Location: Newport County
Aquidneck Island and Naval Station Newport Compatible Use
Proposal Due: December 13, 2025
PDF of Full RFP: See Full RFP details here.
Project Background and Purpose:
The Newport County Development Council (NCDC) seeks proposals for consulting services on behalf of the towns of Middletown and Portsmouth and the City of Newport in Newport County. This area hosts Naval Station (NAVSTA) Newport. Located on Aquidneck Island along with the City and towns, NAVSTA is home to more than 50 naval and defense commands and activities. NAVSTA Newport is the Navy's premier site for training and educating officers, officer candidates, senior enlisted personnel, and midshipman candidates, as well as conducting evaluation of advanced undersea warfare and development systems.
Due to increasing pressures on Aquidneck Island resulting from climate change, population and demographic changes, changing community needs and changing social and economic conditions, there is a need for integrative regional planning to ensure that the military and community efficiently and effectively coexist and support one another in the decades to come. Three topics are of critical importance have recently emerged during joint discussions between the municipalities and the Navy:
- Transportation
- Water and sewer capacity
- Land use
These three priority topics are distinct but interrelated. Addressing them all together is intended to ensure that the results of the three planning efforts are not siloed and that the military installation is considered as a contributing entity when considering regional planning and what Aquidneck Island will become in the years ahead. Fully integrated regional planning in these three priority areas seek to minimize encroachment risk while ensuring continuity of essential services and quality of life for the three host communities and mission assurance for Naval Station Newport. The study should make recommendations to facilitate development and growth that benefits the host communities and the Naval Station Newport. The results of this planning effort should allow NAVSTA Newport’s host communities to grow and better support military personnel and civilians who support the installation, while avoiding encroachment or impacts to the Navy mission.
The Town of Middletown and NCDC expect that this study will uncover new vulnerabilities to the how the region manages land use, water and sewer infrastructure, and transportation while supporting Naval Station in those critical areas. Conducting the study at this time should also provide further incentives for communities to prevent encroachment, plan for sustainable use of resources, and where possible transition to more resilient approaches, such as a transition to clean energy solutions especially in the transportation space. Actively involving the surrounding communities will promote the military mission and highlight the benefit of the Navy’s presence in the region to the public. Most importantly, the results of the study will provide a series of planning recommendations that will be used to navigate towards resilience, smart growth, and enhanced quality of life for all on Aquidneck Island.
Important Dates:
RFP Issued - November 15, 2024
Pre Proposal Meeting (virtual) - November 21, 2024 from 12:30-1:30
Questions - Due December 2, 2024
Proposal Due - December 13, 2025
Project Kickoff - February, 2025
Questions and Answers - December 5, 2024
- If a team is proposing for one of the three topics, is there flexibility on the budget allocated?
a. If your team is proposing for one of the three topics, please do not exceed the budget allocated to that topic in your proposal. - If there are three separate teams proposing for each of the three topics, will three separate contracts be awarded, or will the proposing firms be asked to come together under one contract?
a. In the event that three separate teams are selected for each of the three topics, each team would have a separate contract. Connect Greater Newport staff, would provide coordination between the three teams. We would expect the three teams to also coordinate with one another throughout the planning process to ensure that the three topics are aligned and can inform each other. - If one team proposes for all three tasks, is it possible that this team could be only awarded a contract for one or two of the three subject matters? If one team proposes for all 3 tasks, would we break apart that team?
a. In the event that one team proposes for the entirety of the scope and demonstrates experience and expertise in all three subject matters, out-scoring other teams, the contract will be awarded to said team for the entirety of the scope.
b. Connect Greater Newport does not anticipate awarding a contract for one or two topics to a team that proposes for the entirety of the scope of work. However, Connect Greater Newport reserves the right to come back to proposing team(s) with alternative solutions if such a case arises. - Are Tabletop Exercises expected to involve the general public or are they intended to be more of an internal and technical exercise?
a. The Tabletop Exercises are intended primarily for leadership groups and subject matter experts in each topical area.
b. The Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Collaboration (OLDCC) encourages a model for Tabletop Exercises that could be helpful to review and incorporate into your proposal. A recent webinar can be found here. https://oldcc.gov/resource/installation-resilience-table-top-webinar-jan...
c. Although the Tabletop Exercises are not intended for the general public, resident and business community involvement in other aspects of the project is important 2 to the project as a whole. Successful proposals will put forth an engagement plan that allows for this. - When is the end date for the OLDCC [US Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation] grant that supports this work?
a. September 30, 2025. - What is the proposed study area for future base design?
a. We expect the land use work will consider anything on and adjacent to NAVSTA in the host communities and where other impacts are expected. On NAVSTA work would likely be focused on underutilized land but could include re-design of any portion of the government property.
b. Work is being done around innovative use of DOD real estate and engagement with relevant NAVSTA representatives will be expected.
c. A targeted revisit / tactical updates to the West side master plan are desired. - How will statewide transportation efforts impact the transportation analysis?
a. Coordination with Statewide work from RIDOT and other efforts is expected.
b. Connect Greater Newport expects that the State will be available as a resource of information.
c. Some RIDOT models might not capture some nuances (like current/ future commuter flows) and therefore we are open to alternative perspectives. - Is there flexibility in the project schedule to extend the period of performance beyond September 2025 to maximize deliverable quality?
a. At this time, the schedule is fixed due to the period of the OLDCC grant that supports this work.
b. Once a consultant is selected, the client team will coordinate with the OLDCC to determine if a grant extension and therefore a project timeline extension is possible. - Have the stakeholders for the public meetings and community engagement been identified or will identifying them be the responsibility of the selected consultant?
a. There is a Technical Committee and Advisory Committee already in place for this project. The selected consultant will collaborate with these committees to identify the appropriate stakeholders for community engagement. - Do the project / study limits vary at all between the tasks? Some of the text seems to focus more heavily on the Naval Station while other portions refer to the whole island.
a. Some tasks could focus on both inside and outside the Navy property while others may focus on either or. The tasks leave this open to possibilities both inside and outside the Navy fenceline that have yet to be identified. - Can available data be shared with the awarded consultant, or are there clearance restrictions due to the military?
a. All available and relevant data will be shared with the selected consultant. - What is the funding source?
a. A grant has been awarded from the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation grant supports this work. 3 - Can you clarify the tabletop exercise scope? Is it related to climate change/resiliency only or intended to include emergency response for military preparedness as well?
a. The Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Collaboration (OLDCC) encourages a model for Tabletop Exercises that could be helpful to review and incorporate into your proposal. A recent webinar can be found here. https://oldcc.gov/resource/installation-resilience-table-top-webinar-jan... - Is there a min or max for resumes, example projects, and/or references?
a. Please provide sufficient information to assess the strength of your project team based on team member experience, project experience, and previous client references. There is no minimum or maximum. - Who comprises the “client team”?
a. The Client Team is comprised of the City of Newport, the Town of Middletown, and the Town of Portsmouth together working through the Newport County Development Council and Connect Greater Newport.
b. The Newport County Development Council through their Connect Greater Newport Initiative will provide day-to-day project management.
Contact Information: engage@connectgreaternewport.com
Pre Proposal Meeting: Please email engage@connectgreaternewport.com if you are interested in attending the Pre Proposal Meeting and meeting information will be sent to you.
Questions: All questions should be emailed to engage@connectgreaternewport.com by December 2, 2024.
Submission Instructions: Email your proposal to engage@connectgreaternewport.com by close of business on December 13, 2024.