ESBD_477452_1766013354210_RFP #26-10 Grant Development Services.pdf

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 1

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) #26-10

GRANT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

PROPOSED SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

This schedule may be modified or changed at the sole discretion of SJCCD.

DATE ACTION

December 17, 2025 RFP issued.

January 6, 2026

Questions and/or Clarifications Deadline

Requests for questions and clarifications regarding RFP documents shall be submitted through the Questions tab in IonWave by 5:00 p.m. Central Time to be considered.

January 7, 2026 Issuance of final addendum, if necessary.

January 14, 2026

Proposal Submission Deadline

All proposal documents shall be submitted before 2:00 p.m. Central Time in IonWave.

The RFP opening will take place digitally through IonWave immediately following time due. A list of vendors who submitted will be made available upon written request to the Procurement Contact.

February 9, 2026 – February 13, 2026

On-Site Presentations / Interviews (top-ranked firms only) “may” be scheduled within these dates.

April/May of 2026 Recommendation of award and approval to enter into contract.

Award will be announced after approval received.

E-Bidding Website: IonWave:

https://sanjac.ionwave.net

PROCUREMENT CONTACT

Farrah Khalil, Senior Buyer

281-998-6326 farrah.khalil@sjcd.edu https://sanjac.ionwave.net/ mailto:farrah.khalil@sjcd.edu

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 2

SCOPE OF WORK

1. General

San Jacinto Community College District (“SJCCD” or “College”) is soliciting sealed qualification statements from qualified firms to provide grant development services.

SJCCD reserves the right to select one or more companies based on the best value, as determined by SJCCD, overall response(s) submitted to the College, with consideration given to qualification statements that best meet the desired scope of work set forth in this request for qualifications.

All work performed must be in compliance with existing federal, state and local codes, statutes and requirements.

SJCCD is a public community college district organized under Chapter 130 of the Texas Education Code and is tax exempt in the State of Texas.

This scope of work, though not exhaustive and/or limited, covers the requirements to provide SJCCD with reliable, professional, and high-quality grant development services to increase grant activities and funding/revenue in support of institutional strategic initiatives and goals.

2. Purpose

The Office of Grants Management (OGM) supports SJCCD by managing the supplemental funding for accessible, affordable, high-quality basic skills training, post-secondary educational programs, and academic support. This is achieved through continued focus of the College’s strategic goals:

• Student Success

• P-16 Pipeline

• Workforce and Economic Development

• Our People

Collaborating with faculty, staff, administrators and executives, OGM cultivates partnerships with local, state, federal, public, private, and nonprofit entities to develop grant proposals and manage the funding required for a wide variety of academic and workforce development programs. OGM provides pre-award grant proposal application development, administration support, and guidance to SJCCD faculty and staff applying for external and internal program funding initiatives.

OGM coordinates post-award grant accounting, reporting, and auditing activities as required by awarding agencies. Utilizing organizational knowledge of the grant market, and matching institutional needs, enables OGM to leverage College strengths and faculty expertise to provide SJCCD and its students with the highest quality financial support possible.

In order to account for the College’s wide array of academic and workforce development programs, SJCCD competes for funding from a broad range of sources including local and national foundations, state funds, and federal funds. OGM’s portfolio is derived from federal agencies (e.g., Department of Education, Department of Labor, and National Science Foundation), Texas state agencies (e.g., Texas Workforce Commission and Texas Higher Education Coordinating

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 3

Board), foundations, and corporations. Many of the College’s programs would not exist without this financial support.

Active grant awards portfolio consists of federal, state, foundation, and corporate awarded funds to SJCCD for use toward the following costs:

• Personnel

• Benefits

• Equipment

• Supplies

• Travel

• Training

• Contractual Services

• Curriculum Development

• Scholarships

The College estimates sixteen (16) grants to be developed over the next five (5) years.

3. Contactor(s) Qualifications and Experience

Qualified individuals and/or firms shall possess and demonstrate the following experience and qualifications:

3.1. Successful experience in working with internal and external partners to develop/scribe a wide array of higher-education grants via a broad range of funding sources.

Firm/individual shall have a minimum of five (5) to seven (7) years of successful grant writing experience including sourcing, developing, and submitting successful federal and state government grant proposals – preferably in $1 million plus range.

3.2. Effective interpersonal and communication skills.

3.3. Verifiable data integrity, provenance, and source justification.

3.4. Vast knowledge and expertise of federal and state grant compliance protocols, applicable grant funding agency regulations, federal grant program requirements, and grant audit requirements.

3.5. Vast knowledge and expertise in researching and identifying appropriate grant opportunities based on the institution’s unique strengths and capabilities.

4. Contactor(s) Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Contractor or Contractor’s firm shall include, but are not limited to the following:

4.1 Research and identify high-value grant opportunities to meet the College’s strategic initiatives and priorities.

4.2 Assign a lead grant consultant who will be responsible for and oversee delivery of services for all projects. The lead grant consultant shall be the primary contact for all deliverables, and will lead the work effort throughout the duration of the contract.

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 4

4.3 Provide and assist with grant pre-award services inclusive of assisting with organizational development, proposal and application planning and development, budget proposal development, grant writing and editing, staff trainings, and compliance management.

4.4 Work collaboratively and professionally with institutional staff, faculty, and external partners on an as-needed basis.

4.5 Meet quarterly with OGM and/or SJCCD senior management to consistently glean and maintain an understanding of the College’s strategic initiatives, priorities, and needs.

4.6 Create a funding roadmap and priority grants calendar to visually demonstrate strategic plans for project funding as supported by priority grant initiatives.

4.7 Continually research and identify appropriate grant funding opportunities for the College.

4.8 Provide grant compliance updates to all applicable College faculty and staff.

4.9 Provide a Grant Opportunity Assessment for organizational development. Assessment shall include a comprehensive review and subsequent improvement strategy replete with coverage of all communication mechanisms, processes, procedures, and fiscal/ programmatic capacities.

4.10 Assist, consult, and update current grant policies and procedures.

4.11 Update and/or create operational guides as needed.

4.12 Facilitate grant project planning through structured meetings with all applicable College faculty and staff.

4.13 Develop all components of grant applications, proposals, and supporting documents.

4.14 Review and edit grant proposals/applications developed by College faculty and staff.

4.15 Incorporate compliance management into proposed activities.

4.16 Conduct a minimum of two (2) faculty/staff professional development grant on-site workshops per year throughout the life of the contract. Create, as needed, written documentation to support the workshop.

5. SJCCD Responsibilities

To assist with facilitation of services, SJCCD will:

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 5

5.1 Provide a high-level Point of Contact to determine and/or approve the development and implantation of any/all grant processes, and to oversee participant coordination and schedule adherence.

5.2 Identify and assign College participants who will work in tandem with the grant consultant(s) as is applicable for each project.

5.3 Circulate deliverables for review by College executives and stakeholders; and provide appropriate feedback in a timely manner.

5.4 Facilitate and/or assist in scheduling meetings (both virtual and on-site) as is applicable for each project.

5.5 Facilitate and/or assist in scheduling awarded firm’s professional development faculty/staff grant workshops as detailed in Section 4.17 of this Scope.

6. Reports

Reporting requirements shall include, but are not limited to the following:

6.1 Submit a quarterly report to the College detailing grant project activities, milestones achieved, and any/all challenges encountered.

6.2 Submit a quarterly report on key metrics and performance indicators, including evidence of success.

6.3 Submit a biannual report detailing a summary of expenditures by fund and project, inclusive of a detailed breakdown of transactions.

6.4 Submit an annual roadmap report detailing the use of potential federal funds, inclusive of adherence to all grant-related regulations.

7. College Locations

• District Offices – 4620 Fairmont Parkway, Pasadena, TX 77504

• Central Campus – 8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77505

• North Campus – 5800 Uvalde, Houston, TX 77049

• South Campus – 13735 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77089

• Maritime – 3700 Old Hwy 146, La Porte, TX 77571

• Generation Park Campus – 13455 Lockwood Rd., Houston, TX 77044

• Edge Center – 13150 Space Center Blvd., Houston, TX 77059

8. Subcontractor Reporting

SJCCD does not give preference to historically underutilized or small business in the awarding of contracts. However, if the awarded contractor utilizes a subcontractor(s) to fulfill the proposed requirements, the contractor will be required to track and report the amount paid to each subcontractor along with the subcontractor’s reportable classification. This

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 6 information will only be used for the purpose of statistical tracking. The reportable classifications include:

• African American

• Asian Pacific American

• Hispanic American

• Native American

• Small Business

• Disabled Veteran Owned

• Minority Owned

• Woman Owned

• Other / Non-disclosed

9. Pricing

9.1. Solicitation Firm Pricing

9.1.1. Respondent shall propose firm net pricing for the term of the solicitation with discounts marked.

9.1.2. Prices must be stated in units of quantity specified in solicitation requirements. In case of a discrepancy in computing the amount of the response, the unit price quoted will govern.

9.1.3. SJCCD is a tax-exempt entity:

9.1.3.1. It is the respondent's responsibility to be familiar with applicable tax implications and the respondent shall be liable for all such costs associated with their response.

9.1.3.2. SJCCD reserves the right to purchase or compare pricing available, or made available from, cooperative purchasing agreements and other governmental contracts.

9.2. Annual Pricing Adjustments:

9.2.1. Prices must be held firmly for the first term of the awarded contract, after which a price adjustment may be requested.

9.2.2. All price adjustment requests must be based upon labor cost and/or product cost as appliable to the purchase, and documentation of the price increase is required as outlined in this Section.

9.2.3. Awarded contractor must provide SJCCD Purchasing Department with a written price adjustment request a minimum of 30 days before the contract renewal.

9.2.4. For any contract renewal in which a price adjustment is requested, the renewal year pricing will be determined by adjusting the current year pricing by the average inflationary/deflationary effect, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS):

• Labor: Consumer Price Index of Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-

W) for Houston, Texas, between the current or prior year as compared to the year preceding the current or prior year of the contract. The CPI-W, as published by BLS, is a measure, over time, of the average change in the compensation of urban wage earners and clerical workers.

• Labor/Products: Consumer Price Index of All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for Houston, Texas, between the current or prior year as compared to the year preceding the current or prior year of the contract. The CPI-U, as published by the BLS, is a measure, over time, of the average change in prices in a fixed market basket of goods and services and covers approximately 80 percent of the total populations, including wage earners, clerical workers, as well as groups such as a professional, managerial, and technical workers, the self-employed, retirees and others not in the labor force.

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 7

• Products: Producer Price Index (PPI) for Industry Data between the current or prior year as compared to the year preceding the current or prior year of the contract. The PPI, as published by the BLS, is a measure, over time, of the average change in selling prices domestic producers receive for their goods.

9.2.5. SJCCD reserves the right to accept or reject any price adjustment requests. A rejection of a price adjustment may result in the termination of any agreement, contract, purchase order, or other agreement without fault or obligation.

9.3. Tariff-Based Price Adjustments

9.3.1. Not discarding the foregoing statements above, SJCCD recognizes the imposition of tariffs or trade restrictions may impact the suppliers’ ability to maintain pricing.

9.3.2. Suppliers may notify SJCCD of the impact, supported by credible cost data. Credible cost data would include documentation as follows:

• Copy of the official tariff schedule or notice (E.G., from the U.S. International

Trade Commission, or Customs and Border Protection (CBP)).

• Federal Register notice showing the imposition of the tariff with effective dates and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS codes) including reference to the HTS code for the product.

9.3.3. SJCCD reserves the right to request the following as evidence of payment of tariffs:

• https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/cbp-form-7501 (Entry Summary): This shows tariff duties paid upon entry to the U.S.

• Commercial invoice showing the importation of goods and/or bill of lading or shipping documents indicating international sourcing, the duty or tariff amounts listed, and/or supplier name as importer of record or a third-party custom broker.

9.3.4. SJCCD will engage in good-faith negotiations to consider price modifications, substitute goods, or alternative sourcing arrangements, with the goal of minimizing disruption to public services and maintaining the continuity of supply.

10. Special Requirements

All contractors, subcontractors or company representatives working at any college property or college facility shall wear a clearly visible name tag, badge, embroidered or labelled uniform shirt, or other personal or company identification at all times. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in removal from the campus until corrected.

11. Contract Term

The contract term, if any, for contract(s) awarded from this solicitation will be one (1) year with renewal options of four (4) one-year time periods, based on the same terms and conditions with future pricing revised according to the attachment titled CPI-W Based Price Adjustment Calculations, and subject to the termination provisions as further described in the sample contract terms and conditions on the Attachments tab section of this solicitation.

https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usitc.gov%2Fgeneral_information.htm&data=05%7C02%7CGenevieve.scholes%40sjcd.edu%7C7b36f2b03b894fe1852f08dd83fa090c%7C514efd408efe4f15819f34e56acf1562%7C0%7C0%7C638811832094598172%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qEllJvpc9aNCZ76WmTGw8LgXAU%2BigeYSEjWmZgmPgZU%3D&reserved=0 https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usitc.gov%2Fgeneral_information.htm&data=05%7C02%7CGenevieve.scholes%40sjcd.edu%7C7b36f2b03b894fe1852f08dd83fa090c%7C514efd408efe4f15819f34e56acf1562%7C0%7C0%7C638811832094598172%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qEllJvpc9aNCZ76WmTGw8LgXAU%2BigeYSEjWmZgmPgZU%3D&reserved=0 https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbp.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7CGenevieve.scholes%40sjcd.edu%7C7b36f2b03b894fe1852f08dd83fa090c%7C514efd408efe4f15819f34e56acf1562%7C0%7C0%7C638811832094613216%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ekjHPEEwJu4K5pRthMPDqoRgjTJwHqhzIpp8dOD83K4%3D&reserved=0 https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhts.usitc.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7CGenevieve.scholes%40sjcd.edu%7C7b36f2b03b894fe1852f08dd83fa090c%7C514efd408efe4f15819f34e56acf1562%7C0%7C0%7C638811832094628051%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FDwO2ZxKK39VfohncUhdZJgmOWRukNJ9ZzeZYbCODAg%3D&reserved=0 https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/cbp-form-7501 https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/cbp-form-7501

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 8

EVALUATION CRITERIA

An Evaluation Committee will review all proposals according to the criteria stated herein. The committee’s evaluations will be based on all available information, including qualification statements, subsequent interviews/presentations, reports, discussions, reference checks, and other appropriate review.

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Factor Points

Section 1: Qualifications and Experience of Firm 20

Section 2: Qualifications and Experience of Personnel 10

Section 3: Scope Understanding, Approach, and Management 25

Section 4: References 10

Section 5: Exceptions to Sample Contract 5

Section 6: Price Proposal* 30

Total 100

* The price proposal for each firm will be evaluated in comparison with the other firms’ price proposals;

however, the number of points possible may be evaluated in proportion to each respondent’s evaluation score received for Section 3: Scope Understanding, Approach, and Management

The College’s Evaluation Committee will evaluate and rank each submittal based on the criteria detailed above. The highest rated proposer(s) evaluated by the Committee may be invited to presentations / interview with the Evaluation Committee. If interviews occur, they will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Presentation / Interview Max Points Presentation 20 Interview 20 Total 40

If interviews are held, the final score for selection of a firm will be obtained by combining the Evaluation Committee’s total points of the qualifications, price, and interviews as follows:

Qualifications and Price 100 points maximum Interviews 40 points maximum Total 140 points maximum

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 9

PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

All proposal response requirements must be submitted through IonWave. The system does not allow a proposal submission unless all requirements have been met, including Attributes and Response Attachments. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Written Proposal:

Written Proposal shall be submitted as a Response Attachment in IonWave and shall include responses to Section 1 – 3. Written Proposals shall be a single PDF document with a maximum of twenty (20) pages (numbered 1-20). Sections must be in order and clearly labeled as outlined below.

Include a coversheet that includes your firm’s name, representative, and contact information.

Coversheet does not count towards the 20-page limit.

1. Qualifications and Experience of Firm

1.1. Include a description of the firm including firm’s history and size. If a corporation provide which state the corporation is chartered Provide information regarding how long the proposer has provided the services requested in this RFP.

1.2. Describe previous experience with SJCCD or other public entities and/or colleges. Include how many public entities and/or college accounts are in your current client base. Did your company perform satisfactorily to the terms and conditions of the last award given to your company? Were there any discrepancies, issues or complaints reported concerning your organization’s performance?

1.3. Describe your firm’s business philosophy and practice.

1.4. Provide documented experience with collaborative project development with multiple partner organizations. If respondent has experience with development of regional grants, include documentation of extent of region and partnerships.

1.5. Provide details of any past or pending litigation or claims your firm may be involved in.

Identify if your firm is currently in default on any loan agreement or financing agreement with any bank, financial institution, or other entity. Please specify date(s), details, circumstances, and prospects for resolution.

2. Qualifications and Experience of Personnel

1.1. Include a project-staffing plan and organizational chart for all proposed key staff members who will be assigned to this project. Identify their respective responsibilities for this project. If personnel substitutions are contemplated on a contingency basis, they should also be identified.

1.2. Provide brief resumes for key staff members outlining the qualifications and experience directly related to this RFP.

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 10

1.3. Describe the training that is provided to personnel. Who undergoes the training and how often?

1.4. Describe the frequency your firm evaluates its staff and what type of performance evaluation system is used.

3. Scope Understanding, Approach, and Management

3.1. Describe how your firm’s grant evaluation services meet the Scope detailed in this RFP.

Address any variances between your proposal and the Scope.

3.2. Provide a detailed description of how your firm will perform the following services.

3.2.1 Funding needs analysis

3.2.2 Identification of appropriate grant and private foundation resources

3.2.3 Grant preparation process

3.2.4 Grant review and approval process

3.2.5 Identification of other revenue generating programs

3.2.6 Provide an estimated time frame, duration, and number of hours for the processes detailed in the above sections 3.2.1 – 3.2.5.

3.3. Provide documentation detailing a tangible and verifiable track record regarding the securance of new funding opportunities, and the identification of funding opportunities for special programs.

3.4. Review the College’s responsibilities as described in Section 5 of the Scope. Detail the services you will provide in order to support and scaffold said responsibilities.

3.5. Provide a list of grants that were successfully awarded within the last three (3) years.

List shall include the following details:

• Size of grant(s)

• Approach taken to procure grant(s)

• Reasoning as to why grant(s) were successfully awarded

3.6. Provide a list of grants that were unsuccessfully awarded within the last three (3) years.

List shall include the following details:

• Size of grant(s)

• Approach taken to procure grant(s)

• Reasoning as to why grant(s) were not successful

3.7. Provide documentation detailing a tangible and verifiable track record of five (5) to seven

(7) years of successful grant writing experience inclusive of sourcing, developing, writing, and submitting successful federal and state government grant proposals - preferably in the $1 million plus range.

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 11

3.8. Provide a list of all faculty workshop options as detailed in Section 4.17 of the Scope.

4. References

Submit references in the Attributes tab in IonWave for the following:

4.1. The proposer shall provide at least five (5) references on recent projects for which the proposer's company is currently providing or has provided the same type and level of service required in this RFP within the past three years. Include the name, telephone number, and valid email address of a reference person who may be contacted for further information. It is highly preferable that these references are other colleges or public sector accounts comparable in size or larger.

4.2. All references will be contacted by email. Evaluations will be based on responses received from references. It is advisable to notify your references ahead of time that a reference will be requested by email.

5. Exceptions to Sample Contract

Submit the following as separate Response Attachments in IonWave:

a. Restricted Terms and Conditions Form; available to download under the Attachments tab. The College’s evaluation of this section will be based on Firm’s acceptance of Restricted Terms, as outlined in the Sample Contract.

b. An exception includes any addition, deletion, or other modification to the sample contract. If you select Yes to “EXCEPTIONS TO SAMPLE CONTRACT” under the Attributes tab, you must submit a written summary of each exception to the sample contract. The summary shall include supporting justification that clearly identifies the specific reference, page, section, and sub-section of the change, relevance of the change, the vendor’s rationale for the change, and benefit to the College for accepting the change for the submitted exceptions to be considered in the evaluation.

Any exceptions not explicitly stated may not be considered during contract negotiations, if any.

The submittal of exceptions to terms and conditions does not guarantee the College’s acceptance of exceptions. The College reserves the right to accept or reject any exceptions as necessary to negotiate a mutually beneficial contract.

6. Price Proposal

Submit pricing on the Line Items tab in IonWave for the following:

Line Item 1: Annual lump sum fee for the development of three (3) grants per year inclusive of all services listed in Sections 4 and 6 of the Scope, as well as all travel and applicable expenses.

RFP 26-10 Grant Development Services 12

Line Item 2: Lump sum fee for the development of one (1) federal grant. Please note: The College will hold the awarded vendor to the price submitted in Line Item 2 for the development of additional grants (if necessary and applicable).

Line Item 3: Lump sum fee for one (1) faculty/staff professional development grant on-site workshop inclusive of all travel and applicable expenses.

Upload a Response Attachment document, if needed, to provide details of any costs not listed in the Line Items section. List any value-added services your company provides, such as training and maintenance. If these services are not included in the price proposal, clearly indicate the respective fees for these additional services. Any costs not explicitly stated in a proposal response shall not be charged to the College.

The College reserves the right to consider pricing submitted through the Line Items, Line Notes, and Response Attachments.

List of Response Attachments:

All forms are available to download under the Attachments tab in IonWave. Except when listed as Optional, all Response Attachment documents are required and failure to provide a required document may deem the proposer non-responsive and disqualify the response from consideration for award.

Document Naming Standards: Use the following naming standards before uploading documents to IonWave. Failure to use proper Document Naming Standings could result in errors in evaluating your proposal:

• Document Naming Standards: Your Firm’s Name, Document Type (as listed below), RFP#

• Example: Sample Company ABC, Written Proposal, RFP 26-10

Include the following documents in the Response Attachments tab in IonWave.

1. Written Response

2. Conflict of Interest form

3. Proof of Insurance Requirements

4. Restricted Terms and Conditions Form

5. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions (optional)

6. Additional Costs (optional)