoid a potential delay caused by a high volume of last-minute applications.

Only one application per applicant will be accepted. If you submit multiple applications, the JAC will only review the most recently submitted application.

Additional Information

Questions and Pre-Submittal Conference

An optional virtual pre-submittal conference for potential respondents to this RFQ will be held on 5/11/2026 at 10:00 am Central Time. The conference will cover the submission process and serve as a formal question-and-answer session. To RSVP, visit CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants.

Respondents may also submit questions via email to JAC.Info@cookcountyil.gov until 5:00 pm Central Time on 5/13/2026.

Clarifications and Addenda

A “Frequently Asked Questions” document will be posted on the Justice Advisory Council grants website: CookCountyIL.gov/JACGrants. The document will be updated with questions and responses from the Pre-submittal Conference by 5/19/2026. Guidance offered in this Q&A document, as well as any notifications offered on the JAC website as to the manner and timing of submission, shall be considered as part of this Request for Qualifications.  It is the responsibility of the respondent to remain advised of any updates.

More information

For more information on this or other funding opportunities presented by the Cook County Justice Advisory Council, visit CookCountyIL.gov/JACgrants