General Planning Consultant and Master Plan Update

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (Authority), an independent special district, issues this Request for Qualifications (Solicitation) for General Planning Consultant and Master Plan Update for Tampa International, Peter O. Knight, Plant City, and Tampa Executive Airports in accordance with Florida Statute Section 287.055. The Authority welcomes responses to this Solicitation (Response) from all national, regional, and Florida firms.

Background

The Authority was created in 1945 and is an independent special district governed by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Act, Chapter 2022-252, Laws of Florida. This Act provides that the Authority will have exclusive jurisdiction, control, supervision, and management over all publicly owned airports in Hillsborough County.

The Authority retains the services of five separate general consultants: two for continuing general consultant services (engineering/architecture), one for environmental services, one for planning, and one for structural engineering services. Additionally, the Authority retains the services of an Automated Transit System (ATS) Design Professional. The selected Respondent will be required to coordinate their services on occasion with the Authority’s current general consultants and the ATS Design Professional.

Project Details

• Department: Planning and Development
• Department Head: Jeff Siddle (Vice President of Planning and Development)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-03-20T21:00:29.432Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-03-06T15:00:33.477Z — In-Person: Authority Boardroom - SkyCenter Parking Instructions: Parking for the public to access SkyCenter is in the parking garage directly next to SkyCenter. The gate arm of the parking garage will be in the raised position. Respondent will park on Level 5 or 6 of the parking garage. Respondents will not park in front of the SkyCenter building or the cell phone lot. OR Microsoft Teams ® Meeting ID: 233 299 548 316 9 Passcode: jN9Bo9X6 Click here to join the Microsoft Teams Meeting: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDc3ZTEzMDYtZTFjMS00ZGRiLTg4ZTMtZGNhYjQ0OWI4ZTIz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22a167a14b-a6cc-4d14-802d-3de615710e8b%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22f5f46a19-79d3-4b3d-ba9d-d8fd6a15077f%22%7d

Meetings & Milestones

Addenda

• Official Notice #1: Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference PPT Presentation (released 2026-03-06T16:29:07.594Z)
• Addendum #1 (released 2026-03-27T21:28:17.250Z)
• Official Notice #2: Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference Sign-In Sheets (released 2026-03-06T16:29:11.694Z)

Evaluation Criteria

• Respondent's Organizational Structure (limit four (4) pages including Appendix B) (5 pts) —
  1. Fully complete and submit Appendix B, entitled Respondent’s Team By Discipline Data Form. Submit the name of the firm(s) who will perform each discipline and indicate whether firm(s) is a SBE. If more than one firm is listed for a discipline, then label which firm is the “Lead” firm for that discipline. Firms may perform more than one discipline .
  2. Submit an organizational diagram clearly identifying key and support personnel in Appendix C, entitled Key and Support Personnel Data Form, as well as the firms listed in Appendix B.  For those individuals listed in Appendix C, include each individual’s name, title, firm, and their functional relationship to each other. Individuals may serve in more than one role. Individuals may serve in more than one role  (11x17 format is acceptable). 
  3. Provide a written response clearly defining responsibilities, contractual relationships, and roles of all firms listed in Appendix B.  If a SBE firm is to be used and is not listed in Appendix B, explain the relationship, responsibilities, and roles of that SBE firm. If there are two or more firms of the same discipline listed in Appendix B, explain the relationship, responsibilities, and roles of each firm in detail.
• Key & Support Personnel Staffing (19 pts) —
  1. Fully complete and submit Appendix C. Include only those key and support personnel and their respective firm names listed on the form. Individuals may serve in more than one role. 
  2. Fully complete and submit Appendix D, entitled Key and Support Personnel Project References, for each key and support personnel listed in Appendix C. Provide two project references for projects completed since January 1, 2016.
  3. Fully complete and submit Appendices E.1 - E.3, entitled Key and Support Personnel Resumes, for each of the key and support personnel listed in Appendix C. List previous work by key and support personnel in which they had an identifiable, responsible role for assignments completed since January 1, 2016, or assignments that are underway, whether or not with their current firm. List no more than three projects for any key and support personnel in Appendix C.  

  Complete Appendix E.2 for each assignment submitted. These pages may be duplicated as many times as necessary.

• Respondent's Experience in Work of Comparable Scope and Complexity (limit eight (8) pages, excluding Appendix F forms and representative photographs and exhibits) (18 pts) —

  For purposes of responding to this Section, emphasis should be placed on experience of comparable planning assignments of similar scope and complexity at U.S. airports.

  Fully complete and submit Appendix F, entitled Respondent’s Experience in Work of Comparable Scope and Complexity. List no more than a total of three (3) planning assignments of comparable scope and complexity that have been completed by the Respondent working with some or all of the various key and support personnel. Indicate by checking the box which key and support personnel listed in Appendix C were part of the three (3) planning assignments listed. List only those assignments which have been completed since January 1, 2016, or projects that are underway.

  Representative photographs and exhibits supporting the above assignments are permitted as an attachment to this section.

• Location (limit two (2) pages, including Appendix G) (5 pts) —

  Fully complete and submit Appendix G, entitled Location, for the key and support personnel listed in Appendix C. Include a one-page narrative describing how the Respondent will manage personnel in multiple locations, if applicable.

• Cost Control (limit three (3) pages) (5 pts) —

  It is the Authority’s intent to contract for planning assignments on a cost of work basis with a not-to-exceed limit. Describe how the Respondent will develop and control costs for planning assignments and the Master Plan Update.

• Approach (limit ten (10) pages) (20 pts) —
  1. Describe, in detail, the Respondent’s approach to updating airport master plans, maintaining quality control, providing coordination between the various professional disciplines and departments within the Authority, meeting schedule delivery deadlines and budgets, allowing for the Authority review and approval process, and providing the necessary progress updates to the Authority.
  2. Describe, in detail, the Respondent’s approach to providing a strategic plan.
  3. Describe, in detail, the Respondent’s approach to providing the services as outlined in Section 3.0, Project Description and Section 4.0, Scope of Services.
  4. As a consideration of the Respondent’s recent, current, and projected workloads, the Respondent should state the commitment and availability of all key and support personnel, as listed in Appendix C, by providing a signed letter of commitment.
• Interviews (20 pts) —

  The Authority will require each Respondent to participate in an interview with the technical evaluation committee. Participation is subject to the short-listing process detailed in Section 10.0, Technical Evaluation. The interview will address the Respondent’s qualifications, approach, ability to furnish the required services, and any other questions arising from the technical evaluation committee meetings. The person identified in Appendix C as the Respondent’s Project Manager must attend and will be expected to lead the interview for the Respondent. Other key members of the Respondent’s Team may be invited to attend by the Respondent’s Project Manager, and their contributions will be included in the evaluation scoring. Interviews will include a twenty (20) minute presentation, with an additional forty (40) minutes for questions from the technical evaluation committee. Copies of presentations, whether hard or electronic, must be furnished to the Authority at the time of the interview. Equipment is available for PowerPoint presentations.

• Volume of Work Previously Awarded (5 pts) —

  The Authority will evaluate the volume of work previously awarded by the Authority to each Respondent, with the objective being to affect an equitable distribution of work among qualified firms. The volume of work previously awarded shall be defined as all payments received by the Respondent from the Authority over the previous five years from the date this Solicitation was posted. Acquisitions and name changes of firms will be considered when evaluating work previously awarded. The volume of work will not include payments for subcontracted work.  The maximum point value a Respondent can receive for this criterion is five.

  Each Respondent must submit Appendix M, Volume of Work Previously Awarded, identifying the total amount of payments received by the Respondent from the Authority over the previous five years from the date this Solicitation was posted.  Appendix M, Volume of Work Previously Awarded, will be included in this tabbed Section 9.9. The Procurement Agent will review Appendix M and compare it to the payment amounts recorded by the Authority. If there are any discrepancies between the two amounts, the Procurement Agent will make the final determination regarding the total volume of work. The Procurement Agent will provide the volume of work score for each Respondent after the technical evaluation committee’s evaluation and add it to the technical evaluation scoring matrix.

  To determine the scoring for this criterion, the Authority will establish a scale based on the payments received over the previous five years from the date this Solicitation was posted. The Respondent that received the largest sum of payments will score zero (0) points.

  EXAMPLE:

  Scenario: The following firms (A, B, C, D, and E) have received the following payments from the Authority over the previous five years from the date this Solicitation was posted:

  Firm	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	Total
  A	$1,000,000	$1,200,000	$1,250,000	$1,275,000	$1,675,000	$6,400,000
  B	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
  C	$4,000,000	$1,500,000	$2,750,000	$2,200,000	$750,000	$11,200,000
  D	$0	$0	$220,000	$0	$0	$220,000
  E	$0	$0	$0	$400,000	$2,000,000	$2,400,000

   

  Takeaways: Firm C received the largest sum of payments from the Authority, totaling $11,200,000, thereby earning zero points and establishing the scale for other firms to be evaluated against.

  Scale Increment Calculation: Firm C’s total of $11,200,000 will be divided by five (5) to establish the standard increments of the scale. 

  ($11,200,000 / 5) = $2,240,000

  Scale Distribution:  The scale has been established as follows, beginning with the standard increment less one dollar ($2,240,000 - $1 = $2,239,999):

  Scale Increments	$0-$2,239,999	$2,240,000-$4,479,999	$4,480,000-$6,719,999	$6,720,000-$8,959,999	$8,960,000-$11,199,999	≥$11,200,000
  Volume of Work Score	5	4	3	2	1	0

   

  Points Awarded: Points will be awarded based on the scale above:

  Firm	Total	VOW Score
  A	$6,400,000	3
  B	$0	5
  C	$11,200,000	0
  D	$220,000	5
  E	$2,400,000	4

• Respondent Certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) (3 pts) —

  If the Respondent is a certified minority business enterprise as defined by the Florida Small and Minority Business Act, the Respondent must submit certification documentation. Respondents that are a certified minority business enterprise will receive the maximum score for the MBE category. Respondents who are not certified will receive a score of zero. Respondent must confirm if the Respondent is a certified MBE and provide MBE certification documentation.

Submission Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications —

  The following minimum qualifications have been established as a basis for determining the eligibility of the Respondent. A Response will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated unless sufficient documentation is provided to determine whether the Respondent meets the following minimum qualifications:

• Fully complete and submit Appendix A.2, Minimum Qualifications Form. Provide documentation that the Respondent has completed two Master Plan Update as a Prime Consultant at large hub airports (as defined by the FAA) in the United States since January 1, 2016. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Respondent had a representative sign-in and attend the Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference or had a representative attend the Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference on-line via Microsoft Teams®. (required) —

  NOTE: To be considered as attending the Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference, the prospective Respondent must have signed in on a sign-in sheet prior to the start of the Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference or signed in to Microsoft Teams® and be identified by the Procurement Agent at the start of the Mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference.

  Provide the name of Respondent’s representative who attended the mandatory Pre-Solicitation Conference in-person or via Microsoft Teams®

• Respondent is required to confirm that, if awarded by the Board, Respondent will register with PaymentWorks and select one of the Authority's electronic payment methods. (required)
• Respondent must be registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations to do business in the State of Florida prior to submitting a response. (required) —

  Upload a screenshot or picture of the Respondent's proof of registration at www.sunbiz.org.

• Respondent must not be on the Florida Department of Management Services, Convicted Vendor List, as defined in Section 287.133(3)(d), Florida Statutes. (www.dms.myflorida.com). No documentation from Respondent is required. The Authority will verify the status. (required)
• Respondent must have the ability to obtain the insurance coverages and limits as required in Appendix L. (required)
• Respondent must not be on the Federal Convicted Vendor list. (www.sam.gov). (required) —

  No documentation from Respondent is required. The Authority will verify the status.

• Respondent must not be on the Florida Department of Transportation Contractor Suspension List. (https://www.fdot.gov/construction/legal/newsuspension.shtm) (required) —

  No documentation from Respondent is required. The Authority will verify the status.

• Respondent must not be on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, be engaged in a boycott of Israel, or have been engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria, as detailed in Section 9.13. (required) —

  No documentation from Respondent is required. The Authority will verify the status.

• Respondent must meet the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal requirement as stated in Section 9.10 and submit Appendix H. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Required Forms
• Fully complete and submit Appendix A.1, entitled Respondent's Information. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Appendix J - Prohibition Against Contracting with Scrutinized Companies (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Appendix N Conflict of Interest Checklist (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• The Respondent’s and the Respondent’s team members’ most current GSA Standard Form 330, Part II. (required)
• A copy of the Respondent’s and the Respondent’s team members’ current Florida professional registration certificate(s) for the services to be furnished. (required)
• Is Respondent qualified by the Florida Department of Transportation? (required)
• Respondent must provide a copy of the Respondent’s and Respondent’s team members’ certification(s). (required)
• Evaluation Criteria - Respondent's Organizational Structure —

  (limit four (4) pages including Appendix B)

• Fully complete and submit Appendix B, entitled Respondent’s Team By Discipline Data Form. Submit the name of the firm(s) who will perform each discipline and indicate whether firm(s) is a SBE. If more than one firm is listed for a discipline, then label which firm is the “Lead” firm for that discipline. Firms may perform more than one discipline. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Submit an organizational diagram clearly identifying key and support personnel in Appendix C, entitled Key and Support Personnel Data Form, as well as the firms listed in Appendix B. For those individuals listed in Appendix C, include each individual’s name, title, firm, and their functional relationship to each other. Individuals may serve in more than one role. Individuals may serve in more than one role. (required) —

  (11x17 format is acceptable)

• Provide a written response clearly defining responsibilities, contractual relationships, and roles of all firms listed in Appendix B. If a SBE firm is to be used and is not listed in Appendix B, explain the relationship, responsibilities, and roles of that SBE firm. If there are two or more firms of the same discipline listed in Appendix B, explain the relationship, responsibilities, and roles of each firm in detail. (required)
• Evaluation Criteria - Key and Support Personnel Staffing
• Fully complete and submit Appendix C. Include only those key and support personnel and their respective firm names listed on the form. Individuals may serve in more than one role. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Fully complete and submit Appendix D, entitled Key and Support Personnel Project References, for each key and support personnel listed in Appendix C. Provide two project references for projects completed since January 1, 2016. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Fully complete and submit Appendices E.1 - E.3, entitled Key and Support Personnel Resumes, for each of the key and support personnel listed in Appendix C. List previous work by key and support personnel in which they had an identifiable, responsible role for assignments completed since January 1, 2016, or assignments that are underway, whether or not with their current firm. List no more than three projects for any key and support personnel in Appendix C. (required) —

  Complete Appendix E.2 for each assignment submitted. These pages may be duplicated as many times as necessary.

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Evaluation Criteria - Respondent’s Experience in Work of Comparable Scope and Complexity —

  (limit eight (8) pages, excluding Appendix F forms and representative photographs and exhibits)

  For purposes of responding to this Section, emphasis should be placed on experience of comparable planning assignments of similar scope and complexity at U.S. airports/

• Fully complete and submit Appendix F, entitled Respondent’s Experience in Work of Comparable Scope and Complexity. (required) —

  Fully complete and submit Appendix F, entitled Respondent’s Experience in Work of Comparable Scope and Complexity. List no more than a total of three (3) planning assignments of comparable scope and complexity that have been completed by the Respondent working with some or all of the various key and support personnel. Indicate by checking the box which key and support personnel listed in Appendix C were part of the three (3) planning assignments listed. List only those assignments which have been completed since January 1, 2016, or projects that are underway. 

  Representative photographs or exhibits supporting the above contracts are permitted as an attachment to this Section.

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Evaluation Criteria - Location
• Fully complete and submit Appendix G, entitled Location, for the key and support personnel listed in Appendix C. (required) —

  (limit two (2) pages, including Appendix G) 

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Provide a one-page narrative describing how the Respondent will manage personnel in multiple locations, if applicable (required)
• Evaluation Criteria - Cost Control —

  (limit three (3) pages)

• It is the Authority’s intent to contract for planning assignments on a cost of work basis with a not-to-exceed limit. Describe how the Respondent will develop and control costs for planning assignments and the Master Plan Update. (required)
• Evaluation Criteria - Approach —

  (limit ten (10) pages)

• Describe, in detail, the Respondent’s approach to updating airport master plans, maintaining quality control, providing coordination between the various professional disciplines and departments within the Authority, meeting schedule delivery deadlines and budgets, allowing for the Authority review and approval process, and providing the necessary progress updates to the Authority (required) —

  The Respondent should draw upon their previous similar experience and elaborate on how such experience may be applied to this Solicitation.

• Describe, in detail, the Respondent’s approach to providing a strategic plan. (required)
• Describe, in detail, the Respondent’s approach to providing the services as outlined in Section 3.0, Project Description and Section 4.0, Scope of Services. (required)
• As a consideration of the Respondent’s recent, current, and projected workloads, the Respondent should state the commitment and availability of all key and support personnel, as listed in Appendix C, by providing a signed letter of commitment. (required)
• Evaluation Criteria - Volume of Work Previously Awarded
• Each Respondent must submit Appendix M, Volume of Work, identifying the total amount of payments received by the Respondent from the Authority over the previous five years from the date this Solicitation was posted. (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Evaluation Criteria - Respondent Certification as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)
• Is the Respondent a certified MBE? (required)
• Provide MBE certification documentation. (required)

Questions & Answers