Airport Services-Engineering, Inspection Consultant (HQU)

The City of Thomson and McDuffie County Board of Commissioners is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Master Agreement with a qualified aviation consulting firm to provide comprehensive on-call engineering, architectural, and construction inspection/administration services for the Thomson-McDuffie County Regional Airport (HQU) in Thomson, Georgia. The five-year Master Agreement will encompass professional services including project planning, geotechnical and topographic surveying, environmental assessments, preliminary and final design, bidding, and construction inspection/management in connection with the Airport Capital Improvement Plan. Specific scope deliverables include preparing project funding applications, performing design and construction administration, assisting with Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program administration, and undertaking various airfield improvements such as drainage systems, pavement rehabilitation, lighting systems, buildings, roadways, fencing, security systems, obstruction removal, and land acquisition. Selected firms will negotiate individual work authorizations and task orders on an assignment-by-assignment basis throughout the contract term. Responding firms must possess current pre-qualification from the Georgia Department of Transportation in Area Classes No. 2.09 Aviation Design, 2.09b Airport Design-Electrical, and No. 8.02 Airport Construction Administration and Observation. Statements of Qualifications must be submitted in four copies, not exceeding 25 pages excluding tabs and cover letter, to Kristal Singletary, Finance Director, City of Thomson and McDuffie County, 210 Railroad Street, Thomson, Georgia 30824, with a deadline of 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026. Questions must be submitted by the same date and time. The selection process will be qualification-based in accordance with FAA procedures with no cost information included in submissions, and the Selection Committee may invite selected firms to participate in interviews conducted via phone or in-person with at least seven days' notice. Consultants are invited to request airport site visits prior to submission.

The procurement includes participation requirements related to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, which selected consultants must assist with administering. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. The Capital Improvement Plan totals approximately $15.0 million across the five fiscal years (2027-2031), with annual budgets ranging from $741,078 in fiscal year 2027 to $6.33 million in fiscal year 2031. Funding is sourced from FAA discretionary grants, FAA entitlements (both National Priority Ranking and AIG allocations), state funds (Georgia Entitlement), and local funds, with federal funding typically comprising 90 percent of project costs. Design projects receive modest federal discretionary allocations ranging from $0 to $150,000, while construction projects receive substantially larger federal entitlement funding ranging from $1.24 to $3.19 million. Responding firms are prohibited from any contact with Board Members or Airport employees during the qualification process, with violations resulting in immediate disqualification. The City of Thomson and McDuffie County reserves the right to reject any submissions, request clarification, waive informalities, or initiate additional procurement actions for projects not included in the initial procurement.