OTHER POSTEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TRUST FUND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES

Number

Title

11/26/2024 2:30 PM

12/5/2024 2:00 PM

12/19/2024 2:30 PM

NAJEY MCDUFFIE AT NAJEY.MCDUFFIE@PGWORKS.COM

RFP

Appoinvoices@pgworks.com,
800 W. Montgomery Ave - Attn: Accounting,
Philadelphia , Philadelphia PA 19122 US

VARIOUS,
PHILADELPHIA, PA US

1 The Solicitation – Notice to Proposers

Notice is hereby given that the Philadelphia Gas Works OPEB Trust (the “Trust”) will receive sealed proposals on or before December 19, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, via pgw.procureware.com, for the purpose of engaging a vendor to provide professional external auditing services of the Trust’s financial statements.

This document outlines the Trust’s objectives, describes the general characteristics of the services to be provided, and (without being exhaustive) outlines the principal obligations of the Trust and the selected Proposer.

Questions concerning this Request for Proposals shall be directed in writing to PGW via pgw.procureware.com. Proposers may not contact Trust or PGW personnel regarding this RFP other than through pgw.procureware.com.

1.1 Schedule of Events

The projectedschedule of events for this Request for Proposals is as follows:

Issue Date of the RFP .................................................................. November 26, 2024

Questions and requests for clarification or information
must be received, via pgw.procureware.com, by 2 p.m. .............. December 5, 2024

Non-Mandatory Telephone Conference, 11:00 a.m. .................... December 12, 2024

Procureware registration deadline ................................................ Not later than 3 business

days before Proposal Submission Due Date

Proposal Submission Due Date - Proposal
must be received, via pgw.procureware.com

as required by Section 3.1.2, by 2:30 p.m. ................................... December 19, 2024

Finalist Presentations .................................................................... Week of January 6, 2025

Notification Date ............................................................................ ASAP

Contract Start Date ....................................................................... ASAP

The Non-Mandatory Telephone Conference is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on December 12, 2024 to answer questions and requests for clarification. Proposers who choose to participate should dial as follows: +1 267-857-3813,,475 949 493#

These dates are estimates only and the Trust reserves the right to alter this schedule as it deems necessary or appropriate.

After the submission of proposals, the Trust may select finalists for this RFP, who should be prepared to present their proposal to the Trust selection team.

1.2 Proposal Requirements

Proposals shall be accepted only from respondents (“Proposers”) who have:

1.2.1 Obtained a complete set of Proposal Documents and any addenda thereto issued by the Trust (sometimes referred to as the “RFP”), consisting of the following five (5) sections and two (2) attachments:

Sections:

1 The Solicitation – Notice to Proposers

2 Project Definition and Requirements

3 Instructions to Proposers

4 Proposer Information

5 Proposal Evaluation, Negotiation and Contract Award

Attachments:

A Disclosure Form

B Demographic Survey

X Best and Good Faith Efforts Solicitation for Participation and Commitment Form

1.2.2 Submitted a proposal pursuant to the instructions in this RFP as set forth in Section 3.

In evaluating the proposals, the Trust will consider the demonstrated experience and ability of the Proposer to deliver the proposed services, the scope and value of the proposed services, and the financial proposal of each Proposer as described in this RFP.

As noted in Section 5.2.4, Proposer expressly agrees and acknowledges that any response to this RFP, including written documents and verbal communication, regardless of how marked by the Proposer, is not confidential and may be subject to public disclosure by the Trust, PGW or any authorized agent of the Trust or PGW, including but not limited to disclosure under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law. Any materials submitted or ideas elicited in response to this RFP shall be the sole and absolute property of the Trust, with the Trust having title. By responding to this RFP, Proposer expressly waives any right to designate its response or parts thereof confidential, proprietary, a trade secret, or otherwise exempt from disclosure under any circumstance.

The Trust hereby solicits proposals in accordance with these Proposal Documents.

1.1 Services to be Provided; Scope of Work

The Trust is seeking proposals to provide professional external auditing services of the Trust’s financial statements for Calendar Year 2024 (January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024), subject to renewal for subsequent years at the Trust’s option.

The successful Proposer will be required to conduct the audit of the Trust’s financial statements in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAS”) and generally accepted government auditing standards (“GAGAS”), issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, with the objective of expressing an opinion as to whether the presentation of the financial statements, taken as a whole, conforms with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). Those standards require that the successful Proposer plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement.  The audit should include examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The audit should also include assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by PGW management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. The successful Proposer will be expected to present the audit report to the Trustees.

The successful Proposer may be required to early implement any new Governmental Accounting Standards Board (“GASB”) requirements, if necessary, to conform with the City’s implementation schedule.