SampleRequestforProposalforLegalServices

September2012

ThisisaRequestforProposal(RFP)forLegalServicesthatCommunityActionAgencies(CAA)
mayuseasastartingplacetocreatetheirownRFP.ACAAshouldcarefullyreviewthisRFP
andedititasnecessarytoensurethatitmeetstheneedsofitsorganization.Itisimportant
tonotethat,assetforthintheWorkingwithAttorneyssectionoftheExemplaryLegal
PoliciesandPracticesGuidebook,aCAAmustcomplywiththeprocurementrequirementsset
forthinUniformAdministrationRequirementsforGrantssetforthin2C.F.R.Part215(OMB
CircularA110)whensearchingforanattorneytoretain.ThissampleRFPisnotintendedas
legaladvice.

REQUESTFORPROPOSALFORLEGALSERVICES
FORTHEPERIOD
[DATE]to[DATE]

INQUIRIESANDPROPOSALSSHOULDBEDIRECTEDTO:
[EXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERISDESIGNATEDTORECEIVEINQUIRIES]
[TITLE]

[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY]
[MAILINGADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[FAX]
[EMAIL]

I.

GENERALINFORMATION.

A. Purpose.Thisrequestforproposal(RFP)istocontractforlegalservicestobeprovided
[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCYNAME]forthe[SPECIFYTIMEPERIODSUCHASCALENDER
YEAR____ORDATERANGE].

B. WhoMayRespond.Onlyattorneyswhoarecurrentlylicensedtopracticelawin[STATE]and
maintainanofficein[CITY,STATE],orlawfirmsincludingsuchattorneys,mayrespondtothis
RFP.

C. InstructionsonProposalSubmission.

1. ClosingSubmissionDate.Proposalsmustbesubmittednolaterthan[TIME]on[DATE]

2. Inquiries.InquiriesconcerningthisRFPshouldbemailedto:
[EXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERISDESIGNATEDTORECEIVEINQUIRIES]
[TITLE]
[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY]
[MAILINGADDRESS]

Oremailedto:[EMAILADDRESSOFEXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERIS
DESIGNATEDTORECEIVEINQUIRIES]

3. ConditionsofProposal.Allcostsincurredinthepreparationofaproposalrespondingto
thisRFPwillbetheresponsibilityoftheOfferorandwillnotbereimbursedby
[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY],(hereinafterreferredtoas(CAA).

4. InstructionstoProspectiveContractors.Yourproposalshouldbeaddressedasfollows:

[EXECUTIVEDIRECTORORWHOMEVERISDESIGNATEDTORECEIVEPROPOSALS]
[TITLE]
[COMMUNITYACTIONAGENCY]
[MAILINGADDRESS]

ItisimportantthattheOfferor'sproposalbesubmittedinasealedenvelopeclearlymarked
inthelowerlefthandcornerwiththefollowinginformation:
RequestforProposal
[TIME][DATE]
SEALEDPROPOSALForLegalServices
2

Failuretodosomayresultinprematuredisclosureofyourproposal.Itistheresponsibility
oftheOfferortoinsurethattheproposalisreceivedbyCAA,bythedateandtimespecified
above.Lateproposalswillnotbeconsidered.

5. RighttoReject.CAAreservestherighttorejectanyandallproposalsreceivedinresponse
tothisRFP.Acontractfortheacceptedproposalwillbedraftedbaseduponthefactors
describedinthisRFP.

6. Smalland/orMinorityOwnedBusinesses.EffortswillbemadebyCAAtoutilizesmall
businesses,womenand/orminorityownedbusinesses.Offerorqualifiesasasmall
businessfirmifitmeetsthedefinitionof"smallbusiness"asestablishedbytheSmall
BusinessAdministration(13C.F.R.121.201).

7. NotificationofAward.ItisexpectedthatadecisionselectingthesuccessfulFirmwillbe
madewithinfour(4)weeksoftheclosingdateforthereceiptofproposals.Upon
conclusionoffinalnegotiationswiththesuccessfulFirm,allOfferorssubmittingproposalsin
responsetothisRequestforProposalwillbeinformed,inwriting,ofthenameofthe
successfulconsultant.Itisexpectedthatthecontractshall[DESCRIBETYPEOFCONTRACT,
FOREXAMPLEWILLITBEAONEYEARFIXEDPRICECONTRACTWITHOPTIONFOR
RENEWALORWILLITBEACONTRACTFORAWORKPERFORMEDWITHINASPECIFICTIME
PERIODWITHARETAINERANDADDITIONALFEESCONSIDEREDONAMONTHLYBASES].

D. DescriptionofEntity.CAAisaCommunityActionAgencythatserves[COUNTIES]in[STATE].
CAAisa[NONPROFITCORPORATION/PUBLICENTITY]and[IFNONPROFIT,hasbeen
determinedtobeexemptfromFederalincometaxunderSection501(c)(3)oftheInternal
RevenueCode].CAAhasanannualbudgetofapproximately[DOLLARS]andisgovernedbya
[NUMBEROFBOARDMEMBERS]membervolunteerBoardofDirectors,whichmeets
[NUMBER]timesperyear.CAAemploys[NUMBER]people.Administrativeofficesarelocated
at[ADDRESS].Otherofficesarelocatedthroughout[COUNTIES].
CAAsmission[DESCRIPTIONOFMISSION,FOREXAMPLE,CAASmissionistoempowerpeople
tomovefrompovertytoselfsufficiency.Itaccomplishesthisgoalthroughavarietyof
programs,financedprimarilybyfederal,state,andlocalgrants,includingthefollowing:Head
Startandotherchildandfamilydevelopmentprograms;HomeEnergyAssistance;Rental
Assistance;TransitionalLivingandHomelessnessIntervention;RunawayandHomelessYouth;
Child/FamilyHealthPlus;andEmergencyFoodandShelter].
II.

SCOPEOFSERVICES.TheOfferorshallbereadilyavailabletoperformthefollowinglegalservices,as
requestedbytheExecutiveDirectorand/orBoardofDirectors:

[LISTLEGALSERVICESDESIRED,FOREXAMPLE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Review,draft,andnegotiatecontractsandleases
Adviseoncorporateandtaxexemptorganizationlegalissues
Adviseonindividuallaborandemploymentmatters
Reviewpersonnel,fiscalandotherpolicies,aswellascorporatebylaws
AttendBoardofDirectorsandCommitteemeetingsasnecessary
Adviseongovernmentgrantandcontractissues
Adviseonresponsestosubpoenas,courtorders,andrequestsforinformationfromthird
parties
8. Defendlawsuits,administrativeclaims,orotherlegalclaims
9. Conductlitigationasnecessary
10. Otherlegalservicesasneeded]

Althoughitispreferableforanattorneyorfirmtosubmitaproposalcoveringalloftheaboveareas,
CAAwillconsiderproposalsforsubsetsoftheseareas.
Offerorshallbepreparedtosubmitdetailedbillingstatementsforallservicesbilledatanhourly
rate,ifany,brokendownintotimeincrementsofnomorethanaquarterhour.Offerorshallalso
includesummariesofworkperformedandtimespentonservicesperformedundertheflatmonthly
fee,asdiscussedbelow.
III.

PROPOSALCONTENTS.TheOfferor,initsproposal,shall,asaminimum,includethefollowing;
A. LegalExperience.TheOfferorshoulddescribeitslegalexperience,includingthenames,
addresses,contactpersons,andtelephonenumbersofatleastthreeclients,preferably
includingclientssimilartoCAA.Experienceshouldincludethefollowingcategories:
[LISTEXPERIENCEDESIRED,FOREXAMPLE:
1. Experienceadvisingnonprofitorganizations.
2. Experienceadvisingclientsconductingsimilarprogramsandgovernmentfundedservices.]
B. Organization,Size,Structure,andAreasofPractice.IftheOfferorisafirm,itshoulddescribe
itsorganization,size,structure,areasofpractice,andofficelocation(s).Indicate,ifappropriate,
ifthefirmisasmallorminority/ownedbusiness.AlsoincludecopyofEqual
Opportunity/AffirmativeActionPolicy,ifthefirmhasone.
C. AttorneyQualifications.TheOfferorshouldhaveexperienceinthefollowingareas:[LIST
EXPERIENCEDESIRED,FOREXAMPLE:nonprofitandtaxexemptorganizations;realestate,
includingbondfinancing;governmentgrantsandcontracts;laborandemployment;and
generalbusinessoperations.]TheOfferorshoulddescribethequalificationsofattorneystobe
assignedtotherepresentation.Descriptionsshouldinclude:
4

1. Professionalandeducationbackgroundofeachattorney.
2. Overallsupervisiontobeexercised.
3. Priorexperienceoftheindividualattorneyswithrespecttotherequiredexperiencelisted
above.Onlyincluderesumesofattorneyslikelytobeassignedtotherepresentation.
Education,positioninfirm,yearsandtypesofexperience,andcontinuingprofessional
educationwillbeconsidered.
D. Price.TheOfferor'sproposedpriceshouldincludeinformationonthehourlybillingratesof
eachattorneyorotherlegalstaffwhoisexpectedtoworkonthisrepresentationandcharges
forexpenses,ifany,suchaslegalresearch,copies,andfaxes.Alsoincludeamonthlyflatfee
thatwouldbechargedtoadviseonroutinemattersthatcouldbehandledoverthetelephoneor
otherwisewithoutextensiveresearchorotherlegalwork.CAAreservestherighttonegotiate
withtheOfferoronthestructureofthebillingand/orretainerfee.
IV.

PROPOSALEVALUATION
A. SubmissionofProposals.Allproposalsshallincludeanoriginaland[NUMBER]copies.
B. EvaluationProcedureandCriteria.CAAsExecutiveDirectorandappropriatestaffwillreview
proposalsandmakerecommendationstotheBoardofDirectorsforfinalapproval.The
ExecutiveDirectorand/orBoardofDirectorsmayrequestameetingwithsomequalified
Offerorspriortofinalselection.Proposalswillbereviewedinaccordancewiththefollowing
criteria:
[LISTCRITERIABYWHICHYOUWILLBEREVIEWINGTHEPROPOSALS,FOREXAMPLE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Proposedapproachtoscopeofwork.
Levelofexperienceoftheindividual(s)identifiedtoworkonthismatter.
TheOfferorsexperiencewithsimilarclientsandlegalmatters.
Responsefromreferences.
Cost.
Interviews,ifconducted.]