GRAD Due Diligence Services

The Waycross and Ware County Development Authority is issuing a Request for Proposals for qualified environmental consulting firms to provide comprehensive due diligence services supporting Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certification for the Waycross-Ware County Airport Industrial Park, a 391-acre site in Ware County, Georgia. The scope of work encompasses five key assessments: wetlands and streams delineation per U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standards; Phase I Environmental Site Assessment compliant with ASTM E1527-21; preliminary geotechnical investigation including subsurface exploration and laboratory testing; Phase I cultural resources survey including background research and pedestrian surveys; and endangered/protected species assessment per U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Georgia Department of Natural Resources requirements. Proposals must be submitted as sealed documents by March 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time via email to jason@wwda.us or hand-delivered to the WWDA office. A virtual pre-proposal conference is scheduled for March 3, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET, with written questions due by March 6, 2026. The selected firm will receive notice to proceed by April 1, 2026, with a target completion timeframe of four months. Evaluation criteria include understanding of GRAD requirements (20 percent), technical approach and methodology (25 percent), qualifications and experience of team members (25 percent), project timeline and feasibility (10 percent), and cost competitiveness (20 percent). Proposers must demonstrate relevant experience with similar GRAD or industrial site due diligence projects in Georgia and provide proof of general liability, professional liability, and workers' compensation insurance.

The WWDA encourages submissions from qualified small, minority-owned, women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses, though no mandatory set-asides are specified in this procurement. Proposals must include a detailed lump-sum fixed fee broken down by service category, with pricing assumptions and exclusions clearly identified, though no specific budget range is provided in the RFP. Payment will be structured as 30 percent mobilization, 50 percent upon fieldwork completion, and 20 percent upon final deliverables submission. No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are identified in the procurement documents. The WWDA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, negotiate with selected firms, or award based on best overall value, providing flexibility in the selection process.