Benton County Water District #1 PWA ( District ) is seeking submissions from consulting engineering firms providing qualifications to prepare a Preliminary Engineering Report, prepare funding applications, pursue funding, and design and permit improvements to the District s public water system. Firms with specific experience preparing funding packages and designing potable water distribution mains within the past five years are invited to submit qualifications packages. The District intends to select an engineering consultant for this project based on the qualifications packages received in response to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). 2. BACKGROUND Benton County Water District #1 was formed in 1973 for the purpose of operating and maintaining the drinking water system serving approximately 2590 customers in rural areas of Benton County. The District has identified water lines in need of replacement. All construction shall conform to the District s standard specifications for water line construction. Funding should be obtained from the USDA Rural Development fund, the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC), or other sources to be identified by the state s Water and Wastewater Advisory Committee (WWAC), and will be subject to the rules and regulations of the funding agencies. 3. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT The District is seeking consulting services from engineering firms experienced in funding, design, permitting and construction observation of potable water transmission mains. This project will be executed in the following phases (NOTE: these steps are general in nature, and may vary depending on the requirements of the funding agency chosen the actual work to be performed will be defined in the Engineering Services Agreement at a later time): Phase I - Pre-application and PER This phase will consist of preparing a pre-application package and a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER), for the Water Wastewater Advisory Committee and Water Plan Compliance. Phase II - Facility Plan and EID This phase will consist of preparing a Facility Plan and Environmental Report to be submitted to and approved by the funding agencies. Phase III - Loan application This phase will consist of preparing a loan application to meet Capacity Development Requirements (financial, managerial, and technical capabilities for sustained operation), which will be submitted to the funding agencies. Phase IV Design and Permitting This phase will include the design (including preparation of plans and specifications) and permitting of the improvements recommended in the Facility Plan. Proposers should include a detailed list of applicable permits required for this project, permitting concerns, and anticipated permitting timelines. Phase V PPWP and O&M Manual This phase includes preparation and implementation of a Project Performance Work Plan and and Operation and Maintenance Manual in accordance with funding agency requirements. The District intends to award a contract to a single consultant for Phases I through V, with Phases II through V contingent upon funding approval acceptable to the District based on the PER. 4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Respondents are hereby directed to submit qualifications packages containing no more than the equivalent of eight (8) printed sheets (i.e. 4 8 1/2 x 11 pages printed on both sides, 3 8 x 11 pages printed on both sides and 1 11 x 17 page printed on one side, etc.). Front and back cover sheets may be included and will not count toward the 8 sheet maximum. Single page resumes of team members may be included at the discretion of the proposer and will not count toward the 8 page maximum. To be considered responsive to this RFQ, a submittal should address each of the following items: Identification of the legal name, office location(s), and principal owner(s) or partner(s) of the firm; A statement of the proposer s understanding of the project; A list identifying the location, owner, cost, brief description, and disposition of work which is comparative in nature to the project considered under this proposal; A resume of the qualifications and experience of each member of the proposer s staff and any other technical consultants who may be employed for this project; An organizational chart of the proposed design team and the location (office) from which each team member will perform their respective role. Clearly identify the project manager who will serve as the point of contact for the District. Provide an assessment of the availability of team members to complete this project and identify all proposed sub-consultants included on the project team, specifically identifying any MWBE designation. A proposed schedule with general description of the tasks and timeframes required to complete each phase. 5. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS Proposals will be evaluated by the Board of Directors of Benton County Water District #1 and ranking will be computed as follows: Specific Past Experience 0 to 20 points Points will be assigned according to experience with design, permitting and construction observation of potable water transmission mains completed in the past five years. Experience and Availability of Project Team 0 to 20 points Points will be assigned according to the experience of the proposed project team, and the availability of its members to complete the project, as confirmed by the proposed schedule. Familiarity with the Systems Involved - 0 to 30 points Points will be assigned according to the familiarity of Respondents with the District s water system, policies, and requirements as they relate to this project. Funding Agency Experience - 0 to 30 points Points will be assigned according to the familiarity of Respondents with ANRC and USDA funding requirements. Firms whose current staff members have successfully completed ANRC and/or USDA funded projects within the last five years will be given special consideration. 6. SELECTION PROCESS Qualifications packages will be reviewed and evaluated by the Board of Directors of Benton County Water District #1 PWA, who will assign points based on the above criterion to compute a ranking of Respondents (highest to lowest). The average total score of each proposer will be used to compute the overall ranking. The District will notify the highest ranking firm on or before . 7. QUESTIONS Any questions related to this RFQ must be submitted in writing (e-mail is acceptable) to Jacob Davis (jdavis@bentoncountywater.com) on or before [date 10 to 14 days before closing date for submissions]. The method of Contractor Selection has not been Determined at this time.