Richmond City Council
April 4, 2023

Request for Proposals

California For All Youth

Release Date: December 12, 2022

Deadline for Submittal
January 6, 2023
5:00pm

Contact: Itza Gonzalez
Email: [email protected]
Phone Number: 510-307-8023

City of Richmond
Employment & Training Department

RICHMOND – CALIFORNIA FOR ALL YOUTH GRANT PROGRAM

GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION

TABLE OF CONTENT

California For All Youth Background 3
Eligibility Requirements 3
Grant Award Amounts 4
Eligible Uses of Grant Funds 4
Ineligible Uses of Grant Funds 5
Fiscal Sponsorships 6
Collaborating Organizations 7
Metrix and Reporting 7
Application Submission Requirements 8
Application Submission Details 9
Payment Provisions 9
Review Criteria 9
Application Review and Selection Process 10
Application Deadline 10
Late Application or Modification to Applications 10 Schedule 11
Questions or Addendums to the Application 12
Proposal Format Guidelines 12
Process for Submitting Proposals 13
Grantee Requirements 15
City Staff Contact 15
General Terms and Conditions 16
Exhibits 19

INTRODUCTION

The City of Richmond is requesting proposals from qualified agencies to provide workforce development and training services to Richmond youth, ages 16 – 30. This request for proposal (RFP) describes the project, the required scope of services, the agency selection process, and the minimum information that must be included in the proposal. Failure to submit information in accordance with the RFP requirements and procedures may be cause for disqualification. The anticipated term of this contract will be for a period of 18-months and an option to renew for six additional months by means of a mutual agreement of both parties.

Vendors are required to read and understand all information contained within this entire Proposal package. By responding to this RFP, the vendor agrees to read and understand these documents.

PROJECT BACKGROUND / DESCRIPTION

On October 2022, the Richmond City Council Approved the California for All Youth Workforce Initiative which will invest $2.9 million dollars, over the next 18 months, to enhance and expand workforce development programs intended to assist youth job seekers in obtaining employment, education, training and support services necessary to succeed in today’s labor market and compete in the global economy.

The funding in this Request for Proposal (RFP) supports programs delivered through The California For All Youth Workforce Program; a Governor’s initiative administered by California Volunteers in partnership with cities across California. The purpose of the initiative is to strengthen the city’s capacity to address key areas of:
 climate,
 food insecurity, and
 local COVID-19 recovery.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Organizations must meet the following condition to be eligible to apply for a grant:
 Are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, registered with the Internal Revenue Service and in good standing with the State of California’s Registry of Charitable Trusts.  Are not debarred or suspended from participation in local, State or Federal programs.  Provide services to Richmond residents (Richmond-serving) o A minimum of 80% of the organizations proposed grant-funded program/services must be provide to Richmond residents. If awarded, grant funds can only be spend serving Richmond residents.
 Meet all minimum qualifications as described in Section I & II below.  Can comply with all local, state, or federal laws and regulations if funded.

GRANT AWARD AMOUNTS

Initial grant awards for the following will be funded through State funds are available through Item 0650 -163-8506 (California Volunteers - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds) of the 2021 Budget Act. These funds were made available to California Volunteers through an investment by the Governor and the Legislature. Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, though administered through the State of California and California Volunteers, are federal sti mulus funds associated with recovery from the COVID -19 pandemic. City of Richmond will grant funds directly to eligible CBOs on a reimbursable basis.

Grant allocation amount: The amount available for the grant cycle is $1,100,000.00.

Minimum and Maximum grant awar ds: The mi nimum grant award amount is $ 50,000. The maximum grant award amount is $200,000. The number of awards available will be determined based on the amount of each award.

Number of applications per grant cycle: Organizations may sub mit up to two applications per grant cycle.

ELIGIBLE USE OF GRANT FUNDS

The program has three primary goals:
 Increase youth employment
 Develop career pathways
 Strengthen local capacity to address key areas of food insecurity, climate, and COVID-19 recovery
City of Richmond will subgrant all parts of the funding to existing CBOs providing youth workforce development programming , ex cluding wages for youth participants. Subgrantees under supervision of the city of Richmond are responsible for selecting or creating training and job opportunities and recruiting, hiring, and managing participants.

Funding can be used to create new programming or expand exist ing youth workforce programs within the requirements of this grant. Programming can be run year -round or as an intermittent summer program. Regardless of program length, all participant positions must be 50% FTE - 100%.

All participants must be Richmond residents between 16-30 years of age. Priority should be given to youth who:

• Have not participated in an AmeriCorps program
• May have difficulty finding employment
• Are low-income
• Are unemployed and/or out of school
• Are or were justice-involved
• Are in or transitioning from foster care
• Are engaged with the mental health or substance abuse system

Priority applicants (meeting two of above criteria) should make up no fewer than 75% of selected participants.

Examples of eligible projects or programs may include, but not limited to, the following:
 Urban Forestry
 City Beautification
 Community Food Distribution/Food Banks
 Community Service Special Events
 Senior Services
 Public health/healthcare services
 Information Technology
 Urban and Community Farming
 Public Safety Initiatives
 Sustainable Energy

Indirect administrative costs incurred should not exceed 10% of total direct costs, pursuant to federal guidance. Up to 40% of total direct costs may be used for wraparound services for participants. This can include services such as:
 transportation stipends/awards,
 job readiness training,
 case management, or
 other services likely to help participants succeed in the program and/or gain employment after completion of program.

All participants will receive a wage of $20/hr. (not to exceed 500 hours) that will be paid by the City of Richmond Employment & Training Department.

INELIGIBLE USE OF GRANT FUNDS

Participants may not partake in activities that require high levels of safety precautions.

Participants may not partake in activities that require specialized training unless that training is provided by subgrantee. All expenditures and activities must comply with Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds requirements, federal procurement requirements, and other state and/or federal laws and regulations.

In addition, grant funds may not be used for the following reasons:
 Repayment of existing debt or pre-existing tax liens or obligations  Legal, loan, or bank fees
 Subsidization of existing contracts
 Political campaigns or lobbying
 Advancement of certain sectarian, politically partisan, or religious projects (grant funds should be used for specific programs and not to advance the causes of any of the stated

groups)
 Fundraisers or other events not open to the general public  A project or program which is clearly intended for commercial gain  A project or program that occurs before or after the grant award period  Support of individuals
 For businesses established for personal benefit or profit  To support annual fund drives
 To fund an agency’s deficit or endowment
 To repay loans
 Furniture
 Cell phones
 Bonuses
 For the direct support of religious activities. Secular activities offered to the Richmond community that is provided by religious organizations regardless of congregational membership or statements of belief may be eligible for grant funds.

FISCAL SPONSORSHIPS

What types of organizations should utilize a fiscal sponsor?  A non-governmental organization (sponsoree) that does not have 501(c)(3) tax status must utilize a fiscal sponsor to apply for this grant. It is the sole responsibility of the sponsoree to find an organization with 501(c)(3) tax status that is willing to serve as a fiscal sponsor.

What is fiscal sponsorship?
 Fiscal sponsorship allows organizations without 501(c)(3) tax status.  A fiscal sponsorship agreement should be entered into between the sponsoree and an organization that has 501(c)(3) tax status.
 The fiscal sponsorship agreement allows the sponsoree to raise tax-deductible contributions through grants and individual donations.
 Tax-deductible funds are given to the fiscal sponsor and restricted to the use of the sponsoree.

How does a fiscal sponsorship work for the California For All Youth grant process?:
 The fiscal sponsor will serve as the applicant. Fiscal sponsors will enter into a grant services agreement with the City of Richmond and must meet all requirements and submit all required documents.
 A signed agreement between the sponsoree and fiscal sponsor must be included in the submitted application. The organization actually implementing the program and performing the services will act as the sponsoree or fiscal sponsor’s sub-grantee.  Fiscal sponsors can also apply for grants.
 In addition to requesting funds for its own purposes, organizations may also act as a fiscal agent for other organizations.

COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS

Through this grant program, the City strongly encourages applicants to collaborate with other organizations such as school districts, adult schools, community colleges, and training facilities. Collaboration is a mutually beneficial relationship to meet a common goal.

Collaboration can come in many forms, from information sharing to joint programming. It can help organizations reduce redundancy in service sectors, leverage resources, share strengths, and increase efficiencies.

METRICS AND REPORTING

Subgrantees will be required to report the following metrics monthly:
 Number of youth participating in program.
 Number of youth employed in each focus area.
 Number of youth enrolled in job training/readiness programs.  Number of youth completing job training/readiness programs.  Number of youth participating in summer program (if applicable).  Average wage and hours worked of participants across program.  Information/data/member stories will be requested for annual report.

Additionally, subgrantees will be required to report monthly:
 Number of youth employed in program who were previously unemployed.  Number of youth who complete full program (1 year or summer program).  Percentage of youth employed in program who remain in college or stable employment.

Percentage of youth employed after completion of program.  Percentage of youth who report job satisfaction after one year of employment, as reported by a survey.
 Percentage of youth who report an interest in a career in public service after one year of employment, as measured by a survey.
 Percentage of youth employed in public service after one year of employment • Job training evaluations.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The following materials must be submitted as part of a complete application packet by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 30, 2022, to be considered for funding (feel free to use this section as a checklist). The inability to adhere to the requirements below may impact an organization’s overall scores:
 Completed application
 Five (5) pages
 Applicant Organizational Budget
 Applicant Program Budget
 Proof of 501(c)(3) status (Non-Profit Status Determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service) or fiscal sponsor’s corresponding documents  Financial statements – most recent (current) audited financials or Internal Revenue Service Form 990 or 990-N for tax-exempt organizations whose gross receipts are typically $50,000 or less or fiscal sponsor’s corresponding documents. Faith-based organizations may submit reviewed or annual financial statements.  List of Board of Directors and affiliations or fiscal sponsor’s corresponding documents 
 Signed agreement between the organization and the fiscal sponsor, if applicable  “Active” status with the California secretary of State (https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/)
NOTE: Application submitted by organizations not identified with “active” status will be disqualified.

For organization with 501(c)(3) tax status, City staff may check websites such as Internal Revenue Service at www.irs.gov and GuideStar at www.guidestar.org to gather information about the applicant organization.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DETAILS
 Submit completed grant application (include budgets and résumés and/or descriptions of work experience with the application) and a set of all additional required documents.
 The responses to the application questions shall be limited to eight (5) pages. This page limit is not inclusive of budgets, résumés, descriptions of work experience, or documents requested as part of the application.
 All submitted materials should be typed in a 12-point font size and Times New Roman font style. Applications must be easily reproducible on a standard copying machine.
 All costs incurred in the preparation of an application are the applicant’s responsibility.

 Applications must be completed and submitted electronically by Friday, December 30, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. Applications received after this date and time will not be considered and will not be eligible for review and scoring by the Review Panel.

PAYMENT PROVISIONS
This is a reimbursable grant. An initial advance payment of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total award amount will be advanced to all grantees as part of the application award process.

The remaining funds will be released upon the submission of complete and adequate reporting and invoicing documentation. The final ten percent (10%) will be reserved until the completion of the grant program and final submittal of all required documentation. Payments will only be made for the eligible items and amounts specified in the approved grant agreement budget and a manner consistent with the payment provisions contained in the executed grant agreement.

REVIEW CRITERIA
All submitted application, which comply with the grant requirements, will be evaluated, and rated using the criteria listed below. The maximum score than an application receive is 100 points from criteria areas #1 – 4 and an extra 10 points program deliver included (10 points) Total Points Available for Criteria Area #1-5: 100 Points

20 Agency History & Capacity - The extent to which the respondent demonstrates a history of successfully implementing youth and workforce development programs and achieving outcomes. Evidence should include previous experience with diverse communities and youth, program integration, case management, and successful data tracking and performance outcomes.
45 Program Design - The extent to which the proposed plan and services are clear and specific, including recruitment, frequency of programming, average number of clients to be served over the course of the grant, location of services, and extend of proposed services to be delivered.
20 Staffing Experience & Qualification – The extent that staffing is sufficient for the level of services proposed, and staff are qualified and reflective of the communities to be served.
15 Budget Request & Justification – The extent that the budget is clear and reasonable in cost to support the proposed level of services and provides adequate justification of proposed costs.

EXTRA POINTS
10 Collaboration – To the extent that program services include collaborations with local training institutions that offer Occupational-skills or Industry-recognized certifications.

APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS
The City's overall objective is to award grants to highly qualified organizations that provide needed services to Richmond youth. Within this overall objective, it is also the City’s intent that the selection process is fair and transparent. Applications will be evaluated and scored by Review Panel (Review Panel) consisting of no more than four (4) individuals residing in or employed in Richmond (not City of Richmond employees).

The selection process is divided into the following steps:

1. Applications are received by the due date.

2. All applications are reviewed in depth by City staff for responsiveness, completeness, and satisfaction of eligibility requirements. Based on this review, eligible claims will proceed to the application evaluation process.

3. All complete and eligible applications are forwarded to the Review Panel, which will review and score the applications using the criteria listed in the guidelines and make an award recommendation to City Council. The inability to adhere to the application requirements may impact an organization’s overall scores. Grant awards can be less than the applicant’s original request.

4. The Review Panel’s recommendations are forwarded to the City Council for review, discussion, and approval.

Any party applying shall not contact or lobby any City Council member Review Panel member, City official, employee (except those specified for contact) or agent regarding the RFP. Any party attempting to influence or circumvent the RFP, application submittal, and/or review process may have their application rejected for violating this provision of the RFP.

All scores are final. There is no grievance process. Copies of Review Panel comments and scoring will be made available upon request.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
The deadline to submit an application and all relevant attachments is Friday, December 30, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. There are no exceptions for applications submitted after the deadline.

LATE APPLICATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS TO APPLICATIONS
Applications submitted after the specified date and time will not be considered.

Organizations assume responsibility for the timely submission of applications and all required documents. Any applications may be withdrawn or modified by a written request signed by the applicant.

SCHEDULE
The schedule associated with the application is below. The City reserves the right to alter this schedule as necessary.

Date Activity

December 5, 2022 Release RFP
December 16, 2022 Final Day to Submit Questions (5:00 PM) December 20, 2022 Responses to Questions posted on BidsOnline December 30, 2022 RFP Due Date
January 2033 Final Selection and Contract Negotiations
January 2023 – February 2023 City Approval Processes
March 1, 2023 Effective Date of Contract

QUESTIONS OR ADDENDUMS TO THE APPLICATIONS

It is strongly recommended that organizations register on the City’s E-Notify Me webpage (http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/list.aspx) to ensure that they receive any addendums to or notifications regarding this RFP or the CFAY grant program. Any requests for clarification or other questions concerning this RFP should be submitted in writing to City staff via [email protected].

PROPOSAL FORMAT GUIDELINES

The proposal should be concise, well organized, and demonstrate the organization’s qualifications and experience appl icable to the Project. The proposal shall be limited to 3-pages double-sided pages (8.5 inches x 11 inches), inclusive of graphics, for ms, pictures, photographs, dividers, etcetera, but not of cost proposal, resumes, required forms, certifications, front and back covers, or lett ers of commitment from sub -consultants. The required font size is 12 point, with minimum left and right margins of one-inch, and top and bottom margins of 0.7 inches.

Each proposal will adhere to the following order and content of sections. Proposal should be straightforward, concise and provide “layman” explanations of technical terms that are used.

Emphasis should be concentrated on conforming to the RFP instructions, responding to the RFP requirements, and on providing a complete and clear description of the offer. Proposals, which appear unrealistic in the terms of technical commitments, lack of technical competence or are indicative of failure to comprehend the complexity and risk of this contract, may be rejected. The following proposal sections are to be included in the Vendor’s response:

A. Agency History and Capacity

 Describe your agency’s mission and the programs and services you offer.  Describe your agency’s experience providing youth and workforce development programs including outcomes.

B. Program Design

 Describe the program and proposed services. Provide information on the program design, types of services, and how services will be delivered.  Describe how the program aligns with one or more of the key funding areas of this grant. If program is not one of the key funding areas, identify the need for the program that will lead to identified grant outcomes.
 Describe what successful completion of the program and services look like for the participants. How will you know your program has met its intended goals.  Provide information on the program partners. What are their roles and what will they provide?
 Portion of the funds for this grant should be used to provide workforce training and subsidized work-experience opportunities for youth participant. Describe your recruitment and placement strategy for placing youth in employment opportunities in the community.
 For Applicants with Fiscal Sponsors only: Describe the relationship between the proposed program and the fiscal sponsor agency, and the role of both in the success of the proposed program.

NOTE: Youth participants may not complete work experience opportunities within a for- profit business.

C. Staffing Experience and Qualification

 Describe the key program staff that are responsible for delivering the direct services. Describe key duties and roles and time devoted to the proposed program. Include information on staff experience, community connections, and cultural competencies.
 Describe the key knowledge skills, and ability possessed by your staff or needed in the roles for your program to be successful, and how will your agency support staff to acquire and develop their knowledge, skills, and ability.

D. Budget Request & Justification
 For all budgeted items, provide a brief narrative explanation and justification of planned expenditures
 Explain how funds requested are reasonable to support the proposed number of youth to be served, hours of service to be provided and overall program design.  Provide detail regarding each line item, including those listed as “Other.” For these items, provide a brief narrative explanation and justification of planned expenditures.

E. Collaboration
 Describe potential collaborative opportunities

PROCESS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS

Please submit your proposal via the City of Richmond's BidsOnline system. Proposals submitted by facsimile or e-mail are not acceptable and will not be considered.

The proposal and any required certifications shall be signed by an individual or individuals authorized to execute legal documents on behalf of the organization.

Organization is responsible for submitting its entire proposal package with all required submittal documents and any modifications or revisions, to reach the City of Richmond’s office as designated in the RFP by the time specified below. Any proposal, modification, or revision received by the City of Richmond after the exact time specified for receipt of proposals is “late” and will not be considered.

Pre-Award Negotiations

After the proposals are opened, but prior to award, the City may elect to conduct negotiations with the highest ranked respondent for purposes of:

 Resolving minor differences and information
 Clarifying necessary details and responsibilities
 Emphasizing important issues and points
 Receiving assurances from respondents
 Cost/budget clarifications

If the City cannot successfully nego tiate a contract with the highest ranked respondent, the City may begin negotiations with the second highest ranked respondent.

Selection may be made without further discussion, negotiations or Offeror’s presentations; therefore, Offeror shall offer the most favorable terms in response to this RFP. Offeror must demonstrate an understanding of the scope of service to be provided and the ability to accomplish the tasks set forth. Offeror shall include information that will enable the City to determine the Offeror’s overall qualifications. The City reserves the right to request additional information or clarification on any matter included in the proposal response, to enable the City to arrive at the final award decision.

Award - When the Review Panel has completed its work, City staff will then recommend a Financial Advisor firm to the City Manager and City Council for approval. The services provided by the successful bidder shall be governed by a Standard Services Agreement (Attachment 1).

GRANTEE REQUIREMENTS

If awarded a grant, organizations will be required to do the following:
 A Grant Service Agreement with specific deliverables will be executed. All organizations are expected to initiate projects within two (2) months of execution of the grant agreement. The scope of work will be based on the application submitted.  Submit bi-annual progress reports and reimbursement requests (templates will be included as part of the executed grant agreement):
o Progress and Final Report - Reports will be required and must provide detailed information about the services provided. Grantees that do not submit the required reports run the risk of forfeiting their funding. A final report at the conclusion of the project or program is also required.
o Funding Requests – Requests must include the necessary documents to substantiate the disbursement (e.g., receipts, timecards, payroll records, etc.).

Grantees that do not adhere to the invoicing requirements run the risk of forfeiting their funding
 Host City staff for one or more site visit and/or program evaluation.  Published program materials shall include the City and California For All Youth Grant seal or logos and shall state, “Made possible in part by the City of Richmond and the California For All Youth Grant.” The material must be appropriate, relevant, and aligned with the approved project and should be reviewed and approved by City staff before release.
 Complete and submit a W-9 form and Supplemental Vendor Application.  Obtain a City of Richmond business license. Organizations are responsible for all associated fees. Information can be found at http://www.ci.richmond.ca.us/66/Business  Meet the City of Richmond insurance requirements. Fiscal sponsors, serving as the grantee, must have insurance that covers all actions of the non-profit and/or community- based organization acting as the sub-grantee

CITY STAFF CONTACT

For inquiries or clarification regarding this program or application, please contact Employment & Training staff at [email protected] or Itza Gonzalez at (510) 307-8023.

GENERAL CITY REQUIREMENTS

Background Checks
Organizations that provide services to youth or other vulnerable populations (elderly, people with disabilities, etc.) must require comprehensive background checks and fingerprinting of all employees and/or volunteers that work directly with youth or such other vulnerable populations.

General Information
This RFP does not commit the City of Richmond to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFP, or to procure or contract for work.

The City of Richmond may reject a proposal without providing the reason(s) underlying the declination. A failure to award a contract to the organization with the lowest cost proposal shall not constitute a valid cause of action against the City of Richmond. The City shall not be responsible for work done, even in good faith, prior to final approval of the proposed contract.

The City may investigate the qualifications of any organization under consideration, require confirmation of information furnished by the organization, and require additional evidence or qualifications to perform the Services described in this RFP.

The City reserves the right to:

1. Reject any or all proposals, or to make no award without providing the reason(s) underlying the declination.

2. Issue subsequent Requests for Proposals.

3. Postpone opening for its own convenience.

4. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposal process.

5. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Respondents.

6. Solicit best and final offers from all or some of the Respondents.

7. Select one or more Respondents.

8. Accept other than the lowest proposed fees.

9. Waive informalities and irregularities in proposals.

10. Request additional information, including, but not limited to, follow‐ up interviews.

Public Records
All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City of Richmond and public records and, as such, may be subject to public review. Documents protected by law from public disclosure will not be disclosed by the City of Richmond if clearly marked with the word "confidential" on each applicable page. Trade secrets may be marked as confidential only to the extent they meet the requirements of California Government Code section 6254.7. Only information claimed to be a trade secret at the time of submittal to the City of Richmond and marked as "confidential" will be treated as a trade secret.

Contractor Assignment of Sub-Contract
The resulting contract shall not be assigned, transferred, or sublet, in whole or in part, without the prior written approval of the City of Richmond. If organizations intend to subcontract any portion of the resulting contract, they must describe their process for selecting such subcontractor(s) and the quality control measures that the organization will employ to ensure that any subcontractor complies with the provisions of organization’s contract with the City.

Previous Contracts with the City of Richmond
The organization shall submit a list which indicates all prime contracts and/or amendments awarded to the organization by the City of Richmond for the last three (3) years. The list shall include a short description of the Project, the Project scope of work, award date, completion date, name of City of Richmond’s assigned Project Manager, and contract value.

Exceptions to this Request for Proposals
The organization shall state whether or not it takes exception(s) to this RFP, including but not limited to the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement – RFP (Attachment 1). If the organization does take exception(s) to any portion of the RFP or contract, the specific portion to which exception(s) is taken must be identified by section number and explained. Requests for changes or additions to sections of City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement must be shown by requesting deletion of specific words and/or by providing new requested contract language. Requests for complete replacement of the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement for another contract will not be granted. Failure to make exceptions to the RFP or Standard Services Agreement within the proposal will be deemed a waiver of any objection.

Exceptions will be considered during the proposal evaluation process.

Statement of Impartiality and Disclosure
The nature of this Project requires an impartial unbiased approach on the part of the organization’s team. This proposal shall include a statement declaring that the organization and sub-consultants are not currently, and will not, during the performance of these services, participate in any other similar work involving a third-party with interests currently in conflict or likely to be in conflict with City of Richmond’s interests. Additionally, organizations are required to disclose any pending or active investigations or litigation that may affect the reputation or ability of the organization to carry out the Project.

Insurance Requirements
The City of Richmond requires consultants doing business with it to obtain insurance, as shown in RFP Attachment 2. The required insurance certificates must comply with all requirements of the standards as shown and must be provided within fifteen (15) days of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award and prior to the commencement of any work on the Project.

Business Licenses
Organization, at its sole expense, and all subcontractors shall obtain and maintain during the term of any agreement, all appropriate permits, certificates and licenses including, but not limited to, a City of Richmond Business License, which will be required in connection with the performance of services hereunder.

Compliance with City Ordinances
The contractor and all subcontractors shall comply with the City of Richmond Nondiscrimination Clauses in City Contracts Ordinance (Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) Chapter 2.28), Business Opportunity Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.50), Local Employment Program Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.56), Living Wage Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.60) and Ordinance Banning the Requirement to Provide Information of Prior Criminal Convictions on all Employment Applications (“Ban the Box”) (RMC Chapter 2.65), which are incorporated into the Contract Documents by this reference.

Collusion
By submitting a proposal, each organization represents and warrants that its proposal is genuine and not false or collusive or made in the interest of, or on behalf of any person not named therein; that the organization has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other person to submit a false proposal, or any other person to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that the organization has not, in any manner, sought collusion to secure any improper advantage over any other person submitting a proposal.

Withdrawal of Proposals
An organization may withdraw their proposal before the expiration of the time for submission of proposals by delivering to the City Manager’s Office a written request for withdrawal signed by, or on behalf of, the organization.

Ownership of Documents
All reports, studies, information, data, statistics, forms, designs, plans, procedures, systems, and any other materials produced for the Project shall be the sole and exclusive property of the City.

No such materials or properties produced in whole or in part for the Project shall be subject to private use, copyrights or patent rights by organization in the United States or in any other country without the express written consent of the City. The City shall have unrestricted authority to publish, disclose (except as may be limited by the provisions of the Public Records Act), distribute, and otherwise use, copyright or patent, in whole or in part, any such reports, studies, data, statistics, forms or other materials or properties produced for this Project.

Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance
The Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18 prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”) (Attachment 4). Bidders/Organizations must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their Bid or Proposal (Attachment 3).

Limited Liability Companies Disclosure Statement (LLCS) Resolution No. 86-21, approved by City Council on July 6, 2021, requires disclosure of the identities of beneficial & responsible owners of Limited Liability Corporations (LLC) (Attachment 5). Bidders/Organizations must submit the attached Disclosure Statement of Limited Liability Companies Form with their Bid or Proposal (Attachment 6).

Rejections
All proposals will be reviewed to determine conformance with the RFP requirements. Failure to meet the requirements may be cause for rejection of the proposal. Any proposal which is incomplete, conditional or contains irregularities may also be rejected.

The City of Richmond reserves the right to:

A. Select any proposal as a basis for written or oral communication with any or all of the companies or individuals when such action is considered to be in the best interest of the City of Richmond.

B. Exercise discretion and apply its judgment with respect to selection of any proposals submitted.

C. Reject all proposals.

ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1: Standard Contract
ATTACHMENT 2: Insurance Requirements
ATTACHMENT 3: Sanctuary City Compliance Statement
ATTACHMENT 4: Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance
ATTACHMENT 5: Resolution No. 86-21
ATTACHMENT 6: Disclosure Statement of Limited Liability Companies Form