On-Call Grant Development, Compliance, and Technical Advisory Services

NEORide, administering on behalf of CityBus (Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation), is requesting proposals for an on-call grant development, compliance, and technical advisory services contract, with proposals due November 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. and questions due October 7, 2026. The contract is subject to Federal Transit Administration requirements, including DBE compliance and federal civil rights laws.

The scope encompasses four primary service categories: funding strategy and grant readiness (identification of opportunities, multi-year funding strategies, regulatory monitoring); grant development (application preparation, budget development, submission support for competitive and formula-funded programs); grant administration (implementation support, budget monitoring, progress reporting, closeout); and grant compliance and regulatory support (federal and state requirement guidance, Uniform Guidance compliance, procurement requirements, Buy America provisions, civil rights compliance). Services support CityBus's capital improvement program, fleet modernization, technology investments, facility improvements, and strategic initiatives. The consultant will serve as an extension of Agency staff on an as-needed basis through individually authorized task assignments, with services covering federal programs such as FTA and FHWA grants, state and local funding opportunities, and discretionary programs from the U.S. Department of Transportation and other agencies.

The contract term is one year commencing in 2026, with options to renew for four additional one-year terms, not to exceed 60 months total. Pricing is submitted separately from the technical proposal using fixed hourly rates for thirteen standard labor classifications (Principal/Executive through Administrative Support) and optional fixed fees for representative services including grant readiness assessments, funding strategy development, competitive grant applications, monthly grant administration support, compliance reviews, and grant closeout assistance. Reimbursable expenses include mileage, lodging, and meals. Pricing must remain firm for 180 calendar days following submission. CityBus does not guarantee minimum work volume under this on-call arrangement.

Evaluation criteria are: project understanding and competency (20 points), experience (20 points), technical capacity (30 points), project approach and quality (25 points), and total contract price (22 points). Finalists may be invited for oral presentations and best-and-final-offer submissions. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage with minimum limits of $500,000 to $1,000,000. Responses must be submitted electronically via the e-Procurement Portal.