Request for Quotations: Plan for a Limiting Factors Analysis of Chinook Salmon in the Trinity River Watershed

Deadline for Submission of Materials:  August 18, 2023

Overview

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) invites interested professional service providers to submit statements of quotations to develop a Study Plan for a Limiting Factors Analysis (LFA) in collaboration with the Trinity River Restoration Program. 

Background

NFWF is the largest private conservation grant-maker in the nation and is dedicated to sustaining, restoring and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. NFWF advances these ideals through innovative public and private partnerships, and by investing financial resources and intellectual capital into science-based programs designed to address conservation priorities and achieve measurable outcomes.

NFWF has invested in conservation and restoration projects in the Trinity River Basin of California in partnership with U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP). TRRP restoration actions correspond to an increase in the number of salmon smolts naturally produced within the Trinity River Watershed (Pinnix et al. 2022). However, no similar increase in returning adult spawners has been detected. While natural spawner populations have cycled over the duration of TRRP, numbers of returning fish are currently low (CDFW 2023). To understand this apparent disparity, a Limiting Factors Analysis (LFA) for Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) below Lewiston Dam was identified as a top priority for TRRP (Pickard et al. 2023).

The primary purpose for this Request for Quotations (RFQ) is to identify contractors who are interested and qualified to develop an LFA Study Plan that expands upon TRRP’s scientific knowledge and experience with state-of-the-art methods and analyses to identify and rank limiting factors. TRRP may provide several scientists to participate as additional members of the Planning Team. Interaction between the Planning Team, TRRP scientists, and the TRRP Science Advisory Board is expected to be iterative as background information for the LFA is developed. A separate and subsequent RFQ will be issued to obtain a Study Team with relevant expertise to conduct the LFA in accordance with the Study Plan.

The selected contractor will be requested to provide the following deliverables:

  • Refined life cycle diagram (due prior to the kick-off meeting for TRRP review). 
  • Lead and participate in one day-long project kick-off meeting with TRRP scientists.
  • Electronic copies of all presentation materials or handouts used for the meeting, plus a meeting summary that lists information obtained from TRRP participants.
  • Draft LFA Study Plan, with 3+ level of effort options, in electronic Word format;
  • Final LFA Study Plan, with 3+ level of effort options, in electronic Word format and 508-compliant PDF.
  • Notes on any rejected review comments.

Instructions for Providing Quotations 

1. Address each item in the Outline of Quotations below.

2. Limit your response to a maximum of five (5) pages (not including resumes).

3. E-mail a PDF version of your responses to femke.freiberg@nfwf.org.  In the subject line, please indicate Response to RFQ for LFA Study Plan – [name of respondent].  Applications will not be accepted in hard copy form or alternate electronic form.

4. Applications must be e-mailed no later than midnight PDT on August 18, 2023.

Please send questions and related inquiries to femke.freiberg@nfwf.org.

Outline of Quotations

The description of your and/or your organization’s quotation should include the following elements:

1. Contact information. Please provide a Primary Contact Person, Entity Name, Address, Phone, Email, Website, and EIN or SSN.

2. Expertise. Please list the type(s) of services your or your organization provides relating to the required qualifications and your scientific expertise in limiting factor analyses.

3. Past Experience. Please detail your experience in providing services like those required per this RFQ, including collaboration with federal agencies and iterative development of a study plan.

4. Fee structure. Please provide a proposed budget with cost quotes for each Task for your proposed services, including hourly rates for proposed job classifications and, if available, audited overhead rates. The proposed budget should itemize work in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate the appropriateness of the entire funding request. You must use the attached Contractor Budget Template. Please highlight any non-profit discounts on the services you provide.

5. References. Please include contact information for three client references relevant to the services described above.

Evaluation Criteria

NFWF will emphasize the following factors in its evaluation of responses submitted pursuant to this RFQ: 

  • Knowledge and track record. 

  • Experience with federal agencies and in relevant geographies.

  • Cost effectiveness.

  • Capacity and flexibility to deliver services. 

 

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS & CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, other nonprofits, commercial organizations, international organizations, and local, state and Indian tribal governments. Small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are strongly encouraged to apply.

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the offeror warrants and represents that it does not currently have any apparent or actual conflict of interest, as described herein.  In the event an offeror currently has, will have during the life of the contemplated contract, or becomes aware of an apparent or actual conflict of interest, in the event an award is made, the offeror must notify NFWF in writing in the proposal, or in subsequent correspondence (if the issue becomes known after the submission of the proposal) of such apparent or actual conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest.  Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the contractor, the contractor’s employees, or the contractor’s subcontractors in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests, or otherwise.  Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the offeror, the offeror’s employees, or the offeror’s future subcontractors in the matter.  Upon receipt of such a notice, the NFWF Contracting Officer will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the offeror to reduce or resolve the conflict.  Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies NFWF may result in the proposal not being selected for award.  

By submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation, the Offeror warrants and represents that it is eligible for award of a Contract resulting from this solicitation and that it is not subject to any of the below circumstances:

Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or 

Was convicted (or had an officer or agent of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

Is listed on the General Services Administration’s, government-wide System for Award Management Exclusions (SAM Exclusions), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R Part 180 that implement E.O.s 12549 (3 C.F.R., 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 C.F.R., 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension, ” or intends to enter into any subaward, contract or other Contract using funds provided by NFWF with any party listed on the SAM Exclusions in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689. The SAM Exclusions instructions can be found here: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES

August 18, 2023 Deadline for receipt of quotations to NFWF. Quotations must be sent electronically as an email attachment to femke.freiberg@nfwf.org by midnight PDT on Friday, August 18th, 2023. Quotations must be provided in Word format or searchable PDF.
September 15, 2023 Contract award to selected Offeror
January 31, 2024 Deliverables due