Professional Services for Waste to Energy and Solid Waste Systems

Hillsborough County Engineering and Operations Department is requesting proposals for professional engineering and technical services for the County's Waste-to-Energy Facility, Resource Recovery Facility, and solid waste management systems under a five-year term contract estimated at $6 million, with proposals due July 24, 2026, and a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) bonus points program available for 10% or greater SBE participation.

The scope encompasses independent consulting engineer services, annual inspections of the RRF and two transfer stations, quarterly facility punch list reviews, environmental testing monitoring, monthly facility meetings, bond compliance reporting, service agreement development and solicitation support for potential contract renewals post-2029, project development and permitting, technical training, and ash and metals recovery optimization. The RRF consists of four boilers—three 400 ton-per-day units and one 600 ton-per-day units—with two General Electric turbines generating approximately 46 megawatts gross electrical capacity and an enhanced metal recovery system added in 2009. The consultant will serve as independent consulting engineer under the Extension Operations and Management Agreement with the current operator, Reworld Hillsborough, Inc., whose service agreement expires in 2029. The consultant must demonstrate specific experience with municipal solid waste combustion systems, waste-to-energy service agreements, and regulatory compliance.

Engineering certification is a minimum qualification. The contract is structured as a term agreement with individual work orders issued as needed by the Director of Engineering and Construction; study work orders shall not exceed $500,000, while professional services for construction projects with estimated construction costs up to $7.5 million are permissible. Compensation is negotiated work order-by-work order based on direct salary rates by personnel classification, audited/certified overhead and profit multipliers, and reimbursable costs.

Evaluation criteria total 100 points: Ability of Firm and Its Professional Personnel (45 points), Firm's Experience with Projects of Similar Size and Type (40 points), Firm's Willingness and Ability to Meet Schedule and Budget Requirements (5 points), and Effect of Firm's Recent, Current, and Projected Workload (10 points). Additional scoring includes Volume of Work (5 points maximum), Past Performance Rating (5 points maximum), and SBE participation bonus points at 5 percent of maximum evaluation criteria points for SBE commitment of 10 percent or greater of contract fees. The County will conduct oral presentations with at least three shortlisted firms. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Euna Procurement by July 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, limited to 40 pages maximum (resumes and organizational charts excluded from page count). Contact: Christy Perales, Senior Buyer. Comprehensive liability insurance including Professional Liability at $1 million per claim is required, with Hillsborough County named as additional insured. Contractors must comply with E-Verify, IMAGE Best Practices, Hillsborough County Business Tax requirements, and Cone of Silence restrictions.