REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR

DESIGN BUILDER FOR CHARTER SCHOOL

Libertas Academy Colleton

Walterboro, South Carolina

PROJECT SUMMARY:

Libertas Academy Colleton (or the “School”) is located in Colleton County, South Carolina.  The School plans to open in August 2025.  The School will serve approximately 500 students in grades 4K-8. The School needs to develop a school facility for grades 4K-8.

To undertake the new project, the School requires a Design-Builder who will undertake such design and estimating to present a GMP contract with a GMP to be used in a municipal bond financing through SC-JEDA.  The Design-Builder is expected to carry all the civil and building design work until bond closing at which time the Design-Builder will be fully reimbursed for all cost undertaken prior to the closing.  At bond closing, the Design-Builder will continue to build the project from bond proceeds and complete the on-site and off-site elements required to permit the opening of the school facility in August 2025.  Only Design-Builders who have extensive and demonstrated charter school experience in South Carolina should submit due to the number of complexities of working with South Carolina regulatory bodies. The Design-Builder will be selected based on qualifications.

KEY DATES TO ADHERE TO:

RFP Release Date - 8.7.24                                     

RFP Responses Due - 8.14.24

Design-Builder Selected - 8.15.24

Design-Build Agreement Negotiation to begin - 8.15.24

Anticipated Bond Closing - 12.15.24                                 

Notice to proceed issued - 12.16.24

The dates above may change based the circumstances and the needs of the Owner.

Project:

The School would like the school facility to contain the following:

1)   40,000 square feet

2)   Warming kitchen

3)   Gymnasium

Design-Builder’s Roles and Responsibilities (the “Design-Builder”):

            (1) The Design-Builder must drive the design and construction estimating process aggressively to reach a GMP price by the end of October 2024. The Design-Builder will be “at risk” in carrying all design and project management costs. This project will require the Design-Builder to lead the overall process of building out the site to accommodate the Owner’s needs.  The Design-Builder will work with the bond team to drive this process quickly and efficiently so that a Guaranteed Maximum Price contract can be delivered to the Owner and the bond team in time to achieve the anticipated closing date.

(2) The Design-Builder will carry the financial load until the bond issue closes.  Therefore, the Design-Builder must be sufficiently acquainted with charter school business plans and bond transactions to assess the risks of stepping into this transaction as a full participant.  There is no assurance the bond process will be timely or successful. The bond closing will contain funds to reimburse the Design-Builder for his or her outlays for carrying certain project costs.  From the closing of the bond issuance and going forward, the proceeds of the bond issuance will provide funds for the project.  The School has adopted or will adopt the required reimbursement resolution necessary for bond reimbursement to occur.  The bond team will be available to answer questions from the Design-Builder prior to an agreement being executed.

Inclusions and Exclusions from Guaranteed Maximum Price Contract:

FF&E needs to be within the GMP including the following:

1. Project Furnishing.  This includes Window coverings, parking lot signage, permanent exterior signage, projection equipment, playground equipment, gym equipment, school desks and tables, general admin office equipment and desks, kitchen equipment, office furniture, display cases, marker and track boards, and limited site furnishings such as benches.

2. Equipment and Systems.  This includes IT, BB, Cabling, Phone Handsets/Fiber, Intercom, Sound Systems, Security Cameras/Card Access, Main Computers/Servers/WAP, Interactive Boards/TVs/ and fire department system requirements.

Lastly, the GMP should be developed to provide an owner’s contingency with a shared savings clause.

EVALUATION TO BE BASED ON QUALIFICATIONS

The proposals from Design-Builders will be evaluated based on qualifications.  The School may conduct interviews in its discretion.  The proposals will be evaluated on the following seven (7) criteria:

1)   Demonstrated ability in South Carolina of completing charter school projects as a design-builder;

2)   Ability to proceed immediately;

3)   Willingness to be reimbursed from bond proceeds for up-front costs;

4)   Demonstrated ability to work through issues with OSF and SCDOT;

5)   References;

6)   Proposed fee structure; and

7)   Resume of the Person assigned to make decisions on the Project for the Design-Builder.

Instructions to Proposers:

Proposers should submit information relevant to their qualifications and the criteria set forth above.  Such information must be sent to Mr. Keith Coones, Board Chair, by 12 p.m. eastern time on August 14, 2024.  Email proposals are required and may be sent to contact@tutelage.education.

The School will not accept late delivery of proposals, and the School reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received.  The School is under no obligation to accept any proposal or to proceed with the project described in this RFP.  The School will not reimburse any Proposer for his/her cost to prepare a response to this RFP.  Please do not submit any confidential information as this RFP and all responses to it are public record documents and must be shared with the public under South Carolina freedom of information laws.

Your interest in this exciting project is appreciated!