NAT062626-PERMIT_MOD_qa.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 24 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Permitting Modernization State and local contract opportunity
- Solicitation number
- NAT062626-PERMIT_MOD
- Issued by
- Kent County, Delaware
About this file
This is a Bidders' Questions and Answers document for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Water, related to a permitting modernization and support services contract. The RFP solicits one or more qualified vendors to provide comprehensive permitting modernization services including regulation development and updates, general permit development, public meeting facilitation, advanced data analytics implementation, USACE permit coordination, on-demand permitting platform enhancements, and staff training over a five-year contract term with two optional one-year extensions. Proposals are due August 21, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., with vendor questions due July 24, 2026 and responses posted by July 31, 2026. Award is estimated for September 4, 2026. No mandatory pre-bid meeting has been scheduled. Services will be delivered through task orders issued by DNREC after agreed-upon costs are negotiated for each engagement, with DNREC retaining the right to award contracts to multiple vendors based on qualifications and expertise.
Vendors should submit hourly rates by labor category for proposed service areas with potential annual escalation permitted throughout the contract period and optional extensions; however, no minimum or maximum budget has been provided, and DNREC declined to estimate annual spending or total contract value. Pricing will be evaluated at 15 points within the larger scoring framework that weights experience and similar project familiarity at 40 points, personnel qualifications at 25 points, breadth of services at 15 points, and business references at 5 points. All proposed costs must remain fixed through June 30, 2027. Vendors must maintain Delaware business licensure, provide proof of Commercial General Liability insurance ($1,000,000/$3,000,000), and certify that no non-public State of Delaware data will be stored or transferred outside the United States. DNREC will utilize preferred technology platforms including Microsoft, Earthsoft, and ESRI, and solutions must comply with applicable state security policies and accessibility standards. Payment will be structured on milestone-based invoicing with potential holdback of contract funds up to 25% pending demonstration of acceptable performance, and monthly usage reports and quarterly diversity supplier participation reports are mandatory submissions.
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Sheet1
| Question # | Section Number | Paragraph Number | Page Number | Text of Passage being questioned | Vendor Question | Response | |
| 1 | II - Scope of Services | 1 | p. 2 | The Delaware DNREC is seeking one or more qualified vendors to enter into contracts to provide Division of Water permitting modernization and support services. | Does DNREC anticipate awarding vendors by specific service categories, or will all selected vendors be eligible to compete for all future task orders? | No. All selected vendors will be eligible to compete for future task orders. | |
| 2 | II - Scope of Work and Technical Requirements | 1 | p. 2 | Specific services will be provided upon the issuance of task orders by DNREC after agreed upon costs for services. | Can DNREC provide an estimated annual spend, anticipated task order volume, or total contract value for planning and pricing purposes? | No. The variability of the work makes such estimates not meaningful. | |
| 3 | II - Scope of Services | 1 | p. 2 | The Division is seeking to modernize and streamline the permitting process while maintaining proper protection of the State's water resources. | Has DNREC established measurable performance goals (e.g., permit turnaround time reduction, backlog reduction, customer satisfaction improvements) for this modernization initiative? | Not at this time. Performance metrics will be task specific. | |
| 4 | Appendix B - Scope of Work | 2 | p. 39 | The DW is striving to modernize and streamline the permitting process while maintaining proper protection of the State's water resources. | Has DNREC conducted a current-state assessment, process review, backlog analysis, or permitting modernization roadmap that can be shared with awarded vendors? | No, DNREC has not conducted such an assessment. | |
| 5 | Appendix B - Scope of Work | 4 | p. 39 | Several programs in DW would benefit from the development of general permits for specific activities. | Has DNREC identified any priority permit categories that are anticipated to be converted to General Permits during the first year of the contract? | Yes. | |
| 6 | Appendix B - Scope of Work | 4 | p. 39 | The Vendor with input from DW would determine which activities would qualify for general permitting. | Does DNREC have existing criteria, screening methodologies, or policy guidance available for determining General Permit suitability? | Not consistently across all programs. | |
| 7 | Appendix B - Scope of Work | 4 | p. 39 | Research similar general permits in other states. | Are there specific states or regulatory programs DNREC would prefer vendors to use as benchmarks? | No. | |
| 8 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Coordination with USACE Permits | 5 | p. 39 | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Regulatory program, regulates work and structures that are located in… | Can you expound on the level or coordination with USACE regarding permit coorindation and/or state levels of aprovals? | DNREC currently has two state programmatic General Permits with the Philadelphia District. All other authorizations are independent. | |
| 9 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Coordination with USACE Permits | 5 | p. 39-40 | The Vendor would need to review Federal and State guidelines to determine if permit redundancy could be reduced. | Has DNREC previously completed any studies, analyses, or coordination efforts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding permit streamlining opportunities? | No. | |
| 10 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Coordination with USACE Permits | 5 | p. 39-40 | Possible outcomes could be joint permits or automatic DNREC approval of certain USACE permits. | Has DNREC already identified permit categories where joint permitting or reciprocal approval is most feasible? | DNREC currently has two state programmatic General Permits with the Philadelphia District. All other authorizations are independent. Potential coordination with nationwide permitting scopes. | |
| 11 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Regulation Development and Updates | 1 | p. 40 | The Vendor would draft regulations in support of DNREC's permitting reform/modernization efforts. | Approximately how many regulations are anticipated to require revision or development during the contract term? | Approximately 20. | |
| 12 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Regulation Development and Updates | 1 | p. 40 | Lead the structured, open regulatory development process. | Will DNREC provide legal review and approval of proposed regulatory language, or is legal support expected from the selected vendor? | Yes. | |
| 13 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - On-Demand Permitting | 2 | p. 40 | Through DNREC's existing ePermitting System many permits and authorizations are already in place. | What permitting platform currently supports DNREC's ePermitting environment? | DNREC’s ePermitting environment is supported by a state-managed technology platform consistent with Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) standards. | |
| 14 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - On-Demand Permitting | 2 | p. 40 | The Vendor in coordination with DTI will assist in identifying and migrating other permits and authorization to the on-demand website. | Can DNREC provide a list of permits currently available through ePermitting and those planned for future migration? | Holding Tank - Small/Private System, Class H Inspections, Septic - Authorization to Use Existing System, Septic Permits, Site Waivers, Subdivision Feasibility, Septic - System Repair/Component Replacement, Site Evaluation, UIC Discharge Authorization, Underground Injection Control (UIC) Permit, Major/Minor Dredging, Jurisdictional Determination, Map Change, Major/Minor Marina Permits, Subaqueous Permits/Lease, Water Quality Certification, Wetlands Permit, Water Allocation Permits/Transfers, Industrial Stormwater, Industrial No Exposure | |
| 15 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - On-Demand Permitting | 2 | p. 40 | On-demand permitting activities may also include the use of advanced data analytics. | Does DNREC envision the use of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, or predictive analytics as part of future self-service permitting capabilities? | Yes. | |
| 16 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Permit and Regulatory Policy | 3 | p. 40 | Permit and regulatory policies are the administrative tools used to guide, restrict, and manage activities. | Are there specific policy areas currently identified as priorities for review, such as fee modernization, delegation authority, or emerging contaminants? | Yes. | |
| 17 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Program Support | 4 | p. 40 | The Vendor may be asked to assist with reviewing permit applications, making recommendations, drafting permits. | Does DNREC anticipate permit review services as staff augmentation support, process improvement strategies or independent technical review services? | Yes. | |
| 18 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Program Support | 4 | p. 40 | Vendor may be asked to provide inspection services. | What qualifications, certifications, or licenses will be required for vendor personnel conducting reviews, inspections or compliance-related activities? | Task specific. State-recognized professional licenses or certifications as necessary. | |
| 19 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Program Support | 4 | p. 40 | Program Support: The Vendor may also be asked to develop training materials and/or perform training. | Approximately how many training engagements does DNREC anticipate annually under this contract? | Undetermined. | |
| 20 | Appendix B - Scope of Work - Permitting Reform/Process improvement Tools | 5 | p. 40 | Vendor may develop/utilize process standardization tools, standard operating procedures, templates, and advanced data analytics. | Does DNREC have preferred software platforms, reporting tools, dashboard technologies, or analytics standards that vendors should utilize? | Primarily Microsoft, Earthsoft, and ESRI | |
| 21 | IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information | 23 | p. 9 | Business References | May vendors submit references from other state environmental agencies that involve permitting modernization, even if work scope differs from Delaware's permitting structure? | Yes. | |
| 22 | IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information - C. RFP Evaluation Process | 2 | p. 10 | Familiarity and experience creating and running similar projects. | Will environmental permitting modernization experience receive greater consideration than general government consulting experience? | Refer to the scoring sheet. | |
| 23 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | 5 | p. 11 | Selected vendors may be invited to make oral presentations. | Will oral presentations be scored and incorporated into the final award decision? | No. | |
| 24 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | 4 | p. 12 | The term of the contract between the successful bidder and the State shall be for five years. | Does DNREC anticipate issuing task orders immediately following contract award or following a separate planning phase? | Yes. | |
| 25 | Appendix A | 2 | p. 38 | The remaining vendor proposal package shall identify how the vendor proposes meeting the contract requirements and shall include pricing. | Should vendors provide fully burdened labor rates by labor category for all anticipated services, or only for service areas proposed? | Only for proposed service areas. | |
| 26 | Appendix A | 2 | p. 38 | Vendors are encouraged to review the Evaluation criteria. | Is there a preferred pricing template or pricing structure that DNREC expects vendors to follow? | No. | |
| 27 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions, n. Costs and Payment Schedules | 4 | p. 18 | The State of Delaware will require a payment schedule based on defined and measurable milestones. | Will milestone-based payments be established individually within each task order? | Yes. Task-Order Specific. | |
| 28 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions, v.Vendor Responsibility | 4 | p. 20 | Vendor Responsibility: Subcontractors, if any, shall be clearly identified in the Vendor's proposal. | Can additional subcontractors be added after contract award with DNREC approval if specific task order requirements arise? | Yes. | |
| 29 | Appendix A | 1 | p. 38 | Mimimum Mandatory Submission Requirements: Minimum Submission Requirements | Are there page limits on the response? | No. | |
| 30 | Appendix B - SCOPE OF WORK AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS | 6 | p. 40 | Program support: The Vendor may also be asked to develop training materials and/or perform training for new staff and permitees | Can you prove the number of staff members (FT & PT) that will be utilzing the system? | Task and program specific; maximum group approximately 20. | |
| 31 | IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information | B, 2 | p.4 | Please provide a separate electronic pricing file from the rest of the RFP | |||
| proposal responses | Does DNERC have a specific template for pricing or should the vendors create their own? If the latter, what components does DNREC expect? | No. | |||||
| 32 | IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information | B1.14.a | All questions will be consolidated into a single set of |
responses and posted on the State’s website at bids.delaware.gov by the date of 7/31/2026.
| Vendor names will be removed from questions in the responses released. | Given that DNREC's responses to vendor questions will be issued on July 31, 2026, and that these responses may materially affect pricing assumptions, teaming arrangements, and contract/legal review, would the State consider extending the proposal due date beyond August 21, 2026 to allow vendors sufficient time to evaluate the information provided and incorporate any resulting changes into their proposals? | No. | |||
| 33 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | 1 | p. 12 | Under the Title 29 Del. C. §6904(e), Delaware lists: |
§ 6909. Special requirements for contracts involving environmental statutes.
All contracts covered under this chapter shall make provisions for all federal and state anti-pollution, conservation and environmental statutes, rules and regulations and county ordinances which will be involved in the execution of the contract.
| 70 Del. Laws, c. 601, § 5; 74 Del. Laws, c. 419, § 3; | Section V.1 references the potential use of the contract by other agencies pursuant to 29 Del. C. §6904(e). Should firms assume that the resulting agreement will be the State's standard contract vehicle for these services? If so, can the State provide the proposed contract form and applicable terms and conditions? | No, but other agencies may use it if appropriate. | |||||
| 34 | Scope of Work | Scope of Services | p. 2 | The Delaware DNREC is seeking one or more qualified vendors... The term of the contracts... shall be for five (5) years. Specific services will be provided upon the issuance of task orders by DNREC after agreed upon costs for services. | The RFP does not identify an estimated budget or anticipated level of effort. Can DNREC provide the estimated total contract value, anticipated annual funding, or expected range of task order values to assist vendors in proposing an appropriate staffing model? | Funding and tasks will determine cost. | |
| 35 | Scope of Work | Scope of Services | p. 2 | The Delaware DNREC is seeking one or more qualified vendors to enter into contracts... | While the RFP indicates that one or more vendors may be awarded, does DNREC anticipate multiple awards, and if so, approximately how many vendors does the State expect to select? | Yes, dependent on qualifications. | |
| 36 | Scope of Work | Scope of Services | p. 2 | Specific services will be provided upon the issuance of task orders by DNREC after agreed upon costs for services. | Can DNREC provide guidance regarding the anticipated size and composition of task order teams (e.g., small specialized teams versus larger multidisciplinary teams) to help vendors propose an appropriate labor mix? | Primarily small specialized teams; some multi‑discipline teams possible. | |
| 37 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope describes modernization activities but does not identify the existing permitting technology environment. (No specific systems are named.) | What permitting applications, enterprise platforms, GIS systems, document management systems, or other technologies are currently used by the Division of Water that vendors should anticipate integrating with, assessing, or modernizing? | Microsoft, Earthsoft, and ESRI | ||
| 38 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope identifies numerous permitting modernization activities but does not identify implementation sequencing or priorities. | Which permitting programs or business areas are expected to be prioritized during the initial task orders, and has DNREC established an implementation roadmap or sequencing strategy for those efforts? | To be determined. | ||
| 39 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The RFP describes the desired services but does not indicate whether prior assessments or modernization artifacts exist. | Has DNREC previously completed process mapping, user research, permitting assessments, or modernization planning efforts that will be made available to the awarded vendor(s)? | Program Specific. | ||
| 40 | Scope of Work (Advanced Data Analytics) | Appendix B | This may include... use of advanced data analytics in permitting or permit reform... | The Scope references the use of advanced data analytics in permitting and permit reform. Can DNREC provide additional detail regarding the intended objectives (e.g., operational dashboards, permit performance metrics, predictive analytics, compliance monitoring, AI-assisted review, or other use cases)? | All listed examples may apply. | ||
| 41 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope references modernization and support services but does not distinguish advisory services from implementation activities. | Does DNREC anticipate this contract will include implementation and configuration activities for technology solutions, or is the intent primarily strategic planning, process improvement, permitting reform, and advisory services? | Yes, both advisory and implementation tasks. | ||
| 42 | Section IV | B.17 | State's Right to Award Multiple Source Contracting | The State of Delaware may award a contract... to two or more vendors... | If multiple vendors are awarded, what process does DNREC anticipate using to issue task orders (e.g., mini-competitions, direct assignment based on expertise, rotational assignments, or another methodology)? | Mini‑competitions and direct assignments based on expertise. | |
| 43 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope includes permitting modernization, facilitation, regulation updates, and training but does not specifically reference human-centered design or UX activities. | Will human-centered design, user research, stakeholder engagement, and customer experience activities (such as journey mapping, usability testing, and service blueprinting) be expected components of task orders under this contract? | Yes for some tasks. | ||
| 44 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope outlines modernization objectives but does not define performance measures or success criteria. | What key performance indicators or business outcomes will DNREC use to measure the success of this permitting modernization effort (e.g., permit processing time, backlog reduction, customer satisfaction, automation, or compliance improvements)? | Yes, for all examples listed. | ||
| 45 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope identifies the services to be provided but does not describe the expected level of participation by DNREC staff during task order execution. | What level of participation from DNREC subject matter experts and program staff should vendors anticipate during discovery, requirements validation, workshops, and implementation activities throughout the task orders? | Task specific. | ||
| 46 | Scope of Work | Appendix B | The Scope references modernization across Division of Water permitting activities but does not describe the long-term vision for a unified permitting experience across programs. | Does DNREC envision this contract supporting the development of a unified permitting experience across multiple Division of Water programs over time, or will modernization efforts remain focused on individual permitting programs and workflows? | Standardization across the Division is desired. | ||
| 47 | III. Required Information / IV.C.2 | III.B (General Evaluation Requirements) 1 & 2; IV.C.2 Proposal Selection Criteria | 2, 10-11 | Experience and Reputation 2. Expertise in permitting processes and evaluation criterion "Familiarity and experience creating and running similar projects..." (40 points). | When you evaluate a vendor’s experience with similar projects, does that experience need to be in water permitting specifically, or does experience building digital permitting and online government systems for other agencies also count? | No, it does not need to be Water specific, but subject matter expertise is preferred. | |
| 48 | III. Required Information | III.A.1 (Minimum Requirements) | 2 | "Provide Delaware license(s) and/or certification(s) necessary to perform services as identified in the scope of work." | If a vendor is offering only technology and data-analytics services, do they need any specific state professional license or certification to qualify, or does that requirement apply only to vendors performing regulatory or field work? | Task Specific. State recognized professional licenses and/or certifications where necessary. | |
| 49 | III. Required Information | III.B.4 (General Evaluation Requirements - Location) | 2 | "Location (geographical)" | Will a vendor’s location affect their score? If so, how is location handled for work that can be delivered remotely versus work that requires someone on-site? | No. | |
| 50 | Appendix B - Scope of Work | Item 4 (On-Demand Permitting) | 40 | "Through DNREC's existing ePermitting System many permits and authorizations are already in place. The Vendor in coordination the Delaware Department of Information and Technology (DTI) will assist in identifying and migrating other permits and authorization to the on-demand website." | For the online, self-service permitting work: what software is the current permitting system built on, and is the vendor’s role mainly to add and migrate more permit types into that existing system rather than build a new one? Or is your interest in retiring then current systema after migrating data to the new system? | Task Specific. | |
| 51 | Appendix B - Scope of Work | Item 4 (On-Demand Permitting) & Item 7 (Permitting Reform/Process Improvement Tools) | 40-41 | "On-demand permitting activities may also include the use of advanced data analytics in the development of self-permitting applications, development of screening tools... and "Vendor may develop/utilize... advanced data analytics, in support of permitting reform/program "modernization efforts." | For the data-analytics and screening-tool work: where does the permit and compliance data live today, and in what form would it be available to a vendor? | Program Specific. | |
| 52 | I. Overview | Transmittal Letter paragraph | 1 | "the Vendor shall not store or transfer non-public State of Delaware data outside of the United States. For technology related solicitations, Vendors may refer to the Delaware Department of Technology and Information identified terms and conditions included in this solicitation." | Do tools or applications built under this contract have to run inside a state-managed or state-approved environment, or may the vendor host them? What security standards must they meet? | Solutions must comply with applicable state policies. | |
| 53 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | V.8.cc (Applicable Law) item 5 | 22 | "programs, services, and activities provided to the general public under resulting contract conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the regulations issued there under by the federal government." | Is there a required accessibility standard the public-facing online permitting must meet? | Yes. | |
| 54 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | V.8.ii (IRS 1075 Publication - If Applicable) | 23-25 | "In performance of this contract, the Contractor agrees to comply with and assume responsibility for compliance by officers or employees with the following requirements... (FTI safeguarding under IRS Publication 1075)." | Will any work under this contract involve handling federal tax information or similar restricted federal data? | Possibly EIN. | |
| 55 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | V.3 (As a Service Subscription) & V.8.aa (Work Product) | 14, 25 | "As a Service subscription license costs shall be incurred at the individual license level only as the individual license is utilized within a fully functioning solution... and "All materials and products developed under the executed contract by the vendor are the sole and exclusive property of the State." | Do you have a preference for a Software-as-a-Service model or would DNREC be interested in owning the solution with vendor support? | No. | |
| 56 | II. Scope of Services | Section II (term / task orders) | 2 | "The term of the contracts between the successful respondents and DNREC shall be for five (5) years. Specific services will be provided upon the issuance of task orders by DNREC after agreed upon costs for services." | What is DNREC's desired timeline for implementation? | Task Specific. | |
| 57 | II. Scope of Services / IV.C.2 | Section II (Scope) & IV.C.2 Proposal Selection Criteria (Pricing) | 2, 11 | "Specific services will be provided upon the issuance of task orders by DNREC after agreed upon costs for services and evaluation criterion "Pricing" (15 points)." | What is the available budget for these services? | Task Specific. | |
| 58 | IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information | B.2 | 4 | Please provide a separate electronic pricing file from the rest of the RFP proposal responses. | Pricing format - The RFP requires pricing but provides no pricing form or labor-category structure. Please confirm vendors should submit hourly rates by labor category, and should rates be provided separately for each contract year? | Yes. | |
| 59 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | 4.a | 12 | The term of the contract between the successful bidder and the State shall be for five years with two optional extensions for a period of one (1) year for each extension. | Price escalation - May vendors include annual rate escalation during the five-year contract (and two single year options should they be exercised), or must proposed rates remain fixed for the full term? | Yes. | |
| 60 | IV. Professional Services RFP Administrative Information | B.2 Appendix A | 4, 38 | Pg 4 - "Each proposal must be submitted with two paper copies and one electronic copy on CD or DVD media disk, or USB memory drive." |
Pg 38 - "Vendors shall provide proposal packages in the following formats:
1. One (1) paper copy must be an original copy, marked “ORIGINAL” on the cover, and contain original signatures.
| 2. One (1) electronic copy of the vendor proposal saved to CD or DVD media disk, or USB memory stick. Copy of electronic price file shall be a separate file from all other files on the electronic copy. (If Agency has requested multiple electronic copies, each electronic copy must be on a separate computer disk or media). | Paper copies - Section IV.B.2 requires two paper copies, while Appendix A specifies one original paper copy. How many paper copies are required? | One Paper Copy. | |||||
| 61 | General Question, no specific referece | Travel and other direct costs - Should travel and other direct costs be necessary, how should those be incorporated into pricing and billed? | Task Specific. | ||||
| 62 | Appendix B | C.2 Criteria Weight Table | p. 39, p. 11 | Pg 39 - "Vendors should indicate which services they are qualified to provide for the programs specified above and provide examples of experience with similar effort in Delaware or other states as appropriate." |
| Pg 11 - (Table) "The Qualifications and experience of the persons to be assigned to the project." This criteria being weighted at 25 points. | Delaware experience - Will experience supporting permitting programs in other states be considered equally relevant where the vendor demonstrates familiarity with Delaware’s regulatory framework? | Yes. | |||
| 63 | Appendix B | V.8.n | p. 39, p.18 | Pg 39 - "Specific services will be provided upon the issuance of task orders by DNREC after agreed upon costs for services." |
| Pg 18 - "The State of Delaware will require a payment schedule based on defined and measurable milestones. Payments for services will not be made in advance of work performed. The State of Delaware may require holdback of contract monies until acceptable performance is demonstrated (as much as 25%)." | Will all future task orders be awarded as firm fixed price with milestone based invoicing? | Task Specific, with milestones. | |||||
| 64 | Pricing Requirements - Section II | Scope of Services | p. 2 | Specific services will be provided through task orders issued after agreed-upon costs for services. Section IV.B.2 (Proposals, page 4) requires a separate electronic pricing file, and Appendix A identifies pricing as a required submission. | Section II (Scope of Services, page 2) states that specific services will be provided through task orders issued after agreed-upon costs for services. Section IV.B.2 (Proposals, page 4) requires a separate electronic pricing file, and Appendix A identifies pricing as a required submission. Could DNREC please clarify: | Rate schedules. | |
| 65 | Pricing Requirements - Section II | Scope of Services | p. 2 | Specific services will be provided through task orders issued after agreed-upon costs for services. Section IV.B.2 (Proposals, page 4) requires a separate electronic pricing file, and Appendix A identifies pricing as a required submission. | What pricing information is required with the proposal (e.g., labor rates, rate schedules, not-to-exceed pricing, fixed fees, or another pricing structure)? | Rate schedules for general comparison; task‑specific cost evaluation after award. | |
| 66 | Pricing Requirements - Section II | Scope of Services | p. 2 | Specific services will be provided through task orders issued after agreed-upon costs for services. Section IV.B.2 (Proposals, page 4) requires a separate electronic pricing file, and Appendix A identifies pricing as a required submission. | Is there a required pricing template or format? | No. | |
| 67 | Pricing Requirements - Section II | Scope of Services | p. 2 | Specific services will be provided through task orders issued after agreed-upon costs for services. Section IV.B.2 (Proposals, page 4) requires a separate electronic pricing file, and Appendix A identifies pricing as a required submission. | How will pricing be evaluated given the task-order-based nature of the contract? | Rate schedules for general comparison. Task proposals will be independently reviewed after contract awarded. | |
| 68 | Regulation Development and Updates - Appendix B | Item 3 | p. 40 | Does DNREC anticipate requiring support from a vendor-employed attorney licensed in Delaware as part of regulation drafting, regulatory review, or rulemaking support activities? | No. | ||
| 69 | Program Support - Appendix B | Item 6 | p. 40 | The scope indicates that vendors may be asked to assist with reviewing permit applications, making recommendations, drafting permits, public outreach, and data entry activities. Could DNREC clarify whether this support is expected at contract initiation to address existing permit backlogs, or primarily after implementation of permitting modernization initiatives such as general permits and process improvements? | Program specific. | ||
| 70 | Coordination with USACE Permits - Appendix B | Item 2 | p. 39 | Will the successful vendor be provided existing coordination materials related to DNREC and USACE permit integration efforts, including meeting notes, studies, correspondence, agreements, or other documentation? Additionally, has USACE been engaged regarding the permitting modernization objectives described in this RFP? | Yes for materials; USACE has not been engaged on modernization. | ||
| 71 | Regulatory and Public Proceedings | Will the selected vendor be expected to prepare materials for, present at, testify before, or otherwise support proceedings involving advisory boards, commissions, councils, legislative bodies, evidentiary hearings, public hearings, or similar forums? | Potentially; task specific. | ||||
| 72 | Program Prioritization and Anticipated Workload | Because vendors may be considered for one or multiple service categories, could DNREC identify which service areas are anticipated to receive the highest level of task-order activity during the first 12–24 months of the contract? | Qualification dependent. | ||||
| 73 | Appendix B | Service Categories | p. 39 | "Vendors may submit qualifications for one or multiple service types." footing with those claiming full-spectrum capability? | Will DNREC award separate contracts by service category, or is it anticipated that a single vendor will be selected to cover all seven service areas? Will vendors who bid on fewer categories be evaluated on equal footing with those claiming full-spectrum capability? | Vendors are not penalized for applying to fewer service categories. | |
| 74 | Appendix B | Category 4 - On-Demand/e-Permitting | p.40 | "Use of advanced data analytics in permitting or permit reform." Does DNREC's existing ePermitting system have open APIs or documented integration specifications that will be made available to vendors prior to proposal submission or contract execution? If so, will that documentation be released as an addendum? | Does DNREC's existing ePermitting system have open APIs or documented integration specifications that will be made available to vendors prior to proposal submission or contract execution? If so, will that documentation be released as an addendum? | Program specific. | |
| 75 | II. Scope of Services | Background | p. 2 | "The Division of Water is seeking qualified vendors..." | What is the anticipated total contract value or estimated annual task-order volume for this engagement? Without a budget ceiling or volume estimate, vendors cannot accurately size proposed teams or price task-order rates. | Allocated budget dependent; historically <$100k to several million. | |
| 76 | Appendix B | Category 4 — On-Demand / e-Permitting | p.40 | "Development of screening tools and advanced data analytics." | Will the Delaware Department of Information and Technology (DTI) be a direct approving party to task orders or system deployments under this contract, or will DNREC serve as the sole contracting and acceptance authority? | Task dependent; DTI will participate through coordination with DNREC. | |
| 77 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | 3. As a Service Subscription -Payment Terms | p.12 | "Subscription costs will not apply during implementation prior to full acceptance of a fully functioning solution." | How does DNREC define "full acceptance" in the context of a task-order-based contract with multiple discrete deliverables? Will each task order carry its own acceptance milestone, or is acceptance determined at the contract level? | Each task order will have milestone acceptance. | |
| 78 | V. Contract Terms and Conditions | aa. Work Product Ownership of Materials | p. | "All materials developed under this contract become the sole property of the State." | Does the State's ownership claim extend to underlying AI model configurations, regulatory logic engines, and platform workflow architecture — or only to discrete deliverable outputs (e.g., draft permits, reports, templates) produced during performance? Vendors with proprietary platform technology require clarity on this distinction before committing to respond. | Primarily to discrete deliverables. Vendors should specify exceptions in proposals. | |
| 79 | Section III. Required Information | B.4 — Evaluation Criteria | p.2 | "Location (geographical)." | How is geographic location scored in the evaluation? Is there a defined preference for Delaware-based or Mid-Atlantic firms, and if so, what documentation is required to demonstrate qualifying location? | Geographic location is not scored. |
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