Engineering Services Railroad Annual Contract

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
City of Suffolk
RFP#26117-AG
March 24, 2026
Purchasing Division
442 W. Washington Street, Room 1086
Suffolk, VA 23434
Phone: (757) 514-7520 Fax: (757) 514-7524
Engineering Services-Railroad Annual Contract
Electronic proposals will be received at the office of the Purchasing Agent listed above, until the
time and date shown below (local prevailing time), for furnishing the items or services described
in the solicitation. Offers should be sent by e-mail attachment to: proposals@suffolkva.us with the
RFP number, title, and closing date in the subject line.
SCOPE OF WORK: The City of Suffolk has issued this sealed Request for Proposal (RFP) for the
sole purpose of obtaining responsive proposals from qualified firms to provide engineering and
consulting services associated with the City's planning and coordination with the railway entities
within the City of Suffolk. Engineers must be certified in Virginia.
Proposals are due: 3:00 p.m., May 5, 2026
Amy Gardner
Contract Officer: ________ ________________
Amy Gardner, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, Senior Buyer, agardner@suffolkva.us
The Senior Buyer, Amy Gardner is the Contract Officer for the City of Suffolk with respect to this RFP. All
questions and/or comments should be directed to her at this email address: agardner@suffolkva.us. The
respondents to this RFP shall not contact, either directly or indirectly, any other employee or agent of the City
regarding this RFP. This prohibition shall also extend to the Suffolk City Council and other elected City
officials. Any such unauthorized contact may disqualify the bidder from the procurement
**AN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT SHALL BE PROVIDED**
Company Name:
Address:
City / State / Zip:
Telephone: FAX No.:
E-mail:
Print Name: Title:
Signature: Date:
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In compliance with this Request for Proposal (RFP), and subject to all the conditions thereof, the
signatory offers, if this bid is accepted within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of the
opening agrees to furnish any or all of the items and/or services upon which prices are quoted, at
the price set opposite each item, to be delivered at the time and place specified herein. The above
signature certifies the bidder has read, understands, and agrees to all terms, conditions, and
requirements of this bid, and is authorized to contract on behalf of firm named above.
SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS
Additional Request for Proposal documents are available on the Purchasing website:
http://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17 or on the Commonwealth's bid board (eVA), or at
Demandstar.com. An e-mail request for the complete RFP form may be sent to the Contract
Officer listed on the front page.
Offers may be sent to proposals@suffolkva.us. Electronic copies (CD or thumb drive) may be
delivered to the Purchasing Office, 442 W. Washington Street, Room 1086, Suffolk, Virginia,
23434 prior to the closure date shown, if desired. Documents should be saved as a .pdf document
and should conserve disk space to allow transfers of data. Do not send Zip files. Zip files
cannot be accepted.
Questions concerning this project must be in writing (email is preferred) and addressed to the
Contract Officer listed on the front page of this solicitation, and, should be received no later than
five (5) business days preceding the date that the proposals are to be received. E-mail is the
preferred method and will get a more timely response.
IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN
ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT, PLEASE CONTACT THIS DIVISION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Proposals may be submitted through EVA
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Table of Contents
Engineering Services-Railroad Annual Contract
SECTION/TITLE
PURPOSE .......................................................................................................................... - 4 -
BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................. - 4 -
COMPETITION INTENDED ................................................................................................ - 4 -
CONTRACT PERIOD ......................................................................................................... - 4 -
SCOPE OF SERVICES....................................................................................................... - 4 -
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS ........................................................... - 5 -
SPECIFIC PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................... - 7 -
EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA ............................................................................. - 9 -
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS ......................................................................................... - 10 -
CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ......................................................................... - 13 -
SIGNATURE SHEET ........................................................................................................ - 23 -
PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION ............................... - 24 -
ANTICOLLUSION/NONDISCRIMINATION/DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CLAUSES ........ - 25 -
PROOF OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS IN VIRGINIA ................................ - 26 -
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PURPOSE
The intent of this Request for Proposal is to obtain the services of a qualified professional engineering
firm to provide engineering and consulting services to assist the City with issues involving railroad
operations and the railway entities that work within the City of Suffolk. It is the intent of the City to
establish a contract with a single firm (the Engineer). Engineers must be certified in Virginia.
BACKGROUND
The City of Suffolk contains over 100 miles of railroad track with more than 50 at-grade crossings.
The City routinely deals with three different railroad companies and has need of a
consulting/designing consultant to help in these interactions. It is the intent of this RFP to result
in a contract with a qualified engineering firm to support the broad scope of efforts required to
help the City facilitate crossing improvements, quiet zone implementations, perform feasibility
studies, or assist in any means to improve safety or improve the quality of life with regard to
railroad impacts.
COMPETITION INTENDED
It is the City's intent that this Request for Proposal (RFP) permits competition. It will be the
Offeror's responsibility to advise the Purchasing Agent in writing if any language requirement,
specification, etc., or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or limits the requirements
stated in this RFP to a single source. Such notification must be received by the Purchasing Agent
not later than five (5) days prior to the date set for bids to close.
CONTRACT PERIOD
The contract shall cover the period beginning July 1, 2026, and continuing through June 30, 2027.
This contract may be renewed based on the terms and conditions at the expiration of its term at
the sole discretion of the City. Automatic renewals will occur for up to four (4) additional one-year
periods through June 30, 2031. The right is further reserved by the City to not renew the resulting
contract at the expiration of the anniversary date by furnishing the contractor with thirty (30) days
written notice.
The initial first term is limited to one (1) year or when the cumulative total project fees reach the
maximum cost authorized under Virginia Public Procurement Act 2.2-4303.1, whichever occurs
first. Any unused amounts from the first contract term shall not be carried forward to the succeeding
term.
Each contract shall have an option to extend the terms of the existing contract to all completion of
any work undertaken, but not completed, during the term of the contract.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
All services provided under this contract shall be performed in compliance with industry standards
and all federal, state, and local laws, ordinances and regulations including FRA (Federal Railroad
Administration), FHWA (Federal Highway Administration), VDOT (Virginia Department of
Transportation), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), DEQ (Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality), VOSH (Virginia Occupational Safety and Health) and OSHA
(Occupational Health and Safety Administration) rules and regulations. Engineers must be
certified in Virginia.
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Generally, the scope of service shall include all activities deemed necessary by the City to provide
engineering and consulting services associated with the issues involving railroad operations and the
railway entities that work within the City of Suffolk.
The services to be provided may include but not be limited to the following:
1. Perform engineering or feasibility studies related to improvements to at-grade crossings,
establishment of quiet zones, railway crossing enhancements, safety studies, stormwater
drainage, or other items where the City may wish to engage a rail entity to change or improve
safety or the quality of life.
2. Provide technical advice or guidance to the City in issues that require expertise in railway
regulations or operations.
3. Assist in scope or cost development for grant applications. Provide or suggest technical
design requirements for at-grade crossing improvements.
4. Provide engineering design or review of engineering designs for crossing improvements or
traffic/rail signal interconnections.
5. Assist the City in identifying means to mitigate roadway traffic concerns as a result of routine
railway operations.
6. Assist the City in developing plans to address safety at railway crossings.
7. Evaluate existing crossings for possible safety improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, and
motor vehicles
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS
Submission of Proposals
An electronic document must be submitted by e-mail attachment to proposals@suffolkva.us with
the RFP number, title, and closing date in the subject line. Electronic copies (CD or thumb drive)
may be delivered to the Purchasing Office, 442 W. Washington Street, Room 1086, Suffolk,
Virginia, prior to the closure date shown, if desired. Documents should be saved as a .pdf
document and should conserve disk space to allow transfers of data. ZIP files cannot be
accepted. They do not work in the City's system. To receive confirmation of receipt of proposal,
send request to the contracting officer at agardner@suffolkva.us. It is the responsibility of the
Offeror to request confirmation of submittal. Do NOT send proposal directly to contracting
officer.
The intent of using electronic submissions is to reduce paper usage and provide economical
approaches while permitting the Offeror to demonstrate their skills, education, experience, pricing,
and ingenuity that would qualify them to be selected for interview.
Offerors so selected may be requested to make a formal presentation of their qualifications and
job approach and may be selected for final negotiations of contract. Therefore, care should be
given to address the issues relating to the criteria to follow.
Read the entire solicitation before submitting a proposal. Failure to read any part of this RFP shall
not relieve any Offeror from his or her contractual obligations.
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Questions and Inquiries
Questions and inquiries pertaining to the Request for Proposals will be accepted from any and all
firms via e-mail (agardner@suffolkva.us) or fax. Inquiries must provide RFP number, title and
acceptance date. Material questions will be answered by Addendum and will be posted on the
City's website: https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17 and to all firms who receive the
RFP provided that all questions are received five (5) business days prior to opening date.
Amy Gardner, Senior Buyer, is the designated authorized spokesperson for the City of Suffolk
with respect to this RFP. All questions and/or comments should be directed to her attention. The
respondents to this RFP shall not contact, either directly or indirectly, any other employee or agent
of the City regarding this RFP. This prohibition shall also extend to the Suffolk City Council and
other elected City officials. Any such unauthorized contact may disqualify the Offeror from the
procurement.
Addendum and Supplement to Request
If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this request or if additional data are necessary to
enable an exact interpretation of provisions of this request, an addendum will be issued. It is the
responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that he has received all addendums prior to submitting a
proposal. All addenda can be downloaded from: https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17
Firm Pricing for City Acceptance
Offers made during negotiation must be honored for City acceptance for 180 days from the date
of offer.
Proprietary Information
Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an Offeror in connection with this solicitation
shall not be subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; however, the
Offeror must invoke the protections of this section prior to or upon submission of the data or other
materials, and must clearly identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the
reasons why protection is necessary. Offerors shall not mark sections of their proposal as
proprietary if they are to be part of the award of the contract and are of a "Material" nature. Any
propriety information must be listed on the attached "Proprietary/confidential Information
Identification" form and submitted with the proposal. An all-inclusive statement that the entire
proposal is proprietary will result in rejection of the proposal.
Authority to Bind Firm in Contract
Proposals MUST give full firm name and address of Offeror. Failure to sign proposal may
disqualify it. Person signing proposal should show TITLE or AUTHORITY TO BIND HIS FIRM IN
A CONTRACT. Firm name and authorized signature must appear on proposal in the space
provided on the pricing page.
Preparation and Submission of Proposals
1. All proposals must be signed by the individual or authorized principals of the firm.
2. All attachments to the Request for Proposal requiring executing by the firm are to be
returned with the proposals.
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3. Proposals are to be submitted electronically; title must indicate the RFP number, time and
date of public acceptance, and the title of the proposal.
4. It is the Offeror's responsibility that the proposals are received by the Purchasing Division
BEFORE the time specified on the opening date. Requests for extensions of this time and
date will not be granted. Proposals or unsolicited amendments to proposals received by
the City after the acceptance date will not be considered.
Miscellaneous Requirements
1. The City will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by a firm in preparing and
submitting a proposal. All proposals shall provide a straightforward, concise delineation of
the firm's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this request. Emphasis should be on
completeness and clarity of content.
2. Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to make an oral
presentation of their proposal. The Purchasing Division will schedule the time and location
for this presentation.
3. The contents of the proposal submitted by the successful Offeror and this RFP will become
part of any contract awarded as a result of the Scope of Services contained herein. The
successful firm will be expected to sign a contract with the City.
4. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received by reason of this
request, or to negotiate separately in any manner necessary to serve the best interests of
the City.
SPECIFIC PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as necessary to allow the City of Suffolk to properly
evaluate the Offeror's capabilities to provide the required services. Offerors are required to submit
the following items in the format provided as a complete proposal.
The City reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request
additional information if deemed necessary.
Cover Letter
The Offeror must submit a brief cover letter. The cover letter should summarize key elements of
the proposal. An individual authorized to bind Offeror must sign the letter and Signature Sheet,
as well. Indicate the address and telephone number of the Contractor's office.
Background and Project Summary Section
This section should describe your understanding of the City, the work to be performed, and the
objectives to be accomplished. Refer to the "Scope of Services" Section of this RFP.
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Methodology Section
Provide a detailed description of the approach and methodology to be used to accomplish the
"Scope of Services" of this RFP. The Methodology Section should include the following:
1. An implementation plan that describes in detail (a) the methods, including controls by
which your firm manages consultant projects of the type sought by this RFP; (b)
methodology for soliciting and documenting view of internal and external stakeholders;
and (c) any other project management or implementation strategies or techniques that the
respondent intends to employ in carrying out the work.
2. Detailed description of efforts your firm will undertake to achieve client satisfaction and to
satisfy the requirements of the "Scope of Work" Section.
3. Detailed project schedule, identifying all tasks and deliverables to be performed, durations
for each task, and overall time of completion for each task assigned.
4. Detailed description of specific tasks you will require from City staff. Explain what the
respective roles of City staff and your staff would be to complete the tasks specified herein.
Staffing Section
Provide a list of individual(s) who will be working on this contract and indicate the level/title of
each member, and the function that each will perform. Include a resume for each designated
individual, to include licenses, certifications, etc., full-time and part-time staff, proposed sub-
consultants should be identified. Information is required which will show the composition of the
task or work group, its specific qualifications, and recent relevant experience. Engineers must
be certified in Virginia.
Qualifications
Please provide the following:
1. A summary of the firm's demonstrated capability, including length of time that the
firm has provided the services being requested herein.
2. Provide at least three (3) references that received similar services from your
organization. Public agency references are preferred. The City reserves the right
to contact any the organizations or individuals listed. Information shall include:
* Client name
* Project description/summary
* Project start date and end dates
* Client project manager name, email, and telephone number
Format
Proposal should be submitted in the following format:
* Cover Sheet and Cover Letter (A)
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* Proposal sequenced in accordance with Paragraphs B-E above
* City forms as follows: (All forms must be signed.)
Signature Sheet (Page 23)
o
Propriety/Confidential Information Identification (Page 24)
o
Anti-collision/Nondiscrimination/Drug Free Workplace Clauses
o
(Page 25)
Proof of Authority to Transact Business in Virginia (Page 26)
o
EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA
The City's Evaluation Committee shall review each proposal and verify the claims and credentials
of each offeror. Selection will be made for each proposal on the basis of the criteria listed below.
Weights to each rating will be applied as indicated below:
Qualifications, credentials, and related experience of the Offeror's key personnel.
Established working relationships as a project team on similar jobs (Weight: 20%)
Adequacy and availability of support resources (Weight: 20%)
Quality of prior work, including design efficiencies, timeliness and cost control (Weight:
20%)
Approach to the task/operational plan (Weight: 30%)
Overall quality and completeness of proposal based on the submittal requirements
(Weight: 10%)
Once each member of the Evaluation Committee has independently read and rated each proposal
and completed an evaluation matrix for each offeror, a composite preliminary rating will be
developed which indicates the group's collective ranking of the highest rated proposals in a
descending order. The preliminary rating will be used to select the firms for further
consideration-the short-list.
At this point, the Evaluation Committee will conduct interviews and/or discussions with the top
ranked firms, usually the top three (3) to five (5) depending upon the number of proposals
received.
After the interviews, the Evaluation Committee will finalize the rankings based on the firms'
presentations. Final negotiations for a binding fee will begin with the top ranked firm. If a contract
acceptable to the City cannot be negotiated at rates that are considered fair and reasonable,
negotiations shall be terminated with that firm, and negotiations will be conducted with the next
ranked firm, and so on, as required under the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The rankings shall
remain confidential until after the contract award.
Should the City determine, in its sole discretion, that only one offeror is qualified, or that one
offeror is clearly more highly qualified than the other under consideration, a contract may be
negotiated and awarded to that offeror. The file will show the Committee's reason for basis of
selection.
The successful firm will be expected to enter into a contract with the City of Suffolk based upon
their submittal, any additional negotiated terms, and best and final pricing. The successful firm
shall be expected to execute and return the contract documents to the City within ten (10)
business days of receipt.
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ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. Use of Form: All proposals should be submitted in electronic (.pdf) format in accordance
with this form. The offeror may attach/scan other information as required to the electronic
document that will be made a part of the proposal. Electronic submittals on CD, DVD,
flash drives, or other electronic media will be accepted if delivered prior to the closing
time. The preferred method is by an attachment to an email addressed to:
proposals@suffolkva.us. ZIP files cannot be accepted.
2. Submittals: Except as noted above, all proposals shall be sent as an attachment to email
to: proposals@suffolkva.us. The subject line must show the proposal number and title.
3. Late Proposals: Proposals, if received by the City's Purchasing Division ("Purchasing")
after the date and time specified, will not be considered. It will be the responsibility of the
offeror to see that their proposal is received by Purchasing as specified. There will be no
exceptions. Electronic proposals show the date and time sent. This must be prior to the
closing date published on the front cover.
4. City Hall Closure: Should the City's electronic networks connectivity prevent receipt of
proposals at the time of the scheduled proposal closing, the proposals will be accepted
and opened on the next business day of the City, at the original scheduled hour, or as
soon as connectivity is restored during normal business hours.
5. Competition Intended: It is the City's intent that this RFP permits competition. It shall be
the offeror's responsibility to advise the Contract Officer in writing if any language
requirement, specification, terms, conditions, or any combination thereof, inadvertently
restricts or limits the requirements stated in this RFP to a single source. Such notification
must be received by the Contract Officer prior to the date set for proposals to close.
6. Contract Quantities: The quantities specified in the RFP are estimates only unless
otherwise clearly noted, and are given for the information of offeror and for the purpose
of proposal evaluation. They do not indicate the actual quantity that will be required, since
such volume will depend upon requirements that may develop during the contract period.
Quantities shown shall not be construed to represent any amount which the City shall be
obligated to purchase under the contract, or relieve the offeror of his obligation to fill all
orders placed by the City, except as clearly noted.
7. Delivery: The time of delivery of services must be stated in definite terms. If time of
delivery for services varies, the offeror shall so state.
8. Offeror's Qualifications: Only proposals from established offerors for work similar in
scope to work herein shall be considered; the City reserves the right to request specific
reference information prior to award. Offeror shall demonstrate that they have adequate
and appropriate manpower and resources to respond and perform in accordance with
the provisions herein.
The City may, at its option, disqualify an offeror and reject its proposal for cause. Reasons
deemed to be sufficient for this action shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
Evidence of collusion among offerors.
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