Event 212027986.pdf

Rev. 02/11/2020 1

University System of New Hampshire Event #212027986

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/PROPOSAL

for

Architectural and Engineering Services for UNH Combined Heat & Power Plant - Major Equipment Replacement

PART 1 – GENERAL

Project Information

Project: Architectural and Engineering (AE) Services - UNH Combined Heat & Power Plant - Major Equipment

Replacement, 2023-0042 University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire

Project Site: Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Plant

2 Library Way Durham, New Hampshire

Owner: University of New Hampshire of the University System of New Hampshire

Owner's Agent: Karen Sayers, Category Specialist USNH Procurement Services

Farnum Hall 28 College Drive Concord, NH 03301

Telephone: 603-862-6187 Email: karen.sayers@usnh.edu

Owner’s Rep.: Peter Irelan, Senior Project Manager

UNH Facilities Project Management

Health, Safety & Environmental Protocols All contractors, sub-contractors, design professionals, and other personnel performing work on USNH property shall comply with current USNH health, safety, and environmental protocols, as well as all applicable federal and State of New Hampshire requirements in effect at the time of performance. Campus specific procedures (e.g., site access requirements, screening, PPE, or jobsite practices) will be communicated by the respective campus (UNH, PSU, or KSC) and must be followed for the duration of the work.

Project Schedule

The proposed schedule is as follows:

• A/E Bid Award November 2026

• Design Development (DD) level scope and pricing May 2027

• CD Scope and GMP complete September 2027

• Construction commencing May 2028, complete by end of April 2029

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Solicitation Intent

The University System of New Hampshire, representing the University of New Hampshire (UNH) is seeking qualified, professional firms to provide design services outlined herein specific to the Combined Heat & Power Plant – Major Equipment Replacement at UNH. This solicitation is open to all qualified firms eligible to do business in the State of New Hampshire. Minority and women-owned firms and enterprises are encouraged to participate in this solicitation process.

Existing Facilities and Conditions The existing facility is a 100-year-old building housing three approximately 70-year-old Babcock and Wilcox boilers that are at end of life, requiring replacement. Much of the associated infrastructure is of equal age and will also be replaced as noted in the Minimum Technical Requirements. The equipment to be replaced is part of the larger Combined Heat and power plant that will be serving campus needs throughout the project.

Existing documentation, record drawings, and available reports will be provided to short‑listed firms as available. The selected A/E shall verify existing conditions and recommend any additional investigations necessary during early design phases.

Four documents are provided as part of the RFQP:

1. UNH Boiler Plant Minimum Technical Requirements (MTR), dated 2026-7-13

2. UNH Boiler Plant Action Items, dated 2026-6-5

3. Old Plant One Line Diagram, Dated 02-27-2025

4. UNH Boiler Replacement Project Existing Conditions and Scope, dated 2026.7.12

Project Funding & Delivery

The anticipated construction budget (Cost of the Work) for the renovation of CHP is $20 million.

The project will be delivered using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) method, with the CM onboard at the end of Schematic Design.

PART 2 – PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project Overview

Provide Design and Construction Administration services for the duration of a project to replace major equipment components in the UNH Combined Heat and Power Plant. The project will be a Construction Manager at Risk model of delivery. The firm selected will work with the selected Construction Manager to evaluate various options during a robust pre-construction and pricing phase. Deliverables will include Concept, Schematic, Design, and Construction documents with ROM pricing. Additionally, the selected firm will provide robust and diligent Construction Administration services to support the project through substantial and final completion, and commissioning, training, and turnover.

The project scope is to replace 3 existing (1960 natural gas/oil and oil) boilers with 2 fire tube steam boilers, replacing heat exchangers, pumps, and associated piping. The detailed project scope is defined in the Minimum Technical Requirements.

Scope of Services Sought

The project scope will be further defined through stakeholder engagement, programming, and existing conditions assessment during early phases of design. The selected firm will work with an owner’s representative, who developed the Minimum Technical Requirements.

The selected team, under the direction of a designated owner design manager will:

Provide an architectural program in conformance with the campus standards

Provide the following services, or others, either through its own staff or sub-consultants who have the specific expertise required for the service, as needed to meet the Minimum Technical Requirements:

• Study of historical, cultural or archeological features or related efforts

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• Analysis equipment selection recommendation

• Environmental assessments or reviews and associated reports

Provide pre-design, design and construction administration services as delineated in the USNH Standard Form of Agreement for Professional Planning and Design Services and all related appendices.

Provide individuals whose work experience is directly related to project scope of this type.

Provide truly integrated architectural and engineering design services to achieve the MTR that are as efficient and simple to maintain/operate as possible. Architectural design, as required to achieve the minimum technical requirements, will be performed under the approval of the University Associate VP of Facilities and Campus Architect. When required by the project/scope of work, the design team is expected to use energy modeling and other contemporary tools throughout the design process.

Provide all documentation required for State of New Hampshire permits. The owner is accountable to state authority (ies) and is exempt from local authority.

Ensure that the design stays within the construction budget, working with owner representatives to identify cost efficiencies and bid alternates that do not compromise the long-term functionality of the building.

Incorporate owner construction guidelines into all specifications: https://scholars.unh.edu/facilities/

Provide illustrations and working models (computer or physical) that clearly communicate the design character and elements at both the schematic and design development levels.

Prepare at the end of construction a set of record drawings from construction drawings marked up by the general contractor and their subcontractors.

The level of cost estimating support required from the A/E will vary depending on project delivery method and timing of CM engagement.

Cost Control & Design-to-Budget Requirements

The A/E team shall design the project to align with the Owner’s construction budget and actively manage scope, systems, and materials to maintain cost alignment throughout all phases of design.

Budget Alignment & Phase Gates Progression from Schematic Design (SD) to Design Development (DD), and from DD to Construction Documents (CD), requires Owner approval confirming that the design remains within the established construction budget. If estimates exceed the budget, the A/E shall recommend scope adjustments and revise the design before proceeding.

Cost Monitoring & Compliance At SD, DD, and CD submissions, the A/E shall provide a clear, line-item comparison between (a) the Owner’s construction budget and (b) the current estimated Cost of the Work, including identified variances, alternates, and value engineering options, along with recommended corrective actions as necessary.

Design submissions that exceed the approved budget without an accompanying corrective action plan may be considered noncompliant with the contract requirements.

Alternates Strategy The A/E shall develop and maintain a structured list of bid alternates throughout the design process to maintain cost control without compromising core project objectives.

No Unapproved Betterments The A/E shall not incorporate enhancements beyond those explicitly authorized by the Owner. Any proposed enhancements must be identified as alternates with associated cost and schedule impacts.

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Cost Estimating Responsibilities The A/E shall be responsible for developing and maintaining a design that aligns with the Owner’s construction budget throughout all phases of the project.

When a Construction Manager (CM) or other cost estimating resource is engaged by the Owner, primary cost estimating services may be performed by that party. The A/E shall coordinate with the CM and support the estimating process by providing timely design information, participating in cost reviews, and incorporating feedback necessary to maintain budget alignment.

Prior to the engagement of a CM or third-party estimator, the A/E shall be responsible for providing planning-level cost opinions or coordinating with a cost estimator as needed to support early-phase decision-making.

Regardless of estimating responsibility, the A/E remains accountable for designing to the established budget and responding to cost variances through scope adjustments, alternates, and value engineering.

These requirements are intended to supplement and clarify the A/E’s responsibilities under USNH CD240, including §3.2.5 (Cost Estimates).

Scope Authorization The A/E shall proceed only with scope elements explicitly authorized by the Owner in writing. Stakeholder feedback, programming discussions, or exploratory design concepts shall not constitute authorization to expand scope, increase program area, or elevate system performance beyond approved direction.

Pertinent Information and Special Conditions

Terms: The terms “must”, “shall” and “will” are used interchangeably in this document. All have the same meaning—they are denoting a basic requirement which the A&E firm must provide or perform, or they are denoting an action the owner or designated third party will perform.

Authority Having Jurisdiction: University of New Hampshire is accountable to state authority(ies) and is exempt from local authority. The NH State Fire Marshall will approve any construction documents prior to their being issued.

• State Building Codes and Permits: University of New Hampshire, as a part of the University System of New Hampshire, falls under the jurisdiction of the statewide building code (see:

http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/firesafety/legal/codebuilding.html). The AE firm shall comply therewith and shall cooperate with the Owner and with NH authorities having jurisdiction (and/or their agents) with regard to necessary reviews,

• Local Building Codes and Permits: In general, the Campus Name does not fall under local jurisdiction. However, the Owner is subject to local water/sewer connection permitting requirements, road cut/closure permitting requirements, and noise ordinances.

USNH and the campus reserve the right to request, from time to time, information relating to AE firm’s employees, agents, or other employed by or associated with the AE firm, including employees and agents of sub-consultants and sub-sub-consultants, who have access to the campus, as required by the campus to comply with the provisions of the Jeanne Clery Act, as amended, 20 U.S.C. Section 1092(f) and to ensure that no such personnel represent a safety or security risk to the campus, its employees, agents, students or guests. The campus reserves the right to deny entry to the campus, at its sole discretion, to any consultant, sub-consultant, sub-sub-consultant, contractor, sub-contractor and sub-sub-contractor personnel who the campus believes represents a safety or security risk to the campus, its employees, agents, students or guests.

Form of Contract

The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) uses a modified form of ConsensusDocs 240 Standard Agreement Between Owner and Design Professional. This document is available on the web in the Buyer Attachments section of this Event. It is expected that all short-listed teams will fully review this document and take the requirements into consideration when preparing proposals.

Insurance http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/firesafety/legal/codebuilding.html

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Awarded firm will be expected to meet the minimum coverage requirements of the insurance requirements noted in Section

7.2 of the USNH CD240. No work will begin until Owner’s Agent is in receipt of the certificate of insurance.

PART 3 – SELECTION PROCESS

Evaluation Committee

A committee will evaluate all qualifications submissions. The committee consists of at least the following:

Karen Sayers, Sourcing and Contract Specialist, USNH Procurement Peter Irelan, Senior Project Manager, UNH Facilities Project Management Mark Schow, Elevated Design, Owner’s technical representative Matt L’Heureux, Campus Energy Manager, UNH Energy and Utilities Todd Webber, Capital Planner, UNH Capital Planning Justin Carpenter, Emcor, contracted plant operator

Selection Schedule

The selection committee intends to adhere to the Event Timeline in undertaking this solicitation/selection process. Dates and times are subject to change as the process progresses.

Evaluation Process and Criteria

Based upon the information presented in the qualifications submission, the committee will develop a shortlist of the most highly qualified candidates. Short-listed firms will then provide formal proposals and fee submissions and may be invited to individual interviews/oral presentations, following which the committee will identify the successful firm as that which can provide the greatest overall benefit to the owner. However, the Owner reserves the right to make its decision without benefit of oral presentations/interviews. Respondents’ submissions will be evaluated based on the following broad criteria:

Qualifications Criteria:

1. Team Qualifications. Relevant credentials, qualifications and expertise of firm including the proposed consultant team.

2. Comparable Project Experience. Relevant and recent experience on projects of similar scale, complexity, and type, demonstrated through successful project outcomes. Relevant and recent major equipment replacement in existing operating facility, central plant projects, projects requiring coordination with plant operations. experience by the prime and key consultants; include at least three and no more than five successfully completed projects on Appendix “A” Project Data Forms.

3. Design-to-Budget & Schedule Performance. Demonstrated ability to deliver projects within established construction budgets and schedules, including effective use of cost control measures such as value engineering, alternates, and scope alignment.

4. Project-Type & Technical Experience. Demonstrated experience with project types, systems, or renovation scopes relevant to this project as defined in the Minimum Technical Requirements.

5. Integrated A/E Delivery. Ability and experience of the entire design team to provide coordinated, efficient, and integrated architectural and engineering services aligned with this project’s goals and institutional standards.

Formal Proposal Criteria:

1. Key Personnel. Relevant experience of all key personnel proposed for this project and their time commitments.

2. Design Integration & Approach. Perceived team ability to integrate architectural and engineering design to achieve project objectives as outlined in the Minimum Technical Requirements, and the team’s overall design approach for this specific project.

3. Methodology & Risk Management. Coherent methodology to address the project’s challenges and opportunities (e.g., Campus operating requirements, phasing, abatement coordination, schedule constraints and logistics).

4. Management Systems & Value. Adequacy of the firm’s management practices, QA/QC systems, staffing, proposed tools, and design methodology; overall value and benefit of the services in relation to fee (fee to be evaluated after selection).

5. Experience with design of industrial or utility scale combined heat and power infrastructure and modification of architecturally significant building assets.

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6. Cost Management Plan & Controls. Clarity, rigor, and practicality of the team’s cost‑management plan: (1) internal QA/QC to prevent scope inflation; (2) real‑time estimating cadence; (3) development and tracking of alternates; (4) method to ensure final CDs remain within the fixed Cost of the Work (CD240 §3.2.5).

7. Client service. Candor, inclusiveness, ability to listen, and spirit of collaboration; degree to which the team meets or exceed the university’s/college’s expectations for functionality, enduring quality, ease of maintenance, and efficiency of operations at a competitive initial cost.

8. Understanding of Objectives. Demonstrated depth of knowledge and understanding of the project objectives, challenges, and opportunities, including the identification of key design issues and proposed handling.

9. Project Approach Evidence. Ability to articulate a coherent, plausible approach to this project and its critical elements, with relevant examples.

10. Team Fit. Ability of key personnel to work successfully with the owner community as perceived by the selection committee.

This is a quality-based selection process. The fee submission will be evaluated after the selection is made. Proposed fee structure may be subject to review and negotiation.

Informational Meeting

Finalists will be invited to attend a pre-proposal meeting. See the Event Timeline for date/time and location.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide finalists an opportunity to learn and ask questions about the selection process, clarify and/or receive additional information and details about the intent of this project, its scope, delivery process, and contractual framework, meet key players for the Owner, and visit the site.

Oral Presentations/Interviews

Short-listed firms may be invited to the owner to make an oral presentation and to be interviewed by the evaluation committee. However, the owner reserves the right to make its decision without benefit of oral presentations/interviews.

If interviews/presentations are held, each short-listed firm will be forwarded additional information about their oral session following the announcement of the short-list and sufficiently prior to the oral session to permit advance preparation, including time and location information as well as the availability of any audio-visual support. This is the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of knowledge and understanding about this specific design effort and provide compelling evidence of the attributes that set your team apart from the other finalists.

Three areas to be addressed in the presentations:

• It is expected that the primary design architect and the architect’s day-to-day point of contact be present and describe their specific experience that is directly relevant to this project. Other key team members may also describe their roles and the specific benefits they bring to this project.

• Describe specific techniques, processes, and/or commitments your design team will apply on this project to create a truly integrated design. Identify what commitment(s) the Owner needs to make to this design effort to achieve a truly integrated design.

• Describe your team’s design approach and insights to this specific project using any combination of illustrations of your previous projects, observations about the university’s/college’s intentions, the site, and the construction budget.

PART 5 – SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

General Requirements

All documents will be submitted in the eSource tool as a single attachment in PDF format under Supplier Attachments.

Attachments must not exceed 50 MB/each. The submission PDF document should be in the prescribed order in the Format requirements below. The information presented under each heading should confirm strictly to the information and/or issues requested.

Qualifications Submission

Cover Letter – Provide a cover letter indicating the name of the firm(s) making the submission indicating why you’re

Rev. 02/11/2020 7 interested in being selected for the project. Include a description of why your firm is well suited for and can meet the needs of this project. Acknowledge receiving any addenda that may have been issued for this RFQ/P. The letter should be signed by the individual(s) authorized to bind the respondent or group to any statements or representations made therein and to represent the information presented as authentic.

Business Information – Provide a brief description of the firm’s history, focus and vision.

Relevant and recent experience – Submit completed Document 00420 – Statement of Qualifications (attached separately).

Submit Appendix A- Project Data Form for at least three, but no more than five, projects completed by the submitting firm(s) within the past five years. Please emphasize successfully completed projects that are most similar to the proposed project (e.g., successful budget development; integration of building with site selected; integrated instructional and studio space;

inspiring teaching and experiential environment which fosters interaction among students and faculty) and/or having significant sustainable design features). Provide images of interior and exterior for each project submitted.

Respondent’s Team - Identify Respondent’s key personnel—briefly note relevant experience (e.g., with this facility type and/or collegiate projects). It is important to indicate if the experience was with the current firm or a past firm (please identify the past firm as appropriate). Identify all major sub-consultant disciplines proposed for project team. Provide firm names if known.

Respondent’s Capacity – Provide the following information about the firm(s) named above:

• Number of current projects and total anticipated construction value of present workload.

• For any key personnel and any major sub-consultants identified in Respondent’s Team, list the total number of projects, percent of completion and the total dollar value thereof for any Project Manager (defined as the person responsible for day-to-day production of the work of the project) available for assignment to this project

• Location of primary office from which the services would be provided and number of employees (licensed professionals, interns, technical support) at that location

Finalist Proposal Submission: (Short-listed firms only)

Additional specific information concerning the content and format requirements for the proposal may be forwarded to the finalists selected to submit proposals. At minimum, the formal proposal shall contain the following:

Executive summary - Acknowledge receiving any addenda that may have been issued for this RFQ/P. The executive summary should be signed by the responsible principal of the firm.

Relevant Credentials, Qualifications and Experience - Provide resumes for all employees who will be assigned to this project; expand upon the information provided in Document 00420 – Statement of Qualifications, which was submitted with your qualifications package. Describe prior project experience that is most relevant to this specific project. List what projects these employees are currently working on and in what capacity. Note when their current responsibilities end. List any subconsultant firms to be engaged and provide similar information for their key personnel. Note each individual’s recent (five years) experience on higher education projects.

Approach to this Project – Provide a brief narrative outlining the significant challenges and/or opportunities of this project. Reference your experience on previous projects and how that experience fits this one. Identify the critical elements that need to be skillfully addressed in order to deliver a successful project; include any options worthy of exploration. This section can be seen as an opportunity for the respondent to illustrate that they understand the requirements, scope and intent of the project. While a graphic submission is not required for the proposal, if the respondent feels that drawings, sketches, or other illustrations can best demonstrate its vision and understanding of the project, they are free to support their narrative in such a fashion. This may be considered as an opportunity for the respondent to articulate its understanding of the project’s requirements in a conceptual solution, upon which its proposal has been based, and demonstrate the level of design skills they can provide toward meeting those requirements.

Project Schedule – Outline the key tasks overall. Include recommended durations for each; note approximate start/complete dates for the services requested in Section 2.3. Provide a schedule that will allow for the successful completion of the project that meets the university’s/college’s programmatic needs and quality expectations.

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Deliverables – Stipulate the specific deliverables your firm will provide to meet the needs of this project and the terms of USNH’s standard agreement.

Fees

The proposed fee submission should not be included in the proposal pdf. The fee proposal is to be a separate PDF document.

END OF DOCUMENT