Request for Proposals
Civil and Environmental Engineering Services to Support Louisiana Communities with Technical Assistance Related to Federal Grant Applications
Date of Issue: July 29, 2024
Introduction
The Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation (LITACorp) is soliciting proposals from qualified civil and environmental engineering firms to provide technical assistance to rural and economically distressed communities in Louisiana. The goal is to prepare these communities to apply for federal grants under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Background
LITACorp is a nonprofit organization that was established in October 2022 as a collaborative partnership between the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA) and the Police Jury Association of Louisiana (PJAL) to advance three key goals:
Equip political subdivisions located in rural and economically distressed areas with the tools and resources they need to identify, apply for, and administer federal grants funded through the IIJA.
Minimize barriers for political subdivisions to access federal resources by assisting them with meeting local cost share requirements of federal grant programs funded through IIJA.
Acquire federal grant funds through IIJA to construct, improve, or repair public infrastructure – water and sewer systems, roads, bridges, railways, ports, broadband, etc. – in rural and economically distressed communities throughout Louisiana.
The IIJA offers significant opportunities for communities to access federal funds for infrastructure improvements. However, rural and economically distressed communities often lack the technical expertise and resources necessary to develop competitive grant applications. LITACorp aims to bridge this gap by providing the needed technical support.
Scope of Work
Through the Technical Assistance Program (TAP), local government entities are able to request technical assistance as it relates to project development, funding identification, technical services (e.g., engineering) and grant writing, among other things. In June 2023, LITACorp retained a local consulting firm to lead TAP’s project management and grant writing efforts. All engineering firms ultimately retained by LITACorp will be managed by LITACorp’s lead technical assistance provider to ensure each project is assigned the appropriate firm based on individual qualifications and experience, capacity to meet deadlines, and cost effectiveness.
The scope of work for technical engineering services as it relates to project and application development may include the following:
● Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA)
● Cost estimates
● Project scope and specifications
● Conceptual or preliminary designs
● Project schedule/timeline
● Construction budget (with stamp)
● Project mapping
Note: Project scope/specification, designs, and schedule are generally conceptual and limited to the minimum required to properly define a project for the grant application. Engineers will be expected to collaborate with grant writers to align project specifications and budgets with the requirements, recommendations, and forms described in the individual Notices of Funding Opportunity.
At the time this RFP was published, LITACorp’s lead technical assistance provider has most frequently provided technical assistance and engineering services related to the following IIJA-funded programs:
Delta Regional Authority
● Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF)
● States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP)
● Strategic Planning Program
U.S. Department of Transportation
● Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM)
● Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
● Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT)
● Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) Program
● Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
● Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
● Safe Routes to Public Places Program (SRTPP)
● Bridge Investment Program (BIP)
● Charging Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
● Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)
● Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund (DWRLF)
U.S. Department of Energy
● Grid Innovation Program
● Grid Resilience Utility and Industry Grant
Note: This list of programs will continue to expand based on community needs and funding availability.
LITACorp will request engineering services from retained firms on a project-by project basis. However, LITACorp cannot guarantee any work as a result of this RFP.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals must include the following information:
1. Firm Background
a. Brief overview of the firm and relevant experience
2. Technical Approach
a. Coordination with LITACorp’s primary technical assistance provider, grant writers, and local municipalities
b. Methodology for approaching the technical engineering services described in the scope of work
3. Experience and Qualifications
a. Examples of similar projects completed
b. Examples of work with local municipalities
c. Resumes of key personnel who will be involved in the project d. List of federal grants the firm has directly worked on
e. Federal grant success rate
4. References
a. Contact information for at least three references from similar projects
5. Hourly Rates
a. Hourly rates for all key personnel who will be involved in the project
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
➔ Experience and Qualifications (40%)
➔ Technical Approach (30%)
➔ Cost (20%)
➔ References (10%)
Submission Instructions
Complete proposals must be submitted electronically to leslie@litacorp.org, alex@litacorp.org, and aury@litacorp.org. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. Incomplete proposals will not be considered.
Questions and Clarifications
All questions regarding this RFP should be directed to Alex Holland at alex@litacorp.org or (702) 217-0312. Questions and responses will be published on LITACorp’s website (www.litacorp.org) for all interested parties.