RFP for Professional Services for 2026 AMI Customer Facing Portal

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
(RFP)
Professional Services for
2026 AMI Customer Facing Portal
Issue Date: April 13, 2026
Proposals Due Before 2:00 PM PDT on
May 11, 2026
Santa Fe Irrigation District
5920 Linea del Cielo
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92057

I. INTRODUCTION
The Santa Fe Irrigation District (District) is seeking proposals from qualified firms (firm)
for a new Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI) customer & utility facing portal (Portal).
This Portal will be utilized by District customers to view, track, and estimate their billing(s)
for their potable water use & for the District to track water use information.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) describes the project, the required scope of services,
the consultant selection process, and the minimum information that must be included in
the proposal. Failure to submit information in accordance with the RFP requirements and
procedures may be cause for disqualification. The District reserves the right to waive
minor proposal deviations or omissions at its sole discretion.
II. GENERAL INFORMATION
There is no express or implied obligation for the District to reimburse responding firms for
any expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request. Materials
submitted by respondents are subject to public inspection under the California Public
Records Act (Government Code Sec. 6250 et seq.), unless exempt.
The District reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a
proposal regardless of whether the proposer is selected. Submission of a proposal
indicates acceptance by the firm of the conditions contained in this Request for Proposals,
unless clearly and specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the
contract between the District and the firm selected.
Interested parties may obtain additional information about the AMI program on the
District's website: www.sfidwater.org.
III. DISTRICT & AMI BACKGROUND
The District was formed in 1923 and supplies water to approximately 19,600 customers
via 7,000 meters on 10,300 acres of land in northern San Diego County through
approximately 170 miles of pipeline. The District's service area comprises the City of
Solana Beach and the communities of Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe. The
population of Solana Beach is denser than the inland communities and, therefore, the per
capita use is lower. Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe are larger inland warmer
temperature zones with larger irrigation users.
The AMI program was one of the most significant capital improvement programs for the
District, as it provided enhanced tools for both District and customer use. With an
increased emphasis on water conservation in California, the AMI system provides greater
information to the customer to track their water consumption, including their ability to
determine leaks and adjust consumption patterns, among others. Additionally, the AMI
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system enables the District to be able to read meters more efficiently, safely, and timely,
in addition to the ability to monitor water use for better planning purposes.
In June 2016, the District Board of Directors (Board) approved the implementation of a
six phase program to replace the District's approximately 7,500 manual read meters with
a fixed base automated metering system. The Board also approved a sole source
purchase and installation utilizing Sensus equipment. Aqua Metric is the authorized
vendor for Sensus equipment in the area and was responsible for primary installation of
meters and other equipment. The sixth and final phase of the AMI program was completed
in July 2021.
IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The District currently employs the standard Sensus customer-facing portal for its
ratepayers use. Additionally, District Staff also utilizes the standard Sensus utility-facing
portal for AMI maintenance information reports. The District is seeking to replace the
customer-facing portion and supplement the utility-facing portion through information
reporting / analytics functions from the most qualified firm.
The most qualified firm will be awarded a two-year (2) contract, with three (3) one-
year renewal options at the District's discretion.
V. PRE-SUBMITTAL ACTIVITIES
All communications relating to the RFP should be directed to:
Mackenzie Christie, Management Analyst
mchristie@sfidwater.org
There will be no pre-proposal meeting for this project. Please address all questions
relating to the RFP and any requests for a demonstration of the current standard Sensus
platform to Mackenzie Christie by April 23, 2026.
1. Due Date and Delivery
Electronic proposals marked "Request for Proposals for the "2026 AMI Customer Facing
Portal Proposal" must be sent to Mackenzie Christie via email to mchristie@sfidwater.org:
Time: 2:00 p.m. PDT
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2026
Proposals received after this time will not be accepted. Faxed and hardcopy proposals
will not be accepted.
2. Questions Concerning Proposals
Requests for interpretation, clarification and/or explanation regarding any aspect of this
RFP must be received in writing by District no later than 2:00 P.M. PDT, Pacific Daylight
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Time (PDT), Wednesday, April 23, 2026. Questions must be sent to the attention of
Mackenzie Christie, Management Analyst, via e-mail to mchristie@sfidwater.org.
Questions submitted via e-mail shall contain the following title in the Subject line: 2026
AMI Customer Facing Portal - RFP Question.
Questions will not be accepted by telephone. Any questions received after this date may
not receive a response. All responses to questions will be sent to all Proposers.
3. Project Schedule
The solicitation, receipt and evaluation of proposals and the selection of the provider of
Professional Services will correspond to the following schedule:
Release of RFP April 13, 2026
Question Deadline April 23, 2026
Proposal(s) Due Date May 11, 2026
Short List Candidates notified May 13, 2026
Online Portal demonstration to
May 18, 2026
District Staff - Short List Candidates
Best & Final Offer with Short List
May 21, 2026
candidates
Admin & Finance Committee Portal
June 9, 2026
Presentation & Contract Review
Board of Directors Portal
June 18, 2026
Presentation & Contract Approval
AMI portal integration begins July 1 2026
*(Note: dates are subject to change)
VI. SCOPE OF WORK
Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID) is seeking a fully cloud-hosted Advanced Metering
Infrastructure (AMI) Customer Portal that delivers near real-time water usage visibility, automated
leak detection, predictive bill forecasting, customer engagement tools, and robust utility analytics.
The system must integrate with SFID's existing ERP, AMI, billing, and communication systems
and begin work on implementation July 2026.
1. REQUIRED ITEMS (30% WEIGHT)
The proposed solution must meet these baseline requirements. Vendors must respond to each
item. Pricing for these items must be included in the Base Price.
1. Platform & Access: 100% cloud-hosted platform providing a web-based portal and
dedicated mobile apps for both iOS and Android.
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2. User Experience: Must provide a clean visual dashboard that is interactive, informative,
intuitive, and high engagement. Dashboards must be user friendly letting users track,
analyze, and manage water use with near real-time visibility.
3. Data Ingestion: Direct linkage of each account to actual AMI consumption data (ingestion
of hourly or sub-hourly intervals).
4. Usage & Visibility: View usage across hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and
annual intervals.
* Migration of all customer accounts and a minimum of three years of historical
consumption data.
* Display data in gallons, cubic feet, or hundred cubic feet.
5. Leak Detection: Detection of continuous flow, nighttime anomalies, and irrigation-related
leaks with configurable customer thresholds.
6. Customer Notifications: Automated, preference-based multi-channel communications
(SMS, email, push notifications, and in-portal messaging).
7. Security: Documented policies for data security, breach response, and disaster recovery.
8. Administrative Access: Role-based access control for District staff with robust account
management tools.
2. REQUESTED / OPTIONAL ITEMS (20% WEIGHT)
Vendors must provide confirmation of these capabilities. Please specify if these are included in
the base price or provide a separate pricing add-on for each.
1. Auto-Account Creation: Automatic account creation for all existing customers in addition
to the ability to create new accounts as the District signs up / transitions customers at
established addresses.
2. Advanced Analytics: Use of artificial intelligence in leak detection and notifications.
Examples would include dynamic analysis of historical water use combined with current
localized weather to aid in determining if their use if weather based or if a leak is the
suspected issue". Other areas of AI integration for analysis and insight would be
preferred, including bill prediction.
3. Weather Integration: View temperature and rainfall overlays (specify which weather
zones/services are available).
4. Vendor Support: Vendor-managed toll-free number for customer login, account creation,
and general troubleshooting.
5. Advanced Bill Prediction (Potable Water Cycles): ability to show customers charges-to-
date based on water use up to the point of their accessing their portal, in addition to
estimated bill at end of current cycle (~60-day billing cycle). Modeling for projected bill
outcomes must accommodate the District's specific bi-monthly billing structure:
a. Four Equal Billing Cycles: Approximately 6,400 customers split into four cycles.
b. Bi-Monthly Cadence: Reads and bills generated every two months.
i. Cycle Timing:
* Cycle 1: Month 1, 1st of month.
* Cycle 3: Month 1, 15th of month.
* Cycle 5: Month 2, 1st of month.
* Cycle 7: Month 2, 15th of month.
* Flexibility: Predictions must accommodate floating open/close dates for weekends and
holidays.
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3. POTENTIAL FUTURE ITEMS / FUTURE ABILITIES (10% WEIGHT)
The District is evaluating the long-term scalability of the platform. Please provide detailed
responses to the following:
1. Water Budget Tracking: Is the software able to accommodate a change in water rate
structure, specifically a switch to budget-based billing (tier pricing, tier width, granted
variance inclusion, and tracking budget to date)?
2. AWWA Analytics: Does the platform support system-wide leak detection and analytics
specifically for AWWA Water Loss reporting?
3. Bill Pay Integration & SSO: What specific billing systems do you currently integrate with
and can accommodate SSO with?
4. Requirement: Does your system support Single Sign-On (SSO) with the District's existing
online payment portal (Xpress Bill Pay)?
4. VENDOR QUALIFICATIONS (20% WEIGHT)
Vendors must demonstrate:
1. Proven experience implementing AMI customer portals for water utilities of comparable
size. More specifically, experience integrating data from existing AMI systems preferably
with existing system the district currently uses.
2. Demonstrated capability in leak detection and predictive billing analytics
3. Successful integrations with ERP, AMI, and billing systems
4. Current security certifications and compliance documentation
5. An established model for ongoing maintenance and customer support
6. Vendor's preliminary timeline and plan for implementation, transition, and support for
customer outreach during transition
7. Provide understanding of what data will be needed from SFID Vendors to develop portal
5. PRICING REQUIREMENTS (20% WEIGHT)
Vendors must provide transparent, comprehensive pricing that includes:
1. Total cost of ownership covering software, hosting, implementation, and support
2. Licensing model and structure
3. Pricing for optional modules and enhancements
4. Include Pricing for any one-time setup costs, annual fee, any escalation percentages, and
any other fees charged for one-time and ongoing services and multi-year support and
maintenance costs
6. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:
Category Weight Description
Required Items 30% Items listed as mandatory for application to
RFP
Requested/Optional Items 20% Items listed as option / requested
Potential Future Items 10% Future abilities (Budget billing, AWWA, Bill
Pay SSO)
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Vendor Qualifications 20% Experience, integration capability, security,
and references
Price 20% Total cost, pricing transparency, and long-
term value
VII. CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Consultant must submit a disclaimer statement disclosing interest, ownership, or
remuneration of any type that has been received or is anticipated from any manufacturer,
supplier, or distributor which may be recommended on the Project. This disclaimer must
be included in the Proposal(s) Letter required in Section 9.3.
VIII. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF CONTRACT AGREEMENT
A sample copy of the Professional Services Agreement is attached (Attachments A). The
proposed consultant shall certify that it takes no exception(s) to this RFP including but not
limited to the Districts' Standard Professional Services Contracts, presented in
Attachments A If the proposed consultant does take exception(s) to any portion of the
RFP, the specific portion of the RFP to which exception(s) is taken shall be identified and
explained.
IX. PROPOSAL(s) FORMAT
9.1 The proposal(s) shall be clear, concise, complete, and demonstrate the qualifications
and experience applicable to the Scope of Work.
* Proposal(s) shall have a cover page with the Project Title, Project Number,
proposal(s) due date, name, address and telephone number of Firm submitting
the proposal(s).
* Proposal(s) shall include a table of contents with a clear listing of headings and
pages.
* Proposal(s) shall use a 10-point font, at a minimum, and shall be a maximum
of 20 pages excluding the fee proposal and resumes of key personnel.
* Consultant shall submit one electronic PDF document via email: Consultant's
signed Proposal, meeting the requirements of the RFP, and separate cost
estimate in accordance with Section 9.3.9 and 9.3.12. Proposal(s) shall follow
the order listed in 9.3.
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9.2 Failure to submit information in accordance with the RFP's requirements and
procedures may be cause for disqualification.
9.3 Proposal(s) Inclusions and Order
9.3.1 Proposal(s) Letter: Proposal(s) letter must be completed and executed by
an authorized representative of the Proposer. Letter should include: the legal
name of business; form of business (corporation, partnership, or other); location
and address; telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address and name of contact
person for District's correspondence; acknowledgement of any addenda to RFP;
any Proposer exceptions to RFP and/or Consulting Agreement, if any; and
disclaimer of conflict of interest as required in Section VIII., above.
9.3.2 Executive Summary: A concise executive summary (limited to 2 pages)
of the Proposal(s) identifying the Firm/project team being presented for
consideration. The summary should include an overview of the entire proposal
describing the highlights of the proposal. In addition, please provide the following
basic description information regarding the Consultant:
* Legal name and address of company
* Legal form of company (partnership, corporation, joint venture, etc.). If joint
venture, identify the members of the joint venture and provide all information
required within this section for each member
* If company is wholly owned subsidiary of "parent company"
* Address(es) of office(s) working on this project
* Name, title, address, and telephone number of person to contact concerning
the proposal
9.3.3 Project Understanding and Approach: Proposer shall clearly describe
the proposed approach for addressing the Scope of Work, outlining the activities
and team members necessary for completing the various tasks. Approach shall
establish the Proposer's understanding of, and its ability to meet District objectives
and work requirements.
Identify any special issues or problems that are likely to be encountered and how
your team will address them. Proposer may also suggest technical or procedural
innovations that have been used successfully on other projects.
9.3.4 Scope of Work: Proposer shall provide any additional detail and
descriptions to clarify the Scope of Work and its methodology for completing the
work. The description should acknowledge specific tasks and subtasks in ongoing
order and provide any supplemental task that may be anticipated or included in the
subject project. Proposer should address any elements of the Scope of Work it
believes are not addressed in Section VI but are necessary to complete the work.
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Proposer should include a listing and description of all additional deliverables
anticipated, as necessary.
9.3.5 Project Schedule: The project is expected to be fully implemented and go
live to take approximately 6 months. Proposer shall include a detailed schedule in
bar chart format for completion of tasks, subtasks, and phases associated with the
implementation of the AMI Water Use Portal. The Consultant shall provide a
preliminary schedule that identifies milestones and completion dates by task from
the beginning through formal review and adoption by the District Governing Body.
9.3.6 Qualifications of Key Personnel (team):
Provide the names, titles, office locations, and resumes of key personnel proposed
for the Project team including any sub-consultant(s). Identify specific staff
responsible for project management, interfacing with the District, and direct
supervision of the Project team.
Include a description of the work each team member would perform, his or her
level of responsibility, education, active licenses, work experience in years, and
special skills or expertise as it relates to the Scope of Work.
Consultant's evaluation will consider its entire team, therefore no changes in team
composition will be allowed without prior written approval of the District.
9.3.7 Relevant Experience: Proposer shall provide a summary of current and past
relevant projects that Proposer has performed within the past five (5) years
including any District projects. Projects listed should be those that key personnel
named for this Project participated in.
Include the project name, the project reference per section 9.3.11, the dates of the
contract, summary of services provided, and value of contract (including any
amendments) for each project.
9.3.8 Organizational Structure: Provide Organization Chart of proposed team.
9.3.9 Level of Effort: Within the proposal(s), provide an estimated level of effort
to complete all tasks identified in the scope of work. A detailed level of effort
spreadsheet shall be provided that generally follows the framework shown in
Attachment C without associated costs. The level of effort provides the District the
ability to evaluate the anticipated work effort of the consultant's team.
9.3.10 Management Plan: Discuss how the Project Manager plans to manage
the project such as key staff roles and responsibilities, commitment of staff,
schedule and budget control, communication plan, document control plan, Quality
Assurance/ Quality Control, modifications to scope, etc.
9.3.11 References: Furnish the contact name, telephone numbers and brief
description of services for five (5) references willing to attest to the Proposer's past
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performance and staffing on the project listed in 9.3.7. References must be project
or task managers who have knowledge of day-to-day activities.
Districts reserve the right to check other references. Recent prior experience with
Districts may be used as a reference check. References must verify the
Proposer's representation.
9.3.12 Cost Estimate: Consultant shall provide a separate locked electronic
cost proposal. Within the proposal(s), provide an estimated fee of the total direct
and indirect costs to complete all tasks identified in the scope of work. A detailed
cost breakdown spreadsheet shall be provided that generally follows the
framework shown in Attachment B. The cost breakdown shall provide the number
of hours and associated cost for each staff classification as they relate to each task
and identified in the Scope of Work. In addition, an estimate of all direct costs such
as materials and reproduction costs shall be provided. In addition to the fee
spreadsheet, a typical Consultant rate table shall be provided that lists the
Consultant's typical hourly charges per labor classification category
Costs shall indicate the proposed not-to-exceed cost for completing the tasks
identified and presented by the Consultant in the Scope of Work. Cost is to include
a man-hour estimate per task, hourly billing rates of personnel to be utilized on the
project and other associated costs. The total not-to-exceed shall include the cost
of all personnel, sub-consultants, administration, overhead, meeting attendance,
research, travel, postage, reproduction, and all other related costs, both direct and
indirect, necessary to complete the Project.
9.4 Additional Inclusions: Include Annual Maintenance fee and date at which it is
charged
9.5 Addenda: The Proposer shall confirm the receipt of all addenda issued under this
RFP in the Proposer Letter. Proposer is not required to include copies of the addenda
with the Proposal(s).
9.6 Signature: All documents requiring signature shall be signed by an individual or
individuals authorized to execute legal documents on behalf of the party(ies) represented.
X. CONSULTANT SELECTION PROCESS
10.1 Assigned Districts' staff will evaluate and rank the proposals in accordance with
stated Evaluation Critiera to determine the most-qualified Firms.
10.2 Districts staff may elect to interview a short list of qualified Firms based on the
proposals submitted in response to the RFP.
10.3 District will submit the results of the evaluation and negotiations to the District
Governing Body with the most-qualified Proposer and recommend for approval.
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