RFQ 2026-001-Architectural Design Services and Indefinite Delivery-Addendum 1

Solicitation Number: RFQ# 2026-001
Marion Date: September 24, 2026
Procurement Official: Dr. Shawn Hagerty
County School Phone: (843) 423-1811 ext. 1006
E-Mail Address: shagerty@marion.k12.sc.us
District
Request for Qualifications
DESCRIPTION: Architectural Design Services and Indefinite Delivery
The Term "Offer" Means Your "Bid" or "Proposal".
SUBMIT OFFER BY: October 15, 2026 @ 11:00 a.m.
QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: October 7, 2026 by 3 p.m.
NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED: Three (3) originals and One (1) Electronic (all documents as a single PDF)
Offers must be submitted in a sealed package. Solicitation Number & Opening Date must appear on package exterior.
SUBMIT A SEALED OFFER TO:
RFQ 2026-001
MAILING ADDRESS: PHYSICAL ADDRESS:
Marion County School District Marion County School District
Attention: Dr. Shawn Hagerty Attention: Dr. Shawn Hagerty
719 N. Main Street 719 N. Main Street
Marion, SC 29571 Marion, SC 29571
AWARD & Award will be posted at the Physical Address stated above, and on the website below, on or before, November 8, 2026.
AMENDMENTS The award, this solicitation, and any amendments will be posted at the following web address:
marion.k12.sc.us (departments/operations/procurement)
It is the responsibility of the offeror to check this website for amendments.
You must submit a signed copy of this form with each copy of Your Offer. The pages of this form do not count towards any page
requirements or limitations of any part of Your Offer. By submitting a bid or proposal, You agree to be bound by the terms of the
Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of sixty (60) calendar days after the Opening Date.
NAME OF OFFEROR (Full legal name of business submitting the offer) OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY:
(Check one)
Small (15 employees of less)
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE Women
Minority
Other
(Person signing must be authorized to submit binding offer to enter contract on behalf of Offeror (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)
named above.)
TITLE (Business title of person signing above)
PRINTED NAME (Printed name of person signing above) DATE SIGNED
Instructions regarding Offeror's name: Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the
offeror above. An offer may be submitted by only one legal entity. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal
entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a
separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.
STATE OF INCORPORATION (If offeror is a corporation, identify the state of Incorporation.)
TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NO.

PAGE TWO
(Return Page Two with Your Offer)
HOME OFFICE ADDRESS NOTICE ADDRESS
(Address for offeror's home (Address to which all procurement and
office / principal place of business) contract related notices should be sent.) (See "Notice" clause)
Area Code Number Extension Facsimile
E-mail Address
PAYMENT ADDRESS ORDER ADDRESS
(Address to which payments will be (Address to which purchase orders will be
sent.) sent)

Payment Address same as Home Office Address Order Address same as Home Office Address

Payment Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

Order Address same as Notice Address (check only one)
MINORITY PARTICIPATION- Are you a Minority Business Enterprise: Yes No
If yes, please include a copy of your certification.
END OF MANDATORY FORM

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Marion County School District, the Owner ("District"), is pleased to invite professional
architectural design firms to submit qualifications in response to this Request for Qualifications
("RFQ").
This formal request is for a professional firm to provide full services as described, but not limited
to, (1) Secure Entry Vestibules at multiple school sites. (2) at the District's option, indefinite
delivery projects initiated in FY26/27 and FY27-28.
1. SCOPE 1: Selected architect will assist the District with designing and bidding of secure
entry vestibules at multiple school sites. Along with any and all electrical, plumbing, OSF,
and fire code regulations associated with the project.
2. SCOPE 2: At the District's option: Indefinite Delivery pursuant to Procurement Code
3310 and Small Projects pursuant to Procurement Code 3230, for projects initiated in
the next 2 fiscal years (FY 26/27 and FY 27/28). Project delivery may vary by project.
The District does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, ethnic origin, religion, or disability
in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The District is an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer.

KEY EVENTS / DATES
RFQ ESTIMATED TIME LINE DATES
Issuance of Request for Qualifications September 24, 2026
Deadlines for Questions October 7, 2026 by 3 p.m.
Anticipate Date to Submit Addendum to Website October 8, 2026
RFQ Due Date October 15, 2026 @ 11:00 a.m.
Anticipated Date of Short-Listing Notice(s) October 22, 2026
Anticipated Date of Interviews October 28, 2026 @ 10AM
Anticipated Date of Notice(s) of Intent to Award On or around November 18, 2026
SECTION 1 - FORMAT FOR SUBMITTALS
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.0.1 The purpose of this RFQ is to provide services to the District for full
architectural design services for projects as described within this RFQ.
1.0.2 Interested firms shall submit three (3) original copies of their documentation
described herein which is to include qualifications, a description of their related
experience with similar programs, and current Federal Form SF 330. Firms shall
also submit an electronic version containing their entire proposal in a single PDF
or read-only format electronic file (via thumb drive, CD, etc.).
1.1 CONTRACT
1.1.1 The District intends to award an applicable AIA revised contract to one firm for
"basic services" for the project.
1.2 DEFINITIONS
1.2.1 The term "submitter" refers to those professional firms who submit qualification
for the project set forth in this document.
1.2.2 The terms "District" and "MCSD" refer to Marion County School District or its
designated agent.
1.2.3 Where the words "shall" or "must" are used, it signifies an absolute minimum
function or capacity that, if not satisfied, may result in disqualification.
1.2.4 Where the words "should", "may", or "is desirable" are used, it signifies
desirable, but not mandatory functions or capacities. Submitters who are able to
provide these functions or capacities may be evaluated more favorably than those
who cannot.
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1.3 PROCUREMENT INFO
1.3.1 Three (3) original signed copies of qualifications must be received no later than
by October 15, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. EST to:
Dr. Shawn Hagerty
Chief Operations Officer
Marion County School District
719 N. Main St.
Marion, SC 29571
For this reason, firms are encouraged to take additional measures to ensure the
proposal is delivered by the specified time.
Submittals received (identified by company names only) will be announced
publicly following the submittal deadline.
1.3.2 Late Submittals
Qualifications received by District after the deadline listed herein will not be
considered and returned to the sender.
1.4 INQUIRIES
1.4.1 During the process, Submitters shall contact Dr. Shawn Hagerty, for
clarification and questions regarding the RFQ by e-mail to
shagerty@marion.k12.sc.us.
All responses will be provided in written form and posted on the District's web
site at: https://www.marion.k12.sc.us (departments/operations/procurement).
Other than the District contacts listed herein, Submitters shall not attempt to
contact any member of the District, the Board of Trustees, the Board of Education
or the Selection Committee regarding this RFQ. Failure to comply will result in
immediate rejection of your submittal.
1.4.2 The deadline for requesting information is: October 7, 2026 by 3 p.m.
1.5 ADDENDA TO THIS RFQ
1.5.1 At the discretion of District, any RFQ revision will be addressed by posting an
addendum on the District's website:
https://www.marion.k12.sc.us/departments/operations/procurement-services
Because this RFQ is posted electronically, the District may not be aware of all
potential Submitters. It is the Submitter's responsibility to check this website
periodically to determine if any addenda have been issued. Any addendum
issued by District shall become a formal part of this RFQ.
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1.6 SUBMITTAL EVALUATION
1.6.1 Documents submitted may be reviewed and evaluated by any person at the
District's discretion, including non-allied and independent consultants retained
by the District now or in the future.
As provided in the District Procurement Code:
3220. The District Selection Committee shall evaluate each of the persons or
firms interviewed in view of their:
* 3220.1 past performance;
* 3220.2 ability of professional personnel;
* 3220.3 demonstrated ability to meet time and budget requirements;
* 3220.4 location and knowledge of the locality of the project if the
application of this criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified
firms, given the nature and size of the project;
* 3220.5 recent, current, and projected workloads of the firms;
* 3220.6 creativity and insight related to the project;
* 3220.7 related experience on similar projects;
* 3220.8 volume of work awarded by the District to the person or firm
during the previous five (5) years, with the objective of effectuating an
equitable distribution of contracts by the District among qualified firms
including Minority Business Enterprises certified by the South Carolina
Office of Small and Minority Business Assistance and firms that have not
had previous District work
The format for submitting information is stated in Section 2 below.
Following receipt of information from all interested persons and firms, the
District Selection Committee may hold interviews, tentatively scheduled for
October 28, 2026, with at least three proposers who are deemed qualified on the
basis of information available prior to the interviews. A list of firms selected for
interview shall be sent to all firms that submitted information in response to the
advertisement, prior to the interview date.
The firm's proposed Principal-in-Charge must attend the interview and be
accompanied by the additional proposed licensed architects, project managers,
and licensed engineers. No more than one person who is not actively licensed
and engaged in the practice of architecture may accompany the team to the
interview.
The primary purpose of the interviews shall be to provide such further
information as may be required by the Selection Committee to fully acquaint
itself with the relative qualifications of the short-listed firms with regard to the
project and the Owner's needs. Elaborate one-sided presentations are
discouraged, the Owner's preference instead being for an interactive discussion
of key issues and hearing the proposers' responses to direct questioning by
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members of the Selection Committee. Questions will not be distributed to
interviewees in advance.
Following interviews, exhaustive reference checks, and any site visits the
Selection Committee, or its designees choose to make, the Selection Committee
shall identify and rank the firms which, in its judgment, are well qualified to
perform architectural services necessary for this project. The highest-ranked firm
shall have the first opportunity to negotiate a contract for the required services,
followed by the second-highest ranked firm, and so forth.
Any contract formed hereunder will provide for (1) termination for convenience
without liability for lost profits, overhead, consequential damages, third-party
reliance upon the continued existence of the contract, or any other measure of
damages or restitution; (2) exclusivity of the dispute resolution procedures of the
District's Procurement Code; (3) procedural joinder of all parties to the project as
necessary in the opinion of the District for resolution of disputes with common
or related facts or legal responsibilities; and (4) the District's right to approve key
personnel and consultants.
When it appears an acceptable contract has been negotiated, the contract may be
presented to the District's School Board for their approval or rejection. As
provided by the District Procurement Code, "The Superintendent, or a designee,
shall negotiate a contract for services with the most qualified person or firm at a
compensation that is fair and reasonable to the District. If the Superintendent or
designee is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with this person or firm,
negotiations must be terminated formally. Negotiations must commence in the
same manner with the second and then the third most qualified until a
satisfactory contract is negotiated. If an agreement is not reached with one of the
three, additional persons or firms in order of their competence and qualifications
must be selected after consultation with the District selection committee, and
negotiations must be continued in the same manner until agreement is reached."
1.6.2 Submittals must clearly respond to each requirement of this RFQ. All responses
must refer to each section of this document by number and address compliance
and/or exceptions to that section. District reserves the right to disqualify any
firm which does not follow such a format. Additional general narrative is
welcome, but only in addition to your specific response.
1.6.3 The District shall have the right to request correction(s) to a submittal or request
additional information. Failure by the submittal firm to correct any deficiency or
provide requested information within forty-eight (48) hours may result in the
proposal being considered non-responsive and excluded from further
consideration.
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1.7 ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF SUBMITTALS
1.7.1 The District reserves the right to reject any or all submittals when such rejection
is in the best interest of the District; to reject submittals of a Firm who has
previously failed to perform properly or, in the opinion of the District, the Firm
is not in a position to perform adequately in completing the deliverables.
1.7.2 The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, any part or parts of a
proposal, waive any technicalities, and award any portion of or the entire
contract in a manner that is in the best interest of the District.
1.8 HOLD HARMLESS
1.8.1 In submitting a response, the Submitter understands the District will determine
which firm appears to be best qualified. The Submitter waives any right to claim
damages of any nature whatsoever regarding the solicitation or the District's
selection process. Award does not commit the District to engage the Architect
for any Indefinite Delivery Project or Small Project.
1.9 RIGHT TO PROTEST
1.9.1 The District Procurement Code provides the following with regard to protests of
solicitations:
(1) Right to Protest; Exclusive Remedy.
(a) A prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is
aggrieved in connection with the solicitation of a contract shall
protest to the chief procurement officer in the manner stated in
subsection (2) (a) within fifteen days of the date of issuance of the
Invitation For Bids or Requests for Proposals or other solicitation
documents, whichever is applicable, or any amendment to it, if the
amendment is at issue. An Invitation for Bids or Request for
Proposals or other solicitation document, not including an amendment
to it, is considered to have been issued on the date required notice of
the issuance is given in accordance with this code.
(2) Protest Procedure.
(a) A protest pursuant to subsection (1)(a) must be in writing, filed with
the chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest
and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the
issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the chief business
official within the time provided in subsection (1).
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SECTION 2 - SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
2.0 GENERAL
Submittals shall be simple, concise, neatly assembled, and pages shall be uniform in size and
securely bound together. It is preferable that hard copies of the proposal can be stacked and
stored as flat as possible. The District Selection Committee has no obligation to examine
extraneous materials or material incorporated by reference that is outside the size limitations
requested.
The proposal shall speak for itself on behalf of the proposers. Proposers are discouraged from
submitting supplementary materials or from making calls to District after the proposals have
been submitted. Failure to comply with format requirements may cause the submittal to be
removed from further consideration.
2.1 PREPARATION OF SUBMITTALS
Packages containing submittals shall be presented such that they may be easily identified. The
outside of the package shall be identified as follows:
RFQ 2026-001
Architectural Design Services and Indefinite Delivery
Oral, telephone or fax proposals shall not be considered, nor will modification of proposals by
such communications is considered.
Signatures on submittal shall be in longhand and executed by a principal duly authorized by
Submitter to make contracts. Submitter's legal name must be fully stated. The complete
submittal form shall be without erasures or alterations.
2.2 PROPOSAL FORMAT
The Submitter shall prepare a response to all of the following requests for information. Each
section should begin on a separate sheet.
SECTION 1 - Signatory / Information Sheets
The Proposal Certification (pages 1, 2, & 12 of this document).
SECTION 2 - Introduction
Provide an executive summary highlighting the major points of the submittal (two pages
maximum).
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SECTION 3 - Past Performance
Past performance of proposer, and its proposed consultants, on similar projects:
(1) List 3 projects which you have accomplished that are most similar to this project.
Provide project name, location, dollar amount, completion date and Owner
contact information. Describe the scope of each project and discuss why you
believe they are most similar.
(2) Identify projects where successful working relationships with OSF
and various local agencies have been established.
(3) Provide information on current and past clients' satisfaction with the proposed
firm and its staff.
(4) List experiences with the CM/GC at risk delivery method.
(5) Describe experience with unique approaches, creativity in designs and site
adaptation, integration of the newest technologies. Examples may be provided.
(6) Describe experience in meeting design timelines and construction schedules with
clearly established and proven methods for maintaining the construction budget.
(7) Demonstrate the ability of the Principal and project team members to
successfully represent the District without the involvement of a construction
management firm during design and/or construction.
(8) Explain methodology used for project information tracking and the creating of a
historical archive at project completion.
(9) Provide an organizational chart showing the design team that you will be using
on this project, and describe the role of each of the team members.
(10) Consulting Engineers-List only the consulting engineering firms you plan to use
for the design. Include a brief resume of key personnel from each consulting firm
who will be working on the project. List consulting engineers in the following
sequence: Structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, other. Note: Consultant firms
presented in the proposal should not be changed without good cause. It shall be
the Board of Education understanding that the consultant firms are integral to the
proposal and shall not be changed subsequent to contract.
SECTION 4 - Knowledge of the local community and use of local/small/minority
businesses:
(1) Describe the process you will use to promote the use of local/small/minority
businesses and list the percentage used on some recent past projects.
(2) Identify employees or consultants who will be on the design team and live in the
local area.
(3) Give examples of regional materials and vendors which can be used on this
project.
(4) Provide evidence of established working relationships within the local
community.
SECTION 5: Principal's Performance, Past and Current
Indicate design services performed for similar projects in the past ten (10) years. Demonstrated
successful previous performance shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Quality, completeness, and timeliness of designs, drawings, specifications, bid
documents, pay apps, etc.
(2) Project management of the design process.
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