REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Event #12467

Tree Inventory Planning Department

SECTION 1

OVERVIEW

1. Request for Proposals (“RFP” or “Event”): The City of Greensboro (“City”) hereby solicits and invites proposals from qualified Companies and Businesses (“Contractor”), with proven experience and expertise, to submit a response to the requirements outlined in this RFP and to provide tree inventory services for the City of Greensboro’s Planning Department. The intent of this proposal is to receive a firm price for tree inventory services with an estimated count of approximately 10,000 trees and planting sites that shall be performed in a manner consistent with established specifications outlined in this RFP.

2. Period and Terms of Contractual Agreement: The selected Contractor(s) will enter into a service agreement with the City to cover the proposed scope of work outlined in Section 2 of this RFP. Services shall begin approximately on September 15, 2026 through June 30, 2027.

3. Selection Process: After the close of this RFP, Contractor proposals will be reviewed and evaluated for responsible and responsive submissions, and that all proposals have the required documents as outlined in the RFP (if required). Award will be made based on best value, using the Award Matrix on page 10 of this RFP.

A Contractor that wishes to be considered for selection shall submit a complete, concise and comprehensible proposal in the form and manner required by this RFP.

All proposals, inquiries, or correspondence relating to this RFP, and all reports, displays, schedules, attachments, exhibits, and other documentation submitted by any Contractor will become the property of the City upon receipt. All proposals received are subject to North Carolina Public Records laws, as outlined in Chapter 132 of the North Carolina General Statutes, along with the Public Records Confidentiality Clause in this RFP, which governs access to such documents. Any statements or endorsements that contradict these laws and clauses will be disregarded. All proprietary information shared with the City will be subject to the provisions of Chapter 132 of the North Carolina General Statutes and the Public Records Confidentiality Clause.

4. Minimum Requirements: Contractors must meet the minimum specifications and requirements contained in the RFP. Contractors are required to acknowledge all exceptions to the minimum specifications, terms, and conditions in their proposals. Failure to do so may result in the response being deemed nonresponsive.

5. Awarded Contractor Responsibilities:

• The Contractor must be able to provide the City with a certificate of insurance with the endorsements naming the City as additionally insured, per the insurance requirements provided in the solicitation Terms and Conditions of this event. Insurance certificates must be provided seven (7) days after the notification of intent to award.

• Acknowledge and agree to provide, at Contractor’s own expense, a comprehensive and up-to-date background check for each employee assigned to work at any Greensboro Public Park within the Priority Planting Locations. Documentation is to be provided to the City within ten (10) days of contract award.

• Actively registered and in good standing with the NC Secretary of State

• Have and maintain an ‘Active” registration with Sam.gov

6. RFP Questions: Questions regarding this event may be submitted through the Greensboro eProcurement System (“GePS”). Answers will be posted in GePS within 3 days of the close of the Question and Answer Period; see Item 12: Submission and Response Schedule.

For the duration of this bid process, all correspondence regarding this RFP must be directed to Procurement Services. If it is determined that a Contractor fails to comply to this requirement and initiates correspondence with any other City staff, local elected officials, or representative about this bid process, they may be subject to disqualification.

7. Rights of the City – Proposals and Additional Documentation: As a result of this RFP, the

City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals received in whole or in part, to waive minor technicalities, or to negotiate with all responsive and responsible Contractors. The City also reserves the right to request financial documentation such as independently audited financial statements, most recent tax returns, or profit loss statements before awarding this contract.

8. Rights of the City – Multiple Awards: The City reserves the right to award contract(s) in whole or in part, whichever is in the City’s best interest as it determines in its sole discretion.

The City reserves the right to award multiple contracts.

9. Terms and Conditions: Contractor will abide by all the Terms and Conditions posted in the event. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to read the Terms and Conditions as they are incorporated into the final contract. Within the Terms and Conditions, you will find insurance requirements and reference to the North Carolina State Statutes regarding confidentiality requirements.

10. Due Date: Submittals in response to this RFP must be submitted to the City’s Procurement Services Division via GePS no later than August 25, 2026 by 2:00 PM EST as determined by the City’s computer server. Although the City tries to maintain continuous access to the GePS website, service may be interrupted. Therefore, suppliers are encouraged to submit proposals 24 hours prior to the event closing.

11. Submission and Response Schedule

RFP Issuance August 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM Questions and Answer Period Closes August 18, 2026 at 2:00 Pm Submission Period Ends August 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM Anticipated Start Date* September 15, 2026

*Some awards may require Council approval

12. Submittal Requirements: Contractors submitting a proposal must meet the minimum requirements outlined in Section 2: Scope of Work, Section 4: Submittal Materials, and submit the following information with their response:

• ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Urban Forestry Professional, or SAF Certified Urban and Community Forestry credential, plus a minimum of three (3) years of experience completing municipal tree inventories.

• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) credential

• Answer all questions on the Event.

Please note that this purchase will be funded through a Federal grant. Please review Federal funding requirements as they apply to this purchase under our Terms tab as well as Attachment 2 under the Attachment tab.

Please review Affidavit Attachments A-F under the Attachment tab that are required with this solicitation to be compliant with Federal grant funding.

•Attachment A Acknowledgment of Addenda must be completed and signed.

•Attachment B Non-Collusion Affidavit must be completed, signed, and notarized.

•Attachment C Lobby Certification must be completed, signed, and notarized.

•Attachment D Debarment Certification must be completed, signed, and notarized.

•Attachment E Buy America Compliance Certification must be completed, signed, and notarized. OR Attachment F Buy America Non-Compliance Certification must be completed, signed, and notarized.

Please complete, sign, and notarize all affidavits, these affidavits must be submitted with your bid. Failure to submit the required affidavit, your bid shall be considered non-responsive.

13. Contractor will bear all costs associated with the preparation of the bid response.

14. Any proposals may be withdrawn or modified prior to the RFP Submission Period End date and time stated in the Submission and Response Schedule.

15. Small Business Enterprises: The City of Greensboro established a Small Business Enterprise

Program (SBE) to provide small businesses with the opportunity to participate as prime contractors by establishing a unique marketplace where small businesses compete against other small businesses instead of larger, more established companies.

The SBE program is a sheltered market for small businesses. This allows smaller companies to participate in contracting and procurement events in areas of construction and repair, commodities and services. The program is non-specific to race or gender. It benefits all eligible small businesses principally located within Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham counties. To qualify as small business, a company must certify with the City's Office of Business Opportunity.

For questions about the City’s SBE Program, or to register to be a certified SBE, please contact the Office of Business Opportunity at (336) 373-2674 or visit https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/business/office-of-business-opportunity/small-business-enterprise-sbe.

SBE Policy Statement It is the policy of the City of Greensboro to ensure that all businesses, including SBEs, are afforded the maximum practical opportunity to participate in the City’s purchasing and contracting processes. Therefore, the City will not enter into a contract or be engaged in a business relationship with any business entity that has discriminated in the solicitation, selection, hiring, or commercial treatment of vendors, suppliers, subcontractors, or commercial customers on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or on the basis of handicap or any otherwise unlawful use of characteristics regarding the vendor's, supplier's or commercial customer's employees or owners; provided that nothing in this policy shall be construed to prohibit or limit otherwise lawful efforts to remedy the effects of discrimination that have occurred or are occurring.

SECTION 2

SCOPE OF SERVICES

This project is funded in part through the NC Forest Service (NCFS) Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Financial Assistance Program under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), grant reference 26-1 TMP09. The project area was identified through the city's 2025 tree canopy assessment, Keeping the Green in Greensboro, combined with TreeCanopy.us data and NCFS U&CF IRA project criteria. This project will have 3 phases, Tree Canopy Study, Tree Maintenance, and Tree Planting. This RFP addresses phase 1: Tree Canopy Study.

The City of Greensboro is soliciting proposals from qualified firms and professionals to provide tree inventory planning and tree inventory field services in support of the project. This RFP covers two components: (1) preparation of a Tree Inventory Plan (specifications document), and (2) field GPS tree inventory services consistent with that plan.

The selected consultant will execute a Contract with the City. All work shall comply with applicable City contract requirements and federal grant conditions under the Inflation Reduction Act. The City will be granted unrestricted use and sharing of this data for public use.

Task 1. Tree Inventory Plan Develop a written Tree Inventory Plan (specifications document) that will serve as the contractual and operational specification for the field tree inventory. See attachment 2: Priority Planting Locations. The plan must meet NCFS U&CF best management practices and is subject to concurrent City and NCFS BMP review and approval prior to initiation of field work. A draft Tree Inventory Plan is due within 21 days of contract execution. City and NCFS will review, and all review comments and revisions are to be incorporated into the final submitted plan.

The Tree Inventory Plan shall address, at minimum:

• Scope of inventory (streets, parks, and public properties within the project area)

• Trees to be inventoried and boundary rules (ROW definitions, border trees, etc.)

• Trees in High Occupancy Areas are to receive ISA Tree Risk Assessment Level 2; visual observation and data collection for all other inventoried trees

• High Occupancy Area parameters, consistent with TRAQ guidelines, defining areas regularly occupied by people and other high value occupants including but not limited to streets, sidewalks, parking areas, parks, and recreational facilities

• Data fields to be collected for each tree and planting site

• Management recommendation categories and work need definitions

• Management priority assignment criteria

• GPS equipment specifications and accuracy requirements

• Quality control protocol (field and office review percentages, species verification)

• Project schedule with milestones

• GIS data deliverable format and data dictionary (field names, types, and coded values)

Task 2. Field GPS Tree Inventory Walk each street, park, and public property within the project area as defined by the approved Tree Inventory Plan. Inspect and assess each tree and digitally collect management information per the approved specifications. Estimated count: approximately 10,000 trees and planting sites. The City will provide available data layers to support the field work. Geodatabase updates and corresponding QC reports shall be submitted to the City no less than monthly. Minimum professional certifications, education, and training standards must be met and maintained by all inventory staff assigned to the Contract throughout the life of the Contract.

Trees to be inventoried

• Street trees: All trees and planting sites within the street right-of-way (ROW). The City will provide available data layers to support the field work. Border trees (half the trunk within the ROW) shall be inventoried. Trees in question shall be verified with a City arborist.

• Parks and public properties: All trees within property boundaries, including within mowed areas as identified by the City, margin trees, and border trees. The City will provide a shapefile of parks and properties to be inventoried. Trees in question shall be verified with a City arborist.

Level of inspection

• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Level 2 for trees within High Occupancy Areas: a walk-around visual inspection from the ground using hand tools (sounding mallet, probing tool, binoculars), culminating in a management recommendation. A complete ISA tree risk assessment and rating will not be completed, although recommendations for additional assessment are acceptable if accompanied by supporting field notes.

• Visual observation and standard data collection for all other inventoried trees.

Management work need categories

• Tree removal: Trees with readily obvious health and structural defects. If one-third of a tree's live crown must be removed to eliminate defective parts or reduce whole-tree failure risk, the tree will be recommended for removal.

• Pruning needs: Prune train young trees (two or more years post-planting); prune mature trees for form, safety, longevity, clearance/sightline conflicts; removal of deadwood.

• Management priority: Highest, Medium, or Lowest, assigned to each removal or safety prune recommendation based on Tree Risk Assessment (targets present, occupancy rates, consequences of failure, etc.).

• Stumps: Tree stumps requiring removal.

• Planting sites: Vacant planting sites cataloged per NCFS U&CF Basic Planting Site

Standards Guidance.

Data fields The following shall be collected for each tree and planting site:

• Street, address, or property name

• Management unit / open space property identifier

• Tree genus, species, and common name (identified to genus and species; as detailed in the inventory plan)

• DBH (diameter breast height in inches at 4.5 feet above grade)

• Health rating: Good, Fair, Poor, Very Poor, or Dead

• Structure rating: Good, Fair, Poor, or Very Poor; most significant defect and severity

(roots, root crown, trunk, trunk/scaffold union, scaffolds, branches)

• Management/work needed and priority

• Overhead obstructions (electrical, telephone, lighting, structures)

• Site type (lawn area, natural area, border tree, tree lawn, or tree pit)

• Planting area: width and length to the nearest foot (3-foot minimum in both dimensions;

planting sites smaller than this will not be included in the inventory)

• Other flags: Risk (full assessment needed), Limited Access, Construction in Progress

• GPS coordinates per GPS accuracy requirements below

GPS accuracy requirements

• GPS/GNSS equipment shall achieve sub-meter horizontal accuracy under open-sky conditions. Where satellite reception is obstructed by canopy or structures, the consultant shall document the collection method used and the estimated accuracy for affected points.

The consultant shall describe their equipment and collection methodology in the proposal.

Quality control

• Field quality review of 2% of all data points collected in the first week, with emphasis on trees identified for removal.

• Field quality review of 1% of all data points each subsequent week, with emphasis on trees identified for removal.

• Cross-data-collector review for all field personnel.

• Office review of 100% of data for mismatch errors (health/structure ratings vs. removal classification; street classifications; diameter vs. pruning classification; and all similar verifiable errors).

• Field resolution of all identified data errors.

• 100% correct species identification; no unknowns in final dataset.

• Visual review and correction of all mapped tree locations.

• Brief written quality control (QC) report verifying findings and corrections submitted to the City with each monthly geodatabase update.

• The City reserves the right to conduct independent field verification of collected data at any point during the inventory period.

GIS data deliverables The City of Greensboro uses ArcGIS Pro and will integrate the inventory dataset into an existing tree geodatabase. The consultant shall deliver all inventory data in a format directly compatible with that environment.

• This project is being funded by federal funding. A copy of the inventory data will be provided to NCFS.

• File geodatabase (.gdb) or shapefile format. File geodatabase is strongly preferred.

• Coordinate reference system: North Carolina State Plane. The deliverable must match the coordinate reference system of the City's existing dataset.

• Field names, field types, and coded value domains shall be documented in a data dictionary submitted with the final deliverable.

• Field schema shall be consistent with the data fields specified above. The consultant shall provide a crosswalk table mapping their collection schema to the City's required data fields if any differences exist.

• All GPS point locations shall be delivered as a point feature class with attributes joined to points; no separate attribute tables requiring a join to use.

• FGDC-compliant metadata shall accompany the final dataset, describing collection methods, equipment, accuracy, date of collection, and coordinate reference system.

• The City will perform the merge with the existing dataset. The consultant is not responsible for deduplication or conflation with prior records; however, the final dataset shall contain no duplicate tree records within the new inventory itself.

Task 3. Inventory Report A written inventory report summarizing methodologies and urban forest management statistics, including:

• Inventory methodologies

• Species distribution; diameter distribution; health distribution; work need distribution

• For any species exceeding 10% of the total population: diameter distribution, health distribution, and work need

• Ecosystem services of inventoried trees

• Recommendations for future dataset maintenance

Project Milestones The following milestones apply to all work under this contract. Specific calendar dates will be confirmed at contract execution consistent with these intervals.

• Draft Tree Inventory Plan due within 21 days of contract execution.

• City and NCFS BMP review shall follow. Field collection shall commence within 7 days of NCFS BMP approval of the plan.

• Geodatabase updates and QC reports submitted to the City no less than monthly.

• Final geodatabase deliverable due April 1, 2027.

• Final inventory report due no later than June 30, 2027.

Invoice Requirements The contractor shall submit invoices no less than monthly. Each invoice shall be accompanied by a brief progress report (one page) describing work completed during the billing period, cumulative trees collected to date, geodatabase update status and data, and any issues affecting the project schedule.

SECTION 3

SUBMITTAL OF PRICING AND AWARD PROCESS

The City’s contract for tree inventory services for the Planning Department will be competitively negotiated. It is the City’s intent to select Contractor(s) qualified to provide such services based on demonstrated competence and qualification for the type of services proposed and thereafter to negotiate a contract for those services with the best-qualified Contractor(s). If a contract cannot be negotiated with the best-qualified Contractor(s), negotiations with that contractor shall be terminated and initiated with the next best-qualified Contractor. Selection of a Contractor shall include the use of good faith efforts to notify minority firms of the opportunity to submit qualifications for consideration.

The City reserves the right to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of City, to waive any irregularities in any response, to reject any or all responses, and to re-advertise for new responses. The City intends to proceed with the proposal review and selection process then enter into a contract without negotiation, while reserving the right to negotiate at any time. Any and all RFP dates are subject to change.

Evaluation Criteria

The City's Selection Committee will evaluate all submissions. All responses properly submitted and received will be evaluated against the criteria outlined below. The absence of required information may result the response being excluded from further analysis or evaluation. The responses must meet the following minimum qualifications in order to be considered for selection:

• Complete and accurate submittal of the specific proposal components.

• Contractor must demonstrate the ability to staff and supply the services proposed

Award Process

Selection of Award: Contractor must meet all requirements and the minimums listed in the RFP and attached appendices (if applicable). The City may engage in discussions with any potential Contractor prior to final determination and award. The City will award this contract to the best value Contractor(s).

Award Matrix

Available Points Selection Criteria

Level of Qualification and Experience Qualifications and experience of firm and key proposed staff, examples of similar work and projects

Project Schedule Provide a calendar-based timeline for all tasks and deliverables consistent with the project milestones specified in this RFP, including proposed field collection start date, monthly submission schedule

Quality Control and Accuracy Provide quality control plan and GPS data accuracy methodology

Plan and Strategy of Deliverable of Service Statement of the Contractor's understanding of the scope of work, technical approach , and methodology to providing the requested service

Proposed Overall Total Cost to Provide Service

The maximum allowable points will be assigned to the proposal with the lowest cost. Points awarded to remaining Contractors to decrease incrementally based on total cost proposed

100 Total Score

SECTION 4

SUBMITTAL MATERIALS

Contractors submitting a proposal must meet the minimum requirements and submit the following information with their response:

Contractor should respond to each of the following requirements in a clear, concise and comprehensive manner. The Contractor should carefully review the Public Records Confidentiality Clause when submitting information for this RFP.

Each proposal submitted for consideration must comply with the stipulations set forth in this RFP as well as any addenda and any written responses from the City to Contractor inquiries.

Contractor’s submission shall identify a single contact person for receipt of responses and information from the City. The method of receipt and distribution of information will be by e-mail. Therefore, include a contact name, phone number, mailing address and e-mail address with the proposal.

The submittal shall not exceed 15 single-sided pages, excluding resumes, references, and appendices (if provided). All relevant information must accompany the proposal. The Contractor shall include the information below in its submission in the following order:

1. Letter of Interest (1 page maximum). At minimum, the letter shall include:

• Legal name and address of the firm and the state(s) in which it is incorporated and chiefly located.

• Name, address, phone number, and email of the designated contact and principals authorized to conduct negotiations.

• A brief description of the services the Consultant proposes to perform.

• Acknowledgement of any addenda issued during the solicitation process.

• Acknowledge and agree to provide, at Contractor’s own expense, a comprehensive and up-to-date background check for each employee assigned to work at any Greensboro Public Park within the Priority Planting Locations. Documentation is to be provided to the City within ten (10) days of contract award.

• A statement that the Proposal will remain valid for acceptance for a period of three (3) months from its submission, and thereafter until the Consultant withdraws or a contract is executed, whichever occurs first.

2. Statement of Qualifications and Experience (3 pages maximum). This section shall include:

• Overview of the firm and any proposed subcontractor firm(s), including size, services provided, office location(s) from which work will be performed, and number and qualifications of personnel available for this project.

• Applicable NC licensing and certification information, maintained and available upon request for the contract duration

• Demonstration of a minimum of five (5) years of experience completing municipal GPS tree inventories, including delivery of GIS-compatible data products

• Three (3) references from comparable municipal tree inventory projects completed within the past five years, including client name, contact name and phone, project description, dates, and budget

3. Proposed Project Team. Provide the names, credentials, and proposed roles of all key staff and field inventory personnel. All staff performing field inventory work must hold the following minimum qualifications:

• ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Urban Forestry Professional, or SAF Certified Urban and

Community Forestry credential, plus a minimum of three (3) years of experience completing municipal tree inventories

• ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) credential

4. Technical Approach. Describe the proposed methodology for each task, including GPS equipment specifications, and any alternate methods for GPS location collection with supporting accuracy statistics. Describe the proposed GIS data deliverable format and how the consultant's collection schema maps to the City's required data fields. Include proposed crew size and daily production rate to support the project schedule. Include your firm’s quality control procedures.

5. Project Schedule. Provide a calendar-based timeline for all tasks and deliverables consistent with the project milestones specified in this RFP, including proposed field collection start date, monthly submission schedule, and April 1, 2027 geodatabase delivery date.

6. Fee Schedule. Complete Attachment 1 - Fee Schedule. Proposers may offer an alternative pricing structure if it better reflects the scope of work; any alternative shall be clearly labeled and explain

7. Attach all the completed affidavits here, A-D and either E or F. Make sure they are completed, signed, and notarized. If you fail to do so, your bid will be considered non-responsive.

Attachment 1: Fee Schedule

Proposers shall complete the following fee schedule. All unit prices shall remain fixed for the contract term.

Item Estimated Count

Unit Price (Per Tree/Site)

Extended Price

GPS street tree inventory (as specified)

Planting sites $ $

Park/public property GPS tree inventory

Subtotal - Field Inventory $

Inventory Report N/A $ $

TOTAL ~ 10,000 $

Attachment 2 - Priority Planting Locations

Attachment 2 - Priority Planting Locations.pdf