2026 NOVA Climate Atlas RFP QandA.pdf

Northern Virginia Regional Commission Request for Proposals

RFP Questions and Answers

Northern Virginia Climate Atlas Platform Development

(Please see Part A for General Information and Requirements and Part B for Contract Terms and Conditions)

Request for proposal issued: July 6, 2026

Deadline for questions: July 17, 2026 5:00 PM

Answers to questions posted: July 22, 2026

Due date for proposals: July 31, 2026 5:00 PM

1. Can we partner with another agency and submit a joint proposal in response to this RFP?

Yes

2. The indicated budget is for development only or also includes a support period?

The budget also includes the support period.

3. Would you consider government project experience from countries other than the U.S.?

Yes

4. The RFP states that NVRC intends to award up to $215,000 to complete the work over a 24-month period of performance. Can you clarify whether the 24-month performance period is a firm requirement, or if NVRC would consider an accelerated delivery schedule should an offeror propose one?

Yes, NVRC would consider an accelerated delivery schedule. A conservative timeline was selected to provide flexibility in the approach and account for framework development, beta development, testing, refinement, public launch, training, usage metrics, and post-launch support.

5. For the requirement to provide three prior relevant projects involving environmental, climate, and/or weather data management, analysis, and visualization, may offerors include projects led by named key personnel, consultants, or subcontractors, or must those projects have been performed under the prime offeror’s legal entity?

Yes, but the named personnel, consultant, or subcontractors must also be included in the offeror’s proposal as well.

6. May relevant academic, university, research-contractor, laboratory, nonprofit, or government-supported projects be included as prior project examples, provided they involved environmental, climate, or weather data management, analysis, and visualization?

Yes

7. Is NVRC open to a team structure where the prime contractor leads project management, platform development, documentation, training, and handoff, while a named consultant or subcontractor leads climate/weather/geospatial methodology, data-layer design, and technical analysis?

Yes

8. Does NVRC have any restrictions on using a non-U.S.-based subcontractor or consultant for remote technical work, provided the prime contractor remains U.S.-based and fully responsible for contract performance? Can team members work from outside the US?

A non-U.S. based subcontractor is allowed if the primary contractor is U.S. based and all correspondence is from a U.S. based email account.

9. Does NVRC have a preferred technology/platform stack or GIS environment for the Atlas, such as ArcGIS Online/Experience Builder, open-source web mapping tools, cloud hosting, or another platform? Would NVRC’s licenses be available for contractor use during development and post-launch operations?

NVRC currently holds an ArcGIS/Esri license and would expect the Atlas to leverage this existing environment where practical (i.e., ArcGIS Online/AGOL). That said, NVRC is open to the consultant's recommendation if an alternative approach (open-source web mapping tools, a different cloud hosting platform, etc.) offers clear advantages in cost, functionality, or long-term maintainability. NVRC does not have licenses available for contractor use.

10. Does the $215,000 budget include hosting, software licenses, data licensing, video production, and other third-party costs, or is that amount intended primarily for contractor labor?

Yes, the offeror would need to include these costs within their proposed budget with the $215,000 budget cap.

11. After launch and handoff, does NVRC expect to host and maintain the platform in an NVRC-controlled environment, or should the contractor propose a recommended hosting and maintenance approach?

Yes, NVRC expects to host and maintain the platform.

12. For the requested social and/or economic impact analytics and avoided-loss analysis, does NVRC have preferred methodologies, datasets, or assumptions, or should offerors propose a methodology?

Offerors should propose a methodology.

13. Does NVRC have specific accessibility requirements for the public-facing platform, such as WCAG 2.1 AA or another standard?

No

14. Are there specific mobile compatibility, browser compatibility, performance, or uptime expectations that offerors should assume?

No, NVRC will look to the selected contractor’s judgment to determine these elements for the dashboard.

15. Are the insurance limits in Part B fixed minimums, or may offerors propose alternative insurance appropriate to a software/data platform development engagement?

Although certain requirements may be negotiated during the contract process, offerors may not propose alternative insurance.

16. Is the $5,000,000 umbrella/excess liability requirement expected for all offerors, including small businesses and individual consultants?

The total liability requirement amount may be negotiated during the contract development process, but the requirement is still expected for all offerors.

17. For a single-member LLC or small consulting firm with no employees, how should the Workers Compensation and Employer’s Liability requirements be handled?

These requirements may be negotiated during the contract development process if selected.

18. Does NVRC expect Technology Errors & Omissions, Professional Liability, or Cyber Liability coverage for this engagement? If so, what limits are expected?

Yes, please see below for sample terms and conditions regarding expected Cyber Liability coverage:

The Contractor shall provide NVRC with evidence of a Cyber Liability policy, in an amount not less than $1,000,000 per claim and annual aggregate, covering all acts, errors, omissions, negligence, and including infringement of intellectual property (except patent and trade secret) in the performance of services for NVRC. Contractor’s policy will provide for Data Security & Privacy “Cyber” coverage (including coverage for unauthorized access and use, failure of security, breach of confidential information, of privacy perils, as well as breach mitigation costs and regulatory coverage). Such insurance must be maintained in force at all times during the term of the agreement and for a period of two years thereafter for services completed during the term of the agreement. NVRC shall be given at least 30 days written notice of the cancellation or expiration of the aforementioned insurance for any reason.

19. Regarding ownership of documents and materials, may the contractor retain ownership of pre-existing tools, templates, software libraries, generic code components, and general know-how, while transferring ownership or appropriate license rights for project-specific deliverables to NVRC?

Yes

20. May offerors identify portions of the proposal as proprietary or confidential, and does NVRC have preferred instructions for marking such materials given Virginia

FOIA?

The Virginia Public Procurement Act and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act provide certain protections for trade secrets or proprietary information, including but not limited to those described in § 2.2-4342(F) of the Code of Virginia.

21. In the Records and Inspection section of Part B, the contract refers to documentation that “NVRC and the AI Coalition” may determine is necessary to validate expenditures. Can NVRC clarify whether “AI Coalition” applies to this procurement?

NVRC has included an RFP amendment to remove the term, “Ai Coalition”, from the RFP Part B.

22. Will NVRC accept qualifying project experience in environmental, climate, or weather data management, analysis, and visualization performed by the offeror's principal in prior professional roles or by named subcontractors, in lieu of projects led by the offering firm itself?

Yes, NVRC will consider relevant project experience held by the offeror's principal(s) or named subcontractors, provided that the individual(s) are specifically identified in the https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flaw.lis.virginia.gov%2Fvacode%2Ftitle2.2%2Fchapter43%2Fsection2.2-4342%2F&data=05%7C02%7Crmurphy%40novaregion.org%7C76777f53805a475ebc3408dee7f77d06%7C59fb916e37d747668c288bbd2681c617%7C0%7C0%7C639203247296292801%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jNSHtoC%2BaDcdLw3prsVw59JfUeurPbAPVK5gNsejPzY%3D&reserved=0 proposal, and their role and level of responsibility on the referenced prior projects are clearly described.

23. When evaluating responsiveness, would the selection committee consider a demonstrated working prototype and the qualifications of key personnel where an offeror’s directly comparable government or nonprofit project history is limited? Or is the three-project experience described in Section 3 intended as a firm threshold for a responsive proposal?

The three-project experience is considered a firm threshold for proposals.

24. The RFP references an existing preliminary resilience dashboard and various regional datasets. Will the current dashboard's underlying data, code, or design assets be made available to the selected Contractor, and is the Atlas intended to replace, extend, or run alongside the existing dashboard?

Yes, the current dashboard’s data and design assets will be available to the selected contractor, although the Atlas is meant to replace the current tool with updated data, visualizations, and functionalities.

25. The RFP describes current tools as limited, outdated, or not widely used. Could

NVRC share what has most limited their adoption to date, whether data freshness, usability, awareness, or scope?

The preliminary climate resilience dashboard was limited in scope, constrained by the data available and staff capacity at the time of its development. As a result, it was not designed to support comprehensive climate resilience planning, and much of its information is now outdated. Stakeholder feedback confirmed both limited awareness of the existing tool and a clear need for a more robust, detailed, regionwide platform.

26. Will NVRC and its regional partners provide the core climate datasets and projections (for example flood, heat, sea-level, and demographic layers), or is the Contractor expected to source, license, or generate them? Are there specific authoritative datasets NVRC expects the Atlas to use? In what formats are NVRC-held datasets available?

NVRC will share its current GIS catalog through ArcGIS Online (AGOL), primarily as hosted feature services, though shapefiles and file geodatabases can also be provided as needed.

The Contractor is expected to work with NVRC and its regional partners to identify and utilize existing datasets and projections for the dashboard and should not need to generate or license new core climate datasets or projections.

No specific climate layers are identified as mandatory. Final layers will be confirmed during Task 1. NVRC anticipates the Atlas will draw on authoritative sources such as FEMA flood hazard data, NOAA climate and sea-level projections, Virginia DCR's Coastal Resilience Master Plan data, and relevant local and university-generated data (e.g., from George

Mason University), among others. The Contractor is also encouraged to propose additional relevant datasets, such as demographic or other regionally significant layers, for NVRC's review and approval.

27. Does NVRC expect or prefer the Contractor to coordinate with existing regional data and science partners already producing Northern Virginia climate data, and would such coordination be viewed favorably in the evaluation?

Yes, NVRC expects the Contractor to coordinate with local, regional, and state stakeholders that are already producing regionally relevant data. This includes universities, government agencies, and other partners that are conducting climate hazard research and planning efforts to support resiliency in Northern Virginia and beyond.

28. How will NVRC measure the Atlas's success after launch, and following the ownership transfer, where does NVRC anticipate hosting and maintaining the platform?

NVRC will regularly collect and review user analytics provided by the platform to track metrics such as number of unique users per month, page/layer views, and session durations, but success of the Atlas will also be measured by the level of local government and agency engagement following the platform’s launch. NVRC is open to recommendations on hosting environments, though the Commission's existing ArcGIS license may offer the most practical path for long-term maintenance.

29. Is the up-to-$215,000 a firm-fixed-price for the full 24-month scope, or milestone/deliverable-based? Are the up-to-three virtual training sessions and the 90-day post-launch support included within that amount, or priced as separate options?

$215,000 serves as the maximum allotted budget for the contractor, but NVRC expects offerors to propose a cost for each task, as described in “Nonbinding Price Proposal” on pg.

9-10 of the RFP Part A. The virtual training sessions and post-launch support should be included in the total proposed price.

30. The RFP requests three government or non-profit projects involving environmental, climate, and/or weather data management, analysis, and visualization. Please confirm the qualifying scope — for example, whether related environmental, natural-resource, or geospatial data-visualization platforms satisfy this requirement, and whether a recency window applies.

NVRC is looking for experience applicable to the scope of work for the Climate Atlas. This includes the ability to identify and synthesize environmental data, such as climate, natural resources, energy, or other related data, and build a tool that helps planners, elected officials, and/or the broader public understand and make informed decisions based on the data presented. There is no recency window.

31. Section 3 notes a preference for in-house delivery with minimal reliance on subcontractors. Please clarify whether teaming or subcontracting for specific specialized tasks (for example, accessibility or climate-science domain input) is permitted, and any associated limits or disclosure requirements.

Yes, subcontracting/teaming is permitted for specialized tasks. There are no specific limits or disclosure requirements, but the RFP response should explicitly describe the role and level of responsibility of the proposed subcontractor. Joint proposals and teaming arrangements will be evaluated based on qualifications, experience, capacity, proposed approach and overall value.

32. Could NVRC share the relative weighting of the evaluation criteria in Section 4(d), and confirm whether cost is evaluated separately from the technical proposal?

Please see the evaluation criteria table on pg. 10 for specific weighting percentages assigned to each category, including cost as percentage of total evaluation.

33. Do you expect this to be a product offering (COTS), or can it be a solution that we build specifically for the NVRC’s requirements?

NVRC is open to either a COTS product or a custom-built solution, provided it meets the functional requirements outlined in this RFP and can integrate with NVRC's existing ArcGIS/Esri infrastructure. We ask that offerors clearly identify which approach they are proposing, along with the associated cost, timeline, and long-term maintenance implications of that choice.

34. Who is the incumbent vendor currently providing similar services? Is the incumbent vendor allowed to participate in this RFP?

There is no incumbent for this project.

35. How frequently should datasets be updated? Will automated data refreshes be required?

This will depend on the dataset and determined with the selected contractor.

36. Which map projection should be used?

NVRC uses NAD_1983_HARN_StatePlane_Virginia_North_FIPS_4501_Feet for map layers.

37. Should multilingual support be included?

38. Are printable reports required?

Printable reports are not expressly required, but offerors may propose export or print functionality if it supports usability and adoption.

39. Should dashboards be customizable?

NVRC staff should have the ability to update and edit the dashboard as necessary after project completion. End users should have the ability to filter, download, and interact with data but are not expected to create or save custom dashboards.

40. Which hazards are highest priority?

Flooding and extreme heat are the primary hazards, but flood risk reduction is a central project purpose.

41. Are historical and future projections both required?

Yes, the RFP calls for compilation and review of historic, current, and projected datasets.

42. Should SSO be implemented?

Single sign-on is not specified as a requirement and is not expected to be used.

43. Should ArcGIS authentication be used?

No, the dashboard is intended to be publicly accessible.

44. Are SLAs required?

No, Service Level Agreements are not identified as a requirement.

45. Section 2 describes "technical, analytical, and design services" and includes stakeholder engagement and testing. Does NVRC intend the selected Contractor to also lead strategy, such as defining the platform's use cases, target audiences, and success metrics? Or will NVRC and its stakeholders own that direction, with the Contractor executing against it?

NVRC and stakeholders will provide overall strategy direction such as intended audiences and use cases but expects a collaborative approach that also utilizes technical expertise and recommendations from the contractor.

46. What is NVRC’s preferred check-in frequency? Would NVRC prefer regularly scheduled meetings at a set interval or milestone-based meetings? What are the expected support hours?

NVRC anticipates establishing regular project check-in meetings during active development, with additional key milestone meetings as needed, during Eastern Standard Time (EST) normal business hours.

47. Have the partner agencies been identified? If so, can NVRC provide a list of which agencies will be involved?

Partner agencies include the member governments of NVRC, state agencies such as DCR and VDEM, and academic institutions such as George Mason University. Additional invitees may be identified during the project planning process.

48. Regarding Task 2c (p.6), is the contractor expected to generate original data or can the contractor derive this from published/public data sets?

The contractor is not expected to generate original data but primarily utilize existing and publicly available datasets.

49. Task 4a (p.6) references assisting with announcement materials for the public launch. What types of announcement materials does NVRC anticipate?

Announcement materials may include deliverables such as web copy, flyer, email or newsletter text, social media posts, or brief user-facing descriptions.

50. Task 4c (p.6) references up to three virtual training sessions for external stakeholders. Are these intended for different audiences or to cover different topics?

Multiple sessions are proposed to accommodate different stakeholder groups and schedules, but the contractor may recommend audience or topic specific content where appropriate.

51. In Section 3: Qualifications (p.7) and 4d: Evaluation Criteria (p.10), the proposal refers to “the agency.” Can NVRC clarify if this intended to refer to the Contractor?

“Agency” refers to the contractor, and may also be referred to as “offeror”.

52. Could NVRC clarify whether the three referenced projects must be specifically within the environmental, climate, or weather domain, or whether projects demonstrating comparable large-scale data management, analysis, and visualization work for government or non-profit agencies in adjacent domains

(for example, federal case-management data systems, cloud infrastructure and security, or large-scale analytics platforms) would also satisfy this requirement?

Projects demonstrating comparable experience may be considered, but direct climate or environmental experience is preferred.

53. Are there existing datasets, dashboards, source code repositories, documentation, or prior analyses that will be provided? Is the expectation for the Climate Atlas to incorporate all current climate datasets provided through the NVRC website, including the Climate Resilience Dashboard and Urban Heat Islands StoryMap?

NVRC will provide access to all relevant materials, including dashboards, data sources, and prior analyses where available. The contractor should evaluate and recommend how and what resources should be incorporated into the Climate Atlas.

54. Are there specific climate hazards, map layers, or analytical capabilities that are considered required for the initial release?

The initial release should focus on extreme heat and flooding hazards. Specific layers and analytical capabilities should be determined by the contractor in collaboration with stakeholders.

55. Are there specific expectations for Climate Atlas data and report export functionality?

Data and export functionality is not expressly identified. Offererors should propose data, map or report options where appropriate.

56. Can NVRC be used as one of the references or is the expectation that the three client references are outside of NVRC

External references are preferred, but NVRC may be listed if the proposal meets other RFP criteria and if the offeror can provide a relevant project reference.

57. The evaluation criteria mentions 5% is awarded for SWaM participation - does that refer to Prime consultants only or can those points be awarded with a SWaM subconsultant?

SWaM participation may be demonstrated by meaningful subcontractor participation.

Offerors should clearly describe their role and level of effort.

58. Task 1.a. refers to stakeholder engagement sessions. Are these in addition to the stakeholder working sessions identified in Task 3?

Yes. Task 1 engagement supports project development and direction, while Task 3 supports review and refinement of the product.

59. For the stakeholder workshops:

a. Does NVRC have a preference for holding stakeholder engagement in-person or virtually?

b. What is the anticipated number of attendees?

c. Does NVRC have a list of invitees or will the contractor be responsible for developing one?

d. What is the anticipated length of the workshop?

e. Would the contractor be responsible for all logistics (identifying meeting venue, sending invitations, planning the agenda, facilitating the session, and managing follow up)?

NVRC is open to virtual or in-person formats approximately 2 hours in length and expects

15-30 attendees. NVRC will invite relevant stakeholders, but the contractor may recommend other participants. The contractor is expected to facilitate, prepare materials and agendas, and NVRC will assist with scheduling, invites and follow ups.

60. For the launch, what activities does NVRC envision?

Launch activities may include publication of the platform, announcement materials, briefings or presentations, training sessions, user guides, instructional videos and initial usage tracking.

61. The timeframe to respond is very short - is it possible to extend the deadline by at least one week to give us additional time to prepare a strong proposal?

No deadline extension is considered at this time.

62. Should the Climate Atlas be designed primarily for professional users, the general public, or both, and should it use one unified interface or different views for different stakeholder groups?

The Climate Atlas should serve both technical and non-technical audiences. Contractors should recommend an interface that effectively supports both groups while maintaining an intuitive user experience.

63. What level of mobile compatibility is expected: fully responsive across devices, or simply mobile-friendly viewing?

The platform should be mobile-compatible and usable across multiple device types where possible.

64. Does NVRC intend to make datasets used in the tool available for public download?

65. Can NVRC share any additional specifications for the dashboard you envision— particularly around desired functionality? For example, do you see this as primarily a tool to display and drill down into a collection of prepopulated data layers, or is there also a desire for users to be able to perform their own calculations/analyses in real time?

The tool is envisioned primarily as an interactive platform for exploring and visualizing climate-related datasets through maps and predefined analytical tools. Users should be able to filter and compare information, but real-time user defined calculations are not required.

66. Given the requirement to transfer ownership of the platform to NVRC upon project completion, should offerors include costs for hosting the Climate Atlas during the development period, or will NVRC provide the necessary hosting environment?

NVRC currently holds an ArcGIS/Esri license and expects to host and manage the Atlas on AGOL. If the offeror proposes an alternative environment, they should include costs for hosting during the development period and continued maintenance of the platform.

67. Could NVRC please clarify the vision and outputs of Task 2c? Is the intent to provide users with social and economic data within the tool to allow them to analyze the impacts of hazards in the absence of interventions? Will NVRC be providing data on the value of resilience investments and avoided losses?

The intent is to improve access to information that helps users understand the socioeconomic impacts of climate hazards and the value of investing in resilience and mitigation efforts. Offerors should utilize existing datasets and available vulnerability information to communicate potential impacts.

68. On page 9-10, section 3 of the RFP, it states: “Nonbinding Price Proposal: Propose the cost for each task and enter it into a table NVRC RFP: 2026 NOVA Climate Atlas

10 with the following format.” Based upon this cost pricing request, what type of contract agreement will be expected? Fixed-Price by Task, or something else? Can the final contract include milestone-based invoicing tied to accepted deliverables?

The anticipated contract is fixed-price by task and invoicing can be negotiated.

69. Would NVRC consider removing resumes from the 20-page limit to ensure sufficient response to other aspects of the RFP?

No change is expected to this requirement. The RFP states that resumes count toward the 20-page limit.

70. Does the cover letter count towards the 20-page limit?

No. The RFP states that the cover page, section tabs, table of contents, and submission form do not count toward the 20-page limit.

71. Should the beta platform integrate with any existing NVRC websites, dashboards, GIS applications, data portals, branding guidelines, or communications tools?

Yes. Offererors should assume coordination with NVRC’s existing website, GIS resources, branding, and communications channels. Specific integration needs will be identified during Task 1.

72. How does NVRC envision coordination between the selected consultant and NVRC staff responsible for communications, web administration, GIS management, and Climate Atlas content development? What portions of the platform are expected to be co-developed versus consultant-delivered?

The contractor will work closely with two NVRC staff members, Resiliency Planner and Coastal Program Manager, who will share responsibilities for communications, web administration, GIS management and content development for this project. The contractor will lead technical development and implementation, and NVRC will provide subject matter expertise, stakeholder engagement and coordination, and deliverable reviews.

73. Does NVRC anticipate use of licensed datasets, third-party APIs, software subscriptions, or cloud-hosting services? If so, we assume that these costs will be procured separately by NRVC and excluded from the consultant fee.

NVRC does not anticipate the use of licensed datasets or third-party APIs. NVRC already holds an ArcGIS/Esri license and expects to host and manage the Atlas on AGOL.

74. May the consultant add additional pages to Attachment A if further space is needed?

Yes. If needed for clarity and the information is relevant to meeting proposal requirements.

75. These section numbers are out of sequence. Should they be Sections 4 and 5 under Section 4.b.?

Yes. The numbering appears to be a formatting issue. Offerors should follow the substance of the required proposal contents.

76. Does NVRC have a preferred template for developing a “standardized data framework and metadata plan”? Could you share an example of such a plan?

NVRC does not have a data framework template. The contractor should recommend an appropriate framework and approach consistent with industry best practices. NVRC uses the metadata standard ISO 19115-3 XML.

77. Can NVRC clarify their expectations for “developing supporting analytics”? What kind of analytics would NVRC like to have, and what would be the preferred format of the analytics (e.g.: reports, maps, data, etc.)?

The intent is to improve access to information that helps users understand the socioeconomic impacts of climate hazards and the value of investing in resilience and mitigation efforts. Offerors should utilize existing datasets and available vulnerability information to communicate potential impacts through metrics, maps, data summaries, visualizations, or other formats recommended by the Contractor.

78. Can NVRC clarify what kind of “interpretive content” or “supporting narratives” are expected? Are these content/narratives that already exist or that would have to be created by the contractor?

Interpretive content and supporting narratives should explain data layers, methods, limitations, assumptions and planning relevance in plain language. This will be developed by the contractor with NVRC and stakeholder input based on the layers and tools included in the dashboard.

79. Can NVRC clarify what is meant by “integrated resource library”? Does it mean that the dashboard should include a dedicated page for resources?

The resource library should be a page that is either accessible from the dashboard or a page integrated into the dashboard. The resource library is expected to provide access to user guides, Frequently Asked Questions, data sources, and other resources or instructional materials.

80. Will NVRC require any written deliverables to document findings and final decisions under Task 1, 2, and/or 3? Would NVRC be willing to revise the scope to include a list of specific deliverables by task?

Yes. Contractors will be expected to provide written documentation of deliverables where appropriate. Specific deliverables will be determined by the offeror’s approach and identified during contract development.