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HomeMy WebLinkAbout065577 - General - Contract - HUB International Insurance Services, Inc.City Secretary Contract No. _ 65577 FORTWORTH. OFFICIAL RECORD CITY SECRETARY FT. WORTH, TX VENDOR SERVICES AGREEMENT This VENDOR SERVICES AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made and entered into by and between the CITY OF FORT WORTH ("City"), a Texas home rule municipal corporation, and HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. ("Vendor"), each individually referred to as a "party" and collectively referred to as the "parties." WHEREAS, On August 5, 2025, the Fort Worth City Council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, as amended to establish a small business program for procurement of goods, services, and construction. WHEREAS, The City of Fort Worth invests in water infrastructure, roadway improvements, and other public works construction. However, small contractors often face challenges related to bonding, insurance, technical expertise, and bidding processes that limit their participation. Because of this, the City of Fort Worth is partnering with a vendor to help implement a Small Contractor Development Program. NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows: 1. Scope of Services. Contractor shall develop and implement a comprehensive Small Contractor Development Program (SCDP) and provide related consulting services ("Services"), as set forth in more detail in Exhibit "A," attached hereto and incorporated herein for all purposes. 2. Term. This Agreement begins on the date signed by the Assistant City Manager ("Effective Date") and expires one year from that date ("Expiration Date"), unless terminated earlier in accordance with this Agreement ("Initial Term"). City will have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew this Agreement under the same terms and conditions, for up to four (4) one-year renewal option(s) (each a "Renewal Term"). 3. Compensation. City will pay Vendor in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, including Exhibit "B," which is attached hereto and incorporated herein for all purposes. Total compensation under this Agreement will not exceed Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) annually. Vendor will not perform any additional services or bill for expenses incurred for City not specified by this Agreement unless City requests and approves in writing the additional costs for such services. City will not be liable for any additional expenses of Vendor not specified by this Agreement unless City first approves such expenses in writing. 3.1 Structure of Payments. i. The Vendor will issue monthly invoices for all work performed under this Agreement. Invoices will be submitted no later than the 15th day following the end of the month and sent to Ori Vendor Services Agreement Page 1 of 12 Fernandez at ori.fernandez a foilworthtexas.gov or at 100 Fort Worth Trail, 14" Floor, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. Invoices are due and payable within 30 days of receipt. ii. The Vendor will provide the City with the monthly and quarterly reporting documentation required in Exhibit A, which will generally be sufficient documentation to substantiate invoices. If the City requires additional reasonable documentation, it will request the same promptly after receiving the above -described information, and the Vendor will provide such additional reasonable documentation to the extent the same is available. iii. On full and final completion of the Services, Vendor will submit a final invoice, and City will pay any balance due within 30 days of receipt of such invoice. iv. In the event of a disputed or contested billing, only the portion being contested will be withheld from payment, and the undisputed portion will be paid. City will exercise reasonableness in contesting any bill or portion thereof. No interest will accrue on any contested portion of the billing until the contest has been mutually resolved. v. For contested billings, the City shall make payment in full to Vendor within 60 days of the date the contested matter is resolved. If City fails to make such payment, Vendor may, after giving 7 days' written notice to City, suspend services under this Agreement until paid in full, including interest calculated from the date the billing contest was resolved. In the event of suspension of services, Vendor will have no liability to City for delays or damages caused to City because of such suspension of services. 4. Termination. 4.1. Written Notice. City or Vendor may terminate this Agreement at any time and for any reason by providing the other party with 30 days' written notice of termination. 4.2 Non -appropriation of Funds. In the event no funds or insufficient funds are appropriated by City in any fiscal period for any payments due hereunder, City will notify Vendor of such occurrence and this Agreement will terminate on the last day of the fiscal period for which appropriations were received without penalty or expense to City of any kind whatsoever, except as to the portions of the payments herein agreed upon for which funds have been appropriated. 4.3 Duties and Obligations of the Parties. In the event that this Agreement is terminated prior to the Expiration Date, City will pay Vendor for services actually rendered up to the effective date of termination and Vendor will continue to provide City with services requested by City and in accordance with this Agreement up to the effective date of termination. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, Vendor will provide City with copies of all completed or partially completed documents prepared under this Agreement. In the event Vendor has received access to City Information or data as a requirement to perform services hereunder, Vendor will return all City provided data to City in a machine-readable format or other format deemed acceptable to City. 5. Disclosure of Conflicts and Confidential Information. 5.1 Disclosure of Conflicts. Vendor hereby warrants to City that Vendor has made full disclosure in writing of any existing or potential conflicts of interest related to Vendor's services Vendor Services Agreement Page 2 of 12 under this Agreement. In the event that any conflicts of interest arise after the Effective Date of this Agreement, Vendor hereby agrees immediately to make full disclosure to City in writing. 5.2 Confidential Information. Vendor, for itself and its officers, agents and employees, agrees that it will treat all information provided to it by City ("City Information') as confidential and will not disclose any such information to a third party without the prior written approval of City. 5.3 Public Information Act. City is a government entity under the laws of the State of Texas and all documents held or maintained by City are subject to disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act. In the event there is a request for information marked Confidential or Proprietary, City will promptly notify Vendor. It will be the responsibility of Vendor to submit reasons objecting to disclosure. A determination on whether such reasons are sufficient will not be decided by City, but by the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Texas or by a court of competent jurisdiction. 5.4 Unauthorized Access. Vendor must store and maintain City Information in a secure manner and will not allow unauthorized users to access, modify, delete or otherwise corrupt City Information in any way. Vendor must notify City immediately if the security or integrity of any City Information has been compromised or if Vendor becomes aware of facts reasonably indicating a risk of compromise, including but not limited to, the magnitude of the unauthorized access and/or identifiable patterns. In which event, Vendor will, in good faith, use all commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with City in identifying what information has been accessed by unauthorized means and will fully cooperate with City to protect such City Information from further unauthorized disclosure. 6. Right to Audit. Vendor agrees that City will, until the expiration of three (3) years after final payment under this Agreement, or the final conclusion of any audit commenced during the said three years, have access to and the right to examine at reasonable times any directly pertinent books, documents, papers and records, including, but not limited to, all electronic records, of Vendor involving transactions relating to this Agreement at no additional cost to City. Vendor agrees that City will have access during normal working hours to all necessary Vendor facilities and will be provided adequate and appropriate work space in order to conduct audits in compliance with the provisions of this section. City will give Vendor reasonable advance notice of intended audits. 7. Independent Contractor. It is expressly understood and agreed that Vendor will operate as an independent contractor as to all rights and privileges and work performed under this Agreement, and not as agent, representative or employee of City. Subject to and in accordance with the conditions and provisions of this Agreement, Vendor will have the exclusive right to control the details of its operations and activities and be solely responsible for the acts and omissions of its officers, agents, servants, employees, Vendors, and subcontractors. Vendor acknowledges that the doctrine of respondeat superior will not apply as between City, its officers, agents, servants and employees, and Vendor, its officers, agents, employees, servants, contractors, and subcontractors. Vendor further agrees that nothing herein will be construed as the creation of a partnership or joint enterprise between City and Vendor. It is further understood that City will in no way be considered a Co -employer or a Joint employer of Vendor or any officers, agents, servants, employees, contractors, or subcontractors. Neither Vendor, nor any officers, agents, servants, employees, contractors, or subcontractors of Vendor will be entitled to any employment benefits from City. Vendor will be responsible and liable for any and all payment and reporting of taxes on behalf of itself, and any of its officers, agents, servants, employees, contractors, or contractors. Vendor Services Agreement Page 3 of 12 8. Liability and Indemnification. 8.1 LIABILITY - VENDOR WILL BE LIABLE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL PROPERTY LOSS, PROPERTY DAMAGE AND/OR PERSONAL INJURY, INCLUDING DEATH, TO ANY AND ALL PERSONS, OF ANY KIND OR CHARACTER, WHETHER REAL OR ASSERTED, TO THE EXTENT CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENT ACT(S) OR OMISSION(S), MALFEASANCE OR INTENTIONAL MISCONDUCT OF VENDOR, ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, SERVANTS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR SUBCONTRACTORS. 8.2 GENERAL INDEMNIFICATION - VENDOR HEREBY COVENANTS AND AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS AND DEFEND CITY, ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, SERVANTSAND EMPLOYEES, FROMANDAGAINSTANYAND ALL CLAIMS OR LAWSUITS OFANYKIND OR CHARACTER, WHETHER REAL OR ASSERTED, FOR EITHER PROPERTYDAMAGE OR LOSS (INCL UDINGALLEGEDDAMAGE OR LOSS TO VENDOR'S BUSINESS AND ANY RESULTING LOST PROFITS) AND/OR PERSONAL INJURY, INCLUDING DEATH, TO ANYAND ALL PERSONS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT, TO THE EXTENT CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENT ACTS OR OMISSIONS OR MALFEASANCE OF VENDOR, ITS OFFICERS, AGENTS, SERVANTS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, OR SUBCONTRACTORS. 8.3 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEMNIFICATION — Vendor agrees to defend, settle, or pay, at its own cost and expense, any claim or action against City for infringement of any patent, copyright, trade mark, trade secret, or similar property right arising from City's use of the software and/or documentation in accordance with this Agreement, it being understood that this agreement to defend, settle or pay will not apply if City modifies or misuses the software and/or documentation. So long as Vendor bears the cost and expense of payment for claims or actions against City pursuant to this section, Vendor will have the right to conduct the defense of any such claim or action and all negotiations for its settlement or compromise and to settle or compromise any such claim; however, City will have the right to fully participate in any and all such settlement, negotiations, or lawsuit as necessary to protect City's interest, and City agrees to cooperate with Vendor in doing so. In the event City, for whatever reason, assumes the responsibility for payment of costs and expenses for any claim or action brought against City for infringement arising under this Agreement, City will have the sole right to conduct the defense of any such claim or action and all negotiations for its settlement or compromise and to settle or compromise any such claim; however, Vendor will fully participate and cooperate with City in defense of such claim or action. City agrees to give Vendor timely written notice of any such claim or action, with copies of all papers City may receive relating thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, City's assumption of payment of costs or expenses will not eliminate Vendor's duty to indemnify City under this Agreement. If the software and/or documentation or any part thereof is held to infringe and the use thereof is enjoined or restrained or, if as a result of a settlement or compromise, such use is materially adversely restricted, Vendor will, at its own expense and as City's sole remedy, either: (a) procure for City the right to continue to use the software and/or documentation; or (b) modify the software and/or documentation to make it non -infringing, provided that such modification does not materially adversely affect City's authorized use of the software and/or documentation; or (c) replace the software and/or documentation with equally suitable, compatible, and functionally equivalent non -infringing software and/or documentation at no additional charge to City; or (d) if none of the foregoing alternatives is reasonably available Vendor Services Agreement Page 4 of 12 to Vendor terminate this Agreement, and refund all amounts paid to Vendor by City, subsequent to which termination City may seek any and all remedies available to City under law. 9. Assignment and Subcontractini. 9.1 Assignment. Vendor will not assign any of its duties, obligations or rights under this Agreement without the prior written consent of City. If City grants consent to an assignment, the assignee will execute a written agreement with City and Vendor under which the assignee agrees to be bound by the duties and obligations of Vendor under this Agreement. Vendor will be liable for all obligations of Vendor under this Agreement prior to the effective date of the assignment. 9.2 Subcontract. Vendor agrees to utilize the three local subconsultant partners ("Subcontractors") listed in Exhibit A. Vendor will provide City with written notice of any additional subcontractors prior to their engagement. The City may raise any reasonable concerns regarding a proposed subcontractor, and Vendor will work in good faith to address those concerns, but concerns shall be resolved in favor of City. All subcontractors will execute a written agreement with Vendor referencing this Agreement under which subcontractor agrees to be bound by the duties and obligations of Vendor under this Agreement, as such duties and obligations may apply. Vendor must provide City with a fully executed copy of any such subcontract. 10. Insurance. Vendor must provide City with certificate(s) of insurance documenting policies of the following types and minimum coverage limits that are to be in effect prior to commencement of any Services pursuant to this Agreement: 10.1 Coverage and Limits (a) Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000 - Each Occurrence $2,000,000 - Aggregate (b) Automobile Liability: $1,000,000 - Each occurrence on a combined single limit basis Coverage will be on any vehicle used by Vendor, or its employees, agents, or representatives in the course of providing Services under this Agreement. "Any vehicle" will be any vehicle owned, hired and non -owned. (c) Worker's Compensation: Statutory limits according to the Texas Workers' Compensation Act or any other state workers' compensation laws where the Services are being performed Employers' liability $100,000 - Bodily Injury by accident; each accident/occurrence $100,000 - Bodily Injury by disease; each employee Vendor Services Agreement Page 5 of 12 $500,000 - Bodily Injury by disease; policy limit (d) Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions): $1,000,000 - Each Claim Limit $1,000,000 - Aggregate Limit Professional Liability coverage may be provided through an endorsement to the Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy, or a separate policy specific to Professional E&O. Either is acceptable if coverage meets all other requirements. Coverage must be claims -made, and maintained for the duration of the contractual agreement and for two (2) years following completion of services provided. An annual certificate of insurance must be submitted to City to evidence coverage. 10.2 General Requirements (a) The commercial general liability and automobile liability policies must name City as an additional insured thereon, as its interests may appear. The term City includes its employees, officers, officials, agents, and volunteers in respect to the contracted services. (b) The workers' compensation policy must include a Waiver of Subrogation (Right of Recovery) in favor of City. (c) A minimum of Thirty (30) days' notice of cancellation or reduction in limits of coverage must be provided to City. Ten (10) days' notice will be acceptable in the event of non-payment of premium. Notice must be sent to the Risk Manager, City of Foil Worth, 200 Texas Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, with copies to the Fort Worth City Attorney at the same address. (d) The insurers for all policies must be licensed and/or approved to do business in the State of Texas. All insurers must have a minimum rating of A- VII in the current A.M. Best Key Rating Guide, or have reasonably equivalent financial strength and solvency to the satisfaction of Risk Management. If the rating is below that required, written approval of Risk Management is required. (e) Any failure on the part of City to request required insurance documentation will not constitute a waiver of the insurance requirement. (f) Certificates of Insurance evidencing that Vendor has obtained all required insurance will be delivered to the City prior to Vendor proceeding with any work pursuant to this Agreement. 11. Compliance with Laws, Ordinances, Rules and Regulations. Vendor agrees that in the performance of its obligations hereunder, it will comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations and that any work it produces in connection with this Agreement will also comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. If City notifies Vendor of any violation of such laws, ordinances, rules or regulations, Vendor must immediately desist from and correct the violation. Vendor Services Agreement Page 6 of 12 12. Non -Discrimination Covenant. Vendor, for itself, its personal representatives, assigns, contractors, subcontractors, and successors in interest, as part of the consideration herein, agrees that in the performance of Vendor's duties and obligations hereunder, it will not discriminate in the treatment or employment of any individual or group of individuals on any basis prohibited by law. IF ANY CLAIM ARISES FROM AN ALLEGED VIOLATION OF THIS NON-DISCRIMINATION COVENANT BY VENDOR, ITS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES, ASSIGNS, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST, VENDOR AGREES TO ASSUME SUCH LIABILITY AND TO INDEMNIFY AND DEFEND CITY AND HOLD CITY HARMLESS FROM SUCH CLAIM. 13. Notices. Notices required pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement will be conclusively determined to have been delivered when (1) hand -delivered to the other party, its agents, employees, servants or representatives or (2) received by the other party by United States Mail, registered, return receipt requested, addressed as follows: To CITY: To VENDOR: City of Fort Worth Darren D. Caesar Attn: Assistant City Manager President 100 Fort Worth Trail HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. Fort Worth, TX 76102 3801 University Ave., Suite 400 Facsimile: (817) 392-8654 Riverside, CA 92501 With copy to Fort Worth City Attorney's Office at same address 14. Solicitation of Employees. Neither City nor Vendor will, during the term of this Agreement and additionally for a period of one year after its termination, solicit for employment or employ, whether as employee or independent contractor, any person who is or has been employed by the other during the term of this Agreement, without the prior written consent of the person's employer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this provision will not apply to an employee of either party who responds to a general solicitation of advertisement of employment by either party. 15. Governmental Powers. It is understood and agreed that by execution of this Agreement, City does not waive or surrender any of its governmental powers or immunities. 16. No Waiver. The failure of City or Vendor to insist upon the performance of any term or provision of this Agreement or to exercise any right granted herein does not constitute a waiver of City's or Vendor's respective right to insist upon appropriate performance or to assert any such right on any future occasion. 17. Governing Law / Venue. This Agreement will be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. If any action, whether real or asserted, at law or in equity, is brought pursuant to this Agreement, venue for such action will lie in state courts located in Tarrant County, Texas or the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division. 18. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired. Vendor Services Agreement Page 7 of 12 19. Force Maieure. City and Vendor will exercise their best efforts to meet their respective duties and obligations as set forth in this Agreement, but will not be held liable for any delay or omission in performance due to force majeure or other causes beyond their reasonable control, including, but not limited to, compliance with any government law, ordinance, or regulation; acts of God; acts of the public enemy; fires; strikes; lockouts; natural disasters; wars; riots; epidemics or pandemics; government action or inaction; orders of government; material or labor restrictions by any governmental authority; transportation problems; restraints or prohibitions by any court, board, department, commission, or agency of the United States or of any States; civil disturbances; other national or regional emergencies; or any other similar cause not enumerated herein but which is beyond the reasonable control of the Party whose performance is affected (collectively, "Force Majeure Event"). The performance of any such obligation is suspended during the period of, and only to the extent of, such prevention or hindrance, provided the affected Party provides notice of the Force Majeure Event, and an explanation as to how it prevents or hinders the Party's performance, as soon as reasonably possible after the occurrence of the Force Majeure Event, with the reasonableness of such notice to be determined by the City in its sole discretion. The notice required by this section must be addressed and delivered in accordance with Section 13 of this Agreement. 20. Headings not Controlling. Headings and titles used in this Agreement are for reference purposes only, will not be deemed a part of this Agreement, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of any provision of this Agreement. 21. Review of Counsel. The parties acknowledge that each party and its counsel have reviewed and revised this Agreement and that the normal rules of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party will not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement or its Exhibits. 22. Amendments / Modifications / Extensions. No amendment, modification, or extension of this Agreement will be binding upon a party hereto unless set forth in a written instrument, which is executed by an authorized representative of each party. 23. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and each counterpart will, for all purposes, be deemed an original, but all such counterparts will together constitute one and the same instrument. 24. Warranty of Services. Vendor warrants that its services will be of a high quality and conform to generally prevailing industry standards. City must give written notice of any breach of this warranty within thirty (30) days from the date that the services are completed. In such event, at Vendor's option, Vendor will either (a) use commercially reasonable efforts to re -perform the services in a manner that conforms with the warranty, or (b) refund the fees paid by City to Vendor for the nonconforming services. 25. Immigration Nationality Act. Vendor must verify the identity and employment eligibility of its employees who perform work under this Agreement, including completing the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9). Upon request by City, Vendor will provide City with copies of all l-9 forms and supporting eligibility documentation for each employee who performs work under this Agreement. Vendor must adhere to all Federal and State laws as well as establish appropriate procedures and controls so that no services will be performed by any Vendor employee who is not legally eligible to perform such services. VENDOR WILL INDEMNIFY CITY AND HOLD CITY HARMLESS FROM ANY PENALTIES, LIABILITIES, OR LOSSES DUE TO VIOLATIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH BY VENDOR, VENDOR'S EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, SUBCONTRACTORS, OR Vendor Services Agreement Page 8 of 12 AGENTS. City, upon written notice to Vendor, will have the right to immediately terminate this Agreement for violations of this provision by Vendor. 26. Ownership of Work Product. City will be the sole and exclusive owner of all reports, work papers, procedures, guides, and documentation that are created, published, displayed, or produced in conjunction with the services provided under this Agreement (collectively, "Work Product"). Further, City will be the sole and exclusive owner of all copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret and other proprietary rights in and to the Work Product. Ownership of the Work Product will inure to the benefit of City from the date of conception, creation or fixation of the Work Product in a tangible medium of expression (whichever occurs first). Each copyrightable aspect of the Work Product will be considered a "work -made - for -hire" within the meaning of the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended. If and to the extent such Work Product, or any part thereof, is not considered a "work -made -for -hire" within the meaning of the Copyright Act of 1976, as amended, Vendor hereby expressly assigns to City all exclusive right, title and interest in and to the Work Product, and all copies thereof, and in and to the copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, and all other proprietary rights therein, that City may have or obtain, without further consideration, free from any claim, lien for balance due, or rights of retention thereto on the part of City. 27. Signature Authority. The person signing this Agreement hereby warrants that they have the legal authority to execute this Agreement on behalf of the respective party, and that such binding authority has been granted by proper order, resolution, ordinance or other authorization of the entity. This Agreement and any amendment hereto, may be executed by any authorized representative of Vendor. Each party is fully entitled to rely on these warranties and representations in entering into this Agreement or any amendment hereto. 28. Chan2e in Company Name or Ownership. Vendor must notify City's Purchasing Manager, in writing, of a company name, ownership, or address change for the purpose of maintaining updated City records. The president of Vendor or authorized official must sign the letter. A letter indicating changes in a company name or ownership must be accompanied with supporting legal documentation such as an updated W-9, documents filed with the state indicating such change, copy of the board of director's resolution approving the action, or an executed merger or acquisition agreement. Failure to provide the specified documentation so may adversely impact future invoice payments. 29. No Boycott of Israel. If Vendor has fewer than 10 employees or this Agreement is for less than $100,000, this section does not apply. Vendor acknowledges that in accordance with Chapter 2271 of the Texas Government Code, the City is prohibited from entering into a contract with a company for goods or services unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract. The terms "boycott Israel" and "company" has the meanings ascribed to those terms in Section 2271 of the Texas Government Code. By signing this Agreement, Vendor certifies that Vendor's signature provides written verification to the City that Vendor: (1) does not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of the Agreement. 30. Prohibition on Boycotting Energy Companies. Vendor acknowledges that in accordance with Chapter 2276 of the Texas Government Code, City is prohibited from entering into a contract for goods or services that has a value of $100,000 or more that is to be paid wholly or partly from public funds of the City with a company with 10 or more full-time employees unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not boycott energy companies; and (2) will not boycott energy companies during the term of the contract. To the extent that Chapter 2276 of the Government Code is applicable to this Agreement, by signing this Agreement, Vendor certifies that Vendor's signature provides written verification to City that Vendor: (1) does not boycott energy Vendor Services Agreement Page 9 of 12 companies; and (2) will not boycott energy companies during the term of this Agreement. 31. Prohibition on Discrimination Against Firearm and Ammunition Industries. Vendor acknowledges that except as otherwise provided by Chapter 2274 of the Texas Government Code, City is prohibited from entering into a contract for goods or services that has a value of $100,000 or more that is to be paid wholly or partly from public funds of the City with a company with 10 or more full-time employees unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not have a practice, policy, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and (2) will not discriminate during the term of the contract against a firearm entity or firearm trade association. To the extent that Chapter 2274 of the Government Code is applicable to this Agreement, by signing this Agreement, Vendor certifies that Vendor's signature provides written verification to City that Vendor: (1) does not have a practice, policy, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and (2) will not discriminate against a firearm entity or firearm trade association during the term of this Agreement. 32. Electronic Sijjnatures. This Agreement may be executed by electronic signature, which will be considered as an original signature for all purposes and have the same force and effect as an original signature. For these purposes, "electronic signature" means electronically scanned and transmitted versions (e.g. via pdf file or facsimile transmission) of an original signature, or signatures electronically inserted via software such as Adobe Sign. 33. Entirety of Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire understanding and agreement between City and Vendor, their assigns and successors in interest, as to the matters contained herein. Any prior or contemporaneous oral or written agreement is hereby declared null and void to the extent in conflict with any provision of this Agreement. (signature page follows) Vendor Services Agreement Page 10 of 12 ACCEPTED AND AGREED: CITY OF FORT WORTH: By: Darla nurghdoff (Jul 24, 202 i 7,:.41 Name: Dana Burghdoff Title: Assistant City Manager Date: 7-24-26 APPROVAL RECOMMENDED: `1" 4� By: Jessica Rogers (Jul 20, 2026 08:35:42 CDT) Name: Jessica Rogers Title: Economic Development Director ATTEST: By: Name Title: Jannette S. Goodall City Secretary VENDOR: HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. By: Name: Title: Darren D. Caesar President CONTRACT COMPLIANCE MANAGER: By signing I acknowledge that I am the person responsible for the monitoring and administration of this contract, including ensuring all performance and reporting requirements. By: Name: Title: On Fernandez (Jul 19, 2026 19:16:40 CDT) Ori A. Fernandez Assistant Director APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: By: 0 Name: Amarna A. Muhammad Title: Assistant City Attorney CONTRACT AUTHORIZATION: M&C: M&C 26-0304; Approved 4/28/26 Form 1295:2026-1445133 Vendor Services Agreement Page 11 of 12 Vendor Services Agreement Page 12 of 12 EXHIBIT A- SCOPE OF SERVICES Service shall be rendered in accordance with the Vendor's submitted bid response, which is incorporated herein for all purposes. 1. Proiect Overview and Objectives Vendor shall provide development, implementation, and consultation services for the City of Fort Worth's Small Contractor Development Program. The Program will strengthen the capacity, competitiveness, and performance of small, local, new, and emerging contractors in Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise Counties for water, transportation, and other public works projects. The Vendor will deploy an assessment -based technical assistance model paired with structured training, outreach, and program reporting to increase contractor readiness and participation in City opportunities. Vendor agrees that documents prepared under this agreement (e.g. curriculum and agendas) must be pre -approved by the City before delivery to ensure consistency. Objectives: 1. Prepare qualified small contractors to bid and perform on City projects. 2. Provide targeted technical assistance aligned to individualized work plans. 3. Facilitate connections with prime contractors and City departments. 4. Establish reliable data capture and reporting for program performance. 5. Provide recommendations for the City to implement that increases the competitive pool of bidders to ensure City of Fort Worth's Small Contractor Development Program success. 2. Detailed Description of Services and Tasks- See Section 8.3.5 of Vendor's bid response 2.1 In Partnership with City of Fort Worth, Vendor shall employ the service methodology proposed in its bid response, with a particular focus on the following: 1. A detailed program curriculum with learning objectives for each academy session; 2. A standard assessment tool used across all contractors (e.g., business readiness scorecard); 3. A coaching methodology, including required frequency and documentation; 4. An outreach plan, including required number of events and target demographics; and 5. A cohort management plan, outlining enrollment, selection, orientation, attendance expectations, and removal policies. 2.2 Vendor shall also: Identify risks (e.g., low enrollment, contractor drop-off, low bid participation); 2. Propose mitigation strategies; and 3. Maintain a risk log shared during monthly meetings. 2.2 Optional additional services may be provided if authorized by City. 3. City Responsibilities The City will provide timely access to relevant procurement calendars, bid notices, contacts for program coordination, and City -approved procurement, compliance, contracting, and small business policy discussions to increase contractor participation. Cohorts will be limited to approximately 25 contractors each to support an immersive model and budget alignment. Two cohorts will receive dedicated technical assistance and training in sequence for year one. Number of cohorts per year for future years will be agreed upon by City and Vendor. Training schedule and locations are jointly determined with the City. Acceptance criteria and reporting formats will be confirmed during kickoff. Additionally, City will: 1. Designate a City project manager and decision -makers; 2. Approve program structure, eligibility criteria, and communications plan; 3. Publicize the program via City channels and coordinate staff participation in training segments; 4. Facilitate reasonable access to City venues, virtual platforms, and resources; and 5. Offer right -sized opportunities (e.g. unbundling, informal contracts, enabling contractors to bid). 4. Quarterly Benchmarks *Quarterly benchmarks will be measured against the approved Implementation Plan, which is incorporated and made part of this agreement for all purposes. QI (Months 1-3) Benchmarks: I. Approved Implementation Plan and Task Tracker II. Department orientations to procurement and prequalification process, project forecasts, and bidder lists I11. Program structure, eligibility, and branding plan finalized IV. Launch event completed, outreach campaign initiated with schedule and targeted lists, completed attendee log, and summary submitted V. Cohort 1 begins approximately 30 days after launch completion and includes assessments, one-on-one coaching, and topic academies Q2 (Months 4-6) Benchmarks: I. Cohort 1 conducted (eight -week academy with approx. 10 sessions) II. 20-25 graduating participants assessed; individualized work plans issued III. Workshop training sessions completed with documented matchmaking activities IV. Training agendas/materials and attendance logs submitted for all Cohort 1 sessions V. Assessment and work plan files delivered for each graduating participant VI. Log evidencing technical assistance support, with contractor identifiers submitted monthly VII. Outreach for Cohort 2 begins about two weeks after Cohort 1 completion; Cohort 2 convenes four weeks after Cohort 1 completion Q3 (Months 7-9) Benchmarks: I. Cohort 2 recruitment and delivery (eight -week academy with approx. 10 sessions) 11. Additional 20-25 graduating participants assessed; individualized work plans issued III. Workshop training sessions completed with documented matchmaking activities IV. Training agendas/materials and attendance logs submitted for all Cohort 2 sessions V. Assessment and work plan files delivered for each Cohort 2 participant Q4 (Months 10-12) Benchmarks: I. Ongoing technical assistance and monthly workshops for all enrolled firms II. Consolidated performance reporting with outcomes and recommendations III. Graduation events completed with final report delivered IV. Logs and workshop attendance records submitted monthly V. Final Program Report submitted, including KPI summary and proposed refinements VI. Continuing services include one-on-one coaching, case management, bid preparation, and workshops after cohort graduations 5 Measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) *Performance Targets will be finalized during QI I. Contractors enrolled per cohort: target 20-25 II. Number of graduating contractors completing all academy sessions/trainings III. Number of enrolled contractors with completed assessments and work plans IV. Number of bid rev iew/prequal ification support instances per quarter V. Number of technical assistances provided to contractors VI. Training satisfaction score average at the end of each cohort VII. Coordination with City of Fort Worth to offer right -sized opportunities (e.g. unbundling, informal contracts, enabling contractors to bid). Vendor to track number of bid engagement activities per cohort, including response to a solicitation, advancement in the bid process, and selection for award, measured in three-month intervals post -graduation based upon contractors self -reporting. 6. Reporting 6.1 General Requirements. Vendor shall provide accurate, complete, and timely reports that align with the Deliverables and Quarterly Benchmarks. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the City, all reports shall be delivered by email with: (a) a PDF narrative report; and (b) a corresponding data file in Excel (.xlsx) or CSV format containing the required data elements. 6.2 Routine Activity Reporting. 6.2.1 Monthly Technical Assistance and Program Activity Data. Due within fifteen (15) Business Days after the end of each calendar month. Format: Excel/CSV. 6.2.2 Quarterly Activity Report. Due within fifteen (15) Business Days after the end of each calendar quarter. Format: PDF narrative plus Excel/CSV and MIS export (if available). Content shall consolidate monthly activity and tie directly to the Quarterly Benchmarks in this Exhibit, highlighting progress, variances, and corrective actions. 6.3 Performance and KPI Reporting. 6.3.2 Quarterly Performance Report. Due within fifteen (15) Business Days after quarter -end. Format: PDF narrative and dashboard plus Excel/CSV and MIS export (if available). Content shall: (a) compare performance to Quarterly Benchmarks; (b) analyze trends, variances, and root causes; (c) identify risks and mitigation; and (d) document corrective action plans. 6.3.4 Final Report. Due within thirty (30) Business Days following the Term end. Format: PDF narrative and dashboard plus Excel/CSV and final MIS export. Content shall include cumulative results for the Term, final status against all Deliverables and Benchmarks, participant outcomes, and recommendations for the next term. 6.3.5 Success Stories. Upon City request, and no more than quarterly, Vendor shall provide up to three (3) anonymized success stories in PDF (<I page each), with appropriate consents if any personally identifiable information is included. 6.4 Required Data Elements. Reports shall include, to the extent applicable to the reporting period and program phase, the following minimum data elements in Excel/CSV (with clear field definitions and unique identifiers) and summarized in the PDF narrative: (a) Participant roster and enrollment status (e.g., enrolled, active, paused, exited; enrollment and exit dates); (b) Attendance/participation records by session/event, including dates and modality; (c) Assessment and workplan completion status and results for graduating participants; (d) Instances of Technical Assistance (TA) by category/type, assigned staff, and participant; (e) Bid and proposal review activity (number, type, industry/NAICS codes), including TA provided. City offers right -sized opportunities (e.g. unbundling, informal contracts, enabling contractors to bid). (0 Contractor engagement activities (meetings, outreach events, matchmaking), with counts and brief descriptions; (g) Outcomes: Registered with City of Fort Worth, SBE Certified, broker relationship established for bonding, new/increased bond lines obtained, NIGP codes identified, Contractors Licenses (if applicable) obtained, Business license active, and Contractor Profile (Capability statement) developed; (h) Pipeline/forecast of expected submissions and key dates; (i) Issues/risks, barriers, and mitigation actions, dependencies affecting delivery; and 0) Success stories and qualitative feedback (aggregated or anonymized, as applicable). 6.5 Meeting Cadence. 6.5.1 Monthly Review Call. Occurs within seven (7) Business Days after delivery of each Monthly Activity Data and Monthly KPI Snapshot. Agenda includes review of activities, KPIs, accomplishments, risks, and next -month plan. 6.5.2 Quarterly Performance Review. Occurs within fifteen (15) Business Days after delivery of each Quarterly Performance Report. Vendor shall present performance against Benchmarks, trend analysis, and agreed corrective actions. 6.5.3 Additional Meetings. Upon reasonable request by the City, Vendor shall attend ad hoc meetings to address urgent issues, successes, or material performance deviations. 6.6 Quality, Corrections, and Resubmissions. 6.6.1 Reports shall be free of material errors and internally consistent across narrative and data files. 6.6.2 Upon City notice of material deficiency or error, Vendor shall correct and resubmit the affected report within five (5) Business Days, or as otherwise agreed in writing for complex corrections. 6.7 Alignment with Deliverables and Benchmarks. All reports shall explicitly map activities and results to the Deliverables and Quarterly Benchmarks in this Exhibit, including identification of which data elements substantiate each Deliverable or Benchmark and a variance explanation where actuals differ from targets. 7. Glossary of Terms • Benchmark: A fixed reference point used to ensure accurate and consistent measurements throughout a project. • Informal Contracts: Opportunities below a certain contract value threshold that do not require standard procurement and contract administration practices and requirements. Typically led at the departmental level and solicited to a preapproved list of bidders. • Right -sized Opportunities: Opportunities that are matched for a small local business profile. Primary considerations —scope, contract value, and project requirements (bonding, insurance, experience, etc.). • Unbundling of Contracts: Breaking a large, single construction contract into smaller, separate contracts so that small local businesses can directly bid and compete for trade specific scopes of the project. • Work Plan: A document provided to enrolled contractors after completing initial assessment and includes targeted goals to build their capacity along with supporting resources and referrals. Becomes the roadmap for the contractor and SCDP representatives to follow and update in the contractor's development. as eo e■ erg , e am as neaeelear= �a ea as ae eeeeeaa®e-- _e ee e■ ee _ _. - . _eeaeaa® `ntrrr�y____ .. . aaeeeae o e a e e a o It GCS. {ELT, AMA76 it, ..LID 7m = P� LEN l j Submitted by Ingrid Merriwether President, Aligned Risk Management Services ingrid@imwis.com 510-919-7455 License # 0001378 Merriwether kWilliams IKSURANCF SERVICES ... Of Like Minds A HUB International Company �7� COLETTE iLll 14 HOLT •,,,,, „„, NERW I &ASSOCIATES Contents Contents....................................................................................................................................2 8.3.1 Cover Letter and Executive Summary..................................................................4 8.3.2 Qualifications and Relevant Experience..............................................................7 ProgramConsultants..............................................................................................................9 Small Contractor Technical Assistance and Contractor Training....................................10 Program/Sponsor Department Collaboration.....................................................................12 8.3.3 Proposed Approach and Methodology................................................................16 Contractor Development and Capacity Building - Our Approach - Rationale and the IIWhy„.....................................................................................................................................16 Contractor Development - Rationale - The "Why"............................................................16 SCDP Methodology: The "What' & The "How"..................................................................17 Summing Up Our Technical Assessment and Development Approach ..........................20 Program Processes, Procedure and Documentation........................................................21 8.3.4 Key Personnel Qualifications................................................................................26 8.3.5 Work Plan and Timeline...........................................................................................31 8.3.6 Program Details..........................................................................................................32 ProgramBuild-Out................................................................................................................32 Outreach.................................................................................................................................33 TrainingCurriculum..............................................................................................................35 Data Management and Reporting........................................................................................40 References.............................................................................................................................43 8.3.7 Exceptions / Substitutions / Clarifications / Additions..................................45 SCDP Bonding Support: "The How"...................................................................................45 Surety Bond Guarantees(SBG):..........................................................................................45 Program Surety Partners......................................................................................................47 Risk Management of Collateral............................................................................................48 Third Party Funds Administration.......................................................................................49 Contract -Based Financing(CBF):........................................................................................49 Draft Vendor Service Agreement- Exceptions / Substitutions / Clarifications ...............51 Appendix.................................................................................................................................. 53 A.Media Feature Highlights..................................................................................................55 B.MWIS Awards.....................................................................................................................94 Irv, Alurirrnher J`Wiluaml 2 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. �t- '" C.Contractor & Partner References....................................................................................96 D.Building Wealth of Historically Undersized Businesses...............................................103 E.Construction Insurance Capabilities..............................................................................119 F.Risk Services Capabilities................................................................................................122 G.Contractor Success Stories............................................................................................125 H.Quik-Stats..........................................................................................................................129 I.CDABP Regional Flyer.......................................................................................................131 J.Flower to the People Assessment & Work Plan.............................................................133 K.Fixed Dimensions Growth Card......................................................................................143 L.CDABP Process Map........................................................................................................145 M.Training Academy Flyers.................................................................................................147 N.Contractor Profiles...........................................................................................................153 O.LA CDABP Prime Partner Program.................................................................................156 P.MWIS Organizational Chart..............................................................................................168 Q.Team Resumes.................................................................................................................160 R.City of Charlotte CBF Implementation Tracker..............................................................194 S.City of LA CBP Bidding and Estimating Curriculum.....................................................198 T.City of Charlotte CBI Monthly Meeting Agenda..............................................................204 U.Monthly City TAR..............................................................................................................207 V.Project Detail Sheet..........................................................................................................214 W.Council Workshops.........................................................................................................218 X.Spanish Save-the-Date.....................................................................................................221 Y.Bond Transaction Flow Chart..........................................................................................223 Z.Open Transactions Report...............................................................................................226 AA. CFAP Placemat...............................................................................................................227 BB. CBF Flow Chart..............................................................................................................230 The contents of this proposal are private, confidential, and the property of HUB International. Any further distribution or copying of this proposal is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of HUB International 3 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NUB Wol ,atlonal Ccmeny 8.3.1 Cover Letter and Executive Summary It is our pleasure to submit to the City of Fort Worth our proposal response to the Small Contractor Development Program RFP. We commend the City for its awareness and actions to engage and support the small local contractor community. In our work of close to three decades, we've had the fortunate opportunity to witness that when you invest in capacity development for small contractors, you gain the benefit of more contractors enabled to compete for your work. More competition creates cost savings, and small local contractor utilization supports local economic development. Merriwether & Williams, a HUB International Co. (MWIS/HUB), along with three local firms who bring highly relevant experience and capabilities to our team, our proposing an approach we believe fully aligns with your intentions to prepare and facilitate contract engagement of the Fort Worth area small contractor community. MWIS/HUB as the prime proposer brings 29 years of experience designing, implementing, and administering contractor development programs on behalf of public entities. Beyond training and construction specific technical assistance, we can provide critical financial resources including bonding and contract financing for program enrolled contractors. You will find in our response, we have included as an additional consideration, integrating access to these resources to small contractor participants in your program. This is far beyond educating contractors on what is required for bonding and capital, often a frustrating endeavor for them when their individual circumstances still preclude them from qualifying. We have the capacity to enable firms to qualify for bonding and capital, including bond collateral support and contract cash flow funding, through our unique partnership with Lendistry, a national (and local in Fort Worth) Community Development Financial Institution. Our local subconsultants, Nervi' Strategic Solutions LLC, ABR Advisory Consulting, and Colette Holt & Associates add critical local credentials, expertise, and multi -disciplinary capacity to our team. As important partners, they will support the program in the areas of outreach, prime partner engagement, contracting strategies, and policy and legal consulting to ensure compliance with Texas statutes and contracting codes. Through our experience, we have identified three major elements to create a conducive ecosystem that supports, enables, and impacts the small local contractor community and leads to successful contract awards for these firms. Policy, Practices, and Programs. Policy Robust small business engagement policy championed by leadership and well executed administratively through the agency's contracting practices is crucial. There are a multitude of demonstrative "Best Practices" that correlate effective policy with successful small business contracting outcomes. Our team partner, Colette Holt & Associates, brings decades of expertise in assessing the effectiveness of public entity small business policy as well as assisting agencies with drafting legally implemental strategies that will increase achieving outcome goals. Practices Conducive contracting practices intentionally structured to engage small local contractors more fully both in direct "small prime" contracting, as well as prime contractor subcontracting is a critical foundation that directly influences contracting outcomes. ABR Advisory Consultants, serving as our team's Prime Contractor Liaison, has drafted, implemented, and administered small contractor inclusion plans in the Fort Worth community. As part of developer teams for local regional capacity building programs, Angela Berry, the firm's Principal, has key experience in G�� hferriorther �Yilli�mr 4 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. ��tt A HUB 1,19-11-1 Como y crafting small business inclusive contracting approaches and equally important, deep relationships with the local prime and small contractor community. Programs Outreach — Critical to a successful small Contractor Development Program is an effective outreach plan led by local representation with established relationships in the small contractor community as well as community -based organizations who share the objective of empowering and supporting this community of businesses. The respect and integrity of the "messenger" is a key indicator of the level of interest and engagement of the targeted contractor community. Nervi' Strategic Solutions, LLC with more than 25 years of experience rooted in the DFW community, will lead our team's outreach and engagement effort. She has long-established relationships with the small local contractor community and key local organizations including local chambers and contractor associations that will provide the critical "street cred" and innate trust crucial to their engagement. Contractor Supportive Services — To change the dynamics of the status of a small contractor's business and better position them for public contracting opportunities, industry specific individualized capacity development is key to moving the needle for these firms. Relevant technical assistance tailored to each business recognizes their unique "current state" and informs a workplan to achieve a more desirable "future state." This starts with a detailed assessment followed by an informed customized workplan to address areas of deficiencies and create a path for growth. It's critical that this is beyond theoretical education and training which often fails to change contractors' current circumstances that are limiting their contracting opportunities. Contractors' better understanding of what's required in areas such as prime contractor pre - qualifications, bonding or access to capital does not translate to their ability to meet the requirements or to qualify. In some instances, the disparity between what's required and where a contractor is in their business represents a wide gap not easily overcome or requires contracting success over an extended period of time. This leads to a vicious cycle of what comes first — the chicken or the egg. This also leads to small contractors' frustration as they are unable to avail themselves of more immediate opportunities and a pathway to build their pipeline of work — critical to sustaining their business and building capacity. Our model and approach, along with a conducive agency contracting environment, focuses on individualized technical assistance that is more immediately implementable and can better enable the contractor to capture more near -term opportunities. When you can provide contract specific technical support such as assistance with bid analysis, or bonds required to bid, your impact is more immediate and beyond what the contractors may glean from participating in more generalized training curriculum. This approach provides practical application of knowledge and understanding in real-time and greater access to current opportunities. If the City considers our proposal Additon of provisioning bonding and contract financing access, your program can have even more direct impact enabling a contractor to bid, have contract working capital to cash flow an awarded contract, enabling them to directly apply the training and technical assistance they receive. This becomes more meaningful to a contractor faced with the need to sustain their business while learning how to improve their business acumen and build capacity. Since 1997, MWIS (now MWIS/HUB) has worked with public entities including cities, counties, and transportation agencies to remove the barriers that impede participation in public contracting for small contractors. Applying our approach of individualized assessments and work plans, and access to bonds and contract working capital, along with technical support from bidding through successful contract completion, we have been able to achieve these outcomes across all of our programs: �� hierrin<ther dLVilliam. 5 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. vJ t,i. v.yi A NUB International ConWany All -Program Bond Transaction Results 352 19121 Contractors Requesting Bid Bonds Bond Program Transactions N R—",— $1.13B $224M Bid Bond Total Bond Guarantees Requested $59M $383M $27AM a01% Bond Guarantees Issued Values of Final Contracts Cost Savings to Bond Default Rate Awarded to Contractors Project Owners $31M 0% $6.2M A htcrriwethcr BLVilliams CFAP Total Value of CFAP Loan Default Rate CFAP Total Value of Figures are through 6/25 Contracts Supported Loans _ Dial as^l A HUB International Company In convening this RFP for a Contractor Development Program and aligning it with upcoming capital and public works improvement projects, the City will be able to optimize this investment. Supportive services that remove the barriers for small contractors also serve the City by increasing the pool of contractors enabled to compete for City work. This is Good Governance at its best, and we commend the City for this effort. In closing, thank you for the opportunity to present our experience, capabilities and approach if selected to partner with the City in the design, development, and administration of a comprehensive Contractor Development Program. We look forward to your consideration of our team and proposal, and we are hopeful we are invited to participate in the next steps of your process. On behalf of Merriwether & Williams, a HUB International Co., and our local subconsultant partners, Nervi Strategic Solutions, ABR Advisory Consultants and Collette Holt & Associates. Sincerely, _T c9,vd 1W aA we(6, a Ingrid Merriwether President, Aligned Risk Management Services rae� Alerrinnher dLViOiamr 6 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. v, A HUa Inlrnattonal CornoanY 8.3.2 Qualifications and Relevant Experience Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services, A HUB International Co. (MWIS/HUB) has been designing, implementing and administering contractor bonding and technical assistance programs for over 29 years, and contract -based financing services for the last seven years. Our programs have continuously evolved with new strategies to have the greatest impact on small contractor capacity building. Now as part of a much larger organization (as of May 1, 2024), MWIS/HUB brings a broader platform of resources, bench depth and relevant subject matter expertise to bear. MWIS/HUB is a full -service licensed Property, Casualty, Employee Benefits, Surety Brokerage Financial Services firm. Since incorporating in 1997, MWIS has been actively engaged in contractor supportive services programs with our public entity partners to put actionable practices and resources behind their efforts to include more small businesses in public contracting. Today Merriwether & Williams/HUB, with MWIS specific offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco and 15 employees exclusively dedicated to contractor development programs, has expanded the reach and depth of our programs which have been recognized for addressing the systemic infrastructure barriers that have impeded contracting opportunities for small contractors— and by extension, eluded the efforts of the public sector and elected officials to increase their presence on public construction projects. With the increasing need to expand the pool of contractors enabled to bid on public construction contracts particularly where there may be a diminishment of other funded programs and resources, our placement within an international company with major industry presence in construction, surety, risk management, and public -sector procurement and contract management, we've expanded our capabilities and added new collaborative partners to meet the increasing demand. Now more than ever, agencies seeking to retain the gains made during the decades of funding contracting equity programs which included robust federal funding, proven strategies and effective barrier removal are even more critical. While the Small Contractor Development Program RFP does not call for comprehensive bonding support and/or contract -based finance, we have implemented this key access to financial resources in other programs we administer. In addition to training and technical assistance, these are proven tangible resources vital to contractors' growth. As a result, for decades our agency clients have experienced the fruit of their small local contractors increasing their capacity and competitiveness. We cover in detail our approach to these proposed added services later in the proposal but want to highlight results of our work here. Using our "Aligned Risk Management" approach balancing strategies and tools to mitigate surety risk and now lender risk while sourcing the critical financial resources program contractors require to bid, secure an successfully perform work — we've managed to retain an ongoing program bonding loss ratio of less than 1% and a sustained record of only 2 program defaults in 29 years. (1 default in 2014 City of L.A. RNLA $31,000, and 1 in the SF program in 1999). Program contractors have been enabled to bid (with program bonding support) on $1,142,754,932 of public construction contract values and have been successfully awarded $363,623,920 in work — again with only 2 contractors failing to fully complete their contracts. Our program loss ratio of less than 1 % compared to the surety industry loss ratio, which is currently 24.9% reported by the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA). These results compare very favorably and contradicts perceptions of lacking capacity of the small contractor community. Our contract -based loan programs first piloted in San Francisco and expanded to Los Angeles in 2021 and Charlotte, North Carolina in 2023 have funded program supported contracts with $6.2 Million of contract working capital supporting $37.2 Million in awarded contract value. Goa; Aterriocther 5�0.'illi�m. 7 © 2026 HUB International Limited. �f A NUB Inlarnallonal Corrp�ni Our dedication to supporting contractors has earned us significant recognition in the local community. We're pleased to share recent samples of media features that illustrate the positive impact our programs have had on contractors' businesses and our success in expanding their participation in Agency opportunities. See Exhibit A for Media Feature highlights. This visibility not only celebrates our achievements but also inspires other contractors to join. Moreover, we are continually acknowledged by local trade and professional groups for our commitment to empowering small construction businesses. See Exhibit B for a List of Awards and Recognition. In 2021, the renown James Irvine Foundation in conjunction with other key partners published a white paper about HUBs (many who are small businesses) building wealth. They did a case study on MWIS's work as a leading innovator and solution provider in this space backed by results and emphasized how our bonding support and contract -based finance services have a proven track record of both saving public money and enabling small business growth. The paper concluded MWIS' best practices are a replicable framework that other agencies can benefit from. See the Building Wealth for Historically Underutilized Businesses white paper in Exhibit C. We are also pleased to share three contractor testimonies highlighting how they have benefited and grown their business in part, because of our programs. See Exhibit D for contractor testimonies followed by several program partners we work closely with. As we look to the future, MWIS is now a part of a global company with additional significant and relevant capabilities that will benefit our client sponsors directly as well as Small Contractor Development Program (SCDP) contractor participants. HUB International also has local Fort Worth and Dallas offices that we have access to. Our colleagues are also well connected in the region, which will allow us to expand our network with the local contracting community and key partners. HUB Construction and Surety Construction is a major industry sector for HUB. The client base includes project owners, general contractors, and subcontractors of all sizes. Services include all aspects of the analysis, management, mitigation, and transfer of construction related risks. HUB construction includes more than 15,000 practitioners including 100+ credentialed construction and surety experts. With close to $2.513 in construction related market premium, $283M in surety premium representing 17,000 construction surety clients and over 100,000 in construction surety bonds placed on an annual basis, HUB/MWIS together bring the small contractor community as well as sponsor agencies the knowledge, experience, capacity and relationships to affect and change the systemic obstacles that impede more small contractor engagement in public construction. See Exhibit E for more information about the HUB Construction Practice. Your SCDP participants will have access to resources typically beyond their reach and are often only available to much larger contractors. These include broader access to the insurance marketplace and extensive construction safety training and project management tools. We can provide OSHA10 and OSHA30 certification training for an added fee. HUB Risk Services HUB Risk Services further expands access to SCDP contractors in the area of Prevailing Wage services, including navigating fringe benefits and administration requirements. This is a critical area of need for small contractors engaged in Federal and State funded work where correctly managing and allocating labor wages and fringes meet compliance standards and protect the contractor from costly penalties and fines. See Exhibit F for more information about the HUB Risk Services. HUB will expand our capacity to support SCDP contractors in other areas including contractual risk transfer assessment and negotiations with prime contractors. Oftentimes larger prime hta,,,..tntt �Yllllam, 8 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Intarnatlonal Ct pa',v contractors seek to transfer a disproportionate level of risk to small contractors as respects their scope of work. With training and consultation, SCDP contractors will have support to negotiate terms that more properly align with the risk profile of their work and their capacity to bear risk. HUB/Synergy Disaster Solutions Synergy based in Texas is a unique HUB specialty that works predominately with public entities planning for and recovering from catastrophic incidents. Their capacity includes in-house construction management both as applied to disaster recovery work as well as planned capital improvement projects. With a scope of work that includes construction procurement management for agency owners including project risk management, managing the bid process and contractor prequalification and change order management, HUB/Synergy brings a deep level of expertise we will draw from to further support SCDP agency sponsors who seek new approaches and solutions to project conception and delivery, including opportunities that follow infrastructure impacted disasters that includes optimized engagement of the small local contractor community in rebuilding. Program Consultants We have partnered with three local subconsultant partners that will round out our team. Each has a unique depth of experience and is well engaged in the local network that will enhance your SCDP's success. They will be fully integrated into the team and play a critical role in the SCDP. We know their local presence builds credibility as an insider with the local Fort Worth contracting community. We have enjoyed successful partnerships with other subconsultants for more than two decades. Colette Holt & Associates Our Policy and Legal Advisor, Colette Holt, has over 35 years of experience as a public contracts lawyer working with public agencies on issues related to small business development and will advise on SCDP policies to increase small contractor participation and ensure they still meet regulatory compliance. She has worked with numerous governments, including Texas, where her firm is based, to develop successful small business enterprise programs. She has provided counsel regarding best practices in public contracting and procurement and drafted new legislation and policies to facilitate SBE opportunities and growth. For example, she has counseled the City of Austin since 1995 on these issues, and continues to provide advice to DFW International Airport, Parkland Health and Hospital System, Harris County, Travis County, TxDOT and the City of San Antonio on compliance with Texas law and federal constitutional requirements. Her work on SBE development programs has included drafting scopes of work, reviewing documents, creating policies and operating procedures, interviewing SBEs to ensure program elements meet their needs, and providing legal counsel on the strictures of state law. ABR Advisory Consultants Our Prime Contractor Liaison, Angela Berry Roberson with ABR Advisory Consultants, has been a part of the developer teams for key regional capacity building programs to introduce and familiarize small businesses to the infrastructure industry. Programs such as the Cooperative Inclusion Plan (CIP) program, which is sponsored by TxDOT, RHCA, NTTA and RCBA and the RHCA Heavy Highway Forum were initiatives established to give insight and access to small businesses in the civil construction and construction -related services including professional services. Additionally, she was instrumental in establishing the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas' Primetime program which connected small businesses to industry contractors to prepare them for working in the industry. As the Director of Diversity & Contract Compliance for Ferrovial Construction/Webber, she led and executed successful contract readiness training programs on several TxDOT projects including the North Tarrant Express 183/820 and 35W projects. This expertise from both the industry and agency perspective offers a unique perspective AferriuctheY JLYith- 9 1 CD2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Into 11wal Cwm ,a Y for this role to foster strategic alliances with Prime contractors and consultants including matchmaking to create subcontracting opportunities for SBE contractors. Nervi' Strategic Solutions Our Program Outreach Lead, Pam Ervin -Davis, brings over 25 years of specialized experience in small business programs and contract compliance management across both public and private sector construction and professional services projects. She will lead our program outreach effort in the community leading contractor enrollment and representing the SCDP at City and community events. Currently working at DFW International Airport, she leads small business enterprise support on major aviation construction projects including Terminal C Redevelopment and other multi -million dollar infrastructure initiatives. As President of Nervi' Strategic Solutions and holder of ACCA certifications (CCA, MCA, EMCA), Pam has successfully managed contract compliance for high -profile clients including WNBA Dallas Wings, Dallas College Bond Programs, and Parkland Hospital. She is well connected to local groups like the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce (FWMBCC) and Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FWHCC). Small Contractor Technical Assistance and Contractor Training Construction specific technical training in the form of training classes and one-on-one consultation is a critical component of your SCDP. Contractor/Construction specific expertise is important to enhance the understanding and acumen as respects to building a successful small business contracting firm. MWIS/HUB has been engaged in consulting and supporting the construction community as a primary area of practice for close to three decades. We are able to draw from an industry perspective deeply rooted in the management of risk, both enterprise risk and project specific risk. With both licensed construction surety and insurance staff team members, as well as seasoned construction management talent, we have the ability and experience to guide SCDP participants in all areas of construction business management and strategies for growth. When provided on a one-on-one basis, this guidance is uniquely specific to individual businesses following their Assessment and part and parcel to their developed Work Plan. Their ability to get support specific to their business and where they are at a given period of time, along with participation in group learning through an extensive industry specific training program, accelerates their ability to scale their firm and inculcate industry best practices, including specific knowledge as respects public contracting. With the added capacity and technical depth our relationship with HUB International now extends to our SCDP participants, including insurance market access to mitigate some of the insurance access and affordability challenges, we will further support critical areas that impact the small contractor community, particularly as respects insurance costs and agency insurance compliance. You will find a detailed description of our technical assistance capabilities and our training program and modules in the "Our Approach" section of our proposal. It will further validate our qualifications and experience in this area. Small Contractor Program Bonding (additional proposed service) MWIS/HUB has managed bonding, contract financing and contractor development assistance programs for public entities seeking to reduce barriers, which inhibit utilization of small contractors in public contracting opportunities since 1997. Through our programs, we have resourced over $1,142,754,932 in Bid, Payment & Performance Bonds for small contractors and $6.2 Million in contract financing and $6 Million for SFO Concessionaires, concurrently saving our program sponsors more than $27.4 Million through the competitive bids submitted by small prime program low -bid contractors. Out of 1,125 transactions (355 distinct contractors), there have been only two program losses, translating to a sponsor -wide loss ratio of less than 1 %. Ge• Atzrri��clher b�q'illiamr 10 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUO Inlarnatlonal Canpany In the close to three decades that we have administered contractor bonding assistance programs we have gained the respect from the surety industry, which is in part demonstrated by their willingness to provide bonding to our program participants with minimal collateral in relation to the bond amount. For example, we were able to secure a $14.5M bond for a small contractor with a LAWA (LAX) awarded project with just $250,000 of program collateral, less than 2% of contingent program liability and the surety retaining 98% of the risk. There are many similar examples, in fact our average guarantee is far less than the 40% (up to $250k) program cap. We've achieved trust and support from the surety industry by continuously demonstrating our ability to underwrite risk and moreover, mitigate their exposure (as well as our collateral sponsors exposure) to loss. Our field support and post contract award technical assistance means monitoring of the project through completion and working with the contractor to course correct when necessary. We provide extensive support to help ensure the contractors successful contract completion including assistance with change order documentation and approval, proper completion of progress payment applications and project closeout. These are just some of the areas we may step in to support the contractor's project completion and ease the impact of the issue to their prime or the agency. We now have seven program surety partners, all of whom have never suffered a loss, making our program business with them proportionately more profitable given their industry loss ratio of 24.9% vs our program loss ratio of less than 1 %. Because of our long-standing results and low bonding loss ratio, we now have a unique partnership with Community Development Financial Institutions, including a national CDFI, Lendistry. This enables us to access bond collateral support for our program contractors through a third -party source. This is particularly important when we work with agency sponsors in states that may disallow this type of bonding support directly. Such was the case in Charlotte, North Carolina where we secured such support through a local CDFI — Carolina Small Business Development Fund. As we look ahead, the indications are that surety underwriting is expected to tighten significantly due to a heightened level of claims and losses from subcontractor defaults. This tightening of the market will mean fewer bonded subcontractors. To offset this impact, access to working capital or lines of credit will be demanded by sureties as lack of adequate cashflow is cited as one of the key factors leading to more bond defaults. This gives us the opportunity to align our contract - based financing supported by our CDFI partners, to mitigate the impact of more rigid surety underwriting which will disproportionately impact smaller contractors. As subcontractors also perform direct work as "small primes", access to bonding will be critical to ensure a robust pool of small contractors are able to bid on smaller project opportunities. Small Contractor Contract -Based Financing (additional proposed service) Over the last seven years we've entered into several formal partnerships with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) which have created new capacity to support our program contractors with contract working capital. In addition to the well -determined bonding barrier, access to capital is similarly a major impediment for small firms, which in public contracting is an even more significant obstacle. The need that a small firm must fund their own contracting cost on behalf of their public agency customers once awarded a contract and not expect reimbursement for those expenditures before 60 days, at least, causes a huge impact on their financial capacity to take on work, and significantly limits the aggregate of work they can support at any given time. CDFIs exist and are funded by government and traditional lenders to address the lack of access to capital to small businesses, filling the recognized gap in the market, and the detrimental impact of lack of capital to sustain and grow these firms. One of the challenges for deploying CDFI capital to the range of businesses within all industries is inadequate underwriting experience relevant to specific types of businesses such as small construction firms and inability to directly mitigate Alerriexlhcr b U'illiama 11 ©2026 HUB International Limited. ' A HUB Inlaln.110nalCa Pany lending risk to enable firms to qualify as some aspects of traditional credit criteria still apply for these institutions. CDFIs also lack loan servicing capacity for "high touch" businesses which certainly includes small contractors, particularly those engaged in public construction contracting. The CDFIs we partner with have a strong desire to support access to capital critically needed by contractors, but they exhibit gaps in their knowledge of construction and how to mitigate the risks associated with lending to contractors. We've been able to prove a working model that now enables contract funding access to any program -enrolled contractor awarded a contract with any of our participating agency sponsors. Funding is not based on a business's financials or credit — instead we are able to collateralize their awarded contracts and deploy the program risk mitigation tools to help protect the CDFIs and ensure full loan repayment. They rely on our upfront underwriting understanding, our tailored loan structuring that aligns with the contractors contract, our decades of experience in working with small contractors, the successful track record of our programs with our less than 1 % default rate, and that we remain engaged with the contractors, providing project support and monitoring project performance through final completion and closeout. The use of funds administration (a funded tool in our programs) is a critical risk mitigation strategy — a major element enabling the deployment of CDFI funding to provide contract working capital to our participants at no financial risk to our program sponsors. Our partnerships with these CDFIs and $8 Million of revolving capacity they've committed to our programs are unique to MWIS. The endgame with Contract Based Finance has always been to satisfy a contractor's immediate need for working capital, through our relationships with CDFI's, while positioning the contractor to become commercially bankable. Commercial bankability, based upon credit, track record of success, financial strength and demonstrated business acumen is something that well established contractors can put before a lender and expect to get the funding they need. As contractors are navigated through our programs, they begin to develop a complete basis and understanding of what will be expected of them when they are ready to "graduate" to commercial bankability. In the meantime, they have access to capital to prosecute and complete contracts successfully, expediting their journey to lines of credit with traditional lenders. Added development we routinely see among the contractors we work with are greater skills in Strategic Planning, understanding Finance, Estimating, Bidding, Scheduling and "packaging themselves" for target customers, debt providers and surety companies. Program/Sponsor Department Collaboration Some of the most successful outcomes for our program have come from collaborative engagements between the program and individual sponsor departments. Three such examples which demonstrate our experience were initiatives convened with LAWA (LAX), City of Los Angeles Public Works and L.A. Metro. We understand the importance and "how to" engage sponsor departments to connect SCDP services to the pipelines of sponsor contracting activities to optimize its value. We will leverage our experience as we work with Fort Worth's Public Works Department and other city departments for the greatest benefit to the City and local small contractors. Public Works Community Level Contracting The City of Los Angeles has implemented its innovative Community Level Contracting procurement strategy to empower small, local contractors by creating prime contracting opportunities. This approach has been pivotal in advancing more small contractor inclusion and accessibility within the industry, particularly through the successful execution of the first and second phases of the City's Sidewalk Repair Program. These phases have demonstrated tangible outcomes, including increased participation of small local businesses, strengthened community engagement, and significant progress in meeting the City's infrastructure goals. This strategy 12 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NUB IM—st1 1Co —Y exemplifies the City's commitment to fostering a thriving small business ecosystem while addressing critical infrastructure needs. CLC Sidewalk Repair Highlights SIDEWALKCLC REPAIR PROGRAM DEBUT 2016 - 2022 $2.21M budget at $100,000 max per work order _ J 35 22 19 Prequalllied First Tlmo CDABP Enrolled Contractors Bidders Contractors 7 New or Increased Bond Lines $1.7M Value CLC Sidewalk Repair Highlights 2023 - Present 0000 15 New or Increased Proci-- Bond Lines Contractiedors First errs CDABPEnrors Returning I_ it —ant 11ICtors ! - Contractors Bidders Contractors Irom Phasel $7.3M Value Percentage increases between the two phases: 0104% 53% 114% CDABP Bonding Technical Agencies Budget Increase CDABP Contractors Participation Assistance LAWA MATOC — Construction Targeted Outreach, Targeted Technical Assistance and Bonding Access Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is establishing pre -qualified benches of design -builders and construction contractors to execute construction projects through its multi -year Multiple Award Task Order Contracts (MATOC). This initiative aims to engage a diverse range of qualified contractors- spanning small, medium, and large -sized businesses - based on their experience and expertise in design -build and construction projects. To increase visibility and participation of MATOC solicitation, LAWA's Contractor Development and Bonding Program (CDABP) conducted targeted outreach to contractors who had experience working with public agencies, SBE certification recognized by LAWA, and a minimum of $500K bonding capacity (and would be able ���' ntrrd,retherb vdlfam 13 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. n Bue i.ir—io..I C—P.ny to increase their capacity with the program's collateral support). LAWA's CDABP is designed to enhance small business contractor participation in opportunities at Los Angeles World Airport. Policy and requirement review (i.e. RFQ, RFP, prequalification etc.) is the first step and is essential to determining whether there are any barriers of entry and if the projects are rightsized for small and medium sized business participation. CDABP initiated its efforts by reviewing the solicitation to identify potential barriers that could limit opportunities for small business contractors. A key challenge identified was the requirement for audited financial statements, which would have posed a financial burden on smaller businesses or turned away businesses who were interested but currently don't have a business case at this time to have their financial statements audited. Based on this assessment, CDABP provided recommendations on alternative approaches and forms for businesses to provide their financial information. As a result of identifying this impediment, explaining the specific impact to smaller firms and offering alternatives for consideration, LAWA's CDABP successfully advocated for its removal. This change benefits small and medium sized businesses, widening the pool of contractors who will be able to access this opportunity and creating greater potential participation. Additionally, LAWA's CDABP hosted a two-day workshop focused on the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and the Contract Financing Assistance Program (CFAP). During the first session, CDABP's Contractor Development Managers provided a comprehensive review of the RFQ, outlining key requirements, guiding contractors through the necessary forms, and offering instructions on properly preparing and submitting their RFQ packets. The second session covered CFAP, part of the CDABP and is a contract -based financing program designed to support small businesses by allowing them to use an awarded contract as collateral to secure the working capital needed for project execution. As part of our outreach efforts, we engaged 471 enrolled contractors through targeted communications. Additionally, we provided one-on-one bid review and technical assistance to eight enrolled contractors, one of whom was successfully shortlisted. We acknowledge the SCDP RFP emphasizes upcoming Public Works opportunity but want to highlight our experience in larger aviation capital projects since Fort Worth jointly owns Dallas - Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). We have the experience and capacity to support other projects beyond Public Works. Also, as evident in the MATOC example, MWIS has extensive experience partnering with departments on their construction programs. As NASJRB and Fort Worth begin the multi -year miles long Water and Sewer Improvement, we have experience of building out special initiatives as an extension to these large scale programs including contractor outreach and scope specific technical assistance leading to increased contractor participation. L.A. Metro Policies, Practices and Programs L.A. Metro is an example of Best Practices in Policies, Practices and Programs that result in greater small contractor contracting inclusion. The agency has a robust small business inclusion policy and contracting practices that inure to the benefit of smaller contractors. A significant contracting practice is its small business sheltered bidding program whereby certain projects up to a maximum contract value amount, are bids where small businesses compete with other small businesses. This helps to significantly increase opportunities for smaller firms to bid as primes and grow their capacity, which in turn leads to Metro developing more prime bidders able to compete for Metro work. Metro has a number of small business programs which include the CDABP as part of contractor support services. Most recently, L.A. Metro reaped direct cost savings of $4,404,000 on a single contract from a Program participant who was provided $250,000 in CDABP bond collateral enabling them to bid as a prime on a Metro small prime project. The business, Global Electric, was the successful low responsive bidder with a bid price $4.4M less than the second low bidder. GA. Aferrioether b N'illiamt 14 1 9)2026 1-iUB International Limited. n NUB 11--tto1ai C—Pa,i This same contractor had previous bonding support from Metro's CDABP enabling them to secure subcontracted work on prior Metro projects of $3,251,000 and $2,600,000 respectively as bonds were required by their prime. Global Electric has also received contract financing support providing them with contract working capital. Their ability to fully repay this financing further led them to receive a commercial real estate loan in the amount of $2.4 Million for their new headquarters office. This contractor's business has grown 20-fold in 5 years due in part to the support they received from CDABP and Metro's small business policy including their small prime contract opportunities. Global Electric's 2019- year revenue was $640k and by 2024 their revenue grew to $13.5M. Their largest single project is now $6.5M, capacity growth of more than 20 times. '(_A ,�I �� A 1 Los Angeles Regional Contractor Development \\ ao-- Growth Card Global Electric Inc. Rey company Sac egrmnd OAner. L il—Jackson Location A-*rn. CA Yex EsnrAsned 20h3 Trade: Electneal CDABP en,.!Vn,nt tear 2020 n'ebsde: essr.ftoaWscticus Contrectd Growth Highlights Global Elednc enrolled in the M*Vo program with COOP in May 2020. lot collateral support and bondeg, upon ANch they were aearded a po,ect withDynaele tm Nready holding Metro SBE cedltcaton, COOP naaed Global EMctric to bd an J IdaVo projects, —rded m July 2020. December 2021. and September 2024 Global Elednc has requested collateral support from l.letreICDABP since their first Metro pryiid,n July 2020, helping them accelerate the,, bu—s growth. They horse su—s" increased their bond capacity from SIM to SUM The c-parry also utileed COBP's Contract Finanwg Assistance Program (CFAP) when They enrolled in Ocbber 2021. CFAP wccesstuffy appo ed a $500,000 CFAP ban funded in February 2022, which enabled Global Electric to suttesstu0y use their appoved funds for—b7¢ation coals such as materials, supplies, and labor Coats. They won 2 Metro cunt—ts on the Weslside Purple Line Edensions, each at SJM. Their latest Metro puj.d for the Bua Fad tj s S Fne Alarm Imparements 2024, is 2s their p-ious project saes, at S6.5M Aug N 0 SW2024 Erca^edn MHIo Sord Lin. Obt J MWo Protect Awarded Va Aw Vld CDABP 111M $2.6M 116.511 O O O O O O O Ma 2025 Aug 1020 Feb GmfeH An'xded pCMYerY posted 2022 CFAP Aida U.1M 1SOON Bondrq CaWclry Annual R<venty The removal of financial resource barriers, in this instance bonding, along with otherIN„- technical assistance, financing support, and their own abilities, enabled the accelerated Rgnta Awadet growth of this small local company. Growth that can continue in the coming years. Concurrently, this firm saved L.A. Metro (and z' taxpayers) more than $4 Million in contract Cm— &lie Feurc4 IL_ c1 ".. savings on a single contract. In essence, removing barriers for small businesses to compete generates a significant return on investment from enhanced and enabled competition. In an environment with an inadequate supply of contractors to meet the ever-growing demand, removing barriers so they can compete pays off in the short and longer term. See Exhibit G for more information about Global Electric's background and success. Conclusion We are excited to propose on the SCDP and have extensive experience strengthening the capacity, competitiveness, and performance of small contractors. MWIS/HUB has decades of developing, implementing, and administering contractor programs resulting in positive outcomes for local agencies and the local contractor community. MWIS/HUB experience is inclusive of horizontal and vertical Public Works projects and beyond. Coupled with our powerhouse of local partners, we stand poised to support the City of Fort Worth's efforts to increase small local contractor participation. hfcrri„ether b`Yilliams 15 1 ©2026 HUB International Limited. ( . rnuL u..A A HUS International company 8.3.3 Proposed Approach and Methodology Contractor Development and Capacity Building - Our Approach - Rationale and the "Why" The City of Fort Worth is seeking a firm with experience in developing small contractors to enable their participation in the City's horizontal and vertical Public Works projects. We understand the Economic Development Departments goal is to create a Contractor Development Program that will strengthen the capacity, competitiveness, and performance of small, local, new and emerging businesses within Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise Counties in delivering water, transportation, and other public works projects. When combined with strong small business policy and contracting practices aimed at creating a more conducive procurement environment for smaller firms, the City should expect to fuel their capacity and growth in the near term— not the much longer trajectory for such growth which is more commonplace when lessor efforts and resources are present. We commend the City of Fort Worth to recognize the need to provide small businesses with supportive services. As the country shifts its approach, the fundamental need to support small businesses remains. Systemic and institutional barriers are still present and oftentimes conflict with this objective. For example, access to bonding credit, attainable and affordable compliant insurance, and working capital are still tied to more traditional perceptions and strict underwriting, which will prevail even more with an unpredictable economic climate ahead. Fortunately, the City of Fort Worth has examples to draw from where other agencies have combined robust small business policies, and conducive contracting practices, with access to bonding, contract financing, and other supportive services and strategies which inure to more small business contract awards. In some ways, by reverse engineering successful outcomes which led to contract awards to SBE contractors, particularly awarded as "small primes", you can identify the anatomy of the outcomes and seek to replicate the same contributing factors as often as possible. Our experience and program data for example tells us, accessible "direct" contract opportunities conducive for SBE's to bid, along with comprehensive and integrated contractor supportive services to remove the systemic barriers, mitigate risk, and focus on successful contract completion - are main ingredients for success. Likewise, setting project specific small business subcontracting goals that are incentivized or enforced creates a demand for utilization of these firms and a rich pipeline of contracting opportunity. See Exhibit H for Program Quikstats 2025 June from one of our longest running programs. The sustained low program loss ratio (an industry data point which measures the value of losses to exposure) now transcending close to 30 years, is strong evidence that small contractors are capable, have the aptitude and attitude to successfully compete and successfully complete public construction projects when systemic barriers are removed. The right composition of supportive services constructed in an intersectional way, — along with risk mitigation embedded within the Program administration —has led to small contractors participating in our programs, have statistically far out -performed the industry average (less than 1% loss ratio vs 24.9% industry- wide surety loss ratio for contractors reported by the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA)). Contractor Development - Rationale - The "Why" We define contractor development and capacity building as a systematic approach necessitating a comprehensive, cohesive, and integrated service delivery model inclusive of addressing the full spectrum of technical and general business factors germane to many small construction businesses. Alerriaelher b�tVillimr 16 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Inlerna1,_1 Company We start with the foundational understanding of the three perennial causes that lead to small business failure regardless of industry: 1. Lack of capital reserves 2. Poor activity execution, and 3. A failure to plan The small business operating environment is inherently non -conducive to survival. When we apply the causes for failure cited above to statistics, the rationale for our approach from the contractor's needs assessment through completion of actual contracts becomes crystal clear: 1. 20% of contractors fail in their first year of operation and 50% fail within five years because of a lack of capital 2. Only 30% of construction projects finish within 10% of budget, and 3. Contractors that operate with a plan are 200% more likely to grow and prosper As Small Business Contractor Development and Bonding Program Broker/Administrators, the appropriate mission for MWIS/HUB is to position small contractors to beat industry statistics with appropriate training and "countermeasures" to make sure they do not fall victim to the perennial causes of small business failure. The mitigation of risks is also critically important to protect public and other financial resource partners willing to bear some contingent risk -a must for program long term sustainability. (Our longest running program is now 29 years old, and our largest program is 22 years old) See Exhibit V for a Program Flyer sample. SCDP Methodology: The "What" & The "How" To accomplish this mission, we focus our capacity building efforts on a qualitative and quantitative approach, which is a form of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). ERM is a technique for identifying and mitigating risk factors faced by businesses and focuses upon four areas consisting of a firm's Financial, Operational, Hazard Risk, and Strategic Market profile and begins with, quite naturally, an Assessment, followed by a Response plan (Work Plan), a Strategy for meeting Objectives, along with a Communication platform and Tracking/ Monitoring progress. In our programs, ERM and its delivery is overseen by the Program Director, Director of Strategic Program Initiatives, Field Support Project Executive, Assistant Program Manager, Contractor Development Managers, and Contract Based Finance (CBF) Program Manager, all of whom share contractor capacity building as well as project completion support and monitoring responsibilities. Along with the Senior Client Executive's overall stewardship, these are your Principal team leads accountable to you for achieving the SCDP goals. This broader scope delivers the greatest impact for small businesses by strengthening their operational capacity and expanding the pool of qualified bidders which can lead to contract award cost savings for public agency program sponsors. While training alone can certainly provide value, the most meaningful outcomes come from pairing education and hands-on technical assistance such as certification support, accounting guidance, prequalification preparation, bidding and estimating assistance, job start preparation, along with bond readiness and qualifying support, and access to capital services. Combined, these directly address the barriers that prevent small businesses from competing and performing successfully on public contracts. Considering these factors and acknowledging your interest in a training and technical assistance -focused scope, we can present an approach that aligns with your priorities while highlighting where additional support can drive stronger results. 17 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. n U. Int—Mr-1 Company City of Fort Worth Small Contractor Development Program (SCDP) Approach Taken a step further, the principles of ERM, and their positive impact on the development of small contractors, are directly relevant to what prime contractors and project owners express as priorities in prequalifying small businesses to bid and be awarded contracts. Prime contractors' industry wide, have implemented prequalification standards which include a review of a subcontractors' Banking relationships, financial Accounting, Surety capacity, Insurance, regulatory Compliance, and Strategy for meeting contractual requirements ("the BASICS"). Our focus is on positioning small contractors to meet the challenges of prequalification, obtain surety and lending financial support, properly price their work, understand project cash flow implications, operate effectively and safely in the field, in other words - overall risk mitigation. This approach is in strong alignment with what is important to their target markets consisting of prime contractors and you as project owners. To maximize the effectiveness of our ERM approach and in consideration of your budget target, we are proposing a program cohort model with a strategic focus on a targeted number of engaged contractors. We anticipate two cohorts in the pilot year beginning within 90 days of contract award and program development. Each cohort would participate in an eight -week training and technical assistance immersion, focused on City of Ft Worth procurement processes and opportunities, bonding, insurance, bidding & estimating, contract award & management, prime prequalification, cash flow management, back office, project start, as well as labor and compliance. Cohorts will be capped at 25 contractors each, who will apply to participate following an aggressive and targeted outreach plan led by our subconsultant, Nervi Strategic Solutions. (We would work with the City to establish the participant criteria) The selected contractors would begin with a comprehensive contractor assessment and individualized workplan, followed by structured education and training, one-on-one consulting, case management support, prime contractor prequalification, resource assistance, marketing support, opportunity matching, and facilitated connections with prime contractors in collaboration with our Prime Contractor Liaison, ABR Advisory. Contractors who participate in a cohort will be provided ongoing as needed technical assistance through the pilot program year. The "qualitative" Assessment component is found in the Work Plans we develop for technical assistance. Work Plans are based upon an analysis and assessment of the contractor's "current state" and needs. MWIS' team of Contractor Development Managers (CDM) are responsible for conducting contractor assessments. (Our work across multiple regions has shown that the fundamental capacity -building needs of small businesses remain largely consistent, as they face similar challenges and requirements regardless of geographic location) The CDM assists in the development of strategies to address barriers of access to bonding, working capital, and overall - inclusion on projects. Work Plans are highlighted by a summary of assessment findings and recommendations based upon a comprehensive analysis of the contractor's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) both internal and external to their operations. SWOT Analysis • Str•ut,(ar•e urwt rcowpall., Sh•urhn•ulY I'm n• Var— 11 posiri— rnr cUltuala•r, I Aa•!it•crublrs? I1-11ar•kel 11aa 1hn•slr, I• Kclnlianships? • llasr<7 span Sb•uchnr • Yaluc O„Qiva•d l'lrnr anJ ('nnstrrrnr Rr17rctlrr nl J/arkel Needs Alurkel D—ld • L.•ununr ia• h1/Iua•na•cr•s Hcl/ulalnr•!/ Hvquirvrvnenls \I r Iher dLl'i0iamr 18 © 2026 HUB International Limited. �• A HUB International Canoany The assessment and work plan serve as the basis for the CDM, subject matter expert team staff, and the Contractor for developing a Business Model, Profit Model and Strategic Business Plan that can be communicated, monitored, and adjusted over time as conditions change. See Exhibit J for sample Assessment and Workplan. The situational assessment of a contractor's business and resulting SWOT analysis covers key areas of internal and external factors that impact a contractor's business from a standpoint of: 1. Company Structure 2. Value Proposition to Customers, and 3. Target Customer Market Focus A Work Plan compiled from a SWOT analysis is intended to identify specific activities required to address structural company weaknesses and build upon strengths. The ERM process focuses upon, but is not necessarily limited to, areas of: 1. Financial Reporting: Obtaining the technical assistance required for setting up accounting system/software, and a chart of accounts, recording transactions on a cash or accrual basis, job cost reporting, work in process tracking, projecting cash flows and ultimately developing financial statements that present accurately the position of the company that management has the skills to understand, use as a management tool and communicate to interested parties including Prime prequalification. 2. Operational Activities such as project estimating with proper attention to labor cost "burden" to be passed along as part of the bid and how to recognize the difference of job cost "markup versus margin." Recognizing schedule impacts and their influence on cash flow 3. Developing a "Top Down" Safety Culture to address Hazard Risk that identifies leadership roles, worker engagement expected, overall best practices in risk management, and 4. Strategic Planning in the form of a target market strategy that considers marketing and networking. Sample Assessment and Work Plan ®n ,� Metro"fff' Contractor Development And Bonding Program (CDASP) Contractor Assessment Scoring 2 2 .� .. �� 1 1 (b Metro Q Contractor Development And Bonding Prog— (CDABP( Contractor Assessment/Work Plan .11l)tltiru :II�r1lfr.wn 1M. ewrwr.r MMn •. p.v�u k• ww N �nretM rrwrr.erN „�� r,rrt, rrM ~.vr.+I rlrau 4:vj 1_... �� _____ _ •�_••��•��• 19 1 cC 2026 HUB International Limited. G , \lernrrcther �\l'iBi]ms A NUB IntarM11-1 Como-, The "quantitative" response and measurement tool we use to track our qualitative assessment is documented in a Growth Card developed to track the impact of technical assistance and program support for each contractor, monitoring various Categories of Support documented in the Work Plan. The Growth Card, which is kept current by the CDM, defines the scope of technical assistance provided and is accompanied by a Graph depicting growth in each category over time. See Exhibit K for sample Growth Card. The Growth Card maps the "Dimensions" of company growth breaking down growth factors into either qualitative or quantitative categories of activity that need to be addressed. As milestones are achieved, for example, as Workers Compensation Experience Rate Modification improvement or access to bonding and capital are achieved through technical assistance and financial resourcing, they are mapped by Graph with timeframe indications of achievement or completion, duly tracked. Other examples of Growth Card Dimensions and tracking over time, are tied directly to how we support contractors in accessing project opportunities: 1. Surety Bond Guarantees: Both qualitative and quantitative exercises in establishment of bond lines with SCDP assistance and collateral support 2. Contract Based Finance Prequalification (CBF): Prequalification for project specific working capital loans. Loan readiness is quantitatively established in financial reporting, organizational capability, and project selection. 3. Access to Contract Finance Assistance Program (CFAP) (Contract Financing Capital): Quantitative approval of working capital loan based upon underwriting, cash flow projecting and program parameters. The Growth Card Dimensions and tracking will be modified to align with the shorter timeframe cohort model and categories more practical to achieve in the program pilot period. Current programs include Surety Bond Guarantees and Contract Financing so this too would be modified for alignment if these resources are not included. Summing Up Our Technical Assessment and Development Approach To sum up our approach, we have developed the following illustration to describe a contractor's journey starting from SCDP Enrollment. It is used to give the contractor an accurate mental picture of what their experience with the program might look like: 010000 SBCDP Worlc Plan Contractor Contractor Goal Enrollment Develop Enea¢ement Sup op_rt Contractor Contractor is customized Growth Contract based Growth Card: assigned to a work plan Contractor financing, SBG Increased Contractor designed to participates in collateral knowledge and Development address services outlined support, project capacity, bid on Managerand business needs. within theworkplan: monitoringand construction goes through a secure bond line or Field Support. projects, contractor increase bonding ongoing assessment, capacity, contractor utilization of profile, collateral SBCDP assistance, financial services, and education, education project awards. and training, prequalification and prime partner match making. The above includes areas such as bond collateral support and contract financing which we've proposed as an Addition. If not incorporated, these areas would be modified accordingly. For 20 i © 2026 HUB International Limited. f�yeurd <ln�rawm n, A HUB Ilt—U-1 Co 1 ly example, contract -based financing would be access to capital readiness, and bond collateral would be omitted. Program Processes, Procedure and Documentation We have established Program Processes, Procedures, and Documentation for each program we administer. These are tailored to each program and the preferences of the client/sponsor. If the SBG and CFP scope are added, all program activities involving collateral or third -party risk such as CDFI lending, have very succinct processes and timelines that are formally managed. In contract -based financing with CDFI partners we develop Standard Operating Procedures with our CDFI partners which govern the loan underwriting, loan funding request, loan servicing and funds administration, including the priority of payment structure. We have already reviewed these SOP's with Lendistry, our proposed SCDP strategic CDFI partner. We would anticipate tailoring the SCDP process, procedures, and documentation to align with the program parameters, service offerings to contractors and interest of stakeholder parties including Lendistry. See Exhibit L for Contractor's Process Map. SCDP Contractor Training and Education Curriculum SCDP training and education courses would be constructed to provide small construction businesses with teachings specific to public works construction. The trainings build knowledge that in part would have been gained over years of public construction engagement, were these firms not impeded by so many obstacles. Many of the latter references are resources included in our proposed Addition and would become part of your program resources participants will have access to if included. SCDP Training and Education Curriculum will be led by our team of subject matter experts: our Field Support Project Executive, Robert Lowery, who brings 30+ years of experience from the construction management discipline, providing a heightened level of construction technical expertise. These would include one-on-one ongoing coaching and case management; our Assistant Program Manager, Rosa Osorio, has over 20 years' of experience working in various surety capacities and brings a range of knowledge and expertise to the areas needed to qualify for bonding as an SBE as well as managing our SBG transaction process and collateral management. John Miller, our Contract -Based Finance Manager, will provide training on project cash -flow projecting and loan readiness. Together we bring unique experience, skill set and targeted approach, with an emphasis on construction management, bonding and prequalification training and education. This integrated approach both in our training course settings and through one-on-one guidance will provide SBEs with "wrap around services" to better equip them with the tools and resources needed to qualify, bid, compete, win and successfully complete public entity contracts. We've gleaned from the hundreds of hours of one-on-one engagement with our participants the greater need for more immersive training in several technical or complex areas. The identification and development of our education content is based on a variety of factors with one predominant underlying reason supporting their creation: To position the small and emerging contracting community for long-term growth and profitability. MWIS/HUB, with our local partner ABR Advisory Consultants, LLC, has accumulated practical knowledge and training experience, which is reinforced by on -going research to deliver on this objective. Each training course will include specific learning objectives and a descriptive content summary when advertised and promoted. Contractors benefit further from their one-on-one technical assistance where what they've learned is reinforced and given even more practical application. For example, four weeks of industry expert training on Bidding & Estimating, becomes foundational to providing contractors with bid review assistance when they've identified a specific opportunity they wish to pursue. See Exhibit M for sample Training Workshop and Academy Flyers. �� hlermxiher b�\Villimr 21 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Inlern111-1 C—any SCDP Training and Education multi -week topic specific academies and workshops will address the most critical aspects for contractor success: Bonding, Insurance, Bidding & Estimating, Contract Award & Management, Prequalification, Cashflow Management, Back Office, Project Start, as well as Labor and Compliance. We realize similar instruction is offered through the City's partnership with The Beck Group and their 9-month School of Construction program. We believe these will be highly complementary resources as contractors will benefit from the multitude and bid specific applicable reiteration of training offerings available to them. Also, the SCDP trainings will serve as one of the outreach forums to bring new SBE's into the program's second cohort. We will also be intentional in our objective to create collaboration amongst SBEs who participate in a cohort including a mock -bid exercise which partners firms in strategic groups. Office hours for cohort participants will be available during the multi -week academy series. This time is designated to provide support to the contractors for questions pertaining to the training curriculum or other questions they may have regarding other topics. This is in addition to the one-on-one consultation, targeted technical assistance, and a contractor profile (marketing tool for contractors to promote their experience and capabilities) which will be ongoing. See Exhibit N for sample Contractor Profile. We recognize that contractors enter the program at different stages of business growth and with varying levels of business acumen, resulting in diverse capacity -building needs. Because a one -size -fits -all model is neither practical nor effective, we propose a training and education framework that enables contractors to identify their areas for improvement and request targeted support from our Contractor Development Managers (CDMs) and Field Support Project Executive. Participants will be expected to complete all training sessions and follow through on their individualized workplan tasks to access ongoing program support and technical assistance. This structure allows contractors to revisit training topics for deeper understanding and concentrate on the specific areas most crucial to prepare their business, become contract -ready for upcoming opportunities, and participate in meaningful matchmaking with prime contractors. This tailored approach is designed to meet contractors where they are and support advancement across all levels of growth, capacity, and business readiness. By the end of the program's pilot year, the goal will be for participating contractors to be more contract ready and able to pursue opportunities with greater confidence. Sample of trainings we have led over the years. Aferrioether dLVitliama 22 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NUB Inte—U-1 Company The relationship our local team has established with other local education partners including the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas, Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce (FWMBCC) and Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (FWHCC) will enable us to fully engage their participation and collaboration and potentially facilitate access to various venues for training and outreach events. Our other programs have demonstrated that during multi -week academies, relationships amongst participants grow with the concentration of time they spend with each other every week in a social - type atmosphere, and the intensity of in class group activity. The building of these relationships has led to firms teaming up with their peers to bid on work successfully. See Exhibit M for sample Training Workshop and Flyers. The participation and partnership of large general contractors as Prime Partners in our training programs has proven to be a sustainable and effective network for smaller contractors building relationships with large general contractors for which they don't often enjoy otherwise. We have found bringing multiple presenters with diverse perspectives on the academy topic helpful to translate the understanding of inherent nuances to each. In turn, this has brought benefit to the primes themselves and academy small contractor participants. The prime presenters, who are often chief estimators, project executives, and senior project managers, gain a deeper connection to the SBE contractor participants. We have found these individuals are in fact the decision makers as their roles require them to look at the sub bid submissions and develop the scope of work and rough order of magnitude. Therefore, this is an added benefit to our small businesses - - to facilitate, and nurture engagements which have led to mentoring and subcontracting — helping to expand the small firms to whom primes are willing to extend opportunities. ABR Advisory, our Prime Contractor Liaison will be pivotal in leading this effort. Her established relationships and past experience working for a large prime, will help to identify the best prime partners with emphasis on those with contracting opportunities during the program pilot year. Relationships with Prime Contractors (Prime Partners) Working with large prime contractors will also allow our team to better support trade partners and general contractors. In addition to their participation as presenters in our training academies, these relationships will uncover opportunities to collaborate and connect program participants with industry professionals and contract opportunities. We will leverage ABR Advisory Consultants (as well as Nervi Strategic Solutions relationships with major firms in your market area to provide critical information and guidance). See Exhibit O for sample Prime Partner Flyer. Some of the firms we would expect to contact in the region include: o Archer Western o Balfour Beatty o BECK o Ferrovial Construction o Kiewitt Construction o Linbeck Group o Muckleroy & Falls o Texas Built Construction o Thomas S. Byrnes o Vaughn o Webber Construction o Yates Outreach Approach To successfully deliver the services required to launch the City's Small Business Contractor Development Program (SCDP) and achieve the desired measures of successful outcomes, we will employ an outreach strategy approach that will define and engage the small local contractor community. Led by our outreach partner Nervi's Strategic Solutions, we will employ a multi -tiered approach to engage various stakeholder groups. Nervi' Strategic Solutions led by Pam Ervin - Davis will be key to carrying out effective outreach. In fact, both Nervi's Strategic Solutions and ABR Advisory are native to the Fort Worth area and are well connected with primes. They bring 23 i © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NVB Intlrnlllonal'C `omP=�Y instant credibility given their long-standing work and respect in the community. See the Details of Program section for more on outreach. Program Management Information & Program Reporting We use a Management Information System (MIS) that is a master database for all program activity. We have designed this database as a customized solution to efficiently house all data relative to the SCDP. This tool has enhanced the efficiency by which program data is stored and retrieved and is actively used by the Contractor Development Managers (CDMs) on a daily basis to record and track contractor enrollment and technical assistance. From basic data management to advanced transaction activity, the software offers a wide array of functions to assist with customized reporting. Information stored on this system is backed up regularly and includes embedded user security protocols to protect data. We have developed a multitude of varying program data reporting modules which have been tailored to request from each agency sponsor. 1 2 3 a 5 6 7 e 9 ato tt 12 13 11 15 16 17 10 19 20 21 22 23 2a 25 Sample views of the program database system. Compan7Name DBA D63 ConsWcOonantl R•modNlnp Address _ 1306 FOu•IM*. CRY _ Mph PaIM slate_ _ NC zip C-_ 27260 CML_ NArta_ Cont- COIL. ContaclEmaa Wnd_. ris _R_x- 7365_. dacontnmoOmmOatrn... Tone NasTran•podatlOn and L09fihcs 57301 TOon St 9u0e225A Chariotle 1JC 28213 Keny.. 9119.2_. Nenra.+neaRranamem Yes Polancolianagementim 3011ACCON000h Drhe Sulea00 Chadone elOMCarollna 20262 Mno_ 91e7... .0000anccmomrcom Yes Clean Chicks 13021 Centralk. 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COntradoc0•_. _1:1 1:1c0aWnp RelerndCorWactOrlO attend ne _. 1-16 o1 t8 Contracting Ecosystem Conducive for Small Contractors In our 29 years administering contractor supportive services programs where the ultimate goal is increasing contract awards to SBE contractors, we've learned that the entirety of the Agency's Contracting Ecosystem measures how well this goal is attained. It is clearly no one thing or no one area singularly addressed that changes this paradigm, but a multitude of areas many of which are intersectional, that must be addressed to achieve more inclusion of SBE contractors in both direct contracting engagement as well as subcontractor inclusion. The exhibit below is an extrapolation from a client analysis and report we did for a large multi - campus university system. In addition to ourselves as the prime consultant we engaged Colette rt j hlerrmciher b�YiOiamr 24 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. �l .qul. ud, A HUB Internal[ onal Company Holt & Associates, who we've included in our proposal as a Subconsultant partner, to analyze this entity's current contracting environment and what areas of change would be necessary to shift the environment to be more conducive for SBE firms. In the second phase of this effort, Colette did a deep analysis of the entity's contracting guidelines to make recommendations on what changes would be needed within their overall policy architecture. Elements of an Ecosystem Conducive for Small & Diverse Contractor Inclusion Establish strougformal Implemented Pol Icy on Contracting Equltyapplicable to all Contracting Procurement Establish small businesscont acting requirements all Bids/ RFQ's/RFP's/plaster Service Agreements hnplement"evideu ce based" contracting practices conducive for Small & Diverse Contractor access Modify It dd lug/prequaI IRcation requirements to the greatest extent possible to remove "qualIfybtg" barriers for small er Brnts Create pipeline ofunbundIed (i.e. proj ects under $5M) direct contracting opportunities Create rights I zed contractopportuttltes within a "sheltered It tiling' model —aka Set Asides (Metro approach) IdentfysmaII contractingtargeted opportun Ities for"verysmal I" contractors (City ofLA CLC's) Iitcentivize "DEI" objectives through evaInation scori ng lu all RFQ's/RFP's. Make contractual and Include penalties foruon•contpl lance (IAWA model) Optimize tout-adlugmethodologieslncludittg Best Value; Integrated Del )very; P'3s; Lease/Lease Back where "DEI" Is expected to be optimized I nceutivize departments, teants, other Internal stakeholders to achieve contracting equity goals Including lu performance evaluations. Convene forums to attain Input from SntalI & D[verse contractors for feedback on effectiveness ofluitiatives Provide foran Assessment Based Technical Assistance, Bonding, Contract Financing Program with Project Completion Supporttobulld coutractor capacityand accelerate small contractor grossth••CDABP We feel it's important to convey that the supportive services provided within your Contractor Development Program represent one segment of an ecosystem that's conducive for small contractor inclusivity. Strategically, creating access to contracting opportunities represents the Agency side of achieving your desire to have much greater participation from these firms. The above exhibit illustrates many elements of the types of necessary Policy and Practices approaches to establish your Agency as a conducive owner for these firms to seek out and compete for opportunities. In our years of experience in this arena, we've been able to dissect what factors inure to a successful contract award outcome, and we've identified the fundamental aspects and the types of evidence -based practices that will lead to more. A hterrixetherd`villiamr 25 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HVa Intrrnalbnal Canexnv 8.3.4 Key Personnel Qualifications The MWIS/HUB team along with our strategic local subconsultant partners have depth that goes wide and deep in our ability to design and administer your SCDP. Our team is comprised of subject matter experts across construction management, insurance, surety, legal, finance, risk mitigation, outreach, and project management. We have included their qualifications below. Each team member is actively involved with other contractor development, outreach programs and small business policy consulting that will bring highly relevant experience to your SCDP. See Exhibit P for the team organizational chart and Exhibit Q for resumes. Ingrid Merriwether, Senior Client Executive/Account Manager Ingrid is President of Aligned Risk Management Services at Merriwether & Williams, a HUB International company, where she leads innovative insurance, bonding, and contract financing solutions for small contractors pursuing public construction work. Programs for which she led the development with agencies including the City of Los Angeles, L.A. Metro, Los Angeles County, Alameda County, the City and County of San Francisco and City of Charlotte, have facilitated more than $1.12 billion in contractor capacity while saving their public entity sponsors over $27.4 million. Ingrid brings deep expertise in construction insurance, including OCIPs and large public infrastructure projects, and began her insurance industry career developing premium financing programs in 1980. She is a frequent speaker on insurance, finance, risk management, and small business inclusion and has received a multitude of leadership and legacy awards in her more than 29 years as the President & CEO of Merriwether & Williams, now a HUB International Co. Lakeisha Bearden, Program Director Lakeisha joined Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services in 2014 as Field Support Program Manager and plays a key role in the success of the contractor development program, leading agency initiatives and strengthening procedures across risk management, quality control, and program operations. She brings more than 19 years of construction industry experience and over 25 years in nonprofit management, with a strong commitment to practical, equity -driven contractor support that fosters long-term stakeholder engagement. Known for her analytical, strategic, and collaborative leadership style, she provides comprehensive oversight of transactions, field support, and funds control to ensure effective outcomes. Prior to MWIS, Lakeisha was a Project Manager at Jones Lang LaSalle, where she led multi -million -dollar tenant improvement initiatives, driving operational excellence through best practices and championing inclusive strategies across project delivery. Mike Ng, Director of Strategic Program Initiatives Since joining Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services in 2023, Mike has strengthened operational structure, clarified strategic direction, and enabled the team to scale effectively through disciplined, people -centered processes. He brings 18 years of operational, project management, and construction experience across multiple industries, with a strong commitment to advancing equitable opportunities for small businesses. Previously, he served as Head of Operations and Chief of Staff at a health tech startup and held senior leadership roles in a family - owned agricultural enterprise, driving significant growth and cost savings. Earlier in his career, Mike spent nearly seven years at CDM Smith delivering and estimating large-scale public infrastructure projects valued up to $1 billion. 'e� \lurioeherb�ltlillianu 26 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Wemallonal Comoaw Robert Lowery, Field Support Project Executive Robert joined Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services in 2018 as Field Support Project Executive for the Contractor Development and Bonding Program, bringing deep construction industry knowledge and extensive community outreach experience. Previously a Project Manager at Swinerton Builders, he has led contractor trainings, facilitated simulated RFP processes, and supported major outreach initiatives such as LA Metro's "Meet the Primes" and the City of Charlotte Contractor Development Program. A strong advocate for reducing barriers to participation, Robert emphasizes practical business, financial, technology, and networking skills to drive long-term contractor success. He is also active in workforce development, mentoring small contractors and promoting construction careers through youth programs and professional organizations. Jennifer Elmore, Field Support Project Manager Jennifer joined Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services as Program Supervisor for the City and County of San Francisco, bringing 26 years of experience in the surety industry. With a legal background, she specializes in guiding contractors through bonding, financing, and prequaIification processes at all stages of business development. Jennifer is particularly skilled in evaluating contracts for regulatory, procedural, and compliance considerations. Anthony Malson, Program Construction Safety Consultant Since joining Merriwether & Williams, Anthony has served in Site Safety Manager and Environmental and Construction Safety roles on major programs including the City of Oakland Citywide OCIP, the Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Project, and San Francisco International Airport. He brings more than 36 years of construction industry experience, with a background spanning carpentry, global event production, and ownership of a construction company. For the past 16 years, his work has been focused exclusively on construction safety and risk management, embedding safety into every phase of complex capital and aviation projects. John Miller, Contract Based Finance Program Manger John brings more than 49 years of experience in construction insurance, surety, and lending, and has led the development of the CFAP underwriting platform in close collaboration with Community Development Financial Institution partners to support small contractors. Since 2019, he has served as Contract Based Finance Manager at Merriwether & Williams, focusing on removing barriers to capital through practical, contractor -centered solutions. His extensive career includes senior leadership roles at Aon, Willis, Marsh, Sedgwick, Allied North America, and USF&G, where he served as a national leader in construction, surety, and SDI programs. This depth of experience reflects his long-standing commitment to advancing equitable access and sustainable growth in the construction marketplace. Janet Ramirez, Contract Based Financing Analyst (Spanish speaking) Janet rejoined Merriwether & Williams in 2023 as part of the Contractor Development and Bonding Program, where she plays a key role in the Contract -Based Finance program by supporting underwriting, loan origination, servicing, and reporting for CFAP. She brings extensive experience providing working capital solutions to small construction businesses, supported by strong analytical, organizational, and program management skills. Previously, Janet joined MWIS in 2014 in the Insurance Department and has been a licensed Property and Casualty agent -broker since 2018, managing public agency master policies and construction accounts. She holds a master's degree in public administration and has prior experience with Los Angeles World Airports, The People Concern, and Emerald Cities Collaborative. Mcrrie�•Iher d�N'illi�m� 27 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB 1,01111fl—I C—P..y Rosa Osorio, Assistant Program Manager (Spanish speaking) Rosa joined Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services in 2010 as a Surety Specialist for the City of Los Angeles, bringing more than 23 years of experience in the surety industry. With a strong underwriting background, she provides targeted guidance to contractors on financial readiness and securing bonding, supporting businesses at all stages of development. Previously, she served as a Surety Underwriter at various sureties managing a large construction -focused portfolio. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Rosa leads workshops, develops outreach materials, and helps reduce language barriers to expand access and inclusion for Spanish-speaking contractors. Renata Torres, Contractor Development Manager (Spanish speaking) Before joining Merriwether & Williams, Renata built extensive experience in the mortgage lending industry as a Production Coordinator, guiding borrowers through prequalification, approval, and loan funding while managing operations and ensuring compliance. She is known for delivering personalized client support and coordinating complex processes to achieve successful outcomes, all essential skills when working closely with contractors. Earlier in her career, Renata worked with a nonprofit focused on family development, partnering with public entities to deliver community -based programs. This background informs her ability to provide thoughtful, goal - oriented support to contractors as they build capacity and achieve long-term success. Fawn McCully, Contractor Development Manager Fawn brings hands-on experience working with subcontractors, suppliers, and general contractors, including prior roles as a bid coordinator supporting bid reviews, presentations, and preconstruction processes. Her construction background spans lien releases, safety trainings, pre -bid meetings, prequalification, and account management. In addition, Fawn spent several years in student advising and digital media and marketing, building strong communication and client support skills. She applies this diverse experience to provide practical, well-rounded guidance to contractors and small businesses. Carlos Ray, Assistant Client & Community Relations Manager Carlos joined Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services in 2019 as Program and Marketing Coordinator for the Contractor Development and Bonding Program and now serves as Assistant Client and Community Relations Manager. He brings more than 11 years of experience in marketing and communications, with a background spanning marketing strategy, project management, digital media, and communications. His career includes roles at Magic Johnson Enterprises, SoCal Gas, Los Angeles World Airports, and Apple. In addition to his professional work, Carlos supports nonprofit organizations through marketing advisory roles and serves on the boards of Urban Scholar Academy and the Rites of Passage Mentor Program. Rina Yordanos, Program Coordinator Rina joined Merriwether & Williams, a HUB International company, in 2023 and currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Contractor Development and Bonding Program, providing operational support, coordinating program activities, and guiding contractors through enrollment. She brings strong experience in data management, project coordination, and stakeholder engagement to support strategic initiatives for contractors and program sponsors. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Rina studied History and Political Economy with a focus on technology, development, and social impact. Her professional background includes project development and data -driven roles at Next Insurance and F5. 28 ' © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Intern Vonal Company Conor Hanna, Assistant Program Coordinator Conor is a Project Coordinator at Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services, supporting the Regional Contractor Development and Bonding Program through daily operations, contractor intake, data tracking, and event coordination. He brings experience from managing multimillion - dollar construction projects at Silvermark Construction Services, along with business development and operational roles at Insight Global and Marsh & McLennan. With a strong foundation in business marketing, leadership, and operations, Conor is known for his organization, collaboration, and results -driven approach. He is motivated by a commitment to equity, efficiency, and community impact, and thrives in mission -driven environments where he can streamline processes, support underserved communities, and help small businesses scale with confidence. Calvin Naito, Communications Manager Since joining Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services, Calvin has led communications strategy for the Contractor Development and Bonding Program, including branding, social media, website development, media relations, and content creation across multiple platforms. He brings deep experience in public relations and strategic communications, having previously founded an award - winning communications consulting firm and held senior communications roles with organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, the Federal Reserve's Los Angeles branch, and Los Angeles County Development Authority. Calvin has also served in public -sector leadership roles as a press secretary, spokesperson and speechwriter for a Los Angeles City Councilperson. His work has been recognized with 41 industry awards from leading public relations and media organizations. Colette Holt (Colette Holt & Associates), Consultant Colette provides legal counsel and consulting services to governments and businesses on procurement and contracting, employment discrimination, regulatory compliance, and inclusion - related programs. A nationally recognized expert in the design, implementation, and defense of affirmative action programs, she brings more than 25 years of experience following senior legal and management roles in government. She founded Colette Holt & Associates in 1994, now the nation's premier law and consulting firm in this field and frequently serves as an expert witness in procurement and employment matters. Ms. Holt is licensed to practice law in Texas and Illinois. Ms. Holt served as General Counsel to the American Contract Compliance Association for 25 years and is a teacher, author and frequent media commentator on these issues. Angela Berry -Roberson (Principal Consultant/CEO, ABR Advisory, LLC), Consultant Angela brings more than 30 years of experience in transportation strategy and program management across the public and private sectors, with a focus on large, complex infrastructure, design -build, and P3 projects. She recently served as Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Civil Rights, supporting civil rights policy, outreach, and compliance efforts, including implementation of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects. Angela has led and advised contract compliance and social justice initiatives across all transportation modes, working with major transit agencies, airports, and state DOTs nationwide. Recognized as a national expert in transportation contract compliance, she regularly presents and trains nationally and is actively engaged in leading industry and advocacy organizations. Pam Ervin -Davis (President, Nervi' Boutique Business Solutions), Consultant Pam is a skilled communicator with the ability to maintain cultural sensitivity, establish rapport with members of diverse groups, and promote team cohesiveness and the ability to manage multiple projects independently. Pam has experience on working with Public and Private Entity projects and adhering to their small business program. The services provide to clients include, serving as a liaison between contractor and client, coordinating outreach events, meeting with 29 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NUBCo 3,y small businesses, monthly project contract compliance, attending Advocacy events and trouble- shooting issues with prime and diverse suppliers. Pam has diligently worked with diverse suppliers on building capacity by transitioning from subcontractors to prime contractors. Kirk Chamberlain, HUB Intl Exec. Vice President, National Construction Practice Leader Kirk currently serves as an Executive Vice President, leading HUB's National Construction Specialty Practice, based in Chicago. He brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across construction and large capital projects as a broker, risk manager, underwriter, and risk consultant serving public and private owners, contractors, and developers. Kirk has led teams across heavy civil, building, residential, and municipal infrastructure sectors and has structured and managed complex wrap-up and project -specific insurance programs, including OCIPs/CCIPs, MCIP, etc. He also serves on several private and nonprofit boards, and as an advisory board director to a venture capital firm focused on construction and real estate emerging technologies. Albert "Win" Williams, HUB International Senior Vice President, Risk Senior Leader Win brings more than 25 years of experience in risk management and environmental health and safety to HUB International, where he serves as Senior Vice President and Risk Services Lead for the Central South and California regions. With extensive experience across industries including healthcare, construction, manufacturing, education, public entities, real estate, and hospitality, he oversees regional risk services strategy and delivers solutions for large, complex clients. He also leads HUB's Risk Services Sports and Entertainment Specialty Practice. Prior to HUB, Win held senior consulting and training leadership roles with EH&S firms and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives in rural Peru. Kim Abrego, Synergy Disaster Solutions (HUB International), Principal Dr. Kim Abrego, PT, DPT is the Owner and Principal for Synergy Disaster Solutions, LLC (Synergy), with locations in Houston and Georgetown, Texas. Kim has over twenty years of contract and project management experience within the disaster recovery industry. Her experience comes from holding positions at Marsh USA, Inc. and Disaster Recovery Services, LLC where she has assisted hundreds of clients recover billions of dollars through the coordination of their physical and financial recovery from numerous disasters including 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Harvey, and COVID pandemic crisis. G�: Alerrioether b�\1'illiaml 30 © 2026 HUB International Limited. �t- n HUB Interns 1-1 company 8.3.5 Work Plan and Timeline Below is a project implementation schedule and an implementation roadmap template we utilize when closely collaborating with agencies in the initial stages of the program. See Fxhibit R for sample Implementation Tracker. Project Plan Timelline Kick off- Meet with City of Forth Worth POC to Discuss Program Development. Discern, Discuss and Plan Within 5 Days of Contract Award Program Structure and Services - Create Program Development Task Assignment Tracker 1 Week following Program Development Meeting - Set Frequency and Calendar Weekly Progress Meetings Meet with local Community Groups 2 Weeks following Program Development Meeting Ongoing Check -ins and program development Week 3-11 - Finalize Program Design, Contractor Services, Eligibility Within 75 days of Program Development Meeting, - Develop Program Branding and Communications Plan - Begin identifying contractors for Cohort 1 Conduct Internal City Staff Orientations Within 90 days of Program Development Meeting - Host Official Program Launch Event Within 90 days after Contract Award - Continue Contractor Outreach for Enrollment in Cohort 1 and 2 Cohort 1: 8-week Academy convening 10 total times on relevant topics. Training and technical assistance to include: assessments workplan, 1:1 coaching, Begin 30 days following Launch certification assistance, prequalification, bid preparation, financial reporting, bonding, insurance and safety. Conduct Cohort 2 Outreach for Contractor 2 weeks following Cohort 1completion Enrollment/Services (if needed) Cohort 2: 8-week Academy convening 10 total times on relevant topics. Training and technical assistance to include: assessments workplan, 1:1 coaching, 4 weeks following after Cohort 1 completion certification assistance, prequalification, bid preparation, financial reporting, bonding, insurance and safety. Celebratory event highlighting contractors' Cohort 1 and 2 Graduation (end of each respective 8- completion. Invite local community organization, week Academy) city department, and prime partnership. This event is also an opportunity for networking. Ongoing Cohort support- 1:1 Coaching, certification Available to all enrolled contractors after their assistance, Prequalification, Case management, bid respective cohort ends. preparation, prime partner match making, bid match making, etc. Additional monthly workshops will be offered after Workshops after Cohort graduations each Cohort graduation for ALL small local contractors. (The above are contemplated tasks and estimated timelines. Program development and contractor services detail will significantly influence task and timelines) hterrinelh<r SL1'illiamr 31 i © 2026 HUB International Limited. �3 A HUB Inbm0-1 C_Pp Y 8.3.6 Program Details Program Build -Out The design and buildout of your program will be the first order of business following contract award. This is where we get into the details of your vision. The City will have the benefit of our learned experience of 29 years designing, implementing and administering contractor development programs. This includes programs that have been sustained for close to 30 years and were supported by multiple changes in administrations. We've proposed the concept of creating two cohorts so a set number of firms can receive a highly concentrated level of training and technical assistance in an immersive forum — 8 weeks of classes followed by several months of one-on-one technical consultation. This will allow us to operate within the City's anticipated budget yet have the best opportunity for impact for those contractors who participate. (Our other programs are funded at a level that allows continuous enrollment and unlimited ongoing technical support to the entirety of the small contractor community) It is our intention that cohort participants can be matched to contracting opportunities while receiving assistance through your SCDP. We have found that for some contractors with less experience, applying what they are learning at the time they are learning and having access to contract specific technical assistance leads to the best experience for the contractor and sustained understanding and benefits. In collaboration with our local subconsultant ABR Advisory Consulting who has established relationships with local prime contractors, we will be seeking subcontracting opportunities for cohort participants while they are receiving support from the SCDP. We are very flexible if the City wishes a different approach and have the ability to adapt to another model if preferred. Our goal is for your SCDP to have the greatest lasting impact in what may be a limited time period. During the program design and buildout period we will look to you and your vision to discern, for example, what criteria you may wish to apply in selecting contractor participants. Is the focus on supporting emerging contractors with little public works experience, maybe newly in business, or would you prefer to focus on more seasoned contractors who are better positioned to build capacity in a shorter timeframe? We will also want to know from you what areas do you see contractors struggle most with in terms of contracting with the City to be sure we integrate these into the training curriculum as well as technical assistance. What priorities do you have? Do you want to focus on firms getting small business certified for example? Are there specific near -term projects with emphasis on trades where we would seek to recruit contractors who perform certain scopes of work? The SCDP should align with your objectives and ideally with the specific area of project activity that will concur with the pilot program timeline. The program buildout period will also begin the engagement with community -based organizations and contractor associations. They should have a level of inclusion in this process and offered the opportunity to provide feedback — this is important to secure their support and where applicable, partnership in outreaching and engaging the small contractor community. We have proposed convening a program launch or kick-off event once the core details of the program structure are discerned. It would be our recommendation that such an event also includes information on upcoming contracting opportunities as well as general information on doing business with the City. In our experience, elected officials and leadership participation heightens the profile of the event and increases attendance. See the Charlotte Program Launch media feature in Exhibit A. The steps and tracking of the program development period will be documented in a time tracker and updated after each meeting with task status and responsible parties. 32 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NUB InlarnaU-1 C—np ,, Outreach To successfully promote the City's Small Contractor Development Program (SCDP) and ensure a high level of local small contractor engagement, our lead outreach consultant, Nervi' Strategic Solutions, will leverage their existing network and relationships. The goal is to ensure community contractors in each targeted area, local primes and community -based organizations including local chambers and contractor associations, have multiple points of contact. This effort will be in collaboration with the City's own plans to market the new program and create intersections with other City activities such as upcoming project announcements or other existing outreach the City convenes. Both Nervi's Strategic Solutions and ABR Advisory Consultants are well-known firms who are established and trusted in the local contracting community. As the focus will be identifying contractor participants for each cohort, outreach activities will be appropriately aligned with the timing of each session. We will also leverage the existing construction training program as a potential source to identify contractors well -suited for participation. We would establish an application period, likely 30 days prior to the beginning of each session, which would be heavily promoted at least 60 days prior to the beginning of each cohort. We believe by establishing qualifying criteria for cohort participants, we will increase the interest of small contractors who are ready to engage in immersive training, and the one-on-one technical consultation individualized for each firm. If the City concurs, our goal would be to target contractors who are already established and preferably actively pursuing public contracting opportunities. In this way, there would be greater potential for full engagement and greater potential for matching the business with a contracting opportunity during the program pilot year. Our Prime Contractor Liaison, ABR Advisory Consultants, will be engaging local prime contractors seeking subs for specific scopes of work, and the SCDP will assist cohort participants to position themselves for the opportunities. Construction Community -Based Marketing Strategy: Our local partner Nervi' Strategic Solutions will optimize a multitude of mediums and formats both in person and virtually to promote the SCDP. Conducting meet and greets with community -based organizations, chambers of commerce, contractor associations such as AGC, NAMC, and the Hispanic Contractors Association. We will also develop a media campaign targeting community - based publications to advertise cohort enrollment and program success stories. The following are examples of tools and strategies we currently employ in other program promotions —including collaboration with public officials —that can be adapted to support and elevate the City's program: o Industry Trade Partner Associations & Chamber engagement (Networking, Presentations, and Collaboration) o Program Promotion with local Primes o City of Fort Worth Social media - Linkedln, and Facebook o Participation in Local Community Outreach Events o City Website Presence o SCDP — Program Publications In other programs, we convene Council District Workshops where the SCDP is promoted in concert with department contracting opportunities, certification, or other aspects of how to do business with the City. We have found these forums command high attendance as they link multiple topics and resources focused on contracting with the City. Elected official participation heightens the importance of information and increases attendance. See Exhibit W for sample Council Workshop Flyers. 'e' nl=d11,•Ihr a�wlWam, 33 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HVB 1.1—MI... I C—any Community Information Sessions (Meet & Greet) in both English and Spanish for small business construction firms. See Exhibit X for sample Spanish Language Council Workshop Flyer We also seek to draw attention to your program in the local media community to both, get the word out to the contractor community as part of overall outreach efforts, but also to demonstrate the effort and investment the City is making to increase inclusion of the local SBE contractor community. Below is a video clip example — One of our L.A. Program contractors appearing on a local news station. Click here to watch Also, see Exhibit A for an L.A. Times news article on the City of L.A.'s Contractor Development and Bonding Assistance Program (CDABP). Our local partner Nervi' Strategic Solutions intends to take a similar approach to market the program to stakeholders, primes and work with local community partners to promote the City of Fort Worth's Small Contractor Development Program. Some of the targeted constituents and community -based partners include: o Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas o Regional Hispanic Contractors Association (RHCA) o Black Chamber of Commerce o Latino Chamber of Commerce o Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas o Transportation Research Board (TRB) o Contract Equity Committee o American Public Transportation Association (APTA) o American Association of State and highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) o Conference of Minority Transportation Officials COMTO o WTS International o Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) Nervi' Strategic Solutions has broad experience planning innovative outreach events both in - person, and virtually that attract large audiences and Industry Influencers as they have partnered on several outreach efforts in the City of Fort Worth area. The outreach events aim to engage and empower communities and businesses to get the resources they need to be successful. Some examples of Outreach activities that Nervi' Strategic Solutions team managed are included below. As part of its outreach coordination efforts, Nervi organized a targeted engagement event to support small business participation on the SUFFOLK 3i Joint Venture for the DFW Airport Terminal C Redevelopment project (estimated at $750M). Preparation included developing outreach materials, securing a venue, providing refreshments, and distributing flyers to SBEs and advocacy groups for broader reach. The event brought together 62 participants, including 23 SBEs, and featured presentations from the JV team's Senior Estimator, who reviewed key trades requiring pricing, and the SBE Program Manager, who outlined the Airport's new SBE Program requirements and the 30% participation goal. Nervi also facilitated direct connections between 1 st Tier subcontractors and SBE firms seeking 2nd Tier opportunities. As a result, 32 1st Tier bids were submitted, with 12 SBE 2nd Tier trade partners participating —demonstrating the effectiveness of Nervi's outreach strategy in driving inclusive engagement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nervi' coordinated a virtual outreach event to support small business participation on the Tuskegee Airmen State Veterans Home project in Fort Worth, Texas �e• Alerriaelher dLVilliapB 34 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. " A NUB Inlarnallonal Company (estimated at $25M). Preparation included developing outreach materials, hosting the event online, and distributing flyers through advocacy groups such as the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber and LeVis Consulting Group. The event drew 43 participants, including 34 HUB/SBE firms. Presentations covered key trades, bid requirements, and the project's 20% HUB/SBE participation goal. Nervi also provided follow-up support via email and phone and tracked HUB/SBE interest through the virtual platform. As a result, 19 HUB/SBE firms ultimately participated as 1st or 2nd Tier bidders across staggered bid deadlines from September 2020 to February 2021. Training Curriculum SCDP Training and Education courses will be constructed to provide small construction businesses with teachings specific to public works construction. The training is intended to complement existing training such as City of Fort Worth's Becks School of Construction and Economic Development Department workshops. The SCDP trainings will convey knowledge that in part would have been gained over years of public construction engagement, were these firms were not impeded by so many obstacles. SCDP's Education & Training will be led by our Field Support Project Executive who brings over 30 years of experience from the construction management discipline, providing a heightened level of construction technical expertise. One area of emphasis is construction management and technical training. This is integrated both in our training course settings and through one-on-one guidance and case management. The reoccurring course curriculum and the one-on-one training is focused on areas of opportunity, challenges and risk faced by public entity construction contractors. The curriculum will focus on the most critical components of contractor success, including: Doing Business with the City of Fort Worth, Meeting Insurance Requirements, Bonding 101, Certification, Cost management (cash -flow projections, change orders, and billings), a two-day Bidding & Estimating series, Prime Prequalification, Labor and Compliance, Safety, and two-day Contract Award and Management series. These topics will be delivered through multiweek training academies. One of our unique approaches is the formation of training groups. Participating contractors are paired in teams with their peers to complete and submit a mock bid proposal. The mock bid exercise allows the contractor to familiarize themselves with agency specific requirements, acquire in-depth understanding of their contractual obligations, become comfortable with the physical act of reading through RFP packages, as well as how a sample RFP or bid response should look. The academy also includes office hours for enrolled academy participants. This time is designated to provide support to the contractors for questions pertaining to the mock bid or regarding other topics or aspects of their business. We've had the opportunity to witness a by-product of these multi -week academies as relationships amongst participants grow with the concentration of time they spend with each other, and the intensity of the group projects. The building of these relationships has led to firms teaming up with peers to bid on work successfully. The participation of SCDP's Prime Partners also adds to the distinctiveness of multi -week academies. We have found that bringing multiple presenters with diverse perspectives is helpful to translate the understanding of inherent nuances between firms. The prime presenters who are often chief estimators, project executives, or senior project managers gain a deeper connection to the contractor participants. This is an added benefit to nurture relationships which have led to mentoring and subcontracting — helping to expand the firms to whom primes are willing to extend opportunities. By comparison, large networking events between primes and small firms, although necessary, don't allow for intimate one-on-one engagement, making the establishment of a true connection more difficult. For instance, in MWIS' first Los Angeles World Airports BuildLAX Academy we were able to assist 17 small and diverse ntermcether S R'illiam: 35 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A MVO Inlemat1 1 C—pa�y construction firms of which 13 firms became pre -qualified with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Prime contractors. Moreover, 76% of the contractors obtained bonding and 5 firms received LAWA Contracts. See Exhibit S Training Academy Curriculum MWIS has accumulated close to three decades of practical knowledge and training experience, which has evolved and stayed current with changes in the construction industry. Each training course will include specific learning objectives and a descriptive content summary when advertised and promoted. Contractors participating in the SCDP group training benefit further from their one-on-one technical assistance where what they've learned is reinforced and given even more practical application. The 8 weeks of industry expert training specific to the City of Fort Worth procurement, for example, becomes foundational to providing contractors with bid response knowledge when they've identified a specific opportunity they wish to pursue. Appropriately, recognition of the difficulties and instabilities of the construction industry requires a proactive approach to explaining why contractors fail, and how to avoid this outcome. Research has shown there are core common factors that lead to why contractors fail in business. As previously mentioned, we base our program training on the major factors that contribute to contractor failure — Financial, Operational and Strategic Market and Failure to Plan. These are commonly comprised of Lack of sufficient capital; Poor project performance and Poor project planning. We align our training curriculum with these key factors as foundational. Some of the core training courses we have offered are listed below: o Accessing Bonding o Understanding Your Construction Contract o Financial Statements/QuickBooks Accounting o Safety & Risk/OSHA Requirements o Cost and Cashflow Management o OSHA10 and OSHA30 Certifications o Partnerships/Joint Ventures o Agency Portal Assistance and Certifications o Successful Prime Connections o Green Building & Sustainability o Prevailing Wage and Labor Agreements o Marketing Strategies o Funds Administration- Project Funds Management o PLA's and Labor Compliance o Working with Prime Partners o Bidding & Estimating The details of our proposed curriculum for the SCDP include: Topic: How to Do Business with the City of Fort Worth: City Requirements, Certification, and Procurement 101 Presenter: Robert Lowery, MWIS/HUB, City of Fort Worth Public Works Labor & Compliance Representative Hours: 2 % Location: In -person Class Description: The program will coordinate with the City to educate contractors on the various methods in which the City procures construction as well as standard City bidding and contracting requirements. SBE certification led by certifying agencies or the City if applicable, including the benefits of certification. A' Merrioelher b�WiOiamr 36 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Into rn✓ 11-1 C-y Topic: Bonding 101 (Spanish version will be offered in a separate workshop) Presenter: Rosa Osorio/Jennifer Elmore, MWIS/HUB Total Hours: 2 '/2 Location: Virtual Class Class Description: All small contractors should be familiar with the fundamentals of bonding. This webinar will cover why bonding is necessary for Public Works projects, what's needed to qualify for bonding, and how bonding can help grow your business. Surety prequalification/underwriting topics to be covered include capacity to perform; financial strength; track record and history of company; organizational structure; business continuation plans; trade references, analysis of all projects in progress (WIP schedules); credit history; financial standing; and working capital. Other hurdles to be addressed include broker representation and "Surety Quality" Financial Statements. Click hereto view Bonding 101 training. Click here to view Bonding 101 En ESPANOL! Topic: Understanding Industry Standard Insurance Requirements and the "Why" Presenter: Ingrid Merriwether, MWIS/HUB Hours: 2 1/2 Location: Virtual Class Description: Insurance for contractors is one area of challenge often referenced as one of the top 3 barriers - Bonding, Insurance and Access to Capital. This seminar will provide a detailed overview of standard insurance requirements for contractors, examples of losses and what exposures must be insured and through what type of policies. The class will also help participants understand how a contractor's insurance must extend protection to project primes and owners. Understanding the "why" of insurance requirements sets the foundation for building an insurance program to protect your own interests and meet what's required by others. It can also support request for modification when required insurance may not align with the scope of work to be performed and warrants reasonable requests for modifications or waivers. Click here to view Understanding Insurance for Contractors. Topic: Cash Flow Projections Presenter: John Miller, MWIS/HUB Hours: 2 1/2 Location: Virtual Class Description: Cash Flow Management is a continuous process of planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing, and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within the approved budget. Statistically speaking about 10% of construction firms, whether startups or seasoned operations, fail each year, and more than 80% of those failures are due to budgetary and macroeconomic issues. Timely and accurate management reporting is a key element to budget challenges and a fluctuating economy. Topics to be covered include: the financial statement (balance sheet and income statement or P&L); schedule of work in process; cash flow projection; buyout process; job status report/GC projections; pay apps; and change order logs. Under the subcategory of change order requests, we will also discuss a summary of the change in scope, timeline/time impact analysis, RFI, supporting documents of costs, and PCI(s). John Miller, Contract Based Finance Program Manager, will serve as the presenter for this webinar. It should be noted that this training is intersectional with the extension of contract financing when included; Click here to view Cash Flow Management. Merri��echer b`Yilliamr 37 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB In...... tonal Ccmpa�y Topic: Bidding & Estimating (2-day) Presenters: Robert Lowery, MWIS, Local Prime Partners Hours: 7 (over two days) Location: In -person Class Description: This 2-Day series will cover general requirements/conditions, estimate organization, self -performed work, subcontracted work, indirect costs, client solicitation of bids, bid due diligence, and submission of bids. The training series will further take into account the following elements of bidding and estimating; supervision and administration; plans and printing; safety and first aid; temporary facilities; building services and clean up; and inspection and quality control. According to industry statistics, subcontractors targeting public projects typically fail between seven and 11 bids for every award. If a company's bid -hit ratio is substantially worse than the market average, something is clearly wrong with their approach. To meet this challenge, the training will also cover the importance of metrics, understanding the target contract's needs, determining the most accurate estimate of expenses possible, selective bidding, formatting the bid properly, and scheduling a follow-up. The webinar will be presented by Robert Lowery, Field Support Project Executive, in collaboration with local resource partners and prime partners. Topic: Prequalification & City of Fort Worth Labor Reporting and Compliance Requirements Presenters: Prime Partners & City of Fort Worth Labor & Compliance Representative Total Hours: 2 1/2 Location: Virtual Class Description: This class will cover the labor and compliance requirements guidelines for City of Ft. Worth projects as well as what's required to pre -qualify with prime contractors. Prequalification informs prime contractors whether the subcontractor has the resources, bonding, financial capacity, insurance, manpower, and knowledge to meet the demands of the project. Becoming prequalified for construction work is one of the first steps to gaining success for small construction businesses. The goal of the presentation is to improve the prequalification experience for small construction businesses as subs to primes and as primes to the City so that firms are more confident in applying. This is both a benefit for the small businesses and the Primes who have an interest in increasing the number of their pre -qualified firms. A prequalification checklist will be presented and includes the following standard requirements: license(s); financials; tax returns; year-end statements; certification(s); certificates of insurance; line of credit letter; W- 9; letter of "bondability"; Federal and State OSHA standards; EMR verification; company's written illness/injury prevention plan; quality control manual; and vision statement. A representative with one or more of the region's first tier primes will present. This also sets the foundation for one-on-one technical assistance to assist enrolled contractors in completing various prequalification submissions successfully. 38 f © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB 1n10-10oa1 Company Topic: Safety Plan 101 Presenter: Anthony Malson, MWIS/HUB Hours: 2 % Location: Virtual Class Description: In most instances, contractors are required to meet certain safety standards under the auspices of CAL OSHA. The contractor is also responsible for the preparation of and carrying out a safety plan. The contractor's labor must maintain conformance to the health and safety plan throughout the course of construction. The contractor is also required to cooperate with officials of other agencies (Federal and/or state) who are vested with the authority to enforce requirements of OSHA. This introductory webinar will focus on: overall OSHA compliance; state regulations for the size and type of project; JHA and JSA; Title 8; General Industry Safety Orders; and types of Cal OSHA training available to small businesses. The presentation will also address safety proficiency requirements, site specific accident prevention plans, contractor site safety and health officer responsibilities, and contractor injuries and illnesses. This webinar will be presented by Anthony Malson, Construction Safety and Loss Control Manager for Merriwether & Williams. Click here to view Construction Safety Workshop Topic: Contract Awards & Management: (2—Day) Presenter: Robert Lowery, MWIS/HUB, Prime Partners Hours: 7 (over two days) Location: In -person Class Description: Once a contract is signed, it's the beginning of the process, not the end. After the apparent lowest responsible bidder for competitive and informal bids has been determined, and approval has been received to award the contract, the bidder is sent the Agreement and other contract documents to execute. This training will show small business contractors how to monitor the contract continuously, what to watch for to ensure that the company has met all its obligations and commitments, how to resolve claims and disputes, and how to put a system in place that allows the small business to effectively manage the contract over its lifetime. Additional topics to be covered include conditions prerequisite to contract execution and award, concurrent approval of award by funding agency, funding of related construction or equipment, executing the contract, early start of construction, notice to proceed, and recording the contract documents. The webinar will be led by Robert Lowery, Field Support Project Executive, in collaboration with Prime Partners. Implementation Timeline See section 8.3.5 Work Plan and Timeline for Program Implementation and Timeline See Exhibit T for Client Meeting Agenda sample Technical Assistance The SCDP's technical assistance model will be designed to meet contractors where they are — providing responsive, hands-on support that strengthens business capacity, promotes compliance, and drives long-term success. Through one-on-one coaching, targeted guidance, and practical tools, the SCDP helps firms navigate project requirements, improve operational readiness, and access new opportunities. Our team works closely with participants to demystify complex processes and ensure they are equipped to compete, perform, and grow. See Exhibit U for Monthly Technical Assistance Report (TAR) sample to see the range of areas covered. o Assigned Program Representative - We assign a Contractor Development Manager (CDM), to each contractor who will be their point of contact throughout the program. Our 29 years of experience shows contractors respond best in a high -touch environment with continuity of whom they work with. 39 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Intarnatlonal Co 3w y o Assessment - Upon enrollment, the CDM conducts a detailed Assessment with the contractor. This is modeled after pre -underwriting guidelines for bonding and lending as it is comprehensive and focused on discerning the health of the firm and current capacity. This is also more transferable to applying for bonding and capital. o Workplan - Following the assessment, the CDM analyzes the information and prepares a customized workplan to identify specific areas of deficiencies in the contractor's business or areas of risk. The workplan outlines internal and external resources to rectify or enhance the contractor's qualifications. The CDM and contractor utilize the workplan as the roadmap to discern specific technical assistance needs that will improve the contractor's business profile and build greater capacity. o Technical Assistance - The CDM's role is to provide technical assistance to each assigned contractor with a goal to put them in contract -ready position to do business with City. It's a two-way street, CDMs will initiate conversations but are always available if contractors have questions. Contractors will also work with our subject matter experts in areas such as finance and accounting, to become lender ready, bid reviews, project management, change orders and dispute resolution. o Contract Monitoring - (Applicable if bond guarantees and contract financing is included) As a risk mitigation tool for financial institutions offering collateral or capital, we lead project monitoring and field support for each project, so funds are properly returned and bond claims are avoided. We are involved from contract signing to close out on a regular basis to support successful project delivery. Project monitoring allows us to proactively support contractors and their ability to perform. See Exhibit V sample Field Support Report. o Bid Preparation - This includes identifying bid opportunities, reviewing bid requirements, assistance in understanding forms, and bid review. As a result, this service better prepares the Contractor to be a responsive and responsible bidder. If the bidding contractor was not awarded, we offer a post bid debrief to review the contractor's bid and provide suggestions on ways to improve future bidding. o One -on -One Consultation - Overall the CDMs and Field Support Project Executive work directly with contractors to provide one-on-one guidance across a range of topics, including business operations, field activities, and project opportunities. This hands-on support helps contractors navigate complex challenges with confidence and ensures they are not working in isolation, but rather as part of a responsive, knowledgeable team. Data Management and Reporting We prioritize the importance of capturing extensive data across the program we administer encompassing contractor development, open transactions and loans, and program level activities. For over 15 years, our team has utilized File Amigo, a comprehensive Management Information System, to record, store, and report program activity. We use File Amigo's ability to customize the platform to our needs. Information stored on this system is backed up regularly with embedded user security protocols to protect data. From this information, we are able to provide comprehensive reports and the ability to analyze data to continually enhance the program. Mike Ng, Director of Program Strategic Initiatives, will lead reporting efforts and work collaboratively with the team. Here are some highlights of data we capture. �t GG h@rrie1 h1r 1 \'i0iamt 40 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB I1tornatl0n 1 C-3,Y Contractor Management- Essential Contractor information and ongoing Instances of Technical Assistance Cunpin)Xemr.l Ilad AJdreaa [rl Su4 I9[_ [mL Cont. Iti_ font- CuutllnW [`"R[o `oAli]PmhrJLlC V9aot.elfCmMrG wr '-1 -lf"N i:v-:r tIC 2d1f5 Ile ] J I [r 6Mas a rC'n �'� I n{SC but9cn ono Rt+woeenp "1" .,r,r 'I I;C 27 a] Sul 3365 mto'ra/.tiW 'i 2a nY'I%R,*P ]is I9l31 - 1)1 iB jcw.ea IIC 6 J V; 7u8 1 7 47 29 D ML"Aae2dalta -� AP' 6l+p CAanCe 6J". R]t NJ Chvbaa IIC 2.219 Gr IOJ, rNwnJ t•G ]3 DELCID Cen Sdan LLC +]..,,,.....�. 'rn u.•n. 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E—s) YtMryT air.np4lnoanct .en:e l5 G{r::l , 6H ln9— --- 11a, I IM3 cnan C9ntr d L I1C6aCain9 1ri f.l _- 15 4E C' tutE 1] 91i1J}) Chan 11 P�eT a RNeltlblk dRra:la'Ce Pall fer/N -- - 47 Cerw G ra 1" 1) 9192e213 Chwl lu,l c:nr y C 11 C<amm9 .m«•I /° G:rtnG e - - tJ P25Qe23 CII'Y1 �w'e ,PvrTJ 1 t RHmaaloeanoRrw,.ru Pan Core., eQIXt1:7217�21] J'r Glard 6h talalM �.ea n 92/2023 ChYt 28M E&-ca3 {T. 44M. 50 In Vet. - — •i P.L •OI) Chan .�IAat III- do'oa. CaMCabnutnVnM _ Pron ]t ___1MSlw1 17 C_h]^ 1I1e Ctnbadu Ct wPrrrlan Ct+ncieY sye area oni[:fl 1i _P':8'h23 92B'20}) Chan 11.1.. CCnbad ACO HO..d Mir-aCommwar Rl r-,If f4 eA. 11.1 2r2023 Cr Culba der Ge I ICoadMS, ahart0 • 25 of J9 Monthly TAR by Contractor Source Coedc)General and 217echacel Asrisfence TAR Client: Otis 6E711EEN 02024 10210MAND 9202410212" Company flame Date TA Category TA Type Associate Notes Comments 2527 Cleaning 2J6/2024 Contractor 1 1 Coaching Lakeisha workplan review meeting schedule for Feb 9th Services. LLC Development Bearden Services 360 Degrees 2/1612024 Contractor 1.1 Coaching Rosa Sent information for the upcoming OuickBooks for Contractors' Joint Virtual Training Group Inc Development Osodo Series. Services 360 Painting Lake 2/14/r2024 Contractor 1.1 Coaching (dike IJg sent contractor info for February Ouickbooks training and registration Norman Development Services 2/1412024 Contractor Referral of Bid Mike fig sent contractor info for Mecklenberg County Detention Center project info and outreach Opportunities Opportunity to event details. and Resources 2/2012024 Contractor Referral of Bid Mike Fig sent contractor rebid info of CMPD opportunity and prebid meeting details Opportunities opportunity to and Resources AEGJ 211612024 Contractor 1 i Coaching Rosa Sent inrormalion for the upcoming OuickBooks for Contractors' Joint Virtual Training Construction LLC Development Osodo Series Semces 2/21/2024 Education & (.Monthly Training Zahn Patin Intro to Project Management Training Attendance 212V2024 Enrollment Follow-up to Schedule Rosa 1st follow up email sent to schedule assessment meeting Assessme Osolio 2J2812024 Education & Monthly Training Jason Cum OuickBooks for Contractors Training Attendance AIMSKY Solutions 2/1412024 Contractor 1 1 Coaching Robert Referred Contractor to attend the OuickBooks for Contractors workshop on 212812024. 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References tdd . - u 1_. I 2 — s .. ,T._ While our firm has not previously performed this scope of work in Texas, our subconsultants do have extensive local experience performing a similar or related scope of work. Their experience and familiarity with local processes, expectations, and local context strengthen our team's overall capacity and will ensure an informed, and responsive approach to this engagement. Following is a list of local client references for our Subconsultant partners. Company's Name: Parkland Hospital (Client reference to: Pam Ervin -Davis, Nerv' Strategic Solutions, LLC) Name of Contact: Guy Toliver Title of Contact: Director, Inclusion & Supplier Diversity Address: 8435 N. Stemmons Frwy, Suite 920, Dallas, TX. 75247 Phone: 214-590-2371 Email: guytoliver@phhs.org Type of Services Provided: Audit of Old Parkland Demolition scope and pricing with Beck-EJ Smith Joint Venture. Company's Name: Potere Construction (Client reference to: Angela Berry Roberson ABR Advisory Consultants, LLC) Name of Contact: Sharon Douglas Title of Contact: President/CEO Address: 6825 Manhattan Blvd #103 Fort Worth, Texas 76120 Phone: 817-429-2444 Email: sdouglas@potereconstruction.com Type of Services Provided: Business Development/Advisory services; Capacity Building program development htamelher ELYillhmr 43 1 D 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB 10—MI-1 C—WY Company name: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, DFW Airport, TX (Client reference to: Colette Holt) Name of Contact: Tamela Lee Title of Contact: Vice President, Business Diversity & Development Department. Phone: (972) 973 5515 Email: tblee@dfwairport.com Type of Services Provided: Trained and conducted hands-on guidance for the Department regarding Contract compliance and Conducting Commercially Useful Function (CUF) reviews for disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) firms on federally funded projects as well as minority and women -owned business enterprise (MWBE) firms for locally funded projects. Company name: Texas Department of Transportation, Civil Rights Division, Austin, Texas (Client reference to: Angela Berry Roberson ABR Advisory Consultants, LLC) Name of Contact: Michael Bryant, Title of Contact: Director, Civil Rights Division Phone: (512) 416-4715 Email: michael.d.bryant@txdot.gov Type of Services Provided: Advisory services for the small business and DBE program management including training, policy insight and contract compliance. Facilitating collaboration with industry, agency and the small business community. Aterriexlher E�Villiam, 44 1 ©2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB IM—atlenel Company 8.3.7 Exceptions / Substitutions / Clarifications / Additions We opened Section 02 Statement of Qualifications (SOQ's) with the assertion that "Our programs have continuously evolved with new strategies to have the greatest "Impact" on small contractor capacity building." Sections of this proposal that follow the SOQs, and our response therein, emphasize the fact that our experience and track record uniquely qualifies us to exceed criteria for a successful program. Now we explain how we make credit in the forms of Surety Bonding and Working Capital available to small contractors who make the commitment to participate in your program. We include these services as an Addition to the Scope of Services and included associated pricing in the Bid Table's additional responses. SCDP Bonding Support: "The How" Beyond fundamental Technical Assistance, Work Plan development, Growth Card tracking, and the core Qualitative and Quantitative elements of ERM, MWIS delivers critical "breakout" support to contractors. How we do this is with tools made possible by our sponsors, program partners, Surety companies and CDFI's along with an extended team of in-house experts in contract completion support. The tools we use are: 1. Surety Bond Guarantees 2. Contract Based Finance (CFAP Loans), and 3. Third Party Funds Administration to reduce/eliminate Performance and Payment Bond exposure & Loan default Program Rond Request ❑ Assess Contractor / Project ❑ Discern best approach to secure bond ❑ Underwrite Collateral If Required ❑ Process Collateral Documents Cl Execute Funds Administration ❑ Execute Irrevocable Directive of Draw directing contract proceeds to Program Third Party Funds Administrator (TPFA) ❑ TPFA processes and distributes all progress payments for project duration ❑ Ongoing Contractor Support and Monitoring to Completion ❑ Review Project Status Updates ❑ Assist contractor and Address and deficiencies or concerns ❑ Manage Collateral to Return T71E PRDCfiSS r' �IomY or•Bond Guarmlrl7r�nrKnen.n .r � rry.PaMrh i CL�J loonc) *21 %leilimoll,(`V1'ilImills Surety Bond Guarantees (SBG): MWIS and our Sponsors support contractors in the area of bonding on two fundamental levels: 1. Evidence of "bondability" for project prequalification 2. Actual qualification for contract -specific bonding based upon Irrevocable Letter of Credit Guarantees. �i7 Alerriuclherb Nflllamr 45 1 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A NUB Inl.rnaM-1 Company The first step in obtaining these levels of support is the Enrollment and Assessment of a contractor in the SCDP and the technical assistance that follows. In addition to general technical assistance provided based upon our assessment, special focus is placed upon the contractor's ability to meet standard bonding criteria based upon the 3C's of surety underwriting criteria: 1. Character: Reputation, honesty and completeness of the application and financial statements 2. Capacity: Background and organizational experience to perform the proposed project or work program to be bonded, and 3. Capital: Adequacy of working capital, track record of profitability, and net worth. The criteria applied to Capital is where small contractors often fail underwriting requirements of the surety industry, so cash or its equivalent is required for the surety to approve a bond. This is where the SBG program has been such a useful form of support for contractors participating in our programs. Once the bond collateral facility is established, MWIS and its team of surety experts can respond fully to bond collateral guarantee requests, in as little as three days which in some cases is the time between request and a bid due date. Our process of assessing bond prequalification or bond guarantees for bid or final bonds is summarized as follows: 1. Determine/Assess what type of project fits the contractor's Capacity 2. Analyze the contract making sure the contractor is aware of the contract term impact and discerning any onerous terms that increase the bond/collateral risk 3. Seek to modify adverse contract terms mitigating risk to not only the contractor but, in the event an SBG is required, our collateral providers as guarantors of the bond 4. Look for other opportunities, when possible, to reduce the size of contracts through phasing or segregating exposure labor or material only arrangements which might also serve to reduce/ eliminate the need for an SBG 5. Negotiate with the surety the lowest possible level of SBG. Given our 29+ year track record and less than a 1% loss ratio. (Our surety partners have incurred zero losses from our program contractors). We've been able to secure guarantee ratios in some cases at less than 3% of the bond amount. 6. Attend any Pre -Bid meetings with the contractor. 7. In concert with a bond guarantee request to bid the project, we review the Project Plans and Specifications, Identify Required Bid Documents and if requested by our contractor, perform a final bid review If the contractor is a successful bidder, we begin the process of project completion support and project monitoring (risk mitigation) which entails conducting a project risk identification review of the contract to negotiate any terms and conditions prior to its final execution. The team will assist the contractor if needed with addressing safety required documentation such as Job Hazardous Analysis (JHA), Pre -Task Planning (PTP), Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) and Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) and Quality Control Plan. Once a bond is approved with collateral support, MWIS prepares all documentation including issuance of the collateral, securing the collateral security receipt agreement (CSRA), and implementing funds administration. (It should be noted that our program documents which includes vetting by our public entity legal counsel and our surety partners have been in use for 29+ years) We then embark upon the Field Support Phase which is structured to fit the needs of each individual contractor by providing the following: 1. Convene Project Kickoff Meeting with Hiring Entity (Agency/Prime) and Contractor's Key Personnel �'�A, Alerrimher b�\1'illiama 46 © 2026 HUB International Limited. " A mue Inl —til"I CmDaly 2. Collect and Review Monthly Contract & Principal Status Reports 3. Hold Monthly Check -ins for Duration of Project 4. Review and Assist with Billing and Payment Process as needed 5. Conduct Site Visit and Generate Reports 6. Conduct Special Meetings to Resolve Barriers and Challenges to Keep Project Moving Forward 7. Track Needs Assessments in the Case Management Portal of the Database 8. Review and Assist Change Order Logs 9. Generate a Detailed Field Support Project Report. See Exhibit V for a sample Field Support Project Report 10. Assist Contractor with Project Closeout Procedures to Ensure a Successful Completion 11. Work with Surety to Release Collateral Back to the collateral facility (Items 1-10 above are also applicable to contract financing transactions). See Exhibit Y, Bond Transaction Flow Chart to see details of the process. Note that this document reflects an agency offering collateral. For the proposed SCDP, Lendistry, our CDFI partner would issue collateral eliminating this risk to you. Program Surety Partners Surety relationships are critical to a successful bonding assistance program. Ultimately, it is the surety who decides the acceptability of bonding specific contractors. They utilize formal surety underwriting criteria to assess risk and guide on what basis, if any, they will extend surety credit. In the case of our bond guarantee programs which cap collateral support at 40%, (and a set dollar cap, whichever is less) our surety partners always bear no less than 60% of the bond exposure. Because our average collateral is in the 20% range, they bear an even larger portion of the risk. MWIS/HUB has developed and nurtured relationships with surety companies, some of whom have been our partners in our contractor bonding assistance programs for close to three decades. We draw from the surety industry itself in many cases, to source our own staff personnel with requisite qualifications and experience most adaptable to services we provide on behalf of our sponsor programs. Since 1997, we have facilitated over $1 Billion in bid, performance and payment bonds on behalf of our program contractor participants. This has included final bonds (Payment and Performance) of over $345 Million supporting awarded contracts. In our 29+ year history of administering bonding programs, our surety partners have suffered no losses. Having suffered only 2 bond guarantee draws totaling $123,000 out of $345 Million in contract value, our loss ratio of less than 1 % outperforms the surety industry with respects to contractor bonds. Our sureties have established confidence with MWIS/HUB given our long track record of performance and effective risk management which has served to protect their interest fully. We've aided the surety industry in writing bonds for a market it has historically perceived as too high risk and enabled our partners to generate over $6 Million in surety bond premiums again, with no losses to them — revenue which would not have been realized but for the surety bond programs we administer for our public entity client sponsors on behalf of our enrolled contractors. Our programs optimize their long-term success as we are increasingly able to maximize the leveraging capacity of program collateral with lower bond guarantee percentage— to - bond amount granted. In one example, we were able to secure a $14 M bond with $250,000 in collateral, that's just a 2% contingent exposure for our sponsor. Our surety partners know they can rely upon the risk mitigation tools we've deployed successfully for 29 years, our technical support of program contractors through successful completion, and our positioning as the program administrator able to engage the project owner's support to help us help our program 47 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB MtunaUonai Company contractor achieve successful project prosecution. In return, our surety partners extend our programs maximum consideration and flexibility in negotiating terms to enable surety support while optimizing the leverage of our sponsor resources. Here are our current Surety Partners licensed in Texas: o Hudson Insurance Company o U.S. Specialty Insurance Company (HCC) o Liberty Mutual o Suretec Insurance Company o Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company o The Gray Insurance Company o United Casualty and Surety Insurance Company Risk Management of Collateral Robust risk management, whenever some form of bond collateral is at risk as well as contract - based loan funds are at risk, is critical to protect all risk sharing parties and the program overall. We understand program sustainability depends on successful mitigation of risk and management of issued collateral or credit. Here again, we point to our program track- record where our sponsors have supported $59 Million in bond guarantees (issued Irrevocable Letters of Credit) in the past 29 years and have only incurred $123,000 (out of the $59 Million extended) in guarantee draws in that time period. This has been one of the critical sustaining forces which have led to the longevity of our programs and our role as Broker/Administrator. Our San Francisco program has been in place since 1997 under our administration and our Los Angeles program, originally implemented 22 years ago, was recently renewed for a new contract term and our ongoing role as Broker/Administrator. We have a detailed process in managing open collateral in place for each program to ensure we protect our sponsor client and CDFI partner. We've included for your reference one of our collateral management reports you will find in the Exhibit section. See Exhibit Z for an Open Transactions Report. o Our risk management process starts with assessing each contractor to discern if and to what extent collateral backing in the form of a bond guarantee or contract financing is appropriate. This is reassessed specifically to a particular project the contractor may seek to bid. Contract terms and project specifications must also be underwritten to assess risk. It should be understood that concurrent with our bond guarantee underwriting, the surety is conducting its own as it still retains the majority of the risks, in some cases as much as 98% of the risk. o If some form of collateral for bonding or contract financing is recommended and approved, we facilitate the implementation of the Irrevocable Directive of Draw, Third Party Funds Administration (TPFA) and participate in the project kick-off meetings as referenced above to ensure all stakeholders are aware this is a SBCDBP supported contractor and our on -going role to monitor, support the contractor and be part of successful contract completion. o Throughout the life of the project, we perform project monitoring with both the project manager and the program contractor as well as track the funds administration process. As a result, we have awareness of progress of the contractor's prosecution of the contract, status of open items including change orders or unpaid payment applications and provide technical support we've assessed is needed by the contractor to address any non- compliance or other issues negatively impacting the project progress. If issues arise, we work with all stakeholders to assist in resolving areas of issue and guide the kJ 48 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Inlernst1 1C_m ,, contractor to get back on track. This process continues through the life cycle of the contract and return of collateral or final loan repayment or both. Here again, project monitoring and completion support are documented through a track and report process which is illustrated in the Open Transactions Report sample. Third Party Funds Administration Third Party Funds Administration (TPFA) Is a process by which the contractor's payments, from either a project owner or prime contractor, are directed to a duly licensed and regulated third - party, through an Irrevocable Directive of Draw and Funds Control Agreement. TPFA is always a program condition agreed to by supported contractors in concert with bond guarantees and/or contract financing. The TPFA deposits the contractor's progress payments into a trust account in the contractor's name. The TPFA then pays parties directly that are due a portion of the progress payment (subcontractors, material suppliers, union obligations, etc.) securing appropriate lien releases in the process. Payments made by the TPFA are issued in the name of the contractor, which aids in establishing the contractor's credit and achieving more favorable credit terms with material suppliers as they are paid promptly. It's well understood that most bond defaults are caused by the contractor's failure to pay subcontractors, suppliers, union obligations or for that matter, any vendor to the contractor on the project. Failure to pay triggers a claim against the payment bond. We have used TPFA consistently in our 29+ years of administering bond guarantees. The benefit of this practice inures not only to the contractor as we have described, but also to sponsors depending upon program specifics as they may be contingently liable in backing the guarantee. Funds Administration also serves as a risk mitigation strategy that may influence surety company approval of a bond. In some cases, a contractor's financial strength in correlation with the type and size of a contract, along with funds administration can qualify a contractor for a specific bond without collateral support. Within our programs we have had such instances where we garnered surety bonding support with the utilization of funds administration along with project monitoring and completion support, which we perform. The fact that our program surety partners of 29+ years have never incurred a loss under the program has helped yield their flexibility and consideration in certain circumstances. Indeed, over the multi -year history of our surety program, losses have been less than one tenth of one percent as compared to a surety industry that often experiences annual pure loss ratios approaching and recently exceeding twenty percent. Contract -Based Financing (CBF): Although this RFP does not explicitly ask that we include resourcing "access to capital" as a specific scope of work area of the SCDP, we feel it's intersectional to building contractor capacity and related to qualifying for bonding. An added feature in our approach to contractor development allows firms to access CBF while they are actively participating in the SCDP. Contract Based Financing, as a program resource and part of your SCDP, can address the significant and stubborn obstacle of access to contract working capital, critical to contractor capacity development, project risk mitigation and supports prequalification and bonding. Inherent in contracting with a public entity, or any project owner for that matter, contractors are expected to "self -fund" costs associated with the performance of a contract while they await receipt of progress payments. The receipt of payments lags behind their expenditures to cover job costs by 60 days if not longer. Similar to the challenges in obtaining bonding, accessing capital, or lines of credit, is also problematic for SBE contractors. The underwriting standards commercial lenders typically adhere to does not align with an SBE contractors' financial profile and credit history. As part of our contractor development programs, we've been able to partner GpAfcrrioelher b�Vi0iaml 49 I © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB 1n19-11 n.1 Cmwy with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who are positioned to provide contract -based financing for contractors supported by the sponsored programs we administer. For example, in the Contract Financing Assistance Program CFAP which is part of the Los Angeles Regional Contractor Development and Bonding Assistance Program, our CDFI partners have allocated $7 Million in funding enabling us to offer up to $250,000 in contract financing (case - by case up to $500,000), to enrolled contractors awarded contracts with our program sponsor. These funds flow through a funds administration process as descried above, to ensure that they are exclusively used to fund expenses related to a specific contract, giving contractor access to critical capital needed to prosecute their work (labor, materials, other contract specific expenses) while they await receipt of contract progress payments which again tend to lag some 60 days or longer. Sponsor funding of our program administration typically includes contractor assessment, loan underwriting, project monitoring and support through contract completion. Sponsor funding extends further to risk mitigation including TPFA of loan funds and progress payments. The TPFA component along with our operational infrastructure and process, has provided comfort to our CDFI partners in bearing default risk under CBF loans. Access to contract financing aligns with qualifying for bonding as contract working capital is a major underwriting consideration. It also aligns with contractors meeting Prime prequalification requirements which also heavily factors the contractor's financial capacity. Since the launch of Contract Based Financing, with our sponsors and CDFI partners, we have issued $6.2 Million in contract -based loans supporting $37.2 Million in contract awards across all programs we administer. The ability to support program contractors with this resource has a significant impact on their ability to successfully bid for and complete their contracts while simultaneously building their capacity for growth prosperity. We are excited to share that Lendistry, who we currently partner with on a similar program, will be joining us as our CDFI partner for The City of Fort Worth's SCDP should this "Additional" offering be exercised. By allowing us to add Surety Bond Guarantees and Contract Based Financing as an added element for participants, it will pave the way for deploying innovative debt resources to contractors. For example, in addition to "Brick and Mortar" contract based financing, we are also leading the way in funding a wide range of Professional Service Contractors. The lending programs we have developed, in conjunction with Lendistry and other CDFI partners, sets the stage for structuring access to debt that will bring a truly transformative aspect in support of small contractor businesses. Lendistry, for its part, has a current market presence in the Fort Worth region and a deep understanding of the small local business community. Lendistry has expressed their desire to partner with MWIS/HUB to further their local market presence with contract financing resources to SBE contractors in the greater Fort Worth Community. Lendistry's mission driven support of the economic and social impact of this program, positions MWIS/HUB with a unique resource for funding of small local contractors. Greater competition in the construction marketplace leads to construction cost savings. The Lendistry relationship with MWIS/HUB will give the SCDP the ability to help stimulate the local contractor market, increase competition which ultimately is the benefit of stretching construction dollars expended by the City of Fort Worth. We have attached two Exhibits: The first of which is an informational "Placemat Style "overview of the program. This is used to provide a quick reference to program users and potential participants in summarizing Features, benefits and program Process flow. See Exhibit AA for the CFAP overview. The second exhibit maps in full detail the process for program participants. See Exhibit BB for CFAP flow chart. e Aterriexther 8L1'illi�ml 50 © 2026 HUB International Limited. A HUB Inl@rrul1on.1c Po Y CO 2026 HUB International Limited CONTRACTOR DEVELOPMENT & BONDING PROGRAM TRANSACTIONS PROCESS 0"''-4- as Fee aou x q ontrador Info ontrador OW—th Notify Entered into Asdyned Contractor For FA201 to com Bid Opportunity O 1 F- 1 Z CO "' a � Assist w/ FCclw/ O 2 <. Enrollment, C.- camrxtnf on Bid Oppor'unity &E O i. O i O Qualifications DommenlRMr Initiate Work w/RPD Transadlon Enter Data In &Surety on fAa01 Process Collateral' Notify RPD)• — T I I � G contractor Conlradol Accepts Old Submits 1, Notify COM OpportunlN & Ac<epls of Award ZO Award U I a enry/Pdm Ii Proled� rA wa z W °o LS Preform Bid N G IMcument RMew 9 Sesdons (Opt.) IZ �W% �f4 Boa oYQ Q Z Rrvlew iransattbn Approve Commitment �� lVorkg /�nk anIA en to Secule Att dk"i�cwl Me<tln W CDBP, Pnme — O 4 i Proceff IN[er Co..lteral• and ar en KGULI)i • Mhf to IHaaebpand6naubnbsM Petess' ••Aeler FeotI"OC aroudufes fbntrVatbn i lloaewt Issue & Suhmlt iC Receive FC Authorlaalion Authorization Form To FC Form Admin Enter Partial Data In FA107 To O" Trrnsactlon © 2026 HUB International Limited Cont—lor D—lopment And Bonding program © 2026 HUB International Limited Merriwether kWilliams I\'SL'RAltl Sr.0.t'll'LS Of Like AlinAs A HUB International Company The Basis for Prequalification for Small Contractors o Contract/accounts receivable used as collateral o Loan funding based upon your project cash flow needs o Money released as needed o Funds earmarked for your approved project through Third Party Funds Administration (TPFA) o Interest and fees required are Below market rate o Contract Bills paid first, then Lender, then the Contractor We provide Field Support Services in areas of contract administration during construction Contract Financing Assistance Program (CFAP) Contractor Development and Bonding Program (CDABP) CFAP Process Prequalification Contract Driven o CFAP Onboarding o Check List and Loan Applications Provided Underwriting Process (Internal) Fully Vetted and Approved by a CDFI Process Flow c CFAP Onboarding Check List and Loan Applications Provided Underwriting Process Fully Vetted and Approved by a CDFI Covers Loan Qualification, Origination and Servicing ork with CFAPan pee -approval for dding— Cash Flow Preliminary inal Approval Id!i —Final Cash Flow Key Things to Know: o Must be enrolled in CDABP Applies to Projects Sponsored by Participating Agency (City of Los Angeles) Construction Contracts (Service Contracts will be Considered) Must be an S B E Contractor Prequalified and work with CDABP before time of bid Max of $350,000 per project Third Party Funds Administration Required 9.5% interest + 1% Origination Fee '* W Merriwether 8`Williams It:f t'HA\c 1. SI:RI'It LS OfLikc Blinds A HUB International Company How does this help small and local contractors? Makes it possible to bid on projects that have been previously unattainable c May boost your Credit Score —Loan payments reported to Credit Bureau Gain skills in projecting cash flow and projected profitability Improves the likelihood of getting surety support and capital from the traditional market Supports Surety Access and enhances GC pre -qualification acceptance Establishes a Basis for Managing Your Business By Best Practice Sets the stage for overcoming traditional barriers to commercial lending What Tools do we have? Standard Operating Procedures Targeted Technical Assistance Understand and Negotiate Contract Terms & Conditions General Conditions Generate Job Cost Breakdown (Schedule of values-SOV) Detailed Construction Schedule Produce Billing Applications (A IA 702 & 703) Produce a Proper Change Order Request Packet & Change Order Log Monthly Project Status Report Work In Progress (WIP) Cash Flow Projection Close Out Check List A Quick Review of What You Need To Do As A Contractor: o Enroll in the Contractor Development And Bonding Program o Onboard SBE (Business As Usual) o Register and Participate in Seminars and Workshops o Provide Prequalification/Underwriting Information o Identify Public Works Project o Analyze Project Estimate & Schedule o Complete Cash Flow Projection o Apply for CFAP Funding © 2026 HUB International Limited CONTRACT ASSISTANCE FINANCING PROGRAM C m °o Contractor Contractor CDM Collects CDM to Inform CDM Prepares Contractor & C8FA COM Coaches Q m O 0 fonlaG[s Enrolls into Required CDABP CBFAof CFAP Contractor Profile, Receives Contractor "' Rje, Assess t of & Contractor with CJ Program CDABP Enrollment Form Interest Assessment &Work Plan Work Plan OpportunFt!es r7 Program e fBf A Cul!ects Contractor ('RF'A P" des Loan n Attends CFAP Loan Prequalificatton & un n '14wmeilona! App^ication & Documents Loan Preapproval for CbFPM u G Seminar Ched.11st Guide101es Established a Wnr kshop Review Identify Change Obtain Buyout Status C si Obtain Contract, Prepare Pay Generale 0 Original Bid Contract otice to Drawings & Specs Appw/ Orders & Tlme Updated Report, Purchase Subcntracts d with Proceed (Shop Drawings$ s46edule of tensions Pro ect 1Negotiation �Prepare Orders &Log,Estimate Su0ecapshee Agreements/ SubmRtals( Values s(If8ase,!rr!e Purchase Orders Applicable) Schedule SiJuplfer Quotations 9 Q m iL o Submit CFAP Loan Committee ep o(Loan Approval of Loan Loan Documents rL Application Packet > Approval Form El.'ing Reyuest Funding Reu,uest Prepared & Executed u a For ll±,detwrllt og Executed u a eo e Submit standard r LF,A Sets Up Leder Funds F/A and MWIS Coniracl Progress F/A Disbu rses ecilic Pru ect Spea:Pc i Reviews Draw Pa tents— Funds SBAI.b SBE Submits F/A Continues FundsAccelerated Payroll Fringe Disbursement Loan Repaid st Account Trust Account Payment Draw Requests Received by F/A I Pa Benefits Reports (Priority of Payments{ Request to F/A 9 - -- --------------------r.a,,_- -------------- - - - - - Amos" 943waf o 0 Final Notice of Completion SHb SubndLs Hetr�uticn F/A Releases Final Tmst Account Pay Application F/A& buOR*& 4a ararSbwwdol Me;[r«wethe[r& willioms N 0 V Issued io 5BE Retention State:. Jssuerl CFAP AJmIn lCiUiAltet r0► Aslw'0 4 ... n/LIAr .lflndr A HUB International Company EXHIBIT B Contract Period: Year 1 1 $ 20,729.13 2 $ 20,729.17 3 $ 20,729.17 4 $ 20,729.17 5 $ 20,729.17 6 $ 20,729.17 7 $ 20,729.17 8 $ 20,729.17 9 $ 20,729.17 10 $ 20,729.17 11 $ 20,729.17 12 $ 20,729.17 Total $ 248,750.00 City of Fort Worth, Texas Mayor and Council Communication DATE: 04/28/26 M&C FILE NUMBER: M&C 26-0304 LOG NAME: 13P RFP 26-0072 CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR THE SCDP ED GN SUBJECT (ALL) Authorize Execution of an Agreement with HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. for Consultant Services for the Small Contractor Development Program in an Annual Amount Up to $250,000.00 for the Initial One -Year Term and Authorize Four One -Year Renewal Options for the Same Annual Amount for the Economic Development Department RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council authorize execution of an agreement with HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. for consultant services for the small contractor development program in an annual amount up to $250,000.00 for the initial one-year term and authorize four one-year renewal options for the same annual amount for the Economic Development Department. DISCUSSION: The purpose of this Mayor and Council Communication is to authorize an exclusive agreement for consulting services for the Small Contractor Development Program (SCDP) for the Economic Development Department. The Small Business Development Program (SBDP) within the Economic Development Department will use this contract to expand upon the City of Fort Worth's (City) SBDP goals of assisting small contractors. The SCDP is intended to strengthen the capacity, competitiveness, and performance of small, local, new, and emerging businesses within Tarrant, Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise Counties in delivering water, transportation, and other public works projects for the City. This initiative supports the City's goals of increasing small, local contractor participation, enhancing opportunities in procurement, and ensuring long-term sustainability and growth of the local construction market. On August 5, 2025, the City Council approved an ordinance amending Chapter 21 of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, as amended to establish a small business program for procurement of goods, services, and construction. This includes a 30% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) goal from the five county areas (Tarrant, Wise, Johnson, Parker, and Denton) on public works projects. The City of Fort Worth invests $600 million annually in water and sewer infrastructure, street and stormwater improvements, and other public works construction. However, small contractors often face challenges related to bonding, insurance, technical expertise, and bidding processes that limit their participation. The SCDP aims to: • Provide training, mentorship, and technical assistance. • Support firms in understanding Texas -specific contracting requirements Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), HUB) and Fort Worth's contracting requirements as well as the new Small Business Development Program. • Identify and make recommendations regarding access to bonding, financing, and compliance resources. • Identify additional best value subcontracting and prime contracting opportunities on municipal capital improvement projects for SCDP cohort member participation. Purchasing Staff issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 26-0072. The RFP consisted of detailed specifications describing the responsibilities and requirements to provide these services. The RFP was advertised in the Fort Worth Star -Telegram on December 17, 2025, December 24, 2025, December 31, 2025, January 7, 2026, January 14, 2026, January 21, 2026, and January 28, 2026. The City received eighteen (18) responses. Three vendors were deemed non- responsive for failing to submit the required documents. The bids were evaluated using the Best Value Criteria. An evaluation panel consisting of representatives from the City Manager's Office, Water Department, Financial Management Services Department, and the Economic Development Department reviewed and scored submissions and then held a round of interviews with seven (7) of the applicants. The individual scores were averaged for each of the criteria, and the final scores are listed in the table below: Bidders Evaluation Criteria c ]Fl e Score HUB International Insurance Services, Inc 29 40 F5o 19.20 F96 0.96 82.66 Willpower Consulting Group, LLC 24.00 20.50 15.20 8.00 0.96 1 68.66 ('Kola Industries 23.40 19.50 15.60 8.20 0.53 67.23 The Burrell Group Core Change Management Consulting Inc 19.20 22.20Hp0[7.20][0.77 14.00 10.00 6.00 15.00 64.20 59.27 Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc 22.80 7.50 12.40 7.40 1.19 29 51.29 Blackbridge Consulting 16.20 10.50 10.80 5.40 0.96 41 Best Value Criteria: a. Qualifications & Company Experience b. Technical Approach & Methodology c. Capacity to Provide Training and Technical Support d. Relevant Expertise of Key Personnel e. Pricing After evaluation, the panel concluded that HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. presented the best value for the City. Therefore, the panel recommends that City Council authorize the execution of an agreement with HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. Staff certifies that the recommended vendor met the bid specifications. FUNDING: The maximum annual amount allowed under this agreement is $250,000.00; however, the actual amount used will be based on the needs of the program and available budget. Funding is budgeted in the Other Contractual Services account within the General Fund for the Economic Development Department. AGREEMENT TERMS: Upon City Council approval, the agreement will begin upon execution and will end one year from that date. RENEWAL TERMS: This agreement may be renewed for four additional, one-year terms. This action does not require specific City Council approval provided that the City Council has appropriated sufficient funds to satisfy the City's obligations during the renewal term. EXEMPT PROCUREMENT: The City Attorney's Office has determined that consultant services for the SCDP are exempt from competitive bidding under the provisions of Chapter 252 of the Texas Local Government Code because of the required specialized knowledge and expertise. Nevertheless, the City chose to voluntarily procure this agreement through the competitive process, as allowed, to ensure the City receives a fair and equitable contract. SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM: This project was approved for a waiver per the Chapter 252 exemption, for Professional Services by the Legal Department. Therefore, the Business Equity Goal requirement is not applicable. ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE ORDER: An administrative change order or increase may be made by the City Manager up to the amount allowed by relevant law and the Fort Worth City Code and does not require specific City Council approval as long as sufficient funds have been appropriated. FISCAL INFORMATION I CERTIFICATION: The Director of Finance certifies that funds are available in the current operating budget, as previously appropriated, in the General Fund to support the approval of the above recommendation and execution of agreement. Prior to any expenditure being incurred, the Economic Development Department has the responsibility to validate the availability of funds. Submitted for City Manager's Office bk Reginald Zeno 8517 Dana Burghdoff 8018 Originating Business Unit Head: Reginald Zeno 8517 Jessica Rogers 2663 Additional Information Contact: Haven Wynne 8525 Grace Nguyen 8516 CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PARTIES FORM 1295 1 of 1 Complete Nos. 1- 4 and 6 if there are interested parties. OFFICE USE ONLY Complete Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 if there are no interested parties. CERTIFICATION OF FILING Certificate Number: 1 Name of business entity filing form, and the city, state and country of the business entity's place of business. 2026-1445133 HUB International Insurance Services Inc. Riverside, CA United States Date Filed: 04/08/2026 2 Name of governmental entity or state agency that is a party to the contract for which the form is being filed. City of Fort Worth Date Acknowledged: 3 Provide the identification number used by the governmental entity or state agency to track or identify the contract, and provide a description of the services, goods, or other property to be provided under the contract. 26-0072 Developing and administering the Small Contractor Development Program (SCDP) 4 Nature of interest Name of Interested Party City, State, Country (place of business) (check applicable) Controlling Intermediary Kozel, Gerald Chicago, IL United States X Vogdes, James Chicago, IL United States X Albright, John Chicago, IL United States X Caesar, Darren Santa Barbara, CA United States X Forchelli, Andrew Encino, CA United States X Cornies, Philip Chicago, IL United States X Satellite Acquisition Corporation Chicago, IL United States X 5 Check only if there is NO Interested Party. ❑ 6 UNSWORN DECLARATION My name is and my date of birth is My address is (city) (stale) (zip code) (country) I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed in County, State of on the day of , 20 (month) (year) Signature of authorized agent of contracting business entity (Declarant) P I uy I -- LL IIU3 U1111111�1�lul l www.euncs.srate.ix.us Version V4.1.0.b6ef2aab FORT WORTM, City Secretary's Office Contract Routing & Transmittal Slip Contractor's Name: HUB International Insurance Services, Inc. Subject of the Agreement: Small Contractor Development Program M&C Approved by the Council? * Yes © No ❑ If so, the M&C must be attached to the contract. Is this an Amendment to an Existing contract? Yes ❑ No If so, provide the original contract number and the amendment number. Is the Contract "Permanent"? *Yes © No ❑ If unsure, see back page, for permanent contract listing. Is this entire contract Confidential? *Yes ❑ No © If only specific information is Confidential, please list what information is Confidential and the page it is located. Effective Date: Date signed by ACM If dierent from the approval date. Expiration Date: One year from ACM's signature date If applicable. Is a 1295 Form required? * Yes © No ❑ *If so, please ensure it is attached to the approving M&C or attached to the contract. Project Number: If applicable. N/A *Did you include a Text field on the contract to add the City Secretary Contract (CSC) number? Yes ❑ No ❑ Contracts need to be routed for CSO processing in the following order: 1. Katherine Cenicola (Approver) 2. Jannette S. Goodall (Signer) 3. Allison Tidwell (Form Filler) *Indicates the information is required and if the information is not provided, the contract will be returned to the department.