REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES

FOR THE DESIGN OF A FIRE STATION

IN THE TOWN OF NARROWS, VIRGINIA

OVERVIEW OF PROJECT:

The Town of Narrows, Virginia (the “Town”) is issuing this Request for Proposals (the “RFP”) to obtain proposals from qualified engineering and architectural firms to provide planning and design services for the construction of a new fire station at a Town-owned site (the “Project”). The Project is part of the Town’s “Narrows Community Resilience Initiative,” and is funded by a federal EPA Grant (the “Grant”) administered through the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (“GHHI”). The purpose of the Project is to support the Town’s overall goals to remediate blighted land and to establish a public safety complex to house fire and police departments and serve as a community resilience hub and engagement center. The Project is further described in the “Narrows EPA TC 2025 Application,” attached to this RFP as “Attachment A.”

SCOPE OF SERVICES:

Subject to a final agreement with the Town, the successful offeror will be expected to provide the following services for the Project (the “Services”):

1. Grant and Project Administration: The offeror will be required to assist the Town with implementation and compliance with all Grant requirements and general administration of the Project

2. Site Planning and Evaluation: The offeror will be required to provide all environmental assessments (Phase I through IV), as needed; surveys of the Project site (topographic and metes and bounds); site inspection and evaluation of the feasibility of the site for the Project; and planning discussions with Town representatives concerning building and facility design concepts for the Project.

3. Design Services: The offeror will be required to provide all site, facility, and building design services necessary for the Project, including, but not limited to, the following:

A. Schematic Design Phase: prepare documents which include design drawings and specifications, site plans, elevation, plan view, exterior design and functional floor plans; submit to the Town preliminary design documents with a probable project construction cost and budget;

and prepare a preliminary budget based on schematic design.

B. Design Development Phase: prepare documents based on schematic design documents approved by the Town and update budget for the cost of the work; documents shall describe the refinement of the design by means of plans, sections and elevations, typical details and equipment layouts; documents shall include specifications that identify major materials and systems; and submit to the Town design development documents, timeline, and budget for approval.

C. Construction Documents Phase: upon approval by the Town, prepare working drawings and specifications necessary to solicit bids for construction of the Project; ensure design includes an updated information management infrastructure for computer networks (both internal and external), telecommunications, internet services, etc.; and if requested by the Town, prepare contract documents meeting all federal and state procurement requirements for the construction of the Project in coordination with Town officials and the successful bidder and assist the Town with the evaluation of bids, budget adjustments for constructions costs, and submission of documentation for code approvals.

D. All design documents will ensure that the design meets the requirements of all federal, state, and local rules, laws, ordinances, and regulations and all applicable building codes, including, but not limited to, the Uniform Statewide Building Code.

PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE:

The procurement procedure for professional services shall be utilized in accordance with Virginia Code Section 2.2-4302.2. Proposals should be as thorough and as detailed as possible so that the Town may properly evaluate your capabilities to provide the required Services.

The Town shall engage in individual discussions with two or more offerors deemed fully qualified, responsible and suitable on the basis of initial responses to this RFP and with emphasis on professional competence to provide the required Services. Repetitive informal interviews shall be permissible, in the discretion of the Town. The selected offerors shall be encouraged to elaborate on their qualifications and performance data or staff expertise pertinent to the proposed Project, as well as alternative concepts. In addition, offerors shall be informed of any ranking criteria that will be used by the Town in addition to the review of the professional competence of the offeror.

At the discussion stage, the Town may discuss nonbinding estimates of total project costs, including, but not limited to, life-cycle costing, and where appropriate, nonbinding estimates of price for services. For architectural or engineering services, the public body shall not request or require offerors to list any exceptions to proposed contractual terms and conditions, unless such terms and conditions are required by statute, regulation, ordinance, or standards developed pursuant to § 2.2-1132, until after the qualified offerors are ranked for negotiations.

At the conclusion of discussion stage, on the basis of evaluation factors stated in the Evaluation Criteria section of this RFP below and all additional information developed in the selection process to this point, the Town shall select in the order of preference two or more offerors whose professional qualifications and proposed services are deemed most meritorious. Negotiations shall then be conducted, beginning with the offeror ranked first. If a contract satisfactory and advantageous to the public body can be negotiated at a price considered fair and reasonable and pursuant to contractual terms and conditions acceptable to the Town, the award shall be made to that offeror. Otherwise, negotiations with the offeror ranked first shall be formally terminated and negotiations conducted with the offeror ranked second, and so on until such a contract can be negotiated at a fair and reasonable price.

Disclosure of proposal records shall be in accordance with Virginia Code § 2.2-4342(D), and proprietary and trade secrets may be withheld subject to the requirements of Virginia Code § 2.2- 4342(F). Pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-4342(F), trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a bidder, offeror, or contractor in connection with a procurement transaction or prequalification application submitted pursuant to subsection B of § 2.2-4317 shall not be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.); however, the bidder, offeror, or contractor shall (i) invoke the protections of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials, (ii) identify the data or other materials to be protected, and (iii) state the reasons why protection is necessary. A bidder, offeror, or contractor shall not designate as trade secrets or proprietary information (a) an entire bid, proposal, or prequalification application; (b) any portion of a bid, proposal, or prequalification application that does not contain trade secrets or proprietary information; or (c) line item prices or total bid, proposal, or prequalification application prices.

Pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-4319, the Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFP and to waive any technicalities, informalities, and irregularities. Furthermore, this RFP does not commit the Town to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred by the offeror in the preparation of a proposal, or to procure or contract for any services.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

In accordance with Virginia Code Section 2.2-4302.2, proposals will be evaluated and ranked according to the following criteria:

Profession expertise and experience relative to the scope of the Services;

Geographic location of firm, relative to owner’s location;

Number and type of similar or comparable projects by the firm in the last five years, with special emphasis on the Project contemplated by the Town;

Cost performance and general performance on past, comparable projects;

Qualifications of firm personnel, including proposed Project team;

Qualifications of Project consultants;

Proposed approach to Project;

Ability to perform the Services; and Offerors shall provide customer and industry references, including a description of any past projects undertaken for the Town.

Offeror integrity, public policy compliance, proper classification of employees (see the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. 201, chapter 8), past performance record, and financial and technical resources when conducting a procurement transaction.

FORM OF PROPOSALS:

1. Proposals shall be organized in the following order:

Transmittal letter;

Table of Contents;

Understanding of the Scope of the Services;

Proposal;

Response to RFP Item 6 (below);

Full size copies of Commonwealth of Virginia SCC and DPOR supporting registration/licensing documentation for each firm (including that of each pertinent branch office);

Full size copies of Commonwealth of Virginia DPOR registration certificate for the Key Personnel;

Executed copies of the following forms included with this RFP:

A. Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) registration information;

B. Anti-Collusion Statement;

C. Debarment Statement; and D. Anti-Discrimination Statement.

2. The proposal shall provide information that will indicate your firm’s ability and/or capacity to work on the Project and provide the Services.

3. The proposal should provide a total not to exceed a (1) one-page informational resume on the qualifications and experience of each specific personnel responsible for accomplishing tasks required under the Scope of Services. The project manager shall have a minimum of (5) five years’ experience in managing similar type and size projects. Indicate the location of the office where the person is currently working, if different from where work is to be performed.

4. The proposal should list subconsultants and subcontractors planned to assist with the Project.

5. Please indicate, by executing and returning the attached Debarment Statement, if your firm, subconsultant, subcontractor, or any person associated therewith in the capacity of owner, partner, director, officer or any position involving the administration of federal, state, or local funds:

Is currently under suspension, debarment, voluntary exclusion or determination of ineligibility by any federal or state agency or locality.

Has been suspended, debarred, voluntarily excluded or determined ineligible by any federal or state agency or locality within the past 3 years.

Does have a proposed debarment pending; or has been indicted, convicted, or had a civil judgment rendered against it or them by a court of competent jurisdiction in any matter involving fraud or official misconduct within the past 3 years.

Any of the above conditions will not necessarily result in denial of award, but it will be considered in determining offeror responsibility. For any condition noted, indicate to whom it applies, initiating agency, and dates of action. Providing false information is grounds for the Town to decline further consideration of the proposal.

6. Each business entity (prime and subconsultants) on the proposed team who is practicing or offering to practice professional services in Virginia, including, but not limited to, those practicing or offering to practice professional engineering, architectural, surveying, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, geotechnical analysis and landscape architecture, should provide evidence including full size copies of appropriate commercial professional registrations and licenses for all main and branch offices proposed for the work as well as providing full size copies of appropriate individual registrations/licenses for those professional occupations per the requirements listed below. The proposal should convey the requested information for each regulated individual or entity by the use of a concise table or matrix. (All full-size copies of the Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) and Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) supporting registration documentations should be included in the proposal and will not be counted towards page restriction):

The Commonwealth of Virginia SCC registration detailing the name, registration number, type of corporation and status of the business entity (certificate of fictitious name should also be included, if doing business under a different name).

For this Project/contract, the Commonwealth of Virginia DPOR registration information for each office practicing or offering to practice any professional services in Virginia:

Provide the business name, address, registration type, registration number, expiration date.

For this Project/Contract, the Commonwealth of Virginia DPOR license information for each of your Key Personnel practicing or offering to practice professional services in Virginia: Provide the name, the address, type, the registration number, and the expiration date. Provide the office location where each of the Key Personnel is offering to practice professional services.

For this Project/Contract, the Commonwealth of Virginia DPOR license information for those services not regulated by the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers, and Landscape Architects (e.g., real estate appraisal): the business name, the address, the registration type, the registration number, and the expiration date.

Failure to comply with the law with regard to those requirements in Virginia (whether federal or state) at the time of the proposal submittal regarding your organizational structure, any required registration with governmental agencies and/or entities, and any required governmental licensure, whether business, individual, or professional in nature may render your proposal, in the sole discretion of the Town, non-responsive and in that event your proposal may be returned without any consideration or evaluation.

7. Pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-4316, questions or comments concerning this RFP should be directed to Joe Butler, Town Manager, via email at jbutler@townofnarrows.org.

DUE DATE FOR PROPOSALS:

1. In order to be considered for selection, offerors must submit a complete response to this RFP by the following due date:

DUE DATE: 6 October, 2026.

2. Proposals may be submitted by email, hand-delivery, US Postal Service express mail, or by private delivery service (Fed-Ex, UPS, etc.) to the following representative of the Town:

JOSEPH BUTLER, TOWN MANAGER

210 Main Street

Narrows, VA 24124

JBUTLER@TOWNOFNARROWS.ORG

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. The "Supplemental Terms and Conditions" attached hereto as "Attachment B" is incorporated herein and made a part of this RFP.

2. Insurance Requirements: The successful offeror or bidder shall take out and maintain during the life of the contract such bodily injury, liability and property damage liability insurance as shall protect it and the Town from claims for damages for personal injury, including death, as well as from claims for property damage, which may arise from its provision of the services or the work. In addition, the offeror or bidder shall maintain Worker’s Compensation insurance as required by law. All insurance policies must be issued by a company authorized to issue insurance within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Upon award of the contract, the offeror or bidder shall provide the Town with a certificate of insurance showing such insurance to be in force and providing that the insurer shall give the Town at least 30 days’ notice prior to cancellation or other termination of such insurance. The Town shall be named by endorsement as an additional insured on all liability policies covering, bodily injury, death, and property damage. The offeror or bidder agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Town and its officers, agents, and employees, from any and all claims, demands, actions or causes of action against the Town or its officers, agents, or employees, alleging damages, personal injury, or death arising out of the acts or omissions of the offeror or bidder or its agents and employees; provided, however, that such provision shall not apply to the extent that the damages, personal injury, or death is attributable to the sole negligence of the Town or its officers, agents, or employees.

The successful offeror or bidder should have and be able to provide the following minimum insurance coverages:

Professional Liability Insurance $2,000,000 Limit on Liability

Comprehensive General Liability Insurance (Broad Form CGL) $2,000,000 Limit on Liability

3. Prior to the time of submittal of the proposal, all business entities, except for sole proprietorships, are required to register with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (if not already registered or organized in Virginia). Information about entity formation can be found at https://www.scc.virginia.gov/default.aspx. Foreign Professional corporations and Foreign Professional Limited Liability Companies (i.e., organized or existing under the laws of a state or jurisdiction other than Virginia) must possess a Commonwealth of Virginia Certificate of Authority from the State Corporation Commission to render professional services. Any business entity other than a professional corporation, professional limited liability company or sole proprietorships that do not employ other individuals for which licensing is required must be registered in the Commonwealth of Virginia with the Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/, Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects (Board). Board regulations require that all branch offices of professional corporations and business entities located in Virginia, which offer or render any professional services relating to the professions regulated by the Board shall be registered as separate branch office with the Board. All offices, including branches, which offer or render any professional service, must have at least one full-time resident professional in responsible charge who is licensed in the profession offered or rendered at that office. All firms involved that are to provide professional services must meet these criteria prior to submitting a proposal to the Town. Individual engineers shall meet the requirements of Chapter 4, Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia.

4. The Town will not consider for award any cost proposals submitted by any consultants and will not consent to subcontracting any portions of the contract to any subconsultants in violation of the provisions of the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which prohibits employment of illegal aliens.

5. The method of payment may be lump sum. For purpose of determining the lump sum fee, an overhead rate shall be established in compliance with cost principles contained in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) of Part 31 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The overhead rate shall be established by an audit by a cognizant government agency or independent CPA firm.

6. The Town assures compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

The offer, bidder, consultant and all subconsultants selected for this Project will be required to submit a Title VI Evaluation Report (EEO-D2) within 10 workdays of notification of selection when requested by the Town. This requirement applies to all consulting firms when the contract amount equals or exceeds $10,000.

7. The Town does not discriminate against an offeror or bidder because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law relating to discrimination in employment.

8. Minority, women, veteran, and small business enterprises and employment service organizations are encouraged to submit proposals. Applicants must comply with President's Executive Order Number 11246 prohibiting discrimination in employment regarding race, color, creed, sex, or national origin and President's Executive Orders Numbers 12138 and 11625 regarding utilization of minority and women business enterprises; and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Offerors must certify that they do not or will not maintain or provide for their employees any facilities that are segregated on the basis of race, color, creed, or national origin.

9. Any offeror who desires to protest the award of a contract shall submit such protest in writing to the Town no later than ten (10) days after the announcement of the award. Public announcement of the award shall be posted on the Town’s website.

10. All firms submitting proposals (prime consultants, joint ventures and subconsultants) must have internal control systems in place that meet Federal requirements for accounting. These systems must comply with requirements of 48 CFR 31, “Federal Acquisition Regulations, Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,” and 23 CFR 172, “Administration of Negotiated Contracts.”

If litigation directly or indirectly results from or arises out of a granted exemption, the offeror or bidder will be responsible for all litigation costs incurred by the offeror or bidder and the Town associated with such litigation. In no event shall the Town or its officers, employees or agents be liable to the offeror or bidder as a result of any disclosure of records or data collected by the Town, its officers, employees or agents, pursuant to an audit, special investigation, or any study requested by the Inspector General’s Office, whether or not the Inspector General has determined that the requested exclusion from disclosure under FOIA is necessary to protect the trade secrets or financial records of the private entity, and in no event shall the Town, or its officers, employees, or agents be liable to the contractor for any damages or other claims arising directly or indirectly from a determination that the exclusion from public disclosure will not be granted.

11. The Project described in the RFP may be funded in whole or in part by a federal EPA Grant administered through the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative (GHHI). By statute, the EPA may not reimburse recipients for compensation they pay to individual consultants on an hourly, daily or other basis that has the effect of exceeding the amount paid to Federal employees at Level IV of the Executive Schedule. The EPA will limit its participation in the salary rate (excluding overhead) paid to individual consultants retained by recipients and their contractors or subcontractors to the maximum daily rate for level 4 of the Executive Schedule unless a greater amount is authorized by law. (These non-Federal entities may, however, pay consultants more than this amount with non-EPA funds.) The limitation in this provision applies to consultation services of designated individuals with specialized skills who are paid at a daily or hourly rate. This rate does not include transportation and subsistence costs for travel performed; recipients will pay these in accordance with their normal travel reimbursement practices.

12. Debarment and Suspension (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689)—A contract award (see 2

CFR 180.220) will not be made to parties listed on the government-wide exclusions in the System for Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR part 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR part 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” SAM Exclusions contains the names of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as parties declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549.

13. Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352)—Offerors or bidders that apply or bid for an award exceeding $100,000 must file the required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier must also disclose any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from tier to tier up to the non-Federal award.

14. The offeror or bidder shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex in the performance of this contract. The contractor shall carry out applicable requirements of 40 CFR part 33 in the award and administration of contracts awarded under EPA financial assistance agreements. Failure by the contractor to carry out these requirements is a material breach of this contract which may result in the termination of this contract or other legally available remedies.

Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) registration information

The offeror or bidder (check one):

_____ Is a corporation or other business entity authorized to do business in Virginia with the following SCC identification number: _____________________.

______ Is not a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, registered limited liability partnership, or business trust.

_____ Is an out-of-state business entity that does not regularly and continuously maintain as part of its ordinary and customary business any employees, agents, offices, facilities, or inventories in Virginia (not counting any employees or agents in Virginia who merely solicit orders that require acceptance outside Virginia before they become contracts, and not counting any incidental presence of the offeror in Virginia that is needed in order to assemble, maintain, and repair goods in accordance with the contracts by which such goods were sold and shipped into Virginia from offeror’s out-of-state location).

_____ Is an out-of-state business entity that is including with this proposal an opinion of legal counsel which accurately and completely discloses the undersigned offeror’s current contacts with Virginia and describes why those contacts do not constitute the transaction of business in Virginia within the meaning of § 13.1-757 or other similar provisions in Titles 13.1 or 50 of the Code of Virginia.

_____ Check this box if you have not completed any of the foregoing options but currently have pending before the SCC an application for authority to transact business in the Commonwealth of Virginia and wish to be considered for a waiver to allow you to submit the SCC identification number after the due date for proposals (the Commonwealth reserves the right to determine in its sole discretion whether to allow such waiver).

ANTI-COLLUSION STATEMENT

In the preparation and submission of this proposal, we did not either directly or indirectly enter into any combination or arrangement with any person, firm or corporation, or enter into any agreement, participate in any collusion, or otherwise take any action in the restraint of free competition in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, 15 USCS Sections 1 et seq., or the Conspiracy to Rig Bids to Government Statutes, Virginia Code Sections 59.1-69.6 through 59.1.69.9, or the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The undersigned hereby certifies that this proposal, any ensuing contract, or any claims resulting from either, is not the result of, or affected by, any act of collusion with, or any act of, another person or persons, firm or corporation engaged in the same line of business or commerce; and, that no person acting for, or employed by, the Town of Narrows has a personal interest in, or is concerned with, this proposal;

and, that no person or persons, firm or corporation, other than the undersigned, have or are interested in this proposal or bid.

Offeror / Bidder Date

By: _________________________________ Name: _______________________________ Title: ________________________________

DEBARMENT STATEMENT

I certify that the offeror or bidder is not currently debarred or otherwise declared ineligible by any public agency from bidding for furnishing materials, supplies or services. I further certify that no principal, officer or director of the offeror or bidder has been employed by or associated with any firm which is currently debarred or otherwise declared ineligible by any public agency from offering or bidding for furnishing materials, supplies or services.

I certify that the offeror or bidder has never been debarred, or otherwise declared ineligible by any public agency from offering or bidding or furnishing materials, supplies or services. I further certify that no principal, officer or director of the offeror or bidder has ever been employed by or associated with any firm which has ever been debarred or otherwise declared ineligible by any public agency from offering or bidding for furnishing materials, supplies or services.

Offeror / Bidder Date

By: _________________________________

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The offeror or bidder agrees that during the performance of the contract that:

1. The offeror or bidder (1) will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a service-disabled veteran, national origin or other status prohibited by state law, (2) will post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause, and (3) will state that the offeror or bidder is an equal opportunity employer in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the offeror or bidder under the contract. (All notices, advertisements, and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section); and

2. The offeror or bidder will include the provisions of the foregoing paragraph in every subcontract or purchase order under the contract of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

Offeror / Bidder Date

By: _________________________________