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Sources Sought for Feasibility Report (FR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Verde River Sediment Mitigation Project (VRSMP)

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, QUOTATIONS OR BIDS. This is a sources sought synopsis for acquisition planning purposes and no formal solicitation exists at this time. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Lower Colorado Basin, Phoenix Area Office seeks to determine the availability and adequacy of potential sources to support acquisition of the requirements stipulated below. All qualified concerns may submit capability statements for consideration. All small businesses to include Small Business, Certified 8(a), Certified HUB Zone, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB) are strongly encouraged to provide timely response to this announcement. A response to this announcement is necessary in order to assist Reclamation in determining the potential levels of interest, adequate competition, and the technical capability to provide the required services. The capability statements will be used to determine appropriate procurement strategy, in particular whether a set-aside is warranted or an alternate procurement strategy is warranted. Capability statements received may also be reviewed to determine the technical, administrative, management, and financial capability of such offerors to perform this type of work.

Because this notice is for informational/market research purposes only, the Government will not pay for any material provided in response to this market survey nor return the data provided. This notice is not a request to be placed on a solicitation mailing list nor is it a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a solicitation.

Reclamation's Phoenix Area Office is seeking sources to perform Environmental/Engineering Consulting Services for planning and environmental requirements to support Reclamation within the Lower Colorado Basin.

The description of anticipated work is as follows:

Reclamation completed an Appraisal Report for the Verde River Sediment Mitigation Study in December 2021 (Verde Reservoirs Sediment Mitigation Study Appraisal Report (https://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/reports/verdeRSMS/VRSMS_Appraisal_Report.pdf)). This announcement is soliciting information for a requirement to complete a Feasibility Report (FR) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Verde River Sediment Mitigation Project (VRSMP). The FR and EIS could be standalone documents or integrated into one deliverable. Federal authorization for the feasibility study was enacted in Public Law 117-58 in 2021. Under the Department of the Interior, Reclamation is the lead Federal agency for preparing the FR and associated EIS, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The tasks are consistent with requirements necessary for the Secretary of the Interior to provide a finding of feasibility and recommendation to the U.S. Congress consistent with Bureau of Reclamation Manual Directives and Standards CMP 09-02: Water and Related Resources Feasibility Studies. The contract will include the following tasks:

Task 1 - Project Management: The contractor will provide project management support and coordination, including, but not limited to creating and maintaining schedules, planning, preparing and circulating documents for review, recording meeting minutes, data management, stakeholder coordination, arranging meetings, etc.

Task 2 - Feasibility Report: The contractor will prepare a FR. The report shall be consistent with the following guidance:
~ Reclamation Manual Directives and Standards CMP 09-02
~ Council of Environmental Quality's Principles and Requirements for Federal Investments in Water Resources, dated March 2013
~ Council on Environmental Quality's Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines Interagency Guidelines, dated December 2014
~ Department of the Interior Agency Specific Procedures for Implementing the Council on Environmental Quality's Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines for Water and Land Related Resources Implementation Studies, 707 DM 1 Handbook, dated November 10, 2015.

Engineering design in support of identified alternatives under the feasibility study and EIS will be handled under a separate contract. Additionally, the economic analysis of alternatives will be completed by Reclamation and provided to the contractor for integration into the FR.

The contractor will be responsible for preparing as well as tracking comments on the following versions of the FR: the Administrative Draft and Final FR (reviewed by Reclamation and Cost-Share Partner), Regional Director's Draft and Final FR, Public Draft and Final FR, Commissioner's Final FR, Secretary of Interior's Final FR, and Office of Management and Budget's Final FR.

Task 3 - Environmental Impact Statement: The anticipated services to be carried out by the contractor include all work necessary to prepare an EIS in accordance with NEPA; Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508); Department of the Interior's NEPA implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 46) and Departmental Manual (DM), Chapter 516, Reclamation's NEPA Handbook; the guidance documents stated in task 2; all applicable Executive Orders; and all applicable Federal, state, and local laws, policies, and regulations.

Interested parties should provide a description of:
- Any prior experience working on large water infrastructure projects in Arizona or within Reclamation's Lower Colorado Basin
- Prior experience with Reclamation's feasibility study and accompany NEPA document
- Demonstrated familiarity with the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project
- Prior experience using the models outlined in Task 2

Interested parties should also include the following information in their response:
- Business name, address, cage code, size classification based on NAICS size standard, socioeconomic classification (i.e. SDVOSB, Small Disadvantaged Business, ED/WOSB, HUBZone and/or 8(a))
- Point of contact including name, title, phone number, and email address

All interested parties are encouraged to respond to this notice with all requested information by e-mail to jkent@usbr.gov no later than 4:00 P.M. PDT on Friday, October 28, 2022. The information provided in this announcement is the only information the Government has available at this time. Questions concerning the sources sought should be directed to Jennalyn Kent by email at jkent@usbr.gov. No phone calls please.

System for Award Management (SAM), as required by FAR 4.1102, will apply to any resulting procurement. Prospective contractors must be registered prior to award. Lack of registration in the SAM database may make an offeror ineligible for award. Information on SAM registration can be obtained at the following web address: https://www.sam.gov.

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