RFP-26095 - Addendum No. 2 and Questions and Responses.pdf

200 E. North Avenue, Room 401 - Baltimore, MD 21202 | Phone: (443) 984-3390 | Fax: (410) 545-6977 http://www.baltimorecityschools.org

Baltimore City Public Schools

Office of Procurement

200 E. North Avenue, Room # 401

Baltimore, MD 21202

Addendum # 2 to

RFP-26095 - MWBE Disparity Study

(eMMA Sourcing Project BPM058312)

The following changes, additions, deletions, and clarifications are hereby made part of the solicitation for the above referenced project and shall be taken into account in the preparation of the solicitation response and execution of all work. Vendors shall acknowledge receipt of this addendum.

Notice: The following changes and additions should be considered as amendments to the above referenced RFP documents.

Addendum No. 2 issued to extend the Submission Deadline and to upload “Questions and Responses”.

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT REVISIONS:

1. Addendum No. 2 extends the submission deadline through Monday, September

21, 2026 by no later than 11:00 a.m., EST

2. Title Page - PROPOSAL DUE DATE – is revised as follows:

Monday, September 21, 2026 by no later than 11:00 a.m., (EST)

September 17, 2026 @ 11:00 a.m

3. Part II § 12.0 – SUBMISSION DEADLINE is revised as follows:

Proposals for this solicitation are being accepted solely online through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage https://emma.maryland.gov.

The Proposal due date is Monday, September 21, 2026 by no later than 11:00 a.m., (EST). Thursday, September 17, 2026 no later than 11:00 a.m., EST.

Offeror’s response shall be submitted as THREE (3) separate PDF documents

(one technical file, one financial file, and one MWBE file online to eMaryland

Marketplace Advantage. Proposals will not be accepted by fax, by postal mail, by electronic mail, or by hand delivery.

http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/ https://emma.maryland.gov/

200 E. North Avenue, Room 401 - Baltimore, MD 21202 | Phone: (443) 984-3390 | Fax: (410) 545-6977 http://www.baltimorecityschools.org

A late Proposal, late request for modification, or late request for withdrawal shall not be accepted or considered. Any request for withdrawal or request for modification received at the place designated in the solicitation after the time and date set for receipt of Proposals is late.

Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. All Proposals Volumes must be submitted electronically as combined pdf documents. City Schools is not responsible for any technical problems that result from or that are related to electronic submission or the transmission of data through an electronic submission format.

SOLICITATION CLARIFICATIONS:

“Questions and Responses” is being issued to clarify certain information contained in the above-named RFP. See “RFP 26095-Disparity Study QA_09112026” below.

All other terms and conditions shall remain unchanged.

Date issued: September 11, 2026 By: Katharine Kamieniecki

NOTE: Acknowledgement of this and any other addenda must be included in the transmittal letter accompanying your technical Bid/ Proposal. Failure to acknowledge all addenda may result in your Bid/Proposal being considered non-responsive.

http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/

RFP

Number:

Addendum

Number:

Issue Date:

Instructions:

Question No. Question Answer

Q1 Does BPS have any accessibility requirements for deliverables?

Please reference the City Schools' Brand Guide, available at this link.

Q2

On page 8 of the RFP, BPS states that it expects a minimum of 100-150 firms to participate in interviews to collect qualitative information. Does BPS require

100-150 firms to participate in in-depth interviews, or would it accept qualitative information collected from 100-150 firms via survey responses, focus group, and other community engagement efforts?

City Schools does not require in-depth interviews. 100-150 firms should be included in the qualitative analysis and can be collected via survey, focus groups etc. in order to deliver the scope of work and Study.

Q3

Are the deadlines listed on page 10 of the RFP for the delivery of the draft and final reports based on any legal requirements? Is there flexibility for the study timeline, given the length of the procurement process and the amount of time required to complete the required study tasks?

City Schools anticipates contract award between November and December 2026. Recommendations for contract award must be approved by the Board of School Commissioners

(the Board). The anticipated start date is the date following

Board approval. Following Board approval, execution of the contract documents, and issuance of a Purchase Order

(PO), the awarded vendor can begin services.

Offerors/Proposers should include any proposed deviations/adjustments from the RFP deliverable timeline that they would like to propose in their proposal submission.

The anticipated contract term is no more than twelve months following Board approval. City Schools will work with the awarded Vendor to finalize a timeline for deliverables following Board approval.

Q4

4.0 Services states that the City Schools intend that the Study utilize the basic methodology employed by the 2014 study. There are a number of legally defensible methodologies for a disparity study. Please clarify what is intended.

The basic methodologies that are referenced are the specific tasks that are to be included in the Study. Any updates that have occurred since the last Study in 2014 should be incorporated into the relevant tasks as needed.

Q5 What firm conducted the 2014 disparity study.

National Economic Research Associates (NERA) - See

February 12, 2013 Board approval in BoardDocs

Q6

4.2. In order to evaluate the effects of the Covid pandemic, it will be necessary to review prime and subcontractor payment data prior to 2020. Is that data available in electronic format?

There is documentation on file prior to 2020. This includes bid evaluations, payment information and goal determinations.

Q7

4.5 requires that the utilization period match the availability measurement period. Typically that is not possible unless only historically available firms are included in availability and not currently available firms. Please clarify that firms not available during this study period are not to be included in the availability analysis

The proposal should not be limited to only currently available firms, each proposal should detail why and how historically available firms will impact the study.

Q8 In asking for 100-150 firm interviews, does that include firms that participate focus groups and public hearings? See Q2 and Response

Q9

With a March 1 2027 delivery date for the draft report and unlikely the work could begin at the earliest November 1, 2026, that is a four month time period.

Are you open, without penalty to a 1 year delivery date?

See Q3 and Response

Q10

For the financial proposal form, may the consultant provide additional delivery milestones? Also sends project management is included in various tasks, does it have to be a separate financial Item?

Pursuant to Appendix I, firms should provide a description of their proposed fee structure including how costs will be calculated and billed to City Schools. Project management costs for each tasks should be clear and identifiable.

Q11

For 4.12 DELIVERABLES. Are the due dates for the Draft and Final Reports expected on March 1st and April 30th, 2027 if the one year study does not begin until October or November 2026? See Q3 and Response

Q12 Can subcontractor experience satisfy the three-study minimum qualification?

No. The Minimum Qualifications must be met by the

Offeror/Proposer.

Q13 What qualifies as a comparable study?

Comparable studies could include other large school districts, other State and local government agencies with similar categories of spend such as professional services, goods, maintenance and construction.

The following changes, additions, deletions, and clarifications are hereby made part of the solicitation for the above referenced project and shall be taken into account in the preparation of the solicitation response and execution of all work. Vendors shall acknowledge receipt of this addendum.

RFP-26095 Disparity Study

Addendum No. 2

Friday, September 11, 2026

RFP 26095-Disparity Study QA_09112026 https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3843/Inside/e96eb338-4784-468a-85dc-14168dbdd6a2/City_Schools_Brand_Guidelines_2026-9.pdf?disposition=inline https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3843/Inside/e96eb338-4784-468a-85dc-14168dbdd6a2/City_Schools_Brand_Guidelines_2026-9.pdf?disposition=inline https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/bcpss/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=94QPTQ662CC0

Q14 How is “similar size” determined? See Q13 and Response

Q15

Can the experience, qualifications, and past performance of the proposed personnel or subcontractor be used to satisfy the minimum qualification requirements? See Q12 and Response.

Q16 What are the anticipated data volume, condition, delivery format, and delivery date?

Dissemination of Data will be directed through the Project

Monitor who will work with each Office's point of contact internally. City Schools will work with the awarded Vendor to finalize a timeline for deliverables following Board approval.

See also Part I – Section 2 – Background and Part I –

Section 4.13 – Data Collection.

Q17 Does the 100–150-firm requirement mean completed individual interviews?

See Q2 and response

Q18 What is the anticipated notice-to-proceed date? See Q3 and Response

Q19 How many review and revision cycles must be included in the Firm Fixed

Price (FFP)?

It is expected that the Draft Final Report will be a finalized and near-complete product with minimal rounds of editing required. City Schools expects there should be no more than two (2) rounds of revisions; however, City Schools reserves the right to reject any Final Report that fails to incorporate feedback from City Schools. The Final Report shall incorporate the comments received from Baltimore City

Public Schools.

Q20 What supporting cost detail must accompany Appendix I?

The Offerors/Proposer's cost detail in Appendix I should support their Firm's proposed fee structure, and estimated the total cost. Details should be sufficient for the purposes of evaluation and City Schools' reasonable ability to account for total proposed cost and payments.

Q21 Which expenses belong in the core Firm Fixed Price (FFP) versus optional

Time & Materials (T&M) or reimbursable costs?

Per Part I Section 4.14 - Other services: The Entity may be asked to provide technical assistance on methodologies for future MWBE project-specific goal setting for City

Schools, as well as MWBE Program related activities. The

Entity also must be available to testify and otherwise assist

City Schools in any litigation that may occur as a result of programs adopted based on the Study. The Entity’s technical assistance and litigation support will be deemed an additional service of the Entity, to be billed on a Time and Materials basis at the rates set forth in the initial and any Best and Final Proposal. Additional Services shall be paid based on actual service delivery and in alignment with vendor's proposed manner in which additional/optional services requested by the City Schools would be charged

(Item 3).

Q22 Is virtual meeting participation envisioned in any areas of the project? If so, which types (i.e.workshops, weekly meetings, etc.)

If the Offeror/Proposer feels that virtual meeting participations are necessary to complete the disparity study it should be included in the proposal with details of its impact to the study.

Q23 Does the City of Baltimore Public Schools have a communications department and/or team to support project efforts, if needed?

City Schools' Communications Department supports City

Schools activities, generally. The Offerors/proposer's proposal submission should specify any assistance that will be requested or required from the City Schools

Communications Department, and those requests will be evaluated as part of the proposal.

Q24

Does the City of Baltimore Public Schools have a budget in mind for this study, and are there any specific cost constraints that respondents should be aware of?

Offerors/Proposers are encouraged to propose their most competitive offer.

Q25 When does City of Baltimore Public Schools anticipate that the project will begin? See Q3 and Response

Q26

Are purchasing activities centralized or decentralized? In other words, is payment, award, vendor, subcontractor, or bid tabulation data available from one source or will we have to go to various sources to collect them?

City Schools' procurement activities are centralized and the

Procurement Department is the steward of the record for purchasing activities; however, Finance and Accounting and

Procurement are unique departments that fall under the

Finance Office. The MWBE Office falls within the Legal

Office. Facilities Planning, Design and Construction fall within the Operations Office. Dissemination of Data will be directed through the Project Monitor who will work with each

Office's point of contact internally.

RFP 26095-Disparity Study QA_09112026

Q27 What is the City of Baltimore Public Schools' fiscal year?

The City Schools Fiscal Year runs July 1 - June 30 of each year.

Q28

For the prime contract data City of Baltimore Public Schools maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy.

This data can be available electronically

Firm name. - Yes

Firm address, city, state, zip code. - Yes

Firm phone number. - Yes

Firm email address. - Yes

Firm contact person. - Yes

Firm owner race and gender. - No; unless self-performing

Firm owner veteran status. - No

Prime contract number. - Yes

Prime contract title. - Possibly

Start date of contract. - Yes

End date of contract. - Yes

Award amount. - Yes

Amount paid (total or to date). - Yes

Type of work performed. - Yes

Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP - No;

unless self-performing

Q29

For the M/W/D/DV/LGBTQ-BE subcontract data City of Baltimore Public

Schools maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy.

This data can be available electronically

Firm name. - Yes

Firm address, city, state, zip code. - Yes

Firm phone number. - Yes

Firm email address. - Yes

Firm contact person. - Yes

Firm owner race and gender. - Yes

Firm owner veteran status. - No

Prime contract number. - Yes

Prime contract title. - Yes

Start date of contract. - Yes

End date of contract. - Yes

Award amount. - Yes

Amount paid (total or to date). - Yes

Type of work performed. - Yes

Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP - Yes;

NAICS

Note: We do not currently track any information on LGBTQ-

BE supplier utilization

Q30

For the non- M/W/D/DV/LGBTQ-BE subcontract data the City of Baltimore

Public Schools maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy.

City Schools maintains limited information on non-Certified

MBE subcontractors for all IAC funded and City Schools funded contracts with or without goals.

Q31 Please confirm the timeline for the Study. See Q3 and Response

Q32 Can subconsultants be certified with the State of Maryland, or only with the

City of Baltimore? Please confirm directory list URLs.

Per Appendix J, "MBE/WBE MUST be certified with the

City of Baltimore ." County, State, or Federal certification is not acceptable; the MBE and WBE must be certified with the City of Baltimore. A directory of certified MBEs and

WBEs is available online at https://baltimorecity.diversitycompliance.com/

Q33 Please confirm the subcontractor’s goal for this contract.

Per Part II Section 15.0 - Minority & Women Business

Enterprise Program and Part III Section 4.0 - Volume III:

An MBE goal of 15% and a WBE goal of 10% have been established for the Contract to result from this solicitation

(See Appendix J).

Q34 Is there a page limit for the proposal?

No; however, please review Part II Section 24.0 -

Unnecessarily Elaborate Brochures

Q35 What is the budget for the Study? See Q24 and Response.

Q36 What was the budget for the last related disparity study? See February 12, 2013 Board approval in BoardDocs

Q37 When do the City Schools anticipate awarding the project? See Q3 and Response.

Q38 When do the City Schools anticipate the project will start? See Q3 and Response.

Q39 Can proposers submit a timeline that goes beyond 12 months? No

Q40 What is the time period that will be analyzed? Thank you

Per Part I Section 4.2 - "With respect to the performance of this task and all other tasks throughout this RFP that require or involve contract data analysis, the Study will review information arising from City Schools contracting and procurement for a period of no less than five years within the following period: July 1, 2021 through and including

June 30, 2026 (“Study Period”)"

Q41

For 4.12 DELIVERABLES. Are the due dates for the Draft and Final Reports expected on March 1st and April 30th, 2027 if the one year study does not begin until October or November 2026? See Q3 and Response

Q42

Does Baltimore City Public Schools maintain subcontractor data (certified and non-certified firms) for all Interagency Commission on School Construction

(IAC)-funded and City Schools-funded contracts, both with and without participation goals?

City Schools maintains limited information on non-Certified

MBE subcontractors for all IAC funded and City Schools funded contracts, with or without goals

Q43

The RFP requires submission of the Draft Final Report by March 1, 2027.

What is City Schools’ anticipated contract award and project start date, and is the March 1, 2027 deadline for the Draft Final Report firm?

See Q3 and Response.

Q44

Can you please clarify what information is requested in the proposal response to Tab E, Number 3? All of the items listed in that section of the RFP are covered in other sections of the proposal responses, and the lack of detail on those items makes this section appear redundant.

Offerors/Proposers shall address each major requirement of

Part 1 - Scope of Work to include Section 4.0 - Scope of

Services.

Q45

Per the Proposal Format section of the RFP, Tab E Number 3 states that we should address the proposer's experience and project team qualifications in addressing the scope of work criteria. This seems it will be redundant to the information City Schools requests as part of Tab C. Can City Schools clarify how this experience/qualifications criteria is different from that in Tab C?

Additionally, this section states that we should include a proposed project timeline, though this will be redundant to Tab E Number 8. Please clarify where you will like this information to be presented

Offerors/Proposers must respond to all items in Tab E as outlined. Offerors/Proposers may reference their responses to Tab E for the related items under Tab C (3 -

Organizational Chart and Key Personnel), provided your response under Tab E also includes the requirements of

Tab C.

Q46

Per the Proposal Format section of the RFP, Tab C Number 2 states that we should provide a brief narrative of all of the similar projects the proposer has completed in the past five years. Our firm has completed more than 30 disparity studies in the past five years. Would City Schools accept a narratives for a selection of these projects (i.e. 5 similar projects) to streamline our proposal?

Your proposal should consist of 5 similar projects (see Q13 and response) only.