RFP 26-0127 Municipal and Community Affairs Services.final(6.17.26).2

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Procurement Department
2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055
New Orleans, LA 70114
Telephone (504) 304-3917 | FAX (504) 309-2879
Paul A. Lucius, Executive Director of Procurement
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0127
MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS SERVICES
ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:
TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2026 @ 11:00 A.M.
VIRTUAL PRE - PROPOSAL MEETING: THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2026 @ 1:00 A.M.
PROPOSER:
SIGNATURE:
NAME (PRINT OR TYPE):
ADDRESS:
CITY, STATE, ZIP:
TELEPHONE:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
TERMS:
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ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD
Procurement Department
2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055
New Orleans, Louisiana 70114
ADVERTISEMENT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0127
MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS SERVICES
Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal relative to the above will be received via email
submission to the Purchasing Department for the Orleans Parish School Board ("OPSB" or "the
District") at 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055, New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 until 11:00 A.M.
(CST) on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Specifications and qualifications documents may be obtained by visiting the District's website at
www.nolapublicschools.com; or by contacting the Executive Director of Procurement at
procurement@nolapublicschools.com.
The District will host a Virtual Pre-Proposal meeting to be held on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at 11:00
A.M. (CST). The Virtual link can be found below:
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jvfhpJjKT9yQHrJqISU9Xw
The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such
rejection is in its best interest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this
advertisement shall not be waived.
Paul A. Lucius
Executive Director of Procurement
FIRST INSERTION DATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2026
SECOND INSERTION DATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2026
THIRD INSERTION DATE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2026
NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable accommodations for
persons with disabilities. The requests for any reasonable accommodation shall be submitted
in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of
any meetings.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Request for Proposal / Invitation to Bid Instructions
1.0 Overview
1.1 Instructions to Proposers
1.2 Purpose
1.3 School District Profile
2.0 Scope of Services
3.0 General Terms & Conditions
4.0 Specifications
5.0 Special Terms & Conditions
6.0 Evaluation Criteria / Process
7.0 Proposal Forms/Submissions Requirements & Specifications
7.1 Proposal Submission Requirements
7.2 Submittal Requirements/Specifications
Appendix A - NOLA-PS Required Documents
8.0 Authority to Contract on Behalf of Company
9.0 Cost Form
10.0 References
11.0 Indemnity and Insurance
12.0 Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility & Voluntary Exclusion
13.0 Certification Regarding Lobbying Form
14.0 Proposer's Certification Form
15.0 Non-Collusion Statement Form
16.0 Vendor Registration and W-9 Form Link
17.0 Conflict of Interest Form
18.0 Proposer Guaranties and Warranties
19.0 EDGAR Contract Form
Appendix B - Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Required Documents
20.0 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program - Policy & Provisions
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1.0 OVERVIEW
1.1 Introductions to Proposers
One signed original proposal shall be submitted electronically and clearly marked: REQUEST
FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0127 ON JULY 21 , 2026 AT 11:00 A.M. to Mr. Paul A. Lucius,
Executive Director of Procurement: procurement@nolapublicschools.com.
The Orleans Parish School Board will not be responsible for the opening of, post-opening of, or
failure to open a Proposal not properly addressed or identified.
The Orleans Parish School Board will not assume the responsibility for any delay as a result of
failure of any entity to deliver Proposals on time.
The Proposal Submission Checklist is provided in Appendix A of this RFP. The checklist contains
the required documents needed to be submitted with vendor proposal. All vendors shall refer to the
checklist while preparing their proposals to ensure all required documents are submitted (See
Appendix A). Failure to submit required documents shall result in rejection and proposals will not
be reviewed by the Evaluation Committee.
No Proposal will be accepted after July 21, 2026 @ 11:00 A.M. under any conditions unless in
the best interest of NOLA-PS by an addendum notification.
July 2, 2026 @
Pre-Proposal Meeting (via Virtual) Thursday
11:00 A.M.
Last Day for Questions@ 4:00 P.M. (CST) Wednesday July 8 , 2026
Last Day for Addendum Friday July 10, 2026
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE no later than 11:00 A.M. July 21, 2026
Oral Presentations (if applicable) July 30 - July 31, 2026
Evaluation Committee Meeting July 30 - July 31, 2026
Award Notification (approximate) TBD
Execution of Agreement (approximate) TBD
CODE OF SILENCE:
From the date the RFP is issued; through the time the Agreement is finally awarded by NOLA-PS
Elected Officials, Proposers shall not contact any Representatives of NOLA-PS, nor the District
Staff, nor their Advisors or Consultants with respect to this RFP, or RFP process, other than to submit
questions or protest in accordance with the Instructions to Proposers therein. This prohibition does
not apply to questions or comments sent in writing to the Director of Procurement, or questions made
at Pre-Proposal conferences, in presentations before evaluation committees, or during contract
negotiations. Proposers who violate this Code of Silence may be deemed non-responsive, and their
proposal may be rejected for cause.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS: A complete set of Request for Proposal
documents shall be used in preparing proposals; neither the Orleans Parish School Board nor its
representatives assume any responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of
incomplete sets of Request for Proposal Documents.
The forms furnished as part of the specifications MUST be used for filing of Request for
PROPOSALS and must be signed by the proposer. No proposals will be considered unless made on
the forms provided and must not be detached from the proposal document of which it forms a part.
Failure to follow these instructions may result in your proposal being disqualified.
OBJECTION TO THE AWARD: If any Proposer who submitted a proposal has an objection to
the award of the contract to the Selected Proposer, the objecting Proposer shall furnish that protest, in
writing, to the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) within ten (10) Business Days of the
notification of non-award. The protest shall describe in detail the basis for the protest and shall request
a determination under this section of the Instructions to Proposers.
If a protest is filed in a timely fashion, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) will
review the basis for the protest and relevant facts under such terms and conditions as he considers
proper. Upon completion of the review, the Executive Director of Procurement (or Designee) shall
submit applicable findings and recommendations to the Superintendent and/or Chief Financial Officer,
who shall then review the matter under such terms and conditions, as deemed proper. Upon receipt of
authority to act from the Superintendent or NOLA-PS, the Executive Director of Procurement (or
Designee) will notify those Proposers involved of its decision. The decision shall be final and binding
on the objecting Proposer.
WITHDRAWAL OF BID: Any bid may be withdrawn if clear and convincing sworn, written
evidence of obvious mechanical, clerical or mathematical error is furnished by the proposer to the
Executive Director of Procurement within 48 hours of proposal receipt.
SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION: The proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier performance process will involve evaluating the proposer, vendor, service provider
and/or supplier's overall quality status, as well as evaluating the quality of each material or service
the NOLA-PS wishes to purchase. Prior to the invoice submission, the proposer, vendor, service
provider and/or supplier, shall meet with a purchasing representative to discuss and review
deliverables and timeline events for said services. Contract with automatic renewals will be based
upon the NOLA-PS evaluating and analyzing proposer, vendor, service provider, and/or supplier
performance.
DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION: To ensure that the Orleans Parish School Board does not
enter into a contract with a debarred or suspended company or individual, each responsive proposer
must include a certification statement with each bid. By signing the certification statement, the
proposer certifies that neither it nor any of its principals (e.g., key employees) have been proposed
for debarment, debarred or suspended by a Federal Agency. It is the responsibility of each proposer
to sign the attached certification statement and submit it with the bid. Failure to comply with this
requirement will cause your bid to be disqualified and declared non-responsive.
BACKGROUND CHECK: Contractor will not employ any person to provide services who has
been convicted, or pled nolo contendere to, any one of the crimes listed in the Louisiana Child
Protection Act. La R.S. 15:587.1 (C). Criminal History Record must be obtained by contractor for
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all employees to be hired and shall be retained during the duration of the employment. Records are
to be updated on an annual basis.
PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATIONS: As part of the proposal evaluation process, the NOLA-
PS may make inquiries and investigations, including verbal or written references from the firm's
customers, to determine the ability of the firm to provide service.
EMPLOYMENT: It is understood that all employees will be employees of the successful firm(s),
including but not limited to the successful firm's subcontractors, partners, etc.
NOTICE TO OFFEROR: The NOLA-PS shall consider the intentional employment by the selected
firm of unauthorized aliens in violation of U.S. immigration laws cause for unilateral cancellation of
the contract resulting from this RFP.
PROPOSAL FORMAT: Proposals should be prepared simply but completely, providing a
straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Please
carefully read Sections as outlines within the Table of Contents. Emphasis should be on completeness
and clarity of content.
SELECTION: Selection shall be made of one or multiple firm(s) deemed to be fully qualified and
best suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors contained in this
RFP. Fee structure/pricing will be considered, but will be one among many determining factors. The
NOLA-PS may cancel this RFP, reject proposals or any portion thereof at any time prior to an award,
and is not required to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular qualification was not deemed
to be the most advantageous. Should the NOLA-PS determine in writing and in its sole discretion
the firm(s) that is fully qualified, or that one firm is clearly more highly qualified than the others
under consideration, a contract may be awarded to that firm.
DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) PROGRAM:
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program is race & gender-neutral, and open to all
business owners regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. DBE firms currently certified with the
Louisiana Unified Certification Program (LAUCP), or the State & Local Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise (SLDBE) Program must submit a copy of their certification letter for eligibility with the
offer/response to this solicitation.
The Proposer shall submit the following forms below:
* DBE Responsiveness Form 1
* DBE Responsiveness Form 2
* DBE Certification Letter (for each company)
* DBE Professional Services Compliance Certification Checklist
"DBE Provisions (Attached), which is hereby made a part of this RFP. Failure to include DBE
participation; including all signatures and notary, shall cause a firm's proposal to be non-responsive
and cause for rejection. All DBE forms must be properly completed whether or not they are
applicable to Proposer. All DBE forms must have a signature and dated. All DBE forms must
be properly completed, whether or not they are applicable to Proposer."
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COMPUTED COST SCORE:
The cost evaluation shall constitute fifteen percent (15%) of the total points assigned and will be
based upon standard cost rates submitted by the proposers. The proposer with the lowest cost shall
receive the highest cost evaluation score. Other proposers will receive a cost score computed as
follows:
CSF = (LPC/PC*X)
CSF = Cost Scoring Formula
LPC = Lowest proposed cost
PC = Proposer's cost
X= n% of the total number of points assigned
PURCHASES USING FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS (2 C.F.R. 200).
When NOLA-PS seeks to procure goods and services using funds under a federal grant or contract,
specific federal laws, regulations, and requirements may apply in addition to those under state law.
This includes, but is not limited to, the procurement standards of the Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2C.F.R. 200
(sometimes referred to as the "Uniform Guidance" or new "EDGAR"). (EDGAR FORM
ATTACHED)
All Vendors awarded a contract under this proposal must complete the NOLA-PS EDGAR Contract
Addendum before a purchase order can be entered as proof of their willingness and ability to comply
with certain requirements which may be applicable to specific NOLA-PS purchases using federal
grant funds.
This information will be made available to the NOLA-PS for its use while considering their
purchasing options when using federal grant funds.
1.2 Purpose
The selected contractor shall provide comprehensive municipal affairs and community relations
services to support the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) and NOLA Public Schools (the
District).
1.3 School District Profile
OPSB currently oversees 71 charter schools and a school with two educational programs for
students in secure-care facilities
One of the District's core responsibilities, as a charter school authorizer, is to hold these schools
accountable to a set of performance expectations that help ensure every student is provided with a
high-quality education.
The vision of the OPSB is as follows: every student receives a high-quality education that fosters
their individual capabilities, while ensuring that they thrive and are prepared for civic, social, and
economic success.
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The District's geographical boundaries are concurrent with those of the City of New Orleans. The
District, however, is a separate entity, independent of the City of New Orleans. The District's
governing body is a seven-member elected board.
The District serves more than 43,875 students across Orleans Parish. As of February 2022, the
student population was approximately 77.41% African American, 10.71% Hispanic, 8.09% White,
1.65% Asian, 1.9% Multi-Racial, and .18% Native American. Further, the District serves a student
population that is 86.22% economically disadvantaged. Approximately 7.28% of the students have
limited English proficiency.
The District's administration has approximately 269 employees. The District's total proposed
general fund budget for 2022-2023 is $556 million dollars, system-wide, and of that $35.5 million
is allocated to the District's administration.
PROPOSAL REJECTION: NOLA-PS shall have the right to reject any or all proposals and in
particular to reject a proposal not accompanied by data required by the RFP or in any way
incomplete or irregular, including omission of cost and budget information, i.e. in the best interest
of NOLA-PS. Conditional proposals will not be accepted.
CONTRACT AWARD: Award shall be made to the Most Qualified Proposer(s) whose proposal
is determined to be the most advantageous; thus, when taking into consideration the evaluation
factors set forth in the sections that follow, including overall long-term value to the NOLA-PS.
Fees/pricing consideration will not be the sole determining factor. There is no obligation on the part
of the NOLA-PS to award a contract.
CONTRACT TERM AND RENEWAL: Contract term will be for a period of one (1) year with
an option to renew two (2) additional one (1) year periods. If warranted terms and conditions for
an amendment to the contract will be in writing, negotiable and subject to NOLA-PS approval.
ERRORS: NOLA-PS is not liable for any errors or misinterpretations made in responding to this
Request for Proposal.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: One electronic original Proposal document to be submitted as per
date and time established/set within this Request for Proposal.
INQUIRIES: NOLA-PS will not give verbal answers to inquiries regarding the Request for
Proposals, or verbal instructions prior to the award of a contract. A verbal statement regarding same
by any person shall be non-binding. The NOLA-PS is not liable for any increased costs resulting
from the acceptance of verbal direction. Cost or problems associated with misinterpretation of the
intent of the NOLA-PS will be the responsibility of the proposing firm.
All inquiries must be in writing and addressed to: Paul A. Lucius, Executive Director of Procurement
at procurement@nolapublicschools.com. All inquiries will be answered in the form of an addendum
after the pre-proposal meeting. No contact in any form or manner is to be made with any employee
of the District except through the Executive Director Of Procurement. Violation of this provision
shall be considered grounds for disqualification.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS: A complete set of Request for Proposals
documents shall be used in preparing proposals. Neither the Orleans Parish School Board, nor its
representatives assume any responsibility for errors or misinterpretations resulting from the use of
incomplete sets of Request for Proposal Documents.
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OPEN COMPETITION: NOLA-PS encourages free and open competition. Whenever possible,
specifications and proposal terms and conditions are designed to accomplish this objective,
consistent with the necessity to satisfy the needs of the NOLA-PS and to guarantee an economically
sound solution. The signature on this proposal guarantees that the prices quoted have been
established without collusion with other firms and without effort to preclude the NOLA-PS from
obtaining the best possible competitive value. The firm certifies that neither its officers nor its
employees have bribed or attempted to bribe or influence in any improper manner any officer,
employee or agent of the NOLA-PS.
PREPARATION EXPENSE: All proposals submitted in response to this RFP must be submitted
at the sole expense of the proposing firm, irrespective of the final decision of the NOLA-PS as to
contract award.
TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE:
NOLA-PS, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat.
252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will
affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged
business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this
invitation, and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in
consideration for an award.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES:
All proposals will be evaluated by the RFP Evaluation Committee that will conduct an independent,
objective evaluation of proposals for Professional Governmental Relations Services. All members of
the Evaluation Committee must execute a disclosure certifying they do not possess a conflict of
interest with any of the proposers. Before beginning the evaluation process, the Evaluation
Committee must review the RFP, concerning not only the scope of work but also the qualifications
and the evaluation criteria. See Evaluation criteria - Section 6.0.
The purpose of the Evaluation Committee is to conduct an independent, objective evaluation of
Request for Proposals for Municipal and Community Affairs Services.
REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS:
A Finance Department representative shall serve as the Evaluation Committee coordinator and is
solely responsible for disseminating all information received during the RFP evaluation process.
After completion and tallying of the technical evaluation scores, each Evaluation Committee member
shall sign and date his/her individual score sheet.
NOLA-PS will evaluate proposals on a qualitative basis. This includes our review of the firm(s)
proposal and related materials for evidence of prior experience, value-added services beyond the
scope of work, qualifications of staff to be assigned to the project, cost effectiveness, and the
Proposer's completeness and timeliness in its response, etc.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the
meeting. ALL NOLA Public Schools solicitations/addendums can be found on NOLA-PS website
at: www.nolapublicschools.com. Click Community/business resources/solicitations.
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ADDENDUM TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: NOLA-PS reserves the right to revise and
amend the specifications prior to the date set for the opening. Proposers are requested to clarify any
ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other error(s) in this RFP in writing and request the
modification or clarification desired. NOLA-PS will issue an addendum to evidence any revisions or
amendments made to this RFP. As a courtesy, every effort will be made to send an issued addendum
to the parties known to have been furnished a complete copy of this RFP. Addenda are made
available on the NOLA-PS website under community/business resources/solicitations. Please
acknowledge receipt of addendum on Signature Page. Failure to acknowledge all Addenda will
result in the proposal being rejected.
All questions must be in writing and electronically submitted to the Executive Director of
Procurement at procurement@nolapublicschools.com no later than 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, July
8, 2026. No addendum will be issued later than Friday, July 10, 2026 or 72 hours prior to proposal
due date, except an addendum withdrawing the proposal or postponing the opening of the proposal.
It is the responsibility of each Proposer, prior to submitting the qualifications response, to determine
if addenda were issued and, if so, to acknowledge the addendum on the applicable form.
Times and dates are final unless there is an unexpected "emergency" beyond NOLA-PS's control.
ORAL PRESENTATIONS via ZOOM: (Optional)
PRESENTATION DATES: AUGUST 20 - AUGUST 21, 2026
NOLA-PS, at its sole discretion may invite the top two to four (2-4) Proposers to provide oral
presentations and justify how they propose to meet the Districts' objectives with RFP No. 26-0127.
Commitments, if any, made by the Proposer at the oral presentation will be considered binding. The
evaluation committee has the option to conduct initial reviews of proposals and only host oral
presentations of the top 1 to 4 firms in the best interest of the District.
Each firm selected should be prepared to conduct a presentation to the NOLA-PS Evaluation
Committee. The presentations must be shown that the firm clearly understands the requirements of
the solicitation and possesses the knowledge, skills, and capacity to complete the work. Firms
presenting for the oral presentation process will be notified of their allotted presentation time with
the District on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The time frame for the presentations will follow the
schedule provided below:
* 10 minutes for vendor set-up and brief Introductions
* 20 minutes for presentations to NOLA-PS Evaluation Committee demonstrating firms'
Qualifications and Expertise with the requirements as it relates to the RFP services
* 15 minutes for question/answer session
* 5 minutes for closing
NOLA-PS is requesting firms respectfully adhere to the assigned time allotted for presentations.
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