Qualifications & Experience Airport Engineering

The City of Cortez is requesting statements of qualifications from consulting firms for a five-year airport engineering services contract subject to annual review, with submissions due October 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. and questions due September 28 at 5:00 p.m. The contract is subject to Executive Order 11246 (Affirmative Action) and Department of Transportation Regulation 49 CFR Part 26 (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation), with DBE consulting firms actively encouraged.

Minimum qualifications require state licensure in good standing, at least three years of comparable airport engineering experience, and compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. The scope encompasses five sequential project phases — preliminary, design, bidding/negotiation, construction, and project closeout — with potential additional services including soil investigations, surveys, environmental studies, and construction inspection. All projects are subject to federal assistance under the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 as amended or other funding sources.

The City applies local-vendor preferences of 2.5 percent for businesses within City Limits and 2.0 percent for those in Montezuma County, with a maximum preference cap of $25,000. Evaluation criteria, weighted per FAA Advisory Circular 150/5100-14E, prioritize demonstrated ability to communicate, recent airport engineering experience, capability to perform all project aspects, understanding of the airport and proposed projects, and ability to meet schedules within budget.

Fees will be negotiated on a task-order basis as grants are obtained; cost information should not be submitted with proposals. Interviews with the top three selected firms are scheduled for October 6, 2026. Insurance and certificates are due October 23, 2026. Award notification is anticipated October 14, 2026, with contract signing on October 30, 2026.