Financial Auditor RFP

Hood River County Transportation District (HRCTD), operating as Columbia Area Transit (CAT), is seeking a professional financial auditing firm through a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide comprehensive auditing services for a three-year contract spanning fiscal years 2024 through 2026. The selected contractor will be responsible for preparing annual financial statements and potentially conducting a Single Audit, with specific deliverables including draft financial statements by October 31, 2024, a completed audited financial report by November 10, 2024, and a presentation to the HRCTD Board of Directors by November 15, 2024. Proposal evaluation will be based on a weighted criteria system: 50% for experience and qualifications, 40% for cost proposal, and 10% for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) status. Proposers must submit detailed cost proposals for each contract year, with separate pricing for standard annual audit and potential Single Audit services. CAT reserves the right to select a proposer directly from submitted proposals or conduct interviews before contract award, and all proposers must be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) by the time of contract award.

The RFP explicitly encourages participation from disadvantaged, women-owned, and small business enterprises, with the DBE status factoring into the proposal evaluation process. While no specific incumbent vendor is mentioned, the procurement process appears designed to be inclusive and competitive. There are no explicit budget ranges disclosed in the available documentation, though proposers are required to provide comprehensive pricing for a three-year contract term. All potential contractors must demonstrate professional auditing qualifications and the capability to work closely with CAT's accounting team to ensure a timely and thorough auditing process. The procurement is specifically targeted at professional auditing firms with experience in governmental or transit district financial reporting, and the successful proposer will need to demonstrate technical proficiency, reliability, and a comprehensive understanding of financial auditing standards applicable to public transportation districts.