CT-2026Groton-Stormwater-Design-and-Permitting_RFP_v2_withAppendices-Correct.pdf

Design and Permitting of Flood Reduction Projects in City of

Groton

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

265 Church Street

16th Floor

New Haven, CT 06510

September 24, 2026

CONFIDENTIAL

Disclose and distribute solely to employees of The Nature Conservancy needing to know, and to potential Suppliers.

Request for Proposal for Design and Permitting of Flood Reduction Projects in City of Groton

The Nature Conservancy 1 9/24/2026

Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction and Overview

1.1 Statement of Purpose

1.2 The Conservancy’s Procurement Process

1.3 Conservancy's Obligations

1.4 Supplier's Obligations

1.5 Proposal Pricing Structure

1.6 Supplier Submission Requirements

1.7 Evaluation Process

1.8 Supplier Notification of Evaluation Outcome

1.9 Certificate of Insurance

1.10 Key RFP Timelines

2.0 Project Background

2.1 Assignment Scope of Work

2.2 Required Experience and Qualifications

3.0 Proposal Format

4.0 RFP Appendices

4.1 Appendix A: Conflict Inquiry Form

4.2 Appendix B: TNC’s Standard Clauses

4.3 Appendix C: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Disclosures

4.4 Appendix D: Scope of Work

4.5 Appendix E: “Stormwater Assessments and Concepts for the City of Groton” Report 12

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1.0 Introduction and Overview

1.1 Statement of Purpose

It is the intention of The Nature Conservancy (“Conservancy” or “TNC”) to solicit Proposals for the provision of Design and Permitting of Flood Reduction Projects in City of Groton Those receiving this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) are referred to as “Supplier”.

The Conservancy has offices in over 80 countries globally. Our mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. Please visit www.nature.org for more information on the Conservancy activities and where we work.

1.2 The Conservancy’s Procurement Process

Procurement activities will be carried out without discrimination, with Suppliers treated in an open, fair, and transparent way.

The Conservancy reserves the right to reject any or all offers for any reason, waive technicalities, and pursue purchasing in a manner that is in the organization’s best interest.

1.3 Conservancy's Obligations

The Conservancy has no obligation or liability arising from the issuance of this RFP or any actions taken in connection with it.

1.4 Supplier's Obligations

The Supplier must respond to all sections of this RFP and provide sufficient information to allow the Conservancy to evaluate the Proposal. By submitting its proposal, the Supplier agrees that any costs incurred by them in responding to this RFP are the Supplier’s responsibility and may not be billed to the Conservancy.

If the Conservancy has any confusion or difficulty retrieving information from a Supplier’s proposal, the Conservancy may seek written clarification from the Supplier. Unless requested by the Conservancy, the Supplier will not be allowed to resubmit their proposal to the Conservancy.

The Supplier shall not use the names, logos, images, or any data or results arising from the anticipated contract for advertising without the Conservancy's prior written consent.

http://www.nature.org/

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1.5 Proposal Pricing Structure

The Conservancy requests firm fixed pricing for this assignment. If a Supplier is selected for contract award and additional costs are presented during the contract negotiations or implementation, the Conservancy has the right to reject that Supplier.

1.6 Supplier Submission Requirements

All proposal responses will follow the instructions indicated in Section 3.

Suppliers may include hyperlinks to their websites or online documentation in their responses to reduce proposal size.

NOTE: Such hyperlinks must go directly to the required information, and Suppliers must include the section on their website where it can be found.

1.6.1 Supplier Confirmation of Intent to Participate

Upon receiving the RFP packet, Suppliers must submit their confirmation of intent to participate in this procurement process through the email address, timothy.clark@tnc.org before the date and time indicated in Section 1.10.

1.6.2 Nature of Proposals

All material submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the Conservancy and may be returned only at the option of the Conservancy and at the expense of the Supplier.

1.6.3 Contractual Commitment of Proposal

The contents of the submitted Proposals will be considered obligations of the successful Supplier. Suppliers should ensure that their proposals are valid throughout the RFP process and, if selected for contract award, valid until the contract is executed. Suppliers should not submit information that will not be incorporated into the Proposal and any contract that may result from such Proposal.

If there is any inconsistency between the terms herein and any other Conservancy contract documents, the other Conservancy contract document terms shall prevail.

1.6.4 Submission of Supplier’s Queries on the RFP

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All Supplier queries must be submitted through the email address timothy.clark@tnc.org. It is the Supplier’s responsibility to seek clarification if they do not fully understand or if it may be interpreted in more than one way.

It is the Conservancy’s policy to avoid situations that:

• Place it in a position where its judgment may be biased;

• Create an appearance of conflict of interest concerning rendering an impartial, fair, technically sound, and objective decision before selection;

or

• Give an unfair competitive advantage to competing Suppliers.

Therefore, to ensure an ethical and transparent procurement process, all inquiries or other communications regarding this RFP shall exclusively be directed to the TNC’s local BU Procurement Contact. Responses to Supplier queries received will be shared by email with all Suppliers. However, the Conservancy is not required to answer all questions that are not pertinent to the RFP or considered to be the Conservancy’s proprietary information.

If the Supplier or its affiliates, officers, employees, agents, consultants, or subcontractors violate these restrictions, they will be disqualified from the RFP and their proposal will be rejected.

1.6.5 Proposals Submission

Suppliers must submit their proposals through timothy.clark@tnc.org on or before the submission due date and time indicated in Section 1.10. Any proposal received after the specified date and time will be disqualified from proceeding to the evaluation stage.

If the Supplier experiences any issues sending their proposals, they should contact timothy.clark@tnc.org.

TNC will not accept hardcopy proposals.

1.7 Evaluation Process

The Conservancy’s evaluation process is based on a confidential scoring method involving ratings and weighted scores that will not be shared with the Suppliers. In general, the Proposals will be evaluated based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Mandatory requirements

• Organization’s experience in similar assignments

• Proposed methodology and work plan

• Proposed key personnel experience and qualifications

• Proposed assignment pricing

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• Interviews/presentation criteria

The Conservancy will evaluate Supplier proposals in three stages:

1.7.1 Stage 1: Technical and Financial Proposal Evaluation

A Technical Proposal refers to a Supplier’s proposed resolution to a problem or assignment that includes a detailed description of the proposed approach, the requirements, and the resources needed to implement the proposed solution, among others.

The Conservancy will evaluate and compare all Suppliers' Technical and Financial proposals against Sections 2–4 of this RFP, using the evaluation criteria set above, and shortlist Suppliers to proceed to Stage 2.

1.7.2 Stage 2: Interviews/Presentations

This will be the interview/presentation session on the Supplier’s proposals, during which the Supplier and the Conservancy can ask clarifying questions as they review the Supplier's proposal.

The Conservancy, at its discretion, may share any knowledge or data discussed during the presentation that is not considered confidential or proprietary to either party and that will be beneficial to all participating Suppliers that reach this stage. TNC will shortlist the final Suppliers to proceed to Stage 3.

1.7.3 Stage 3: Negotiations Stage

The Conservancy will clarify any additional assignment requirements and may allow the Supplier to revise their Financial Proposal based on the negotiated terms. The Conservancy reserves the right to review and negotiate further pricing before selecting a Supplier for contract award.

Note: A contract award is not finalized until both parties mutually accept and sign the contract in writing. Suppose neither the Conservancy nor the Supplier reaches an agreement, the Conservancy reserves the right to rescind the award notification and either begin discussions with the second-ranked qualifying Supplier, restart the RFP process, or terminate the project.

1.8 Supplier Notification of Evaluation Outcome

Successful and unsuccessful Suppliers will be notified of the evaluation outcome in writing via email. The Conservancy shall not be obligated to provide specific details of any of the scores or results of the evaluation.

1.9 Certificate of Insurance

The Supplier shall provide a copy of its current certificate of insurance showing the types and limits of insurance in effect as of the Proposal submission date. If

The Nature Conservancy 6 9/24/2026 selected for contract award, the Supplier will then be required to add the Conservancy to its certificate of insurance before signing the contract.

1.10 Key RFP Timelines

The dates for each RFP requirement are as follows:

Event Date Supplier’s email confirmation of intent to participate

October 9, Supplier submits any clarification queries

October 9, The Conservancy’s Response to Supplier’s Queries

October 16, Proposal Due Date (with signed Conflict Inquiry Form)

October 30, Supplier Interviews/Presentations (Delete if not applicable)

November 12, Negotiation Phase November 16- 20, 2026

Selection of Supplier for contract award November 23, The Nature Conservancy 7 9/24/2026

2.0 Project Background

The Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is seeking to contract a Supplier to provide services on the design, engineering, and permitting of nature-based solutions and Best Management Practices to address stormwater flooding in the City of Groton. TNC and staff from The City of Groton will work with the selected Supplier to design, engineer, and permit a series of conceptual designs that were developed following an intensive stormwater modeling and community engagement effort.

2.1 Assignment Scope of Work

The Supplier shall respond to the scope of work outlined in this RFP (see Appendix D). The Supplier may deviate from this scope; however, they should clearly note and explain the reasons for the deviation. The final scope of work may be adjusted based on the selected Supplier's proposal.

2.2 Required Experience and Qualifications

2.2.1 Mandatory Requirements for the Supplier

The Supplier will be required to demonstrate the following mandatory requirements. Failure to do so will result in the organization's disqualification from the RFP process.

1. The Supplier shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience providing engineering, landscape architecture, planning, or related professional services associated with stormwater management, green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), low impact development (LID), resiliency planning, or municipal infrastructure projects.

2. The Supplier shall demonstrate successful completion of at least three (3) projects of similar scope and complexity within the last ten (10) years involving stormwater infrastructure design, green stormwater infrastructure design, urban forestry or streetscape improvements, municipal resiliency projects, environmental permitting, or preparation of construction documents for public infrastructure projects.

3. The Supplier shall maintain a business presence and be legally authorized to conduct business in the State of Connecticut or demonstrate the ability to obtain all required registrations and authorizations prior to contract execution.

4. The Supplier shall possess the technical capability to provide or subcontract all necessary services required under this Scope of Work, including engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, permitting, and stakeholder engagement services.

5. The Supplier shall demonstrate experience obtaining local, state, and federal permits applicable to stormwater infrastructure and green infrastructure projects.

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6. The Supplier shall provide at least three (3) references for similar projects completed within the last ten (10) years.

2.2.2 Proposed Personnel Qualifications and Experience

Project Manager

• Minimum five (5) years of professional experience managing projects of similar scope and complexity.

• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering and landscape architecture teams.

• Experience coordinating public infrastructure, stormwater management, or resiliency projects.

• Serve as the primary point of contact throughout the contract period.

Lead Civil Engineer

• Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) in Connecticut or eligible for Connecticut licensure.

• Minimum seven (7) years of experience in stormwater management, drainage design, green infrastructure, or related civil engineering disciplines.

• Experience preparing construction documents and permit applications for municipal projects.

Lead Landscape Architect

• Licensed Registered Landscape Architect (RLA) in Connecticut.

• Minimum seven (7) years of experience in landscape architecture, green infrastructure, urban forestry, streetscape design, or resiliency projects.

• Experience integrating natural and nature-based solutions into public infrastructure projects.

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3.0 Proposal Format

The Supplier’s proposal will be submitted as either a PDF or Word document in line with the two-part submission below:

i. Technical Proposal

ii. Financial Proposal

NOTE: Please omit all pricing information from the Technical & Functional Proposal. Include pricing information only in the Financial Proposal.

Please consult the guidance in the table below for formatting your Technical and Financial proposals.

Proposal Requirement Content

Technical Proposal

Executive Summary

• Provide an overview of the organization and, if applicable, details of the parent and subsidiary organizations.

Supplier’s Response to the Scope of Work

• Detailed, thorough solutions (proposed methodology and techniques) to the requirements listed in Section 2 and/or attached in Section 4; and

• Workplan/implementation plan including number and roles of proposed staff, considered contract and project deadlines

Pre-qualification (Mandatory) requirements

• Suppliers must demonstrate that they meet the mandatory requirements indicated in Section 2.

Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

References • The names of at least three client organizations (preferably other nonprofit or government organizations besides TNC) to whom similar services were provided. This should include:

• Telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, name, and designation of the point of contact; and

• Dollar value, type of contract, duration, and description of similar goods and/or services provided.

List of Current or Prior TNC Contracts within the last 3 years

• A brief description of the services provided includes:

• The dollar value and duration;

• The TNC employee contact person (name, designation, telephone number, and e-mail address); and

• Whether the contract was terminated before the end of the term specified in the original contract, including whether any available renewal option was not exercised.

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Proposal Requirement Content

Subcontractors • Provide a complete list of all subcontractors that will work on the Contract if the Supplier is selected for contract award;

• A Letter of Intent describing a complete description of the duties each subcontractor will perform and why/how each subcontractor was deemed the most qualified for this project; and

• Signed Conflict Interest Forms from all participating subcontractors. These should be submitted together with the Proposal submissions.

Legal Action Summary

• A statement as to whether there are any outstanding legal actions or potential claims against the Supplier and a brief description of any action taken;

• A brief description of any settled or closed legal actions or claims against the Supplier over the past five (5) years. This should include the court, case name, complaint number, and a brief description of the final ruling or determination; and

• In instances where litigation is ongoing and the Supplier has been directed not to disclose information by the court, provide the name of the judge, court, and the location of the court.

Required Forms and Certifications

• Finalist Supplier(s) may be required to complete the Supplier Engagement Questionnaire Tool. This will be shared in a separate email;

• Where applicable, contracting with small businesses is preferred; and

• Signed and completed forms whose links are provided under Section 4.

TNC Standard Clauses

• TNC requires a set of clauses to be incorporated into any agreement we execute with Suppliers. The clauses are attached under Section 4; and

• Suppliers shall review the clauses and indicate in their proposal whether they “accept” or “accept with revision”. If any are “Accepted with Revision”, Suppliers are required to send those revisions in a red-line format as part of their proposal submission

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Disclosures

• If the Suppliers will use AI technology in the delivery of the assignment, then the Suppliers will be required to include their responses to Appendix C as part of their technical proposal.

Financial Proposal

Costs Breakdown

• The Proposal shall contain all costs associated with this assignment, including remuneration of Key and

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Proposal Requirement Content

Non-Key Personnel and any reimbursable costs;

and

• The Proposal may include a commonly accepted method to prove its fiscal integrity. The Supplier may submit independently audited financial statements, such as the Profit and Loss statement and Balance Sheet, for the last two (2) years.

• The Proposal shall breakdown all costs in accordance with the Tasks described in Attachment D – Scope of Work.

• The Proposal may add additional sub-tasks at the discretion of the Supplier.

Payment Terms • TNC’s applicable payment terms are net 30 (calendar days)

Currency • The Financial proposal shall be in USD.

Taxes • The Supplier, its sub-consultants, and Experts are responsible for identifying the applicable taxes for this assignment as well as meeting all tax liabilities arising from this assignment; and

• The Supplier shall break down all the applicable taxes related to the assignment.

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4.0 RFP Appendices

4.1 Appendix A: Conflict Inquiry Form

Please read the instructions and attach the applicable Conflict Inquiry Form as a separate document

4.2 Appendix B: TNC’s Standard Clauses

Attached as a separate document

4.3 Appendix C: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Disclosures

Attached as a separate document

4.4 Appendix D: Scope of Work

Attached as a separate document

4.5 Appendix E: “Stormwater Assessments and Concepts for the City of Groton” Report

Accessed at project page here https://thenatureconservancy462.sharepoint.com/sites/Department/EthicsCompliance/Shared%20Documents/COI_CIF_Instruction_ENG.pdf?web=1 https://ehq-production-us-california.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/4d770b3330f525322450e70c4f32c6d92f00e76a/original/1788203047/8f2f0d37ad9a09deb9f71d52ae84e2fa_2026-2-13%20Final%20Report.pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA4KKNQAKIPIPQP5NM%2F20260924%2Fus-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260924T143250Z&X-Amz-Expires=300&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=cf0d7a9ff936345f0f99b423c76f065d849d255d4e33cb0187a0e98cd4b86870

TNC Staff – See CIF Instruction (April 2026) 1

FOR-PROFIT CONFLICT INQUIRY FORM

STEP 1: DESCRIPTION OF PARTIES & TRANSACTION

Name of for-profit organization entering into transaction with TNC:

Type of Transaction (select one):

☐ Contract for Services ☐ Grant Agreement ☐ Purchase Order

☐ Licensing Agreement ☐ Real Estate Transaction ☐ Other

*“Organization” includes a for-profit corporation, partnership, trust, estate, joint venture, limited liability corporation, professional corporation, an unincorporated entity, a foundation, public board, or commission.

If you selected “Other” or “Real Estate,” include description here (for real estate, describe property, size, fair market value and type of deal (sale, gift, lease, etc.)). Note: The purchase or sale of any interest in real property or water rights to or from any Related Party is a prohibited transaction and requires review by the Conflicts Committee and the TNC Global Board of Directors. A donation of a conservation easement by a Covered Person or Controlled Entity also requires review by the Conflicts Committee.

Total Amount of Proposed Contract:

STEP 2: DEFINITIONS & QUESTIONS

(1) TNC Key Employees and Board of Directors: Please refer to the attached list of Key Employees and members of Board of

Directors (includes individuals who have left relevant TNC positions within the past five (5) years).

(2) Covered Person: A Global Board Member, Key Employee, Trustee/Advisor, Staff Member, Substantial Contributor, Close Relative/Family Member or persons who have the ability to influence the decisions of TNC because of their relationship with TNC or their access to material information about TNC’s work.

(3) Controlled Entity:

• For-profit entity of any kind where a Covered Person, individually or collectively with other Covered Persons:

a. owns more than 35% of the stock or value of an organization (directly or indirectly); or

b. has a controlling influence over the organization’s management or policies (ex. key management or board member).

• Nonprofit entity where a Covered Person, individually or collectively with other Covered Persons, is a board member, officer, director or key employee of the entity and has the ability to influence management of the entity.

(4) Related Party: Any individual who is, or was at any time during the 12-month period ending on the date of the purchase or sale, a member of the Board of Directors, a Trustee (or comparable volunteer advisor, such as a Regional Council member), or an employee of TNC; any individual who is a close relative of such an individual; and/or an entity in which the individual (or their close relatives) directly or indirectly own(s) more than 5% of the equity interest therein.

(5) TNC Trustee: Individuals serving as a Trustee or Advisor to TNC.

(6) Substantial Contributors: Individuals or organizations who have made total aggregate contributions to TNC of (i) ≥ US $5 million during the current fiscal year or (ii) ≥ US $25 million within the last five (5) fiscal years. Fiscal years run from July 1st through June 30th.

(7) Family Members and Close Relatives: Family members of any individual listed above, such as spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, child, dependent, other progeny, and ancestors.

https://thenatureconservancy462.sharepoint.com/sites/Department/EthicsCompliance/Shared%20Documents/COI_CIF_Instruction_ENG.pdf?web=1

TNC Staff – See CIF Instruction (April 2026) 2

STEP 2. SECTION 1. FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (explain any “yes” answers in Step 3): Yes No

a. Is your organization a Substantial Contributor to TNC?

b. Now, or at the time of the proposed transaction, to the best of your knowledge, do any of the following (individually or collectively with other persons) (i) own more than 35% of the stock or value of your organization (directly or indirectly) and/or (ii) have a controlling influence over the organization’s management or policies (e.g., key management or board member):

• TNC employee (or former employee who left within the last twelve (12) months);

• TNC Key Employee;

• TNC Board Member;

• Substantial Contributor to TNC;

• TNC Chapter Trustee or Advisory Council Member for TNC or TNC’s related entities (or former trustees/members who left within the last twelve (12) months); and/or

• Family members or close relatives of the above individuals.

c. Now, or at the time of the proposed transaction, have or will any TNC Key Employees or members of the Board of Directors serve in the following positions of your organization?

• Officer, director, trustee, key employee, or partner;

• Member (if your organization is a limited liability corporation); and/or

• Shareholder (if your organization is a professional corporation).

STEP 3: COMMENTS (Explain any “yes” answers checked above. Attach additional pages as necessary.)

STEP 4: NOTICE OF TNC CODE OF CONDUCT & SIGNATURES

TNC expects itself and everyone with whom it does business to conduct themselves in ways that are consistent with TNC’s Code of Conduct found at www.nature.org/codeofconduct. Anyone (whether a part of TNC or not) may contact the TNC Helpline (anonymously, if desired) with questions, concerns, or suspected violations at www.nature.org/tnchelpline.

The undersigned certifies the information in the inquiry form is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.

Signature:

Printed Name:

Title (if for an organization):

Address:

Date of Signature:

https://thenatureconservancy462.sharepoint.com/sites/Department/EthicsCompliance/Shared%20Documents/COI_CIF_Instruction_ENG.pdf?web=1 http://www.nature.org/codeofconduct http://www.nature.org/tnchelpline

TNC Staff – See CIF Instruction (April 2026) 3

TNC COVERED PERSONS

The following are individuals who are currently or have been, during the preceding five (5) fiscal years, a TNC “Key Employee” or a member of the Board of Directors of TNC or one of its U.S. Related Entities.

List Current as of April 07, 2026

Current Key Employees/ Officers Former Key Employees/ Officers Current Board of Directors Prior Board Members

Nathalie Augustin David Banks James Bond Neel Broker Matt Brown Jan Glendening Jeff Mindlin Tom Neises Asha Shah

James Asp Hans Birle William Ginn Wisla Heneghan Brian McPeek Bola Olusanya Hugh Possingham Michael Sweeney Leonard Williams

James Attwood, Jr.

John Bernstein Stuart Brown Suzan Craig Dunand Michelle DePass William Frist Harry Hagey Margaret Hamburg Fred Hu Shirley Ann Jackson Sally Jewell Nancy Knowlton Edwin Macharia Jennifer Morris Roshni Nadar Malhotra Douglas Petno Sergio Rial Fawn Sharp Anna Skoglund Rashid Sumaila Kent J. Thiry Kevin Weil Margaret C. Whitman

Amy Batchelor Shona L. Brown Laurence Fink Joseph H. Gleberman Andrew Liveris Jack Ma Claudia Madrazo Craig McCaw Ana M. Parma Vincent Ryan Rajiv Shah Brenda Shapiro Thomas J. Tierney Moses Tsang Frances A. Ulmer Ying Wu

TNC Related Entity Covered Persons (If applicable)

Key Employees (members of Related Entity leadership team): Current Fiduciary Board Members, if applicable:

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TNC’s (Required) Standard Clauses Oct. 2025

Table of Contents

TNC’S REQUIRED CONTRACT CLAUSES

Data Protection Agreement (“DPA”) Conflict of Interest Determination:

Insurance:

Use of TNC Name and Logo:

Compliance with Laws and other Safeguards:

TNC’S REQUIRED CONTRACT CLAUSES

The contract clauses below have been taken from TNC’s Contract for Services and are deemed essential to TNC and may not be modified.

Data Protection Agreement (“DPA”) A DPA is required when the potential supplier will use, store, or transmit Personal Data, and/or Highly Sensitive Information, as defined in TNC’s Data, Information, and Records SOP. “Personal Data” means any information that identifies or can be used to identify an individual, or that relates to an identifiable individual. “Highly Sensitive Information” means that information which, if it becomes public or available to unauthorized persons, would expose TNC to a high level of legal and/or reputational risk. If no AI component is involved and the Supplier will be accessing TNC data or systems, a Security and Privacy Review (SPR) is required.

Conflict of Interest Determination: Contractor represents and warrants that, to the best of the Contractor's knowledge, the information the Contractor has provided on TNC's Conflict of Interest Inquiry Form is true and correct. If any of the information Contractor has provided changes during the term of this Contract, Contractor agrees to promptly notify TNC in writing of such change. The parties acknowledge that publicly traded companies engaging in the normal course of business, government agencies, and universities are not required to submit a Conflict Inquiry Form.

Insurance: Prior to commencing the Services and during the Contract Term, Contractor must have and maintain the following insurance policies:

a. Workers’ compensation insurance coverage as required by Applicable Laws;

b. Commercial general liability insurance (including contractual liability if the Contract Fee is US $100,000 or more or if requested by TNC) of at least US $2,000,000 per incident, written on an occurrence basis, and covering the Services that are the subject of this Contract, including any related claims;

c. Automobile liability insurance, covering all owned and non-owned vehicles used in performing the Services, with a liability limit of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence; and

d. Professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance in the amount of at least US $1,000,000 if Contractor is providing professional services (such as consulting, engineering, design, appraisal, or https://thenatureconservancy462.sharepoint.com/sites/Department/it/security/SitePages/SPR.aspx?csf=1&web=1&e=9eazu8&xsdata=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%3D&sdata=R2J6YnY4a240bVMreGdvV3VtNnluaDkrYVU4YXQrejFOUkxmNEUrbW5EQT0%3D&ovuser=79be6dc1-d78e-4bbb-b22b-d994c0a417a7%2Ceva.gachoki%40TNC.ORG&OR=Teams-HL&CT=1726757253794&clickparams=eyJBcHBOYW1lIjoiVGVhbXMtRGVza3RvcCIsIkFwcFZlcnNpb24iOiI0OS8yNDA4MTcwMDQxOSIsIkhhc0ZlZGVyYXRlZFVzZXIiOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D https://thenatureconservancy462.sharepoint.com/sites/Department/it/security/SitePages/SPR.aspx?csf=1&web=1&e=9eazu8&xsdata=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%3D&sdata=R2J6YnY4a240bVMreGdvV3VtNnluaDkrYVU4YXQrejFOUkxmNEUrbW5EQT0%3D&ovuser=79be6dc1-d78e-4bbb-b22b-d994c0a417a7%2Ceva.gachoki%40TNC.ORG&OR=Teams-HL&CT=1726757253794&clickparams=eyJBcHBOYW1lIjoiVGVhbXMtRGVza3RvcCIsIkFwcFZlcnNpb24iOiI0OS8yNDA4MTcwMDQxOSIsIkhhc0ZlZGVyYXRlZFVzZXIiOmZhbHNlfQ%3D%3D surveying services).

The Contractor may use umbrella or excess policies to provide the liability limits as required in this Contract. The umbrella or excess policies shall be provided on a true “following form” or broader coverage basis, with coverage at least as broad as provided on the underlying commercial general liability insurance.

Before any of the Services commence, the foregoing requirements must be evidenced by one or more certificates of insurance, showing TNC as an additional named insured on the commercial general liability policy and requiring at least 30 days’ advance written notice to TNC of any cancellation, renewal, reduction in limits, or coverage or other material change of the policies. TNC reserves the right to request additional documentation, such as one or more policy endorsements, deemed reasonably necessary to ensure such requirements have been met.

Use of TNC Name and Logo: Unless expressly authorized in writing in this Contract or a separate written agreement, Contractor may not use TNC’s name, logo, or other intellectual property in any manner, whether in conjunction with the Services or otherwise, except (a) to deliver invoices or other notices to TNC and (b) within acknowledgements of TNC funding, as authorized in writing by TNC.

Compliance with Laws and other Safeguards: Contractor represents, warrants, and agrees that Contractor:

a. can lawfully work in the United States and/or the countries where the Services will be performed;

b. has or will obtain at Contractor’s expense (except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in this Contract) any permits, licenses, or authorizations required to perform the Services. This includes, without limitation, a property owner’s prior permission to enter upon private property and any related permissions for completion of the project;

c. will take affirmative steps to inform TNC, before signing this Contract, if it is a privately held entity in which a Government Official has equity ownership or, in the case of an individual person providing services as an independent contractor, if the Contractor is a Government Official for any government other than a U.S. local, state, or federal government agency;

d. will comply with all statutes, laws, ordinances, executive orders, rules, regulations, court orders, and other governmental requirements for the jurisdiction(s) in which the Services are performed and any other jurisdiction(s) in which Contractor is organized or authorized to do business;

e. will work with, and require all authorized subcontractors to work with, TNC to identify material risks and develop and implement appropriate environmental and social safeguards (e.g., consistent incorporation of free, prior, and informed consent) when and if the Services could directly impact Indigenous Peoples or Local Communities (IPLCs). Implementations plans must include periodic consultation with TNC;

f. will not employ any person who is less than 18 years old, unless permissible by applicable laws in the jurisdiction where the Contractor is performing the Services. Under no circumstances shall the Contractor employ any person who is less than 16 years old, even if permissible by the applicable laws;

g. will comply with all applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws and regulations. To that end, Contractor shall not either directly or indirectly, pay, offer, promise to pay, or give anything of value (including any amounts paid by TNC) to any person, including an employee or official of a government, with the reasonable knowledge that it will be used for the purpose of obtaining any improper benefit or to improperly influence any act or decision by such person for the purpose of acquiring, retaining, or directing business. Any amounts paid by TNC to Contractor will be for services actually rendered in accordance with the terms of this Contract. Contractor shall not accept bribes or kickbacks in any form. The Contractor further represents, warrants, and agrees that it has not committed any of the acts prohibited herein or been accused of making or authorizing any acts prohibited herein;

h. will comply with all applicable counterterrorism, anti-money laundering, and economic sanctions laws. To that end, the Contractor represents and warrants that, to the best of Contractor’s knowledge, Contractor and Contractor’s subsidiaries, principals, and beneficial owners, if any:

i. are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any government agency;

ii. ii. (A) are not included on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons lists maintained by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council Consolidated List, or similar lists of proscribed entities identified as associated with terrorism; and

(B) will not engage in transactions with, or provide resources or support to, any such individuals or organizations or anyone else associated with terrorism;

iii. are not a person or entity with whom transacting is prohibited by any trade embargo, economic sanction, or other prohibition of law or regulation; and

iv. have not conducted, and will not conduct, their operations in violation of applicable money laundering laws, including but not limited to, the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act and the money laundering statutes of any jurisdictions to which they are subject, and no action or inquiry concerning money laundering by or before any authority is pending;

i. will comply with all applicable human rights laws, statutes, regulations, and codes as well as any human rights policy, standard operating procedure, guideline, or procedure adopted by TNC and shared with Contractor. Furthermore, in performing the Services, the Contractor shall respect human rights by: (a) identifying, preventing, and mitigating any potential or actual adverse human rights impacts resulting from its activities or the activities of its subcontractors, suppliers, or similar third parties; and (b) remediating any actual adverse human rights impacts which it causes or to which it contributes as soon as is practicable. Finally, the Contractor represents and warrants that neither Contractor nor any of its employees has been found at fault or penalized for any human rights violations or creating an adverse impact on human rights;

j. will not discriminate against any individual or group based on race, religion, age, sex, national origin, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or veterans/national guard/military reserve status. If any U.S. government funds are transferred under this Contract, Contractor is also subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, age, or disability in federally funded programs;

k. if the Services involve new construction or alterations of existing structures or facilities, Contractor will ensure that the Services comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including the latest ADA Standards for Accessible Design and any other applicable accessibility requirements arising under federal, state, or local law; including Ch. 10 of the Architectural Barriers Act (“ABA”) which addresses scoping and standards for recreational facilities, including outdoor developed areas such as trails, camping areas, picnic areas, viewing areas and beach access routes (“Outdoor Developed Areas Accessibility Guidelines,” or “ODAAG”). Contractor shall follow ODAAG to the extent possible, subject to the exceptions outlined in Section 1019 of the ABA. Contractor shall consult with TNC on any deviations from ODAAG.

l. will not take any actions that might cause TNC to violate the laws, statutes, regulations, or similar rules mentioned in this Section (collectively, “Applicable Laws”);

m. will immediately notify TNC in writing if any of the representations, warranties, certifications, statements, or agreements in this Section change before or during the Contract Term; and

n. will include provisions at least as restrictive as these in all permitted subcontracts (except for subcontracts purchasing commercially available, off-the-shelf goods or services).

If TNC determines that any of the representations, warranties, certifications, statements, or agreements in this Section are false, no longer valid, or have materially changed, whether the Contractor is at fault or not, TNC may terminate this Contract effective immediately upon written notice to Contractor, with no further obligation by TNC under this Contract, including payment, and TNC may pursue all available remedies under Applicable Laws.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TECHNOLOGY DISCLOSURES

Suppliers will be required to respond to the following additional requirement if they will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in delivering TNC’s assignment:

1. What AI technology do you use in the performance of your services?

2. How do you measure the effectiveness and accuracy of your AI output or deliverables?

3. Describe:

• The human oversight process for all deliverables that utilize AI.

• Which features utilize AI models, and how do they affect functionality?

• Your organization’s AI governance framework and acceptable use policy for

AI in your products or services.

4. How do you manage which data trains and flows into your AI models?

5. Do you use customer data to train your AI model?

6. How do you ensure you have sufficient IP rights to i) use the data you provide to your AI model and ii) license or assign the results produced by your AI model?

7. How does your company safeguard the integrity of your AI models and data?

8. Does your AI have safeguards and audits to prevent AI bias? Describe your AI bias safeguards.

9. Can TNC turn off your AI features at an enterprise level?

Regarding AI Sustainability:

1. Describe how your AI technology is designed to minimize energy consumption.

2. Please explain the type of energy-efficient hardware or cloud services you use for your AI technology, and if such hardware/cloud services have sustainability certifications (e.g., carbon-neutral data centers).

3. Are your AI systems hosted in data centers that use water for cooling? If so, explain how these cooling systems are designed to conserve water, including any reuse programs.

4. Are you utilizing renewable energy sources to power your AI infrastructure? If so, what percentage of your operations is covered?

5. Do you publish sustainability metrics or lifecycle assessments for your AI products or services? If so, could you share that data?

Excerpt from TNC Contracts regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and Use.

a. Productivity Aid. Contractor may use AI Technology (defined below) solely as an internal productivity aid in performing the Services (e.g., drafting, editing, summarization, and research assistance), provided that:

i. Contractor will only use its approved, enterprise-level or paid subscription AI Technologies to perform the Services and will not upload or share any TNC Confidential Information with any free, public, or personal version of an AI Technology or with any AI Technology that has not been approved by Contractor through its normal and industry-standard due diligence and information security review processes;

ii. Contractor shall not upload, disclose, or otherwise share any TNC Confidential Information with any AI Technology, except to the extent necessary to perform the Services and only if (a) the provider of such AI Technology is contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality of all prompts, inputs, outputs, and other information submitted to the AI Technology; (b) neither such TNC Confidential Information nor any related prompts, inputs, or outputs are used to train, improve, or develop the AI Technology or any underlying model; and (c) the AI Technology is technically configured to prevent disclosure of such TNC Confidential Information to third parties;

iii. Contractor remains responsible for all work product and independently verifies, through qualified human review, all outputs of any AI Technology and deliverables;

iv. Contractor’s use of any AI Technology is exclusively to support Contractor’s performance of the Services for TNC; and

v. Contractor shall comply in all material respects with all use restrictions and other requirements of any license, consent, permission, or other agreement and any website terms of use, terms of service, or other terms governing the use of AI Technology for the Services.

b. AI Data Restrictions. Contractor shall not use, and shall not permit any third party to use, any TNC Confidential Information or TNC data as or in training data to train, validate, update, improve, or modify any of Contractor's or a third party's AI Technology or as or in prompts for any AI Technology for itself or for the benefit of any other person or entity, except (a) as expressly and specifically provided in this Contract; and (b) exclusively for the benefit of TNC.

For purposes of this agreement, “AI Technology” shall mean any generative artificial intelligence, machine learning platform or other tool or software incorporating artificial intelligence or a large language model.

City of Groton Stormwater Design and Permitting

Scope of Work

September 24, 2026

Version 2

Table of Contents Project Objectives Project Scope

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TASKS

FINAL DELIVERABLES ........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Project Timeline

City of Groton Stormwater Design and Permitting Statement of Work (SOW) 10/24/2022

Page 3 of 6 The Nature Conservancy

Project Objectives

• Completion and EPA-approval of a Quality Assurance Project Plan

• Review and understand conceptual designs and modeling previously completed under the

2023 project, “Stormwater Assessments and Concepts for the City of Groton.”

• Engage community members and municipal staff throughout the design process.

• Conduct site surveys of selected project sites.

• Develop the documents (construction drawings, specifications, permits, etc.) necessary for implementation.

• Identify funding sources for implementation.

Project Scope

The project will produce design documents necessary to construct BMPs in the Five Corners area.

This project will advance the designs from the 2023 City of Groton Stormwater Assessment project from 30% design documents to 100% construction documents. Selected sites for further design will prioritize the use of nature-based, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, such as bioretention cells, tree filters, vegetated filter strips, etc.

Designs for these features will consider spatial constraints in the Five Corners Neighborhood, including narrow sidewalks and constrained roadways due to parking aisles. Due to the significant extent of paved surfaces and commercial parking lots servicing Electric Boat’s facilities, there will also be a need for engineered designs of “grey” infrastructure, such as pretreatment BMPs to reduce coarse sediment and debris upstream of other structural BMPs, and Infiltration BMPs to reduce stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loads and increasing the adoption of permeable paving. Additional projects may include stormwater bypasses, as identified in the 2023 project. All construction documents will include site plans, sections, design details, construction specifications, and cost estimates.

Refer to Appendix E for understanding of the work completed in the 2023 project. Selected sites will be based on the individual components, listed below and described in Concept A: Full Mitigation – Green & Gray Infrastructure.

• Mitchell Street, between Five Corners and Baker Ave – linear curb inlet planters

• Smith Street, between Baker Ave and Hamilton Ave – linear curb inlet planters

• Hamilton Ave - stormwater bypass pipe

• Ledyard Ave – stormwater bypass pipe

• Smith/Allen corner park – design improvements and bio-infiltration

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TASKS

The Nature Conservancy shall serve as project manager and primary point of contact, provide available datasets and prior study information, coordinate with the City of Groton and project partners, lead stakeholder engagement activities, review consultant submittals, coordinate project meetings, and manage funding agency reporting requirements.

TASK 1. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Consultant shall provide overall project administration, coordination, quality control, and technical management throughout the duration of the project. The Consultant shall organize and lead project meetings, maintain the project schedule, coordinate activities among all subconsultants, document project decisions, manage the review process for all deliverables, establish quality assurance and quality control procedures, prepare progress reports, and coordinate closely with The Nature Conservancy, the City of Groton, and project stakeholders to ensure work is completed on schedule and within budget.

Page 4 of 6 The Nature Conservancy

Deliverables:

• Project Management Plan

• Project Schedule

• Monthly Progress Reports

• Meeting Agendas and Meeting Summaries

TASK 2. QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP)

The Consultant shall prepare a Quality Assurance Project Plan in accordance with applicable EPA and Long Island Sound Futures Fund requirements before conducting field investigations or environmental data collection activities. The QAPP shall identify data quality objectives, data collection methods, survey procedures, quality control protocols, document management procedures, and data validation requirements. The Consultant shall revise the QAPP as necessary to obtain approval.

Deliverables:

• Draft QAPP

• Final Approved QAPP

TASK 3. SITE SURVEYS, EXISTING CONDITIONS VERIFICATION, AND DATA

COLLECTION

The Consultant shall conduct all field investigations necessary to support final design and permitting activities for selected project sites within the Five Corners Neighborhood. Work shall include topographic information collection, identification of existing drainage infrastructure, utility coordination, boundary verification, assessment of site constraints, soil testing, infiltration testing, arboricultural assessments, and documentation of…