Isle of Wight County Schools (IWCS or the School Division) invites qualified architectural and professional engineering firms to submit proposals to provide professional services on an as-needed basis for school facilities, buildings, sites, and related infrastructure. IWCS anticipates awarding term contracts to multiple qualified firms, if appropriate, for similar types of projects requiring comparable experience and expertise. The purpose is to establish a pool of qualified firms for assignments such as facility assessments, renovations, additions, building-system replacements, accessibility improvements, site improvements, feasibility studies, design, permitting, bidding assistance, and construction administration. The procurement and resulting contracts shall be administered in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA), including Virginia Code §§ 2.2-4302.2 and 2.2-4303.1, and other applicable law.
No Guarantee of Work: An award does not guarantee any minimum number, frequency, or dollar value of assignments. IWCS may determine whether and when services are needed and may decide not to issue any project authorizations.
No Project-Specific Fee with Initial Proposal: Offerors shall not submit project-specific fees or man-hour estimates with their initial qualifications proposals. Project fees will be negotiated only after a firm is selected for a particular assignment, in accordance with applicable law.
Background and Anticipated Needs: IWCS serves students and operates school and support facilities in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Assignments may involve occupied school buildings and active school sites. Work may require coordination with school administrators, facilities and maintenance staff, technology and security personnel, local officials, utilities, the Virginia Department of Education, and other authorities having jurisdiction. The nature of anticipated assignments includes multiple projects of similar professional character. IWCS will identify the scope and required expertise for each assignment in a written project authorization.
Contract Structure, Term, and Statutory Limits: Each term contract shall have an initial term of one year, or until the cumulative total project fees reach the statutory maximum for that contract term, whichever occurs first. IWCS may renew a contract for up to three additional one-year terms at its option, subject to satisfactory performance, continuing need, available funding, required approvals, and applicable law. For each contract term, the sum of project fees shall not exceed $10,000,000, and the fee for any single project shall not exceed $2,500,000, as provided by Virginia Code § 2.2-4303.1. IWCS may award term contracts to more than one offeror, and contracts will be nonexclusive.
Scope of Services: Services may include architectural services (programming, planning, feasibility studies, design, code and accessibility reviews, drawings, specifications, cost estimates, permitting), engineering services (civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire-protection, HVAC, controls, energy assessments, utility coordination), facility assessments and planning, school-specific coordination (phasing, safety, bus/parent circulation, technology and security), design and construction documents, procurement and bidding assistance, construction administration and closeout, and specialty consultant coordination (surveying, geotechnical, environmental, commissioning, materials testing, etc.).
Regulatory Compliance and Professional Responsibility: Firms must comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, accessibility requirements, and professional licensing requirements. Services requiring licensure shall be performed under the responsible charge of individuals properly licensed in Virginia. Documents shall be signed and sealed when required by law.
Project Authorization and Deliverables: No assignment may begin until IWCS has approved a written project authorization. Project proposals submitted after selection for an assignment shall include project description, scope, key personnel, schedule, proposed fee (negotiated after selection), assumptions, reimbursable expenses, and required approvals. Deliverables may include assessment reports, existing-condition records, feasibility studies, design drawings, specifications, cost estimates, permit packages, bid documents, site-observation reports, meeting minutes, submittal/RFI logs, payment or change-order recommendations, punch lists, closeout documents, and final electronic files. Electronic files shall be provided in PDF and, when applicable, native editable formats such as DWG, DOCX, or XLSX.
Minimum Qualifications: The firm must be legally authorized to provide the services proposed, maintain required Virginia professional licenses/registrations, have relevant experience with public K-12 or comparable institutional facilities, have qualified staff and sufficient resources, provide required insurance, not be suspended or debarred, and provide at least three references for comparable work.
Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals shall be concise, organized, and submitted in the format and by the deadline stated on the cover page and in the official solicitation notice. The offeror is responsible for timely receipt. The final solicitation specifies one controlling submission method, any file-size or page limits, and how receipt will be confirmed. Required content includes cover letter and firm information, firm qualifications, relevant project experience (preferably K-12 within past ten years), proposed team and resumes, project management and quality control approach, public school experience, at least three references, capacity and availability statement, and required forms and certifications. Offerors shall not include project-specific fees or man-hour estimates in the initial qualifications proposal.
Evaluation and Selection: IWCS will evaluate proposals using published criteria and the professional-services competitive-negotiation process required by Virginia Code § 2.2-4302.2. Evaluation criteria include relevant firm experience (25 points), qualifications and experience of proposed project team (25), project management and responsiveness (20), technical approach and quality control (15), references and past performance (10), and capacity and availability (5), for a total of 100 points. Price shall not be used to rank initial qualifications proposals. IWCS may conduct discussions, rank firms, and negotiate in order of preference per statute.
Project Distribution and Fee Negotiation: IWCS will identify the firm best suited for each assignment considering experience, personnel availability, past performance, schedule ability, continuity of services, and maintaining an effective pool. After selection, IWCS will negotiate a fair and reasonable fee; compensation may be fixed fee, hourly with not-to-exceed amounts, or another lawful structure. No assignment is authorized until scope, schedule, and fee are approved in writing.
Compensation, Invoicing, and Additional Services: Fees are negotiated per assignment; reimbursable expenses must be authorized and documented. Invoices must reference project authorization number and provide supporting documentation. Payment will be made under the contract and applicable law.
General Contract Requirements: The firm is an independent contractor, must meet standards of professional care, designate a project manager, disclose conflicts of interest, comply with public records laws, provide evidence of required insurance, comply with indemnification/liability and termination provisions consistent with Virginia law, and comply with non-appropriation, SCC registration, drug-free workplace, nondiscrimination, and other statutory requirements. Background certification for individuals with direct student contact may be required.
Submission Administration: Questions shall be submitted in writing to Liesl R. DeVary, Chief Financial Officer, at ldevary@iwcs.k12.va.us at least five days prior to the due date. Only written addenda issued by IWCS modify the RFP; offerors must acknowledge addenda using Form G. IWCS will not reimburse proposal preparation costs. Proposals and procurement records are subject to the VPPA and Virginia Freedom of Information Act. IWCS reserves statutory rights including rejection, clarification requests, verification, cancellation, and determining number of awards. Protests shall be handled per VPPA. All proposals shall be submitted electronically through the Commonwealth of Virginia's eVA procurement platform no later than the date and time specified in the solicitation. Responses should be limited to no more than 25 pages front and back (50 pages total) including required forms outlined in Section 14.
Required Forms and Certifications: The solicitation requires inclusion of Forms A through I addressing offeror information, Virginia licensure, conflict of interest and ethics certification, non-debarment certification, insurance acknowledgment, references, addenda acknowledgment, anti-collusion/nondiscrimination/drug-free workplace requirements, and authorized signature and offeror certification.