5-RFQ031874 - Fee Study and Cost Recovery Consultation Services - BZS - (Publish).pdf

City of Columbus Page 1 of 27 Building and Zoning Services – Fee Study and Cost Recovery Consultation Services – RFQ031874

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Solicitation Number:

RFQ031874

Date Issued:

March 16, 2026

Fee Study and Cost Recovery Consultation Services For

Building & Zoning Services

Written Questions Due: April 3, 2026 @ 10:00 AM

Responses to Questions: April 10, 2026 @ 10:00 AM

Proposals Due: April 24, 2026 @ 10:00 AM

Award: May 29, 2026

Work Begins: July 6, 2026

Full acceptance by: December 18, 2026

Procurement Portal: https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/214844

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Summary and Background

1.1 Request for Proposals (RFP)

1.2 City of Columbus

1.3 Building & Zoning Services

1.4 Project Background

1.5 Project Goals

1.6 Revenue Environment

1.7 Expense Environment

1.8 State Tax Environment

1.9 Technology Environment

2 Objectives

2.1 Key Objectives

2.2 Required Reviews

2.3 Final Report and Presentation

2.4 Out of Scope

3 Scope of Work

3.1 Overview and General Expectations

3.2 Project Assumptions

3.3 Phase Deliverables

3.4 Project Approach and Planning

3.5 Roles & Responsibilities

3.6 Minimum Contractor Requirements

3.7 Qualification to Bid

4 Proposal Information

4.1 Organization

4.2 Terminology and Definitions

4.3 Schedule – Time is of the essence

4.4 City Procurement Portal

4.5 Contact and Communication

4.6 Amendments to the RFP

4.7 Inquiries

4.8 Proposal Submittal

4.9 Confidentiality

4.10 Waiver of Defects

4.11 Changes to Proposal

4.12 Proposal Response Instructions

5 Evaluation of Proposals

5.1 Disclosure of Proposal Contents

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5.2 Evaluation of Proposals

5.3 Initial Review for Material Defects

5.4 Functional and Technical Evaluation

5.5 Requests for More Information

5.6 Discussions and Demonstrations

5.7 Invitation to Revise Proposals

5.8 Evaluation of Costs

5.9 Contract Negotiations

5.10 Failure to Negotiate

5.11 Evaluation Criteria

6 Award of the Contract

7 Requirements for Proposals

7.1 RFP Checklist of Required Documentation

8 Specifications & Requirements, Response Workbook, Supplements

8.1 Specifications & Requirements

8.2 Offeror Response Workbook

8.3 MBE-WBE Policy and Bid Incentive Request Form

8.4 Supplements

9 Terms and Conditions

9.1 Contract Components, Order of Precedence

9.2 City Standard Terms and Conditions for Services

9.3 Offeror Documents to be Considered

9.4 Proposal Cost Instructions

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1 Summary and Background

1.1 Request for Proposals (RFP)

The City of Columbus (City), Department of Building & Zoning Services, pursuant to the Revised Code of the State of Ohio, the Charter of the City of Columbus, Columbus City Code of Ordinances Section

329.28 (link to full text of code) and Title 39 (Minority and Female Business Enterprise), is seeking a contract with a consultant Offeror (Contractor) to ensure the City receives the most effective services possible, at a fair and reasonable cost to the public.

If a suitable proposal is offered in response to this request for proposals (RFP), the City will enter into a contract (Contract) to have the selected Contractor provide all or part of the desired solution and services (Work). This RFP provides details on what is required to submit a proposal for the Work, how the City will evaluate the proposals, and what will be required of the Offeror in performing the Work.

This RFP also gives estimated dates for the various events in the submission process, selection process, and performance of the Work. While these dates are subject to change, prospective Offerors should be prepared to meet them as stated.

Once awarded, the contract will entail a one-year engagement with the option of two one-year renewals. All renewals are subject to City legislative approval and funding.

Summary of Objectives:

1.1.1 Comprehensive review of current in-scope fee structure and business environment

1.1.2 Comprehensive review of in-scope expenses

1.1.3 Interviews with senior staff to gain context, as necessary

1.1.4 Recommend fee changes to meet the department’s goals

1.1.5 Present best practices not currently in use to the department’s executive team

1.1.6 Provide a user-friendly model for the department to use in future years to allow for adjustments to fees based upon changing needs

1.2 City of Columbus

Columbus is Ohio’s state capital and largest city, the 15th largest city in the U.S., and home to 20 Fortune 1000 companies. Columbus has a population of over 900,000 within a greater Columbus metro region of

2.5 million. The City manages a large array of services and assets on a $1.8 billion operating budget with over 10,500 employees.

The City operates and is governed by its charter and is subject to the general laws of Ohio that are applicable to all municipalities. The Columbus City Charter provides for a mayor-council form of government. The mayor is the chief executive officer and City Council is the legislative body. Other elected officials include the City Auditor, City Attorney, Municipal Court Clerk, and Municipal Court Judges.

In addition to the elected officials and their administrative offices, a number of department heads within the city are appointed by the mayor or by supporting commissions. The mayor’s cabinet consists of the directors of the Departments of Finance and Management, Public Safety, Public Service, Technology, Human Resources, Civil Service, Development, Recreation and Parks, Public Health, Public Utilities, Building and Zoning Services, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Education, Neighborhoods, and the Inspector General.

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Department and agency directors are authorized to regulate and govern their respective departments.

Additional information about the City of Columbus, including detailed information about missions and operational budgets, is available at https://www.columbus.gov/.

1.3 Building & Zoning Services

The mission of the Department of Building & Zoning Services (BZS) is to ensure safe, quality development in the City of Columbus. The department accomplishes this mission by ensuring City and State codes for business regulation and licensing, health, sanitation, and safety, weights and measures, zoning, building, housing, and nuisance abatement are followed throughout Columbus. These codes promote the safety and wellbeing of the city’s residents through proper land development and maintenance.

Columbus’ population growth remains strong, with a 15% increase from 2010 to 2020 and an additional 280,000 residents anticipated by 2050. BZS plays an integral role in the continued growth of the City of Columbus by supporting the safety and quality of life for residents and visitors by implementing the Columbus Building and Zoning Codes. The department is organized into six distinct yet interconnected sections, with an authorized strength of 278 full-time employees. The Building, Code Enforcement, Zoning, Site Engineering, Customer Service, and License and Weights & Measures sections combine to advance the department’s mission.

1.4 Project Background

Historically, the department’s fees have been updated every five years and consist of either a base fee corresponding to the project type or a base fee plus additional fees based on the square footage of the working area or the number and type of devices associated with fire protection. This model covered expenses incurred by the department during building plan, zoning, and site development review and inspection. While successful in the past, recent fluctuations in the construction industry caused by the global pandemic and more recent economic uncertainty have caused the number of permits and the size of projects to decline.

In addition, the department has grown through the adoption of the Code Enforcement, License, and Weights & Measures Sections from other City agencies. The City determined these sections to be operationally aligned with the mission and duties of BZS. However, neither the existing BZS fee schedule revenue or the fees and fines currently charged by these sections are sufficient to support these expenses. Instead, the City provides BZS with supplemental General Fund appropriations for the operating costs of these sections.

BZS’ 2026 budget, totaling $46,889,513, will support continued investments which are critical to the department's function and evolution. Such investments enable the implementation of industry-specific best practices and continuous improvement in the areas of plan review, permitting, and inspection, and code enforcement. BZS anticipates nearly $40M in revenue to the Special Revenue Fund known as the Development Services Fund to support itself in 2026 with $4.5M of support from the City’s General Fund, while the Development Services Funds’ existing balance will manage the remaining need. The City is seeking a vendor that will meet this project’s objectives while ensuring the suggested fees meet the department’s overarching goals, which are: to support the private development industry while aligning with missions and values, promoting equity and inclusion, recovering cost, and maintaining competitiveness with peers, all while working toward the accumulation and maintenance of a fund balance sufficient to cover between three and six months of upcoming expenses.

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1.5 Project Goals

1.5.1 Fees which are in alignment with and promote both Citywide and departmental missions and values; and

1.5.2 Fees which promote equity by supporting consistent participation and compliance without creating unnecessary financial barriers; and

1.5.3 Fees based on an analysis of cost recovery levels necessary to support the private development industry with recommendations of appropriate subsidies for when cost recovery is unrealistic, impractical, or conflicting with service delivery; and

1.5.4 Fees which are relative in structure and value to national peers and neighboring central Ohio municipalities when not in conflict with other project goals; and

1.5.5 Fees that allow the accumulation and maintenance of a Development Services Fund cash balance sufficient to cover between three and six months of upcoming expenses;

and

1.5.6 A process for regular fee review and adjustment of the fee schedule; and

1.5.7 Ease of customer use of the new fee structure; and

1.5.8 Fee adjustments tied to market factors that result in the reduction or elimination of the need for manual adjustments; and

1.5.9 Ease of fee schedule adaptation to evolving departmental needs; and

1.5.10 Recommendations of best practices not in use by the department.

1.6 Revenue Environment

1.6.1 Current State: Building and Zoning Services’ fee schedule no longer meets the department’s goals without regular intervention.

1.6.1.1 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule (link here)

a. Deposited to the Development Services Fund

b. The fees are based on the Department’s cost or time spent on building plan review and inspection

c. Fees are maintained at a level to balance compliance with non-compliance risk.

d. Fees are intended to promote equity by supporting consistent participation without creating unnecessary financial barriers

e. Engineering Plan Review (One Stop Shop)

1. Interdepartmental Revenue Sharing Agreements are in force to provide funding to other departments that assist with this work.

Commented [NN1]: Do we need to note that Housing Code Fees are excluded from this RFP? I see it’s called out in 1.6.3.1

Commented [VEA2R1]: I think this should stay. This is the current state, and Housing Code Fees are part of the Current State

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1.6.2 Future State

1.6.2.1 The department’s adoption of a comprehensive fee framework that can be easily reviewed and updated by department staff and is clear and straightforward for customers to understand and utilize.

1.6.2.2 Recommendations must support consistent participation without creating unnecessary financial barriers for customers

1.6.2.3 Total project fees charged by the department will be near or in alignment relative to national peer and local neighboring municipalities without compromising City or departmental missions or values

1.6.2.4 Recommendations must demonstrate fairness, cost-basis rationale, and alignment with public interest

1.6.2.5 Recommendations must maintain a balance between permit, license, and clearance compliance and non-compliance risk

1.6.2.6 Recommendations will be adopted for instances where cost recovery for a service is unrealistic, impractical, or conflicting with service delivery.

1.6.3 Out of Scope

1.6.3.1 The Combined Development Related Fee Schedule’s Housing Code Fees

1.6.3.2 Business Licensing Fees: Fees associated with operating licenses for businesses charged by the department’s License section.

1.6.3.3 Weights & Measures Fees: Fees associated with accuracy evaluations and the sealing of weighing and measuring devices charged by the department’s Weights & Measures section.

1.6.3.4 Legality of existing and proposed fees

1.7 Expense Environment

1.7.1 Current State

1.7.1.1 Building and Zoning Division

a. Programs expensed from the Development Services Fund except License and Weights & Measures

b. License and Weights & Measures personnel, goods, external services, other, and capital expenses charged to the General Fund

1.7.1.2 Code Enforcement Division

1. Code Enforcement personnel expenses are funded by both the General Fund and the Development Services Fund

2. Code Enforcement goods, external services, other, and capital expenses charged to the General Fund

1.7.1.3 Internal Charges: Service expenses incurred by other City agencies in support of

BZS, such as Fleet, Technology, Mail, etc.

a. Code Enforcement: All internal charges except Direct Technology charged to the

General Fund

1. Direct Technology expenses charged to the Development Services Fund

b. License and Weights & Measures: All internal charges except Direct Technology charged to the General Fund

1. Direct Technology expenses charged to the Development Services Fund

1.7.1.4 Electronic Payment Processing Fees: All credit card and eCheck processing fees are expensed to the department and are not charged directly to customers.

Commented [NN3]: This reads like the fees will be easily updated by customers.

Commented [VEA4R3]: Updated

Commented [NN5]: For customers, right?

Commented [VEA6R5]: Updated

Commented [NN7]: These aren’t in the fee schedule we reference. I don’t think it hurts to mention they are out of scope, but I don’t want to confuse things.

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1.7.2 Future State – Costs are expected to continue to rise over time.

1.7.2.1 Costs are expected to continue to rise over time.

1.7.3 Out of Scope

1.7.3.1 General Fund expenses

1.8 State Tax Environment

1.8.1 Out of Scope

1.8.1.1 Ohio Revised Code/Title 37 Health-Safety-Morals/Chapter 3781 Building Standards

– General Provisions/F

a. The Department collects taxes due to the State of Ohio at set percentage rates for the building plan review and inspection portions of permit fees

1. One percent of the fees for residential buildings (1, 2, or 3 family dwelling units)

2. Three percent of the fees for nonresidential buildings

3. The taxable fees exclude cost or time associated with zoning, site engineering, customer service, administrative or other overhead costs not directly associated with building plan review and inspection

b. State Tax is Out of Scope in that the requirement cannot be altered by the awarded contractor. However, the State Tax requirement must be considered in all revenue modeling.

1.9 Technology Environment

1.9.1 Accela Civic Platform

1.9.1.1 The Department utilizes the Accela Civic Platform as its enterprise permitting, plan review, inspection, zoning, and fee administration system.

1.9.1.2 The Accela Civic Platform currently provides all scripting, automation, and logic required to calculate and apply fees based on project type, square footage, plans examination time, inspection trips, and other regulatory factors.

1.9.1.3 Accela serves as the authoritative system of record for most fee schedules and related business rules.

1.9.1.4 The Contractor’s work must produce fee recommendations and logic that can be directly translated into Accela scripting without requiring system redesign.

1.9.2 Technology Work - Out of Scope

1.9.2.1 No changes to software configuration, scripting, workflows, record types, integrations, or system architecture are included in this RFP.

1.9.2.2 No new technology solutions, modules, or system functionality will be designed, implemented, or supported under this engagement.

1.9.2.3 The Contractor will not perform any IT development, platform support, system testing, or data migration activities.

1.9.3 City Responsibilities

1.9.3.1 All system configuration changes required to implement any approved fee adjustments will be completed by City staff or its designated software administrators.

1.9.3.2 BZS’ internal data group, alongside the City’s Technology Department, will manage all technical implementation tasks following the Contractor’s recommendations.

Commented [NN8]: I maintain it would be great for someone to review how we charge this and see if there’s a better way than the current model.

Commented [VEA9R8]: I tried to clear this up here

Commented [NN10]: Since Housing Code Fees are out of scope, I suppose there’s no need to mention Tolemi/Slate

Commented [VEA11R10]: I think you are correct.

Commented [NN12]: Does this read like Accela as a vendor, not a product, provides these things?

Commented [VEA13R12]: Please see the proposed change

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2 Objectives

2.1 Key Objectives

The selected vendor’s high-level objectives for this RFP are:

2.1.1 Establish a Professional Services Contract for Consultant Services to provide the requested services.

2.1.2 Provide a plan and presentation recommending updates to the department’s fees that achieve this project’s goals and is accepted by the department.

2.1.3 Provide a user-friendly model to ensure the department’s future adjustments to the fee schedule are measurable and achieve this project’s goals.

The City is targeting July 6, 2026 for Consultant Services to begin.

2.2 Required Reviews

2.2.1 Comprehensive Review of Current Fee Structure and Business Environment, including, but not limited to:

2.2.1.1 Existing fees and fines charged by the department

2.2.1.2 Cost recovery

2.2.1.3 City and departmental missions and values

2.2.1.4 Departmental business practices to determine whether additional fees should be instituted

2.2.1.5 State tax obligations

2.2.1.6 Interdepartmental revenue sharing agreements

2.2.1.7 Fees and fee structures utilized by national peer and local neighboring municipalities

2.2.1.8 Leading and lagging market factors

2.2.2 Comprehensive Review of Expenses

2.2.2.1 Historical expenses

2.2.2.2 Future expense projection modeling

2.2.3 Interviews with senior staff to gain context, as necessary

2.3 Final Report and Presentation

The Contractor shall provide the department with:

2.3.1 An accepted fee plan that will be presented to the department’s executive team which meets the stated goals of this project.

2.3.2 Recommendations of best practices not in use by the department.

2.3.3 An accepted, user-friendly model for the department to use in future years to allow adjustments to fees based upon changing needs. The format should:

2.3.3.1 Be easily used and maintained by staff

2.3.3.2 Allow for analysis and tracking of fee changes into the future

2.3.3.3 Allow for easy publication

2.3.3.4 Allow for additions, revisions, or removal of direct and overhead costs so the full cost allocation plan can be easily adapted to a variety of activities

2.3.3.5 Allow for updates to the fee schedule as needed

2.3.3.6 Allow for the addition of future service areas

2.3.3.7 Enable calculations for the estimated costs of providing new services

2.3.3.8 Be based on software currently utilized by the City of Columbus, not including

Microsoft Access.

Commented [NN14]: I’m sure you’re aware that this needs to be updated.

Commented [VEA15R14]: All dates will be updated when this is ready to be published.

Commented [NN16]: You have this listed as out of scope

Commented [VEA17R16]: I tried to clear this up in the Out of Scope - State Tax

Commented [NN18]: This is the only time this is mentioned

Commented [VEA19R18]: I added a section in the Revenue Environment

Commented [NN20]: National peer?

Commented [VEA21R20]: Corrected

Commented [NN22]: Should this be removed?

Commented [VEA23R22]: I think is important so we are prepared for whatever changes arise

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2.4 Out of Scope

2.4.1 The Combined Development Related Fee Schedule’s Housing Code Fees

2.4.2 State Tax Environment

2.4.3 Business Licensing Fees: Fees associated with operating licenses for businesses charged by the department’s License section.

2.4.4 Weights & Measures Fees: Fees associated with accuracy evaluations and the sealing of weighing and measuring devices charged by the department’s Weights & Measures section.

2.4.5 General Fund expenses

2.4.6 Technology Work

2.4.7 Replacement of core recordkeeping systems Accela and D365

2.4.8 Legality of existing and proposed fees

3 Scope of Work

This section gives a summary of the scope of Work for the requested service. Section 8.1 – Specifications and Requirements and the Offeror Response Workbook attachment provide additional detail and coverage of proposal response requirements pertaining to scope of services.

Offerors are encouraged to offer improvements to the proposed service approach if they believe changes will better meet the City’s objectives. Please clearly mark any recommended improvements as such.

3.1 Overview and General Expectations

Comprehensive Service: Proposals will be for a Comprehensive Service. In summary:

The Contractor will lead service management, design, and development of the Work. The Contractor will coordinate the successful execution of the Work and direct all Work activities on a day-to-day basis, with the advice and consent of the City. The Contractor will be responsible for all communications regarding the progress of the Work and will discuss with the City any issues, recommendations, and decisions related to the Work.

The city seeks an inclusive service offer. Any incidental items omitted in the Contract will be provided as part of the Contractor’s price. The Contractor will fully identify, describe, and document all services that are delivered as a part of the service. All hardware, software, supplies, and other required components such as documentation, training, scheduling, and management of the service to be complete and useful to the City, must be included in the proposal and price.

The Contractor will describe the support, assistance, and facilities it wants from the City other than what the City has described within this RFP.

Commented [NN24]: Again, is part of this in scope or not?

Commented [VEA25R24]: I tried to clear this up in the Out of Scope – State Tax section

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3.2 Project Assumptions

3.2.1 Contractor will create a comprehensive project schedule, identifying key dates of completion for the identified objectives outlined in Section 2.2 – 2.3 of this RFP

3.2.2 Contractor will incorporate planning and design for the Fee Study and Cost Recovery Consultation Services.

3.2.3 Contractor will identify and request of the City any third-party resources needed for success.

3.2.4 Contractor will create a project management plan.

3.2.5 Contractor will recommend best practices to maximize the efficacy, efficiency, and internal/external customer experience of the service provided.

3.2.6 Contractor will recommend value-added services and improvements when applicable.

3.2.7 Contractor will test the solution against multiple market forecasting models.

3.2.8 Contractor will provide a solution that meets this project’s goals as outlined in Section

1.5.

3.2.9 Final report and presentation can be completed and accepted by department administration by December 18, 2026.

After Final Acceptance, the Contractor will make available upon request, Contractor service team members that had been assigned to the City contract for Fee Study and Cost Recovery Consultation Services, for the purposes of addressing additional questions and issues.

3.3 Phase Deliverables

Each phase and its deliverables must receive City approval before moving on to the next.

3.3.1 Plan and Schedule

The Contractor will develop a comprehensive project management plan to include role planning and management, risk management, communication and escalation management, issue management, and task management. The Contractor will also develop and manage a project plan, including a project schedule tracking all project tasks, assignments, dates, and dependencies.

3.3.2 Discovery

Discovery will begin with a detailed review of the department’s existing business environments as detailed in Section 1 of this RFP and the fee structures and values utilized by national peers and neighboring central Ohio municipalities. In addition to analysis of historical and forecasted revenue and expenses, this phase of the project may require engagement between the Contractor and BZS sections to understand departmental operations related to the project.

3.3.3 Recommendations

Project scope will include Contractor-developed recommendations for a replacement fee schedule that meets this project’s goals. The recommendations will be based on the discovery of the previous project step described above and include additional technical and business requirements documented within this RFP and the Offeror Response Workbook.

3.3.4 Testing Models

The Contractor will provide test models for review by City that show how they meet project goals and respond to market changes. The city will select a model to advance to the next phase.

3.3.5 Transition and Post-Deployment Support Plans

The Contractor will develop a transition plan for migration to the new fee schedule that includes all legal and public-engagement requirements and best practices. The contractor will also develop a post-deployment support plan.

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3.3.6 Stakeholder Engagement Plan

The Contractor will develop a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan. Planning will include stakeholder engagement tasks and communications strategies associated with the implementation of the approved fee schedule.

3.3.7 Training, Rollout, and Support

The Contractor will develop and execute a City-approved training plan, implement the transition plan, participate in fee schedule launch activities, and provide deployment support services.

3.3.8 Acceptance and Post-Acceptance Support

The City will accept the solution as completed (see “Acceptance” in section 4.2) once all contracted deliverables and scheduled project tasks have been completed and all key/critical issues have been resolved by the Contractor. Additional key/critical issues, while unlikely after Acceptance, are possible. Intimate project and solution implementation knowledge will be critical toward efficient resolution of such key/critical issues.

The City intends to have the final deliverables of this contract no later than December 18, 2026.

Please propose a timeline which meets this date. The City will consider alternate dates with reasonable rationale.

3.4 Project Approach and Planning

The Contractor will lead, with the City assisting. Questions regarding service approach and planning are in the Offeror Response Workbook (see section 7 and 8.2 of this RFP). Identification of known or perceived challenges is important and should be included in the response. This includes an approach that stresses strong collaboration, problem solving, and the relationship between the City and the Contractor. The Offeror should include their proposed optimal approach and project organizational structure to meet the deliverables of the RFP.

The proposal will include a timeline schedule and explanation to meet RFP requirements, in addition to any other value-added approaches not specifically identified in the RFP.

3.5 Roles & Responsibilities

It is acceptable that actual staff titles may differ from the names of roles described in this section.

3.5.1 Contractor Roles & Responsibilities

The Offeror will provide leadership and propose a service team that will successfully deliver a comprehensive solution per City requirements while minimizing risk. The Offeror is to list proposed service team members within the Offeror Response Workbook, Sheet 6 (see section 7 and 8.2).

Service Manager: Provides management oversight from planning, acceptance, and fulfillment of the service as defined within the RFP. Proposed Service Managers should have demonstrable management expertise and should have recognized management credentials. Responsibilities include at a minimum:

a. Communicate proactively and cooperate flexibly with City staff.

b. Create and manage a detailed service plan and schedule.

c. Communicate progress or lack thereof.

d. Manage contractor staff.

e. Serve as liaison between BZS and Contractor resources.

f. Initiate quality assurance processes to monitor the service.

g. Identify and manage issues and risk.

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h. Serve as point of escalation for service issues.

i. Manage deliverables acceptance process.

j. Provide routine communications with the City coordinator.

Business Analyst: Provides requirements verification, business process, and subject matter expertise for the proposed solution. Offerors may propose single or multiple functional leads for multiple business areas or modules if desired. Responsibilities may include:

a. Lead all requirements verification, design, configuration, workflow, development, and testing.

b. Provide input to training development and participate as part of the immediate post go live support team.

c. Proposed Business Analysts should have demonstrable expertise assisting organizations with

Fee Studies and Cost Allocation Plans in general, specifically for Public Sector entities and municipalities, across multiple levels of the organization (i.e. by department, division), across strategic goals and priorities defined by the Director (i.e. policy, law, technology), and at different scales (i.e. initiative, program, project).

Implementation Lead: Provides technical subject matter expertise for the proposed solution and leads implementation. Proposed Implementation Leads should have demonstrable expertise assisting organizations with Fee Studies and implementing Cost Allocation Plans in general, and specifically the proposed solution, and should hold appropriate qualifications.

Responsibilities may include:

a. Serve as central point of communication for all implementation matters concerning the solution.

b. Support the Contractor Service Manager in discussions with City project coordinator, City technical lead, and City SMEs.

c. Ensure proper documentation of proposed and implemented solutions.

Training Lead: Plans and leads the design, development, and implementation of the training program and materials for the project. Proposed Training Leads should have demonstrated expertise in training similar organizations for administration and use of Cost Allocation Plans in general, and specifically the proposed solution. Responsibilities to include at a minimum:

a. Document approach to training.

b. Develop training schedules aligned with the overall project plan.

c. Will have thorough understanding of the functional and technical requirements of the solution.

d. Develop a simple user guide for the solution.

e. Will have thorough understanding of the workflow process of the solution.

f. Perform training needs analysis to determine the best method of delivering content.

g. Develop and maintain training curriculum and associated training materials.

h. Evaluate participants at every level to determine appropriate training outcomes.

i. Lead implementation of the training plan required in the RFP and conduct training sessions.

The Offeror will propose the remainder of its service team it deems appropriate to provide for the needs of the service.

3.5.2 City Roles & Responsibilities

The City’s Project Manager will provide oversight for the project, but as a comprehensive service offering, the Contractor is responsible for and will provide overall work management for the tasks under the Contract, including day-to-day management of its staff. The Contractor will

City of Columbus Page 14 of 27 identify and request any City or third-party resources needed for success. Requests for City and third-party resources must be documented, with an explanation of expected roles and responsibilities.

The Contractor will assist the City with coordinating assignments for any City staff involved in the project. Throughout the effort, the Contractor will provide all administrative support for its staff and activities and ensure a comprehensive, detailed service plan is developed, executed, monitored, reported on, and maintained. The Contractor may propose management tools to facilitate the requirements listed above.

3.6 Minimum Contractor Requirements

Minimum requirements for the requested service are as follows:

3.6.1 Worker’s Compensation

3.6.1.1 The Contractor shall comply with all Workers’ Compensation laws of the State of Ohio

3.6.2 Insurance

3.6.2.1 Contractor shall carry at least the minimum amounts listed below of Commercial

Liability Insurance (Bodily Injury and Property Damage) naming the City as an additional insured.

Bodily Injury Liability: Each Person $500,000; Each Accident $1,000,000 Property Damage Liability: Each Person $500,000; Each Accident $1,000,000

3.6.3 Contract Compliance

3.6.3.1 At the time of contract, Contractor shall have a valid City of Columbus contract compliance number. If the Contractor has not completed the application process to obtain certification in its Vendor Services account, please do so or contact the City of Columbus, Office of Diversity and Inclusion at: 614-645-4764 or 1111 East Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43205.

3.6.4 Relevant Project History

3.6.4.1 Bidders must provide no less than three references with their contact information showing experience in providing similar services of comparable scope and scale.

a. Include documented outcomes resulting from these referenced projects.

3.6.5 Subcontracting

3.6.5.1 Any planned work to be subcontracted must be detailed in the Contractor’s RFP submission.

3.6.5.2 Any subcontracted work not detailed in the Contractor’s RFP submission must receive written approval from the City prior to execution.

3.6.6 Records Retention

3.6.6.1 The Contractor must maintain payroll records, documents, and other evidence directly pertinent to employment and/or payments to workers carrying out the services contracted with the City. The City, or its duly authorized representative, shall have access to such payroll records, documents, and other evidence for the purpose of verification, audit, inspection, and copying within seven days of receiving written requests from the City to view such documentation, at no cost to the City.

Section 8.1 – Specifications and Requirements and the Offeror Response Workbook attachment provide additional detail and coverage of all response requirements pertaining to service scope, including the mandatory requirements listed above.

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3.7 Qualification to Bid

3.7.1 Experience

3.7.1.1 Bidder possesses the current capability, staff, and equipment necessary to perform these objectives to meet the required deadline and invoice for the services performed with the required supporting documentation.

3.7.1.2 Bidder’s team must have a proven track record conducting fee studies, cost allocation plans, and expense audits for public entities.

3.7.1.3 Bidder’s team must demonstrate significant experience in the areas of public sector accounting, finance, and economics.

3.7.2 Minimum Requirements

3.7.2.1 Bidder meets all Minimum Vendor Requirements identified in Section 3.6

3.7.3 City Contract Performance

3.7.3.1 Bidder has not previously breached a City contract or had inferior or substandard performance on City projects

4 Proposal Information

The following sub-sections provide details on how to get more information about this RFP and how to submit a proposal for consideration. All responses must be complete and in the prescribed format utilizing the Offeror Response Workbook (see sections 7 and 8.2).

4.1 Organization

A summary of the sections in this RFP is as follows:

Section 1 – Summary and Background (purpose, background, objectives) Section 2 – Objectives (high level description of existing and new services desired) Section 3 – Scope of Work (definition of the work for this service, roles, responsibilities, expectations, etc.)

Section 4 – Proposal Information (definitions, schedule, communication, processes) Section 5 – Evaluation of Proposals (City review of service proposals, processes) Section 6 – Award of Contract (award process, contract components) Section 7 – Requirements for Proposals (Workbook requirement, additional documentation, etc.)

Section 8 – Specifications & Requirements, Response Workbook, Supplements (all attachments) Section 9 – Terms and Conditions

4.2 Terminology and Definitions

Neither terminology, service parameters, nor functional specifications contained in this RFP are intended to imply or denote a particular vendor or solution, nor are they intended to be restrictive in any way. If Offerors have any questions about interpretations, please inquire via the City procurement portal (see section 4.4) any time prior to the due date for written questions.

For the purposes of this RFP, the meaning of words and phrases are as follows:

“Acceptance” means satisfactory completion and customer approval of all deliverables associated with the solution per the terms of this RFP. Acceptance activities may include reviews, testing, auditing, etc.

“Chair of the Committee” chair of the City committee responsible for evaluation of this RFP.

“Contract” or “Agreement” means the general agreement for procurement of a solution meeting the requirements of this RFP, including City terms and conditions (see section 9).

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“Day” means the City’s normal workday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays recognized by City.

“Offeror”, “Contractor”, “Proposer”, or “Vendor” means that firm acting as prime contractor in offering the solution and related services requested by this RFP.

“Responsible Bidder” means, a bidder who has demonstrated the capability and capacity in all respects to fully perform the RFP requirements and whose experience, integrity and reliability indicate good faith performance.

“Purchase Price” means the City’s total financial obligation to the Contractor under the Contract.

4.3 Schedule – Time is of the essence

The schedule is provided in the table below. The City may change this schedule at any time. If the City changes the schedule for events prior to and including proposals due, it will do so through an announcement on the City’s procurement portal on the record for this specific RFP (https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/214844). The announcement will accompany an amendment to the RFP, also available through the portal. Note that the City may make changes in the schedule after the Contract award.

Only proposals received via the City procurement portal prior to the due date and time will be reviewed and considered for Contract award. Proposals submitted to the portal after the due date and time will be rejected by the City. Proposals sent or delivered to the City using any other method will not be reviewed.

It is each prospective Offeror’s responsibility to check the portal for current information regarding this RFP and its calendar of events through award of the Contract.

Key dates pertaining to this RFP are as follows:

Event Date

Firm Dates

RFP Issued: March 16, 2026 @ 3:00 PM

Written Questions Due by: April 3, 2026 @ 10:00 AM

Responses to Questions: April 10, 2026 @ 10:00 AM

Proposals Due (at portal below): April 24, 2026 @ 10:00 AM

Estimated Dates

Contract Award: May 29, 2026

Service Work Begins: July 6, 2026

Acceptance by: December 18, 2026

There are references in this RFP to the proposal event dates. Unless it is clearly provided to the contrary in this RFP, any such reference means the date and time that the Proposals are due and not just the date

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Time Zone.

4.4 City Procurement Portal

All general and updated information regarding this RFP can be found on the City procurement portal at https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/214844. The portal is the primary vehicle for communication back and forth between the City and all Offerors until proposals are due.

4.5 Contact and Communication

The procurement portal is the communication channel for this RFP until proposals are due. For strictly administrative issues, the primary point of contact for the City for this RFP is:

Eric Voorhees Fiscal Manager Department of Building and Zoning Services eavoorhees@columbus.gov 614-645-3262

During the RFP, evaluation and negotiation process, Offerors are strictly prohibited from communicating with any City employees or officers regarding this solicitation, except through the procurement portal, until proposals are due. Thereafter, further communications can be directed to the primary point of contact named above. Any communication from the Offeror to the City after the question-and-answer period should be limited to strictly administrative matters and even then only what is necessary.

Necessary communications by the City will be communicated clearly to Offerors via the procurement portal. If any Offeror has a need to communicate directly with someone at the City for administrative reasons, the communication must come only to the City primary point of contact. All other questions regarding the RFP must come via the procurement portal.

If a City employee attempts to communicate with an Offeror contrary to this provision, the Offeror shall report the incident to the City primary point of contact. A violation of this section on the part of the Offeror may lead to disqualification of the Offeror.

4.6 Amendments to the RFP

All amendments and changes to this RFP will be published at the City procurement portal. Offerors are responsible for keeping up with all amendments, changes, and communications via the portal.

4.7 Inquiries

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted on the City procurement portal no later than the “Written Questions Due by” date (section 4.3).

4.8 Proposal Submittal

Submit proposals per instructions on the City procurement portal. Attachments to this RFP (see section

8) are provided for Offerors to utilize for their responses. All proposals, including all workbooks, forms, and attachments must be submitted via the portal no later than the “Proposals Due” date (see section 4.3).

By submitting a proposal, the Offeror acknowledges that it has read this RFP, understands it, and agrees to follow its requirements. The Offeror also acknowledges understanding of potential risk of lower evaluation scores associated with substantial exceptions to the terms and conditions of this RFP, or

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4.9 Confidentiality

All confidential information within proposals must be clearly marked as confidential at a detailed level.

Confidential markings must be reasonable, limited, and not encompassing. Any proposal with the entirety of the agreement marked as confidential will be rejected. The City will protect confidential content from disclosure as is permissible by law. In the event the City is compelled to disclose confidential information it will notify the Offeror in advance such that the Offeror has opportunity to seek a stay or court order to preclude release. In general, all proposals are a matter of public record at the conclusion of the selection process pursuant to O.R.C. 149.43, the Public Records Act.

4.10 Waiver of Defects

The City may waive defects in any proposal or in the submission process followed by an Offeror. The City will only do so if it believes that it is in the City's interests and will not cause any material unfairness to other Offerors.

4.11 Changes to Proposal

The City will allow modifications or withdrawals of proposals only if the City receives them before the proposal due date. No modifications or withdrawals will be permitted after the due date, except as authorized by this RFP or amendments to it.

4.12 Proposal Response Instructions

Proposal response instructions are covered in Section 7 of this RFP.

The City is not liable for any costs an Offeror incurs in responding to this RFP or from participating in the evaluation process, regardless of whether the City awards the Contract through this process.

5 Evaluation of Proposals

All processes and procedures relative to the RFP process, including evaluation, are governed by City Code of Ordinances Section 329.28, ‘Awarding professional service contracts through requests for proposals.’ (link to full text of code).

MBE/WBE certification is factored into evaluation scores. A certified MBE/WBE Offeror's proposal may include a request form (see section 8.3 and attached Bid Incentive Request Form) for an incentive credit equal to five percent of the Offeror's final evaluation score to be applied to the MBE/WBE Offeror's final score. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will review the request form and approve its application if the Offeror is a certified MBE/WBE at the time RFPs are due.

An evaluation committee will evaluate proposals and may select two or more of the highest qualified Offerors for further discussions. Discussions may include presentations, and/or demonstrations to the committee to elaborate upon their qualifications, proposals, and other pertinent information. The committee may permit revisions of proposals so long as all Offerors who are selected for additional discussions are given equal opportunity to revise their proposals.

After discussions, the committee will rank the remaining Offerors, and submit said ranking, along with a written explanation of the basis for the ranking, to the Director of the Department of Building and

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Zoning Services. The department may select an Offeror with which to enter into Contract negotiations or may not select any Offeror and cancel the RFP. The department may enter into Contract negotiations with the selected Offeror to determine the terms and conditions of the Contract, including compensation to be paid by the City.

If negotiations fail, the City department may enter into Contract negotiations with the second highest ranked Offeror or may cancel the RFP. This process may continue until a Contract is successfully negotiated or the RFP is cancelled.

Per City Code 329.11 (link to full text of code), The director of finance and management or designee or city agency may issue addenda to or cancel any invitation for bids, request for Proposals, and/or request for proposals, and may reject any or all bids or proposals in whole or in part when it is in the best interests of the city. Each invitation for bids, request for statement of qualifications, and request for proposals issued by the city shall state that the bid or request may be cancelled and that any bid or proposal may be rejected in whole or in part when it is in the best interests of the city.

5.1 Disclosure of Proposal Contents

The City will keep the contents of all proposals confidential until a contract is executed or the RFP is cancelled. All proposals are public record at the conclusion of the process, except those portions marked confidential consistent with Section 4.9 Confidentiality.

From the opening of the proposals to the award of the Contract, everyone evaluating proposals will limit access to information contained in the proposals solely to those people with a need to know the information. The City will keep proposal content information from other Offerors, and the City will not tell one Offeror about the contents of another Offeror's proposal.

5.2 Evaluation of Proposals

The evaluation process may consist of up to six distinct phases:

1. Initial review for material defects; and

2. Functional and technical evaluation; and

3. Requests for more information; and

4. Discussions and demonstrations; and

5. Invitation to revise proposals; and

6. Evaluation of costs; and

7. Contract negotiations.

If it believes it will improve evaluation without compromising fairness and competition, the City may decide whether any phases are necessary, may add phases, and may rearrange the order in which it proceeds with the phases.

5.3 Initial Review for Material Defects

The City will review all Proposals for mandatory requirements. The City may waive any defects, allow an Offeror to submit a correction, or determine if a proposal is non-responsive and disqualify it if the City believes doing so would not result in an unfair advantage for the Offeror and it is in the City’s interest.

After the initial review, the City will proceed with detailed evaluation by an evaluation committee, which the chair of the committee will lead.

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5.4 Functional and Technical Evaluation

The City will evaluate each proposal that it has determined is timely, complete, and complies with mandatory requirements. The evaluation will be scored according to how well the proposal addresses the requirements and criteria identified in this RFP, including the requirements referenced in sections 7 and 8. Other attachments to this RFP may further refine these requirements, and the City has a right to break these requirements into components and weight any components of a requirement according to their perceived importance.

The City may have proposals or portions of them reviewed and evaluated by City personnel with experience or subject matter expertise that relates to the Work or to a criterion in the evaluation process.