The engagement is considered a contractual relationship, not a sub-recipient.

It is the strong desire of the CRA to utilize local talent to participate in this program where a respondent is able.  The use of LOSB can be worth up to 20 points in the scoring criteria. The CRA does not currently have any MWBE participation goals.

All information should be included within the requested page count.  You can provide links to project sheets and qualifications to save space.

While the schedule is subject to change depending upon the number of respondents and other factors, interviews can be expected in the second half of July.  They will be conducted virtually.

CRA, as well as some community partners, already own several adjacent properties. We do not anticipate acquiring additional properties.

The CRA will ultimately decide on the top priority sites.  The decision will be based on several factors, including professional and team member recommendations, community input, cost benefit analyses, ease of implementation, and availability of funds.

Safety concerns, stakeholder preferences, and feasibility of planned improvements.

No, given that Federal requirements are evolving and priority site decisions are to be determined during the design process, it would be an unnecessary step to require permits at this time.  Rather, a statement for each connection, indicating whether a NEPA permit might be required if implementation plans move forward, giving current Federal requirements should be included.

All activities related to this grant must be completed by December 2027.

Public Art is an important aspect of this project and should reflect the local culture and community.  As such, Public Art experience is a critical contributor to the evaluation.  The Urban Arts Commission is an example of a consultant team member who could help fulfill this role, but their participation is not mandatory. For this project, CRA is looking for a team member who has networked with artists, knows how to procure public art, and is experienced at coordinating implementation of public art.

Concepts for design should be incorporated based on community input and recommendations from local artists should be included, but specific artists do not need to be included at this point. Specific art designs are not necessary at this point.

The goal here is to be construction ready on the three priority sites as any future funding requests for implementation should be “shovel ready”.  This will likely include a combination of 100% design development and 75% construction drawings, depending upon the scope of work.

Please refer to the evaluation scorecard on page 17 of the RFQ.

Cover pages and required forms are excluded from the page count. Dividers are not necessary.

It depends on the crossing, but yes. The CRA, and other community stakeholders, own several nearby and adjacent parcels. There are many opportunities for partnerships to carry designs to the Wolf River Trail (etc). There is a lot of opportunity for natural trail connections and native land management.

The final design should include all recommended improvements that would meet the objectives of the project.  Landscaping, public art, lighting and complete street concepts that make the road more accessible to pedestrians and bikers are all examples of improvements to be considered.

Potentially, but this not a high priority in the grant activities.  In crossings that have the potential for connectivity to trails and other opportunities, the report should identify that a right of way acquisition may be necessary, but at this point, no further action is necessary.

Yes, while we understand that this is a tight deadline, it is listed as a deliverable in the grant documents.

No, not that we’re aware of.

Yes, and we have in-house GIS capability.

Scoring is listed on page 17 in the solicitation document.

Overall, keep it concise. Please include people in your org chart that are going to work on the project.

Sure!

Yes.

Yes. Dividers are not necessary.

Yes.

No.

No.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. Link to Spreadsheet

Yes. Link to Spreadsheet

The CRA is looking for a team member that is likely to have an active communication network with government agency stakeholders and facility owners relevant to the project. The team member will facilitate discussions and conversations related to the feasibility of the planned transportation improvements, assist in determining an implementation strategy, and help identify potential resources.  Examples of stakeholder gov’t partners are TN Dept. of Transportation (TDOT), City of Memphis Engineering, Memphis MPO.

For further consideration, it doesn’t have to be a private consultant, it could be someone already on your team. There’s a possibility it could be another government agency or quasi governmental entity that already has some sort of network built like standing meetings, quarterly check-ins, or planning efforts and they talk regularly with stakeholders and facility owners.

No. Being a member of the planning team does not preclude a firm from participating in future solicitations.

For all sites, utility mark outs by the utility companies are sufficient; for the 3  priority sites, full topographic and planimetric surveys are required by an appropriate licensed professional.  

Yes. We are looking for plans considered “Pricing Sets” 

The implementation budget has not been determined. We are looking for an Opinion of Probable Construction Cost on each of the three crossings determined to be a priority.

LOSB utilization tracking, DELPHI eInvoicing, quarterly reporting and filing of SF forms would all fall under the Grant Manager’s purview. However, from time to time, the Grant Manager, BRS, may reach out to confirm details or solicit additional information to complete certain grant administration reporting requirements.

The indemnification language in our service agreements has historically not been amended. Please list the concern on the exceptions & objections form and our legal counsel will review once a firm has been selected for negotiation of a service contract.

Please list this concern on the exceptions & objections form as part of your submittal. Legal counsel will review once a firm has been selected for negotiation of a service contract.