REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Summary

COST RECOVERY SERVICES City of Chicago Questions and Answers 1. Should Attachment I be completed for the firm overall and included in the proposal? Yes. 2. On #2 (c) Recommend Policy and Procedure Changes Needed to Maximize Cost Recovery for the City ...”negotiating proposals with grantors, and collecting funds”. What is the expectation for us on “collecting funds”? Are we teaching methods or doing the collection work directly?

Document text

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS 
COST RECOVERY SERVICES 
City of Chicago 
Questions and Answers 
 
1. Should Attachment I be completed for the firm overall and included in the 
proposal? 
Yes. 
 
2. On #2 (c) Recommend Policy and Procedure Changes Needed to Maximize Cost 
Recovery for the City ...”negotiating proposals with grantors, and collecting funds”. 
What is the expectation for us on “collecting funds”? Are we teaching methods or 
doing the collection work directly?  
Recommending business practices different than current City practice (as needed) for 
collecting funds in furtherance of maximizing collections. 
 
3. What is the expected term of this engagement, as their #3 indicates...”Help City staff 
prepare and review drawdowns and track cost recovery until funds are collected for 
the duration of the contract term. Do they mean our contract term or the term of 
the grant award? Do they have multiple year awarded grants?  
Potential term could be one year with two one-year extension options.  
 
4. Do they want us to develop collection policies and procedures?  
No, rather make recommendations as needed to improve current collection policies and 
procedures.  
 
5. What is the anticipated roll out of each item?  For example, we can start working 
with staff on their #3a, b, and start the discussion on how to approach c, without 
doing any of the draft cost allocation plan or draft Indirect rate.   That would ensure 
maximizing and collecting their current grants. Then the draft CAP and Indirect 
Rate could be provided and we would begin those associated discussions.  Or is the 
City expecting everything in one final product at the end of the engagement? 
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No order in mind. Starting with one might make sense so that the firm can familiarize 
itself with current City practice and data. However, 2 and 3 could be done in parallel.  
 
6. Can a copy of the most recent SEFA be provided? If not, how many active awards 
does the City currently have and what is the average award amount?  
All SEFA reports can be found here: 
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/supp_info/report_on_federalawards.html  
 
7. Can a copy of the most recent CAPs and indirect cost rate proposal be provided? 
These documents are not publicly available but will be provided during the phase 1 
discovery.  
 
8. How many central service departments are there? How many receiving departments 
are there? What is the total amount allocated and what methodology is used? Does 
the City do annual allocations and cross-bill departments? 
The City had 27 central service departments in its latest cost allocation plan. The City had 
38 receiving departments. A variety of methodologies are used for the cost allocation plan 
but salary and wage plus fringe is currently being used for the indirect cost rate proposals. 
The City does use this plan to cross-bill departments in some instances but not all.  
 
9. Are there specific grant programs or departments the City wants to prioritize in the 
cost recovery analysis? 
No. Priority should be given to departments and grant programs with larger potential to 
maximize indirect cost recovery however.  
 
10. What systems or platforms does the City currently use for grants management and 
cost recovery tracking? 
The City currently uses Oracle.  
 
11. Will selected firms have access to historical grant data, financial reports, and 
previous cost recovery efforts? 
Yes.  
 
12. Will City staff be available for interviews or workshops during the engagement to 
understand current processes? 
Yes.  
 
13. What key performance indicators (KPIs) will be used to evaluate the success of the 
engagement? 
Measurable increase in indirect cost revenue.  
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14. Is there a target percentage or dollar amount the City hopes to recover annually 
through this initiative? 
No set target-just an increase from current levels.  
 
15. Is there a budget for this work? 
Budget is still be formulated as part of 2026 budget process.  
 
16. What is the expected completion date? 
Expected completion date for bulk of activity would be Q4 of 2026.  
 
17. Is the response page limit of 15 pages to include resumes? Or can resumes be 
attached in an appendix at the end of the proposal? 
No. Resumes can be attached in an appendix at the end of the proposal.  
 
18. Does the City currently use a vendor to perform any of the scope of services in the 
RFP?  If so, who is the vendor and what is the annual value of that contract? 
The City does not currently use a vendor to perform and of the scope of services in this 
RFP. However, the City does currently use a vendor to help prepare its cost allocation 
plans and indirect cost rate proposals. All vendor contracts are publicly available on the 
City’s website.  
 
19. Does the City have a budget for this contract and if so, what is the amount? 
Budget is still be formulated as part of 2026 budget process. 
 
20. Can the City provide an example of the existing cost allocation plan and / or ICRP? 
These documents are not publicly available but will be provided during the phase 1 
discovery.  
 
21. Can the City provide the number of grants, cost allocation plans, and indirect cost 
rate proposals that will be reviewed? 
The City has approximately 300 current grants (excluding transportation projects). Each 
year it creates one cost allocation plan and 15 indirect cost rate proposals. The selected 
firm may have to review sets of cost allocation plans and indirect cost rate proposals 
spanning multiple years. 
 
22. Is the City currently using software to calculate cost allocation, indirect cost, and 
cost recovery? If so, what software is the City using? 
No.  
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23. Is the City requesting the vendor implement all approved recommendations or 
provide guidance and documentation to City staff to implement the approved 
recommendations? 
Provide guidance and documentation to City staff to implement the approved 
recommendations.  
 
24. Is the City looking for vendors to include cost allocation / indirect cost rate 
processing software as part of the response or only recommendations related to 
current processes?  Costs will vary greatly among vendors if some propose software 
and some do not.  
Only recommend options related to process improvements as necessary.  
 
25. Do key professional resumes count toward the 15 page limit or can they be included 
as an appendix? 
No. Can be included in an appendix.  
 
26. Engagements such as this one are typically priced on a fixed fee / milestone basis 
rather than on commission as a percent of costs recovered. Is the City open to a 
fixed fee cost? 
The City is open to different pricing options.  
 
27. Could the City provide guidance on Attachment I? Is this document to be included 
in the vendor response? 
Yes the document should be included in the response.  
28. Is there a total or annual budget envelope in mind for this from the City for a fixed 
fee engagement? 
Budget is still be formulated as part of 2026 budget process. 
 
29. Is there a specific timeframe / engagement period of length that the City desires? 
Potential term could be one year with two one-year extension options. 
 
30. Does the City have an estimate of the total $ at stake to be recovered or the major 
buckets/categories therein? 
No that is part of the scope of phase 1 discovery for the firm to assist the City in 
estimating.  
 
31. Can you provide a relative $ value share of the organizations you expect to recover 
funds from across State, Federal, Nonprofits, Corporations, or Other? 
Roughly 75% would be from Federal with the other 25% primarily coming from State but 
could include some amounts from others.

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Contract Type

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Bid Bond

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Site Visit

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Local Req

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License

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Construction

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PLC Details

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HMI/SCADA

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Comms

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Subcontractor

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Pre-selected

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