Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (Department), Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (Bureau) is seeking Software as Service to administer the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program for Maine, as defined in this Request for Proposal (RFP) document. This document provides instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure and criteria by which the awarded Bidder will be selected, and the contractual terms that will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Bidder. The Bureau was established to protect Maine citizens from unfair or deceptive practices with respect to consumer loans, credit sales and debt collection. The agency regulates mortgage-related entities, including mortgage lenders and servicers. For more than a decade, the Bureau has operated Maine’s foreclosure prevention hotline and housing counselor referral service, to assist homeowners at risk of mortgage foreclosure or municipal tax lien foreclosure. Because of the Bureau’s experience with these programs, the Bureau has been tasked with operating Maine’s HAF program, which will make grants of funds provided by the United States Department of the Treasury as authorized by section 3206 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. These grants will be provided to help homeowners experiencing financial hardships resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Such hardships may include payments due on mortgages, municipal property taxes, utility and heating costs, and homeowner’s insurance. The operating system will allow the Bureau to administer the grant program efficiently and expeditiously, from facilitating homeowner applications using desk computers, laptops, smartphones and paper applications; processing such applications; creating Common Data Files (CDFs) for communicating information to mortgage servicers; making payments to mortgage servicers, utilities and municipalities; and preparing reports and data compilations, as required by the US Treasury. Under the Treasury Guidance (April 14, 2021), administrative costs for the HAF program are limited to a percentage of the HAF funds, which has been interpreted to mean a percentage of the HAF funds actually provided to, or on behalf of, homeowners. In responding to this RFP, Respondents should be mindful of the size of Maine’s total anticipated allocation ($50 million), and of the fact that the total of funds that will actually be provided to homeowners is unknown. Therefore, Respondents should submit proposals that include a sum for initial set-up and annual licensing, and then charges based on actual homeowners served and actual funds provided to, or on behalf of, homeowners. Additionally, while the deadline to use funds is September 2025, requests for assistance must be connected to the COVID pandemic. The Bureau administrators assume that as time progresses, fewer homeowners will be able to show that required COVID nexus, so this work may be completed before September 2025. Respondent’s proposals should reflect this possibility.
