19-RFQ-2368778864-TMM LIDAR Services.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT – Hazard Mitigation Program Support North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCEM-HMPS-NCGS)

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION (RFQ):

CONTRACTORS FOR

AERIAL LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) SERVICES

RFQ Application No: 19-RFQ- 2368778864-TMM

Date of Issue: August 24, 2026

Proposal Opening Date: September 15, 2026

At 2:00 PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFQ to:

Melissa Teen Procurement Manager

Melissa.Teen@ncdps.gov mailto:Melissa.Teen@ncdps.gov

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Request for Proposal #

19-RFQ- 2368778864-TMM

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor

Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.

Vendor Name

Vendor eVP#

Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered vendor in good standing. You must enter the vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal). If you do not have a vendor number, register at (click on link) Home · eVP https://evp.nc.gov/

Proposal Number: 19-RFQ- 2368778864-TMM Vendor: __________________________________________

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Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFQ to the procurement lead through the Message Board in the Sourcing Tool. See section 2.5 for details:

Request for Qualification #: 19-RFQ- 2368778864-TMM

Proposals will be publicly opened: September 15 , 2026 at 2:00pm, ET

Using Agency: NCDPS Emergency Management Commodity No. and Description: 811034 - Engineering procurement and project management services Requisition No.: RQ302947

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are proposed, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

▪ this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),

▪ none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and

▪ it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

▪ it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFQ, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any

Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFQ, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL

TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the Ariba Sourcing Tool.

By submitting and agreeing to terms and conditions of this Request for Qualifications, the undersigned Vendor certifies the following:

_____The Vendor’s Proposal is signed by representatives authorized to legally bind the Vendor.

_____The Vendor is willing and able to obtain and furnish insurance certificates required by this RFQ within 10 calendar days after signing the contract.

_____All costs will be mutually agreed upon and included in subsequent Delivery Orders.

_____The Vendor has read and understands the terms and conditions set forth in this Request for Qualifications and agrees to each of them without exception.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

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Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR: FAX NUMBER:

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least ninety (90) days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFQ.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If your proposal is accepted, all provisions of this RFQ, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of NC Department of Public Safety)

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Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFQ TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.4 RFQ SCHEDULE

2.5 RFQ QUESTIONS

2.6 LETTER OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL

2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

2.8 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

3.5 EVALUATION METHOD

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 INVOICES

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY

4.4 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.5 REFERENCES

4.6 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.7 PERSONNEL

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

4.9 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATIONS

5.0 SCOPE OF QUALIFICATIONS

5.1 SCOPE OF SERVICES

5.2 DELIVERY ORDERS AND REPORTING

5.3 DIGITAL DATA

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

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5.5 LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER

6.2 POST AWARD PROJECT REVIEW MEETINGS

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.4 PERIODIC STATUS REPORTS

6.5 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

6.6 TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

6.7 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.8 CONTRACT CHANGES

6.9 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT C: FEMA RULES AND REGULATIONS (2 CFR Part 200, Appendix II)

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

ATTACHMENT H: CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, & COOPERATIVE

AGREEMENTS

ATTACHMENT I: SF254 ARCHITECT-ENGINEER AND RELATED SERVICES QUESTIONNAIRE 36

ATTACHMENT J: SPECIAL PROBLEM REPORT FORM TEMPLATE

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1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCGS), which is administratively located in the Department of Public Safety/North Carolina Emergency Management/ Hazard Mitigation Program Support, intends to award multiple Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) contracts to qualified private surveying firms (henceforth referred to as the “Vendor”). The scope of this request for qualifications covers the use of vendor owned equipment and staff to plan and perform airborne Lidar projects The specifications for this project are the Quality-Level 1 (QL1) specifications currently defined in the most recent revision of the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Lidar Base Specifications (Lidar Base Specification 2022 rev. A) for the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) USGS grant program.

The selection of vendors will be based on the (1) demonstrated competence, and without regard to cost in accordance with North Carolina General Statute 143-64.31 and (2) qualifications of the vendor for the professional services required. Thereafter, the State will negotiate a contract for the surveying services described herein with the best-qualified firm. If a contract cannot be negotiated with the best-qualified firm, negotiations with that firm shall be terminated and initiated with the next best-qualified firm. Through the IDIQ contract, HMPS and the newly selected firm will negotiate an overall general scope of surveying services to be provided in support of the State’s program.

Then, the State will task services through issuing Delivery Orders under the contract as needed to successfully complete the program. Joint Ventures will not be permitted under this contract. Each Letter of Qualification submitted must designate a firm that will be solely under contract with, and report directly to, HMPS. This firm will be considered the prime firm and, as such, will be responsible for subcontracting with and managing its project team member firms. The project team member firms (subcontractors) will also be subject to HMPS approval and held to the Terms and Conditions defined by the State of North Carolina.

Priority order (when funding is available) of project phases is:

▪ Coastal Plain

▪ Piedmont

▪ Piedmont and Northern Mountains

▪ Piedmont and Southern Mountains

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1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have a term of three (3) years, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”). The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within forty-eight (48) hours of notification.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFQ and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

The Request for Qualification is comprised of this RFQ document, any attachments, and any addenda released before the deadline for responses to this RFQ. All attachments and addenda released for this RFQ in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference. Vendor may attach its Letter of Qualifications to this RFQ for submission;

however, any and all additional, modified or conflicting terms and conditions submitted on or with Vendor’s LOQ shall be disregarded and shall not be considered a part of any contract arising from this RFQ. Any attempt to delete or avoid the force of the previous sentence shall render Vendor’s proposal invalid, and it shall not be considered.

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

ATTENTION: This is an NC eProcurement solicitation facilitated by the Ariba Network. The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at (click on link): Home Page | NC eProcurement

What is the Ariba Network?

The Ariba Network is a web-based platform that serves as a connection point for buyers and vendors. Vendors can log in to the Ariba Network to view purchase orders, respond to electronic requests for quotes, participate in Sourcing Events, and collaborate with buyers on contract documents.

For training on how to use the Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site (click on link): Vendor Training | NC eProcurement

NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFQ TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFQ and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFQ.

If Vendors have questions and/or issues regarding any component of this RFQ, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the RFQ QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFQ addendum.

The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal or otherwise.

This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to https://eprocurement.nc.gov/ https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Ver: 07/2026 7 further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

The State may exercise in its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this RFQ Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded.

Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

RFQ SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFQ. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time

Issue RFQ State August 24, 2026

Submit Written Questions Vendor September 2, 2026

Provide Response to

Questions

State September 7, 2026

Submit Proposals Vendor September 15, 2026 by 2:00 pm EST

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Contract Award

Notification

State As soon as applicable after submission

Delivery Orders Negotiated with Best Qualified Firm(s) and Awarded

State Ongoing as needed https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/256175431027965?p=qINlXKL4nejFBgguzH https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYxOWE3N2QtNWFhYy00OWZhLWE1NjItYTEyNjcyY2E1MDNh%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%227a7681dc-b9d0-449a-85c3-ecc26cd7ed19%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2258fe14d5-1c83-4c68-a1a5-b8257b8fa14f%22%7d tel:+19842041487,,910783729 https://dialin.teams.cloud.microsoft/c102d528-0544-4660-b869-294e85047e28?id=910783729 https://www.webex.com/msteams?confid=1110922444&tenantkey=ncgov&domain=m.webex.com

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RFQ QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFQ documents Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFQ in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the RFQ SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Questions related to the content of the solicitation, or the procurement process should be directed to the person on the title page of this document via the Sourcing Tool's message board by the date and time specified in the RFQ SCHEDULE Section of this RFQ. Vendors will enter “RFQ #: 19-RFQ- 2368778864-TMM – Questions” as the subject of the message. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFQ section. This is the only manner in which questions will be received.

Questions or issues related to using the Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM ET to

5:00 PM ET.

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the Sourcing Tool in the form of an addendum and shall become an Addendum to this RFQ. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFQ, shall be considered authoritative or binding.

Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the RFQ and an addendum to this RFQ.

LETTER OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late Letters of Qualifications, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its Letter of Qualifications has been received as described in this RFQ by the specified time and date of opening. Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with instructions provided shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s proposal(s). Solicitation responses are subject to Sealed Proposal requirements.

Vendor’s LOQs for this procurement vehicle must be submitted through the Sourcing Tool. For training on how to use the Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site: Vendor Training | NC eProcurement

Questions or issues related to using the Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to

5:00 PM EST.

Tips for Using the Sourcing Tool

1. Vendors should review available training and confirm that they are able to access the Sourcing Event, enter responses, and upload files well in advance of the date and time responses are due to allow sufficient time to seek assistance from the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk.

2. Vendors may submit their responses early to make sure there are no issues and then submit a revised response any time prior to the response due date and time. The State will only review the most recent response.

3. Vendors should respond to all relevant sections of the Sourcing Event. Certain questions or items are required in order to submit a response and are denoted with an asterisk. The Sourcing Tool will not allow a response to be submitted unless all required items are completed. The Sourcing Tool will provide error messages to help identify any required information that is missing when response is submitted.

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4. Simply saving your response in the Sourcing Tool is not the same as submitting your response to the State.

Vendors should make sure they complete the submission process and receive a message that their response was successfully submitted.

5. Only Letters of Qualifications submitted through the Content Section of the Ariba Sourcing Event will be considered. Proposals submitted through the Message Board will not be accepted or considered for award.

If confidential and proprietary information is included in the LOQ, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-152 and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.

If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, the Department may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

E-MAILING

In response to this Request for Qualifications, proposals may be submitted via e-mail to Melissa Teen at Melissa.Teen@ncdps.gov. Submission by any means shall include this RFQ, as provided in Section 2.6. If information needs to be redacted, provide a separate response titled redacted copy with the submission.

Vendors shall deliver to the address identified in the table above one (1) original, two (2) copies and one (1) electronic copy (un-redacted) of its executed proposal on a flash drive, and, if required for confidentiality, one (1) redacted copy of its proposal (with all marked proprietary and confidential information redacted) on a separate flash drive. Clearly mark on the electronic media whether it contains a redacted or un-redacted copy.

Clearly mark each package with: (1) Vendor name; (2) the RFQ number; and (3) the due date. Address the package(s) for delivery as shown in the table, above. File contents shall NOT be password-protected but, shall be in .PDF or .XLS format, and shall be capable of being copied to other sources.

Failure to submit a response proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s proposal(s).

Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFQ. It is important that all Vendors responding to this RFQ periodically check the State’s IPS website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the RFQ opening date.

All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFQ and all Addenda thereto.

Contact with anyone working for or with the State regarding this RFQ other than the State Contract Lead named on the face page shall constitute grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s proposal at the State’s election.

PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall provide responses to all questions and complete all attachments for this RFQ that require the Vendor to provide information and upload them to the Sourcing Event in the Sourcing Tool. Vendor may not be able to submit its response in the Sourcing Tool unless all required items are addressed. Vendors shall provide authorized signatures where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in the State rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the State’s sole discretion.

mailto:Melissa.Teen@ncdps.gov

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The below items are required to be submitted by the Vendor; failure to include any of the below items may result in rejection of the Vendor’s proposal:

a) Signed Documentation Completed and signed version of EXECUTION PAGE (page 1 of this RFQ), along with the body of the RFQ as outlined.

Vendors must execute and acknowledge that they have read, understood and will be bound by all provisions and requirements set forth in this RFQ and all Attachments.

b) Cover Letter A cover letter shall be included from the Vendors interested in the project. The letter is limited to 2 pages and shall contain the following information:

i. Expression of firm’s interest in the project.

ii. Overview of project team members (subcontractors) and the members’ proposed roles on the project.

iii. Statement regarding the firm’s and team members’ potential conflicts of interest for this project.

iv. Summation of information contained in the Letter of Qualification.

v. Listing of any civil or criminal indictments, guilty pleas, or convictions of offenses involving the

Vendor or any principal within the past 5 years.

vi. Vendor’s project contact person, address, telephone number, FAX number, and email address.

c) Qualification Requirements

This section shall contain information specifically addressing the Evaluation Criteria as outlined in Section 3.4

i. Understanding of project approach.

ii. Identification of project personnel qualifications as related to this project.

iii. Overview of any innovative approaches to be used.

iv. List of equipment (field and office) and software that is available for use on this project.

v. Present and projected workload and manpower availability, including that of teaming subcontractors.

d) Supporting Documentation This section shall contain the following information:

i. Organizational chart of the proposed team for the project, defining prime firm and subcontractors.

ii. One-page resumes of key personnel to be used on the project and their anticipated role (include professional registration information, such as license numbers). The Vendor agrees that it shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior notification to the Contract Lead. The individuals designated as key personnel for purposes of the Contract are those specified in the Vendor proposal.

iii. Overall summary of personnel to be assigned by discipline and professional licensing.

iv. Documentation that the Professional Land Surveyor in responsible charge of the work is a licensed

Professional Land Surveyor in the State of North Carolina in good standing with the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors.

v. Documentation that prime and subcontractors that are proposed to be performing land surveying are licensed in the State of North Carolina in good standing with the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors in accordance with Chapter 89C of the North Carolina General Statutes.

vi. Documentation that the prime firm and any of its corporate subsidiaries to be used on the program, as well as all team members, are properly registered to do business in North Carolina with the Office of the Secretary of State.

vii. Letters of commitment for the program from the proposed subcontractors.

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viii. The following sections from the Vendor’s written and current standard operations procedures manual for field personnel: 1). Table of Contents 2). Chapter on Field Study. If neither document is available, so state.

ix. Written or graphical evidence (e.g. plat of survey, control data sheets, and Table of Contents from a report of survey) of the Vendor’s ability to perform an aerial imagery QC survey that meets or exceeds the accuracy requirements of this project.

e) Section 4.2 Financial Stability

f) Section 4.4 Vendor Experience

g) Section 4.5 References

h) Section 5.0 Scope of Qualification

i) All Attachments to this RFQ, including signatures, where indicated

j) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFQ.

2.8 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this RFQ are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found in the Sourcing Tool, which are incorporated herein by this reference.

The following definitions, acronyms, and abbreviations are also relevant to this RFQ:

1. AGENCY SPECIFIC TERM CONTRACT: A contract generally intended to cover all normal requirements for a commodity for a specified period of time based on estimated quantities for a single entity.

2. ADDENDUM / ADDENDA: When the terms, conditions, specifications, responses to inquiries from Vendors and/or scope(s) of work are changed, removed, and/or added prior to the public opening of the proposals, an addendum addressing the nature of such change(s) will be issued in writing by DPS Purchasing & Logistics.

When required, Vendors must sign and include an addendum and include it in the proposal. Failure to sign and return this type of addendum will, in most cases, result in the rejection of the proposal.

3. AMENDMENT: a document issued to supplement the original solicitation document.

4. AUDIT: The contract(s) awarded pursuant to this RFQ are subject to audits by state and federal agencies and/or their authorized independent auditors. The auditors may conduct reviews and audits of contract performance, financial and/or forensic/fraud audits.

5. BAFO: Best and Final Offer, submitted by a Vendor to alter its initial bid/proposal, made in response to a request by the issuing agency.

6. BASE FLOOD ELEVATION (BFE): The elevation shown on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) that indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1% chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.

7. BRIC: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities

8. BUYER: The employee of the State or Other Eligible Entity that places an order with the Vendor.

9. COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Any of the fifty-eight (58) public North Carolina Community Colleges.

10. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR: Representative of the Department of Public Safety responsible for providing daily technical oversight of the contract and making sure the Vendor performs according to the technical requirements of the contract.

11. CONTRACT LEAD: Representative of the AGENCY identified on the first page of this solicitation document who will correspond with potential Vendors concerning solicitation issues and will contract with the Vendor providing the best offer to the State and is the individual who will administer The Contract for the State.

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12. CONTRACT OFFICER: Representative of the Department of Public Safety who corresponds with potential

Vendors in order to identify and contract with that Vendor providing the greatest benefit to the State and who will administer the contract for the State.

13. CONTRACTOR or CONTRACTORS: The Contractors, firms, or vendors that submit proposals in response to this Request for Qualification.

14. CTP: Cooperating Technical Partner

15. CTS: Cooperating Technical State

16. DELIVERY ORDERS: Specific, written authorization to perform the task(s) listed therein after the Vendor has been deemed “Qualified” under a Request for Qualifications and when directed by NCEM-HM to do so.

17. DESIGN FLOOD ELEVATION (DFE): The regulatory flood protection elevation adopted by the local community equal to the base flood elevation plus freeboard and wave action, if applicable.

18. DPS: Department of Public Safety

19. E-PROCUREMENT SERVICES: The program, system, and associated services through which the State conducts electronic procurement.

20. FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency.

21. FFE: First floor elevation of a structure. Depending on the flood zone, the FFE may be taken as the top of the first-floor system or the bottom of the lowest structural member within the first-floor system.

22. FMA: Flood Mitigation Assistance

23. FOB-DESTINATION: Title changes hand from Vendor to purchaser at the destination point of the shipment;

Vendor owns commodity in transit and files any claims, and Vendor pays all freight and any related transportation charges. A solicitation may request a Vendor to separately identify freight charges in its bid/proposal, but no amount or charge not included as part of the total bid/proposal price will be paid.

24. FRIS: North Carolina’s Flood Risk Information System: (fris.nc.gov)

25. HM: Hazard Mitigation

26. HMPS: Hazard Mitigation Program Support

27. IDIQ: Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity

28. IFB: Invitation for Bids/Proposals (a type of solicitation document)

29. IPS: Interactive Purchasing Service

30. LETTER OF QUALIFICATIONS: The vender response/ submittal to the Request for Qualifications.

31. LOT: A grouping of similar products within this solicitation document.

32. MAY: Denotes that which is permissible, not mandatory.

33. NCEM: North Carolina Emergency Management

34. OFFER: the bid or proposal submitted in response this solicitation. The terms Bid and Proposal are used interchangeably with the term Offer.

35. OFFEROR: the single legal entity submitting the offer. The term Bidder/Proposer is used interchangeably with the term Offeror. See bidding/proposal provisions entitled Signing Your Offer and Bid/Proposal As Offer To Contract.

36. ON-TIME DELIVERY: The delivery of all items within a single order to the receiving point designated by the ordering entity within the delivery time required.

37. OPENING DATE: Responses will only be accepted up until the specified time and date listed in the bid/proposal and then publicly opened. NO responses will be opened after that time and date.

38. PLS: Professional Land Surveyor, licensed in the State of North Carolina.

39. PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS: The principal place from which the overall trade or business of the Vendor is directed or managed.

40. PROJECT MANAGER: The Vendor shall designate, and make available to the State, a project manager. The project manager shall be the Vendor point of contact to the State for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling, and service.

41. QA/QC: Quality Assurance and Quality Control. Corrective or preventative measures taken to identify and prevent issues and /or non-compliant work.

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42. QUALIFIED PROPOSAL: The proposal’s compliance with mandatory submission requirements such as the correct number of copies, authorized signatures, and proof of insurability, as required in response to this RFQ.

43. REDACTED: Edited copy of the Vendor proposal response with Proprietary and/or Confidential information excluded/removed.

44. RESPONSIBLE: Refers to a Vendor who demonstrates in its Offer that it has the capability to perform the requirements of the solicitation.

45. RESPONSIVE: Refers to an Offer that conforms to the Requirements of the solicitation in all respects to be considered by the State for award.

46. RFI: Request for Information (a type of solicitation document that does not result in a contract)

47. RFP: Request for Proposals (a type of solicitation document)

48. RFQ: Request for Qualifications (a type of solicitation document); in the eProcurement system, RFQs are received through the Collaborative Requisitioning process

49. SCOPE OF WORK: The agreed upon duties and responsibilities of the contracted surveying firms resulting from this RFQ.

50. SERVICES OR SERVICE DELIVERABLES: The tasks and duties undertaken by the Vendor to fulfill the requirements and specifications of this solicitation.

51. SHALL or MUST: Denotes that which is a mandatory requirement. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement will result in the rejection of the proposal.

52. SHOULD: Denotes that which is recommended, not mandatory.

53. SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA (SFHA): The land in the floodplain within a community subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. Also, an area having special flood, mudflow, or flood-related erosion hazards and appearing on a Flood Hazard Boundary Map or a FIRM as Zone A, AO, A1-A30, AE, A99, AH, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/AH, AR/AO, AR/A1-A30, V1-V30, VE or V.

54. STATE: The State of North Carolina, including any of its sub-units and political subdivisions recognized under North Carolina law.

55. STATE AGENCY: Any of the more than 400 sub-units within the executive branch of the State, including its departments, boards, commissions, institutions of higher education and other institutions.

56. STATE DEPARTMENTS: Department of Administration, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Department of Commerce, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Information Technology, Department of Insurance, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, Department of Public Instruction, Department of Public Safety, Department of Revenue, Department of State Treasurer, Office of the Secretary of the State, Department of Transportation, Wildlife Resources Commission, Office of Budget and Management, Office of the Governor, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Office of The State Auditor, Office of the State Controller

57. THE CONTRACT: A contract resulting from or arising out of Vendor responses to this solicitation document.

58. UNREDACTED: copy of the Vendors proposal response unedited including all confidential and/or proprietary information

59. VENDOR: Supplier, bidder, proposer, company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual or other entity submitting a response to a Solicitation document. Following award of a contract, the term refers to an entity receiving such an award.

60. WORK: All labor, materials, equipment, services, or property of any type, provided or to be provided by the Vendor to fulfill the Vendor’s obligations under the Contract.

61. YOU and YOUR: Offeror.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

Contracts will be awarded in accordance with G.S. 143-64.31 and the evaluation criteria set out in this RFQ. Prospective Vendors shall not be discriminated against on the basis of any prohibited grounds as defined by Federal and State law.

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All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award(s) will be made based on Vendors scoring.

While the intent of this RFQ is to award a Contract(s) to multiple Vendors, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more items, to not award any portion of the RFQ or to cancel this RFQ in its entirety without awarding a contract if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.

The status of a Vendor’s E-Procurement Services account(s) shall be considered a relevant factor in determining whether to approve the award of a contract under this RFQ. Any Vendor with an E-Procurement Services account that is in arrears for 91 days or more at the time of RFQ opening may, at the State’s discretion, be disqualified from further evaluation or consideration.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this RFQ is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation.

Each Vendor submitting a proposal to this RFQ, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the purchaser named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFQ, or inquiries directed to the purchaser named in this RFQ regarding requirements of the RFQ (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFQ SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the RFQ SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the LOQ from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided proposals) will be evaluated.

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3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation of firms submitting for this work will be based on the following evaluation criteria. Whether the evaluation will consider the prime firm’s qualifications only or also consider the proposed subcontractors is indicated in the description of each criterion. Additionally, the respective weight for each criterion is indicated in parentheses:

(TOTAL 100 Points)

Proposal Narrative (80 Points)

The Vendor shall use this section to describe in documented narrative form how it provides its clients (present and former) with “best value” service, which means:

a) Offering and performing high quality surveying according to standards and specifications equal to or exceeding in all respects those being requested by HMPS for this particular RFQ.

b) Conducting all contracted work and delivering all contracted work products in a timely manner, at a reasonable cost, and within budget.

c) Vendor’s past experience performing aerial imagery quality control surveys.

This section shall include clear and convincing evidence to support all claims and statements:

• VENDOR EXPERIENCE per Section 4.4

• PROPOSAL CONTENTS per Section 2.7

• SCOPES OF SERVICES per Section 5.1

• CONTRACT TERM per Section 1.1

Supportive Information and Exhibits Per Section 2.6 (15 Points)

The Vendor shall describe/provide:

• Organizational chart for proposed project team

• Resumes of key personnel to be assigned; and their anticipated role (include professional registration

• information, such as license numbers)

• Summary of personnel to be assigned by discipline and professional licensing

• Vendor Operations Procedures Manual o Table of Contents o Chapter on Field Study

• Written or graphical evidence (e.g., project report,) demonstrating the Vendor’s ability to perform the work required for this RFQ.

Financial Statement (5 Points)

Most recent annual balance sheet, income statement/statement of retained earnings and cash flow statement, or most recent statement of financial condition by an independent auditor per Section 4.2 FINANCIAL

STABILITY.

In addition to providing the above, each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing the ATTACHMENT G:

CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State/HMPS is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from Contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State/HMPS within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification.

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It is the intent of NCEM-HMS-NGS to evaluate the proposals based on criteria defined above. Upon evaluation, a short list will be developed from firms scoring 90 or more of the available points.

The selection of Vendor(s) will be based on demonstrated competence and qualification for the professional services required without regard to cost in accordance with N.C. General Statute § 143-64.31. Thereafter, the State will negotiate a contract for the surveying and related services described herein with the best qualified firm(s).

Through the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, North Carolina Emergency Management, Hazard Mitigation Support, North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCEM-HMPS) and the selected Vendor(s) will negotiate an overall, general scope of surveying and mapping services to be provided in support of the State’s program. Then, NCEM-HMPS may order services through issuing Delivery Orders under the contract as needed to successfully complete the program.

3.5 EVALUATION METHOD

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in LOQs received.

The State shall evaluate the Letters of Qualifications submitted in response to this RFQ to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements. It is the intent of NCEM-HM to evaluate the proposals based on the criteria defined herein. Upon evaluation, a short-list will be developed from firms scoring 90 or more of the available points.

The State may request additional formal responses or submissions from any or all Vendors for the purpose of clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the Vendor’s proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the State is not required to request clarification, and often does not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. The details of the presentations will be coordinated through the DPS Contract Officer. Short-listed firms requiring presentations will be notified in writing regarding the time, location, and format approximately one week prior to the presentation.

The selection of Vendor(s) will be based on demonstrated competence and qualification for the professional services required without regard to cost in accordance with N.C. General Statute § 143-64.31. Thereafter, the State will negotiate a contract for the surveying and related services described herein with the best qualified firm(s).

Through the IDIQ contract, NCEM-HMPS and the selected Vendor(s) will negotiate an overall, general scope of surveying services to be provided in support of the State’s program. Then, NCEM-HMPS may order services through issuing Delivery Orders under the contract as needed to successfully complete the program.

3.6 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFQ, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

a) Total cost to the State

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

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d) Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

f) Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.7 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFQ serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the State; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State’s needs as described in the RFQ. Except as specifically stated in the RFQ, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the State exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFQ. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this RFQ.