RFQ for CDBG Grant writing (RLR Edit) Ben _ C.docx

CITY OF LAFAYETTE, GEORGIA

MAYOR AND COUNCIL

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

FOR

GRANT WRITING SERVICES

Issue Date: February 18th, 2026 Submission Deadline: March 23rd, 2026 – 3:00 p.m.

Issued by:

City of LaFayette City Manager's Office 207 South Duke St.

LaFayette, GA, 30728 Contact Person:

David Hamilton City Manager Email: submissions@cityoflafayettega.org Phone: 706-639-1501 RFQ Questions Due Date:

March 4th, 2026 at 3 PM Eastern Time.

I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF THE RFQ

The City of LaFayette (“City”), under the administration of the City Manager's Office, is soliciting submissions from experienced, qualified, and reputable Grant Writers. The selected professional will assist with the application process for a CDBG grant to fund a sewer project and provide support with the grant agreement paperwork if the funding is awarded. The City also intends to apply for additional grants through ARC, EID, RDF, and other federal programs within FY 2026-2027. Selected professionals should have experience and expertise with these types of grants.

II. DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK

1. Research: The successful respondent will be responsible for conducting thorough research on the CDBG grant as well as other federally based grants.

2. Grant Application: The selected professional should possess expertise in federally based grants and be capable of effectively preparing and submitting all required grant documentation.

3. Grant Management: The selected professional should be able to assist the City in preparing the necessary agreement documentation required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or other federal agencies if a grant is awarded.

4. Compliance: Aid in compliance with all regulations and stipulations for federal agencies for any grant awarded.

III. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

1. A minimum of five years of professional experience in grant writing, preferably with a focus on municipal or public sector grants.

2. Track record of successfully securing grants from a variety of sources, including federal, state, local, and private foundations.

3. Comprehensive understanding of federal grants such as CDBG, ARC, EIP, or RDF.

4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to articulate complex information in a clear and concise manner.

IV. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Costs: An itemized quotation detailing all costs related to the services requested.

2. Team Profiles: Detailed résumés of the proposed team, highlighting relevant experience and qualifications.

3. References: A minimum of three (3) references from clients who received similar services.

4. Work Samples: A successful grant proposal that the firm has written.

5. Cover Letter: A letter introducing the firm, outlining its capacity to deliver the required service, and explaining why it is uniquely qualified to serve the City for this project.

V. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The following factors will be considered in the evaluation process:

1. Qualifications of Key Personnel relevant to this RFQ as well as the company’s history.

2. Demonstrated experience within the scope of Service Requested.

3. Cost-effectiveness of the proposal.

4. Quality and creative approach of the provided sample grant proposal.

5. Positive feedback from references.

VI. EVALUATION OF SUBMISSIONS AND SELECTION PROCESS

The City will screen and review all received submissions according to the weighted criteria set forth above. While price is one basic factor for award, it is not the sole consideration; as the quality of service, experience of the firm/individuals, and efficiency of service all also play a major role in the selection process.

The review and scoring criteria will be as follows:

Possible Points Awarded

Approach to Providing the Requested Scope of Services

Include ability to provide the requested Scope of Services, recent experience conducting work of similar scope, complexity, and magnitude for other public agencies of similar size or larger.

Please note that this RFQ pertains to professional services, and the above-referenced scoring rubric will be used as guidance only. Given the nature of the services, the City reserves the right to utilize its discretion in awarding the project. The City also reserves the right to negotiate pricing and contract terms. After reviewing the submissions, the City’s Evaluation Committee may conduct interviews with the top scoring firms. The Evaluation Committee will forward a recommendation to the City Council for final selection.

The City reserves the right to reject all offerors and/or to invite other individuals and/or firms to respond to this RFQ if the submissions received are deemed inadequate.

A. Responsiveness Screening Submissions will first be screened to ensure responsiveness to the RFQ. The City may reject as non-responsive any submission that does not include the documents required by this RFQ. At any time during the evaluation process, the City reserves the right to request clarifications or additional information from any or all offerors regarding their submissions.

B. Submission Review The Evaluation Committee will review and score all responsive written submissions based on the Evaluation Criteria set forth above. The City may contact and evaluate the respondent’s references, contact any respondent to clarify any response or request revised or additional information, contact any current users of a respondent’s services, solicit information from any available source concerning any aspect of a submission, and seek and review any other information deemed pertinent to the evaluation process.

Following the conclusion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will rank all submissions according to the evaluation criteria set forth above. The Evaluation Committee will conclude the evaluation process at this point and make a recommendation for an award based on the project.

Recommendation for the award is contingent upon the successful negotiation of final contract terms. Negotiations shall be confidential and not subject to disclosure to competing respondents. All submissions and negotiations will remain confidential until an award is made, or the City decides not to make any awards. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully within a reasonable time period determined solely by the City, the City may terminate negotiations and commence negotiations with the next highest-scoring respondent.

VII. QUESTIONS ABOUT RFQ AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS

All questions and requests for clarification regarding this RFQ (including, without limitation, questions intended solely to resolve ambiguities, confirm interpretation of instructions, or clarify submission procedures) must be submitted in writing by email to Clay Tracy, the RFQ Facilitator for this process, at ctracy@lafga.org no later than March 4th, 2026 at 3 PM Eastern Time.

Offerors and their representatives are expressly prohibited from contacting or communicating with any other City elected official, officer, employee, agent, evaluator, or consultant regarding this RFQ, the solicitation process, evaluation, or award, except through the RFQ Facilitator as set forth herein above. Any attempt to influence the procurement process through unauthorized, unethical, or unlawful communications may result in disqualification of the Offeror, at the City’s sole discretion. The City may, in its discretion, issue written responses and/or addenda to all prospective Offerors to ensure a fair, transparent, and uniform procurement process.

VIII. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The respondent warrants and represents that it presently has no interest and agrees that it will not acquire any interest that would present a conflict of interest. The respondent further covenants that it will not knowingly employ any person having such an interest in the performance of any Contract awarded. Violation of this provision may result in any Contract awarded being deemed void and unenforceable.

IX. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Amendments and Addendums The City reserves the right to amend or supplement this RFQ prior to the submission due date.

Cost for Preparing Submission The cost for developing the submission is the sole responsibility of the respondent. All submissions submitted become the property of the City.

X. COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES

The City of LaFayette, through the City Manager's Office, will conduct all procurement activities in accordance with federal procurement guidelines as stipulated in 2 CFR 200. This includes, without limitation, ensuring adherence to uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards.

The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages submissions from women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and businesses owned by individuals with disabilities.

The City of LaFayette reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, waive minor irregularities in any submission, negotiate minor deviations with the successful firm, or cancel this RFQ if it is deemed to be in the City's best interest.

This procurement shall be conducted in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart D, including but not limited to §§ 200.317–200.327, and all applicable HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) requirements.

To the extent this procurement is funded in whole or in part with federal funds, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, any contract awarded pursuant to this RFQ shall include all applicable federal contract provisions required by 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix II, and applicable HUD regulations, including 24 C.F.R. Part 570. The selected firm will be required to comply with all applicable federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to equal employment opportunity, debarment and suspension, anti-lobbying, access to records, and other federally mandated requirements.

A. Federal Certifications and Assurances As a condition of submitting qualifications, respondents shall be deemed to certify compliance with all applicable federal requirements, including but not limited to:

1. Debarment and Suspension. The respondent is not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in federally funded transactions pursuant to 2 C.F.R. Part 180 and 2 C.F.R. Part 2424.

2. Anti-Lobbying. The respondent certifies compliance with the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. § 1352) and agrees to submit any required disclosures if applicable.

3. Conflict of Interest. The respondent certifies that no conflict of interest exists as defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.318(c) and applicable HUD regulations, and agrees to disclose any actual or potential conflicts that may arise during the term of the contract.

4. Access to Records. The respondent agrees that the City of LaFayette, HUD, the U.S. Comptroller General, or any authorized representatives shall have access to any books, documents, papers, and records directly pertinent to the contract for purposes of audit, examination, and compliance review.

XI. RFQ SUBMISSION

Qualifications must be received no later than 3:00 PM Eastern Time on March 23, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted. All submissions must include “RFQ – Professional Grant Writing Services” in the subject line.

Hard copy submissions may be mailed to the Office of the City Manager, South Duke Street, P.O. Box 89, City of LaFayette, GA 30728. Mailed proposals must be received by the stated deadline to be considered. The responding firm is solely responsible for confirming delivery. Each submission must include four (4) printed copies of the proposal and one (1) USB thumb drive containing a digital version.

The City reserves the right to extend the deadline for submission of RFQs and call for new submissions. The City reserves the right to accept, reject, and/or negotiate any and all submissions or parts of submissions deemed by the City to be in the best interest of the citizens of the City.

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