Consulting Services To Support The 2022 EPA Clean Watersheds Needs Survey In RI

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Office of Water Resources is seeking a consultant to support the 2022 EPA Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (CWNS), a comprehensive data acquisition, organization, and submission project. The primary objective is to identify and evaluate capital investments in clean watershed needs throughout Rhode Island. Qualified consultants will be responsible for collecting, organizing, and submitting detailed data related to watershed infrastructure and potential capital improvements. The procurement process includes a non-mandatory pre-bid conference scheduled for June 23, 2022, at 1:00 PM EST via Microsoft Teams, with a proposal submission deadline of July 14, 2022, at 5:30 PM GMT. Evaluation criteria will encompass technical merit, cost proposals, and the vendor's proposed Minority, Women, and Disability Business Enterprise (ISBE) participation rates. Vendors must submit separate technical and cost proposals through the Ocean State Procures system, demonstrating their capability to complete the CWNS data collection and reporting requirements. The initial contract period is expected to begin in August 2022 and will last approximately one year.

The state strongly encourages participation from Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), and Disability Business Enterprises (DisBEs), with vendors receiving additional evaluation points based on their proposed ISBE utilization rates. Successful vendors must meet comprehensive insurance requirements, including $1 million in general liability coverage, $100,000 in workers compensation, $1 million in automobile liability, $2 million in professional liability, and $5 million in technology errors and omissions coverage. The procurement is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds, and RIDEM reserves the right to cancel the solicitation or award the contract based on the most qualified vendor. While no specific contract value was explicitly stated in the documents, the scope suggests a significant data collection and analysis project funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. Vendors must be registered in the Ocean State Procures system and comply with state affirmative action policies and foreign corporation registration requirements to be considered for the contract.