Arlington County Government Sealed Solicitation
Title: 24-DHS-RFP-169 Emergency Financial Assistance Payment Processing Services
Deadline: 6/30/2023 1:00 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Status: Awarded
Solicitation Number: 24-DHS-RFP-169
Description: The County is seeking to obtain the services of a qualified contractor(s) to provide high-volume payment processing services to Arlington residents eligible for emergency financial assistance by issuing checks and providing gift cards on behalf of Arlington County
Pre-Bid Meeting Date: 6/9/2023 10:30 AM
Pre-Bid Meeting Details: Please sign up if you plan to attend the pre-bid meeting.
Documents:
| Documents as of 6/1/2023 |
|---|
| Final RFP No. 24-DHS-RFP-169 Emergency Financial Assistance Payment Processing Services.pdf |
| Proposal Form Submittal.pdf |
Addition 1
Posted: 6/9/2023
Type of Addition: 24-DHS-RFP-169 Meeting Notes and Sign-in sheet
Overview: Nonmandatory Preproposal Conference meeting minutes and sign-in sheet.
Documents:
Addition 2
Posted: 6/15/2023
Type of Addition: Addendum No. 1
Overview: Addendum No. 1 corrects the proposal due date from June 29th to June 30th.
Documents:
Addition 3
Posted: 6/30/2023
Type of Addition: In Review
Addition 4
Posted: 10/6/2023
Type of Addition: Notice of Award Information
Documents:
Question 1
Posted: 6/9/2023
Question: Hi there, thank you for all the detail in the Proposal. I have a question around the mention of 'separate bank accounts' on page 9 under 'General Requirements' and also mentioned other places. Is the County wanting each programme to have separate bank accounts to hold funds? So one each for Emergency Needs Funds, Permanent Supportive Housing Program, Compensation of People with Lived Experience and Childcare Payments. So that is 4 bank accounts total? Or is is 1 account with 4 sub-accounts for example? Any clarity around bank accounts would be super helpful. Many thanks, Grace, ESTHER International
Response: Subaccounts are acceptable as long as everything, including payments out and interest in, can be tracked separately for each.
Question 2
Posted: 6/9/2023
Question: On page 8 it mentions that 'The County may award a contract to multiple contractors'. Does this mean you need to meet the full scope to apply? If you can fulfil part of the scope can you apply?
Response: No, the firm does not need to meet the full scope to apply. The firm must meet the requirements for the Scope of Work the firm is responding to.
Question 3
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: What is the total dollar amount of the funds to be distributed? What is the total number of payments to be distributed? Can you clarify “gift cards”? Do you define this the same as prepaid debit cards? What is the estimated start date of the project? What is the desired go live date for the project? In what form will the resident data for payments to be issued be provided to the Contractor? What solution does the County use to collect application data for named programs?
Response: 1. Question: What is the total dollar amount of the funds to be distributed? Answer: The County does not disclose its budget amount. 2. Question: What is the total number of payments to be distributed? Answer: Per the RFP, the County requests approximately 5,000 payments per year. 3. Question: Can you clarify “gift cards”? Answer: Any cards requested by DHS for various purposes. E.g. gas cards or Target gift cards for clients. 4. Question: Do you define this the same as prepaid debit cards? Answer: No, The County does not want clients to have access to spend the funds anywhere. 5. Question: What is the estimated start date of the project? Answer: The County anticipates Fall 2023. 6. Question: What is the desired go-live date for the project? Answer: The County anticipates Fall 2023. 7. Question: In what form will the resident data for payments to be issued be provided to the Contractor? Answer: Resident data for payments may be through an online referral form to be developed or an MS Excel spreadsheet emailed to the contractor via encrypted email. 8. Question: What solution does the County use to collect application data for named programs? Answer: The County uses various systems of record currently to collect application data, including Efforts to Outcomes (ETO), an internal PowerApps database, and Yardi. Any data shared with the Contractor will be done so via MS Excel and encrypted emails.
Question 4
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: Can you please clarify when the proposal is due? The first page of the RFP states: "Electronic sealed proposals will be received by Arlington County via Vendor Registry until 1:00pm, on the 29th Day of June 2023." Page 4 states: June 30, 2023 at 1:00pm Thank you,
Response: The Proposal Due Date is June 30, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. An addendum is forthcoming to correct the date.
Question 5
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: Would the county consider a cure date of 30 days instead of the listed 15?
Response: As per the solicitation, all exceptions to the County's Sample contract will need to be in the Offeror's response with justification. All exceptions of the nonmandatory terms and conditions of the sample contract will be discussed during the negotiation phase with the top two Offerors.
Question 6
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: 1. Banking institution a) Does the county have a preferred bank or is that for us as a prime contractor to subcontract? 2. Payments a) Payments are by check or gift card. Is ACH an option? b) Would the Project Officer have a stock and call us to activate? c) Would we have the stock and mail them out? d) Is it a one-time use gift card? e) Does the recipient have a secure, valid address to receive mailed checks and/or gift cards? 3. Online ordering a) What are examples of items we would be ordering? b) Would it be from a specified site? c) Would it be up to us to find the best deal and have it shipped? d) What are the parameters for ordering?
Response: Question 1. Banking institution a) Does the county have a preferred bank or is that for us as a prime contractor to subcontract? Answer: The County does not have a preferred bank; the Contractor can use a bank of its choice. There would be no subcontract with a bank. The Contractor must have a bank account to receive funds and make payments. Question 2. Payments a) Payments are by check or gift card. Is ACH an option? Answer: ACH should be the first option, then check. Gift card is not a form of payment, but we do distribute. b) Would the Project Officer have a stock and call us to activate? Answer: Yes c) Would we have the stock and mail them out? Answer: The Contractor must maintain a stock of gift cards to be able to provide up to 25 gift cards within one business day to a County Project Officer upon request. The Contractor can mail the gift cards to us, but we will not mail them to clients. d) Is it a one-time use gift card? Answer: Yes e) Does the recipient have a secure, valid address to receive mailed checks and/or gift cards? Answer: Yes. The recipient is not the client, it is usually a property owner or business Question 3. Online ordering a) What are examples of items we would be ordering? Answer: During the pandemic, we ordered car seats online b) Would it be from a specified site? Answer: The item is selected by County staff and all the Contractor has to do is pay for it c) Would it be up to us to find the best deal and have it shipped? Answer: The item is selected by County staff and all the Contractor has to do is pay for it d) What are the parameters for ordering? Answer: The item is selected by County staff and all the Contractor has to do is pay for it
Posted: 6/9/2023
Type of Addition: 24-DHS-RFP-169 Meeting Notes and Sign-in sheet
Overview: Nonmandatory Preproposal Conference meeting minutes and sign-in sheet.
Documents:
Posted: 6/15/2023
Type of Addition: Addendum No. 1
Overview: Addendum No. 1 corrects the proposal due date from June 29th to June 30th.
Documents:
Posted: 6/30/2023
Type of Addition: In Review
Posted: 10/6/2023
Type of Addition: Notice of Award Information
Documents:
Posted: 6/9/2023
Question: Hi there, thank you for all the detail in the Proposal. I have a question around the mention of 'separate bank accounts' on page 9 under 'General Requirements' and also mentioned other places. Is the County wanting each programme to have separate bank accounts to hold funds? So one each for Emergency Needs Funds, Permanent Supportive Housing Program, Compensation of People with Lived Experience and Childcare Payments. So that is 4 bank accounts total? Or is is 1 account with 4 sub-accounts for example? Any clarity around bank accounts would be super helpful. Many thanks, Grace, ESTHER International
Response: Subaccounts are acceptable as long as everything, including payments out and interest in, can be tracked separately for each.
Posted: 6/9/2023
Question: On page 8 it mentions that 'The County may award a contract to multiple contractors'. Does this mean you need to meet the full scope to apply? If you can fulfil part of the scope can you apply?
Response: No, the firm does not need to meet the full scope to apply. The firm must meet the requirements for the Scope of Work the firm is responding to.
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: What is the total dollar amount of the funds to be distributed? What is the total number of payments to be distributed? Can you clarify “gift cards”? Do you define this the same as prepaid debit cards? What is the estimated start date of the project? What is the desired go live date for the project? In what form will the resident data for payments to be issued be provided to the Contractor? What solution does the County use to collect application data for named programs?
Response: 1. Question: What is the total dollar amount of the funds to be distributed? Answer: The County does not disclose its budget amount. 2. Question: What is the total number of payments to be distributed? Answer: Per the RFP, the County requests approximately 5,000 payments per year. 3. Question: Can you clarify “gift cards”? Answer: Any cards requested by DHS for various purposes. E.g. gas cards or Target gift cards for clients. 4. Question: Do you define this the same as prepaid debit cards? Answer: No, The County does not want clients to have access to spend the funds anywhere. 5. Question: What is the estimated start date of the project? Answer: The County anticipates Fall 2023. 6. Question: What is the desired go-live date for the project? Answer: The County anticipates Fall 2023. 7. Question: In what form will the resident data for payments to be issued be provided to the Contractor? Answer: Resident data for payments may be through an online referral form to be developed or an MS Excel spreadsheet emailed to the contractor via encrypted email. 8. Question: What solution does the County use to collect application data for named programs? Answer: The County uses various systems of record currently to collect application data, including Efforts to Outcomes (ETO), an internal PowerApps database, and Yardi. Any data shared with the Contractor will be done so via MS Excel and encrypted emails.
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: Can you please clarify when the proposal is due? The first page of the RFP states: "Electronic sealed proposals will be received by Arlington County via Vendor Registry until 1:00pm, on the 29th Day of June 2023." Page 4 states: June 30, 2023 at 1:00pm Thank you,
Response: The Proposal Due Date is June 30, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. An addendum is forthcoming to correct the date.
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: Would the county consider a cure date of 30 days instead of the listed 15?
Response: As per the solicitation, all exceptions to the County's Sample contract will need to be in the Offeror's response with justification. All exceptions of the nonmandatory terms and conditions of the sample contract will be discussed during the negotiation phase with the top two Offerors.
Posted: 6/15/2023
Question: 1. Banking institution a) Does the county have a preferred bank or is that for us as a prime contractor to subcontract? 2. Payments a) Payments are by check or gift card. Is ACH an option? b) Would the Project Officer have a stock and call us to activate? c) Would we have the stock and mail them out? d) Is it a one-time use gift card? e) Does the recipient have a secure, valid address to receive mailed checks and/or gift cards? 3. Online ordering a) What are examples of items we would be ordering? b) Would it be from a specified site? c) Would it be up to us to find the best deal and have it shipped? d) What are the parameters for ordering?
Response: Question 1. Banking institution a) Does the county have a preferred bank or is that for us as a prime contractor to subcontract? Answer: The County does not have a preferred bank; the Contractor can use a bank of its choice. There would be no subcontract with a bank. The Contractor must have a bank account to receive funds and make payments. Question 2. Payments a) Payments are by check or gift card. Is ACH an option? Answer: ACH should be the first option, then check. Gift card is not a form of payment, but we do distribute. b) Would the Project Officer have a stock and call us to activate? Answer: Yes c) Would we have the stock and mail them out? Answer: The Contractor must maintain a stock of gift cards to be able to provide up to 25 gift cards within one business day to a County Project Officer upon request. The Contractor can mail the gift cards to us, but we will not mail them to clients. d) Is it a one-time use gift card? Answer: Yes e) Does the recipient have a secure, valid address to receive mailed checks and/or gift cards? Answer: Yes. The recipient is not the client, it is usually a property owner or business Question 3. Online ordering a) What are examples of items we would be ordering? Answer: During the pandemic, we ordered car seats online b) Would it be from a specified site? Answer: The item is selected by County staff and all the Contractor has to do is pay for it c) Would it be up to us to find the best deal and have it shipped? Answer: The item is selected by County staff and all the Contractor has to do is pay for it d) What are the parameters for ordering? Answer: The item is selected by County staff and all the Contractor has to do is pay for it