RFQP Professional Environmental Services for Delta Compass Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant

Oct 10, 2025

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND PROPOSALS (RFQP)

Professional Environmental Services for

Delta Compass Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant

 

Submittal Due Date and Time: 

November 10, 2025, by 12:00 pm CT

 

Question Submittal Deadline:

November 3, 2025, by 12:00 pm CT

 

Mail or deliver documents to:

Carolyn Baker, Director of Alignment

Delta Compass – Washington County, Mississippi

PO Box 933

Greenville, MS  38702

cbaker@wceams.com

(662) 378-3141

 

Introduction

Delta Compass is soliciting qualifications and proposals for professional environmental services from qualified environmental consulting firms (Respondents) to provide grant writing and environmental services to Washington County, Mississippi with the needs outlined in the RFQP. Delta Compass plans to select a single Respondent that meets the threshold and selection criteria outlined in this RFQP.

 

The RFQP is open to all qualified environmental professionals (QEPs) capable and qualified to meet the objectives and requirements described in this document.  Qualified Woman-owned businesses (WBE) Minority-owned businesses (MBE) and/or Veteran-owned businesses (VBE) organizations are encouraged to respond.

 

Only proposals received no later than 12:00 pm on November 10, 2025, will be considered. Upon receipt, all RFQP submissions will be reviewed for completeness in accordance with the threshold and selection criteria contained herein.  If threshold criteria are satisfied, Delta Compass will assess each Respondent’s qualifications based upon the selection criteria.  Once the selection committee has reviewed and ranked all Respondent proposals, if determined necessary, the top scoring Respondents will be selected for an interview with the selection committee.  Interviews will be held during the week of November 17, 2025, with specific date and time to be determined. 

 

Questions must be submitted via email to Carolyn Baker, [cbaker@wceams.com], by 12:00 pm CT [ November 3].   Questions and written responses will be provided to all interested Respondents, via email.  It is the Respondent’s responsibility to provide a current email address.

 

Background

Delta Compass as part of a public-private collaboration intends to apply for an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields multipurpose grant in the fall 2025.  [Delta Compass is a new regional intermediary that assist with federal procurement and implementation to entities within the Delta.  Delta Compass recently completed a brown field grant for the City of Greenville, Mississippi]. Grant writing services are expected to begin in August or September 2025.   Should the grant be selected for award, implementation of grant activities is expected to begin by [January 2026] and be completed in the summer of 2027 to enable timely submission of final reports/documentation.  Grant activities will include planning, environmental assessments of sites affected by petroleum and/or hazardous material substances, cleanup of at least one County owned brownfields property, and other eligible activities.

 

Delta Compass anticipates the selected Respondent will achieve the following goals:  

 

Grant Writing

  • Assist the County to develop a grant proposal strategy and overall grant project.
  • Work with the County to draft a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant application that addresses the grant guidelines.
  • Timely submission of a grant application package to the County for routing, approval, and submittal through grants.gov.

 

Implementation of Grant Activities

  • Complete an area wide plan for [insert description of are for planning]. 
  • Work with the County, [others? e.g. community advisory board, key community partners and stakeholder that may be listed in the application, etc.] and the EPA to finalize the list of sites to be assessed based on need and financial availability/grant capacity.
  • Complete thorough Phase I and Phase II assessments on the selected parcels to determine the scope and extent of contamination of each site.
  • Complete supplemental environmental assessments, such as asbestos surveys and lead-based paint sampling, as necessary.
  • Develop cost-effective and efficient scenarios for cleanup and remediation, as necessary, for the sites.
  • Perform other eligible grant activities including educational site visits, public meetings, opportunity and market analysis, and development of site redevelopment profile fact sheets.
  • Assist with grant management.
  • Coordinate with the state regulatory cleanup authority, [Insert Name of the State’s regulatory agency overseeing environmental cleanups] to ensure cleanup standards are met for the intended reuse.
  • Assist the County with community engagement efforts to inform the community of project progress.

 

Scope of Work

The proposed scope of work under this RFQP consists of working with the County to provide:

  • Grant Writing Services – Develop an appropriate grant strategy for the County.  Activities may include:
    • identify target area for planning, assessment, and cleanup activities,
    • site identification and potential reuse opportunities,
    • community involvement plan,
    • budget development,
    • research demographic data to address grant criteria for the community and incorporate into the grant application,
    • identify and coordinate with key community partners, and,
    • identify leverage resources for cleanup and redevelopment.
  • Grant Writing Training - Attend grant writing training offered by the K-State Technical Assistance to Brownfields (KSU TAB) program.
  • Grant Review - Coordinate a review of the draft application with the KSU TAB.
  • Timely Submission of a Completed Application to the County – Provide a final grant application package to the County five (5) days prior to the grant deadline to allow time for County routing, approval and submission through grants.gov.

 

THE FOLLOWING TASKS WILL BE REQUIRED ONLY IF THE GRANT IS SELECTED FOR AWARD.

  • Work Plan Development – Assist the County to draft its grant work plan and address the Terms and Conditions under its Cooperative Agreement with U.S. EPA.
  • Implement Tasks and Activities Outlined in the grant application and subsequent EPA Approved Work Plan
    • Program Development and Outreach - Provide coordination for public meetings, stakeholder meetings, draft media releases, FAQ sheets, presentations for outreach. Respondent will assist the County’s Project Manager in preparing quarterly and annual reports, updating the ACRES database, and other programmatic and planning activities in support of inventory, assessment, cleanup, and outreach activities.
    • Brownfields Inventory and Prioritization - Tour community, inspect sites, meet with stakeholders, collect eligibility data for sites, maintain inventory, input data into EPA’s ACRES, setting up and maintenance of a brownfields site inventory, tracking, and management database (e.g the Brownfield Inventory Tool, BiT), meet with the County to prioritize sites and document the site selection process.
    • Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) - Respondent will draft a QAPP; conduct Phase I ESAs and phase II ESAs; develop site-specific sampling and analysis plans and health and safety plans for each site where a Phase II ESA is conducted; and conduct supplemental building assessments. All Phase I assessments must meet the federal all appropriate inquiries (AAI) requirements (e.g., ASTM 1527-21). 
    • Conduct Cleanup Planning Activities.  As deemed applicable by the County, Respondent will prepare remedial action plans (RAPs) in accordance with the Voluntary Program.

 

All plans and documentation will be reviewed by Delta Compass, Voluntary Cleanup Program Staff and the EPA Project Manager.  The scope of services under this RFQP is preliminary; the final scope of services will be negotiated with the selected Respondent.

The resulting contract will be for 2 years.  Delta Compass may amend or extend this contract beyond the initial 2 years to accommodate the terms and conditions of future EPA grants awarded to the Delta Compass collaborative within this 2-year project period provided a market survey conducted by Delta Compass indicates that the prices the contractor proposes are reasonable. 

Terms, Conditions and Exceptions

  1. Delta Compass does not create any obligation, expressed or implied, of any kind or description in issuing this RFQP or receiving a response. Neither this RFQP nor the response shall be construed as a legal offer.
  2. Delta Compass reserves the right to alter, amend, or modify any provisions of this RFQP, or to withdraw this RFQP, at any time prior to the award of the contract resulting from qualification under this process, if it is in the best interest of the Delta Compass to do so.
  3. Delta Compass reserves the right to reject any and all responses without cause, waive irregularities in all procedures related to this RFQP, make inquiries of Respondents and their references and clients regarding qualifications or information submitted as part of their responses as deemed necessary, conduct personal interviews of any or all Respondents, and request and receive additional information as the Delta Compass deems necessary.
  4. Work performed under agreements resulting from this RFQP may be subject to federal contractual provisions. Delta Compass hereby puts Respondents on notice that a successful award at the end of this process may be contingent upon an agreement between the Delta Compass and the Respondent to comply with standard federal contractual provisions, including but not limited to, minimum Federal wage rates (Davis-Bacon).
  5. In the event the selected Respondent does not enter into the required agreement with Delta Compass to carry out the purposes described in this RFQP, Delta Compass may, in addition to any other rights and remedies available at law or in equity, commence negotiations with another person or entity.
  6. In no event shall any obligation of any kind be enforceable against Delta Compass unless a written agreement has been entered into.
  7. By submitting a response to the RFQP, each Respondent waives all rights to protest or seek remedies whatsoever regarding any aspect of this RFQP, the selection of a Respondent or Respondents with whom to negotiate, the rejection of any or all offers to negotiate, or a decision to terminate negotiations.
  8. Delta Compass will not assume any responsibility or liability for any expenses incurred by a Respondent, or prospective Respondent, in connection with the preparation or delivery of a response, requested interview, or any action related to the process of completing and submitting a response to this RFQP.
  9. Respondent shall disclose any existing or potential conflict of interest relative to the performance of the contractual services resulting from this RFQP. Any such relationship that might be perceived or represented as a conflict should be disclosed. By submitting a qualification in response to this RFQP, Respondents affirm that they have not given, nor intend to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, or service to a public servant of Delta Compass or any employee or representative of same, in connection with this qualification process. Any attempt to intentionally or unintentionally conceal or obfuscate a conflict of interest will automatically result in the disqualification of a Respondent’s qualification. The Delta Compass will determine whether a conflict of interest exists and whether it may reflect negatively on Delta Compass’ selection of a Respondent. The County reserves the right to disqualify any Respondent on the grounds of actual or apparent conflict of interest.
  10. Delta Compass will own all documents, including electronic media presentations, produced as a result of the contract. The QEP may use generated documents under the signed contract only with expressive permission from Delta Compass.

 

RFQP Submission Requirements

Responses must be received no later than 12:00 P.M, Central Time, Monday, November 10, 2025, to be considered. Respondents must submit (1) electronic copy in PDF of qualifications, and one (1) separate, sealed cost proposal with Respondent’s current rate schedule and clearly identified cost of services for each outlined task.  The proposal must include the following information.

  1. Cover Letter describing the Respondent’s general understanding of the scope of work and any key issues associated with performing the required services.  The cover letter shall not to exceed one page, must be signed by an individual(s) authorized to bind the Respondent contractually, and include the name, title, address, email address and telephone number of one or more individuals who can respond to requests for additional information.
  2. Resumes of primary personnel assuming responsibilities for this project, not to exceed one (1) pager per resume.
  3. Detailed description of Respondent’s approach to the scope of work and relevant experience, not to exceed 15 pages including:
    1. Experience in grant writing including applying for and securing federal grant dollars.
    2. Description of the history, experience, and qualifications of the Respondent including key personnel and their respective responsibilities,
    3. If relevant, a listing of subcontractors to be used for activities identified in the Scope of Work along with their services they will provide and a description of Respondent’s process to select and oversee subcontractors. The use of WBE/MBE organizations are encouraged
    4. Methodologies to perform site assessments and confirmatory sampling,
    5. Ability to meet all applicable state and federal regulations governing environmental site assessments,
    6. Technologies or testing methods utilized to assess specific types of contamination,
    7. Innovative ideas for maximizing the value and amount of work that can be completed within the budget available through the grant. Provide rationale and evidence of the value and effectiveness of the proposed approach to the scope of services.
    8. Strategy and timeline for completing the project including key milestones.
    9. Experience conducting assessments on contaminated properties and remediation to address state and federal requirements,
    10. Discussion on Respondent’s Health and Safety practices/programs including Respondent’s record for the last three years, and,
    11. List of other projects along with references for up to three (3) similar projects.
  4.  The cost proposals for the at least three (3) top ranked Respondents will be opened prior to the interviews.

 

Note that the cover letter, resumes, and cost proposal are not included in the 15-page limitations. Complete RFQP packages shall be submitted to:

Carolyn Baker, Director of Alignment

Delta Compass

PO Box 933

Greenville, MS 38702

cbaker@wceams.com

 

Responses not received by 12:00 P.M, CT, Monday, November 10, 2025, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR CONSIDERATION. To reduce waste and cost all submittals must be electronic. 

Faxed responses will not be accepted. Any questions regarding this RFQP must be submitted in an e-mail to Carolyn Baker at email cbaker@wceams.com no later than 12:00pm CT, November 3, 2025. A timely written response, which includes electronic transmittal, to all e-mail questions will be provided to the Respondent and all firms who received the RFQP. Inquiries pertaining to the RFQP are NOT to be directed to any other member of Delta Compass. Any such action may disqualify the Respondent from further consideration. Respondents may not rely upon verbal responses to any inquiry.

Selection Process

Responses will be evaluated based upon the documented ability of the Respondent to satisfy the threshold criteria and the requirements of this RFQP. Respondents passing the threshold requirements will be further evaluated against the selection criteria. Both the Threshold and Selection criteria are detailed below. It is expected that the review committee will include five people.  Each reviewer will complete the scoring independently. Ratings will be assigned by reviewers and multiplied by the weight to determine the score.  All of the scores will be combined for each Respondent to determine a total score. If determined necessary by the selection committee, the top 3 scoring Respondents will be invited to participate in an in-person (or virtual) interview during the week of November 17, specific date and time to be determined. 

 

Threshold Eligibility

  1. Respondent has at least one (1) full-time [Mississippi] licensed professional geologist in good standing.
  2. Respondent has at least one (1) full-time [Mississippi] professional engineer in good standing.
  3. Respondent has at least one (1) full-time Environmental Professional as defined in ASTM 1527-21.
  4. Respondent has a minimum of ten (10) years’ environmental professional experience.
  5. Respondent must have knowledge of and experience with development of Quality Assurance Project Plans.
  6. Respondent must have a minimum of $1,000 in Professional Errors and Omissions insurance and $1,000,000 in General Liability Insurance.
  7. Respondent must have demonstrated experience in conducting community outreach and public meetings.

If a Respondent does not satisfy the threshold eligibility requirements above, the response will not be further evaluated, and scoring will not be completed.

 

Evaluation Process

Respondents will be ranked based on qualifications and project understanding as determined to be in the best interests of Delta Compass.  Those that satisfy the threshold eligibility requirements above will be evaluated against the additional selection criteria listed below.

 

 

 

 

 

Project Timetable

October 10, 2025        RFQP materials e-mailed to potential Respondents and posted on/in the [Insert websites, social media outlets, newspapers, and other avenues planned for marketing the RFQP]

November 3, 2025      RFQP questions received no later than 12:00pm CT

November 10, 2025    Proposals received by Delta Compass no later than 12:00pm CT

November 10, 2025    Respondents’ materials provided to Selection Committee for individual evaluation

November 14, 2025    Selection Committee evaluations returned to Delta Compass for compilation; Finalists contacted to schedule interviews

                                    Recommendations of Respondents for approval

December 15, 2025    Intent to Award sent to final selection