Updated 8/1/2023
Virtual RFP Information Session
Applications due by September 22, 2023 at 5:00 PM (PT)
The City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs (OIRA) seeks applications from nonprofit organizations to provide legal representation to indigent immigrants who live, work or go to school in the city of Seattle and who are in detention, facing removal, or in danger of loss because of their immigration status.
Virtual RFP Information Session
OIRA will hold a Virtual Information Session on Zoom on Monday, August 7, 2023 at 2:00 PM for interested organizations to ask questions about the RFP process and about the LDN program. We will make the session available here for other organizations who were not able to attend and who might have similar questions.
Zoom RFP Information Session on Monday, August 7, 2023 at 2:00 PM
Meeting ID: 879 6826 7400
+12532050468,,87968267400# US
+12532158782,,87968267400# US (Tacoma)
Purpose and Background
The City of Seattle Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is seeking to contract with nonprofit organizations to provide legal representation and other removal defense legal services in immigration matters to indigent persons in need of legal representation for matters related to their immigration status. Removal defense services shall be a core component of this program.
Who Should Apply?
Eligible applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications:
- Be a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)3 status or have a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)3 status.
- Have an office(s) located within Seattle or King County.
- Have at least three years of experience providing removal defense services for a broad variety of case types.
- Be a nonprofit that is a Department of Justice Recognized Organization with a fully accredited representative on staff OR have a licensed attorney with immigration law expertise on staff who will directly provide the services described in this RFP.
- Are able to commence services within one month of contract execution.
Applications may be submitted by individual nonprofit organizations or by collaborative groups operating based on a Memorandum of Understanding. OIRA reserves the right to make one or more awards and to approach applicants with proposals for restructured collaborations.
Contracts and Funds Available
Total anticipated funds available: $1,264,000.00 per year subject to the continuing appropriation authority of the Seattle City Council.
Funding period: January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028.
Contract period: Yearly with first contract operating from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
Submission Instructions
Proposals are due to the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs by 5:00 PM (PT) on September 22, 2023.
Applications for the 2023 OIRA Legal Defense Network Fund will be collected through the FLUXX Grant Management platform. To apply or create a FLUXX account please visit the City of Seattle FLUXX portal at seattle.fluxx.io. You will only be able to answer the application questions through the FLUXX platform.
For additional information on navigating the FLUXX platform, please see these instructions here.
FLUXX Instruction Guide Updated 8/1/2023.
If you have any issues with the FLUXX platform, please contact Sean Sederstrom, Seattle IT (Sean.Sederstrom@seattle.gov).
RFP Process Timeline
| August 1, 2023 | OIRA publicly releases RFP. |
| August 7, 2023 | OIRA facilitates one optional Q&A session for potential applicants. |
| August 28, 2023 | Applicants may submit written questions until 5:00 PM. |
| September 22, 2023 | Applications due by 5:00 PM. |
| October 30, 2023 | OIRA announces funding decisions. |
| October 31- November 13, 2023 | OIRA announces funding decisions. Period for applicants to appeal decisions. |
| November 14, 2023 | OIRA conducts contract negotiation processes with successful applicants. |
| January 1, 2024 | Organizations begin contract period. |
Any changes to the proposed schedule or process will be posted on this web page.
Application Questions
You will apply for this RFP through the FLUXX platform, (see Submission Instructions section above). We are including the questions here for your reference. You can also download this PDF of the questions here.
Please provide details on your experience in providing immigration legal services, including removal defense, to immigrant and refugee communities and describe what makes your organization well suited to provide these services by answering the questions below. If this is a collaborative application, please include all information for each organization participating in the collaboration. Applications must include answers to each of the following questions:
- Describe your organization’s mission and major program areas. Include the date your organization was founded. (If a collaboration, include the date your collaboration was established). How relevant are removal defense services to your organization’s mission? (5 points)
- Approximately what percent of your organization’s budget supports your immigration legal services program and removal defense services in particular? (5 points)
- Provide the number of clients served through your legal defense program annually, (please include low-income status and demographic breakdown, including race, if known). How many of them do you estimate have connection to Seattle through residence, workplace, or enrollment in a Seattle Public School? (5 points)
- Describe your proposed program model, including proposed services and activities, timeline, and expected challenges. How many eligible clients do you plan to serve through your proposed program model? Assign approximate proposed percentages to the legal services you are planning to offer:
a. Services for detained immigrants in removal proceedings
b. Services for non-detained immigrants in removal proceedings
c. Services for unaccompanied minors
d. Services for clients without permanent legal status who are not in removal proceedings when representation began
(15 points) - Describe your proposed program staffing model. How will this funding add or maintain your capacity to offer removal defense services? How many full-time legal staff (or their equivalent) would it take to handle all eligible clients? Please provide the number of FTEs that would be designated to provide legal and support services under this contract with the specific roles of each staff member, and languages spoken. Please also describe staffing levels and ratios to clients. (10 points)
- Describe your organization capacity, including such factors as:
a. Program leadership, supervision, and oversight of services;
b. Effective administrative processes, including data gathering and security, reporting systems, and legal case management systems;
c. Program sustainability, including policies to ensure uninterrupted services in the event of staff turnover. Based on your organization experience in the last 5 years, have you had problems absorbing cases of departed staff members within your organization? If so, how have you handled them?
(15 points) - Describe the communities and geographic regions that your organization serves. What clients and cases does your organization prioritize for services? What communities, if any, do you exclude from your services? (10 points)
- Program budget
For collaborative groups only:
- Please list partner organizations, the intended role each organization will play within the collaboration, and the projected amount of funding each partner will receive as part of the collaboration. If selected for funding, a written Memorandum of Understanding will be required prior to the start of the contract.
For More Information
All questions related to the RFP process can also be directed to:
OIRARFP@seattle.gov
(206) 561-7114
For help with FLUXX, please contact Sean Sederstrom, Seattle IT (Sean.Sederstrom@seattle.gov).
