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SOLICITATION Page of

1

Page

1. CONTRACT NUMBER 2. SOLICITATION NUMBER 3. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

4. DATE ISSUED

5/11/2020

5. CHANGE/TASK NUMBER

6. ISSUED BY

Urban Strategies, Inc 720 Olive Street Suite 2600 St. Louis, MO 63101

St. Paul Website RFP Dropbox: https://bit.ly/2LgxtnV

7. SUBMIT INVOICES TO:

[email protected]

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations “offer” and “offeror” mean “bid” and “bidder”.

SOLICITATION

8. One (1) electronic copy for services in the Schedule will be received by time in item 6 in the depositorylocated in item 6 until Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 5:00 p.m. CST.

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, Withdrawals: All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

9. FOR INFORMATION

CALL:

A. NAME

Erika Wilson

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS)

C. EMAIL ADDRESS

[email protected] CODE

314 NUMBER

425-0784

10. TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEC DESCRIPTION PAGE SEC DESCRIPTION PAGE

I. PURPOSE VII. SELECTION CRITERIA AND AWARD

II. CONTRACT PERIOD VIII. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

III. BACKGROUND IX. AMENDMENT

IV.

STATEMENT OF NEED X. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

V. BILLING SPECIFICATIONS XI. SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

VI.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION XII. ATTACHMENTS

rev 2019

NORFOLK/ST. PAUL WEBSITE RFP

31

https://bit.ly/2LgxtnV

mailto:[email protected]


Urban Strategies, Inc.

Request for Proposal

For

St. Paul’s Area Transformation Project Website Design

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PURPOSE:

Urban Strategies Inc., henceforth called USI, is seeking a qualified firm to design a website for the St.

Paul’s Area Transformation project. This project will be managed by the USI St. Paul’s Communications

Workgroup, henceforth called the Workgroup. The Workgroup seeks to maintain a CMS structure and is

seeking a firm that can transform complex concepts into smart, intuitive interfaces, focused on content

and built for user friendly functionality.

Final date for technical questions is June 29, 5:00 p.m. CST. After this date, technical questions will not

be accepted.

CONTRACT PERIOD:

USI expects to officially launch its new website no later than August 2020.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE:

All proposal submission are due no later than 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 1, 2020. All proposals must be

submitted through the dropbox.com link provided.

BACKGROUND:

Transforming the St. Paul’s area offers Norfolk one of the greatest prospects for economic uplift and

expansion of housing opportunities in a generation.

The population of St. Paul’s over 200 acres is 98 percent minority with a 70 percent poverty rate and a

median family annual income of just $12,000. The area encompasses three large public housing

communities whose aging infrastructure has rendered them structurally and functionally obsolete.

Tidewater Gardens, Young Terrace and Calvert Square provide 1,674 public housing units with a total

4,174 residents. Home to more than 2,200 children, the communities are served by two public elementary

schools that are not meeting state educational standards. The concentration of poverty in these

communities has fostered an area that presents health, economic and security challenges.

In contrast to the dynamic activity centers that border the area, St. Paul’s is confronted with significant

social and economic struggles. Limited economic activity results in low real estate tax revenue and a low

jobs-per-acre ratio. Coastal and storm water flooding further impact economic growth. Today, the area

regularly experiences nuisance flooding during high tides and rain events. This flooding is expected to

become catastrophic as sea levels continue to rise.

Beginning with Tidewater Gardens, the St. Paul’s area transformation plan will ultimately require

demolition of all three public housing communities—a project that will take place over many years and

will significantly impact residents. The plan for the comprehensive revitalization of the area’s

neighborhoods, businesses and historic landmarks centers around three strategic goals: People First,

Housing and Neighborhood.

People First

People First Goal: All St. Paul’s families will be safe, supported and thriving

NRHA, the City and NRHA’s residents have collaborated to create the People First initiative that focuses

on core inter-related areas: housing stability, economic mobility, health and education.. People First is

strengths-based and family focused. Launched in August 2018, People First seeks to address current

family challenges, empower residents to lead healthy, prosperous lives, and build upon existing

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community strengths and assets. The program is providing effective and high-quality mobility services

and human capital investment services to residents.

Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI), a non-profit organization, was selected by the City and NRHA through a

competitive procurement process to implement the People First program. USI is a national leader in

results-informed human services development, planning, and strategy implementation as part of

comprehensive neighborhood transformations. Through People First, USI will ensure that all families and

children in St. Paul’s are stable and thriving.

Housing

Housing Goal: To replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing

that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood.

Brinshore Development, LLC, an award-winning developer with substantial experience with public

housing transformation, was awarded the housing lead contract to implement the St. Paul’s area

transformation plan. In order to realize this goal, the St. Paul’s area transformation plan must

simultaneously do the following:

• Create new housing options and choices for Tidewater Gardens public housing residents

• Connect the St. Paul’s area to downtown Norfolk’s mixed-income residential population and

economic activity

• Protect the neighborhood through storm- and tidal-resilient design

• Help repair generations of economic and racial segregation in Norfolk

Neighborhood

Neighborhood Goal: To create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed

neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets that are important to families’ choices about their

community including safety, good schools and commercial activity.

In order to attract public and private reinvestment in the transformation of the St. Paul’s area, the plan’s

neighborhood component must provide a re-design of the area that both withstands rising sea levels and

creates a lively and attractive sense of community where residents will find commercial, residential,

recreational and educational opportunities.

To accomplish this, the plan manages storm water by allowing Newton’s Creek to return to nature

creating beautiful greenway/blueway spaces. The mixed-income, mixed-use community offers a diversity

of housing types for all ages and stages of life. Re-imagined street grids create meaningful connections

through a pattern of neighborhood blocks and streets that make it a walkable and bikeable community.

Additional street connections to the north, south, east and west of the St. Paul’s area reconnect this

currently isolated community to the rest of the city.

Choice Neighborhood Initiative Implementation Grant

In May 2019, NRHA and the City of Norfolk were awarded a $30 million FY 2018 Choice

Neighborhoods Implementation grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to

start the transformation process in Tidewater Gardens.

All 618 apartments in the community will be demolished in four phases taking place over a three- to five-

year period with the first phase beginning in summer 2019. Ultimately, 710 new units will be constructed

in Tidewater Gardens and the surrounding area. This will include a mixture of 226 replacement public

housing, 224 affordable housing and 260 market-rate housing units.

For more information visit www.stpaulsdistrict.org

http://www.stpaulsdistrict.org/

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STATEMENT OF NEED:

USI seeks a qualified firm to create an informative, user-friendly website that is easy to maintain. The

primary objective of the new website is to communicate the St. Paul’s Area Transformation project large

amounts of information to our key audiences. This will be done through streamlining content and

navigation as well as enhancing overall site design and functionality. The new site must be user-friendly

and enables visitors to access information quickly in a readily accessible, searchable format.

The contractor will work with the Workgroup to create an information architecture that easily

communicates a multitude of information. To streamline the large quantity of changing presentations and

documents, a searchable document manager that archives old and outdated documents is necessary.

The overall look of the site should be clean and inviting with simple and concise language, compelling

visuals and photographs, and intuitive navigation. The website should work well on desktops, tablets and

mobile devices through responsive design. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices should be

taken into account for implementing the overhaul of our old site to our new site.

The website will have multiple users on the backend with a variety of access levels. The new website

must be easy to navigate, update and manage by Workgroup staff.

The Workgroup desires to implement Wordpress Content Migration System (CMS) platform because it is

easily customizable for future web changes due to its open source nature. Also, the back end is easy to use

by non-technical staff to add/modify pages and documents. However, security concerns must be

addressed due to Wordpress’ open-source CMS.

DEFINITIONS:

NRHA- Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority

USI- Urban Strategies, Inc.

Administrative User/ User – A backend user granted access to limited portions of the website through

assigned permissions. These permissions are established by the superuser.

CMS – Content Management System – A computer application that supports the creation and

modification of digital content specifically to support the management of the content in webpages. An

open-source CMS refers to a CMS code that has been made freely available to the public.

CSS - Cascading Style Sheets – Used to format the layout of web pages helping to create a uniform look

across several pages of a website. With CSS, users can create style sheets that define how different

elements appear. These style sheets can then be applied to any Web page.

HTTPS – Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure - The secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which

data is sent between your browser and the website that you are connected to. Https means all

communications between your browser and the website are encrypted.

PDF – Portable Document Format – A file format that provides an electronic image of text or text and

graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted.

Portal – An internet site providing access or links to other sites

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SEO – Search Engine Optimization - The process of maximizing the number of visitors to a website by

affecting the visibility of a website in a search engine’s results.

SLA – Service Level Agreement - a contract between a service provider and the end user that defines the

level of service expected from the service provider.

SSL Encryption - Secure Sockets Layer - The standard security technology for establishing an

encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the

web server and browsers remain private and integral.

Superuser – A back-end user with access to all portions of the website. A user account with special

privileges, who oversees the website, has the ability to create, edit or delete any portion of the site and

assigns administrative users.

301 Redirect – A permanent redirect from an old link to a redirected page. A method of telling web

browsers and search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location.

508 Compliant - Section 508, an amendment to the United States Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973,

is a federal law mandating that all electronic and information technology developed, procured,

maintained, or used

GENERAL CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS:

1. The contractor shall be in good financial standing, not in any form of bankruptcy, current in

payment of all taxes and fees and have no financial difficulties that may prevent its company

from fulfilling its contractual obligations.

2. The contractor shall be responsible for all licenses and fees associated with this project.

3. The contractor shall possess knowledge of Wordpress as well as common web languages and be

able to write custom code or CSS rules as needed to an existing Wordpress theme.

4. The Contractor shall have the ability to add and configure plugins to fit site overall look and feel.

5. The contractor shall agree to work under the creative oversight of the USI St. Paul’s

Communications Workgroup.

6. The contractor shall ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in executing the

work, including any Federal, State, or local Safety and Environmental laws and regulations.

7. For security measures, Contractor employees shall wear uniforms, wear/carry company

identification badges, or provide other means, acceptable to USI that identifies Contractor

employees at all times whenever working on USI property.

CURRENT WEBSITE:

The current St. Paul’s website is built in and hosted by Wix. This was a temporary solution that has now

proven itself obsolete as we have discovered that our website needs have surpassed the capabilities of the

Wix site. We have also discovered issue with SEO that have ranked the site low on search engines and

therefore is difficult to find without knowing the exact web address. The website address is

www.stpaulsdistrict.org.

OUR AUDIENCES:

The key audiences for this website include but is not limited to:

• NRHA public housing residents

• NRHA Housing Choice Voucher participants

http://www.stpaulsdistrict.org/

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• Norfolk citizens

• Media

• HUD

• Business community

• Civic leagues

• Nonprofit partners

• Advocacy groups

• Public housing authorities

• Housing agency partners

• St. Paul’s Advisory Committee

SCOPE OF SERVICES- NEW WEBSITE OBJECTIVES:

1. Website functionality must include:

a. Site construction must be completed in a manner non-disruptive to the current website.

b. Preferred CMS platform for the new website is the most current version of Wordpress.

Contractors may submit an alternate CMS platform that addresses and satisfies all requested

functionality.

c. New website must comply with accessibility standards and best practices to ensure that people

with disabilities can use our website (508 compliant);

d. Must contain a contextual site-wide search feature accessible on all pages;

e. Must incorporate Google Translate feature;

f. Must work well on mobile devices and tablets using responsive design best practices;

g. Must have the ability to include video, audio, PDF and photo images;

h. Must be compatible in all current browsers;

i. Must have the ability to showcase recent news/media posts on the designated webpage with

search and archive capability.

j. Must have a blog-type feature to allow the ability to tag and assign metadata to each

document/post. Metadata categories include but are not limited to presentations, community

meetings, news releases and project updates.

2. Document Library Feature:

The new website must include a Document Library to manage the numerous PDF files that are uploaded

to the website. These documents include plans, policies, presentations and annual documents.

a. Document Library will be contextual and consolidate published documents in each area with an

advanced and intuitive search function both forward facing and back end.

b. Document Library must contain an auto archiving system.

c. Document Library must have the ability to share, email and print documents.

d. Document Library must allow the ability to tag and assign metadata to each document for ease of

organizing information. Metadata categories include but are not limited to presentations,

community meetings, news releases and project updates.

e. Multiple administrative users must have the ability to post and edit to the Document Library.

3. Events:

New website must have a calendar feature to list all upcoming events with relevant event information. An

optional event registration feature should be recommended by the contractor. The Events feature must be

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auto archiving so that old events no longer are displayed if they have already occurred. Event feature

should have the ability to upload a jpeg graphic.

4. Custom Fillable Forms:

New website must have the capability for custom built fillable forms that can be submitted via the

website.

5. Content Migration/ SEO/ 301 Redirects:

We look to the awarded contractor for 301 redirect and SEO best practices for content migration.

6. Sitemap:

See attached for current sitemap.

7. Multi-user capabilities with unique privileges:

Website must have ability to host multiple administrative users. These users will have different access

levels to the website. The users will include a Workgroup superuser with access to all portions of the

website, with the ability to create several limited access users that update sections that display

procurement documentation, news releases and other website content updates.

Once the website is launched, the Workgroup will manage the website content and changes. The new

website design architecture should allow for easy accommodation of new pages and features. The USI St.

Paul’s Communication Workgroup is responsible for managing the current website, and will maintain the

function of editing and maintaining the new site post launch.

8. Training

The contractor must provide training for up to six (6) users (superusers and admin users) prior to website

launch.

9. “The Look”:

The new website should have an ascetically pleasing layout, the document management system, the

calendar of events, titles on the homepage and the streamlined display of information.

The Workgroup likes the look of the Newport News Marshall-Ridley website as an example.

http://www.newportnewschoice.com/.

a. Creative direction will be a collaborative effort with the Workgroup. The contractor will provide

design concepts to the Workgroup. The contractor shall agree to work under the creative

oversight of the USI St. Paul’s Communication Workgroup.

b. The Workgroup has logo usage guidelines and will provide the contractor with our logos. The

Workgroup does have brand standards for the new website design. The St. Paul’s Area style

guide will be provided to the contactor. The contractor is responsible purchasing the Adobe

design elements (fonts and graphics) to comply with the St. Paul’s Area style guide brand

standard.

http://www.newportnewschoice.com/

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c. The design should be visually stimulating with more images and less text. The Workgroup takes

numerous photos of our properties, residents and events. The new website should include original

photography and possess an authentic “human feel”.

d. The new website should be simple, clean and easy to read with streamlined language and content.

e. Throughout the development, efforts should be made to ensure that the website aesthetics are

consistent when viewed on all manner of desktop, mobile, and tablet devices.

f. The homepage will include a navigational panel menu of categories that outline our biggest areas

of interest for website traffic.

g. The website must allow the ability to integrate video and/or images .

Navigational panel menu of categories includes but is not limited to:

1. About the Project

2. Guiding Principles

3. People First

4. Housing

5. Neighborhood;

6. News

7. Stay Connected

8. Events

9. Frequently Asked Questions

10. Hosting:

Awarded contractor shall proposed new hosting service that possesses: Timely and accessible customer

service, security, quick troubleshooting, and ability to host a lot of bandwidth for high traffic site. All

provided web hosts must meet industry standard Service Level Agreement, (SLA), options to include:

uptime operating system patches and web server patches working in tandem with webmaster.

11. Website Maintenance:

1. The contractor must provide twelve (12) months of web maintenance service post launch date to

include:

2. Timely updates to current CMS patches and themes;

3. Perform a daily database backup of website and a weekly full backup of website;

4. Recovery of website pages from backups, if needed;

5. Removal of malware, spam and malicious code from website;

6. Troubleshoot issues;

7. Emergency support as needed.

8. A separate line item for the 12 month cost of web maintenance must be included in the price

portion in response to this solicitation. USI reserves the right to exercise up to four (4)

additional option year contracts for web maintenance. Exercise of option years will be based on

negotiated cost, contractor performance and service level, and available funding.

KICKOFF MEETING & DISCOVERY SESSIONS:

A kickoff meeting will be held to meet key staff of both parties. The Workgroup will provide a design

overview and key information derived from USI’s St. Paul’s Communication Workgroup website survey

and related discussions. This meeting will be no more than two hours.

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The contractor must provide a strategy of how to conduct discovery sessions to effectively collaborate

with the Workgroup to identify the specific website needs of its primary stakeholders. The discovery

sessions will be held with no more than three (3) key departments; the three (3) separate sessions will be

no longer than two hours each.

CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL:

1. The contractor shall replace employees who the Workgroup judges to be incompetent, careless,

unsuitable or otherwise objectionable, or whose continued use is deemed contrary to the best

interest of USI. The Workgroup will discuss the desire for a replacement with the contractor and

before the replacement request is issued.

2. The request for a replacement will include the desired replacement date and the reason for the

request. The Contractor shall effect the replacement in a manner that does not impact quality,

cost, or schedule.

3. The contractor will be given the opportunity to demonstrate that the Workgroup’s request for staff

replacement is unreasonable or not necessary.

4. The contractor shall provide a designated content specialist staff member who will assist in

creating narrative copy(s) and streamlining content. The Workgroup will provide written content

as well as video, audio, PDFs and photos.

5. To maintain cohesiveness of the working environment, key personnel assigned to the contract

shall not be replaced without prior approval from The Workgroup.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION:

A. General Requirements:

RFP Response: In order to be considered for selection, Offerors must submit a complete response to this

RFP in digital format uploaded to Dropbox.com through the link provided. Proposals shall be submitted

in two (2) separate Volumes: Volume I Pricing, and Volume II Technical Proposal. Offerors must submit

both volumes via dropbox.com. The uploaded files should be named with the appropriate volume number.

Offeror company name must be included in the file name.

Digital proposals must still be organized using tabs to separate the sections.

Submit all responses to Dropbox.com through the link https://bit.ly/2LgxtnV later than 5:00 p.m.,

Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

B. Volume I Requirements –- Specific Price Proposal – Up to 10 Points

One (1) copy of this Price Proposal Volume I shall be submitted via the Dropbox link provided.

Price Proposal Volume I shall contain:

1. Attachment C - Completed Pricing Schedule and Billing Methodology

a. Offeror Pricing Schedule must include a breakdown of all charges including titles and hourly rates

of employees working on project. The pricing schedule must have a grand total for all services.

b. Billing methodology shall explain how the company intends to bill USI for the services.

c. A fully completed, Offer and Award Forms, page 1 of the solicitation cover sheet

https://bit.ly/2LgxtnV

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d. A Solicitation, Offer and Award Form, page 1 of the solicitation, with applicable blocks 11

through 17 completed by the Offeror

e. Attachment D, Certifications and Representation of Offerors

f. Attachment E, Letter Detailing Section 3 Intentions

g. Attachment F, W9

C. Volume II Requirements – Specific Technical Proposal:

One (1) copy of this Technical Proposal Volume II shall be submitted via the Dropbox link provided.

Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that USI may properly evaluate your

capabilities and service(s) offered to provide the required services. Each of the elements detailed below

should be thoroughly covered by the submitted proposal in order to maximize the evaluation potential.

Offerors are required to submit the following information/items as a complete Technical Proposal.

Technical proposal submissions must be numerically paginated cohesively throughout the submission.

TAB A – Firm History and Experience - Up to 5 Points

The contractor shall submit evidence of the firm’s ability to perform the services as required by the RFP.

The submitted information shall include for the below information:

1. Name of the firm

2. Geographical location of firm office

3. SWaM, MWBE or any other similar certification

4. Description of the primary area of expertise of the firm

5. Name of the firms principals and contact information

6. Size of the enterprise

7. Copy of contractor business license.

8. Length of time worked in its area of expertise

9. The contractor may submit company brochure, however it is not a substitute for the required

information in this section.

10. The contractor shall describe and demonstrate its qualifications, resources, capacity, and

experience to deliver the services required as described in this in this RFP.

TAB B – Organization Structure and Key Personnel - Up to 25 Points

1. The contract must submit the name and resume of the program executive that will be responsible

for managing the project.

2. The contract must submit the name and resume of the content specialist staff member that will be

assigned to the project.

3. The contractor must submit an organization/structure chart to include its key technical and

consulting personnel who will be assigned to the project team.

4. The contractor must submit brief resumes and details of each team member who will be assigned

to the contract identified in the organization/structure chart.

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5. Team member resumes must include education, technical training, work history, years of

experience, as well any relevant work experience with projects similar in size and scope of this

RFP. Each resume may be no longer then one page.

6. The contractor shall identify all subcontractors assigned to the project team.

Note: If contractor proposes staff to work on the USI account who are not located in the Hampton

Roads area (within 25 miles of the region) indicate their office location.

TAB C – Project Approach & Work Plan – Up to 25 Points

The contractor must provide a narrative describing its approach to the scope of services as requested in

this RFP to include but not be limited to: project management systems to be utilized, plans for effective

communication including reporting tools, and specific approaches to technical problems. The contractor

must include detailed information about its proposed project management methodology, providing insight

into its ability to manage the project, provide status updates, manage issues, staff, and resources.

1. In the work plan, the contractor shall clearly articulate an understanding of the scope of services

as requested in this RFP and provide a detailed approach to the required services.

2. The contractor shall explain how success will be measured for the website.

3. The contractor must provide a “Knowledge Transfer Plan” describing how knowledge will be

transferred to select Workgroup staff to be educated and trained prior to the launch of new

website.

4. The contractor must provide an approach to testing of site on all applicable platforms to ensure

web site works as promised. Explain testing plan through development process.

5. The contractor must submit evidence of having the capacity for providing the services, including

but not limited to, answering the following:

6. Provide specific details regarding how the overall website will be developed and designed.

7. Provide information regarding the recommendations for the website Content Management System

and overall functionality for increased end-user experience.

8. Propose solutions for enhanced Workgroup internal staff-user experience.

9. The contractor shall submit an estimated timeline/milestone track for the following:

a. Kickoff meeting and discovery sessions

b. Site architecture

c. Implementation of web content management system and content migration

d. Concept design and development

e. Site production and technical development

f. Site review and testing

g. Staff training

TAB D - Portfolio of Past Performance - Up to 25 Points

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The contractor must provide a portfolio of past performance containing three (3) successfully completed

website examples which showcase projects similar in size, scope, and functionally as required in this

solicitation. Access to live websites within the online portfolio is encouraged.

1. Portfolio examples should demonstrate:

a. Extensive knowledge of Wordpress.

b. Evidence of ability to write custom code or CSS rules needed to an existing Wordpress theme.

c. Evidence of the ability to add and configure plugins to fit site overall look and feel.

d. Evidence of the understanding of aesthetic design standards.

e. Evidence of document management center

2. All portfolio examples shall not be older than five (5) years. Portfolio examples submitted that are

older than five years will not be counted as experience.

3. Portfolio examples must include project descriptions which include the scope of work performed,

date of project completion (go live date), key challenges and successes, the location, final dollar value

of contract, and contractor’s key personnel on the project.

TAB E - References for Portfolio of Past Performance - up to 10 Points

For each project listed, the contractor shall provide the client name, the contact person and their title,

address, phone number, and email address.

USI staff will solicit from contractor’s references, any relevant information concerning the contractor and

its personnel’s past performance.

**BONUS POINTS - Cohesiveness of Response up to 5 Points**

The contractor may garner additional points on the overall aesthetic display of information which should

be consistent and cohesive throughout. The submission must be formatted in a well-organized manner

that is easy to read and free of grammatical errors and typos.

D. Proposal Preparation:

1. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror. Blocks 14 A thru Block 17 of

the Solicitation form must be completed by Offeror. All information requested must be submitted.

Failure to submit all information requested may result in USI requiring prompt submission of missing

information and/or giving a lowered evaluation of the proposal. Proposals which are substantially

incomplete or lack key information may be rejected by USI at its discretion. Mandatory requirements

are those required by law or regulation or are such that they cannot be waived and are not subject to

negotiation.

2. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward, concise

description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness

and clarity of content.

5. All past performance shall not be older than five (5) years. Any past performance submitted that is

older than three years will not be counted as experience.

6. Non-compliant proposals may be removed from the competitive range.

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7. Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in the RFP. All

pages of the proposal should be numbered. Each paragraph in the proposal should reference the

paragraph number of the corresponding section of the RFP. It is also helpful to cite the paragraph

number, subletter, and repeat the text of the requirement as it appears in the RFP. If a response covers

more than one page, the paragraph number and subletter should be repeated at the top of the next

page. The proposal should contain a table of contents which cross references the RFP requirements.

Information which the offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirements of

the RFP should be inserted at an appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and

designated as additional material. Proposals that are not organized in this manner risk elimination

from consideration if the evaluators are unable to find where the RFP requirements are specifically

addressed.

8. Ownership of all data, material, and documentation originated and prepared for USI pursuant to the

RFP shall belong exclusively to USI and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the

Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an

Offeror shall not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

However, to prevent disclosure the Offeror must invoke the protections of Section 2.2-4342F of the

Code of Virginia, in writing, either before or at the time the data or other materials is submitted. The

written request must specifically identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the

reasons why protection is necessary. The proprietary or trade secret material submitted must be

identified by some distinct method such as highlighting or underlining and must indicate only the

specific words, figures, or paragraphs that constitute trade secret or proprietary information. The

classification of an entire proposal document, line item prices and/or total proposal prices as

proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable and may result in rejection of the proposal.

NOTE: The failure to follow the instructions of this section of the solicitation may result in your

proposal being removed from the competition for award of a contract. Please review all sections of

this RFP to ensure total compliance.

VII. SELECTION CRITERIA AND AWARD

USI reserves the right to give preference to Offerors who meet one or more of the following

individual criteria:

• Business holds certification for SWaM, MWBE or status of similar nature.

• Business office is geographically located in Norfolk, VA.

Proposals will be evaluated by USI using the following:

Criteria and value

1. Price: 10

2. Firm History and Experience: 5

3. Organizational Structure and Key Personnel: 25

4. Website Approach and Plan: 25

5. Portfolio of Past Performance: 25

6. References: 10

7. Bonus Points – Cohesiveness of Response: 5

8. Office located in Norfolk, VA- 10

of 16

9. MWBE/SWaM certification- up to 16

o Small Business – 1 point

o Woman Owned – 2 points

o Minority Owned – 5 points

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 131

VIII. QUESTIONS

Questions can be submitted by email with the purpose of allowing potential bidders/offerors an opportunity to present questions and obtain clarification relative to any facet of this RFP.

Questions must be sent to Erika Wilson at [email protected] by June 29, 5:00 p.m. CST. After this date, technical questions will not be accepted

An RFP addendum will be issued with a response to address all inquiries.

XII. ATTACHMENTS

Attachment A – Current Sitemap

Attachment B – Pricing Schedule & Billing Methodology

Attachment C - Certifications and Representations of Offerors

Attachment D – Letter Detailing Section 3 Intentions

Attachment E - W9 Form


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Attachment A: Site Map

Home page

About

History

FAQ

Advisory Committee

NewsPeople First Stay Connected

Events and Updates

Attachment B: Pricing Schedule

Attachment B: Schedule of PricingNorfolk/St. Paul

Website Redesign and Content Overhaul

Company Name:

1. Offeror shall submit a pricing schedule in response the RFP specifications.

2. Offeror pricing schedule must include a breakdown of all charges including titles and hourly ratesof employees working on project. The pricing schedule must have a grand total for all services.

3. The Offeror shall include a billing methodology with the pricing schedule. The billing methodologyshall explain how the company intends to bill for the services.

4. Pricing shall be all inclusive of labor, material, overhead, general and administrative costs, andfee. No other charges are applicable to the resultant contract and thus disapproved on all invoices.

5. Additional information regarding the pricing proposal may be provided.

6. An authorized signature must be included on the pricing schedule and billing methodology.

7. This document must completed be returned with the pricing schedule.

Offeror Name: (Print Name of Individual authorized to commit the firm)

Date:

Offeror Signature: (Individual authorized to commit the firm - Signature)

Attachment C – Certifications and Representations of Offerors

form HUD-5369-C (8/93)ref. Handbook 7460.8Previous edition is obsolete page 1 of 2

1. Contingent Fee Representation and Agreement

(a) The bidder/offeror represents and certifies as part of its bid/offer that, except for full-time bona fide employees workingsolely for the bidder/offeror, the bidder/offeror:

(1) [ ] has, [ ] has not employed or retained any person orcompany to solicit or obtain this contract; and

(2) [ ] has, [ ] has not paid or agreed to pay to any personor company employed or retained to solicit or obtain thiscontract any commission, percentage, brokerage, or otherfee contingent upon or resulting from the award of thiscontract.

(b) If the answer to either (a)(1) or (a) (2) above is affirmative,the bidder/offeror shall make an immediate and full writtendisclosure to the PHA Contracting Officer.

(c) Any misrepresentation by the bidder/offeror shall give thePHA the right to (1) terminate the resultant contract; (2) at itsdiscretion, to deduct from contract payments the amount of anycommission, percentage, brokerage, or other contingent fee; or(3) take other remedy pursuant to the contract.

2. Small, Minority, Women-Owned Business Concern Rep-resentation

The bidder/offeror represents and certifies as part of its bid/ offerthat it:

(a) [ ] is, [ ] is not a small business concern. “Small businessconcern,” as used in this provision, means a concern, includ-ing its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated,not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding,and qualified as a small business under the criteria and sizestandards in 13 CFR 121.

(b) [ ] is, [ ] is not a women-owned small business concern.“Women-owned,” as used in this provision, means a smallbusiness that is at least 51 percent owned by a woman orwomen who are U.S. citizens and who also control andoperate the business.

(c) [ ] is, [ ] is not a minority enterprise which, pursuant toExecutive Order 11625, is defined as a business which is atleast 51 percent owned by one or more minority groupmembers or, in the case of a publicly owned business, at least51 percent of its voting stock is owned by one or moreminority group members, and whose management and dailyoperations are controlled by one or more such individuals.

For the purpose of this definition, minority group members are:

(Check the block applicable to you)

[ ] Black Americans [ ] Asian Pacific Americans

[ ] Hispanic Americans [ ] Asian Indian Americans

[ ] Native Americans [ ] Hasidic Jewish Americans

3. Certificate of Independent Price Determination

(a) The bidder/offeror certifies that—

(1) The prices in this bid/offer have been arrived at indepen-dently, without, for the purpose of restricting competi-tion, any consultation, communication, or agreementwith any other bidder/offeror or competitor relating to (i)those prices, (ii) the intention to submit a bid/offer, or(iii) the methods or factors used to calculate the pricesoffered;

(2) The prices in this bid/offer have not been and will not beknowingly disclosed by the bidder/offeror, directly orindirectly, to any other bidder/offeror or competitor be-fore bid opening (in the case of a sealed bid solicitation)or contract award (in the case of a negotiated solicitation)unless otherwise required by law; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder/offeror to induce any other concern to submit or not tosubmit a bid/offer for the purpose of restricting competition.

(b) Each signature on the bid/offer is considered to be a certifi-cation by the signatory that the signatory:

(1) Is the person in the bidder/offeror’s organization respon-sible for determining the prices being offered in this bidor proposal, and that the signatory has not participatedand will not participate in any action contrary to subpara-graphs (a)(l) through (a)(3) above; or

(2) (i) Has been authorized, in writing, to act as agent for thefollowing principals in certifying that those principalshave not participated, and will not participate in anyaction contrary to subparagraphs (a)(l) through (a)(3)above (insert full name of person(s) in the bidder/offeror’sorganization responsible for determining the prices of-fered in this bid or proposal, and the title of his or herposition in the bidder/offeror’s organization);

(ii) As an authorized agent, does certify that the princi-pals named in subdivision (b)(2)(i) above have not par-ticipated, and will not participate, in any action contraryto subparagraphs (a)(l) through (a)(3) above; and

U.S. Department of Housingand Urban DevelopmentOffice of Public and Indian Housing

Certifications andRepresentationsof OfferorsNon-Construction Contract

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searchingexisting data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

This form includes clauses required by OMB’s common rule on bidding/offering procedures, implemented by HUD in 24 CFR 85.36, and those requirementsset forth in Executive Order 11625 for small, minority, women-owned businesses, and certifications for independent price determination, and conflict of interest.The form is required for nonconstruction contracts awarded by Housing Agencies (HAs). The form is used by bidders/offerors to certify to the HA's ContractingOfficer for contract compliance. If the form were not used, HAs would be unable to enforce their contracts. Responses to the collection of information arerequired to obtain a benefit or to retain a benefit. The information requested does not lend itself to confidentiality.

form HUD-5369-C (8/93)ref. Handbook 7460.8Previous edition is obsolete page 2 of 2

(iii) As an agent, has not personally participated, and willnot participate in any action contrary to subparagraphs(a)(l) through (a)(3) above.

(c) If the bidder/offeror deletes or modifies subparagraph (a)2above, the bidder/offeror must furnish with its bid/offer asigned statement setting forth in detail the circumstances ofthe disclosure.

4. Organizational Conflicts of Interest Certification

(a) The Contractor warrants that to the best of its knowledge andbelief and except as otherwise disclosed, it does not have anyorganizational conflict of interest which is defined as asituation in which the nature of work under a proposedcontract and a prospective contractor’s organizational, fi-nancial, contractual or other interest are such that:

(i) Award of the contract may result in an unfair competi-tive advantage;

(ii) The Contractor’s objectivity in performing the con-tract work may be impaired; or

(iii) That the Contractor has disclosed all relevant infor-mation and requested the HA to make a determinationwith respect to this Contract.

(b) The Contractor agrees that if after award he or she discoversan organizational conflict of interest with respect to thiscontract, he or she shall make an immediate and full disclo-sure in writing to the HA which shall include a description ofthe action which the Contractor has taken or intends toeliminate or neutralize the conflict. The HA may, however,terminate the Contract for the convenience of HA if it wouldbe in the best interest of HA.

(c) In the event the Contractor was aware of an organizationalconflict of interest before the award of this Contract andintentionally did not disclose the conflict to the HA, the HAmay terminate the Contract for default.

(d) The Contractor shall require a disclosure or representationfrom subcontractors and consultants who may be in a positionto influence the advice or assistance rendered to the HA andshall include any necessary provisions to eliminate or neutralizeconflicts of interest in consultant agreements or subcontractsinvolving performance or work under this Contract.

5. Authorized Negotiators (RFPs only)

The offeror represents that the following persons are authorizedto negotiate on its behalf with the PHA in connection with thisrequest for proposals: (list names, titles, and telephone numbersof the authorized negotiators):

6. Conflict of Interest

In the absence of any actual or apparent conflict, the offeror, bysubmission of a proposal, hereby warrants that to the best of itsknowledge and belief, no actual or apparent conflict of interestexists with regard to my possible performance of this procure-ment, as described in the clause in this solicitation titled “Orga-nizational Conflict of Interest.”

7. Offeror's Signature

The offeror hereby certifies that the information contained inthese certifications and representations is accurate, complete,and current.

Signature & Date:

Typed or Printed Name:

Title:

Attachment D – Letter Detailing Section 3 Intentions

Letter Detailing Section 3 Intentions

Section 3 is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Act of 1968 that promotes local economic development, neighborhood economic improvement, and individual self-sufficiency.

Section 3 requires that recipients of certain HUD financial assistance, to the greatest extent possible, provide job training, employment, and contract opportunities for low- or very-low income residents, particularly persons who are recipients of HUD assistance for housing.

(hereinafter called the Company), CERTIFIES that

upon being awarded a contract to St. Paul Website RFP that

they will:

consider using Section 3 hires.

hire using Section 3 practices.

will not consider Section 3 hires.

Company Name

Name and Title

Signature

Date

Attachment E – W9

Form W-9 (Rev. October 2007)

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification

Give form to the requester. Do not send to the IRS.

Pri

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See S

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ic In

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ucti

on

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age

2.

Name (as shown on your income tax return)

Business name, if different from above

Check appropriate box: Individual/Sole proprietor Corporation Partnership

Limited liability company. Enter the tax classification (D=disregarded entity, C=corporation, P=partnership) ►

Other (see instructions) ►

Exempt payee

Address (number, street, and apt. or suite no.) Requester’s name and address (optional)

City, state, and ZIP code

List account number(s) here (optional)

Part I Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

Enter your TIN in the appropriate box. The TIN provided must match the name given on Line 1 to avoid backup withholding. For individuals, this is your social security number (SSN). However, for a resident alien, sole proprietor, or disregarded entity, see the Part I instructions on page 3. For other entities, it is your employer identification number (EIN). If you do not have a number, see How to get a TIN on page 3.

Note. If the account is in more than one name, see the chart on page 4 for guidelines on whose number to enter.

or

Employer identification number

Part II Certification

Under penalties of perjury, I certify that:

1. The number shown on this form is my correct taxpayer identification number (or I am waiting for a number to be issued to me), and

2. I am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding, and

3. I am a U.S. citizen or other U.S. person (defined below).

Certification instructions. You must cross out item 2 above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on your tax return. For real estate transactions, item 2 does not apply. For mortgage interest paid, acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, contributions to an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), and generally, payments other than interest and dividends, you are not required to sign the Certification, but you must provide your correct TIN. See the instructions on page 4.

General Instructions Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.

Purpose of Form A person who is required to file an information return with the IRS must obtain your correct taxpayer identification number (TIN) to report, for example, income paid to you, real estate transactions, mortgage interest you paid, acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, or contributions you made to an IRA.

Use Form W-9 only if you are a U.S. person (including a resident alien), to provide your correct TIN to the person requesting it (the requester) and, when applicable, to:

1. Certify that the TIN you are giving is correct (or you are waiting for a number to be issued),

2. Certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, or

3. Claim exemption from backup withholding if you are a U.S. exempt payee. If applicable, you are also certifying that as a U.S. person, your allocable share of any partnership income from a U.S. trade or business is not subject to the withholding tax on foreign partners’ share of effectively connected income.

Note. If a requester gives you a form other than Form W-9 to request your TIN, you must use the requester’s form if it is substantially similar to this Form W-9.

Definition of a U.S. person. For federal tax purposes, you are considered a U.S. person if you are:

● An individual who is a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien,

● A partnership, corporation, company, or association created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States,

● An estate (other than a foreign estate), or

● A domestic trust (as defined in Regulations section 301.7701-7).

Special rules for partnerships. Partnerships that conduct a trade or business in the United States are generally required to pay a withholding tax on any foreign partners’ share of income from such business. Further, in certain cases where a Form W-9 has not been received, a partnership is required to presume that a partner is a foreign person, and pay the withholding tax. Therefore, if you are a U.S. person that is a partner in a partnership conducting a trade or business in the United States, provide Form W-9 to the partnership to establish your U.S. status and avoid withholding on your share of partnership income.

The person who gives Form W-9 to the partnership for purposes of establishing its U.S. status and avoiding withholding on its allocable share of net income from the partnership conducting a trade or business in the United States is in the following cases:

● The U.S. owner of a disregarded entity and not the entity,

Cat. No. 10231X Form W-9FR(RMev2. 1506--2000271)

Social security number

Sign Here

Signature of

U.S. person ► Date ►

Form W-9 (Rev. 10-2007) Page 2

● The U.S. grantor or other owner of a grantor trust and not the trust, and

● The U.S. trust (other than a grantor trust) and not the beneficiaries of the trust.

Foreign person. If you are a foreign person, do not use Form W-9. Instead, use the appropriate Form W-8 (see Publication 515, Withholding of Tax on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Entities).

Nonresident alien who becomes a resident alien. Generally, only a nonresident alien individual may use the terms of a tax treaty to reduce or eliminate U.S. tax on certain types of income. However, most tax treaties contain a provision known as a “saving clause.” Exceptions specified in the saving clause may permit an exemption from tax to continue for certain types of income even after the payee has otherwise become a U.S. resident alien for tax purposes.

If you are a U.S. resident alien who is relying on an exception contained in the saving clause of a tax treaty to claim an exemption from U.S. tax on certain types of income, you must attach a statement to Form W-9 that specifies the following five items:

1. The treaty country. Generally, this must be the same treaty under which you claimed exemption from tax as a nonresident alien.

2. The treaty article addressing the income.

3. The article number (or location) in the tax treaty that contains the saving clause and its exceptions.

4. The type and amount of income that qualifies for the exemption from tax.

5. Sufficient facts to justify the exemption from tax under the terms of the treaty article.

Example. Article 20 of the U.S.-China income tax treaty allows an exemption from tax for scholarship income received by a Chinese student temporarily present in the United States. Under U.S. law, this student will become a resident alien for tax purposes if his or her stay in the United States exceeds 5 calendar years. However, paragraph 2 of the first Protocol to the U.S.-China treaty (dated April 30, 1984) allows the provisions of Article 20 to continue to apply even after the Chinese student becomes a resident alien of the United States. A Chinese student who qualifies for this exception (under paragraph 2 of the first protocol) and is relying on this exception to claim an exemption from tax on his or her scholarship or fellowship income would attach to Form W-9 a statement that includes the information described above to support that exemption.

If you are a nonresident alien or a foreign entity not subject to backup withholding, give the requester the appropriate completed Form W-8.

What is backup withholding? Persons making certain payments to you must under certain conditions withhold and pay to the IRS 28% of such payments. This is called “backup withholding.” Payments that may be subject to backup withholding include interest, tax-exempt interest, dividends, broker and barter exchange transactions, rents, royalties, nonemployee pay, and certain payments from fishing boat operators. Real estate transactions are not subject to backup withholding.

You will not be subject to backup withholding on payments you receive if you give the requester your correct TIN, make the proper certifications, and report all your taxable interest and dividends on your tax return.

Payments you receive will be subject to backup withholding if:

1. You do not furnish your TIN to the requester,

2. You do not certify your TIN when required (see the Part II instructions on page 3 for details),

3. The IRS tells the requester that you furnished an incorrect TIN,

4. The IRS tells you that you are subject to backup withholding because you did not report all your interest and dividends on your tax return (for reportable interest and dividends only), or

5. You do not certify to the requester that you are not subject to backup withholding under 4 above (for reportable interest and dividend accounts opened after 1983 only).

Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding. See the instructions below and the separate Instructions for the Requester of Form W-9.

Also see Special rules for partnerships on page 1.

Penalties Failure to furnish TIN. If you fail to furnish your correct TIN to a requester, you are subject to a penalty of $50 for each such failure unless your failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect.

Civil penalty for false information with respect to withholding. If you make a false statement with no reasonable basis that results in no backup withholding, you are subject to a $500 penalty.

Criminal penalty for falsifying information. Willfully falsifying certifications or affirmations may subject you to criminal penalties including fines and/or imprisonment.

Misuse of TINs. If the requester discloses or uses TINs in violation of federal law, the requester may be subject to civil and criminal penalties.

Specific Instructions

Name If you are an individual, you must generally enter the name shown on your income tax return. However, if you have changed your last name, for instance, due to marriage without informing the Social Security Administration of the name change, enter your first name, the last name shown on your social security card, and your new last name.

If the account is in joint names, list first, and then circle, the name of the person or entity whose number you entered in Part I of the form.

Sole proprietor. Enter your individual name as shown on your income tax return on the “Name” line. You may enter your business, trade, or “doing business as (DBA)” name on the “Business name” line.

Limited liability company (LLC). Check the “Limited liability company” box only and enter the appropriate code for the tax classification (“D” for disregarded entity, “C” for corporation, “P” for partnership) in the space provided.

For a single-member LLC (including a foreign LLC with a domestic owner) that is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner under Regulations section 301.7701-3, enter the owner’s name on the “Name” line. Enter the LLC’s name on the “Business name” line.

For an LLC classified as a partnership or a corporation, enter the LLC’s name on the “Name” line and any business, trade, or DBA name on the “Business name” line.

Other entities. Enter your business name as shown on required federal tax documents on the “Name” line. This name should match the name shown on the charter or other legal document creating the entity. You may enter any business, trade, or DBA name on the “Business name” line.

Note. You are requested to check the appropriate box for your status (individual/sole proprietor, corporation, etc.).

Exempt Payee If you are exempt from backup withholding, enter your name as described above and check the appropriate box for your status, then check the “Exempt payee” box in the line following the business name, sign and date the form.

2


Generally, individuals (including sole proprietors) are not exempt from backup withholding. Corporations are exempt from backup withholding for certain payments, such as interest and dividends.

Note. If you are exempt from backup withholding, you should still complete this form to avoid possible erroneous backup withholding.

The following payees are exempt from backup withholding:

1. An organization exempt from tax under section 501(a), anyIRA, or a custodial account under section 403(b)(7) if the account satisfies the requirements of section 401(f)(2),

2. The United States or any of its agencies or instrumentalities,

3. A state, the District of Columbia, a possession of the UnitedStates, or any of their political subdivisions or instrumentalities,

4. A foreign government or any of its political subdivisions,agencies, or instrumentalities, or

5. An international organization or any of its agencies orinstrumentalities.

Other payees that may be exempt from backup withholding include:

6. A corporation,

7. A foreign central bank of issue,

8. A dealer in securities or commodities required to register inthe United States, the District of Columbia, or a possession of the United States,

9. A futures commission merchant registered with theCommodity Futures Trading Commission,

10. A real estate investment trust,

11. An entity registered at all times during the tax year underthe Investment Company Act of 1940,

12. A common trust fund operated by a bank under section584(a),

13. A financial institution,

14. A middleman known in the investment community as anominee or custodian, or

15. A trust exempt from tax under section 664 or described insection 4947.

The chart below shows types of payments that may be exempt from backup withholding. The chart applies to the exempt payees listed above, 1 through 15.

IF the payment is for . . . THEN the payment is exempt for . . .

Interest and dividend payments All exempt payees except for 9

Broker transactions Exempt payees 1 through 13. Also, a person registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 who regularly acts as a broker

Barter exchange transactions and patronage dividends

Exempt payees 1 through 5

Payments over $600 required to be reported and direct

sales over $5,000 1

Generally, exempt payees 2

1 through 7

1See Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, and its instructions.

However, the following payments made to a corporation (including gross

proceeds paid to an attorney under section 6045(f), even if the attorney is a corporation) and reportable on Form 1099-MISC are not exempt from backup withholding: medical and health care payments, attorneys’ fees, and payments for services paid by a federal executive agency.

Part I. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)

Enter your TIN in the appropriate box. If you are a resident alien and you do not have and are not eligible to get an SSN, your TIN is your IRS individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). Enter it in the social security number box. If you do not have an ITIN, see How to get a TIN below.

If you are a sole proprietor and you have an EIN, you may enter either your SSN or EIN. However, the IRS prefers that you use your SSN.

If you are a single-member LLC that is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner (see Limited liability company (LLC) on page 2), enter the owner’s SSN (or EIN, if the owner has one). Do not enter the disregarded entity’s EIN. If the LLC is classified as a corporation or partnership, enter the entity’s EIN.

Note. See the chart on page 4 for further clarification of name and TIN combinations.

How to get a TIN. If you do not have a TIN, apply for one immediately. To apply for an SSN, get Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, from your local Social Security Administration office or get this form online at www.ssa.gov. You may also get this form by calling 1-800-772-1213. Use Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer IdentificationNumber, to apply for an ITIN, or Form SS-4, Application forEmployer Identification Number, to apply for an EIN. You canapply for an EIN online by accessing the IRS website atwww.irs.gov/businesses and clicking on Employer IdentificationNumber (EIN) under Starting a Business. You can get Forms W-7and SS-4 from the IRS by visiting www.irs.gov or by calling1-800-TAX-FORM (1-800-829-3676).

If you are asked to complete Form W-9 but do not have a TIN,write “Applied For” in the space for the TIN, sign and date the form, and give it to the requester. For interest and dividend payments, and certain payments made with respect to readily tradable instruments, generally you will have 60 days to get a TIN and give it to the requester before you are subject to backup withholding on payments. The 60-day rule does not apply to other types of payments. You will be subject to backup withholding on all such payments until you provide your TIN to the requester.

Note. Entering “Applied For” means that you have already applied for a TIN or that you intend to apply for one soon.

Caution: A disregarded domestic entity that has a foreign owner must use the appropriate Form W-8.

Part II. Certification To establish to the withholding agent that you are a U.S. person, or resident alien, sign Form W-9. You may be requested to sign by the withholding agent even if items 1, 4, and 5 below indicate otherwise.

For a joint account, only the person whose TIN is shown in Part I should sign (when required). Exempt payees, see Exempt Payee on page 2.

Signature requirements. Complete the certification as indicated in 1 through 5 below.

1. Interest, dividend, and barter exchange accountsopened before 1984 and broker accounts considered active during 1983. You must give your correct TIN, but you do not have to sign the certification.

2. Interest, dividend, broker, and barter exchangeaccounts opened after 1983 and broker accounts considered inactive during 1983. You must sign the certification or backup withholding will apply. If you are subject to backup withholding and you are merely providing your correct TIN to the requester, you must cross out item 2 in the certification before signing the form.

http://www.ssa.gov/

http://www.irs.gov/businesses

http://www.irs.gov/


3. Real estate transactions. You must sign the certification.You may cross out item 2 of the certification.

4. Other payments. You must give your correct TIN, but youdo not have to sign the certification unless you have been notified that you have previously given an incorrect TIN. “Other payments” include payments made in the course of the requester’s trade or business for rents, royalties, goods (other than bills for merchandise), medical and health care services (including payments to corporations), payments to a nonemployee for services, payments to certain fishing boat crew members and fishermen, and gross proceeds paid to attorneys (including payments to corporations).

5. Mortgage interest paid by you, acquisition orabandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, qualified tuition program payments (under section 529), IRA, Coverdell ESA, Archer MSA or HSA contributions or distributions, and pension distributions. You must give your correct TIN, but you do not have to sign the certification.

What Name and Number To Give the Requester

For this type of account: Give name and SSN of:

1. Individual

2. Two or more individuals (joint account)

The individual

The actual owner of the account or, if combined funds, the first individual on the account

1

3. Custodian account of a minor(Uniform Gift to Minors Act)

The minor 2

4. a. The usual revocable savingstrust (grantor is also trustee)

b. So-called trust account that is not a legal or valid trust understate law

5. Sole proprietorship or disregardedentity owned by an individual

The grantor-trustee 1

The actual owner 1

The owner 3

For this type of account: Give name and EIN of:

6. Disregarded entity not owned by an individual

7. A valid trust, estate, or pension trust

8. Corporate or LLC electing corporate status on Form 8832

The owner

Legal entity 4

The corporation

9. Association, club, religious, charitable, educational, or othertax-exempt organization

The organization

10. Partnership or multi-member LLC The partnership

11. A broker or registered nominee The broker or nominee

12. Account with the Department of Agriculture in the name of a publicentity (such as a state or local government, school district, orprison) that receives agricultural program payments

The public entity

1 List first and circle the name of the person whose number you furnish. If only one person on a joint account has an SSN, that person’s number must be furnished.

2

Circle the minor’s name and furnish the minor’s SSN. 3

You must show your individual name and you may also enter your business or “DBA” name on the second name line. You may use either your SSN or EIN (if you have one), but the IRS encourages you to use your SSN.

4 List first and circle the name of the trust, estate, or pension trust. (Do not furnish the TIN of the personal representative or trustee unless the legal entity itself is not designated in the account title.) Also see Special rules for partnerships on page 1.

Note. If no name is circled when more than one name is listed, the number will be considered to be that of the first name listed.

Secure Your Tax Records from Identity Theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, social security number (SSN), or other identifying information, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. An identity thief may use your SSN to get a job or may file a tax return using your SSN to receive a refund.

To reduce your risk:

● Protect your SSN,

● Ensure your employer is protecting your SSN, and

● Be careful when choosing a tax preparer.

Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 if you think your identity hasbeen used inappropriately for tax purposes.

Victims of identity theft who are experiencing economic harm or a system problem, or are seeking help in resolving tax problems that have not been resolved through normal channels, may be eligible for Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) assistance. You can reach TAS by calling the TAS toll-free case intake line at 1-877-777-4778 or TTY/TDD 1-800-829-4059.

Protect yourself from suspicious emails or phishing schemes. Phishing is the creation and use of email and websites designed to mimic legitimate business emails and websites. The most common act is sending an email to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.

The IRS does not initiate contacts with taxpayers via emails. Also, the IRS does not request personal detailed information through email or ask taxpayers for the PIN numbers, passwords, or similar secret access information for their credit card, bank, or other financial accounts.

If you receive an unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS, forward this message to [email protected]. You may also report misuse of the IRS name, logo, or other IRS personal property to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484. You can forward suspicious emails to theFederal Trade Commission at: [email protected] or contact them at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or 1-877-IDTHEFT(438-4338).

Visit the IRS website at www.irs.gov to learn more about identity theft and how to reduce your risk.

Privacy Act Notice

Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Code requires you to provide your correct TIN to persons who must file information returns with the IRS to report interest, dividends, and certain other income paid to you, mortgage interest you paid, the acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, or contributions you made to an IRA, or Archer MSA or HSA. The IRS uses the numbers for identification purposes and to help verify the accuracy of your tax return. The IRS may also provide this information to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation, and to cities, states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. possessions to carry out their tax laws. We may also disclose this information to other countries under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to enforce federal nontax criminal laws, or to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism.

You must provide your TIN whether or not you are required to file a tax return. Payers must generally withhold 28% of taxable interest, dividend, and certain other payments to a payee who does not give a TIN to a payer. Certain penalties may also apply.



http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft

http://www.irs.gov/

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