Muslim religious leaders play an essential role in addressing the spiritual, emotional, and personal development of incarcerated individuals who practice Islam. Chaplaincy Services at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) is looking for proposals from qualified Islamic religious leaders to provide consistent and equitable services as Muslim Chaplains across all PDP facilities in accordance with Islamic faith practices.

This is a professional services contract opportunity designed for Islamic religious leaders who meet the following qualifications:

  • Must be recognized Muslim religious leaders (e.g., Imams, Students of Knowledge, or Teachers of Islamic Studies).
  • Must have a clear understanding of, and ability to teach, the following:
    – The Book of Allah
    – The Sunnah of His Messenger (May Peace be Upon Him)
    – The Companions and their understanding of the religion.
    – Basic knowledge of the Arabic language, including how to read and write at an intermediate level.
  • Deliver or facilitate regular worship services (such as the Friday sermon), classes or study groups, prayer groups, and faith-based events.
  • Provide individual counseling, group counseling, and crisis intervention for incarcerated people and staff.
  • Respond to urgent needs such as end-of-life care, death notifications, and grief counseling.
  • Collaborate with other Chaplains to ensure balanced scheduling and equitable access across faiths.
  • Submit monthly reports and participate in ongoing planning and staff meetings with the Chaplaincy Services Director.
  • Serve up to 30 hours per week.

 

How to submit a proposal

All proposals must be submitted online using the eContractPhilly portal. Proposals submitted via email or other means will not be considered.

Deadline: February 27, 2026

  • Proposals must be received no later than 5:00pm EST on Friday, February 27, 2026.

Find our opportunity

  1. Visit the eContractPhilly portal and select “New Contract Opportunities” on the lefthand side of the page.
  2. At the top of the page, use the Departments dropdown list to select “PRISONS”. Then, select “Search”.
  3. Select contract #21260130150904 from the list. The status will be “Open” as long as we’re accepting proposals.
  4. Review the opportunity attachments, including the full RFP details and terms.
  5. Select “Apply for Contract”. You’ll need to create an eContractPhilly account if you don’t already have one.

Create an account

The eContractPhilly portal is set up for business proposals. However, individuals can also use it to submit proposals for open contracts. If this is your first time applying for an opportunity using eContractPhilly, you’ll need to register an account. When you register, you’ll be asked for your “Tax ID”:

  • If you’re applying as an individual: enter your Social Security Number (SSN) without dashes as your Tax ID.
  • If you’re applying as a business, church, or organization: enter the organization’s Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) as the Tax ID.

Tips for new contractors

Be sure to:

  • Provide your correct Tax ID information. Your Tax ID determines how the City will pay you for contracted services and taxes to be paid. You cannot change this information later!
  • Provide an accurate email address, and check your email regularly. If you submit a proposal, you’ll receive communications about the opportunity via email.

 

Need more support?

If you need help using the eContractPhilly portal, you can:

If you have questions about this Chaplaincy opportunity and creating your proposal, email the official Request for Proposals (RFP) contact, Deborah Snyder, at Deborah.Snyder@prisons.phila.gov.

Download the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Chaplain Services (PDF file)
This link will open a PDF file. You can also email questions about the chaplaincy opportunity and creating your proposal; refer to page 4 of this RFP document, under "Contacting Us".