Disparity Study Update

The City of Cincinnati, Ohio (hereinafter referred as “City”) is issuing this Request for Proposals (hereinafter "RFP"), pursuant to the provisions of the Cincinnati Municipal Code (CMC) Chapter 321 and City Manager Administrative Regulation 23 for Professional Services, from parties (hereinafter "the Offerors” or “the Consultants”) qualified and experienced to provide a disparity study. The Consultant shall provide written proposals for designing and conducting a disparity study to determine whether and, if so, the extent to which statistically significant disparities exist between the minority-owned-and-controlled and women-owned-and-controlled business enterprises in the City’s market area that are ready, willing and able to perform work on City contracts and the actual utilization of those firms during the study period as prime contractors and subcontractors on Supplies, Services, Construction, and Professional Services contracts [...].

The final report also will include recommendations for race-and-gender-neutral and race-and-gender-conscious remedies that satisfy the requirements of J.A. Croson v. City of Richmond and other relevant jurisprudence.

This RFP Includes Requests for Proposals for the following services:

• Disparity Study: Conduct a disparity study to determine whether and, if so, the extent to which statistically significant disparities exist between the minority-owned-and-controlled and women-owned-and-controlled business enterprises in the City’s market area.
• Optional Construction Workforce Study: Conduct an analysis of the workforce performing construction work on City projects. The purpose of the analysis is to better understand the demographics of the City's construction workforce and identify differences in workforce participation.

Project Management Plan

The Consultant shall develop a project management plan that sets forth, among other things, a timeline for items required in this RFP to include the initiation, progress and completion of each component of the disparity study, including the provision of periodic drafts of the disparity study report and the submission of a written final disparity study report as required in this RFP [...].

Legal Review and Analysis

The Consultant shall design and conduct a disparity study that meets the requirements of existing law, including the City of Richmond v. J.A.Croson Co. decision and subsequent case law, with a specific, although not exclusive, consideration of cases from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, and any other relevant jurisprudence.

Availability Review and Analysis

The Consultant shall perform an appropriate review and analysis to determine the availability within the relevant market area of minority- and women-owned businesses, disaggregated by racial/ethnic group and gender, that are qualified, ready, willing, and able to do business with the City of Cincinnati, broken down by Supplies, Services, Construction, and Professional Services contracts.

Utilization Review and Analysis

The Consultant shall perform an appropriate review and analysis to determine the actual utilization of minority- and women-owned firms within the relevant market area as prime contractors and as subcontractors on City contracts during the identified study period, disaggregated by race/ethnicity and gender, by contract type, and by contract size.

Disparity Review and Analysis

The Consultant shall use the information from its Availability Review and Analysis and the information from its Utilization Review and Analysis to determine whether a statistically significant disparity exists between the expected utilization of minority- and women-owned firms (based on their availability in the relevant market area) and the actual utilization of those firms on City contracts during the study period.

Study Period

The new Disparity Study should review and analyze the City’s contracting over a 5-year period that includes July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026.

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the City’s Bonfire portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/ [...]. Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted.

Due on or before **3:00 PM ET on December 15, 2026**.

MBE Goal (8%)

WBE Goal (4%)

The Offeror shall use *Attachment 1 to RFP - Offeror Corporate and Contact Information* ONLY and not substitute another format. The *Affidavit of Accuracy & Signature Page* (*Attachment 2 to RFP*) must be completed and notarized, with documentation of signatory authorization attached.