Nebraska Ag Data Bank and Grants Program:

Reducing Emissions and Decarbonization Grant Prepared for State of Nebraska, Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (NDWEE)

Solicitation Number: 124065 O5 | February 23, 2026

0096QL ii

February 23, 2026

Attn: Matthew Caddy Procurement Contracts Officers State Purchasing Bureau 1526 K Street, Suite 130 Lincoln, NE 68508 as.materielpurchasing@nebraska.gov

Subject: Nebraska Ag Data Bank and Grants Program: Reducing Emissions and Decarbonization Grant (Solicitation No: 124065 O5)

Dear Evaluation Committee, On behalf of Jacobs, thank you for the opportunity to submit this proposal for the Nebraska Ag Data Bank and Grants Program. We are pleased to present a solution that is purpose‑built for Nebraska’s agricultural community, grounded in regulatory and technical rigor, and designed to deliver a secure, efficient, and user‑centered program through 2029.

Our team understands the significance of the ONE RED initiative and the state’s intention to create a unified platform that supports carbon intensity (CI) scoring, regenerative agriculture, precision‑ag adoption, and transparent financial incentives. We approached this proposal with four priorities: credibility for producers, defensibility for auditors, and operational simplicity and user-friendliness for Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (NDWEE). In addition, we recognize the solicitation’s explicit requirements that the system be secure, efficient, robust (99.5% uptime), user‑friendly, and capable of performing critical functions such as securely storing CI score data, facilitating third‑party score uploads, and issuing incentive payments.

These requirements shape our technical approach, ensuring the platform is architected for both high‑performance operations and strong data protection.

A Nebraska-Centered Solution. Our partnership centers on local people and community engagement. Jacobs’ Omaha office and Nebraska staff, including our Program Manager and Environmental Funding and Grants Consultant Katie Pekarek

(Omaha), provide familiar leadership and on‑the‑ground coordination with cities, districts, and local authorities. We reinforce this with community participation and reporting under the City of Omaha’s Economic Sustainability Program, reflecting a sustained commitment to Nebraska’s social value goals.

What this means for Nebraska: A system that meets producers where they are, reduces participation barriers, and builds trust through simplicity and clarity.

Technical Strength Across All Required Domains. Jacobs’ team operates as a fully integrated, in-house unit with strategists, technologists, analysts, and implementers working side by side every day. This structure gives Nebraska a partner with the agility to move quickly, the cohesion to problem‑solve seamlessly, and the discipline to deliver a unified, end‑to‑end solution rather than a collection of subcontracted parts.

Our Partnership Promise to Nebraska Communities

With Nebraska‑based staff and deep relationships across the state, we work shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Nebraska agencies to simplify complex federal requirements, support applicants, and keep communities informed. Our Nebraska presence and track record of engagement with City programs and local stakeholders means faster coordination, familiar points of contact, and trusted delivery.

We align our program cadence to your reporting and digital development frameworks and reporting expectations, including weekly time summaries and monthly status reports, bringing clarity for decision makers and confidence for auditors.

0096QL iii

Jacobs brings the following specialized capabilities in every functional area required by the Request for Proposal:

• CI and GREET (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies model) Expertise: Experience with CI methodologies, life cycle data structures, verification workflows, and alignment with Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) GREET versions used in fuel and agricultural systems

• Grant Program Administration: Decades of combined experience operating federal and state grants, including State Revolving Fund, Section 319, Environmental and Climate Justice, Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, and U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs; and strong backgrounds in eligibility review, disbursement workflows, compliance, and reporting

• Secure Platform Design: Proven delivery of National Institute of Standards and Technology‑aligned, cloud‑hosted systems with encryption, multifactor authentication, role‑based access, and independent cybersecurity audits led by Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)/ Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)/ Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) professionals

• Agricultural Data and Producer Engagement: Deep agronomic knowledge, extensive work with regenerative practices, precision‑ag technologies, conservation planning, and producer outreach across Nebraska

• Program Reporting and Analytics: Experience producing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‑aligned reports, audit‑ready documentation, financial reconciliation packages, and performance dashboards for large‑scale programs

What this means for Nebraska: A team that can confidently deliver each technical component with the depth and experience required for statewide implementation.

Integrated, Secure Delivery With a Phased, Producer‑First Implementation Strategy. Jacobs will deliver a unified, secure platform that integrates CI data, grants, payments, and analytics through our three‑phase approach (Stand‑Up, Scale, and Optimization), which accelerates early functionality, reduces program risk, and ensures long‑term stability. As a team with deep Nebraska experience and national technical depth, we bring the disciplined processes and operational maturity needed to implement complex statewide systems with confidence and reliability.

What this means for Nebraska: A single, user friendly, audit‑ready system delivered predictably and securely by a partner uniquely equipped to make ONE RED succeed.

Together, these strengths position Jacobs to deliver a program that is secure, transparent, and grounded in the needs of Nebraska’s producers. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to the opportunity to support NDWEE in advancing a resilient, data‑driven future for Nebraska agriculture. Please do not hesitate to contact Katie Pekarek with any questions (contact information in signature line).

Regards, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Katie Pekarek Project Manager 402-560-3110 | katie.pekarek@jacobs.com

Josh Lawson Operations Director 678-313-9397 | josh.lawson@jacobs.com

0096QL iv

Contents

1. Contractual Agreement Form

2. Corporate Overview

A. Bidder Identification and Information B. Financial Statements C. Change of Ownership D. Office Location E. Relationship with the State F. Bidder’s Employee Relations to State G. Contract Performance H. Summary of Bidder’s Corporate Experience

Experience with Government Agencies and Large-Scale Grant Programs Secure Platforms, Data Privacy, and Cybersecurity Digital Disbursements and Financial Controls (ACH and Direct Payments) User Experience, Accessibility, and Non‑Technical Users Human Centered Design: Built Around Real Work of Real Users Multi‑Channel Customer Support and Surge Readiness Nebraska Centered Advantage (Local Leadership and Subject Matter Expertise) Ability, Capacity, and Skill The Jacobs Way Character, Integrity, Reputation, Judgment, Experience, and Efficiency Performing the Contract Within the Specified Time Frame Jacobs Corporate Project Experience

I. Summary of Bidders Proposed Personnel/Management Approach Summary Key Personnel Key Personnel Highlights

3. Solicitation Sections II through IV

4. Technical Response

a. Understanding of Project Requirements Program Intent and Outcomes Data Bank Requirements (Carbon Intensity and Cropping Data) Grants Program Requirements (Incentives and Precision Agriculture) Security, Privacy, and Public Transparency User Experience, Accessibility, and Non‑Technical Users Stakeholder Integration and Governance Reporting and Performance Management Implementation Approach (Phased, Risk‑Aware, and Nebraska‑Centered) Risk Management and Compliance Controls Relevant Programs and Regulations

b. Proposed Development Approach

c. Technical Requirements

Data Bank Precision Agriculture Incentive and Carbon Intensity Grants Digital Interface Program Support

0096QL v

d. Detailed Project Work Plan Program Approach Task Sequencing, Resource Allocation, and Reporting Structure Task Order or Work Authorization Management

5. Completed Cost Sheet

Tables Table 1. Nebraska State Contracts in the Past 3 Years Table 2. Key Personnel Highlights Table 3. Jacobs’ Understanding Summary Table 4. Three Phase Approach

Figures Figure 1. Jacobs Project Summary Matrix Figure 2. Management Reporting Platform Figure 3. Organizational Chart Figure 4. Role-Based Customizable Digital Dashboard Figure 5. Data Quality Reporting Dashboard Example Figure 6. Carbon Intensity and Environmental Metrics Technical Review Approach for Nebraska

Attachments Attachment A Technical Requirements Request for Proposal Number 124065 O5 Attachment B Key Personnel Resumes Attachment C Example Certificates of Insurance

0096QL vi

0096QL 1

4. Contractual Agreement Form

2/23/2026

0096QL 2

Corporate Overview (left blank intentionally)

0096QL 2

5. Corporate Overview

A. Bidder Identification and Information Full company or corporate name: Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Jacobs Project Management Company.

Headquarters: 1999 Bryan Street, Ste. 3500 Dallas TX, 75201 USA Entity organization: Corporation State of Incorporation: Delaware Year Established: 1947

B. Financial Statements Jacobs 2025 most recent audited financial reports and statements is provided in Appendix A Jacobs Fiscally Responsible Representative:

Mike Hsu, Treasurer Phone: 213-228-8219 Address: 555 South Flower St, Suite 3200, Los Angeles, CA 90071

No judgments, pending or expected litigation, or other real or potential financial reversals, which might materially affect the Jacobs viability or stability, are known to exist.

C. Change of Ownership

No change in ownership or control of the company is anticipated during the 12 months following the solicitation response due date stated on the cover letter.

D. Office Location

Jacobs Nebraska Office Address: 2111 South 67th Street, Suite 300, Omaha, NE 68106.

E. Relationship with the State

Table 1 provides a list of our team’s contracts with the state of Nebraska in the past 3 years.

Table 1. Nebraska State Contracts in the Past 3 Years

Firm Contract Date Client Name Agreement # Project Name

Jacobs December 14, 2023 NDOT VK2361 State and LPA On-Call Environmental Services (NEPA) Studies

Jacobs June 11, 2025 NDOT VK2300 Multi-Service Professional Services On-call Spring 2025

Jacobs August 26, 2025 NDOT XK2527 Broken Bow South Environmental and Survey

LPA = Local Public Agency NEPA = National Environmental Policy Act NDOT = Nebraska Department of Transportation https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000052988/e293d33b-a128-4061-aed0-f873429778c4.pdf https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000052988/e293d33b-a128-4061-aed0-f873429778c4.pdf

0096QL 3

F. Bidder’s Employee Relations to State

Jacobs confirms that none of our proposed team members listed in our response to your solicitation were employees of the state within the past 6 months.

Conflict Of Interest Statement: To avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest, Jacobs is identifying that we have staff based in Nebraska who may or may not choose to apply for this program. We have successfully managed similar situations on past projects, and our approach is always developed collaboratively with the client at project initiation. Mitigation measures may include clearly defining and separating roles and responsibilities, establishing information barriers, and documenting decision‑making protocols to ensure transparency and impartiality.

G. Contract Performance

No such termination for default has been experienced by Jacobs in the past 5 years.

H. Summary of Bidder’s Corporate Experience

Jacobs is uniquely positioned to build and operate the ONE RED Ag Data Bank and Grants Platform, a single, secure environment that integrates GREET (Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies model) aligned carbon intensity (CI) score intake/validation, producer facing enrollment, Approved Service Provider (ASP) workflows, automated payments, and audit-ready reporting. We combine a Nebraska-based leadership team lead by Katie Pekarek (who is a Nebraska farmer and a former Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment [NDWEE] liaison and section supervisor), with a deep bench of national digital/security professionals, decades of experience working with state and federal programs, and a team of sustainability and CI experts so NDWEE gets speed, fit, and confidence without a fragile subcontract web. We also bring deep agricultural and land‑use carbon accounting experience, ranging from developing a Fortune 500 supplier sustainability program with digital surveys, emissions reporting tools, and semi‑automated GHG data workflows, to supporting a major poultry‑egg producer in verified agricultural and land‑use emissions calculations using tools such as the Cool Farm Tool, demonstrating our ability to handle complex methodologies and large agricultural data sets with precision.

Our track record spans state and federal digital programs, environmental data systems, and large‑scale surge operations. Jacobs has implemented producer‑facing agricultural platforms serving more than 1,200 growers across 500,000 acres, delivered NIST‑aligned operational systems processing millions of data points daily as demonstrated in the deliverable in process for the City of Omaha, and managed EPA grant programs such as the State Revolving Fund programs and EPA Community Change Grants across dozens of states with zero material audit findings. These programs demonstrate Jacobs’ proven ability to go live fast, maintain >99.5% uptime, stay compliant under federal oversight, and scale to support more than 10,000 Nebraska producers through 2029.

A Team Rooted in Nebraska

Our team brings the exact combination of local insight and national technical strength needed for successful statewide delivery:

Nebraska‑based leadership, including a Program Manager who is both a Nebraska producer and former NDWEE liaison

Former NDWEE section supervisor with direct experience in state requirements

National‑level digital and cybersecurity professionals ensuring resilience, security, and performance

Sustainability and CI experts with decades of work across state and federal programs

One integrated team—no fragile subcontract chain

0096QL 4

Experience with Government Agencies and Large-Scale Grant Programs

Jacobs has over four decades of experience supporting federal, state, and municipal agencies on compliance‑driven programs that require rigorous documentation, transparent reporting, and audit‑ready records. Highlights relevant to ONE RED include the following:

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State Revolving Fund (SRF) Program Support: For more than 40 years, Jacobs has provided over $2 billion in consulting services to EPA across water, stormwater, wastewater, infrastructure finance, and climate resilience. Beyond programmatic support to the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF programs, Jacobs has also performed SRF oversight on behalf of EPA Headquarters, including development of national policy tools, eligibility guidance, and audit support mechanisms. Notably, Jacobs authored the Drinking Water SRF Audit Compliance Supplemental used by the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB), establishing the compliance framework that federal auditors apply nationwide.

Jacobs’ SRF experience includes extensive work navigating eligibility determinations for project activities, applicants, and costs, supporting states and communities in preparing and reviewing applications for treatment and conveyance projects, green infrastructure, planning/design efforts, disadvantaged community assistance, and infrastructure finance. Our teams routinely advise on allowable vs. unallowable costs, loan/subsidy structures, environmental compliance, and documentation standards, ensuring states can make defensible funding decisions aligned with EPA requirements.

We have supported state SRF programs in developing marketing/outreach strategies, program guidance, and watershed‑scale funding approaches, giving Jacobs a deep understanding of the operational, financial, regulatory, and audit expectations that shape federally funded water infrastructure programs.

• Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants (OSG) Program Training and Implementation (EPA): As prime Program Manager, Jacobs supports the Office of Wastewater Management by delivering national and regional training, program development, and state pilot implementation for the OSG Grant Program. Our work goes beyond basic program design—we help states interpret the eligibility nuances unique to OSG under Clean Water Act §221. This includes distinguishing between eligible project types such as green infrastructure that directly reduces CSO/SSO volume, small POTW and collection system rehabilitation tied to overflow mitigation, stormwater retrofits, and community‑based GI installations at schools, parks, fairgrounds, and other public facilities.

Jacobs trains states on the allowable applicant categories, including municipalities, counties, sewer districts, tribes, and regional authorities, and clarifies when non‑profits or NGOs may participate only as sub‑applicants on behalf of a municipal owner/operator, a point that often confuses new applicants. We also coach states on common eligibility pitfalls, such as differentiating capacity building activities (asset management plans, O&M, monitoring, modeling) that are eligible, versus O&M only activities and unrelated community amenities that are not.

Our training curriculum equips states to evaluate project eligibility across cost categories, applicant types, and specific GI/grey interventions, while complying with federal cross-cutting requirements (DBRA, procurement standards, BABA/AIS, NEPA applicability). This work allows states to launch OSG programs that are both legally defensible and accessible to communities, reflecting Jacobs’ deep understanding of the technical, regulatory, and practical nuances required to successfully administer a new national grants program. Our team has also completed eligibility screens for OSG state pilots, reviewing proposed GI and collection‑system projects and issuing final written eligibility recommendations aligned with EPA’s Clean Water Act §221 criteria.

Locally, Jacobs is supporting the City of Omaha with the implementation of designs funded by multiple OSG grants awarded by the NDWEE

• County Scale Incentive Administration (Onondaga County Save the Rain): Jacobs manages and supports a national model green infrastructure program, including the Green Improvement Fund (grant‑style incentives), application review, program criteria, public/private partner engagement, and triple‑bottom‑line communication materials.

• Regional Grant Review and Guidance (ALCOSAN GROW): We have provided program management support for a $100 million green stormwater funding program, reviewing more than 120 applications, developing guidance/resources, and facilitating outreach across 25 municipalities.

0096QL 5

• Federal Grants Compliance (EPA Community Grants – Multiple Communities): Jacobs’ support for EPA Community Grants extends far beyond a single project; we have delivered similar scopes of work for dozens of communities across the United States, including recent projects in Washington, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Alaska, as well as communities in multiple EPA Regions. Our work routinely includes preparing complete federal grant applications, developing comprehensive workplans and detailed budgets, conducting NEPA/SEPA environmental reviews, facilitating tribal consultations, and establishing Build America, Buy America (BABA) and Davis‑Bacon compliance procedures. For Community Grants, Jacobs routinely conducts eligibility assessments—confirming applicant status, allowable cost categories, statutory purpose alignment, and cross‑cutting federal compliance—before communities submit applications to EPA. In addition, we help communities implement federal procurement standards, cash‑management controls, and Uniform Guidance compliance systems, and we frequently serve as the liaison between communities and EPA, supporting eligibility determinations, audit readiness, corrective‑action planning, and long‑term compliance. This breadth of experience demonstrates Jacobs’ ability to guide communities from initial concept through award, implementation, and successful federal oversight, even for municipalities with limited staff capacity or no prior federal grants experience.

This experience base mirrors ONE RED’s public sector needs: eligibility determinations, application review, financial controls, federal crosscutting compliance, and clear, consistent reporting to oversight bodies.

Secure Platforms, Data Privacy, and Cybersecurity

Jacobs designs and operates secure platforms that handle sensitive environmental and operational data with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-aligned controls and privacy by design, described further as follows:

• NIST-Aligned Controls: In Omaha’s Real Time Controls and Decision Support System (RTC/DSS) project, Jacobs is implementing a NIST SP 800‑53 and NIST SP 800‑82‑aligned cyber architecture across informational technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments, including secure data pathways between supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), sensors, and cloud analytics. This work includes designing network segmentation, implementing one way data pathways, encrypting all data in transit and at rest at banking grade levels, hardening routers and firewalls, mapping complete data flow diagrams, and applying least privilege role-based access control (RBAC) and multifactor authentication (MFA). These same patterns form the foundation for secure producer data handling and CI/eligibility verification workflows in ONE RED.

• OT and SCADA Network Protection: In Wilmington, Delaware, we implemented one way communication from Ignition SCADA to a cloud data platform to isolate OT from the internet, with mapped data flows, hardened network boundaries, and encryption at banking grade levels.

• Secure Telemetry and Private Backhaul: We supported Wilmington’s low power, wide area network (LoRaWAN)-based telemetry network and a private mesh radio backhaul (Cisco grant) to securely connect remote sensors across the service area; this is an approach we have also applied at other utilities (for example, Medford Water Commission).

• Agnostic Data Integration: Through Aqua DNA (Jacobs’ integrator framework), we securely connect heterogeneous data sources (sensors, SCADA, historical datasets, radar rainfall, models) to provide real time visibility, preemptive alerts, and analytics preserving optionality for NDWEE’s preferred long-term platform.

For ONE RED, we will apply these same patterns: RBAC, MFA, encryption, secrets management, centralized logging, and independent cyber review, aligned to state requirements and applicable federal standards.

Digital Disbursements and Financial Controls (ACH and Direct Payments)

Jacobs’ public sector platforms incorporate the following payment engines to streamline compliant disbursements while preserving defensibility:

• Automated Payments: Integration of ACH (automated clearing house) and other direct payment methods with eligibility rules engines, dual approvals, exception handling, and NACHA (National Automated Clearing House Association)-aligned batch processing

0096QL 6

• Identity Verification and Fraud Controls: Know Your Customer (KYC)/Identity Verification (IDV) checks, watchlist screening, and anomaly detection before disbursement

• Reconciliation and Audit: Daily reconciliation, segregation of duties, and complete transaction audit trails to support state and federal audits

For ONE RED, we can implement ACH-based incentives with configurable approvals and reconciliation processes that satisfy NDWEE’s internal controls and public transparency requirements. We can integrate with a state-designated payment processor or Treasury partner while retaining full eligibility, documentation, and audit workflows in the Data Bank.

User Experience, Accessibility, and Non‑Technical Users

Jacobs brings a proven track record designing intuitive, accessible, and mobile‑friendly digital experiences for users ranging from agricultural producers to field operators, utility staff, and community partners. Our platforms are built so non‑technical users can complete complex regulatory or operational tasks with clarity and confidence, an essential requirement for ONE RED, where producers, ASPs, and NDWEE staff must navigate CI data, cropping records, eligibility reviews, and incentive submissions with ease.

Jacobs’ strongest demonstration of agricultural user experience (UX) comes from the California Rice Commission Farm Evaluation Application, a producer-facing digital reporting system serving 1,200 growers across nine counties and approximately 500,000 acres. This platform was intentionally designed for growers with varying levels of digital literacy and rural connectivity challenges. Key UX features that parallel ONE RED include the following:

• Plain‑language questions and yes/no prompts to reduce confusion

• Guided multi‑step workflows that walk producers through complex reporting

• Field‑level data entry with visual completeness indicators

• Error prevention and data quality checks built directly into forms

• Downloadable PDF (portable document format) reports for growers and auditors

• Administrative dashboards that visually summarize submissions, exceptions, and late/missing records

Jacobs brings extensive experience designing field ready, mobile friendly, and intuitive user interfaces for non‑technical and rural users, demonstrated most clearly through our longstanding development and operation of the California Rice Commission’s agricultural reporting platform serving 1,200 growers across nine counties. In Wilmington, Delaware, we deployed real‑time alerting dashboards and LoRaWAN‑based telemetry that give field crews simple, mobile accessible insights without relying on cellular connectivity, an approach directly relevant to producers operating in rural Nebraska.

Our operator‑focused UX for the City of Omaha’s RTCs/DSS program turns complex data streams into clear visualizations that explain system behavior and guide decisions, ensuring usability for staff with varied technical backgrounds. Across Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, Jacobs also developed Digital Twin and smart monitoring dashboards that translate predictive analytics into easy to interpret displays accessible from the field. Together, these projects demonstrate Jacobs’ ability to translate complex regulatory or operational workflows into simple, mobile optimized, low‑bandwidth user experiences that support dispersed, real world users

Jacobs has deep experience designing for users in rural and low bandwidth environments, including farmers, field crews, and utility staff. In Wilmington, Delaware, our Telemetry + AquaDNA Interface supports real time alerts, dashboards to simplify complex telemetry, mobile and tablet access, and an approach to reduce field crew travel.

0096QL 7

Human Centered Design: Built Around Real Work of Real Users

Jacobs uses interviews, ride alongs, and user-centered design principles to reflect how people actually perform their tasks, such as the following:

• In Omaha’s asset management and Capacity, Management, Operations, & Maintenance (CMOM) efforts, Jacobs conducted more than 40 hours of interviews with Public Works staff to identify pain points, data needs, and workflow decision drivers.

• In Wilmington and St. Louis, Jacobs engaged operators directly to ensure dashboards matched actual operator workflows and field conditions, not abstract engineering assumptions.

• In St. Louis, our UX strategy focused on reducing operational complexity, identifying that 90% of benefits could be achieved with just three to four intuitive control strategies, significantly improving usability.

For ONE RED, this same human-centered approach ensures producer workflows fit real farm recordkeeping practices, ASP workflows reflect real verification processes, CI inputs match available documentation, and NDWEE staff get dashboards aligned to their oversight needs.

Multi‑Channel Customer Support and Surge Readiness

Jacobs brings extensive experience delivering multi‑channel customer support and seasonal surge readiness on large public sector programs, demonstrated through our agricultural, utility, and federal technical assistance projects. For the California Rice Commission’s grower platform, Jacobs provides ongoing help desk support, email/ticket troubleshooting, and annual training for 1,200 producers during predictable seasonal surges tied to reporting deadlines—experience that directly parallels the post‑planting and post‑harvest peaks expected under ONE RED. In EPA’s OSG Program and state pilot efforts, Jacobs delivers instructor‑led workshops, virtual technical assistance, and tailored support to state agencies, demonstrating our ability to scale staff and resources when program demand increases. Similarly, our multi-year work in Omaha’s RTC/DSS project includes operator support, real‑time troubleshooting, and field crew coordination during storm‑driven operational surges, proving we can maintain service continuity during high volume periods. Across these programs, Jacobs’ combination of live training, virtual workshops, help desk systems, knowledge bases, and surge-ready staffing ensures producers, ASPs, and NDWEE staff will have the responsive, reliable support needed to successfully navigate the ONE RED Ag Data Bank and Grants Platform.

Nebraska Centered Advantage (Local Leadership and Subject Matter Expertise)

Jacobs offers a uniquely Nebraska‑centered advantage, combining longstanding statewide project delivery with on‑the‑ground leadership who understand Nebraska agriculture, regulatory expectations, and producer realities. Our team includes a Nebraska‑based Program Manager who is also a Nebraska farmer, bringing firsthand knowledge of producer data practices, cropping cycles, and the constraints rural users face when interacting with state programs. In addition, our Program Manager, Katie Pekarek, is a former NDWEE/Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) liaison with 12 years of experience and a former NDWEE section supervisor, giving our team deep familiarity with NDWEE processes, Natural Resources District (NRD) partnerships, and state compliance requirements, all of which reduces learning curves and accelerates implementation for ONE RED.

0096QL 8

Jacobs’ Nebraska project history further strengthens this local advantage. Through nearly two decades supporting NDOT and the City of Omaha’s Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Program, including the current RTC/DSS project, we have demonstrated our ability to work seamlessly with Nebraska agencies, navigate state permitting with entities, such as U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), and communicate proactively with local stakeholders and field staff. Our interviews with Omaha Public Works teams during the CMOM Gap Analysis and ongoing collection system operations show our commitment to human-centered design grounded in Nebraska workforce realities.

Combined with our long-term presence in Omaha and regular coordination across Nebraska utilities, NRDs, and environmental programs, Jacobs provides NDWEE a partner with both technical depth and Nebraska-specific insight, ensuring the ONE RED platform is not only technically sound but tailored to how Nebraska producers, ASPs, and agencies truly work.

Ability, Capacity, and Skill

Ability

Jacobs’ ability to deliver the ONE RED Ag Data Bank and Grants Platform is grounded in decades of experience developing and operating statewide and federal systems that perform all the core functional components required by this Request for Proposal (RFP). Across our portfolio, we have built platforms that accomplish the following:

• Collect and validate third‑party data submissions through secure web interfaces and APIs.

• Execute structured verification of workflows with business rule engines and discrepancy management.

• Support complex eligibility determinations.

• Administer grant and incentive programs, including application intake, scoring, prioritization, and documentation management.

• Automate ACH and direct deposit payments with reconciliation and exception handling.

• Integrate identity verification and fraud detection.

• Maintain immutable audit trails, version control, and compliance documentation.

• Deliver multi‑channel user support through help desks, knowledge bases, and seasonal staffing models.

• Generate dashboards, regulatory reports, and data exports aligned to federal and state requirements.

Jacobs’ sustainability credentials reinforce our alignment with NDWEE’s carbon‑intensity mission. Through PlanBeyond, our enterprise sustainability platform, we commit to measurable environmental performance, transparent reporting, and net‑zero operations. Jacobs was the world’s first professional consultancy to secure a Science‑Based Targets initiative‑approved net‑zero target, and we have achieved verified carbon neutrality for operations and business travel since 2020. These commitments ensure that the partner supporting Nebraska’s CI scoring framework has deep, science‑grounded experience in carbon accounting and climate strategy.

We have over 50 platforms applied to over 2,000 projects serving hundreds of thousands of active users and residents.

0096QL 9

This Nebraska-centered leadership model ensures that ONE RED’s implementation is anchored in operational realism and aligned to how Nebraska’s agricultural, regulatory, and funding systems actually function. Our team’s long-standing relationships with NRDs, Extension partners, local ag advisers, and state program staff allow us to anticipate challenges, streamline coordination, and translate program requirements into workflows producers can use with confidence.

By combining this on‑the‑ground understanding with Jacobs’ CI and life-cycle assessment specialists with GREET experience, grants management expertise, and experienced end user staff, and proven digital delivery methods, we enable NDWEE to deploy a solution that is practical, trusted, and positioned for successful statewide adoption through 2029.

Capacity

Jacobs’ capacity to deliver and sustain the ONE RED platform through 2029 is strengthened by the fact that all core functions software engineering, UX, data architecture, Application Programming Interface (API) integration, CI/GREET expertise, agronomy, payments, cybersecurity, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC), training, reporting, and producer/ASP support are delivered by our in‑house team rather than a network of subcontractors. This consolidated structure reduces friction, accelerates problem solving, and gives NDWEE a single accountable partner capable of adjusting rapidly as program needs evolve. Because our leadership team is Nebraska‑based, we understand the rhythm of the agricultural year and can scale support during expected peak periods post‑planting (when producers are preparing data for early‑season reporting) and post‑harvest (when CI submissions, reimbursement requests, and ASP activity naturally surge). To keep operations running smoothly during these seasonal peaks, we use structured methods for coordinating work across teams: routine operational reviews that surface priorities and bottlenecks early; shared work trackers that clarify responsibilities and next steps; performance dashboards that show progress toward enrollment, CI validation, and payment processing targets; and documented escalation paths so issues move quickly to the right technical or program specialist. We also maintain a surge-ready staffing bench, enabling us to increase help desk coverage, CI validation capacity, or ASP onboarding support precisely when producer demand rises. This disciplined, transparent, and anticipatory way of organizing the work ensures NDWEE has steady visibility into progress and that the program remains on schedule, even when volumes intensify after planting and harvest.

CI and

GREET

Grants Experience

Digital Capability

End User Experience

0096QL 10

Skill

Jacobs’ skill aligns directly with the specialized technical, operational, and regulatory expectations outlined in Section V of the ONE RED solicitation. The underlying competencies needed to deliver the Data Bank and Grants Platform, data verification, workflow automation, eligibility determinations, documentation control, payment integration, identity verification, NIST‑aligned cybersecurity, Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)‑conforming QA/QC, analytics, and audit‑ready reporting are areas in which Jacobs has longstanding, proven mastery. Our teams routinely design and operate systems that validate third‑party data through structured schema checks, business rule engines, cross‑record consistency tests, documentation completeness reviews, and discrepancy resolution workflows. We apply this same precision to payment operations, implementing secure ACH‑based disbursement engines, verification pipelines, fraud‑flagging controls, reconciliation processes, and multi‑layer approvals that withstand federal and state audits. Our cybersecurity engineers deploy RBACs, MFA, encryption at rest and in transit, continuous monitoring, secrets management, anomaly detection, and independent annual audits led by certified cyber professionals. On the reporting side, we design data models, dashboards, and export packages used for federal reporting across environmental and incentive programs, skills directly applicable to CI metrics, regenerative practice tracking, and EPA‑aligned program reporting for ONE RED. Crucially, Jacobs integrates these enterprise‑grade technical capabilities with deep subject matter expertise: GREET‑aligned CI analysts, agronomists, Nebraska‑based producer engagement specialists, and former NDWEE personnel, all ensuring our technical skill is precisely adapted to the agricultural and CI requirements of this program.

What Sets Jacobs’ Skills Apart:

• Deep Nebraska Familiarity: Our staff understand Nebraska’s infrastructure, agricultural impacts, and the distinct needs of both rural and urban communities—and with an Omaha office, we provide an on‑the‑ground presence that offers faster coordination, local insight, and immediate support to benefit communities across the state.

• GREET + Agronomy Expertise Layered on Top of Mature Technical Skills: Unlike general IT vendors, Jacobs pairs longstanding platform and security skills with agricultural and CI subject matter expertise, including GREET‑aligned Life Cycle Assistance (LCA) specialists, agronomists, and Nebraska staff with firsthand farming and NDWEE experience.

This ensures every workflow—from CI validation to scenario modeling—reflects accurate agricultural science and Nebraska’s production systems, not generic software assumptions.

• Proven Skill Set in Every Functional Component ONE RED Requires: Jacobs brings deep, demonstrated skill in all core system functions required for ONE RED, secure data ingestion, third‑party verification, automated eligibility determinations, grant processing, ACH disbursement, identity verification, audit‑ready documentation, cybersecurity, and multi‑channel support.

• Nebraska‑Rooted Insight Combined with Enterprise‑Grade Technical Rigor: ONE RED receives an unparalleled advantage through the leadership of Katie Pekarek, who brings a uniquely Nebraska‑centered skillset that no competitor can match. Katie is simultaneously a Nebraska farmer and a former NDWEE (formerly NDEE) liaison for 12 years, giving her lived insight into how Nebraska producers work, how NDWEE makes decisions, and how state programs succeed or fail in the real world.

Katie has spent more than a decade partnering with NRDs, University of Nebraska Extension, cooperatives, crop consultants, and local technical service providers, shaping statewide practices for water quality, nitrate management, stormwater, regenerative agriculture, watershed planning, and farm‑level data reporting. She has trained thousands of Nebraska producers, developed field‑ready tools used by private landowners and NRDs, and led statewide initiatives where data reporting, verification, and incentive workflows had to work under real farm constraints.

This Nebraska‑rooted leadership, combined with Jacobs’ enterprise‑grade engineering and national grants experience, enables a solution that is technically rigorous, operationally realistic, locally credible, and immediately adoptable across Nebraska’s agricultural community.

0096QL 11

• Cyber and Data Protection Skill That Exceeds the Solicitation Requirements: Jacobs brings NIST informed cyber engineering, encryption, least‑privilege access models, cloud native monitoring and alerting practices and experience supporting third party security assessments aligned to SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria and ISO/IEC 27001 control domains. In our delivery approach, we apply NIST CSF for risk management and as applicable, a tailored NIST SP 800- 53 Rev 5 control baseline with scope and tailoring agreed with NDWEE. These skills far exceed the baseline required in the RFP and ensure producer trust in the Data Bank’s integrity and NDWEE’s stewardship.

• Proven Grant Implementation and Administration Support: Jacobs has delivered large‑scale, audit‑tested grant program operations, having designed and administered high‑volume grant platforms that manage applications, eligibility reviews, payments, and compliance tracking for thousands of participants across multiple states. We bring deep experience in cost allowability, fiscal controls, subrecipient/vender differentiation, audit‑ready documentation, eligibility and prioritization scoring, reimbursement processing, and federal reporting—ensuring NDWEE’s incentive and payment workflows launch cleanly, withstand scrutiny, and meet every federal requirement from day one.

Altogether, this means Nebraska receives a coordinated network of experts and personnel working behind the scenes as well as directly with you to ensure high‑quality, compliant, and efficient project delivery.

The Jacobs Way

Jacobs’ expertise differentiates us with the depth and breadth of its technical bench, which extends well beyond core program management into highly specialized, applied disciplines. The firm maintains a wide roster of subject matter experts, with backgrounds spanning engineering, environmental compliance, cost validation, insurance analysis, construction management, and resilience planning, allowing teams to be assembled with precision rather than convenience. This breadth ensures technical challenges are addressed by practitioners with direct, relevant experience, while the depth of the bench provides continuity.

The Jacobs Way reflects our commitment to delivering secure, resilient, user‑centered digital systems that empower public agencies to operate with confidence, transparency, and long‑term sustainability. Our approach is grounded in structured governance, NIST‑aligned cybersecurity, rigorous QA/QC practices, and clear, traceable data workflows that hold up under audit and public scrutiny. We focus on building digital platforms that combine automation, integrated validation, and intuitive user experience—ensuring the technology not only functions, but truly supports program outcomes.

For ONE RED, this means every component of the Ag Data Bank and Grants Program is designed to be secure, verifiable, accessible, and producer‑centered, while meeting NDWEE’s expectations for privacy, auditability, uptime, and public‑records transparency. Our methodology emphasizes early alignment on data structures, consent, program rules, and validation requirements so the system operates exactly as NDWEE intends from day one. We design workflows that reflect real agricultural and administrative practices, ensuring producers, ASPs, and NDWEE staff can use the system efficiently without complexity or confusion.

Finally, Jacobs brings nationally recognized digital engineering and data‑management expertise, with teams that specialize in secure, compliance‑driven platforms, data governance, GREET‑aligned analytics, and intuitive user experiences for large, distributed agricultural and environmental programs. At the same time, Jacobs supports its approach with local references, Omaha-based engagement experience, and jurisdiction-specific reports and capability materials that demonstrate familiarity with regional conditions, stakeholders, and delivery constraints. This combination of national rigor and local proof points provides clients with confidence that proposed solutions are both technically sound and practically executable

0096QL 12

Character, Integrity, Reputation, Judgment, Experience, and Efficiency

At Jacobs, we do things right by providing services of the highest caliber and never compromising our integrity. Our core values center on integrity, sound judgment, and an unwavering commitment to ethical contracting. We prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our employees, clients, and the communities we serve, demonstrated through our safety culture (Beyond Zero) and robust quality programs that extend across every project. We conduct business with integrity while avoiding conflicts of interest and personal gain. Each staff member is expected to adhere to a high standard of ethical conduct. Our success depends on the way our staff conduct business and the way the public experiences or even perceives that conduct. Unethical actions, or the appearance of unethical actions, are not acceptable. Our staff is expected to be guided by compliance with applicable laws, observance of ethical standards, act in good faith, responsibly with due care, competence, and diligence, and without misrepresenting material facts or circumstances and without seeking to improperly to influence or hinder independent auditor in any way in our performance.

Our teams understand that NDWEE’s credibility with producers, ASPs, and stakeholders depends on the Data Bank’s integrity;

therefore, we design our systems and processes to ensure accuracy, fairness, auditability, and clear decision-making at every step.

Jacobs’ reputation is built on decades of delivering high quality, compliance‑driven digital and programmatic solutions for private entities and state and federal agencies, including complex platforms involving third‑party data ingestion, verification workflows, identity and payment controls, financial reconciliation, and regulatory reporting. Our clients consistently trust us to manage programs where accuracy and defensibility matter because Jacobs has demonstrated reliability, transparency, and technical excellence across hundreds of long‑term contracts. In Nebraska, our reputation is strengthened by the longstanding public sector service of our team members, who include a former NDWEE section supervisor and a former University Extension Educator. These individuals bring firsthand understanding of how Nebraska expects public programs to operate: ethically, consistently, and with the highest respect for producers and community partners.

Our judgment is grounded in practical experience running systems that must verify data from independent sources, manage complex rule-based decisions, process grants accurately, and maintain audit Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)-ready records. Whether validating CI score inputs, reviewing cropping data, supporting ASP accuracy, or issuing incentive payments, Jacobs applies structured methodologies, well‑documented decision processes, and strict internal controls to ensure actions are consistent, defensible, and traceable. We design for “no surprises” with clear escalation procedures, transparent logs, and documentation practices that support NDWEE, EPA, and any external auditor.

Jacobs demonstrates efficiency by leveraging modern cloud‑native architectures, automation, rules engines, and integrated workflows that reduce manual effort and keep administrative costs low. Our coordinated, cross‑functional teams operate with disciplined rhythms that enable quick decision making and seamless execution. NDWEE receives not only a partner with strong ethics and a trusted reputation, but one that matches those values with real operational precision, regulatory fluency, and Nebraska‑centered experience.

0096QL 13

Performing the Contract Within the Specified Time Frame

Jacobs has a proven, decades‑long record of meeting, and often exceeding, the response time, staffing, and performance deadlines required to support state and federal programs. Our experience building statewide digital platforms with data ingestion, verification, grant processing, identity proofing, and payment automation equips us to meet the ONE RED deadlines while maintaining quality, accuracy, and security.