PLEASE NOTE: As long as you are registered for this Request for Proposals (RFP), you will continue to receive these notices. If you do not plan to respond to this RFP, you can mark "No Bid" in the Housing Agency Marketplace. Once you have done so, you will no longer receive notices regarding this RFP.
For clarification, the billable hourly rate for Lot #2 is the “Temporary Help Agency Building & Grounds Specialist” position listed in RFP Attachment I, HUD Form 52158, Maintenance Wage Rate Decision.
Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) received the following questions from potential proposers. Below each question is MPHA’s response.
1. QUESTION. What is the estimated budget of the RFP? If unknown, please provide the previous spending?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. As detailed in the previous addendums, MPHA has not determined what the contract value will be at this point, but it will be commensurate to our historical annual spend. In 2019 MPHA spent approximately $220,000 for maintenance temporary services (Lot #2) and approximately $71,000 for clerical/administrative temporary employees (Lot #1).
2. QUESTION. How many awards does the MPHA plan to make?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. As detailed in the previous addendums, MPHA anticipates awarding to one contractor for each Lot. However, MPHA reserves the right to award to multiple firms if MPHA determines that such is in its best interests (see Section 9.5 of the RFP document).
3. QUESTION. How many temporaries are currently working under the current contract?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. As detailed in the previous addendums, MPHA typically has about 5-10 temporary employees per month for the clerical/administrative positions (Lot #1) and 5-10 per month for the maintenance positions (Lot #2). The factors that determine the number of temporary employees in any given month depends on the number of vacant positions, number of employees who may be out on FMLA or workers' compensation, and, in some instances, temporary employees are needed for special projects. These numbers can vary widely due to the circumstances at the time, however, the average of 5-10 for each Lot gives you an idea of how many we tend to have.
4. QUESITON. Is it possible for the MPHA to extend the due date?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. At this point in time, MPHA will not be extending the due date.
5. QUESTION. Please describe the issues/problems that the MPHA is facing under the current contract?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. MPHA does not publicly rate (positive or negative) its contractors.
6. QUESTION. What is the average length of the assignments?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. The average length of assignment is 90 days.
7. QUESTION. Is it acceptable if vendors take 1 M/WBE subcontractor to meet the total goal of 27% i.e. 20% of MBE and 7% of WBE?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. Yes.
8. QUESTION. Refer to Attachment B, it is mentioned that the 7% goal is set for Section 3. Do the vendors need to take a subcontractor to meet this goal?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. MPHA’s Section 3 goal is 10%. MPHA contractors are not required to subcontract, but we do look to our contractors to help us achieve the M/WBE and Section 3 contracting goals listed in Attachment B. If you do not plan to subcontract, you can also make note on the bottom of that form of other ways you will help MPHA achieve those goals. For example, the Section 3 goal can be achieved through hiring goals, i.e. having a workforce of at least 10% that qualifies for Section 3 (or the firm itself can qualify as Section 3 by having at least 30% of its workforce qualify for Section 3).
9. QUESTION. We are not able to find the solicitation on Housing Agency Marketplace “https://ha.internationaleprocurement.com/”. Please suggest?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. Please contact customer support at the Housing Agency Marketplace if you are having issues accessing the RFP. They can be reached at 1-866-526-9255 or support@internationaleprocurement.com.
10. QUESTION. Is it possible for the MPHA to accept the proposal over the email?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. No. Proposals must be submitted online in the Housing Agency Marketplace. Please contact the site’s customer support (their contact information is noted in MPHA’s response to the question above) if you need assistance submitting your proposal online.
11. QUESTION. Are we required to provide benefits to our Temporary Employees? If yes, what minimum benefits must we provide?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. MPHA does not require temporary service vendors to provide benefits to their employees, unless required by law. Please note, as a Minneapolis employer, MPHA is required to follow the Sick and Safe Ordinance for those employees who work in Minneapolis proper.
12. QUESTION. How does Minneapolis Public Housing Authority (MPHA) define markup% that we need to provide for Item# 1 & 6?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. Pricing Item Nos. 1 and 6 are the proposed percentage on top of the temporary employee’s hourly rate of pay that the vendor will charge to MPHA for these services.
13. QUESTION. In Attachment A, what information is MPHA expecting us to provide for 'State of Minnesota License Type and No.' and 'Federal License Type and No.'? Will we be disqualified if we could not provide the asked License(s) in the Attachment A? Can we leave these entries blank?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. Upon contract award, the successful proposer(s) will have to provide any required licenses that are needed to perform these services in the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and/or State of Minnesota, to include an active business filing with the Office of the Minnesota
Secretary of State as an LLC or corporation.
14. QUESTION. Is there any mandatory subcontracting goal(s) for this opportunity?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. See MPHA’S response to question #8 above.
15. QUESTION. We are an MBE certified firm from the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Can we self-perform the 20% business goal for minority-owned businesses mentioned in the Attachment 3?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. Yes.
16. QUESTION. Can you please provide us with the WBE and Section 3 business directory?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. MPHA’s current Section 3 List is attached to this addendum.
17. QUESTION. We are not a Section 3 business. Are we still required to submit Attachment 4 - Section 3 Self-Certification?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. No. Attachment C, Section 3 Self-Certification, is optional and does not need to be filled out and submitted if your firm does not qualify for Section 3 in any of the ways outlined on that form.
18. QUESTION. Are we required to submit the following with our proposal: 1) Affidavit of Compliance with HUD Determined Wage Rules (Attachment 6, Page# 25); 2) Page# 25 - Page# 31 (Attachment 6); 3) Certification of Payments to Influence Federal Transactions (Attachment 6, Page# 32); 4) Page# 33 (Attachment 6); 5) Page# 34 - Page# 36 (Attachment 6)?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. No. The documents in Attachment E are all sample contract documents that are provided for reference of what the ensuing contract will look like. The successful proposer(s) will execute the documents in Attachment E once notified by MPHA to do so as part of the contract award process.
19. QUESTION. Is MPHA requesting pricing only for the three positions mentioned in Attachment 7 & 8?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. No. While the positions listed in Attachments F and G are what MPHA most commonly uses a temporary employee service for, there may be other positions that are utilized.
20. QUESTION. What holidays does MPHA observe?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. MPHA’s official holidays are: Martin Luther King Day; Presidents Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veteran’s Day; Thanksgiving (and the day (Friday) immediately following); Christmas Day; and New Year’s Day.
21. QUESTION. What type of background checks are required by the MPHA?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. The background check requirements are detailed in Sections 5.1.6 - 5.1.8 of the RFP document.
22. QUESTION. Are there any mandated Paid Time Off, Vacation etc.?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. No. MPHA does not pay for any time that is not worked. Any paid time off benefits would be the responsibility of the vendor.
23. QUESTION. In section 8.0 and 8.1 there are Points values one says a total value of 100 points and the other 115 can you please explain how this works?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. 100 points is the total maximum number of points that a proposer may receive based on the evaluation factors that all firms will be evaluated on (Evaluation Factors Nos. 1-3, listed in Section 8.0 of the RFP document); a proposer may also receive additional points for a Section 3 preference if they qualify (as detailed in Section 8.1 of the RFP document) up to a maximum of 15 additional points. Therefore, the total maximum points a proposer could potentially receive, including the maximum number of additional Section 3 preference points, is 115 points.
24. QUESTION. Who is the current contractor providing these services and what are the current rates?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. As detailed in the previous addendums, the incumbent for clerical/administrative positions (Lot #1) is Nexpro Personnel Services, Inc. and the incumbent for maintenance positions (Lot #2) is Avenue Staffing, Inc. The current rates MPHA pays for clerical/administrative temporary employees is 42.3% above the temporary employee’s hourly rate of pay and $850.00 for the direct hire option. The current rates MPHA pays for maintenance temporary employees is 35% above the temporary employee’s hourly rate of pay and $1,000.00 for the direct hire option.
25. QUESTION. The pricing on lot 1 and lot 6 is that supposed to be 135,000/hours instead of dollars?
MPHA’S RESPONSE. No, dollars is the correct unit of measure for those pricing items. We give the estimated yearly dollar amounts for calculation purposes so we can compare the vendors’ proposed percentage mark-ups and to give proposers an idea of how much work MPHA anticipates having in a given year.
Thank you for your interest in this RFP and in doing business with our agency. We look forward to receiving a proposal from your firm.
