IFB Solicitation for Professional Services for Visible Emissions Evaluation Training and Certification Sessions (Smoke School).

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)
PROCUREMENT NUMBER: RFx3160007906 MDEQ-IFB04212026
TO PROVIDE: Professional Services for Visible Emissions Evaluation
Training and Certification Sessions (Smoke School)
ISSUE DATE
April 21, 2026
CLOSING LOCATION
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
700 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Or Electronically in MAGIC
CLOSING DATE AND TIME
June 3, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. CDT
MDEQ BID COORDINATOR
Ms. Aveleka Moore amoore@mdeq.ms.gov
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SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW.....................................................................4
1.1 Purpose..........................................................................................................4
1.1.1 Scope of Services....................................................................................4
1.1.2 Contract Type.........................................................................................5
1.1.3 Term...................................................................................................5
1.2 Bid Acceptance Period and Submission Requirements....................................................5
1.2.1 Confidential Information............................................................................7
1.2.2 Bid Submission Period..............................................................................8
1.2.3 Bid Opening..........................................................................................8
1.3 Timeline.........................................................................................................8
1.4 Questions and Requests for Clarification .....................................................................9
1.5 Acknowledgement of Amendments..........................................................................9
1.6 Expenses Incurred in the Procurement Process.............................................................9
1.7 Cancellation of Solicitation or Rejection of Individual Bids..............................................9
1.7.1 Notice of Cancellation of IFB......................................................................9
1.8 Registration with the Mississippi Secretary of State.......................................................10
1.9 Registration with MAGIC and PayMode..................................................................10
1.10 Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM)..........................................10
1.11 Independent Price Determination ...........................................................................10
1.12 Exclusion or Debarment .....................................................................................10
1.13 Right to Consider Historical Information ..................................................................11
1.14 Approval........................................................................................................11
1.15 Property Rights................................................................................................11
1.16 Contract Rights.................................................................................................11
1.17 Minority and Women Businesses..........................................................................11
SECTION 2 - PROCUREMENT METHODOLOGY....................................................................12
2.1 Restrictions on Communication with MDEQ Staff......................................................12
2.2 Request for Reconsideration of the Terms of the Solicitation..........................................13
2.2.1 Agency Decision on Request for Reconsideration.............................................13
2.3 Minor Informalities and Irregularities.....................................................................13
2.4 Modification or Withdrawal of a Bid.....................................................................14
2.5 Disposition of Bids...........................................................................................14
2.6 Corrections and Clarifications..............................................................................14
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2.7 Bid Evaluation................................................................................................14
2.7.1 Nonconforming Terms and Conditions..........................................................14
2.7.2 Conditioning Bid Upon Other Awards...........................................................14
2.8 Right of Negotiation.........................................................................................15
2.9 Award.........................................................................................................15
2.9.1 Notice of Intent to Award..........................................................................15
2.10 Request for Reconsideration of the Intent to Award....................................................15
2.10.1 Agency Decision for Request for Reconsideration.............................................16
2.11 Notice of Contract Award....................................................................................16
SECTION 3 - INSURANCE.................................................................................................17
SECTION 4 - MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO BE DEEMED RESPONSIBLE ..............................17
ATTACHMENT A - BID COVER SHEET...............................................................................18
ATTACHMENT B - BID FORM...........................................................................................20
ATTACHMENT C - MBE/WBE SOLICITATION FORM............................................................22
ATTACHMENT D - BIDDER'S AFFIDAVIT............................................................................23
ATTACHMENT E - PROJECT REFERENCES..........................................................................25
ATTACHMENT F - STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS...................................28
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SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
1.1 Purpose
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is seeking to establish a contract to
provide Visible Emissions Evaluation Training and Certification Sessions (Smoke School).
1.1.1 Scope of Services
The Bidder shall perform the following services:
1) The Bidder shall provide two (2) Visible Emissions Evaluation Training and Certification
Sessions (Smoke School) per calendar year (i.e., Spring and Fall). The classroom training
portion will emphasize the principles and practice of 40 C.F.R. Part 60, Appendix A, Test
Method 9 observations as well as the certification procedures. (Each classroom portion
will be approximately one-half day in length and may be held either online or in-person,
as mutually agreed upon). The certification portion will afford students the opportunity to
become certified as a qualified observer in Test Method 9.
2) The Bidder shall not charge any fee(s) to any eligible person attending MDEQ's Smoke
School.
3) The Bidder will be responsible for registering all eligible applicants requesting
registration prior to day of the event or on the day of the event.
4) The Bidder shall provide course content, testing materials, and access for all online
classroom training.
5) The Bidder shall timely notify all participants registered for classroom training that fail to
successfully complete that portion of the training.
6) The Bidder shall provide sites for the field certification testing as agreed upon by the
Bidder and MDEQ.
7) The Bidder shall provide all necessary fuel and equipment for field certification testing.
8) The Bidder shall provide certification testing in accordance with 40 C.F.R. Part 60,
Appendix A, Test Method 9 requirements. For each Smoke School, testing for
certification shall be continued until all applicants have completed qualifications or until
at least five (5) runs are completed over the course of one (1) day of testing and
evaluation. In the event weather conditions or smoke generator problems prevent the
completion of all runs in the one (1) day of testing and evaluation, a mutually acceptable
rescheduling will be arranged to complete the five (5) runs within the next thirty (30)
days at the Bidder's choosing. One (1) run is fifty (50) plume readings (twenty-five
(25) black smoke and 25 white smoke). The Bidder is not obligated to make
additional runs solely for participants that fail to attend a Smoke School in its
entirety. If ten (10) percent of active participants do not certify on the first run, or
thirty (30) percent within the first two (2) runs, a delay (i.e., around inclement
weather) or an alternative field day should be considered.
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9) The Bidder shall provide MDEQ with a registration roster and completion data of each
Smoke School event. The information shall conform in content and detail as required by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Quality Assurance procedures.
10) The Bidder shall notify all participants of either their apparent successful certification or
failure to pass the Test Method 9 field certification requirement prior to each successive
run.
11) The Bidder shall timely notify all participants of either their successful certification or
failure to certify as a qualified in Test Method 9.
12) MDEQ shall schedule the Smoke School(s) and notify potential applicants, limiting the
total number of applicants to two hundred (200).
13) MDEQ shall provide sites for all in-person classroom training (if necessary).
14) MDEQ shall provide instructional material, copies of handouts and test forms for all in-
person training (if necessary).
15) MDEQ shall maintain all Smoke School records.
16) The Bidder shall perform other related tasks as directed by MDEQ.
1.1.2 Contract Type
Compensation for services will be in the form of a firm fixed-price Contract.
1.1.3 Term
The anticipated Period of Performance for the award of the Contract is five (5) years.
1.2 Bid Acceptance and Submission Requirements
The original bid form shall be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope or package to the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) no later than the time and date specified for receipt of
bids. Timely submission of the bid is the responsibility of the bidder. Failure to submit a timely bid
may be considered just cause for rejection of the bid.
The time and date of receipt shall be indicated on the envelope or package when received by MDEQ.
Each page of the bid form and all attachments shall be identified with the name of the bidder. Failure to
submit a bid on the bid form provided may be considered just cause for rejection of the bid.
Modifications or additions to any portion of the bid document may be cause for rejection of the bid.
The bid shall be limited to no more than a total of thirty (30) typed pages including contents pages,
supporting appendices, and resumes. Paper size shall be 8 1/2" x 11". Text shall not be smaller than a
font size of 12. The original bid must be signed by an authorized representative of the Bidder.
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Each page of the bid must be numbered. Multiple page attachments and samples should be numbered
internally within each document and not necessarily numbered in the overall page number sequence of
the entire bid. The intent of this requirement is that the Bidder submit all information in a manner so
that it is clearly referenced and easily located.
MDEQ reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to reject a bid with modifications
or additions as non-responsive. As a pre-condition to bid acceptance, MDEQ may request the bidder to
withdraw or modify those portions of the bid deemed non-responsive that do not affect quality,
quantity, price, or delivery of the service.
To prevent opening by unauthorized individuals, the original signed bid, including any and all
attachments, must be submitted in a sealed envelope or package. The outside cover of the package
containing the sealed bid must be labeled:
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
SEALED BID - DO NOT OPEN
RFx3160007906 MDEQ-IFB04212026
Attention: Ms. Aveleka Moore
700 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Alternatively, electronic bids may be submitted to Mississippi's Accountability System for
Government Information and Collaboration (MAGIC) RFx Number 3160007906 no later than
the deadline in Section 1.3 of this IFB for the bid submission deadline.
The sealed bid package shall include the section components clearly divided and identified and contain
the following:
* Attachment A - Bid Cover Sheet - Not included in the thirty (30) page limit of the bid.
* Attachment B - Bid Form - Not included in the thirty (30) page limit of the bid.
* Attachment C - MBE/WBE Solicitation Form - Not included in the thirty (30) page limit of the
bid.
* Attachment D - Bidder's Affidavit - Not included in the thirty (30) page limit of the bid.
* Attachment E - Project References - Not included in the thirty (30) page limit of the bid.
* Project Plan Management: Provide a summary discussing the project management approach
that the Bidder's Project Team will take to achieve the tasks described in the Scope of Services
and course of action necessary for completion of the Scope of Services in accordance with the
anticipated Period of Performance.
* Project Team, Resources and Resumes: Provide the following information:
* Provide resumes of all persons who would be assigned to provide the required services,
including, but not limited to, their respective backgrounds, experience, Project
responsibilities, licenses, certifications, education, and skills.
* Provide information on the Bidder's access to or ability to obtain appropriate financial,
material, equipment, facility, personnel resources, and expertise to meet all contractual
requirements to perform the work.
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* Provide the name of any company or individual anticipated to be used as a subcontractor on
this Project, as well as that subcontractor's duties on the Project. If subcontractors have not
yet been identified but the Bidder has certain duties that it anticipates subcontracting, the
Bidder shall delineate that Scope of Services to be subcontracted. If no subcontractor(s) will
be used, state that no subcontractor(s) will be used. Also, the Bidder should be aware that all
subcontractors must be approved by MDEQ.
* For each referenced project, please provide this information by filling out the Project Reference
Form attached as Attachment E.
* A record of at least five (5) projects, not including MDEQ, of similar size and scope
completed by the proposed Project Team within the past five (5) years;
* For each project identified, identify which member(s) of the proposed Project Team
participated and what role they served; and
* Professional Certifications, Licensures, and Registrations:
* Provide copies of the professional licenses/registrations for all entities that comprise the
Project Team, as applicable.
* Provide a list of individuals and their professional license, certification, or registration
numbers for the persons identified in the Project Team, as applicable.
* Certificate of Good Standing: Provide proof from Mississippi Secretary of State demonstrating
that the Bidder is in good standing to do business in Mississippi - not included in the thirty (30)
page limit of the bid.
* Acknowledgement of Amendments: Bidder shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to
this IFB by signing and returning the amendment with its bid. Such acknowledgement must be
received by MDEQ by the deadline specified for receipt of bids- not included in the thirty (30)
page limit of the bid.
1.2.1 Confidential Information
Any Bidder claiming the bid contains confidential information, is required to also submit one (1)
redacted electronic copy of the complete bid including all attachments.
The redacted version of the entire bid - or if the Bidder does not produce a redacted version, the
full bid document - will be released at MDEQ's sole discretion, without notice to the Bidder and
will be produced as a public record exactly as submitted. If a redacted copy is not submitted,
MDEQ shall consider the entire bid to be public record. The redacted copy should identify which
section or information has been redacted and the Bidder should provide the specific statutory
authority for the exemption. Per Mississippi Code Annotated 25-61-9(7), the type of service to
be provided, the price to be paid and the term of the contract cannot be deemed confidential.
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The redacted copy shall be considered public record and immediately released, without
notification of the Bidder, pursuant to any request under the Mississippi Public Records Act,
Mississippi Code Annotated 25-61-1 et seq. and Mississippi Code Annotated 79-23-1.
Redacted copies shall also be used/released for any reason deemed necessary by MDEQ,
including, but not limited to, submission to the PPRB, posting to the Transparency Mississippi
website, etc.
1.2.2 Bid Submission Period
All bids must be received by MDEQ no later than the time and date specified in Section 1.3 of
this IFB for the bid submission deadline. Timely submission of the bid package is the
responsibility of the Bidder. Any bid received after the deadline will be considered late and will
be rejected and will not be considered for award. The Bidder shall be notified as soon as
practicable if their bid was rejected and the reason for such rejection.
It is recommended that bids be submitted electronically in MAGIC. If a bid is mailed to MDEQ,
it is suggested it be posted in certified mail with a return receipt requested. A bid received at the
place designated in this IFB for receipt of bids after the exact time specified for receipt shall not
be considered unless it is the only bid received. If determined by MDEQ that the late receipt was
due solely to mishandling by MDEQ after receipt at the specified address, the bid may be
considered for award.
1.2.3 Bid Opening
Bids shall be opened in the presence of one or more MDEQ officials on the date designated in
this IFB. Bids should not be opened publicly. The name of each Bidder and such other
information as is deemed appropriate by MDEQ shall be recorded. This information shall be
available to the public via the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 as discussed in Section 1.5
of the OPSCR Rules and Regulations.
1.3 Timeline
April 21, 2026 Invitation for Bids issued
May 5, 2026 Deadline to submit questions/clarification requests by 9:00 a.m. CDT
May 15, 2026 Anticipated issuance of responses to questions/clarification requests
June 3, 2026 Bid submission deadline by 3:00pm CDT
June 4, 2026 Bid opening
June 16, 2026 Notice of Intent to Award
June 19, 2026 Deadline to request Reconsideration of the Intent to Award by 9:00 a.m. CDT
June 24, 2026 Response to the request for Reconsideration of the Intent to Award
August 5, 2026 Notice of Contract Award
NOTE: Adjustments to the timeline may be made as deemed necessary by MDEQ.
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1.4 Questions and Requests for Clarification
Bidders must carefully review this IFB and all attachments for defects, questionable, or objectionable
material. Following review, Bidders may have questions to clarify or interpret this IFB in order to
submit the best bid possible. To accommodate the questions and requests for clarifications, Bidders
shall submit any such question(s) via email by the deadline specified in Section 1.3 of this IFB. At no
time shall any Bidder or its personnel contact, or attempt to contact, any MDEQ staff regarding this IFB
except the MDEQ Bid Coordinator, Ms. Aveleka Moore.
All questions and requests for clarification must be submitted by the deadline specified in Section 1.3 of
this IFB and made in writing. Questions and requests for clarification submitted after this date will not
be considered. Official responses will be provided only for questions submitted and only to clarify
information already included in this IFB. Bidders shall provide an email address for MDEQ to direct the
consolidated "question and answer" document, which will be issued as an Amendment. The identity of
the organization submitting the question(s) or request(s) for clarification will not be revealed.
Should MDEQ issue any amendments, they will be: (1) be posted publicly on the MDEQ website; (2) be
posted publicly on the procurement portal; and (3) be distributed to all potential Bidders known to have
received a copy of this IFB. Only amendments transmitted in this manner will be considered official and
valid by MDEQ.
1.5 Acknowledgement of Amendments
Bidders must acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this IFB by signing and returning the
amendment. The acknowledgment must be included in the bid submission. MDEQ recommends that
Bidders regularly monitor the MDEQ website for amendments to this IFB. MDEQ responses to
questions or clarification requests will be treated as amendments to this IFB and will require
acknowledgment.
1.6 Expenses Incurred in the Procurement Process
All parties participating in the procurement process in regard to this IFB shall bear their own costs of
participation, pursuant to Section 1.4.4 of the OPSCR Rules and Regulations. All costs incurred by the
Bidder in preparing and delivering its bid, making presentations, and any subsequent time and travel to
meet with MDEQ regarding its bid shall be borne exclusively at the Bidder's expense.
1.7 Cancellation of Solicitation or Rejection of Individual Bids
At MDEQ's sole discretion, this IFB may be canceled, all bids may be rejected, or an individual bid may
be rejected when MDEQ determines that it is in MDEQ's best interest to do so.
1.7.1 Notice of Cancellation of IFB
If this IFB is canceled, a Notice of Cancellation shall be prepared. The Notice shall identify the
solicitation being canceled and provide any information MDEQ deems appropriate. The Notice
of Cancellation shall: (1) be posted publicly on the MDEQ website; (2) be posted publicly on the
procurement portal; and (3) be distributed to all potential Bidders known to have received a copy
of this IFB. A memorandum containing the reasons for the cancellation shall be made part of the
Agency Procurement File.
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1.8 Registration with the Mississippi Secretary of State
By submitting a bid, the Bidder certifies that it is registered to do business in the State of Mississippi as
prescribed by Mississippi Law and the Mississippi Secretary of State. Sole proprietors are not required
to register with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
1.9 Registration with the Mississippi Accountability System for Government Information and
Collaboration (MAGIC) and PayMode
The State of Mississippi utilizes the Mississippi Accountability System for Government Information and
Collaboration (MAGIC) system to manage contracts. Additionally, electronic payments are issued
through an electronic portal called PayMode. In order to do business with the State of Mississippi, all
Bidders must be registered with both systems at www.dfa.ms.gov/mississippi-suppliersvendors. By
submitting a bid, the Bidder certifies that it is registered with both systems or if not already registered,
that it will do so within seven (7) business days of being notified by MDEQ that it has been awarded a
contract.
1.10 Registration with the System for Award Management (SAM)
The Bidder must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) with the System for Award Management at
www.sam.gov or if not already registered, that it will do so within seven (7) business days of being
notified by MDEQ that it has been awarded a contract.
1.11 Independent Price Determination
By submitting a bid, the Bidder certifies that the prices submitted in response to this IFB have been
arrived at independently and without any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other
Bidder or competitor for the purpose of restricting competition.
1.12 Exclusion or Debarment
By submitting a bid in response to this IFB the Bidder certifies that it is not currently excluded or
debarred from future contract awards by any political subdivision or Agency of any
State, Federal, local, or county government. The Bidder further certifies that it is not an agent of any
such person or entity.
The Bidder certifies that it has not, in the (5) five-year period preceding its bid, been convicted of or had
a civil judgment rendered against it for commission of a fraud or criminal offense in connection with
obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performance of a public contract; violation of antitrust laws; or
commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making
false statements, or receiving stolen property. The Bidder certifies that it is not presently indicted or
otherwise criminally or civilly charged with the commission of any of the acts listed herein.
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