Current Opportunities:

• Requests for Proposals

  • WestCOG is seeking an evaluation and development of a regional health insurance collaborative for municipal employees in participating groups in the Western Connecticut Planning Region. Applications are due Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 11:59 PM ET.
  • WestCOG seeks an evaluation of local bus service in this corridor, including CT Transit Stamford Routes 341, 344, and 345 to identify and quantify short- and medium-term improvements that can be made at low to moderate cost. For more information, please download the pdf here. Submissions are due Monday, February 25, 2019.
  • Multi-year wait lists at train stations in the region suggest that the demand for rail commuter parking permits exceeds the parking supply. To date, the market for parking on the rail station has not been quantified; parking largely has been priced without reference to demand or ability to pay. WestCOG seeks an evaluation of a) the need for parking at rail stations, both permit (annual/monthly) and daily parking, and b) locations where parking demand is approaching or exceeds supply. For more information, please download the pdf here. Submissions are due Monday, February 25, 2019.
  • The WestCOG Foundation is currently seeking qualified Vendor(s) who have expertise with IT, CAMA, and GIS to create effective parcel data for communities without data and to support and manage a Regional GIS CAMA and Parcel View system (Regional GIS) for the Region. That RFP can be found on the foundation website here. Please note, The WestCOG Foundation has extended this deadline to 2/3/2019.

• Requests for Qualifications

  • Funding has been received from the Federal Highway Administration and Connecticut Department of Transportation to prepare a corridor study of a section of Route 37 between the City of Danbury and the Town of New Fairfield. WestCOG invites Statements of Qualification from consultants and/or firms with experience in transportation planning, transportation engineering, transit, land use and public involvement.  Deadline for submission is 3PM ET on February 8th, 2019. Questions and answers have been posted. Last updated 1/28/19.

Currently Seeking Proposals

The WestCOG Foundation RFP can be found on their website here.

Regional Health Insurance Collaborative

Conflict of interest statement

Download this RFP

Questions and answers

Announcement 

The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (“WestCOG”), an association of 18 cities and towns in Western Connecticut (the “Western Connecticut Planning Region”) is interested in evaluating the potential for cost savings through the creation of a regional/interlocal health insurance collaborative (the “Collaborative”), as enabled by Connecticut Public Act 10-174, which allows municipalities and boards of education to join together to purchase employee health insurance. 

WestCOG is seeking proposals from qualified, licensed Insurance Brokerages and/or Agents (hereafter “Proposer”) for the purpose of providing professional insurance, brokerage, and consulting services for an employee benefits plan. The Proposer must have a strong knowledge base and experience with health insurance collaborations and/or associations. A proven track record with at least 3-5 years of successful experience within health insurance collaborations and/or associations will be required. Please include references. The Proposer will be responsible for the outlined “Project description” below for each employer group alongside a potential future Plan Administrator. 

Scope of services 

At minimum, the selected Proposer will be expected to provide the services enumerated below. Proposers may propose and explain modifications to the structure, order, or content of the scope of services, provided justification is given. However, WestCOG is not bound to accept any such changes. Furthermore, WestCOG may adjust or amend the project at its own discretion for any reason. 

• Identify groups interested in participating in a Collaborative, collect relevant information on existing insurance arrangements. These include but may not be limited to past, present, and expected future data on benefits, costs, membership, service levels, and contractual obligations. 
• Propose, review, analyze, and evaluate models for a Collaborative. These should include consideration of successful and, as applicable, unsuccessful models in use in Connecticut (e.g., ECHIP, CREC, The Connecticut Partnership Plan) as well as models, practices, and options from other, comparable locations. 
• The review, analysis, and evaluation should be comprehensive and should provide all necessary information to enable fully informed decisions on the part of interested groups about the viability and value proposition of establishing a Collaborative and, furthermore, about the benefits, costs, opportunities, risks, and prognosis to them individually and jointly for joining and participating in a Collaborative.  
• Work with interested groups to establish governance for a Collaborative, including development, execution, and management of the processes to establish the Collaborative and for it to begin operations, enroll members, and become self-sustaining.  

Application process 

Format 

Each application should include the following components: 

1. Cover page with project title; proposing firm; and name, telephone number, and email address for the project manager. 
2. Approach. This should explain the proposer’s concept of and method for the scope of work (i.e., what steps will the proposer take to satisfy each task? How will the analysis be conducted, and how will success be measured?) Timing, duration, and cost should be specified for each task in the scope of work. 
3. Work history. Examples of similar or relevant work conducted by proposer in the past, with information on project outcomes and client references. Name, title, employer, relationship to the project, telephone number, and e-mail address should be given for each reference. 
4. Statement of qualifications. Directory of, task assignments, and resumes for key staff on project. Professional licenses and certifications should be included. The total hours each staff person is expected to spend on each task should be documented. 
5. Corporate background. Include the history, location(s), length of time in existence, and structure of the firm; documentation of relevant insurance coverage; and demonstration of the capacity of the firm to carry out the project. 
6. Signature of a representative of the firm having legal authority to contract on behalf of the firm. 
7. A listing of known complaints regarding the proposer from the last ten years that filed with the State Insurance Commissioner’s Office, including the nature of the complaint and disposition. 
8. A completed Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement that either warrants that there are no relevant facts or circumstances that could give rise to organizational conflicts of interest, and/or, as applicable, gives a full, written disclosure of any organizational conflicts of interests, including description of the action(s) the proposer has taken or will take to avoid or mitigate such conflict. 

The Narrative may not exceed 5,000 words. Other components have no word limit. 

Material submitted in response to this RFP and received by WestCOG may be subject to the provisions of the Connecticut Freedom of Information law (CGS §1-200 et seq.) 

How to apply 

Proposals are due by the end of the application period, Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 11:59 PM ET. Submissions should be directed to: Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director at insurance@westcog.org. 

Submissions should be provided in PDF format, as a single file. The file may be attached to the e-mail, or, in case of a large submission (larger than 10 megabytes), linked in the e-mail. Recipients should enable delivery and read receipts in their e-mail client. No other confirmation will be given. 

Review and contracting 

WestCOG will evaluate proposals received after close of the application period. At this point, WestCOG may invite additional information from selected proposers, including but not necessarily limited to, samples of other work or an in-person interview. 

Should WestCOG determine to proceed with a proposal, WestCOG will begin contract negotiations, including on scope and fee, with the respective proposer. Should WestCOG and the selected proposer be unable to come to an agreement, WestCOG may terminate negotiations with that firm and revisit other proposal submitted.  

It is expected that proposers will be notified of decisions on their submission by March 31, 2019. WestCOG may award the project in part or in full to one or more proposers, and to cancel or to reissue this RFP. Any award will not be final until a contract has been negotiated and executed. 

Communications 

Location of posting 

This RFP may be found online at https://westcog.org/about/rfps-grant-opportunities/ until March 31, 2019. It is the responsibility of interested parties to retrieve and store a copy of the RFP beyond this date. 

Pre-bid meeting 

A pre-bid meeting will be held Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at noon ET at the WestCOG offices and by phone at 712-432-0360, access code 500386#. Attendance, by phone or in person, is optional and is not required in order to respond to this RFP. 

Inquiries 

Proposers may submit questions on this RFP by Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at 11:59 PM ET. Questions should be directed to Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director at insurance@westcog.org. Answers will be posted online where WestCOG posted this RFP on a rolling basis until the close of business on Friday, February 8, 2019. 

No questions will be accepted by other forms of communication. 

Information about WestCOG can be found at http://westcog.org. 

Addenda and supplements 

Should WestCOG amend or adjust this RFP, such changes will be posted online where WestCOG posted this RFP. It is the responsibility of proposers to check for changes to the RFP. 

Conditions 

Legal requirements 

Contracts awarded as a result of this RFP are subject to all applicable federal and state laws, including those concerning civil rights, nondiscrimination, and equal opportunity. Any responses to this RFP, as well as any work resulting from it, are subject to freedom of information. 

Insurance requirements 

To be considered, proposers must maintain insurance coverage as required by federal and state law. 

Consortia, joint ventures, and teams 

Proposals from consortia, joint ventures, and teams (“groups”) will be accepted. In such cases, a lead firm must be identified for contracting purposes. A work history and statement of qualifications (as described under FormatError! Reference source not found., #4 and #5) must be provided for each member of the group. 

In designating a lead firm, groups should consider the following: 

1. The lead firm should have sufficient experience and expertise to perform or supervise all facets of the project, and must have sufficient resources to carry out the contractual responsibilities of the group. 
2. The lead firm will be legally responsible to WestCOG for the performance of, and must perform at least 51% of, the total work awarded under any contract issued as a result of this RFP. 
3. Firms that are subsidiaries may not rely on the experience, expertise, or resources of its parent firm to meet these requirements. 

Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) 

DBE firms are encouraged to respond to this RFP. 

If a DBE firm is proposed, the proposal must clearly identify the DBE firm, the role the DBE will play in the project, and the tasks assigned to the DBE. Proof of Connecticut DBE certification must be submitted with the proposal. Responses that fail to give proof of DBE certification and description of project involvement will not be identified as including DBE participation. 

Nonreimbursement of proposal costs 

Costs associated with responses to this RFP, including proposal development and participation in a selection process, are the sole responsibility of the respondent firms. WestCOG will not reimburse firms for such costs, nor will any selected firms be permitted to negotiate such costs as part of a contract with WestCOG. 

Conflicts of interest 

All relationships that may pose a conflict of interest, and actions that shall be taken to avoid or mitigate these conflicts, shall be disclosed as part of the response to this RFP. 

There are no other requests for proposals at this time. Please check back later for more RFP opportunities.

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Currently Seeking Statements of Qualification

Danbury and New Fairfield Corridor Study 

Questions and answers last updated 1/28/29

Q1: Does the study area extends from Main Street Route 53 in Danbury to Route 39 in New Fairfield?

A1: No, the study area extends from the north side of the intersection of Rte 37 with I-84 (exit 6) to the intersection of Rte 37 with Rte 39 in New Fairfield.

Q2: What is the required DBE set-aside for this project?

A2: We anticipate this project will have a DBE set-aside consistent with similar projects in the state. The requirement will be established by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

This RFQ can be downloaded as a .pdf document here. A draft Scope of Work can be found as Attachment A at the end of the pdf.

The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) invites Statements of Qualification from consultants and/or firms with experience in transportation planning, transportation engineering, transit, land use and public involvement. 

WestCOG has received funding from the Federal Highway Administration and Connecticut Department of Transportation to prepare a corridor study of a section of Route 37 between the City of Danbury and the Town of New Fairfield.     

WestCOG will accept complete Statements of Qualification, by mail or in person, until 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday, February 8, 2019.   Respondents must submit one (1) original and four (4) hard copies and one (1) digital PDF copy on a flash drive or CD of their Statements of Qualification to: 

Victoria Ricks 

Office Manager 

Western Connecticut Council of Governments 

1 Riverside Road 

Sandy Hook, CT  06482 

Statements of Qualifications that are incomplete will not be considered. Applications will not be deemed complete until all copies are received. 

I.  GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS 

Inquiries 

Questions regarding this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) should be directed to Victoria Ricks at the address noted above or via e-mail at vricks@westcog.org by 11:59 p.m. ET, Wednesday, January 23, 2019. Questions will be posted on the WestCOG website on Friday, January 25, 2019 by 5:00 p.m. ET. Please note that it is WestCOG’s policy to respond only to technical questions that are received no later than one week prior to the deadline to submit statements of qualification in response to the RFQ. Under no circumstances will WestCOG provide interpretive guidance. 

CTDOT Prequalified Consultants for Year 2019 

Respondents must be prequalified by CTDOT for category 11: Modal Transportation Planning Studies (Highway, Transit, Rail, Ferries/Ports/Waterways, and Bicycle/Pedestrian). 

Freedom of Information 

Respondents are advised that any and all material submitted in response to this RFQ and received by WestCOG shall be subject to the applicable provisions of the Connecticut Freedom of Information law (Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-200 et seq.) 

Signature Requirements 

Statements of Qualifications must be signed by a representative of the firm having legal authority to contract on behalf of the firm.  Statements of Qualifications will be treated as bona fide offers and must remain open for a period of ninety (90) days from the closing date for submissions. 

Statements of Qualifications from Consortia, Joint Ventures and Teams 

Qualifications statements from consortia, joint ventures or teams will be accepted.  In such cases, a lead firm must be identified for contracting purposes.  A qualifications statement must be prepared for each member of the consortia, joint venture or team, and each qualifications statement should clearly identify the lead firm. 

In selecting a lead firm, consortia, joint ventures and teams should consider the following:  (1) the lead firm should have sufficient experience and expertise to perform or supervise all facets of the proposed project; (2) the lead firm will be legally responsible to WestCOG for performance of the total contract; (3) the lead firm must have sufficient resources to carry out the contractual responsibilities of the consortium, joint venture or team; and the lead firm must perform at least fifty one percent (51%) of the total work awarded under any contract issued as a result of this RFQ.  Please note that firms that are subsidiaries or affiliates of another may not rely on the experience, expertise or resources of its parent firm to meet these requirements. 

Submission of Qualifications Statements 

WestCOG will accept complete Statements of Qualification by mail or in person, until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 8, 2019.  Qualifications statements submitted via email or facsimile will not be accepted. 

Please see the section entitled “Format for Statements of Qualification” for additional guidance. 

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Requirement 

DBE firms are strongly encouraged to respond to this RFQ.  WestCOG will make its best efforts to ensure that DBEs have the maximum practicable opportunity to compete for work on this project. It is anticipated that a DBE requirement will apply to any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation. Details on the required DBE set-aside will be posted no later than the 25th of January, 2019. 

The Statement of Qualifications must clearly identify the DBE firm(s), the role the DBE will play in the project and the tasks assigned to the DBE. Proof of Connecticut Department of Transportation DBE certification must be submitted with the DBE’s qualifications statement. Responses that fail to provide proof of DBE certification and description of project involvement will not be recognized as including DBE participation.  

Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination 

All contracts awarded by WestCOG as a result of this RFQ are subject to Section 4a-60 of the Connecticut General Statutes, “Nondiscrimination and affirmative action provisions in contracts of the state and political sub-divisions other than municipalities.” Contracts also are subject to all other applicable state and federal laws concerning civil rights, nondiscrimination, and equal opportunities for employment. 

Insurance Requirements 

Successful firms are required to maintain insurance coverage as required by state and federal law. 

Addenda and Supplements 

In the event that revisions or additions to this RFQ are necessary, a copy of such revisions or additions will be posted online where WestCOG posted the RFQ.  It is the responsibility of the consultant to check for revisions or additions to this RFQ.  

Rejection Rights 

WestCOG reserves the right to reject any and all qualifications statements received in response to this RFQ.  WestCOG also reserves the right to cancel this RFQ at any time and to reissue this or a substitute RFQ at a later date. 

Multiple Awards 

WestCOG reserves the right to issue multiple awards.  WestCOG also reserves the right to retain portions of the work described in the attached scope of work for performance by its own staff, or to exclude portions of the work described in the attached scope of work from negotiated consultant agreements. 

Cost of Qualifications Statement Preparation 

All costs associated with any response to this RFQ, including the development of qualifications statements and participation in the selection process, are the sole responsibility of the respondent firms.  WestCOG will not reimburse firms for such costs nor will any selected firms be permitted to negotiate such costs as part of any contract or agreement with WestCOG. 

Interest of Members or Delegates to Congress 

No member of or delegate to the Congress of the United States shall be permitted to share or have interest in or benefit from, directly or indirectly, any contract or agreement resulting from this RFQ. 

Prohibited Interest 

No member, officer or employee of WestCOG, or member of a local public body having jurisdiction within WestCOG‘s service area, during his or her tenure or one year thereafter, shall be permitted to share in, have interest in or benefit from, directly or indirectly, any contract or agreement resulting from this RFQ. 

Other 

Any firm selected to perform any or all work associated with this RFQ may be required to execute an agreement with WestCOG and meet any conditions on the use of funds imposed by WestCOG,  Connecticut Department of Transportation, or United States Department of Transportation.  All fees will be negotiated and stated in any agreement.   

II.  REQUIRED FORMAT 

The qualifications statement must contain the following information: 

1.  Letter of interest; 
2. A concise statement identifying the point of contact for the statement of qualification, their contact information (mailing address, email, and phone number), and proposed project manager. 
3. General information (for example, brochures) on the consultant and any proposed sub-consultants including description of current workloads; 
4. Statement summarizing the experience of the consultant and any proposed sub-consultants, including at least five references and summaries of comparable projects (type, scale and scope) performed within the last five years that demonstrate knowledge and expertise in bicycle, pedestrian, and complete streets planning. 
5. Statement describing the organizational framework for this project, including clear identification of the lead consultant, project manager, and sub-consultants (if any), the roles and responsibilities of each sub-consultant (if any), identification of DBE contractor (if any), and a clear, concise statement disclosing whether or not there are any shared interests among the firm and proposed sub-consultants, e.g. parent-subsidiary, joint ventures, formal affiliations, etc. 
6. Narrative that describes the suggested project delivery approach and addresses the goals and objectives stated in the scope of work (Attachment A, please download the pdf here);   
7. Resumes of key personnel to be assigned to this project and the percentage of time they will devote to project activities;  
8. Proof of Connecticut DBE certification (if applicable); and 
9. Current Federal Form SF-330 Part II. 

III.  SELECTION PROCEDURES 

 Complete responses to this RFQ that meet all of the listed requirements will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria: 

1. Qualifications of the consultant; 
2. Qualifications of sub-consultants (if any); 
3. Qualifications of key personnel assigned to this project; 
4. Thoroughness, creativity, and clarity of suggested approach; 
5. Experience and proven record of success with comparable projects. 

A Consultant Selection Team will be convened to evaluate statements of qualification received by the closing date stated in this RFQ.  The highest scoring firms will be required to appear for an interview. WestCOG will notify firms, consortia, joint ventures and teams selected for interview with the Consultant Selection Team within 60 days of the closing date.  The Consultant Selection Team will rank the firms, consortia, joint ventures and teams according to the criteria identified in this RFQ and submit its recommendations to WestCOG.  Selection of any firm, consortium, joint venture or team for this project may be subject to the approval of Connecticut Department of Transportation. 

IV. AWARD

Following selection of the most qualified firm, consortium, joint venture, or team, WestCOG will commence scope and fee negotiations with that firm, consortium, joint venture, or team.  The lump sum fee for the project will be based on the scope of work, job titles, certified payroll records, burden, fringe, and overhead (BF&O) rates, and direct costs.  In the event that an agreement cannot be reached on scope of work and cost, WestCOG reserves the right to terminate negotiations with that firm, consortium, joint venture or team and commence negotiations with the next most qualified firm, consortium, joint venture or team. 

V. RESOURCES 

Firms seeking to learn more about WestCOG are encouraged to visit: www.westcog.org.    

Grant Opportunities

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