RFQ#202623 Page 1

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION

FOR

ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR DONNIE SUBSTATION

RFQ#202623

Submittal Due Date:

Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm, EST

Non-Mandatory Pre-Submittal Meeting:

Thursday, July 9, 2026, EST

ISSUED BY:

Procurement & Contract Services Department

450 SE 6th Avenue Homestead, FL 33030

Date Issued: Friday, June 26, 2026

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofhomestead https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

RFQ#202623 Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

2. DUE DATE

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

4. CONTRACT/AGREEMENT

5. INSURANCE

6. SUBMITTAL CONTENT

7. SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS

8. EVALUATION COMMITTEE AND PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW

9. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

10. QUESTIONS REGARDING SPECIFICATIONS OR PROPOSAL PROCESS

11. OTHER MATTERS

12. VENDOR SUBMISSION

Attachments:

A - Donnie Surveys

RFQ#202623 Page 3

1. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

1.1. Summary

The City of Homestead is seeking qualified engineering firms to provide professional services for the design of a new 138kV/13.2kV distribution substation located in Homestead, Florida. The project includes the full engineering and design of a loop-in/loop-out configuration connected to an existing 138kV transmission line.

The substation will be designed to support future system growth and reliability needs, with a planned ultimate capacity of approximately 89 MVA. This will be achieved through the installation of two power transformers and a six-feeder 13.2kV distribution bus.

The selected consultant will be responsible for delivering complete design services, including technical specifications, construction-ready documents, coordination with utilities and stakeholders, and support throughout the procurement and construction phases.

This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is issued in accordance with the provisions of Florida

Statute 287.055, the Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA). The City of Homestead is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages participation from MBE/WBE/DBE businesses.

1.2. Timeline

Contact Information:

Xintia Rubio

Senior Buyer

100 Civic Court

Homestead, FL 33030

Email: xrubio@homesteadfl.gov

Phone: (305) 224-4626

Publication SD Newsleader & South Florida Business

Journal

Release Project Date June 26, 2026 mailto:xrubio@cityofhomestead.com tel:(305)224-4626

RFQ#202623 Page 4

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-

Mandatory)

July 9, 2026, 10:00am

A NON-MANDATORY pre-submittal conference will be held on the date and time listed above in the Procurement & Contract

Services Department conference room located at 450 SE 6th Avenue, Homestead, Florida

33030. At that conference all work will be discussed and all questions answered. No questions will be answered verbally except at the pre-submittal conference. You may submit questions in writing to be received at least two

(2) days prior to the pre-submittal conference to: Xintia Rubio-Rojas, Senior Buyer, City of

Homestead, 450 SE 6th Avenue, Homestead, FL 33030; via email at: bids@homesteadfl.gov

Virtual Attendance Option:

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/24945879028

0418?p=HJPV5aqwIwH8z5C6l2

Meeting ID: 249 458 790 280 418

Passcode: dG7Ek3kE

Dial in by phone

+1 929-346-7292,,645557736#

Phone conference ID:

645 557 736#

Question Submission Deadline July 31, 2026, 5:00pm mailto:bids@homesteadfl.gov https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/249458790280418?p=HJPV5aqwIwH8z5C6l2 https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/249458790280418?p=HJPV5aqwIwH8z5C6l2

RFQ#202623 Page 5

Proposal Submission Deadline August 20, 2026, 2:00pm

Virtual RFQ Opening:

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22822597474

9894?p=Dr7IaSNQlVM54CB9Ys

Meeting ID:

228 225 974 749 894

Passcode:

Ez3ad6Cc

Dial in by phone

+1 929-346-7292,,243955946#

Phone conference ID:

243 955 946#

Evaluation Committe Meeting August 20, 2026

Council Meeting: Tentative: September 2026

2. DUE DATE

A. All statements of qualifications may be received up to but not later than Thursday, August 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm via the City e-Procurement Portal located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofhomestead. The

City e-Procurement Portal Clock is the official clock for the determination of all deadline dates and times.

Without exception, responses will not be accepted after the submission deadline regardless of any technical difficulties such as poor internet connections. The City of Homestead strongly recommends completing your response well ahead of the deadline.

B. All statements of qualifications received after the closing time and date, for any reason whatsoever, will not be considered. Any disputes regarding timely receipt of proposals shall be decided in the favor of the City of

Homestead. Proposers shall assume full responsibility for timely delivery at the location designated for receipt of proposals. The City of Homestead cannot be responsible for proposals received after opening time and encourages early submittal. Responses received by the City after the time specified for receipt will not be considered and shall be returned, unopened.

C. All information required by this RFQ must be supplied to constitute an acceptable proposal.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The City of Homestead, through Homestead Energy Services (HES), seeks qualified engineering firms to provide professional engineering services for the planning, design, permitting, bidding support, and construction administration of the proposed Donnie Avocado 138kV/13.2kV

Distribution Substation located in Homestead, Florida.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/228225974749894?p=Dr7IaSNQlVM54CB9Ys https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/228225974749894?p=Dr7IaSNQlVM54CB9Ys https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofhomestead

RFQ#202623 Page 6

The new substation will be designed to improve system reliability, increase electrical capacity, support future load growth, and enhance operational flexibility within the HES electric system.

The project is anticipated to include a loop-in/loop-out connection to an existing 138kV transmission line, power transformation facilities, distribution feeder infrastructure, protection and control systems, communications systems, and all associated civil, structural, electrical, and environmental components necessary for a fully operational utility substation.

The selected Consultant shall provide professional services in accordance with the requirements of Florida Statute 287.055, Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA).

3.1. Project Overview

The City of Homestead Energy Services (HES) is seeking proposals from qualified engineering firms

(“Consultant”) to provide comprehensive engineering and design services for the new Donnie Avocado

Substation. This project consists of all engineering activities required for a new distribution substation rated at

138 kV / 13.2 kV with a net output capacity of 89 MVA.

The facility will be located in Homestead, Florida. The design must facilitate a loop-in/loop-out configuration from the existing 138 kV transmission line between HES Lucy and FPL Davis substations.

3.2. General Design Scope

The Consultant shall be responsible for the following primary design elements:

· Transmission Interface: Two (2) 138 kV transmission line feeds, two (2) 138 kV line switches, and one (1)

138 kV disconnect switch configured as two radial lines with a bus tie.

· Power Transformers: Two (2) 138 kV / 13.2 kV, 44.8 MVA power transformers.

· High Voltage Protection: 138 kV circuit switchers with an interrupting rating of 20 kA.

· Medium Voltage Bus: 13.2 kV outdoor double bus rated at 2000A.

· Feeders: Eight (6) load positions served by 13.2 kV, 1200A outdoor circuit breakers.

· Auxiliary Power: Two (2) power and light transformers for substation AC requirements.

3.3. Detailed Scope by Discipline

A. Structural and Civil Engineering

· Surveys & Geotechnical: Site boundary, topographical surveys, and geotechnical reports.

· Site Design: Grading and drainage plans, specifications, and drainage calculations.

· Structures: Design and calculations for bus structures, including load trees for concrete poles.

· Foundations: Detailed design and calculations for all equipment foundations.

· Perimeter: Fence plans and details.

· Environmental: SPCC (Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure) plan11.

RFQ#202623 Page 7

B. Substation Engineering (Physical Design)

· Arrangement: Electrical Single Line Diagrams, General Arrangements, and Electrical Sections.

· Grounding & Shielding: Grounding plan/study and Lightning shielding plan/study.

· Conduit & Cable: Conduit plans, cable trench drawings/details, and conduit schedules.

· Station Service: AC and DC station load studies, battery sizing, and station light/power calculations.

· Procurement Support: Development of Long Lead Material Lists and Equipment Specifications.

C. Protection and Control (P&C) Engineering

· One-Lines: Relay one-line and three-line diagrams.

· Schematics: AC and DC elementary (schematic) diagrams.

· Wiring: Interconnection relay panel wiring and remote wiring diagrams for all electrical equipment.

· Hardware: Relay panel arrangements and a comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOM).

3.4. Required Studies and Calculations

Final reports for all studies must be signed and sealed by a Florida Registered Professional Engineer and include:

· Grounding and Lightning Shielding Studies.

· Lighting/Illumination Study.

· AC/DC Station Load and Battery Sizing Calculations.

· Substation Bus Strength Calculations.

3.5. Project Deliverables and Phases

The project shall follow a structured review process with submittals at the following intervals:

1. 30% Design Package: Focus on site layout, single lines, and long-lead equipment specs.

2. 60% Design Package: Detailed physical and structural design, including most studies and elementary diagrams.

3. 90% Design Package: Finalized drawings incorporating all previous comments and vendor-certified data.

4. Issued for Construction (IFC): Final signed and sealed package incorporating all HES comments.

5. As-Built Documentation: Processing of field markups within 30 days of construction completion.

4. CONTRACT/AGREEMENT

After selection of Consultant by the City, an Agreement will incorporate the major terms and conditions for Consultant's performance. The Agreement shall be in a form, as approved by the

RFQ#202623 Page 8

City Attorney for legal form and sufficiency, and shall include, but not be limited to, the following matters:

(1) The services to be provided by the Consultant pursuant to the Agreement shall be nonexclusive and nothing therein shall preclude the City from engaging other firms to perform the same or similar services for the benefit of the City within the City's sole and absolute discretion.

(2) The Consultant shall warrant that it has not employed or retained any company or person, other than a bona fide employee working solely for the Consultant, to solicit or secure a contract pursuant to this Invitation to Submit Qualifications. Also, that it has not paid or agreed to pay any person(s), company, corporation, individual, or firm, other than a bona fide employee working solely for the Consultant any fee, commission, percentage, gift, or any other consideration, contingent upon or resulting from the award of a contract pursuant to this

Invitation to Submit Qualifications.

(3) The Agreement will include provisions for termination for cause by either party and for the convenience of the City.

(4) The Consultant shall be required to warrant and represent that at all times during the term of the Agreement it shall maintain in good standing all required licenses, certifications and permits required under federal, state and local laws necessary to perform the services.

(5) All work of a specified nature to be performed by Consultant shall be outlined in the

Agreement.

(6) The Agreement will provide for the fees for services, which Consultant shall charge the

City and shall be scope specific.

(7) The Consultant shall at all times carry professional liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance, public liability and property damage insurance, and automotive public liability and property damage insurance with minimum policy limits in the amount of One

Million Dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence, except that dollar amount of workers' compensation coverage shall be as provided by Chapter 440.055, Florida Statutes. The City shall be named as an additional insured on each of the liability insurance policies to the extent authorized by law. Each insurance policy shall state that it cannot be cancelled or modified without written notice to the City at least 30 days prior to the effective date of cancellation or modification.

(8) Each Consultant shall be required, pursuant to Chapter 287, Florida Statutes, to execute a

"Sworn Statement on Public Entity Crimes" prior to the execution of a contract resulting from this Request for Qualifications. By executing this sworn statement, the Consultant is affirmatively stating that neither it nor an affiliate (as defined in the statute) has been convicted of a public entity crime, and that it is not barred from entering into the contract. The Consultant shall further acknowledge that any misstatement or misrepresentation of fact, lack of compliance with the statute, or subsequent conviction of a public entity crime shall result in the contract being null and void and/or subject to immediate termination by the City. In the event of such

RFQ#202623 Page 9 termination, the City shall not incur any liability for any work or materials furnished by the

Consultant.

(9) Consultants shall invoice the City, as negotiated. Each invoice shall, detail the contract price, payments made to date, percentage of completion of the assignment, project or phase, payment due this invoice, remaining balance due. Invoices shall itemize hours, hourly wage, or other unit agreed upon as measurement of payment during negotiations, if requested. If hourly, invoices shall identify the name and title of personnel who performed the work.

(10) Consultant shall indemnify and hold harmless the City, its officers and employees, from liabilities, damages, losses and costs, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees, to the extent caused by the negligence, recklessness or intentional wrongful conduct of the

Consultant and persons employed or utilized by the Consultant in the performance of the

Agreement.

(11) The Consultant shall pay all royalties and assume all costs arising from the use of any invention, design, process materials, equipment, product or device which is the subject of patent rights or copyrights. Consultant shall, at its own expense, hold harmless and defend the City against any claim, suit or proceeding brought against the City which is based upon a claim, whether rightful or otherwise, that the goods or services, or any part thereof, furnished under the contract, constitute an infringement of any patent or copyright of the United States. The

Consultant shall pay all damages and costs awarded against the City in such matter.

(12) An understanding and agreement, by and between the Consultant and the City, that the completion time will be as specified in approved work authorizations and that all work shall be prosecuted regularly, diligently, and uninterrupted at such rate of progress as will ensure full completion thereof as specified in the Scope of Services.

(13) The Agreement will provide for the City to designate a Contract Administrator, who shall be responsible for the project.

5. INSURANCE

These are mandatory insurance requirements, please be sure to fulfill each requirement listed below. All policies, endorsements, certificates and/or binders shall be subject to approval by the

City’s Risk Management as to form and content. These requirements are subject to amendment or waiver only if so approved in writing by a duly authorized representative of the City. A lapse in any required insurance coverage during this Contract shall be considered a material breach. Further it is understood and agreed by Consultant that nothing in this provision shall waive or otherwise limit the right of the City to modify INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS to meet the demands of special or unique circumstances. Accordingly, those rights are expressly reserved by the City.

The insurance obligations under this Contract shall be: all the insurance coverage and/or limits carried by or available to the Consultant or the minimum insurance requirements and/or limits shown in this Contract, whichever is greater. Any insurance proceeds in excess of or broader than the minimum required coverage and/or minimum required limits, which are applicable to a given loss, shall be available to the City. No representation is made that the minimum insurance

RFQ#202623 Page 10 requirements of this Contract are sufficient to cover obligations of the Consultant under this

Contract.

Throughout the term of this agreement and for all applicable statutes of limitation periods, Consultant agrees to have and maintain in full force and effect the insurance policies set forth in this article. All policies must contain an endorsement requiring minimum thirty (30) days written notice from the insurance company to the City prior to cancellation or any change in coverage, scope or amount of any such policy or ten day notice for non-payment of premium.

CONSULTANT EXPRESSLY AFFIRMS THAT IT HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO

RECOVER THE COSTS OF THE INSURANCE REQUIRED IN ITS CONTRACT PRICE.

a. All insurance policies shall be issued by insurers that are authorized to transact business in the

State of Florida, and have an A. M. Best's financial and size rating of A-VIII or better.

b. All insurance policies, except Property, Workers Compensation and Professional Liability (if applicable), shall name and endorse the following as additional insured: The City of Homestead, its employees, directors, officers, agents, independent contractors, successors and assigns, and other authorized representatives as additional insured to the extent of the contractual obligation assumed by the Consultant. The Commercial General Liability policy shall be endorsed with the

ISO CG2010 Additional Insured endorsement (or similar endorsement with coverage at least as broad as the ISO CG 2010) and the ISO CG 2037 Additional Insured – Completed Operations endorsement (or similar endorsement with coverage at least as broad as the ISO CG 2037). As additional insured, the City shall be defended and indemnified for claims to the extent caused by the acts, actions, omissions or negligence of Consultant, its employees, agents, subcontractors, and representatives; but is not defended or indemnified for the additional insured’s own acts, actions, omissions, negligence.

c. It is specifically agreed that the City of Homestead shall not be liable to the Consultant for any liability arising out of the performance of this Agreement. Consultant specifically waives any and all rights of recovery it may have against the City of Homestead, independent of any waiver of rights of recovery by any insurer. All insurance policies shall include a Transfer of Rights of

Recovery Against Others to Us/Waiver of Subrogation in favor of the City.

Consultant agrees to obtain any endorsement that may be necessary to effect all waivers of subrogation, but this provision applies regardless of whether or not the City has received a waiver of subrogation endorsement from the insurer.

d. All insurance policies shall be endorsed to provide that (a) Consultant’s Insurance is primary and non-contributory to any other Insurance available to the City of Homestead with respect to claims covered under the policy and (b) Consultant’s insurance applies separately to each insured against who claims are made or suit is brought and that the inclusion of more than one insured shall not operate to increase the insurer’s limit of liability. Self-insurance shall not be acceptable.

Any policy including a self-insured retention (“SIR”) in the primary layer of liability in any amount must be submitted to and approved by the City’s Risk Management Department prior to risk approval.

RFQ#202623 Page 11

e. If the Consultant fails to submit the required insurance certificate(s) in the manner prescribed with the executed agreement submitted to the City and if not submitted with the executed agreement in no event exceed three (3) calendar days after request to submit certificate(s) of insurance, the Consultant shall be in default, and the Contract may be rescinded at the City’s sole discretion. Under such circumstances, the Consultant may be prohibited from submitting future solicitations to the City.

f. Consultant shall carry the following types of insurance coverage whether products and/or services provided by Consultant to the City in connection with the performance of this Contract occur on City premises or not.

(1) WORKER'S COMPENSATION: As required by the State of Florida with the statutory limits, and include employers’ liability insurance with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 for each accident, $1,000,000 for each disease and $1,000,000 for aggregate disease. Policy shall be endorsed with a “Waiver of Our Right to Recover From Others” endorsement which favors the

City. A copy of NCCI Form WC 00 03 13 (or similar endorsement with coverage at least as broad as NCCI Form WC 00 03 13) issued by the insurer may be required for risk review and shall be provided by Consultant at any time upon request.

If Consultant’s workers compensation program is part of an employee-leasing or co-employment arrangement where certain Statutory employees may be excluded from coverage, Consultant specifically agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, defend against and pay or reimburse the City for losses the City or its insurers may be obligated to pay to any natural person who is denied workers compensation benefits or employers liability coverage that arise out of or result from Consultant’s employee-leasing or co-employment arrangement.

(2) AUTOMOBILE LIABILITY: Consultant shall carry automobile liability insurance with minimum limits of One Million ($1,000,000) dollars, combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury liability and property damage. The policy is to be written on ISO Form CA 00 01 covering any auto (Symbol 1) or if Consultant has no owned autos, covering hired (Symbol 8) and non-owned (Symbol 9) autos. Policies shall be endorsed to add the City of Homestead as

Additional Insured and include a Waiver of Subrogation in favor of the City. Coverage must be primary and non-contributory to any other insurance available to the City of Homestead. Copies of the endorsements or policy forms reflecting these terms may be required for risk review and shall be provided by Consultant at any time upon request.

(3) COMMERCIAL GENERAL LIABILITY: Consultant shall carry Commercial General

Liability Insurance for all on-going and completed operations of the Consultant, including all on-going and completed operations of all Consultant’s sub-contractors and shall include but shall not be limited to Contractual, Products and Completed Operations and Personal and Advertising Injury coverage with limits of not less than: One million ($1,000,000) dollars each Occurrence and for

Personal and Advertising Injury coverage and two million ($2,000,000) dollars for Products –

Completed Operations Aggregate and General Aggregate. The Commercial General Liability insurance policy must include but shall not be limited to the following listed Coverages: Coverage

A – Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability, Coverage B – Personal and Advertising Injury

RFQ#202623 Page 12

Liability, and Coverage C – Medical Payments. Coverage shall include but shall not be limited to coverage for premises and/or operations, independent contractors, products and/or completed operations for contracts, contractual liability, broad form contractual coverage, broad form property damage, products, completed operations, and personal injury. Personal injury coverage shall include coverage that has the employee and contractual exclusions removed.

Consultant’s Commercial General Liability insurance coverage shall be primary and non-contributory. For any claim related to this contract, this coverage shall be primary coverage at least as broad as ISO CG 20 01 04 13 – PRIMARY AND NONCONTRIBUTORY – OTHER

INSURANCE CONDITION as respects the City, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers.

Any insurance or self-insurance maintained by the City, its officers, officials, employees, or volunteers shall be excess of the Consultant’s insurance and shall not contribute with it.

The City’s Risk Management Department will not accept an insurance policy that includes the ISO

CG 21 39 CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY LIMITATION, the ISO CG 24 26 AMENDMENT OF

INSURED CONTRACT DEFINITION or similar endorsements. The Commercial General

Liability policy must be endorsed to add the City of Homestead as Additional Insured and include a waiver of subrogation endorsement in favor of the City. Copies of these endorsements and/or policy forms reflecting these terms may be required for risk review and shall be provided by

Consultant to the City at any time upon request.

(4) COMMERCIAL UMBRELLA / COMMERCIAL EXCESS LIABILITY: Consultant shall carry and maintain minimum $1,000,000 per Occurrence and $1,000,000 Aggregate excess liability limits over underlying Commercial General Liability, Auto Liability and Employer’s

Liability coverage as outlined above.

(5) ARCHITECTS / ENGINEERS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE (ERRORS

AND/OR OMISSIONS): Consultant shall carry and maintain Professional Liability insurance with minimum limits of $2,000,000 per Claim or Occurrence and $2,000,000 Aggregate. Unless coverage is written on an Occurrence Form, the retroactive date must be no later than the date of this Contract and must be evidenced on the certificate of insurance provided to the City.

If coverage is written on a Claims-Made form, Consultant/Bidder shall satisfy the requirements of this Section by either: (1) maintaining a Professional Liability policy as outlined above for 36 months post-completion OR (2) terminating Professional Liability insurance coverage post-completion AND purchasing an Extended Reporting Period (“ERP”) Endorsement (with a 36-month term minimum) within 10 working days of policy termination. If Consultant/Bidder chooses

Option (2) at any time post-completion, a copy of the ERP shall be provided to the City within 30 calendar days.

(6) UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS / VEHICLE (“UAV”) LIABILITY: Where Consultant o perates and/or otherwise utilizes UAVs (aka “Drones”) or engages a third party to operate and/or otherwise utilize UAVs, Proposer shall provide to City Risk Management for approval prior to commencing any UAV-related operations: (1) satisfactory evidence of insurance with limits of no less than $1,000,000 per Occurrence / $2,000,000 Aggregate and (2) any and all other requested documentation.

RFQ#202623 Page 13

CONSULTANT IS SPECIFICALLY AND EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN BY CITY TO (1) USE,

(2) OPERATE OR (3) CAUSE TO BE OPERATED UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE(S)

AND/OR UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM(S) (i.e “DRONES”) WITHIN CITY CONFINES AT

ANY TIME DURING THE TERM THIS RFQ OR SUBSEQUENT AGREEMENT IS IN FORCE

UNLESS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.

g. Consultant shall be solely responsible for ensuring that all vendors and/or independent or sub-contractors (“sub-contractors”) also comply with the insurance requirements, terms, conditions, limits and related criteria as outlined above and shall specifically require Professional Liability, Commercial General Liability, Auto Liability and Florida Workers Compensation coverage from any sub-contractor utilized by Consultant.

h. CONSULTANT’S PROPERTY: Consultant and its subcontractors, if any, are solely responsible for any loss or damage to their personal property, including but not limited to tools and equipment, scaffolding, and temporary structures, rented machinery, or owned and leased equipment. A waiver of subrogation shall apply in favor of the City of Homestead.

i. Consultant shall provide the City of Homestead’s Contract Administrator/Buyer with a copy of the certificate(s) of insurance and endorsements evidencing the types of insurance and coverage required in this Section within three (3) calendar days of Consultant’s receipt of Notice of Intent to Award the Contract and, at any time thereafter, upon request by the Contract

Administrator/Buyer. It is the CONSULTANT’S responsibility to ensure that the Contract

Administrator/Buyer is provided with evidence of current insurance on file with the City during the term of this Agreement, or longer as may be required herein.

j. Consultant's Insurance Policies shall be endorsed to provide the City with at least thirty (30) calendar days prior written notice of cancellation, non-renewal, restrictions, or reduction in coverage or limits or ten days for non-payment of premium. Notice shall be sent to:

City of Homestead

Attn: Procurement & Contract Services Department

450 SE 6th Avenue

Homestead, FL 33030

k. If any of the Consultant's insurance policies are written on a “claims-made” or “reported” basis or coverage form, then Consultant shall maintain such insurance coverage for a period of

FIVE (5) years after the expiration or termination of this agreement including any and all extensions or renewals of this agreement. This requirement may be met by keeping the policy(ies) in force, or by obtaining an extended reporting period coverage endorsement, an extension of coverage commonly known as “Tail” Coverage, which provides coverage for claims presented past the expiration of the policy(ies) arising from work performed during the policy period.

l. If any of Consultant's Insurance policies includes a general aggregate limit and provides that claims investigation or legal defense costs are included within the general aggregate limit, the general aggregate limit that is required shall be no less than five (5) times the per occurrence limit as specified above in this Section.

RFQ#202623 Page 14

m. The provisions of this Section shall survive the expiration or termination of this agreement.

n. PAYMENT: If any of the insurance policies required under this Section lapse during the term of this agreement or any extension or renewal of the same, Consultant shall not receive payment from the City until such time that the City has received satisfactory evidence of reinstated coverage of the types and coverage specified in this Section that is effective as of the lapse date. The City, in its sole discretion, may terminate the Agreement immediately and no further payments shall be due to Consultant.

o. RENEWAL OF INSURANCE: Consultant shall be responsible for assuring that the insurance certificate/ endorsements required in conjunction with this section remains in force for the duration of the Contract term. If the insurance certificate/endorsements are scheduled to expire during this period, Consultant shall be responsible for submitting a new or renewed insurance certificate/ endorsements to the City at a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days in advance of such expiration.

In the event that expired certificate/endorsements are not replaced with a new or renewed certificate(s) evidencing acceptable insurance coverage which covers the Contract term, the City may suspend this Agreement until such time as the new or renewed certificate/endorsements evidencing acceptable insurance coverage are received by the City.

p. MINIMUM COVERAGE: Insurance coverage in the minimum amounts set forth herein shall not be construed as to relieve Consultant of liability in excess of such coverage, nor shall it preclude or otherwise limit the City from taking other action(s) as may be available under any other provision(s) of this Agreement or otherwise in law or equity.

q. CONFLICT: In the event that a conflict arises between the provisions of any agreement, contract or understanding that arises out of this Bid and this Section, the provisions of this Section shall control and prevail.

r. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION: Consultant agrees that the City may disclose the name and contact information of its insurers to any third party which presents a claim against the City for any damages or claims resulting from or arising out of work performed by the Consultant, its agents, employees, servants or subcontractors in the performance of this contract.

s. RELAXATION OR SUSPENSION OF INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: If, in the opinion of the City, full compliance with the insurance requirements in this Section is not commercially practicable for the Consultant, and would not be commercially practicable for most other

Consultants qualified to perform the Project or Work, at the written request of the Consultant, the

City may, in its sole discretion, and subject to any conditions it deems appropriate, relax or temporarily suspend, in whole or in part, the insurance requirements which would otherwise apply to the Consultant. As a condition to any such relaxation of the insurance requirements, City may require Consultant to provide the City with written evidence satisfactory to the City that full compliance with the insurance requirements is neither commercially practicable for the

Consultant, nor commercially practicable for most other Consultants qualified to perform the

Work. Any such modification shall be subject to the prior written approval of the City, and subject to the conditions of such approval.

RFQ#202623 Page 15

t. SUBSEQUENT AGREEMENTS: The requirements of this Section shall extend to any subsequent written agreement which results from this RFQ and shall represent the City’s minimum insurance requirements. Consultant understands and agrees that the insurance requirements may be updated or amended at the sole discretion of the City’s Risk Manager in any subsequent agreement executed which is subject to this RFQ based on the nature of the risk, prior experience, insurer, coverage or other special circumstances.

6. SUBMITTAL CONTENT

Consultants interested in performing these professional services must display considerable relevant experience with the specified type of work, and should emphasize both the experience and capability of particular personnel who will actually perform the work.

In order to ensure a uniform review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, it is expected that the submittals be organized in the manner specified.

The following information and documents should be provided with Proposers Response to this

RFQ. Failure to do so may deem your proposal non-responsive.

Submittal Requirements

Respondents shall submit the following information electronically through the OpenGov e-

Procurement Portal. In accordance with Section 287.055, Florida Statutes (Consultants'

Competitive Negotiation Act), compensation information shall not be submitted and will not be considered during the evaluation process.

1. Letter of Interest

Provide a cover letter signed by an authorized representative of the firm expressing the firm's interest in providing Substation Engineering Services.

2. Firm Qualifications

Provide a description of the firm's history, organization, office locations, qualifications and current workload and capacity to perform the work relevant to the performance of electrical substation engineering services.

Qualifications should include a minimum five (5) years of experience in similar projects is preferred. The firm should indicate business structure (Corp., Partnership, etc) with proof; Firm should be established as a legal entity in the State of Florida; Company address, phone number, fax number, E-Mail address, web site, contact person(s), etc; Relative size of the firm, including management, technical and support staff;and any other pertinent information may be submitted.

Respondents may submit a SF 330 Part I and Part II and provide any other documentation that demonstrates their ability to satisfy all of the minimum qualification requirements.

3. Key Personnel

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Identify the Project Manager and key personnel proposed for the assignment. Include resumes, professional registrations, certifications, and a description of each individual's relevant experience. Identify any subconsultants and their areas of responsibility.

Identification of the Project Manager and lead discipline engineers (PE licensure in Florida is required).

4. Relevant Experience

Provide a minimum of three (3) projects completed within the last ten (10) years demonstrating experience with services similar in scope and complexity. Include project descriptions, completion dates, construction values, and the firm's role. Experience with transmission and distribution substations, relay protection and coordination, protection and control systems, SCADA integration, and construction administration should be highlighted.

Examples of 138kV substation designs performed in Florida.

5. Project Approach

Describe the firm's approach to providing substation engineering services, including planning, design, permitting support, preparation of plans and specifications, bidding assistance, construction administration, startup and commissioning support, and coordination with utility providers and regulatory agencies.

Detailed methodology for managing schedule, quality (QA/QC), and risks.

A proposed timeline from Award of Contract (ARO) through IFC submittal.

6. References

Provide a minimum of three (3) references from clients for whom similar services have been performed. Include the contact person's name, title, organization, telephone number, email address and description of services performed.

• Agency name

• Contact person and title

• Phone number and email

• Description of services performed

7. Required Licenses and Certifications

Submit certifications required by the solicitation documents.

• Professional licensure for key personnel (PE, etc.)

• DBE/SBE participation (if applicable)

8. Provide disclosure of any of the following within the last five (5) years:

RFQ#202623 Page 17

• Litigation involving the firm related to professional services

• Termination for default

• Claims or disputes related to engineering services

• Any disciplinary actions involving professional licenses

9. Insurance Requirements

Provide evidence of current insurance coverage or a statement confirming the firm's ability to obtain the insurance required by the solicitation upon award.

10. Addenda Acknowledgment

Respondents shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda issued through the OpenGov e-

Procurement Portal.

Note: In accordance with the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA), Section

287.055, Florida Statutes, respondents shall not submit fee schedules, rates, or any compensation information with their qualifications package.

7. SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS

A. Format of Submittal: The format set forth in this RFQ Section 6 Submittal Content should be strictly followed.

B. Incurred Expenses: The City is not responsible for any expenses which proposers may incur preparing and submitting their qualifications called for in this Request for

Qualifications.

C. Interviews: The City reserves the right to conduct personal interviews or require presentations prior to selection. The City will not be liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in connection with such interviews/presentations (i.e. travel, accommodations, etc.).

D. Request for Modification: The City reserves the right to request that the Proposer modify his proposal to more fully meet the needs of the City.

E. Submittal Acknowledgment: By submitting a statement of qualifications, the proposer certifies that he has fully read and understands the RFQ method and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, and quality of work to be performed.

F. Request for Additional Information: The proposer shall furnish such additional information as the City of Homestead may reasonably require. This includes information which indicates financial resources as well as ability to provide the services. The City reserves the right to make investigations of the qualifications of the proposer as it deems

RFQ#202623 Page 18 appropriate, including but not limited to, a background investigation conducted by the

Homestead Police Department.

G. Acceptance/Rejection/Modification to Submittals: The City reserves the right to negotiate modifications to Proposals that it deems acceptable, reject any and all proposals, and to waive minor irregularities in the proposals and to make awards in the best interest of the

City. Any intentional omissions, alterations, or false representations may be grounds for rejection of any proposal.

H. Proposals Binding: All proposals submitted shall be binding for three hundred sixty-five

(365) calendar days following opening.

I. Addendum or Amendment to Request for Qualifications: If it becomes necessary to revise or amend any part of this Request for Submittal, the City’s Procurement &

Contract Services Director will furnish the revision by written Addendum and will be posted via the E-Procurement Portal Addenda tab. Proposer(s) shall be responsible to periodically check the City’s E-Procurement Portal for addendums and must acknowledge receipt of any formal Addenda. Failure of a Proposal to acknowledge receipt of a formal Addendum may deem its submittal non-responsive provided, however, that the City may waive this requirement in its best interest. The City will not be responsible for any other explanation or interpretation made verbally or in writing by any other City representative.

J. Questions and/or Request for Clarification: Proposers shall submit all inquiries regarding this bid via the City e-Procurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofhomestead. Please note the deadline for submitting inquiries. All answers to inquiries will be posted on the City e-Procurement

Portal. Proposers shall also click “Follow” on this bid to receive an email notification when answers are posted. It is the responsibility of the bidder to check the website for answers to inquiries.

K. Economy of Preparation: Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer's ability to fulfill the requirements of the proposal.

L. Proprietary Information:

In accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (Public Records Law), and except as may be provided by other applicable State and Federal Law, all Proposers should be aware that Request for Qualifications and the responses are in the public domain.

However, the proposers are required to identify specifically any information contained in their proposals which they consider confidential and/or proprietary and which they believe to be exempt from disclosure, citing specifically the applicable exempting law.All https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cityofhomestead

RFQ#202623 Page 19 proposals received from Proposer’s in response to this Request for Qualifications will become the property of the City of Homestead and will not be returned to the Proposer’s.

In the event of contract award, all documentation produced as part of the contract will become the exclusive property of the City. Florida State Statute affords government agencies a defined amount of time to review proposals and related information before the information is subject to Florida Public Records statutes. The applicable statute is included here:

“Florida Statute 119.071 as amended by HB 7223; Sealed bids, proposals or replies received by an agency pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until such time as the agency provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the bids, proposals or final replies, whichever is earlier.”

M. Proposal Pricing: Firms submitting Qualifications shall not submit pricing with submittal documents. However, it is the intent of the City to enter into an agreement with a firm that can provide the services as specified herein. A firm fixed price proposal will be submitted by the firm selected for negotiation.

N. Scrutinized Companies:

1. Proposer certifies that it and its subcontractors are not on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List. Pursuant to Section 287.135, F.S., the City may immediately terminate this Agreement at its sole option if the Proposer or its subcontractors are found to have submitted a false certification; or if the Proposer, or its subcontractors are placed on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List or is engaged in the boycott of Israel during the term of the Agreement.

2. If this Agreement is for more than one million dollars, the Proposer certifies that it and its subcontractors are also not on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in

Sudan, Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector

List, or engaged with business operations in Cuba or Syria as identified in Section

287.135, F.S. Pursuant to Section 287.135, F.S., the City may immediately terminate this Agreement at its sole option if the Proposer, its affiliates, or its subcontractors are found to have submitted a false certification; or if the Proposer, its affiliates, or its subcontractors are placed on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, or Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, or engaged with business operations in Cuba or Syria during the term of the Agreement.

3. The Proposer agrees to observe the above requirements for applicable subcontracts entered into for the performance of work under this Agreement.

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4. As provided in Subsection 287.135(8), F.S., if federal law ceases to authorize the above-stated contracting prohibitions then they shall become inoperative.

O. Claims: Any pending or past litigation involving the firm submitting a response, including all its principals and officers, with the City and has just or proper claims pending against their firm should submit this list in their response. In the best interest of the City, this may be grounds for rejection of a submittal.

P. Responsible Vendor Determination: Proposer is hereby notified that Section 287.05701, Florida Statutes, requires that the City may not request documentation of or consider a vendor's social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the vendor is a responsible vendor.

Q. Non-Coercion Affidavit: In accordance with Section 787.06, Florida Statutes, the City requires all vendors executing, renewing or extending a contract with the City to execute the required City affidavit, attesting that vendor does not use coercion for labor or services.

R. Contracting with Entities of Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited: In accordance with

Section 287.138, Florida Statutes , each bidder, respondent, proposer, or vendor, is required to properly complete, execute and submit to the City the attached Affidavit which is required by the statute.

8. EVALUATION COMMITTEE AND PROCEDURES FOR REVIEW

A. A Committee has been established to review and evaluate all qualifications submitted in response to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). The Committee shall conduct a preliminary evaluation of all submittals on the basis of the information provided and other evaluation criteria as set forth in this Request for Qualifications or as reasonably determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 287.055, Florida Statutes. The factors to be considered by the City in making this preliminary finding of qualifications of the respondents are the capabilities, adequacy of personnel, past record, and experience of the firm or individual.

B. The Committee will first review each submittal for compliance with the minimum qualifications and mandatory requirements of the RFQ. Failure to comply with any mandatory requirements may disqualify a submittal.

C. The City reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive minor irregularities in the submittals. The City further reserves the right to seek new submittals when such a procedure is reasonably in the best interest of the City to do so.

D. Upon initial completion of the criteria evaluation rating and ranking, the Selection

Committee may select the top three ranked proposers to conduct oral presentations and/or interviews with proposers that the Selection Committee deems necessary to warrant further consideration, among other considerations, scores in clusters and/or maintaining competition

RFQ#202623 Page 21 regarding the qualifications, ability to furnish the required services and all criteria set forth herein. The Procurement & Contract Service Office will notify the proposer(s) of the City’s decision to request presentations and/or interviews, as applicable. Upon completion of the oral presentations and interviews, the Selection Committee will perform a final review to re-evaluate, re-rate, and re-rank the Proposals remaining in consideration based upon the written documents, combined with the oral presentations and interviews. In such circumstances, the initial rankings of the Proposers shall be considered preliminary rankings until after the oral presentations and interviews are completed.

The City Procurement and Contract Services Director may require public presentations regarding their qualifications, approach to the project and ability to furnish the required services. Proposers shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of proposals and such revisions may be permitted after submission of proposals and prior to award of a contract. In conducting discussions, there shall be no disclosure of any information derived from submittals by competing proposers except as may be required by the

Florida Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Award may be made without written or oral discussion with any offeror.

E. The selection process will be conducted as provided by Section 287.055, Florida Statutes:

Competitive Selection-Ranking

Evaluation of all submittals on the basis of the…