1 Chicago Housing Authority

CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY (“CHA”)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (“RFP”) EVENT NO. 3340 (2026)

for

NETWORK AND TELEPHONE SERVICES

Required for use by

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

ISSUED ON: Monday, July 6, 2026

ISSUED BY: DEPARTMENT OF PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTS

PROPOSALS DEADLINE:

Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT

Proposals may be submitted early but must be received electronically no later than the date and time listed in the solicitation.

PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER DUE DATE AND TIME

Respondent Name: ___________________________________________________

Contact Name: ____________________________________________________

Contact Telephone: ____________________________________________________

Contact Email: ____________________________________________________

This selection process is unique to the Scope of Work described herein and notwithstanding any other proposal, qualification or bid requests provided by the Chicago Housing Authority.

Proposers must comply with the requirements as defined in this RFP.

Keith Pettigrew Sheila Johnson Chief Executive Officer Deputy Chief Procurement www.thecha.org Revised as of 04/03/26, all others void

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Table of Contents

ARTICLE I INTRODUCTION

ARTICLE II INTENT AND PURPOSE

ARTICLE III STATEMENT OF WORK/SCOPE OF SERVICES

ARTICLE IV GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

ARTICLE V SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

ARTICLE VI INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

ARTICLE VII EVALUATION PROCESS

ARTICLE VIII CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

ARTICLE IX STANDARD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

ARTICLE X EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FORM

EXHIBIT I SERVICE AREA 1- CHA SCATTERED SITES

EXHIBIT II SERVICE AREA 2 CHA ADMINISTRATIVE AND REMOTE SITES

EXHIBIT III SERVICE AREA 3 CHA SIP TRUNKS AND POTS LINES

EXHIBIT IV SERVICE AREA 4 CHA BUSINESS CLASS INTERNET LINES

ATTACHMENT A – FEE PROPOSAL

FORM(S)

ATTACHMENT B – INTENT TO BID/SUBMIT

LETTER

ATTACHMENT C – VENDOR SUBMISSION

CHECKLIST

ATTACHMENT D – STANDARD

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

ATTACHMENT E – REFERENCE

QUESTIONNAIRE

ATTACHMENT F – UTILIZATION PLAN

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KEY INFORMATION

1. RESPONDENT CONTACT WITH CHA: The Procurement Specialist identified below is the sole point of contact regarding this RFP from the date of issuance until selection of the successful proposer(s).

Raymond Adams Chicago Housing Authority Department of Procurement and Contracts 60 East Van Buren Street, 8th Floor Chicago, Illinois 60605 Phone: (312) 786-3624 E-mail: RAdams@thecha.org

An in-person pre-proposal conference is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM CT to discuss the scope of services and the CHA contract requirements. The meeting address is 60 E. Van Buren Conference Rooms 736B-C. In order to participate onsite, you will need to RSVP by Friday, July 10, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT with via email at RAdams@thecha.org. Please submit your Company Name, Your Name and email address confirming reservation. Real-time online viewing is available;

however, in-person participation is strongly preferred. To view the Pre-Proposal Conference online visit https://msteams.link/58N2

Questions regarding clarification or verification of these specifications and CHA contract requirements must be submitted via the Supplier Portal at https://supplier.thecha.org. no later than Thursday, July 16, by 11:00 AM CT.

The Letter of Intent to Submit a Proposal, Attachment B, is due Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 11:00 AM CT. The Letter of Intent to Submit a Proposal, Attachment B must be submitted via the Supplier Portal at https://supplier.thecha.org.

If you do not intend to submit a proposal in response to this RFP, please submit via the Supplier Portal at https://supplier.thecha.org, a brief explanation in order to continue to receive future bid/RFP notices.

Responses shall be submitted via the Supplier Portal at https://supplier.thecha.org no later than Thursday, August 6, 2026, by 1:00 PM CT.

The Proposer shall be responsible for electronic submission by the due date and time. Late proposals will not be accepted.

Electronic Submission: CHA requires Respondents to submit an electronic proposal for the above-described Event. Respondent shall upload all documents via the CHA Supplier Portal at:

https://supplier.thecha.org. Electronic proposal submission requires only one (1) copy. Each submittal section of the electronic proposal shall be labeled and separated into a different file as described in “ARTICLE V Submittal Requirements.”

Note: There is no maximum file capacity size when uploading attachments in the Supplier Portal. If you receive an error message that states the “Maximum size is: 50” while uploading an attachment in the Supplier Portal, that error message is referring to the file naming size. The name of your file cannot be more that 50 characters. For questions or assistance with the Supplier Portal, please contact, at 312- 786-3391, MBeltran@thecha.org. Respondent shall bear all costs of responding to this solicitation.

ARTICLE I INTRODUCTION

CHA is the third largest public housing authority in the nation and the largest single owner of rental housing in Chicago. Through its public housing and voucher programs, CHA serves 135,000 people in over 65,000 households across all 77 of Chicago’s community areas. CHA’s mission is to create and sustain strong communities where seniors thrive and everyone can unlock their economic power, ensuring that every neighborhood in Chicago has quality affordable housing and everyone feels welcome.

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In its procurement of its goods and services, CHA seeks relationships with vendors who share our values for inclusive and equitable contracting opportunities. CHA strives to be fair, transparent, and practical, and works to optimize the use of public funds through purchasing decisions. For more information, visit www.thecha.org.

ARTICLE II INTENT AND PURPOSE

CHA is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide services, necessary equipment, and maintenance for reliable, quality Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet, and telecommunications. The goal of the CHA is to cost-effectively improve its overall communications infrastructure by providing and managing network bandwidth, while assuring security of network traffic and appropriate levels of service quality. The Selected Respondent will furnish the necessary design, hardware, configurations, and installation services as needed. The Selected Respondent must provide maintenance support for all equipment. The Selected Respondent will ensure a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective infrastructure for voice/data/video across the Chicagoland area.

Respondents must submit a proposal that addresses all components of this RFP.

CHA anticipates it will award a firm fixed-price contract for a base period of three (3) years, and reserves the right to extend the contract, at its sole discretion, for up to two (2) additional one-year option periods. No award will be made to a Respondent that is on the list of individuals or entities ineligible to receive awards from CHA or the Federal Government, as furnished from time to time by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). CHA anticipates the contract resulting from this RFP to begin in January 2027.

ARTICLE III STATEMENT OF WORK/SCOPE OF SERVICES

Chicago Housing Authority’s Wide Area Network provides services to CHA headquarters, Family sites, Senior sites and CHA remote offices in the form of voice, data and video communications throughout the Chicagoland area, and also the following:

a. CHA WAN includes support for CHA Scattered Sites locations, as defined in Exhibit I.

b. CHA also provides private and public internet bandwidth throughout all its site locations.

c. CHA currently utilizes Switched Ethernet, Business Internet and Ethernet Dedicated Internet connectivity throughout the Chicagoland area as well as a disaster recovery (DR) site in Westmont, IL.

d. Respondents should propose solutions that meet or exceed the performance requirements in this RFP.

1. Scope of Services

CHA is seeking a qualified firm to provide Wide Area Network (WAN), Internet and telecommunication connections to CHA’s: (i) Scattered Sites; (ii) Family Sites; (iii) Senior Sites; (iv) Administrative Offices;

and (v) Remote Offices located throughout the Chicagoland area. The proposed solution shall connect these sites back to the CHA Headquarters and between each site using the most effective option available. The connection must be able to provide each site with a minimum of: (i) 100Mbps connection for CHA Scattered Sites; (ii) 250Mbps connection for CHA Remote Sites; and (iii) 1Gbps to 10Gbps connection for CHA Administrative Offices. CHA also requests: (i) teleconferencing numbers; (ii) (800) eight hundred number services; (iii) SIP Trunking circuits; (iv) plain old telephone services (POTS); and

(v) long-distance phone services.

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2. Statement of Work

The Statement of Work addresses four (4) specific service areas. Be advised that specific service areas require the Selected Respondent to provide the procurement and installation services of specified equipment in addition to the WAN, Internet, or Telecommunication services. Respondents should outline their recommended transition strategy, including timelines, cutover approach, risk mitigation, and any required collaboration with existing CHA technology resources.

i. SERVICE AREA 1 – WAN CONNECTIVITY FOR CHA SCATTERED SITES

The Selected Respondent shall provide communications connectivity to CHA’s Scattered Sites Properties at 149 locations throughout the Chicagoland area. CHA is seeking a solution to connect these sites back to CHA Headquarters using the most effective option available. The Selected Respondent shall recommend and/or provide the hardware needed for each site connection (refer to Exhibit I, Service Area 1, CHA Scattered Sites).

The Selected Respondent shall provide quality service and meet best practice standards for WAN connections. The Selected Respondent is expected to be an industry leader in WAN, Broadband connections, and wireless networks. The Selected Respondent shall provide installation, configuration, and deployment of all equipment. The Selected Respondent will provide services including, but not limited to the following:

a. Provide a static IP address (if Broadband is proposed) or comparable service such as private SD_WAN for each CHA Scattered Sites property.

b. Provide a minimum of 100Mbps (megabits) upload and 100Mbps download to each CHA’s Scattered Sites property.

c. Recommend and/or provide network equipment modems, routers or wireless equipment as needed for this project.

d. Agree to a minimum number of locations for the Contract as locations will be added and removed as needed.

e. Provide pricing on the service equipment listed in Exhibit I.

f. Provide a service level agreement (SLA) with escalation procedure to resolve any outstanding issues.

g. Provide a maintenance agreement on any equipment leased and/or procured.

h. Extend data lines into site main distribution facilities.

i. Setup, configure, and install Selected Respondent’s equipment into site main distribution facilities.

j. Provide a phased deployment schedule for installation of the service.

k. Provide a single business account that all CHA sites will be billed.

l. Provide conduit with pull strings to desired locations as needed.

m. Recommend customer premises equipment needed to support the new communication connections.

n. Provide a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) for design, configuration, deployment and post deployment support at CHA Headquarters and other sites as needed.

o. Provide a satisfactory quality work plan. Quality of service (QOS) must be a part of this work plan that will provide excellent network bandwidth efficiency.

p. Provide documentation on products, equipment, services, and testing.

q. Work with CHA ITS staff and provide any applicable training and knowledge transfer associated with selected solution.

r. Provide pricing that is delineated by location but should factor in any applicable volume discounts.

s. Provide a method to increase, reduce or relocate the service connections to all CHA sites under service level agreement.

t. Testing and staging of all equipment.

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u. Restoring the landscape if digging and trenching is required.

v. A Project Management Professional (PMP) certified resource.

Hardware and Software Requirements All on-premise routers, switches and firewalls must be Cisco equipment The exception to the above is for Broadband and Wireless equipment (manufacturer specific equipment required). All equipment must be new. No used or refurbished equipment is allowed.

The Selected Respondent is expected to recommend the best solution for this project under these specified guidelines. Due to the rapid progression of technology, the CHA anticipates that Respondents will propose the latest available hardware and software (models and features) under the above-specified guidelines.

ii. SERVICE AREA 2 – WAN CONNECTIVITY TO CHA ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND

REMOTE SITES

The Selected Respondent shall provide all the services and equipment necessary for reliable, quality WAN services. The goal of the CHA is to cost-effectively improve its overall communications infrastructure by providing and managing network bandwidth, while ensuring security of network traffic and appropriate levels of service quality.

The Selected Respondent will furnish the necessary design services, recommend Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) and provide maintenance of a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective communications infrastructure for voice, data, and video, across 74 locations throughout the Chicagoland area (See Exhibit II, Service Area 2, CHA Administrative and Remote Sites).

The Selected Respondent shall provide quality service and meet best practice standards for WAN connections. The Selected Respondent is expected to be an industry leader in WAN, Broadband connections and wireless networks.

The Selected Respondent will provide services including, but not limited to the following:

a. Provide 1Gbps to 10Gbps connection for CHA Administrative Offices and 250Mbps - 1 Gbps for CHA Remote Sites. (The Committed Information Rate (CIR) must meet the specified bandwidth requirements for the above.)

b. Provide a high-speed backbone that can aggregate all remote traffic, and it must deliver the traffic to CHA Headquarters and the disaster recovery site.

c. The proposed solution must support or integrate with industry-standard routing and switching platforms commonly deployed in large-scale municipal environments and provide reliable, scalable WAN services suitable for CHA’s environment.

d. Respondents should describe transition approaches, interoperability requirements, and any recommended modernization or how its solution will interoperate with existing CHA network assets. All 74 remote sites currently utilize Cisco ISR 43xx, Catalyst 8200/8300/9300, and ASR 9001 series routers for CHA customer premises equipment that is used to connect all sites together.

e. Provide preferably fiber links, but other solutions will be considered.

f. Provide conduit with pull strings to desired locations.

g. Extend the circuits’ demarcations to desired locations.

h. Provide a satisfactory quality work plan. The quality work plan must include evaluation of written reports, Microsoft Visio diagrams, as well as analysis to provide best design for a network. Quality of service (QOS) must be a part of this work plan that will provide excellent network bandwidth efficiency.

i. Provide maintenance and support for the WAN infrastructure links.

j. Provide a service level agreement (SLA) with escalation procedure to resolve any outstanding issues.

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k. Agree to a minimum number of locations for the Contract, as locations will be added and removed as needed.

l. Provide a method to increase, reduce or relocate the service connections to all CHA sites under service level agreement.

m. Work with CHA ITS staff and provide any applicable training and knowledge transfer associated with selected solutions.

n. Pricing must be delineated by location but should factor in any applicable volume discounts.

o. To provide documentation on products, equipment, services and testing.

p. Provide a Project Management Professional (PMP) certified resource.

iii. SERVICE AREA 3 – SIP TRUNKING, TELECONFERENCING, EIGHT HUNDRED (800)

NUMBER SERVICES AND POTS LINES

CHA is expecting Respondents to propose a solution that will be most beneficial and cost effective for our organization. The Selected Respondent shall provide all services necessary for reliable, business quality SIP Trunking, Teleconferencing services, (800) number services and POTS lines. CHA utilizes the above-mentioned voice service. These services are located at CHA Headquarters and at CHA Remote Sites. Some CHA Remote Sites require POTS lines. These locations are throughout the Chicagoland area (refer to Exhibit III, Service Area 3, CHA SIP Trunks and POTS Lines, for remote site addresses).

The Selected Respondent shall provide services including, but not limited to the following:

a. Provide three (3), 800 numbers for CHA Headquarters with the ability to add and subtract lines as needed.

b. Provide two hundred twenty (220) POTS lines for all CHA sites with the ability to add and subtract POTS lines as needed.

c. Provide long-distance services on all telephone lines (via SIP, POTS, etc.) with the ability to add and subtract long-distance services as needed.

d. Provide two (2) SIP trunks—one at HQ (headquarters) and one at DR—each with a capacity of two hundred (200) SIP sessions, totaling four hundred (400) sessions.

e. Provide maintenance and support on all services.

f. Provide a service level agreement (SLA) with escalation procedure to resolve any outstanding issues.

g. Work with CHA ITS staff and provide any applicable training and knowledge transfer associated with selected solutions.

h. Pricing must be delineated by location but should factor in any applicable volume discounts.

i. To provide documentation on products, equipment, services, and testing.

j. Provide a Project Management Professional (PMP) certified resource.

iv. SERVICE AREA 4 - BUSINESS CLASS INTERNET LINES

The Selected Respondent shall provide all services necessary for reliable, quality fiber optic Internet services for CHA’s Headquarters and DR location (refer to Exhibit IV, Service Area 4, CHA Business Class Internet Lines). The Selected Respondent will provide services, including but not limited to the following:

a. Three (3) enterprise business class fiber optic synchronous Internet services that will provide 1Gbps upload and download connections.

b. The CIR must meet the bandwidth requested.

c. Provide two (2) separate Internet gateways with a minimum of 1Gbps Upload and download Internet connection at CHA Headquarters (60 East Van Buren, Chicago, IL).

The committed information rate must meet the bandwidth specified.

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d. Provide Internet gateways with a minimum of 1Gbps Upload and Download Internet connection at CHA DR Site (111 Plaza Drive, Westmont, IL). The committed information rate must meet the bandwidth specified.

e. Provide a service level agreement (SLA) with escalation procedure to resolve any outstanding issues.

ARTICLE IV GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

A. Acceptance of Proposals

Proposals in response to this RFP must be received (electronically) through the CHA Supplier Portal.

Proposals must be received electronically no later than the date and time listed in the solicitation.

Proposals submitted after the designated date and time will not be accepted for any reason.

CHA reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, issue addenda, or to waive any informalities. A Respondent whose proposal fails to fully comply with the requirements of the RFP may be determined to be non-responsive and excluded from further consideration.

B. Time for Receiving Proposals

Proposals received prior to the due date and time will be maintained in a secure place, unopened. No proposal received after the deadline set forth on the cover page of this RFP will be considered. Proposals will not be publicly opened. Once submitted, proposals will become the property of CHA.

C. Right To Cancel

CHA reserves the right to cancel this procurement process whenever the best interest of CHA is served.

CHA shall not be liable for costs incurred by Respondents associated with this procurement process.

D. Addenda

Any interpretations, corrections, or changes to the RFP will be made by addenda issued by CHA. Any addenda that are issued will be provided to prospective Respondents, posted on the CHA’s Supplier Portal at: https://supplier.thecha.org, and noticed on the CHA website. It is the responsibility of the Respondent to inquire of the issuance of any addenda. Respondents shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda in the cover letter of the response. If CHA determines this RFP should be modified, it will inform all prospective Respondents by distributing addendum/addenda to this RFP before the date set for receipt of proposals.

E. False Statements

Any false statement(s) made by the Respondent(s) will void the response and eliminate the Respondent(s) from further consideration.

F. Withdrawal of Proposals

Proposals may be withdrawn by written request by the Respondent. A written withdrawal of a Proposal must be received, prior to the time set for opening of Proposals. A Respondent’s negligence in preparing a Proposal creates no right of withdrawal or modification after the date and time set for opening of the Proposals.

G. Award of Contracts

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CHA may award one or more Contracts according to the Evaluation Criteria contained in this RFP to responsible and responsive respondents, provided their Proposals are in the best interest of CHA. The Selected Respondent(s) will be notified at the earliest practical date. Each award may be subject to HUD approval. No award may be made to a contractor or firm that is on the list of contractors ineligible to receive awards from CHA or the United States Government, as furnished by HUD.

CHA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and reserves the right to secure services solicited by this RFP by means of a noncompetitive procurement in accordance with Federal Procurement Standards, 2 CFR § 200.320(c), or to re-solicit competitive proposals.

H. Notice of Contract Award

Unsuccessful Respondents will be notified in writing after an award of contract has been made by the Contracting Officer and/or Board approval, if required.

I. Right to Protest

In accordance with CHA’s Procurement Protest Procedures (copies may be obtained by contacting the department of Procurement and Contracts), all protests regarding this solicitation document must be filed no later than five (5) business days before the due date for proposals. All other protests regarding the evaluation of proposals or award of contract by the Authority must be filed no later than ten (10) business days after the notice of contract award. Any protest filed after such date will not be considered.

J. Preparatory Costs

All costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of Proposals shall be wholly borne by each Respondent. All supporting documentation and manuals submitted with each Proposal will become the property of CHA unless otherwise indicated by the Respondent at the time of submission. CHA is not liable for any costs incurred by any Respondent prior to issuance of a Notice to Proceed.

K. Confidential Material

Any material submitted by a Respondent as part of a proposal that is to be considered confidential must be clearly marked as such but may be subject to disclosure under applicable law.

L. Subcontract / Sub consultants

All subcontractors proposed to be used under the Contract must be identified within the proposal. If the proposed services include the use of subcontractors, CHA will hold the prime contractor responsible for the proposed services to be provided by the subcontractors.

M. Minimum Wage Requirements

Any award under this solicitation shall be subject to the current local minimum wage requirement and prevailing wage determination for CHA. The minimum wage requirements shall be specifically incorporated as a contractual requirement in any award and agreement resulting from this solicitation for any of the Selected Respondent’s covered employees. The Respondent must take the minimum wage requirement and prevailing wage determination for CHA into consideration in determining its staffing plan for services to be performed or provided by the Respondent under its fee proposal and other submittals.

Note that Federal wage determinations (either Davis-Bacon or HUD-Determined Wage Rates) preempt any conflicting State prevailing wage rate or the minimum wage requirement when the State prevailing wage rate or the minimum wage requirement is higher than the Federally imposed wage rate, pursuant to HUD, Preemption of State Prevailing Wage Requirements, 24 CFR § 965.101.

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N. Disclosure Certification

The Contractor shall be required to make the following certification, which is included in the Contractor’s Affidavit, a required submittal to be executed and notarized.

The Contractor certifies to the best of its knowledge and belief that it, its principals and any subcontractors used in the performance of this contract, meet the Agency requirements and have not violated any City or sister agency policy, codes, state, federal, or local laws, rules or regulations and have not been subject to any debarment, suspension or other disciplinary action by any government agency. Additionally, if at any time the contractor becomes aware of such information, it must immediately disclose it to the Agency.

The recommended firm(s) will be required to disclose the following information at the appropriate time during the solicitation process: Vendors’ other business relationships including but not limited to: Board affiliations, positions or board memberships with all other non-profit, government and other Chicago businesses.

O. Disqualify for Conflict of Interest

CHA reserves the right to disqualify any Respondent on the basis of any real or apparent conflict of interest that is disclosed by the proposal submitted or any other data available to CHA. This disqualification is at the sole discretion of CHA. Any Respondent submitting a proposal herein waives any right to object to such disqualification now or at any future time, before any body or agency, including but not limited to, the Board of Commissioners, City Council of the City of Chicago, Mayor’s Office of Chicago or any company.

P. Participation by other Local Government Agencies

Other local government agencies (“Local Government Agencies”) may be eligible to purchase Services pursuant to the terms and conditions of this Contract if such agencies are authorized, by law or their governing bodies, to execute such purchases, and if such authorization is allowed by the Chicago Housing Authority Contracting Officer, and if such purchases have no significant net adverse effect on CHA and result in no observed diminished ability on the Bidder to provide the Services to CHA or user departments pursuant to such purchases. Local Government Agencies shall include without limitation:

City of Chicago, Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Transit Authority, City Colleges of Chicago. All purchases and payment transactions shall be made directly between the Bidder and the requesting Local Government Agency; CHA shall not be responsible for payment of any amounts owed by any Local Government Agency to Bidder. CHA assumes no authority, liability or obligation on behalf of any Local Government Authority.

Q. Bribery, Price Fixing, or Fraud

No person or business entity shall be awarded a contract or subcontract for a period of five years from the date of conviction or entry of a plea or admission of guilt, if that person or business entity:

1. has been convicted of an act committed of bribery or attempting to bribe an officer or employee of a unit of state or local government or school district in that officer’s or employee’s official capacity; or

2. has been convicted of an act of bid-rigging or attempting to rig bids as defined in the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1-7) and Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 12-27), or under the laws of the State of Illinois; or has been convicted of an act of price-fixing or attempting to fix prices as defined by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act or under the laws of the State of Illinois; or

3. has been convicted of defrauding or attempting to defraud any unit of state or local government or school district; or

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4. has made an admission of guilt of such conduct as set forth in subparagraph 1 through 3 above, which admission is a matter of record, whether or not such person or business entity was subject to prosecution for the offense or offense admitted to; or

5. has entered into a plea of nolo contendere to charges of such conduct, as is set forth in subparagraphs 1 through 3 above.

For purpose of the Paragraph, “business entity” means a corporation, partnership, trust, association, unincorporated business or individually owned business. Where an official, agent or employee of a business entity committed the acts as set forth in subparagraphs 1 through 5 above on behalf of such entity and pursuant to the direction or authorization of a responsible official thereof, the business entity shall be chargeable with the conduct and be disqualified.

A business entity shall also be disqualified if it employs as an officer any individual who was an officer of another business entity at the time the latter committed a disqualifying act as set forth in subparagraphs 1 through 5 above.

A business entity shall also be disqualified if any owner directly or indirectly controls 20% or more of the business entity and was an owner who directly or indirectly controlled 20% of another business entity at the time, such business entity committed a disqualifying act as set forth in subparagraphs 1 through 3 above.

Any contract found to have been awarded in violation of this Paragraph may be voided at the discretion of CHA.

ARTICLE V SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Format

Respondents shall present their proposals as a firm offer which, if accepted by CHA in its entirety, shall be binding between the parties. Electronic responses submitted via the CHA Supplier Portal at https://supplier.thecha.org only require one (1) complete proposal. The Respondents must also include an indexed version of each submittal section of the electronic proposal shall be formatted, labeled and separated into a different file.

Note: There is no maximum file capacity size when uploading attachments in the Supplier Portal. If you receive an error message that states the “Maximum size is: 50” while uploading an attachment in the Supplier Portal, that error message is referring to the file naming size. The name of your file cannot be more that 50 characters.

Proposals not containing all the submittal requirements (See Attachment C – Vendor Submission Checklist) may be deemed non-responsive to this RFP.

B. Cover Letter and Executive Summary Form

A cover letter shall be submitted on the Respondent’s letterhead, signed by a principal and the joint venture partner, if applicable. The cover letter must contain a plan explaining how services will be performed; a commitment to provide the services described in the Scope of Services of this RFP; and indicate that the offer is good for one hundred-eighty (180) days from submittal of proposal. In the cover letter, the Respondent shall also include an acknowledgement that the Respondent has read and understands the requirements of the RFP including, but not limited to, the terms and conditions of the attached Standard Professional Services Agreement (refer to Article IX, Standard Professional Services Agreement), CHA’s Contract Requirements, and Insurance Requirements, and will comply with these requirements if awarded a contract. Proposers and Bidders shall also include the Executive Summary Form (Article X).

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C. Qualifications and Experience

1. The Respondent shall submit evidence of the firm’s ability to perform the work, as indicated by profiles of the principals and a description of the staff’s professional and technical competence, for those principals and staff members who will be involved in the work requested herein.

2. The Respondent must describe its qualifications, resources and experience as it pertains to the requested services. The Respondent must demonstrate it has the experience and capacity to complete all of the required services, whether they are conducted at the same time or separately.

3. Respondent’s proposal shall include the following information: (1) the legal name of the firm, (2) a description of the primary area of expertise of the firm, (3) the names of the firm’s principal(s), (4) the address, telephone number and names of individuals to be contacted, (5) the size of the enterprise, (6) all of the firm’s registration/license numbers(s) in Illinois, (7) the length of time the firm has worked in its area of expertise generally, and in Illinois if different for a different length of time, and (8) the firm may submit a general brochure of their work.

D. Approach/Work Plan

The Respondent must provide a narrative describing its approach to the Statement of Work including, but not limited to, project management systems to be utilized, plans for effective communications including reporting tools, timeline, and specific approaches to technical problems that may lead to cost savings for CHA. At a minimum, Respondents should address the information outlined below:

1. The Respondent shall clearly articulate in the work plan how it will provide the required Services as outlined in the Statement of Work. Joint ventures shall clearly identify in the work plan the roles and responsibilities of each party to the joint venture.

2. The Respondent shall demonstrate in the approach/work plan that it understands the Statement of Work and all tasks required to perform the Statement of Work.

3. The Respondent shall demonstrate in the work plan its plan to integrate CHA staff into its overall strategy to perform the Scope of Services.

4. The Respondent shall include in its work plan a clear process for obtaining building vendor approval for The Red, located at 333 S. Wabash Avenue (with an additional entrance at 60 E. Van Buren Street), if not already approved. This process should outline steps to meet current requirements, which include providing a valid Certificate of Insurance and scheduling a meeting with a building engineer. The Respondent shall provide all documentation required at the time of applying to become an approved vendor. These requirements are subject to change.

E. Work History with CHA and other Local Public Agencies

Respondent must list and briefly describe any past work history with CHA and other Local Public Agencies, including the specific project worked on or the specific products delivered to CHA. The project descriptions shall include, at a minimum, the scope of work performed, the location, dollar value, and list the Respondent’s key personnel on the project. For each project listed, the Respondent shall provide

12 | P a g e the client’s name, the contact person and their title, address and phone number. Indicate N/A if Respondent does not have any work history with CHA and other Local Public Agencies.

F. Past Performance

The Respondent must provide a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) project descriptions that best demonstrate the Respondent’s ability to perform the work outlined in the Scope of Services including work performed for CHA as one of the projects identified. The Respondent shall include a maximum one-page narrative for each project description to address, at a minimum, the following:

1. The Scope of Services performed, the location, dollar value (awarded versus received or reimbursed), the cost per participant, and list the Respondent’s key personnel on the project.

2. Demonstrated success in previous and current work and how that work relates to success on this project.

3. Description of the qualitative and quantitative outcomes related to each project, whether or not they met the contract benchmarks, and if applicable, why the benchmarks were or were not achieved.

4. Demonstrated history of completing projects within the awarded budget and timeline of those projects.

5. Highlighted in each of the descriptions should be a summary of challenges encountered and how they were overcome.

6. Performance measures of the program’s demonstrated ability to meet the indicators included in the proposal.

7. Disclose any contractual defaults and how they were cured including CHA and non-CHA contracts.

G. References

Proposers are required to provide at least three (3) references, excluding CHA, from within the past three

(3) years for projects and areas of responsibility similar to those the Respondent desires to provide herein.

Please include company name, contact person, mailing address, telephone number and email address. Please include a brief but detailed explanation of services provided and submit with your proposal. CHA will email any questions to the references included in your submission. Please inform your references that they will be contacted by CHA. (Attachment E)

H. Organization Structure and Key Personnel

1. The Respondent must provide the name and resume of the program executive that will be accountable for the CHA project. Key Personnel shall not be replaced without the prior written approval of CHA.

2. The Respondent must provide an organization/structure chart and include its key technical and consulting personnel who will be assigned to the CHA project team along with their resumes and provide the following information including, but not limited to:

i. Detail concerning each primary team member working with the Respondent, as well as those working in a subcontracting capacity. List all current projects that each

13 | P a g e primary team member may be working on during the term of the Contract, and indicate which team member will have primary responsibility for the CHA account;

ii. Correlation of team members to the tasks each will be performing;

iii. Describe previous, related experiences and projects (preferably public housing); and

iv. Technicians must provide documented proof of current certification for the access control product they are installing, if such certification is available. Certification must be issued by the product manufacturer or an industry-recognized body

v. Technicians must have a minimum of 3 years of experience installing similar systems.

vi. If Respondent proposes staff to work on the CHA account who are not located in a

Chicago area office (within 25 miles of the city), indicate their office location.

3. If a Respondent is planning to joint venture or subcontract with other companies, incorporate the relationship on the organization chart and provide letters of interest from those firms, the names and credentials of their principals and key personnel, and include their resumes along with evidence of any required licenses. The Respondent should describe the roles and responsibilities of their subcontractors, including the key personnel as they relate to the Scope of Services for the RFP.

I. Fee Proposal Form (refer to Attachment A)

Respondent must complete the Fee Proposal Form in its entirety and return it with this RFP package (refer to Attachment A).

J. Insurance Requirements

The Respondent must submit a current certificate of insurance with the requirements listed in Article VI, Insurance Requirements, with its Proposal. At the time of contract award, the Selected Respondent shall be required to provide an updated certificate of insurance, and all required endorsements adding CHA and any other required party as an additional insured, meeting the CHA’s minimum insurance requirements.

K. Joint Venture Agreement

Firms entering into a joint venture must submit a copy of its joint venture agreement and all required submittals must be signed by a principal of each joint venture partner including, but not limited to, subcontractors’ information submittals, and M/W/DBE and Section 3 Utilization Plans. Indicate N/A if Respondent will not be part of a joint venture agreement.

L. Liens, Suits, Disputes, Defaults and Judgments

Respondents shall include a detailed description of any disputes they currently are involved in, as well as, a complete list of any lawsuits, disputes, defaults and judgments occurring within the last five (5) years, and all current liens, lawsuits, disputes, defaults, and judgments pending including Fair Housing claims, regulatory or tax credit violations. Indicate N/A if Respondent does not have any disputes, lawsuits, judgments, disputes, defaults or liens described above.

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M. Audit Findings and Other Compliance Reports/Evaluations

Respondents shall submit to CHA’s Department of Procurement and Contracts any third party reports or evaluations of Respondent’s compliance with any applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies procedures, contract provisions, or requirements with respect to Respondent’s performance of services similar in nature to those being solicited by this RFP in the past five years, including, but not limited to, any and all final findings made by an Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) or Internal Auditor (including those conducted by CHA’s Inspector General and/or CHA’s Internal Auditor) with respect to Respondent’s performance of services, compliance with terms of a contract, findings in an Administrative or Internal Investigation, or any findings of failure to cooperate in an OIG inquiry or with Internal Auditors. Indicate N/A if Respondent does not have any findings described above.

N. Debarment Statement

Respondent shall submit a statement that the Respondent, its joint venture partner, if applicable, its subcontractors, vendors and staff are not debarred, suspended or otherwise prohibited from conducting business with any Federal, State or local agency.

O. Economic Disclosure Statement

Respondents must complete the economic disclosure statement and affidavit. The economic disclosure forms must be completed by the Respondent and all subcontractors in its entirety and notarized. Privately held firms and not-for-profit organizations must disclose the board of directors/corporate officers. All firms must disclose the percentage of ownership. Failure to provide complete ownership information may cause your response to be deemed non-responsive.

P. Financial Information

The Respondent/Financially Responsible Party shall demonstrate its financial responsibility by submitting the most recent two years of audited, reviewed or compiled financial statements prepared by a third party licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Listed below are the minimum acceptable required documents based upon the amount of the procurement:

The Respondent must provide Financial Statements, which are compiled, reviewed and/or audited as defined below (which may be subject to different levels depending upon the Respondent’s proposal and the projected contract value of the award), and which consist of:

o Accountant’s Report o Balance Sheet (last 2 years) o Income Statement (last 2 years) o Cash Flow Statement (last 2 years) o Financial Statement Footnotes (if applicable)

For proposals or contracts awards valued at less than $500,000, the Respondent must provide the IRS tax transcript.

For proposals or contract awards valued at less than $1,000,000 the Respondent must provide complied financial statements.

For proposals or contract awards valued at less than $2,500,000.00, the Respondent must provide reviewed financial statements.

For proposals or contract awards valued in excess of $2,500,000.00, the Respondent must provide audited financial statements.

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CHA will also evaluate the respondents based upon analysis of third-party reporting agencies, regulatory agencies, bureaus, etc., as it deems necessary to determine the financial adequacy of the respondent entity and confirm that the entity is in good financial standing with governmental agencies.

Other considerations in the evaluation of the financial condition of Respondents follow:

Financial statements must be from a legal business entity (i.e., corporation, partnership, limited liability company, etc.). The entity name and address listed on the Financial Report should match the address on file with Dun & Bradstreet report in order for CHA to perform financial review.

If respondent is not able to provide the Financials 6 months after their fiscal year end, respondents should provide the reason for delay or non-completion.

Newly created entities (partnerships, limited liability companies, etc.) must provide financial statements from the entity’s general partner and/or any other financially responsible entity that collectively can demonstrate the capability to complete the contract.

Internally prepared business entity financial reports generated by the respondent will not be accepted.

Personal financial statements or tax returns will not be accepted.

CHA reserves the right to request Dun & Bradstreet reports in order to make an award determination. Vendors must provide the address on file with Dun & Bradstreet if it differs from the address listed on the proposal.

CHA reserves the right to request additional information to complete the financial evaluation and review of any respondents.

Vendor Submission Checklist

Refer to Attachment C for all required submittal requirements. The following documents are exhibits to this RFP and can be found at https://www.thecha.org/contracting-opportunities/forms-and-documents:

A. Contract Compliance Certification B. Utilization Plan (in excel format and signed PDF) C. Letter of Intent-M/W/DBE and Section 3 Subs D. Waiver Request-M/W/DBE (If Applicable) E. Vendor Submission Checklist (Attachment C) F. Contractor’s Affidavit G. Statement of Bidder’s Qualification H. Economic Disclosure Statement I. HUD Form 5370 or 5370-C

Proposals not containing all submittal requirements may be deemed Non-Responsive.

ARTICLE VI INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Insurance is applicable to All Contracts as approved by CHA Risk Management.

Prior to the commencement of an Agreement, the Contractor shall procure and maintain at all times during the term of this Agreement insurance against claims for bodily injury or property damage which may arise from or in connection with services performed under this Agreement and from the negligent acts, omissions and errors of the Contractor, its officers, agents, representatives or employees. The insurance carriers used must be authorized to conduct business in the State of Illinois and shall have an A.M. Best rating of not less than A: VII.

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Contractor’s insurance policies shall contain no exclusions for work performed under the Agreement for Chicago Housing Authority or Low-Income Housing exposure. Policies must waive subrogation or any other right of recovery Contractor or its insurer(s) may have against CHA because of payments made for injuries or damages arising out of your ongoing operations of “your work” done under a contract with

CHA.

Minimum Coverage and Limit Requirements

1. Commercial General Liability: General Liability Insurance on an occurrence basis with limits not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence with an aggregate of not less than $2,000,000 covering bodily injury and property damage. This coverage shall also include, but not be limited to, contractual liability, products and completed operations, personal and advertising injury.

2. Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability: Coverage must be in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois and include a waiver of subrogation in favor of Chicago Housing Authority.

o Coverage A - Statutory Limits o Coverage B - Employers Liability - $500,000 bodily injury or disease each accident; each employee

3. Auto Liability: Required when any vehicles (owned, hired and/or non-owned) are used in connection with the Services to be performed, coverage limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

4. Professional Liability: Coverage is required when services are performed by licensed professionals and/or Scope involves performing any financial, auditing, consulting, design, engineering, surveying, testing, or other professional services. Professional Liability insurance appropriate to the Contractor’s profession shall provide coverage for the acts, errors, or omissions with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per claim or occurrence. When policies are renewed or replaced, the policy retroactive date must coincide with, or precede, the start of Services under the Agreement. A claims-made policy which is not renewed or replaced must have an extended reporting period of two (2) years following termination of Agreement.

5. Technology Errors & Omissions (including Cyber Liability): Required when Vendor/Consultant provides technology services or technology products under this Agreement, insurance appropriate to the professional services being performed shall provide coverage for the acts, errors, or omissions of Vendor/Consultant with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence or claim and $2,000,000 in aggregate. Coverage shall be sufficiently broad to respond to the duties and obligations as is undertaken by the Vendor in this agreement and shall include, but not be limited to, claims involving security breach, system failure, data recovery, business interruption, cyber extortion, social engineering, infringement of intellectual property, including but not limited to infringement of copyright, trademark, trade dress, invasion of privacy violations, information theft, damage to or destruction of electronic information, release of private information, and alteration of electronic information.