Two students work with their teacher on an experiment.

Request for Proposals (RFP)

This RFP is the third released as part of Barr’s "Engage New England: Doing High School Differently" initiative, intended to spur innovation across the region toward the planning and implementation of targeted, public, whole-school educational models for meeting the needs of high school students who are off track toward graduation.

We anticipate supporting a cohort of up to eight grantees, seeking to seed or grow pioneering whole-school models across New England that can effectively boost graduation rates and college readiness for students who have not found the support they need through traditional education models.

This RFP is intended to support only wholly integrated, full-time models, not discrete programs or stand-alone interventions. We utilize the term program to signal our interest in supporting entities regardless of their governance structure; potential applicants that function like a school in all aspects yet are designated as programs are eligible to apply.

Barr invites applications from entities interested in:

  • Opening new schools or programs.
  • Improving existing schools or programs.
  • Growing schools or programs.

Please note that priority will be given to applicants that are interested in designing a new school or program – either as an additional option for the community, or as a replacement for an existing option.

Successful applicants will be focused on a school or program that: leads to a public high school diploma, is an option of choice for the participating students, and that intentionally serves exclusively high school students off track to graduate.

The RFP application is due February 1, 2019.

Download the full RFP

Photo credit: Paul Schnaittacher for Map Academy

Watch our recent webinar on the Engage New England RFP process to learn more:

Timeline for Cohort 3

  • November 8, 2018: RFP released
  • November 29, 2018 at 1:00 pm EST: Webinar for prospective applicants. Register here.
  • November 30, 2018 at noon: Office hours via conference call. Sign up here to receive an appointment time and conference line number.
  • December 13 & 17, 2018: Office hours via conference call
  • January 11 & 14, 2019: Office hours via conference call
  • February 1, 2019: Planning phase proposals due. All completed proposals and attachments should be submitted here.
  • March 29, 2019: Finalist interview day (by invitation)
  • July 2019: Planning phase awards announced
  • January 2020: Implementation award invitations released
  • July 2020: 3-year long implementation awards announced
  • Fall 2020: Launch of new, redesigned, or expanded models

Applicant Resources