Professional Municipal Advisory Services

Bernalillo County's Purchasing Section is soliciting proposals through Request for Proposals 42-26-SS for professional municipal advisory services to support the County's financial initiatives including revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, refunding bonds, tax and revenue anticipation notes (TRAN), industrial revenue bonds (IRB), tax increment financing (TIFF), public improvement directives (PIO), conduit bond financing, tax increment development districts (TIDD), and local economic development act (LEDA) programs. The scope of services encompasses economic and fiscal analysis, feasibility studies, bond issue planning and marketing, business analytics, company structure verification, risk assessments, compliance document review, and financing strategy development. Qualified firms must be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, carry professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, provide a minimum of three references demonstrating similar municipal advisory services within the past five years, and may not serve as an underwriter in any County bond sales. A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for March 12, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via MS Teams; written questions must be submitted by March 18, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. with responses issued by March 20, 2026. Sealed proposals are due electronically through the County's Bonfire eProcurement system by 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time on March 27, 2026. Evaluation will be weighted 45% on written proposals and 55% on interviews (if conducted), with evaluation criteria including ability to meet scope of services, compliance, firm qualifications, experience, municipal advisory services capability, references, and cost (25 points). The anticipated contract term is four years with an option to extend for an additional two years, with pricing submitted on a per $1,000 face amount basis plus minimum fees for bonds and prevailing hourly rates for special projects.

Bernalillo County applies multiple preference designations to this procurement, including State of New Mexico resident business preferences (5%), Native American resident business preferences (8%), and resident veteran business preferences (10%), subject to an 18% maximum combined preference limit. County-level preferences are also available for local businesses (5%), small businesses (5%), and pay equity businesses (5%), with a maximum dollar limitation of $180,000. All prospective contractors must submit a mandatory Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form disclosing any contributions exceeding $250 in aggregate made to applicable County officials during the two years prior to proposal submission, and must complete an Unfair Business Practices Disclosure Form certifying compliance with fair business practices standards. Prospective contractors are prohibited from making any campaign contributions or providing anything of value to applicable public officials or their employees during the pendency of the procurement process or contract negotiations. The RFP documents do not specify an estimated contract value or budget range; fees will be determined based on the selected vendor's proposed pricing structure for per-bond-type fees and hourly rates for special projects. Complete submittal packages must include all required forms and attachments and be uploaded to https://bernco.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities; inquiries regarding purchasing procedures should be directed to Samantha Secrist, Purchasing Administrator, at 505-527-2326 or ssecrist@bernco.gov.