Professional Planning Services for the Greenwood County Comprehensive Land Use Plan Update

Greenwood County, South Carolina is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Professional Planning Services to develop an updated Comprehensive Land Use Plan that will guide the county's growth and development decisions over the next ten years in compliance with the South Carolina Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act of 1994 and South Carolina Code of Laws Section 6-29-510. The selected consulting firm must conduct comprehensive data collection and analysis on demographics, housing, economic conditions, natural resources, infrastructure, and transportation; facilitate extensive public engagement through workshops, stakeholder meetings, and online surveys; and develop plan elements including population, natural resources, economic development, housing, cultural resources, community facilities, transportation, land use, priority investment, and resiliency. Key deliverables include a detailed project work plan, existing conditions analysis report, public engagement summaries, draft and final comprehensive plan documents, future land use maps with supporting policy frameworks, implementation strategy documentation, GIS-compatible mapping files, and presentation materials. The RFQ was released on March 24, 2026, with a response deadline of April 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM; questions must be submitted by April 6, 2026, with county responses provided by April 13, 2026, and no pre-proposal meeting is scheduled. The selected consultant must commence work within 14 days of receiving notice to proceed and complete work according to an agreed-upon schedule. Evaluation will be based on a weighted points system: experience with comprehensive planning projects (30 points), qualifications and experience of the project team (20 points), demonstrated understanding of project scope (10 points), quality and creativity of public engagement approach (30 points), and ability to meet project timeline (10 points), with preference given to firms with prior experience preparing Comprehensive Plans for South Carolina local governments.

The RFQ specifies no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged enterprises, though all submissions must comply with non-discrimination statements and affirmative action requirements and demonstrate Drug-Free Workplace Act compliance. Respondents must hold a valid and current South Carolina Contractor's License and possess appropriate insurance coverage including commercial general liability, employer's liability, business automobile liability, and professional liability. Required submissions include a Bid Holding and Authorization Form, Certificate of Insurance, three client references, and all supporting documentation, with proposals limited to a maximum of 15 pages; bidders must hold their proposals firm for 90 days. The RFQ does not establish a specific contract value or pricing structure, and no costs incurred in proposal preparation will be reimbursed by the county. No incumbent vendor is identified in the procurement documents, and the plan will build upon the previous 2017 Greenwood City/County Comprehensive Plan that was collaboratively developed by Greenwood County, the City of Greenwood, and the Towns of Ninety Six and Ware Shoals. Greenwood County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, cancel the solicitation, negotiate with qualified firms, and utilize all submitted ideas regardless of selection.