Pre-Proposal Meeting_Questions and Answers_Student Loan Counseling.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- 21260611111709
- Issued by
- Philadelphia County, Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania
About this file
Pre-Proposal Meeting Questions and Answers for Student Loan Counseling
This document is a Q&A compilation from a pre-proposal meeting conducted by the City of Philadelphia's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity regarding a Request for Proposals for comprehensive financial counseling services. The pre-proposal meeting was held on June 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. The City seeks a qualified nonprofit organization to provide one-on-one financial counseling services modeled after the Cities for Financial Empowerment's Financial Empowerment Centers. Services include client screening and intake, comprehensive financial health assessments, and delivery of an average of two free financial counseling sessions per client. Full-time staff must conduct a minimum of 50 individual counseling sessions per month. Virtual counseling is mandatory; in-person services at Philadelphia-based locations are optional. The contract runs from October 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with the City holding an option to extend for up to four additional one-year terms. Proposal submissions are due August 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Philadelphia Time, with interviews and presentations anticipated for August 24-25, 2026, selection on September 1, and contract execution by October 1, 2026.
The maximum contract award is $260,000 on a fixed-price, cost-reimbursement basis. The selected organization must provide upfront funding for program costs and maintain current 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or engage a fiscal sponsor with such designation. Applicants are required to submit a Tax and Regulatory Status and Clearance Statement, Statement of Financial Capacity with financial statements, five-year bankruptcy disclosures, and IRS Form 990. The organization must track and report monthly on client outcomes including debt reduction, credit score improvements, and savings increases, with submissions of unduplicated client demographics, intake data, service delivery activities, and outcomes. HIPAA compliance is required where applicable. The selected contractor must comply with the Philadelphia 21st Century Minimum Wage and Benefits Standard and all City contracting requirements and standard contract terms.
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Text version
City of Philadelphia RFP Pre-Proposal Questions and Answers
Opportunity #: 21260612171032
Question #
RFP
Section
Reference Question Department Response
1 3.1 How many borrower participants does the Department anticipate being served per day?
The Department outlined an expectation for 25 participants per week.
There is not a set goal per day.
2 3.1
Is the RFP project concerned with students in high school getting the right counseling to avoid longer term issues ?
This program is intended to serve individuals who have existing student loan debt. High school students would not fit that criteria.
3 3.1
Does the City anticipate doing outreach that would generate calls to the referral line and then referrals out to the contract awardee, or would that primarily be the responsibility of the contract awardee?
Outreach will be a shared responsibility. There is an information line, where the City can identify clients to refer to selected Applicant. The selected Applicant will be responsible for conducting outreach to potential participants who could benefit from services.
4 3.1
Does the Department have a preference towards virtual or physical appointments?
The Department expects that the provider will utilizing virtual sessions as an option. However, applicants must propose their capacity for in-person sessions for clients that cannot participate in virtual sessions.
5 3.1
Can the Department provide additional clarity on the expectations for virtual and in-person services?
The selected Provider will be required to offer in-person and virtual options to clients. Applicants should propose how these options will be provided. See section 3.1 General Requirements for detailed information.
6 3.1 Should the applicant plan to subcontract with a legal aid organization?
Yes, the respondant should ancitipate subcontracting with a legal aid provider to advise when necessary.
7 3.1
Can the Department provide additional clarity on the role of the legal services subcontractor? Is the subcontratcor intended to provide guidance, or to receive client referrals?
The roles within the relationship should be established by the respondant and the legal aid organization. At minimum the legal aid organization should advise the organization on complex student loan issues.
8 3.1
How would a legal aid agency support the awardee and under what circumstances does your department see the support?
There are instances when a borrower's student debt situation becomes a legal matter. Collections or Borrower Defense are examples. Teh Department expects the awarded applicant to obtain legal help from a legal aid partner when necessary. How the relationship is built can be designed by the applicant.
9 3.1 Does the Department have a minimum staffing requirement for this program?
No. Interested Applicants should propose a staffing structure and budget within the RFP limits.
10 3.1
Can the Department provider clarity on training expectations for staff assigned as counselors?
Counselor training should only begin once awarded the grant. EdCap convenes a national network open to any organization doing this line of work. After award, the selected organzation should reach out to Edcap to join the network, follow the asycronus learning and participate in monthly counselor meetings.
Opportunity Name: Student Loan Counseling
The questions below were submitted during the RFP Pre-Proposal Meeting held on June 30, 2026.
Applicants have until Monday, July 13, 2026 to submit additional quesitons.
All questions must be submitted via email to ceo.contracts@phila.gov.
Answers to questions received by the deadline will be posted on eContract Philly on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Q&A
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