2-NIS Financial Services.pdf

Revised 12/12/2025

CITY OF DETROIT

OFFICE OF CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

NIS NO. 549090

Financial Counseling Services as part of Detroit's Financial Empowerment Center

Buyer: Chris Jones

EVENT / ACTIVITY DUE DATE / TIME

ADVERTISEMENT DATE 7/29/2026

SUBMISSION DUE DATE * 8/5/2024 @ 3:00PM EST

All responses must be submitted online in the Supplier Portal. Late or phoned/emailed responses will not be accepted.

* Respondents must register in EUNA Bonfire to download bid documents and submit bids. The City cannot guarantee the accuracy of any bid documents obtained from outside of EUNA, and bids submitted outside of EUNA Bonfire will not be accepted. Detailed resources about registering and bidding, including video tutorials and live, virtual office hours, are available at www.detroitmi.gov/suppliersupport.

Questions about the specifics of this RFP must be asked within the EUNA Bonfire Messages interface for the bid on or before the date and time indicated above. Questions asked via phone, email, and/or other means will not be answered.

Proposals must be uploaded in EUNA Bonfire on or prior to the date and time indicated above.

Late and/or emailed proposals will not be accepted.

1.1. NOTICE

The City of Detroit Office of Contracting and Procurement hereby announces its intent to enter into a sole source contract in accordance with Detroit City Code Sections 17-5- 12(g) and 17-5-154, only one source of supply is available.

1.2. JUSTIFICATION OF SOLE SOURCE PROCUREMENT

This is a unique service for Financial Counseling Services associated with the Detroit Financial Empowerment Center.

1.3. DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE

I. As part of the Contract, the Contractor (also referred to herein as a “Financial Counseling Provider”) will:

1. Implement the Financial Empowerment Center (“FEC”) initiative in accordance with the model requirements (attached hereto as Exhibit A-2) provided by the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, Inc., a Delaware non-stock, non-profit corporation (the “CFE Fund”), including but not limited to, free one-on-one counseling, integration with a range of services, counselor training based on a set of training standards, data collection, and active partnership with the City of Detroit (“City”), acting by and through its Housing and Revitalization Department (“HRD”) to manage the work. These services must be performed by, and the financial counseling provider role filled by, a nonprofit organization or a local government agency.

a. The Contractor will maintain an active signed agreement with the City. If the existing Agreement between the City and the Contractor is set to expire before the end of the Term, it will be renewed by amendment or with a new agreement, assuming the City and Contractor intend to proceed in providing the Services hereunder. The fully executed Agreement, and any amendments or new agreements, must be shared with the CFE Fund. The Contractor will provide immediate written notification to the City if significant changes or events occur during the Term which could potentially impact the progress or outcome of its adherence to the FEC Model requirements set forth in Exhibit A-2, including, without limitation, changes in any of the Contractor’s management personnel or lead staff member(s) responsible for managing the Services, loss of funding, or other extenuating circumstances which could affect the Services.

The Contractor must be approved by the CFE Fund. Any changes to or of the selected Contractor during the Term including but not limited to adding additional providers, termination of providers, and staffing changes, must be approved by the City.

2. Perform the following activities:

a. Coordinate with the City to ensure that the City can monitor the Contractor’s work including but not limited to service delivery, counselor training, and CFE Fund Code of Ethics adherence, reporting and progress towards target goals (number of sessions and outcomes).

b. Track progress and service delivery through the Financial Empowerment Center Boost Outcomes Tool database (“FECBOT”) for at least the Term.

c. Use best efforts to participate in all trainings, as required by the City, including but not limited to the initial counselor training, any continuing education sessions, and CFE-Fund hosted trainings.

d. Use best efforts to participate in all learning community activities, including sharing accomplishments, best practices and lessons learned with the broader field. Such activities

(1) Attendance at national gatherings hosted by the CFE Fund.

(2) Participation in ad-hoc webinars or conference calls with other grantees and partners.

(3) Involvement in written communications about the Services, which could include features on the

CFE Fund website, newsletter, or written briefs.

3. Work with the City to ensure that the Services are being delivered effectively and following the requirements of this Contract.

a. Sign an Agreement with the City to provide the Services. In order to perform the Services, this

Agreement must be active. Requirements for the Services include performing and Work closely with the City on day-to-day operations, reporting needs, partnership development, counselor supervision and sustainability efforts.

II. Ensure that no material changes to operations are made without the prior approval and consent of the City including change in hours of operation, staffing, partnerships, and locations.

III. Work to monitor and track the quality of the Service(s) delivered and address any issues with the Services.

IV. Cooperate with the City to develop and implement an effective deployment strategy for the Contractor based on the City’s priorities, geographic needs, target population, partnership opportunities or other needs.

V. Ensure that FECBOT is used for at least the duration of the Term for data collection and reporting; and that data security and client confidentiality protocols are in place.

VI. Use best efforts to ensure that the Contractor’s staff members attend all trainings, as required by the City, including but not limited to the initial Financial Counselor training, database trainings, any continuing education sessions, and CFE Fund-hosted trainings, as well learning community activities.

(4) Adhere to the following CFE Fund marketing and communications guidelines:

• Acknowledgments by the Contractor (if permitted hereunder) relating to the Contract will be given to “the Cities for Financial Empowerment (CFE) Fund”.

• On any signage or communications pieces related to the FEC, the City’s logo and

Contractor’s logo are always included with the FEC logo.

• Prior written approval of the City (which approval may be withheld in the City’s sole discretion) is required before the Contractor, or any employees, servants, or agents of the Contractor may, at any time, before, during or after completion or termination of this Contract, make any statement to the press, make a public announcement or issue any material for publication through any medium of communication bearing on the work performed or data collected under this Contract, unless otherwise herein provided (including, without limitation, the terms and conditions set forth in Section 2.09(c) and 2.09(d) and Exhibit A-1 or subject to disclosure by law (including, without limitation, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (PA 442 of 1976)) or court order.

• The Contractor agrees to provide details about all Services-related marketing and communication materials and events to the City in advance. Materials include but are not limited to websites, newsletters, media releases, public announcements, event invitations and programs. The Contractor will request and obtain written permission from the City before using Services-related marketing and communication materials and events or modifying FEC logos, City logos, and related branded materials, which permission may be withheld in the City’s sole discretion.

4. The Contractor shall comply with any communication protocols provided by the City including, without limitation, the CFE Fund guidelines in Exhibit F (the “Financial Empowerment Center Branding Assets Template”). Contractor also shall provide to the City final copies of all printed materials as part of the progress reports for the Services.

5. The Contractor shall not make any statement or otherwise imply to donors, investors, media, or the general public that the Bloomberg Family Foundation directly funds the activities detailed in the Scope of Services.

6. The Contractor may not publicly announce the receipt of this Contract or its details until the City has made its official announcement or has otherwise given permission in writing, unless subject to disclosure by law (including, without limitation, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (PA 442 of 1976)) or court order.

5. Implement Legacy Planning as part of the FEC Model:

a. Incorporate legacy planning into the FEC model by providing FEC clients with legacy planning services and access to complete a will-based legacy plan through the CFE Fund’s selected online will-generation software. The Contractor is responsible for the following:

(1) Ensure all necessary FEC staff members (including the FEC Manager, and Financial

Counselors) complete the required legacy planning training provided by the CFE Fund, including the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (v 2025) (as defined in Exhibit H – “Code of Ethics and Professional Practices”).

(2) CFE Fund has established both “Standard” and “High Performing” benchmarks for Year 1 and Year 2. At a minimum, the Contractor is required to meet the Standard Year 1 and Year 2 benchmarks on the average number of legacy planning counseling activities achieved per full-time counselor (as defined in Exhibit G – “CFE Fund Public Outcome Definitions and Calculations”) and the average number of will-generation software referral links distributed per full-time Financial Counselor.

(a) “Standard” Year 1 and Year 2 Benchmarks:

(i) An average of 3% of all Counseling Activities achieved should occur in the Legacy Planning Service Plan per full-time counselor in the 12-month period from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026 (“Year 1”), and an average of 5% of all Counseling Activities achieved should occur in the Legacy Planning Service Plan per full-time counselor in the 12-month period immediately following Year 1 – June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027 (“Year 2”).

(ii) At least 3% of all clients receive a will-generation referral link per FEC in Year 1, and at least 5% of all clients receive a will-generation referral link per FEC in Year 2.

(b) “High Performing” Year 1 and Year 2 Benchmarks:

(i) An average of 10% of all Counseling Activities achieved should occur in the Legacy

Planning Service Plan per full-time counselor in Year 1, and an average of 15% of all Counseling Activities achieved should occur in the Legacy Planning Service Plan per full-time counselor in Year 2.

(ii) At least 10% of all clients receive a will-generation referral link per FEC in Year 1, and at least 15% of all clients receive a will-generation referral link per FEC in Year 2.

II. FECBOT Database and Experian Connectivity

1. During the Term, the Contractor will use the FECBOT database. The Contractor must obtain prior written approval from the CFE Fund before the Contractor is granted access to the FECBOT database. The CFE Fund will provide licenses for FEC program-essential personnel, such as the Financial Counselors and the FEC Manager (each, a “User”). However, all non-essential Users are subject to licensing fees and reasonably related management costs.

2. The Contractor will maintain rigorous client confidentiality when using FECBOT and Experian, and adhere to the following data collection protocols to ensure client confidentiality, unless subject to disclosure by law (including, without limitation, the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (PA 442 of 1976)) or court order:

a. Maintain the confidentiality of all written and electronic client information and data; as well as the configuration of FECBOT and terms and prices of the Experian credit reports.

b. Ensure that computer equipment, the FECBOT database, and any other data collection tools will not be used by anyone other than Financial Empowerment Center-trained and approved Financial Counselors, the FEC Manager, and a limited number of support staff; and will not be used outside of the parameters of the FEC’s office locations. Contractor and any staff member who is authorized to access FECBOT will be required to sign the FECBOT User Agreement (see Exhibit I – “Sample FECBOT User Agreement”) and provide a copy to the City.

c. Keep all data within a secure limited-access network, maintained by FECBOT through Salesforce; and through Experian. Client data should not be downloaded to hard drives of individual computers or to portable storage devices.

d. Ensure each client understands and signs a Client Service Agreement form approved by the City, which form is attached to this Contract as Exhibit I. Contractor must ensure that client data is only shared with the consent of the individual client, following the stipulations in the Client Service Agreement.

e. Ensure that all paper documents with personally identifiable information will be stored in locked file cabinets with access limited to Financial Empowerment Center staff. Financial counseling records, including sensitive financial information must be kept in a locked drawer/cabinet separate from other Contractor client information. Any old, duplicative, or unnecessary documents containing personally identifiable information shall be shredded using a cross-cut paper shredder. Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to, social security numbers, full names, telephone numbers, addresses, email addresses, dates of birth, and financial account numbers.

f. Use standard database security practices when accessing FECBOT and the Experian portal, which include: using strong passwords (combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters) to limit access; changing passwords at least quarterly; and not sharing passwords with other employees or by storing passwords where others may access them.

g. Limit the ability of non-Financial Empowerment Center staff members to view data by locking, turning off or logging out of computer systems when not in use. This shall include setting security systems to automatically lock with a screen saver at frequent intervals, not more than ten minutes.

h. Protect computers and other network devices that can be used to access Client data with anti-virus and anti-spyware malware protection software, a firewall, and timely installation of

Windows “patches.”

1.4. INTENDED SOURCE:

VENDOR NAME: Matrix Human Services VENDOR ADDRESS: 13560 East McNichols Road, Detroit, Michigan 48205

VENDOR NAME: Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency VENDOR ADDRESS: 7310 Woodward Ste 800 Detroit, MI 48202

1.5. INTENDED CONTRACT:

TERM: 2 Years

TOTAL VALUE: $50,000.00

1.6. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS:

This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, any interested party that believes it can meet the requirement described herein may identify themselves and must provide evidence of their capability to fulfill the requirement being requested.

Responses must be supported with clear and convincing evidence to clearly be able to provide the services outlined in this notice.

All responses received in writing within seven business days after date of publication of this notice (see deadline above) will be considered by the City of Detroit. A determination by the City of Detroit not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the City of Detroit. Information received will be considered solely for determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

1.7. MODIFICATION OF SERVICES AFTER CONTRACT APPROVAL

The City reserves the right to modify the services provided by the awardee. Any modification and resulting changes in pricing shall be made by amendment to the contract by the awardee and the City.

1.8. NEWS RELEASE

News releases pertaining to these proposal specifications or the provisions to which they relate shall not be made without prior approval of the City and then only in coordination with the City.

1.9. MISCELLANEOUS

It shall be the responsibility of the Respondent to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the provisions of these specifications

The Respondent agrees to abide by the rules and regulations as prescribed herein by the City as the same now exists or may hereafter from time to time be changed in writing.

1.10. OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

1.10.1. In accordance with Section 2-106.6 of the City Charter, this Contract shall be voidable or rescindable at the discretion of the Mayor or Inspector General at any time if a Public Servant who is a party to the Contract has an interest in the Contract and fails to disclose such interest.

1.10.2. This Contract shall also be voidable or rescindable if a lobbyist or employee of the contracting party offers a prohibited gift, gratuity, honoraria or payment to a Public Servant in relation to the Contract.

1.10.3. A fine shall be assessed to the Contractor in the event of a violation of Section 2-106.6 of the

City Charter. If applicable, the actions of the Contractor, and its representative lobbyist or employee, shall be referred to the appropriate prosecuting authorities.

1.10.4. Pursuant to Section 7.5-306 of the City Charter, the Inspector General shall investigate any

Public Servant, City agency, program or official act, contractor and subcontractor providing goods and services to the City, business entity seeking contracts or certification of eligibility for City contracts and person seeking certification of eligibility for participation in any City program, either in response to a complaint or on the Inspector General’s own initiative in order to detect and prevent waste, abuse, fraud and corruption.

1.10.5. In accordance with Section 7.5-310 of the City Charter, it shall be the duty of every Public

Servant, contractor, subcontractor, and licensee of the City, and every applicant for certification of eligibility for a City contract or program, to cooperate with the Inspector General in any investigation pursuant to Article 7.5, Chapter 3 of the City Charter.

1.10.6. Any Public Servant who willfully and without justification or excuse obstructs an investigation of the Inspector General by withholding documents or testimony, is subject to forfeiture of office, discipline, debarment or any other applicable penalty.

1.10.7. As set forth in Section 7.5-308 of the City Charter, the Inspector General has a duty to report illegal acts. If the Inspector General has probable cause to believe that any Public Servant or any person doing or seeking to do business with the City has committed or is committing an illegal act, then the Inspector General shall promptly refer the matter to the appropriate prosecuting authorities.

For purposes of this Article: “Public Servant” means the Mayor, members of City Council, City Clerk, appointive officers, any member of a board, commission or other voting body established by either branch of City government or the City Charter, and any appointee, employee or individual who provides services to the City within or outside of its offices or facilities pursuant to a personal services contract.

1.11. QUESTION DEADLINE

All questions regarding the Notice of Intent shall be submitted through the Supplier Portal no later than the time and date specified in the solicitation. In the interest of transparency, only written questions will be accepted. Answers to questions will be posted within the Supplier Portal.

The City of Detroit does not guarantee a response to questions submitted after the question deadline.

Should a Respondent be in doubt as to the true meaning of any portion of this Notice of Intent or find any patent ambiguity, inconsistency, or omission herein, the Respondent must make a written request for an official interpretation or correction in accordance with the instructions for submitting questions as specified in this notice.

Respondents are advised that no oral interpretation, information or instruction by an officer or employee of the City of Detroit shall be binding upon the City of Detroit.

Respondents requesting changes to the notice terms and conditions, specifications, quantities, etc.;

or if clarifications are needed, must make the request in writing by the stated bid submission deadline.