Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment

The City of Phoenix Human Services Department is soliciting sealed proposals through a Request for Proposal process to conduct a comprehensive Community Needs Assessment under a three-year contract commencing July 1, 2026. The procurement encompasses professional consulting services to perform a rigorous, multi-year community needs assessment addressing the service areas of Phoenix's Human Services Department across six divisions: Community Services and Initiatives, Early Education, Senior Programs, Workforce, Victim Services, and Strategic Initiatives. The consultant must deliver a full comprehensive needs assessment report by October 31, 2026, with a final report due March 16, 2027, followed by targeted update reports in years two and three. The assessment must analyze community strengths, needs, resources, and service gaps across twelve focus areas including employment, education, income management, housing, emergency services, safety, nutrition, self-sufficiency, health, mental health, youth services, and senior services, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies with direct community engagement through a minimum of four focus groups and data collection from multiple sources including First Things First, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, and low-income households. Minimum qualifications require three years of experience with similar projects, current registration with the Arizona Corporation Commission, and demonstrated business activity in community needs assessment work; professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per claim and $1,000,000 annual aggregate is mandatory. The evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Method of Approach (600 points, 60%), Qualifications and Experience (300 points, 30%), and Pricing Proposal (100 points, 10%). Written inquiries must be submitted by February 6, 2026, with responses provided by February 13, 2026, and sealed proposals are due by March 6, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

This procurement is anticipated to be funded through a combination of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Head Start federal appropriations, with no set-aside designations restricting organization type; however, contractors must comply with extensive federal requirements including Head Start Contractor Special Terms and Conditions, FTA federal certifications, Federal Transit Administration compliance standards, disadvantaged business enterprise requirements under 49 CFR Part 26 mandating prompt payment to subcontractors within seven days and return of retainage within seven days of satisfactory completion, and nondiscrimination and civil rights compliance requirements. Contractors must execute debarment and suspension certifications per Executive Orders 12549 and 12689, Byrd Anti-Lobbying certifications for contracts exceeding $100,000, Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act compliance for contracts exceeding $150,000, federal immigration and nationality law compliance with I-9 verification through E-Verify, and affirmative steps to utilize small and minority businesses and women's business enterprises in subcontracting. Payment will be made on a cost-reimbursement basis not to exceed annual amounts specified in the fee schedule, with no more than 90 percent of the total contract price paid before work is completed and accepted by the City; monthly invoices must include itemized receipts and supporting documentation. The contract structure is fixed-price, deliverable-based with separate pricing for Assessment Planning, Research and Analysis, and Community Assessment Report across all three years, though specific budget ranges are not disclosed in the available solicitation documents.