On-Call_Grant_Writing_Services_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

2025-RFP-070

ON-CALL GRANT WRITING SERVICES

Pierce County

930 Tacoma Avenue S

Tacoma, WA 98402

RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2025

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: June 6, 2025

RESPONSE DEADLINE: June 13, 2025, 1:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/piercecountywa https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

Pierce County

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

On-Call Grant Writing Services

1. Introduction

2. Procurement Information

3. Scope of Work

4. Submittal Information

5. Evaluation

6. Vendor Questionnaire

7. RFP General Terms & Conditions

Attachments:

A - Sample_Service_Agreement

Request For Proposal #2025-RFP-070 Title: On-Call Grant Writing Services

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

Pierce County seeks consultants to provide On-Call Grant Writing Services for federal and state grants to support the Planning and Public Works department. These grants can include, but are not limited to, opportunities that fund infrastructure and maintenance, emergency management, transportation, and land acquisition projects. The selected consultants will be responsible for researching, drafting, and submitting grant proposals, as well as providing ongoing support throughout the grant process to maximize funding opportunities for municipal projects and programs.

The County intends to award contracts to multiple consultant firms as part of this solicitation.

1.2. Background

The Pierce County Planning and Public Works department utilizes grants to finance significant portions of its projects. The goal is to achieve at least a 50% match to each dollar spent on capital projects. The

County is seeking experienced grant writers to provide support to ensure it does not miss valuable opportunities to maximize its budget.

1.3. Contact Information

Lauren Dase

Procurement and Contract Specialist 1

950 Fawcett Ave Ste 100

Tacoma, WA 98402

Email: lauren.dase@piercecountywa.gov

Phone: (253) 798-7501

Department:

Planning and Public Works

Department Head:

Planning and Public Works

Director

1.4. Timeline

Release Project Date May 23, 2025

Question Submission Deadline June 6, 2025, 4:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline June 13, 2025, 1:00pm mailto:lauren.dase@piercecountywa.gov tel:(253)798-7501

Proposal Evaluation Approximately three weeks after proposal submission deadline, proposals will be evaluated and interviews may be held if multiple proposers are deemed capable of meeting the requirements.

Estimated Notice of Intention to Negotiate a Contract

Approximately six weeks after proposal submission deadline.

Estimated Date of Contract Execution Approximately eight weeks After proposal submission deadline.

2. Procurement Information

2025-RFP-070, On-Call Grant Writing Services

2.1. PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS & RFP'S HOLDER LIST

PROPOSERS WHO REGISTER AND DOWNLOAD BID DOCUMENTS will be automatically added to the

FOLLOWER'S list in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notifications for bid updates, addendum and other bid information will be sent to all Proposers who register on the Pierce County eProcurement

Portal.

2.2. PROCUREMENT QUESTIONS

All questions must be submitted within the County's eProcurement Portal, under the Questions and

Answer Section not later than 4:00 pm on Friday, June 6, 2025. Proposers must be registered in the eProcurement Portal software in order to submit questions, receive addenda, notifications and ultimately submit a proposal.

Proposals must be received by the Procurement & Contract Services and the Finance Department before

1:00 pm on Friday, June 13, 2025. The Proposer is responsible for submission of proposal before the deadline. The County shall not be responsible for late submittals.

2.3. Expected Term of Resulting Agreement

The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 24 months The County has the option of renewing for an additional three years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

Estimated Value of Resulting Contract: $250,000.00 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/piercecountywa

3. Scope of Work

3.1. Detailed Specifications

The consultants must have at least 5 years of experience writing grants for opportunities from agencies, including but not limited to the following:

• U.S. Department of Transportation

• Environmental Protection Agency

• National Fish and Wildlife

• Federal Emergency Management Agency

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Washington State Department of Ecology

• Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office

The consultants must demonstrate successful grant writing experience, evidenced by a strong return on investment (ROI) and a proven track record of grant award success.

Services may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Research and Identification of Grant Opportunities

• Conduct thorough research to identify potential grant opportunities from federal and state funding sources that align with Pierce County Planning and Public Works Department projects and initiatives.

• Provide a written report detailing identified grants, including deadlines, eligibility criteria, funding amounts, and application requirements.

• Research and summarize the terms and conditions of the grant to identify which provisions would apply to the County

Proposal Development

• Collaborate with County staff to gather necessary information and data for grant applications

• Write grant narratives that effectively communicate project goals, outcomes, and community impact

• Create required documents as needed by grant applications, including Benefit Cost Analyses

• Review and edit the grant application for accuracy, coherence, and completeness

Grant Applications

• Prepare and submit completed grant applications before deadlines, ensuring all components are organized and compliant with grantor specifications.

• Compile all necessary documentation, including letters of support, organizational information, and budget justifications.

Additional Support

• Provide additional support by responding to requests for information for grant applications that are in process

• Continued communication with County staff throughout the grant application o Communications would include meetings held quarterly or as needed to discuss grant opportunities and check-ins regarding the status of grants in process.

• Provide support to County project managers in preparing grant applications, ensuring compliance with all application requirements and deadlines

• Development and maintenance of grant applications and materials

Delivery

• All deliverables must be provided in a timely and organized manner. At the beginning of the proposal process, develop a timeline agreeable with the County for submission of proposal drafts and review.

3.2. Service Requirements

Availability

• The consultants must ensure availability for scheduled meetings and communications to discuss ongoing projects and deadlines.

Communication

• Maintain open lines of communication with County staff through regular updates regarding progress and developments.

Quality Assurance

• Implement quality control measures to ensure accuracy, coherence, and adherence to standards in all grant proposals.

Flexibility:

• Adapt to the changing funding landscape and requirements as necessary, including new opportunities that present themselves.

Feedback Incorporation:

• Be responsive to feedback from Pierce County stakeholders throughout the drafting and proposal process.

4. Submittal Information

2025-RFP-070, On-Call Grant Writing Services

4.1. Submittal Requirements

Each Request for Proposal shall be submitted as outlined in this section. Please include a cover and/or first page, containing the name of the project (On-Call Grant Writing Services), name of the respondent, contact information, and submittal date. In addition, provide an opening letter indicating the

Consultant's interest in this project, and briefly describe what makes the Consultant a suitable candidate to be selected for grant writing services. A table of contents should be next. Please provide the following information in the sequence and format prescribed below. Supplemental materials providing additional information may be attached but the information requested below is to be provided in this format.

Proposals exceeding 50 pages in length will not be considered and should not be submitted.

Consultant Information

• Consultant Name, local address, email address, and phone number

• Primary Individual to contact

• Number of years the firm has been in business (include and identify entity name change and dba)

Qualifications & Experience

• An organizational chart that explains team member responsibilities.

• The name and resume of each individual who would be assigned to this project and each individual assigned to backup each primary person in his/her absence, together with similar information for each individual to be provided under any subcontract.

o Briefly describe the rationale for the key team members for this project, and what qualities and attributes they possess that will ensure the success of this project.

o List other state/federal agency funded projects key team members have worked on.

• Discussion of the firm’s experience in working with state/federal agencies

• List and describe representative examples of the projects the Consultant has provided grant writing services for, whether ongoing or completed, over the last five (5) years that are comparable in size and complexity o Provide the percentage of grants awarded versus non-awarded to demonstrate the

Consultant's overall grant writing success rate.

o Include a sample of a grant proposal the Consultant authored that was successfully awarded.

• Provide a list of agencies to which the Consultant has submitted grant proposals that have resulted in successful funding outcomes.

Approach to Work

• Consultant's ability to meet the requirements and provide the requested services listed in this

RFP:

o Clearly describe the approaches and methods that will be used to accomplish the necessary services.

o Include a summary of innovative ideas and suggestions for implementing or enhancing the scope of services.

o Additional services or procedures of benefit to the County (if applicable)

Pricing

• Complete pricing for anticipated services to include hourly rates.

• Provide evidence of strong return on investment by detailing the cost of the consultant's grant writing services in comparison to the total amount of grant funding awarded.

Additional Information

• A statement outlining any proposal exceptions to the County’s requirements or requested clarifications to the requirements. (if applicable)

• The caption, cause number, Court, Counsel, and general summary of any litigation pending, or judgment rendered within the past three (3) years involving the proposer. (if applicable)

Only electronic submittal via the County's eProcurement Portal shall be accepted. No hard copies, emails or fax submittals are acceptable.

Acknowledge and confirm (via the County's eProcurement Portal) each addendum and notice issued under this procurement.

4.2. Evaluation & Award Process

An evaluation team will review the proposal documents and evaluate all responses received based upon the criteria listed herein. The County may request clarifications or additional information, if needed. The

Proposer determined to be most qualified through the initial evaluation phase may be interviewed and the final determination will also consider reference checks and interviews.

The County intends to select the Proposer(s) with the highest score for this pursuit/solicitation and begin the negotiation and award process based on the requirements of this solicitation.

Selected Proposer(s) will be invited to enter into contract negotiations with the County. Should the

County and the selected proposer not reach a mutual agreement, the County will terminate negotiations and move to the next ranked proposer and proceed with negotiations. A Proposer’s inability to agree to the terms of the County’s standard contract may be a basis for the County to terminate negotiations and begin negotiating with one or more other Proposers.

The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submitted bids, to waive as informalities any irregularities, and to contract as the best interest of the County may require. The County may reject bids that are non-responsive or that are submitted by non-responsible Proposers.

5. Evaluation

Proposers will be evaluated on the following criteria:

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Consultant Information

Consultant Information is provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

Points Based 5 (5% of Total)

2. Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications and experience are provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

Points Based 35 (35% of Total)

3. Approach to Work

Approach to work is provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Pricing

Pricing is provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

5. Accuracy and Completeness of the Proposal

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• The proposal has been formatted in accordance with the submittal requirements.

• Spelling and grammatical accuracy.

• Coherent and logical flow of written responses

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

6. Vendor Questionnaire

6.1. Proposer Confirmation*

As an authorized representative of the proposer, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals, propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

I further agree that this proposal will remain in effect for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the date that proposals are due, and that this proposal may not be withdrawn or modified during that time.

I hereby certify that this proposal is genuine and not a sham or collusive proposal, or made in the interests or on behalf of any person not therein named; and I have not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any Contractor or supplier on the above work to put in a sham proposal or any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that I have not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to myself an advantage over any other contractor(s) or person(s).

In order to induce the County to consider this proposal, the proposer irrevocably waives any existing rights which it may have, by contract or otherwise, to require another person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal to or performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County, and proposer further promises that it will not in the future directly or indirectly induce or solicit any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a bid or proposal to or from performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

6.2. Please Confirm *

By submitting a proposal, proposer agrees that all documents, reports, proposals, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Contractor pursuant to this proposal shall become the sole and exclusive property of the County, and the public domain, and not property of the Contractor. The

Contractor shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of said items submitted to the

County because of this solicitation.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

6.3. Proposal *

Upload Proposal

*Proposals exceeding 50 pages in length will not be considered and should not be submitted.

*Response required

7. RFP General Terms & Conditions

Reserved Rights and Procedures:

1. Pierce County expressly reserves the following rights:

a. To waive any and/or all irregularities in the proposals submitted.

b. To reject any or all proposals or portions thereof.

c. To base awards with due regard to quality of services, experience, compliance with specifications, and other such factors as may be necessary in the circumstances.

d. To make the award to any vendor or combination of vendors whose proposal(s), in the opinion of the County, is in the best interest of the County.

2. Pierce County cannot accept late proposals.

3. Reimbursement: The County will not reimburse proposers for any costs involved in the preparation and submission of responses to this RFP or in the preparation for and attendance at subsequent interviews.

4. Cooperative Purchasing

The Washington State Interlocal Cooperation Act, Ch. 39.34 RCW, authorizes public agencies to cooperatively purchase goods and services if all parties agree. By responding to this RFP, Consultants agree that other public agencies may purchase goods and services under this solicitation or contract at their own cost and without Pierce County incurring any financial or legal liability for such purchases.

Pierce County agrees to allow other public agencies to purchase goods and services under this solicitation or contract, provided that Pierce County is not held financially or legally liable for purchases and that any public agency purchasing under such solicitation or contract file a copy of this invitation and such contract in accordance with RCW 39.34.040.

5. Public Records and Proprietary Material

Proposers should be aware that any records they submit to the County or that are used by the County even if the proposers possess the records may be public records under the Washington Public Records

Act (RCW 42.56). The County must promptly disclose public records upon request unless a statute exempts them from disclosure. Proposers should also be aware that if even a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, generally, the rest of the record must be disclosed. Exemptions are narrow and specific.

Proposers should clearly mark any record they believe is exempt from disclosure.

6. Title VI Compliance

Pierce County, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to

2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of

Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex in consideration for an award.