REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

2105-RFQ

ON-CALL GRANT APPLICATION SERVICES

City of Rock Hill

757 S. Anderson Road, Building 103

Rock Hill, SC 29730

RELEASE DATE: April 22, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: May 12, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: May 20, 2026, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

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

City of Rock Hill

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

2105-RFQ

On-Call Grant Application Services

I. Introduction II. Request for Qualifications

III. Scope of Work IV. Submission Format V. Terms and Conditions

VI. Evaluation Process VII. Evaluation Criteria

VIII. Vendor Questionnaire

Attachments:

A - City of Rock Hill Agreement for Services SAMPLE

Request for Qualifications (RFQ) #2105-RFQ Title: On-Call Grant Application Services

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

The City of Rock Hill ("City") is requesting qualifications from interested and qualified firms to provide various grant application and award services for the City.

1.2. Contact Information

Sarah Kesler

Procurement Analyst

Email: sarah.kesler@cityofrockhill.com

Phone: (803) 329-7070

Department:

Grants

1.3. Timeline

Solicitation Release Date April 22, 2026

Question Submission Deadline May 12, 2026, 4:00pm

Qualifications Submission Deadline May 20, 2026, 2:00pm

The City of Rock Hill's eProcurement Portal only.

NOTE: The qualifications opening is virtual. No in-person meeting will be held.

mailto:sarah.kesler@cityofrockhill.com tel:(803)329-7070

2. Request for Qualifications

PROJECT: On-Call Grant Application Services

RFQ Number: 2105-RFQ

Qualifications DUE DATE: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 before 2:00 pm

2.1. General Information

Electronic submissions will be received by the Procurement Division of the City of Rock Hill, South

Carolina, via the City's eProcurement Portal up to but not later than the published date and time. The eProcurement Portal clock is the official timekeeper for determining all deadline dates and times.

Without exception, responses will not be accepted after the submission deadline, regardless of any technical difficulties, such as poor internet connections. The City strongly recommends completing your response well ahead of the deadline.

2.2. Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to obtain information about consulting companies interested in providing Grant Application Services for the City of Rock Hill. The City will review the information provided in the response to evaluate each interested company by using the criteria outlined in this RFQ. The Grants Division is responsible for this project.

2.3. No Pre-Qualifications Meeting

There will be no pre-qualifications meeting for this project. Companies are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications necessary to submit qualifications.

2.4. Anticipated Contract Schedule

The anticipated start date is July 1, 2026. The initial term will be three (3) years with two (2) 1-year renewals if options are exercised.

2.5. Selection Consideration

To be considered for selection, the company shall be qualified and capable of delivering the following services for the identified project(s). If sub-consultants are to be used for any portion of the work, the sub-consultant should be identified, and pertinent information related to their aspect of the team should be provided.

3. Scope of Work

Upon need and reasonable request, the selected firm(s) shall meet with City officials, staff, team representatives, and the project manager, who will provide information concerning the project. The requirements for data and design shall be reviewed and established.

3.1. Non-Exclusive General Potential Scope of Services

The City will request services on an as-needed basis. There is no guarantee that all or any of the services described in this RFQ will be assigned during the term of the Agreement. The firm is to provide the City with a detailed approach, schedule, and team proposed to perform the project tasks. No task shall be performed by the firm until after the City has approved a detailed task work order and executed a

Contract Addendum through the City's Procurement Office.

To be considered for selection, the firm shall be qualified and capable of delivering the following services for the identified projects. If sub-consultants are to be used for any portion of the work, the sub-consultant should be identified, and pertinent information related to their aspect of the team should be provided.

• Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) for grant applications, including but not limited to U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) projects and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) hazard mitigation projects

• Economic Cost Analysis (ECA) for grant applications, including Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) projects

• Davis-Bacon compliance for grant awards

• Buy America, Build America (BABA) compliance for grant awards

• Environmental Reviews or National Environmental & Protection Act compliance work for both grant applications and grant awards

• Data Analysis for grant applications

• Long-term funding strategy analysis – reviewing long-term project priority lists and developing a funding plan for each

• Technical Writing for grant applications

• Technical Review of grant applications

4. Submission Format

4.1. Proposal Format

To facilitate the review of the Statement of Qualifications by the City of Rock Hill, please ensure the submission conforms to the following format:

4.2. Coversheet

List the RFQ Statement, the name of the company, and the name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of a contact person for questions concerning the qualifications submitted.

4.3. Qualifications & Experience of the Company

Brief history and organization of the company, the legal entity that will enter into the contract, the location of the office where the work will be performed, and the name and title of the person authorized to enter into a master contract agreement (must be an officer, partner, or member of the company). List any sub-consultant companies that will support your company. Provide a narrative of the company’s prior experience and qualifications pertaining to the Scope of Work and provide a list of projects with similar scopes.

4.4. Project Team

Provide a list of the project team members (including the office location where they currently work) that you propose to use and identify each team member's responsibility, clearly detailing each team member's experience. Provide a brief resume for each person listing specific similar project experience, educational experience, and licensure/certifications.

4.5. Team Specialties

List any of their specialty or roles on the team and their office locations. Provide an hourly rate summary for project team members.

4.6. Project Management, Approach to the Project, & Quality Control

Demonstrate project management, approach to the project, and quality control methods employed by the company. This section shall also include an organizational chart for each team member (including sub-consultants) and list their roles with responsibilities.

4.7. Capacity and Response Capability

Provide a statement of the company’s current workload, proposed schedule of action for when the City requests these services, and capacity to meet the project schedules.

4.8. History of City of Rock Hill Projects

Provide a list of projects that the company has completed (or is currently working on) with the City of

Rock Hill over the past 5 years. Be sure to identify the project manager, total cost, year completed, or status if it is currently in progress. If the company has no experience with the City of Rock Hill, provide similar projects located within North/South Carolina.

4.9. References

Provide the name, address, and telephone number of at least three (3) references familiar with the quality of work done by the company of a similar nature as contained in the above Scope of Work. By submission of the references, you are authorizing the City of Rock Hill to contact these references.

References are not required if the company has worked for the City of Rock Hill on at least two (2) projects over the past two (2) years.

4.10. Legal, Safety, Insurance, and Financial

The company's submittal shall provide documentation of any history of litigation associated with project performance or professional liability during the past ten years. A statement or other information to describe the company's general financial standing and current insurance coverage.

4.11. Insurance Capacity

The submitting company (lead company if submitting as a team) shall be able to post the minimum, specified insurance requirements for this project as follows:

1. Professional Liability: $2,000,000.00 per occurrence, and $2,000,000.00 aggregate

2. Worker's Compensation: $500,000.00

3. Automobile Liability: $1,000,000.00 per occurrence for each vehicle, and $1,000,000 in aggregate for all vehicles

4. Comprehensive/General Liability: $2,000,000.00 per occurrence, and $2,000,000 aggregate

Coverages must be maintained throughout the life of the contract, including any applicable warranty period.

4.12. Qualifications Submission

Statement of Qualifications must be submitted via the City's eProcurement Portal. It must be submitted before 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Mailed, facsimile, or e-mailed copies will not be accepted. The City assumes no responsibility for late submittals.

The e-Procurement Portal uses an 'electronic lock box' system to receive and protect all Company responses. Only the Company can see that they have submitted a response and the information contained in that response. The Company may withdraw its submission and resubmit anytime until the due date and time. Once the submission phase has ended, the City can view the submissions and begin the evaluation.

4.13. Availability of the e-Procurement Portal

All responses to the Solicitation must be submitted electronically through the e-Procurement Portal.

Should any technical issues with the Portal (not user/Supplier issues) prevent any Supplier from submitting a response within the two (2) hours immediately before the due time, the Solicitation due date and time shall be extended for a period of 24 hours. The technical issue must be with the Portal provider (OpenGov) and affect all participating Suppliers. The City shall verify the technical issue or unavailability of the Portal with OpenGov, the system provider. Technical issues localized to a single supplier will not be considered cause for an extension.

The e-Procurement Portal will not allow submissions after the established due date and time have passed.

4.14. Contract

A master contract will be developed with the selected companies, and fees shall be established based upon provided draft plans to be used to determine an agreed-upon scope of work by and between the selected companies and the City of Rock Hill.

The selected companies will be required to use the City of Rock Hill's standard contract (see attached).

The City intends to award contracts to selected companies within 60 days of receipt of qualifications.

4.15. Submission Requirements

This section provides details for preparing and submitting materials required from responding entities to be considered for selection.

1. Submission Preparation: All RFQ responses shall be submitted electronically through the City's eProcurement Portal. The Statement of Qualifications shall be submitted by an authorized representative of the company. Each submission constitutes an offer and may not be withdrawn except as provided herein.

2. Qualifications Submission:

The response shall be submitted before 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

No submission may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the due date unless approved in writing by the Procurement Office. All submissions must be approved by the Rock Hill City

Manager and the department(s) in charge of the project. Failing an agreement, the City may reject all submissions and request new submissions or make any other decisions it deems to be in its own best interest.

3. Errors in Submittals: Submitters or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting the requested materials. Failure to do so will be at the company's own risk. If an error is made, the submittal may be withdrawn before the submission deadline, edited, and resubmitted before the deadline. The City reserves the right to waive any informalities, technical defects, and minor irregularities in submittals received.

4. Discrepancies and Questions: Companies shall have no contact related to this project with the City of

Rock Hill elected or appointed officials or employees during the solicitation process, other than the contact person specified within this solicitation. Any such contact will subject the Company to immediate disqualification for consideration.

Should the Company have questions, find discrepancies in the plans and/or specifications, or be in doubt as to the meaning or intent of any part thereof, the Company shall request clarification from the City via the eProcurement Portal, not later than 4:00 pm on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

All questions will be answered and any changes will be communicated through an addendum posted on the City’s eProcurement Portal. As a registered Company, you will also receive addenda notifications via email by clicking “Follow” on this project. It is the Company's responsibility to check the website for this information before submitting. Failure to request such clarification is a waiver of any claim by the

Company for additional expenses because its interpretation was different from the City’s.

5. Compliance with laws: The successful entity shall obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, liability insurance, and worker's compensation insurance, and comply with all other standards or regulations required by federal, state, county, or City statutes, ordinances, and rules during the performance of any purchase between the company and the City. Any such requirement specifically outlined in any purchasing document between the company and the City shall be supplementary to this section and not in substitution thereof.

6. Suspension and Debarment: The Company certifies, by the response to this RFQ, that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal, state, or local agency. Where the submitting entity is unable to certify any of the statements in this certification, such Offeror shall attach an explanation to this proposal.

7. Subcontractors: The selected company agrees that they shall not delegate, subcontract, or assign all or any portion of the project to any third party without the express written consent of the City.

8. Brand Name: The use of a brand name, if applicable, is for the sole purpose of describing the standard of quality, performance, and a characteristic desired and is not intended to limit or restrict competition.

9. Local Providers: Companies tendering submissions should keep in mind the City's goal of supporting local businesses and supply houses for materials and labor whenever practicable, so long as pricing and other contract conditions are not adversely affected.

5. Terms and Conditions

5.1. Insurance

The Company agrees that the Company shall provide, in a form acceptable to the City, certificates of all insurance required as specified in this solicitation. Coverages must be maintained throughout the life of the contract, including any applicable warranty period.

5.2. Illegal Immigration Reform Act Compliance

The company certifies that the company will comply with the requirements of Chapter 14, Title 8 of the

South Carolina Code of Laws titled Unauthorized Aliens and Public Employment and agrees to provide to the City of Rock Hill any documentation required to establish either; (a) the applicability of such law to the company, subcontractor, and sub-subcontractor; or (b) the compliance with this law by the company and any subcontractors or sub-subcontractors.

5.3. Indemnification

The Company shall indemnify and hold the City harmless from and against all liability, loss, damages, or injury, and all costs and expenses (including attorneys' fees and costs of any suit related thereto), suffered or incurred by the City, to the extent arising from the company’s or its contractor’s negligent performance of the services under this agreement, intentional misconduct, negligent acts or omissions, or breach of any term, covenant, representation, or warranty of this agreement.

5.4. Freedom of Information Act

All submissions will be public information, per FOIA guidelines.

5.5. Iran Divestment Act

By signing its submission, the Company certifies that it is not identified on the list of persons determined by the Executive Director of the State Fiscal Accountability Authority to engage in investment activities in the country of Iran as described in South Carolina Code of Laws Section 11-57-310 (as amended), or any other list of prohibited investments created by the State legislature; will not take any action causing it to appear on any such list during the term of the Final Contract; and will not utilize any subcontractor that is identified on any such list to provide goods or services thereunder.

5.6. Agreement

The selected company will be required to use the City of Rock Hill’s standard agreement. See attached sample agreement.

5.7. Non-Appropriation of Funds

This agreement shall be subject to the availability and appropriation of funds by Management and City

Council. If the Council does not appropriate the funding needed by the City to make payments under this agreement for a given fiscal year, the City will not be obligated to pay amounts due beyond the end of the last fiscal year for which funds were appropriated. No act or omission by the City, which is attributable to non-appropriation of funds, shall constitute a breach of or default under this agreement.

5.8. City Business License

The successful Company, prior to execution of the contract, must possess or obtain a City of Rock Hill business license. Such license must be maintained throughout the contract. The fee for such a license is based on the amount of the contract with the City if the company is not currently doing other business inside the City limits. If the company is currently doing other business within the City limits of Rock Hill and does not possess a business license, then the fee for the license is based on the total gross receipts from customers within the City limits. Contact the City Business License Office at 803-329-5590 to determine the exact amount or to ask other pertinent questions regarding doing business in the City of

Rock Hill. Companies do not need to possess a business license to submit their qualifications.

5.9. Excluded Companies

Submissions from companies may be excluded for any of the following reasons:

(i) Reason to believe collusion exists among the companies

(ii) The Company is involved in any litigation against the City

(iii) The Company is in arrears on any existing contract or has defaulted on a previous contract with the

City

(iv) Lack of financial stability

(v) Failure to perform under previous or present contracts with the City

(vi) Is currently debarred by the State of South Carolina Procurement Services

Excluded vendors/contractors can resubmit complete company information with references for City review after a minimum of one (1) year from the last excluded Bid. The City will contact the submitting vendor/contractor with its decision within thirty (30) days of company information submittal. The City reserves the right to include or exclude said vendor/contractor based on findings.

5.10. Customer Service

Please remember, although you are a contracted City service, you each represent the City of Rock Hill during all work performed, face-to-face as well as telephone conversations. These guidelines are to give all contract employees a solid feeling of what the City of Rock Hill expects from any contracted service.

Overview:

• Be friendly, courteous, and helpful

• Company uniforms must be worn at all times

• Employees must look and act professionally at all times

Company's Employees:

Before the company's employees can enter the project site, it shall investigate and determine that its employees working on the project site are not listed on the sexual offender registry. The contractor shall require all subcontractors to make a similar investigation. One such investigation within six (6) months of commencement of the project work, by the employer, fulfills the City’s requirement for the project.

The Rock Hill Police Department along with the City of Rock Hill also reserves the right to cancel any contracts, agreements, purchasing or distribution, etc., if they feel the project, purchasing, vehicle(s), and or property(s) may be in jeopardy due to the company's employee(s) having a criminal history which may lead to ethical issues while dealing with City workings or investigative activities.

6. Evaluation Process

1. All responses are subject to a determination of "responsive" and "responsible" prior to selection. The

Procurement representative is the sole judge as to the submitting entity's "responsiveness" and

"responsibility." The City reserves the right to request additional information.

2. The Evaluation Team will review all submissions and reserves the right to request necessary modifications, waive minor technicalities, reject all submissions, reject any submission that does not meet the mandatory requirement(s), or cancel this RFQ, according to the City's best interests.

3. The Evaluation Team may elect to interview one or more proposing companies before making an award. This committee will review each compliant submittal and may invite, at its sole discretion, up to five (5) companies for interviews, but this is not a required step in the selection process. The City will provide written notification to any companies chosen of its intent to pursue contract negotiations. The

City shall not reimburse the company for the costs associated with the interview process. The City assumes no responsibility for costs incurred in responding to this RFQ.

4. The Evaluation Team may elect to first rank submissions with a simple numeric score and then detail score only the top tier of submissions.

5. The Evaluation Team will evaluate responses on a weighted evaluation system. The categories and points assigned for each category are listed in the Evaluation Section.

The City of Rock Hill will review all qualified Statements of Qualifications received and may select one or more companies for contract consideration.

7. Evaluation Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Qualifications of the Firm Points Based 40 (40% of Total)

2. Project Experience and Understanding Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

3. Response Capability and Capacity Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Historical Performance Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

8. Vendor Questionnaire

8.1. Company Information*

Please provide the following information as it should appear in a potential agreement with your company:

• Company (legal entity that will enter into the contract)

• Name and Title (person authorized to enter into contract)

• Address (location of the office where or from which the work will be performed)

• Telephone Number

• Email Address

*Response required

8.2. Company Confirmation*

The company affirms that we have read and understand the enclosed RFQ requirements and specifications and submit this Statement of Qualifications for On-Call Grant Application Services.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

8.3. Submission of Qualifications *

Upload the Statement of Qualifications.

*Response required

8.4. Other Supporting Documentation

Include any additional information relevant to the selection of the company.

8.5. References

Provide the name, address, and telephone number of at least three (3) references familiar with the quality of work done by the company of similar nature as contained in the Scope of Work. By submission of the references, you are authorizing the City of Rock Hill to contact these references. This is not required if you have worked for the City of Rock Hill on at least two (2) projects over the past two (2) years.

8.6. Sub-Consultants

Please provide the following information for each of the sub-consultants to be utilized by the Company for this project: Discipline, Contact Name, Company, Address Line, Phone Number, and E-mail Address.

If you are not employing sub-consultants or this information is noted in the Qualifications submitted, no response is required.

8.7. Suspension and Debarment Certification*

The Company certifies, by submission of this RFQ, that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal, state, or local agency. Where the submitting entity is unable to certify any of the statements in this certification, such company shall attach an explanation to the submission.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

8.8. Illegal Immigration Reform Act Compliance *

The Company certifies that it will comply with the requirements of Chapter 14, Title 8 of the South

Carolina Code of Laws titled Unauthorized Aliens and Public Employment and agrees to provide to the

City of Rock Hill any documentation required to establish either; (a) the applicability of such law to the

Company, subcontractor, and sub-subcontractor; or (b) the compliance with this law by the Company and any subcontractors or sub-subcontractors.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

8.9. Iran Divestment Act *

The Company certifies that it:

1) is not identified on the list of persons determined by the Executive Director of the State Fiscal

Accountability Authority to engage in investment activities in the country of Iran as described in South

Carolina Code of Laws Section 11-57-310 (as amended), or any other list of prohibited investments created by the State legislature;

2) will not take any action causing it to appear on any such list during the term of the Final Contract; and

3) will not utilize any subcontractor that is identified on any such list to provide goods or services thereunder.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

8.10. Customer Service*

The Company representative has read and agrees to the standards set forth in the City's Customer

Service agreement.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required