Airport Security Access and IDMS Replacement Consultant

The Kenton County Airport Board (KCAB) is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to procure consulting services for Airport Security Access and Identity Management System (IDMS) Replacement at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The consultant will develop a comprehensive, procurement-ready Request for Proposal to solicit Design-Build contractors for replacing the airport's aging Matrix-based access control system installed in 1994, which spans 42 buildings across 7,500 acres and controls over 600 access points, while also implementing an IDMS to manage over 15,000 active badges currently without an integrated system. Deliverables include Phase I services encompassing project initiation, existing system assessment across all 42 buildings and 600+ access points, requirements development for functional and technical specifications, market research and technology review, integration mapping with systems such as HRIS and law enforcement databases, and comprehensive RFP development with pricing templates and evaluation criteria; Phase II services include bid phase support and Owner's Representative duties during design and commissioning. The selected consultant must demonstrate airport-specific experience with security access control and IDMS projects completed within the last eight years for airports with a minimum of 600 access points processing at least 10,000 badges daily, with evaluation criteria weighted as follows: Firm Experience (30%), Project Team Experience (25%), Project Approach (20%), Stakeholder Coordination (15%), and Firm Differentiation (10%). A pre-proposal meeting and site visit will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at CVG Centre, Admin Offices, 77 Comair Boulevard, Erlanger, Kentucky, with virtual participation available via Microsoft Teams (maximum two persons per company permitted for the site visit); written questions must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on March 26, 2026, with answers posted by March 30, 2026; proposals are due by 2:00 p.m. on April 9, 2026; interviews are anticipated for the week of April 20, 2026; and contract implementation is anticipated to commence on June 1, 2026, with a two-year contract term.

As a condition of grant award, KCAB must comply with federal civil rights statutes including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) language and requirements incorporated into the RFQ. The project involves integration with existing infrastructure including legacy panels from the 1990s relying on outdated copper lines and magstripe card readers, with the replacement system designed to be non-proprietary, integrate with KCAB systems, and utilize readily available components; integration points include the Transportation Security Clearinghouse (TSC), Comcash payment processing, and employee badge training platforms (SSI). The consultant must obtain and maintain professional liability insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000, commercial general liability and umbrella insurance with limits ranging from $2,000,000 to $10,000,000 depending on work location, workers' compensation insurance, and automobile liability insurance. The total appropriations request is $2,500,020, which includes design ($1,754,600), construction and installation ($200,000), construction administration and inspection ($390,920), contingency ($132,000), and environmental costs ($2,500); the consultant will invoice monthly for work performed and receive payment within 30 days, with contractor responsible for paying $44.00 per badge for identification badges, security threat assessment, and fingerprinting, while inter-city transportation and out-of-town lodging are reimbursable but travel between the consultant's office and CVG and meal expenses are not. The project was approved at the Q4 2025 Appropriations meeting on October 10, 2025, with eligibility for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding, and all work must align with TSA Security Directives, DHS standards, and recognized cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST.