This page is intended for those interested in submitting proposals, due on March 30th by 5pm.
Click here to download the RFP, released March 1, 2024.
Email jon@cfet.org with any questions. Answers to all submitted questions will appear on this page after March 19th.
Upload Proposals HERE
Supplemental documents:
Rowan’s Greening Waterfront South Plan
Camden County Hazard Mitigation Plan
NFWF NCRF Project Information and Examples
Camden Environmental Resource Inventory
Camden SMART Green Infrastructure Completed Project List
Responses to questions:
Q: Would you be able to provide a sample contract for our legal folks to review?
A: We do not plan to provide a sample contract ahead of proposal submission as we do not wish to constrain the creativity of your response. We are expecting each respondent to define a scope of work based on their own interpretation of what is needed to complete the project successfully. The contract will be based largely upon what is outlined in the winning proposal.
Q: Will you be sharing a list of attendees to the pre-bid info session?
A: We had 13 organizations / firms attend our info session but we will not be sharing a list of attendees.
Q: Does the funding limit (‘not to exceed’ amount of $266,000) in the RFP mean that CFET has staff time covered in the remaining portion of the total NFWF award, or does CFET need any of the stated $266,000 proposal limit to go toward staffing?
A: The remaining NFWF award includes funding for a portion of CFET staff salaries. CFET is planning to use this grant project to expand our in-house capacity and will be hiring a Project Manager specifically to help manage the grant by the end of March, 2024.
The $266,000 ‘not to exceed’ amount may be fully utilized in your proposal budget as you see fit to meet the requirements of NFWF and the requirements laid out in the RFP. It is not necessary to set aside any funds for CFET staff costs in your budget. However, proposals are welcome to include budgets for an amount lower than $266,000 in order to be competitive. We will be evaluating the proposals by comparing total cost to the services being offered.
Q: Who will be a part of the proposal selection committee?
A: CFET staff plus our NFWF grant partners which includes staff from the CCMUA, Heart of Camden, NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative, and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.
Q: Has the Resident-Led Committee been established yet and is that something that CFET will be taking the lead on?
A: The Resident-Led Committee has not been established yet and yes, CFET will be taking the lead there. CFET will be in charge of community outreach, and meeting logistics. We need assistance from you with meeting content and preparation…. handouts, slide decks, flyer design, as well as having a staff person available to participate in-person during public events as appropriate.
Q: Do you envision a need for multilingual capabilities?
A: Yes. CFET will handle arranging for any in-meeting translations if needed. Handouts and materials that you provide will need to be produced in both English and Spanish.
Q: Does economic revitalization need to be taken into account for this project?
A: No
Q: There is reference in the RFP to flooding issues, combined sewer outfalls, and deteriorating riverbanks. Do you have an understanding of current studies and work being done in those areas so we do not reinvent the wheel?
A: The CCMUA is a grant partner and is happy to provide any relevant information on the state of combined sewer overflows (CSO) as part of their Long Term Control Plan (LTCP). They have worked with CDM Smith and Drexel professors on flood modeling research in some, but not all, Camden neighborhoods and that information will be available to share during the project.
The LTCP for CSO’s complements and overlaps with this Coastal Resiliency grant project. Data related to the LTCP will be helpful in informing our project outputs, however, this project is different in scope. The LTCP is focused primarily on sewer system capacity and preventing CSO’s and does not focus on mitigating street level flooding from other sources. There have been some relevant nature based riverfront projects in Camden, for instance a small living shoreline proposed in front of the CCMUA and some habitat restoration completed along the banks of Cramer Hill Waterfront Park. But there have not been any comprehensive, city-wide efforts to identify nature-based flood mitigation projects along Camden’s waterways.
Please see above for links to additional supplemental documents that may provide information.
Q: Can you provide the Greening Waterfront South Plan mentioned in the RFP? Does that plan, which is said to contain 50 projects, serve as a starting point that we can develop into the 10 projects you are asking for in the Master Plan?
A: Here is Rowan University’s Greening Waterfront South Plan (GWFS). However, assume that the Coastal Resilience Master Plan is starting from scratch. The GWFS plan is a local plan developed for the Waterfront South neighborhood. It contains small projects like green roofs, pocket rain gardens, pervious pavement basketball courts, and rain barrels. It was included in the proposal as a demonstration project that focused on community input, but at a much smaller scale than is needed for our purposes. This grant project is for identifying projects on a larger scale across the city.
Q: According to the RFP, the Coastal Resilience Master Plan is intended to have 10 projects with an estimated $1-10 million construction cost each. How specific and detailed do the ten included plans need to be for this phase of the NFWF program? Do we need blueprints?
A: NFWF has four rounds of funding as a part of their NCRF grant program ‘project pipeline’:
- Community Capacity Building & Planning
- Site Assessment and Preliminary Design
- Final Design and Permitting
- Restoration Implementation
This is a phase one category grant. Detailed project development occurs during phases two and three. We do intend to, and NFWF encourages awardees, to apply for all four rounds of funding. However, this phase one project does not need detailed project plans or blueprints included in the Master Plan.
Q: Are there any requirements not outlined in the RFP related to the relationship with the City and Dr. Ed Williams from the Planning Department?
A: Involving the city and Dr. Williams early on in the process will be essential for the overall success of the project. CFET has notified the planning department that we were awarded this grant but we have not yet had any meetings with their office. We imagine that the city planning department will be one of our early stakeholder interviews once your proposal has been accepted and the project can begin.
Q: Is there any requirement for socially and economically disadvantaged business entities (SED), disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) or women-owned business enterprises (WBE)?
A: These are not a requirement but are encouraged.
Q: I see there is a 12 months max timeline for completing the project but your NFWF proposal indicates that the end of the grant period is December of 2024. You also mentioned that you plan to apply for the next round of NFWF grant funding this year. Can you clarify your projected timeline?
A: According to our original proposal, our NFWF grant period was supposed to begin in January 2023. However, NFWF delayed the activation of our grant for an entire year while requesting various revisions to our proposal and budget. Given the delayed activation NFWF promised to grant an extension, but has advised us to wait until we are closer to the Dec 2024 deadline before making that request.
The 12 month project timeline is based upon the experience of other organizations who have completed a project of this size and scope. If you would like to outline a different project duration in your proposal based on your own assessment of the project you are allowed to do so.
CFET does plan to submit an application for a phase two NFWF project, ‘Site Assessment and Preliminary Design’, in 2024. If this current project lasts 12 months (Apr 2024 – March 2025), then we will have a completed Master Plan in early spring 2025. We hope to then immediately begin phase two with our newly awarded NFWF grant later that spring.
Q: The RFP mentions additional studies (ie. flood modeling, coastal base map, ecological evaluation). Are those studies already in process or are new RFP’s going to be issued for these reports during the grant project?
A: Some flood modeling has been completed through the CCMUA LTCP, but does not include all flood-affected neighborhoods in the city. The adequacy of existing studies for the purpose of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan still needs to be determined and additional studies, such as those listed in the RFP, will likely need to be completed. CFET is not an expert in this area and is not able to determine exactly what studies are needed in advance. CFET is issuing only one RFP for a contractor during this grant project. Any additional studies that you deem are necessary in order to complete the Master Plan will either need to be completed by your firm, or subcontracted under your direction. If you anticipate needing to subcontract for additional studies then that should be included in your proposed budget.
Q: Are there any responsibilities for costs associated with public engagement?
A: CFET has our own NFWF budget for materials and supplies, catering, printing, and resident stipends. You will not be responsible for those. You will be responsible for staff time helping CFET plan for community outreach events, content creation, and a speaking/presentation role (shared with CFET) at public events.
Q: Is your organization well networked to identify the two stakeholder groups, the technical panel and the resident-led panel?
A: CFET is well networked for stakeholders in the city and can provide connections for relevant community groups and organizations needed for building the resident-led panel and arranging public meetings. Our technical panel will likely consist of a CCMUA rep, a City rep, and at least one of our academic partners from the NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative. If other members of the technical panel are necessary then they will need to come from your professional network or the networks of our existing grant partners.
Q: Is there an interest in your plans for this project to provide long term training and job support to make sure these projects also build community members into their implementation.
A: We do not want to encompass too much during this planning and capacity building grant phase. However, it will be important to keep project implementation and long-term maintenance in mind while developing our 10 project ideas. Camden Power Corps is a green jobs training program in the city and they are an example of an organization we may want to involve more extensively during future rounds of NFWF funding as we move toward project implementation with a maintenance plan.
Q: What will be the role of the Anthropocene Alliance during the project?
A: Anthropocene Alliance (A2) is a national organization that helps small nonprofits identify and apply to funding opportunities for flood mitigation and environmental justice projects. They will be helping CFET apply to the 2024 NFWF grant cycle. They do have networks of scientists and technical experts on flood mitigation and can be used as a resource as needed for our technical panel. A2 will primarily be working behind the scenes with CFET on operational support during the project and CFET will be participating in a peer-to-peer learning group facilitated by A2 with other NFWF awardee organizations around the country.
——–
Q: I note that the due date is March 30, a Saturday. Will that date be modified/extended or is it firm?
A: The date is firm. We will fully consider all proposals received prior to the deadline. We will not refuse late proposals but cannot promise they will receive full consideration. Please email jon@cfet.org if you encounter any difficulties with uploading your proposal.
Q: What is meant by “Necessary services not expressly detailed”?
A: Most of the elements that are necessary to complete the plan have been outlined in the RFP. However, if there is a service that is needed to produce the Master Plan (a report, a subcontract, etc…) that is not explicitly stated in the RFP, you will still be required to provide that service. These additional necessary services may be self-identified according to your professional expertise in your proposal or could emerge as a part of the Master Plan creation process. The main deliverable is the complete Coastal Resilience Master Plan that includes 10 actionable projects following NFWF’s requirements for the NCRF program. Your proposal and budget should cover everything needed to complete the plan, even if CFET is not able to foresee all necessary elements in advance.
Q: Is the timeline still 24 months since January kickoff was shown in the Implementation Timeline and Milestones?
A: No, because of the delay in grant activation the timeline is now 12 months. If you believe this is not sufficient time to complete the project, then you may offer a different timeline in your proposal.
Q: What is meant by “design” in “Plan and Engineering Design”? Does it mean full CDs or just concept plans?
A: I believe this refers to the chart on pg. 6 of appendix 1 (NFWF grant proposal). According to CFET’s understanding of a phase one NFWF NCRF grant project, ‘Engineering Design’ here refers to concept plans, not construction documents.
Q: Are there specific guidelines for how to measure Site Suitability metrics? (top of page 6)
A: This also refers to pg. 6 of appendix 1. CFET does not have specific guidelines for this. Please feel free to define and measure these as you see fit.
Q: Does identifying 10 projects for “site assessment and preliminary design” mean to do the design on this scope or to just identify the sites?
A: ‘Site assessment and preliminary design’ is NFWF’s description for a phase two grant in the NCRF ‘project pipeline’. This is a phase one grant project and so projects included in the Master Plan need to be ‘ready’ for site assessment and preliminary design, which will take place during a phase two grant. CFET does not have the expertise to describe precisely what level of detail is needed to satisfy NFWF for the 10 projects in our Master Plan. You will need to develop the 10 plans to an adequate level based on your professional expertise, by reviewing other publicly available coastal resilience plans for comparison, or by researching available NFWF documentation related to the NCRF ‘project pipeline’.
Q: Who is responsible for the implementation steps (webinars, etc.)? Is it the consultant, or are we just to identify opportunities?
A: I believe this question is asking what level of support the consultant will be required to give CFET during the community outreach campaign. See above responses for additional clarification about CFET and consultant responsibilities for community engagement. We do expect more than just identifying opportunities. We expect your proposal to outline what level of support you can offer in helping CFET to both develop and carry out a community engagement strategy.
——-
Q: What is the role of the municipality, state, and other agencies in this process and subsequently? Will they be available to provide information and guidance?
A: We expect to include Dr. Ed Williams of the City Planning Office as well as Camden County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash early on in the project. Both of their offices have been notified of our award. The CCMUA is already a grant partner and has its own connections to the city, county, and state. Any additional roles for the state or other agencies will need to be determined and have not been established beforehand.
Q: Which agencies will be tasked with implementing the identified priority projects?
A: This has not been predetermined. We plan on re-applying for all four rounds of NFWF NCRF funding, including implementation for at least some of the final 10 projects. However, the final Master Plan could also be used as a basis for other entities to apply for other sources of funding to complete projects.
Q: Will the consultant team have access to Camden’s stormwater & sewer infrastructure, and other applicable, GIS data?
A: Yes, as mentioned above the CCMUA will be sharing any information related to their LTCP and any relevant studies they have commissioned.
Q: Is there a budget for the advisory panels to compensate professionals, stakeholders, and community members for their time and expertise? The NFWF grant indicates $30,750 for the Technical Advisory Panel. Is this earmarked for compensation of all participants?
A: The $30,750 figure comes from pg. 16 of appendix 1 and is an in-kind donation for the NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative to participate as a member in our Technical Advisory Panel.
There is no budget for compensating Technical Advisory Panel participants. There is a separate budget for community member stipends for participants in community workshops and for serving on the Resident-Led Committees.
Q: Regarding the proposal format, for the Organization Resources and Design Team section, do you expect the response to “Describe the composition and number of staff, facilities available and experience of your firm/team, sub consultants etc.” to be separate from, or within the 200-word narrative describing how our “organization is uniquely qualified to provide professional services for CFET”?
A: This can be separate from the narrative.
Q: Regarding the proposal format, for Project Experience, may the examples and references be from both Prime and sub consultants?
A: Yes.
Q: Regarding the proposal format, under Appendices the first bullet request for certifications and licenses for all key team members, does this refer to key personnel, or the firms (prime and consultants), or both?
A: You may determine who counts as key team members and should be included.
Q: Regarding the proposal format, under Appendices the second bullet is “Provide hourly fees for key team members.” Does this mean hourly rates?
A: Yes.
Q: May Appendices include additional information—for example, describing the firms’ experience and capabilities?
A: Yes, if you believe this would be helpful.
Q: Is an extension to the proposal deadline available?
A: No extension will be granted. You may still submit after the deadline, but we cannot promise that your proposal will receive the same consideration as those before the deadline.
Q: Do you see the Expert Report as a summary of the stakeholder engagement and potential solutions, and the Coastal Resilience Master Plan as an extension of this report but with specific strategies, concept design and locations identified?
A: Yes, I will add that the Master Plan will develop upon the potential solutions of the Expert Report using extensive public input sought during the community outreach campaign.
