RFQ - On-Call PLC, HMI and SCADA System Integration Services for San Mateo WWTP Capital Improvement

REQ UES T F O R Q UA LI FI CA TI ON S
City of San Mateo
Request for Qualifications: On-Call
PLC, HMI, and SCADA System Integration
Services for San Mateo Wastewater
Treatment Plant Capital Improvement
Projects, and Ongoing Maintenance and
Improvements
Wastewater Treatment Plant
2050 Detroit Dr, San Mateo, CA 94404
June 29, 2026

Request for Qualifications
The City of San Mateo (City) is accepting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) to select a qualified
system integrator (SI) firm to provide on-call programmable logic controller (PLC) and human machine
interface (HMI) programming and commissioning support services for the process control system (PCS)
supporting upgrade and rehabilitation projects included in the City's capital improvement projects, and
ongoing maintenance and improvements of the City's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
system.
All questions regarding this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) shall be directed at the following
contacts on the date and time specified in Section II.B. The RFQ is available for viewing online at
http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/bids.aspx:
Rob Learmonth, WWTP Manager at rlearmonth@cityofsanmateo.org
Jen Lam, Project Manager at jlam@cityofsanmateo.org
Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) shall be submitted by firms with the capability and demonstrated
background and experience to perform the type of work described in this RFQ and Attachment A,
"GENERAL SCOPE OF SERVICES." In addition, all interested firms shall have sufficient, readily
available resources in the form of trained personnel, support services, safety protocols, specialized
consultants, pertinent field equipment, and financial resources to carry out the work without delay or
shortcomings. Services required by this RFQ shall be performed under the responsible charge of a
Project Manager with a minimum of 10 years of applicable PLC, HMI, SCADA, and system integration
experience, and be a licensed California Professional Engineer.
Respondent shall submit a ready-for-print PDF of the SOQ via email in accordance with Section III,
"PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS" no later than:
2:00 p.m. PST on July 21st, 2026
The email's subject line shall be titled:
SUBJECT: SOQ Submittal - SCADA and PLC/HMI Integration Services
The body of the email submittal shall include the Respondent's name, contact information, RFQ Title
and City Job Number. SOQs must be received by email by the date and time specified above. Any SOQs
received after the deadline will not be considered.
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Contents
Section Page
I. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1
A. Background ......................................................................................................................... 1
B. Organizational Conflicts of Interest .................................................................................... 2
C. Ex Parte Communications ................................................................................................... 3
D. Commitment of Firms and Key Personnel .......................................................................... 3
II. Procurement Process ............................................................................................................. 4
A. General Information ........................................................................................................... 4
B. Schedule and Addenda ....................................................................................................... 4
C. Submittal of Questions ....................................................................................................... 5
D. Award and Negotiations ..................................................................................................... 5
III. Evaluation and Selection Criteria ............................................................................................ 6
A. SOQ Scoring ........................................................................................................................ 6
B. Interview Scoring (Optional, at City's Discretion) ............................................................... 7
C. Final Scoring and Selection ................................................................................................. 7
IV. Documentation ...................................................................................................................... 7
A. Submittal ............................................................................................................................. 7
B. Format Requirements ......................................................................................................... 7
C. Parts of the SOQ.................................................................................................................. 8
V. Evaluation Criteria and Submittal Information ........................................................................ 9
A. SOQ Evaluation Overview ................................................................................................... 9
B. SOQ Submittal Information .............................................................................................. 11
C. Interviews (Optional, at City's Discretion) ........................................................................ 13
D. Selection Process .............................................................................................................. 13
VI. Scope of Services and Schedule ............................................................................................ 13
A. Scope of Services .............................................................................................................. 13
B. Schedule ............................................................................................................................ 14
Attachments
A Sample Scope of Services
B City of San Mateo, Clean Water Program, PLC and HMI Programming Standards
C City of San Mateo Public Works Department Standard Agreement for Professional Consultant
Services
D Sample Rate and Cost Schedule
E Key Personnel Resume Template
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I. Introduction
A. Background
The City is currently under a Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) Cease and Desist Order
(CDO) requiring improvements to its collection system and the San Mateo/ Estero Municipal
Improvement District (EMID) Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to eliminate sanitary sewer
overflows and unauthorized discharges. The Clean Water Program (CWP) has been established to
upgrade aging infrastructure, enhance reliability, reduce inflow and infiltration, provide capacity for wet
weather flows, and enhance the treatment processes in the City's WWTP. The CWP will also address
regulatory needs and will help the City achieve its sustainability goals by optimizing wastewater
treatment and conveyance infrastructure, providing significant environmental benefits for the City and
San Francisco Bay for many years to come.
The CWP will develop upgrades for the existing WWTP over the next five years. The contract resulting
from this solicitation will be in the form of one (1) qualified as-needed basis for the two work categories:
(1) capital improvement projects and (2) ongoing maintenance and improvements. The initial contract
term will be three years. At the City's discretion, two one-year extension options may be executed.
The City intends to award one (1) as-needed professional services agreement for this work, however the
number of contracts awarded, and contract amounts are at the City's discretion. Each contract will be
for a three-year term, with an option to extend for up to two (2) addition one-year term extensions, for
a maximum total contract term of five (5) years. This option is based on performance, funding, and
resource needs.
The City is seeking a qualified System Integrator (SI) firm to provide services in two work categories:
1. Capital Improvement Projects
The City has identified capital improvements needed to maintain and/or improve WWTP reliability,
performance, and safety. These projects will be delivered through capital improvement projects as
needed. Further details on potential projects are provided in Table 1.
SI Firm responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, engagement in the detailed design phase,
preparation of management plans, submittal reviews, training, and performing programming, start up,
and commissioning services as directed by their respective Project Manager. SI Firm responsibilities for
procurement and installation of the PCS hardware, software, and subnet will vary as required for each
project.
2. Ongoing Maintenance and Improvements
In addition to capital improvement projects, the selected SI firm will provide ongoing maintenance and
improvement support for the City's WWTP process control and SCADA systems. Services may include
troubleshooting, system modifications, programming updates, alarm programming, testing, startup,
commissioning, documentation, emergency response, and related integration services necessary to
maintain reliable operation and improve system functionality.
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: ON-CALL PLC, HMI, AND SCADA SYSTEM INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR SAN MATEO WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
This RFQ is related to the City's WWTP Treatment Plant. This list is subject to change, hence there is
no guarantee that these projects will be built or involve any of your services. The specific projects
that will require SI services will vary from year to year, and range in size, complexity, and schedule.
Table 1 provides an overview of the projects, their estimated construction value, and estimated
construction start date. These projects are to be considered in preparing a response to the RFQ.
Table 1. Potential Construction Project Details
Estimated Estimated Estimated
Construction Advertise Start of
Project Name Description Costs Dates Construction
WWTP Annual Major Replacement of Motor Control Centers and $4.5M Aug-26 Sept-26
Components MCC Replacement associated wires in the main WWTP structure
WWTP Centrifuge Replacement Replacement of two aging centrifuges and $4.8M Mar-28 May-28
associated necessary revisions to solids
dewatering system
WWTP Dissolved Air Flotation Replacement of the existing deteriorated $13.5M Apr-27 Jun-27
Thickener (DAFT) Replacement DAFT with rotary drum thickeners
WWTP Digester 1 Repairs Cleaning and repair of Digester 1 interior and $3.1M Jan-27 Mar-27
exterior, including new mixer
WWTP Annual Electrical Wiring Annual project to upgrade/replace existing $1.3M Nov-27 Jan-28
Upgrade electrical wiring systems throughout the
Annually Recurring Recurring
solids portion of the WWTP
Annually Annually
WWTP Diurnal Flow Equalization Implementation of improvements required to $910K Oct-30 Dec-30
Improvements make diurnal flow equalization feasible
WWTP Effluent Pump Station VFD New VFDSs for various effluent pump station $2.1M Aug-28 Oct-28
and Miscellaneous Improvements pumps, and associated miscellaneous
improvements
WWTP Sludge Heat Exchanger Replacement of sludge heat exchangers in the $1.4M Mar-29 May-29
Replacement digester controls building
WWTP New Digester 3 Construct a new Digester and demo the old $38.5M Oct-28 Dec-28
Primary clarifier (a third digester has been
identified as being needed due to increase
removal of solids by our new liquid processes,
removal of the old clarifier is needed to make
room.)
WWTP Polymer Injection Install polymer system into the sludge cake $500K Jul-26 Sep-26
pump discharge piping to treat wastewater
and reduce cake pump operating pressures.
Wet Well Mixer Provide a mixer for the Dale Avenue Pump $350K Oct-27 Jan-28
Station well (to help with eliminating the
buildup of Hydrogen sulfide gas).
H2O2 System Provide an H2O2 system for the Dale Avenue $200K Oct-27 Jan-28
Pump Station (to help reduce hydrogen
sulfide gas).
Note: The City reserves the right to modify the project packages, timelines, and construction estimates.
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC), HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI), AND SCADA SYSTEM
INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR SAN MATEO WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECTS, AND MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
B. Organizational Conflicts of Interest
An organizational conflict of interest is a situation in which, because of other activities, relationships, or
contracts, a Consultant is unable, or potentially unable, to render impartial assistance or advice to the
City; a Consultant's objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired; or a
Consultant has an unfair competitive advantage. The City will evaluate future procurements related to
this contract to determine if there is an organizational conflict of interest. If an organizational conflict of
interest exists, the City may prohibit the Consultants, subconsultants, subcontractors, and/or members
of the consultant team from participating in such related procurement/projects. Jacobs is providing
program management support services and is not eligible to compete as a prime or subconsultant on
this procurement.
C. Ex Parte Communications
Respondents are expected to conduct themselves with professional integrity and to refrain from
lobbying activities. During the procurement process, commencing with the issuance of the RFQ and
continuing until the award of a Contract for the project (or cancellation of the procurement), no
employee, member, agent, vendor, advisor or consultant of any Respondent shall have ex- parte
communications, directly or indirectly, regarding this procurement with any representative or elected
official of the City involved in this procurement, except for communications permitted by this RFQ. Any
verified allegation that a Respondent or team member has engaged in such prohibited communications
or attempted to unduly influence the selection process may cause the City to disqualify a Respondent or
a member of a Respondent's team from participating in this process, all at the sole discretion of the City.
D. Commitment of Firms and Key Personnel
1. The City expects all SI firms (Respondent) and personnel proposed in the SOQ to be available
to provide services for this contract. At any point after submittal of an SOQ, a Respondent
must notify the City, in writing to the WWTP Manager and Project Manager, when a
member of the Respondent's team is no longer participating at any point after the SOQ
submittal.
2. Prior to public announcement of the shortlist (if the City chooses to interview Respondents),
a Respondent may request to substitute a firm or an individual filling a Key Personnel
position, with reasonable justification. Any substitution request must include reasonable
justification granted by the City will result in rescoring the Respondent's SOQ.
3. Following announcement of the shortlist (if the City chooses to interview Respondents),
Respondents shall not substitute a firm or an individual filling a Key Personnel position,
except in unavoidable circumstances. In such circumstances the Respondent shall notify the
WWTP Manager and Project Manager in writing, and the City shall rescore and re-rank the
Respondent's SO, and thereafter make a determination as to whether that Respondent may
continue to compete in the selection process.
4. After Notice of Selection, the selected Respondent shall not substitute a firm or an
individual filling a Key Personnel position. In such circumstances the Respondent shall notify
the Contract Manager in writing that a firm or individual is no longer available to participate
on the team and explain why. New personnel/firms may also be interviewed by the City, and
the City will determine if they have sufficient experience. The City may request different
personnel. The City will then make a determination as to whether that Respondent may
continue in the negotiation process.
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: ON-CALL PLC, HMI, AND SCADA SYSTEM INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR SAN MATEO WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
5. All resumes shall be prepared in full conformance with the template in Attachment E.
Resumes shall include all information shown on the template.
II. Procurement Process
A. General Information
1. Compliance with Legal Requirements.
a. The procurement of these consultant services will be in accordance with applicable City,
federal, state and local laws, regulations and procedures. City reserves the right to reject
any and all SOQs.
b. City will evaluate the SOQs in accordance with the provisions set forth herein. The final
selection, if any, will be that Respondent which, in the opinion of the City, best meets
the requirements set forth in the RFQ and is determined to be the most highly qualified.
2. Costs borne by Respondents. All costs incurred in the preparation of a SOQ and participation
in this RFQ and negotiation process shall be borne by the proposing firms.
3. Public Disclosure. SOQs shall become property of the City and considered public documents
under applicable California laws. All documentation provided to the City may be subject to
disclosure in accordance with California public disclosure laws.
B. Schedule and Addenda
1. Anticipated Schedule.
The selection process is anticipated to proceed as outlined below; however, it is subject to
change at the discretion of the City:
Project Benchmarks Date (No Later Than)
Request for Qualifications Available June 29, 2026
Deadline for Inquiries/Questions July 9, 2026
Statement Due at the City July 21, 2026
Consultant Short List July 24, 2026
Consultant Interview(s), if necessary July 27 to 28, 2026
Consultant Selection July 29, 2026
Consultant Negotiations July 30 to August 6, 2026
Council Meeting - Award Contract September 8, 2026
2. Addenda
Responses to inquiries that materially change the intent of this RFQ will be issued via
addenda and posted to the San Mateo website http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/bids.aspx.
Oral clarifications shall be non-binding. The City will not notify respondents of addenda; it is
the responsibility of respondents to check the website for all issued addenda. Failure to
include acknowledgement of all addenda may be cause for rejection of the SOQ.
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC), HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI), AND SCADA SYSTEM
INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR SAN MATEO WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECTS, AND MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
C. Submittal of Questions
1. Prospective respondents may contact Rob Learmonth, WWTP Manager at
rlearmonth@cityofsanmateo.org, and Jen Lam, Project Manager at
jlam@cityofsanmateo.org for further information regarding contractual questions for this
RFQ. All requests for interpretation or questions must be sent in writing and must clearly
include the subject line "RFQ: SOQ Submittal - WWTP Programming and Integration
Services" The deadline for inquiries is specified in Section II.B. Responses to inquiries will be
published via addenda to the City's identified procurement website.
D. Award and Negotiations
1. The successful respondent(s) will be asked to enter into a contract with the City reflecting
the terms and conditions of the SOQ plus the City's standard professional services
agreement requirements. A copy of the City of San Mateo Public Works Department
Standard Agreement for Professional Consultant Services is provided in Attachment C.
2. The City will negotiate for these services. Negotiation of a contract will be in conformance
with City policies and procedures, applicable federal, state and local laws, and regulations.
This will include but not be limited to, negotiation of labor rates, overhead rates, fee, and
other direct costs.
3. Notice of Selection & Level of Effort (LOE).
a. The City will provide a written Notice of Selection to the selected firm or firms. The
notice shall identify the date for completing a master services agreement for as-needed
services for the proposed project and shall indicate whether the City has accepted any
of the changes to the terms and conditions proposed by the Respondent in its SOQ.
b. When requested, the Consultant shall provide a completed LOE and completed scope of
services within two weeks of receiving the City's request for proposal for a particular
project assignment under this master agreement.
i. The City plans to execute contracts for services under the Clean Water Program or
through it's Capital Improvement Project Program that are based on time and
materials with a not to exceed limit.
ii. All proposed personnel and proposed costs (labor, overhead, fee, and other direct
costs) shall be identified.
iii. Unless otherwise directed by the City, the initial LOE and scope of services shall be
prepared for services related to the specific project items indicated in the request
for proposal and described in the General Scope of Services (Attachment A).
Consultant shall use the items described in Attachment A as the basis for the project
LOE and scope of services, and clearly define the assumptions and limitations of the
LOE and scope of services provided.
4. Negotiation Schedule. Prior to beginning any negotiations, the Consultant shall meet with
the City to establish the negotiation schedule. The City and Consultant commit to ensuring
that each party uses their best efforts to comply with each task deadline and to meet the
negotiation schedule.
5. Negotiation Process.
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS: ON-CALL PLC, HMI, AND SCADA SYSTEM INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR SAN MATEO WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
a. Negotiations shall begin with the Consultant's proposed Scope of Work (SOW). Upon
selection, the Consultant shall develop a SOW and identify all tasks, subtasks, and
deliverables required to complete the project. A Project Schedule shall accompany the
SOW and LOE. The SOW, LOE and Project Schedule should be interrelated and identify
tasks and subtasks by the same numbers.
b. Negotiation of labor rates, overhead rates, fee, and other direct costs shall not begin
until after the City has received and reviewed all required Cost and Pricing Data
including the LOE and the fully completed cost and rate schedule, as described above,
and in accordance with the example provided in Attachment C.
c. If the City and selected Respondent cannot come to terms on the LOE, SOW, and cost
and rate schedule after three (3) revisions to the SOW, LOE, or cost and rate schedule,
the City may discontinue negotiations and go to the next highest ranked Respondent or
at its discretion, reject all proposals or use another provider. Failure to reach agreement
after three (3) revisions demonstrates an inability to reach agreement within a
reasonable timeframe.
d. The selected Respondent shall only have two (2) primary negotiators, who shall remain
constant for the entire duration of the negotiation. Subconsultants or other specialists
shall be allowed to participate in the negotiations in limited prescheduled circumstances
to discuss specific issues in their area of expertise, specific SOW, or to clarify the basis
for the LOE and the cost and rate schedule.
e. After successful negotiations and issuance of a contract, the City will make an award
recommendation to Council.
f. After the contract is executed, the City may pursue issuing a Task Order with the
Consultant. To initiate this process, the City will issue the consultant a Request for
Proposal (RFP). The consultant shall prepare a Level of Effort (LOE) and schedule. The
LOE shall be based on the contract's labor rates, overhead rates, fee, and other direct
costs. The City and Consultant may negotiate the Task Order scope of work (SOW), LOE,
and schedule. If the City and Consultant come to terms, the City will route the finalized
Task Order for execution.
III. Evaluation and Selection Criteria
A. SOQ Scoring
1. All SOQs will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria established herein.
2. A total of 100 points has been assigned to the Evaluation Criteria for the SOQ submittal.
Maximum points by category/criteria are listed in this RFQ below.
3. Evaluators will use the available points to score each SOQ.
4. SOQs will be ranked and the City will either select a single Consultant or highly ranked
Respondents for the purpose of oral interviews.
5. The City reserves the right to select a Consultant or Consultants from the information
presented in the SOQs. However, interviews may be held with short-listed Respondents
6. Respondents are responsible for ensuring that the information in their SOQ is correct.
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REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER (PLC), HUMAN MACHINE INTERFACE (HMI), AND SCADA SYSTEM
INTEGRATION SERVICES FOR SAN MATEO WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT PROJECTS, AND MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS
B. Interview Scoring (Optional, at City's Discretion)
1. If deemed necessary to clarify qualifications or differentiate between Respondents, an oral
interview with one or more of the Respondent firms may be requested after written SOQs
have been received by the City.
2. Interviews for shortlisted firms will have a maximum value of 100 points.
3. Failure of a Respondent or any proposed team member requested by the City to participate
in the interview process may result in the Respondent's disqualification from further
consideration.
C. Final Scoring and Selection
1. Each evaluator will put the scores for the initial SOQ evaluation in rank order, with the
highest scored Respondent 1st, the second-highest scored Respondent 2nd, etc.
2. If an interview is not required, the written SOQ scores will be used to determine the final
ranking.
3. If used, interviews will be similarly scored and the combined SOQ and interview ranking will
be used to determine the final ranking.
4. The City plans to award work based on the evaluation criteria assessment and the City's
project implementation goals.
5. A Notice of Selection will be provided to the Respondent firm, or firms, selected.
IV. Documentation
A. Submittal
1. The prime Respondent shall submit a ready-for-print PDF of the SOQ via email to the WWTP
Plant Manager and Project Manager. The email's subject line shall be titled:
SUBJECT: RFQ: SOQ Submittal - WWTP Programming and Integration Services
The body of the email submittal shall include the Respondent's name, contact information,
RFQ Title and City Job Number.
2. SOQs shall remain effective for ninety (90) days beyond the submittal date.
B. Format Requirements
The SOQ shall comply with the following format requirements:
1. SOQs should be concise, legible, and provide all the information requested. Font size shall
be 11 points (or larger) in text and graphics.
2. SOQ shall be prepared on 8 1/2" by 11" paper although 11" by 17" is acceptable for charts
or graphs. Page orientation may be either portrait or landscape.
3. SOQ shall be limited to a maximum of 25 pages, including cover letter but excluding
resumes of key personnel.
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