Final - FR Non-Project Specific General Engineering RFP_Acc (2).pdf

Colorado Department of Transportation Engineering Contract Services 2829 West Howard Place, 3rd Floor Denver, Colorado 80204

Request for Proposals - Professional Services

Date: September 25, 2025 Project: Front Range Non-Project Specific General Engineering Services Total Anticipated Award: $54,000,000.00 Estimated Individual Contract Amounts:

Twelve (12) contracts at the $4 million tier Three (3) (1 ESB set aside) contracts at the $2 million tier

Thank you for your interest and response in performing engineering services for the above-captioned project of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). By submitting a proposal on this project, the proposer agrees to the process described herein. CDOT reserves the right to cancel the solicitation or reject any proposals if doing so is in the best interest of

CDOT.

1. Description:

CDOT will be selecting fifteen (15) consultant(s) for this project to provide Front Range Non- Project Specific General Engineering Services. The contract term will be for a five (5) year period. The contracts will be ranked in sequential order with the top twelve (12) receiving a $4m contract and the next two (2) firms a $2m contract. The final $2M contract will be awarded to the next highest ranking Emerging Small Business (ESB) firm that meets the minimum requirements.

Please see the Scope of Work for a detailed description of the services solicited.

2. Submittal Deadline and Key Events Schedule:

Proposal submittals must be received no later than 12:00 PM Mountain Time (Noon) on October 16, 2025 (“Proposal Submittal Deadline”). All proposals submitted after the Proposal Submittal Deadline will be rejected. Please submit your proposal electronically through BidNet Direct at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/cdotconstructionengineeringservices.

Please contact BidNet Direct support for help at (800) 835-4603 with any issues submitting electronically.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.bidnetdirect.com_colorado_cdotconstructionengineeringservices&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=EbqgzqjgIeA6WAriesk0FQ9MLWfWaVNSf6taY8RKP1I&m=YoKczzj69Cpas9gAGt1kXJATH2Pfg3xQJl-TP0Ea6EBFZp6xcaNHBh7dmm8Gj_Ap&s=CJPgcjj-KD8dbAkz56QoBzN-U7UhiWDjN-hm2dGgeU0&e=

Key Events Schedule

Public Notice Phase Date Pre-Advertisment 9/4/2025 Advertisement 9/25/2025 Questions Due at 12:00pm MDT* 10/2/2025 Question Responses Published 10/9/2025 Proposal Submittal Deadline 10/16/2025

Selection Phase Date Panel Meeting 11/14/2025 Chief Engineer Selection/Approval 11/20/2025 Notification 11/21/2025

Contracting Phase Date Fee Negotiation Fee Set at 9.75% Submit Contract Compliance Package 12/08/2025 Audit Completed 12/19/2025 Contract Award/Execution 01/05/2026

*See Special Requirements for additional information on submitting questions.

3. Special Requirements:

This solicitation includes the following conditions for all proposers:

a. Master Pricing Agreement: All consultants and subconsultants must have a valid Master Pricing Agreement (MPA) with CDOT prior to the date the contract is awarded and fully executed.

b. Consultant Costs: CDOT will not reimburse any costs related to the preparation of a proposal, required documentation, interviews, presentations, discussions, and/or any related activities. All such costs are the sole responsibility of the proposer.

CDOT shall not be liable for any costs incurred by proposers in the preparation of submittals and proposals, nor in costs related to any element of the selection and contract negotiation process.

c. Self-Performed Work: The prime consultant is required to self-perform at least 30% of the work.

d. Chief Engineer’s Memo 2024-02: Consultant may be prohibited from participating in a solicitation pursuant to the Utilization for Final Design Services and Construction Management Services Chief Engineer Memorandum dated July 1, 2024. According to this Memorandum, a consultant who has performed final design services and any consultants (prime or sub) team members who have performed more than 20% of the work will not be allowed to submit a proposal for construction management services unless the Chief Engineer or the responsible Region Transportation Director has formally waived the prohibition in writing for the project. This memorandum is available upon request.

e. Questions and Answers: All questions regarding this solicitation process must be submitted on BidNet Direct by the deadline detailed in the Key Events Schedule.

All answers will be posted on BidNet Direct by the deadline detailed in the Key Events Schedule.

4. Minimum Proposal Requirements

As indicated in the RFP, notice is hereby given to all interested parties that all proposers will be required to meet minimum requirements to be considered for this project. Failure to meet all the items below will result in a proposal being rejected as non-responsive. To be considered as qualified and responsive, interested firms shall meet the following minimum requirements:

a. Submitted their proposal by 12:00 PM Mountain Time (Noon) on the Proposal Submittal Deadline listed above in Section 2. Any proposal received by CDOT after the Proposal Submittal Deadline will be rejected.

b. All proposals must meet the following PDF, font and text requirements:

i. The following dynamic PDF elements are allowed:

1. Bookmarks

2. Page transitions

ii. The following dynamic PDF elements are prohibited:

1. Hyperlinks

2. Buttons

3. Movie/Sound Clips

iii. Page limits – Cover or title page is allowed. A back page, and section title pages are not allowed. No evaluation points are assigned to these pages and will not count against allowable page limits. Maximum seven

(7) page Total Limit for Sections: Team Composition & Team Capability, Past Experience, Unique Perspective and Approach. (Note: 11” X 17” allowed but counts as two (2) 8.5” X 11” paper pages).

iv. All text should be between 10-12 point font. Fonts for graphics can be 8-10 point font. There are no restrictions on font type, but Trebuchet MS is preferred.

c. Certify that the information and data submitted in the proposal is true and complete to the best knowledge of the individual signing the cover letter.

d. Include all of the proposal requirements and adhere to all page and font size limits listed in Section 4.

e. Include a completed Affidavit of Small Business Participation form (even if 0% DBE goal) as detailed below in Section 5(f).

5. Proposal Requirements Instructions:

a. Cover or introductory Letter (1-page limit - 8 1/2 x 11 paper)

i. Address the cover or introductory letter to the Contracting Officer:

Tracy L. Johnson, Contracting Officer tracy.l.johnson@state.co.us 2829 West Howard Place, 3rd Floor Denver, Colorado 80204

ii. Include all of the following elements of information in the letter as a minimum and highlight all such elements of information in bold letters:

1. The name of the contract opportunity/RFP to which you are responding;

2. Certification that the information and data submitted is true and complete to the best knowledge of the individual signing the letter;

3. Name, telephone number, physical address and e-mail address of the individual to contact regarding the submittal and a secondary email address as well; and

4. CDOT requires signature by an authorized principal, partner, or officer of the firm.

iii. No substantive information shall be included in the cover or introductory letter. Information provided in cover or introductory letters will be used for responsiveness review only and will not be scored by the evaluation panel.

iv. The proposer shall include a full and complete disclosure of all potential organizational conflicts of interest in the proposal. By submitting its mailto:tracy.l.johnson@state.co.us proposal, each proposer agrees that, if an organizational conflict of interest is thereafter discovered, the proposer shall immediately make a full written disclosure to CDOT that includes a full and complete description of the conflict and any action that the proposer has taken or proposes to take to avoid or mitigate such conflicts.

b. Project Team Composition & Project Team Capability Section

i. Identify your:

1. Project Principal and/or Manager;

2. Other Key Staff;

3. Sub-consultants; and

4. Vendors/Suppliers

ii. Provide a brief summary regarding how the team's qualifications and experience relate to the Scope of Work.

iii. Include the following:

1. Project Manager level of involvement in the project(s);

2. Qualifications and relevant individual experience of prime and sub-consultant firms; and

3. Unique knowledge of team members related to the Scope of

Work.

iv. Include the following:

1. Provide a detailed description of sub-consultant(s)’ roles and responsibilities;

2. Discuss the sub-consultants integration into the team;

3. Succession planning process ( explanation of how the selection of the successor will be proposed to CDOT and selected); and

4. Identify key personnel that will be providing the services listed in the Scope of Work.

v. Address the project team’s size and the disciplines of technical staff of each consultant.

c. Past Experience Section

i. Detail the project team’s experience on similar projects.

ii. Detail the project team’s experience.

iii. Include any individual firm’s relevant experience and accomplishments that were not included in the project team experience.

d. Approach Section

i. Address the team’s approach to the type(s) of services as described in the attached Scope of Work.

e. Unique Perspective Section

i. Detail what sets the proposer’s firm apart from others and why CDOT should select them.

ii. Detail information to highlight to CDOT that will lead to successful Scope of Work delivery.

iii. Proposers are encouraged to use creativity in this section to display your

“epicness”.

f. Prequalification Letter (1-page limit - 8 1/2 x 11 paper, does not count against page limit)

i. All parties (prime and sub consultants) submitting as a team member on a proposal must be prequalified on or before the proposal submittal date. To obtain or renew a prequalification, all parties must apply for prequalification at least seven calendar days prior to the Proposal Submittal Deadline. Approval of an application is not guaranteed.

Prequalification must be renewed annually. The recommended disciplines based on the scope of work: List Work Types (with Prequalification Codes).

ii. Proposers must submit CDOT’s prequalification letter for the prime consultant that contains the expiration date of prequalification as part of the RFP submittal.

g. Small Business Participation Plan Section (3-page limit - 8 1/2 x 11 paper – 1 page narrative for scoring purposes and 2-page affidavit form).

i. The fully completed Affidavit of Small Business Participation form must be included (even when the DBE goal is 0%). The Affidavit must show that the proposer will meet the goal when the DBE goal is greater than 0% or may need to go through a good faith effort review.

ii. The EJE scoring rubric and contract forms are hereby incorporated into this RFP. For the scoring rubric, please click on the link at this page under the header “Non Project Specific” forms, titled “2025 NPS EJE and DBE Contract Requirements”. Forms included on this page are the Affidavit of Small Business Participation and the Professional Services Good Faith Effort Form.

iii. Proposals must include the following to allow for The Office of

Environmental Justice & Equity Branch (EJE) scoring:

https://www.codot.gov/business/civilrights/compliance/assets/professional-services-affidavit-of-small-business-participation_10-21.xlsx https://www.codot.gov/business/civilrights/compliance/prof-services/forms

1. Include detailed narrative of items for scoring criteria on one page limit. For more information, see the above link to contract requirements.

2. Include two-page Affidavit of Small Business Participation form:

For more information, see the above link. Information on the Affidavit of Small Business Participation form is not used for scoring criteria.

iv. Letters of intent and/or proof of certification are no longer required to be submitted with the proposal. Letters of intent and PCWs will be required at task order level.

v. The Professional Services Good Faith Efforts Report, if applicable, will not count against the page limit.

vi. This contract is a federally assisted contract. The DBE program is applicable to FHWA-assisted contracts. No DBE goal will be set if the contract is entirely state funded or is funded by non-FHWA federal funding.

vii. The DBE Goal for this project is: 13%.

viii. Additional professional services contract documents and instructions can be found at: http://codot.gov/business/civilrights/compliance/prof-services

6. CDOT’s Selection Process:

a. The Contracting Officer transmits the proposal package to each panel member through the BidNet platform. The package includes the following items:

i. Proposal Scoring Guidelines as detailed in the RFP, Section B;

ii. Draft Scope of Work; and

iii. Proposal for each consultant.

b. Proposal Scoring Activity

i. Prior to the selection panel meeting the following occurs:

1. Every panel member scores every proposal independently and each criteria section (90 Points). The scoring is based on the information submitted on or before Proposal Submittal Deadline.

https://www.codot.gov/business/civilrights/compliance/assets/professional-services-affidavit-of-small-business-participation_10-21.xlsx http://codot.gov/business/civilrights/compliance/prof-services http://codot.gov/business/civilrights/compliance/prof-services

2. Proposals are scored based on the following weighted criteria:

a. Project Team Composition & Project Team Capability – 20

Points

b. Past Experience - 20 Points

c. Unique Perspective - 20 Points

d. Approach – 30 Points

e. Small Business Participation – 10 Points

ii. Scoring is based on the following scale (quarter point increments are permitted):

Points Description

1.00 Minimum Score = Unsatisfactory

2.00 Satisfactory Minus

3.00 Meets Requirements = Satisfactory

4.00 Satisfactory Plus

5.00 Maximum Score = Superior

iii. The EJE Branch scores the small business participation section in the proposal during the short list phase (10 Points). This scoring is considered non-qualification based and comprises 10% of the total points in the shortlist phase.

1. Points will be based on the certification status of the ESB and/or DBE firm as of Proposal Submittal Deadline. Points awarded will not be modified based upon a change in the firm's

ESB or DBE certification status after the Proposal Submittal

Deadline.

2. The EJE scores the proposal based on a variety of factors pertaining to small business participation and contract compliance oversight. This is a non-project specific contract and the EJE will score the proposal according to the scoring rubric outlined in the scoring section of the EJE and DBE contract requirements in the link in Section 7.

c. Selection or Short-list Panel Meeting

i. A selection panel meeting is held to compile scores and discuss the panel member’s evaluations.

d. Good Faith Effort Review

For FHWA-assisted contracts, the proposal with the highest final proposal score will be evaluated to determine whether it demonstrates a good faith effort to meet the contract DBE goal in accordance with the DBE & ESB requirements incorporated by reference in Section 7. The proposal with the highest final proposal score will not be selected if it is determined that the proposer did not demonstrate a good faith effort to meet the contract DBE goal.

e. Final Selection

In making the final selection recommendation to the Chief Engineer, the panel reaches consensus on the ranking of the selected firm(s). The panel provides its recommendation to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer provides selection documentation, including the board’s ranking, to the Chief Engineer for review and concurrence. The Chief Engineer’s concurrence on the selection recommendation is necessary before proceeding with selection notification of the apparent selected proposer(s).

f. Notification of Apparent Selected Proposer(s)

The Contracting Officer shall notify all proposers of the apparent selected proposer(s) via email which shall include comments and scores.

This notification does not imply that the apparent selected proposer(s) will be awarded a contract. Rather, this designation allows CDOT to perform further analysis and ask for additional documentation, i.e. the contract compliance package.

g. Debriefs

All proposers are entitled to a debrief. The debrief will be a maximum of sixty minutes and the Contracting Officer and a member of the panel will be in attendance (maybe in person or remote). A request for a debrief must be made in writing to [insert CDOT contact] within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the notification of the apparent selected proposer.

h. Contract Award

An awarded contract is established by formal contract execution by both of the parties.

7. Consultant Selection Protest Rules

Protests will be handled as follows:

a. Criteria for protest: A protest may be based only on one or more of the following:

i. Alleged bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of a panelist(s);

ii. Alleged error in computing evaluation scores; and/or

iii. Alleged non-compliance with any procedures described in the Request for

Proposal.

b. Any proposer who believes to be aggrieved in connection with this solicitation may submit a written protest to the Chief Engineer. The written protest shall be submitted within five working days after the notification has been delivered as defined in the Key Events Schedule to the apparent successful proposers and unsuccessful proposers. No further protests will be accepted or considered after the above-mentioned five working days protest period has ended. A written protest shall include the following:

i. A specific and complete statement of facts forming the basis of the protest;

and

ii. A description of the relief or corrective action requested.

iii. The written protest shall be email to the Chief Engineer at:

keith.stefanik@state.co.us

c. A written decision regarding the protest shall be rendered within seven business days after the protest is filed, unless additional time is needed to complete the investigation of the protest.

d. The decision by the Chief Engineer will constitute the final agency action of the Colorado Department of Transportation and is not subject to administrative appeal.

8. Doing Business with CDOT

Standard contract requirements for the project include, but are not limited to the following:

a. Method of Payment: Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) method of payment shall be used for all task order work unless (1) the nature of the work directed is appropriate to Specific Rate of Pay (SROP) payment method (such as construction management services, research & development, and staffing support services); (2) SROP mailto:keith.stefanik@state.co.us payment method is approved by the CDOT Project Manager and Contracting Officer; and (3) SROP payment method is reflected in the task order proposal at the time of main contract execution.

b. Software Requirements: All consultants are required (where applicable) to use the following software packages used by CDOT:

a) Open Roads Design (ORD)/INROADS Drainage & Utilities module

b) Open Roads Design (ORD)/MicroStation SS4 for project drafting

c) GIS file development software (e.g. shapefiles)

d) Adobe Acrobat DC (PDF files)

e) Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Project

f) B2GNow System for DBE/ESB tracking and prompt payment

g) PMWeb

h) ProjectWise

c. Non-discrimination: The consultant, with regard to the work performed by it during the contract term, will not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in the selection and retention of subconsultants, including procurement of materials and leases of equipment. The consultant must meet the non-discrimination requirements provided in 49 CFR Part 21 - Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted Programs with respect to the award and performance of any agreement, management contract or subcontract, purchase or lease agreement, or other agreement covered by this subpart. The consultant must never exclude any person from participation in, deny any person the benefits of, or otherwise discriminate against anyone in connection with the award and performance of any contract covered by this part on the basis of race, color, or national origin (§ 49 CFR Part 26.7). The consultant shall not, directly or through contractual or other arrangements, subject a person to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in its employment practices under such program, including employment practices when the contract covers any activity, project, or program set forth in 49 CFR Part 21.5 (c) or Appendix B of 49 CFR Part 21.

d. Consultant Assurance: By submitting a proposal for this contract, the consultant agrees to the following assurance: The consultant, sub recipient, or subcontractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in the performance of this Contract. The consultant shall carry out applicable requirements of 49 CFR Part 26 in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts. Failure by the consultant to carry out these requirements renders them ineligible for award. If such failure is determined after contract award, it is a material breach of this contract, which may result in the termination of this contract or such other remedy as CDOT deems appropriate, which may include, but is not limited to: withholding monthly progress payments; assessing sanctions;

liquidated damages; and/or disqualifying the consultant from participating in future proposals.

e. Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title VI: CDOT upholds and assures full compliance with the non-discrimination requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related Nondiscrimination authorities. CDOT, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d- 4)Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

CDOT, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI and the associated regulations, hereby notifies all proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that for any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be assured afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation. and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. If a recipient of federal assistance is found to have discriminated and voluntary compliance cannot be achieved, the federal agency providing the assistance should either initiate fund termination proceedings or refer the matter to the Department of Justice for appropriate legal action. Aggrieved individuals may file administrative complaints with the federal agency that provides funds to a recipient.

f. Open Records Act Notice: Except for consultant audit and Master Pricing Agreement information, all records, documents, drawings, plans, specifications, and other materials relating to the conduct of CDOT business, including materials submitted by proposers in response to this solicitation, are subject to the provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act (C.R.S. 24-72-201, et seq.) and any other laws and regulations applicable to the disclosure of documents submitted under this RFP. Such laws govern CDOT’s use and disclosure of records. Please see CDOT Policy Directive 508.2 for guidance (available upon request).

Each Proposer is advised to contact its own legal counsel concerning the Colorado Open Records Act, other applicable laws, and their application to the proposer’s own circumstances. CDOT cannot provide legal advice.

In the event of litigation concerning the disclosure of any materials submitted by the proposer, CDOT’s sole involvement will be as a record manager, retaining the state records pending direction from the Court upon resolution of the litigation.

Proposer shall be responsible for prosecuting or defending any action concerning the legal treatment of the proposal materials at its sole expense and risk.

All submittals will become the property of CDOT, will not be returned, and will be disposed of according to Department policies. Successful proposals will be considered part of the contract document upon contract execution.

While CORA permits redactions for sensitive and confidential materials, this CORA exception is not applicable to any of the materials included in the proposal.

g. Prompt Payment: Payments to all subconsultants shall be made within seven (7) days of receipt of payment from CDOT or no later than thirty (30) days from the date of the submission of a complete invoice from the subconsultant, whichever occurs first. If the consultant has good cause to dispute an amount invoiced by a subconsultant, the consultant shall notify CDOT in writing no later than the required date for payment. Such notification shall include the amount disputed and justification for the withholding. The consultant shall maintain records of payment that show amounts paid to all subconsultants. Good cause does not include failure to timely submit an invoice to CDOT or to deposit payments made.

The consultant shall electronically submit prompt payment audit reports to CDOT by the fifteenth (15th) of each month through the B2GNow software. If no payment has been made, the consultant shall document this in the prompt payment audit report.

h. Subcontract Terms: The assurance provided in Section d and the prompt payment terms outlined in Section g shall be included in all subcontracts or other agreements for the performance of work on the contract.

i. Electronic Signatures: CDOT utilizes DocuSign for contract execution and all subsequent contracting documents. For additional guidance, please see:

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/osc/electronic-signature-contracts-and-grants.

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/osc/electronic-signature-contracts-and-grants

Request for Proposals - Professional Services