Phase 1 – Pre-Reviewed Housing Program

Location:	Indiana
Posted:	Feb 9, 2026
Due:	Apr 9, 2026
Agency:	City of Indianapolis and Marion County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	C - Architect and Engineering Services - Construction
Solicitation No:	RFQual-13DMD-101
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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City of Indianapolis and Marion County

Request for Qualifications

Release Date

Request for Qualifications

Reference Number

Request for Qualifications

Title

Agency

Agency Contact

Written Questions Due

Request for Qualifications

Submittal Deadline Delivery

Due Date and Time (Eastern

Time)

February 9th, 2026

RFQUAL-13DMD-2026-101

Pre-Reviewed Housing – Architectural Services

Department of Metropolitan Development

Marlee Cawthorn

Tel: (317) 327-5103

Email: marlee.cawthorn@indy.gov

March 23, 2026, by 4:00 PM (Eastern Time)

This Request for Qualifications will remain open for

submissions for a period of two (2) months from the date of

issuance on February 9th, 2026 and ending on April 9th, 2026.

The time period will enable DMD to circulate a pool of

potential Consultants.

Delivery by email only to marlee.cawthorn@indy.gov

Electronic Submissions Only

City of Indianapolis

Request for Qualiﬁca ons

Department of Metropolitan Development

Pre-Reviewed Housing

Questions pertaining to this Request for Qualifications (RFQUAL) may be directed in writing to

Marlee Cawthorn listed above by the March 23rd, 2026.

NOTE: Any related addenda to this RFQUAL, including written answers to questions,

will be posted on the Purchasing Division’s official website at www.indy.gov/purch

under the appropriate project heading. Addenda will NOT be sent directly to vendors.

Vendors will be responsible for periodically checking this website for any related

addenda up to and including the due date. Vendors should print out, sign, and return

written acknowledgement(s) with their RFQUAL. Failure to sign and return the addenda

may cause a response to be determined as non- responsive for review purposes.

1. General Information

The City of Indianapolis and Marion County (“City”), by and through the Department of

Metropolitan Development (“DMD”), is requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from

qualified consultant teams led by an architectural firm interested in supporting the City’s Pre-

Reviewed Housing program.

This RFQUAL is issued to identify one (1) consultant team, led by an architectural firm serving

as the prime consultant, with demonstrated expertise in small-scale residential infill, municipal

development processes, and high-quality construction documentation to participate in the Pre-

Reviewed Housing program. Consultant teams may include subconsultants (e.g., cost

estimating, civil/site support, or other specialized expertise) as appropriate. The prime

consultant must be a licensed architectural firm; general contractors may participate only as

subconsultants. This project is intended to result in residential construction drawings that can be

submitted for permitting, with final scope and deliverables refined during contracting. The City

anticipates entering into a single agreement with the selected prime consultant; if additional

expertise is needed, it should be proposed through subconsultants included on the consultant

team.

This is a qualifications-based selection. The City is not requesting design proposals, conceptual

designs, or speculative work at this stage. Submission of qualifications does not guarantee

selection or award of work; it serves only as notice of interest and capability.

Pricing will not be requested as part of the SOQ submission. Following evaluation of

qualifications, the City and Purchasing may request additional information from shortlisted

respondents, which may include a pricing breakdown, to support final selection and contracting.

2. Program Background

Indianapolis is seeking practical, near-term tools to expand access to small-scale residential

development that is compatible with existing neighborhoods and local development regulations.

Many traditional neighborhoods accommodate a wide diversity of housing forms, including

DMD – Pre-Reviewed Housing

February 2026 - RFQUAL-13DMD-2026-101

City of Indianapolis

Request for Qualiﬁca ons

Department of Metropolitan Development

Pre-Reviewed Housing

accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and duplexes, and the City is exploring ways to support the

development of these housing types through streamlined, code-compliant design resources.

Small-scale developers, community development corporations (CDCs), and homeowners often

encounter barriers navigating zoning, building code, and permitting processes. Providing pre-

reviewed, code-compliant residential construction drawings helps reduce this friction by offering

designs that are ready to submit for permits, reflect neighborhood-scale and contextual design

principles, and can advance more efficiently from funding award to construction.

The Pre-Reviewed Housing program is intended to establish, a small catalog of City-reviewed

residential construction drawings that can be deployed on appropriately zoned parcels, including

City-owned and Land Bank properties, and by individual homeowners interested in adding

ADUs. The program seeks to lower development costs, shorten timelines, and support

neighborhood-scale residential infill that reinforces established development patterns.

3. Program Objectives

This pilot is designed to focus on developing and testing a small catalog of pre-reviewed

residential construction drawings, while refining workflows and program processes prior to

broader implementation. Program objectives are as follows:

 Test and refine the Pre-Reviewed Housing program process prior to broader

implementation, including opportunities for course correction based on early lessons

learned

 Establish efficient, repeatable workflows between the Department of Metropolitan

Development (DMD), the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services (DBNS),

and the selected consultant team to support pre-review, permitting, and deployment of

plans

 Develop a small catalog of residential construction drawings that are ready to submit for

permits, non-site-specific, and suitable for deployment on appropriately zoned parcels

 Evaluate which housing types and design approaches gain the strongest traction among

intended users of the program, including small-scale developers, CDCs, and

homeowners

 Accelerate development of housing supported through the Indianapolis Community

Investments Application, City-owned parcels, and Land Bank parcels by reducing

design, review, and permitting timelines

 Document lessons learned regarding design standards, permitting workflows,

interdepartmental coordination, and user adoption to inform potential program

improvements

 Measure estimated cost savings, time savings, and broader economic impact associated

with use of pre-reviewed plans, including approximate per-project savings for program

users

4. Anticipated Scope of Work

Design

DMD – Pre-Reviewed Housing

February 2026 - RFQUAL-13DMD-2026-101

City of Indianapolis

Request for Qualiﬁca ons

Department of Metropolitan Development

Pre-Reviewed Housing

The scope and typologies described below are anticipated and are subject to refinement based

on community engagement findings, City-led housing market and zoning analysis, and

coordination with relevant City departments. Final scope, typology selection, and deliverables

will be finalized through contracting and pilot kickoff.

Respondents should review this anticipated scope to ensure alignment. The final scope of

services will be defined through negotiation and individual agreements.

The program is expected to include the development of a total of seven (7) sets of residential

construction drawings. These drawings are anticipated to include the following residential

typologies and are subject to refinement based on community engagement findings, City-led

housing market and zoning analysis, and coordination with relevant City departments:

 Single-family home plans

 Accessory Dwelling Unit plans

 Duplex plans

The specific mix and number of plan sets per typology will be determined collaboratively with

the selected consultant team based on program priorities, community input, and feasibility

considerations.

For each building type, the City anticipates:

 Three (3) elevations (facade, porch, gable, architectural features)

 Optional interchangeable façade or architectural variations intended to promote

individuality and neighborhood-scale contextual design, while maintaining comparable

construction costs to the base plan.

 Conceptual massing and site arrangement strategies, including at least one typical site

plan per typology, demonstrating deployment on representative lot sizes and

configurations, for illustrative purposes only and not as a substitute for site-specific

zoning review.

Designs should prioritize cost-conscious construction, neighborhood-scale contextual

compatibility, and residential construction drawings that are ready to submit for permits, subject

to final City review.

The City intends for these designs to support attainable construction costs and feasibility for

small-scale developers, and CDC’s, and therefore will require high-level, point-in-time

construction cost estimates for each typology as part of the deliverables.

Community Engagement

The selected team is expected to include a meaningful community engagement component

intended to inform preferred housing typologies and design features included in the initial

housing plan catalog.

Engagement is anticipated to include a mix of lightweight neighborhood-facing outreach and

targeted stakeholder engagement with intended users of the program, including community

development corporations (CDCs), small-scale developers, emerging developers, and

DMD – Pre-Reviewed Housing

February 2026 - RFQUAL-13DMD-2026-101

City of Indianapolis

Request for Qualiﬁca ons

Department of Metropolitan Development

Pre-Reviewed Housing

homeowners. Engagement approaches may include “meet-people-where-they-are” activities

(e.g., pop-up or tabling activities at libraries, grocery stores, or neighborhood events) as well as

structured feedback sessions with CDCs and community partners. Preference-based feedback

tools (such as image-based surveys, visual comparison boards, or interactive prompts) may be

used to inform design direction. Stakeholder engagement with CDCs and community partners is

intended to inform not only design preferences, but also feasibility considerations, market fit,

and likelihood of adoption of the pre-reviewed plans.

The City anticipates that engagement logistics, coordination, and overall facilitation will be led

by DMD, with supportive assistance from the selected consultant team. Anticipated consultant

responsibilities may include:

 Assisting with development of engagement materials, visual preference tools, and

presentation graphics

 Participating in one or more engagement or stakeholder feedback activities as requested

by the City

 Synthesizing engagement findings into clear design implications and recommendations

 Incorporating engagement feedback into iterative refinement of plans, elevations, and

site strategies

 Surfacing recurring concerns or barriers identified through stakeholder engagement that

may have implications for zoning, permitting, or program design

5. Role of the Selected Consultant Team

The consultant team selected through this RFQ, led by a prime architectural firm, will be

expected to collaborate closely with City staff during the pilot. Anticipated responsibilities may

include:

 Translating the City’s vision into residential construction drawings that are ready to

submit for permits

 Developing elevation, façade, and massing variations consistent with neighborhood-

scale contextual design principles

 Coordinating with DMD, DBNS, and other relevant City departments during design

development and pre-review

 Iterating designs in a timely and collaborative manner in response to City, stakeholder,

and community engagement feedback

 Reviewing City-provided zoning, policy, ILP requirements, and other regulatory context

relevant to proposed plan sets

 Surfacing zoning, code, or process friction points encountered during development of

proposed plan sets that may have implications for program design

 Developing high-level, point-in-time construction cost estimates sufficient to inform

feasibility and deployment planning (non-binding and not site-specific unless otherwise

agreed)

DMD – Pre-Reviewed Housing

February 2026 - RFQUAL-13DMD-2026-101

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Phase 1 – Pre-Reviewed Housing Program – Architectural Services

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See also