Notice of Request for Qualifications For

Transcription

1 Notice of Request for Qualifications For BID: Q12-67 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: ALL PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS COCO HALL, PURCHASING & CONTRACTS MANAGER REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR: Management of the Chapel Hill W.I.S.E. Home Retrofit Program DATE: February 24, 2012 The Town of Chapel Hill is soliciting qualification statements for Management of the Chapel Hill W.I.S.E (worthwhile investments save energy) Home Retrofit Program. This program is made possible by two U.S. Department of Energy grants with funding appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of Statements of Qualifications are due to the Purchasing & Contracts Manager, Town of Chapel Hill, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Chapel Hill, North Carolina by 3:00 P.M. Friday, March 9, 2012, with Management Services for the Chapel Hill W.I.S.E. Home Retrofit Program RFQ marked on the envelope. Any questions regarding this RFQ should be sent via to with Management Services for the Chapel Hill W.I.S.E. Home Retrofit Program RFQ in the subject line. Questions should be sent no later than 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, February 29, Answers will be posted to the Town s website by close of business on Friday, March 2, If you should have any questions on the bidding procedures, please contact the Purchasing Division at (919) Published: Town of Chapel Hill Website DATE: February 24, 2012 February 2012 Page 1

2 REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Chapel Hill, a North Carolina community with approximately 57,000 residents, is a vital part of the Triangle region. By way of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Town wishes to continue building upon the early success of the WISE Home Retrofit Program by selecting a firm that can properly manage and transition WISE from a grant-funded program to a financially sustainable one. The Town of Chapel Hill is soliciting qualification statements, with consideration towards the following scope of management services: Preparation and implementation of a communications and marketing plan* Preparation and implementation of an operations plan* Preparation and implementation of a financial sustainability plan*, including assistance with the pursuit of outside funding opportunities and all financing, loan loss reserve or related program offerings Preparation and implementation of a workforce development plan* Preparation and implementation of a regional energy alliance plan, including coordination with regional entities Preparation and timely submission of all required grant reporting documents, including case studies or other reports Partnership development to support the program and its long-term interests Community outreach and education, as appropriate and where needed Management and development of a grantor-approved program database and website, including an active contractor rating system Program administration: application processing, energy advisor services to participants, record keeping, etc. Contractor management, including both home improvement contractors and program support contractors (e.g., quality assurance) Program design maintenance: update procedures, standards and general guidelines, when and where applicable Management of program interns, when available and where applicable Serve as program liaison to grantor(s), when desired *This plan is required by a grantor and may become an element of a larger regional energy alliance plan (also required). The contract for these services will be for the foreseeable duration of this Program, which, at a minimum, is funded through May of 2013 (approximately 15 months). Because this is a performance based, grant-funded program made possible by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, all funding for contracts is dependent upon the Town s standing with its grantors. Additionally, Town contracts end on June 30 th of the fiscal year in which they were executed, and can be extended with contract amendments. Vendors who wish to submit their qualification statements should familiarize themselves with the Program by visiti ng February 2012 Page 2

3 QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS RFQ Any questions regarding this RFQ should be sent via to with Management of the Chapel Hill W.I.S.E. Home Retrofit Program RFQ in the subject line. Questions should be sent no later than 12:00 Noon on Wednesday, February 29, Answers will be posted to the Town s website by close of business on Friday, March 2, Six sets of Qualification Statements must be received by 3:00 P.M. on March 9, 2012, with Management Services for the Chapel Hill W.I.S.E. Home Retrofit Program RFQ marked on the envelope and addressed to: Town of Chapel Hill Purchasing Department 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Chapel Hill, NC Electronic statements will not be accepted. Qualification statements received after 3:00 P.M., March 9, 2012 will not be considered. The following are pertinent due dates regarding this project: February 24, 2012: Notice & Release of RFQ Issued February 24, 2012: RFQ Published on Town website February 29, 2012: Pre-submittal Questions due by 12:00 Noon March 2, 2012: Pre-submittal Answers posted to Town web site by Close of Business March 9, 2012: RFQ Qualification Statements due by 3:00 P.M. STATUS AND MAKEUP OF COMPANY Any firm wishing to be considered must have a valid Federal Tax ID, be in good standing with federal, state and local governments, be properly registered with the Office of the Secretary of State (or properly registered in their respective state with the ability to register in North Carolina in a timely manner, if selected). The Town reserves the right to give preference in the selection process to those firms proposing to utilize in-house staff for all required activities. PROJECT ACCOUNTING & COST CONTROLS The firm must have the financial ability to undertake the work and assume the liability. The firm must have an adequate accounting system to identify costs chargeable to the project. The Town reserves the right to conduct such audits of the selected firm as deemed necessary by the Town and to review the Firm s accounting/software system to insure the Town s project financial documentation needs can be met in full. INSURANCE The successful bidder shall procure and maintain during the life of the contract the following insurance coverage s: Worker s Compensation: Coverage to apply for all employees for statutory limits in compliance with the applicable state and federal laws. The policy must include employer s liability with a limit of $100,000 for each accident, $100,000 bodily injury by disease each employee and $500,000 bodily injury by disease policy limit. Comprehensive General Liability: Shall have minimum limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit for bodily injury liability and property damage liability. This shall include premises and/or operations, independent contractors, products and/or completed operations, broad form property damage and explosion, collapse and underground damage coverage, sudden and accidental pollution losses, and a contractual liability endorsement. February 2012 Page 3

4 Business Auto Policy: Shall have minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limit for bodily injury liability and property damage liability. This shall include: owned vehicles, hired and non-owned vehicles and employee non-ownership. Professional Liability Insurance: The selected firm will be required to furnish proof of Professional Liability insurance coverage in the minimum amount of $2,000,000. Special Requirements: The Town of Chapel Hill is to be named as an additional insured on the Comprehensive General Liability policy. Current, valid insurance policies meeting the above requirements shall be maintained for the duration of the project. Renewal certificates shall be sent to the Town of Chapel Hill thirty (30) days prior to any expiration date. There shall also be a 30 day notification to the Town in the event of cancellation or modification of any stipulated insurance coverage. Certificates of Insurance on an Accord 25 (8/84) or similar form meeting the required insurance provisions shall be forwarded to the Town of Chapel Hill. Wording on the Certificate of Insurance which states that no liability shall be imposed upon the company for failure to provide such notice is not acceptable. Original policies or certified copies of policies may be required by the Town at any time. Hold Harmless: The Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Town of Chapel Hill from all loss, liability, claims or expense (including reasonable attorneys fees) arising from bodily injury, including death or property damage to any person or persons caused in whole or in part by the negligence or willful misconduct of the Contractor except to the extent same are caused by the negligence or misconduct of the Town. SMALL PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FIRM (SPSF) PARTICIPATION The Town encourages the use of Small Professional Services Firms. A firm certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), and/or Women s Business Enterprise (WBE) automatically qualifies as an SPSF. The SPSF Program was developed to provide consulting opportunities for firms that meet the eligibility criteria to compete against other consulting firms that are comparably positioned in their industries. Small businesses determined to be eligible for participation in the SPSF program are those meeting size standards defined by Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations, 13 CFR Part 121 in Sector 54 under the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). The SPSF program is a race, ethnicity, and gender neutral program designed to increase the availability of contracting opportunities for small businesses on federal, state or locally funded contracts. SPSF participation is not contingent upon the funding source. The Firm, at the time the qualification is submitted, shall submit a listing of all known SPSF firms that will participate in the performance of the identified work. EVALUATION All qualified firms who submit responsive qualifications will be considered. The evaluation of firms submitting qualifications for this work will be based on the following considerations and their respective weights: The firm's overall experience and staff to perform the type of work required. Please include the resumes of the specific personnel proposed for use on this project. Firm resumes may be submitted but will not be allowed to substitute for the individual resume submittal requirement. Please include demonstrable experience with the specific program management responsibilities outlined on page 2, including projects completed of a specific type in the past five (5) years. (40%) Ability to conduct all necessary work with in-house staff (15%) Performance on similar projects, including those performed in North Carolina (25%) Outstanding work load and ability to provide the necessary services in a timely manner so as to not impede progress of the Program as demonstrated by workload submittals for each person proposed for service on the project (10%) February 2012 Page 4

5 Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with Town staff based upon prior/current interactions with these parties. (10%). FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS This RFQ is limited to eight (8) pages (double sided) inclusive of the cover sheet, and shall be typed on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets, single spaced. Any RFQ received containing more than eight (8) pages will not be considered. All materials should be recyclable and brevity is preferred. Section I - Cover/Introductory Letter The introductory letter should be addressed to Mr. John Richardson, Town Sustainability Officer. Said letter is limited to one (1) page (double sided) and should contain the following elements of information: Expression of firm s interest in the work; Statement of whether firm: (1) is currently on the NC Department of the Secretary of State registry (or a similar out-of-state registry with ability to register in NC), (2) has a valid Federal Tax ID, and (3) is in good standing with all federal, state and local governments; Statement regarding any possible conflicts of interest for the work contemplated herein; and Section II - Evaluation Factors This section is limited to three (3) pages (double sided) and should contain information regarding evaluation and other factors listed in the advertisement such as: Identify project personnel qualifications and experience as related to this work and their unique qualifications for this work; Identify type and location of similar work performed within last five (5) years and the applicability of that work to the Town s project, including contact information for references; Firm s understanding of the Town s project and needs including the firm s proposed approach to fulfilling the same; Any innovative approaches to be used; and Outstanding work load including capacity chart/graph for personnel proposed. Note: The Town specifically reserves the right to approve any changes to the project personnel/team proposed in response to this RFQ. No personnel shall be substituted for service without prior written approval of the Town. Section III - Supportive Information This section is limited to four (4) pages (double sided) and should contain the following information: Organizational chart indicating personnel to be assigned by discipline, with estimate of percentage of total work time allocated to Program; Resumes of key personnel (may exceed the double-sided 8 page limit with resumes only); Names, classifications, and location of the firm s North Carolina employees and resources to be assigned to the advertised work; and Other applicable information as the firm may wish to include. SELECTION PROCESS A Committee involving Town staff will review all submitted qualifications packages that adhere to the requirements contained in this document. The Town will select one or more firms to engage in negotiations for services; or it may determine that interviews with top ranked firms are necessary before negotiating terms. The Town reserves the right to reject any or all submittals, to waive technicalities, and to be the sole judge of the suitability of consultants to provide the February 2012 Page 5

6 desired services. The Town reserves the right to engage in consultant services that are determined to best meet the interests of the Town. DISCLOSURE OF PROPOSAL CONTENTS All proposals and other material submitted become the property of the Town of Chapel Hill. All proposal information will be held in confidence during the evaluation process and before the time a Notice of Intent to Award is issued. Thereafter, proposals will become public information. OPEN RECORDS Information submitted to the Town of Chapel Hill is public information and is available upon request in accordance with the North Carolina Public Information Act. An applicant submitting any information it considers confidential as to trade secrets or commercial or financial information, which it desires not to be disclosed, must clearly identity all such information in its proposal. PREPARATION COSTS The Town of Chapel Hill will not pay any cost associated with the preparation, submittal, presentation, or evaluation of any statements of qualification. SUBCONTRACTORS Subcontractors will not be allowed. JOINT VENTURES Joint ventures will not be allowed. ASSIGNMENT The contractor may not transfer or assign any portion of the contract without prior written approval from the Town. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS The Town of Chapel Hill reserves the right to add terms and conditions during contract negotiations. These terms and conditions will be within the scope of the RFQ and will not affect the proposal evaluations. Firms responding to this solicitation must be prepared to meet all applicable Federal Requirements of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding ( and all other Federal, State and Local Requirements. The Terms and Conditions of the Town s U.S. Department of Energy grants will be included in the contract with the selected firm. These terms and conditions are available upon request prior to March 9, February 2012 Page 6