Request for Proposal: Urban Forest Network Mobile App

The San Juan Bay Estuary Program requests proposals from qualified firms and individuals to develop and integrate a new feature to the existing Estuario mobile application—developed for reporting illegal wastewater discharges incidents. The new feature, the Passport to the Estuario, will allow the user to access information about the location of each the urban forest member of the Urban Forest Network, and promote their enjoyment through unobtrusive upcoming event notifications. It will also allow the user to record/report basic environmental information, based on location.

Urban forests are ecosystems composed mainly of trees and other vegetation within an urbanized area.  These forests are crucial to the sustainability of cities, as its green infrastructure system provides cities with environmental, economic, and social services. The Urban Forest Network was created by The San Juan Bay Estuary Program to strengthen, promote and support the operation and green infrastructure of urban forests within the watershed. 

Scope of Service

The selected company or individual (vendor) will incorporate the Passport to the Estuario to the existing mobile application platform.  The Passport is currently a hard copy document that provides information of participant urban forests in the network and is used to record visits.

The San Juan Bay Estuary Program expects the vendor to engage the following objectives:

• Incorporation of an initial selection screen providing access between the Passport to the Estuario and the currently available wastewater discharge reporting tool.
• Integration of a calendar function, able to display and notify the user of near-future events, fed from Estuario’s calendar platform.
• Integration of a stamp-based check-in system which allows users to log their visits to the urban forests, as well as the purpose of each visit (educational, recreational, research).
• Creation of a basic ecosystem reporting tool which would allow the user to feed Estuario’s watershed database with information regarding:
  • UFN Flora (species identification, number of subjects, height, diameter, GPS coordinates, photos)
  • UFN Fauna (species I.D., quantity, GPS coordinates of sighting, photos, date & time)
  • General environmental on-site observations (free text field)
  • Visible environmental impacts (such as earth’s crust material removals/fills, trees falling and pruning activities, erosions, illegal solid waste deposits)
• Creation of an «activities» section that integrates Estuario’s audiovisual educational and informational materials.
• Development or integration of an organizational tool for Estuario’s handling of user-provided data, as well as the capacity to update information featured in the app (including but not limited to Urban Forest details, events).
• Estuario’s app runs on iOS and Android. The UFN Passport will be incorporated into both versions. 
• Handling of submission and uploading of the app into the App Store and Play Store platforms.
• Fulfillment of contract through the delivery of a fully-functional application.
• Provision of annual maintenance procedures as needed. 

Proposals Response

Proposers are to submit complete, detailed responses addressing the scope of service as outlined above. Submittals should be organized in a clear and concise manner within a single electronic binder. The format for the submittal should be as follows: 

 Proposer’s Profile:  Provide a description of proposer’s track record, including number of years in business, remote capability, organizational structure (e.g., corporation, partnership, sole practitioner, etc.), areas of expertise, etc. 

• Key Personnel:  Provide a summary description of the key personnel who will be involved in this project, their roles and responsibilities, and their experience in similar past projects. In addition to this summary, resumes should be provided. 

• Examples of Similar Work Produced or Services Rendered:  Include a summary describing at least one (1) relevant past project. These examples should include a summary of each project, and a sample of media. 

• Appendix/Portfolio:  Applicants may provide a portfolio of work via weblink, to highlight the proposer’s past work as it applies to this proposed project. Applicants may also use this section to provide any additional information regarding qualifications or methods relevant to this project. 

• Cost Summary:  Include a detailed summary of costs broken down into product and service costs. Also, provide a full scope and half scope including any and all other costs pertinent to the elements required for the podcast.

 Submission Instructions

• Interested individuals/companies are required to submit one (1) electronic copy of the proposal. 
• Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 21, 2020
• For any questions or additional information, please contact Brenda Torres, Executive Director via email at [email protected]

Evaluation

All applicants will be evaluated and rated based on their demonstrated capability and experience in providing the scope of service(s) to an organization. 

A panel will review how closely an applicant’s proposal meets the expectations set forth in the RFP in the following areas: 

 Schedule

The anticipated schedule for this solicitation is as follows: 

THE SAN JUAN BAY ESTUARY PROGRAM 

The San Juan Bay Estuary Program (SJBEP) is part of the National Estuary Program (NEP), created under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), and managed nationally by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Its mission is to improve the water quality of the San Juan Bay Estuary. Per Section 320 of the CWA, each of the 28 entities affiliated to the NEP must submit to EPA Administrator a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to guide the restoration efforts of the most important coastal ecosystems for the economy of the Nation. The main responsibility of each organization under the NEP is to coordinate and measure the implementation of the plan in partnership with the community, state, local, and federal governments and the Academia.

The Corporation for the Conservation of the SJBE provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or genetics. 

US EPA GRANT CE99206924