1555-20260302140731 Tupelo

The City of Tupelo, Mississippi is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from engineering firms to provide preliminary engineering services for the Tupelo Rail Improvements Program (TRIP), a federally-funded infrastructure initiative. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeks qualified firms to deliver preliminary engineering services that will support the broader rail improvement objectives outlined in the TRIP. Interested engineering firms must submit their qualifications by 5:00 p.m. local time on April 2, 2026, with a mandatory pre-bid conference scheduled for March 23, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Tupelo City Hall, 71 E. Troy Street. Submissions may be made in hard copy format (one original and five printed copies plus one digital copy) delivered to the Tax Office, through the city's online bidding portal at www.tupelomsbids.com in PDF format, or hand-delivered in person. All submissions must be clearly marked with "TRIP Preliminary Engineering RFQ 2026-019" and include the firm's name, address, point of contact, telephone number, and email address. Prospective bidders may direct written questions to City Engineer Dennis Bonds or Grant Administrator Abby Christian at dennis.bonds@tupeloms.gov or abby.christian@tupeloms.gov. The project is funded in whole or in part through the Fiscal Year 2022 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program administered by the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration, with the terms and conditions of the grant program incorporated into the solicitation and potentially made conditions of any resulting contract.

The City of Tupelo affirms its commitment to compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and commits to providing disadvantaged business enterprises full and fair opportunity to submit qualifications without discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. This solicitation does not impose specific set-aside designations but emphasizes the city's commitment to nondiscriminatory procurement practices. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement notice, and no specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the available documentation. The solicitation will be submitted to the Agency Bid Bank at agencybidbank@mississippi.org for transparency and additional visibility within Mississippi's contracting community. Firms interested in this opportunity should ensure they possess relevant experience with preliminary engineering services for rail infrastructure projects and understand the compliance requirements associated with federal RAISE Grant funding.