RFP_7200_HAW3000_ADD_2_v1.pdf

This is a Solicitation Addendum issued by the City of Austin Financial Services – Central Procurement for RFP 7200 HAW3000, a Lease Addendum Secret Shopper Program designed to test compliance with Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) program requirements. The program encompasses testing of applicant screening criteria, voucher holder applicant processes, and application denial and appeals procedures. The original solicitation due date has been extended to September 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM CT. Questions were due August 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM CT, and no pre-offer conference or mandatory site visit was scheduled. The initial contract term is 12 months with one optional 12-month extension at the City's sole discretion.

All secret shoppers must be compensated at the City's living wage of $22.05 per hour for training, shopping experiences, and reporting. Pricing must be fully loaded on a line-item basis across Planning & Set-Up, Administrative Costs, Contract Labor, and Other Costs, with no separate charges permitted for administrative overhead, per diem, shipping, transportation, travel time, fuel surcharges, mileage, or stop fees. Contractor requirements include providing criminal background reports with fingerprinting for all personnel, completing wage theft training within 30 days of award, and providing proof of annual cybersecurity training for authorized personnel. Insurance requirements include workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and business automobile liability naming the City as additional insured. All offers must remain valid for 180 calendar days following the RFP closing date. The City reserves the right to award a single contract or multiple awards based on overall low cost or individual line items, categories, or other criteria deemed most advantageous. Evaluation criteria include independence and relevant experience (10 points), recruitment and resident engagement (21 points), program approach, training, and shopper support (32 points), reporting and administrative capacity (12 points), and price (5 points), with local and small business preferences available for up to 10 points each, for a maximum total of 100 points.