The Tulare County Association of Governments (“TCAG”), as the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (“RTPA”) for Tulare County, is requesting proposals from qualified consultants to prepare the Tulare County Equity-based Zero Emissions Regional Transportation Study (TC-EBZERTS). Successful proposals will demonstrate knowledge of and experience with zero-emission vehicle deployment, microgrid development, and grid interconnections.
The consultant(s) must be able to develop working relationships with TCAG’s member agencies and have experience working with key stakeholders such as SoCal Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD), and California Air Resources Board (CARB).
Respondents should demonstrate intimate knowledge of zero-emissions transportation technologies, including the deployment of leading infrastructure and identification of appropriate technologies based on operational requirements.
Scope of Services
Proposals for TC-EBZERTS should describe how the consultant plans to produce the following deliverables, at minimum:
For more detailed information, please see the complete TC-EBZERTS RFP.
Q: Will TCAG accept changes to the sample contract?
A: TCAG will use the standard agreement as the starting point and are willing to entertain some changes to the standard language if they are met with the approval of County Counsel. Minor changes in contract language are usually granted. More significant changes are at the discretion of Counsel.
Q: Are site visits required for this project? If yes, will costs be reimbursed?
A: Site visits should be included for at least one stakeholder meeting and one outreach event. Travel costs are reimbursable, but they must be included in the project budget and be substantiated with receipts or other acceptable forms of backup.
Q: Do the Reference requirements apply solely to the prime contractor, or do subcontractors also need to provide references? If yes, how many?
A: Only the primary contractor is required to provide References as detailed in Section V, subsection 5 of the RFP. However, including information about the roles and expertise of the proposed subconsultants is highly recommended.
Q: Is the November 21st deadline firm or is TCAG open to a revised timeline if we feel like more time is needed once we start scoping?
A: The project schedule in this case is driven by the desire to incorporate the deliverables into TCAG’s 2026 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Because the RTP/SCS is slated to be presented for public comment at the December 11, 2025, TCAG board meeting, this does not leave much room for a later completion date. TCAG can accept a deviation from the target completion date of a few days at most.
Q: Do we interpret the RFP's requirement for all personnel qualifications and TCAG approval of changes (p.4 of RFP) as applying to all staff, or just key staff?
A: Names and qualifications should be provided for all key project personnel, such as project manager, task leads, and primary support staff. Junior support staff who spend less than 10-15 hours working on this project during the duration of the contract do not need to be named in the proposal.