RFP 27-05 CPA Historical On-Call Technical Assistance

SOLICITATION FOR:
RFP # 27-05 CPA Historic Preservation Technical Assistance
CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS
RELEASE DATE: 08/12/2026
QUESTIONS DUE: 08/19/2026 by 12PM EST
DUE DATE AND TIME: 08/26/2026 by 3PM EST
Anticipated Contract Award 09/09/2026
Est. Contract Commencement Date 10/01/2026
Est. Contract Completion Date 09/30/2029
Est. Renewal Years (If Applicable) NA
DELIVER TO:
City of Somerville
Procurement & Contracting Services
Attn: Cameron Moriarty
Procurement Analyst
cmoriarty@somervillema.gov
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
1

CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS
Enclosed You Will Find a Request for Proposal For:
RFP # 27-05 CPA Historic Preservation Technical Assistance
SECTION 1.0
GENERAL INFORMATION ON PROPOSAL PROCESS
1.1 General Instructions
Copies of the solicitation may be obtained from the Procurement & Contracting Services
Department on and after 08/12/2026 per the below-noted City Hall hours of operation.
City Hall Hours of Operation:
Monday - Wednesday 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
All Responses Must be Sealed and Delivered To:
Procurement & Contracting Services Department
City of Somerville
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
It is the sole responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the proposal arrives on time at the
designated place. Late proposals will not be considered and will be rejected and returned.
Proposal Format:
Submit one (1) sealed proposal package (with two sealed envelopes, one for the price and one for the
technical proposal); it must be marked with the solicitation title and number and must be original.
In an effort to reduce waste, we discourage the use of 3-ring binders.
Responses must be sealed and marked with the solicitation title and number.
All proposals must include all forms listed in the Proposers Checklist (and all documents included or
referenced in Sections 2.0 - 4.0). If all required documents are not present, the proposal may be
deemed non-responsive and may result in disqualification of the proposal unless the City
determines that such failure(s) constitute(s) a minor informality, as defined in Chapter MGL
30B.
A complete Proposal must also include a cover letter signed by an official authorized to bind the
Offeror contractually and contain a statement that the proposal is firm for ninety (90) days. An
unsigned letter, or one signed by an individual not authorized to bind the Offeror, may be
disqualified.
The Offeror's authorized official(s) must sign all required proposal forms.
The Price Form in Section 3.0 must be completed. No substitute form will be accepted unless
otherwise stated. Pricing must remain firm for the entire contract period.

All information in the Offeror's response should be clear and concise. The successful response will
be incorporated into a contract as an exhibit; therefore, Offerors should not make claims to which
they are not prepared to commit themselves contractually.
The successful Offeror must be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The City of Somerville values a diverse workforce and believes it contributes to a work product and
customer experience that best reflects the community in our city. Applicants are highly encouraged
to include any certifications and documents that recognize the diversity of the Offeror's work force,
including ownership of the offering firm/organization, executive leadership, management, and
employees proposed for the work in Somerville, including diversity of sub-consultants. Please use
the supplier diversity form (see Section 4.0) with supporting documentation to share your
diversity data with the City.
1.2 Proposal Schedule
Key dates for this Request for Proposals:
RFP Issued 08/12/2026
Deadline for Submitting Questions to RFP 08/19/2026 by 12PM EST
Proposals Due 08/26/2026 by 3PM EST
Anticipated Contract Award 09/09/2026
Est. Contract Commencement Date 10/01/2026
Est. Contract Completion Date 09/30/2026
Responses must be City of Somerville
Procurement & Contracting Services
delivered by Attn: Cameron Moriarty
08/26/2026 by 3PM
93 Highland Avenue
to:
EST Somerville, MA 02143

1.3 Submission Instructions
If you are submitting your proposal online via Bidexpress.com, then you do not need to also submit a
sealed proposal package as instructed below. Email is not an acceptable method of submission of bids.
Please submit two sealed envelopes, all within one sealed proposal package, with the following
contents and marked in the following manner:
Contents of Sealed Proposal
Marked As
Package
Envelope 1 Non-Price Technical Proposal: To Be Marked: Non-Price Proposal RFP # 27-
Shall Include (1) original and one (1) 05 CPA Historic Preservation Technical
electronic copy. [Electronic copies are to be submitted Assistance
on USB drives and are to be saved in Adobe Acrobat format.
("Read only" files are acceptable.)]
Envelope 2 Price Proposal: Shall Include To Be Marked: Price Proposal RFP # 27-05
one (1) original and one (1) electronic copy. CPA Historic Preservation Technical Assistance
[Electronic copies of Price and Non-Price Technical proposal
can be submitted on the same USB drives but as separate
files]
Please send the complete sealed package to Cameron Moriarty
the attention of : Procurement Analyst
Procurement & Contracting Services
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
Methods of Bid Submission
Bidders may submit bids in any of the following ways. All bids will be timestamped and must be
received no later than due date and time.
1) Sealed bids can be sent to City Hall through the US Postal Service or other delivery service
(e.g. FedEx, UPS).
2) BidExpress.com is an online bidding platform where bidders can submit all required
documents. The fee to use this service is approximately $50.00 unless your company has a
subscription with BidExpress. You can access the bid package and forms via the City of
Somerville BidExpress page at: https://www.bidexpress.com/businesses/33100/home A user
guide is attached for your reference.
3) For any technical assistance while submitting the online bid, please contact the BidExpress
Customer support team at www.bidexpress.com. Bidders may submit bids in any of the
following ways. All bids will be timestamped and must be received no later than due date and
time.
(Note: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30B requires that price proposals must be separate from
technical proposals. Therefore, please make no reference to pricing in the non-price technical
proposal. Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in disqualification.

Non-Price (Technical) Proposal Format
Responses must be submitted in accordance with the requirements set forth in this solicitation. Results of
the proposal review process will be utilized to establish a preliminary ranking of the proposers. The City
may interview the top ranked candidates as part of the evaluation process. All information in the
technical proposal should be organized and presented as directed below. Your Non-Price Proposal
response should contain all forms outlined in the Proposers Checklist (Section 4.0). Responses shall be
prepared on standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper (charts may be landscaped but must be on 8.5 x 11 inch paper)
and shall be in a legible font size (12). All pages of each response shall be appropriately numbered (and
with consecutive page numbering across tabs).
Elaborate format and binding are neither necessary nor desirable. Each proposal shall clearly identify
the Offeror's name, solicitation number, formal solicitation title and copy number, (e.g., "Original",
"Copy"). All submissions will allow for easy removal and replacement of pages.
Cover Letter
Submit a cover letter that includes the official name of the firm submitting the proposal, mailing address,
e-mail address, telephone number, fax number, and contact name. The letter must be signed by an
official authorized to bind the proposer contractually and contain a statement that the proposal is firm for
ninety (90) days. An unsigned letter, or one signed by an individual not authorized to bind the Offeror,
may be disqualified.
Qualifications & Experience
The Offeror shall include qualifications and experience of the firm (or sole proprietor). The Offeror shall
identify the year the firm was established, the total number of employees currently employed, and the
number of employees focused on this engagement. This section should also describe work that is similar
in scope and complexity that the Offeror has undertaken in the past. A discussion of the challenges faced
and solutions developed are highly recommended. The Offeror may include any additional literature and
product brochures. The Quality Requirements Form (Section 2.0), or set of basic business standards,
must be submitted in the sealed proposal.
References
The Offeror shall list at least three relevant references, which the City can contact. The City of
Somerville reserves the right to use ourselves as a reference. References shall include the following
information:
The name, address, telephone number, and email address of each client listed above.
A description of the work performed under each The amount of the contract.
contract.
A description of the nature of the relationship between Offeror and the customer.
The dates of performance. The volume of the work performed.
Price Proposal Format
Price Summary Page (see Section 3.0)
Proposal Prices to Remain Firm
All proposal prices submitted in response to this solicitation must remain firm for 90 days following the
proposal opening.

Price Submission
All prices must contain the unit rate as requested on the proposal price form in this solicitation. All
prices are to include delivery, the cost of fuel, the cost of labor, and all other charges related to the
products or services listed. Prices are to remain fixed for the contract period of performance.
1.4 Questions
Questions are due: 08/19/2026 by 12PM EST
Questions concerning this solicitation must be delivered in writing to:
Cameron Moriarty
Procurement Analyst
Somerville City Hall
Procurement & Contracting Services Department
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143
Or emailed to:
cmoriarty@somervillema.gov
Or faxed to:
617-625-1344
Answers will be sent via an addendum to all Offerors who have registered as proposal holders. Proposers
are encouraged to contact the Procurement & Contracting Services Department to register as a proposal
document holder to automatically be alerted as to addenda as they are issued. It is the responsibility of
the Offeror to also monitor the proposal portal on the City's website for any updates, addenda, etc.
regarding that specific solicitation. The web address is: https://www.somervillema.gov/procurement
If any proposer contacts City personnel outside of the Procurement & Contracting Services
Department regarding this proposal, that proposer maybe disqualified.
1.5 General Terms
Estimated Quantities
The City of Somerville has provided estimated quantities, which will be ordered/purchased over the
course of the contract period. These estimates are estimates only and not guaranteed.
Proposal Signature
A response must be signed as follows: 1) if the Offeror is an individual, by her/him personally; 2) if the
Offeror is a partnership, by the name of the partnership, followed by the signature of each general
partner; and 3) if the Offeror is a corporation, by the authorized officer, whose signature must be attested
to by the clerk/secretary of the corporation (& with corporate seal).
Time for Proposal Acceptance and City Contract Requirements
The contract will be awarded within 90 days after the proposal opening. The time for award may be
extended for up to 45 additional days by mutual agreement between the City of Somerville and the
Offeror that is most advantageous and responsible. The Offeror's submission will remain in effect for a

period of 90 days from the response deadline or until it is formally withdrawn, a contract is executed, or
this solicitation is canceled, whichever occurs first. The Offeror will be required to sign a standard City
contract per the City's general terms included herein as Appendix A.
Holidays are as follows:
New Year's Day Martin Luther King. Jr. Day Washington's Patriots' Day
Birthday
Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Independence Day Labor Day
Day
Indigenous Peoples' Veterans' Day Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Friday
Day
Christmas Eve (half Christmas Day
day)
Please visit http://www.somervillema.gov/ for the City's most recent calendar. *Under State Law, all
holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday.
If the awarded Offeror for their convenience desires to perform work during other than normal working
hours or on other than normal work days, or if the Offeror is required to perform work at such times, the
Offeror shall reimburse the City for any additional expense occasioned the City, thereby, such as, but not
limited to, overtime pay for City employees, utilities service, etc. UNLESS otherwise specified in these
provisions, services will be performed during normal work hours. When required services occur on
holidays, work will be performed on either the previous or following work day, unless specified
otherwise.
Unforeseen Office Closure
If, at the time of the scheduled proposal opening, the Procurement & Contracting Services Department is
closed due to uncontrolled events such as fire, snow, ice, wind, or building evacuation, the proposal due
date will be postponed until 2:00 p.m. on the next normal business day. Proposals will be accepted until
that date and time. In the event of inclement weather, the Offeror is responsible for listening to the media
to determine if the City has been closed due to weather.
Changes & Addenda
If any changes are made to this solicitation, an addendum will be issued. All proposers on record as
having picked up the solicitation will be alerted via email as to the posting of all addenda. The City will
also post addenda on its website (https://www.somervillema.gov/procurement). No changes may be
made to the solicitation documents by the Offerors without written authorization and/or an addendum
from the Procurement & Contracting Services Department.
Modification or Withdrawal of Proposals, Mistakes, and Minor Informalities
An Offeror may correct, modify, or withdraw a proposal by written notice received by the City of
Somerville prior to the time and date set for the proposal opening. Proposal modifications must be
submitted in a sealed envelope clearly labeled "Modification No.__" to the address listed in Section 1.
Each modification must be numbered in sequence and must reference the original solicitation. After the
proposal opening, an Offeror may not change any provision of the proposal in a manner prejudicial to
the interests of the City or fair competition. Minor informalities will be waived or the proposer will be
allowed to correct them. If a mistake and the intended proposal are clearly evident on the face of the
proposal document, the mistake will be corrected to reflect the intended correct proposal, and the
proposer will be notified in writing; the proposer may not withdraw the proposal. A proposer may

withdraw a proposal if a mistake is clearly evident on the face of the proposal document, but the
intended correct proposal is not similarly evident.
Right to Cancel/Reject Proposals
The City of Somerville may cancel this solicitation, or reject in whole or in part any and all proposals, if
the City determines that cancellation or rejection serves the best interests of the City.
Unbalanced Proposals
The City reserves the right to reject unbalanced, front-loaded, and conditional proposals.
Brand Name "or Equal"
Any references to any brand name or proprietary product in the specifications shall require the
acceptance of an equal or better brand. The City has the right to make the final determination as to
whether an alternate brand is equal to the brand specified.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
For EFT payment, the following shall be included with invoices to the point of contact:
* Contract/Order number; Contractor's name & address as stated in the contract;
* The signature (manual or electronic, as appropriate) title, and telephone number of the Offeror's
representative authorized to provide sensitive information;
* Name of financial institution; Financial institution nine (9) digit routing transit number;
* Offeror's account number; Type of account, i.e., checking or saving.
Other Applicable Laws
In addition to applicable federal and state laws, the City has several ordinances that apply to the services
requested in this contract. Such ordinances include but are not limited to: living wage ordinance,
ordinance to protect vulnerable road users,[1] and ordinance to protect against wage theft. Workplace
safety is of paramount importance to all workers who perform services on City contracts and all bidders
must certify that they will disclose any citations they may have received for OSHA violations.
[1] The ordinance to protect vulnerable road users only applies to contracts where the
contractor's heavy vehicles are entering the City of Somerville to perform the work of the
contract.
Notice and Certification Pursuant to Somerville Wage Theft Ordinance
All Offerors, bidders, respondents have an affirmative duty to report to the Procurement & Contracting
Services Department and provide a copy of any criminal or civil judgment, administrative citation, or
final administrative determination, order, or debarment, relating to wage theft, against the bidder or any
of its subcontractors entered within the five years prior to bid submission.
If you are the successful bidder, you and any of your subcontractors have an affirmative duty to report
any criminal or civil judgment, administrative citation, final administrative determination, order, or
debarment against the bidder or any its subcontractors while your contract with the City is in effect,
within five business days of receipt.
You may not contract with the City if you have been either voluntarily or involuntarily debarred by the
federal government, any agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other state for the entire
term of the debarment.
You may not use any subcontractor who has been debarred by the federal government or any state
government during the period of that subcontractor's debarment.

You must post notices in accordance with M.G.L. c. 151 16 in a conspicuous location accessible to all
of their employees in English and the primary language of the employee(s) at the particular workplace.
If not all employees would have reasonable access to the notice if posted in a single location, then you
must inform the purchasing agent or other City Department of the number and location of postings in
order to ensure that you provide reasonable notice to all of your employees.
As a condition of this bid, the bidder (a.k.a. Offeror, respondent) hereby certifies that neither the bidder
nor any of the bidder's subcontractors have been subject to a criminal or civil judgment, administrative
citation, final administrative determination, order, or debarment resulting from a violation of M.G.L. c.
149, M.G.L. c. 151, or 29 U.S.C. 201 et seq. within five years prior to bid submission.
In the alternative, the Bidder hereby discloses a criminal or civil judgment, administrative citation,
administrative determination, or debarment, within five years prior to bid submission. Included with the
Bid is a copy of the same, in addition to documentation demonstrating that all damages, fines, costs, and
fees have been paid.
1.6 Evaluation Methodology
Qualified proposals will be reviewed and rated by an evaluation committee ("the Committee") composed
of employees of the City. The City reserves the right to involve an outside consultant in the selection
process.
Comparative Evaluation Criteria
The Committee shall use the comparative evaluation criteria included in Section 2.0 to evaluate the
responsibility and responsiveness of all proposals that already meet the minimum quality requirements.
For each proposal, the Committee will assign a rating of Highly Advantageous, Advantageous, Not
Advantageous, or Unacceptable to each of the corresponding comparative evaluation criteria.
Final selection will be based upon the evaluators' analysis of the information and materials required
under the RFP and provided by the Offerors in their submissions. The City may request additional
information from the Offerors to ensure that the Offeror has the necessary resources to perform the
required services. The Committee may choose to interview Offerors. If interviews will be conducted, the
City will notify the Offerors, either by e-mail or telephone, of the date, time, and place for their
interviews and any other pertinent information related thereto.
Selection Process
The City will award the contract to the most responsive and responsible Offeror whose entire proposal
(technical and price) is deemed to be the most advantageous. The City reserves the right to reject any and
all proposals if it determines that the criteria set forth have not been met.

RFP # 27-05
SECTION 2.0
RULE FOR AWARD /
SPECIFICATIONS/SCOPE OF SERVICES
Rule for Award
The contract shall be awarded to one or more responsible and responsive proposers submitting the most
advantageous proposal response, taking into consideration all evaluation criteria as well as price. The
contract will be awarded within ninety (90) days after the proposal opening. The time for award may be
extended for up to 45 additional days by mutual agreement between the City and the most highly
advantageous and responsible offeror(s).
Introduction and Background
The Somerville CPA program provides the City with a revenue stream which is used to fund projects
that fit within the program areas of open space, recreation, and historic preservation. Projects that are
selected for grants for historic preservation are required to comply with the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Historic Preservation. Moreover, the City holds Preservation Restrictions on several
properties which were recorded as a condition of previous CPA grants. From time to time, when a CPA
grant recipient must obtain approval for work being carried out under a Preservation Restriction or with
CPA funding, the CPC may seek technical assistance to ensure compliance with applicable historic
preservation standards.
Scope of Work
On a case-by-base basis, the consultant may be called upon to provide expert review of historic
preservation projects. Examples of services include:
* Review of construction documents to evaluate compliance with the Secretary of Interior's
Standards for Historic Preservation or the City of Somerville's Preservation Restriction
guidelines.
* Inspection of historic elements during and after construction/installation.
* Written analysis and/or meeting with the Historic Preservation Commission or Community
Preservation Committee to share findings.
Different types of historic assets may be improved with CPA funds or may be subject to approval under
Preservation Restrictions. In addition to buildings, technical assistance may be sought to advise on the
conservation of art, artifacts, monuments, or landscapes. Consultants are encouraged to apply who can
provide expertise for specific types of historic preservation projects.
The historic preservation technical on-call consultant shall complete the above tasks within the
prescribed timeline for completion. For each assignment, the City's project manager will email the
consultant describing the requested work. No later than two (2) business days after the date of such
email, the consultant shall confirm by email their availability to perform the work within the specified
timeframe and state any questions the consultant may have about the assignment. The consultant shall
also provide an estimate of the time required to complete the task to determine the price for the work,
based on the hourly rate or fixed rate per preservation restriction established in the purchase agreement.