HSR15-92 Financial Advisor Services

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is procuring financial advisor services through RFP HSR15-92, seeking up to two firms to provide comprehensive financial analysis and strategic support for the California High-Speed Rail Project. The procurement covers services including funding plan analysis, business planning, delivery model assessment, procurement options evaluation, and financing source identification. Proposers must demonstrate extensive qualifications, including 15 years of experience working on major international infrastructure projects, specific experience with at least one high-speed rail project and one Public-Private Partnership (P3) project, and prior work as a Prime Contractor on a high-speed rail project exceeding $1 billion. The RFP was issued on April 22, 2016, with proposals due by May 6, 2016, at 12:00 PM Pacific Time. Evaluation will be comprehensive, encompassing technical criteria (500 points), cost considerations (300 points), and interviews (200 points). Interviews are scheduled for May 16-17, 2016, in Sacramento, with a Notice of Proposed Award expected on May 18, 2016, and a proposed contract start date of June 14, 2016.

The procurement includes specific small business and diversity requirements, mandating a 30% small business participation goal and a mandatory 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation requirement. The contract is 100% state-funded and will not count Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) toward small business goals. The total contract value for both primary and secondary agreements will not exceed $40 million, with a contract period extending up to four years from Department of General Services approval. Proposers must submit detailed cost proposals with fully loaded hourly rates and anticipated reimbursable expenses, and are required to adjust classification titles to match their firms while maintaining equivalent professional levels. Insurance requirements are stringent, including $5 million in professional liability coverage, $5 million in general liability coverage, and $1 million in automobile liability coverage. The agreement includes provisions for monthly progress reports, small business utilization tracking, and comprehensive confidentiality and conflict of interest requirements.