Request for Qualifications for On-Call Environmental Consulting Services

The City of Hayward, Development Services Department, Planning Division is issuing Request for Qualifications (RFQ #26-040) for on-call environmental consulting services to support multiple development projects on an as-needed basis. The procurement seeks qualified environmental consulting firms capable of providing comprehensive California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) services, including preparation of initial studies, negative declarations, mitigated negative declarations, and environmental impact reports. Required deliverables and technical expertise encompass air quality analysis, greenhouse gas assessments, energy evaluations, hydrology and geology studies, noise analysis, transportation impact studies, biological and cultural resource assessments, tribal resource evaluation, historic resource analysis, peer review of environmental documents, hazardous materials assessments, geotechnical reports, and attendance at public hearings for technical support. The evaluation committee will rank responses on a 100-point scale based on project management capabilities (25 points), project understanding (25 points), qualifications of the firm and team (25 points), and responsiveness to RFQ requirements (25 points). Respondents must submit a maximum 15-page Statement of Qualifications (excluding resumes and project examples), descriptions of two to three California-based CEQA/NEPA projects completed within the last five years with verifiable client contacts, and disclosure of any litigation, conflicts of interest, or terminated contracts within the past three years. The question submission deadline is April 24, 2026, with proposals due by May 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM through OpenGov Procurement, accompanied by a spiral-bound hard copy submission to the City of Hayward Purchasing Department; contractor selection is anticipated by June 1, 2026.

No set-aside designations or restrictions limiting response eligibility to disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, or other protected classifications are specified in the procurement documents. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The RFQ does not specify a predetermined budget range or award value; instead, respondents are required to submit current hourly rates and charges including travel expenses and overhead charges for sub-consultant management to establish pricing terms during contract negotiation. Selected firms must comply with the City of Hayward's Professional Services Agreement template, maintain workers' compensation insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000, carry general liability insurance meeting specified requirements, and comply with the City's Conflict of Interest Code including annual filing of Form 720 Statements of Economic Interests. The contract will operate on an on-call basis with the City reserving the right to pre-qualify multiple consultants and update the consultant list on a triannual basis; either party may terminate the contract upon thirty days' written notice.