RFP Event 10 Administrative Document Amended 1.docx

STATE OF IDAHO

DIVISION OF PURCHASING

FOR THE

Idaho Department of Water Resources

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Micrometeorological Measurement and Data Processing Services RFP Event 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RFP ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

RFP Title:

Micrometeorological Measurement and Data Processing Services

RFP Project Description:

Idaho Department of Water Resource is looking for vendors who can produce a high-quality ground truth dataset to guide evapotranspiration (ET) and consumptive use (CU) modeling decisions.

RFP Lead:

Thayne Pearson, Procurement Officer Idaho Division of Purchasing 650 W. State St. Room 100, Boise ID, 83702 Thayne.pearson@adm.idaho.gov 208-332-1605

Submit electronically via IPRO:

Electronic Submission:

IPRO LOGIN

Pre-Proposal Conference Date/Time:

Pre-Proposal Conference Location:

Tuesday December 5th, 2023, at 10:30am Mountain Time

Virtual via Microsoft Teams

Deadline to Receive Questions:

See IPRO Header Document

RFP Closing Date:

See IPRO Header Document

Public Opening Date:

See IPRO Header Document

Initial Term of Contract and Renewals:

One (1) year. Upon mutual, written agreement, the Contract may be renewed, extended or amended. The anticipated total Contract term is up to four (4) years.

THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE DETAILED IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF THE STATE’S STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS WILL NOT APPLY TO THE CONTRACT(S) THAT RESULT FROM THIS SOLICITATION.

OVERVIEW

1.1. Purpose

The Division of Purchasing (DOP), on behalf of the Idaho Department of Water Resource (IDWR), is seeking qualified vendors to produce a high-quality ground truth dataset to guide evapotranspiration (ET) and consumptive use (CU) modeling decisions.

1.2. Background Information

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the largest components in water budgets and is used as an input for groundwater models and for administrative decisions. Consumptive use (CU) is the amount of ET due to irrigation and is critical for assessing the human impact on water budgets. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) is in need of high-quality, ground truth ET and CU data to guide the future modeling of these important variables. IDWR is seeking qualified professionals to install three (3) field stations in agricultural areas in southern Idaho to collect ET and CU data. The Contractor must collect, store, process, and analyze the needed field data, and produce a report comparing the field data to other data types (e.g., manually calibrated METRIC, OpenET, etc.).

1.3. Resulting Contract

If the State awards a contract from this Solicitation, it will do so by issuing a Contract document from the State’s eProcurement system, IPRO, which will be an acceptance of the successful offer. The Contract will be comprised of that contract document; this RFP, including any incorporated documents; the successful Proposal, including any clarifications requested by the state of Idaho (State); and an artifact formalizing any requirements agreed upon through contract discussions or negotiations, if applicable.

The following documents are incorporated into this RFP as if set out in their entirety, whether or not they are attached in IPRO:

· Solicitation Instructions for Vendor

· Standard Contract Terms and Conditions

If not attached in IPRO, the documents may be found on the “Information for Vendors” page of DOP’s website, www.purchasing.idaho.gov. If multiple versions of any of these documents are available on the website, the version in effect on the day the RFP was issued shall apply.

QUESTIONS

Restrictions on Communications From the issue date of this RFP, until a contract is awarded, or the RFP is cancelled, vendors are prohibited from communications regarding this RFP with the IDWR staff, evaluation committee members, or other associated individuals, except the Division of Purchasing.

Pre-Proposal Conference A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held at the location and time as indicated in Section 1, page 1 of this RFP. This will be your opportunity to ask questions, in person, to the IDWR staff. All parties interested are invited to participate either by attending the conference or by an established call-in number. Those choosing to participate must pre-register to receive phone conferencing and meeting details by submitting the completed Attachment 1 - Pre-Proposal Conference Registration Form via email to the RFP Lead. Parties interested are asked to register by Monday December 4th. Any oral answers given by the State during the pre-proposal conference are unofficial and will not be binding on the State. Conference attendance is at the participant’s own expense.

Questions This solicitation is issued via the State’s e-Procurement system, IPRO Powered by Luma (IPRO LOGIN). The RFP Lead is the only contact for this Solicitation. All correspondence must be in writing. In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, amendments will be posted at IPRO. It is the responsibility of parties interested in this RFP to monitor IPRO for any updates or amendments. Any oral interpretations or clarifications of this RFP must not be relied upon. All changes to this RFP will be in writing and must be posted to IPRO to be valid.

Questions or other correspondence must be submitted in writing to the RFP Lead (see contact information in the RFP Administrative Information, page 1). QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59:59 P.M. MOUNTAIN TIME ON THE DATE LISTED IN THE RFP ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION.

Written questions must be submitted using Attachment 2 - Offeror Questions. Official answers to all written questions will be posted on IPRO as an amendment to this RFP.

Vendor Proposed Modifications and Exceptions to Requirements, Terms, and Conditions Vendors must submit any proposed modifications to the requirements, terms, or conditions of the RFP on Attachment 2 - Offeror Questions prior to the deadline to submit questions. Questions regarding these requirements must contain the following:

· The rationale for the specific requirement being unacceptable to the party submitting the question (define the deficiency).

· Recommended verbiage for the State’s consideration that is consistent in content, context, and form with the State’s requirement that is being questioned.

· Explanation of how the State’s acceptance of the recommended verbiage is fair and equitable to both the State and to the party submitting the question.

In the event that a Proposal contains modifications or exceptions to any Solicitation requirements, terms, or conditions which are not addressed during the question-and-answer period, they must be identified and submitted on Attachment 3 - Modification and Exception Form and must contain the same information outlined in Section 2.3.1, above. The State will not consider any modifications or exceptions that are not identified specifically on Attachment 3.

The State has sole discretion to determine if the modifications or exceptions submitted by an Offeror would result in a material change or otherwise threaten the integrity of the procurement process. See Appendix A - Idaho Terms and Conditions Background and Limitations. Pursuant to IDAPA 38.05.01.084.e, the State may only negotiate non-material modifications or exceptions. Modifications or exceptions which the State determines to be material, or which otherwise threaten the integrity of the procurement process, will not be accepted or negotiated. In the event that the Offeror has conditioned its Proposal on the State’s acceptance or negotiation of its proposed modifications or exceptions, and the modifications or exceptions are deemed material, the Offeror will be given the opportunity to retract the proposed modifications or exceptions from its Proposal. Failure to do so will result in the Offeror’s Proposal being found non-responsive, after which it will receive no further consideration.

Non-material modifications or exceptions may be discussed with the apparent successful Offeror, at the discretion of the State; however, the State shall have the right to reject any and all such modifications and/or exceptions, or to call an end to such discussions, and to instruct the Offeror to amend its Proposal and remove the modifications and/or exceptions. Failure to do so may result in the State finding the Proposal non-responsive.

Except as otherwise provided within the Solicitation, the State will not consider modifications or exceptions to the requirements, terms, or conditions which are proposed after the RFP Closing Date

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

General Instructions Proposals must be submitted electronically, as detailed below. Except as otherwise addressed in this solicitation, all submission materials must be submitted at the same time. If multiple submissions are received, only the latest timely submission will be considered.

Alternate proposals are not allowed.

All electronic files must be in Microsoft Word or Excel format; the only exception is for brochures or other information only available in an alternate format.

It is mandatory to submit your Proposal electronically via IPRO, all Offerors participating in this Solicitation must establish an account in the IPRO system, as it is necessary in order to process and/or award the resulting Contract(s). Establishing an account is free and only takes a few minutes.

Trade Secrets Paragraph 28 of the Solicitation Instructions to Vendors describes trade secrets to “include a formula, pattern, compilation, program, computer program, device, method, technique or process that derives economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons and is subject to the efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.” In addition to marking each page of the document with a trade secret notation (as applicable; and as provided in Paragraph 28 of the Solicitation Instructions to Vendors), Offerors must also:

Identify with particularity the precise text, illustration, or other information contained within each page marked “trade secret” (it is not sufficient to simply mark the entire page). The specific information you deem “trade secret” within each noted page must be highlighted, italicized, identified by asterisks, contained within a text border, or otherwise clearly delineated from other text/information and specifically identified as a “trade secret.”

Provide a separate document entitled “List of Redacted Trade Secret Information” which provides a succinct list of all trade secret information noted in your Proposal; listed in the order it appears in your submittal documents, identified by Page #, Section #/Paragraph #, Title of Section/Paragraph, specific portions of text/illustrations; or in a manner otherwise sufficient to allow the State’s procurement personnel to determine the precise text/material subject to the notation. Additionally, this list must identify with each notation the specific basis for your position that the material be treated as exempt from disclosure and how the exempting the material complies with the Public Records Law.

Submit a redacted copy of the Proposal with all trade secret information removed or blacked out. The redacted copy must be submitted electronically, with the word “redacted” in the file name, whether the Proposal is submitted manually or electronically.

Electronic Submission Electronically submitted Proposals must be submitted through IPRO, at (IPRO LOGIN). When submitting through IPRO, enter your Cost in IPRO as “$0,” and UPLOAD YOUR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, SEPARATE COST PROPOSAL, AND ALL OTHER REQUIRED SUBMITTAL ITEMS. Remember to submit an additional redacted version of the proposal if you have identified trade secrets.

Vendors are strongly encouraged to begin the process of submitting the response far enough in advance of the End Time to allow for resolution of technical difficulties. Be advised that the state is not responsible for a Vendor’s failure to timely submit a responsive submission due to any technical or technological difficulties. See IDAPA 38.05.01.61.02.

Submitting via IPRO, be advised that the Offeror for Proposal evaluation and award purposes is the entity profile under which the Proposal is submitted in IPRO, which must be the same legal entity presented in the uploaded response materials. If the entity identified on the state supplied Signature Page differs from the entity under which you submit your Proposal in IPRO, the information provided on the Signature Page prevails.

Offerors are further advised to upload response materials with descriptive file names, organized and consolidated in a manner which allows evaluators to efficiently navigate the Offeror’s response; as the State will print uploaded documents for evaluation in the manner received via IPRO.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

These instructions describe the format to be used when submitting a Proposal. The format is designed to ensure a complete submission of information necessary for an equitable analysis and evaluation of submitted Proposals. There is no intent to limit the content of Proposals.

4.1 Table of Contents

Include a table of contents in the Technical Proposal identifying the contents of each section, including page numbers of major Sections.

4.2 Format

Proposals shall follow the numerical order of this RFP beginning with Section 6 and continuing through the end of the applicable RFP Attachments, including all mandatory submission items detailed in Section 6 and identified throughout the RFP. Proposal sections and subsections must be identified with the corresponding numbers and headings used in this RFP. In your response, restate the RFP section and/or Section, followed with your response.

Offerors are encouraged to use a different color font, bold text, italics, or other indicator to clearly distinguish the RFP section from the Offeror’s response. Except for brochures, financials, work samples, or other similar submission items, all electronic Proposals must be submitted in Microsoft Word or Excel and must not be locked. Offerors are strongly cautioned against including website links or imbedded documents in the Proposal; the State will not be responsible for the RFP Lead or any evaluator’s failure to consider information outside of or imbedded in the Proposal.

4.3 Evaluation Codes

(M) Mandatory Response - failure to respond to any (M) section, or to comply with any mandatory specification or requirement, will render Offeror’s Proposal non-responsive and no further evaluation will occur.

(ME) Mandatory and Evaluated Response - failure to respond to any (ME) section, or to comply with any mandatory specification or requirement in an (ME) section, will render Offeror’s Proposal non-responsive and no further evaluation will occur. Offeror must respond to these sections as directed; points will be awarded based on predetermined criteria.

(E) Evaluated Response - a response is desired and will be evaluated. If Offeror cannot meet the requirement, or chooses not to respond for any reason, zero (0) points will be awarded for the section. If Offeror responds, points will be awarded based on predetermined criteria.

Note: Offerors are directed to IDAPA 38.05.01.074.03.a, as well as IDAPA 38.05.01.091.05, which allow the designated State official to waive minor informalities as well as minor deviations. The State also reserves the right to seek clarification on any (M), (ME), or (E) requirement.

PROPOSAL REVIEW, EVALUATION, AND AWARD

5.1 Overview

The objective of the State in soliciting and evaluating Proposals is to ensure the selection of a firm or individual that will produce the best possible results for the funds expended.

5.1.1 All Proposals will be reviewed first to ensure that they meet the Mandatory Submission Requirements of the RFP as addressed in Sections noted with an (M) or (ME). Any Proposal(s) not meeting the Mandatory Submission Requirements will be found non-responsive.

5.1.2 Evaluation Criteria

Technical Proposal:

5.2 Technical Proposal

5.2.1 The Technical Proposal will be reviewed first on a “pass” or “fail” basis to determine compliance with those requirements listed in the RFP with an (M) or (ME). All Proposals which are determined by the State, in its sole discretion, to be responsive in this regard will continue in the evaluation process outlined in this Section.

5.2.2 The Technical Proposal will be evaluated and scored utilizing one (1) or more Technical Proposal Evaluation Committee(s).

5.2.3 The scores for the Technical Proposal will be normalized as follows: The Technical Proposal with the highest raw technical score will receive all available Technical Points: 700 points. Other Proposals will be assigned a portion of the maximum available Technical Points, using the formula:

700 X raw score of Technical Proposal being evaluated highest raw technical score.

1.1 1.2 Interview/Presentations Following evaluation of Technical Proposals, the State may, in its sole discretion, invite two (2) top scoring Offerors to provide interviews/presentations. The State reserves the right to invite as many Offerors as it deems appropriate, based on the Technical Proposal evaluation scores. The State also reserves the right to invite additional Offerors to provide presentations after the initial round, in its sole discretion.

Interviews/Presentations will take place remotely via Microsoft Teams or another virtual meeting platform.

5.3 5.3.1 5.3.2

5.3.3 Interviews/Presentations will not be scored separately. Following Interviews/Presentations, the Technical Proposal Evaluation Committee(s) will review the Technical Proposal evaluation scores for each Offeror and may adjust the Technical Proposal evaluation scores, as the committee(s) deem appropriate, based on the information provided during the interviews/presentations.

5.4 Cost Proposal

5.4.1 The Cost Proposal will only be opened and evaluated for up to the top three (3) Offerors who receive the highest number of total normalized points.

5.4.2 The scores for the Cost Proposal will be normalized as follows: The cost evaluation will be based on the overall Total Cost. The Proposal with the Lowest Overall Total Cost proposed will receive all available Cost Points: 300 points. Other Proposals will be assigned a portion of the maximum available Cost Points using the formula:

300 X Lowest Overall Total Cost Overall Total Cost being evaluated.

5.5 Best and Final Offer

If the buyer/purchasing officer determines material changes to a formal solicitation or a proposal are necessary, the buyer shall establish a common time and date for submission of best and final offers. The buyer may conduct multiple rounds of best and final offers. If an Offeror does not submit a notice of withdrawal or a best and final offer, the Offeror’s immediate previous offer is the Offeror’s best and final offer.

5.6 Billing Procedure

The Contractor must provide a signed invoice for work completed on a quarterly basis. The invoice must be submitted no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the end of a quarter. No invoice will be accepted or paid without receipt of the invoiced deliverables. Invoices submitted without the required reports/documentation will be returned to the Contractor for resubmission.

The Contractor must provide the following information with each invoice:

Invoices and reports are to be submitted to:

5.7 Responsibility

Pursuant to IDAPA 38.05.01.081, the RFP Lead may, in the State’s sole discretion, require the apparent high point Offeror to provide documentation to demonstrate its responsibility. The RFP Lead may request documentation including, but not limited to: credit or financial reports, and references. Failure to provide requested documentation may result in the Offeror being deemed non-responsible. Nothing herein shall prevent the State from using other means to determine Offeror’s responsibility.

5.8 Award

Award of Contract will be made to the responsive, responsible Offeror whose Proposal receives the highest number of total normalized points.

MANDATORY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The technical proposal begins with the mandatory items identified in this list and the following sections. NOTE: THIS CHECKLIST IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY ONLY; OFFERORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SUBMITTING ALL MANDATORY SECTIONS, ATTACHMENTS, SUBMITTAL ITEMS, ETC., REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE IDENTIFIED IN THIS LIST.

☐ (M) Signature Page: All Proposals must be submitted with a state supplied Signature Page, attached separately in IPRO. For electronically submitted Proposals, submit a completed, scanned signature page.

☐ (M) Cover Form: Complete, sign, and submit Attachment 4, Cover Form.

☐ (M) Acknowledgement of Amendments: If the RFP is amended, the Offeror must acknowledge each amendment with a signature on the acknowledgement form provided with each amendment. Failure to return a signed copy of each amendment acknowledgement form with the Proposal may result in the Proposal being found non-responsive. See IDAPA 38.05.01.52.

☐ Section 7: Provide responses to all (M) and (ME) sections, and any other required submittal items.

☐ Section 8: Provide responses to all (M) and (ME) sections, and any other required submittal items.

☐ Section 9: Provide responses to all (M) and (ME) sections, and any other required submittal items.

☐ (ME) Cost Proposal: Provide your cost information on the form provided in Attachment 5, Cost Proposal. Submit the Cost Proposal in a separately uploaded file or separately sealed envelope.

☐ Redacted copy of Technical Proposal and list of Trade Secret redactions, as detailed in Section 3.2.

☐ Review the required types and levels of insurance—these are mandatory requirements. If you do not already have the required types and levels of insurance, you are strongly encouraged to contact your insurance representative to find out if you will be able to obtain the required insurance. (The Offeror should not purchase additional insurance in reliance of being awarded a contract). If you are awarded a Contract, failure to provide proof of the required insurance will be grounds for termination of the Contract.

BUSINESS INFORMATION

(ME) Business Profile Provide a profile of your business including Offeror’s business history, description of current service area, and customer base.

(ME) Experience Describe in detail your knowledge and experience in providing services similar to those required in this RFP. Offeror must have previously installed and maintained at least two (2) eddy covariance sites capable of measuring latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, net radiation, and ground heat flux, and processed raw eddy covariance data to obtain publication quality ET data.

(M) Organizational Chart Provide a copy of your organizational chart, including details of any relationships with parent and subsidiary organizations.

(ME) Demonstrated Success Provide specific data demonstrating previous success with installing and maintaining at least two (2) eddy covariance sites capable of measuring latent heat flux, sensible heat flux, net radiation, and ground heat flux, and processing raw eddy covariance data to obtain publication quality ET data.

(E) Customer Satisfaction Over the last ten (10) years, approximately what percentage of customers have chosen to remain with your company when given an option (e.g., exercising option renewals, extending agreements, selecting your company again upon re-solicitation, etc.)

(M) References Provide contact information for at least three (3) references. See Section 5.7.

ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING

Describe your qualifications to successfully complete the requirements of the RFP by providing a detailed response to the following:

(ME) Project Lead Identify the person who will be the dedicated Project Lead if Offeror is awarded a contract. Provide a description of the proposed Project Lead’s experience and qualifications. You may submit a resume in response to this section.

(ME) Key Personnel and Qualifications Provide a list of key management, customer service and other roles to be used in the fulfillment of this Contract (in addition to the Project Lead). Provide role descriptions, including requisite qualifications and experience of the person(s)/role(s) identified, as well as an explanation of how the person in that role will contribute to the project. Your response must demonstrate the extent to which you have the expertise to accomplish the Scope of Work. The Contractor must have at least one (1) employee assigned to the project that possesses a PhD in a science or engineering discipline related to micrometeorology. You must submit a resume or CV for all key personnel.

Vendor must submit staff changes in writing to IDWR, who, at their sole discretion, will determine whether to authorize a change, recognizing that certain circumstances (such as termination of employment) may occur that are beyond the Vendor’s control.

(M) Subcontractors If you intend to utilize subcontractors, describe the extent to which they will be used to comply with Contract requirements. Include each position providing service and provide a detailed description of how the subcontractors are anticipated to be involved under the Contract. Include a description of how the Offeror will ensure that all subcontractors and their employees will meet all Scope of Work requirements. NOTE: The information provided for subcontractors, if any, will be evaluated as part of Section 8.2, Other Key Personnel and Qualifications.

If you do not intend to utilize subcontractor(s), provide a statement to that effect.

SCOPE OF WORK

All sections of the Scope of Work are required contract services. Keep in mind, the evaluators will be scoring your Proposal based on the methodologies proposed and the completeness of the response to each item listed below. You must describe in detail how you will meet each requirement marked (M) or (ME) below.

Overview Offerors must refer to Scope of Work (SOW) requirements when writing RFP responses. Evaluators will be scoring each proposal based on the level of expertise and the completeness of the response to each section with an (M) or (ME) evaluation code in the SOW and other attachments.

(ME) Goals and Requirements (ME) The goal of this project is to produce a high-quality ground truth dataset to guide evapotranspiration (ET) and consumptive use (CU) modeling decisions. Consumptive use is defined as the amount of ET attributable to irrigation water. Questions we would like to answer with these data include: Please provide a written response of your hypotheses for the following questions.

What are the errors in METRIC model ET estimates and what are the underlying causes of those errors?

Which OpenET (https://openetdata.org/) model is best suited to southern Idaho?

Which ET reference fractions are most appropriate for temporal interpolation?

What is the best way to model CU in southern Idaho, and to what extent can CU be modeled with the datasets currently available to the earth science community?

(M) The high-level requirements are listed below and described in greater detail within other sections:

Contractor must purchase, install, and maintain three (3) eddy covariance (EC) systems and other instruments necessary to measure actual ET, reference ET, and CU. All instrumentation must be new, billed to, and owned by IDWR. Contractor must maintain and operate the instrumentation to assure data continuity and quality during the full term of the contract.

Contractor must collect and store data for all stations for three (3) full growing seasons, defined as March 15 through November 15. The Contractor must collect a partial growing season of data in 2024. They must start data collection as soon as possible and no later than September 1, 2024., starting in 2024.

Contractor must process raw data to obtain actual ET, reference ET, and CU values.

Contractor must compare measured ET and ET reference fractions to manually calibrated METRIC, each OpenET model, the OpenET model ensemble, and up to three (3) additional rasterized ET datasets.

(ME) Minimum Equipment Requirements The Contractor must procure new equipment for the project which will be the property of IDWR. Each site must have a minimum of the following: The Contractor must procure new equipment for the project which will be the property of IDWR. Each site must have a minimum of the following. Please describe how you would fulfill the requirements for each piece of equipment listed below with the equivalent or better of the sensors described:

One (1) EC system capable of directly measuring both sensible and latent heat fluxes.

Two (2) four-way net radiometers Two (2) soil heat flux pits, each with one (1) soil heat flux plate, four (4) soil temperature sensors, and one (1) soil moisture sensor.

One (1) eight (8) inch weighing bucket precipitation gauge.

Flowmeters to accurately quantify the water applied to the field. Flowmeters must meet the standards described in the Idaho Department of Water Resources List of Approved Closed Conduit Flow Meters (https://idwr.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/water-measurement/IDWR-flow-meter-list_2023.pdf). The purchase of flowmeters may not be necessary if the sites already have high-quality flowmeters installed; however, data must be collected in a near-real-time fashion. The Contractor must verify the quality of on-site flowmeter measurements using a portable ultrasonic flow meter or other meter tested and accepted by IDWR. When filling out your cost proposal assume a new flowmeter will be required at each site.

A minimum of two (2) soil moisture sensors, not including the sensors required for quantifying soil heat flux, must be installed to aid with quantifying consumptive use. The soil moisture sensors must be installed such that the volumetric water content of the crop root zone can be estimated.

One (1) LI-COR LI-710 system, or equal, and one (1) Bowen Ratio Energy Balance (BREB) system must be purchased and installed alongside the traditional eddy covariance stations to evaluate these options for quantifying ET.

The LI-COR LI-710, or equal, must meet the following criteria:

The sensor must measure actual (not potential or reference) evapotranspiration and sensible heat flux using the eddy covariance method.

The sensor must be a single, stand-alone sensor that provides fully processed evapotranspiration data without the need for additional data processing.

The sensor must not exceed an amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000).

The sensor must have dimensions equal to or smaller than 58 x 17.5 x 7.7 cm.

The sensor must consume no more than 1.5 Watts of power.

The Contractor must purchase the spare parts necessary to completely replace one (1) station. The A spare LI-COR LI-710, or equal, and the BREB systems do not require sparesis not required. The BREB system must be supplied with enough spare sensors to facilitate regular rotation and cross-validation.; IDWR will consider authorizing the purchase of a replacement spare part if one is needed. One (1) spare four-way net radiometer must be purchased and preserved for calibration purposes.

The variables necessary for estimating accurate flux footprints using the methods described in https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3695-2015 must be measured.

The variables necessary to calculate the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Penman-Monteith standardized reference ET (https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784408056) must be measured.

(M) Required Deliverables The Contractor must submit a progress report by February 1 following each growing season measurement period, except for the last growing season measurement period. A final report must be submitted before the end of the contract period (see Appendix B). Throughout the project, IDWR and the Contractor will have coordination meetings as needed. All reports must include the following:

A submittal of all raw data files, finalized energy balance data, reference ET, and CU data. Report both closed and unclosed energy balance ET and sensible heat flux.

The station maintenance logs.

Planting and harvest dates, and specific crop varieties, including brand name and variety number.

Records of the instruments, installation and removal dates, instrument placement, instrument calibrations, maintenance, and problems encountered with measurements.

Methods for processing high-frequency data to fluxes. Documentation must allow for independent reproduction of fluxes from the raw data.

EC post-processing methods. Documentation must be sufficient for independent reproduction of the gap-filled and closed energy balance ET data.

Methods for CU estimation. Documentation must allow for independent reproduction of CU data from the raw instrument data.

The dynamic flux footprints used to sample the satellite-based ET model data.

The satellite-based ET data clipped to an area extending beyond the field boundary and the maximum extent of the flux footprints.

The software used to generate the flux footprints and sample the satellite-based ET data along with documentation sufficient to reproduce the footprints and samples.

Graphical and statistical comparisons between the actual measured ET and ET reference fractions and the satellite-based model data. Separate comparisons must be made for overpass days and interpolated days to separate the error in the models from temporal interpolation error. Daily, monthly, and growing season comparisons must be made. In addition to comparing the raw ET values, comparisons must be made between the reference fractions used for temporally interpolating satellite-based ET. If satellite-based ET data are not available in advance of a deliverable due date, the Contractor must still provide the flux footprints necessary for sampling the satellite-based ET rasters.

The final report must contain all information contained in the progress reports and for all three growing seasons. The final report must also contain the following additional information:

Discussion of the relative merits of each of the satellite-based ET models for estimating actual ET in southern Idaho.

A comparison of ET estimated from the BREB and LI-COR LI-710, or equal, systems to the traditional EC ET.

Copies of any publications using the data collected during the project.

Recommendations for further investigation as necessary.

(M) Station Operation and Maintenance Data must be collected during the growing season from March 15 through November 15.

The Contractor must determine if and when equipment will be removed from measurement sites based on conversations with IDWR and the landowners. This must address both removal at the end of each growing season and the end of the contract period.

The Contractor must coordinate the installation and removal of sensors with the growers to accommodate tilling and harvest.

Root zone soil moisture must be documented the day before the first irrigation of the season and the day after the last irrigation of the season.

Data gaps must not exceed seven (7) consecutive days. A data gap is defined as a period when any required variable is not being accurately measured as a result of an instrument in need of maintenance, repair, or replacementA data gap is defined as a period when any required variable is not being accurately measured. Seven (7) days was chosen because the Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites have a joint return frequency of eight (8) days. Longer durations of missing data are allowable for BREB or LI-COR LI-710, or equal, systems because they are auxiliary instruments.

The Contractor must conduct maintenance visits at least twice during the growing season, not including any installation and removal at the start and end of the growing season. All maintenance visits and sensor calibration activities must be documented using an IDWR approved format.

(M) Data Transmission, Storage, and Processing Each station must transmit data to the Contractor in near-real-time, and the Contractor must monitor the data stream so that issues can be promptly detected and remedied.

The Contractor must derive actual ET, reference ET, and CU estimates from the data. Processing of high-frequency EC data must be performed using standard software (e.g., EddyPro) and published methods.

QAQC and data corrections must be documented to the extent that results can be independently replicated.

All post-processing of flux data must follow the methods described in https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109307, and use the flux-data-qaqc software available at https://github.com/Open-ET/flux-data-qaqc. To estimate CU, separating the contributions of precipitation (green water) and irrigation (blue water) to ET will be performed using the method described in https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2019.05.012.

All data must be shared with IDWR by February 1 following each growing season. Raw high-frequency data files must be preserved and remain in their original format. Processed data must be transmitted to IDWR in a machine-readable file format, such as CSV, with sufficient documentation to parse and interpret the data. The Contractor must maintain backup copies of all data to prevent data loss.

The Contractor must be responsible for acquiring OpenET ET model data. IDWR will provide the Contractor with METRIC ET data and up to three (3) additional raster ET datasets. Dynamic flux footprints must be generated to sample the areas of the ET models contributing to the measured flux. Dynamic flux footprints must be developed using the method described in https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-3695-2015. Additional details about how to calculate the dynamic flux footprints can be obtained from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109307.

Station Locations IDWR will identify three (3) station locations with input from the Contractor. Stations will be located in agricultural areas in southern Idaho. Fields within Landsat path overlaps are preferred to obtain the maximum number of clear Landsat satellite overpasses.

Department Responsibilities IDWR will establish agreements with landowners for access to the measurement sites. IDWR can conduct routine cleaning of the station instruments as agreed upon with the Contractor. IDWR will provide the Contractor with manually calibrated METRIC model ET data and up to three (3) additional rasterized ET datasets by December 15th after each growing season.

(ME) Sample work plan to submit with your RFP Station Siting Describe desirable measurement site characteristics for this project. Consider all the variables that will be measured and estimated and the goals of the project.

Instrument list Provide a table listing the equipment you would install at each site to accomplish the Scope of Work. For equipment beyond the minimum required (Section 9.3) explain why the additional equipment is beneficial. Table column names must include:

Manufacturer Model Part Number (if available) Description Quantity Unit Price

Site Design Draw a map of where you would place instruments within the field and explain your rationale. Show the mounting towers and how the sensors and mounting arms are oriented. Provide your considerations for meeting all the assumptions underlying the eddy covariance technique and avoiding data quality issues. For this proposal, assume the following site characteristics:

The site is ground water irrigated alfalfa.

Irrigation is applied with a one thousand three hundred (1300) foot radius center pivot with low elevation sprinklers. Span lengths are one hundred and eighty-seven (187) feet. There is nine (9) feet of clearance at the center of the span belly. Sprinkler drop tubes are spaced at six (6) feet. There is not an end gun.

A quality flowmeter is already installed, and the flow measurements accurately quantify the water applied to the field.

An access road leads to the pivot point from the south.

The field is planar and only has a gentle slope.

The water table is far below the root zone.

The dominant wind direction is from the west.

The site is surrounded by similarly sized center pivots irrigating a variety of crops.

Site operation and maintenance plan Assuming IDWR staff can only perform basic sensor cleaning, describe when and how you would maintain the measurement sites to assure data quality and continuity. Also, explain how you would document your calibrations, maintenance, and site and station characteristics. Describe how you might handle installation and removal timing considering grower field activities. Provide an example timeline of your field activities for operating and maintaining a site like the one described in section 9.9.3 for a growing season. Be clear about whether you would leave the station in place year-round or install and remove equipment for each growing season.

Data plan Explain how you would collect data in near-real-time, store data, and backup data; include details about avoiding data gaps exceeding seven (7) days. Describe the processing software you would use to process the raw data, and what QAQC and correction procedures you anticipate using. Describe how you would derive CU from the measurements, including any necessary assumptions. Explain how you would compare the EC ET and reference fraction data to the satellite-based data, and how your approach would help reveal which satellite-based ET model is most accurate. and include consideration of how you would accurately estimate the flux footprints.

ATTACHMENT 1 – PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM

RFP Event 10 Micrometeorological Measurement Data Processing System

Oral Information: Questions concerning an RFP must be directed in writing to the RFP Lead in the time period prescribed in the RFP document. Vendors are cautioned against relying on any verbal information and do so at the Vendor’s sole risk. The RFP may only be amended by written documentation posted to the state’s eProcurement System, IPRO.

Potential Offerors choosing to participate in the Pre-Proposal Conference must pre-register by submitting this completed form, via e-mail, to the RFP Lead at thayne.pearson@adm.idaho.gov. After the RFP Lead receives your form and the registration deadline passes, you will be provided with phone conferencing and meeting details. Please indicate in the appropriate column if your attendance will be by phone. Attendees are asked to register for the Pre-Proposal Conference no later than 5:00pm Mountain Time, Monday December 4th.

PLEASE PRINT:

ATTACHMENT 2 – OFFEROR QUESTIONS

Instructions:

DO NOT IDENTIFY YOUR NAME OR YOUR COMPANY’S NAME OR PRODUCT NAMES OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN YOUR QUESTIONS.

ADD ROWS BY HITTING THE TAB KEY WHILE WITHIN THE TABLE AND WITHIN THE FINAL ROW.

The following instructions must be followed when submitting questions using the question format on the following page.

1. DO NOT CHANGE THE FORMAT OR FONT. Do not bold your questions or change the color of the font.

1. Enter the RFP section number that the question is for in the “RFP Section” field (column 2). If the question is a general question not related to a specific RFP section, enter “General” in column 2. If the question is in regards to a State Term and Condition or a Special Term and Condition, state the clause number in column 2. If the question is in regard to an attachment, enter the attachment identifier (example “Attachment 1”) in the “RFP Section” (column 2), and the attachment page number in the “RFP page” field (column 3).

1. Do not enter text in the “Response” field (column 5). This is for the State’s use only.

1. Once completed, this form is to be e-mailed per the instructions in the RFP. The e-mail subject line is to state the RFP number followed by “Questions.” DO NOT SUBMIT QUESTIONS VIA IPRO.

ATTACHMENT 3 – MODIFICATION AND EXCEPTION FORM

Instructions: Complete this form and submit with your Attachment 2 - Questions if you are proposing modifications or taking exception to any of the requirements, terms, or conditions included in the RFP, including any documents incorporated by reference (such as the Standard Contract Terms and Conditions.) See RFP Section 2.4 for a full explanation of the process surrounding vendor-proposed modifications and exceptions.

Offerors must specifically address any and all proposed modifications and exceptions. Blanket requests to negotiate requirements, terms, or conditions will not be considered. Offerors must provide an explanation as to why the requirement, term, or condition should be considered non-material. Offeror must also provide a reason for the proposed modification or alternative language, specifically addressing the issues itemized in RFP Section 2.4.1.

The determination of materiality will be made at the State’s sole discretion. Non-material modifications or exceptions may be negotiated with the apparent successful Offeror, at the discretion of the State, and as otherwise provided in RFP Section 2.4.4.

ATTACHMENT 4 – COVER FORM

(M) Attachment 4, Cover Form must be completed, signed, and submitted with your Proposal. Failure to complete and submit this form may result in your Proposal being deemed non-responsive.

Instructions: The Technical Proposal must include a signed copy of this cover form. Copy and paste this form onto your company letterhead, or include the following information: Offeror’s company name, mailing address, phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and name of Offeror’s authorized signer. The cover form must include the RFP Number and Title and must be signed by an individual authorized to commit the Offeror to the contents of the Proposal.

☐ Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) ☐ Limited Liability Partnership ☐Sole Proprietorship ☐ Other (specify)

Offeror’s Tax Identification Number

EIN:

Offeror’s DUNS Number

DUNS:

Is Offeror a legal entity with the legal right to contract?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Other than modifications/exceptions identified on Attachment 3, in compliance with Section 2.4 of this RFP, does Offeror accept, and is Offeror willing to comply with, the requirements of this RFP and attachments, including but not limited to those identified in Section 1.4 and the Special Terms and Conditions in Appendix?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Is Offeror in compliance with applicable equal employment regulations?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Does Offeror affirm that it has not employed any company or person other than a bone fide employee working solely for the Offeror or a company regularly employed as its marketing agent, to solicit or secure the Contract, and that it has not paid or agreed to pay any company or person, other than a bone fide employee working solely for the Offeror or a company regularly employed by the Offeror as its marketing agent, any fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee, gifts, or any other consideration contingent upon or resulting from the award of the Contract.?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Does Offeror understand and agree that for breach or violation of the above term, the State has the right to annul the Contract without liability or, in its discretion, to deduct from the offered price the amount of any such fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee, gifts, or contingencies.

☐ Yes ☐ No

Firm(s) and/or staff responsible for writing the Proposal

Names:

Does Offeror affirm that it is not currently suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from federal or state procurement and non-procurement programs?

Note: vendor information is available at https://sam.gov.

☐ Yes ☐ No

Does the Offeror affirm that the Proposal will be firm and binding for ninety (90) calendar days from the Proposal opening date?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Signed By:

Printed Name:

Date:

APPENDIX A – IDAHO TERMS AND CONDITIONS BACKGROUND AND LIMITATIONS

Idaho Terms and Conditions – Background The Division of Purchasing…