Zero_Waste_Muni_Plan_with_Composting_Expansion_Pilot.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2024-RFP-308

ZERO WASTE MUNI PLAN WITH COMPOSTING EXPANSION PILOT

City of Pittsburgh

City-County Building

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: March 2, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: March 9, 2026, 3:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/pittsburghpa https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

City of Pittsburgh

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Zero Waste Muni Plan with Composting Expansion Pilot

I. Introduction II. Instructions to Bidders

III. Scope of Work IV. Proposal Format Requirements V. Evaluation Phases

VI. Equal Opportunity Review Commission Terms VII. Award and Contract

VIII. General Terms & Conditions IX. Miscellaneous Requirements X. Vendor Questionnaire

Attachments:

A - Pittsburgh Road Map to Zero Waste Final

B - PRC- USDA SoilMillPGH Case Study Report 2025

D - MUNICIPAL WASTE PLANNING, RECYCLING AND WASTE REDUCTION ACT

E - 2019 ALLEGHENY COUNTY MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN -

UPDATE

F - Report on Cost of Waste by Allegheny College

G - Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan 3.0

H - Updated GOLD Plan Report

I - REPORT TACKLING FOOD WASTE IN CITIES: A POLICY AND PROGRAM TOOLKIT

Request for Proposal #2024-RFP-308 Title: Zero Waste Muni Plan with Composting Expansion Pilot

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

The City of Pittsburgh, Office of Management and Budget, on behalf of the Departments of City Planning and Public Works are soliciting proposals from qualified businesses to provide Zero Waste and compost planning.

1.2. Background

Having highlighted its significance in the City's Climate Action Plan, Sustainable Development Goals, and

Just Transition planning, we recognize the need to seek city-wide participation from all sectors to improve our efforts in increasing diversion and striving for Zero Waste by 2030.

As Western PA is home to several landfills and our City is one of the largest municipal waste contributors in Allegheny County, we realize that a solution for organic waste offers great potential for positive regional change and achieving our Zero Waste goals. Organic waste (especially surplus food, food scraps, and yard waste) is a large contributor to US landfills. Removing such waste from our stream, if appropriately planned, would have broad impacts on the region’s soils, food, water, and air.

The City of Pittsburgh's Roadmap to Zero Waste, Climate Action Plan, and, more recently, the City's

Goals on Littering and Dumping (GOLD) Plan, along with the SoilMill PGH waste pilot, have been instrumental in comprehensive visioning that highlights the importance of regional waste planning which notes compost programming as a critical component in achieving the city’s broader waste diversion goals.

While weekly curbside compost collection would be advantageous to many in the city, the infrastructure to support such a program doesn’t currently exist. Additionally, with our current budgetary constraints, fleet, and staff, it is not feasible for the City’s Environmental Services team to operate a third route for curbside compost service, and our street division locations lack the space to accommodate meaningful composting operations. In 2023, through its SoilMill PGH Pilot, the city tested a variety of composting methods among residents and its community centers. In light of all the work and progress we have made, the city is now seeking assistance to solidify the next phase of Pittsburgh's Zero Waste planning.

The City has identified infrastructure and resource gaps that inhibit our ability to meet existing and future goals. Previous efforts to bridge these gaps include the expansion of our existing seasonal

Farmers’ Market composting drop-offs and a state-mandated twice-a-year curbside yard waste pickup program. Currently, the City of Pittsburgh is unable to collect compost as part of its residential curbside service or to manage the processing of food waste independently.

With the issuance of the RFP, the City is seeking assistance with further site and technology planning, cost analysis, goal setting, and feasibility testing to facilitate a transition to a circular economy. We believe there are innovative solutions available that will enable us to establish partnerships with local professionals and leverage municipal collaborations and policies to ensure a sustainable Zero Waste future for Pittsburgh. We look forward to receiving proposals that incorporate the lessons learned and best practices in recycling, waste management, and composting. It is anticipated that the results from this RFP be considered as an update and addendum to The City’s existing Zero Waste plan, with the addition of an implementable plan for a year-round municipal composting program.

1.3. Contact Information

Omoye Aikhuele

Sustainable Procurement Specialist

414 Grant Street

Pittsburgh, PA, PA 15219

Email: omoye.aikhuele@pittsburghpa.gov

Phone: (412) 255-0803

Department:

City Planning

1.4. Timeline

The following represents the tentative schedule for this project. Any change in the scheduled dates for the Pre Proposal Conference (if applicable), Deadline for Submission of Written Questions, or Proposal

Submission Deadline will be advertised in the form of an addendum to this RFP. The schedule for the evaluation process and other future dates may be adjusted without notice.

RFP Released January 21, 2026

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-Mandatory) February 3, 2026, 1:00pm

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held via

Microsoft Teams. Please use the RSVP Manager to sign up for the meeting - you will be sent the

Teams Link the morning of the meeting.

Question Submission Deadline March 2, 2026, 5:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline March 9, 2026, 3:00pm

Proposal Review and Supplier Scoring March 2026

Contract Award April 2026 mailto:omoye.aikhuele@pittsburghpa.gov tel:(412)255-0803

2. Instructions to Bidders

2.1. Submittal Requirements

All proposals must be submitted electronically. No proposal shall be accepted in person, by U.S. Mail, by private courier service, via oral or email communication, telephone or fax transmission.

Respondents are required to provide one (1) electronic copy of their proposal in either MS Word or PDF by the submission deadline.

If additional hard copies are requested, the proposal should be bound or contained in a loose leaf binder. Document pages shall be 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches in size or folded to such a size. Use section dividers, tabbed in accordance with this Section as specified below. All proposals will need to be provided electronically so the following format will apply for the electronic submittal through the

Beacon website.

2.2. Additional Submission Considerations

Late proposals will not be accepted or considered. Respondents should allow enough time to register company on the City's e-Procurement Portal, search the solicitation they wish to respond to and complete the submission process online before the deadline.

The City of Pittsburgh shall not be responsible for proposals delivered to a person or location other than that specified herein.

All submittals, whether selected or rejected, shall become the property of the City of Pittsburgh and will not be returned.

All costs associated with proposal preparation shall be borne by the applicant.

3. Scope of Work

3.1. Project Scope Outline and Deliverables

As part of advancing the compost component of the existing Zero Waste Plan (produced in 2017), Pittsburgh's SoilMill PGH Part 1 tested various solutions to municipal composting which included private pickup, drop-off stations, and at-home solutions using worm composters, tumbler units, Aero Bin composters, Bokoshi composters, Earth Machine composters, and electronic Mill food recycling systems.

The next step is to update the existing plan with an implementable waste strategy for Pittsburgh that:

• Enhances existing operations,

• Provides cost estimations for improvements, and

• Expands the existing Roadmap to Zero Waste section on composting to include a phased municipal composting strategy that will be piloted to test its feasibility.

Expected Project Deliverables:

1. An updated Zero Waste plan with actionable goals and cost estimates for the City to enhance its existing waste system/operations, which includes existing recycling and refuse management infrastructure.

a. Updates to the Roadmap to Zero Waste with specific emphasis on organic waste management and composting that incorporates a scalable action plan to establish a year-round municipal composting program for residents and city-owned facilities and proposes solutions to other forms of organic waste.

2. An updated Zero Waste plan including educational and outreach materials to support both internal workforce training and external community engagement. While particular emphasis shall be placed on composting organic materials, the incorporation and aesthetic refresh of existing education and outreach materials related to the management of regular refuse, recycling and Hard-to-Recycle materials are also expected.

3. An implementable composting pilot that will serve as a scalable sample of the proposed year-round municipal composting program. The pilot budget is $22,000 (This amount is separate from the budget allocated for this bidding opportunity).

a. A report summarizing the pilot's findings and next steps.

3.2. Recommendations to Enhance Existing Systems and Operations: Greater Pittsburgh Resource Recovery Station (Eco Park and Transfer Station) with a special focus on composting and the management of organics

A component of the Zero Waste plan update should identify infrastructure upgrades for existing

Department of Public Works Environmental Services, Street, and Forestry operations. It should include potential locations in or near the City, with the potential of becoming a Resource Recovery - Transfer

Station (or network of stations) and operational strategies for processing compost and staging waste, recycling, and organic waste for transfer and processing offsite. A responsive proposal shall include:

• Site recommendations should serve as a Pittsburgh asset with the potential to become a Greater

Pittsburgh regional asset that accounts for the needs of residents (especially potential neighbors) and municipal operations. Site plans should serve to maintain, mitigate, or improve existing or potential environmental conditions that may arise, with the aspirational goal of developing buffer zones that can serve as an ecological park for recreation or wildlife, as deemed most appropriate.

• Location recommendations should include a proposed sustainable funding strategy with city and/or contracted options for operational and site management. Associated requirements and cost projections for permitting, setup, operations, and continued maintenance should be included.

• Special considerations to existing legislation, legislative amendments or additions that might be necessary to make the project possible.

• Examples of the types of waste moving through the station include organic waste, refuse, recycling, and hard-to-recycle materials such as e-waste and tires.

The main organic materials to consider include food waste, compostable accessories (serving ware and can liners), and yard/wood waste. Recommendations should also include options for processing organic materials on-site and/or the availability of and logistics for connecting with processors capable of processing organic waste into compost. In addition to the previously mentioned organic wastes, we are also interested in possible solutions for managing animal waste from: cat litter, dog parks, public safety dog kennels, horse stables, and possible Zoo Waste. Though composting is our primary goal, we recognize all organic waste may not be well-suited for composting and are therefore also interested in opportunities such as waste-to-energy (anaerobic digestion ), biochar and other creative solutions.

3.3. Zero Waste Education, Outreach and Training

Recognizing that a successful program will need strong community and municipal employee education and training resources, we would like to build on/incorporate existing Zero Waste, GOLD Plan, and Just

Transition Plan resources as well as lessons learned from SoilMill PGH - Part 1 to further establish a reliable outreach and communication campaign. The campaign should include:

• Creative tools for City internal staff, project partners, households (single and multi-family), schools and businesses.

• Tools, training, and resources that are editable, accessible to and remain the property of the City of Pittsburgh beyond the completed contract.

A successful submission shall integrate creative education and training solutions, leveraging technology and language, to serve multigenerational users of various genders, from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with different physical, language, educational, and social abilities.

Understanding that many tools and resources already exist, it is not an expectation to create or recreate materials that are readily available, but rather to propose how they should be compiled and delivered, what should be prioritized, explain the cost and maintenance needs to sustain them, and demonstrate their usefulness as part of the pilot.

3.4. Zero Waste Plan Pilot - Demonstration of Roadmap to Composting Plan feasibility and scalability

A component of the project must include a municipal compost plan, inclusive of opportunities for local composters and service providers or other public/ private partnerships.

After determining the plan, the respondent will be expected to assist in the execution of a pilot, based on their proposed municipal compost plan.

• The pilot shall model a residential composting route through a Pittsburgh corridor, neighborhood, council district, or network of neighborhoods.

• The piloted solution, technology, location, and the number of households served are to be determined as part of the pilot planning process, but should serve about 500 households and include different City-owned facilities selected from the following categories:

o City Administrative Buildings, o City Public Safety Services (Police, Fire, EMS), o City Park Pavilions, o Department of Public Works

▪ Forestry wood & yard waste,

▪ Streets Division Waste Drop Off Centers, and o Citiparks Services (Farmers Market, Farm/ Gardens, Sports Pavilions, Community and

Healthy Active Living Centers).

• A report including the collection and processing of data should be included as part of a final report on the pilot's progress.

Pittsburgh has an existing network of businesses committed to composting and, therefore, in preparation for the pilot, will supply a list of vendors to work with for compost pickup and processing, not to the exclusion of additional service providers if necessary.

We realize it may be necessary to include national or international partners, but it is strongly encouraged to prioritize the utilization of local subcontractors and determine if their function can be fulfilled in whole or in part locally.

4. Proposal Format Requirements

4.1. Response Format

All submitted responses shall follow the formatting below, and all proposals will need to be provided electronically through the City's e-Procurement Portal. Each numbered section is to be uploaded as a separate file. If hard copies of submissions are required, each numbered section shall be a removable tab. Document pages shall be 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches in size or folded to such a size.

Response to Scope

Firm’s Qualifications, Experience and References

• Company profile, project team, and details of any relevant experience with zero waste planning, especially organic waste and composting. Be sure to include the following:

o Firm’s Qualifications, Experience and References - relevant information regarding previous planning experience, including:

▪ Number of years in the business.

▪ Overview of services offered.

▪ Experience with waste systems. Please highlight any specific experience working in or with Pennsylvania and/or Pittsburgh waste, recycling, and composting certifications, permits, and licensing policies if available.

o Availability – Describe the availability of project personnel to participate in this project in the context of the firm’s other commitments.

• Summaries of relevant, completed plans (not to exceed 10 pages per plan summary) that demonstrate the company's:

o Experience working with municipal leadership, especially waste management (recycling, organic, refuse) professionals, if available o Ability to work at the neighborhood and/or municipal scale or equivalent o Ability to complete strategic planning work o Ability to collect, analyze, and incorporate quantitative and qualitative data into the resulting plan o Community involvement as part of planning actions. (Please include public comments or feedback if received.)

o Consideration for any cultural, ethnic, age, gender, socio-economic, scholastic and physical abilities in terms of diversity, equity, and just transitioning as part of your organization and the planning process o Commitment to environmental justice, sustainability, and resiliency o Capacity for creative public/ private solutions to various types of situations, especially waste management problems o Ability to produce an implementable plan, inclusive of cost projections for systemic and infrastructure upgrades

• References from, at a minimum, three relevant projects with contact information. The references should preferably correspond to the projects summarized in section G:

o Please include the names and location of similar projects. The service provided, the date of service, and the client organization.

o The references of such projects, to include: contact name and title, phone, and e-mail address of preferably the agency reference(s) overseeing the planning effort.

• If needed, you may include an Appendix that includes o Additional supporting information, such as:

▪ Additional Résumé highlights or details

▪ The full reports or critical details of any summarized plans

▪ Any additional information that supports your proposal

Qualifications of Project Team

Provide a brief summary of the qualifications and experience of each team member assigned to this project, including length of service with the firm and resume/bio, and the qualifications /experience of any sub-consultant staff on your project team.

Include an organization chart of the proposed project team. The organization chart should contain the names of all key personnel and subconsultants with titles and their specific task assignment for this contract.

Project Approach and Plan

Provide a detailed discussion of your firm’s approach to the successful completion of the scope of services outlined in this RFP. Include thorough discussions of methodologies you believe are essential to accomplishing this project or completing the scope of services, particularly related to planning, outreach, and data collection. Include a proposed work schedule to accomplish all of the required tasks within the desired timeline. Identify the staff roles who would be assigned to each major task, including sub-consultants. Provide an outline (i.e., timeline) of your anticipated schedule for completing consultant tasks, which should at a minimum include:

o planning development o report production o pilot execution

Scope of Work Deliverables - Outline your proposed deliverables for the Scope of Work Considerations listed in this document.

Cost Proposal

Provide a total cost proposal for all services to be delivered, and a breakdown of costs delineated by major phase and/or deliverable as described in your project plan. Include a schedule of hourly rates for all proposed staff and the amount of time each person will be devoted to this project.

Specifically, please be sure to include:

• Estimated Hours by Task - Provide estimated hours for each proposed or optional task, including projections for the time required for meetings, conference calls, etc.; and the total project cost.

• Schedule of Rates and Cost by Task - Provide a schedule of rates and an anticipated cost of each task identified in the Scope of Work Deliverables section, including the preliminary and final reports, and the total project cost.

Define any reimbursable expenses (e.g., travel) requested to be paid by the City. Note: If travel expenses are included, the rate assumptions generally should not exceed the United States General Services

Administration (GSA) rates for Pittsburgh.

PLEASE NOTE: The City does not agree to late fees, penalties, interest, attorney’s fees or other contingent liability. In no event shall the City be liable for special, indirect, incidental, reliance, lost profits or other business interest damages.

Demonstration of Good Faith Effort

Include statements of assurance regarding the following requirements detailed in the Equal Opportunity section of this solicitation:

A. Solicit certified MBE/WBE/Veteran-Owned companies for various service categories where opportunities exist to subcontract within their company’s business model.

B. Complete MWDBEVOSB Commitment Form to document good faith effort. Please provide scope of services to be delivered by each subcontractor. If a subcontractor is not chosen, a justification is required describing why services could not be rendered by a sub-contractor.

C. Provide email documentation of solicitation correspondence with MBE/WBE/Veteran-Owned companies.

Failure to include all of the elements specified may be cause for rejection. Additional information may be provided, but should be succinct and relevant to the goals of this RFP. Excessive information will not be considered favorably.

5. Evaluation Phases

Selection Procedure

Your Proposal will be evaluated by a Proposal Committee comprised of the Director or other supervisor of the Using Department, one or more members of the Director’s staff, at least one member of the

Office of Management & Budget and any other department representatives as deemed necessary.

Submittals will be reviewed for responsiveness, and responsive submittals will further be screened by a selection committee in accordance with the criteria listed below. The firm(s) submitting the highest rated proposal may be invited for interviews.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Firm’s Qualifications, Experience and

References

Vendor response demonstrated that the firm has the experience and capabilities to successfully perform the scope of services, including providing references for clients of similar size and scope.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

2. Qualifications of Project Team

Vendor response provided a brief summary of the qualifications and experience of each team member assigned to this project, including length of service with the firm and resume/bio, and the qualifications /experience of any sub-consultant staff on your project team.

Points Based 15 (15% of Total)

3. Project Approach and Plan

Vendor response demonstrated a firm understanding of the scope of services, the response included thorough and complete responses to the items outlined in the Section

4, and the vendor has the appropriate expertise, procedures, and methods in place to perform the scope of services.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

4. Cost Proposal

Vendor response provided a total cost proposal for all services to be delivered, a breakdown of costs delineated by major phase and/or a schedule of hourly rates.

Points Based 30 (30% of Total)

5. MWDBE/VOSB Good Faith Effort

Vendor response was detailed and demonstrated clear Good Faith Effort to obtain

MWDBE & VOSB Participation.

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

6. Equal Opportunity Review Commission Terms

6.1. MWE/DBE

The City of Pittsburgh is committed to the ideal of providing all citizens an equal opportunity to participate in City and its Authorities' contracting opportunities. It is therefore the City's goal to encourage increased participation of women and minority groups in all City contracts. The City requires that all respondents demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain the participation of Minority-Owned

Business Enterprises (MBE's) and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE's) in work to be performed under City contracts. The levels of MBE and WBE participation will be monitored by the City of

Pittsburghs Equal Opportunity Review Commission (EORC). In order to ensure that there are opportunities for historically disadvantaged minority groups and women to participate on Covered

Contracts, and consistent with the City's current equal employment opportunity practice and goals, the

EORC will review contracts to include an evaluation of a developer/contractors employment of minority groups and women, encourage goals of eighteen (18) percent and seven (7) percent respectively.

6.2. Veteran-Owned and LGBTQIA+ Small Business Goals

It is also the City's goal to encourage participation by veteran-owned and LGBTQIA+ small businesses in all contracts. The City of Pittsburgh shall have an annual goal of not less than five (5) percent participation by veteran-owned small businesses and not less than three (3) percent participation by

LGBTQIA+ businesses in all contracts. The participation goal shall apply to the overall dollar amount expended with respect to the contracts. The City requires that all respondents demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain the participation of veteran-owned small business in work to be performed under City contracts. The levels of participation will be monitored by the City of Pittsburgh’s EORC.

6.3. Good Faith Commitment

In order to demonstrate good faith commitment to these goals, all respondents are required to complete and submit with their bids the attached MWDBE/Veteran-Owned/LGBTQIA+ Solicitation and

Commitment Form (which details the efforts made by the respondents to obtain such participation).

Failure to submit a properly completed form along with documentation of Good Faith Commitment may result in rejection of the bid. Participants are encouraged to contact the Equal Opportunity Review

Commission at 412-255-8804 to assist further. For further information, including definitions and additional requirements, please see Chapter 177A (Sections 177A.01 et. seq.) of the City Code and

Section 161.40 of the City Code.

7. Award and Contract

7.1. Award

After the City has received all Proposals and conducted its initial Evaluation, described above, the

Proposal Committee may invite one or more Respondents to a follow-up interview to further discuss their Proposal(s).

The Proposal Committee may decide to accept the Proposal of one or more Respondents. It may decide to reject all proposals. Once a Proposal is accepted, the contract negotiation process will commence.

This RFP and your response to it, in the form of your entire Proposal, will become part of the Contract. If a real or apparent conflict should arise between this RFP/Proposal and other language contained in the final Contract, the language of the final Contract shall control.

7.2. Contracting Process

Successful Respondents will be required to enter into a Contract with the City of Pittsburgh, contingent upon the approval of City Council. This Contract will be directed and managed by the issuing department and the Office of Management & Budget.

Work cannot commence on the Scope of the RFP until it a contract is fully executed. The City cannot process invoices nor approve payments until this Contract has been fully executed by the Respondent and all required City signatories, including the issuing department, the Law Department, and the City

Controller.

City laws and policies mandate the incorporation of various custom terms and conditions into all City contracts. For this reason the City will not sign any standard contract proffered by the respondent.

An agreement shall not be binding or valid with the City unless and until it is fully executed by authorized representatives of the City and of the Proposer. Once the Contract is fully executed the City will notify Respondent in writing and give the order to proceed.

8. General Terms & Conditions

8.1. Examination of Proposal Documents

A. The submission of a proposal shall be deemed a representation and certification by the

Respondent that they:

1. Have carefully read and fully understand the information that was provided by the City to serve as the basis for submission of the proposal.

2. Have the capability to successfully undertake and complete the responsibilities and obligations of the proposal being submitted.

3. Represent that all information contained in the proposal is true and correct.

4. Did not, in any way, collude; conspire to agree, directly or indirectly, with any person, firm, corporation or other proposer in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of this proposal.

5. Acknowledge that the City has the right to make any inquiry it deems appropriate to substantiate or supplement information supplied by a proposer, and proposer hereby grants the City permission to make these inquiries, and to provide any and all related documentation in a timely manner.

B. No request for modification of the proposal shall be considered after its submission on the grounds that the proposer was not fully informed to any fact or condition.

8.2. RFP Term

Respondent’s proposal shall remain firm and effective, subject to the City’s review and approval, for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days from the closing date for the receipt of proposals.

The City may enter into negotiations with one or more Respondents during the one hundred twenty

(120) day period during which all proposals will stay effective. The purpose of such negotiations will be to address questions and identify issues as the parties move towards the execution of a final contract or contracts.

8.3. RFP Communications

Unauthorized contact regarding this RFP with employees or officials of the City of Pittsburgh other than the RFP Coordinator named in the header section of this solicitation may result in disqualification from this procurement process.

Neither Respondent(s) nor any person acting on Respondent(s)’s behalf shall attempt to influence the outcome of the award by the offer, presentation or promise of gratuities, favors, or anything of value to any appointed or elected official or employee of the City of Pittsburgh, their families or staff members.

All inquiries regarding the solicitation are to be directed to the designated RFP Coordinator. Outside of pertinent RFP questions directed to the City of Pittsburgh as specified above, any other attempts to contact any City of Pittsburgh personnel regarding this RFP, without prior approval by the RFP

Coordinator will be considered grounds for dismissal and immediate disqualification from the RFP process. This includes, but is not limited to, all verbal, voice, text, e-mail, and social media (e.g. –

LinkedIn) contact.

Please note the following:

A. The City shall not be responsible for nor bound by any oral instructions, interpretations or explanations issued by the City or its representatives.

B. Each proposer shall assume the risk of the method of dispatching any communication or proposal. •The RFP Coordinator must receive all written comments, including questions and requests for clarification, no later than the Deadline for Submission Questions listed in the tentative project schedule.

C. The City reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the appropriate and adequate responses to written comments, questions, and requests for clarification. The City’s official responses and other official communications pursuant to this RFP shall constitute an addendum of this RFP.

D. The City will publish all official responses and communications pursuant to this RFP to the City of

Pittsburgh procurement website. It is the responsibility of each proposer to check the site and incorporate all addenda into their response.

E. All addenda for this RFP will be distributed via the City of Pittsburgh procurement website at procurement.pittsburghpa.gov/beacon/opportunities

F. Only the City’s official, written responses and communications shall be considered binding with regard to this RFP.

8.4. Addenda/Clarifications

Should discrepancies or omissions be found in this RFP or should there be a need to clarify this RFP, questions or comments regarding this RFP must be put in writing and received by the RFP Coordinator within the Question and Answer tab.

8.5. Withdrawal of Proposals

A proposer may withdraw its proposal at any time before the expiration of the time for submission of proposals as provided in this RFP by delivering a written request for withdrawal signed by, or on behalf of, the proposer.

8.6. Public Record

Respondent, by submittal of a proposal, acknowledges that all proposals may be considered public information in accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Right to Know laws. Subject to award of this RFP, all or part of any submittal may be released to any person or firm who may request it.

Therefore, proposers shall specify in their proposal response if any portion of their submittal should be treated as proprietary and not releasable as public information. Proposers should be aware that all such requests may be subject to legal review and challenge.

Any information considered proprietary should be indicated as such or not included in the response.

8.7. Non-Conforming Proposal

A proposal shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions of these RFP instructions and specifications. Any alteration, omission, addition, variance, or limitation of, from or to a proposal may be sufficient grounds for non-acceptance of the proposal, at the sole discretion of the City.

8.8. Disqualification

Factors such as, but not limited to, any of the following may be considered just cause to disqualify a proposal without further consideration:

A. Evidence of collusion, directly or indirectly, among proposers in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of this proposal;

B. Any attempt to improperly influence any member of the evaluation team;

C. Existence of any lawsuit, unresolved contractual claim, or dispute between the proposer and the

City;

D. Evidence of incorrect information submitted as part of the proposal;

E. Evidence of proposer’s inability to successfully complete the responsibilities and obligation of the proposal; and

F. Proposer’s default under any previous agreement with the City, which results in termination of the agreement.

8.9. Restrictions on Gifts & Activities

The City of Pittsburgh Ethics Code and Chapter 197 of the City Code (Code of Conduct) was established to promote public confidence in the proper operation of our local government. These resources outline the requirements for disclosure of interests and restricted activities as related to public procurement processes. Proposers are responsible to determine the applicability of these requirements to their activities and to comply with its requirements.

8.10. Rights of the City of Pittsburgh

This RFP does not commit the City to enter into a contract, nor does it obligate the City to pay for any costs incurred in preparation and submission of proposals or in anticipation of a contract.

The City reserves the right to:

A. Reject any and all proposals;

B. Issue subsequent Requests for Proposals;

C. Cancel this RFP with or without issuing another RFP;

D. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposals process;

E. Approve or disapprove the use of particular sub-consultants;

F. Make an award without further discussion of the submittal with the proposer (therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms that the firm or individual might propose);

G. Meet with select proposers at any time to gather additional information;

H. Make adjustments to the scope of services at any time if deemed by the Office of Management and Budget to be in the best interest of the City;

I. Accept other than the lowest offer.

J. Waive any informality, defect, non-responsiveness, or deviation from this RFP that is not material to the Respondent’s proposal;

K. Reject the proposal of any Respondent who, in the City’s sole judgment, has been delinquent or unfaithful in the performance of any contract with the City;

L. Reject the proposal of any Respondent who, in the City’s sole judgment, is financially or technically incapable of performing in accordance with this RFP;

M. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Offerors and to enter into an agreement with another

Offeror in the event that the originally selected finalist defaults or fails to execute an agreement with the City.

N. Award a contract to the firm(s) that presents the best qualifications and whose proposal best accomplishes the desired results; and/or

O. Enter into an agreement with another proposer in the event the originally selected proposer defaults or fails to execute an agreement with the City.

P. Require a performance bond and/or other “failure to deliver” agreement by the awardee at time of contracting.

8.11. PREVAILING WAGE ORDINANCE

Contractor agrees that section 161.16(e) of the Pittsburgh Code of Ordinances, stating that Contractor must pay at least the applicable prevailing wages as will have been determined by the City Controller pursuant to the City Service Worker Prevailing Wage Ordinance, Title I, Article VII, Section 161.38(I)(B), as the same may be amended, and as will have been determined by the Secretary of Labor and Industry to the workers employed in the performance of any contract for public work subject to the Pennsylvania

Prevailing Wage Act approved August 15, 1961 (Act No. 442), as amended August 9, 1963 (Act No. 342), and the regulations issued pursuant thereto, and all supplements and amendments thereto, must be made a part of the Contract as fully as if attached hereto, and that Contractor will comply in all respects with the provisions thereof, insofar as the same implicates the Contract.

8.12. ENSURING EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONS PREVIOUSLY

CONVICTED

Contractor shall comply with Section 161.16A of the Pittsburgh City Code.

9. Miscellaneous Requirements

9.1. Acknowledgements

A. Conflict of Interest- By submission of a proposal to this solicitation, Respondent agrees that it presently has no interest and shall not have any interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner with the performance of the services required under this RFP.

B. Code of Ethics- By submission of a proposal to this solicitation, Respondent agrees to abide by the Code of Ethics of The City of Pittsburgh. The full Ethics Handbook can be found here:http://pittsburghpa.gov/humanresources/files/policies/10_Ethics_Handbook.pdf

C. Fair Trade Certification- By responding to this solicitation, the Respondent certifies that no attempt has been made, or will be made, by the Respondent to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a submission for the purpose of restricting competition.

D. Non-Disclosure- By responding to this solicitation, the Respondent acknowledges they may be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement during the contracting process if they are the successful respondent.

E. Debarment - This solicitation is also subject to Section 161.22 of the City of Pittsburgh Code related to debarment from bidding on and participating in City contracts.

F. Financial Interest- No proposal shall be accepted from, or contract awarded to, any individual or firm in which any City employee, director, or official has a direct or indirect financial interest in violation of applicable City and State ethics rules. Entities that are legally related to each other or to a common entity which seek to submit separate and competing proposals must disclose the nature of their relatedness.

G. Full Fee Disclosure- Pursuant to Section 161.36 of the Pittsburgh City Code, a Respondent must include a disclosure of any finder’s fees, fee splitting, firm affiliation or relationship with any broker-dealer, payments to consultants, lobbyists, or commissioned representatives or other contractual arrangements of the firm that could present a real or perceived conflict of interest.

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10. Vendor Questionnaire

10.1. Response to Scope Proposal

Please upload your Response to Scope detailed in Proposal Format Requirements

10.2. Cost Proposal

Please upload your Cost Proposal detailed in Proposal Format Requirements

10.3. Equal Opportunity Review Commission (EORC) Participation Form * Please download the below documents, complete the Pre-Award Good Faith Checklist, and upload.

Failure to complete the Pre-Award Good Faith Checklist may result in the City deeming your proposal/response non-responsive. Any awardees will be required to complete the full EORC

Participation Forms and process prior to contract execution.

• 2024_EORC_Participation_For...

*Response required

10.4. Do you agree with the City's Terms and Conditions?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

10.5. Examples of Work *

Please upload the requested samples of work here.

*Response required

10.6. Vendor Contact Sheet*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Blank_Vendor_Contact_Sheet.pdf

*Response required

10.7. Vendor Registration Form*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Blank_Vendor_Registration_F...

*Response required

10.8. W-9*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• W9.pdf

*Response required https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/pittsburghpa/projects/190448/document?section=1768836 https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/pittsburghpa/projects/190448/document?section=1768836 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10.9. Authorized Signatory*

Provide the name, title, & email address of the authorized signatory for your company (for details on who is considered an authorized signatory, please look at our terms & conditions section)

*Response required