Request for Proposals for Grant Writing & Management Services

The City of Gatesville is seeking to enter into a professional services contract with a competent administration/grant management services consultant firm to assist the pre-award and post-award management required by the City for the application preparation and implementation of a Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) if the City is awarded a State contract(s).
The following outlines the Request for Proposals.
I. Scope of Work: The management consultant or firm to be hired is to provide contract-related management services to the City including, but not limited to, the following:
Pre-Award* (services associated with developing and requesting of TDA funding
• Grant Writing and Application Preparation Phase I & II
• Respond to Requests for Information (RFI) regarding application.
• Participate in Public Outreach for Phase 1 (e.g. advertising, public meetings)
• Act as Liaison between project engineer & TDA
• Attend workshops and meetings related to the development and submission of the application
Post-Award Grant Management Activities: (services associated with administering Federal disaster assistance)
• Project Management
• Financial Management
• Environmental Review
• Real Property Acquisition/ URA
• Construction Management
• Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity
• Housing rehabilitation/affordable housing (if applicable)
• Audit/Contract Close-out Assistance

II. Statement of Qualifications: The City is seeking to contract with a competent professional administration/management firm/consultant that has had experience in grants/contracts administration. Specifically, it is seeking those consultant(s) or firm(s) with the following qualifications:
• Related experience in managing federally-funded local public works construction projects
• Related Experience / Background with specific project type
• Certified Administrator of TxCDBG Program by TDA
• Consultant/Firm is not debarred or suspended from the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.Sam.gov .
As such, please provide within your proposal a list of referrals from past local government clients, as well as resumes of all employees who will or may be assigned to provide technical assistance to the city on this project if your firm is awarded this management services contract.
III. Proposed Cost of Services: Please provide your cost proposal to accomplish the scope of work by the category outlined above and for any additional activities required. The proposed budget must include all costs that are necessary to successfully complete this project. Please note that the City of Gatesville will not use lowest/best bid as the sole basis for entering into this contract.
IV. Affirmative Action: The City is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and strives to attain goals for Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701u) as amended.
V. Evaluation Criteria: The City will score and rank all eligible respondents. Proposals received will be evaluated and ranked according to the following criteria:

VI. Submission Requirements
● A copy of your current certificate of insurance for professional liability.
● Statement of Conflicts of Interest (if any) the service provider or key employees may have regarding these services, and a plan for mitigating the conflict(s). Note that City may in its sole discretion determine whether or not a conflict disqualifies a firm, and/or whether or not a conflict mitigation plan is acceptable.
● System for Award Management. Service provider must have a current registration in the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/). Service provider and its principals, may not be debarred or suspended nor otherwise on the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) in the System for Award Management (SAM). Include verification that the service provider as well as its principals are not listed (are not debarred) through the System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov). Enclose a printout of the search results that includes the record date. This clearance information must be included in the service provider’s Proposal.
● Form CIQ, (enclosed). Texas Local Government Code chapter 176 requires that any vendor or person who enters or seeks to enter into a contract with a local government entity disclose in the Questionnaire Form CIQ the vendor or person’s employment, affiliation, business relationship, family relationship or provision of gifts that might cause a conflict of interest with a local government entity. Questionnaire form CIQ is included in the RFP and must be submitted with the response. Certification Regarding Lobbying (enclosed). Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements is included in the RFP and must be submitted with the response.
● Form 1295, (enclosed). Effective January 1, 2018, all contracts and contract amendments, extensions, or renewals executed by the Council will require the completion of Form 1295 “Certificate of Interested Parties” pursuant to Government Code § 2252.908. Form 1295 must be completed by the awarded vendor at time of signed contract submission. Form 1295 is included in this RFP for your information. Form 1295 requires the inclusion of an “unsworn declaration” which includes, among other things, the date of birth and address of the authorized representative signing the form. ● Required Contract Provisions. Applicable provisions (enclosed) must be included in all contracts executed as a result of this RFP.

VII. Contracting with small and minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms. Small and minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms must participate in this RFP. If the awarded vendor is a prime contractor and may use subcontractors, the following affirmative steps are required of the prime contractor:
1) Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women's business enterprises on solicitation lists;
2) Assuring that small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are solicited whenever they are potential sources;
3) Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises;
4) Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage participation by small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises;
5) Using the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the Department of Commerce.
6) Please choose the MBDA Center that is in closest proximity to your community. Email your RFP to the appropriate center.
Minority-owned businesses may be eligible for contract procurement assistance with public and private sector entities from MBDA centers:

Dallas MBDA Business Center                                              

8828 N Stemmons Freeway, Ste 550B

Dallas, TX 75247

214-920-2436

Website: https://www.mbdadfw.com

Email: admin1@mbdadallas.com

Houston MBDA Business Center

3100 Main Street, Ste 701

Houston, TX 77002

713-718-8974

Website: https://www.mbda.gov/business-center/houston-mbda-business-center

Email: MBDA@hccs.edu

El Paso MBDA Business Center

2401 East Missouri Avenue

El Paso, TX 79903

915-351-6232

Website: https://www.mbda.gov/business-center/el-paso-mbda-business-center

Email: treed@ephcc.org

San Antonio MBDA Business Center

501 W Cesar E Chavez Blvd., Ste 3.324B

San Antonio, TX 78207

210-458-2480

Website: https://www.mbda.gov/business=center/san-antonio-mbda-business-center

Email: orestes.hubbard@utsa.edu

Small and woman-owned businesses may be eligible for assistance from SBA Women’s
Business Centers:

Dallas Fort Worth WBC

7800 N Stemmons Fwy., Ste 120

Dallas, TX 75247

214-572-9452

Website: https://womensbusinesscenterdfw.com

Email: wbcdfw@liftfund.com

WBEA - Women's Business Center

9800 Northwest Freeway, Ste 120

Houston, TX 77092

713-681-9232

Website: https://www.wbea-texas.org/womens-business-center

Email: wbc@wbea-texas.org

LiftFund Women’s Business Center
600 Soledad St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
888-215-2373 ext. 3000
Website: https://womensbusinesscentersa.com
Email: wbc@liftfund.com

SBA also provides assistance at Small Business Development Centers located across Texas:
https://americassbdc.org/small-business-consulting-and-training/find-your-sbdc/

VIII. Deadline for Submission – Proposals must be received no later than 3 PM December 2, 2024. It is the responsibility of the submitting entity to ensure that the proposal is received in a timely manner. Proposals received after the deadline will not be considered for award, regardless of whether or not the delay was outside the control of the submitting firm.

Please electronically submit your proposal in .pdf format via email to _howens@gatesvilletx.com . Proposals must be received by the City no later than 3 PM December 2, 2024 to be considered.
Any questions or requests for clarification must be submitted in writing via EMAIL to the address above at least 5 business days prior to the deadline. City may, if appropriate, circulate the question and answer to all service providers submitted proposals