Water System Expansion and Improvements

The Hancock County Board of Commissioners in Georgia is issuing a Request for Statements of Qualifications (RFQ) seeking professional engineering design firms to provide comprehensive services for the County's water system expansion and improvement program. The procurement encompasses preliminary engineering, surveying, design, permitting, bidding, and construction phase services including construction administration, inspection, and project closeout. The initial program scope includes expansion and improvements to the water distribution system, interconnections with adjacent systems, and a booster pumping station, with all projects to be federally funded through programs such as Community Development Block Grants, US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, and USDA initiatives. Firms must demonstrate proven experience assisting local governments with federally funded projects and compliance with 2 CFR 200 requirements and The Brooks Act. The RFQ will be evaluated based on nine criteria: firm history and mission statement (up to 4 points), community familiarity (up to 4 points), key personnel qualifications and licenses (up to 3 points), proposed scope and ability to deliver services (up to 4 points), experience with federal grant awards and positive references (up to 4 points), current workload capacity (1-4 points), errors and omissions insurance documentation (1 point), litigation history, and interview performance (1-4 points). Sealed qualification packages consisting of one digital copy and three hard copies must be received by the Hancock County Board of Commissioners at 12630 Broad Street, Sparta, Georgia 31087 by 4:00 PM EST on Friday, May 8, 2026, with virtual interviews to be conducted with the top 3-4 ranked firms following initial evaluation.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions on organization types are identified in the procurement materials, though firms must maintain errors and omissions insurance and demonstrate a clean litigation history. The selected firm or firms will be contracted immediately and retained for up to three years, with submissions evaluated on a project-by-project basis for any federally funded opportunities that arise during the contract period. No specific award value or budget range is stated in the available documentation; however, the multi-year contract structure and scope of work involving design through construction closeout for infrastructure expansion projects typically indicates substantial engagement opportunities. Hancock County reserves the right to accept or reject any and all submissions and to waive procurement informalities. Prospective respondents should direct questions and submissions to Mr. Borderick Foster, County Manager, at countyclerk@hancockcountyga.gov or 706-444-5746, Extension 2003, prior to the May 8, 2026 deadline.