No. 2026-003 October 23, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

CONOWINGO WATERSHED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

COORDINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT SERVICES

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION

RFP NUMBER 2026-03

DATE OF ISSUANCE: OCTOBER 23, 2026

A. BACKGROUND

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC or Commission) is a federal-interstate compact agency established by Congress and the states of Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania to coordinate management and protection of the Susquehanna River Basin’s water resources. The Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (CWIP) is a collaborative interstate effort involving SRBC and participating jurisdictions to advance additional nutrient reductions in the Susquehanna watershed beyond existing state Watershed Implementation Plan commitments. The effort responds in part to the reduced capacity of Conowingo Dam to trap sediment and associated nutrients before they reach the Chesapeake Bay. CWIP complements participating states’ Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

SRBC has obtained grant funding to support a dedicated CWIP coordination function for an anticipated three-year period. The function combines ongoing coordination, administration, tracking, and reporting with development of partnerships, funding strategies, and project opportunities that can accelerate implementation.

This work will be done in close coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PaDEP), Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). The three states are pursuing an additional reduction of approximately 6 million pounds of nitrogen per year beyond existing state WIP obligations. Progress has been constrained by the absence of a single person or entity whose primary responsibility is to coordinate and advance this work across jurisdictions.

SRBC is conducting a concurrent two-track recruitment and selection process for the CWIP Coordinator function. The first track is this RFP to identify a firm capable of performing the CWIP Coordinator scope of work. The second track is to develop and post a job announcement through SRBC’s standard recruitment process for a three-year contracted term employee. SRBC is pursuing the two tracks concurrently to evaluate both and determine its ultimate course of action.

B. PURPOSE

SRBC invites proposals from qualified firms or other business entities to provide CWIP Coordination and Implementation Support Services. The selected Offeror shall provide a dedicated day-to-day lead and may deploy additional personnel with task-specific expertise. The engagement is for coordination, funding development, and technical/implementation assistance; it does not procure professional engineering design or construction services.

Issuance of this RFP does not commit SRBC to a consulting award. SRBC may select the employee alternative and make no award under this RFP. Job applicants must apply through the separate employment process;

an employment application is not a response to this RFP.

SRBC anticipates awarding one professional services agreement, substantially in the form of Appendix A, if it selects the consulting alternative.

Offerors must submit a complete technical proposal and a separately sealed cost proposal through PennBid.

The accepted proposal will become a contractual obligation, subject to the agreement’s order of precedence.

C. ISSUING OFFICER

The Issuing Officer and sole procurement point of contact is Jason Oyler, Esq., General Counsel and Secretary to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, 4423 North Front Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110.

Submit all procurement questions through PennBid. Offerors shall not contact SRBC program staff, agency interview participants, or steering committee members concerning this solicitation outside the prescribed process.

Following award, Erin Lynam, Policy Specialist, SRBC, will serve as the primary contract manager.

D. CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES

The SRBC will strive to adhere to the following schedule:

Activity Responsibility Date Dissemination of RFP SRBC 10/23/2026

Questions Submitted through PennBid Offerors 11/02/2026 by 4 PM

Responses to Questions Issued SRBC 11/9/2026 Proposals submitted to SRBC Offeror 11/23/2026 by 4 PM

Interview with Top 3 Candidates SRBC/Offeror 12/8 to 12/10/2026 Proposal selected and Offeror notified SRBC 12/15/2026

The SRBC reserves the right to modify the foregoing schedule.

E. SCOPE OF WORK

The selected Offeror will coordinate work across Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York, with close coordination with the SRBC, PaDEP, MDE, NYSDEC, and other CWIP partners.

The named day-to-day lead shall be based in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin area, defined for this solicitation as Lancaster, Lebanon, Dauphin, Cumberland, and York counties by the start of services and throughout the engagement. Routine coordination may be conducted remotely, with regular in-person participation as required by the approved work plan. This solicitation does not require a fixed weekly schedule.

Offerors shall plan for approximately 1,400–1,500 aggregate staff hours per contract year, across all personnel.

Travel should be included in the bid price. SRBC staff can provide coordination & implementation assistance for travel and project initiatives in New York to limit travel for the offeror.

The scope of work includes:

A. Capacity Building, Technical Support, and Project Implementation

• Strengthen existing partnerships and cultivate new relationships in priority watersheds and serve as a dedicated interstate, watershed-based CWIP point of contact.

• Assess barriers, gaps, and opportunities that affect the pace and scale of nutrient-reduction implementation.

• Identify effective strategies and tools already in use, evaluate local partnership capacity, and recommend priority actions for accelerating implementation.

• Support development of funding proposals, project concepts, implementation strategies, and partner teams.

• Coordinate access to technical, permitting, programmatic, and administrative assistance needed to advance priority projects.

• Identify and advance innovative or high-impact nutrient-reduction approaches that can generate reductions beyond state WIP commitments.

• Implement or directly support a selected set of strategies/projects arising from the assessment, as feasible within available funding and the final contract scope.

B. CWIP Administration, Interstate Coordination, and Reporting

• Prepare annual progress reports, outreach and implementation summaries, and practical tracking tools such as project/practice spreadsheets and infographics.

• Maintain regular communication among SRBC, the three jurisdictions, and implementation partners.

• Work with jurisdictional partners to communicate implementation accomplishments, identify emerging opportunities and challenges, and support coordination of progress reporting.

• Contribute to CWIP communication strategies, such as developing newsletter content.

C. Funding and Implementation Strategy

• Lead outreach and serve as a public-facing and partner-facing point of contact.

• Identify and coordinate funding sources that can support local CWIP implementation and build capacity, including state pay-for-success programs, grants, and potential matching opportunities, including PENNVEST's Clean Water Procurement Program and Maryland's Pay-for-Success initiatives.

• Assemble or support funding proposals and implementation partnerships.

• Compile and analyze implementation information to strengthen future strategy, document results, and communicate the benefits achieved.

F. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Contract and compensation

The maximum acceptable three-year base proposal is $330,000. Submit one firm fixed, not to exceed price for all services, broken out by contract year. Annual prices may differ, but their total must not exceed $330,000.

The price must be all-inclusive and include personnel, benefits, overhead, profit, subcontractors, travel, lodging, equipment, routine software, communications, applicable PennBid fees, and all other expenses. No separate base-service expense reimbursement is contemplated. A base proposal above $330,000 will be considered nonresponsive.

2. Conditions

SRBC may reject any or all proposals, cancel the solicitation, or make no consulting award if it selects the employee alternative or otherwise determines an award is not in its interest.

SRBC is not liable for proposal preparation, interview, or other participation costs.

The successful Offeror is responsible for applicable PennBid fees.

Proposals must be signed by an official authorized to bind the Offeror and remain valid for 90 days after the proposal deadline.

Technical and cost submissions must be separately sealed through PennBid. Do not include dollar amounts, rates, or other pricing in the technical proposal. Inclusion of pricing in the technical submission will result in rejection without an opportunity to cure.

False, incomplete, or unresponsive statements may cause rejection. SRBC reserves the discretion permitted by its policy concerning other nonconformities.

Identify proprietary material specifically and explain the claimed basis for protection. Blanket confidentiality designations do not control SRBC’s public-records obligations.

Identify proposed exceptions to Appendix A in a separate technical-proposal attachment. SRBC may reject material exceptions. If no exceptions are identified, SRBC will treat the Offeror as willing to execute the proposed agreement.

3. Minimum qualifications and certifications

The Offeror must demonstrate: relevant watershed, water-quality, environmental protection, or conservation experience; successful management of complex multi-partner work; facilitation, reporting, and funding-development capability; adequate organizational and financial capacity; and ability to provide the required local lead and continuity for three years. Provide three comparable assignments completed or substantially performed within the past five years. Comparable work performed by proposed key personnel at another organization may be identified with their actual roles clearly stated.

By signing Appendix B, the Offeror certifies that it has read the solicitation; has or will obtain necessary resources and insurance; has independently developed its price without collusion; is authorized to perform the services; and is not suspended or debarred by a state or the federal government.

Disclose actual or potential conflicts involving SRBC, participating agencies, project sponsors, funding programs, or other clients that could affect impartial CWIP coordination, with a proposed management approach.

Proposed subcontractors shall be identified and are subject to SRBC approval.

G. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Submit through PennBid (https://pennbid.procureware.com) by the deadline in Section D. Use Times New Roman 12-point or larger, single spacing, one-inch margins, and numbered pages. No emailed or paper submissions will be accepted. All proposals must include a signed Appendix B.

The Technical Proposal Must Contain:

1. Cover Sheet

A cover sheet, as set forth in Appendix B, which requires contact information, including the name and address of the Offeror; the name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the individual(s) responsible for the preparation of the proposal who may be contacted in the event of questions or notification. Please note that notifications will be made through PennBid, so please make sure the appropriate personnel in your firm are set up to receive PennBid notifications.

Do not place any cost information or rates in the technical proposal. These must be in the sealed cost section alone. Failure to do so will result in your offer being rejected as non-compliant.

2. Offeror’s Organization, Capacity and Experience (8 pages)

The Offeror will provide a comprehensive review of your firm’s capabilities and relevant client experiences.

Minimum Qualifications are set forth in Section F General Requirements. This section is limited to no more than eight (8) pages.

a. Firm capabilities. Please provide a summary of your firm’s history, size and organizational culture. Proposals should include: Years in business providing, financial stability information and demonstrated experience in environmental protection, watershed restoration, and water quality implementation and managing complex, multi-partner projects and tracking deliverables across multiple organizations or jurisdictions.

b. Relevant Client Experiences. Please provide an overview of the following: your current client base (i.e., number of clients, typical size, industries and organizations served); Experience with government and quasi-government entities (preferred) or non-profit entities; Outline a minimum of three (3) similar projects within the past five (5) years. Proposals should describe the scope, size and outcomes of comparable engagements.

c. Financial Qualifications. Please describe your firm’s financial wherewithal to perform this work, summary of your most recent annual financial statement, and your insurance coverages. Also describe any previous or ongoing litigation pertaining to contracts or services provided involving your firm.

3. Understanding, Approach, and Work Plan (6 pages)

Outline your understanding of this engagement. Explain your approach to providing the services requested in an effective manner that is also cost effective. Provide a relatively high-level work plan for Year 1 under this contract that you would propose if you were the successful bidder. This section is limited to no more than six

(6) pages.

4. Staffing Plan (10 pages)

Outline the lead for this project and all personnel you would anticipate using in this engagement. Identify the office location where this project will be managed and the location of any staff who will work on this project.

Provide a description of their duties, roles, and related experience.

The Commission is looking for relevant information to assess your team’s skills as follows:

• Strong written and oral communication capabilities, including facilitation, report preparation, stakeholder engagement, and public-facing communication.

• Technical and programmatic understanding sufficient to advance water-quality restoration plans and nutrient-reduction projects within the Chesapeake Bay restoration context.

• Ability to identify and coordinate funding strategies and to support development of competitive proposals and implementation partnerships.

• Demonstrated experience with stakeholder facilitation and milestone/progress tracking and funding development.

• Capacity to provide consistent personnel coverage over the anticipated three-year term, including physical presence (office or staff) in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

You may provide resumes for key personnel, within the page limit of this section.

The Cost proposal — separately sealed:

Submit a Cost Proposal, showing annual and total all-inclusive prices. You may include any pricing assumptions. This section must be separately sealed.

H. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

SRBC will screen proposals for timely receipt, signature, completeness, qualifications, and compliance with mandatory requirements. SRBC’s evaluation committee will independently score eligible written technical proposals. Once initial technical scoring is complete, the SRBC will request an oral presentation/interview with the review team and interested external partners for the top 3 scoring Offerors after the technical review. Cost submissions will remain closed until all technical evaluation, including finalist interviews, are complete.

1. Offeror’s Organization, Capacity and Experience — 15 points. Evaluation focus: Comparable and relevant client experiences and outcomes; organizational and fiscal health.

2. Understanding, Approach, and Work Plan — 25 points. Evaluation focus: Understanding of the project, efficacy of the described approach, and the breadth, depth, and scope of work proposed in the Year 1 work plan.

3. Staffing Plan — 25 points. Evaluation focus: Lead/team qualifications and skills, continuity of staffing.

4. Finalist Interviews — 25 points. A separate technical evaluation score will be provided to the finalists after their interview.

5. Cost Submittal — 10 points.

Total maximum score: 100 points.

I. FINALIST SELECTION AND INTERVIEW PROCEDURE

The three highest-ranked qualified Offerors based on the technical review will be invited to interviews. If fewer than three qualify, SRBC may interview all qualified Offerors. If a finalist withdraws, SRBC may invite the next-ranked qualified Offeror.

Each interview will ordinarily last 60 minutes: up to 20 minutes for the Offeror’s presentation and approximately 40 minutes for questions. The proposed day-to-day lead must attend. Questions may include the same core questions for all firms, as well as, firm-specific questions that may clarify the proposal. Interviews shall not include pricing or informal price negotiations.

Interview panels may include a PA DEP representative and/or an MDE representative and/or a NYSDEC representative in an advisory capacity. They will not be members of SRBC’s proposal evaluation committee and will not score written proposals, review cost proposals, assign official evaluation points, or vote on the selection recommendation.

SRBC evaluators will independently assign interview ratings after considering the interview responses and incorporating agency feedback. Evaluators shall document how material agency observations informed their ratings and explain material disagreements. Agency feedback does not create extra points or a veto. SRBC retains responsibility for scoring, ranking, and recommendation.

J. QUESTIONS, ADDENDA, AND PROCUREMENT RIGHTS

Submit questions through PennBid by the stated deadline. SRBC will distribute answers and addenda through PennBid so potential Offerors receive the same information. Offerors must monitor the platform and acknowledge all addenda. Only the RFP and formally issued addenda bind SRBC; verbal statements do not modify the solicitation.

SRBC reserves the rights provided by its Procurement Procedures Policy No. 2024-01, including rejection and cancellation. Procurement appeals shall follow the policy’s protest/appeal procedure; the policy provides for a written appeal under 18 CFR § 806.15 within ten days of actual notice of a purchasing or award decision, using SRBC’s Notice of Appeal Form. SRBC will retain evaluation documentation in accordance with applicable policy and funding requirements.