Arbitrage Rebate Services

Collier County, Florida, through its Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division, issued Request for Proposals (Solicitation No. 26-8666) on April 9, 2026, seeking qualified firms to provide Arbitrage Rebate Services for the County's tax-exempt bond debt issuances. The primary objective is to obtain annual arbitrage rebate calculations to maintain compliance with Section 148(f) of the Internal Revenue Code and support annual financial reporting requirements. The scope of services encompasses verifying rebate requirement applicability, calculating bond yields, accounting for gross proceeds, computing excess investment earnings, delivering supporting documentation, providing IRS-required reports on specified dates, preparing executive summaries with methodology and recommendations, creating arbitrage compliance monitoring matrices, preparing necessary IRS forms, advising on regulatory changes, and retaining records for at least six years after issue maturity. The County currently manages 13 outstanding bond issues ranging from $1 million to $128.9 million in original issue amounts, with arbitrage yields between 1.31 percent and 3.39 percent. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Collier County Procurement Services Division Online Bidding System by May 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST. The evaluation criteria include business plan (15 points), cost of services (20 points), experience and capacity (30 points), specialized expertise of team members (20 points), local vendor preference (10 points), and certified woman and/or minority business enterprise status (5 points). Proposers must provide detailed cost projections including per-issue fees, estimates for annual calculations and five-year reporting, fee schedules for future bond issues, and costs associated with amended calculations, legal advice, and IRS audit assistance. The County intends to award a single contract for a three-year term with two additional optional one-year renewal options, with prices remaining firm throughout the agreement duration.

There are no explicit set-aside designations restricting participation to disadvantaged enterprises; however, local vendor preference (10 points) and certified woman and/or minority business enterprise status (5 points) are incorporated into the evaluation criteria, providing a potential competitive advantage for such organizations. All proposers must be enrolled in E-Verify, possess a Florida Certificate of Authority to conduct business, maintain current Business Tax Receipts if claiming local vendor status, and comply with all federal, state, and local licensing requirements. Vendors must demonstrate compliance with ethical standards and conflict of interest requirements established by Collier County Procurement Ordinance, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. All proposers are required to maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate), Professional Liability ($1,000,000 per claim and in the aggregate), and Workers' Compensation coverage, with Collier County named as Certificate Holder and Additional Insured. Historical annual spending for arbitrage rebate services has averaged $20,100 over the past six years; however, the County explicitly notes this figure may not be indicative of future purchasing patterns or budget allocations for this contract award.