Environmental Cost Analysis, RFP

New York State's Empire State Development (ESD) is requesting proposals for professional engineering services to conduct an independent environmental cost analysis for a wet limestone forced oxidation flue gas desulfurization system at Alcoa Corporation's Massena West aluminum smelting facility, with proposals due September 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST. MWBE participation goals of 30% overall (15% MBE, 15% WBE) and an SDVOB goal of 6% apply; the RFP establishes a quantitative 10-point scoring factor for certified MWBE/SDVOB participation.

The scope requires an independent Association of Civil and Environmental Engineers Level 4 cost estimate and evaluation of an existing estimate. Deliverables include detailed line-item review, capital and annualized cost estimates for single and redundant two-absorber configurations, benchmarking against comparable analyses, a draft Evaluation Report within six weeks of contract execution, a draft Independent Cost Estimate Report within eight weeks, and final versions within seven days of receiving ESD comments. Work products must include fully documented Excel-based cost estimate workbooks and comprehensive technical reports.

Employee salaries must not exceed the New York State M/C Salary Schedule M6 rate. The awardee must provide Commercial General Liability insurance of $2 million per occurrence / $4 million aggregate and Professional Liability of $1 million minimum, with ESD named as additional insured. Contractors must comply with ISO Standards 27001, 27005, and 27035 for information security, or comparable ESD-approved standards; demonstrate GDPR compliance where applicable; maintain third-party supply chain vendor compliance documentation; and comply with all applicable state and federal cybersecurity laws. Use of artificial intelligence must comply with applicable state and federal laws and ESD policies.

Evaluation is scored across Firm Experience and Qualifications (30 points), Staff Experience and Qualifications (25 points), Project Plan/Approach (10 points), Cost of Services (25 points), and MWBE/SDVOB certification (10 points). Questions are due August 31, 2026, with ESD responses by September 4. Proposals must include extensive administrative documentation and be submitted via Dropbox with separate Administrative and Technical Proposal folders.