Bead section 106 historic preservation services

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Office of Broadband Development, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure Section 106 historic preservation consultation services for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The procuring agency seeks a qualified cultural resource management contractor to provide comprehensive Section 106 consultation services across Kentucky's 91 approved BEAD project areas, serving approximately 67,797 broadband serviceable locations. Primary deliverables and services include conducting literature and records reviews in compliance with Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) policy, managing multiple simultaneous BEAD projects, coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies, providing technical assistance on cultural resource issues, developing and implementing cultural resource management plans, and maintaining accurate records of all reviews and approvals. Mandatory qualifications require contractors to demonstrate compliance with Secretary of the Interior professional standards in history, archeology, or architectural history, and possess a minimum of five years of experience with the National Historic Preservation Act and relevant regulations. The evaluation will assign up to 550 points for the technical proposal (including mandatory qualifications, project approach and work plan, schedule, performance metrics, risk identification and mitigation, and relevant experience), 400 points for cost proposal evaluation with the lowest cost receiving maximum points, and up to 250 points for oral presentations if required, totaling a possible 1,200 points. The mandatory offerors' conference was held virtually on March 9, 2026, with proposals due by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on March 31, 2026 (revised from March 23, 2026). The initial contract term runs from April 14, 2026, through June 30, 2026, with options for the Commonwealth to renew for up to two additional two-year periods through June 30, 2028, subject to Secretary of Finance and Administration Cabinet approval and Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee approval.

No set-aside designations or restrictions specifically limiting organization types are noted in the solicitation documentation. Contractors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, plus Professional Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per claim, with proof of insurance required prior to award. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service System in three separate documents: Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, and Proprietary Information. The cost proposal must address an 11-week initial contract period plus a two-year renewal period, with pricing submitted on the provided Cost Proposal Form using average hourly rates multiplied by total hours, plus reimbursable expenses for travel, lodging, and administrative costs. While no specific contract value or budget range is disclosed in the solicitation, the contract is federally funded through the BEAD grant program administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), with Kentucky's total allocation of approximately $1.1 billion supporting broadband infrastructure deployment in unserved and underserved areas statewide.