Financial Advisor Services

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has issued Request for Proposals (RFP #HSR15-91) seeking Financial Advisor Services to support the development of the California high-speed rail system. The Authority plans to award up to two contracts (a Primary and Secondary contract) to provide comprehensive financial advisory services, including financial analysis of existing and prospective funding sources, business planning, delivery model and procurement option analysis, and revenue planning. The scope of services encompasses financial assessment, funding plan development, financing source analysis, procurement assistance, and contract analysis for the high-speed rail project. Proposals will be evaluated on a 1,000-point scale, with 500 points for technical criteria, 300 points for cost, and 200 points for interviews. Key dates include a proposal submission deadline of February 23, 2016 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time, with interviews scheduled for March 9-10, 2016 in Sacramento and an anticipated contract start date of April 25, 2016. The contract term will run for four years, ending on April 24, 2020, with proposers required to demonstrate extensive financial advisory expertise in complex infrastructure projects.

The procurement includes specific small business and diversity requirements, mandating a 30% Small Business participation goal (including Small Businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Microbusinesses) and a mandatory 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) utilization requirement. A 5% bid preference is available for certified small businesses or non-small businesses that subcontract 30% or more to small businesses. The total budget for both Primary and Secondary contracts combined will not exceed $40 million over the four-year contract term, with contracts being 100% state-funded. Task orders will be issued primarily to the Primary Contractor, with the Secondary Contractor serving as a backup if the primary vendor cannot perform. Proposers must commit to fully loaded hourly rates and will be prohibited from using success fees or transaction-based compensation models. The Authority will require detailed time recording systems for task orders and contractors may initially provide certificates of insurance rather than full policies before commencing work.