P24002, HQS/NSPIRE Inspection Services

HomeFront, a public housing authority located in Billings, Montana, is soliciting proposals for Request for Proposals (RFP) No. P24002 for HQS/NSPIRE Inspection Services, which will primarily serve Billings and a 10-mile radius within Gallatin County. The procurement seeks a qualified contractor to conduct various housing quality standard (HQS) and National Standard for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) inspections for approximately 1,400 housing voucher units. Required inspection types include annual, no-show, initial, follow-up, and special inspections, with estimated annual quantities of 370 annual inspections, 18 no-show inspections, 122 initial inspections, 66 follow-up inspections, and 12 special inspections. Proposers must provide mobile computing devices, digital photography capabilities, and comprehensive reporting services, with inspections transitioning to HUD's NSPIRE-V protocol effective October 1, 2024. The proposal evaluation will use a "best value" methodology, allocating up to 100 points with 30 points for cost and 30 points for demonstrated relevant experience. The proposal submission deadline is May 15, 2024, at 3:00 PM MT, with an initial two-year contract period and potential rate escalation based on prevailing wage rates.

The RFP encourages participation from diverse business enterprises, including minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, and other qualified small businesses. Proposers must complete comprehensive documentation including the Profile of Firm Form, which allows for specifying ownership percentages across different demographic categories. The contract includes strict compliance requirements under Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act, mandating that employment and economic opportunities be directed to low- and very low-income persons. Current contractor Action Remodeling & Home Inspections will be replaced through this procurement. While a specific contract value is not explicitly stated, the RFP indicates a Not-To-Exceed (NTE) value to be determined between HomeFront and the selected contractor. Contractors must maintain multiple insurance types, including general liability, professional liability, automobile liability, and workers' compensation, with specified minimum coverage amounts. The contract allows for potential four additional one-year renewal periods, potentially extending the total contract duration to five years.