Sarasota County Adaptation Action Areas Project Consultant

Sarasota County, Florida is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP #262833MN) for consultant services to develop specific Adaptation Action Area (AAA) Plans aligned with the County's Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. The procurement seeks comprehensive consulting services including research, project development, vulnerability assessment integration, technical support, and grant assistance for three priority adaptation action areas addressing tidal flooding, storm surge, sea level rise, rainfall-induced flooding, and compound flooding impacts. Key deliverables include three comprehensive AAA Plans incorporating adaptation strategies and project prioritization matrices, a final technical report with memorandum and attribution documentation, and a PowerPoint presentation suitable for public presentation. The consultant must demonstrate qualifications in vulnerability assessments, resilience and adaptation planning, federal grant proposal writing, and ideally nature-based solutions project implementation. Evaluation will be conducted using a five-point scoring scale applied to written proposals, with presentations required from at least the three highest-scoring proposers if estimated costs exceed $350,000 or if scoring differences are five points or less among top contenders. The project must be completed by June 30, 2027, with monthly progress meetings required, a kick-off meeting within one month of notice to proceed, and final presentations to both the County and public. The proposal due date is April 20, 2026, with short-listed proposers potentially required to participate in presentations or interviews either in-person in Sarasota, Florida or virtually at the County's discretion.

This procurement is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) via the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered through the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP), making local and American business preferences inapplicable due to federal funding designations. There are no specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises; however, federal compliance requires good faith efforts to include minority-owned and women-owned business entities in any subcontracting arrangements. The consultant must maintain workers' compensation insurance, commercial general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, business automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and professional liability of $2,000,000 per claim/occurrence, with all carriers licensed in Florida and rated A- Class VII or better by A.M. Best's Financial Strength Rating. Contractors must comply with comprehensive federal requirements under 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance, EPA contract provisions, and Florida state law, including debarment certification for contracts exceeding $25,000 and Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment compliance for awards of $100,000 or more. No specific incumbent vendors or budget range has been identified in the solicitation documents, though the evaluation criteria suggest estimated costs may range from under $350,000 to potentially higher amounts based on the requirement for presentations when estimates exceed that threshold. All supporting data, metadata, and GIS files must be provided to both Sarasota County and CHNEP for public records access, and the contract is subject to termination for cause with thirty days' written notice or for convenience at the County's discretion.