Professional Support and Project Management Services for the CRG Data Center Development Project

City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
CITY OF FESTUS, MISSOURI
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
RFQ No. 2026-01
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, PERMIT
COMPLIANCE REVIEW, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR
THE CRG DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Issuing Entity City of Festus, Missouri
Issue Date 10/14/2026
Written Questions Due 10/28/2026. Submit in writing per Section 9.
Submittal Deadline 11/04/2026 No pre-submittal conference will be held.
Submit To City Administrator, 711 W. Main Street, Festus, MO 63028
City Contact Benjamin DeClue, City Administrator, 636-937-4694,
bdeclue@festusmo.gov
Anticipated Award 11/23/2026
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
1. Introduction and Background
The City of Festus, Missouri (the "City") is party to a Development Agreement with CRG (the
"Developer") for the development of a data center project within the City (the "Project"). The Project is
expected to generate significant public interest, involve multiple permitting and regulatory reviews, and
require ongoing coordination among the City, the Developer, and other governmental entities, including
the Jefferson County Sewer District and the Jefferson County Water Authority.
The City is issuing this Request for Qualifications ("RFQ") to identify and qualify a firm, and its
proposed team, to assist the City with public communications, permit compliance review, and project
management coordination in connection with the Project, as further described in Section 3, Scope of
Services.
This is a procurement based on qualifications. The City is not requesting fee proposals or lump sum
pricing at this stage. The City intends to evaluate and rank respondents based on qualifications,
experience, and approach, and to negotiate scope and compensation with the top ranked, responsive and
responsible firm consistent with applicable City procurement policy and, where applicable, Missouri law
governing selection of professional services on the basis of qualifications.
2. Team Structure Requirements
The City recognizes that the scope of services described in Section 3 spans multiple professional
disciplines, including public communications, regulatory and permitting review, and project management,
that are not typically held within a single firm. Accordingly:
* Respondents shall submit as a lead (prime) firm together with a defined project team, which may
include subconsultants/subcontractors, sufficient to cover all three scope areas described in Section
3.
* The prime firm shall be the sole point of contractual responsibility and accountability to the City.
Subconsultants shall not contract directly with the City, but the prime firm shall ensure that each
subconsultant is bound, through a written subcontract or teaming agreement, to substantive
obligations equivalent to those imposed on the prime firm under this RFQ and any resulting
agreement, including but not limited to the required forms, confidentiality and public records
handling obligations, and minimum insurance requirements applicable to that subconsultant's scope
of work. The prime firm shall remain fully responsible and liable to the City for the performance,
compliance, and conduct of each subconsultant as if performed directly by the prime firm and shall
produce subconsultant compliance documentation (including affidavits) to the City upon request.
* All team members, including subconsultants, must be identified by name and firm in the SOQ,
along with the specific scope area(s) each will perform.
* The prime firm itself, and not a subconsultant alone, must independently satisfy the minimum
qualification described in Section 4.1 (prior data center project experience). Subconsultants may
supplement the team's overall depth and expertise specific to their discipline but may not be relied
upon to satisfy this minimum qualification on the prime firm's behalf. Claimed experience must be
traceable to the specific firm and personnel who will perform the work under this engagement, not
the firm's affiliates or unrelated project staff.
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
* The City reserves the right to request substitution of any team member it deems unqualified, and to
require City approval of any change in team composition during the term of the engagement.
3. Scope of Services
The selected firm and its team will provide the following services in support of the City in connection
with the Project. The City retains all final decision-making authority, approval authority, and contractual
authority described below; the selected firm's role is advisory and coordinative except where explicitly
noted.
3.1 Public Communications and Community Engagement
The firm will serve as the City's designated advisor and spokesperson on public communications related
to the Project, reporting to and acting under the direction of the City Administrator, Mayor, and City
Council. Specific responsibilities include:
* Serving as the City's primary point of contact for public, media, and stakeholder inquiries regarding
the Project and related permit requests.
* Developing and maintaining digital content regarding the Project for distribution via the City's
website and social media channels, subject to City review and approval prior to release.
* Preparing materials for, and appearing at, City Council meetings, public forums, and other public
engagements as directed by the City.
* Advising the City Administrator, Mayor, City Council, and City staff on public communications
strategy, messaging, and risk related to the Project, including, but not limited to, advise for
contested or adversarial public engagement, responding to organized opposition, and heightened
media scrutiny.
* Coordinating public facing messaging with the Developer and other governmental entities involved
in the Project, subject to City direction.
For the avoidance of doubt, the firm's role under this subsection is advisory and representational. The
firm has no authority to make official City decisions, commitments, or policy statements independent of
City Administrator, Mayor, and/or City Council direction and approval.
3.2 Permit Compliance Review and Coordination
The firm will assist City staff in the technical review and coordination of permits associated with the
Project. Specific responsibilities include:
* Reviewing permit applications and submittals related to the Project for compliance with applicable
City codes, ordinances, and local regulations, and providing written compliance recommendations
to City staff.
* Coordinating permit and project review across multiple outside consultants, engineers, and
reviewing agencies engaged by the City or the Developer, to promote timely and consistent review.
* Identifying conflicts, gaps, or inconsistencies among permit submittals and flagging them to City
staff and the applicable reviewing bodies.
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
* Maintaining a tracking log of permit submittals, review status, outstanding comments, and
resolution.
For the avoidance of doubt, final compliance determinations and approval authority on all permits
remain with the City's building official and other City staff with statutory or delegated authority. The
firm's role is to review, evaluate, and recommend, not to approve or deny permits on the City's behalf.
3.3 Project Management and Interagency Coordination
The firm will serve as the City's project management coordinator for the Project. Specific responsibilities
include:
* Coordinating activities, deliverables, and milestones between the Developer and the City as
required under the Development Agreement, and maintaining a milestone tracking schedule.
* Coordinating between the City and other governmental entities required for completion of the
Project, including without limitation the Jefferson County Sewer District and the Jefferson County
Water Authority.
* Where no existing intergovernmental agreement or coordination protocol currently exists with a
required governmental entity (including the Jefferson County Sewer District and Jefferson County
Water Authority), assisting the City in establishing appropriate working protocols, points of
contact, and communication procedures with that entity for purposes of the Project.
* Providing regular status reporting to the City Administrator and City Council on Project milestones,
risks, and coordination issues.
* Flagging, for City decision, any issue arising under the Development Agreement that may require
formal City action, interpretation, or enforcement.
* Maintaining records of all communications, deliverables, and coordination activities performed under this
engagement in a form suitable for production in response to a Missouri Sunshine Law request.
For the avoidance of doubt, the firm's role under this subsection is limited to coordination, tracking, and
advisory support. The firm has no authority to interpret, amend, waive, enforce, or otherwise act on
behalf of the City with respect to the terms of the Development Agreement or any intergovernmental
agreement. All such authority remains exclusively with the City.
4. Minimum Qualifications
4.1 Required Experience
The prime (lead) firm must demonstrate direct, verifiable prior experience providing services of the type
described in Section 3 on one or more data center development projects. This experience must belong to
the prime firm itself, and not solely to a subconsultant, affiliate, or newly associated partner, and must be
supported by verifiable references per Section 5. General experience with large scale development alone,
without experience specific to data centers held by the prime firm, will ordinarily not satisfy this
minimum qualification; however, the evaluation committee may, in its discretion, credit closely
comparable experience with large-scale, highly regulated, or publicly contested infrastructure
development where the prime firm demonstrates that the nature of the work, permitting complexity,
multi-agency coordination, and public engagement demands were substantially similar to those presented
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
by a data center project. Subconsultants are expected to bring depth specific to their discipline (for
example, public communications, permitting or regulatory review, or project management and
coordination) and their relevant experience, including experience specific to data centers where
applicable, will be considered favorably under the evaluation criteria in Section 6, but does not substitute
for the prime firm's own qualifying experience.
4.2 Additional Requirements
* Good standing to conduct business in the State of Missouri.
* No unresolved conflicts of interest with the City, the Developer, or the Project under Sections
105.452, 105.454, and 105.458, RSMo. Respondents must disclose any current or prior relationship
with CRG or its affiliates, any known or prospective tenant or end-user of the data center, and any
current City official or employee, including any private business or family relationship with
personnel involved in the evaluation process.
* Commercial and general liability in amounts not less than the sovereign immunity limits for
Missouri public entities as calculated and published pursuant to Section 537.610, RSMo., naming
the City as additional insured; professional liability (errors & omissions) insurance in an amount
acceptable to the City given the scope and visibility of the engagement; and worker's compensation
coverage in full compliance with Missouri law; or the demonstrated ability to obtain such coverage,
as further described in Section 8.
* No debarment, suspension, or disqualification from contracting with any federal, state, or local
government entity within the preceding five (5) years.
* Compliance with Missouri's employment eligibility verification requirements under Section
285.530, RSMo., including enrollment in a federal work authorization program and execution of the
required affidavits, applicable to the prime firm, and per Section 2, flowed down to each
subconsultant.
5. Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Content Requirements
SOQs shall be organized in the following order and shall not exceed 25 pages, excluding cover page,
table of contents, and required forms/resumes:
1. Cover Letter: signed by an individual authorized to bind the prime firm; identify the prime firm and
all proposed team members and subconsultants.
2. Firm Qualifications and Experience: for the prime firm and each named subconsultant, including a
summary of relevant data center project experience (Section 4.1) and other comparable
engagements in the public sector.
3. Proposed Team and Key Personnel: organizational chart identifying the individual(s) assigned to
each scope area (3.1, 3.2, 3.3); resumes for key personnel; description of each team member's role
and allocated availability.
4. Project Approach: narrative describing the firm's proposed approach to each of the three scope
areas in Section 3, including how the team will coordinate internally across disciplines and report to
the City.
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
5. References: minimum of three (3) references from prior data center or comparable large scale
development engagements, including client name, contact information, project description, and
dates of service.
6. Required Forms:
* Respondent information and certification;
* Project team and subconsultant disclosure;
* Non-collusion affidavit;
* E-verify/federal work authorization affidavit;
* Insurance certificate(s) or letters of insurability reflecting the coverage required under Section
4.2 and Section 9, along with the Insurance Acknowledgement and Ability to Comply form;
* Conflict of interest disclosure - disclosure of any relationship with CRG, its affiliates, or any
other party to the Development Agreement or any current City official or employee, consistent
with Sections 105.452, 105.454, and 105.458, RSMo and Section 4.2 above;
* W-9 documentation
* Debarment, suspension, and disqualification certification corresponding to Section 4.2
6. Evaluation Criteria
SOQs will be evaluated and scored by an evaluation committee designated by the City based on the
following weighted criteria.
The evaluation committee shall consist of City employees, including the relevant department Director or
designee, and such additional City employees as may be mutually determined, consistent with Section
150.010.19 of the City's procurement policy:
Evaluation Criterion Weight
Relevant data center and large scale project experience (Section 4.1) 30%
Proposed team qualifications and key personnel 25%
Approach and methodology to the three scope areas (Section 3) 20%
References and past performance 15%
Local / regional knowledge (Festus, Jefferson County) 10%
TOTAL 100%
The evaluation committee may, at its discretion, invite one or more top ranked firms to interview before
final ranking. The evaluation committee will document the basis for its scoring and ranking of each
respondent. The City reserves the right to request clarifications, additional information, or references from
any respondent.
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
7. Selection and Negotiation
Following evaluation, the City will rank respondents and enter into negotiations regarding scope of
services and compensation with the top ranked, responsive and responsible firm. Compensation is
anticipated to be structured on a time and materials basis, without a stated cap on total fees, subject to
periodic City review and budget authorization. If the City is unable to negotiate a satisfactory agreement
with the top ranked firm, the City reserves the right to terminate negotiations and proceed to the next
ranked firm, or to reject all SOQs and reissue this RFQ.
Because the resulting agreement is anticipated to span multiple years and compensation is structured on
an uncapped time and materials basis, continued funding of the engagement in each subsequent fiscal year
is subject to annual budget authorization and City Council approval, consistent with the City's
procurement policy governing multi-year agreements.
The City reserves the right to award a single agreement covering all scope areas in Section 3, or to award
separately by scope area, whichever the City determines to be in its best interest.
8. Term and Termination
The resulting agreement is anticipated to remain in effect for the duration of the Development Agreement
between the City and CRG, including any extensions thereof, unless earlier terminated. The agreement
will include a provision allowing either party to terminate for convenience upon 30 days written notice,
and for cause upon material breach. The City reserves the right to negotiate final term and termination
provisions as part of contract negotiation under Section 7. Continuation of the agreement in each fiscal
year beyond the first is contingent on annual budget appropriation and City Council approval, consistent
with the City's procurement policy governing multi-year agreements.
9. Insurance and Indemnification
The selected firm will be required to maintain, and to require of any subconsultants, insurance coverage in
types and amounts acceptable to the City, including at minimum commercial general liability,
professional liability (errors & omissions), automobile liability, and workers' compensation. The selected
firm will be required to indemnify and hold harmless the City consistent with the City's standard
professional services agreement terms.
The selected firm shall maintain, and shall require each subconsultant to maintain (as applicable to that
subconsultant's scope of work), the following minimum insurance coverage: (a) Commercial General
Liability and insurance in amounts not less than the sovereign immunity limits for Missouri public entities
as calculated and published under Section 537.610, RSMo, naming the City of Festus as an additional
insured; (b) Workers' Compensation insurance in full compliance with all applicable Missouri statutory
requirements; and (c) Professional Liability (errors & omissions) insurance in an amount of not less than
$1,000,000.00 given the advisory, compliance-review, and public-facing nature of the services.
All records created or received by the selected firm in the course of performing services under this
engagement are public records of the City subject to Chapter 610, RSMo.
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
10. Submission Instructions and Procurement Terms
10.1 Written Questions
All questions regarding this RFQ must be submitted in writing to City Administrator Benjamin DeClue
(bdeclue@festusmo.gov) no later than 10/28/2026. No pre-submittal conference will be held. Questions
and City responses will be issued to all prospective respondents of record via written addendum.
Respondents may not rely on any oral representation regarding this RFQ.
10.2 Submittal Deadline and Delivery
SOQs must be received by the City no later than 2:00 PM on 11/04/2026 at City Hall, 711 W. Main
Street, Festus MO 63028. Submissions must be identified as "DATA CENTER PROJECT
MANAGEMENT." Late submittals will not be considered. Respondents shall submit 3 hard copies and
one (1) electronic copy in PDF format.
10.3 General Terms
* This RFQ does not commit the City to award an agreement, to pay any costs incurred in preparing a
response, or to procure or contract for the described services.
* The City reserves the right to reject any or all SOQs, in whole or in part, to waive informalities, to
request clarification, and to negotiate with one or more respondents, and to cancel this solicitation
at any time if the City determines it is in the best interest of the City to do so.
* All SOQs submitted become the property of the City and, subject to applicable exemptions, may be
subject to disclosure under the Missouri Sunshine Law, Chapter 610, RSMo.
* This procurement is conducted in accordance with the City of Festus procurement policy and, to the
extent applicable, Sections 8.285-8.291 RSMo and related Missouri law governing selection of
professional and technical services on the basis of qualifications.
* Any resulting agreement is subject to approval by the Festus City Council.
11. Attachments
* Required forms exhibit (Non-collusion affidavit, Section 285.530 RSMo. work authorization
affidavit, conflict-of-interest disclosure, insurance certification and requirements)
* Development Agreement
* Map/description of the project site
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
ATTACHMENT A
RESPONDENT INFORMATION & CERTIFICATION FORM
Complete this form for the prime respondent. Information should match the legal entity submitting the Statement of
Qualifications (SOQ).
Legal Name of Respondent
DBA / Trade Name (if any)
Business Address
City / State / ZIP
Primary Contact
Telephone
Email
Website
Type of Entity
State of Organization
Missouri Business Registration /
Charter No. (if applicable)
Years in Business
Federal Tax ID (last four digits only)
Certification. The undersigned certifies that the information contained in the SOQ and in the City-required forms is
true and complete to the best of the undersigned's knowledge; that the undersigned is authorized to submit the SOQ
on behalf of the respondent; and that the respondent agrees to provide additional documentation reasonably
requested by the City in connection with evaluation and contract negotiations.
Authorized Representative (Print Name) Title
Signature Date
Email Telephone
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City of Festus, Missouri | RFQ 2026-01
ATTACHMENT B
PROJECT TEAM & SUBCONSULTANT DISCLOSURE FORM
Identify the prime firm and each proposed subconsultant/subcontractor that will perform services under the
engagement. Add rows or duplicate this page as necessary.
Firm / Entity Prime or Sub Scope Area(s) Key Personnel Primary Estimated Role /
Responsibilities %*
*If the City does not request percentage allocations at the SOQ stage, respondents may describe the relative role as
Primary, Major, Supporting, or Limited.
Scope Area Key: 3.1 Public Communications and Community Engagement; 3.2 Permit Compliance Review and
Coordination; 3.3 Project Management and Interagency Coordination.
The respondent acknowledges that the prime firm will remain responsible for the performance and coordination of
its proposed team and that changes to key personnel or team composition may be subject to City approval.
Authorized Representative (Print Name) Title
Signature Date
Email Telephone
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