WCU Power GIS system

Western Carolina University is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for comprehensive field inventory and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping services for Western Carolina Power (WCP), a university-owned electric utility located in Jackson County and Denver CDP, North Carolina. The procurement seeks a qualified vendor to document and assess all electric distribution assets, including poles, transformers, meters, overhead and underground lines, and support structures, while integrating the collected data into a mobile-accessible ArcGIS platform. Key deliverables include field data collection with sub-meter horizontal accuracy in the NAD83 North Carolina State Plane coordinate system, condition assessments and environmental risk evaluations, GIS platform configuration and schema development, staff training on GIS tools and data governance, hardware and software procurement, data governance setup, and 12 months of post-implementation support including bug fixes and staff assistance. The project is structured with four payment milestones: 10% upon project initiation and ArcGIS schema approval, 40% upon field data collection completion, 30% upon ArcGIS integration and validation, and 20% upon final documentation and closeout. Mandatory requirements include achieving 99.5% field population with no asset class exceeding 0.5% missing records, demonstrating sub-meter GPS capability, possessing Esri business partner status where applicable, providing at least three client references for similar electric utility GIS projects, submitting financial stability certifications, and undergoing criminal background checks at vendor expense. A mandatory pre-proposal conference and site visit is scheduled for March 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST at the FM Conference Room, 3476 Old Cullowhee Road, Cullowhee, NC 28723 (contact: 828-227-7224), with written questions due by March 20, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET and responses provided by March 27, 2026. Technical and cost proposals are due April 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET, submitted through the Bonfire Portal to Western Carolina University's IT Department, with technical proposals to be publicly opened via Microsoft Teams on the same date.

Vendors responding to this procurement must be registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State and are required to complete HUB supplemental vendor information documenting minority and women contractor utilization, indicating potential set-aside considerations for disadvantaged enterprises. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are referenced in the RFP documentation. The project integrates with existing infrastructure provided by WCP, including 2000 distribution study maps that will be furnished to streamline data collection, and WCP will supply a qualified lineman to accompany field crews and coordinate site access. The system must remain scalable for future asset classes and potential vendor engagement for subsequent updates and improvements. The contract is structured as a single-event project until completion with long-term post-implementation support, with all GIS data, maps, schemas, and deliverables created remaining the exclusive property of Western Carolina Power. While specific award values or budget ranges are not explicitly stated in the RFP, the pricing structure encompasses ten primary service categories including project mobilization, data conversion and integration, field data collection, condition assessment, GIS platform configuration, staff training, hardware and software procurement, data governance setup, deliverables, and post-implementation support, with vendors also given the option to propose costs for future updates and enhancements beyond core project deliverables.