Request for Qualifications for Consultation Services for Application into FEMA Community Rating System
| Location: | North Carolina |
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| Posted: | Jan 9, 2026 |
| Due: | Feb 6, 2026 |
| Agency: | State Government of North Carolina |
| Type of Government: | State & Local |
| Category: |
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| Solicitation No: | 323-A/E 26-004 |
| Publication URL: | To access bid details, please log in. |
| Solicitation Number: | 323-A/E 26-004 |
| Project Title: | Request for Qualifications for Consultation Services for Application into FEMA Community Rating System |
| Description: | The Town of Chapel Hill seeks written Statements of Qualifications from professional Engineering Firms specializing floodplain management regulations and familiar with municipal operations to facilitate the Town’s application into the FEMA Community Rating System. |
| Opening Date: | 2/6/2026 2:00 PM |
| Posted Date: | 1/10/2026 |
| Status: | Open |
| Department: | TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL |
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Solicitation Number
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323-A/E 26-004
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Department
TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL
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Status Reason
Open
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Opening Date
2026-02-06T14:00:00.0000000
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Posted Date
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2026-01-09T18:45:59.0000000Z
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Commodity Code
Engineering procurement and project management services
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Mandatory Conference/Site Visit
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Special Instructions
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Solicitation Type
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Select RFP IFB RFI
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Owner
Lenora Bishop
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Description
The Town of Chapel Hill seeks written Statements of Qualifications from professional Engineering Firms specializing floodplain management regulations and familiar with municipal operations to facilitate the Town’s application into the FEMA Community Rating System.
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Attachments
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Attachment Preview
NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
FOR
CONSULTATION SERVICES FOR APPLICATION INTO THE FEMA COMMUNITY RATING
SYSTEM
RFQ:
A/E 26-004
To:
All Prospective Firms
From:
Lenore Bishop, Purchasing & Contracts Manager
Subject:
Request for Qualifications for Consultation Services for Application into FEMA
Community Rating System
Date:
01/09/2026
The Town of Chapel Hill seeks written Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) from professional
Engineering Firms (Consultant) specializing floodplain management regulations and familiar with
municipal operations to facilitate the Town’s application into the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS).
Submittals are due by 2:00 pm on February 6, 2026. Please email submittals to Lenore Bishop,
Purchasing and Contracts Manager at lbishop@townofchapelhill.org, with a subject line of "RFQ for
Consultation Services for FEMA CRS Application”.
If you have any questions concerning the solicitation process, please contact the Purchasing Division
at (919) 969-5022.
Questions concerning this Request for Qualifications must be submitted in writing no later than 2:00
P.M. on January 23, 2026, to Rob Gehris via e-mail at rgehris@townofchapelhill.org. All responses to
submitted questions will be published in the form of an addendum on the Town’s Notice to Bidders
website at by 5:00 P.M. on January 29, 2026.
The Town of Chapel Hill reserves the right to reject any and all Statements of Qualifications.
RFQ – Consultation Services for the Town’s Application into FEMA’s Community Rating System
RFQ: A/E 26-004, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
January 9, 2026
Page 1
Request for Qualifications
for
Consultation Services for Application into FEMA’s Community Rating System for the Town
of Chapel Hill, NC.
RFQ: A/E 26-004
1.0 Introduction
The Town of Chapel Hill (Town), North Carolina, is requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQ)
from engineering firms interested in providing consulting services to assist the Town of Chapel Hill’s
application into the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Rating System
(CRS).
Consultant will review existing records, standard operating procedures, Flood Damage Prevention
Ordinance & other available documentation, identify the CRS credits available for current practices,
and make recommendations to Town staff for practices to implement for any necessary CRS credits.
The consultant will work with Town Staff to prepare the CRS Application and classification request
for submittal to FEMA and/or its contractor. The consultant will assist in preparation and responses
to any audits or Community Assistance Visits during the CRS application process.
Items for development included in this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), such as deliverables and
meetings, shall be covered on a task order basis with a not to exceed contract amount.
2.0 Background Information
The Town of Chapel Hill is a participant in the National Flood Insurance, and has a flood damage
prevention ordinance, last revised May 2021, that is compliant with the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) minimum standards and has more stringent regulatory requirements for several
aspects of floodplain development. The current version of the flood damage prevention ordinance is
available online:
https://library.municode.com/nc/chapel_hill/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH5BUB
URE_ARTIVFLDAPROR.
Approximately 240 occupiable buildings exist in the 100-year floodplain within the Town’s corporate
limits, and there is interest from the Town to reduce insurance premiums for its residents.
The Town is seeking a consultant firm to provide guidance for CRS application credits, prepare CRS
application documentation, assist in the application’s submission and follow-up coordination with
FEMA’s contractor, and assist with preparation for initial audit or community assistance visit.
RFQ – Consultation Services for the Town’s Application into FEMA’s Community Rating System
RFQ: A/E 26-004, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
January 9, 2026
Page 2
3.0 Scope of Work
3.1 The general scope of work for the activities includes the following:
• Evaluate existing records, standard operating procedures, and development ordinances to
determine CRS credits available to Town based on existing practices.
• Provide recommendations to Town staff to determine the most appropriate and economical
procedures to implement to be eligible for additional CRS credits if needed for a more
favorable CRS rank.
• Conduct any pre-audits and meetings with Town Staff as necessary to prepare Town for a
Community Assistance Visit.
• Prepare an application package for the submittal to FEMA and/or their contractor for the
Town’s entrance into the CRS program. The application package shall be consistent with
the FEMA CRS Coordinator’s Manual, and include at a minimum:
1. Correspondence from FEMA Regional Office stating the Town is in full compliance
with the NFIP dated no more than 6 months prior to CRS application.
2. CRS Program Data Table (Page CC-213-2).
3. Documentation for each requested credit. Documentation shall be per itemizations
listed in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual.
4. Signed Certifications – Town will provide signature as community’s CEO.
• Conduct any pre-audits as necessary.
3.2 Additional Services:
The consultant is encouraged to identify any additional work that is not specified in this Scope
of Work that would be, in its opinion, necessary to complete the project as defined herein. The
consultant may propose additional services that in its opinion will improve the efficiency and
quality of the project. If identified, the additional work or services must be included in the
proposal but separated out as an additional task to be considered for inclusion in the overall
scope of the project.
RFQ – Consultation Services for the Town’s Application into FEMA’s Community Rating System
RFQ: A/E 26-004, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
January 9, 2026
Page 3
4.0 Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Content
It is the Consultant’s responsibility to clearly describe its qualifications in response to this RFQ.
Organization, conciseness, and thoroughness of the response will be critical to the Town’s evaluation
of the submittals. The Statement of Qualifications should not exceed 12 pages in length (including
cover letter and table of contents) and shall include the following information:
• Cover letter stating the intentions of the proposal. Submittal must be signed certifying that the
individual is authorized to submit the submittal on behalf of the consultant.
• Table of Contents.
• Executive Summary: include lead firm name, contact person, address, email and phone number.
• Describe project understanding and approach for this project’s scope of services.
• Qualifications and experience related to the scope including specific experience relating to CRS
and NFIP compliance with other municipalities. Preference will be given to submitting firms that
demonstrate:
o Familiarity and experience in preparing municipal applications for submission to the CRS
o Competence and experience in preparation of regulatory documentation on-schedule and
under-budget
o A firm understanding of North Carolina construction codes and local ordinances, National
Floodplain standards, and familiarity with the FEMA CRS Coordinator’s Manual.
• Relevant experience providing similar services to the Town of Chapel Hill and/or to other
municipal clients.
• Organizational Chart and Key Personnel: The organizational chart shall identify the lead firm’s
principal who will be responsible for the work; project team members; and team members
employed by sub-consultants and contractors who would be assigned to the project. SOQ shall
include key team members’ roles for this project and their resumé/ qualifications with emphasis
on related experience; their approximate percentage of time that would be dedicated to this project;
and their office locations.
• Identification of potential conflicts of interest, independence issues, or biases associated with the
scope of work.
• References from at least one other customer that have had similar types of services recently
provided by your firm. References shall include the date, type, and cost of services performed and
contact information for an owner’s representative having knowledge of the lead firm’s work. The
Consultant, by making the submittal, authorizes the Town to contact any or all references.
• Anticipated Schedule: The SOQ shall include a statement or chart showing the anticipated
schedule. The schedule shall identify the components of the scope of work as well as any other
tasks deemed necessary or preferable and include provisions for review by Town staff.
• A listing of all services available as a result of the RFQ.
RFQ – Consultation Services for the Town’s Application into FEMA’s Community Rating System
RFQ: A/E 26-004, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
January 9, 2026
Page 4
5.0 DETAILS OF SOQ SUBMISSION
5.1 Schedule
SOQ subject to the conditions made a part hereof will be accepted until 2:00 P.M., on
February 6, 2026 for furnishing services described herein. A tentative timeline is provided
below:
Table 1: RFQ Timeline
Date
Event
01/09/2026
Distribution of RFQ
01/23/2026
Questions due in writing by 2:00 P.M. to Rob Gehris at
rgehris@townofchapelhill.org.
01/29/2026
Answers to questions received will be published by 5:00 P.M. on Town
website under the Solicitation Title on the Notice to Bidders website.
02/06/2026
03/05/2026
Proposals due by 2:00 P.M. EST (See Electronic Delivery below)
Selection and Notification
5.2 Electronic Delivery
The Statements of Qualifications must be submitted as a pdf file attached to an e-mail message
and sent to lbishop@townofchapelhill.org with the following inserted in the "subject" line of
the e-mail:
"RFQ for Consultation Services for FEMA CRS Application”
Please note that emailed proposals must be received by the specified deadline according to the
internal clock of the Town of Chapel Hill’s server receiving the proposal. Please do not
submit paper copies.
6.0 General Proposal Requirements
Throughout this request, the “Consultant” refers to qualified firms that submit the SOQ on time and
in its entirety. Costs incurred by firms responding to this RFQ are solely their responsibility.
Firms are required to prepare their SOQ in accordance with the instructions outlined in this part and
elsewhere in this RFQ. To be eligible for consideration, the submitted SOQ shall include all
components listed in section 4.0 of this RFQ.
6.1 Consultant Requirements:
For the purposes of consideration, Town of Chapel Hill requires that all Consultants:
• Possess qualifications and experience related to the scope, including specific experience
floodplain regulation and coordination with the Community Rating System.
• Possess any necessary licensing to conduct work, as outlined in the scope, in the state of
North Carolina.
RFQ – Consultation Services for the Town’s Application into FEMA’s Community Rating System
RFQ: A/E 26-004, Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
January 9, 2026
Page 5
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