Disaster_Recovery_and_FEMA_Public_Assistance_Consulting_Services.pdf

CITY OF CARMEL

PROJECT MANUAL & PROPOSAL

PACKAGE

Disaster Recovery and FEMA Public Assistance

Consulting Services

Project No. RFP-2026-013

HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA

City of Carmel Administration

One Civic Square

Carmel, Indiana 46032

Office: (317) 571 - 2441

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

2.INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

3.TERMS AND CONDITIONS

4.QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

5.SCOPE OF WORK

6.SELECTION CRITERIA

7.VENDOR SUBMISSIONS

8.ATTACHMENTS

Attachments:

A - Appendix II to Part 200_ Title 2 (up to date as of 8-26-2026)

B - Professional Services Federal Provisions

1. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

City of Carmel, Indiana

Department:

Administration 1 Civic Square City of Carmel, Indiana 46032

Project: Disaster Recovery and FEMA Public Assistance

Consulting Services

Notice is hereby given that the City of Carmel Administration Department is requesting proposals for Disaster Recovery and

FEMA Public Assistance Consulting Services, during regular business hours, up to, but not later than 10:00 am local time

Monday, September 28, 2026 via the City's e-Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin. No late proposals will be accepted.

This request is for securing the services of a qualified consultant (individual or firm) to provide FEMA Public Assistance consulting and emergency recovery support services. The consultant will assist the City of Carmel with preparing, submitting, tracking, and managing FEMA disaster submittals and related documentation to maximize federal reimbursement and ensure compliance with applicable regulations. .

Proposals will be opened by Carmel Board of Public Works and Safety at the meeting starting at 10:00 am on Monday, September 28, 2026 on the 2nd floor of Carmel City Hall, One Civic Square, Carmel, IN.

The specifications are attached and set forth in detailed documents on file via the City's e-Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin.

Questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted to the portal prior to 12:00 pm on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

All questions and responses will be publicly posted to the portal.

No proposer may withdraw any proposal within a period of sixty (60) days following the date set for receiving proposals. The

City of Carmel reserves the right to hold any or all proposals for a period of not more than sixty (60) days and said proposals shall remain in full force and effect during said period. The City of Carmel reserves the right to reject all proposals or cancel this solicitation in whole or in part as specified in the solicitation when it is not in the best interests of the governmental body as determined by the purchasing agency in accordance with IC 5-22-18-2.

The City reserves the right to award the contract based on whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the

City, considering the criteria set forth in the solicitation. The award may be based on factors such as price, quality, qualifications, experience, and the ability to meet project requirements.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

2.1DEFINITION OF KEY WORDS USED IN THE SOLICITATION

For purposes of this solicitation and subsequent contract, the following definitions shall apply:

City: The City of Carmel, IN

Contract: The legal agreement(s) executed between City and the Successful Vendor(s). The Contract will include all the conditions and requirements set forth in this solicitation and any Addenda to the solicitation. If for a Request for Proposal, any Special Terms and Conditions and standard terms and conditions contained in the sample Agreement attached to this solicitation, and all the submittals, terms of the response and acknowledgments submitted by Vendor as finally negotiated and accepted by the City.

Contractor/Consultant: A Successful Vendor that enters into a Contract with the City.

Contract Representative: The City employee or employees who have specifically been designated to act as a contact person or persons to the Contractor, and is responsible for monitoring and overseeing the Contractor's performance under this Contract.

Board of Public Works and Safety: The purchasing agency for the City authorized to execute contracts and addenda thereto on the City's behalf.

May: Indicates something that is not mandatory but permissible.

Vendor: Each individual or entity that submits a response to this solicitation.

Will: The indicated party is promising to take the action or abide by the condition.

Must: The action or condition is required.

Should: Indicates something that is recommended but not mandatory. If the Vendor fails to provide recommended information, the City may, at its sole option, ask the Vendor to provide the information or evaluate the response without the information.

Portal: The City's eProcurement portal, OpenGov, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin.

2.2PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING

If one is scheduled, a Pre-Submittal Meeting will be held at the date and time stated in the timeline of this solicitation. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but written minutes and/or notes regarding the meeting will NOT be provided, so attendance is encouraged. The purpose of this meeting will be to clarify the contents of this solicitation in order to prevent any misunderstanding of the City's position.

2.3INQUIRIES

Vendors must submit questions by the Question Submission Deadline. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted.

The City will respond as completely as possible to each question. If necessary, questions and answers will be posted as soon as available. The names of Vendors who submit questions will not be disclosed. All clarifications will be available in the Question and Answer and Addenda Sections in the portal, only the information in these sections should be used in preparing a response; verbal communications and other written documents intended to clarify and interpret will not legally bind the City. The City does not assume responsibility for the receipt of any clarifying information. Vendors must periodically check for updates.

2.4ADDENDA TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS / QUALIFICATIONS

Solicitation Addenda, if any, will be posted to the project on the City’s portal. Vendor is responsible for checking the portal regularly for new solicitation addenda and must acknowledge each addenda to this solicitation in its response. Please note that vendors who have registered as a vendor at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin and follow the project will receive email notifications of solicitation addenda.

2.5UNDERSTANDING SCOPE OF SOLICITATION

If the solicitation is a Request for Proposals, before submitting a response to this solicitation, Vendor must familiarize itself with the Scope of the Solicitation, laws, regulations, physical conditions, and other factors affecting the obligations – including the expense and difficulty of fulfilling those obligations – that Vendor will have under the Contract if awarded to Vendor. No adjustment to the financial or other terms of the Contract will be justified by Vendor's failure to fully understand or appreciate the Contract requirements or other factors affecting Contract performance.

If the solicitation is a Request for Qualifications ("RFQ"), before submitting a response to this solicitation, Vendor must familiarize itself with the Scope of the Solicitation, laws, regulations, physical conditions, and other factors affecting the obligations – including the expense and difficulty of fulfilling those obligations – that

Vendor will have under the terms and conditions of this RFQ. No adjustment to the financial or other terms of this RFQ will be justified by Vendor's failure to fully understand or appreciate the RFQ requirements.

2.6PREPARATION OF RESPONSE

1. Form and Organization. Vendor's response must be on the forms provided in this solicitation (as applicable) or through the portal. Supporting documentation must be arranged in a manner that follows and clearly refers to corresponding sections of the solicitation. Vendor may copy the response forms in order to complete them electronically but may not alter or rearrange them or change any paragraph designations.

2. Confidential Proprietary Information. Any proprietary information, such as financial statement, intellectual property, or business performance information, in its response that Vendor wishes to be treated as confidential must be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL.” Please note that unless specifically indicated, answers to the Vendor questionnaire are not considered confidential information and will be available for public review.

3. Response Contents. Vendor must complete all the forms contained in and respond to all sections of the solicitation. Vendor must attach any requested supporting documentation.

4. Signatures. Any cover letter accompanying the response documents must be signed. The person electronically signing and initialing on behalf of Vendor must be a person authorized to legally bind

Vendor.

5. Prices. Where a unit price is provided it will govern over any erroneous extension of the price.

6. Time Periods. Periods of time, stated as a number of days, will be calendar days unless specifically stated otherwise.

7. Accuracy. Mistakes in preparation of its response confers on Vendor no right to modify or withdraw its response after the Submittal Deadline.

8. Cost of Preparation. The City will not reimburse Vendor for the cost of developing, presenting, submitting or providing any response to this solicitation.

9. Subcontractors. Vendor must, in their response, list any subcontractors that it will utilize in the performance of the Contract if they are awarded the Contract and must describe their qualifications in detail.

10. Incomplete Information. Failure to include all requested information may deem Vendor's response unresponsive.

2.7SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Each Vendor must carefully examine all solicitation documents and become thoroughly familiar with all requirements prior to responding to ensure the response meets the intent of this solicitation. Crucially, Vendor must review and understand the contractual provisions and obligations required by Federal Emergency Management Agency contained in Section 8 of the sample Agreement. Vendor must submit all required certifications and submittals with the response.

Vendor is responsible for making all investigations and examinations that are necessary to ascertain conditions affecting the requirements of this solicitation. Failure to make such investigations and examinations will not relieve the Vendor from obligation to comply, in every detail, with all provisions and requirements of the solicitation.

Responses must be in PDF or Excel format ONLY. Other formats uploaded may be deemed non-responsive.

Responses may be submitted any time prior to the Submission Deadline. Vendors may modify responses that have already been submitted, before the Submission Deadline. Recording of response submission time and date will occur via the portal. To satisfy any required public opening, the Vendor list is made available in the portal after the Submission Deadline.

2.8PAYMENT DISCOUNTS

Payment discount periods shall be computed from the date of receipt of the material/service or correct invoice, whichever is later, to the date City’s payment warrant is mailed. Unless freight and other charges are itemized, any discount provided shall be taken on full amount of invoice. Payment discounts of twenty-one calendar days or more shall be deducted from the proposed price in determining the price points. However, the City shall be entitled to take advantage of any payment discount offered by a vendor provided payment is made within the discount period. The payment discount shall apply to all purchases and to all payment methods.

2.9TAXES

The City is exempt from federal excise tax, including the federal transportation tax. The City is exempt from sales tax.

2.10RESPONSE SUBMITTAL FORMAT

A response should be submitted on the forms and in the format specified in this solicitation and these instructions.

2.11PUBLIC RECORD

The information supplied by the Vendor as part of this solicitation will become part of the City. Except as set forth below with respect to Confidential Information, submitted responses to the solicitation will be available to interested parties in accordance with the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (IC 5-14-3).

2.12CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

The City is obligated to abide by the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Indiana Code 5-14-3. If Vendor believes that any portion of its response contains information that is confidential and subject to being withheld from disclosure under APRA, Vendor must, when the record is submitted, provide the City written notification of that fact. The records or portions of records that Vendor wishes to be treated as confidential must also be clearly marked “CONFIDENTIAL” on their face. Pricing will not be treated as confidential. Please note that unless specifically indicated, answers to the solicitation questionnaire are not considered confidential information and will be available for public review.

If the City, after award notification, receives a public-records request to which a Contractor record marked

“CONFIDENTIAL” is responsive, City will notify Vendor in writing. Unless Vendor, within 10 days after the date of that notice, obtains and provides to City an order from a court of competent jurisdiction prohibiting the

City from releasing the records, the City may release the records without any liability to Vendor.

2.13CERTIFICATION OF NONCOLLUSION; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

By submitting a response, Vendor warrants that:

1. Preparation and submission of the response did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices.

2. Vendor has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, meal or service to a public servant in connection with this solicitation.

3. No person has been employed or retained to solicit or secure a Contract under this solicitation upon a promise of a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee.

4. No member of the City, Mayor and Council or any employee of the City involved in this solicitation process has any financial interest in Vendor's entity.

The City may disqualify Vendor from further participation in the solicitation process if the City determines that

Vendor has an actual or apparent conflict of interest or has engaged in any collusion or anti-competitive practices.

2.14WHEN AND HOW TO SUBMIT RESPONSES

In order to be considered, Vendor must, no later than the Submittal Deadline, submit its response electronically through the portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin.

NOTE: THE ENTIRE RESPONSE MUST BE IN "SUBMITTED" STATUS IN THE PORTAL IN ORDER

TO BE CONSIDERED. RESPONSES THAT HAVE BEEN DRAFTED IN THE SYSTEM, BUT THAT ARE

NOT IN "SUBMITTED" STATUS BY THE SUBMITTAL DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

2.15RESPONSE AND ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

In order to allow for an adequate evaluation, the City requires a response to this solicitation to be valid and irrevocable for ninety (90) days after the solicitation due date and time.

2.16WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSE; BINDING RESPONSE

By submitting a response to this solicitation, Vendor is offering to enter into the Contract with the City. Vendor may withdraw a submitted response at any time prior to the Submittal Deadline. Responses can be withdrawn by clicking "unsubmit response" in the portal.

2.17DISCUSSIONS/CLARIFICATIONS

After opening responses, the City may, at its discretion, conduct discussions with Vendor for the purpose of eliminating minor irregularities, informalities, or apparent clerical mistakes in Vendor's response in order to clarify the response and assure full understanding of, and responsiveness to, solicitation requirements.

2.18VENDOR REGISTRATION

In order to be eligible for award of a Contract, Vendor must:

1. Register for the portal with the City’s Finance Department as a vendor. Registration can be completed at https://www.carmel.in.gov/government/clerk-of-the-city/bid-opportunities by clicking on View

Procurement Portal and signing up. Please note that email notifications of newly published solicitations and addenda will be provided to those vendors that opt in to receive notifications.

2.19UPON NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

If the solicitation is a Request for Proposals, the apparent successful Vendor shall sign and file with the City, within five (5) days after Notice of Intent to Award, all documents necessary to the successful execution of the

Contract.

2.20AWARD OF CONTRACT

If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, notwithstanding any other provision of the Request for Proposals, the City reserves the right to award based on whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the

City, considering the criteria set forth in the solicitation. The award may be based on factors such as price, quality, qualifications, experience, and the ability to meet project requirements. The City reserves the right to:

1. waive any immaterial defect or informality; or

2. reject all Proposals; or

3. cancel the solicitation and reissue the Request for Proposals.

A response to this Request for Proposals is an offer to contract with the City based upon the terms, conditions and Scope of the Solicitation contained in the City's Request for Proposals, any issued Addenda, required submittals and terms and conditions contained in the attached sample Agreement. Responses do not become contracts unless and until they are executed by the City's Board of Public Works and Safety or an authorized entity within the City.

2.21SOLICITATION RESULTS

If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, the name(s) of the successful Proposer(s) will be posted on the

City's portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin upon issuance of a Notice of Intent to Award or upon final contract execution.

If this solicitation is a Request for Qualifications, a list of the Vendor(s) who were shortlisted will be posted on the City's portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/carmelin after the qualifications are evaluated.

2.22PROTESTS

If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, a protest shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Board of

Public Works and Safety. A protest of a solicitation shall be received at the Board of Public Works and Safety not less than five (5) working days before the solicitation due date. A protest of a proposed award or of an https://www.carmel.in.gov/government/clerk-of-the-city/bid-opportunities award shall be filed within ten (10) days after issuance of notification of award or issuance of a notice of intent to award, as applicable. A protest shall include:

1. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestant;

2. The signature of the protestant or its representative;

3. Identification of the solicitation or Contract number;

4. A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds of protest including copies of relevant documents;

and

5. The form of relief requested.

3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3.1STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The City reserves the right to (1) accept or reject any and all proposals and to waive any technicalities or irregularities involving any proposal and to cancel the Request for Proposal ("RFP") process at any time prior to entering into a formal contract, (2) not award a contract for any or all of the specified services that are the subject of this RFP process, (3) award contracts for the specified services to separate contractors, (4) negotiate contract terms acceptable to the City with the successful Vendor(s), (5) disregard all nonconforming, non-responsive or conditional proposals, and (6) reject the response of any

Vendor which does not submit a proposal to the City’s satisfaction.

2. Respondents to this RFP may be requested to provide supplemental information or to make a presentation in addition to their proposal. The City reserves the right to request additional information and/or presentations from any organization. Additional information may be presented in writing during a pre-selection interview if one is conducted.

3. The obligation and the performance of the Vendor to whom the Contract is awarded shall be subject to compliance with the provisions of Indiana Code 5-13 and all other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and local ordinances.

4. If a successful Vendor does not execute a contract within thirty (30) calendar days after the award, the

City may give notice to such Vendor of intent to award the contract to the next most qualified Vendor or to call for new proposals and may proceed to act accordingly. The City assumes no cost by the Vendor in preparation, submission or presentation of their proposal.

5. All proposals shall be guaranteed for the entire duration of the contract. It is the intention of the City to engage the Vendor for a one year term with optional extensions of one year, with potential to extend.

6. The City reserves the right to terminate with 90-days written notice any contract arising from this RFP.

Furthermore, the City may terminate the contract without prior written notice upon the failure of the successful Vendor to comply with the terms and conditions of the proposal. Under no circumstances will any damages be paid by the City because of the termination of this contract.

7. The successful Vendor agrees that it will charge only for goods and/or services contained in the proposal or negotiated with the City. Goods and/or services not contained in the proposal will not be rendered or charged without the prior written consent of the City.

8. Sub-contracting by the Vendor without written consent of the City is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the RFP or the City.

9. Vendor will give the City, or its authorized representative, the privilege of inspecting, examining, and auditing, with or without notice, during normal business hours, such business records which are directly relevant to any financial arrangement arising from this RFP.

10. The successful Vendor shall agree to hold the City harmless from any claims and related expenses arising from your employees or agents providing the services agreed upon and arising from this process.

This includes but is not limited to property damage, bodily injury, personal injury to third parties, and damage to premises of the City. Resolution of any disputes arising from this process will be subject to and conducted in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana.

11. All proposals and related reference information submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the City and will not be returned to the respondent. Each entity submitting a proposal waives any right of confidentiality as to the proposal documents. If an entity submitting a proposal considers certain material in the proposal confidential proprietary information, it shall clearly designate those portions of the proposal it wishes to remain confidential. As a public entity, the City is subject to making records available for public disclosure. The City will attempt to maintain the confidentiality of material marked proprietary; however, it cannot guarantee that information will not be made public if required to be disclosed pursuant to the Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Indiana Code 5-14-3 or an order of the court of competent jurisdiction.

4. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The applicant must provide the following information to be considered:

Proposers must demonstrate, at a minimum, the following qualifications. Proposals that fail to meet these minimums may be deemed non-responsive.

1. Minimum Qualifications of the Firm

1. A minimum of five (5) years of continuous experience providing FEMA Public Assistance grant management consulting services to municipal or local government clients, comparable to the experience thresholds used in similar disaster recovery solicitations.

2. Demonstrated experience with Project Worksheet formulation and cost categorization, eligibility determinations, appeals and arbitration, project final inspections and audits, and grant closeout under the

FEMA Public Assistance Program.

3. Demonstrated experience recovering management costs under Category Z Project Worksheets, including structuring timekeeping, invoicing, and documentation so that consulting costs are separately identified and defensible at audit.

4. Working knowledge of the procurement standards of 2 CFR Part 200, including the contract provisions of Appendix II, and experience advising clients on compliant procurement strategy.

5. Experience coordinating recovery funding across multiple federal and state programs; familiarity with

FEMA, IDHA, IOCRA, and HUD programs is preferred.

6. Registration in SAM.gov with an active Unique Entity Identifier, and no debarment, suspension, or exclusion from federal or state contracting.

7. Insurance coverage meeting the City's requirements, including professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage, as specified in this RFP.

8. Written acknowledgment of, and agreement to perform under, the project-by-project engagement model described in the Scope of Work, including the separation of FEMA-eligible and non-reimbursable services and the modified payment structure for non-reimbursable services

2 Key Personnel Requirements

The Proposer shall:

1. Designate a project manager with direct, documented experience managing FEMA Public Assistance engagements for municipal clients, who will serve as the City's primary point of contact for the duration of the contract.

2. Assign staff with demonstrated expertise in grants financial administration, procurement compliance, and appeals strategy sufficient to perform all functions described in the Scope of Work.

3. Commit to the availability and response times necessary to meet FEMA and State of Indiana deadlines for documentation, appeals, and completion of work.

4. Identify any subcontractors and describe their qualifications, roles, and compliance with the requirements of this Section.

3 Proposal Submission Requirements

Each proposal must include the following, organized in the order listed:

1. Firm profile, including history, organizational capacity, and qualifications relevant to each subsection of the Scope of Work.

2. Resumes of the designated project manager and all key personnel, identifying their roles on this engagement.

3. A minimum of three (3) references from comparable municipal disaster recovery or FEMA Public

Assistance engagements, including client contact information; references from Indiana or Midwest communities are preferred.

4. A technical approach narrative describing the Proposer's project-by-project engagement model, its methodology for tracking and separating FEMA-eligible costs (including Category Z / management cost activities) from non-reimbursable services, and its approach to reporting, closeout, and audit support.

5. A cost proposal consisting of an hourly rate schedule by staff category and a fee proposal.

6. All executed certifications required.

7. Disclosure of any actual, apparent, or potential conflicts of interest.

4 General Requirements

The Consultant shall perform all services in compliance with the requirements of FEMA, the State of Indiana, the procurement standards of 2 CFR Part 200, and any other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Consultant shall maintain complete and auditable records supporting all time, labor, and expenses, and shall make such records available to the City, the State of Indiana, and FEMA upon request.

5. SCOPE OF WORK

5.1PURPOSE

The City of Carmel is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) from firms licensed to do business in Indiana interested in being considered for award of a professional services contract for FEMA Public Assistance

Consulting Services. The Consultant shall support the City through all phases of the disaster recovery process, from initial assessment and project formulation through final inspections, audits, and closeout. The City does not guarantee quantity of services or usage of vendors selected. Services from approved vendors will completely be dependent upon the needs of the City.

5.2CONTENT OF SUBMISSION

The proposal submitted in response to this Request for Proposals (RFP) shall be clear and concise, tabulated, and provide the information requested herein. Statements submitted without the required information will not be considered. Responses shall be organized as indicated below. The Respondent should not withhold any information from the written response in anticipation of presenting the information orally or in a demonstration, since oral presentations or demonstrations may not be solicited. Each Respondent must submit adequate documentation to certify the Respondent's compliance with the City's requirements. Respondent should focus specifically on the information requested.

5.3SCOPE OF WORK

General Requirements The services described in this Section include, but are not limited to, the items listed below must comply with the requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Indiana, the procurement standards of 2 CFR Part 200, and any other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The Consultant shall also perform other related duties as assigned and mutually agreed upon by the Consultant and the City.

Program Advisory and Assessment The Consultant shall:

1. Provide general FEMA Public Assistance grant management advice and assistance.

2. Conduct an initial assessment of the City's recovery operations and provide subsequent recommendations for grant administration efforts.

3. Assess and manage overall issues related to recovery funding from grant and insurance funding sources.

4. Conduct regular reviews of the City's recovery operations for compliance and closeout needs.

5. Provide periodic reports to City management on the status of the FEMA Public Assistance process and overall recovery efforts, as requested.

FEMA Public Assistance Process Management The Consultant shall:

1. Assist with the development of, and ongoing activities to manage, the FEMA Public Assistance process.

2. Assist with the formulation and preparation of Project Worksheets, compiling and summarizing category costs so that scopes of work are accurate and comprehensive, estimates are accurate, expenses are eligible and documented, and projects are categorized in a manner that ensures prompt and sufficient reimbursement to the City.

3. Advise the City as to the eligibility of expenses.

4. Assist the City in meeting deadlines imposed by FEMA and the State of Indiana for documentation, appeals, completion of work, and other requirements.

5. Assist with the preparation of correspondence to the State of Indiana and FEMA when required.

6. Assist with project final inspections and audits.

Grant Administration and Financial Controls The Consultant shall:

1. Support grant application, formulation, administration, and closeout.

2. Administer management costs.

3. Process reimbursement requests.

4. Establish and maintain financial controls for all recovery funding.

Procurement The Consultant shall:

1. Provide procurement advice and oversight.

2. Develop a compliant procurement strategy.

3. Provide general procurement assistance throughout the recovery effort.

Compliance, Policies, and Records Management The Consultant shall:

1. Review current City policies and assist with the development and documentation of new policies to ensure compliance with FEMA and State of Indiana requirements.

2. Ensure compliance, document retention, and record management for all recovery-related documentation.

Appeals and Dispute Resolution The Consultant shall:

1. Assist with dispute resolution and appeals.

2. Provide appeals and arbitration preparation and strategy.

Hazard Mitigation and Project Strategy The Consultant shall:

1. Assist with hazard mitigation proposals, alternate projects, and improved projects to protect the City's interests.

Funding Coordination and Recovery Planning The Consultant shall:

1. Monitor property insurance claim settlement status and its interaction with other grant programs.

2. Assist with the management of relationships with FEMA, IDHA, IOCRA, HUD, and other funding agencies.

3. Assist in the development of a long-term recovery plan, including strategy and tactics related to various funding streams, ensuring funding maximization through funding stream integration.

4. Provide recovery strategy and needs assessments.

5. Provide master planning and capacity analysis.

Data Management and Systems Integration The Consultant shall:

1. Advise on data management systems and data integration strategy.

2. Assess system integration needs and, upon mutual agreement on performance needs and parameters, support implementation.

Construction Management Advisory The Consultant shall:

1. Provide as-needed construction management advisory services throughout the construction life cycle, from pre-design through post-closeout.

Cost Eligibility and FEMA Reimbursement Structure This Scope of Work is structured to align with the procurement standards of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) and FEMA Public Assistance eligibility requirements. The City's intent is to establish a project-by-project engagement model under which eligible consulting costs can be directly tied to specific FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement activities. Any services determined to be non-reimbursable by FEMA will be handled separately under a modified payment structure mutually agreed upon by the Consultant and the City.

The Consultant shall:

1. Track, document, and report all time, labor, and expenses by project and activity so that FEMA-eligible consulting expenses, including Category Z / management cost activities, are separately identified and fully supported for reimbursement.

2. Structure invoices and supporting documentation to clearly distinguish FEMA-eligible services from non-reimbursable services.

3. Support the City's preparation of Category Z Project Worksheets for management costs, consistent with FEMA's management cost policy, which provides reimbursement based on actual costs incurred up to 5 percent of the subrecipient's total award amount, funded at 100 percent Federal share.

4. Comply with the contract provisions required under 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix II, for FEMA-funded contracts, as incorporated into any resulting agreement.

5.4EVALUATION PROCESS

Evaluation Process

Proposals will be reviewed and scored by the City's RFP evaluation team immediately following the close of this solicitation. Proposals will first be reviewed for compliance with the minimum requirements against the criteria in SELECTION CRITERIA. Award will be made to the responsible proposer whose proposal is most advantageous to the City, considering the evaluation factors and their relative importance as set forth in this

Section.

6. SELECTION CRITERIA

Submitted Responses will be judged on the following evaluation criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications and FEMA PA Experience

Demonstrated experience managing FEMA

Public Assistance programs for municipal clients, including Project Worksheet formulation, eligibility determinations, Category Z management cost recovery, and appeals; organizational capacity and years in practice.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

2. Technical Approach and Scope

Understanding

Quality and feasibility of the proposed project-by-project engagement model; methodology for tracking and separating FEMA-eligible costs

(including Category Z activities) from non-reimbursable services; approach to reporting, closeout, and audit support

Points Based 25 (25% of Total)

3. Key Personnel

Qualifications, credentials, and availability of the proposed project lead and assigned staff;

demonstrated knowledge of FEMA, IDHA, IOCRA, and HUD funding programs

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Cost Proposal

Hourly rate schedule and fee structure for services.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

5. Past Performance and References

Record of successful performance on comparable municipal disaster recovery

Points Based 10 (10% of Total) engagements; references from Indiana or

Midwest communities preferred

7. VENDOR SUBMISSIONS

7.1I certify that I, the individual responding to this RFP, am an authorized representative with the authority to certify and submit the following legally binding statements in this Proposal on behalf of my company.*

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.2Authorized representative contact info:*

Please include the name, title, phone and email of the authorized representative

*Response required

7.3Please upload your proposal here (WITHOUT COST)*

*Response required

7.4Cost Proposal*

*Response required

7.5Non-Collusion Affidavit*

Please download the below documents, complete and have notarized. An online notarization option will be provided for you when responding.

• Non-Collusion_Affidavit.pdf

*Response required

7.6Byrd Anti-Lobbying Certification*

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or prime Federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered Federal action, or a material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C.

section 1352.

• CERTIFICATION_REGARDING_LOB...

*Response required

7.7Certification Statement — Federal Contract Clauses Reference: 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II; 2 C.F.R. Section

200.327*

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• 2_CFR_200_Federal_Contract_...

*Response required

7.8Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion*

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• Debarment_Suspension_Certif...

*Response required

7.9Certification Regarding Covered Telecommunications Equipment and Services*

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• Certification_Regarding_Cov...

*Response required https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/126738/cc58e012-6208-4c4c-a24b-ee6c0092cb12_Non-Collusion_Affidavit.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4F4PFWTGQ%2F20260908%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260908T120009Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEIz%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJHMEUCIA9f%2BqL7aJk%2F2Wv59KJTTzxn5WGPgzL%2FhJmWhgdTY4W8AiEAk34dsgerQyH7t%2FWX1UbLn8hM5pxS8BbeQFd6dyh1lTgqjAUIVBACGgw4OTIzNjQ2ODc2NzIiDBVdWHS9mlPX5nuGMCrpBILenZd%2BUcJd9u0oKQaN4JF9UYVWaMH10ZiwPxq8g03CVWdlCLPb%2B3XXV2J%2BOW8GPXhEvh6Nxv%2Fas1IvIS6mKW4PvAwi8VjMFBgZz40ZrhKH12g59cNXCOqMMyP35wghoMplRiq9ArsJE97yZCooAElBeD35QeAJPHVgn8aQXWDNEIUkCeFzQQ7qoVRPY3w8j1Mn9Rnxi4ikj0acohvy5HT67qZSVhLKAnckXEIcC9uQ9C8JbB0Lv6nWs60XjIEiKLJz%2B8eDyzv0PRVvb%2BB3xKBcXuEgnLX%2B07hpQ2gXNFio9H%2BTyDfTSfEaSaFZ9%2FSF3ksjb%2BR0b8Hp9gDc38bE34kg30s2QN%2BLX26zMMeWyQI0KUW90uVS6loCcZblazXHfKO%2Bo%2B5xySOmTedubCeKqVQ1n6PUl6hWtCzg6CzdM40Qx%2FBpxy8ETbU0tJqNkXhT3dcl5uIe6bTAlNj1K6%2BFMlzDVm4lR8h6c8%2F9s%2Bzhfa2tUDld86DvNeMM9tM1tGq0Ayhfb60wA3gj3wVZHMmo814UkWGxWjeH6tORY0NQs5ZIIN2IjCTLStijNkmqSxBmg1iS8wtDSqAK9btAwBlvpUcbRQZtntj7SNheaP%2BV73hkCpCENCkCDTdU64xlfI6CZslQWvlr2hsL6w%2FA8GX8oLwXBA8Z3zyg2JX8INZz1Ed3htk5mgMOwGHLaWmYrZsS%2FgDTNrNn9qxTVxILXGdULsWUEQpJN3wz2bd5%2FDIaoNu%2Fz64m4OnBNhdIso0xCoR7uwzn%2FsCrPNfG7ieoS9pTFFgpbgU33mnpEXJMXMKVmKnGY%2FPDieXBzVC6MNPi%2F9QGOpkBUDph3X2tOSNrqirDB%2B15ThSZgkdM9woEI0%2BtJjtaNycyxd1Z1rRE3n3c5aUjua9W4m9wQv8qH9SG8BHLmZ%2F3V0po%2FhxeRd4%2F3IZxv7zTtFZa%2B%2F3LQAK4czjhR1saPlEDeYwGOKIYkqGPxh7LtPbGVMuwURvp19YXZdmx6pzIqw1NO9Zs9f8hMWoFiuqWc1MdPvrJ2xLSlEKH&X-Amz-Signature=003e3eb6fbda3985a45b7c5b71a332b9e38c0e139bf5d9e9f9b7480f50dd5685&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Non-Collusion_Affidavit.pdf%22&x-id=GetObject https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/f58ae9da-c2b3-4adc-946f-ce75fa88c0e8_CERTIFICATION_REGARDING_LOBBYING_-_Certification-Regarding-Lobbying.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/4b9da043-664e-45c8-be66-8471bbb8d5eb_2_CFR_200_Federal_Contract_Clauses_Certification%2B.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/8f91f8a0-7cde-4f49-9e2d-45c3759162fd_Debarment_Suspension_Certification_Form.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/e9906174-f4da-47a0-be61-cec265dd8123_Certification_Regarding_Covered_Telecommunications_Equipment_and_Services.pdf

7.10Conflict of Interest Disclosure*

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• Conflict_of_Interest_Disclo...

*Response required

7.11E-Verify Affidavit*

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• E-verify_Affidavit.pdf

*Response required

7.12Iran Investment Certification*

Please download the below document, complete, and upload.

• Iran_Investment_Certificati...

*Response required https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/7e55aca9-4e0b-406f-a0f3-b30538a0b494_Conflict_of_Interest_Disclosure_Form.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/ba69a3b9-db6f-4e6e-92fb-5982c4d1d96b_E-verify_Affidavit.pdf https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/297854/302195b8-a222-4c61-815e-02109cd516a2_Iran_Investment_Certification.pdf