Request for Proposal: Nashville Homelessness Planning Council Strategic Planning Consultant

Release Date: 7/13/2026
Proposal Due Date: 7/20/2026
Issuing Department: Office of Homeless Services

Background and Overview

The Homelessness Planning Council (HPC) is the Continuum of Care (CoC) governing body responsible for planning, coordinating, and evaluating Nashville and Davidson County’s homelessness response efforts. The HPC is currently operating under a 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, which established priorities and system goals for Nashville’s homelessness response, and concludes on June 30, 2026.

To prepare for the next phase of development, the HPC is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to assist with:

• Facilitating weekly in-person local planning sessions to evaluate progress and outcomes of the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan
• Finalizing the HPC’s SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis.
• Leading development of a new Strategic Plan to guide the community’s homeless response system for 2027–2030
• Launching a community campaign with adoption targeted for December 2026 and implementation beginning January 2027.

The planning process will involve broad community and system partner engagement, including participation from:

• HPC Board
• Continuum of Care General Membership
• Standing Committees and Task Forces
• Providers and partner agencies
• People with lived experience of homelessness
• Funders and system partners
• Philanthropic leaders
• Community members

The resulting Strategic Plan will guide Nashville’s homelessness response system beginning January 2027.

Additionally, HPC is seeking a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved Technical Assistance Provider to support alignment with federal priorities and emerging funding opportunities. This provider will collaborate with the strategic planning consultant and conduct a system gaps analysis of local housing interventions, including recommendations for retooling housing and service models to strengthen the community’s competitiveness in future HUD Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO).

Applicants may submit qualifications for either or both roles.

Purpose of the Engagement

The consultant will design and facilitate a planning process that results in a clear, actionable, and measurable Strategic Plan for 2027-2030.

This process should:

• Develop a shared community mission and collective vision supported by aligned goals and objectives
• Assess and review the goals and objectives outlined in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, including progress and outcomes
• Incorporate HUD CoC best practices, person centered approaches, and analysis of local system data
• Align strategic priorities with available funding, system performance expectations, and system capacity
• Produce a clear, actionable, and measurable 2027–2030 Strategic Plan to guide the community’s homelessness response

Scope of Services

HPC is seeking proposals from experienced strategic planning consulting firms and/ or HUD approved Technical Assistance providers with demonstrated experience supporting large communities with devising and implementing a Strategic Plan.

Engagement Prep work should include:

1. Review of existing CoC plan and current local strategies.
2. Review/research strategic plans for communities of similar size and demand.
3. Identify dates and times for Community Engagement meetings.
4. Be prepared to make recommendations and implementation of policy.

Project Phases (July 2026 through January 2027)

Phase 1 Engagement – Project Launch, Review of Existing Plan, and Local Data (July 2026)

The consultant will begin the planning process by reviewing the current Strategic Plan and evaluating system performance to date.

Phase 1 Activities

The consultant will:

• Meet with HPC leadership and staff to confirm project goals, scope, and planning process
• Coordinate regular meetings with the designated Strategic Planning Task Force
• Review the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, CoC performance data, and prior progress reports
• Review relevant local, state and federal housing and homelessness strategies.
• Design a community engagement process that fosters broad participation and community buy-in
• Design and conduct surveys, focus groups, and interviews with providers, individuals with lived experience, funders, and other system partners, and analyze the findings to inform the planning process

Participants in the engagement process may include:

• Homelessness service providers
• People with lived experience of homelessness
• System partners and public agencies
• Funders and philanthropic organizations

The consultant will support debriefing of the HPC Strategic Planning Retreat that took place on February 27, 2026.

Phase 1 Project Deliverables

• Draft a shared community mission, and vision statement
• Summary assessment of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan
• Initial findings and planning recommendations

Phase 2 — Framework for the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan

(July–August 2026)

The consultant will synthesize findings from the evaluation and stakeholder engagement process into a proposed framework for the next strategic plan.

Phase 2 Activities

The consultant will:

• Analyze evaluation findings and stakeholder feedback
• Develop a proposed strategic framework outlining:
  • Core system priorities
  • Person-centered commitments
  • Performance and accountability structures
  • Cross-system coordination approaches

• Present the framework to:
  • CoC General Membership
  • HPC
  • All CoC Committee Chairs
• Incorporate feedback into a preliminary outline for the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan

Phase 2 Project Deliverables

• Strategic Framework document
• Draft outline for the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan

Phase 3 — Drafting the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan (July–September 2026)

The consultant will develop the full draft Strategic Plan based on the approved framework.

The consultant will:

• Develop multiple drafts of the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan, including:
  • Vision and guiding principles
  • Goals, strategies, and performance measures
  • Person-Centered lived experience integration
  • Alignment with HUD CoC requirements
  • CoC and local funding priorities.
  • Develop a reporting and performance tracking tool
  • Facilitate feedback cycles with HPC, CoC General Membership, and All Chairs

Phase 3 Project Deliverables

• Working drafts of Strategic Plan (July–August 2026)
• Near final Strategic Plan draft (September 2026)
• Strategic Plan reporting and performance tracking tool

Phase 4 — Finalization & Adoption (October-December 2026)

The consultant will finalize the Strategic Plan and support formal adoption.

Phase 4 Activities

• Finalize the 2027–2030 Strategic Plan
• Test and modify the reporting tool and accountability channel
• Support presentations to:
• HPC in December 2026
• CoC General Membership in December 2026
• Provide an executive summary and implementation timeline starting January 2027

Phase 4 Project Deliverables

• Final Strategic Plan
• Implementation timeline
• Executive summary
• Presentation materials for adoption

Phase 5 — Implementation Support (Jan 2027)

The consultant will assist with the transition from planning to implementation.

Phase 5 Activities

The consultant will:

• Develop 30, 60, and 90 day implementation guides
• Create a digital dashboard for monitoring progress
• Prepare public-facing materials
• Provide recommendations on reporting timelines and processes for ongoing review of the strategic plan.

Phase 5 Project Deliverables

• Implementation guide
• Digital performance dashboard
• Implementation guidance brief

Expected Qualifications

Consultant firm should demonstrate:

• Knowledge of and experience with HUD Continuum of Care planning and policy
• Strategic planning for homelessness and/or housing systems
• Experience integrating person-centered approaches
• Expertise in data analysis and performance-based planning
• Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder planning processes
• Experience with large urban homelessness response systems

Prospective vendors must be registered in iSupplier to submit a bid and must be approved as a Metro vendor before the purchase of any services. For more information, visit the How To Do Business With Metro webpage.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Scoring matrix:

Total Possible Points: 100