SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Community Development Finance Research Grant Program
- Notice Date
- 8/28/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt (BPD), Division of Procurement, Avery 5F 200 Third Street, Parkersburg, WV, 26106-5312
- ZIP Code
- 26106-5312
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-CDF-06-001
- Response Due
- 9/8/2006
- Archive Date
- 8/29/2007
- Description
- Request for Information: Community Development Finance Research Grant Program August 28, 2006 The Department of the U.S. Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund is assessing the market to gain information to support research on the community development finance industry. The CDFI Fund is seeking information on how to design and implement such research. ABOUT THE CDFI FUND The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund was created in 1994 for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to CDFIs. CDFIs include community development banks; credit unions; housing, business, microenterprise, and community facilities loan funds; and community development venture capital funds. The CDFI Fund also manages the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program which was authorized under the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000. The CDFI Fund achieves its purpose by promoting access to capital and local economic growth in the following ways: 1) through its CDFI Program by directly investing in, supporting and training CDFIs that provide loans, investments, financial services and technical assistance to underserved populations and communities; 2) through its New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program by providing an allocation of tax credits to community development entities (CDEs) which enable them to attract investment from the private-sector and reinvest these amounts in Low Income Communities; 3) through its Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) Program by providing an incentive to banks to invest in their communities and in CDFIs; and 4) through its Native Initiatives, by taking action to provide financial assistance, technical assistance, and training to Native CDFIs and other Native entities proposing to become or create Native CDFIs. To date, the Fund has made more than 1,800 awards totaling over $729 million, and tax credit allocations totaling $8 billion. For more information on the CDFI Fund, go to www.cdfifund.gov. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION FOR A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCE RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM To complement its funding, training and tax credit programs, the CDFI Fund is considering supporting independent research on the community development finance industry. The CDFI Fund is seeking information from potential vendors that can help it accomplish the following: 1. Identify a set of research topics of broad interest to CDFIs, industry trade associations, existing and potential community development finance funders and investors (including the CDFI Fund), and other industry stakeholders. 2. Develop grant program policies and procedures, including a grant application, a rigorous proposal review and decision-making process, a grant award document, grantee reporting requirements, grantee monitoring system, and policies for disbursing grant funds. 3. Conduct a grant competition and award approximately 10 - 15 awards totaling approximately $1 million in grants. 4. After the submission of all research papers, convene grantees and industry stakeholders to discuss the papers and, as appropriate, to recommend next steps. 5. In conjunction with or in addition to the research grants, hold up to 3 roundtable discussions on topics of interest to CDFIs, industry trade associations, existing and potential community development finance funders and investors (including the CDFI Fund), and other industry stakeholders. For each roundtable, document the discussion and recommendations in a publication-ready written report. Each roundtable would include up to 25 participants. 6. Complete all of the above activities, including submission of final research papers and holding of all convening's, by August 31st, 2008. The estimated start date is December 1st, 2006 or later. The CDFI Fund is requesting written documentation that will demonstrate the vendor's ability to meet the specified requirements, the vendor's actual cost for providing similar services in the past, the vendor's estimated cost for providing the above services, and references from previous clients of similar services (brief description of services provided, agency name, point of contact, phone number, and email address) only, at this time. However, at the CDFI Fund's option, a telephone conference or in-person meeting to discuss the information provided may be requested from vendors responding to this announcement. Responses shall be limited to 15 pages, excluding attachments. Acceptable attachments shall include copies of grant program materials (e.g., announcements, policies and procedures, application) and/or the agenda and resulting report for a roundtable discussion or convening conducted by the respondent within the past five (5) years on assignments similar to the requirements outlined in the RFI. Please note that this information is being requested for information and planning purposes. The Government does not intend to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information requested. The CDFI Fund will assess the ability of the market to meet the needs as stated above based on the information received. Dependent upon the results of this market survey, the CDFI Fund may subsequently issue a solicitation to acquire the appropriate services. Information sent in response to this request shall be addressed to Kimberly Hedrick, Administrative Resource Center, Procurement, 200 Third Street, Avery 5F, Parkersburg, WV 26101 and received no later than September 8, 2006. Electronic submissions may be emailed to treasprocurement@bpd.treas.gov. Any such solicitation would be based on a strictly functional statement of requirements in order to maximize competition.
- Place of Performance
- Address: Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20005
- Country: UNITED STATES
- Zip Code: 20005
- Record
- SN01127906-W 20060830/060828221750 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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