Urban Forestry Master Plan

The City of Chesapeake and its Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department are seeking qualified firms to develop and produce the City’s first Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP). The UFMP will guide the long‑term management, health, and sustainability of the City’s urban tree canopy. The selected firm will collaborate with City staff and stakeholders to create a data‑driven, actionable plan. Proposers are encouraged to recommend additional elements, methodologies, or adjustments that could improve or clarify the project scope.

Background

The City of Chesapeake is situated in southeastern Virginia and is one of ten independent localities, along with six counties and one town which make up the Hampton Roads region. With a population of over 250,000 people, Chesapeake is the second-most populous independent city in Virginia, tenth largest in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 90th most populous city in the United States.

The City of Chesapeake was formed in 1963 through the consolidation of the City of South Norfolk and Norfolk County. The consolidation resulted in a unique variety of landscapes within the city, with Chesapeake developing three distinct built environments: a densely populated urban core, a primarily residential suburban ring, and a large rural landscape where much of the land is still in active agriculture. Interwoven within its rich neighborhoods and commercials districts, Chesapeake has more than 3,200 acres of parkland. The city is 353 square miles and houses a portion of the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge as well as portions of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The City has held a Tree City USA designation for the past 39 years.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 26-176-4342-1
• Department: Parks Rec and Tourism
• Department Head: TBD (TBD)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-27T18:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Experience and Qualifications (Tab 2) (25 pts) —

  Evaluates the firm’s and any sub‑consultants’ depth of experience, technical expertise, and professional qualifications specific to urban forestry, tree inventory work, policy development, and related disciplines. This includes demonstrated success on comparable municipal projects, relevant certifications, and the capability of the proposed team to deliver high‑quality results for the City.

• Specialized Experience and Qualifications of Key Project Team Members (Tab 3) (25 pts) —

  Evaluates the depth, relevance, and expertise of the key project personnel proposed for this contract. This includes each team member’s specialized experience, professional credentials, technical competencies, and demonstrated success on comparable urban forestry or municipal planning projects. Consideration will also be given to the overall strength of the project team and their ability to effectively deliver the required services.

• Record of Timely and Cost-Effective Performance (Tab 4) (15 pts) —

  Evaluates the firm’s demonstrated history of completing similar projects within the required timeframes and adhering to estimated consultant costs. This includes evidence of reliable project management, budget control, and successful delivery of comparable work for other clients.

• Quality of Previous Work (Tab 5) (15 pts) —

  Evaluates the quality, reliability, and effectiveness of work the firm has previously performed for the City of Chesapeake or for comparable governmental agencies. Consideration will be given to the firm’s demonstrated ability to deliver accurate, well‑executed, and high‑quality products, as well as its track record in communication, professionalism, and meeting project expectations.

• Meeting the City's Service Needs (Tab 6) (10 pts) —

  This criterion evaluates if the proposal meets the needs of the desired services the City is seeking, including responsiveness to all components of the Scope of Work and alignment with the City’s goals for the Urban Forestry Master Plan.

• Overall Proposal Quality and Completeness (Tab 7) (10 pts) —

  This criterion evaluates the overall quality, clarity, and completeness of the proposal as a whole. Consideration will be given to how well the proposal is organized, how clearly it presents information, and the degree to which it demonstrates a full understanding of the City’s needs for the Urban Forestry Master Plan.

  This includes the coherence of the proposed approach, quality of writing, responsiveness to all RFP requirements, internal consistency among sections, and the firm’s ability to communicate its methodology, capabilities, and value to the City. Proposals that are thorough, well‑structured, and easy to evaluate will receive higher scores.

Submission Requirements

• Proposal Response (without Cost) (required)
• Are There Any Supplemental Agreements? (required) —

  Supplementary agreements, such as Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), or other relevant documents that you would like considered for the final contract, must be submitted along with your response. 

• If you answered “Yes” to question 3, please upload your supplemental agreements here and submit with your proposal response. (required)
• Do you take exceptions to the RFP? (required) —

  This information could be from the Scope of Work, Required General Terms and Conditions, Special Terms and Conditions, or any other part of this Request for Proposal.

• Offerors must provide details of any terms and conditions to which they take exception. For each exception, offerors must include the section, the number, and any other identifying information of the term and condition, and provide the full term and condition itself. Offerors must then explain the reason and propose alternative language for the term or condition to be amended. (required)
• Certification of Compliance with Immigration Laws and Regulations (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete and have notarized. An online notarization option will be provided for you when responding.

• Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) Registration Information (required) —

  AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN THE COMMONWEALTH: A contractor organized as a stock or non-stock corporation, limited liability company, business trust, or limited partnership or registered as a registered limited liability partnership shall be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a domestic or foreign business entity if so, required by Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code of Virginia or as otherwise required by law. Any business entity described LISTED that enters into a contract with a public body pursuant to the Virginia Public Procurement Act shall not allow its existence to lapse or its certificate of authority or registration to transact business in the Commonwealth, if so required under Title 13.1 or Title 50, to be revoked or cancelled at any time during the term of the contract. A public body may void any contract with a business entity if the business entity fails to remain in compliance with the provisions of this section.

  Pursuant to Code of Virginia, §2.2-4311.2 subsection B, a bidder or offeror organized or authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth pursuant to Title 13.1 or Title 50 is required to include in its bid or proposal the identification number issued to it by the State Corporation Commission (SCC).  Any bidder or offeror that is not required to be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a foreign business entity under Title 13.1 or Title 50 or as otherwise required by law must indicate by selecting one of the following reasons why the bidder or offeror is not required to be so authorized:

• Litigation Disclosure Form —

  Respond to each of the questions below by checking the appropriate box. Failure to fully and truthfully disclose the information required by this Litigation Disclosure Form may result in the disqualification of your bid or proposal from consideration or termination of the contract, once awarded. For purposes of this disclosure form, “you” means the individual or entity in whose name the bid or proposal is submitted.

• Have you or any principal, officer or director of your company, or any individual who will be assigned to work under any contract awarded pursuant to this solicitation, been convicted of a felony, or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, during the last ten (10) years? (required)
• Have you or any principal, officer or director of your company, or any individual who will be assigned to work under any contract awarded pursuant to this solicitation, been terminated from any work being performed for the City of Chesapeake or any other governmental entity in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the last ten (10) years? (required)
• Have you or any principal, officer or director of your company, or any individual who will be assigned to work under any contract awarded pursuant to this solicitation, been involved in any claim or litigation with the City of Chesapeake or any other governmental entity in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the last seven (7) years? (required)
• Has any parent company or wholly owned subsidiary of your company been involved in any claim or litigation with the City of Chesapeake or any other governmental entity in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the last seven (7) years? (required)
• If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions, please state the name(s) of the person(s), the nature, and the status and/or outcome of the conviction, termination, claim or litigation, as applicable. Any such information should be provided on a separate page, attached to this form and submitted with your bid or proposal.
• STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (required) —

  Pursuant to Code of Virginia, §2.2-4311.2 subsection B, a bidder or offeror organized or authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth pursuant to Title 13.1 or Title 50 is required to include in its bid or proposal the identification number issued to it by the State Corporation Commission (SCC). Any bidder or offeror that is not required to be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a foreign business entity under Title 13.1 or Title 50 or as otherwise required by law is required to include a statement describing why the bidder or offeror is not required to be so authorized.

• Small, Women-Owned, Minority-Owned (SWaM) and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Business —

  A certified SWaM Business is one that holds a current certification from the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) or from other U.S. State and some Local Government Supplier Diversity Programs.

• Is your company a certified Small, Woman or Minority Owned (SWaM) Business or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise? (required)
• Certification Type —

  If applicable, what is your company’s certification type?

• SWaM Certificate/Supporting Documentation —

  If applicable, attach any supporting documentation, including certificates, in regards to your company's SWaM status.

• Does this solicitation include any background information in section "Summary and Background"? (required)
• Projected Contract Value ($) (required) —

  Enter the estimated dollar amount for the entire contract period including renewal options.