2026-10: Warming Shelter RFP

Request for Proposals
#2027-10
"Warming Shelter"
Publication of Proposal
May 8, 2026
Submission of Proposal Deadline
May 26, 2026
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY.......................................................................................................3
I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 3
II. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS.....................................3 - 4
III. SCOPE & REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................4 - 5
IV. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................5 - 6
V. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT-TIMETABLE-COSTS................... 6 - 7
VI. EVALUTION CRITERIA ...............................................................................................7
VII. AWARD OF CONTRACT & COVER PAGE INSTRUCTIONS......................7 - 8
VIII. COVER PAGE .................................................................................9
IX. AFFIRMATION................................................................................................10
X. ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...........................................................................11
XI. NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT.......................................................... 12
XII. CITY PUBLIC BENEFIT AFFIDAVIT................................................... 13
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CITY OF COVINGTON, GEORGIA
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
FOR
WARMING SHELTER
SUMMARY
The City of Covington, Georgia is located in the heart of Northeast Georgia, forty (40) miles east
of Atlanta. Established in 1822, Covington has a rich heritage of southern charm. Historic
homes, azalea gardens, and magnolia tree surround its downtown. Covington was named a
"Visionary City" and a "City of Ethics" by the Georgia Municipal Association and four of its
departments have received national accreditation.
Covington employs 335 employees in 17 departments, including administrative and finance,
human resources, accounting, electric, telecommunications, natural gas, engineering, water,
wastewater, water & sewer distribution, streets, solid waste, airport, municipal court, police, fire,
and 911 services.
In previous fiscal years, the City of Covington has provided funding for a warming shelter to
provide a location for unhoused individuals to avoid freezing conditions overnight. The intent of
this solicitation is to obtain a qualified vendor to provide a warming shelter service from
November 2026 to March 2027.
INTRODUCTION- I
The City of Covington, hereinafter ("the City") is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from
qualified firms to provide a warming shelter, and be ready to begin operations on November 20,
2026 and continue on a nightly basis until March 4th, 2027.
The City reserves the right to cancel, delay, amend, or reissue all of part of this Request for
Proposals (RFP) at any time without prior notice. This RFP does not commit the City to accept
any proposals submitted, nor is the City responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation of
responses to this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to accept or
reject any or all items in the proposals, and/or to award the contract in whole or in part as is
deemed to be in the best interest of the City.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS- II
A. Format
Completed proposals shall consist of typewritten pages utilizing 12" font typing. There is no
limit to the number of pages.
B. Authorized Signatures & Statement
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Signature of an individual authorized to represent the respondent shall sign and date proposal
cover sheet. The signatory agent's name must be printed; including the signatory agent's title
and the name of the organization. This authorization shall also contain a statement to the
effect that the Request for Proposal is firm for a period of at least ninety (90) days from the
closing date for submission.
C. Submittal Date
Proposals must be submitted in a sealed package by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026
to:
The City of Covington
2194 Emory Street (delivered in person or UPS/FedEx)
P.O. Box 1527 (USPS-mailing address)
Covington, Georgia 30014
ATTENTION: Scott Cromer (Purchasing Dept.)
"Warming Shelter RFP #2027-10"
D. Failure to Comply and Required Documents
Failure to address all elements within this Request for Proposal, omission of signatures or the
failure to follow instructions provided in the Request for Proposal shall result in the
application not being accepted for consideration.
E. Ex Parte Communication
The City discourages ex parte communication with any City Council member after the
deadline for the submission of proposals. No City Council member and/or staff member shall
initiate or accept oral communication regarding any proposal under consideration. Any
written communication to the City Council members and/or staff from potential contractors
will be reported to the City Attorney for review and appropriate action. Respondents who
attempt to improperly influence the proposal review and evaluation process in any way shall
be disqualified.
SCOPE AND REQUIREMENTS- III
Respondents must provide a proposal that indicates a general description of the techniques,
approaches, and methods to be used to satisfy the following scope of the requirements and
specifications in the following response items:
A. Provision of a safe location for unhoused individuals to stay overnight, including the
provision of a clean bed / cot and blankets. Temperature must be kept at a comfortable
level.
B. Provision of case management services to said individuals including mental health
screenings, medical care as possible, and direction on applying for assistance programs
including housing.
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C. Provision of a meal to individuals staying at the warming shelter, and provision for
additional basic needs (food, water, clothing, etc.) as possible.
D. Maintain detailed records, including information related to the shelter participants,
volunteers, and any other individuals associated with the project.
E. Provision of a comprehensive insurance policy to cover any potential risks associated
with operating a warming shelter operation.
F. Provision of sufficient security staffing to ensure protection to the shelter participants,
employees, and shelter volunteers.
G. Provision of adequate operational staffing and volunteers for the duration of the project.
H. Establish and provide updated practices and procedures for the shelter to City staff.
I. Provision of update on the project participation and relevant information at the halfway
mark of the operating dates, as well as at the conclusion.
J. Maintain detailed financial records, dictating how public funds were utilized for the
project. Monthly brief financial reports must be submitted to the City Council with
descriptions of how expenditures advance the project mission. At the conclusion of the
project, a comprehensive financial report, including a line-item expenditure list, must be
provided to the City Council.
K. Maintain regular communication with City staff liaisons, including any information about
incidents that occur at the shelter.
For the consideration of your organization to provide said service, please provide any additional
information regarding your organization or services that demonstrates your expertise in
providing the aforementioned project.
The City Council will entertain alternate proposals which achieve the City Council purpose of
providing a Warming Shelter to unhoused individuals in Covington, Georgia.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS- IV
To be considered responsive, a proposal must contain the following, referenced by number and
in the following order:
A. Full Legal Name of Organization
B. Primary Contact Information: Name, Title, Telephone, Email Address
C. How long has the organization been in business under the present name and structure?
D. State of Incorporation/Formation
E. Type of Entity
F. What are the primary purposes of your organization?
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G. Furnished a statement, under oath, that no member of the Covington City Council, no
official or employee of the City, and no member of any committee, board, or corporation
controlled or appointed by the City Council, has already received, in connection with or
related in any way to this contract, or has been promised, in the event that this contract is
award to the firm, any commission, finder's fee, or other thing of value. In addition, the
firm shall furnish a statement that identifies any member of the City Council and any
officials or employee of the City who, the firm has reason to believe, would or may be
financially affected, whether affirmatively or negatively, and whether personally or
through a spouse or other family member, if this contract were awarded to the firm.
H. Explain what your organization provides that best qualifies it to meet the requirements of
provision of a warming shelter.
I. Provision of detailed explanation of any required services or assistance that the chosen
organization will need from the City.
Provide one original unbound response, four (4) stapled or bound copies and one (1) digital
USB copy of the applicant's response, in a sealed package to the following address:
The City of Covington
2194 Emory Street (delivered in person or UPS/FedEx)
P.O. Box 1527 (USPS-mailing address)
Covington, Georgia 30014
ATTENTION: Scott Cromer (Purchasing Dept.)
"Warming Shelter RFP #2027-10"
Please submit all questions regarding this RFP to Larry Manning;
lmanning@cityofcovington.org by 3:00 PM on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. The City will post
any/all Addenda", if applicable, on the City website under the bid/RFP posting at
https://www.cityofcovington.org/index.php?section=business-opportunities by 5:00 PM on
Friday, May 22, 2026.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT- V
A. Provide a narrative describing the Proposer's project plan, methodology, and
recommended solutions in performing the services described in this section. Describe the
specific policies, plans, procedures, or techniques used in providing the services to be
performed.
B. Describe the experience, qualifications, and other vital information, including relevant
experience on previous similar projects, of all key individuals who would be assigned to
this project.
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TIMETABLE
A. Provide a project schedule identifying specific key tasks and timeline.
B. What process reports will be made to the Council, in what format, and at what stages of
the project?
COSTS
A. Describe the full fixed/ basic fee for your organization, as well as any associated
reimbursable costs to conduct the services required.
B. Describe any guarantees and the nature of the guarantees that you are willing to make
with regard to quality of work.
EVALUATION CRITERIA- VI
The City of Covington reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any idea in
any proposal regardless of whether that proposal is selected. Failure of a vendor to provide any
portion of the requested information may result in declaration of the vendor's proposal package
being declared non-responsive. The City of Covington reserves the right to reject any and all of
the vendors submitting proposals.
The Selection Committee will score each proposal according to the general evaluation criteria
and scoring system described below:
Experience or Qualifications- 10%
Plan of Work- 15%
Cost to Complete- 75%
The Selection Committee will determine whether the respondent/vendor is qualified or
unqualified based on the data submitted. The City reserves the right to request additional
information or clarification from respondents/vendors, and may request interviews. The
Selection Committee will rank the qualified vendors based on the above criteria.
AWARD OF CONTRACT- VII
Formal notification of the decision to award a contract and the actual execution of a contract are
subject to the following conditions:
A. Results of negotiations between selected vendor and the Covington City Council;
B. Continued availability of the City's funds, and;
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C. Approval by the City Council
COVER PAGE INSTRUCTIONS- VIII
The following organization/agency information must be completed on the Proposal Cover page:
A. Name- Provide the name of the organization/agency responding to this RFP.
B. Address- Provide your agency or organization's main office address.
C. Email Address- Provide the email addresses of key members of the agency submitting
RFP.
D. Federal Tax ID#- Provide your current federal tax I.D. number.
E. Phone Number- Provide phone number of agency and also name and phone number of
contact person where the City can submit information related to the proposal.
F. Fax Number- Provide fax number of agency the City can submit information regarding
the proposal.
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PROPOSAL COVER PAGE
Organization / Agency Information (Please complete all information on this
page):
Firm Name:
__________________________________________________________________
Firm
Address:___________________________________________________________
Email
Address:___________________________________________________________
Copy of Current Business License attached
(Y/N):_____________________________________________________________
Federal Tax ID
#:_________________________________________________________________
Primary Contact
Person:____________________________________________________________
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AFFIRMATION:
I hereby affirm that the information within this proposal, to the best of my
knowledge, is true and accurate. Further, I am duly authorized to sign and
submit this proposal on behalf of this agency. I fully affirm and understand
that failure to meet the requirements of this proposal at the submitted price
may result in my organization's contract being terminated.
Signatory
Name:_____________________________________________________________
Title:______________________________________________________________
Name of
Organization:______________________________________________________
Signature:_________________________________________________________
Date:______________________________________________________________
*Signature by authorized person(s) is required. Failure to sign this page will be cause for proposal
to not be considered.*
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