HICKORY — The Western Piedmont Council of Governments issued an Aug. 12, 2026, request for qualifications for on-call engineering and architectural services to support disaster-recovery applications after Tropical Storm Helene.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration has released FY 2025 Disaster Supplemental funding for construction and non-construction work in areas with federally declared major disasters under the Robert T. Stafford Act (2023–2024). Individual grant awards range from $250,000 to $20 million for eligible government entities, the RFQ states.
Because of Helene in 2024 (DR-4827-NC), several North Carolina counties are eligible. WPCOG is coordinating Preliminary Engineering Reports and building construction cost estimates to help local governments apply. Up to $250,000 is available for those reports. WPCOG reserved the right to withhold project awards if anticipated federal funding is reduced or cancelled.
Priority counties listed are Allegany, Alexander, Ashe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Watauga, and Wilkes. Selected firms would prepare PERs and cost estimates that meet EDA application requirements, including federal form ED-900C, and coordinate with local officials and WPCOG staff.
Potential project types include public water and sewer, roadway and bridge work, rail and freight, industrial-park development, broadband, workforce-training facilities, and other public infrastructure meant to support long-term economic resilience. Reports must follow 2 CFR 200 procurement standards. Subcontracting must be disclosed in writing. WPCOG may award multiple contracts, choose the best-qualified applicant, or reject all submittals.
Responses are due Sept. 14, 2026, by 5 p.m. EST, emailed to Ben Willis at [email protected], with subject line “RFQ for On-Call Engineering Services Response” or “RFQ for On-Call Architectural Services Response.”
Submittals must include three professional references from the last five years; a narrative covering firm history, staffing, North Carolina public-sector experience, speed of delivery, office location, litigation history, and hourly rates; and must not include a priced proposal or cost estimate for services.
An impartial selection committee will review proposals. Interviews are possible, but selections may be made on the written submittals. Criteria listed, in no particular order, are qualifications, project-manager credentials, reference checks, speed in producing PERs and cost estimates, and local presence.
WPCOG’s mailing address is P.O. Box 9026, Hickory, NC 28603. The location listed in the RFQ footer is 1880 2nd Avenue NW, Hickory, NC 28601.
Official release from Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Aug. 12, 2026. https://www.wpcog.org/single-post/request-for-qualifications-rfq-on-call-engineering-services-and-architectural-services
