Design Services for the Wetland Mitigation Bank

Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) is soliciting design services for wetland mitigation bank development and management, with responses due September 22, 2026, and a mandatory pre-response meeting on August 26, 2026. The procurement follows the Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA) methodology, and price participation in the Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business Program is a 5-point evaluation criterion.

Minimum qualifications require respondents to have previously designed, permitted, and constructed a Florida wetland mitigation bank with a final credit value of $10 million or greater, maintain good standing with the Florida Division of Corporations, and demonstrate ability to attend in-person meetings with JEA and regulatory agencies within five business days of request. The project team must include a professional wetland scientist or Florida Certified Wetland Evaluator, along with a professional engineer, hydrologist, or geologist, either in-house or through a qualified partner with documented credentials and partnership justification.

The scope encompasses reviewing and finalizing a conceptual pro forma and multi-property development strategy; designing, permitting, and constructing the mitigation bank including federal Prospectus preparation; developing and implementing passive public recreational opportunities as allowed by regulators; selecting and managing all contractors, consultants, and firms for ecological, construction, surveying, and related services; overseeing ongoing maintenance, ledger management, and permit compliance with required agency reporting; achieving success criteria and securing agency concurrence for final credit release; transitioning the bank into perpetual management; and serving as project manager and owner's representative for all communications, presentations, reports, briefings, and regulatory coordination.

Evaluation criteria are Professional Staff Experience (25 points), Design Approach and Workplan (40 points), Company Experience (30 points), and Jacksonville Small and Emerging Business Program participation (5 points). Price is not considered during initial qualification ranking but is negotiated after selection of the highest-ranked respondent. Contract pricing for labor and equipment remains firm for the first year, with subsequent annual CPI adjustments capped at 3 percent. Required insurance includes Workers' Compensation (statutory limits), Commercial General Liability ($1 million/$2 million), Automobile Liability ($1 million), Professional Services/Errors and Omissions ($1 million/$2 million), and Excess or Umbrella Liability ($1 million).