Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

Location:	California
Posted:	May 7, 2026
Due:	May 28, 2026
Agency:	City of Berkeley
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	G - Social Services
Solicitation No:	26-11786-C
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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Finance Department

General Services Division

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Specification No. 26-11786-C

FOR

NAME OF RFP: Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE OPENED AND READ PUBLICLY

Dear Proposer:

The City of Berkeley is soliciting written proposals from qualified firms or individuals that will provide food

assistance to food insecure households. As a Request for Proposal (RFP) this is not an invitation to bid and

although price is very important, other factors will be taken into consideration.

The project scope, content of proposal, and vendor selection process are summarized in the RFP (attached).

Proposals must be received no later than 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Proposals are to be sent via

email with the “Specification No. 26-11786-C and Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services” clearly

indicated in the subject line of the email. Please submit one (1) PDF of the technical Proposal with the filename

saved as, “Proposal: Vendor Name - YY-#####, Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services.”

Corresponding pricing proposal shall be submitted as a separate document with the filename saved as, “Pricing:

Vendor Name - YY-#####, Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services.”

Email Proposals to:

City of Berkeley

Finance Department/General Services Division

Solicitations@berkeleyca.gov

Proposals will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete proposal or proposals that do not

conform to the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFP does not obligate the City

to award a contract, nor is the City liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation and submittal of

proposals for the subject work. The City retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several bidders, to

not select any bidders, and/or to re-solicit proposals. The act of submitting a proposal is a declaration that the

proposer has read the RFP and understands all the requirements and conditions.

For questions concerning the anticipated work, or scope of the project, please contact Kat Larrowe, Community

Services Specialist III, via email at klarrowe@berkeleyca.gov no later than May 5, 2026. Answers to questions

will not be provided by telephone or email. Answers to all questions or any addenda will be posted on the City of

Berkeley’s site at Bid & Proposal Opportunities | City of Berkeley (berkeleyca.gov). It is the vendor’s responsibility

to check this site. For general questions concerning the submittal process, contact purchasing at 510-981-7320.

We look forward to receiving and reviewing your proposal.

Sincerely,

Henry Oyekanmi

Finance Director

2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7320 TDD: 510.981.6903

E-mail: purchasing@berkeleyca.org Website: cityofberkeley.info/finance/

City of Berkeley

Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

Internal

Specification No. 26-11786-C

Page 2 of 20

Release Date 04/21/26

BACKGROUND/SUMMARY/or INTRODUCTION

The City of Berkeley is soliciting proposals from community-based organizations serving food insecure Berkeley-

based individuals and families. The funding is made available through the Home Investment Partnerships Program

– American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP). Successful candidates for funding under this proposal will be required to

adhere to federal, state, and local laws and regulations (see Attachment J for more details). A maximum of

$372,900.80 from the City’s HOME-ARP fund is available for Fiscal Year 2027 ($186,450.40) and Fiscal Year

2028 ($186,450.40). The successful candidate will enter a two-year contract with the City.

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The HOME-ARP program was created under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to provide housing, services,

and shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness as well as other vulnerable populations. The City of Berkeley

submitted an allocation plan to U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designating the Supportive Services

activity as the focus for this funding. Funding from this grant cannot supplant other city funding for existing

programming.

Eligible Populations

Supportive services must benefit individuals and families in the HOME-ARP qualifying populations:

1. Homeless as defined in 24 CFR 91.5

2. At risk of Homelessness as defined in 24 CFR 91.5

3. Fleeing, or Attempting to Flee, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, or

Human Trafficking as defined by HUD (page 6 of CPD Notice 21-10), in 24 CFR 5.2003, and Trafficking

Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), as amended (22 U.S.C 7102)

4. Other Populations where providing the supportive services or assistance under section 212(a) of NAHA

(42. U.S.C. 12742(a)) would prevent the family’s homelessness or would serve those with a great risk of

housing instability

The selected candidate must make services available to all the qualifying populations listed above.

For more detailed information on the qualifying populations, reference CPD Notice 21-10 section IV “Qualifying

Populations, Targeting and Preferences”.

Eligible Activities

Provide meals or groceries to program participants in Berkeley that meet the HOME-ARP qualifying population

criteria. This can include the following types of activities (not an exhaustive list):

• Provide emergency groceries

• Provide hot meals or ready-to-eat meals

• Conduct mobile food pantries

• Meal or grocery delivery program

Eligible Costs

The cost of providing meals or groceries to program participants, including:

• Purchasing food

• Personnel costs for:

o Cooks or servers for hot/ready-to-eat meals

o Delivery drivers

o Enrolling/confirming eligibility of program participants

• Transportation costs to deliver groceries or meals as part of a mobile pantry or delivery program

City of Berkeley

Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

Internal

Specification No. 26-11786-C

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Release Date 04/21/26

Requirements

The selected contractor will be responsible for the following:

• Confirm, collect, and document that program participants meet the eligibility requirement to receive

services

• Document eligible costs

• Develop (or modify an existing) a program policy to ensure compliance with the regulations

• Submit quarterly program and financial reports to City staff

III. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All proposals shall include the following information, organized as separate sections of the proposal. The proposal

should be concise and to the point. Proposals shall be submitted as a PDF, using Times New Roman, 12-point font,

single spaced. Narrative proposals (excluding client references and budget proposals) shall not exceed five pages.

1. Contractor Identification:

Provide the name of the firm, the firm's principal place of business (see section VII, F. – Local Vendor

Preference), the name and telephone number of the contact person and company tax identification number.

2. Experience:

Describe your agencies’ experience in providing food assistance. This section should include:

• Current methods of food distribution

• Clients served including quantity and general description population served

• Client data collection processes including type of data collected and how it is stored

3. Scope of Work:

Detail your understanding of the project and provide a description of how you will approach the scope of work,

outreach efforts, and compliance with federal requirements, described herein. Describe how the services

provided would reach or be made available to all the qualifying populations as required by HOME-ARP. Also

include a project timeline detailing how and when services would begin to reach the community.

4. Contract Terminations:

If your organization has had a contract terminated in the last five (5) years, describe such incident.

Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the vendor’s non-performance or poor

performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the vendor,

or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the vendor was in default.

Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party’s name, address, and phone number.

Present the vendor’s position on the matter. The City will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion,

reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience.

If the firm has not experienced any such termination for default or early termination in the past five (5) years,

so indicate.

City of Berkeley

Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

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Specification No. 26-11786-C

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Release Date 04/21/26

5. Client References: (3-5 References is usual)

Provide a minimum of three (3) client references. References should be California cities or other large public

sector entities. Provide the designated person's name, title, organization, address, telephone number, and the

project(s) that were completed under that client’s direction.

6. Budget Detail:

The budget proposal shall include expenses for all services, including personnel. Budget proposals shall be a

separate document. The Proposal shall itemize all services, including hourly rates for all professional, technical

and support personnel, and all operating and programmatic charges related to scope of the work shall be

itemized. Evaluation of proposals are subject to the local vendor business preference (see section VII.F.).

IV. SELECTION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be considered, although not exclusively, in determining which firm is hired.

1. Project Approach (Scope of Work)

(60%)

2. Expertise & References

(25%)

3. Budget

(15%)

* Effective 1/1/2022. Local Vendor Preference. For the purposes of comparing pricing as part of this competitive

RFP for goods up to $100,000 or non-professional services up to $250,000, 5% shall be deducted from the bid price

proposal from any local Berkeley vendor.

A selection panel will be convened of staff to evaluate and score submittals.

V. PAYMENT

Invoices: Invoices must be fully itemized, and provide sufficient information for approving payment and audit.

Invoices must be accompanied by receipt for services in order for payment to be processed. Email invoices to

Accounts Payable and cc: Kat Larrowe klarrowe@berkeleyca.gov; (List on invoice, Attn: Project Manager

Name/Department) and reference the contract number.

City of Berkeley

Accounts Payable

P.O. Box 700

Berkeley, CA 94710-700

Email: AccountsPayable@berkeleyca.gov

Phone: 510-981-7310

Payments: The City will make payment to the vendor within 30 days of receipt of a correct, approved and

complete invoice.

VI. CITY REQUIREMENTS

City of Berkeley

Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

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Specification No. 26-11786-C

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Release Date 04/21/26

A. Non-Discrimination Requirements:

Ordinance No. 5876-N.S. codified in B.M.C. Chapter 13.26 states that, for contracts worth more than $3,000

bids for supplies or bids or proposals for services shall include a completed Workforce Composition Form.

Businesses with fewer than five employees are exempt from submitting this form. (See B.M.C. 13.26.030)

Under B.M.C. section 13.26.060, the City may require any bidder or vendor it believes may have discriminated

to submit a Non-Discrimination Program. The Contract Compliance Officer will make this determination. This

applies to all contracts and all consultants (contractors). Berkeley Municipal Code section 13.26.070 requires

that all contracts with the City contain a non-discrimination clause, in which the contractor agrees not to

discriminate and allows the City access to records necessary to monitor compliance. This section also applies to

all contracts and all consultants.

Bidders must submit the attached Non-Discrimination Disclosure Form with their proposal.

B. Nuclear Free Berkeley Disclosure Form:

Berkeley Municipal Code section 12.90.070 prohibits the City from granting contracts to companies that

knowingly engage in work for nuclear weapons. This contracting prohibition may be waived if the City

Council determines that no reasonable alternative exists to doing business with a company that engages in

nuclear weapons work. If your company engages in work for nuclear weapons, explain on the Disclosure Form

the nature of such work.

Bidders must submit the attached Nuclear Free Disclosure Form with their proposal.

C. Oppressive States:

The City of Berkeley prohibits granting of contracts to firms that knowingly provide personal services to

specified Countries. This contracting prohibition may be waived if the City Council determines that no

reasonable alternative exists to doing business with a company that is covered by City Council Resolution Nos.

59,853-N.S., 60,382-N.S., and 70,606-N.S. If your company or any subsidiary is covered, explain on the

Disclosure Form the nature of such work.

Bidders must submit the attached Oppressive States Disclosure Form with their proposal.

D. Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance:

Chapter 13.105 of the Berkeley Municipal Code prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with

any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and

Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”).

Bidders must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their proposal.

E. Conflict of Interest:

In the sole judgment of the City, any and all proposals are subject to disqualification on the basis of a conflict

of interest. The City may not contract with a vendor if the vendor or an employee, officer or director of the

proposer's firm, or any immediate family member of the preceding, has served as an elected official, employee,

board or commission member of the City who influences the making of the contract or has a direct or indirect

interest in the contract.

Furthermore, the City may not contract with any vendor whose income, investment, or real property interest

may be affected by the contract. The City, at its sole option, may disqualify any proposal on the basis of such a

conflict of interest.

Please identify any person associated with the firm that has a potential conflict of interest.

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

Food Assistance: HOME-ARP Supportive Services

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See also