Supporting America's Schools Infrastructure

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure architectural and engineering services for comprehensive K-12 public school facility condition assessments under the Supporting America's Schools Infrastructure (SASI) federal grant program awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. The procurement seeks qualified contractors to conduct on-site evaluations of approximately 128 school facilities totaling 15.8 million square feet across 28 high-need Local Education Agencies (LEAs) geographically dispersed throughout Pennsylvania's urban, suburban, and rural communities. Deliverables include detailed facility assessments analyzing major facility systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, vertical transportation, utilities, and building envelope) at Uniformat II Level 2 scope depth, development of cost estimates and remediation recommendations, LEA-level reports due within 60 days of completing each LEA assessment, and a consolidated state-level report due within 90 calendar days following completion of all Phase 1 assessments by November 15, 2027. Phase 2 assessments, if authorized, must be completed between November 16, 2027, and November 15, 2028, with reporting due by February 15, 2029. Contractors must remain available for contract administration activities through November 15, 2028, and must coordinate site visits across multiple regions and manage work efficiently to meet federal performance period timelines. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: technical qualifications and soundness of approach at 65 percent, cost at 35 percent, with small diverse business participation offering up to 20 percent bonus points and domestic workforce utilization offering up to 3 percent additional bonus points. Key qualification requirements include submission of GSA Form 330 qualifications, demonstration of prior experience as principal architect or engineer on at least three similar facility assessment projects, identification of all project team members with current resumes and professional licenses, and development of a continuity of operations emergency preparedness plan. The preproposal conference is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM in virtual format, questions must be submitted by June 5, 2026, and all proposals must be submitted electronically through the JAGGAER system by July 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM, with proposals remaining valid for 120 days or until contract execution.

This procurement includes mandatory Small Diverse Business (SDB) participation goals of 11 percent and Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) participation goals of 3 percent, with SDB designations including Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE), LGBTQ-owned Business Enterprises (LGBTBE), and Disadvantaged Owned Business Enterprises (DOBE), while VBE designations include Veteran Business Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVBE). All SDB and VBE firms must be verified by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services as of the bid due date, and contractors failing to meet established participation goals must obtain approved Good Faith Efforts Waivers or risk being deemed non-responsive and having their proposals rejected. The procurement is open to all qualified contractors, with special emphasis on encouraging small diverse businesses and veteran-owned businesses as both prime contractors and subcontractors. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are referenced in the solicitation documents. The RFP is structured as a fixed-cost contract with deliverables spanning an initial term of two years and seven months with no renewal options, and compensation will be based on a cost-per-square-foot pricing model for facility assessments, fixed unit prices per LEA for communication and coordination activities, and separate reimbursement for travel costs in accordance with Pennsylvania Management Directive 230.10, with all payments processed through Automated Clearing House transfers within 30 days of receipt of proper invoices. Specific budget or award values are not disclosed in the procurement documents; final costs will be determined based on contractor-proposed rates multiplied by verified quantities of square footage and specified deliverables. Contractors must demonstrate financial capability and achieve a minimum technical score of 70 percent of available points to be considered responsible and eligible for best and final offer negotiations.