Grant Writing Services

2 REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS The City of Hyattsville, Maryland invites sealed responses from qualified firms/individuals to this Request for Proposal (RFP) #FIN03142024, for Grant Writing Services for the City of Hyattsville. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The City of Hyattsville is a Smart-Growth community making it a prime candidate for assistance offered by the State of Maryland and the Federal Government for investment. The City of Hyattsville is located only one mile from Washington DC and is approximately 2.7 square miles of historic and urban residential, commercial, industrial and high-density mixed-use residential/commercial/office and development. The residential neighborhoods of Hyattsville are one of the community’s best-kept secrets. They are thriving, stable enclaves of tree-lined streets with an architecturally diverse housing stock. The City of Hyattsville has convenient access to transit and transportation options for residents and visitors. We are located on the Metro’s Green

and Yellow line, served by two stations: West Hyattsville and Prince George’s Plaza. In addition to Metro, the City is traversed by an excellent network of roads, buses, freight transportation, and rail services including THE BUS, AMTRAK, and MARC. We are also located near the region’s three airports: Baltimore Washington International, Reagan National (accessible via Metro) and Dulles. The City of Hyattsville is near the University of Maryland campus at College Park as well as many other private and public colleges and universities. Public and private schools for all age groups include Northwestern High School and the nationally recognized DeMatha Catholic High School. The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals for Grant Writing Services to the City of Hyattsville, in accordance with the attached specifications and proposal documents. The City is seeking sealed proposals from qualified firms/individuals to provide grant writing services for the City of Hyattsville for one (1) fiscal year beginning April 8th, 2024, through June 30th, 2025. The City can renew the contract for a maximum of two additional one-year periods. RFP Solicitation Schedule: March 14, 2024: Solicitation March 19, 2024: Questions Due by 5:00PM March 25, 2024: Proposals Due at 3:00PM March 26, 2024: Proposals Opened at 9:00AM April 1, 2024: Notification of Intent to Award SCOPE OF SERVICES The selected firm/individual shall perform the following Scope of Services for year beginning April 8th, 2024, through June 30th, 2025: 1. Funding Needs Analysis – Work with City staff to facilitate meetings with City departments to assess the validity of current funding priority areas, identify changes in funding priority areas, and identify any new priority areas for possible funding. 2. Grant Funding Research – Conduct research to identify grant resources including, but not limited to, Federal, State, foundation, agencies and organizations that support the City’s funding needs and priorities, including, but not limited to: 3 a) Community/Economic Development b) Criminal Justice Technology Programs c) Housing and Housing Programs d) Infrastructure Development and Maintenance e) GIS Geographic Information System f) Technology g) Parks and Recreation Programs h) Transportation/Highway/Transit Sustainability i) Workforce Development j) Records Management k) Senior, Family, and Youth Programs l) Energy Efficiency and Sustainability m) Mental Wellness 3. On-Call Grant Research – In addition to the areas defined above, other areas may also be identified through the funding needs analysis process and throughout the duration of the contract. The Scope of Work may also include researching grant opportunities identified by the City. 4. Grant Proposal Development – Provide general grant proposal writing services associated with the completion of grant applications on behalf of the City, including the preparation of funding abstracts and production, and submittal of applications to funding sources. A copy of each grant application package submitted for funding, in its entirety, shall be provided to the City. 5. Legislative Advocacy – Provide legislative advocacy services on behalf of City by contacting legislators and legislative staff to promote City message and needs. 6. Monthly Reports – The successful consultant shall submit monthly reports to the City summarizing the amount of time expended, describe activities undertaken during the previous month, and status of those activities. DELIVERABLES AND TIMING For the purposes of this RFP all items noted above in the “SCOPE OF SERVICES” are the deemed the deliverables and are required to complete this project. MINIMUM FIRM/INDIVIDUAL QUALIFICATIONS The respondent firm/individual selected shall be validly licensed and certified under all relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations, to do business with the City. Notwithstanding any of the qualifications specified in any other section of this Solicitation, the firm/individual shall meet the following minimum qualifications in order to be eligible to submit a Proposal in response to this Solicitation: 1. The firm/individual shall have a minimum of three (3) to five (5) years’ experience providing services consistent with those under this Solicitation. 2. The firm/individual shall be able to fulfill its obligations under the terms and conditions of this Solicitation and the Contract. Firm/individual may be required to furnish satisfactory evidence that they are qualified and regularly engaged in performing the Services for which they are submitting a Proposal and maintain a regularly 4 established place of business. An authorized representative of the City may visit any firm/individual’s place of business or place where the Services are performed to determine ability, capacity, reliability, financial stability and other factors necessary to perform the Contract. If so requested, a firm/individual may be required to submit information about its reputation, past performance, business and financial capability and other factors that demonstrate the firm/individual can satisfy the City’s needs and requirements. REQUIRED SUBMITTALS FOR PROPOSAL To ensure a uniform review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, each proposal must be organized as follows: 1. General. A title page/cover letter on the firm/individual’s stationary. The purpose of this letter is to provide a record of the transmittal of the proposal and an acknowledgment of any amendments, addendums, and changes to the RFP. The letter should be signed by an individual who is authorized to commit the firm/individual to the services and requirements stated in this RFP. 2. Profile of the firm/individual, including the number of years in business, type of operation, number of employees, and a summary of the firm/individual’s expertise and experience in performing the scope of services. 3. Narrative. The firm/individual shall submit a brief narrative highlighting the qualifications and experience that substantiates the firm/individual as having substantial grant writing experience with Maryland local governments and the firm/individual’s capacity to provide the grant writing services set forth in this RFP. 4. Management plan and technical approach to complete the project. 5. References. Provide at least three state or local government references, providing name, address, contact person, title, phone number, and email. 6. Fees. Complete detailed schedule of all fees, service charges, and the like. Clear description of optional or additional services, and reimbursable costs not included in the base fee, and an hourly rate. 7. Additional information required by this RFP. Clear description of optional or additional services, and reimbursable costs not included in the base fee, and an hourly rate. The firm/individual is required to submit the following specified information in their proposal in the proper organized format: 1. Provide an outline of your experience providing grant writing services, to include at a minimum the following: • Number of year’s firm has been in existence. • Provide information on successful grant writing efforts including benefitting party, source, year of award, and dollar amount of grant award. • Provide a minimum of three (3) references from municipalities or other governmental • entities for which you have provided grant writing services. Include the name of the organization, brief description of the project, name of contact person and daytime telephone number. • Certificate of existing insurance detailing the extent of professional errors and omissions and commercial general liability, automobile, and workers compensation coverage. • Indicate from where grant related services will be conducted. 2. Identify individuals who will be assigned to work with the City. Provide their background, directly related experiences and past successes. 3. Provide a detailed description of how your organization will perform the following grant writing 5 services: a. Funding needs analysis; b. Identification of appropriate grant resources; c. Grant preparation process; d. Grant review and approval process; and e. Detailed time frame of whole process (a through d) 4. Detail the basis of compensation for services. Fee basis should be all inclusive, e.g. a base and/or percentage or grant compensation (% of grant share for administration) upon successful award. You must provide a detailed price breakdown including fees itemized for the following staff: A) Senior staff; B) Professional staff; C) Clerical staff; and D) overhead. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS The RFPs will be received no later than 3:00 pm, Monday, July 25, and shall be mailed or hand delivered to: The City of Hyattsville 4310 Gallatin Street Hyattsville, Maryland 20781 Attn: Laura Reams, City Clerk For additional information regarding the services specified in this request for qualifications, contact Theresa Love, in writing by email at tlove@hyattsville.org. Questions specific to this solicitation will be accepted until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 19th. PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS A firm/individual responding to this RFP for the “Grant Writing Services for the City of Hyattsville” must submit the Proposal Documents included at the end of this document. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in a disqualification of the firm/individual. The City will base the selection of a firm/individual on documentation submitted in the Proposal Documents. Applicants must submit seven (7) total copies of their Proposal. These copies must adhere to the following format: five (5) bound, one (1) unbound and one (1) digital pdf copy of the proposal on thumb drive. Each firm or individual will be evaluated, rated and/or ranked, based on information provided in their Proposal. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SELECTION PROCEDURES Evaluation made based on the following: • Demonstrated knowledge of sources of grant funds available to municipal government; • Demonstrated proficiency in obtaining funds; • Demonstrated capability of grant management and completion; • Consultant’s qualifications and experience; • Consultant’s staff qualifications; • Plan provided by Consultant for services; • Adequacy of insurance coverage; 6 • Cost of services; and • Relevancy of other information provided by Consultant The RFPs will be publicly opened and read via a Zoom Link on Tuesday, March 26th at 9am, the meeting link will be posted on the city website https://www.hyattsville.org under Bids and RFPs on Monday, March 26th, 2024. Proposals from all firms/individuals meeting the minimum qualifications detailed in this solicitation will be reviewed and evaluated. The firms/individuals best meeting the experience and approach will then be selected for interviews. The City reserves the right to reject any or all RFP submissions and further reserves the right to re-issue the RFP. COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES (FEE) The City intends to enter into a professional services contract(s) for the proposed project term. Compensation for the services rendered, will be based upon a contract and is not to exceed fees provided in the response to this proposal. GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR PROPOSALS Failure to read the (RFP) and comply with its instructions will be at the firm/individual’s own risk. Corrections and/or modifications received after the closing time specified in this RFP will not be accepted. The proposal must be signed by a designated representative or officer authorized to bind the firm/individual contractually. Submission of a signed proposal to the City will be interpreted to indicate the firm/individual’s willingness to comply with all terms and conditions set forth the herein. CONFIDENTIALITY Proposals will be available for public inspection after the award announcement, except as to the extent that a firm/individual designates trade secrets or other proprietary data to be confidential. Material designated as confidential must be readily separable from the remainder of the proposal to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the proposal. A firm/individual’s designation of material as confidential will not necessarily be conclusive, and the firm/individual may be required to provide justification why such material should not be disclosed, on request, under the Maryland Public Information Act, Section 4- 355 General Provisions Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. DURATION OF PROPOSALS The proposals and price proposals submitted are irrevocable for a period of 120 days following the proposal due date. AMENDMENT OR CANCELLATION OF THE RFP The City of Hyattsville reserves the right to cancel, amend, modify or otherwise change this application process at any time if it deems to be in the best interest of the City of Hyattsville to do so. PROPOSAL MODIFICATIONS No additions or changes to any proposal will be allowed after the application due date, unless such https://www.hyattsville.org/ 7 modification is specifically requested by the City of Hyattsville. The City, at its option, may seek retraction and/or clarification by an applicant regarding any discrepancy or contradiction found during its review of applications. PRESENTATION OF SUPPORTING EVIDENCE Firms/individuals responding to this solicitation must be prepared to provide substantiation of any experience, performance, ability and/or financial sureties claimed in their Proposal that the City of Hyattsville deems to be necessary or appropriate. ERRONEOUS DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS The City of Hyattsville reserves the right to correct any inaccurate awards of monies under this Program made to an applicant. This may include, in extreme circumstances, revoking an award of funds made under this program to an applicant subsequently awarding those funds to another applicant. PROPOSAL PREPARATION COSTS Firms/individuals are responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in the preparation of a proposal to respond to this solicitation. THIS SOLICAITION IS NOT A CONTRACT This solicitation is not a contract and will not be interpreted as such. SUB-CONTRACTORS The firm/individual submitting a proposal certifies and warrants that all payments of fees charged by any sub-contractors pursuant to that contract are the sole responsibility of the contractor. LEGAL TERMS It is the policy of the City of Hyattsville that all legal disputes are heard in a court of law in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and that each party is responsible to pay for the cost of their own legal fees. The City of Hyattsville will not agree to terms that are not consistent with this policy. END OF RFP 8 PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS In order to qualify for this Project, Contractors must submit all information requested in the following pages. CONTRACTOR INFORMATION Proposals must adhere to the format of these Proposal forms and content of this RFP. Proposals will not be evaluated unless all parts of the Proposal form are submitted in a complete package. The information set forth is the minimum required in order to qualify for consideration. Firm Name Address City, State, Zip Contact Person Phone Number Email Address 9 PROPOSAL FORM PRICE AUTHORIZATION By signing this Proposal form, such action certifies that the Contractor has personal knowledge of the following: That said Contractor has examined the RFP and specifications, carefully prepared the Proposal form, and has checked the same in detail before submitting said Proposal; and that said Contractor, or the agents, officers, or employees thereof, have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement, participated in any collusion, or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competitive Proposing in connection with this Proposal. That all of said work will be performed at the Contractor's own proper cost and expense. The Contractor will furnish all necessary materials, labor, tools, machinery, apparatus and other means of construction in the manner provided in the applicable specifications, and at the time stated in the contract. The undersigned, being a reputable Contractor and having submitted the necessary pre- qualification forms, hereby submits in good faith and in full accordance with all specifications, attached or integral, his/her Proposal: Name of Contractor Authorized Signature Name and Title of Signatory Date Type of Organization (circle one): Corporation Partnership Proprietorship SEAL: (If corporation) 10 INSURANCE REQUIREMENT Submit a certificate of Insurance from your insurance agent or insurance company that evidences your company's ability to obtain the following minimum insurance requirements. Attach and label as Exhibit 1. 1. Workers Compensation Statutory Coverage A: $500,000 Bodily Injury by Accident for Each Accident Coverage B: $500,000 Bodily Injury by Disease for Policy Limit $500,000 Bodily Injury by Disease for Each Employee 2. Commercial Auto Liability Insurance for All Owners, Non-Owned and Hired Autos. $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability 3. Commercial General Liability Insurance $2,000,000 General Aggregate $1,000,000 Products/Completed Operations Aggregate $1,000,000 Personal and Advertising Injury Limit $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit Bodily Injury & Property Damage – Each Occurrence $50,000 Fire Legal Limit $5,000 Medical Payment 4. Umbrella/Access Liability Insurance $2,000,000 Each Occurrence 11 COMPANY BACKGROUND Company Name Main Office Location Year Founded Project Manager Name Project Manager Phone Project Manager Email Years of Experience Has the company ever operated under another name? If yes, what name? Do you have the equipment and staff available to start within 10 days of notice to proceed? If no to the previous question, how long would it take to have the equipment and staff available? Has the company ever done work with the City of Hyattsville? If yes, when and what type of work.