TIPPECANOE AND CHAPMAN REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS & PROPOSALS (RFQ/P)
The Tippecanoe and Chapman Regional Sewer District (“District”) by and
through its Board of Trustees (“Board”) found that adopting and utilizing the au-
thority provided under Indiana Code § 5-23 will enhance the District’s ability to
deliver essential public infrastructure and services in an efficient, cost-effective, and
timely manner. In accordance with IC § 5-23-1-1 the Board, as the governmen-
tal body of the District, adopted an ordinance authorizing the District to utilize the
use of public-private agreements as provided therein for the design, construction,
financing, lease, acquisition, improvement, renovation, ownership, management,
operation, or transfer of any public facility or infrastructure used or to be used by the
District in connection with its statutory duties.
The District, by and through the Board as its governing body, is issuing this
Request for Qualifications & Proposals (“RFQ/P”) seeking statements of qualifica-
tions from qualified respondent s for the development and construction of a public
infrastructure Project (as defined below) utilizing Indiana Finance Authority State
Revolving Loan Funds (“SRF Funds”).
The Project (“Project”) is described as follows:
The East Webster Service Area is the last unsewered section around Webster
Lake, located in Kosciusko County, IN. The service area is bounded by Epworth
Forrest Road to the north, CR 975 to the east, Backwater Road to the south and
Webster Lake shoreline to the west.
The property owners in this service area currently rely upon private septic sys-
tems for wastewater disposal.
The proposed project includes a centralized pressure sewer system to serve
the sewage producing properties. The proposed project will include the following:
• 14,500 lineal feet of 1.5” to 4” pressure sewer pipe
• 13,200 lineal feet of 1-1/4” pressure sewer lateral
• 150 grinder stations serving approximately 200 properties
• 20 flushing stations and air release valve structures
• 44,000 lineal feet of electrical conductors to energize the grinder stations
• 50 electrical risers to distribute electrical power to the electrical grid for the
grinder stations
• One 300 gpm wastewater pump station
The wastewater from the East Webster service area will be directed through the
pressure sewer to the new wastewater pump station. There is an existing force main
along Epworth Forrest Road that transports the Knapp Lake Conservancy District
wastewater to the North Webster WWTP. As part of this project, the force main from
Knapp Lake will be rerouted into the proposed East Webster pump station. The
discharge from the East Webster pump station will then reconnect to the existing
Knapp Lake force main and will be transported to the Town of North Webster’s
wastewater collection system and conveyed to the North Webster wastewater treat-
ment plant for treatment and disposal.
The Preliminary Engineering Report that describes the Project and all other
relevant materials, if any, (“PER”) will be shared electronically at no cost via Jones
Petrie Rafinski, Corp. (referred to as “Engineer” or “JPR”). Following request for
the Contract Documents by the respondent, JPR will provide appropriate file shar-
ing permissions to view and download these documents. Respondents must re-
quest access to the Contract Documents by email to the following:
Alexandra Nahrwold
Jones, Petrie, Rafinski Corp.
260-422-2522
anahrnwold@jpr1source.com
The PER is also available for public inspection at the following location:
JPR office located at111 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
The District plans to enter into a public-private partnership under IC § 5-23 with
a selected respondent to complete the Project, including all required labor, materi-
als, equipment, and construction services, within the defined budget and schedule.
The chosen respondent must provide both a payment bond and a performance
bond, each equal to no less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Project’s final
cost.
All respondents will be given fair and equal opportunity to participate in discus-
sions and submit revisions to their proposals. However, during the period between
the release of this RFQ/P and the formal notification of selection, respondents are
prohibited from initiating contact with any Board members or District employees.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held for all potential respondents
at 1:00 pm local time, on September 19, 2025 at the North Webster Community
Center located at 301 N Main Street, Suite 112, North Webster, IN.
Responses to this RFQ/P must be submitted no later than, 1:00 PM (local
time) on October 6, 2025 by mail or hand delivery at JPR’s office located at 111
West Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802, or responses may be submitted electron-
ically by contacting JPR to receive share file information.
PROPOSAL EVALUATION
The District has formed a committee (“Committee”) to review the proposals
received. Each proposal will be scored on a total possible score of 100 points. The
following categories and points allocation will be used to evaluate the proposals:
Category Point Allocation (100 Points)
Respondent’s Experience 45 Points
Project Methodology 20 Points
Financial Capability 10 Points
Experience with Delivery Method 5 Points
Scoping 5 Points
Project Schedule 5 Points
Additional Items 10 Points
100 Points
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Experience
1. Relevant Project Scope and Scale:
a. Detail the respondent ’s experience with projects of similar scope and scale,
particularly in low pressure septic elimination projects.
2. Describe the respondent’s experience executing septic elimination projects
utilizing grinder pumps and low pressure systems, wastewater pump stations and
related activities as described in the Project Documents. In addition, describe ex-
perience in congested areas with limited land and challenges with grinder locations
while prioritizing gravity connections from customers homes to the grinders.
3. Project Team and Key Personnel:
a. Identify the key team members who will be assigned to this Project, including
at minimum a project manager and superintendent. For each, provide:
i. Name and title
ii. Description of relevant experience, especially with pump station rehabilitation
projects
iii. Confirmation of availability and capacity to perform the work
b. Include a Project-specific organizational chart that outlines roles and respon-
sibilities.
4. Safety Program and Performance:
a. Provide a narrative describing the firm’s overall approach to jobsite safety,
including:
i. Safety protocols and training practices
ii. Procedures for confined space entry and wastewater-related hazards
iii. Any safety awards or recognition received
5. Funding Experience:
a. Provide relevant experience related to performing a project financed by SRF
Funds.
Project Methodology
1. Understanding of Project Goals and Objective:
a. Respondent shall demonstrate a clear understanding of the purpose, key
objectives, and constraints of the Project. Explain how your proposed approach
aligns with the Owner’s priorities related to quality, schedule, budget, safety, and
long-term operability.
2. Approach to Project Development and Construction:
a. Describe your firm’s overall approach to planning, developing, and construct-
ing the Project. Include:
i. Construction methodologies you anticipate using
ii. Capabilities for self-performing specific scopes of work
iii. Work anticipated to be subcontracted and how subcontractors will be select-
ed and managed
3. A preliminary construction timeline or phasing approach, with the understand-
ing that the final schedule will be established during the Scoping Period.
4. Invoicing:
a. Describe your approach to invoicing and pay applications:
i. Types of cost data and backup documentation that will accompany each in-
voice
ii. Frequency and format of cost reporting
5. Change Order Management:
a. Explain your firm’s philosophy and process for identifying, documenting, and
managing change orders. Include. If applicable, describe any change orders execut-
ed on a previous types of projects and the circumstances that required the change.
6. Project Controls and Communication Tools:
a. Describe the tools, software, and management processes your team uses to
monitor and control Project schedule and costs.
7. Methods for facilitating communication between field crews, Project manage-
ment, the Owner, and other stakeholders
8. Describe approach for testing, start up and training prior to final completion
9. Describe approach for delivery of final as built drawings and final records
prior to completion
Financial capacity
1. Financial Strength and Creditworthiness:
a. Demonstrate the respondent ’s financial capacity and stability to develop,
construct, and deliver the Project on time and to the required standards. Provide
documentation and information regarding the same.
2. Bonding Capacity:
a. Demonstrate the respondent ’s ability to obtain performance and payment
bonds in the amounts required for the Project.
Experience with Delivery Method
1. Relevant BOT Project Experience:
a. Describe the respondent ’s prior experience with Build-Operate-Transfer
(BOT) or similar alternative project delivery methods (e.g., Design-Build-Operate,
Public-Private Partnership). Include a summary of the scope, structure, and opera-
tional responsibilities for each project.
2. Representative BOT Projects:
a. Provide detailed descriptions of BOT projects the respondent has successful-
ly completed or is currently managing.
3. Team Experience with BOT Structures:
a. Identify key individuals within your organization who have direct experience
with BOT or alternative delivery projects. Provide their roles, relevant project experi-
ence, and specific responsibilities in previous BOT engagements.
4. Lessons Learned from BOT Delivery:
a. Discuss lessons your firm has learned from past BOT projects that will inform
your approach to this Project. Include any improvements made to your project deliv-
ery, operational strategies, or financial structuring as a result.
Scoping
1. Scoping Period Fee Request:
a. If the respondent intends to request a Scoping Period Fee, provide the fol-
lowing:
i. The total amount requested
ii. A justification for the requested fee, including a high-level breakdown of antici-
pated labor, overhead, and other costs incurred during the Scoping Period
iii. Acknowledgment that the Scoping Period Fee, if approved, will not be in-
voiced until the conclusion of the Scoping Period and will not be paid unless the
project proceeds to Notice to Proceed
2. Approach to the Scoping Period
a. Describe your firm’s proposed approach to participating in the Scoping Pe-
riod, including:
i. How you will allocate internal resources during this phase
ii. The disciplines and personnel who will be involved
iii. How you will coordinate with the Owner to refine scope, pricing, and schedule
iv. Any anticipated challenges and your strategy to address them
3. Commitment to Scope Finalization:
a. Explain your firm’s commitment to working collaboratively with the Owner to
finalize the scope, budget, and schedule during the Scoping Period. Include ex-
amples from past projects where a similar pre-construction or early collaboration
phase was used to refine project delivery.
b. Describe approach to arriving at guaranteed maximum cost with only a pre-
liminary engineering report to use as basis for pricing.
Project Schedule
1. Preliminary Project Schedule:
a. Provide a preliminary Project schedule that outlines major construction phas-
es, critical path items, and key milestones (e.g., mobilization, procurement, system
startups, substantial completion, commissioning). The final schedule will be con-
firmed during the Scoping Period.
2. Schedule Management Approach:
a. Describe the respondent ’s approach to managing and maintaining the Pro-
ject schedule.
3. Availability of Resources:
a. Confirm the availability of the proposed team and field crew for the duration
of the Project. Describe any competing commitments that could affect the schedule
and how your firm intends to mitigate potential staffing conflicts.
4. Handling Schedule Constraints and Permitting Delays:
a. Describe how your team will accommodate external schedule constraints,
including permitting, coordination with utilities, or seasonal construction limitations.
Include examples of how you’ve adapted to similar constraints in past projects.
5. Interface with Operational Requirements:
a. For Project components involving live systems (e.g., sewer pump stations),
explain how your firm will coordinate scheduling with the Owner’s operational staff.
Additional Items
The respondent is encouraged to provide any further information that may as-
sist the District in fully understanding the qualifications, capabilities, and unique
strengths of the proposing team. This may include descriptions of innovative meth-
ods or technologies the respondent plans to utilize that have not been covered else-
where in the proposal, any specialized expertise or strategic partnerships that add
value to the Project, notable awards or industry recognitions received, or relevant
case studies that demonstrate successful project outcomes. While the submission
of such additional information is optional, the District reserves the right to consider
this material in the evaluation process at its sole discretion.
SELECTION TIMING AND PROJECT TIMELINE
The expected schedule for selecting a developer and finalizing a public-private
partnership agreement for the Project’s development and construction is as follows:
Project Item Date
RFQ/P Available for Proposals September 10, 2025
RFQ/P Pre-Proposal Meeting September 19, 2025
RFQ/P Submission Due Date October 6, 2025
RFQ/P Scoring Complete October 13, 2025
Scoping Period Begins October 14, 2025
Scoping Period Ends November 10, 2025
Finalize GMP Budget & Agreement December 8, 2025
Anticipated Notice to Proceed April 1, 2026
Anticipated Final Completion May 31, 2027
If needed, the Engineer will issue written addenda to the RFQ/P documents
to provide interpretations, additional instructions, clarifications, or revisions. These
addenda will become an official part of the RFQ/P package. Only responses issued
in such addenda shall be considered official and binding.
The final Project scope will be established during the scoping period referenced
in the timeline above (the “Scoping Period”). This phase is expected to be high-
ly focused and fast-moving, with a target to finalize a guaranteed maximum price
(GMP) agreement by December 8, 2025. The design of the project will advance
simultaneously through the scoping period, with final design completion expect-
ed in March of 2026. The ultimate construction schedule will be developed during
this period, as it depends on several milestones set by the District. Consequently,
the selected respondent must be fully available, transparent with information, and
actively collaborate with all stakeholders throughout the Scoping Period to finalize
the Project’s scope, schedule, and budget. All data, materials, and documentation
gathered or created during this phase will be the exclusive property of the District.
By submitting a proposal, respondents waive any rights to this information, which
the District may use at its discretion.
Upon conclusion of the Scoping Period, the Committee may recommend award-
ing the development and construction agreement to the respondent whose GMP,
schedule, and value breakdown are deemed most favorable and acceptable.
Notwithstanding the above, the District reserves the right, under IC 5-23-5-8,
to end this RFQ/P process at any time without awarding an agreement to any re-
spondent.
All respondents to this RFP/q are subject to all applicable Indiana state and
federal conflict of interest laws and regulations. By submitting a response, each re-
spondent represents and warrants that it is not in violation of any such laws or regu-
lations, and that no conflict of interest exists that would prevent the respondent from
fairly and objectively performing the obligations contemplated under this RFPQ.
