Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Established in 1998, Econometrica, Inc., is an economic research and analysis firm located in Bethesda, MD. For more than 20 years, the firm has provided research, data analytics, and management services to local, state, and federal government clients, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its grantees. Econometrica is requesting qualifications from firms and individuals interested in participating in our application in response to the HUD Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 and FY 2019 Community Compass Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) (Opportunity No. FR-6200-N-06).

For more information from HUD regarding the FY 2018 and FY 2019 NOFA, the full announcement is accessible here: https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SPM/documents/FR-6200-N-06-CCTA_CBP.pdf.

HUD’s NOFA invites competitive applications for 2 funding years, FY 2018 and FY 2019. Econometrica intends to request funding from both funding years.

Consultant/Contractor Partner RFQ Submission Deadline.

Complete responses to this Request for Quotation (RFQ), following the instructions for submission provided below, are due by January 31, 2019 at 5 p.m. ET.

If HUD extends the deadline for applications in response to its NOFA, the deadline for this RFQ will be extended.

Qualifications and Experience Required

In accordance with 2 CFR Part 200, Sections 200.317 through 200.326, Econometrica is providing in this RFQ a description of the technical requirements of functions to be performed or performance required, including the range of acceptable characteristics or minimum acceptable standards. The Community Compass initiative is designed to support HUD’s local and state grantees to address a range of challenges or obstacles to full program implementation. The goal of the technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives is to equip HUD’s grantees with the knowledge, skills, tools, organizational capacity, and systems to implement HUD programs and policies successfully and in compliance with state and federal rules, regulations, and program requirements. Therefore, Econometrica is searching for qualified firms and individuals who can provide experience and skills relevant to HUD programs, policies, systems, and initiatives.

• These programs, policies, systems, and initiatives include but are not limited to:
• Affordable housing, mixed finance (including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and Rental Assistance Demonstration), and homeownership.
• Community and economic development and, in particular, disaster resilience.
• Homelessness.
• Public housing operations and programs, including public housing accounting, Moving to Work, and Section 3.
• Choice Neighborhoods, Promise Zones and Opportunity Zones.
• Disaster Recovery Grant Reporting (DRGR), Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS), Line of Credit Control System (LOCCS), Section 3 Performance Evaluation and Registration System (SPEARS), Physical Needs Assessment (PNA), and Energy and Performance Information Center (EPIC).
• Supportive housing and services.
• Housing preservation, tenant participation, and capacity building.
• Policy Development and Research (PD&R).
• Fair housing, procurement, Davis-Bacon, energy and environment, and other cross-cutting requirements.

Evaluation Criteria

All submissions received will be reviewed against the following selection criteria:

• Experience and Technical Qualifications: The extent to which each respondent demonstrates skills and abilities related to the description above and acceptable past experience with Econometrica, as applicable.
• Rate Reasonableness: The extent to which rates are considered reasonable compared to the respondent’s experience and qualifications, market prices, and any rate limitations imposed by HUD. Before assigning a funded task, rates must be determined to be fair and reasonable. Respondents must be able to provide evidence of their past pattern of compensation. This evidence includes customary rates, including rates on nongovernment contracts or cooperative agreements.
• Debarment/Suspension Check: Potential consultants found to be suspended or debarred from federal government business will not be solicited for or awarded task orders. This status is verified by searching the System for Award Management: https://www.sam.gov.
• Small Business: Econometrica is committed to utilizing small disadvantaged businesses, minority-owned firms, American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned firms, veteran-owned firms, and women’s business enterprises whenever possible.

All consultants will be selected in compliance with the procurement procedures and standards codified in 2 CFR 200. Selection of consultants will be competitive, as required by 2 CFR § 200.320.

Qualified Applicants

Qualified individuals and organizations may be included in Econometrica’s application to the NOFA. Those included may also be asked to assist with contributing expert knowledge in areas of the application response.

Important Notes: As required by the NOFA (see Section III, Eligibility Information, Item C. Threshold Requirements, 3. Contractor/Consultant Restriction), any firm included as part of Econometrica’s application to this NOFA may not submit its own application to the NOFA. However, subcontractors and consultants may be included as such in more than one application. Qualified individuals and organizations included in Econometrica’s application will be notified in the event that Econometrica is awarded a cooperative agreement under this NOFA.

Due to the lapse in the FY 2019 Appropriations Bill funding HUD, the anticipated award date is uncertain at the time when Econometrica is issuing this RFQ; however the published NOFA projects successful applicants will be notified of an award in May 2019, with a projected 36-month (3 years) period of performance for the cooperative agreement award.

Being qualified and completing a signed quote/commitment or teaming agreement does not guarantee that the individual or firm will receive a funded assignment. Because HUD utilizes a demand-response system to provide technical assistance under cooperative agreements, Econometrica does not know at the time of application (and will not know at the time of award) the activities that it will be asked to carry out over the period of performance for a funded cooperative agreement. In the event of a fully funded award, Econometrica will issue task order assignments for services under the cooperative agreement and will consider those individuals and organizations included in Econometrica’s application to the NOFA as prequalified for these services. However, these prequalified individuals and organizations will not preclude additional individuals and organizations from qualifying during the new solicitation period.

When HUD requests services as part of the cooperative agreement, Econometrica will respond with staff members and consultants qualified to provide the services requested based on Econometrica’s determination concerning expertise, availability, rates, location (if a requirement), and other factors. Any specific work assigned to a consultant will be detailed in a task order assignment from Econometrica outlining specific actions required to meet the programmatic needs specified in the assignment received from HUD.

Instructions for Submission

1. Review and respond to our online Skills Questionnaire, accessible here: https://econometrica.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eIPol7yM03qEwp7.
   
   Note: We encourage you to complete the online Skills Questionnaire in one sitting. It is estimated to require at most 30 minutes to complete. If you are not able to complete the questionnaire, the system will store your partial response as long as you:
   •  Return to the questionnaire on the same computer and on the same web browser.
   •  Have not cleared your browser cookies.
2. Once you have completed the questionnaire, email your resume to Econometrica at: FY2019NOFA@EconometricaInc.com. Please use the subject line “Your Name – FY 2019 NOFA.”Note: The online Skills Questionnaire must be completed in its entirety, including the first page, which requests the following information:

1. Full legal name.
2. “Doing business as” name, if applicable.
3. Customary hourly rate.*
4. Address.
5. Phone number.
6. Email address.
7. Three professional references (nonfamilial and not an Econometrica staff person).

Note on hourly rates: Due to HUD restrictions on approval of hourly consultant rates, Econometrica may need to request additional documentation and rate justification from a consultant to provide to HUD for approval.

Questions and Inquiries

Respondents are encouraged to submit questions about this RFQ in writing to: FY2019NOFA@EconometricaInc.com. Please use the subject line “Your Name – FY 2019 NOFA Questions.”