Cultural Resources and Archaeological Services

The City of Tucson is seeking consultants to perform comprehensive cultural resources and archaeological services through Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 230036, with proposal submissions due on October 18, 2022, at 2:00 PM local time. The procurement encompasses a wide range of professional services including cultural resource assessment, archaeological testing, data recovery, historic preservation, site evaluations, historic building inventories, and potential National Register of Historic Places nominations. Qualified consultants must demonstrate expertise across multiple disciplines, possess appropriate research facilities, specialized equipment, and the ability to provide comprehensive cultural resource services. When historic buildings are involved, the City requires an architect with specific historic preservation qualifications. A non-mandatory pre-proposal virtual meeting was held on September 26, 2022, and the initial contract term will be one year with potential for up to four additional one-year renewals. The City anticipates selecting multiple consultants capable of performing some or all required cultural resource services, with work distributed based on availability, ability to meet project timelines, and alignment with the City's cultural resource assessment workload.

The contract opportunity includes specific provisions targeting low-income workforce development, particularly through HUD's Section 3 Program requirements. Consultants must comply with guidelines ensuring that 25% of labor hours are performed by Section 3 Workers, with 5% specifically allocated to Targeted Section 3 Workers. Businesses can qualify as Section 3 Business Concerns by meeting ownership or labor hour criteria related to low-income residents or public housing participants. While no specific incumbent vendors are listed, the contract historically involves spending between $300,000 and $3,000,000 annually, with work performed on an as-needed, if-needed basis and no guaranteed minimum service volume. All work must be executed under appropriate state permits, adhere to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, and follow guidelines from the Arizona State Museum and State Historic Preservation Office. Consultants will be required to submit hourly rates for various professional roles, including Principal Investigator, Project Manager, Field Director, and Historical Archaeologist, with the City evaluating proposals based on professional qualifications, expertise, and ability to meet project requirements.