REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FINANCIAL PLANNING CONSULTANT

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FINANCIAL PLANNING CONSULTANT Proposals will be received until Friday, May 22, :00 p.m. CST

2 General Information Questions: All inquiries for information regarding this solicitation should be directed to: Rob Goldson at Due Date: Sealed proposals will be accepted through 4:00 p.m. CST on May 22, Failure to submit proposals to the correct location by the designated date and time will result in disqualification. Address: Proposals should be mailed or hand delivered to: Confluence Charter Schools, 611 N. 10 th Street, Suite 525, St. Louis, MO 63101, Attn: Rob Goldson. Company Information / Signature: In compliance with this Request for Proposal ( RFP ) and to all the conditions imposed therein and hereby incorporated by reference, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish the goods and services in accordance with the attached signed. FULL LEGAL NAME (PRINT) (Company name as it appears with your Federal Taxpayer Number) FEDERAL TAXPAYER NUMBER (ID#) BUSINESS NAME/DBA NAME/TA NAME (If different than the Full Legal Name) FEDERAL TAXPAYER NUMBER (If different than ID# above) BILLING NAME (Company name as it appears on your invoice) FEDERAL TAXPAYER NUMBER (If different than ID# above) PURCHASE ORDER ADDRESS PAYMENT ADDRESS CONTACT NAME/TITLE (PRINT) SIGNATURE (IN INK) DATE ADDRESS TELEPHONE NUMBER TOLL FREE TELEPHONE NUMBER FAX NUMBER TO RECEIVE E-PROCUREMENT ORDERS Page 2 of 11

3 I. Overview: The Board of Directors of Confluence Charter Schools desires to contract with a Financial Consultant to assist them in creating, facilitating, and executing a financial review and plan for the Confluence Charter Schools. The contract will last approximately three months, beginning June 1, 2015 and is further described below. Additionally, Confluence has the right to negotiate each project separately, so along with providing a total project cost, each scope of work (A E) listed below should be bid on separately. II. Background: Confluence Charter Schools is a non-profit, public charter school system that strives to provide the highest quality pre-collegiate education to students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Sponsored by the University of Missouri - Columbia and Saint Louis University, Confluence Charter Schools is governed by an independent board of directors. Since its establishment in 2003, Confluence has grown as a public charter school from one campus and 245 students to a network of five schools serving more than 3,500 students. In its eleven year history, Confluence has become one of the city and state s largest and most innovative network of public charter schools. III. Vendor Information: Respondents to this RFP are requested to provide the following information: A. Location of corporate office and office that will provide services B. Total number of employees C. Length of time the company has been in business D. Length of time the company has provided consulting services E. Core business F. Other business models of interest G. Strategic alliances with other consultants to fulfill business needs, if applicable H. Current or pending litigations or investigations that may have a material effect on your business I. Turnover in ownership or management in the last two years J. Indicate whether the company is a small business, women-owned, and/or minority owned K. Any potential conflicts of interest that could preclude the firm from providing an unbiased and independent report IV. Scope of Work: The Board of Directors of Confluence Charter Schools desires to contract with a Financial Consultant who will assist the Board in creating, facilitating, and executing a financial review as well as a financial strategic plan, including fundraising, that incorporates the relationships each of the schools have with one another. The consultant shall demonstrate the ability to deliver the following services/projects: A. Help analyze existing and potential federal, state, local and private revenues, as well as review utilization of current assets to generate additional funding streams (Sun Theater). B. Perform a comprehensive cost review to ensure funds are being spent in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Review key financial metrics vs industry standards and/or benchmark institutions to support findings. C. Review staffing at the buildings, as well as Resource Office, to determine adequacy of personnel levels and relative cost/benefit to the organization. Additionally, determine the Page 3 of 11

4 viability of leveraging the Resource Office by possibly offering its suite of back-office services to other charter schools (at a marginal profit). D. Review the dual local education agencies (LEA) and determine the ideal organizational structure that would most benefit the five (5) schools, as well as determine how best to resolve the existing LEA to LEA loan balance. E. Develop a short and long-term facilities financing plan intended to lead the organization through the process of raising funds to purchase buildings and/or propose alternative ideas or suggestions. Additionally, consultant should guide and support the implementation of the financial planning framework: 1. Support the ad hoc financial planning committee in gathering and organizing internal and external environmental assessments. 2. Help communicate the work and outcomes of the financial planning committee 3. Keep the process on track, on time, and on budget. Finally, consultant should author the report with guidance and assistance of the committee and develop an outcomes-based dashboard to track progress. V. Proposal Preparation and Submission: A. General Requirements 1. Response In order to be considered for selection, offerors must submit a complete response to this RFP. One original and five (5) copies of each proposal must be submitted to: Confluence Charter Schools, 611 N. 10 th Street, Suite 525, St. Louis, MO 63101, Attn: Rob Goldson 2. Proposal Preparation a. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the offeror. All information requested should be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in Confluence Charter Schools requiring prompt submission of missing information and/or giving a lowered evaluation of the proposal. Proposals which are substantially incomplete or lack key information may be rejected by Confluence Charter Schools at its discretion. b. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. c. Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in the RFP. All pages of the proposal should be numbered. The proposal should contain a table of contents which cross references the RFP requirements. Information which the offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirements of the RFP should be inserted at an appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and designated as additional material. Proposals that are not organized in this manner risk elimination from consideration if the evaluators are unable to find where the RFP requirements are specifically addressed. d. Each copy of the proposal should be bound in a single volume where practical. All documentation submitted with the proposal should be bound in that single volume. Page 4 of 11

5 e. Ownership of all data, material, and documentation originated and prepared for Confluence Charter Schools pursuant to the RFP shall belong exclusively to Confluence Charter Schools and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Missouri Sunshine Laws. 3. Oral Presentation: Offerors who submit a proposal to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation of their proposal to Confluence Charter Schools. This will provide an opportunity for the offeror to clarify or elaborate on the proposal but will in no way change the original proposal. Confluence will schedule the time and location of these presentations. Oral presentations are an option of Confluence Charter Schools and may not be conducted. Therefore, proposals should be complete. B. Specific Requirements: Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that Confluence Charter Schools may properly evaluate your capabilities to provide the required services. Offerors are required to submit the following information/items as a complete proposal: 1. Plan outlining review process and criteria to be used to base suggested improvements 2. Pricing for all items to be billed and payment information (see attachment C) 3. Describe qualifications and experience in providing educational consulting services as it relates to financial strategic planning 4. Response to Section III, Vendor Information 5. Response to Section IV, Scope of Work 6. Indicate if you re a small, women-owned, and/or minority-owned business, or if the normal course of business includes associates, sub-contractors, etc., of small, women-owned, and/or minority-owned businesses 7. Provide four references, including educational or governmental, for whom you have provided the type of services described herein. Include the date(s) the services were provided, the client s name, address, and the name and phone number of the individual Confluence Charter Schools has your permission to contact VI. Selection Criteria and Award: A. Confluence Charter Schools intends to select the qualified provider based on a balanced evaluation of several critical factors. A complete, detailed, and comprehensive proposal submission is essential to this assessment. Incomplete or inaccurate proposal submissions will be eliminated from consideration. Review criteria will include all items described above and will be required to be provided in the proposal. B. Award: Confluence Charter Schools shall select the offeror which, in its opinion, has made the best proposal, and shall award the contract to that offeror. Confluence reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any irregularities or incompleteness in any proposal and to award the proposals as the Board determines in the best interests of Confluence. Confluence may cancel this Request for Proposal at any time prior to an award. The award document will be a contract incorporating by reference all the requirements, terms, and conditions of this solicitation and the contractor's proposal as negotiated. See Attachment B for sample contract form. The award is set to be made by May 22, 2015, with a start date of June 1, Page 5 of 11

6 VII. Contract Administration: Any changes in the services which alter the concept or which call for an extension of time for this contract and any modifications made must be authorized by the Board of Directors. VIII. Terms and Conditions: This solicitation and any resulting contract/purchase order shall be governed by the attached terms and conditions. IX. Attachments: A. Terms and Conditions B. Standard Contract Form C. Pricing Structure and Terms Page 6 of 11

7 ATTACHMENT A TERMS AND CONDITIONS RFP General Terms and Conditions See Attachment B Special Terms and Conditions SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. AUDIT: The contractor hereby agrees to retain all books, records, and other documents relative to this contract for five (5) years after final payment, or until audited by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), whichever is sooner. Confluence Charter Schools, its authorized agents, and/or the State auditors shall have full access and the right to examine any of the said materials during said period. 2. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: It is understood and agreed between the parties herein that Confluence Charter Schools shall be bound hereunder only to the extent of the funds available or which may hereafter become available for the purpose of this agreement. 3. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: Confluence Charter Schools reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon 60 days written notice to the contractor. In the event the initial contract period is for more than 12 months, the resulting contract may be terminated by either party, without penalty, after the initial 12 months of the contract period upon 60 days written notice to the other party. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation. 4. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: The contract entered into by the parties shall consist of the Request for Proposal including all modifications thereof, the proposal submitted by the contractor, the written results of negotiations, the Confluence Standard Contract Form, all of which shall be referred to collectively as the contract documents. In the event of any conflict, the Confluence Standard Contract Form shall govern. 5. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: The contractor shall not be an employee of Confluence Charter Schools, but shall be an independent contractor. Nothing in this agreement shall be construed as authority for the contractor to make commitments which shall bind Confluence Charter Schools, or to otherwise act on behalf of Confluence, except as Confluence may expressly authorize in writing. Page 7 of 11

8 6. INSURANCE: By signing and submitting a proposal under this solicitation, the offeror certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have the following insurance coverages at the time the work commences. Additionally, it will maintain these during the entire term of the contract and that all insurance coverages will be provided by insurance companies authorized to sell insurance in Missouri. During the period of the contract, Confluence Charter Schools reserves the right to require the contractor to furnish certificates of insurance for the coverage required. INSURANCE COVERAGES AND LIMITS REQUIRED: A. Worker's Compensation - Statutory requirements and benefits. B. Employers Liability - $100, C. General Liability - $500, combined single limit. Confluence Charter Schools and the Confluence Board of Directors shall be named as an additional insured with respect to goods/services being procured. This coverage is to include Premises/Operations Liability, Products and Completed Operations Coverage, Independent Contractor's Liability, Owner's and Contractor's Protective Liability and Personal Injury Liability. D. Automobile Liability - $500, E. Professional Liability to include errors and omissions- $500,000.00/occurrence. The contractor agrees to be responsible for, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Confluence Charter Schools, its officers, agents, and employees from the payment of all sums of money by reason of any claim against them arising out of any and all occurrences resulting in bodily or mental injury or property damage that may happen to occur in connection with and during the performance of the contract, including but not limited to claims under the Worker's Compensation Act. The contractor agrees that it will, at all times, after the completion of the work, be responsible for, indemnify, defend and hold harmless Confluence Charter Schools, its officers, agents, and employees from all liabilities resulting from bodily or mental injury or property damage directly or indirectly arising out of the performance or nonperformance of the contract. 7. MINORITY-OWNED AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES SUBCONTRACTING AND REPORTING: Where it is practicable for any portion of the awarded contract to be subcontracted to other suppliers, the contractor is encouraged to offer such business to minority and/or women-owned businesses. When such business has been subcontracted to these firms and upon completion of the contract, the contractor agrees to furnish the purchasing office the following information: name of firm, phone number, total dollar amount subcontracted, and type of product/service provided. 8. NOTICES: Any notices to be given by either party to the other pursuant to any contract resulting from this solicitation shall be in writing, hand delivered, or mailed to the address of the respective party. 9. PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: Any proposal received in response to this solicitation shall be valid for 120 days. At the end of the 120 days the proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the offeror. If the proposal is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is cancelled. Page 8 of 11

9 10. PRIME CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES: The contractor shall be responsible for completely supervising and directing the work under this contract and all subcontractors that he/she may utilize, using their best skill and attention. Subcontractors who perform work under this contract shall be responsible to the prime contractor. The contractor agrees that he/she is as fully responsible for the acts and omissions of their subcontractors and of persons employed by them as they are for the acts and omissions of their own employees. 11. PROPOSAL PRICES: Proposal shall be in the form of a firm unit price for each item or service during the contract period and at a fixed rate for hourly work. 12. QUANTITIES: Quantities set forth in this solicitation are estimates only, and the contractor shall supply at proposal prices actual quantities as ordered, regardless of whether such total quantities are more or less than those shown. 13. RENEWAL OF CONTRACT: This contract may be renewed by Confluence Charter Schools upon written agreement of both parties, only under the terms and conditions of the original contract except as stated in A and B below. Price increases may be negotiated only at the time of renewal. Written notice of Confluence's intention to renew shall be given prior to the expiration date of each contract period. A. If Confluence Charter Schools elects to exercise the option to renew the contract, the contract price(s) shall not exceed the contract prices of the original contract increased/decreased by no more than the percentage increase/ decrease of the other services category of the CPI-W section of the Consumer Price Index of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for the latest twelve months for which statistics are available. B. If during any subsequent renewal period Confluence Charter Schools elects to exercise the option to renew the contract, the contract price(s) for the subsequent renewal period shall not exceed the contract price(s) of the previous renewal period increased/decreased by more than the percentage increase/decrease of the other services category of the CPI-W section for the Consumer Price Index of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics for the latest twelve months for which statistics are available. 14. COMMUNICATIONS: Communications regarding this RFP shall be formal from the date of issue for this RFP, until either a contractor has been selected or the Confluence Board of Directors rejects all proposals. Formal communications will be directed to the Board. Informal communications, including but not limited to, request for information, comments or speculations regarding this RFP to any school employee other than a Board of Directors representative may result in the offending offeror s proposal being rejected. 15. SEVERAL LIABILITY: Confluence Charter Schools will be severally liable to the extent of its purchases made against any contract resulting from this solicitation. 16. EVERIFY: Contractor shall provide such evidence and documentation of Everify compliance as is required by Confluence. Page 9 of 11

10 ATTACHMENT B STANDARD CONTRACT FORM (REFERENCE ONLY) CONFLUENCE CHARTER SCHOOLS STANDARD CONTRACT Contract Number: This contract entered into this day of 20, by, hereinafter called the "Contractor" and Confluence Charter Schools called "Confluence." WITNESSETH that the Contractor and Confluence, in consideration of the mutual covenants, promises, and agreements herein contained, agrees as follows: SCOPE OF CONTRACT: The Contractor shall provide the to Confluence as set forth in the contract documents. PERIOD OF CONTRACT: From through. COMPENSATION AND METHOD OF PAYMENT: The Contractor shall by paid by Confluence in accordance with the contract documents. CONTRACT DOCUMENT: The contract documents shall consist of this signed contract, Request For Proposal dated, together with all written modifications thereof and the proposal submitted by the Contractor dated and the Contractor's letter dated, all of which contract documents are incorporated herein. In WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Contract to be duly executed intending to be bound thereby. Contractor: Confluence Charter Schools By: By: Title: Title: Page 10 of 11

11 ATTACHMENT C PRICING STRUCTURE & TERMS As part of pricing, please list all items effecting pricing separately, such as: 1) Hourly rate 2) Cost for supplies 3) Travel costs 4) Other items that might be charged Please note: A listing of hours approved and signed off on should be forwarded to accounts payable for processing. Checks will be processed every two weeks. Page 11 of 11