1-25-199-Q RFQ Document.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO. 25-199-Q

OWNER ADVISOR SERVICES FOR TRINITY EAST FORK RWRRF

VIRTUAL PRE-RESPONSE MEETING:

Monday, July 28, 2025, at 10:30 AM Central

SUBMITTALS DUE PRIOR TO:

Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 12:00 PM Central

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS SHALL BE

SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO (Registration is free):

ntmwd.bonfirehub.com

NORTH TEXAS MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT

CONTACT: Trey Benton, CTCD, CPPB, NIGP-CPP tbenton@ntmwd.com

Contents

I. PURPOSE

II. BACKGROUND

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES

IV. SELECTION PROCESS

V. SELECTION CRITERIA

VI. SOQ CONTENTS

VII. SOQ SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

VIII. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS & INFORMATION

IX. KEY EVENT’S SCHEDULE

X. SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST

Appendix A – Project Background Information

Appendix B – RFQ Signature Form

I. PURPOSE

The North Texas Municipal Water District (District) Engineering Division is accepting

Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) in response to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from qualified consultants who wish to perform Owner’s Advisor (OA) services in support of the Trinity East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility (RWRRF) program

(previously known as Lower East Fork RWRRF), a new regional wastewater treatment plant and conveyance improvements located in Kaufman County, Texas.

This solicitation is a two-step process that combines qualifications and interviews to select a team to assist the District throughout planning, procurement, design, and delivery of the program. The District has previous experience with collaborative delivery, particularly through Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) and is considering a Progressive Design-

Build approach for this program primarily due to an accelerated schedule for completion.

The District is committed to fostering a unified team environment with top-tier industry partners to achieve exceptional project outcomes. The proposer selected to serve as the

OA will be ineligible for the selection of Design-Builder to mitigate any conflict of interest.

The District intends to use this Request for Qualifications to evaluate submissions and create a shortlist of engineering teams. Only the shortlisted teams will receive a Request for Interview (RFI) to be invited to participate in an interview process anticipated in

September 2025.

II. BACKGROUND

The District is a regional utility providing wastewater services to growing communities across North Texas. With a dedicated team overseeing planning, operations, and capital delivery, the District brings internal staff resources to support and collaborate closely with the selected OA throughout the program.

The Trinity East Fork RWRRF will be built at a greenfield site. A Design-Builder is expected to be awarded in the Fall of 2026, and the plant is expected to receive initial flows of approximately 16 MGD in 2031. The planning level estimated program cost is

$925 million.

The new Trinity East Fork RWRRF is part of the regional wastewater system that includes other treatment and conveyance facilities. The planning and design of the Trinity East

Fork RWRRF will be closely tied to the operational strategy of these other facilities which would support the regional system’s ability to accommodate continued growth.

The District is currently conducting the Southern System Capacity Assessment and

Assurance project that will inform long-term conveyance strategy for flows to Trinity East

Fork RWRRF. A few options have been presented to the District for further evaluation, a map is shown in Appendix A. The OA scope of services will include advising the District for the recommended conveyance options in addition to the Trinity East Fork RWRRF. It is anticipated that the design builder will be asked to deliver some of the conveyance infrastructure in coordination with the treatment plant.

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The District seeks a highly qualified and experienced OA to provide comprehensive support throughout the planning, procurement, and delivery of this Progressive Design-Build program. The OA will act as a strategic partner and trusted technical advisor to the District, providing comprehensive support services throughout the project lifecycle, including but not limited to:

• Planning, permitting, and procurement support

• Cost, schedule, and scope control, including Progressive Design-Builder (PDB) selection and contract negotiation

• Design and technical oversight

• Construction oversight and inspection

• Communication with internal and external stakeholders

The District intends to execute an initial contract with the Owner’s Advisor to provide services leading up to the selection and award of a contract with a design builder.

Subsequent contract amendments for OA services will be awarded for pre-construction and construction phase services.

The District may choose to apply for state or federal funding assistance as well as have participation from member and/or customer cities for the plant and conveyance projects associated with the RWRRF.

IV. SELECTION PROCESS

Submittals that do not meet the requirements outlined in this RFQ may be deemed non-responsive at the District’s discretion.

A committee will review and evaluate the responses to this RFQ relative to the Selection

Criteria outlined below. The successful consultants will be among the respondents whose

SOQs are determined to be the most qualified considering the evaluation factors included in this RFQ and will be invited to participate in the interview process.

V. SELECTION CRITERIA

The District will utilize the following selection criteria as the basis for evaluating the consultant’s response to this RFQ. The relative weight of each selection criterion is provided in parentheses.

A. Project Manager and Program Team Capability (50 points).

The committee will evaluate the qualifications and capabilities of the proposed program team. This includes the qualifications, alignment, and availability of key personnel assigned to each major project phase—planning and procurement, design and preconstruction, and construction through closeout.

• Proposers should clearly identify key individuals, their specific roles and responsibilities, and their anticipated involvement throughout the project. An organizational chart—either comprehensive or phase-specific—is strongly encouraged to illustrate team structure. For each key person, proposers should describe relevant past roles and performance, and how that experience supports their proposed role. The organizational chart must identify local and non-local staff members proposed for the project.

• The evaluation will consider the team’s structure, individual qualifications, and how the team utilizes national, regional and local staff to support successful project delivery. Scoring will reflect the team's organizational capability to manage and execute each project phase. Proposers are also encouraged to highlight prior collaboration among team members, continuity of staffing, and their overall approach to managing the project.

• The 50 points are distributed as follows:

Overall Program Lead and Project Management (15 points)

Planning and procurement phase team (10 points)

Design phase team (10 points)

Construction phase team (10 points)

Team integration and staffing strategy (5 points)

B. Recent Project Experience and Past Performance (50 points).

The committee will assess the relevance of the example projects/programs included in the statement of qualifications to the Owner’s Advisers scope of the

Trinity East Fork RWRRF program. The District will consider the past performance of consultants on recent projects/programs by obtaining input from known or provided references. Please provide an updated contact for projects performed outside the District.

• Emphasis will be placed on the team’s demonstrated experience on at least

3 similar or relevant projects/programs within the past five years, particularly as it relates to the proposed team members.

• The District will evaluate the team's experience with collaborative delivery methods such as Progressive Design-Build, Design-Build, or CMAR on large-scale water or wastewater projects. Attention will be given to the clarity with which individual roles and responsibilities are described.

• The 50 points are distributed as follows:

Project planning and procurement support (10 points)

Cost, schedule, scope control, including PDB contract negotiation (15 points)

Design and technical capabilities (10 points)

Construction management and inspection (10 points)

State or federal funding support (5 points)

VI. SOQ CONTENTS

SOQs submitted in response to this RFQ should comply with the requirements as described herein. The SOQ shall include the following information, organized as noted below. MS Word© documents have been posted for the respondents’ convenience. The forms may be revised to include more or less projects on each page and more or less space in each table cell; however, the required contents shall not be altered.

A. Information Form. Provide a description of the consulting firm including the location, contact information, primary areas of engineering practices, and project category of interest.

B. Recent Experience Form. Present the team’s experience relevant to performing the work. Be clear in denoting the key team members that were involved in each project that is highlighted. Only list the projects that were completed in the last five years or are currently in progress.

C. Key Personnel Form. Present the qualifications and relevant experience of the proposed project team. Only list current employees. The relevant experience of the key personnel is not limited to the last five years and is not limited to the experience with the current firm.

VII. SOQ SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Vendors shall submit qualifications using Bonfire (https://ntmwd.bonfirehub.com). Please note that Bonfire registration is required to access and submit documents, and registration to Bonfire is free.

Format and Length

The SOQ shall be letter-sized (8-1/2” x 11”) pages. The minimum font size is 11-point, with margins (top, bottom, left and right) no smaller than 0.5 inches. The submission shall be limited to an overall page to count not to exceed fifty (50) pages. It shall be submitted in the following order:

1. Cover Page

2. Transmittal Letter

3. Information Form

4. Recent Experience Form

5. Organizational Chart(s)

6. Key Personnel Form

7. RFQ Signature Form (attached as Appendix B)

The fifty-page limit for distribution shall be at the vendor’s discretion as long as all the requirements stated above are met. All pages of the submittal should be numbered sequentially in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.). All information submitted shall be wholly contained within the page limits listed in the RFQ. Any External links, QR codes, etc., will not be evaluated.

Deadline for Submission

The deadline for receipt of written SOQs is prior to 12:00 pm, August 20, 2025. No submittals shall be allowed by Bonfire after the stated time and date.

Copies and Delivery

A single PDF file of a vendor’s SOQ shall be submitted through Bonfire at https://ntmwd.bonfirehub.com

A confirmation email from Bonfire will be sent to each respondent upon receipt of the submittal. Hard copy submissions will NOT be accepted.

Pricing

Submittals shall not include proposal of fees, pricing, or other compensation. Pricing will be solicited from the most highly qualified team by the District at a later time.

VIII. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS & INFORMATION

Pre-response Meeting

In order to address questions from the consultants within a public forum, the District will schedule a pre-response virtual meeting to be held at 10:30 am on Monday, July 28, 2025. Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory but is encouraged. No individual meetings or phone calls will be scheduled with the consultants to discuss their qualifications during this selection process. This meeting shall be recorded and posted to

Bonfire no later than seven (7) days after the meeting date.

The virtual meeting link will be posted to and distributed through Bonfire Questions. All questions related to this RFQ must be submitted via the “Vendor Discussions” tab related to this project, 25-199-Q, on Bonfire.

The deadline for questions is prior to 5:00 PM CT on August 8, 2025. Responses to questions will be answered through written addenda and will be posted on Bonfire.

Right to Terminate

The District reserves the right to terminate this process at any time. No guarantee is expressed or implied that obligates the District to contract for engineering or professional services for the proposed projects. The District will not be liable for any costs associated with responding to this RFQ, for the firm’s participation in interviews, or any costs associated with negotiations.

No Gratuities

Firms shall not offer any gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value to any official or employee of the District for the purpose of influencing this selection. Any attempt by a firm to influence the selection process by any means, other than disclosure of qualifications and credentials through the proper channel, shall be grounds for exclusion from the selection process.

Preparation Costs

The District will not be responsible for costs incurred by anyone in the submittal of responses and interviews.

No Obligation

The District reserves the sole right to evaluate the responses submitted, waive any irregularities therein, select candidates for the submittal of additional information, accept any submittal or portion of the submittal, reject any or all firms submitting responses, or cancel the entire process.

Waiver of Claims

Each Respondent by submission of a response to this RFQ waives any claims it has or may have against the District or the District’s Representative(s) in this process and their respective employees, officers, members, directors and partners, agents and representatives regarding the administration of the RFQ process, the RFQ evaluation, and the critique and selection of qualified Respondents. Submission of a qualifications statement indicates the Offeror’s and Respondent’s acceptance of the evaluation technique set out in this Request. In this regard, Respondent acknowledges that the selection process and evaluations of responses submitted constitute public information under Texas law and Respondent waives any claim it has or may have regarding any information contained in or derived from such evaluations.

Eligibility

Any firm obligated by law to register with the Texas Secretary of State must do so before entering in a contract stemming from this RFQ. Responses from entities that are required to register and maintain an active right to transact business in Texas but lack an active right to transact business in Texas, may be deemed non-responsive and subsequently rejected.

Required Language for TWDB Funded Projects

This contract is contingent upon release of funds from the Texas Water Development

Board (TWDB). Any contract or contracts awarded under this RFQ are expected to be funded in part or in whole by a loan from the TWDB. Neither the State of Texas nor any of its departments, agencies, or employees are or will be a party to this RFQ or any resulting contract. RFQs are issued in accordance with Section 2254 of the Texas

Government Code (Professional Services Act).

This contract is subject to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Disadvantaged

Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, which includes EPA-approved fair share goals toward procurement of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) firms.

EPA rules require that applicants and prime contractors make a good-faith effort to award a fair share of contracts, subcontracts, and procurements to M/WBEs through demonstration of the six affirmative steps. For more details of the DBE Program and the current, applicable fair share goals, please visit http://www.twdb.texas.gov/dbe.

Equal Opportunity in Employment - All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin.

Small, minority, and women-owned business enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals.

IX. KEY EVENT’S SCHEDULE

Pre-Response Virtual Meeting: 10:30 AM CT, July 28, 2025

Question Deadline: Prior to 5:00 PM CT, August 8, 2025

RFQ Deadline: Prior to 12:00 PM CT, August 20, 2025

RFI to Shortlisted Teams: Week of August 25, 2025

Interview: Week of September 22, 2025

This timeline is subject to change by the District.

X. SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST

Respondents are instructed to complete, sign, and return the following documents as a part of their submittal. Failure to return these documents may subject your submittal to disqualification.

A. Complete Information Form

B. Complete Recent Experience Form

C. Complete Key Personnel Form

D. RFQ Signature Form

E. No more than fifty pages

Appendix A – Project Background Information

Appendix B – RFQ Signature Form

The undersigned agrees that this SOQ becomes the property of the North Texas

Municipal Water District (“NTMWD”) after the official opening of this RFQ.

Respondent represents that it has read the RFQ documents in their entirety and understands the scope of work contained in the RFQ documents.

Respondent represents that this SOQ has not been prepared in collusion with any other

Respondent or any employee of NTMWD and that the contents of this SOQ have not been communicated to any other Respondent or to any employee of NTMWD prior to the official opening.

Respondent affirms that Respondent has read and understands the RFQ and any attachments contained in this package. Failure to sign and return this form may result in the rejection of the entire SOQ.

AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE

Signature:

Title:

Date:

Printed Name:

COMPANY INFORMATION

Name of Company:

Address:

Tel. No:

E-Mail Address:

THIS FORM MUST BE SIGNED IN ORDER FOR THE SOQ SUBMITTAL

TO BE CONSIDERED RESPONSIVE.