Business Financial Assistance Program Services for State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Other State and Federal Program Funding

The City of Lakeport, California (“City”), requests for proposals (“Proposals”) from qualified firms (“Respondents”) to provide business financial assistance services (“Services”) for the City’s Business Financial Assistance Program Services for State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Other State and Federal Program Funding (“Project”). The City of Lakeport is seeking a qualified consultant to run its CDBG-funded Business Financial Assistance Program, covering marketing and application intake, eligibility review, underwriting, loan approval and closing, servicing, and monitoring. The consultant will also handle federal overlay and national objective compliance, reporting, and recordkeeping, all under CDBG guidelines.

For CDBG business loan program activity, the City of Lakeport requires the services of a program operator to furnish all materials and services as detailed below to properly conduct a CDBG funded business assistance program. The business loan program must comply with the most current adopted program guidelines and all state and federal requirements. [...] the selected consultant shall administer the program in accordance with the City’s adopted CDBG program guidelines, the applicable HCD CDBG Standard Agreement, HCD’s current Grants Management Manual and Economic Development Guidance, 24 CFR part 570, 2 CFR Part 200, and other applicable federal and state requirements.

• A. Program Marketing, Outreach and Application Intake– Market the Business Financial Assistance Program to eligible businesses within the City’s service area; develop and distribute program information and application materials; respond to inquiries; maintain a record of program inquiries and prospective applicants; conduct preliminary eligibility screening; and provide technical assistance to prospective applicants regarding program requirements and the application process.
• B. Eligibility Review and Application Processing – Receive and review applications for completeness and eligibility in accordance with the City’s adopted CDBG Program Guidelines and applicable HCD and CDBG requirements. [...] Prepare and maintain an application file documenting the eligibility review and determination for each applicant prior to proceeding to formal underwriting.
• C. Business Loan Processing and Underwriting – Assess each applicant's need for assistance and provide technical assistance and referrals to the local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), as appropriate. [...] Conduct and document cash-flow and underwriting analyses in accordance with applicable HUD/HCD underwriting standards, the City's adopted program guidelines, and current HCD economic development guidance.
• D. Federal Overlay Review-Review the final aggregated scope of work and coordinate with City staff to identify and document all federal cross-cutting requirements applicable to each assisted activity before commitment or disbursement of CDBG funds.
• E. National Objective and Public Benefit – Determine and document that each proposed business assistance activity is CDBG-eligible, meets an applicable CDBG national objective, and satisfies applicable public benefit requirements prior to recommending approval.
• F. Loan Approval and Closing – Coordinate with City staff and HCD/State CDBG staff, as required, to obtain any Department review or written loan approval required before assistance is committed or disbursed. Prepare all loan and closing documents; [...] and disburse loan funds only in accordance with applicable CDBG requirements.
• G. Loan Servicing and Monitoring – As requested by the City, monitor loan performance, compliance, repayment, job creation/retention obligations, and other continuing requirements in accordance with the City's adopted CDBG loan servicing policies and procedures.
• H. Reporting, Recordkeeping and Monitoring Support – Provide the City and its representatives with all data and documentation necessary to report CDBG program accomplishments, financial activity, beneficiary information, job creation/retention, and other required performance information, including any applicable microenterprise reporting requirements. [...] Maintain complete applicant, borrower, loan, servicing, and program files; prepare for and support HCD monitoring.
• I. Future CDBG Applications – Assist City staff with preparation of future CDBG funding applications under annual Notices of Funding Availability when specifically authorized by the City, provided that such assistance does not create an actual or apparent conflict of interest with any procurement for which the consultant intends to compete.

**Submission:** All interested parties should submit proposals before **3:00 pm on Monday, November 23, 2026**. Late proposals will not be considered. Only electronic submittals are acceptable and no hard copies will be accepted. Submit through the City's OpenGov portal.

Each Proposal must include Sections A through E, organized as: cover letter, executive summary, Respondent's qualifications, project experience, and project understanding and methodology. The cover letter must state that the proposal is a firm offer for a **90-day period**. The proposed consultant shall submit their proposed fee schedule broken down by task. The resulting contract shall be either fixed price or hourly with a clearly stated not-to-exceed amount. Cost-plus-a percentage- of-cost contracts are not permitted.

Evaluation

Members of an evaluation team comprised of City staff will independently analyze each Proposal. The evaluation team may choose to interview top firms.

• Understanding: 20 points
• Personnel: 20 points
• Experience: 20 points
• Staffing Plan: 5 points
• Timeline: 10 points
• Performance: 10 points
• Quality of Proposal: 5 points
• Price: 10 points

The selected contractor shall possess a valid Unique Entity ID (UEI) issued through SAM.gov and shall maintain an active SAM.gov registration throughout the contract term.

Notice of Selection: December 4, 2026. Council Award of Agreement: January 15, 2027.