Funding Process

Each year, the City of San Antonio conducts a public input process to identify the activities that will be funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. These activities are included in the Annual Action Plan and Budget, which is approved by City Council each August.

After the Annual Action Plan and Budget is approved, the City will issue formal procurement solicitations, such as Requests for Proposals (RFPs), for eligible activities.

The application and selection process consists of the following steps:

Step 1: Publish the RFP

The Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD) will:

  • Prepare an RFP for each approved Annual Action Plan activity, including eligibility requirements, submission requirements, evaluation criteria and required supporting documents.
  • Publish the solicitation for a minimum of 30 calendar days and establish a proposal submission deadline.
  • Advertise the solicitation in a newspaper of general circulation and/or on the City's official website to notify prospective respondents that procurement documents are available electronically and explain how proposals may be submitted.
  • Host a pre-submission meeting no later than two weeks before the proposal submission deadline.

Step 2: Submit a Proposal

Respondents will submit proposals in accordance with the instructions provided in the RFP.

NHSD will accept proposals only in electronic format through the approved submission portal(s) identified in the RFP.

Step 3: Proposal Evaluation & Scoring

NHSD may establish a staff advisory team to:

  • Review proposals for responsiveness and completeness.
  • Verify that respondents are not suspended or debarred from receiving federal funds.
  • Prepare a summary of the proposals received.

The NHSD Director may appoint an Evaluation Committee, in coordination with the City's Finance, Legal, and Procurement areas, to evaluate, score and rank proposals in accordance with the criteria established in the RFP.

Step 4: Ranking & Selection

During this phase:

  • The Evaluation Committee will review eligible proposals.
  • NHSD staff may present a summary of the proposals to the Evaluation Committee.
  • The Evaluation Committee will score proposals using the evaluation criteria identified in the RFP and submit the scoring results to the NHSD Director and Procurement.
  • Proposal rankings and scores will be publicly posted in accordance with applicable procurement requirements.
  • City staff will issue a notice of intent to award to the highest-ranked respondent.
  • Remaining respondents will be notified of their ranking and informed that their proposals may remain under consideration for a specified period if negotiations with the highest-ranked respondent are unsuccessful or the proposed project is determined to be infeasible.

Step 5: Feasibility Analysis & Negotiation

Following the preliminary selection, NHSD staff will conduct, as applicable:

  • An environmental review.
  • An underwriting review.
  • A neighborhood market analysis.
  • Any additional project-specific feasibility reviews required by the funding program.

NHSD will also negotiate the project scope, budget, performance measures and other applicable terms with the highest-ranked respondent.

Step 6: Due Diligence

NHSD and other City staff will:

  • Complete all required grant-related due diligence activities.
  • Verify compliance with applicable federal, state and local requirements.
  • Negotiate the final terms and conditions of the agreement.
  • Prepare the loan agreement, program agreement and any other required contractual documents for execution.

Step 7: Contract Execution & Commitment of Funds

Upon successful completion of due diligence and negotiations:

  • NHSD and the selected subrecipient or developer will schedule the closing.
  • The parties will execute all required contractual documents.
  • The City will commit funds in accordance with applicable federal regulations and City policies.
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