Grants Consultant Services

The City of East Orange, New Jersey, is actively soliciting proposals for comprehensive Grants Consultant Services through a competitive contracting process. The primary objective is to enhance the City's capacity for grants management and to significantly increase its acquisition of various funding opportunities. The scope of work for this critical project includes identifying and securing grants for diverse municipal initiatives such as infrastructure investment, urban beautification projects, open space development, upgrades to educational facilities, and improvements to walkways and bikeways. This engagement requires a consultant to perform extensive grant research, identify potential funding sources from public, private, and corporate entities, track relevant state and federal opportunities, conduct on-site needs assessments, and attend necessary meetings. Furthermore, the successful proposer will be responsible for providing full grant writing services, including developing narratives, gathering statistical data, securing letters of support, preparing budgets, and managing final submissions for various City departments. Prospective contractors must provide a detailed qualification statement outlining the firm's principal activities, personnel count, and operational location, alongside a list of three client references for similar services, including contact information, project dates, costs, scope, and status. Key personnel involved in the project must also submit their identity and credentials. Compliance with New Jersey statutes is mandatory, encompassing Affirmative Action (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq., N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq.), Stockholder Disclosure (N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2), and the submission of a Non-Collusion Affidavit and a valid N.J. Business Registration Certificate. Additionally, successful firms must maintain Professional Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, along with general liability, workers' compensation, and automobile insurance. The consultant's office should be within a reasonable distance to East Orange, adequately staffed to ensure responsive service delivery. Sealed RFP responses are due on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, at 11:00 A.M. Bidders must submit one original and four copies of their proposal, along with one compact disk (CD) containing the submission, to the City of East Orange, Division of Procurement, located at 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ 07018. The submission package and envelope must be clearly marked with "GRANTS CONSULTANT SERVICES" and the responding firm's name. A non-refundable fee of $25 is required for RFP packets obtained physically. All questions regarding this solicitation should be directed to Lisa L. Jackson, Purchasing Agent, who can be reached at (973) 266-5162. No bid security or performance bonds are explicitly required; however, post-award insurance is a critical condition.