NPA2026-1 Norwalk Citywide Wayfinding

The City of Norwalk, located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, is seeking a multidisciplinary design team to develop a comprehensive citywide wayfinding, identity, and placemaking system for its urban core through Request for Proposals (RFP) NPA2026-1. The project requires creating a unified system that supports multimodal navigation across vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and rail modes, with a focus on celebrating Norwalk's cultural, historic, maritime, and commercial landmarks. Deliverables include landmark information hubs, vehicular and pedestrian wayfinding signage, trail signage, a unified mapping system, and digital/mobile integration guidelines. Proposers must demonstrate at least three completed urban-scale wayfinding or placemaking programs within the past ten years and prove expertise in digital wayfinding, GIS mapping, and content-management systems. The evaluation criteria will weight Team Qualifications at 20%, Overall Proposal Impression at 30%, Project Experience at 40%, and Cost Proposal at 10%. Key dates include a question deadline of January 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM, and an electronic submission deadline of January 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM, with proposal opening and interviews anticipated in February 2026.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the RFP. Proposers are required to carry professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per claim with a $1,000,000 aggregate and seven-year tail coverage. The contract will be for design and facilitation services only, with fabrication and installation to be procured separately through future procurement processes. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, proposals will be submitted as a total lump sum fee, with proposers required to identify key project team members and their respective hourly rates. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not obligated to reimburse proposers for preparation costs. Proposals will remain valid for 90 days from submission, and the anticipated project will be structured in four phases: Discovery & Concept Design, Design Development, Construction Documents & Bid Package, and Implementation Support, with design deliverables structured to allow modular, phased advancement based on funding availability.