Ohio Attorney General Issues RFP for Collection Services

The Office of the Attorney General of the state of Ohio has released a request for proposal (RFP) for collection services.  The attorney general’s office has also released a request for qualifications (RFQ) for collection attorneys to act as outside counsel in the collection of delinquent debts.

The first phase of the program, enacted on June 8, will involve the state soliciting collection agencies and attorneys through the RFP process.  The office of the attorney general will then select from the proposals a list of approved contractors, or “Authorized Collection Contractors.” A list of qualified collection attorneys will also be compiled.  The state anticipates the authorized contractor list to be no more than 10 companies.  Once the list is complete, the second phase will commence with the approved contractors placing bids on various portfolios to work.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Revenue Recovery Services & Collections Enforcement Section serves as the legal representative for the State of Ohio in the recovery of its delinquent debts.  The State’s delinquent accounts are comprised of all types of debts owed to various state agencies.  Currently, the Attorney General’s Office represents more than 100 State of Ohio agencies, boards, and commissions.

A spokesman for the Collection Enforcement division confirmed this morning that those companies chosen to the approved contractor list would be bidding on debt pools as varied as healthcare debt, delinquent taxes, university debt, workers’ compensation debt, and other types of delinquencies.  The current portfolio for Ohio is “several billion dollars.”

The deadline to respond to the RFP is September 10.  All contractors wishing to respond must also attend a mandatory RFP conference in Columbus, OH on August 10.

The deadline for responses to the RFQ for collection attorneys is June 29.

To view a copy of both the RFP for collection agencies and the RFQ for collection attorneys, please visit the Ohio attorney general’s site at: http://www.ag.state.oh.us/business/CE_RFP/default.asp.