SPECIFICATIONS_FOR_DISASTER_RESPONSE__PUBLIC_ASSISTANCE_PROGRAM_CONSULTING_SERVICES.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Peace River Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PRECO), hereby gives notice to prospective bidders that proposals will be received by PRECO, through the VendorLink portal until 2:00 p.m. on 4/15/2025 for:

PRECO BID # 2025-05

SPECIFICATIONS FOR DISASTER RESPONSE & PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CONSULTING SERVICES

All Bidders are required to:

Send Bid Proposals electronically through the VendorLink portal where the opportunity was broadcast.

PRECO wants to engage in three-year agreements for these services. The three-year agreement will allow for price adjustments at the provider's request effective on January 1 of the following calendar year of the agreement's effective date and each subsequent January 1 thereafter. The price adjustment shall be the lesser of a fixed percentage submitted with this RFP by the provider or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the preceding 12 months prior to the effective date of the price adjustment.

It is the sole responsibility of each Bidder to deliver its Proposal to PRECO at the place designated for receiving Proposals and prior to the time for opening Proposals last announced to Bidders. Any

Proposal received after the time last announced for opening Proposals may be retained by PRECO or returned to the Bidder, but such Proposal shall be rejected as not responsive.

NOTE: PRECO will entertain questions for clarification until 4/11/2025. All questions must be submitted within the

VendorLink portal for this bid opportunity. Question period will close after this date.

Each proposal should constitute an offer to PRECO, as outlined therein, and should be irrevocable after the time announced for the opening thereof.

PRECO reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive irregularities and informalities in any or all proposals, and to separately accept or reject any item, items, bid schedule or bid schedules of the proposal which PRECO deems to be in the best interest of PRECO.

Tim Gibson Purchasing Agent

GENERAL

Peace River Electric Cooperative (PRECO) is an electric distribution cooperative serving more than 72,000 homes and businesses in central Florida. Headquartered in Wauchula, Florida, PRECO provides electricity to portions of 10 Florida Counties which include Brevard, Desoto, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Osceola, Polk and Sarasota.

Our service area extends from near Vero Beach on the eastern shores of Florida to Ruskin on the Gulf of Mexico.

Employees are divided between three work locations: Indian Lake Estates, Wauchula and Manatee, and among seven departments: Executive, Finance, Human Resources, Engineering, Transmission, Distribution, and Member Services.

PRECO and its representatives have exercised due care in preparing this Request for Proposal (RFP). All information contained herein is believed to be substantially correct. However, bidders should verify information independently if desired. PRECO and its representatives do not warrant the accuracy of information contained herein.

PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to select a qualified firm to assist PRECO in obtaining the maximum reimbursement from all sources for expenses related to disaster response and recovery on known and future disasters.

PRECO seeks to retain the services of a qualified firm or firms(s) to perform financial consulting services as the PRECO determines - necessary to support the financial, procurement, and engineering/operations staff of PRECO primarily, but not limited to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster reimbursement and ongoing mitigation applications. Consultant will be expected to work with various departments to ensure that maximum insurance proceeds are received in conjunction with reimbursements from all sources including FEMA. The consultant will also provide training assistance to PRECO in meeting all FEMA requirements and effectively communicating with FEMA in order to maximize FEMA reimbursement opportunities. The main objective of this proposal is to ensure that PRECO receives maximum reimbursement from all sources in a timely manner after the occurrence of a natural disaster.

PRECO’s goal is to receive all eligible dollars through claiming reimbursement for the financial impacts of disaster response and recovery.

1. Consultant’s Role

a) The consultant will respond within 48 hours of notification from PRECO for need of support to a disaster.

b) The consultant will assist PRECO in a developing a strategy for the tracking of costs related to the project(s) for a given event and timely submission of items required by the various governmental agencies for maximum reimbursement.

c) Report regularly to the cooperative, bi-weekly (can be reduced at agreement between PRECO and Consultant) during the initial recovery period and until the projects have been approved by FEMA and The Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM).

d) Developing a tracking system for use jointly by the Consultant and PRECO that allows for efficient tracking and development of documents required for submission to the relevant governmental agencies (FEMA, FDEM, etc).

e) Provide PRECO with not to exceed hourly rate(s) estimate that may be required per event.

2. Scope of Services

a) In accordance with federal guidelines and regulations (see FEMA Field Manual as updated/amended from time to time), Consultant will work with PRECO staff assisting in compiling, categorizing, recording, tracking and filing all disaster related costs documentation on approved forms and/or via the FEMA Grants Manager Grant Portal and FloridaPA.com as appropriate in support of the financial reimbursement process.

b) Assist PRECO in requesting any available immediate funding or grants.

c) Assist PRECO in identifying mitigation measures that PRECO may qualify for under the various Stafford Act programs including Section 406 and 404 mitigation programs.

d) Assist PRECO in the procurement process as required in bidding documents, contractor selection and contract review to maintain compliance with appropriate regulations.

e) Provide where requested by PRECO, clerical support to review and approved payment documentation for disbursements related to the disaster.

f) Provide assistance to PRECO with any appeal(s) that may be needed to complete the reimbursement process.

If needed, Consultant will provide recommendations for outside counsel to be considered by PRECO in the process.

g) When audits are required by the reimbursing agency (FEMA/FDEM) the consultant will assist in providing documentation and required schedules to the agency conducting the audit.

Submittal Requirements

Proposals must be submitted in the format, including heading descriptions, outlined below. To be considered, the proposal must respond to all requirements stated below. Any other information thought to be relevant, but not applicable to the enumerated categories, should be provided as an appendix to the proposal.

Required Information

1. Title Page. Show the name of Contractor’s firm, address, telephone number, name of contact person, date and the subject: Request for Proposals for Disaster Response Consulting Services for Peace River Electric Cooperative.

2. Table of Contents. Include a clear identification of the material by selection and by page number.

3. Cover Letter and Executive Summary. This letter must be signed by an individual who is authorized to negotiate terms, render binding decisions and commit the Consultant’s resources (e.g., the president or executive director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship). The letter must indicate the legal status of the Contractor (sole proprietorship, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists.

4. Firm Overview. Provide a brief history and description of your firm’s business organization and experience as it relates to the requirements discussed previously. Include the location of offices and the specific expertise and services that distinguish your firm.

5. Relevant Expertise and Experience. Provide a narrative statement regarding your experience as it relates to the

Scope of Services of the RFP. Additionally, include a statement regarding your understanding of the requirements as outlined in the RFP.

6. References. The Consultant shall provide at least three references, within the past five years of clients for whom these requested services have been performed that are comparable in quality and scope to that specified in this RFP. The references shall include names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the clients for whom prior work was performed and include an explanation of the services provided.

7. Description of Approach. Provide a comprehensive description of the Consultant’s proposed approach. This section should convey the Contractor’s understanding of the project.

8. Cost Proposal. The following cost proposals are required and are to be based on the expectations that Consultant support will be available within 48 hours a request of need by PRECO.

A. Provide a fully detailed cost proposal including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks described in the Scope of Services above. Example pricing sheet for future work is on Exhibit A.

9. Personnel. Provide the names, proposed roles, background and experience, and availability of the personnel that would perform requested services, and specifically identify the primary person(s) who will be responsible for managing the relationship with PRECO.

Addenda and Supplemental Information

Any and all addenda to the RFP will be provided to all Proposers who received the initial RFP and provided contact information to PRECO, should it become necessary for PRECO to make revisions, request additional information, or respond to written inquiries relating to the RFP. It is the responsibility of potential proposers to timely submit contact information to facilitate receipt of addenda and supplemental information requests, if issued.

Evaluation and Award Criteria A Selection Committee appointed by PRECO will evaluate and rank each Proposal.

Review of Proposal - PRECO’s designated selection committee will review responses to the RFP. Selections will be based on completeness of proposals and on which Proposals demonstrate the best combination of expertise, experience, project understanding, and approach.

Evaluation Criteria – The Selection Committee will evaluate and score proposals on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements of this RFP. Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

Selection Criteria

The following weighted criteria will be utilized to select the Contractor to be awarded this contract:

Qualifications of the Contractor/Staff 25

Relevant Past Performance 20

Technical Approach 30

Cost Proposal 25

TOTAL 100

Anticipated Schedule (subject to change)

February 14, 2025 Post Bid

April 11, 2025 Questions Due

April 15, 2025 Bid Due

Notice of Intent to Award

Attachment A

COST PROPOSAL FORM

Provide a fully detailed cost proposal including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks described in the Scope of Services above, including the cost various types of staff levels to support PRECO’s needs.

The below is an example of possible positions that may be needed to support the scope of services. Please provide positions and purpose of staff that would be used in the scope of service. Please indicate the calculation of pay including overtime (premium pay) and other costs including travel that are not based on standard hourly rates.

Fixed Hourly Rate (Position rate is all inclusive labor, taxes, overhead & Profit)

Hourly Rate

Project Executive / Project Manager

Project Manager

Project Engineer

Project Specialist

Project Estimator

Project Inspector

Project Technician

Administrative Support