New Elementary School CMAR RFQ

Client Confidential
Request for Qualifications
Construction Manager at Risk
2024 Bond New Elementary School
#OCS 26-04-23
April 9, 2026
Qualifications due 2:00 pm on April 23, 2026
Orange County School Board of Education
200 E King St, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Link to RFQ Documents

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PART 1 - ADVERTISEMENT
Pursuant to General Statutes of North Carolina, Section 143-64.31 as amended,
Respondents to this Request for Qualifications subject to the conditions and
specifications herein are invited to furnish construction management at risk services
for an upcoming bond project to build a New Elementary School on West Ten Road,
adjacent to Gravelly Hill Middle School and Soccer.com site.
The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) can be obtained from the Orange County
Schools website at orangecountyfirst.com in the "Our District/Operations and
Facilities/Bids, Request for Proposals, and Quotes" tab beginning April 9, 2025.
Responses are due to Orange County Schools, no later than 2:00 p.m. on April 23,
2026 For further information, email Steve Hess at steve.hess@pmcnc.net.
PART 2 - INTRODUCTION
Orange County Schools (OCS) invites all qualified and interested construction
management at risk firms to submit proposals to perform preconstruction, bidding,
and construction services for the complete design of a New Elementary School
building. OCS, in collaboration with Orange County and CHCCS, completed a
county-wide school facility condition study and a master planning exercise which
provided recommendations for school replacements and individual high priority
maintenance projects. The school replacements for Orange County Schools are
being funded by the 2024 Orange County Bond Referendum approved by its citizens
in November 2024. The 2024 Bond will support the completion of up to $300M in
capital investments split between Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Orange
County Schools.
Project highlights:
Anticipated capacity of 600 students
2-story due to site constraints
Site will be adjacent to Soccer.com and Gravelly Hill Middle School, which will
be active throughout the construction period.
Target sustainable benchmarking with potential for certification
Construction Budget = $42.9 million (including off-site improvements)
The design team is KEI/Clark Nexsen.
Owner Background
Orange County Schools is one of two public school systems in Orange County, NC.
OCS is located near the flagship campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC)
and the world-renowned Research Triangle Park (RTP). The district operates three
high schools, three middle schools, seven elementary schools. These schools serve
more than 7,000 students.

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Mission
The mission of Orange County Schools (NC) is to educate students in a safe,
inclusive environment where they are engaged, challenged, and inspired to reach
their maximum potential. Their vision is to prepare every learner for lifelong service
and success
PART 3 - SCOPE OF WORK
The scope of work is to provide all typical preconstruction, bidding and construction
services (either as self-perform or through subcontractors) for a New Elementary
School (NES) and associated facilities on the West Ten Road Site adjacent to the
Soccer.com site.
The scope of work is expected to include the following phases.
* Preconstruction Services
o Milestone estimates at SD/DD/CD
o Constructability reviews
o Value engineering/cost management
* Bidding/Procurement
o Subcontractor prequalification
o Identification of early trade partners
* Pre-GMP and Final-GMP preparation and approval
* Construction
o Closeout
o Warranty
The project is to be designed and constructed under the assumption that
approximately $42.9 million has been set aside as for construction, including offsite
improvements.
There will be meaningful participation as requested with the Orange County Schools
Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools, and Orange County Government
via work sessions, stakeholder engagement, and public presentations.
The selected firm shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the County, the School
System, and its subsidiaries, divisions, officers, directors, and employees from all
liability, loss, costs, claims, damages, expenses, attorney fees, judgments, and
awards arising or claimed to have arisen, from any injury caused by or allegedly
caused by, any act or omission of the selected firm, or any employee agent or assign.

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PART 4 - MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
Respondents must be fully licensed and certified for the type of work to be performed
in the State of North Carolina at the time of submittal to their response to this Request
for Qualifications (RFQ). Should the Respondent not be fully licensed and certified,
its submittal will be rejected.
Firms are to submit a qualification package which presents their qualifications and
understanding of the services to be performed. Emphasis should be placed on
completeness of services offered and clarity of content. All submittals should be
complete and carefully worded and must convey all the information requested by
OCS. If errors or exceptions are found in the firm's qualification package, or if the
package fails to conform to the requirements of the RFQ, OCS will be the sole judge
as to whether that variance is significant enough to reject the firm's submittal.
Qualification packages should be prepared simply and economically. All data,
materials, and documentation shall be available in a clear, concise form.
Brevity will be appreciated. Submittals shall be limited to 50 pages, 8 12 x 11,
minimum 11-point font. Covers, dividers, non-collusion affidavit, and financial
statements do not count in the 50 pages total.
NAME OF COMPANY: FEDERAL ID OR SOCIAL
SECURITY NO.:
STREET ADDRESS: N.C. SALES & TAX
REGISTRATION NO.:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
TYPE OR PRINT NAME & TITLE OF TELEPHONE FAX
PERSON SIGNING: NUMBER: NUMBER:
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: TITLE:
CONTRACT LICENSE NO.: E-MAIL:

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SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS
Firms interested in being considered providing the specified services shall submit ten
(10) hard copies of their submittal in addition to one (1) electronic copy of the
submittal in PDF format (total submittal not to exceed 50 Mb) in response to this
RFQ. Submittals must be received on or before 2:00 p.m. local time on Thursday,
April 23, 2025. Please send an electronic copy of the response to Steve Hess by e-
mail at steve.hess@pmcnc.net. Please note the financial statements should be
submitted separately from the Statement of Qualifications with only ONE HARD
COPY and ONE USB required. Multiple hard copies and an emailed transmittal are
not required for financial statements only.
Deliveries should be made to:
Steve Hess
Orange County School Board of Education
200 E King St, Hillsborough, NC 27278
All submittals received, whether electronic or hard copy, after the noted deadline will
not be considered and will be returned to the Respondent unopened.
Non-Collusion Affidavit: The Non-Collusion Affidavit attached to this RFQ must be
properly executed and submitted.
PART 5 - CONTENT OF RESPONSE AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The Respondent shall submit the following required information/documents with
sufficient depth and breadth necessary to substantiate their ability to perform the
services being sought by OCS. Failure to provide the required information may result
in rejection of the submittal.
Section 1 - Letter of Interest
A twopage maximum letter of interest that includes a synopsis of the firm, business
principals, distinguishing characteristics, unique advantage your firm and team bring,
approach to completing this project, primary contact information, and signed by the
project executive.
Section 2 - Current Organization and Structure of the Business
a. Identify the office that will directly manage the NES work.
b. Provide email address and phone number of your company contact for this
RFQ.
c. Provide current organizational structure information (Corporation, LLC,
Partnership, Joint Venture, Sole Proprietorship, etc.) including date of
formation/incorporation.

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d. Indicate the number of years the organization has provided Construction
Management at Risk services on projects of similar type to those noted in
this RFQ.
e. Proposer must be a licensed general contractor in North Carolina Provide the
license number (provide a copy of license), license classification, qualifier's
name, date issued, expiration date (list all expiration dates) exactly as on file
with the North Carolina Contractor's State License Board. If submitting as a
joint venture, provide this information for joint venture partner.
f. In the last five years has a complaint filed with the Contractor's State
Licensing Board against your company that required a formal hearing or
inquiry? If yes, provide an explanation.
g. Provide an organizational chart and identify the total number of employees
in each position. Highlight the number of employees with K-12 experience.
h. Provide a matrix that shows percent participation/allocation of each individual
for preconstruction, site work, vertical construction and project closeout.
i. Identify key individuals proposed by your firm to participate in the project
including at a minimum the project executive, project manager, project
superintendent, preconstruction manager, and estimator. Attach resumes for
everyone proposed for the project including their experience with the
proposer's firm, their experience on K-12 projects and/or other prior relevant
experience in construction/design including the type of project, dollar value
of each project, delivery method used and that person's role on the project.
Highlight projects where proposed candidates have completed projects as a
team. Also, highlight projects like the project identified in this RFQ where
proposed key individuals were involved including their role on the project.
Section 3 - Past Experience in K-12 and CMAR Work
a. List all public and private North Carolina CMAR projects completed or begun
(indicate dates) within the last five years with construction budgets in excess
of $40,000,000.
b. Provide a description of any claims that were not resolved within 180 days of
substantial completion of the project and/or any litigation for any project
(CMAR or otherwise) completed in the past five years.
c. Show your record of meeting substantial completion contract dates for CMAR
projects for your five most recently completed projects, even if not K-12,
greater than $40,000,000 (provide contractual and actual dates).
d. Has an owner assessed or threatened to assess liquidated damages against
you in the past five years on any project? If so, please explain.
e. Provide three (3) of your most recently completed K-12 projects similar in
size and scope of those identified in the RFQ where your firm (office
proposing) provided CMAR services.

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Information should include the following:
i. Name and location of the project
ii. Date completed
iii. Names of CM project staff (Senior Executive, Project Manager,
Superintendent, Preconstruction Manager)
iv. Name, address and telephone number for project architect
v. Name, address and telephone number for Owner
vi. Type of project, including specific details on the extent to which pre-
construction & construction phase services were provided.
vii. Constructability Review for each project and RFI log for each project.
viii. SD Estimate - DD Estimate - Final Estimate - GMP and variance report
between each phase.
ix. Final Estimate before bidding
x. GMP contract amount
xi. Final cost of project (or anticipated if not yet complete)
xii. Original contract substantial completion date
xiii. Authorized time extensions
xiv. Final substantial completion date (or anticipated if not yet complete
xv. Date of commissioning completion
Section 4 - Preconstruction Expertise
a. Describe your approach to milestone estimating at each phase: Conceptual,
Schematic Design, Design Development, and Construction Documents.
b. Describe your experience and ability to provide value engineering,
collaborative Alternates analysis, and cost management during the design
process
c. Describe your approach to constructability review and analysis for all
portions of the work, including PM&E.
d. Describe your program to maximize contractor and subcontractor bidding.
e. What differentiating approach is your firm utilizing to attract appropriate
subcontractor bid coverage on current projects? Provide examples of your
successes.
Section 5 - Construction Expertise
a. Describe your firm's experience and approach to the logistics of K-12 projects
on an active campus.
b. Describe your firm's approach to quality assurance and identify the
individual(s) in charge from preconstruction through construction phase.
Provide examples of your QA process including, but not limited to, how your
firm ensures the consistency of installed materials conforming to the approved
submittal samples and specifications and addressing issues related to non-

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conformity.
c. Have you used Building Information Modeling software on any recent projects?
If yes, please explain how.
Section 6 - Workload and Capacity
a. Provide your annual revenue and associated percentage of CMAR work
completed by the proposed office over the last five (5) years including the
number of projects per year.
b. Provide a list of active projects your firm (proposed office) has in either
preconstruction or construction phase. Information should include the
following:
i. Name and location of the project
ii. Projected Completion Date
iii. Names of project staff (Senior Executive, Project Manager,
Superintendent, Preconstruction Manager)
iv. Name, address and telephone number for project architect
v. Name, address and telephone number for Owner
vi. Type of project and delivery method
Section 7 - Safety
a. Describe your company approach to safety, including how high-risk activities
and control of the site are managed during the construction and
abatement/demolition phases of the project.
b. Provide your firm's workers compensation Experience Modification Rate
(EMR) for the last three (3) years.
c. Has NC OSHA, Federal OSHA, NCDEQ, the EPA or any Air Quality
Management district cited your firm or the Owner on a project where you were
actively contracted in the past five (5) years? If yes, attach a description of
each citation. Include related back charges from Owner if applicable.
d. Does your company participate in the NCDOL Carolina Star Program or a
safety related program?
e. Describe your safety related reporting structure including any dedicated safety
representative(s) and their specific role on active projects.
f. Describe your company's standard safety prequalification requirements
Section 8 - Financial Data [Submitted under separate cover]
a. Attach your latest balance sheet and income statement if available, based on
company type. Audited statements preferred. If not available, attach a copy
of the latest annual renewal submission to the relevant licensing board.
Indicate Dunn & Bradstreet rating if one exists. (Firms must submit financial
data and may clearly indicate a request for confidentiality to avoid this item

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becoming part of a public record.)
b. Attach letter from Surety Company or its agent licensed to do business in North
Carolina verifying proposer's capability of providing adequate performance
and payment bonds for this project.
c. Provide a copy of a certificate of insurance that identifies current levels of
insurance in areas of general liability, automobile liability, and workers
compensation.
Execution: In compliance with this Request for Qualification (RFQ), and subject to
all the conditions herein, the undersigned vendor offers and agrees to furnish and
deliver any or all items upon which prices are proposed, at the prices set opposite
each item within the time specified herein. By executing this proposal, the
undersigned vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without
collusion (G.S. 14354), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an
unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A
of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 (G.S. 14359.2), and that it is not an ineligible vendor as set forth in G.S. 143
59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this proposal,
the undersigned certifies to the best of the vendor's knowledge and belief, that it and
its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment,
declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal
or State department or agency. As required by G.S. 14348.5, the undersigned
vendor certifies that it, and each of its subcontractors for any contract awarded as a
result of this RFQ, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the
NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25
employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through
the federal EVerify system.
Insurance: The specific insurance requirements will be outlined during contract
development with the selected CMAR finalist.
Lunsford Act: Vendor also acknowledges that G.S. 14-208.18 prohibits anyone
required to register as a sex offender under Article 27 A of Chapter 14 of the General
Statutes from knowingly being on the premises of any school. Vendor shall conduct
or arrange to have conducted, at its own expense, sexual offender registry checks on
each of its owners, employees, agents and subcontractors ("contractual personnel")
who will engage in any service on or delivery of goods to Orange County Schools
"School System" property or at a School System sponsored event, except checks
shall not be required for individuals who are solely delivering or picking up equipment,
materials, or supplies at: (1) the administrative office or loading dock of a school; (2)
non-school sites; (3) schools closed for renovation; or (4) school construction sites.
The checks shall include at a minimum checks of the State Sex Offender and Public
Protection Registration Program, the State Sexually Violent Predator Registration
Program, and the National Sex Offender Registry ("the Registries"). For Vendor's
convenience only, all of the required registry checks may be completed at no cost by
accessing the United States Department of Justice Sex Offender Public Website at
http://v.'ww.nsopw.gov/. Vendor shall provide certification on the Sexual Offender

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Registry Check Certification Form (Attachment A) that the registry checks were
conducted on each of its contractual personnel providing services or delivering goods
under this Contract prior to the commencement of such services or the delivery of
such goods. Vendor shall conduct a current initial check of the registries. The sex
offender registry checks shall be conducted within 30 days of Vendor's execution of
the Contract and prior to performing any services on School System property. In
addition, Vendor agrees to conduct the registry checks and provide a supplemental
certification form before any additional contractual personnel are used to deliver
goods or provide services pursuant to this Contract. Vendor further agrees to conduct
annual registry checks of all contractual personnel and provide annual certifications
at each anniversary date of this Contract. Vendor shall not assign any individual to
deliver goods or provide services pursuant to this Contract if said individual appears
on any of the listed registries. Vendor agrees that it will maintain all records and
documents necessary to demonstrate that it has conducted a thorough check of the
registries as to each contractual personnel, and agrees to provide such records and
documents to the School System upon request. Vendor specifically acknowledges
that the School System retains the right to audit these records to ensure compliance
with this section at any time in the School System's sole discretion. Failure to comply
with the terms of this provision shall be deemed a material breach of the Contract. If
requested by the School System, the Vendor shall provide sufficient background
information regarding any or all contractual personnel who may deliver goods or
perform services under this contract in order to allow the School System to perform
a criminal background check on each individual at the School System's expense.
Vendor further agrees that it has an ongoing obligation to provide the School System
with the name of any new contractual personnel who may deliver goods or provide
services under the Contract. The School System reserves the right to prohibit any
contractual personnel of Provider from delivering goods or providing services under
this Contract if the School System determines, in its sole discretion, that such
contractual personnel may pose a threat to the safety or well-being of students,
school personnel or others, or if such contractual personnel may otherwise pose a
risk to the School System's operations. Failure to comply with the terms of this
provision shall be deemed a material breach of the Contract.
Criminal Background Checks: Vendor shall conduct criminal record and
background checks on all Contractual Personnel who will perform services pursuant
to this Contract on Orange County Schools "School System" property or at School
System events. The criminal background checks shall be conducted within 30 days
of Vendor's execution of the Contract and prior to performing any services on School
System property.
Vendor shall provide the results of said checks to School System within five (5)
business days of receipt and shall not assign any Contractual Personnel to provide
services under the Contract if said worker has been convicted of or pled no contest
to (1) any felony; (2) any crime, whether misdemeanor or felony, involving violence,
illegal drugs, theft, child abuse, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or personal
impropriety of a sexual nature with regard to any other person; or (3) any other crime
or conduct reasonably indicating that the Contractual Personnel poses a threat to the
safety or well-being of School System's students, personnel, or property. In addition,