72-PJTH27019 All Hazards Preparedness, Planning, and Recovery Related Professional Services Questions & Answers Addendum.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT WILMINGTON

Purchasing Services

IMPORTANT RFP ADDENDUM

Date Addendum Issued: October 28, 2026

RFP NUMBER: 72-PJTH27019 COMMODITY: All Hazards Preparedness, Planning, and

Recovery Related Professional Services

ADDENDUM NUMBER: ONE (1) USING AGENCY: UNCW

PURCHASING AGENT: Justin Hewett OPENING DATE/TIME: November 4, 2026/ 2:00 PM ET

INSTRUCTIONS:

This Addendum forms a part of the RFP Documents and modifies the Contract Documents with amendments and additions noted below:

I. Question and Answers:

1. 5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK 5.2 Scope of Work, pg 15 Are vendors expected to provide the full range of services outlined in the general scope? Can a vendor submit a proposal for a portion of the scope of work?

Answer: Vendors are expected to provide the full range of services outlined in the general scope of work. Proposals should address all requirements identified in the solicitation. At this time, we are seeking proposals that encompass the full scope of work rather than individual portions of the services.

2. Section 5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Emergency Power Infrastructure Could UNCW provide an overview of its existing emergency power systems, including generators, battery storage, critical electrical loads, capacity, runtime, fuel availability, maintenance, and past hurricane performance, as well as any identified reliability or operational gaps that vendors may be expected to address?

Answer: Relevant information regarding existing systems, critical infrastructure, and any identified needs will be provided to awarded vendors.

3. Sections 5.1–5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Critical Facilities and Continuity What critical campus operations, infrastructure dependencies, and continuity-of-operations gaps does UNCW anticipate prioritizing for assessment or improvement under this contract?

Answer: UNCW has not identified specific continuity-of-operations gaps or infrastructure priorities as part of this RFP. Specific areas for assessment or improvement will be determined based on UNCW’s needs during the contract term and communicated as individual assignments arise.

4. Section 5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Campus Population and Evacuation Demand

What planning populations or existing estimates should consultants consider for residential students, essential personnel, and individuals requiring transportation, accessibility assistance, or temporary accommodations during evacuation or shelter-in-place scenarios?

Answer: Relevant information regarding residential students, essential personnel, transportation needs, accessibility assistance, and temporary accommodations will be provided as available and appropriate for each assignment.

5. Section 5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Evacuation, Transportation, and Sheltering Does UNCW anticipate consulting assignments to evaluate existing evacuation transportation, sheltering arrangements, contracted resources, and their capacity to accommodate students who cannot independently evacuate?

Answer: Assignments may include coordinating existing service providers as well as identifying resource gaps and assisting with additional resources needed to support emergency logistics, infrastructure, and recovery operations. The specific responsibilities will depend on UNCW’s needs for each assignment. Any subcontracted services must receive prior approval from UNCW in accordance with the RFP.

6. Section 5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Historical Emergencies and Corrective Actions What unresolved preparedness, operational continuity, or recovery priorities identified through previous hurricanes, severe weather events, exercises, or after-action reviews does UNCW anticipate addressing through this contract?

Answer: UNCW has not identified specific unresolved priorities to be addressed through this contract at this time. The contract is intended to provide resources on an as-needed basis for preparedness, operational continuity, emergency response, and recovery needs that may arise during the contract term.

7. Sections 4.12 and 5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Emergency Resource Coordination Will consultants primarily coordinate existing emergency service providers, or will assignments also include identifying resource gaps, qualifying additional providers, and managing approved subcontractors supporting emergency logistics, infrastructure, and recovery operations?

Answer: Assignments may include coordinating existing emergency service providers, identify resource gaps, and assist with additional resources needed to support emergency logistics, infrastructure, and recovery operations. The specific responsibilities will depend on UNCW’s needs for each assignment. Any use of subcontractors must be approved by UNCW in accordance with the RFP.

8. Sections 4.6 and 4.12, PDF Pages 13 and 15 - Consultant Responsibilities and Deployment What responsibilities, emergency activation response times, on-site staffing expectations, and after-hours coverage requirements should consulting firms and their approved specialty subcontractors anticipate?

Answer: Vendors should be prepared to respond within 24 hours of an emergency request from UNCW. Specific responsibilities, on-site staffing needs, after-hours coverage, and the use of approved specialty subcontractors will depend on the nature and needs of each event or assignment and will be communicated by UNCW at that time.

9. Section 5.2(a), PDF Page 15 - Hazard and Infrastructure Assessments Will UNCW provide high-level findings from existing hazard vulnerability or infrastructure resilience assessments, and will consultants be expected to update these assessments, develop mitigation recommendations, or coordinate evaluations by qualified technical specialists?

Answer: Any existing information relevant to a specific assignment may be provided to the selected vendor as appropriate. Depending on UNCW’s needs, consultants may be asked to assist with risk and vulnerability assessments, develop mitigation recommendations, and coordinate with qualified technical specialists as needed.

10. Sections 5.2(b)–(c), PDF Page 15 - Financial Recovery and FEMA Programs Which financial recovery services, including FEMA Public Assistance, hazard mitigation grants, insurance documentation, contractor cost reviews, and disaster expense tracking, does UNCW anticipate assigning to consultants, including qualified specialty subcontractors?

Answer: UNCW may need assistance with financial recovery and consulting services related to FEMA programs and policies, particularly Public Assistance (PA) and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Services may also include review and audit of contractor documentation and other related recovery support. The specific services needed will depend on the event and UNCW’s needs at that time.

Qualified subcontractors may be used with prior written approval from UNCW.

11. Sections 3.1 and 5.4, PDF Pages 10 and 16 - Assignments and Deliverables How will projects be assigned and communicated among multiple awarded vendors, and what task authorization procedures, deliverable requirements, reporting standards, and performance measures should consultants anticipate?

Answer: Projects will be assigned based on UNCW’s specific needs and the availability of the awarded vendors. UNCW anticipates awarding contracts to multiple vendors to ensure adequate resources are available when needed. Specific scope, deliverables, reporting requirements, performance expectations, and associated costs will be established and communicated for each assignment. Work must be authorized by UNCW before services begin.

12. General Question: Were there any task orders issued under the last contract, if so please describe.

Answer: No, there were no task orders issued under the previous contract.

13. Is there an incumbent? If so, who?

Answer: Hagerty Consulting, Inc. and Witt O’Brien’s, LLC

14. 4.2 Financial Stability and 4.9 Financial Stability, pgs 12 and 14 It appears Section 4.9 has the same requirements as Section 4.2. Please verify the response to Section 4.2 satisfies the requirements of Section 4.9.

Answer: Yes. Section 4.9 contains the same financial stability requirements addressed in Section 4.2. The response and required certification provided for Section 4.2 will also satisfy the requirements of Section 4.9.

15. 4.8 Questions to Vendor, A. Vendor Experience and References, pg 13 Question 2 requires biographies of senior personnel assigned to the UNCW account.

This requirement appears to be similar to that required for Section 4.3 Vendor Experience. Is it acceptable for our response to reference information previously provided in Section 4.3?

Answer: Yes, you may reference information previously provided in Section 4.3.

However, please note that Question 2 is being evaluated separately, so your response should clearly address all requirements of Question 2.

16. 5.2 Scope of Work, pg 15 Scope of work includes decontamination under Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response & Recovery. Please confirm this is actually a requirement of the Professional Services RFP.

Answer: Decontamination is included as one of the potential services that may be needed under Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response & Recovery. As noted in the scope, the listed services are not intended to be limiting, but rather represent the broad range of professional services that may be required under the resulting contract.

17. 4.4 References, pg 13 Regarding the additional references for other government contracts, are we required to use the Customer Reference attachment?

Answer: Yes. Please use the attachment specifically titled “Customer Reference Form” to provide the additional government contract references. Section 2.7 identifies the required attachments and items that must be submitted as part of the proposal.

18. Cover page; Execution page; 2.4 and 2.6 - “Submit Proposals…November 4, 2026 by 2:00 PM ET.” The Execution page lists a 3:00 PM ET public opening.

Please confirm the proposal submission deadline and whether proposals must be uploaded through eVP.

Answer: Proposals must be submitted electronically through the North Carolina eVP system by November 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. Proposals will be publicly opened on November 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET. As this is an RFP, only the names of the vendors that submitted proposals will be read aloud during the public opening.

19. 2.7 - b) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

c) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.

d) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP. 4.12 Secretary of State Registration, 6.1 Customer Service.

e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT: COST PROPOSAL The attachments are specifically referenced in the proposal context outside of the body of the RFP. Is the body of the RFP considered to be from the cover page to page 17?

Answer: The main body of the RFP ends with Section 6.10 and must be completed in its entirety. All applicable sections and attachments under Section 7.0 must also be completed and submitted. In addition, the Letter of Execution page must be completed and signed.

20. 3.1 and 5.2 - “The State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items.”

May vendors propose selected service areas within Section 5.2, or must each vendor demonstrate the ability to perform the entire scope, including construction claims consulting and financial claims recovery?

Answer: Vendors must submit a proposal that addresses the entire scope of services outlined in Section 5.2. While the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors, this does not change the requirement for each Vendor to demonstrate its ability to perform the full scope of services.

21. 1.0 and 3.1 - “The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract to multiple Vendors.”

How will assignments be allocated among awarded vendors, and will each assignment receive a written scope, budget, and authorization before work begins?

Answer: UNCW anticipates making awards to multiple vendors to provide flexibility and ensure resources are available when needed, particularly if one vendor is unavailable or committed to another assignment. Assignments will be made based on UNCW’s specific needs and vendor availability. Each assignment will have an agreed-upon scope of work and associated costs and must be authorized by UNCW before work begins.

22. 5.4 - “A description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included.”

Given the as-needed nature of the contract, should vendors provide representative tasks, deliverables, and schedules, with final requirements established for individual assignments? Please identify any anticipated initial projects or priorities.

Answer: Yes. Vendors may provide representative tasks, deliverables, and schedules as part of their proposed approach. Specific requirements, deliverables, and timelines will be established based on the needs of each individual assignment.

At this time, UNCW has not identified any specific initial projects or priorities.

23. 1.0 and 4.8 - Vendors should “be able to respond quickly when services are requested.”

What response and on-site mobilization times are expected following an emergency request, and does UNCW anticipate continuous availability or simultaneous staffing at multiple locations?

Answer: Vendors should be prepared to respond within 24 hours of an emergency request from UNCW. Specific on-site mobilization, continuous availability, and simultaneous staffing requirements will depend on the nature and needs of the emergency and will be communicated by UNCW at the time of the assignment.

24. 4.3, 4.4, and 4.8. - “Describe the Vendor’s experience…for public institutions of similar size to UNCW (or larger).”

Will comparable municipal, county, state, and federal emergency management projects receive equal consideration to university projects? May relevant experience of proposed personnel and subcontractors be included when clearly distinguished from the prime vendor’s contracts?

Answer: Yes. Comparable municipal, county, state, and federal emergency management projects may be included as relevant experience, provided the experience is relevant and can be related to UNCW’s needs and the scope of services outlined in the RFP. Relevant experience of proposed personnel and subcontractors may also be included, provided it is clearly identified and distinguished from the prime vendor’s experience.

25. 4.3, 4.6, 4.12, and 5.3 - “Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors.”

May vendors propose a core leadership team supported by an expandable roster of employees, independent consultants, and subcontractors, with additional personnel submitted for approval as assignments arise, or must all potential personnel be identified at submission?

Answer: Vendors may propose a core leadership team supported by additional personnel, consultants, and subcontractors as needed. Vendors should identify the key personnel proposed for the contract at the time of submission. Additional personnel may be identified and submitted for approval as specific assignments and needs arise.

26. 3.4 and 4.1; Pricing Attachment - “Pricing 30%”; “Cost per Hour”;

“OTHER.”

How will hourly rates be combined or weighted to determine evaluated cost, including additional labor categories under “Other”? Must every listed category be priced, and are approved travel expenses reimbursable separately from hourly rates?

Answer: Cost will be evaluated based on the standard hourly rate provided for each labor category. Each of the ten (10) listed line items will be assigned a weight of 3% toward the overall evaluation score. Any optional items or additional labor categories listed under “Other” will not be included in the cost evaluation.

27. 4.7, 5.2, and 6.5 - The scope includes “data management” and “documentation”; vendors furnish necessary software.

Does UNCW permit AI-assisted tools for research, planning, data analysis, documentation, and quality control, subject to professional review? If permitted, what approval, disclosure, data security, and information-handling requirements apply?

Answer: Yes. AI-assisted tools may be used; however, any proposed use would be subject to review and assessment by UNCW’s ITS Vendor Risk Management team to ensure applicable data security, privacy, and information-handling requirements are met.

28. Relevant Experience and Organizational Affiliation Will UNCW consider relevant disaster-response, emergency management, and recovery experience acquired by proposed key personnel through affiliated nonprofit organizations or predecessor operations, provided the proposal clearly identifies the organization responsible for the work and each individual's specific role?

Answer: Yes. UNCW will consider relevant experience gained by proposed key personnel through affiliated nonprofit organizations or predecessor operations, provided the proposal clearly identifies the organization that performed the work and the individual’s specific role and responsibilities.

29. Comparable Experience and References For organizations whose experience includes humanitarian disaster-response operations performed in coordination with government agencies and public institutions, will UNCW accept references from those agencies or institutional partners when the services were provided through nonprofit or noncommercial arrangements rather than paid contracts with the bidding entity?

Answer: Yes. UNCW will accept references from government agencies or public institutions where relevant services were provided through nonprofit or noncommercial arrangements, provided the references can verify the organization’s experience and successful performance of the services described.

30. Scope of Services and Multiple Awards Given the RFP's provision for multiple contract awards, may a proposer identify particular areas of specialization within the overall scope, such as preparedness planning, emergency operations, logistics, crisis communications, meteorological intelligence, and FEMA Public Assistance, without independently providing every service described, including specialized construction claims administration?

Answer: No. While vendors may identify and highlight particular areas of specialization, each proposer must demonstrate the ability to provide the full scope of services outlined in the RFP

31. Personnel and Affiliated Resources May a prime contractor propose qualified professionals who also hold leadership or technical positions with an affiliated nonprofit organization, provided their availability, commercial responsibilities, and contractual relationships are appropriately documented? Would such individuals be considered proposed key personnel rather than subcontractors when engaged directly by the prime contractor?

Answer: Yes. A prime contractor may propose these individuals as key personnel as long as their availability, responsibilities, and relationship with the prime contractor are clearly identified. If they are engaged directly by the prime contractor, they may be considered key personnel rather than subcontractors.

32. National Partnerships and External Resources Would UNCW consider a vendor's established relationships with national disaster-response nonprofits, logistics providers, and other emergency management organizations as part of its proposed coordination capability, provided that any subcontracted services or resource commitments are separately authorized in accordance with the RFP?

Answer: Yes. These relationships may be considered as part of the vendor’s overall coordination capabilities, as long as any subcontracted services or resource commitments are approved in accordance with the RFP.

33. Emergency Response Expectations Does UNCW anticipate specific minimum response times, on-site deployment requirements, or 24-hour availability standards following a disaster? If so, will those requirements be established through individual task orders or statements of work, or should vendors propose binding response commitments in their initial submissions?

Answer: Vendors should be prepared to respond within 24 hours following a request from UNCW.

Specific on-site deployment requirements, availability expectations, and other response requirements will be determined based on the needs of each assignment and communicated by UNCW at that time.

34. Pricing and Task-Order Arrangements Should the hourly rates submitted cover both routine preparedness consulting and emergency activation assignments, or may vendors identify separate labor categories or rate structures for specialized emergency deployment services? Additionally, should mobilization, travel, and other approved direct expenses be addressed at the individual assignment level?

Answer: Vendors should provide the requested standard hourly rates for the ten (10) labor categories identified in the RFP. Vendors may identify additional or specialized labor categories or rate structures as optional items; however, optional items will not be included in the cost evaluation. Mobilization, travel, and other approved direct expenses should be addressed at the individual assignment level, as applicable and subject to UNCW approval.

35. Federal Funding and FEMA Reimbursement Services Does UNCW anticipate that FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program support will include direct preparation and administration of reimbursement submissions, or primarily advisory, documentation, and compliance support to university personnel?

Additionally, the FEMA Certifications attachment appears to reference entities other than UNCW, including Troxell Communications, Inc., and the District. Will a corrected attachment be issued, or should proposers execute the attachment as currently provided?

Answer: FEMA Public Assistance (PA) and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) support may include both direct assistance with the preparation and administration of reimbursement submissions and advisory, documentation, compliance, and related support services. The specific services required will be determined based on UNCW’s needs for each assignment.

The FEMA Certifications attachment may be disregarded and will not be required or evaluated as part of the proposal.

36. Vendor Registration Requirements Please confirm whether North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) registration must be completed before proposal submission and whether any required North Carolina Secretary of State registration may be completed following notice of award within the timeframe specified in the RFP.

Answer: Yes. Vendors must be registered in the North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) in order to submit a proposal. Proposals must be submitted electronically through eVP by 2:00 PM ET on the due date. Any required North Carolina Secretary of State registration must be completed within ten

(10) business days of notice of award.

37. Section 2.7, Proposal Contents (Page 9), item c.

Please define “Execution Pages” and “body of the RFP” to be included in this section.

Answer: The RFP must be completed in its entirety, beginning with the cover page. All required attachments listed under Section 7.0 must also be completed and submitted. In addition, the Letter of Execution page must be completed and signed.

38. Section 2.7, Proposal Contents (Page 9), item e.

Please clarify what is to be addressed in “vendor’s proposal addressing all specifications of this RFP.”

Answer: Section 4.8, Questions to Vendors, must be completed, as proposals will be evaluated based on the responses to these questions, along with the Pricing Attachment listed in Section 7.0. Section

2.7 provides a complete list of all proposal submission requirements.

39. Section 4.8, Questions to Vendors (page13) These are not referenced in the proposal contents in Section 2.7. Where in our response are we to provide this information? Is this part of “all specifications of this RFP” referenced in the previous question?

Answer: You may provide your responses to these questions in a separate document and include the document with your proposal submission.

40. Section 4.8, Questions to Vendors (page13) The first section addresses “Vendor Experience and References” but the specific questions do not ask for references. Should we provide client references here and, if so, how many?

Answer: Please utilize the Customer Reference Form provided under Section 7.0 to submit the required reference information.

41. Section 4.8, Questions to Vendors (page13) The two questions under “Plan and Approach to Services” do not cover the entire scope of work.

Should we answer these specific questions and also provide a complete technical approach?

Answer: Yes. Please answer the specific questions listed under “Plan and Approach to Services” and also provide a complete technical approach addressing the full scope of work.

Signed receipt of this addendum is not required to be returned with the proposal.

Rev. 09/01/2009

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT WILMINGTON