Rev. 20240823 i 2026-05-21

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

OWNER’S ADVISOR AND DESIGN SERVICES FOR

MERCY WEST ADVANCED TREATMENT SYSTEM (MWATS) PROJECT

RFQ # 265X901171

Direct questions or information requests related to this RFQ to:

joshua.tucker@cincinnati-oh.gov

SCHEDULE

Release Date May 21, 2026

Pre-submittal Meeting June 2, 2026, 10:00 AM (Cincinnati, Ohio Time)

RFQ Questions / Comments Deadline June 9, 2026, 1:30 PM (Cincinnati, Ohio Time)

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE /TIME June 23, 2026 1:30 PM (Cincinnati, Ohio Time)

Evaluation Dates June 22 – June 30, 2026

Negotiation and Award BY OR BEFORE August 1, 2026 https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/

All proposals must be submitted electronically only via the City’s Bonfire website portal at the above link.

Response submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted. See “RFQ Submissions” at Section

1.10 below for details.

NOTE: Consult the information about this offer on the City of Cincinnati Internet web site at www.msdgc.org., which also includes the rules and registration information about the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise Program.

Offeror may register as a City vendor online at https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4.

mailto:joshua.tucker@cincinnati-oh.gov http://www.msdgc.org/ https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4

RFQ 265X901171

Rev. 20240823 ii 2026-05-21

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

OWNER’S ADVISOR AND DESIGN SERVICES FOR

MWATS PROJECT

Table of Contents

1. REQUEST

1.1. INTRODUCTION

1.2. GENERAL BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION

1.3. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION

1.4. SCOPE OF SERVICES

1.5. QUALIFICATIONS

1.6. TIMETABLE

1.7. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CONCERNING THE RFQ

1.8. PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING

1.9. PREVENTING UNFAIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

1.10. RFQ SUBMISSIONS AND LOCATION

1.11. COMPETITION INTENDED

1.12. SELECTION PROCESS AND AWARD CRITERIA

1.13. PROCESS FOR ENTERING INTO PROFESSIONAL AGREEMENT

1.14. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1.15. CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION

1.16. VENDORS INELIGIBLE TO CONTRACT OR SUBCONTRACT WITH THE CITY

1.17. CHANGES AND ADDENDA TO RFQ DOCUMENTS

1.18. MSDGC SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

1.19. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

1.20. MSDGC EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

1.21. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

2. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3. SUBMITTALS

3.1. AUTHORIZATION OF SUBMITTAL

3.2. CONTENT AND FORM OF SUBMITTAL; QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE

3.3. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY

3.4. EXCEPTIONS

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1. REQUEST

1.1. INTRODUCTION

The City of Cincinnati, through its Department of Sewers (the “City”), as the sole management agency for the operation and maintenance of the sewer system on behalf of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (“MSDGC”) is issuing this Request for Qualifications (hereinafter “RFQ”), pursuant to the provisions of applicable Ohio law and MSDGC policy, from parties (hereinafter “Offeror”). Offeror shall provide the City with assistance for the purpose of completing the activities associated with the Scope of Services, below.

1.2. GENERAL BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION

MSDGC provides wastewater collection and treatment for various municipal and unincorporated populations of Hamilton County, which has over 800,000 residents, as well as services to portions of Butler, Clermont, and Warren Counties. MSDGC’s service area covers more than 400 square miles. Over 200,000 separate sewer connections tie into MSDGC’s 3,000+ miles of sanitary and combined sewers. MSDGC operates seven major wastewater treatment facilities, numerous pump stations and several wet weather facilities. The treatment plants include Mill Creek, Little Miami, Muddy Creek, Sycamore Creek, Polk Run, Taylor Creek, and Indian Creek Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). The greater Cincinnati area is also home to a large industrial and commercial user base. MSDGC has the authority to regulate and monitor industrial discharges to its sanitary and combined sewer systems through an approved Industrial Pretreatment Program

(IPP).

The Board of County Commissioners of Hamilton County, Ohio (the “Board”) created MSDGC in 1968. MSDGC is operated under a 50-year contractual agreement with the City. The agreement consolidated the City sewerage services (its own and contractual services provided to 20+ other Hamilton County political subdivisions) with those of Hamilton County’s Sewer District No. 1.

Under the agreement, the City provides exclusive management of the sewer district’s services, per the requirements as outlined in Chapter 6117 of the Revised Code of Ohio, while the Board funds its operating and capital budgets, sets rate structures, and determines its rules and regulations.

1.3. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION

Of growing public health concern is the “silent pandemic” known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which was associated with over 883,000 deaths in high-income countries and 4.7 million deaths globally in 2021. This family of emerging contaminants, specifically antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and the antimicrobial compounds that select for them, are excreted by humans in large quantities. Mortality from AMR is growing and has been projected to be as much as cancer by the middle of this century without control measures.

WWTPs play a direct role in controlling AMR through the reduction of human fecal bacteria.

However, more complete removal of ARBs and ARGs requires treatment (e.g., membrane filtration, advanced oxidation) which is costly at large scales. An alternative to mitigating AMR is

Rev. 20240823 Page | 2 2026-05-21 smaller scale advanced treatment of hotspots associated with high volume of antibiotic usages prior to discharge into the sewers. Hospitals are considered such a hotspot, and many studies have shown a relatively higher concentration of AMR is hospital versus domestic wastewater.

However, no study to date has evaluated the impact of hospital wastewater pretreatment on the overall loading, and subsequent discharge, of AMR within a wastewater collection/treatment system.

The Taylor Creek WWTP sewershed offers an excellent opportunity to evaluate the efficacy and value of eliminating a hospital source of AMR into a WWTP via treatment of hospital wastewater prior to discharge to the sewer system. The Taylor Creek WWTP sewershed includes a single major hospital (Mercy West) whose wastewater is collected at a pump station wet well and subsequently pumped into the collection system. MSDGC, in collaboration with USEPA, intends to divert the hospital wastewater at the wet well into an advanced treatment facility (Mercy West Advanced Treatment System - MWATS) where ARBs and ARGs will be separated and reduced via a membrane bioreactor (MBR), with any residual AMR organisms being destroyed via a subsequent advanced oxidation process (AOP). The resulting treated wastewater will then be discharged to the collection system. Initial system sizing, based on influent flow metering, is 77,000 gallons per day average flow (200,000 gpd peak hourly).

To evaluate the efficacy and value of this effort at reducing WWTP AMR discharges, monitoring for ARBs and ARGs by USEPA will be conducted at the Taylor Creek WWTP (influent and effluent), the MWATS (influent and effluent), and selected background sites in the collection system. In addition, the performance of the MWATS in eliminating hospital AMR sources and other contaminants will be assessed. One year of pre-installation sewershed characterization is planned to initiate in May or June 2026 followed by one-year post-installation monitoring of treatment system and sewershed.

This evaluation will be directly applicable to MSDGC’s facilities; however, it will also serve as an example for other utilities to benefit from studying its findings. Furthermore, the MWATS will be designed such that it will be able to be redeployed at other locations within the MSDGC system for treatment of other AMR sources and/or other emerging contaminant sources.

MSDGC intends that the design, construction, and operation of the MWATS be executed through a design, build, operate contract with an approximate 2-year duration. Development of bid documents, oversight of bid evaluation and contract execution will be performed by an Owner’s Adviser. It is anticipated that some site preparation will also be required and may be executed through a design-bid-build project execution. Project execution timeline to be accelerated to the extent possible to align with proposed study schedule. Limited additional planning is anticipated to facilitate project acceleration.

The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was signed on November 15, 2021. Significant investment for water and wastewater infrastructure improvements is provided through the BIL and is to be funded via State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs over a 5-year period (2022-2026).

For Ohio’s clean water SRF, two BIL-funded capitalization grants will be available in PY 2025 including a Supplemental grant and Emerging Contaminants (EC) grant. A percentage of each

Rev. 20240823 Page | 3 2026-05-21 grant must be offered as principal forgiveness (PF) and Clean Water BIL EC grant funding will be available as 100% principal forgiveness. Although the name is different, in practical application principal forgiveness functions much like a grant: the eligible capital costs of the project are reduced by the principal forgiveness amount, thereby eliminating a portion of the principal (and interest) that the borrower must repay. Direct discussions with Ohio EPA have taken place and Ohio EPA has indicated this project would be eligible for EC funding.

The following additional documentation is available through the City’s Bonfire website portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/:

• Pumping System Design Drawings

• Project initial concept document

1.4. SCOPE OF SERVICES

A general outline of work required is provided in this RFQ. It is not intended to be all-inclusive, as a detailed scope of work will be developed during negotiations with the selected Offeror. It is anticipated that Owner’s Advisor services shall be provided to support the referenced project potentially during all phases of the project lifecycle including but not limited to study, planning, design, and construction / closeout. The anticipated term of the contract resulting from this RFQ is three (3) years with two (2) one-year extensions for a possible total duration of five (5) years.

The general services to be provided are the necessary technical and project management support as the Owner’s Advisor and site designer for successful execution of the MWATS Project. General scope of work includes but shall not be limited to:

• Owner Advisor Project Manager to serve as Owner’s advocate on behalf of MSD by supporting MSD Project Manager.

• Provide project delivery best practices from project planning through procurement, design and project construction / implementation including development of project execution plan

• Preparation of Design-Builder-Operator RFP Specifications and Bid Documents

• Preparation of site preparation design and bid documents including pumping system(s), power and instrumentation connections and ROW needs analysis

• Support the procurement process including proposal review assistance, clarifying requirements during procurement and design

• Support contract(s) execution including technical submittal review, construction monitoring, field services, start-up and acceptance activities

• Manage and monitor project progression of scope, schedule, and budget

• Collaborate and facilitate with designers, contractors, other internal, and third-party advisors

• Assistance with Ohio EPA SRF reporting requirements and Ohio EPA interface

• Technical support in responding to study team requests for information

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Note: All finished products and documents shall be the sole property of MSDGC.

1.5. QUALIFICATIONS

The statement of qualification must contain the following information:

1. Resumes of key technical personnel who will be assigned to the project.

2. A list of similar projects completed by the firm and the firm’s personnel to be assigned to this project. The list shall include the name of the client/contact person and a telephone number for each reference project.

3. If the firm has more than one office, a statement as to the amount of work to be completed in each office, i.e., the primary location/office for each of the key technical personnel to be assigned to this project; the type of work to be completed in each office and the percentage of the total project work to be completed in each office.

4. A list of any subconsultants that are to be used on this project. Indicate the type of work to be completed by each subconsultant and the percentage of the total project work to be completed by each subconsultant.

5. A statement detailing the firm’s approach in undertaking the Owner’s Advisor role on the project.

6. A statement detailing the firm’s approach to anticipated special design aspects/issues, such as maintenance of traffic at a hospital entrance, system arrangement on a tight hill-side site, maintaining sewer flows, etc. The details of this information should be related to the complexity of the proposed project or the importance of the issue to the design and construction of the improvements.

7. A statement of the firm’s current workload and the anticipated workload for next year.

The format of Qualifications submittals for this RFQ are provided in Section 2 of this document.

1.6. TIMETABLE

Milestones for the Process are:

Release Date May 21, 2026

Pre-submittal Meeting June 2, 2026, 10:00 AM (Cincinnati, Ohio Time)

RFQ Questions / Comments Deadline June 9, 2026, 1:30 PM (Cincinnati, Ohio Time)

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE /TIME June 23, 2026 1:30 PM (Cincinnati, Ohio Time)

Evaluation Dates June 22 – June 30, 2026

Negotiation and Award BY OR BEFORE August 1, 2026

1.7. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS CONCERNING THE RFQ

The City will only entertain written questions or comments concerning this RFQ by the deadline provided above. These must be sent electronically to:

joshua.tucker@cincinnati-oh.gov.

mailto:joshua.tucker@cincinnati-oh.gov

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1.8. PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING

The City intends to conduct a pre-submittal meeting for the project. The pre-submittal meeting date, time and location of the pre-submittal meeting will either be identified on the project’s web page or will be identified in an addendum. A pre-submittal meeting, if one is to be held, is not a mandatory requirement.

1.9. PREVENTING UNFAIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

Fairness and transparency in the procurement process require that Offerors competing for a specific project do not derive a competitive advantage from having provided services related to the project/contract/work assignment in question. To that end, pursuant to Administrative Regulation No. 62, a firm, and each of its affiliates, hired to provide services for the preparation or implementation of a project shall be disqualified from any subsequent procurement solicitation to provide goods, works, or services resulting from or directly related to the firm’s services for such preparation or implementation, unless an exception is made by the City Manager in writing.

1.10. RFQ SUBMISSIONS AND LOCATION

The Offeror shall develop a written response to this RFQ structured to comply with the Qualifications Questionnaire and its Attachments.

While each Statement of Qualifications will be considered objectively, the City assumes no obligation to accept or take action on any Statement of Qualifications. The City assumes no liability for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting any Statements of Qualifications.

An electronic Statement of Qualifications must be submitted through the City’s Bonfire website portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/. Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, or e-mail will not be accepted.

Important notes:

• Logging in and/or uploading your file(s) does not mean your response is submitted.

Offerors must successfully upload all file(s) and must click the submit button before closing time.

• You will receive an email confirmation receipt with a unique confirmation number once you finalize your submission. This will confirm that you have successfully submitted your Statement of Qualifications.

• If a requested file is mandatory, you will not be able to complete your submission until the requirement is met.

• Uploading large documents may take time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed.

• Please note the type (.doc, .pdf, etc.) and number of files (one only or multiple) allowed.

The maximum file size for upload is 1,000 MB. Please do not embed any documents within your uploaded files, as they will not be accessible or evaluated.

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For technical questions or issues related to your submission, please contact the Bonfire support team directly at support@gobonfire.com or 1 (800) 354-8010, ext. 2. The support team is available Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET.

You can also visit their help forum at https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc.

Late submittals will not be accepted.

• Any Qualifications submitted past the date and time outlined in this RFQ WILL be rendered as “non-responsive” by the City.

• Proposals/Statements of Qualifications can be withdrawn at any time until the deadline date, at which time proposals/Statements of Qualifications will be considered firm and become the property of the City and will not be returned. Offeror must login to the City’s Bonfire website portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/ to withdraw their submission through the system. If resubmitting, Offeror is responsible for submitting prior to the closing time and receiving a new email confirmation receipt.

1.11. COMPETITION INTENDED

Competition shall be generated to the maximum extent practicable, including opportunities for small business enterprises through the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program. This project shall have a 13% SBE inclusion goal.

1.12. SELECTION PROCESS AND AWARD CRITERIA

The City will evaluate submittals to achieve the most qualified Offeror.

The City intends to enter into a contract for the subject matter covered under this RFQ. Selection of an Offeror or Offerors and subsequent award of a contract will comply with applicable Ohio law, and MSDGC policies.

At the City's discretion, interviews may be scheduled with Offerors, as needed, to clarify qualifications for the purpose of further evaluating the Offeror's submittal prior to final selection of an Offeror. The City may choose to select an Offeror without conducting interviews.

1.12.1. The City has established the following responsiveness criteria as the basis for evaluating an Offeror’s submittal to this RFQ. If an Offeror’s submittal does not meet the criteria listed below, it may be rendered as “non-responsive” by the City.

Responsiveness of Submittals

OVERALL CRITERIA

• Was submittal received by MSDGC by specified date and time?

• Did Offeror submit one (1) original electronic version of the required submittal forms?

mailto:support@gobonfire.com https://bonfirehub.zendesk.com/hc

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Responsiveness of Submittals

• Was the Affidavit of Accuracy and Signature Page properly signed and was the original notarized Affidavit and appropriate documentation of signatory authorization submitted?

REQUIREMENTS

• Did Offeror submit Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 0 – Offeror Corporate and Contact Information with the submittal?

• Did Offeror submit Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 1 – Qualification Summary Statement with the submittal?

Did Offeror submit narrative and adhere to the page limit?

• Did Offeror submit Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 2 – Key Personnel with the submittal?

Did Offeror submit the List of Key Personnel?

Did Offeror submit Key Personnel resumes and adhere to the two-page limit per resume?

Did Offeror submit the narrative and adhere to the page limit?

Did Offeror submit an organizational chart?

• Did Offeror submit Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 3 – Project Approach and Management with the submittal?

Did Offeror submit the narrative and adhere to the page limit?

• Did Offeror submit Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 4 – Similar Completed Projects with the submittal?

Did Offeror submit the List of Similar Completed Projects and include no more than six similar projects completed in the past five (5) years?

Did Offeror adhere to the two-page limit per project for each detailed project description?

• Did Offeror submit Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 5 – Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Participation and Professional Services Rating Rubric with the submittal?

Did Offeror propose to meet or exceed the advertised SBE goal?

Did Offeror provide a Statement of Intent to Contract and Perform Form for each SBE subconsultant who will be used on the project?

(The form is included in the Qualifications Questionnaire.)

Did Offeror provide an RFP/Q Subconsultant Utilization Plan (Statement of Intent to Utilize Firms) Form? (The form is included in the Qualifications Questionnaire.)

• Did Offeror submit an Affidavit of Accuracy and Signature Page with the submittal?

1.12.2. The City will review and rank all Offeror’s submittals that are received on or before the deadline. The City will then select the Offeror that is most qualified.

1.12.3. The following evaluation factors set forth below will be taken into consideration for the determination of which Offeror is most qualified:

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Evaluation Criteria Max. Weight

Overall Qualifications of Offeror 15%

Qualifications of Key Personnel 30%

Project Approach and Management 20%

Similar Completed Projects 15%

Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Participation 20%

Total 100%

1.12.4. Overall Qualifications of Offeror (Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 1 –

Qualification Summary Statement)

1.12.4.1. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror based on information provided in the categories of overall qualifications, applicable experience, Offeror composition and multiple offices.

1.12.4.2. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror’s experience in providing services as an Owner’s Advisor for design-build projects, specifically as it relates to disinfection, plant pump stations, high-rate treatment, plant processes, and its’ ability to provide the required services described herein.

1.12.5. Qualifications of Key Personnel (Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 2 – Key Personnel)

1.12.5.1. Under this section the City will evaluate the Offeror based on information provided in the categories of organizational chart, connection to submitted projects, personnel commitment and continuity of project personnel.

1.12.5.2. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror’s personnel; especially the training, education, and experience of the employees who would be assigned to perform the services. The Offeror shall identify the specialized skills and disciplines that will be required to complete the work, including demonstrable knowledge of and experience with design-build procurement model and site and system design. The City will also evaluate the Offeror’s demonstrable ability to provide support for the Project Team in each phase of the project and provide estimating and construction management services as defined herein.

1.12.5.3. Under this section, the Offeror shall provide resumes of key personnel from all firms that are members of the Project Team.

1.12.6. Project Approach and Management (Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 3 – Project Approach and Management)

1.12.6.1. Under this section the City will evaluate the Offeror based on information provided in the categories of general approach, project specific issues, qualified and appropriate staffing, schedule and responsiveness to owner.

1.12.6.2. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror’s project understanding and project approach to the specific needs and complexity of

Rev. 20240823 Page | 9 2026-05-21 the project. Additionally, the ability to complete the agreed scope and satisfy the agreed schedule will be evaluated.

1.12.6.3. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror’s statements of approach for the project as an Owner’s Advisor with consideration of:

1. How the Offeror will organize and perform tasks in each phase of the project,

2. How the Offeror will identify critical milestones and ensure progress,

3. How the Offeror will address contingencies that may arise during the project,

4. How the Offeror will facilitate project risk assessment,

5. How the Offeror will manage the project budget, schedule and scope, and

6. How the Offeror will ensure quality control.

The City will also evaluate under this section the Offeror’s approach to advocate for the City while maintaining professional relationships with consultants and contractors during the project and the Offeror’s approach to help the City make important decisions during the project by collecting and interpreting technical information from the design consultant and contractor.

1.12.6.4. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror’s statements of approach for the project as a site designer with consideration of such issues as:

1. How the Offeror will consider system arrangement on a tight sight,

2. How the Offeror will consider construction aside a hospital entrance blvd.,

3. How the Offeror will address system influent/effluent pumping,

4. How the Offeror will address residuals management,

5. How the Offeror will manage the project budget, schedule and scope, and

6. How the Offeror will ensure quality control.

1.12.7. Similar Completed Projects (Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 4 – Similar

Completed Projects)

1.12.7.1. Under this section, the City will evaluate the Offeror’s past work involving similar projects, for MSDGC or other sewer utilities, similar to the scope of services contained herein, specifically as it relates to representing an Owner as an Owner’s Advisor and past work involving disinfection, plant pump stations, high-rate treatment, plant processes and its ability to provide the required services for design-build and design bid build as described herein and consulting related services during all phases of a project lifecycle for this

Rev. 20240823 Page | 10 2026-05-21 project. The similar projects described should include the key personnel listed in the Qualifications of Key Personnel section of the proposal.

1.12.8. Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Participation (Qualifications Questionnaire Attachment 5 – Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Participation and Professional Services Rating Rubric)

1.12.8.1. This RFQ is subject to the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program.

The City is committed to increasing the participation of SBEs in all aspects of its contracting for MSDGC. This includes contracting with SBEs directly or indirectly, subcontracting and/or procurement activities.

There are many qualified SBE firms that have performed work with the City for MSDGC, but just as many qualified SBE firms that have not performed work with the City for MSDGC. A tenet of the SBE Program is economic inclusion which includes providing opportunities to firms with little or no work history on MSDGC projects, as subconsultants and/or Prime Consultants.

For this submittal, the Offeror must demonstrate how it intends to achieve or exceed the project’s established SBE goal. To be counted towards the established goal, a proposed SBE firm must be certified in the NIGP and/or NAICS code(s) for the scope of work being provided.

If the Offeror is a registered MSDGC SBE and/or certified by the City of Cincinnati Department of Economic Inclusion, this should be stated throughout the submittal. To be considered for SBE status the Offeror must be certified in the NIGP and/or NAICS code(s) for the RFQ scope of services.

1.12.8.2. A list of current SBE and MSDGC-SBE firms can be found in the City of Cincinnati’s Vendor Compliance and Certification System (VCCS) Certified Directory via the following link:

https://cincinnati.diversitycompliance.com

1.12.8.3. The SBE Participation section of the Offeror’s submittal shall include the following:

1. Statement of Intent to Contract and Perform: The Offeror shall provide one (1) form with all applicable fields completed for each SBE subconsultant that will be used on the project. Note: If an SBE Offeror is not proposing to utilize other SBE subconsultants, the SBE Offeror must still submit one (1) form and only complete the first section of the form, and sign and date it. The form is included in the Qualifications Questionnaire.

2. RFP/Q Subconsultant Utilization Plan (Statement of Intent to Utilize Firms): The Offeror shall provide a list of all proposed subconsultant firms (both SBE and non-SBE) that will be utilized on the project. The plan should demonstrate that the Offeror will achieve or exceed the https://cincinnati.diversitycompliance.com/

Rev. 20240823 Page | 11 2026-05-21 advertised SBE goal. The form is included in the Qualifications Questionnaire.

The Offeror may refer to the SBE Participation Professional Services Rating Rubric included in the Qualifications Questionnaire for additional information on the SBE Participation selection criteria.

1.12.9. Each submittal will be considered objectively.

1.12.10. Submittals will be evaluated in accordance with the applicable Ohio law and MSDGC policies.

1.13. PROCESS FOR ENTERING INTO PROFESSIONAL AGREEMENT

The City may award a contract to the most qualified Offeror(s) considering the total requirements for this procurement.

The Offeror determined to be the most qualified will be offered the opportunity to enter into a Professional Agreement (PA) with the City.

All work resulting from this RFQ will be based upon a PA. While work scopes and budgets may vary, no work resulting from this RFQ and resulting PA will deviate from the general scope of services as outlined to include other services not contemplated under the RFQ.

The scope, terms and conditions of that PA shall be in substantial conformance with the terms, conditions and specifications described in this RFQ and the submittal by the Offeror determined to be the most qualified.

Any PA that results from the RFQ process would be entered into by the City of Cincinnati through its Department of Sewers (the “City”), as the sole management agency for the operation and maintenance of the sewer system on behalf of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) and a single legal entity that has been properly formed at the time the Offeror delivers the submittal to the City (e.g., corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, limited liability company, limited liability partnership).

The successful Offeror should be prepared to begin contract negotiations upon notification of the Award. If the Offeror is not able to begin contract negotiations, the City may disqualify that Offeror.

The City reserves the right to negotiate the PA to include any portion or portions of the services covered by this RFQ.

1.14. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The City assumes no obligation to accept or take action on any submittal.

Receipt of a contract through this procurement process is not a guarantee of work.

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The City reserves the right to ask for additional information and clarification from or about any or all Offerors. The City may require selected Offerors to make an oral presentation of their submittals.

The City reserves the right to perform investigations as may be deemed necessary by the City to assure that competent persons will be and are utilized in the performance of the Professional Agreement and to verify the accuracy of the contents of submittals.

All submittals are subject to the disclosure provisions of the Ohio Public Records provisions of Ohio Revised Code Chapter 149.43.

• Further, by submitting this Proposal, Offeror acknowledges that the City is governed by the Ohio Public Records Laws. Notwithstanding any statement to the contrary, the City’s handling of any confidentiality obligations is subject to the limitations of this paragraph.

Offeror’s Proposal may be subject to disclosure under the Ohio Public Records Laws. The City shall have no duty to defend the rights of Offeror or any of its agents or affiliates in any records requested to be disclosed. Confidential proprietary material must be clearly identified by the Offeror as “trade secret” and easily separable from the rest of the Proposal. The Offeror recognizes and agrees that the City is not responsible or liable in any way for any losses that the Offeror may suffer from the disclosure of information or materials to third parties.

• Upon receipt of a public records request for which any document clearly marked by Offeror as “Trade Secret” is responsive, the City will notify Offeror of its intent to release records to the requestor. Offeror shall have a maximum of five (5) business days beginning with the date it receives notification to respond to the City by either accommodating the requestor or pursuing legal remedies to stop the City’s release of requested information. Said notification shall relieve the City of any further obligation under any claim of Offeror or any of its agents or affiliates in any jurisdiction in connection with the disclosure of such records. Offeror and its agents and affiliates shall have the right to pursue legal and/or equitable remedies to stop or limit disclosure at their sole expense.”

Besides the City’s Bonfire website portal, information will also be published on the internet web site https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4 (for registered vendors).

The City strongly encourages interested Offerors to frequently monitor these websites for any RFQ updates and/or addenda.

The City further reserves the right to:

1. Reject any or all submittals, to waive any technicalities, immaterial irregularities, or minor informalities in the submittal, to request clarifications or modifications during evaluation, and to select the Offeror who, in the City’s judgment, is most qualified.

https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4

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2. Eliminate any Offeror who submits an incomplete or inadequate submittal or is not responsive to the requirements of this RFQ.

3. Supplement, amend, or otherwise modify the RFQ through the issuance of Addenda to all Offerors, and to supplement the RFQ with information items, prior to the submission date of the submittal. Addenda issued to this RFQ may expand or cancel any portion or all Work described in this RFQ.

4. Clarify the information provided as part of the submittal, including but not limited to holding discussions or meetings with Offerors, requesting additional information from Offerors to support the information included in the submittal, and requesting clarified submittals.

5. Cancel this RFQ in whole or in part with or without substitution of another RFQ.

6. Take any action affecting the RFQ process or the project that are permissible under Ohio law.

1.15. CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION

Each Offeror awarded a contract shall be a registrant under Vendor Self Service (VSS) at time of award. Go to https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4 to register.

1.16. VENDORS INELIGIBLE TO CONTRACT OR SUBCONTRACT WITH THE CITY

1.16.1. The City maintains a list of Vendors Debarred from Contracting or Subcontracting with the City, which may be accessed at: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/purchasing or may be furnished in other form upon request. The City will not contract with any firm or person on the list. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to verify that each subcontractor it proposes to use is an eligible firm or person. The City will not approve a subcontractor whose name appears on the list.

1.16.2. The City shall neither accept nor be liable for any increase in costs, or other expenses, delay, loss, or subsequent ineligibility to contract with the City, incurred by a contractor as a result of the City rejecting any proposed person, firm, partner, principal, affiliate, subcontractor or supplier that is debarred or suspended after the submission of a bid, proposal, or other communication leading to a contract, but before the approval or award of the contract.

1.17. CHANGES AND ADDENDA TO RFQ DOCUMENTS

Information on all changes or addenda issued in relation to this offer will be posted on the City’s Bonfire website portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/portal and will be on file with Sewers Procurement.

It shall be the Offeror’s responsibility to make the inquiry as to changes and addenda issued. All such changes or addenda shall become part of the RFQ and all Offerors shall be responsible for https://vss.cincinnati-oh.gov/vssprod/Advantage4 http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/purchasing https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/portal

Rev. 20240823 Page | 14 2026-05-21 taking the contents of such changes or addenda into consideration when preparing and submitting the Submittal.

1.18. MSDGC SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

This RFQ is subject to the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise Program. The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) is committed to increase the participation of small businesses in all aspects of MSDGC contracting. That includes contracting with SBEs directly or indirectly through contracting, subcontracting and/or procurement activities. There are many qualified SBE firms that have performed work with MSDGC, but just as many qualified SBE firms that have not performed work with MSDGC. A tenet of the SBE Program is economic inclusion which includes providing opportunities to firms with little or no work history on MSDGC projects.

The Offeror, Prime Consultant, must demonstrate an understanding of MSDGC’s SBE Program tenets and a commitment to using certified SBE firms on MSDGC work where possible and feasible. Firms submitted for SBE consideration shall be registered with the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise Program or City of Cincinnati and certified by the City of Cincinnati in the NAICS codes for the services they will provide on the project. MSDGC recognizes the following certifying agencies economic inclusion programs: City of Cincinnati SBE Program, U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) Program, State of Ohio Encouraging Diversity Growth & Equity (EDGE) Program and the City of Dayton’s Procurement Enhancement Program (PEP).

Information concerning the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise Program may be found at https://msdgc.org/doing-business-with-us/sbe-program/.

1.19. NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

MSDGC is committed to a policy of non-discrimination. Through its submittal, the Offeror agrees:

• That, in the hiring of employees for the performance of work under the contract or any subcontract, no contractor, subcontractor, or any person acting on a contractor’s or subcontractor’s behalf, by reason of race, creed, sex, disability or military status as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, or color, shall discriminate against any citizen of the state in the employment of labor or workers who is qualified and available to perform the work to which the employment relates;

• That no contractor, subcontractor, or any person on a contractor’s or subcontractor’s behalf, in any manner, shall discriminate against or intimidate any employee hired for the performance of work under the contract on account of race, creed, sex, disability or military status as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, or color.

1.20. MSDGC EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

Prior to the award of the contract, the selected Offeror must complete and return a MSDGC Form 147; the form must be signed by a person authorized to bind the Offeror. More information on the MSDGC Equal Employment Opportunity Program can be found at the following website:

https://msdgc.org/doing-business-with-us/sbe-program/

Rev. 20240823 Page | 15 2026-05-21 https://www.msdgc.org/Doing_business/contracting_information/eeo/index.html

1.21. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

The City of Cincinnati is committed to supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact the City’s Office of Aging and Accessibility if you require any special accommodations.

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https://www.msdgc.org/Doing_business/contracting_information/eeo/index.html

Rev. 20240823 Page | 16 2026-05-21

2. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Refer to the draft Professional Agreement available for download on the City’s Bonfire website portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/portal.

These draft contract terms and conditions will apply to this RFQ once a vendor selection is made.

The City reserves the right to amend, augment, change, enhance, or delete sections of the draft contract prior to its final execution with a selected vendor.

Multipliers shall be determined in accordance with MSDGC’s Professional Services Contract Multiplier guideline:

https://prod.msdgc.org/sites/default/assets/downloads/doing_business/capital_project_resource_libra ry/Professional-Services/Contract_Multiplier.pdf

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https://prod.msdgc.org/sites/default/assets/downloads/doing_business/capital_project_resource_library/Professional-Services/Contract_Multiplier.pdf https://prod.msdgc.org/sites/default/assets/downloads/doing_business/capital_project_resource_library/Professional-Services/Contract_Multiplier.pdf

Rev. 20240823 Page | 17 2026-05-21

3. SUBMITTALS

3.1. AUTHORIZATION OF SUBMITTAL

The Offeror’s statement of qualifications must be signed by a person who has legal authority to contractually bind the Offeror.

3.2. CONTENT AND FORM OF SUBMITTAL; QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE

Offerors shall complete the Qualifications Questionnaire and its AFFIDAVIT OF ACCURACY & SIGNATURE PAGE and provide attachments as outlined therein.

The information presented in the Offeror’s submittal shall be clear, complete, and concise.

In addition to the instructions contained in the Qualifications Questionnaire, the following are also required for the composition (format) of any offer to this RFQ:

• The Offeror’s submittal SHALL include all elements outlined in the Qualifications Questionnaire. Deviation from compliance with the Qualifications Questionnaire may render the submittal as “non-responsive” as determined by the City.

• No verbal submittals are acceptable to the City.

• Offerors MAY NOT use the MSDGC logo, City of Cincinnati logo or seal, or Hamilton County seal on their submittal package – EXCEPT when such logo or seal appears on forms or documents provided by the City for use by Offerors.

• The Offeror MUST submit one digital copy of the submittal in PDF format.

• The Offeror’s submittal MUST include an original signed and notarized affidavit, such that the notary stamp is visible on the pdf copy. Deviation from compliance with this requirement may render the submittal as “non-responsive” as determined by the City.

• NO ADVERTISING LANGUAGE, BROCHURES, PAMPHLETS, OR OTHER BUSINESS SERVICES

COMMUNICATIONS OR BUSINESS MARKETING MATERIALS SHALL SUBSTITUTE FOR OR

FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS AS OUTLINED IN THE QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONNAIRE.

NEITHER SHALL SUCH BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS OR MARKETING MATERIALS BE

ALLOWED TO BE SUBMITTED AS A COMPLEMENT TO THE QUALIFICATIONS

QUESTIONNAIRE.

Any inclusion of such materials as outlined above, or, in the determination of the City that meet the intent of such materials as outlined above, may render the Offeror’s submittal as “non-responsive” as determined by the City.

The Qualifications Questionnaire is available as a Microsoft Word document SEPARATE FROM THIS RFQ on the City’s Bonfire website portal at https://cincinnati-oh.bonfirehub.com/portal.

Rev. 20240823 Page | 18 2026-05-21

3.3. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY

The City assumes no liability for any costs incurred in preparing or submitting any response to the RFQ.

3.4. EXCEPTIONS

Any exceptions to the draft Professional Agreement, the MSDGC Equal Employment Opportunity Program, or to any other portion of this RFQ must be made in writing and included with the Offeror’s submittal. Exceptions may be determined to not be in the best interest of the City and may be a factor used in submittal evaluation and ranking. Any exceptions taken to the MSDGC Small Business Enterprise Program provisions of this RFQ may make the Offeror’s submittal non-responsive.

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