Request for Proposals - HVAC Commissioning Services

Fargo Public School District in Cass County, North Dakota is issuing a Request for Proposals for HVAC Commissioning Services to support a District Office Multi-Facility Project involving the replacement of HVAC systems and building controls across two phases. The scope of work encompasses comprehensive commissioning services for 100% of main HVAC equipment including chillers, air handling units, variable air volume boxes, unit heaters, exhaust fans, pumps, boilers, building controls, thermostats, lighting controls, generators, and fire alarm systems. The Commissioning Agent must conduct no fewer than 12 site visits during construction, perform functional performance testing, develop pre-functional checklists and test procedures, attend project meetings, and manage deficiency tracking and resolution over a two-year engagement period that extends through the first year of operation and includes seasonal testing. Qualified firms must be independent contractors with a minimum of 5 years of experience in HVAC systems, controls, and building operations, holding certifications such as AABC, NEBB BSC, BCxA, ASHRAE BCxP, or AEE CxA, and cannot serve as subcontractors to McGough Construction or other trade contractors. Proposals are due April 23, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. through the Bonfire portal, with questions required by April 17, 2026, and Board approval anticipated for May 12, 2026. Evaluation criteria include Related Project Experience (20 points), Staff and Key Individual Experience (20 points), Workload of the Firm (10 points), Level of Commissioning Effort Proposed (15 points), Past Work Samples (15 points), and Proposed Commissioning Fee (20 points). Proposals must not exceed 25 pages, formatted with 8" x 11" dimensions, 1-inch margins, and 12-point font minimum, and must include a lump-sum project fee with clearly identified assumptions, site visit days, testing days, trending hours, and separately identified reimbursable expenses.

The RFP contains no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting organizational type, though the requirement that the Commissioning Agent be independent and unaffiliated with the CMAR or trade contractors effectively restricts participation to firms meeting those structural criteria. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the materials provided. The District intends to utilize the Bonfire procurement platform for all submissions, which requires vendors to meet minimum technical specifications including compatible web browsers with JavaScript and cookies enabled, and maximum file upload sizes of 1000 MB per document. No specific award value or budget range is stated in the RFP; rather, proposals will be normalized for equitable fee comparison. The project timeline indicates Phase I heating system completion in fall 2025, Phase II cooling system construction in summer 2026, district office shutdown in September 2026, testing in November 2026, and substantial completion thereafter.