NSPIRE Inspectors

The State of Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is requesting bids to procure HUD-NSPIRE inspection services for multifamily properties under IFB BPM055422, with the bid due date extended to August 18, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Local Time (Amendment 3). This is a Small Business Preference (SBP) opportunity (Amendment 4), whereby responsive bids from responsible small businesses within 5% of the most favorable non-small-business bid, 7% for veteran-owned small businesses, and 8% for disabled-veteran-owned small businesses will receive preference.

The scope covers National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) inspections on approximately 87 multifamily risk-share properties within the Department's portfolio, with properties ranging from approximately 20 to 250 units and approximately 20 percent of units inspected per property per HUD NSPIRE methodology. The Department anticipates approximately 15 inspections per month for planning purposes only; this estimate does not guarantee minimum work quantity. Inspectors must be certified to conduct NSPIRE inspections and provide proof of certification with the bid, along with documentation of having completed at least 15 NSPIRE inspections within the last five years. Inspectors must maintain required training, credentials, or qualifications throughout the contract term and demonstrate current knowledge and proficiency in the NSPIRE inspection protocol, with documentation including training records, certifications from authorized NSPIRE inspection contractors, or other evidence acceptable to the Department.

Bidders are required to submit cost-per-inspection pricing for three property size categories — Small Multifamily (20–49 units), Medium Multifamily (50–149 units), and Large Multifamily (150–250 units) — with an estimated 90 inspections per category per year for both the Base Year and one Option Year. This is a single-award, indefinite-quantity contract with firm fixed pricing for an initial one-year term with one one-year renewal option. Required insurance includes commercial general liability ($1 million per occurrence / $3 million annual aggregate), errors and omissions/professional liability ($1 million per claim / $3 million annual aggregate), workers' compensation, and automobile/commercial truck insurance. Bids will be evaluated solely on Total Bid Price, with award to the responsive and responsible vendor with the lowest price. The pre-bid conference was held July 21, 2026, with eleven representatives from nine companies attending. Questions were due July 24, 2026. The contract does not contain federal funding and is not subject to travel expense reimbursement.