Request for Proposals

City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Safety Department

South Minneapolis Community Resource Navigators RFP2026-86 / Event #0000004324 Issue Date: October 14, 2026

Proposals Due by: November 10, 2026, at 12:00 pm (Minneapolis Time)

RFP General Information Page

I. Invitation II. Eligibility III. Pre-proposal conference call IV. Proposal Submission Instructions V. Proposal Format Application Instructions

a. Responder Declarations

b. Cover Sheet

c. Project Narrative Questions

d. Cost Proposal/Budget Narrative

VI. Proposal Review Process VII. Schedule VIII. Contract IX. Department Contact/Request for Clarification X. Rejection of Proposals XI. Addenda to the RFP XII. Data Practices

Attachment A - Scope of Services Attachment B - Responder Declarations Attachment C - Proposal Cover Sheet Attachment D - Cost Proposal/Budget Narrative Attachment E - Project Narrative Questions Attachment F - Hiring Requirements Attachment G – Terms and Conditions for RFP

Request For Proposals South Minneapolis Community Resource Navigators

I. INVITATION: The City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Safety Department ("NSD") makes this Request for Proposals ("RFP") to identify a qualified responder ("Responder") to operate out of the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center ("Center") and provide community navigation services to community members. The selected Responder will deliver trauma-informed, culturally responsive navigation services that connect individuals and families to community resources, promote stability, and support NSD's mission of advancing community safety through trusted community partnerships and coordinated service delivery.

II. ELIGIBILITY:

1. Responder must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing community navigation, case management, resource coordination, victim advocacy, outreach, or comparable direct human services.

2. Responder must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing services to members of the public, including culturally diverse communities.

3. Responder must be able to provide three (3) full-time Resource Navigators, including at least two (2) bilingual Resource Navigators fluent in a language commonly spoken by South Minneapolis residents.

4. Responder must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience collaborating with community-based organizations, government agencies, healthcare providers, or other multidisciplinary partners to coordinate services.

III. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE CALL: A pre-proposal virtual meeting will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. for potential Responders. To access the meeting, you can use this link. You can also call into the meeting (audio only) at 612-276-6670, conference ID number:

713885337. Meeting ID: 277 626 894 482 389, Passcode: Sy3vg2XG. The City encourages you to join a few minutes early to ensure you are connected on time. While participation in the virtual meeting is not required, it is encouraged for all Responders considering responding to this RFP as it will be the only opportunity to ask questions directly of staff.

IV. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL: All proposals must be submitted electronically through the eSupplier Portal. If you are already a City Supplier you should have received an email containing your eSupplier User ID and Password. If you do not remember your password, click on the “Forgot Password” tile to enter your User ID and a new password will be emailed to you. If you are not already a city supplier, click on the eSupplier link below and then click on the “Bidder/Payee Registration” tile to register. If you need further assistance with eSupplier, please send an email to eprocurement@minneapolismn.gov.

eSupplier Portal – Electronic Proposal Submission https://comet-fs.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/psc/supplier

• Submit All Documents as ONE PDF to the E-supplier System

• Late Proposals or proposals submitted via email/mail Will Not Be Accepted.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/277626894482389?p=MF5iOvk2ZXDyt10b3l https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/277626894482389?p=MF5iOvk2ZXDyt10b3l mailto:eprocurement@minneapolismn.gov https://comet-fs.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/psc/supplier

V. PROPOSAL FORMAT/APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

A. Responder Declarations: Complete and sign Attachment B: Responder Declaration. Failure to complete and attach the required form will result in disqualification from consideration for the contract.

B. Cover Sheet: Complete Attachment C: Proposal Cover Sheet, including contact information.

C. Project Narrative: Responses to the project narrative Attachment E- Project Narrative Questions should be typed and no more than ten (10) pages. The Proposal Cover Sheet, Responder declaration and Resumes will not be counted toward the page limit. Information included in your project narrative responses beyond the maximum ten (10) page limit will not be considered during evaluations. Submissions must be twelve (12) point font, single spaced with one-inch margins.

D: Cost Proposal/Budget Narrative: Complete Attachment D: Cost Proposal/Budget Narrative ensuring that all expenses are allowable and itemized.

VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS

The City will conduct an evaluation of responses to this RFP in three phases:

Phase 1 - Review Eligibility (Pass/Fail) Phase 2 - Evaluate Proposal Responses Phase 3 - Interviews

Phase 1 - Eligibility Review (Pass/Fail) The City will evaluate each proposal to determine whether the Responder meets the minimum eligibility requirements established in this RFP. Only Responders meeting all minimum qualifications will advance to Phase

2. Failure to satisfy any minimum qualification will result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive and removed from further consideration.

Phase 2 - Proposal Evaluation Only those responses found to have met Phase 1 criteria will be considered in Phase 2. Proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation team made up of City of Minneapolis staff and external reviewers. The factors and weighting on which responses will be evaluated are:

Evaluation Criteria 100 points A. Understanding of the Community Safety Center vision and community navigation model 10 points B. Organizational experience providing community navigation or comparable human services 20 points

C. Proposed service delivery model (intake, navigation, warm handoffs, follow-up, crisis response, collaboration)

20 points

D. Qualifications and experience of proposed Resource Navigators 10 points E. Organizational capacity, reporting systems, quality assurance, and contract management 10 points F. Collaboration and partnerships that expand service capacity or improve participant access

(MOUs, formal partnerships, co-location, specialized expertise, etc.)

10 points

G. Proposed services, collaborations, and partnerships are relevant to the cultures most commonly present in South Minneapolis.

15 points

H. Letters of recommendation. 5 points

Responders should address each of these six factors in their proposals.

A. Understanding of the Community Safety Center Vision and Community Navigation Model (10 Points) The Responder's demonstrated ability to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the Community Safety Center's vision, goals, and collaborative service delivery model.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and person-centered community navigation.

3. Describe an approach that promotes equitable access to services and reduces barriers for community members.

B. Organizational Experience Providing Community Navigation or Comparable Human Services (20 Points) The Responder's demonstrated ability to:

1. Successfully provide community navigation or comparable human services.

2. Deliver culturally responsive services to diverse communities.

3. Coordinate services and connect participants to community resources and public systems.

4. Demonstrate successful implementation of programs serving individuals with multiple or complex needs.

5. Achieve successful outcomes through comparable service delivery.

6. Experience connecting community members to Hennepin County services.

C. Proposed Service Delivery Model (20 Points) The adequacy and feasibility of the proposed service delivery model, including the Responder's demonstrated ability to:

1. Conduct participant needs assessments and individualized service planning.

2. Provide effective community navigation, resource coordination, and warm handoffs.

3. Deliver timely follow-up and short-term participant support.

4. Respond appropriately to crisis situations and immediate participant needs.

5. Collaborate effectively with organizations operating within the Community Safety Center and external service providers.

6. Reduce barriers to accessing services through coordinated, participant-centered navigation.

D. Qualifications and Experience of Proposed Resource Navigators (10 Points) The demonstrated ability of the proposed Resource Navigators to:

1. Deliver culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and relationship-based navigation services.

2. Build trust and effectively engage diverse communities across language and cultural barriers.

3. Navigate community resources, public systems, and available support services in and around South

Minneapolis.

4. Demonstrate relevant education, professional experience, language capacity, and other qualifications necessary to successfully perform the Scope of Services.

E. Organizational Capacity, Reporting Systems, Quality Assurance, and Contract Management (10 Points) The Responder's demonstrated ability to:

1. Recruit, supervise, and retain qualified staff.

2. Start services when the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center opens in the second quarter of

2027.

3. Successfully administer contracts of similar scope and complexity.

4. Maintain financial, administrative, reporting, and quality assurance systems necessary to support contract performance.

5. Monitor program performance and implement continuous quality improvement practices.

F. Collaboration and Partnerships that Expand Service Capacity or Improve Participant Access (10 Points) The Responder's demonstrated ability to:

1. Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships that strengthen service delivery.

2. Coordinate services across multiple organizations and public systems.

3. Leverage partnerships to expand cultural responsiveness, language access, specialized expertise, or participant access to services.

4. Improve participant outcomes through coordinated service delivery and formal partnerships.

G. Proposed services, collaborations, and partnerships are relevant to the cultures most commonly present in South Minneapolis (15 Points) The Responders demonstrated ability to:

1. Recruit, supervise, and retain qualified bilingual staff that represent languages commonly present in South Minneapolis.

2. Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships for organization in and around South Minneapolis or that serve community members who live in South Minneapolis that strengthen service delivery.

Coordinate services across multiple organizations and public systems that support the culturally specific needs of community members in South Minneapolis.

H. Letters of recommendation (5 points) The Responders demonstrated ability to:

1. Work with organizations and public systems in and around South Minneapolis.

2. Work with organizations that provide culturally responsive services for South Minneapolis residents.

Phase 3 – Interviews The three (3) highest-ranked Responders from Phase 2 will advance to Phase 3. The interview is intended to evaluate and validate each Responder’s organizational capacity, approach, and qualifications to function as Resource Navigators capable of successfully performing the Scope of Services. During Phase 3, the evaluation committee will interview representatives of each Responder using the evaluation criteria below. Responders are not required to have all Resource Navigator positions filled at the time of the interview. The City recognizes that individuals currently employed by a Responder may demonstrate the organization’s existing staffing capacity and experience but may not necessarily be available or proposed to perform services under the resulting contract. The interview may include scenario-based questions designed to evaluate the Responder’s experience and understanding of the competencies required for effective service delivery, including participant engagement, problem-solving, professional judgment, communication, resource coordination, crisis response, and collaboration with community partners. The City will consider the results of the Phase 3 evaluation in determining the successful Responder for contract award.

Evaluation Criteria Points

1. Relevant Experience and Qualifications 20

2. Community Engagement and Relationship Building 20

3. Community Navigation, Resource Coordination, and Problem Solving 25

4. Cultural Responsiveness, Communication, and Professional Judgment 20

5. Overall Readiness and Ability to Deliver Services 15 Total 100

1. Relevant Experience and Qualifications (20 Points): Demonstrates the education, certifications, professional experience, language capacity, lived experience, and/or community credibility necessary to successfully perform the duties of a Resource Navigator, consistent with the qualifications outlined in this RFP.

2. Community Engagement and Relationship Building (20 Points): Demonstrates the ability to establish trust, build relationships, and effectively engage individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic communities in South Minneapolis, including individuals who may be reluctant to seek services or distrustful of systems.

3. Community Navigation, Resource Coordination, and Problem Solving (25 Points): Demonstrates the ability to assess participant needs, navigate public systems and community resources, coordinate services, provide warm handoffs, respond to crisis situations, reduce barriers to accessing services, and apply sound judgment when addressing complex participant needs.

4. Cultural Responsiveness, Communication, and Professional Judgment (20 Points): Demonstrates effective verbal communication, cultural humility, professionalism, active listening, confidentiality, conflict resolution, and the ability to exercise sound judgment while working with diverse populations.

5. Overall Readiness and Ability to Deliver Services (15 Points): Demonstrates a clear understanding of the Scope of Services, the Community Safety Center model, and the ability to effectively perform the duties of a Resource Navigator upon contract award including the ability to hire, assign, train, and retain personnel with the qualifications, experience, and competencies necessary to perform the Scope of Services.

Rights Reserved The City reserves the right to:

a. Waive or modify any informalities, irregularities, or inconsistencies in the responses received;

b. Pursue negotiations on any exception taken to the City’s standard terms and conditions.

c. Reject any and all responses received;

d. Negotiate with the highest scoring Responder[s];

e. Negotiate with more than one Responder;

f. Terminate negotiations and select the next response providing the best value for the City;

g. Consider documented past performance resulting from a City contract

h. Short list the highest scoring Responders;

i. Require Responders to conduct presentations, demonstrations, or submit samples;

j. Interview key personnel or references;

k. Request a best and final offer from one or more Responders;

l. Request additional information;

m. Use estimated usage or scenarios for the purpose of conducting pricing evaluations; and

n. Modify scenarios, and to request or add additional scenarios for the evaluation.

Requirements Prior to Contract Execution Prior to contract execution, the selected Responder must comply with all submittal requests. Submittal requests will include, but are not limited to, a Certificate of Insurance (COI) as outlined in Attachment G - Terms and Conditions for RFP. The selected Responder(s) must submit the required Certificate of Insurance within thirty

(30) calendar days of the Notice of Intent to Award, or by another deadline established by the City, to facilitate timely contract execution

VII. SCHEDULE: The following is a listing of key proposal and project milestones:

Procurement Activity Estimated Date RFP Released October 14, 2026 Pre-Proposal Meeting 11:30 a.m. CT on October 26, 2026 Questions Due 4:00 p.m. CT on October 27, 2026 Responses to Questions Posted By 4:00 p.m. CT on October 30, 2026

Proposals Due 12:00 p.m. CT on November 10, 2026 Phase 1 & Phase 2 Evaluation Period November 12 – December 18, 2026 Shortlisted Responders Notified / Request for Phase 3 Materials Issued

December 21, 2026

Phase 3 Supplemental Materials Due 12:00 p.m. CT on January 6, 2027 Evaluation Committee Review of Phase 3 Materials January 7 – January 13, 2027 Phase 3 Responder Interviews January 14 – January 21, 2027 Final Evaluation / Selection January 22 – January 27, 2027 Estimated Notice of Intent to Award January 29, 2027 Estimated Services Start Date April 1, 2027 Estimated Services End Date March 31, 2029

VIII. CONTRACT: The contracting parties will be the City of Minneapolis and the Responder(s) selected to provide the services as described herein. The RFP including any addenda, and the relevant portions of the selected proposal(s) and any counter proposal(s) will be incorporated into a formal agreement(s) after negotiations. The City intends to award one contract for a term of two (2) years, with the option to extend the contract on an annual basis, at the sole option of the City, for three (3) additional years.

IX. DEPARTMENT CONTACT/REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION: The Responder’s primary interface with the City will be with the Contract Manager who will act as the City’s designated representative for the Project. Prospective Responders may direct inquiries/questions via email to:

Neighborhood Safety Department: NeighborhoodSafety@minneapolismn.gov Subject Line: Culturally Specific Navigators Question(s)

The City reserves the right not to respond to questions or to rephrase questions. Any responses to the questions will be posted to the current event in the eSupplier Portal – Contracting Opportunities via an addendum.

X. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS: The City does not promise to accept the lowest cost proposal and specifically reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any formal proposal requirements, to investigate the qualifications and experience of any Responder, to reject any provisions in any proposal, to obtain new proposals, to negotiate the requested services and contract terms with any Responder, or to proceed to do the work otherwise. Incomplete proposals and proposals not sufficiently detailed or not in acceptable form may be rejected by the City.

XI. ADDENDUM TO THE RFP: If any addendum is issued for the RFP, it will be posted as an attachment to the current event. The City reserves the right to cancel or amend the RFP at any time.

XII. DATA PRACTICES: Data you provide in response to this RFP will be subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and may be available to the public. Minn. Stat. 13.591 classifies Business Data and subdivision 3 specifically addresses data submitted in response to an RFP. If you are submitting specific data which you believe meets the definition of trade secret data as defined in Minn.

Stat. 13.37, please indicate this on the documents containing the data. The City may ask you to establish that the data meets all of the conditions set forth in Minn. Stat. 13.37, subdivision 1(b).

mailto:NeighborhoodSafety@minneapolismn.gov

Attachment A: Scope of Services A. Background

The City of Minneapolis Neighborhood Safety Department ("NSD") is committed to advancing community safety through collaborative partnerships with residents, community organizations, and local government. The City defines community safety as work that allows all people in Minneapolis to be safe and feel safe. Community safety extends beyond responding to crime and violence and includes addressing the underlying conditions that contribute to violence, victimization, instability, and inequitable access to resources. This work is achieved through coordinated prevention, intervention, response, restoration, and long-term community investment. To support this vision, NSD is participating in building a comprehensive community safety ecosystem. The ecosystem is a coordinated network of organizations, programs, services, and community partners working together to improve safety, increase access to resources, strengthen community well-being, and address the root causes of violence. Rather than functioning independently, these services are intended to work collaboratively to provide coordinated pathways that help community members navigate challenges, stabilize their lives, and build long-term resilience.

The South Minneapolis Community Safety Center ("Center") is a foundational component of this ecosystem. In November 2023, the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor approved the purchase of 2633 Minnehaha Avenue as the future home of the City's Third Precinct. Concurrently, the City Council adopted a resolution expressing its commitment to developing the facility to include both police functions and community safety services. The result is the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center, a first-of-its-kind facility designed to bring together public safety, prevention, intervention, restoration, and community-based services in a single, coordinated location.

Unlike traditional public safety facilities, the Center is intended to serve as a welcoming and accessible destination for individuals, families, and community members seeking assistance. The Center is designed to reduce barriers to accessing services by co-locating multiple providers in one location while promoting collaboration among organizations serving the community. Services may be delivered by City departments, community-based organizations, healthcare providers, legal partners, or other public and private organizations committed to advancing community safety.

The Minneapolis Police Department will operate from a dedicated precinct within the building. Police functions will remain physically separate from the community safety services located throughout the remainder of the Center, while still allowing opportunities for collaboration where appropriate.

Community-based services within the Center will primarily support prevention and restoration strategies by helping individuals and families access resources, address immediate needs, and strengthen long-term stability.

To ensure the Center reflects community priorities, NSD conducted extensive community engagement between March and May 2024. Community members, neighborhood organizations, service providers, and other stakeholders were invited to identify the services and resources they believed would best support residents utilizing the Center.

Community members identified the following as the highest priority social services:

• Affordable housing services;

• Mental health services;

• Substance use disorder services;

• Unsheltered and homeless services; and

• Youth services.

Community members also identified several additional resources and building uses that would contribute to a welcoming and community-centered environment, including:

• Childcare for individuals utilizing Center services;

• Community meeting space;

• Legal services;

• Medical services; and

• Space for community meals.

Community engagement findings, combined with additional planning efforts and supporting data, also demonstrated the need for services focused on:

• Culturally responsive community navigation;

• Domestic violence;

• Human trafficking; and

• Food insecurity.

To further understand community capacity and identify potential service providers, the City issued Requests for Information (RFIs) in August 2024. Information gathered through the RFI process informed the City's vision for the initial service offerings within the Center. The City anticipates opening the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center with services related to:

• Community meeting space;

• Culturally responsive community navigation;

• Domestic violence;

• Human trafficking;

• Mental health; and

• Youth services.

Additional services may be incorporated during future phases of the Center as community needs evolve, partnerships expand, and additional space becomes available. A critical component of the Community Safety Center is ensuring that individuals can successfully navigate the broad network of services available both within the Center and throughout the community. Many individuals seeking assistance experience multiple and interconnected barriers, including housing instability, trauma, financial hardship, language barriers, unfamiliarity with public systems, transportation challenges, and difficulty accessing culturally responsive services. These barriers often require coordinated support across multiple providers and cannot be addressed through referrals alone. The City recognizes that successful navigation requires trusted relationships, individualized support, and active coordination between organizations. Community navigators serve as the bridge between community members and available resources by helping individuals identify needs, understand available services, overcome barriers to access, coordinate across providers, and successfully engage with supports that promote long-term safety, stability, and well-being. South Minneapolis is home to a rich diversity of communities, including American Indian, Hmong, Latino/a/x, LGBTQIA+, Somali, East African, and many other cultural communities. The City seeks culturally responsive navigation services that reflect this diversity and recognize that trust, cultural understanding, language access, lived experience, and authentic community relationships are essential to successful service delivery.

B. Purpose of this RFP

The purpose of this Request for Proposals ("RFP") is to identify a qualified Responder ("Responder") to provide community navigation services from the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center ("Center"). The selected Responder will maintain a consistent presence within the Center and provide community members with individualized navigation services that connect them to social services, community resources, and public systems. Services are intended to reduce barriers to accessing care, strengthen successful connections to resources, and improve long-term stability through culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and relationship-based support.

C. Anticipated Services The South Minneapolis Community Safety Center is intended to provide community members with a welcoming, accessible, and coordinated entry point to prevention, intervention, response, and restoration services. Community navigation is central to achieving this vision by ensuring individuals and families are able to successfully access the services and supports that best meet their needs. Successful community navigation extends beyond providing referrals. It is a relationship-based service model that helps individuals identify needs, understand available resources, overcome barriers to accessing services, and successfully connect with community organizations and public systems. Community navigators should provide individualized support that empowers community members to navigate complex systems while fostering trust, stability, and long-term self-sufficiency. The City recognizes that community members accessing the Center may present with multiple and interconnected needs, including housing instability, behavioral health concerns, substance use, domestic violence, food insecurity, transportation barriers, financial hardship, language barriers, legal concerns, and limited familiarity with available resources. Responders should demonstrate the ability to provide flexible, culturally responsive, trauma-informed navigation services that meet individuals where they are while recognizing the strengths, goals, and lived experiences of each person served.

The City seeks a Responder capable of serving as a collaborative partner within the Community Safety Center. Navigation services should complement, rather than duplicate, the work of other organizations operating within the Center by promoting coordinated service delivery, reducing fragmentation, and improving communication among service providers.

Guiding Principles The City expects navigation services to be delivered in accordance with the following principles:

• Person-Centered: Services should be driven by each individual's goals, priorities, and self-identified needs.

• Trauma-Informed: Services should recognize the impact of trauma and promote physical, emotional, and psychological safety.

• Culturally Responsive: Services should reflect and respect the cultural, linguistic, and lived experiences of community members.

• Relationship-Based: Trust should be established through consistency, respect, active listening, and authentic engagement.

• Strengths-Based: Services should build upon an individual's existing strengths, resilience, and support systems.

• Accessible: Services should reduce barriers to participation, including language, transportation, technology, literacy, and system complexity.

• Collaborative: Navigation should promote coordination among organizations while avoiding duplication of services.

Desired Outcomes The selected Responder should demonstrate the ability to contribute toward the following outcomes:

• Increased access to culturally responsive services.

• Improved coordination between organizations operating within the Center.

• Increased successful connections to community resources and public systems.

• Reduced barriers to accessing housing, healthcare, behavioral health, legal assistance, food resources, and other stabilization services.

• Increased participant engagement with referred services.

• Improved participant knowledge of available community resources.

• Increased community trust in services available through the Community Safety Center.

• Improved long-term stability for individuals and families utilizing the Center.

Responder Competencies The City will consider Responders that demonstrate experience in the following areas:

• Providing culturally responsive navigation services.

• Building trusting relationships with diverse communities.

• Working with individuals experiencing multiple and complex barriers.

• Trauma-informed engagement and crisis response.

• Coordinating services across multiple organizations and systems.

• Knowledge of community resources throughout Minneapolis.

• Experience assisting individuals with navigating public benefits and government systems.

• Experience serving historically underserved communities.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively across cultures and languages.

• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and community partners.

Community Navigation The selected Responder shall maintain a consistent presence within the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center and provide individualized navigation services to community members seeking assistance.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Greeting and engaging community members seeking services.

• Conducting individualized needs assessments.

• Identifying immediate, short-term, and long-term service needs.

• Developing individualized navigation plans.

• Assisting community members in understanding available services within the Center and throughout

Minneapolis.

• Providing information regarding eligibility requirements, documentation, application processes, and service expectations.

• Assisting community members in identifying priorities and determining appropriate next steps.

• Providing follow-up services to ensure successful connection to resources.

Resource Coordination

• Maintain current knowledge of community resources and eligibility requirements.

• Coordinate referrals across organizations operating within the Center.

• Connect individuals to housing, behavioral health, substance use treatment, food resources, employment services, legal services, healthcare, transportation, youth services, victim services, domestic violence resources, and other community supports.

• Provide warm handoffs to partner organizations whenever possible.

• Assist individuals with scheduling appointments, completing applications, gathering documentation, and navigating public systems.

• Follow up to confirm successful connection to services.

D. Anticipated Project Budgets and Award The City intends to award a single contract. The City reserves the right to negotiate with Responder(s) selected for contracts resulting from this RFP. These negotiations may address contract budgets, lengths based on needs, and proposed expenditures prior to the project start date. The City retains the authority to reject specific line items and request any additional information necessary for negotiations.

If negotiations are unsuccessful, the City reserves the right to rescind the award. Detailed budget discussions will occur with selected Responders during these negotiations, and actual award amounts will be determined at that time.

NOTE: A Notification of Intent to Award Letter does not create a contractual obligation on behalf of the City and does not authorize the commencement of work.

E. Contract Expectations

Contract holder(s) will provide culturally responsive community navigation services from the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center. The anticipated scope of work and responsibilities shall, at a minimum, include:

• Complete onboarding, orientation, and training in collaboration with the Minneapolis Neighborhood

Safety Department (NSD).

• Complete all mandatory trainings required by the City throughout the term of the contract.

• Participate in a two (2) hour invoice training conducted by the City prior to commencement of work.

• Maintain a consistent on-site presence at the South Minneapolis Community Safety Center during agreed-upon operating hours.

• Provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed, person-centered, and relationship-based community navigation services.

• Welcome and engage community members seeking services through the Center.

• Conduct individualized needs assessments to identify immediate and long-term service needs.

• Assist community members in navigating social services, public systems, and community resources.

• Develop individualized service and navigation plans based on participant needs and goals.

• Maintain current knowledge of community resources, eligibility requirements, and referral processes.

• Provide warm handoffs to internal and external service providers whenever possible.

• Coordinate appointments, transportation, applications, forms, and other activities necessary to reduce barriers to accessing services.

• Assist community members in accessing housing, behavioral health, substance use treatment, food resources, employment services, legal services, medical services, victim services, youth services, and other stabilization supports, as appropriate.

• Provide crisis intervention, safety planning, and problem-solving support, as appropriate.

• Maintain ongoing communication with community members to support successful connections to services and continued engagement.

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with organizations operating within the Community

Safety Center and with external community partners.

• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case consultations, and Center planning activities as requested by the City.

• Promote equitable access to services for all community members, including individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic, and historically underserved communities.

• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete documentation of services provided.

• Protect the confidentiality of participant information in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and City policies.

• Implement appropriate safeguards to protect participant information and records.

• Collect and maintain data necessary to satisfy all contract reporting requirements.

• Submit invoices, reports, and supporting documentation in accordance with the terms of the contract.

• Participate in contract monitoring activities, site visits, program evaluations, and continuous quality improvement efforts conducted by the City.

• Notify the City of significant programmatic, operational, or staffing changes that may impact service delivery.

• Maintain all licenses, certifications, insurance, and other qualifications required to perform services under the contract.

• Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, City policies, and contract requirements.

• Perform all other services necessary to successfully implement the requirements of this contract.

F. Reporting Requirements

Responders must demonstrate the ability to meet the following reporting requirements as a condition of this RFP. If awarded a contract, the Responder will be required to submit reports throughout the term of the contract. If awarded a contract, the Responder will be required to use reporting template(s) provided by the City. Reports are expected to be sent as de-identified summary-level information. Please see the “Reporting Measure Domains” section for an overview of measures that the awarded Contractor will be expected to report. Reports shall include, at a minimum:

• Total number of individuals served.

• Number of new individuals served.

• Number of returning individuals served.

• Number of navigation sessions provided.

• Number of walk-in engagements.

• Number of scheduled appointments.

• Number of crisis interventions provided.

• Number of individualized navigation plans completed.

• Number of referrals made by service category.

• Number of successful warm handoffs completed.

• Number of appointments scheduled on behalf of participants.

• Number of applications or forms completed with participant assistance.

• Number of transportation supports coordinated.

• Number of follow-up contacts completed.

• Number of participants successfully connected to recommended services.

• Number of participants unable to connect to services and the reason(s), when known.

• Demographic information, including age, race, ethnicity, gender, primary language, and ZIP code, as permitted by law.

• Narrative summary describing accomplishments, emerging trends, barriers to service delivery, partnership successes, and recommendations for improving services.

• Summary of community engagement and outreach activities conducted during the reporting period.

• Summary of significant programmatic issues, service gaps, or operational challenges impacting service delivery.

G. Reporting Measure Domains

Measure Domain Description Individuals Served Total number of individuals receiving navigation services.

New Participants Number of first-time individuals served.

Navigation Services Number and type of navigation services provided.

Needs Assessment Number of individualized needs assessments completed.

Resource Navigation Number of referrals by service category (housing, behavioral health, employment, legal, food, transportation, etc.).

Warm Handoffs Number of successful warm handoffs completed.

Service Connections Number of individuals successfully connected to recommended services.

Follow-Up Number of follow-up contacts completed after referral.

Crisis Response Number of crisis intervention or safety planning activities conducted.

Community Engagement Community education, outreach events, and presentations conducted.

Collaboration Coordination meetings, case consultations, and collaborative activities with Center partners.

Barriers to Access Common barriers preventing individuals from accessing services and strategies used to address those barriers.

Participant Outcomes Narrative description of participant successes, service outcomes, and notable accomplishments.

Continuous Improvement Recommendations for improving service delivery, Center operations, partnerships, and participant experience.

Attachment B: Responder Declarations

The undersigned certifies, to the best of their knowledge and belief, that:

A. Authorized Signature. This Declaration is signed by the appropriate person(s), with the authority to contractually bind the Responder, as required by applicable articles, bylaws, resolutions, minutes, and ordinances.

B. Eligibility.

• Responder must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing community navigation, case management, resource coordination, victim advocacy, outreach, or comparable direct human services.

• Responder must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing services to culturally diverse communities.

• Responder must be able to provide three (3) full-time Resource Navigators, including at least two (2) bilingual Resource Navigators fluent in a language commonly spoken by South Minneapolis residents.

• Responder must demonstrate a minimum of three (3) years of experience collaborating with community-based organizations, government agencies, healthcare providers, or other multidisciplinary partners to coordinate services.

C. Proposal Response. The information provided is true, correct, and reliable for purposes of evaluation for potential contract award. The submission of inaccurate or misleading information may be grounds for disqualification from the award as well as subject the Responder to suspension or debarment proceedings as well as other remedies available by law.

D. Time Allocation and Award. If awarded a contract under this RFP, the Responder certifies that the time, resources, and funds allocated in the proposal will be dedicated exclusively to the activities outlined in the proposal and will not be used for or overlap with any other programs, projects, or funding sources. The Responder agrees that any funds received under this contract will be exclusively applied to the agreed-upon scope of work and will not be utilized for any other purpose or project.

E. Legal Assessment. The undersigned certifies that, within the last seven (7) years:

1. The Responder has not had any lawsuit(s) filed against it, including but not limited to lawsuits related to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) issues, or contractor disputes over payment. If any such lawsuit(s) have been filed, details of the lawsuits, including the nature and status of the proceedings, have been disclosed.

2. The Responder attests that it has not filed for bankruptcy.

3. The Responder does not have any violations of Federal or State criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations that could potentially affect the award. If any such violations exist, they have been disclosed, including details of the nature and status of these violations.

F. Non-Collusion Certification.

1. The Proposal has been arrived at by the Responder independently and has been submitted without collusion and without any agreement, understanding or planned common course of action with any other vendor designed to limit fair or open competition; and

2. The contents of the Response have not been communicated by the Responder or its employees or agents to any person not an employee or agent of the Responder and will not be communicated to any other individual prior to the due date and time of this Solicitation. Any evidence of collusion among Responders in any form designed to defeat competitive responses will be reported to the Minnesota Attorney General for investigation and appropriate action.

G. Organizational Conflicts of Interest. To the best of Responder’s knowledge and belief, and except as otherwise disclosed, there are no relevant facts or circumstances which could give rise to an organizational conflict of interest. An organizational conflict of interest exists when, because of existing or planned activities or because of relationships with other persons,

1. the Responder is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the City;

2. the Responder’s objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired; or

3. the Responder has an unfair competitive advantage.

If after award, an organizational conflict of interest is discovered, an immediate and full disclosure in writing must be made to the City which must include a description of the action which the Responder has taken or proposes to take to avoid or mitigate such conflicts. If an organizational conflict of interest is determined to exist, the City may, at its discretion, cancel the contract. In the event the Responder was aware of an organizational conflict of interest prior to the award of the contract and did not disclose the conflict to City, the City may terminate the contract for default. Organizational conflicts of interest terms apply to any subcontractors for this work.

H. Reimbursement and Payment Terms. The undersigned certifies that the Responder understands and agrees that an awarded contract operates on a reimbursement-only basis for expenses related to services actually provided, and that the City does not provide advance funding, upfront payments, or cash advances of any kind. The Responder further certifies that:

1. The Responder has the financial capacity, cash flow, and reserves necessary to cover all program expenses, including payroll and operating costs, in advance of submitting invoices for reimbursement;

2. The Responder understands that, pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 471.425, the City's standard payment period is thirty-five (35) days from the date of receipt of a proper, complete invoice, and agrees to operate under this timeline; and

3. The Responder agrees to comply with all applicable invoicing, documentation, and reporting requirements, including providing cancelled checks or payroll receipts for personnel expenses, and receipts for non-personnel expenses, set forth in this RFP as a condition of reimbursement, and understands that incomplete or noncompliant submissions may delay or result in denial of payment.

4. The Responder acknowledges that the City reserves the right to deduct overpayments from future payments.

By signing this form, Responder acknowledges and certifies compliance with all applicable requirements indicated above.

Responder Name:

Signature:

Printed Name:

Title:

Date:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

Attachment C: Proposal Cover Sheet

Name of Responder:

Responder Address:

Responder Telephone Number:

Contact Person Name:

Contact Person Title:

Contact Person Telephone Number:

Contact Person Email address:

Submission Checklist (Please submit all documents as ONE PDF in e-supplier)

☐ Responder Declarations: Completed Attachment A

☐ Cover Sheet: Completed Attachment B

☐ Project Narrative Questions: Completed Attachment C (no more than ten (10) pages)

☐ Cost Proposal/Budget Narrative: Completed Attachment D

NOTE: If there are additional staff who should receive award notifications, include their names and contact information on your cover sheet. The City is not responsible for any delays in notifications caused by incorrect or missing information.

Attachment D: Cost Proposal/Budget Narrative

All proposed expenditures must comply with the public purpose doctrine under Minnesota law, which requires that public funds be used only for purposes that primarily benefit the public rather than private individuals or entities. Responders must ensure that each budget line item reflects a direct, demonstrable public benefit consistent with the scope of services outlined in this RFP, and must avoid any expenditure that would primarily benefit a private individual, employee, or subcontractor without a corresponding public purpose. The Cost Proposal must include one budget table that reflects the total projected costs for the entire initial two (2)-year contract term. Annual budget breakdowns are not required.

Payroll (List Staff Below)

Position Description Hourl y Rate

Required hours on program

Amount charged to program

PERSONNEL EXPENSES

Personnel Name

Resource Navigator

4,160.hours $

Personnel Name

6,240.hours $

Personnel Name Resource Navigator

6,240.hours $

Subtotal Salaried Personnel $

Fringe Benefits

Total Salaried Personnel $ INDIRECT EXPENSES (not to exceed 15% of Total Direct Costs) Responders may not charge the same administrative costs to both direct and indirect cost categories, or to other programs

Total Program Budget

Personnel Table The positions provided above reflect the minimum staffing model required under this RFP. Responders must propose three (3) Resource Navigators to provide community navigation services in accordance with the Scope of Services. Responders shall identify the staff assigned to each Resource Navigator position, including the applicable hourly rate, required program hours, and total amount charged to the program.

Indirect Expenses Indirect expenses include costs incurred for common or joint objectives that cannot be readily identified with a single program or activity, such as general administrative overhead, shared organizational infrastructure, or costs benefiting multiple programs. The City of Minneapolis will accept proposal budgets with a de minimis indirect cost rate of up to 15%. Proposed indirect rates above 15% will not be considered unless otherwise organizations submit a previously established indirect cost rate agreement (such as a NICRA with the federal government) that justifies the proposed rate. While organizations do not need to submit a cost allocation breakdown to justify the https://www.lmc.org/resources/public-purpose-expenditures/ proposed de minimis rate, all indirect expenses submitted for reimbursement invoiced under the de minimis rate must be allowable expenses supported by appropriate documentation.

Prohibited Expenses The following expenses are not eligible for reimbursement under any resulting contract unless expressly authorized by the City in writing:

• Alcohol

• Tobacco or nicotine products

• Cannabis or cannabis-related products

• Firearms, weapons, ammunition, or related items

• Direct cash assistance to participants

• Gift…