Request for Proposals (RFP)
2017

FL-515 NWFL Continuum of Care (CoC)Lead Agency

Introduction

The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is authorized by subtitle C of title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381-11389). This program is designed to:

  • Promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness;
  • Provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, States, and local governments to quickly re-house homeless individuals (including unaccompanied youth) and families, while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by homelessness;
  • Promote access to and effective utilization of mainstream programs such as TANF, SNAP, etc., by homeless individuals and families; and
  • Promote and enhance self-sufficiency among individuals and families experiencing homelessness to minimize the length of time they are out of permanent housing.

The CoC is designed to address the critical problem of homelessness through a coordinated community-based process of identifying needs and building a system of housing and services to address those needs. The CoC Governance Board (Board) designates a Lead Agency and Collaborative Applicant to manage the required HUD processes on its behalf to ensure the maximum amount of funds are received by the CoC planning area and that the CoC is in compliance with all applicable HUD rules and regulations. The Lead Agency performs these tasks at the direction of the Board. The Board also designates the Lead Agency for the purposes of coordination and collaborative funding processes in compliance with requirements of the State of Florida Statutes (F.S. 420.623-624) and requirements of the State Office on Homelessness related to CoC funding.

Local Request for Proposals

The Boardis soliciting proposals for the role of CoC Lead Agency for 2017. The Board will collect the applications and then provide the proposals to an independent Review Committee. This independent Review Committee will be composed of members of the Board having no financial ties to any of the agencies applying for funding. This Review Committee will provide a recommendation to the CoC Executive Committeefor review and the Board for approval.

Eligibility

1)The respondents must be an active 501(c) (3) with the capacity to handle the scope of work and provide the agency’s determination letter from the IRS.

2)Ability to provide the past two OMB-133 audits or independent audit by a certified audit firm.

3)The respondents must be willing and able to serve the entire continuum.

4)Respondents must not be a Homeless Service provider within the continuum.

Scope of Work

Applicants must be able to complete the following duties, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the State Office on Homelessness:

  • CoC Board and Committees
  • Coordinate and facilitate collaboration among agencies to ensure successful planning and partnership in the CoC;
  • Ensure that planning and priority setting processes are in place and occur as planned;
  • Analyze the CoC Score from HUD and identify ways to improve score in order to achieve the maximization of CoC application score to the greatest extent possible;
  • Recruit stakeholders to participate in CoC activities to ensure broad awareness and participation;
  • Advertise CoC andBoard meetings;
  • Coordinate and staff all CoC committees;
  • Research and produce planning materials including best practices;
  • Provide committee minutes and materials to theBoard in a timely manner;
  • Act as the fiscal agent for the CoC;
  • Provide an annual operating budget in detail to cover the lead agency duties and responsibilities;
  • Provide audit reports annually to the CoC Executive Committee to be shared with the Board; and
  • Provide any monitoring reports, exceptions or compliance issues related to all grants assigned to the CoC.
  • HUD McKinney Vento (HEARTH) funds
  • Work with HUD, the CoC Board, and providers to ensure accurate accounting of grants and that all renewal funds are received by preparing the Grant Inventory Worksheet (GIW);
  • Prepare and submit the annual CoC collaborative application for HUD McKinney Vento (HEARTH) funds, also known as the HUD CoC Application for Homeless Assistance/Project Exhibits;
  • With the CoC Board and CoC Funding Committee, develop and manage application and scoring processes for funding applications for new and renewal projects;
  • Staff and support application review committees; and
  • Post CoC Application and related materials online.
  • HUD Mandated Point in Time (PIT) and Annual Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) of Homeless Beds and Needs Assessment
  • Coordinate with the Board to conduct the Point-in-Time Count of homelessness in the assigned region;
  • Complete the corresponding Housing Inventory Chart of Homeless Beds; and
  • Conduct and prepare the Gaps/Needs Assessment Report based on the data collected.
  • CoC Program Performance Evaluation
  • Collect and report on HUD program performance data through analysis of HMIS and AHAR data;
  • Coordinate on-site performance evaluation of CoC funded programs;
  • Compile and prepare overall results for all grants for the year to report no less than annually to the Board on performance;
  • Ensure open and fair methods of communication and processes in the monitoring of grants; and
  • Provide and/or arrange for training and technical assistance and/or training on topics of relevance to the CoC and for agencies not meeting CoC performance standards.
  • HUD Regulations and State of Florida Requirements
  • Keep up to date and educate the CoC members on relevant changes in HUD rules and regulations;
  • Keep up to date and educate the CoC members on relevant changes in State law;
  • Serve in the collaborative applicant role and fiscal agent role for funding applications to be submitted on behalf of the CoC for state funding (e.g., Challenge grants); and
  • Apply for additional funding grants related to the CoC mission with other community partners.

CoC Lead Proposal Requirements

The required content of proposals is described below. Assume a project period of July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 in all responses.

  • Agency capacity(2-3 pages).Briefly describe the agency’s (1) ability to provide organizational support to a large and diverse group of community stakeholders; (2) experience with state and federal grant management and reporting; (3) ability to organize large groups of volunteers to conduct community-wide outreach; and (4) experience with program monitoring and evaluation for highly regulated grants.
  • Agency budget and budget narrative(3-4 pages).Provide a brief but complete line-item revenue and expense budget. The expense budget must include all projected expenditures, and provide a narrative explanation for each line item of projected expenditures. The budget section is used to ensure that applicants have the fiscal capacity to support the duties and responsibilities of the CoC Lead Agency and can absorb any shortfall should certain funding not be renewed (i.e. Florida Coalition for the Homeless funding). A budget will be approved and if there are any unexpected deviations of more than 10% of the budget, the Agency will bring this to the attention of the CoC Executive Committee as soon as the Agency is aware of the potential issue.
  • Project narrative(2-3 pages).Provide a concise narrative that clearly describes how the agency plans to support each of the major priorities listed in CoC Lead Agency Requirements section above.
  • IRS letter.
  • 990 and Audit Reports. Provide the previous three years 990 IRS filing report and the Audit reports for the past twoyears. If the Agency receives $500,000 or more in federal funds, the last two OMB-133 Audit reports arerequired.

Each proposal must be no more than 10 single-spaced pages (excluding the IRS letter, 990 and Audit Reports).

Completed proposals must be submitted electronically y 3:00 pm Central time on February 15, 2017. All applications will then be sent to an independent Review Committee composed of individuals unaffiliated with grant applicants. Incomplete, late, and/or paper submissions will not be considered.

Schedule and Deadlines

RFP Scheduled for ReleaseJanuary 3, 2017

Proposals DueFebruary 17, 2017 3:00 pm

Review Committee ResponseMarch 3, 2017

CoC Board Review & Response March 17,2017

Appeal Process open March 20 - March 31, 2017

Collaborative Applicant Notification DateApril 3, 2017

Collaborative Applicant Effective DateJuly 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018

Attachment A: Non-Collusion Affidavit

The undersigned bidder or agent, being duly sworn on oath, says that he/she has not, nor has any other member, representative, or agent of the firm, company, corporation or partnership represented by him, entered into any combination, collusion or agreement with any person relative to the price to be bid by anyone at such letting nor to prevent any person from bidding nor to include anyone to refrain from bidding, and that this bid is made without reference to any other bid and without any agreement, understanding or combination with any other person in reference to such bidding. He/She further says that no person or persons, firms, or corporation has, have or will receive directly or indirectly, any rebate, fee gift, commission or thing of value on account of such sale.

OATH AND AFFIRMATION

I HEREBY AFFIRM UNDER THE PENALTIES FOR PERJURY THAT THE FACTS

AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE FOREGOING BID FOR LEAD AGENCY ARE TRUE AND CORRECT.

Signed by: ______Position: ______

Dated this ______day of ______, ______

Witnessedby:______

Acknowledgement

STATE OF:______

COUNTY OF:______

Before me, Notary Public, personally appeared the above and swore that the statements contained in the foregoing document are true and correct.

Subscribed and sworn this the ______day of ______2016

______

Notary Public Signature

My Commission Expires: ______

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