Request for Proposals for Professional Consulting Services for Solid Waste Consulting Services

The City of Tustin, California (Orange County) is issuing a Request for Proposals to procure professional solid waste consulting services from a qualified consulting firm with demonstrated expertise in California solid waste, recycling, and organic waste management, including procurement and contract negotiation services. The primary objective is to assist the City in preparing for the expiration of its current solid waste agreement with CR&R, Inc., which terminates on March 31, 2028. Key deliverables and outcomes include a comprehensive evaluation of the City's existing solid waste and recycling agreement and programs, development of a competitive Request for Proposals to solicit future solid waste service providers, and support in the negotiation of a new agreement covering the collection, hauling, processing, and disposal of solid waste, recyclables, organics, and other divertible materials. The consultant must demonstrate expertise in ensuring compliance with California state regulations, particularly SB 1383, AB 341, AB 1826, and AB 939. The evaluation process will utilize a 100-point scoring system with the following criteria: Qualifications and Experience of Firm (20 points), Approach and Work Plan (30 points), Qualifications of Project Manager and Key Individuals (40 points), Schedule of Delivery (5 points), and Reference Checks (5 points). The proposal submission deadline is December 15, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. via OpenGov, with a question deadline of November 10, 2025. The City Council award is tentatively scheduled for February 3, 2026, with project kickoff in the week of March 2, 2026, and the project timeline extending through April 1, 2028, when new service collection is scheduled to commence.

The RFP does not indicate specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting the types of organizations that may respond, though all consultants and subconsultants will be required to obtain a City of Tustin business license. The incumbent contractor for the current solid waste agreement is CR&R, Inc., whose contract expires March 31, 2028. The selected consultant will enter into a multi-year Consulting Services Agreement with the City on an as-needed, time-and-materials basis, with compensation not to exceed a maximum amount specified in the proposal, and the City will negotiate final fees with the top-ranked consultant following qualifications-based selection. Insurance requirements include commercial general liability coverage of at least $2,000,000 per occurrence, automobile liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 aggregate, and workers' compensation coverage at state statutory limits. The agreement will be effective as of February 2026 and will continue until satisfactory completion of services but shall not exceed five years unless extended by mutual written agreement. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP documents; pricing will not be used to determine initial consultant ranking.