AS27-5 Natural Capital Management

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, conducting on behalf of the Division of Wildlife Resources, is requesting proposals for professional services in natural capital management and habitat assessment on state Wildlife Management Areas under RFP AS27-5, with proposals due August 11, 2026.

The scope encompasses assessment, quantification, enhancement, and monitoring of wildlife habitats; verification and facilitation of transactions for natural capital assets; and promotion of qualified natural capital assets to generate revenue for continued WMA management and improvements. The contract spans a 10-year initial term with two optional 10-year renewal periods. The contractor must guarantee pricing for the entire contract term. The work is organized in three phases: a 6-month planning phase beginning September 1, 2026 with baseline assessments and implementation planning; a 2-to-3-year implementation phase for initial habitat and ecological improvements; and a long-term performance phase spanning the remainder of the contract. Vendors must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience in natural capital and ecological assessment work.

The payment structure is performance-based: the contractor bears program development costs while the state receives a percentage share of gross receipts from revenue-generating activities. The contractor submits a percentage fee proposal scored on an adjusted gross receipts basis; the vendor proposing the highest percentage receives 720 points, with all others receiving proportional points based on their percentage relative to the highest offer.

Technical evaluation totals 2,400 points across ten criteria—Executive Summary (200), Ecological Asset Accounting and Transactions (300), Verification Standards (200), Ecological Assessment Expertise (200), Water-Resource Evaluation (100), Financial and Operational Capacity (300), Public Agency Coordination (300), Stakeholder Management (200), Performance Term Sustainability (300), and Payment Structure (300)—plus 720 points for the percentage return proposal. Proposals must achieve a minimum threshold of 1,680 technical points to advance to cost evaluation. Technical proposals are limited to 20 pages and must be submitted separately from cost proposals. Vendors must comply with FedRAMP or GovRAMP standards for any products processing state data and certify compliance with Utah anti-boycott provisions.