Empleos
Green Infrastructure Specialist- IIJA
INTRODUCTION
The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership, or Estuario, requests proposals from Service Providers (Proposers) to develop a comprehensive guide for designing, implementing, and managing natural infrastructure projects.
The Proposer/Contractor should develop a detailed work plan to produce the deliverables outlined in the Scope of Work (SOW) included in this Request for Proposals (RFP). Failure to submit information in accordance with the requirements and procedures established in this document may cause disqualification. A Mandatory Informative Meeting will take place on November 10, 2026, at 10:00 pm via Zoom, to discuss RFP requirements, provide additional details, and answer questions. Proposals are due December 11, 2026.
ABOUT ESTUARIO
The Corporation for the Conservation of the San Juan Bay Estuary (CCSJBE) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (Estuario). Established in 1994, we are the only tropical and non-continental estuary within the National Estuary Program (NEP), established under Section 320 of the Clean Water Act. Estuario operates as a partnership with key agencies and municipalities to restore and conserve the waters and associated ecosystems of the San Juan Bay Estuary (SJBE) system and its watershed as a sustainable axis for social and economic development. The partnership’s work is guided by the San Juan Bay Estuary Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP).
BACKGROUND & PROJECT OVERVIEW
In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to invest in the nation’s infrastructure and resilience. Estuario is using IIJA funding to develop collaborative water quality monitoring in the SJBE system and kickstart a planning process for the Juan Méndez Creek (JMC) restoration project.
To support these efforts, the Green Infrastructure Specialist will be responsible for developing a comprehensive guide for designing, implementing, and managing natural infrastructure projects in the SJBE watershed. This includes developing an inventory of the largest-scale channelized water bodies in the SJBE watershed, based on length and size; providing stakeholders and partners with information on the impacts of channelization on bodies of water; and identifying other interventions necessary for watershed restoration. The guide should include information regarding the impacts of channelization to inform decision-making and prioritize the use of natural, or nature-based solutions into municipal projects. This guide will be validated with municipalities and state agencies within the watershed to ensure implementation of guidelines and integrate natural infrastructure into their capital improvements projects. The guide will complement other Estuario’s initiatives for stormwater management.
SCOPE OF WORK
The Service Provider will scope and conduct all data gathering, assessments, inventories, stakeholder engagement, and activities needed to develop all deliverables contained in this RFP. This includes designing and developing the guide’s structure, content and graphic design. They will also lead the guide’s validation process with key personnel and relevant stakeholders. The guide’s main audience is key decision makers and the eight municipalities that make up the SJBE watershed. The Service Provider is expected to provide Subject Matter Expertise (SME) applying nature-based engineering approaches to site evaluation and the development of recommendations for weather-resilient interventions. The Service Provider is expected to identify natural infrastructure intervention opportunities and constraints.
Estuario expects the Service Provider to work closely with Estuario staff throughout all tasks described in this RFP. Therefore, Proposers should identify working sessions, key milestones, and working draft or other submissions needed to advance the project. See Proposal Schedule/Work Plan section for more information.
This contract will be supervised by the Resilient Infrastructure Manager.
The Proposal shall, at a minimum, include the following tasks. Proposers shall include additional tasks if deemed necessary based on the requirements expressed in this RFP, and their subject matter expert experience.
Task 1: Comprehensive Natural Infrastructure Guide
The Service Provider will develop a comprehensive guide for designing, implementing, and managing natural infrastructure projects within the SJBE watershed. The development of the guide includes the following sub-tasks:
- Channelization Inventory: The Service Provider will conduct research and field verifications to create an inventory of the SJBE’s largest-scale channel modifications/projects, including location, scale, type of modification, and current condition.
- Impact Assessment: Collect and synthesize information on the impacts of channelization on natural bodies of water within the watershed, drawing on existing studies, site assessments, and field evaluations as needed.
- Intervention and Restoration Recommendations: Identify additional interventions needed to restore the waters within the SJBE system and develop recommendations for integrating natural infrastructure approaches to implement these interventions.
- Guide Development: The Service Provider will design and develop the guide’s structure, content, and graphic design, compiling the inventory, impact findings, and intervention recommendations into a comprehensive, professionally designed guide. The guide shall be suitable for use by Estuario, key decision makers, the eight municipalities that make up the watershed, and partners to guide future natural infrastructure management, planning, and implementation.
- Stakeholder Validation Process: The Service Provider will lead a validation process to ensure the guide’s content and structural design is useful and practical for its audience. They will also lead the final validation of the guide, incorporating feedback prior to finalization. The Proposer shall propose review rounds and dependencies for the validation process.
Task 2: Site Assessment and Field Evaluation Documentation:
The Service Provider shall document all site assessments and field evaluations conducted in support of Task 1, and shall deliver all associated working products, data, and metadata to Estuario, including but not limited to:
- GIS maps and special data files
- Site photographs and images
- Technical drawings
- Raw and processed field data, with accompanying metadata sufficient to allow Estuario staff to interpret, reuse, and update data.
Deliverables:
- Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
- Channelization inventory (report + GIS dataset)
- Channelization impact summary (report)
- Restoration intervention & natural infrastructure recommendations
- Final Comprehensive Natural Infrastructure Guide (final guide document, including graphic design and one final copy printed in color and binded)
- Site assessment, field evaluation data package (GIS files, images, drawings, metadata documentation)
- Meeting minutes and attendance sheets (PDF)
The Service Provider may be requested to provide the following additional services. Proposers should include hourly fees, or unitary costs for each service. Additional services include:
- Review documents related to Estuario’s natural infrastructure project planning efforts within the SJBE to provide input and recommendations.
- Support Estuario staff and key partners in identifying natural infrastructure opportunities and conceptual solutions for project planning purposes.
- Data management and analysis, which includes uploading data onto the Estuario database.
- General expectations: quarterly progress reports, recurring check-in meetings.
Proposal Schedule/Work Plan
The anticipated period of performance for this project is approximately one year from the date of contract execution. If the proponent understands that additional time is required to complete these products, it should be detailed and justified in the proposal. Estuario has established an overall target schedule; however, the selected Contractor shall develop a detailed project schedule and work plan identifying tasks, milestones, deliverables, and anticipated completion dates as part of its proposal.
The final project schedule will be negotiated with the selected Contractor and
incorporated into the resulting agreement.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
The Proposer should address the following items concisely and completely.
Technical Approach and Work Plan
Proposals should include a detailed narrative describing the technical approach to accomplishing the scope of work outlined in this RFP. At a minimum, this section must address:
- Understanding of the Project: A description of the project’s purpose and objectives.
- Technical Approach/Methodology: A description of the approach to develop the comprehensive guide for designing, implementing, and managing natural infrastructure projects (see Scope of Work).
- Work Plan: Outline goals, objectives, tasks and responsibilities. Include a timeline with milestones to accomplish all products. Include a Quality Control/Risk Management plan that describes how the project will be managed to keep it on track to ensure project completion as described in the work plan.
Qualifications and Relevant Experience
Describe the Proposer’s qualifications and experience performing similar work. At a minimum, address the following:
- Education and Professional Background: Summarize the relevant education, certifications, and professional experience of the key personnel who will perform the work.
- Project Team Organization: Describe the organizational structure of the team to be involved in the project, including each member’s role and specific tasks. Identify the individual who will serve as the project Manager and be responsible for the overall completion of the project.
- Relevant Project Experience: Provide evidence of previously implemented comparable projects.
Work Samples
Provide work samples demonstrating experience relevant to this scope of work.
Price Proposal
Submit a firm fixed-price proposal for completion of the Scope of Work as described in this RFP. The proposed price should consider all labor, materials, travel, administrative costs, and other expenses necessary to complete the Scope of Work and final deliverable.
The fixed price should not be limited to the cost of producing the final guide as a standalone product; it should encompass the complete effort required to fulfill the Scope of Work.
Selected candidates will be invited to present the proposed work to Estuario staff as part of the selection process.
OTHER GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS
- Copy of the Department of State certification to do business in Puerto Rico.
- A certification of compliance with all federal and state laws to conduct business in Puerto Rico shall be included in your proposal.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates must attend the compulsory informative meeting, which will be held virtually on November 10, 2026. To request participation in this meeting, send an email to [email protected] with the subject “IIJA- Green Infrastructure Specialist Informative Meeting-the name of your organization”, by November 6, 2026. Meeting information will be sent in response. All questions prior to the Compulsory Informative Meeting should be held until the meeting, so that all potential Contractors may benefit from a question-and-answer discussion.
Revision to the Request for Proposals
The Estuario reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to:
- Cancel this RFP at any time.
- Revise the RFP prior to the date that Proposals are due. Revisions to the RFP shall be emailed to all potential Contractors to whom the RFP was originally distributed to and those who notified Estuario in writing of their interest in submitting a Proposal.
- Extend the date by which the Proposals are due.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
For a proposal to be considered for evaluation, potential Contractors must follow the specifications below:
Electronic version in PDF of the Proposal shall be submitted to [email protected] with the subject “IIJA- Green Infrastructure Specialist”.
Potential Contractors must submit their proposal by midnight on December 11, 2026.
Late proposals, proposals delivered by facsimile, or proposals from entities that did not attend the Mandatory Informative Meeting will not be accepted. No exceptions will be granted regardless of reason or circumstance. Failure to comply with the requirements of this RFP may result in disqualification.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Qualified potential Contractors will be shortlisted, and the final selection will be made by an advisory committee. The criteria that will be used to evaluate Proposals will be:
| Evaluation Criterion | Weight |
| Technical Approach and Work Plan | 35% |
| Qualifications and Relevant Experience | 35% |
| Work Samples | 15% |
| Price | 15% |
Technical Approach and Work Plan (35%)
The evaluation will consider Proposer’s understanding of the project objectives, and the quality and feasibility of the proposed methodology, tasks, milestones, and schedule.
Qualifications and Relevant Experience (35%)
The evaluation will consider the Proposer’s professional experience and demonstrated success in performing similar work, including field work assessments, grey/green infrastructure interventions, GIS maps and technical drawing interpretation, and development of guides for designing, implementing, and managing green infrastructure projects.
Work Samples (15%)
The evaluation will consider the quality, clarity, and effectiveness of submitted work samples.
Price (15%)
The evaluation will consider the reasonableness, alignment with the proposed work plan and deliverables, and competitiveness of the proposed fixed price. Available budget threshold will be shared as part of the Compulsory Informative Meeting.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
The Estuario anticipates that the process for nominating and selecting a Service Provider, and awarding the contract, will be according to the following tentative schedule (subject to change):
RFP Release: October 28, 2026
Request for participation in an informative meeting: November 6, 2026
Informative meeting: November 10, 2026 at 10:00 am
Proposal Due Date: December 11, 2026 by midnight.
Award Notification: January 2027
Start Date: February 2027
OTHER CONDITIONS
Reservations
This RFP does not commit Estuario to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a Proposal pursuant to this RFP, or to procure or contract for work.
Public Records
All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of Estuario and public records, and as such may be subject to public review.
Right to Cancel
Estuario, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel this RFP for any or no reason, in part or in its entirety, including but not limited to: selection schedule, submittal date, and submittal requirements. If Estuario cancels or revises the RFP, all potential Contractors will be notified in writing by Estuario.
Additional Information
Estuario reserves the right to request additional information and/or clarifications from any or all potential Contractors to this RFP.
Public Information
Selection announcements, contract awards, and all data provided by Estuario shall be protected from public disclosure. Contractors desiring to release information to the public must receive prior written approval from Estuario. Estuario, at its sole discretion, shall determine the release and disclosure of information related to this RFP and any final work products as a result of this.
The San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership (Estuario) 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 restore and conserve the water quality in the San Juan Bay Estuary ecosystem as a sustainable hub of social and economic development. Per Section 320 of the CWA, each of the 28 entities affiliated to the NEP must submit to the 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.
Agreement for Professional Services
The selected Contractor will be required to sign an Agreement for Professional Services.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (4T-96213322-3)
Start Date:
February 2027
The Corporation for the Conservation of the San Juan Bay Estuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that operates the San Juan Bay Estuary Partnership. 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. MBE/WBE and other certified minorities and small businesses are encouraged to apply.
