RFQ - Professional Engineering, and Grant Writing/Administration Services
Bid/RFP Status:
Open - accepting bids and proposals
Bid/RFP Due Date:
Friday, April 3, 2026 - 5:00pm
Bid/RFP Reference Number:
RFQ2026-01
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Professional Engineering, and Grant Writing/Administration Services
Under a Master Services Agreement (MSA)
Submission Due Date: 3:00 P.M. MST on April 3, 2026
Contact/Submittal Address:
City of Laurel
Kurt Markegard, CAO
115 West 1st Street
Laurel, MT 59044
Telephone (406)628-4796
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ):
The City of Laurel is requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from qualified professional firms to provide on-call engineering, and grant writing/administration services under a Master Services Agreement (MSA).
The City intends to select one or more firms to provide services on an as-needed basis. Work assignments will occur through individually negotiated Task Orders issued under the MSA. Selection will follow the qualifications-based selection (QBS) process required under §18-8-201 et seq., MCA.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
All proposals must be received no later than 3:00 P. M. MST on April 3rd, 2026.
INTRODUCTION
The City of Laurel has a population of approximately 7300 and is a full-service City, providing residents with administrative, police, fire, public works, park, and recreation services. The City has several enterprise funds including but not limited to water, waste water and solid waste.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
A. Engineering Services may include but not limited to the following:
- Preliminary engineering reports (PERs)
- Water, wastewater, stormwater, street, and civil infrastructure design
- Construction administration, inspection, and testing
- GIS mapping support, data analysis, and mapping services
- Capital improvement planning (CIP)
- Cost estimating and budgeting
- Environmental documentation and permitting
- Preparation of bid documents and procurement assistance
- Landscape architecture services
- Public engagement assistance
B. Grant Writing & Administration may include but not limited to the following:
- Identification of funding opportunities
- Grant application preparation
- Project administration and reporting
- Compliance tracking
- Coordination with funding agencies
CDBG regulations governing the grant require that to the greatest extent feasible, opportunities for training, employment and contracting arising in connection with this CDBG-assisted project will be extended to low- and very low-income individuals, especially those employed by Section 3 business concerns, participating in YouthBuild, living within the service area or the neighborhood of the project or residing in public or Section 8-assisted housing.
Training and employment, as well as contracting opportunities, are presented in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 3 portal. Prospective trainees, employees and contractors of HUD-assisted projects are encouraged to utilize this resource. In addition, contractors are encouraged to review the Section 3 portal’s frequently asked questions for additional guidance or clarification.
CDBG regulations governing the grant also require that opportunities for contracting will be extended to disadvantaged, minority and women-owned businesses. DBE, MBE and WBE businesses are encouraged to register on Montana’s DBE registry. Registrants will receive targeted outreach for opportunities pertaining to assisted projects that are covered by DBE/MBE/WBE.
CONTRACT TERM
The City anticipates entering into a Master Services Agreement for a term of five (5) years, with the option to extend for one additional five-year term if mutually agreed.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Cover Letter, limited to one page.
- Firm Qualifications Providing Municipal Engineering and Grant Writing Services under MSAs.
- Proposed Team Members and their specialty roles and relevant experience in that area of expertise.
- Firm’s Approach to MSA Project Work and On-Call Services.
- List out what scope of services you are submitting your SOQ for.
- Capacity & Current Workload, and how Laurel would fit into firm’s current workload.
- Firm’s capability to meet time and budget requirements.
- Municipal MSA References, (three including Municipalities, contact names, phone numbers and email addresses.
- Submission shall include six bound copies and a PDF electronic copy on a flash drive.
Note: Do not include cost or fee proposals. Maximum of 15 pages per submission, not including cover letter, resumes and references.
EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR SUBMITTED SOQ
20% General experience and qualifications of the Firm with MSA services, ability to meet the needs of the city, and ability to meet time and budget requirements.
20% Experience and qualifications of identified key staff
20% References of Municipalities served under similar MSAs
15% Compliance with this Request for Qualifications and general SOQ overview
10% Recent and current work for the City of Laurel
5% Location of the Firm’s headquarters and identified office to service the City of Laurel.
10% Other criteria which pertain to providing effective and efficient services such as projected workload, availability for addressing questions in a timely manner, and, responsiveness as issues arise.
SELECTION & CONTRACT NEGOTIATION
The highest-ranked firm(s) will be invited to negotiate a Master Services Agreement. Each Task Order issued will define scope, schedule, deliverables, and negotiated fee.
The City reserves the right to make their selection based on the submitted SOQs or conduct interviews of top ranked Firms and make their selection based on the interviews.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Submit SOQs to:
Kurt Markegard, CAO
Subject Line: RFQ –MSA Professional Services
Six Hardcopies along with one flash drives shall be submitted to:
115 West 1st Street
Laurel, MT 59044
Deadline: 3:00 P.M. MST on April 3rd, 2026
GENERAL CONDITIONS
• The City reserves the right to reject any and all submissions, to waive irregularities, and to request additional information from the individual firms.
• The City may request clarification.
• Costs for preparing SOQs are the responsibility of the submitting firms.
QUESTIONS
Questions must be submitted in writing to:
Kurt Markegard, CAO
City of Laurel, Montana
Deadline: 3:00 P.M. MST on April 3rd, 2026
RFQ in Word (33 KB) 
