Business Consultants to Assist with Financing Applicants

The Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA) requests qualifications from individuals and consulting firms (Consultant) to provide pre‐loan and post‐loan assistance to businesses going through the URA’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) loan process.  Specifically, respondents to this RFQ should have experience assisting businesses who are growing or starting a home-based childcare business.

The URA plans to select one (1) or more respondents to be part of an approved list of Consultants to provide pre‐and post‐loan assistance to businesses in CIE’s portfolio. Each approved Consultant will remain on the list for one year from the date of approval by the URA’s Board of Directors. The term may be extended at the discretion of the URA. The work required will be on an as‐needed basis.

The URA is the City of Pittsburgh’s (City) economic development agency, committed to creating jobs, expanding the City’s tax base and improving the vitality of businesses and neighborhoods. Incorporated in 1946 as one of the first redevelopment authorities in the United States, the URA achieves this mission by assembling, preparing, and conveying sites for major mixed‐use developments; and by providing a portfolio of programs that include financing for business location, relocation and expansion, housing construction and rehabilitation, and home purchases and improvements. The URA conducts these activities using unique powers granted by the Commonwealth’s Urban Redevelopment Law to deploy and attach conditions to the use of public subsidies and the disposition of publicly owned land.

Due to the URA’s mandate and a citywide push to expand economic opportunity throughout the City, CIE works extensively with entrepreneurs and small to medium‐sized businesses to help them start and grow their businesses

The URA seeks to provide additional business assistance to entrepreneurs and businesses utilizing its financing programs. This will enable CIE to provide comprehensive financial services and to help businesses have strong applications and sustainability.

To effectively accomplish its objectives, the URA is soliciting information from qualified parties to assist existing and emerging child care providers in navigating the Standards, Training/Professional Development, Assistance, Resources, and Supports (STARS) system, state and federal regulations, and compliance concerns.   

Experience, training, and expertise are required in the following areas: Deep understanding of the childcare industry, including regulations and compliance concerns; early childhood learning; and developing Group Child Care Homes and Family Child Care Homes as defined below.

• Group Child Care Home: A child care facility serving 7 to 12 children of various ages or 7 to 15 children, 5 years old to 15 years old, wherein such children are not related to the caregiver.
• Family Child Care Home: A child care facility, operated out of a home, where 4 to 6 children, who are not related to the caregiver, receive child care.

Compensation will be $65/hr.

Applicants should reference one (1) or more of the areas below in their submission.

• PA state childcare licensing process
• State Inspection process and requirements
• Keystone STARS initiative
• Regulations for children with disabilities
• PA Child Care Works- Subsidized Child Care
• City of Pittsburgh zoning and permitting process
• Early childhood education and curriculum development Accessing state and various funding sources

1. One (1) electronic copy of respondent’s qualifications
2. Please limit total submission to ten (10) pages or less
3. Title page that includes the Consultant’s name, a contact person, and contact information.
4. Table of Contents
5. Qualifications:
   Please respond to the following sections, clearly marking them accordingly. If you are unable to provide a response to a particular question, leave the section blank. Please do not provide any information other than what is specifically requested.
   1. Experience - Briefly describe similar consulting work you or your firm has completed.
   2. Organization Profile
      Provide a brief profile of your firm using the format below:
      1. Total number of employees
      2. Hourly rate charged for technical assistance services. The respondent shall submit with its proposal.
      3. Resumes of Consultant(s) to provide the service
      4. Certifications and/or Licenses
   3. References – Provide three (3) references from entities or business clients that have worked with you or your firm on similar projects. Include the reference’s name, title, address, direct telephone number, and email address.
   4. Primary Qualification – Provide a brief narrative that explains why you are, or your firm is qualified to provide the scope of services discussed above.
6. Minority and Women‐Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Narrative – State, as succinctly as possible, how your firm will incorporate MWBE participation on the contract should it be awarded to you or your firm. MWBE participation can be satisfied by working with:
   MBE or WBE owned firms, suppliers, or subconsultants
   If you are using an MBE or WBE subconsultant or partner to perform any part of this work, list the business name, type, address, and owner information.
7. Other Information – Please provide any other information you believe is pertinent to the URA’s consideration of your firm. Please limit your response to this question to no more than two (2) pages.

Inquiries related to this RFQ are to be directed by email to:

Lynnette Morris
lmorris@ura.org

Inquiries related to MWBE participation are to be directed by email to:

Lisa Moses
mwbe@ura.org

The respondent should submit one (1) electronic copy delivered in PDF format via email, CD or flash drive to:

Lynnette Morris
Administrative Assistant
Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
412 Boulevard of Allies, Suite 901
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
lmorris@ura.org

• The qualifications review committee will consist of relevant staff from the URA’s Business Solutions Department and relevant URA senior leadership.
• The qualifications review committee will check responses against mandatory criteria.
• Formal interviews with respondents may be scheduled at the discretion of the qualifications review committee.
• During the evaluation process, the URA reserves the right to request additional information or clarifications from the respondents or to allow or waive corrections, errors or omissions.
• A qualification review committee will review each response submitted and shall recommend to the URA Board of Directors a list of respondents based upon their responses to this RFQ.

1. Experience:
   1. The respondent’s experience in providing services like those within the Scope of Services described herein.
   2. The quality of the respondent’s management, reputation and references.
   3. Respondent should have at least 3‐5 years of experience providing the services specified in its response.
2. Quality of Submission
   1. The quality of the submission and the degree to which it demonstrates a full understanding of the ability to perform the services to be rendered.
   2. The content of the response should demonstrate the respondent’s full understanding of the Objectives, along with supporting documentation.
3. MWBE participation on the contract or if the respondent is a MWBE

1. The respondent, including any and all team members, must have no conflict of interest with regard to any other work performed by the respondent   for the URA or any related entity.
2. The respondent must adhere to the instructions contained in this RFQ in preparing the submitted proposal.

The URA intends to select one (1) or more respondents based upon information in the response to the RFQ submitted by the respondents. The selected respondent(s) will be chosen on the basis of the selection criteria listed above. The URA reserves the right to verify the accuracy of all information submitted.  

The URA shall be the sole judge as to which respondent(s) meet the selection criteria. The URA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any or all responses received, to waive any submission requirements contained within this RFQ, and to waive any irregularities in any submitted response.

Instructions for Registering on Public Purchase
MWBE Narrative Requirements