SPEED Act - Permit Type: Storage Tanks

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is procuring expedited permit review services under the SPEED Act (Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion & Development Program) established by Act No. 54 of 2024. The DEP seeks to engage Qualified Professionals—including professional engineers, geologists, land surveyors, and environmental professionals—to conduct third-party expedited reviews of Storage Tank Site-Specific Installation Permit (SSIP) applications on a rolling, indefinite basis. Qualified Professionals must possess a minimum of five years of relevant permitting experience in Pennsylvania, maintain active professional licensure, demonstrate no conflicts of interest, and have no criminal convictions related to environmental crimes or fraud or revoked professional licenses within the previous ten years. Key deliverables include reviewing permit applications for regulatory conformance, identifying deficiencies within established timeframes (initial reviews within 20 percent of total review timeframe; subsequent reviews within 10 percent, with maximum two tolling periods), preparing draft deficiency letters with detailed regulatory citations, submitting signed and sealed recommendation reports, drafting public notices for the Pennsylvania Bulletin, responding to public comments, and potentially providing fact witness testimony. The contract term is two years with renewal options for up to three additional one-year periods. Bids must be submitted electronically to RA-EPSPEED@pa.gov by September 30, 2026, with the subject line clearly identifying the IFB number 6100065144; bidders must also register as vendors in the Pennsylvania Supplier Portal and submit fully burdened hourly rates for each resource title category, with no administrative, per diem, or travel charges permitted separately. Evaluation criteria prioritize qualified professional qualifications and experience; cost is not a factor in determining bid awards but may influence which professionals receive Project Work Orders.

Small Business, Small Diverse Business (SDB), and Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) certifications are encouraged but not required for participation in this procurement. Eligible bidders may be individuals or business entities with one or more employee that meet the specified criteria; no incumbent contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The SPEED Program operates on an escrow payment model whereby permit applicants deposit funds with DEP based on the Qualified Professional's quoted hourly rates from their submitted cost sheet, with DEP releasing escrowed funds only upon submission of an acceptable recommendation report. Qualified Professionals must maintain professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and are responsible for all costs including travel, per diem, and administrative expenses, which must be incorporated into the hourly rates submitted. No specific budget ranges or award values are disclosed in the solicitation; the DEP does not guarantee any minimum work volume, as engagement depends solely on permit applicant requests for expedited review services. Payment cannot exceed the amount stated in the Notice to Proceed, and separate agreements are required for witness testimony compensation outside the SPEED Program framework.