Business_Innovation_Park_RFQ_BIP_0001_2026_R.pdf

Request for Qualifications for

Business and Innovation Park

Professional Services

RFQ No. BIP-001-2026-R

Statement of Qualifications Due: September 7, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Dawson County Development Authority 44 Commerce Drive

Dawsonville, GA 30534

(706) 265-6278

August 7, 2026

Contents

1.0 PROJECT INFORMATION

1.1 PURPOSE

1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

2.0 CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

2.1 QUALIFICATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING

2.2 PROJECT TEAM

2.3 REFERENCES

3. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMISSION

3.1 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS TIME SCHEDULE

3.2 NUMBER OF COPIES AND DELIVERY

3.3 FORMAT AND CONTENT

3.4 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS EVALUATION

3.5 FINALIST NOTIFICATION

RFQ No. BIP-001-2026-R

1.0 PROJECT INFORMATION

1.1 PURPOSE

Dawson County Development Authority (Authority) is soliciting Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) from qualified consulting firms or teams (Consultant) to provide engineering and construction services for the Business and Innovation Park Project (Project). There is no work associated with this

SOQ.

The Authority will score and determine the Consultant's qualifications for the Project. The Authority will then issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the finalist Consultants selected through this RFQ process. Finalists will submit their Proposal prior to the interview, as further described in Section 3.5, Finalist Notification.

1.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The project is a business and innovation park. It will consist of approximately 200,000 square feet of buildings, site grading, roads, utilities, stormwater systems, erosion control, environment assessment, archeological assessment and permitting. There is an offsite water main extension that will connect to existing City of Dawsonville water system to get water to the site and a sanitary sewer lift station and force main that will connect to the City of Dawsonville's existing sanitary sewer system offsite.

2.0 CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS

2.1 QUALIFICATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING

Each Consultant must provide the following information about their company so the Authority can evaluate the Consultant's stability and ability to support the commitments set forth in response to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ). It is imperative the Consultant's SOQ fully address all aspects of the RFQ. The SOQ must provide the Authority's Staff with clearly expressed information concerning the Proposer's understanding of the Authority's specific requirements which would result in the review of this RFQ in a thorough and efficient manner. The Consultant shall outline their company's (or team's) background, including:

● How long the company has been in business, plus a brief description of the company history, size and organization.

● Location of local office charged with administration and design of the Project.

● Consultant qualifications to complete the Project.

2.2 PROJECT TEAM

Submit proposed Project team information to include the following:

1. Organizational chart showing key personnel who will be assigned to the Project; include the name and role/responsibility of each key team member for both the design phase and construction phase of the Project. Include only those staff members who will commit a substantial percentage of their time to the work. List the approximate number of technical staff that is expected to serve in support roles on the Project. Show reporting structure of the Project team including any sub-consultants. Include a listing of work elements that will be performed by sub-consultants and state the names of proposed sub-consultants.

2. Resumes for each key team member designated above; resumes shall include the information listed below.

a. Name, Consultant title, and professional registration.

b. Academic degree(s) including name of school, discipline, and year received.

c. Office location where employed, years employed with this Consultant.

d. Brief overview of career background including years of experience, areas of practice, specialized training or knowledge, and current role with the Consultant.

e. Tabular listing of experience on projects similar to this Project. Include work performed with current and prior Consultants.

2.3 REFERENCES

The Consultant shall supply a minimum of five (5) references, but not more than seven (7), from government agencies with projects of similar nature.

The Consultant shall also list projects completed in last ten (10) years.

Submit the following information on past projects to illustrate the specialized expertise, demonstrated experience, applicable qualifications, and available resources of the Consultant.

1. Project name, location, description, and status. Include dates, size and engineering and constructions services cost, Consultant's responsibilities on project, and other pertinent information.

Include original construction bid price and actual final construction cost with any change orders.

Include a statement about whether the project resulted in any litigation, arbitration or mediation settlements between any of the key parties (Owner, Engineer(s), and General Contractor(s)).

2. Key project team members serving on each of the above-listed projects with emphasis on the participation of team members proposed for this Project.

3. Specialized expertise and/or resources applied during project, with concise explanations of their value and relevance to this Project.

4. Relevance to the Project and duties of the proposed project team members on the project (if any).

5. For each listed project, provide a reference name and phone number for the client of someone who is familiar with the Consultant's work on that project.

3. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS SUBMISSION

3.1 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS TIME SCHEDULE

● Request for Qualifications Available — Friday, August 7, 2026

● Advertisement Period — Not less than thirty (30) full days, published on the Authority's website and the Georgia Procurement Registry

● Question Deadline — Wednesday, August 26, 2026

● Statement of Qualifications Due — Monday, September 7, 2026

3.2 NUMBER OF COPIES AND DELIVERY

Three (3) copies of the SOQ and one electronic copy (pdf) shall be submitted to the following address:

Dawson County Development Authority Attn. Mandy Power 44 Commerce Drive Dawsonville, GA 30534

The Project title, Consultants name and deadline information shall be clearly identified on the submission package and cover page. Submission deadline is Monday, September 7, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. SOQs submitted after that time shall not be considered. All questions regarding the scope of work shall be submitted to Mandy Power, President-CEO at the address above or via e-mail at m.power@dawson.org prior to Noon, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

3.3 FORMAT AND CONTENT

SOQs shall be printed on 8 ½” X 11” paper, single sided in a 11 point font and be limited to 30 pages including the cover letter, resumes and reference projects. Letters of reference are excluded from the 30 page count. Any appended information may or may not be considered at the sole discretion of the Authority.

SOQs should address the following items in order of appearance:

Cover letter

The cover letter shall be provided which explains the Consultant's interest in the project. The letter shall contain name/address/phone number of the person who will serve as the Consultant's principal contact person. The cover letter shall also provide a statement that all information contained in the Statement of Qualifications is complete and accurate.

Qualifications of Consultant/Project Team

Provide names, titles and responsibilities of key personnel who will be responsible for the management of the project. Include qualifications, resumes, experience of each, and length of time with the company.

References

Give at least five (5), but not more than seven (7), references for projects of similar size and scope as described in this document.

Litigation

Identify any litigation, arbitration, or mediation claims that involved similar projects and/or water and sewerage infrastructure projects where the Consultant was the primary Engineer. Include only those actions involving projects completed during the past 10 years. Include claims that were initiated by or against the Consultant, the project Owner, and the project General Contractor. Briefly state the nature of the claim and the outcome.

3.4 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS EVALUATION

Criteria for evaluation of Statements of Qualifications:

25% Factor} Stability of the firm, including the firm's corporate history, growth, resources, form of ownership, litigation history, financial information, and other evidence of stability.

35% Factor} Firm's relevant project experience and qualifications, including the demonstrated ability of firm in effective Consulting Services of facilities comparable in complexity, size, and function.

This includes relevant experience and qualifications of the principal Consulting Services lead staff and level of experience in a leadership role over multiple providers and phases of construction for (Insert Appropriate Experience Types).

25% Factor} Past performance of the firm including references about the quality of leadership of the firm in Consulting Services, the overall services of the firm to previous customers, the firm's ability to meet established project goals, the firm's response to the Owner's needs throughout the project, and the financial and technical success history of the of projects in which the firm provided leadership.

15% Factor} Firm's apparent suitability to provide services for Project, including the firm's apparent fit to the project type and/or needs of the Owner, any special or unique qualifications for the Project, current and projected workloads, proximity of office or lead staff to Project location, and services offered by the firm. The firm's non-discrimination policies, any affirmative action policies, and past efforts for W/MBE inclusion will be a part of this evaluation, as well as the firm's record and methodology of addressing public safety and environmental concerns.

The Authority reserves the right to waive any informalities and to reject any or all SOQs submitted.

3.5 FINALIST NOTIFICATION

The names of the firms selected as finalists will be posted on the Georgia Procurement Registry.

Finalists will receive written notification from the Owner (Finalist Notification) covering the remainder of the selection process, including the following:

Pre-Interview Conference and Site Visit (if applicable) A mandatory pre-interview conference and site visit will be scheduled by the Owner. Finalists may be given available project information (designs, studies, preliminary plans, maps, etc.), a specimen contract form, and additional scope information at that time.

Project Proposal (if applicable) The Owner may issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to each finalist, requesting a Project Proposal that at minimum identifies the firm's proposed leadership team and outlines its approach to the Project.

Proposals are due to the Owner prior to the interview, by the date specified in the Finalist Notification, which will also provide the evaluation criteria.

Interview

Each finalist will be given up to 90 minutes (setup, presentation, Committee questions, and knockdown) at a time and place specified in the Finalist Notification, which will also provide the interview evaluation criteria.

Consultant Selection

Following evaluation and interviews, the Selection Committee will rank finalists in descending order of recommendation. The Owner will negotiate with the highest-ranking firm; if a satisfactory agreement cannot be reached, negotiations will move to the next-ranked firm until a contract is awarded.

EXHIBIT A: PROJECT LOCATION