Exhibit_C_Scoring_Criteria.pdf

This is a Scoring Criteria document for the City of Sarasota's Downtown Master Plan Update Invitation to Negotiate (ITN). The evaluation framework allocates 100 total points across five categories: Proposer Qualifications and Company Information (25 points, Tabs I and II), Personnel Team Experience and Qualifications (25 points, Tab III), Approach and Service Delivery Plan (40 points, Tab IV), Firm Capacity and Resources (5 points, Tab V), and Cost/Pricing (5 points, Tab VI). The proposal submission structure requires responses organized by these six tabs corresponding to the specific evaluation categories. The Approach section carries the highest weight at 40 percent of the total score, reflecting the City's emphasis on the methodology and quality of the consultant's proposed work plan. Proposals are due by March 3, 2026, with evaluations anticipated in March and interviews and negotiations scheduled for March/April, leading to City Commission approval in April 2026.

The pricing evaluation employs a relative scoring methodology rather than absolute point allocation. The proposer submitting the lowest price proposal receives the maximum 5 points available for cost, while all other proposers are scored using a proportional formula: (Lowest Price Proposal ÷ Proposer's Price Proposal) × Maximum Points. For example, if the lowest bid is $150,000, that proposer receives 5 points; a proposer bidding $160,000 would receive 4.69 points calculated as ($150,000 ÷ $160,000) × 5. This structure incentivizes competitive pricing while preventing cost from dominating the overall evaluation, as the combined weight of Capacity and Cost categories represents only 10 percent of the total possible score. Pricing proposals must include all-inclusive costs for the initial three-year contract term and two optional one-year renewal periods, submitted through the OpenGov portal.