On-Call Regulatory Compliance Support Services

The Orange County Water District (OCWD) is seeking qualified firms to provide on-call regulatory compliance support services under a qualifications-based solicitation, RFQ-25-002, with a response deadline of August 20, 2026. The contract establishes a three-year master agreement with the possibility of two one-year extensions at OCWD’s discretion, allowing for the issuance of project-specific work orders as needed to address regulatory requirements related to environmental monitoring, permitting, habitat restoration, water quality studies, GIS support, and climate resiliency planning. All work must comply with federal, state, and local regulations, particularly the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and performances are to be conducted at or directed to Fountain Valley, California, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 8300, Fountain Valley, CA 92728-8300. The evaluation process prioritizes technical merit, allocating 30 points each to the firm’s experience and past performance on similar projects, 20 points to organizational support resources, and 20 points to billing rates, indicating a trade-off approach to award determination rather than a lowest-priced technically acceptable selection. Pricing is structured on a time-and-materials basis using a detailed hourly rate schedule outlined in Exhibit A, with standard markups of 10% for materials and 20% for equipment, and all costs—including travel and overhead—must be embedded in fully loaded hourly rates with no separate reimbursements permitted. Contractors must submit a single, text-searchable, bookmarked PDF statement of qualifications limited to 20 pages, accompanied by three hard copies and one electronic copy on a flash drive, delivered in person, via courier, or by mail to OCWD’s administration office; emailed or faxed submissions are not accepted. Proposals must include detailed resumes and organizational charts for key personnel, with prior written approval required for any substitutions. Firms must affirm no conflict of interest and compliance with equal employment opportunity policies, and must secure and maintain specific insurance coverage—$1M professional liability, $2M cyber liability, $2M general liability, $1M automobile liability, and statutory workers’ compensation—all naming OCWD as an additional insured with waiver of subrogation. Subcontractors are subject to the same requirements and the prime contractor bears full liability for their performance. OCWD retains the right to inspect, audit, and accept deliverables based on compliance with industry