PROFESSIONAL LEGAL COUNSEL FOR FEDERAL & STATE GRANTS AND FUNDS

The City of Bayonne, New Jersey, is soliciting qualifications and proposals from professional/consulting/extraordinary unspecifiable services providers for specialized legal counsel regarding federal and state grants and funds. This Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/RFP) seeks to appoint special legal counsel to assist the City in its efforts to secure and participate in various federal and state grant, loan, and loan guarantee programs. The primary objective is to facilitate the financing of projects deemed valuable to the City and its residents, ensuring strategic access to external funding opportunities. The scope of work involves providing expert legal guidance and representation throughout the application, compliance, and management phases of these critical funding initiatives. The resulting contract will be for a period not exceeding one year from the effective contract date, establishing a foundational partnership for navigating complex governmental funding landscapes. Prospective contractors must meet stringent qualification requirements, including being licensed to practice law in both the State of New Jersey and the District of Columbia for a minimum of ten years prior to appointment. Furthermore, respondents must be eligible to appear before all relevant federal and administrative offices and agencies. Submissions should detail any specialized services offered to municipal clients, provide a comprehensive list of all past and present municipal clients, and highlight any specific experience or knowledge pertinent to matters directly affecting the City of Bayonne. Mandatory insurance provisions require Workers' Compensation, General Liability with limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, Automotive Liability with identical limits, and Professional Liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence, which must be claims-based. All required insurance coverage must be maintained throughout the contract life, and certificates naming the City as an additional insured must be submitted or certification of ability to obtain upon award. Interested professional service providers are required to submit sealed proposals, which must include "The Standardized Professional/Consulting/Extraordinary Unspecifiable Service RFQ/RFP SUBMISSION FORMS" and adhere to the "General Instructions, Submission and Selection Criteria for Professional/Consulting/Extraordinary Unspecifiable Service Contracts." These standardized documents are accessible on the City of Bayonne's website (http://www.BayonneNJ.org) under the RFQ/RFP section or physically obtainable from the City Law Department. Key submission components include a signed and dated Proposal, Qualifications and Costs Submission Form, a signed and notarized Non-Collusion Affidavit, a signed Disclosure of Ownership form, a Professional/Consulting/Extraordinary Unspecifiable Service Entity Information Form, a current NJ Business Registration Certificate, an NJ Certificate of Good Standing, and the Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran Form. All sealed responses must be delivered to the City Law Department, located at 630 Avenue C, 1st Floor, Room 15, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002, no later than December 11, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. prevailing time. A public opening of all proposals will take place at the City Council Chambers on December 11, 2023, at 12:00 p.m. The primary contact for questions and submissions is John F. Coffey II Esq., Law Director.