Active SLED Opportunity · WISCONSIN · DANE COUNTY

    CDBG PRO Housing: Addressing Zoning, Permitting, & Building Code Barriers to Affordable Housing

    Issued by Dane County
    countyRFPDane CountySol. 242062
    Open · 1d remaining
    DAYS TO CLOSE
    1
    due Apr 25, 2026
    PUBLISHED
    Mar 23, 2026
    Posting date
    JURISDICTION
    Dane County
    county
    NAICS CODE
    925120
    AI-classified industry

    AI Summary

    Dane County seeks proposals from local municipalities for planning and policy activities to remove barriers to affordable housing, including zoning updates and permitting improvements, funded by HUD's CDBG PRO Housing Program. Proposals must align with program goals and include detailed budgets and narratives.

    Opportunity details

    Solicitation No.
    242062
    Type / RFx
    RFP
    Status
    open
    Level
    county
    Published Date
    March 23, 2026
    Due Date
    April 25, 2026
    NAICS Code
    925120AI guide
    Jurisdiction
    Dane County
    Agency
    Dane County

    Description

    Dane County is seeking proposals from local municipalities for implementation-ready planning and policy activities, including zoning and land-use updates, permitting process improvements, and other projects that remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation, accelerate the implementation of housing-enabling reforms, or directly unlock housing development. This funding is under the Dane County Department of Human Services' Community Development Block Grant Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (CDBG PRO Housing) Program and is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

    Please note that this funding and application is only open to municipalities located in Dane County. Municipal staff must submit the application.

    Background

    To learn more about HUD’s definition of affordable housing, as it pertains to this RFP, please review the following resources:

    Project Details

    • Reference ID: GR_4261_PROHOUSING
    • Department: Human Services
    • Department Head: John Schlueter (Director)

    Important Dates

    • Questions Due: 2026-04-04T04:59:00.000Z
    • Answers Posted By: 2026-04-18T04:59:00.000Z

    Addenda

    • Addendum #1 (released 2026-03-24T20:52:57.038Z) —

      Please use the See What Changed link to view all the changes made by this addendum: DCDHS added the following clarification: For full list of eligible activities and the associated categories, please see Attachment C, PRO Housing Logic Model Workbook. 

    Evaluation Criteria

    • CDBG/PRO Housing Goals (60 pts)

      Applicants must complete the logic model table which is accessible in the Vendor Questionnaire as well as in the attachment sections of this RFP.

      Only complete the rows that apply to the proposed project. The Logic Model table will serve as the primary basis for evaluation, with emphasis on the logical connections among identified barriers, proposed actions, and expected outcomes.

      Applicants must identify the barrier using the Regional Housing Strategy Tool: Best Practices Residential Zoning Code Guide to Address the Housing Crisis or another documented method and align each barrier with one or more eligible PRO Housing activities listed below.

      Completion of all rows is not required. Applicants should complete only those activities relevant to the proposed project.

    • Cost (22 pts)

      Budget Review (18 points possible)
      18 points possible: Applicants must submit a clear and reasonable project budget aligned with proposed activities. All costs must be necessary, reasonable, and allocable in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200.

      If the County determines that the budget worksheet is incomplete, contains mathematical errors, or requires clarification to confirm reasonableness and alignment with the proposed activities, the County may, at its sole discretion, provide the applicant an opportunity to cure. Applicants will have up to 48 hours from the date of notification to submit corrections or clarifications, limited to the deficiencies identified. The cure process may not be used to materially change the proposed project scope or add new activities.

      Leverage (4 points possible)
      Municipalities that can demonstrate committed leverage funds equal to 25% of the total project budget will receive 2 points, and those demonstrating leverage funds equal to 50% of the total project budget will receive 4 points. Documentation confirming leverage commitment will be required during contracting.

    • Narrative (12 pts)

      Applicants must provide a brief narrative (no more than 500 words) describing the proposed project. The narrative should:

      • Provide context for the barriers identified
      • Explain how the selected activities address those barriers
      • Describe the intended housing impact and expected change
      • Clarify any information not easily captured in the table
      • Describe how the proposed reforms will principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons by increasing housing access, affordability, or opportunity.
      • If the proposed project addresses barriers related to a specific housing type (e.g., agricultural workforce housing, ADUs, manufactured housing, supportive housing, senior housing, adaptive reuse, or faith-based housing development), applicants must clearly identify the zoning, permitting, or regulatory barriers to be addressed and confirm that activities are limited to planning and policy reform consistent with CDBG eligibility requirements.
      • If collaborating with another municipality, please identify the municipality and describe how the collaboration will help you address the PRO Housing goals to reduce barrier to housing.
      • Demonstrate how the improved zoning and building codes are addressing the production and preservation of affordable housing and clearly explain the need for such improvement.
    • Experience and Qualifications (6 pts)

      A. Describe the applicant’s experience implementing similar projects or reforms.

      B. Identify the key staff, consultants, and/or partners who will lead this work and describe their roles. Indicate whether they are currently secured/in place or will be procured/retained if awarded.

      Uploads required: Resumes or consultant agreements, collaboration letter of support.

    Submission Requirements

    • CDBG/PRO HOUSING GOALS (up to 60 points) (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload. Completion of all rows is not required. Applicants should complete only those activities relevant to the proposed project.

      Applicants should provide enough detail to enable Dane County to understand what the project and project activities are and what is expected to be completed.

      For full list of eligible activities and the associated categories, please see Attachment C, PRO Housing Logic Model Workbook.

    • COST (up to 22 points) (required)

      Applicants must demonstrate in their cost proposal that PRO Housing funds will be used to supplement, and not supplant, existing funding sources. PRO Housing funds may not be used to replace or offset any federal, state, local, or private funds that have been previously budgeted, committed, or expended for the proposed activities.

      As part of the cost proposal, applicants must identify all current and anticipated funding sources for the proposed activities.

      The County may request additional documentation to verify compliance.

      Failure to meet this requirement may result in application rejection or award recapture.

      Budget Review (18 points possible)
      18 points possible: Applicants must submit a clear and reasonable project budget aligned with proposed activities. All costs must be necessary, reasonable, and allocable in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200.

      If the County determines that the budget worksheet is incomplete, contains mathematical errors, or requires clarification to confirm reasonableness and alignment with the proposed activities, the County may, at its sole discretion, provide the applicant an opportunity to cure. Applicants will have up to 48 hours from the date of notification to submit corrections or clarifications, limited to the deficiencies identified. The cure process may not be used to materially change the proposed project scope or add new activities.

      Leverage (4 points possible)
      Municipalities that can demonstrate committed leverage funds equal to 25% of the total project budget will receive 2 points, and those demonstrating leverage funds equal to 50% of the total project budget will receive 4 points. Documentation confirming leverage commitment will be required during contracting.

    • NARRATIVE (up to 12 points) (required)

      Applicants must provide a brief narrative (no more than 3,000 characters) describing the proposed project. The narrative should:

      • Provide context for the barriers identified
      • Explain how the selected activities address those barriers
      • Describe the intended housing impact and expected change
      • Clarify any information not easily captured in the table
      • Describe how the proposed reforms will principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons by increasing housing access, affordability, or opportunity.
      • If the proposed project addresses barriers related to a specific housing type (e.g., agricultural workforce housing, ADUs, manufactured housing, supportive housing, senior housing, adaptive reuse, or faith-based housing development), applicants must clearly identify the zoning, permitting, or regulatory barriers to be addressed and confirm that activities are limited to planning and policy reform consistent with CDBG eligibility requirements.
      • If collaborating with another municipality, please identify the municipality and describe how the collaboration will help you address the PRO Housing goals to reduce barrier to housing.
      • Demonstrate how the improved zoning and building codes are addressing the production and preservation of affordable housing and clearly explain the need for such improvement.
      • Clearly describe how PRO Housing funds will supplement existing resources and result in an increased level of investment in the proposed activities.
      • Explain the impact of PRO Housing funding on the project scope, including how the activities would be reduced, delayed, or not occur in the absence of these funds.
    • EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS (up to 6 points)
    • Describe your municipality's experience implementing similar projects or reforms. (required)
    • Identify the key staff, consultants, and/or partners who will lead this work and describe their roles. Indicate whether they are currently secured/in place or will be procured/retained if awarded. (required)
    • Uploads

      Please upload consultant agreements and collaboration letter of support.

    • PROJECT READINESS (scored Pass/Fail)

      Below, you can download the required tables, complete them, and upload them to your response. The table will be scored as pass/fail and the purpose is to demonstrate your municipality's readiness to complete the proposed activities within the required project timeframe for Category A or Category B.

      Note: You may also review the tables in the Attachments section of this RFP.

      If the County determines that the implementation-ready certification, milestone table, or related documentation is incomplete, unclear, or contains minor deficiencies, the County may, at its sole discretion, provide the applicant with a limited time opportunity to cure.

    • PROJECT READINESS (required)

      Please download the below document, complete, and upload. Please be sure to complete the table for the category within you are applying for funding (Category A or Category B). 

    • MUNICIPALITY INFORMATION

      Please answer the following questions completely. This section of your agency's response is not scored.

    • Which municipality are you seeking funding for? (required)

      Note: Only municipalities in Dane County are eligible for this funding.

    • Primary Municipal Contact Person (required)
    • Primary Municipal Contact Person - Position Title (required)
    • Primary Municipal Contact - Phone Number (required)
    • Primary Municipal Contact Person - Email Address (required)
    • W9 Upload (required)

      Upload your company's W9 form.

      NOTE: The W9 is required to be signed within the past 12 months

    • Municipality UEI number:
    • Fair Labor Practice Certification (required)

      Has your company been found by the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") or the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission ("WERC") to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations in the seven years prior to the date this bid submission is signed?

      If yes is answered, a copy of any relevant information regarding such violation is required to be uploaded with your bid submission.

      Additional information about the NLRB and WERC can be found using the following links:
      www.nlrb.gov and http://werc.wi.gov.

    • Cooperative Purchasing (required)

      Reference Guidelines - Section F.

      Does your company agree to furnish the commodities or services of this bid to municipalities and state agencies?

    • Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information (required)

      Please specify what information you wish to designate as confidential and proprietary. Please identify section/ pages/ topic /documents, etc.

      NOTE: Pricing sections cannot be designated as confidential and proprietary.

      If nothing will be designated, simply type "None" in the section below.

    • RFP ADDENDA
    • I understand that if any addendum is issued I will have to acknowledge the posted addendum. (required)
    • If an addendum is posted after I have submitted my proposal response and the resulting addendum requires action to be taken either in the Specification Section or Pricing Section, I understand that: (required)

      1. I will have to unsubmit my proposal response.

      2. I will have to acknowledge the posted addendum.

      3. I will have to take action in responding to the changes on either the Specification Section or Pricing Section.

      4. I will then have to resubmit my proposal response.

      Further instructions on addendum(a) postings can be found here.

    • SIGNATURE DECLARATION
    • Solicitation Response Declaration (required)

      In submitting and confirming this solicitation response, we certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement or participated in any collusion or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a solicitation response; that this solicitation response has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other vendor competitor or potential competitor; that this solicitation response has not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of bids to any other vendor or competitor; that the above statement is accurate under penalty of perjury.

      Further, by submitting this solicitation response, firm agrees with all the terms, conditions, and specifications required by the County in this solicitation and declares that the corresponding solicitation response and pricing are in conformity therewith.

      I have read and understood the entire document.

      I declare under penalty of false swearing under the law of Wisconsin that the foregoing is true and correct.

    • RFP Signature Instructions

      Must be signed by the municipality's highest ranked official - city mayor, village president, or town chairperson.

    • Signed on: (required)

      Write in month, day, year and city/state in which the submission occurred.

      Example: June 27, 2025 in Madison, WI

    • Electronically signed by: (required)

      Provide First Name, Last Name and Title

      Please note that this funding and application is only open to municipalities located in Dane County. Must be signed by the municipality's highest-ranked official - city mayor, village president, or town chairperson.

    • Project Description (required)

      Please provide a brief description of the intended purchase.

    • Pricing table required? (required)

      Always select "Yes" unless this is a Highway WisDot Design Project

    • External Pricing Document? (required)

      Is an external pricing document being used?

    Questions & Answers

    Q (Eligible Activities Clarification):

    A: Please confirm whether the eligible activities for this RFP are limited to the “Planning and policy activities supporting affordable housing” activities listed on pages 16–18, Section III.F.2.c.i, of the PRO Housing NOFO (attachment A). Eligible activities and their associated categories are provided in the RFP as amended. Please refer to Addendum #1, which adds the following clarification: “For full list of eligible activities and the associated categories, please see Attachment C, PRO Housing Logic Model Workbook.”


    Q (Category A vs. Category B classification):

    A: For eligible activities, please provide guidance on how applicants should determine whether a proposed activity should be classified under Category A versus Category B for purposes of this RFP. Eligible activities and their associated categories are provided in the RFP as amended. Please refer to Addendum #1, which adds the following clarification: “For full list of eligible activities and the associated categories, please see Attachment C, PRO Housing Logic Model Workbook.”


    Q (Pre-Proposal Communication / Alignment Check):

    A: After developing a preliminary list of identified barriers and proposed activities, may applicants request a meeting or call with the County to confirm that the proposed approach aligns with RFP requirements? To ensure a fair and competitive procurement process, the County is not able to meet individually with applicants to review or provide feedback on proposed project concepts, identified barriers, or planned activities prior to submittal.


    Q (Ineligible activities):

    A: If we include an ineligible activity in our proposal, would our project be disqualified from consideration for funding? Or would the County consider removing an ineligible task and funding the eligible project components? No. A proposal would not necessarily be disqualified solely because it includes a task determined to be ineligible. Dane County reserves the right to remove ineligible tasks from consideration and fund only eligible components, if those components remain viable and compliant with program requirements.


    Key dates

    1. March 23, 2026Published
    2. April 25, 2026Responses Due

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    SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.

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