AWARD PENDING

LARGE SCALE INVESTMENTS FOR FOOD JUSTICE IN PITTSBURGH

Last updated by Addendum #2 on Sep 6, 2024 3:42 PMSee what changed

Request for Proposal

Parks & Recreation

Project ID: 2024-RFP-254

Release Date: Friday, August 9, 2024

· Due Date: Friday, September 13, 2024 3:00pm

Posted Friday, August 9, 2024 12:00pm

All dates & times in Eastern Time

Question & Answer

Questions and clarifications about the project

The question submission deadline has passed. No more questions can be submitted.

1. Fund Distribution Aug 20 2024 at 9:16 AM

Anonymous Aug 20 2024 at 9:16 AM
User information is private
What is meant by fund distribution? What are the eligible ways via which funds can be distributed? Subgrants? Loans? To contractors who provide technical assistance services? Please clarify.
Aug 26 2024 at 3:09 PM
City of Pittsburgh
In general, any proposal may involve paying subcontractors or vendors for goods and services. Note also that this RFP states “Contractors may choose to include program elements in which they function as a third-party intermediary, distributing funds to subrecipients or beneficiaries”. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. In Treasury’s ARPA documentation linked within this RFP, you can find several eligible uses that involve distributing financial assistance to beneficiaries that may be relevant to this RFP such as, for example, a program to provide financial assistance to food-related small businesses in the city of Pittsburgh that meet ARPA's eligibility criteria. Proposals involving fund distribution should clearly describe the capacity of the respondent to manage such a program, including the ability to evaluate the ARPA eligibility of beneficiaries. The term "subgrants" has a wide range of uses and we cannot address this without further clarification. We welcome follow up questions about any of this.

2. ARPA and FJF Aug 20 2024 at 9:23 AM

Anonymous Aug 20 2024 at 9:23 AM
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Given the requirement to align with ARPA, is it necessary that assisted small businesses and nonprofits were operational before March 2020 and experienced DOCUMENTED negative consequences of COVID? For example, lost revenue? Or, is it sufficient to show that the assisted small businesses and nonproifts serve vulnerable populations that were disproportionately affected by COVID?
Aug 26 2024 at 3:09 PM
City of Pittsburgh
No, serving vulnerable communities does not itself qualify small businesses or non-profits to recieve assistance as ARPA "beneficiaries", even if the businesses or non-profits serve households or communities that meet ARPA's definition of impacted or disproportionately impacted communities. ARPA provides various criteria for small businesses or non-profits to qualify as impacted or disproportionately impacted and thus qualify to recieve assistance as "beneficiaries". Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. In general, any proposal assisting any of these beneficiaries may include paying subcontractors or vendors for goods and services and those subcontractors or vendors could be for-profit or non-profit. We welcome further questions about this.

3. Contract not grant Aug 20 2024 at 10:09 AM

Anonymous Aug 20 2024 at 10:09 AM
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As a contractual agreement, this is not a grant, correct? And, do we understand correctly that awarded funds will only be made available as reimbursements on paid invoices?
Aug 26 2024 at 3:09 PM
City of Pittsburgh
The term "grant" refers to a wide range of funding scenarios, many involving contractual agreements to perform specific activities in order to recieve funds. This RFP cannot provide unrestricted funds for general operating, unlike some grant programs. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. In general, any proposal assisting any of these beneficiaries may include paying subcontractors or vendors for goods and services and those subcontractors or vendors could be for-profit or non-profit. We welcome further questions about this. Specific payment arrangements would be determined during contract negotiations and could potentially include allowing the contractor to invoice for an initial phase of the project as soon as the contract is executied. The city is not open to negotiating a contract that advances the entire project budget as a lump sum.

4. Grant period / time frame Aug 20 2024 at 2:52 PM

Anonymous Aug 20 2024 at 2:52 PM
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What is the earliest date expenses can be accrued for the project? I understand all funds must be spent in 2025, but can they cover eligible expenses from 2024?
Aug 26 2024 at 3:09 PM
City of Pittsburgh
All project activities and expenses will occur after the start of the contract.

5. Geographic focus Aug 20 2024 at 2:54 PM

Anonymous Aug 20 2024 at 2:54 PM
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Can funds be used to grow food outside of city limits that is distributed to residents in City of Pittsburgh high-need areas? Two of Grow Pittsburgh's urban farms are in Braddock and Wilkinsburg, but much of this food is distributed through farm stands in the City.
Sep 5 2024 at 10:01 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Two part answer. Activities outside of city limits could still be eligible if they're clearly connected to serving city residents, and it sounds like this project could clearly document which areas are served because your organization is managing the food distribution. However, we would need to know more about specific activities in order to confirm which specific expenses we could fund. We welcome further questions about this.

6. Demonstration of Good Faith Effort Aug 23 2024 at 9:31 AM

Anonymous Aug 23 2024 at 9:31 AM
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How is a nonprofit organization that intends to partner with other nonprofit organizations for the project supposed to "document" its good faith effort if MBE/WBE/Veteran-Owned are not categories that are applicable to NPOs?
Aug 27 2024 at 9:57 AM
City of Pittsburgh
In your Good Faith Effort just indicate who you will partner with - NPOs and that would be considered given the scope and nature of work.

7. Cooperation vs "Collusion" Aug 23 2024 at 1:16 PM

Anonymous Aug 23 2024 at 1:16 PM
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It is very common in the food justice arena, especially among nonprofits, to engage in discussions about partnering on possible projects or other types of cooperation in planning and execution. And, the RFP seems to acknowledge this in several places: It defines a food system as “a network or people, organizations . . . .“ It allows projects involving “third-party intermediaries.” It prioritizes applicants with “strong existing connections to communities served,” and projects that “create multiplier effects” or “strengthen synergies.” However, on page 16 of the RFP (section 8.8 A) proposal, the City warns that an applicant may be disqualified for “Evidence of collusion, directly or indirectly, among proposers in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of this proposal.” Similarly, on page 14, section 8.1 A 4 of the RFP states that “submission of a proposal shall be deemed a representation and certification by the Respondent that they: . . . Did not, in any way, collude; conspire to agree, directly or indirectly, with any person, firm, corporation or other proposer in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of this proposal.” How can a potential applicant engage in substantive conversations with potential partners or sub-contractors without risking disqualification for “collusion”? This is a particularly acute problem now that participants in the Aug. 23 pre-bid online meeting saw what other organizations and businesses are considering applying in the same RFP. Can the City confirm that discussions among potential project partners will not be considered “evidence of collusion”? If two or more entities are considering separate projects but then one decides not to submit a separate proposal in favor of a partnership, does this constitute “collusion”?
Sep 3 2024 at 9:42 AM
City of Pittsburgh
The City concerns itself with "collusion" as a concentrated effort among bidders to collectively submit proposal terms that are unconscionable to the City (all bidders submitting higher than expected pricing, all submitting proposals lacking a key component, etc.) Potential applicants can and should explore partnerships with other firms without fear of disqualification.

8. Cost Proposal - Budget Template? Aug 23 2024 at 9:33 AM

Anonymous Aug 23 2024 at 9:33 AM
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For those applicants who are not familiar with Procurement Contract processes, is there a budget template for outlining costs and cost schedules of hourly rates?
Aug 27 2024 at 10:18 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Hi, thank you for your question. Since every business is different, we are unable to provide guidance on how to structure cost proposals. We can only suggest that applicants organize their cost proposal as they would in their usual business practices. We will reach out if more details are needed.

9. Funding Amounts Aug 23 2024 at 12:51 PM

Anonymous Aug 23 2024 at 12:51 PM
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Will you vote projects up or down or will you give out partial funding to project requests?
Aug 27 2024 at 9:22 AM
City of Pittsburgh
To some extent, it's possible for budgets to be adjusted during contracting or during the proposal review process. This could allow the city to address proposals where some expenses are not ARPA eligible but the central concept of the project is still viable, and it could allow for scaling down of budgets. However, the city will need to move efficiently through the proposal review process, so we encourage respondents to note if some aspect of their proposal is down-scaleable if they want to make sure that is clear to city staff.

10. Application confusion Aug 23 2024 at 12:34 PM

Aug 23 2024 at 12:34 PM
City of Pittsburgh
The application is confusing because several of these items only relate to physical investments. If people aren't doing physical development, can they opt out of some of these questions?
Sep 4 2024 at 9:49 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Question Clarification: 1) The most striking example is "David Bacon Wage" reports and documents. 2) The MWBE requirement and the need for clear guidelines for what constitutes a "Good Faith Effort" regarding MWBE. (For example, for nonprofit applicants who may are spending the majority of funds on their staff to do programming or those with existing projects and contractors already contracted) Answers: 1) No Davis-Bacon terms will apply to this project. Bidders should disregard all mentions of Davis Bacon wage requirements. They WILL be expected to agree to the relevant Federal Terms. 2)Given the nature of the work, non-profits will not be at a disadvantage.

11. Criteria Aug 27 2024 at 8:03 AM

Anonymous Aug 27 2024 at 8:03 AM
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Can there by a comparable point system for community-based organizations as it relates to MWBE? Otherwise, for profits, those doing physical development, and doing a lot of large purchases will be rated more highly than other projects.
Aug 27 2024 at 9:58 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Yes that will be taken into consideration given the nature and scope of work.

12. Budget Size Aug 27 2024 at 8:05 AM

Anonymous Aug 27 2024 at 8:05 AM
User information is private
How do we make sure large corporations and entities, who have way more resources, don't draw down this funding, when there is no budget cap for applicants?
Aug 27 2024 at 12:39 PM
City of Pittsburgh
Proposals may be submitted by for-profit and non-profit organizations with budgets of any size, and the maximum budget for any project contract is half-a-million dollars. Proposals must be complete according to the requirements of the RFP process and the necessary project expenses must be ARPA eligible, so we encourage applicants to ask specific questions. Proposals will be evaluated according to the priorities and criteria defined in the RFP.

13. Applicant eligibility Aug 27 2024 at 8:14 AM

Anonymous Aug 27 2024 at 8:14 AM
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Can a foundation be an applicant if it is applying to sub-grant to with grassroots nonprofits and businesses?
Aug 29 2024 at 11:42 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Organizations submitting proposals may be for-profit or non-profit, including foundations or CDFIs (Community Development Finance Institutions). Note also that this RFP states “Contractors may choose to include program elements in which they function as a third-party intermediary, distributing funds to subrecipients or beneficiaries”. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. In Treasury’s ARPA documentation linked within this RFP, you can find several eligible uses that involve distributing financial assistance to beneficiaries that may be relevant to this RFP such as, for example, a program to provide financial assistance to food-related small businesses in the city of Pittsburgh that meet ARPA's eligibility criteria. Proposals involving fund distribution should clearly describe the capacity of the respondent to manage such a program, including the ability to evaluate the ARPA eligibility of beneficiaries. The term "subgrants" has a wide range of uses and we cannot address this without further clarification. Note also that the city is already launching a separate grants program through the Food Justice Fund that will award funds in amounts of $75K or less to non-profit "subrecipients" providing assistance to City of Pittsburgh households and communities. We welcome follow up questions about any of this.

14. Does ARPA eligibility matter? Aug 28 2024 at 11:38 AM

Aug 28 2024 at 11:38 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Do the activities and expenses in my proposal need to meet ARPA's eligibility requirements?
Aug 30 2024 at 11:23 AM
City of Pittsburgh
These funds can only be used for expenses that are ARPA eligible. The city will only award contracts to proposals in which all of the expenses necessary to carry out the project are clearly ARPA eligible. To some extent, proposed budgets and activities may be modified during the contracting process to alter or remove aspects of the proposal that are not ARPA eligible, and the city can work with organizations in some ways during implementation to help ensure ARPA compliance. The City of Pittsburgh will make the final determination of whether any proposed expenses are ARPA-eligible. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. Proposals may include combinations of any of the eligible uses enumerated in ARPA for responding to negative economic impacts of the pandemic on households, communities, small businesses, or non-profits. See US Treasury ARPA documentation at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds On that US Treasury web page, the "2022 Overview of the Final Rule" provides a summary of major rule provisions for informational purposes and is intended as a brief, simplified user guide for recipients and stakeholders. ARPA eligibility is not based on the status of the organization responding to this RFP, it is based on the beneficiaries served by your proposed activities. This RFP also refers to the requirements of the Food Justice Fund plan approved by City Council and lists categories such as improving food access and improving food business. Note that these categories don't necessarily describe ARPA eligibility of activities and that proposed expenses must fit into these broad categories from the Food Justice Fund City Council legislation and also meet the specific eligibility requirements of ARPA. The city will use the criteria in this RFP to compare and select proposals for funding, but the city can still only actually award contracts to proposals in which the expenses necessary to carry out the project are ARPA eligible. While ARPA provides a range of options for eligible activities, it is also true that not all impactful, high-quality food system projects are ARPA eligible. Respondents may want to strengthen their proposal by referring to the ARPA enumerated uses and impacted or disproportionately impacted beneficiaries relevant to their proposal.

15. Buying land/real estate? Aug 28 2024 at 10:47 AM

Aug 28 2024 at 10:47 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Can my proposal include buying land or real estate?
Aug 29 2024 at 11:42 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Funds awarded through this RFP may not be used to purchase land or real estate.

16. ARPA Reference Docs Aug 27 2024 at 5:20 PM

Anonymous Aug 27 2024 at 5:20 PM
User information is private
In the webinar last Friday, several ARPA documents were recommended for review--one was "100s" of pages and one was a 40 page summary. Can you please make these available?
Aug 30 2024 at 11:28 AM
City of Pittsburgh
ARPA eligibility is not based on the status of the organization responding to this RFP, it is based on the beneficiaries served by your proposed activities. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. Proposals may include combinations of any of the eligible uses enumerated in ARPA for responding to negative economic impacts of the pandemic on households, communities, small businesses, or non-profits. See US Treasury ARPA documentation at: https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds On that US Treasury web page, the "2022 Overview of the Final Rule" provides a summary of major rule provisions for informational purposes and is intended as a brief, simplified user guide for recipients and stakeholders. On that same web page, More detailed information is available in the "SLFRF frequently asked questions" document, the 2022 final rule, and the 2023 interim final rule.

17. Beneficiary Communities Aug 27 2024 at 5:17 PM

Anonymous Aug 27 2024 at 5:17 PM
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How does ARPA define desired beneficiaries? Can you share this guidance you referenced in response to question 2? "ARPA provides various criteria for small businesses or non-profits to qualify as impacted or disproportionately impacted and thus qualify to recieve assistance as "beneficiaries"."
Aug 30 2024 at 11:41 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. Proposals may include combinations of any of the eligible uses enumerated in ARPA for responding to negative economic impacts of the pandemic on households, communities, small businesses, or non-profits. See US Treasury ARPA documentation at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds On that US Treasury web page, the "2022 Overview of the Final Rule" provides a summary of major rule provisions for informational purposes and is intended as a brief, simplified user guide for recipients and stakeholders. ARPA eligibility is not based on the status of the organization responding to this RFP, it is based on the beneficiaries served by your proposed activities. Respondents proposing to provide assistance to small businesses or non-profits should clearly demonstrate their capacity to manage such a program, including verifying the ARPA eligibility of beneficiaries. Note that ARPA refers to Qualified Census Tracts (QCT) in defining disproportionately impacted small businesses and non-profits, and this QCT definition is from the federal Housing and Urban Development agency as described at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/qct.html We expect that households or communities will be the beneficiaries of many proposals responding to this RFP. ARPA identifies some communities as impacted and some others as disproportionately impacted, with a wider range of eligible activities for serving disproportionately impacted communities. Impacted census tracts have a median income of less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for a household of three and disproportionately impacted census tracts have a median income of less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for a household of three, as shown on this map https://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=c30f65ae88924e668a98f95e05057a87 Alternatively, ARPA identifies some households as impacted and others as disproportionately impacted, with a wider range of eligible activities for serving disproportionately impacted households. Impacted households have an income below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline, and disproportionately impacted households have an income below 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline or qualify for any of the following programs: • Children’s Health Insurance Program • Childcare Subsidies through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Program • Medicaid • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast (SBP) programs • Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidies • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Head Start and/or Early Head Start • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) • Section 8 Vouchers • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Pell Grants

18. Missing Application Items and Proposal Disqualification Aug 27 2024 at 6:38 PM

Anonymous Aug 27 2024 at 6:38 PM
User information is private
What happens if our proposal is missing one of the required documents or green checkmarks? Will our proposal be automatically disqualified or will there be follow-up from the city to receive those items before disqualifying our entire proposal? Thank you
Aug 29 2024 at 11:42 AM
City of Pittsburgh
The system will not allow the proposal to be submitted without the required documents. If the proposal is submitted without required documents, the City reserves the right to deem the proposal non-responsive.

19. List of potential MBE/WBE Sep 2 2024 at 10:07 AM

Anonymous Sep 2 2024 at 10:07 AM
User information is private
Hello, Can the city provide a list of certified contractors for our organization to engage with on our project? Thank you.
Sep 3 2024 at 1:14 PM
City of Pittsburgh
Let us know the specific categories of business. You can send an email at [email protected]

20. Bid bonding guarantee Sep 2 2024 at 11:04 AM

Anonymous Sep 2 2024 at 11:04 AM
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In re: "Bid Bonding/Guarantees: A bid guarantee shall be in the form of either a surety bond, certified check, cashiers check, or letter of credit in the amount of five percent of the bid, and a contract bond/performance bond or letter of credit for the full amount of the contract including all items of overhead." --Does this need to be submitted with the application ?
Sep 3 2024 at 2:05 PM
City of Pittsburgh
Bid bonds and guarantees are general terms and conditions that may or may not be applicable to every project. Since the scope does not mention a bid bond, one is not required for this project.

21. Good Faith Checklist Sep 3 2024 at 3:35 PM

Anonymous Sep 3 2024 at 3:35 PM
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Must we complete each box on the Good Faith Checklist to be eligible for support? Most of these activities would not occur until support is confirmed.
Sep 4 2024 at 10:12 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Please check the boxes as best as you can depending on your capacity. If you need any further help give us a call at 412-255-8804

22. No subject Sep 4 2024 at 5:09 PM

Anonymous Sep 4 2024 at 5:09 PM
User information is private
Our proposal would be enhanced if you could supply answers to several questions we have. In particular: 1) Eligible projects will be "improving food business and manufacturing through the establishment of food hubs and cooperatives that empower more individuals to create avenues for local food production." 1a) What constitutes a "food hub? Is it a distribution center that supplies point-of-service operations (e.g., a warehouse), or is it a point-of-service operation itself (e.g., a storefront)? 1b) What constitutes "food production?" Does this mean the actual growing of crops and/or the production of food intended for end-point consumption? Can a party create contributory items (e.g., sauces or jams) that are intended to be added to end-point foods? Is it sufficient to bring any food into an area that is underserved and distribute it? 2) Eligible projects will be "addressing issues in food waste through composting and environmental efforts." Is this limited to specifically to food? Or could environmentally sustainable methods of maintenance (e.g., brown water reclamation) count? 3) Broadly speaking, eligible projects deal with "providing food relief to individuals." Would a commercial venture that sells food, with no discount, in a location designated as a food desert for purchase count? Or must the food be either offered by free or subsidized so that it is available below the market rate?
Sep 10 2024 at 12:34 PM
City of Pittsburgh
This answer is only referring to interpretation of the four categories of activity from the 2023 Food Justice Fund City Council legislation included in this RFP. Note that all expenses must be ARPA-eligible and that ARPA eligible proposals will be evaluated using the criteria defined in the RFP. So, successful proposals will do three things: 1) Fit within the categories of activity defined in this RFP, including the categories from the FJF city council legislation and the definitions of food system and food security; 2) Include ARPA eligible expenses for all of the activities necessary to carry out the project. This is discussed in more detail elsewhere in this FAQ. We encourage respondents to review the information from US Treasury at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds On that US Treasury web page, the "2022 Overview of the Final Rule" provides a summary of major rule provisions for informational purposes and is intended as a brief, simplified user guide for recipients and stakeholders. ARPA eligibility is not based on the status of the organization responding to this RFP, it is based on the beneficiaries served by your proposed activities. 3) Score high on the criteria defined in this RFP relative to other eligible proposals received. To answer the specific questions: 1A: USDA DEFINES a food hub as “a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand.", and the city further understands "food hub" to include additional functions with multiplier-effects increasing capacity for multiple businesses or organizations within our local food system, such as shared space for creating value-added food products. 1B: food production includes growing food, preparing meals, or creating value-added food products such as bread, jam, or pickles. 2: everything needs to be clearly related to the food system and/or food security. 3: increasing retail access to food is still increasing access to food in communities with low retail access to food, so this could be sufficient in many communities, although respondents should note that proposals will be compared to each other according to relative impact.

23. ARPA Guidelines - Impacted Communities Sep 4 2024 at 6:10 PM

Anonymous Sep 4 2024 at 6:10 PM
User information is private
Are organizations required to spell out the incomes of the individuals they serve? Must they track the incomes of the individuals they serve as the project goes forward?
Sep 9 2024 at 11:46 AM
City of Pittsburgh
If you're establishing ARPA eligibility based on specific households, rather than census tracts, then you will need to document that the specific households served are eligible. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. We expect that households or communities will be the beneficiaries of many proposals responding to this RFP. ARPA identifies some communities as impacted and some others as disproportionately impacted, with a wider range of eligible activities for serving disproportionately impacted communities. Impacted census tracts have a median income of less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for a household of three and disproportionately impacted census tracts have a median income of less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for a household of three, as shown on this map https://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=c30f65ae88924e668a98f95e05057a87 Alternatively, ARPA identifies some households as impacted and others as disproportionately impacted, with a wider range of eligible activities for serving disproportionately impacted households. Impacted households have an income below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline, and disproportionately impacted households have an income below 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline or qualify for any of the following programs: • Children’s Health Insurance Program • Childcare Subsidies through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Program • Medicaid • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast (SBP) programs • Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidies • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Head Start and/or Early Head Start • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) • Section 8 Vouchers • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Pell Grants

24. Selection Process Sep 4 2024 at 6:11 PM

Anonymous Sep 4 2024 at 6:11 PM
User information is private
What is the application review process? What are the steps and who will be reviewing it?
Sep 5 2024 at 11:06 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Once all proposals are submitted and the proposal deadline has closed, proposals are reviewed and evaluated by an evaluation committee.

25. Use of Funds Sep 5 2024 at 10:47 AM

Anonymous Sep 5 2024 at 10:47 AM
User information is private
Could funds from this project be used to support facility renovations not directly related to food programming, but essential to access food programming? For example, a new elevator that would be needed to access a second-floor community food pantry.
Sep 10 2024 at 12:34 PM
City of Pittsburgh
We would need to see the full proposal in order to make a final determination. Renovating facilities primarily dedicated to food security to become more accessible to Disabled people is clearly an activity that increases food security and access to food. However, these funds can only be used for expenses that are ARPA eligible. The city will only award contracts to proposals in which all of the expenses necessary to carry out the project are clearly ARPA eligible. To some extent, proposed budgets and activities may be modified during the contracting process to alter or remove aspects of the proposal that are not ARPA eligible, and the city can work with organizations in some ways during implementation to help ensure ARPA compliance. The contractor organization (awardee) is still ultimately responsible and liable for compliance with federal requirements. The City of Pittsburgh will make the final determination of whether any proposed expenses are ARPA-eligible. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. Organizations proposing to provide assistance to small businesses or non-profits should demonstrate their capacity to manage such a program, including capacity to verify eligibility of beneficiaries. Organizations may also propose to make capital improvements to facilities primarily dedicated to food security based on the logic that these capital improvements are directly related to providing food assistance to communities harmed by the negative economic impact of the pandemic. In this case, proposals should describe how these capital improvements will serve communities eligible for ARPA assistance and how this activity is proportional to the harm experienced by the impacted community. We have described a more detailed explanation of how ARPA identifies impacted households or census tracts served elsewhere in this FAQ. So, an elevator providing access to a second-floor food pantry located within a shopping mall would not be ARPA eligible, but an elevator within a building fully dedicated to food security and only serving ARPA eligible census tracts probably would be. We welcome further questions about this, and also note that including some ineligible expenses in a proposal does not automatically disqualify the entire proposal.

26. Required Attachment - Provisions and Procedures Pertaining to Compliance with Section 3 of HUD Sep 3 2024 at 5:20 PM

Anonymous Sep 3 2024 at 5:20 PM
User information is private
Should only the prime contractor and any subcontractors receiving in excess of $100,000 be listed on the Appendix no 1.? Also, should it completed for current staff or only jobs created by FJF dollars? What if the project does not anticipate creating new jobs? How does a non profit prove it is compliant with section 3? We do an open hiring process, where we solicit applications from an open call?
Sep 6 2024 at 11:06 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Thank you for your question. Please disregard the documents related to the section in the Vendor Questionnaire identified as "Community Development Required Documents." They have been removed from the questionnaire; please refer to the Addenda and Notices to see the change directly.

27. Required formatting question Sep 4 2024 at 11:10 AM

Anonymous Sep 4 2024 at 11:10 AM
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Section 4.1 states "All submitted responses shall follow the formatting below...Each numbered section is to be uploaded as a separate file." However, there are no numbered sections under 4. Does this requirement refer to the numbered sections under 3, and so we should incorporate the headers from section 4 into the numbered sections in 3 and submit those as separate files?
Sep 6 2024 at 11:06 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Since the sections are not numbered, please label and submit the separate documents according to the headers and sub-headers within the section.

28. Response to Scope: References Sep 5 2024 at 1:17 PM

Anonymous Sep 5 2024 at 1:17 PM
User information is private
The Response to Scope requests three references for related projects or services. Does this apply to nonprofit applicants? If yes, what would be an example of an appropriate reference for a nonprofit? Partner organizations? Letters of support?
Sep 6 2024 at 11:06 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Regarding references, please provide a list that includes, but is not limited to, project information and the associated contact details.

29. Federal Procurement Rules Sep 6 2024 at 10:07 AM

Anonymous Sep 6 2024 at 10:07 AM
User information is private
How will federal procurement rules be applied to projects awarded funding?
Sep 6 2024 at 11:06 AM
City of Pittsburgh
Vendors are expected to comply with all applicable federal rules and regulations outlined in Section 9, as well as the guidelines specified in 2 C.F.R. Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

30. Additional Funding Source Sep 6 2024 at 11:27 AM

Anonymous Sep 6 2024 at 11:27 AM
User information is private
Will a grant for another purpose for the same business, disqualify the business from eligibility for this funding?
Sep 10 2024 at 12:34 PM
City of Pittsburgh
In general, federal funds cannot be used for expenses that have been or will be reimbursed by another federal program or other sources. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. Organizations may hold multiple federal contracts or grants at one time, so having already received grants or contracts from other federally funded programs will not disqualify organizations from submitting proposals responding to this RFP. We encourage respondents to review the information from US Treasury at https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds. On that US Treasury web page, the "2022 Overview of the Final Rule" provides a summary of major rule provisions for informational purposes and is intended as a brief, simplified user guide for recipients and stakeholders. ARPA eligibility is not based on the status of the organization responding to this RFP, it is based on the beneficiaries served by your proposed activities. Organizations may propose projects in which they provide assistance to small business or non-profit beneficiaries. Avenues of Hope was an example of this type of ARPA activity. Organizations proposing to provide assistance to small businesses or non-profits should demonstrate their capacity to manage such a project, including capacity to verify eligibility of beneficiaries. If a small business already received assistance through another federally funded program responding to negative economic impacts of the pandemic, such as Avenues of Hope, this could affect their eligibility to receive assistance as a beneficiary. So, having received other federal funds could affect which businesses your program can serve.

31. Reporting data requirements Sep 6 2024 at 1:39 PM

Anonymous Sep 6 2024 at 1:39 PM
User information is private
What kind of data will be required for reporting? Numbers of households or individuals served? Income data? Changes in food access points? The required reporting may affect our project scope based on our ability to gather information from participants.
Sep 9 2024 at 1:46 PM
City of Pittsburgh
Broadly, reporting requirements will fall into two categories, reporting required for ARPA compliance and reporting to tell the story of impact. The city has flexibility around reporting requirements that measure impact but are not required by ARPA and can work with organizations during contract negotiations to identify manageable metrics that fit within their capacity and are specific to the project. However, reporting required for ARPA compliance is mandatory and should be considered part of the organization's capacity to carry out a project. Among other things, organizations will need to document that funds were used to serve ARPA-eligible beneficiaries. Organizations awarded a contract through this RFP process will be ARPA "subrecipients" and proposed activities will benefit ARPA "beneficiaries", City of Pittsburgh households and communities, small businesses, or non-profits. Organizations providing assistance to small businesses or non-profits should demonstrate their capacity to manage such a program, including capacity to verify eligibility of small business or non-profit beneficiaries served. Establishing eligibility of small business or non-profit beneficiaries is somewhat more complex than establishing eligibility of households or communities. Organizations serving households or communities may establish eligibility of either individual households or of census tracts served. ARPA identifies some communities as impacted and some others as disproportionately impacted, with a wider range of eligible activities for serving disproportionately impacted communities. Impacted census tracts have a median income of less than 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for a household of three and disproportionately impacted census tracts have a median income of less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline for a household of three, as shown on this map https://pittsburghpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=c30f65ae88924e668a98f95e05057a87 Alternatively, ARPA identifies some households as impacted and others as disproportionately impacted, with a wider range of eligible activities for serving disproportionately impacted households. Impacted households have an income below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guideline, and disproportionately impacted households have an income below 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline or qualify for any of the following programs: • Children’s Health Insurance Program • Childcare Subsidies through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Program • Medicaid • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Free- and Reduced-Price Lunch (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast (SBP) programs • Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidies • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Head Start and/or Early Head Start • Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) • Section 8 Vouchers • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) • Pell Grants We welcome further questions about this.

32. SLFRF Overview of Final Rule Sep 6 2024 at 2:45 PM

Anonymous Sep 6 2024 at 2:45 PM
User information is private
In the final rule overview on page 43, the timeline for use of funds says that funds must be obligated by 12/31/24. Does that mean for City of Pittsburgh or does that mean for awardees of this grant? It would be challenging to obligate the grant funds by year end as a grantee.
Sep 9 2024 at 1:46 PM
City of Pittsburgh
That's the deadline for the city, not the awardees. The city must have all contracting for this RFP completed before the end of 2024. Awardees will have until the end of 2025 to expend funds. ARPA requires that all funds be expended by the end of 2026 and the city has set an internal deadline that all ARPA funded programs must expend funds by end of 2025.

33. Follow-up: Federal Procurement Rules Sep 6 2024 at 2:41 PM

Anonymous Sep 6 2024 at 2:41 PM
User information is private
In response to the answer for question 29, can further elaboration be provided about the standards for sub-monitoring expected? How should small organizations handle this issue?
Sep 10 2024 at 12:34 PM
City of Pittsburgh
The term “sub-monitoring” does not appear in section 9, but we welcome further questions about specific requirements. Generally, organizations entering into contracts using these federal funds are taking on various liabilities and responsibilities, including the compliance of subcontractors. Ensuring compliance of capital improvements is more complex than for some other activities, such as distributing food. To some extent, the city can collaborate during implementation of the project, but liability for compliance will still ultimately remain with the contractor organization.

34. Eligible expenses Sep 10 2024 at 7:55 PM

Anonymous Sep 10 2024 at 7:55 PM
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Would the rent for a site - of food distribution, community education, etc. - be an eligible expense? Are there any limits on the amount of the budget overall that rent line item could be? Or would rent fall under the 10% admin line item? Thank you
Sep 12 2024 at 11:43 AM
City of Pittsburgh
We would need to see a full proposal in order to make a final determination or fully evaluate a budget in context. This is the kind of budget line item that could usually be adjusted during contracting if needed. To the question about rent as an indirect cost counting towards the ten percent limit on indirect costs, rent for a facility that is part of your ongoing operations would probably be indirect and rent for a specific purpose unique to this project that you would not otherwise rent would probably be a direct cost.

35. Partnerships Sep 11 2024 at 9:02 AM

Anonymous Sep 11 2024 at 9:02 AM
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Is it okay for multiple organizations submitting applications list my organization as a partner/collaborator on their applications?
Sep 11 2024 at 3:06 PM
City of Pittsburgh
Yes, the same organization can be a subcontractor on multiple proposals, and the same organization can also be a prime contractor on one proposal and a subcontractor on others.

36. No subject Sep 11 2024 at 2:06 PM

Anonymous Sep 11 2024 at 2:06 PM
User information is private
Can invoices for items or services be submitted to the city for direct payment to the vendor instead of on a reimbursement basis to the awardee?
Sep 12 2024 at 11:43 AM
City of Pittsburgh
No. Your organization is the prime contractor and subcontractors or vendors will have a direct relationship with your organization. Issues related to reimbursement, advancement, transfer of funds, and payment for deliverables can be negotiated in a variety of ways during contracting. This can help address cash flow challenges in some cases.

37. No subject Sep 11 2024 at 2:29 PM

Anonymous Sep 11 2024 at 2:29 PM
User information is private
If the award is used for labor completed by the awardee, what documentation is required to be reimbursed?
Sep 12 2024 at 11:43 AM
City of Pittsburgh
This could be negotatied in a veriety of ways during contracting and we cannot make a general statement applicable to all possible proposals.

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