Aerated_Sludge_Holding_Tanks.pdf

26-041

AERATED SLUDGE HOLDING TANKS

Charles County Government

200 Baltimore Street

La Plata, MD 20646

RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: July 13, 2026, 11:00 am

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/charlescountymd

Charles County Government

Aerated Sludge Holding Tanks

I. INTRODUCTION

II. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

III. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

IV. ORIGINAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

V. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PANEL AND CRITERIA

VI. AWARD AND CONTRACT FORMATION

VII. GENERAL PROVISIONS

VIII. SPECIAL PROVISIONS

IX. PROPOSAL ITEM DESCRIPTIONS

X. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

XI. COST PROPOSAL FORM

XII. INSURANCE

Attachments:

A - Performance Labor Bonds

B - Project Close Out Documents

C - Sample Contract - Consecutive Number of Days Specified

D - Appendix D Recommended Configuration

Title: Aerated Sludge Holding Tanks #26-041

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Summary

The Board of Commissioners for Charles County seeks qualified contractors to prepare contract drawings and specifications, obtain all applicable permits, and provide construction engineering services for the proposed upgrades of the Aerated Sludge Holding Tanks. This initiative is in direct response to the

County’s need for their aerated sludge holding tanks to achieve three days of storage at 20 MGD ADF.

The proposed improvements aim to achieve this goal ensuring the plant’s readiness for future growth and environmental compliance.

1.2. Background

The Mattawoman Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP) was constructed in the mid-1970s and currently serves the northern portion of Charles County and a southern portion of Prince George’s

County. The MWWTP is rated for an average daily flow of 20 million gallons per day (MGD). The

MWWTP is undergoing essential upgrades to its aerated sludge holding tanks. The tanks, originally constructed as aerobic digester tanks, currently function as aerated sludge holding tanks to provide flow equalization upstream of the dewatering facility rather than volatile solids reduction through aerobic digestion.

The existing Aerated Sludge Holding Tanks do not meet the County’s need for three days of storage capacity at 20 MGD ADF. This project aims to design upgrades for the Aerated Sludge Holding Tanks that will increase tank capacity to achieve this goal.

1.3. Contact Information

The Purchasing Representative identified below is the SOLE POINT OF CONTACT at Charles County

Government for this procurement. All communication between the Offeror and Charles County Government shall be with the Purchasing Representative until a fully executed contract is delivered to the Contractor.

Offerors or any of their authorized representatives may not initiate contact with Charles County Government or

County Consultants other than the Contact identified below, for any reason during the bidding process or prior to full contact execution. Any communication outside this process may result in disqualification.

Catherine Scott Senior Procurement Specialist 200 Baltimore Street Purchasing Department La Plata, MD 20646 Email: scottca@charlescountymd.gov Phone: (301) 645-0657

Department:

DPW - Capital Project Management

1.4. Timeline

NOTE: Times and dates are subject to change due to extenuating circumstances, including inclement weather. Offerors may obtain

County operating status by calling 301-645-0600 (meeting times cannot be verified at this number) or by referring to County operations status updates on the Charles County Government website at http://www.CharlesCountyMD.gov.

Release Project Date June 1, 2026 mailto:scottca@charlescountymd.gov tel:(301)645-0657 http://www.charlescountymd.gov/

Pre-Proposal Meeting Registration

Deadline

June 16, 2026, 11:00am

Firms must register in advance to attend the pre-proposal meeting via the County's eProcurement

Portal RSVP Manager.

Pre-proposal meeting will occur virtually/teleconference, unless otherwise specified.

Firms that have registered timely will receive participation instructions.

If multiple attendees from your firm will be attending the meeting, please have each individual complete the eProcurement Portal RSVP Manager process.

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-Mandatory) June 17, 2026, 11:00am

Pre-proposal meeting will occur virtually/teleconference, unless otherwise specified.

Firms that register timely and via the County's eProcurement Portal RSVP Manager will receive participation instructions.

The attendance roster will be published on the

County's eProcurement Portal.

Site Visit June 18, 2026, 10:00am

Firms must register in advance to attend the site visit. Due to safety restrictions at the site, all visitors proceeding to the site location are recommended to wear steel-toed shoes/boots during the site visit portion of the meeting. The attendance roster will be published on the County's eProcurement Portal.

The site visit address is:

Mattawoman Wastewater Treatment Plant 5310 Hawthorne Road La Plata, MD 20646

Question Submission Deadline June 26, 2026, 11:00am

Proposal Submission Deadline July 13, 2026, 11:00am

2. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. Proposal Submission Conditions

Charles County Government is accepting electronic proposal submissions. Offerors shall create a FREE account with OpenGov

Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, click on

"Draft Response" and follow the instructions to submit the electronic proposal via the County's eProcurement Portal.

Proposals shall be submitted by the date and time specified. Late proposals will not be accepted. Submission, modification, or withdrawal of proposals after the due date/time will not be considered.

It is the Offerors’ sole responsibility to ensure that proposals are delivered via County's eProcurement Portal. Offerors shall give yourself adequate time to submit a response. Any technical difficulties or uncertainty with the submittal process will not be cause for accepting a response that was not submitted timely. The County is only accepting electronic submittals. Delivery methods by courier, in-person hand delivered, United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service or Federal Express, and other methods of delivery shall not be accepted. Any proposals not received timely will not be considered.

Proposals shall be valid and irrevocable for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) days from the due date. An Offeror may submit only (1) proposal in response to this RFP. Offerors shall monitor the County's eProcurement Portal for schedule changes issued via addendum.

2.2. Solicitation Events

A. Pre-Proposal Meeting Registration Deadline: Refer to the Timeline section for date, time, location, participation and registration requirements. Pre-proposal meeting will occur virtually/teleconference, unless otherwise specified. Firms that have registered timely will receive participation instructions.

B. Pre-Proposal Meeting: Pre-proposal meeting will occur virtually/teleconference, unless otherwise specified. Firms that registered timely will receive participation instructions. Refer to the Timeline section for date, time, and location, participation, and registration requirements. The attendance roster will be published on the County's eProcurement

Portal.

C. Site Visit: Refer to the Timeline section for date, time, location, participation and registration requirements. The attendance roster will be published on the County's eProcurement Portal.

D. Last Day for Questions: The County will not provide responses to questions received after the deadline to submit questions specified in the Timeline section.

E. Proposal Submission Deadline: Refer to the Timeline section for the date and time proposals must be received by.

Offerors must have an account or create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement to submit a proposal.

2.3. Offeror Certification of Acceptance

By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the Offeror certifies their acceptance of all terms and conditions set forth within this document, which will be made a part of the final contract documentation. All work, if any, shown on the contract drawings, specifications, and reports referenced in the RFP or any Appendices is made part of this solicitation package.

2.4. Incurring Costs

The County is not liable for any costs incurred by the Offeror prior to full execution of the contract.

2.5. Additions/Modifications to Solicitation Forms

Modifications of or additions to the Cost Proposal Form or any other County form may be cause for rejection of the proposal, however, the County reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether or not to reject such a proposal as nonresponsive. As a precondition to proposal acceptance, the County may, in its sole discretion, request that the Offeror withdraw or modify any such modifications or additions which do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery.

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2.6. Alternate Offers

Offerors must bid only one (1) product and one (1) price per proposal item even though they feel they can offer more than one item that will meet the specifications. Offeror must determine for themselves which to offer. If an Offeror submits more than one (1) product and/or more than one (1) price for a given proposal item or items, it may be cause for the proposal items or items being bid upon to be considered non-responsive and rejected.

2.7. "Or Equal" Interpretations

Identification of an item by manufacturer’s name, trade name, catalog number, or reference is intended to be description but not restrictive in that it is used for the purpose of describing the type, style, quality, performance and minimum specifications of the product desired, and shall not be interpreted to mean the only acceptable product. Proposals on other makes and/or models will be considered provided in the Cost Proposal Form what is being proposed and forwards with the proposal complete descriptive literature indicating the character of the article being offered and addressing all specifications of this solicitation.

The County reserves the right to accept or reject, in its sole discretion, items offered as an “equal”.

2.8. Offeror Investigation

Prior to submitting a proposal, each Offeror shall make all investigations and examinations necessary to ascertain all conditions and requirements affecting the full performance of the contract and to verify any representations made by the County that the

Offeror will rely upon. No pleas of ignorance of such conditions and requirements resulting from failure to make such investigations and examinations will relieve the successful Offeror from its obligation to comply in every detail with all provisions and requirements of the contract documents or will be accepted as a basis for any claim whatsoever for any monetary consideration on the part of the successful Offeror.

2.9. Sole Point of Contact

The Purchasing Representative identified in the Introduction section is the SOLE POINT OF CONTACT at Charles County

Government for this procurement. All communication between Offerors and Charles County Government shall be with the

Purchasing Representative until a fully executed contract is delivered to the Contractor. Offerors or any of their authorized representatives may not initiate contact with Charles County Government or County Consultants other than the Contact identified on the Introduction section, for any reason during the bidding process or prior to full contact execution. Any communication outside this process may result in disqualification.

2.10. Questions

All inquiries/questions concerning technical or bidding information shall be directed via OpenGov Procurement Question &

Answer feature prior to the due date and time specified in the Introduction section . In the event an Offeror has multiple questions, each question must be submitted individually. Please include the section number and title for each question, if applicable. All questions submitted and answers provided will be electronically distributed to offerors following this solicitation on the County's eProcurement Portal. The County will not provide responses to questions submitted after the due date and time specified in the Introduction section. The person submitting the request will be responsible for its prompt delivery. Questions and answers are provided for informational purposes only and are not part of any resulting contract from this solicitation.

2.11. Addenda and Supplements

In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation, or if additional information is necessary to enable the

Offeror to make an adequate interpretation of the provisions of this solicitation, a supplement to the solicitation will be issued. The

Offeror shall acknowledge in their proposal, the receipt of all addenda, supplements, amendments, or changes to the solicitation that were issued by the County. Oral statements made by County personnel shall not bind the County in any manner whatsoever and cannot be used to protest or otherwise challenge any aspect of this solicitation or subsequent agreement.

Any interpretation, correction, changes to the solicitation will be made only by addendum duly issued and will be posted on the County’s eProcurement Portal found at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov. Any and all addenda issued prior to the proposal due date/time shall become a part of the contract documents and shall be covered in the Offeror’s proposal prices, unless an alternate schedule is presented by addendum. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to check the County's eProcurement Portal as frequently as necessary to obtain all updates and addenda to the solicitation.

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2.12. Ability to Perform

Offeror shall have the capability to perform classes of work contemplated, having sufficient capital to execute the work properly within the specified time. The County reserves the right to request any additional information, utilize references not provided by a

Offeror, and validate any information provided by an Offeror by any means deemed necessary by the County for the purpose of determining the Offeror’s ability to perform the services described herein.

2.13. Errors

Any errors in computations may be corrected during the County’s review of the proposal. The County shall not be responsible for

Offeror computation errors contained on the Cost Proposal Form. All values contained on the Cost Proposal Form remain the responsibility of the Offeror. Where the unit price and the extension price are at variance, the unit price will prevail. In the event that the unit price is not provided, the unit price shall be the extended price divided by the quantity. Errors on any forms submitted remain the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

2.14. County Rights/Disclaimers

The County exclusively reserves the right, but is not limited to the following actions:

A. Reject any or all proposal submissions;

B. Issue a new RFP;

C. Cancel, modify, or withdraw the RFP;

D. Issue addenda, supplements, and modifications to this RFP;

E. Modify the RFP process (with appropriate notice to offerors as described herein);

F. Appoint an Evaluation Committee and evaluation teams to review proposal submissions, G. Approve or disapprove the use of particular subcontractors and/or substitutions and/or changes in proposal submissions;

H. Revise and modify, at any time before the Proposal Due to County date, the factors it will consider in evaluating proposal submissions and to otherwise revise or expand its evaluation methodology. If such revisions or modifications are made, the County will publish an addendum. The County may extend the RFP due date if such changes are deemed by the

County, in its sole discretion, to be material and substantive;

I. Seek or obtain data from any source that has the potential to improve the understanding and evaluation of the RFPs;

J. Disqualify any team that changes its Proposal Submission without County written approval;

K. Retain ownership of all materials submitted in hard-copy and/or electronic format.

2.15. Rejection of Quotes/Bids/Proposals

The County exclusively reserves the right, but is not limited to the following actions:

A. Evidence of collusion among offerors.

B. Lack of competency revealed by financial statements, experience, equipment statements, or other factors.

C. Lack of responsibility as shown by past work, judged from the standpoint of workmanship as submitted or from previous experience with the offeror.

D. Default on a previous similar contract for failure to perform.

E. Being delinquent in payments due to Charles County Government.

F. Exceptions or exclusions to the requirements of the solicitation.

G. Failure to be in “Good Standing” with the State of Maryland.

H. Previous substandard performance on a County contract.

I. Failure to perform properly or to complete, in a timely manner, contracts of a similar or comparable nature, or if investigation shows the offeror unable or unlikely to perform the requirements.

J. Failure to furnish information requested by the County.

The County reserves the right to reject any/all proposals, to waive irregularities and/or informalities in any proposal, and to make award in any manner, consistent with law, deemed in the best interest of the County.

2.16. Good Standing Requirements

In order to be eligible for award, Offerors shall meet the following conditions prior to contract award:

A. Their firm is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for participation in government procurement by the federal government, the State of Maryland, or any other state, county, or municipal government.

B. All payments to Charles County Government have been paid and are not delinquent.

C. Their firm is in “good standing” with the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.

2.17. Restrictions

An individual or a person that employs an individual who the County utilized in the drafting of specifications, an invitation for bids, a request for quotes, or a request for proposals for a procurement may not submit a quote, bid, or proposal for that procurement, or assist or represent another person, directly or indirectly, who is submitting a quote, bid, or proposal for the procurement. A proposal from such an individual or entity will be rejected.

The following is a list of consultant(s) and/or sub-consultant(s) that have received monetary compensation under a contract with the County as the prime consultant to develop this Request for Proposals and have been retained by the County to perform the services on the behalf of the County for this procurement.

• GHD

n addition, the County Ethics Committee administers the provisions of the County Ethics Code, including

§170 of the Charles County Code that contains various restrictions on participating in County procurements.

2.18. Notifications

Legal notice given by the County to the Offeror shall be sent to the Offeror's contact information provided in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notice given by the County by any of the following:

A. A communication delivered by MAIL shall be deemed as having been received by the addressee three (3) business days after the date of mailing.

1. UPS or FedEx or other delivery service; or

2. USPS first class postage mail; or

3. USPS certified, or

4. USPS registered mail.

B. A communication delivered by email shall be deemed as having received by the addressee the same day the email was sent.

2.19. Negotiations

The County may negotiate contract terms, price, statement of work, or other conditions that results in the most advantageous outcome for the County. In the event an agreement satisfactory to the County cannot be negotiated, the County may terminate negotiation and move to another Offeror.

2.20. Prohibition of Discrimination in County Procurement

Charles County is committed to ensuring that Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises are provided equal opportunity to participate in the County's procurement and contracting processes. Any instances of overt or perceived discrimination should immediately be reported to the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager.

Per Resolution 2023-13, Section 8, Item 4.1, the SLMBE Programs Division is authorized to investigate such complaint. An investigation may also be initiated based solely on a finding of a significant statistical disparity from the Annual Aspirational

Goal or contract/project goal(s), as detailed herein. The details of any investigation, including findings, shall be recorded and maintained by the SLMBE Programs Division.

All Contractors must cooperate with any investigations or audits conducted by authorized entities to assess compliance with anti-discrimination laws and policies. Non-compliance may result in sanctions, including but not limited to contract termination, suspension, or debarment from future contracts.

Certification of Compliance

By submitting a response to this solicitation, the Contractor agrees not to engage in any discriminatory practices and affirms that it has implemented policies and/or procedures to prevent discrimination in its operations. The Contractor further agrees to provide evidence of such policies/procedures upon request.

Reporting Discrimination

Discrimination in any form is strictly prohibited in Charles County. Charles County staff, prime contractors, subcontractors, or any individuals otherwise engaged in the procurement process are strictly prohibited from discriminating against any business or individual based on, but not limited to the following: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Legitimate denial of a bid or not being selected for a procurement opportunity is not considered discrimination.

If anyone is a victim of discrimination, in any form, a request must be submitted to the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager.

Anyone submitting a discrimination complaint must submit a complaint using the “MWBE Discrimination Reporting Form”.

You can request a form from the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager. Any individual or firm discriminating against another could face any of the following penalties including, but not limited to: sanctions, contract termination, suspension, and/or debarment from future contracts. If necessary, the case can also be referred to the County Attorney and/or the County Administrator for further action.

Notification of Accusation and/or Finding of Discrimination

Once a discrimination complaint is received by the Purchasing Division and the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager, the accused will be notified in writing that they; a) have been accused of discrimination, b) will have an opportunity to provide a defense against the accusation; c) must comply with all requests from investigators; d)are prohibited from taking any adverse actions against an accuser; and e) have a right to appeal a finding of discrimination.

3. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

Cost information shall not be included in the Technical Proposal.

3.1. Technical Proposal Instructions

SUBMIT SEPARATE FROM THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL PACKAGE

Requirements for the Technical Proposal Content are listed below. Cost information shall not be included in the Technical

Proposal. At a minimum, each technical proposal shall include the following items in the stated order; all pages shall be numbered;

and all the listed components must be included. Do not provide references to other section/tabs, documents or websites for the information required; information should be specifically included in the RFP response. Technical proposals which do not include all components or use the proper format may be considered non-responsive and therefore not reviewed or considered for award.

3.2. Tab 1 - Statement of Qualifications/Project Understanding

3.2.1 Offerors proposals shall be submitted on Standard Form 330 (SF330 template available on-line). Offerors shall demonstrate the following:

A. Design of a minimum of five (5) relevant projects over the past ten (10) years of which a minimum of one (1) completed detailed design project of Aerated Sludge Holding Tanks of similar capacity.

B. At least one (1) of the above relevant projects must have been completed through construction.

The representative project descriptions shall include:

A. Project description.

B. Relevance to the proposed project.

C. Services provided.

D. Key personnel.

E. Client contact and telephone number.

Experience of subcontractors may not be used as experience of the prime. The total construction cost for each project must be greater than $10 Million.

Offerors shall include a summary that demonstrates the Offeror’s understanding of the requirements of this RFP as well as a summary that demonstrates the Offeror’s ability to carry out the requirements as described within the Special Provisions of this solicitation. Submission of names constitutes a commitment to use these individuals if the Offeror is selected, and changes may be made only with the prior written consent of the County.

3.2.2 Required Staff Positions

The Offeror must ensure that the following key staff positions, integral to the project's success, are filled by individuals currently employed by the Offeror's firm. The Offeror should identify and provide detailed resumes for each of the professionals who meet minimum requirements identified, filling these roles:

Principal

Description: This position shall cover services provided by an individual with the following minimum qualifications as they relate to water and wastewater engineering:

A. Fifteen (15) years of engineering experience

B. Project management experience

C. Professional Engineering registration in the State of Maryland

This individual will be qualified to oversee all aspects of assigned projects, including but not limited to:

A. Engineering design/review

B. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Review

C. Plan/Specification development

D. Contract Management

E. Proposal form development

Evidence of this individual's valid Professional Engineer registration in the State of Maryland shall be included in the proposal.

Project Manager

Description: This position shall cover services provided by an individual with the following minimum qualifications as they relate to water and wastewater engineering:

A. Ten (10) years of engineering experience

B. Project management experience

C. Professional Engineering registration in the State of Maryland

This individual will manage and coordinate all aspects of assigned projects through to completion, including but not limited to:

A. Engineering design/review

B. Permitting

C. Plan/Specification Development

D. Proposal Form Development

E. Scheduling

F. Invoicing

G. Meetings

Evidence of this individual's valid Professional Engineer's registration in the State of Maryland shall be included in the proposal.

Architect

Description: This position shall cover services provided by an individual with the following minimum qualifications as they relate to water and wastewater engineering:

A. Ten (10) years of architectural experience

B. Professional Architectural registration in the State of Maryland

This individual will assist the Project Manager in completing assigned projects, including but not limited to:

A. Architectural Design/Review

B. Plan/Specification Development

C. Proposal Form Development

Evidence of this individual's valid Professional Architect's registration in the State of Maryland shall be included in the proposal.

Senior Design Engineer

Description: This position shall cover services provided by an individual with the following minimum qualifications as they relate to water and wastewater engineering:

A. Twelve (12) years of engineering experience

B. Professional Engineering registration in the State of Maryland. Evidence of this individual's valid Professional

Engineer's registration in the State of Maryland shall be included in the proposal.

This individual will assist the Project Manager in completing assigned projects, including but not limited to:

A. Engineering design/review as it pertains to their specialty (core capability)

B. Plan/Specification Development

C. Proposal Form Development

Core Capabilities: The Senior Design Engineer must demonstrate expertise in the following areas relevant to water and wastewater projects:

• Civil Engineering (i.e. Site layout, grading, stormwater management/drainage, hydraulic analysis, etc.)

• Mechanical Engineering (i.e. Pumping systems, piping, and other mechanical equipment)

• Electrical/Instrumentation/Control Engineering (i.e. Power distribution, SCADA systems, and instrumentation for process monitoring and control)

• Structural Engineering (i.e. Design and analysis of concrete and steel structures)

Design Engineer

Description: This position shall cover services provided by an individual with the following minimum qualifications as they relate to water and wastewater engineering:

A. Seven (7) years of engineering experience

B. A four-year college graduate with Engineer in Training certification. Evidence of this individual's valid Professional

Engineer's registration in the State of Maryland shall be included in the proposal.

This individual will assist the Senior Design Engineer in completing assigned projects, including but not limited to:

A. Engineering design/review as it pertains to their specialty (core capabilities as defined under Senior Design Engineer).

B. Plan/Specification Development

Process Engineer

Description: This position provides services by an individual meeting the following minimum qualifications related to

Wastewater Treatment Plant design:

A. Fifteen (15) years of Wastewater Treatment Plant design experience.

B. Wastewater treatment process design, optimization, and compliance with environmental standards

C. Evidence of a valid Professional Engineer’s (PE) in the State of Maryland is required.

The process engineer will be expected to work closely with the County’s technical and operations staff to assist in optimizing plant performance, including but not limited to:

A. Providing engineering expertise specific to plant design and optimization.

B. Collaborating with staff to implement performance improvement.

3.2.3 Resume Submission

Offerors must submit detailed resumes for all key staff, outlining roles, qualifications, education, relevant experiences, and certifications. These resumes should highlight contributions to past projects to demonstrate expertise and impact. Contact information is required for verification purposes. Offerors must ensure their team's skills align with the Aerated Sludge Holding

Tank Improvements Project's needs, as evaluating these submissions is essential in determining the Offeror's ability to execute the project successfully and emphasizing the importance of a well-qualified team to meet project objectives.

3.2.4. Qualified Signature

The Consultant assures that the members of their firm who initiate and sign correspondence and attend meetings with County officials and its’ representatives are technically qualified to perform these duties. It is expected that all work submitted by the

Consultant will be reviewed by a responsible Professional Engineer employed by the Consultant who is able to speak or act on behalf of and make decisions for the engineer. According to State of Maryland regulations, the Professional Engineer shall sign and seal all submittal documents, plans, and cost estimates.

3.3. Tab 3 - Innovative Techniques

Identify and demonstrate any techniques that would improve project cost, schedule, or scope.

3.4. Tab 4 - Organizational Structure

The Offeror shall provide an organization chart both graphically and in narrative format, that provides a description of the Offeror’s proposed organizational structure for this project. The organizational chart shall depict the relationship of its key personnel roles to that of the Principal-in-Charge and other key members of the management team. The Offeror shall provide a description of how this organizational structure will facilitate project design and management, and how an efficient flow of information will be realized. The organizational chart shall provide the names and certification of the proposed staff for each position on the chart.

Subcontracted firms/personnel shall be clearly identified on the organizational chart.

4. ORIGINAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

Any information identified as “Confidential” shall be noted by reference and appended to the Proposal Submission. Each item identified as “Confidential” shall be accompanied by an explanation. Refer to Public Information Act/Confidentiality Notice section.

A complete original proposal package shall include all information and forms identified on the County’s eProcurement Portal, including but not limited to:

4.1. Original Proposal Instructions

The original proposal shall be considered the items listed in this Section. All forms must be completed. signed, and submitted.

Indicate "NA" on the form if it is "Not Applicable" and sign and date it. Original proposals which do not include all components or use the proper format may be considered non-responsive and therefore not reviewed or considered for award.

4.2. Cost Proposal Form

Proposal pricing shall be submitted on the Cost Proposal Form. All cost columns of the table shall be fully completed to be able to submit a proposal response. All pricing shall be rounded to the nearest whole cent (e.g. $.01). There shall be no hidden costs.

Prices shall include all profit, overhead, equipment, transportation cost, etc. An Offeror may only submit one (1) Cost Proposal

Form in response to this solicitation. Each item on the form shall contain only one value. “Or Equal” items, if applicable, shall be noted on the Cost Proposal Form.

4.3. Vendor Disclosure Form

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten and signed.

4.4. Experience Form

Offeror shall be required to complete and submit the County provided Experience Form. A qualified Offeror must have requisite experience for the work as described in the Special Provisions and must be actively engaged as a legal entity in this field for a period of no less than ten (10) years at the due date for quote/bid/proposal. Offerors shall demonstrate their experience on the Experience Form. Offerors shall provide no less than five (5) projects completed within the past ten (10) years of equal or greater magnitude, as deemed acceptable by the County at its sole discretion, as specified in Item A below. All blank spaces of the form shall be fully completed in legible ink or typewritten.

Experience shall be that of the prime contractor unless otherwise specified. Experience of subcontractors may not be used as experience of the prime. The County shall accept experience of subcontractor only in those areas specified otherwise, if applicable.

As applicable: On-going service contracts for the services specified may be considered a “Completed” project if the base term of the contract has been fully completed, purchase orders issued and tasks fully completed during the contract term, and the contract renewed by the issuing agency. Each Offeror is solely responsible for providing any and/or all information/documents demonstrating completion and/or requested by the County in order to confirm the validity of references provided.

A minimum of five (5) completed representative projects that demonstrate the Offeror's experience in all of the following areas:

A. Wastewater treatment plant design experience

B. Aerated Sludge Treatment process experience

C. Cyclic Aerated Mixing Systems (CAMix) design & installation experience

4.5. Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program - MWBE

Compliance Plan Forms

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten and signed. Proposals submitted without a MWBE compliance form may be rejected as non-responsive by the County.

Offerors can contact the Economic Development Department by email at mwbe@meetcharlescounty.com for questions related to the County's MWBE program.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/256932/document?section=2458299 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/256932/document?section=2458299

4.6. Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Program – SLBE Certification Form and SLBE

Letter of Intent

Charles County Government has established a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Program, which registered Charles County

SLBE firms responding to this solicitation may receive a preference in accordance with the provisions of the Program that may apply to a formal solicitation resulting in an award of less than $500,000.00. This solicitation is exempt from the SLBE Program.

4.7. Intended Sub-Contractors Form

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten and signed. “NA” shall be noted on the form if it is Not Applicable.

4.8. Non-Collusion Affidavit Form

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten, signed, and notarized.

4.9. Addendum Certification

Offerors shall be required to acknowledge the addenda when responding to this request for proposals.

4.10. Ancillary Support Services Forms

The Contractor shall bill at rates indicated on the Ancillary Support Services sheet for Items A-2 and A-3 on the Cost Proposal

Form. For Item B-1, upon written request by the County, the Contractor shall provide a written proposal for Ancillary Support

Services as defined in Section 9 - Proposal Item Descriptions.

. For the purposes of this proposal, the Consultant shall provide a list of expected position titles and hourly rates for the staff that could reasonably be expected to perform these services. Hourly rates shall include all profit, overhead, equipment, transportation cost, etc. Payments shall be made only for hours worked. Work shall only be performed after County written approval and authorization has been made.

5. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PANEL AND CRITERIA

All materials, conferences, proposals, and other matters related to this project shall remain confidential until the contract is executed with the selected firm. The County may use any appropriate technical resources to assist during any part of the evaluation process.

5.1. Responsiveness Review

The County will review the proposal for minimum responsiveness criteria. Proposals that do not meet the minimum responsiveness criteria may be rejected as non-responsive, at the sole option of the County. Any deficiencies will be reviewed and determined by the Chief of Purchasing.

5.2. Evaluation Criteria

Proposal evaluation will include, but is not limited to, the following:

Item # Evaluation Criteria Description Points

1 Project Understanding 15

2 Experience of key staff and project team proposed 30

3 Firm experience, representative projects, and depth 15

4 Price 40

5 Total 100

Offerors’ proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee who will evaluate and score the proposals in accordance with the criteria specified above. The County reserves the right to conduct the evaluation in any manner considered in the best interest of the County. The County may utilize any information obtained as a result of reference checks, proposal clarification or additional information requests, offeror negotiations or any other means deemed necessary at the sole discretion of the County to identify the proposal that best meets the County’s needs.

5.3. Evaluation

Offerors’ proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee who will evaluate and score the proposals in accordance with the criteria specified above. The County reserves the right to conduct the evaluation in any manner considered in the best interest of the County. The County may utilize any information obtained as a result of reference checks, proposal clarification or additional information requests, offeror negotiations or any other means deemed necessary at the sole discretion of the County to identify the proposal that best meets the County’s needs.

6. AWARD AND CONTRACT FORMATION

The County reserves the right to award a contract by individual items, in the aggregate, or in any combination thereof, or to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality in proposals received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the County. Any contract awarded is contingent upon completion of the protest period.

6.1. Award of Contract

The County intends to award this solicitation on the basis of a combination of the evaluation of the Offerors’ experience and qualifications, as well as the proposed price (Sum of Base Items, Contingency Items and Allowance Items). Award will not be based upon cost alone, and this solicitation does not commit the County to award a contract or to award to that firm which has submitted the lowest fee. The evaluation criteria may include: the Offeror’s demonstration of their understanding of the work to be performed, past experience, technical ability, other resources, qualifications of personnel, results of reference checks, and record of similar work performed satisfactorily. In addition, the County reserves the right to accept any proposal either in part or in its entirety.

At any time, the County may request an offeror to provide additional items such as: additional information, clarification, references, interviews/presentations, and any other documentation needed to assist the County in the award selection process. Failure of an offeror to furnish requested information may constitute grounds for determining an offeror as non-responsive at the sole option of the County. Any contract awarded is contingent upon completion of the protest period.

The County reserves the right to reject any/all proposals, to waive irregularities and/or informalities in any proposal, and to make award in any manner, consistent with law, deemed in the best interest of the County.

6.2. Term of Contract

The Contractor selected shall complete the scope of work and all requirements contained herein within four hundred twenty (420) consecutive calendar days after the start date specified in a written Notice to Proceed issued by Charles County Government, as established by the County and the Contractor, plus any contract time extensions approved by the County to complete all work to a point of substantial completion as deemed by the County.

6.3. Quantity Contracts Awarded

The County intends to award a contract to one firm. The contract entered into with the successful offeror shall meet all standard provisions required by the County.

The County intends to contract with a single firm and not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture. Where two or more

Offerors desire to submit a single proposal in response to this RFP, they should do so on a prime-subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

6.4. Contract Execution

The successful Offeror to whom the Contract shall have been awarded shall receive a Notice of Intent to Award letter from the

Chief of Purchasing notifying them that their proposal has been accepted. The effective date of the award is seven (7) consecutive calendar days after the date specified on the Notice of Intent to Award letter, unless notified otherwise in writing by the County.

The contract documents will consist of the Notice of Intent to Award letter, the Solicitation, the Offeror’s Proposal Submission

Package, and any addenda or other modifications to the solicitation. The Offeror shall furnish the County with all documentation requirements within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date stated on the Notice of Intent to Award letter, which may include, but is not limited to performance bonds and/or payment bonds, insurance certificates, equipment inspections, licenses, etc., as specified herein.

6.5. Contract Documents

All work under this project shall be in accordance with the contract documents. The Contract documents for this project includes, but is not necessarily limited to, this solicitation package, project plans and specifications as shown in RFP and other referenced ordinances, manuals and specifications. Contract Documents shall also include:

A. All written modifications, amendments and change orders to this Agreement issued in accordance with the General

Provisions.

B. Contractor’s proposal and accompanying exhibits submitted in response to the County’s Project Criteria and

Solicitation; and any solicited and/or unsolicited Alternates to the Solicitation accepted by the County in writing.

The Contract Documents are intended to permit the parties to complete the work and all obligations required by the Contract

Documents within the specified time(s) for the proposal price. The Contract Documents are intended to be complementary and interpreted in harmony so as to avoid conflict, with words and phrases interpreted in a manner consistent with construction and design industry standards. In the event of any inconsistency, conflict, or ambiguity between or among the Contract Documents, the

County will make a determination on which item of discrepancy shall take precedence. Within listed documents or group of documents, the later dated shall have precedence over the earlier requirements, and specific requirements shall have precedence over the general requirements.

6.6. Default and Suspension

If an Offeror who has been selected for award and offered a contract refuses or fails to execute the contract and/or fully comply with all requirements of this solicitation within fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days after receipt of formal notice of intent to award or an alternate date specified by the Chief of Purchasing, the Offeror may be considered to have defaulted with respect to execution of the contract, and to have abandoned all rights and interests in the contract. In such instance the bid security, if any, may be declared forfeited to the County without further notice to the Offeror. In the event of such default, award may then be made to another Offeror determined to be in the best interest of the County, or the solicitation may be cancelled and/or re-advertised for proposals as deemed if deemed in the best interests of the County.

A Contractor, who has executed a contract with the County, may be considered to have defaulted in the performance of the Contract, by: failure to comply with the requirements of the contract, sub-standard performance, failing to complete the contract, and/or by other significant errors and omissions as determined by the Project Manager and the Chief of Purchasing. In such instance, the

Contractor’s performance and/or payments bonds, if any, may be exercised, and the Contract terminated and awarded to another

Offeror if determined to be in the best interest of the County.

An Offeror/Contractor, who has defaulted as discussed above, may be declared by the Chief of Purchasing to be ineligible to bid on future County solicitations for a period of up to two (2) years from the date the County determined the Offeror/Contractor to have defaulted. This determination by the Chief of Purchasing shall be final, and not subject to appeal.

6.7. Offeror/Award Protests

A. All protests made pursuant to solicitations must be in writing and delivered to the Chief of Purchasing within the timeframes specified:

1. Protests must be delivered to the Chief of Purchasing no later than seven (7) consecutive calendar days after the basis for the protest (i.e. notification of rejection of Offeror's proposal, notification of removal of Offeror from consideration, etc.) is known or should have been known, whichever is earlier.

2. If protesting contract award, the protest must be delivered to the Chief of Purchasing within seven (7) consecutive calendar days after the Purchasing Division has publicly posted the proposed contract award. This provision shall only apply to “aggrieved” Offerors.

3. If Offeror seeks as a remedy the cancellation or amendment of the solicitation, the protest must be delivered to the

Chief of Purchasing before the submission date for quotes/bids/proposals.

4. If the County is closed for business at the due date and time, for whatever reasons, protests will be accepted on the next business day of the County prior to 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Protests shall be considered timely only if received in the Purchasing Division office prior to close of business within the timeframes specified above.

B. All protests made pursuant to solicitations shall be delivered to the Chief of Purchasing:

Charles County Government ATTN: Chief of Purchasing, Purchasing Division (Room B130) 200 Baltimore Street, La Plata, Maryland 20646

C. Each protest must contain a protest filing fee in the amount of $500 (US currency); if the fee is paid by check, then the check must be made out to “Charles County Government”. The Chief of Purchasing, may, at his sole election, return the filing fee to the protesting Offeror, if the protest is sustained. Filing fees for unsustained protests shall not be returned.

The Chief of Purchasing must…