TSPLOST Program Management Services ¿ RFQ

Cherokee County Board of Commissioners Procurement Department is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ 2026_013) for comprehensive program management services supporting the County's Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) Program. The selected professional consulting firm will serve as the TSPLOST Program Manager and Owner's Representative, providing continuous oversight, coordination, and management services for a multi-year transportation capital improvement program consisting of approximately 66 individual projects with an estimated total program value of approximately $282 million. Service deliverables encompass program administration, preconstruction activities including design coordination and right-of-way management, and construction engineering and inspection services. Key qualifications required include demonstrated experience managing multi-project capital programs of comparable size and complexity, identification of a proposed Program Manager with relevant experience and demonstrated capacity, full-time dedication to the TSPLOST Program with primary duty location at Cherokee County offices, and disclosure of any actual or potential conflicts of interest. The RFQ will be evaluated using a qualifications-based selection process with weighted evaluation criteria: Project Understanding and Technical Approach (35 percent), Firm Experience and Qualifications (25 percent), Key Personnel Experience and Qualifications and Staffing Plan (30 percent), and Past Performance and References (10 percent). An optional pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for February 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Cherokee County Administrative Offices in Canton, Georgia, with the submission deadline set for March 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. via BidNet Direct in PDF format, and an anticipated award date of April 21, 2026.

The TSPLOST program is funded by a one-percent sales tax estimated to generate approximately $455 million over a six-year period, with approximately 62 percent allocated to Cherokee County and 38 percent to participating municipalities including Woodstock, Canton, Holly Springs, Ball Ground, Waleska, Nelson, and Mountain Park. The initial contract term is one calendar year beginning upon execution of a Professional Services Agreement or issuance of a Notice to Proceed, with automatic renewal options for up to five additional one-year terms subject to satisfactory performance, continued program needs, and available funding. Cost proposals are not submitted with initial SOQs and will be requested only from the highest-ranked firm following qualifications-based evaluation; the County will then negotiate a fair and reasonable fee with the top-ranked firm based on the firm's proposed staffing plan, technical approach, and scope of services understanding. Cherokee County-based businesses may receive preference consideration as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder under specific circumstances when County regular budget and TSPLOST funds are used, in accordance with the Cherokee County Procurement Ordinance. All responding firms must comply with federal and state requirements including E-Verify authorization, maintain comprehensive general liability insurance of $1,000,000, automobile liability of $1,000,000, and professional liability of $1,000,000, and accept the County's standard Professional Services Agreement terms or submit detailed exceptions for consideration. No incumbent vendor or budget range is specified in the solicitation documents.