Requests for Proposal or Qualifications
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) – PHASE ONE
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK SERVICES
May 8, 2026
1. INTRODUCTION
The Board of Education of Unified School District No. 418, McPherson, Kansas, is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from firms interested in providing Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services for the District’s proposed $75 million bond program.
This RFQ represents Phase One of a three-phase qualifications-based selection process pursuant to Kansas law.
The District intends to select one CMAR firm to serve as the construction partner for the entire bond program.
This RFQ represents Phase One of a three-phase qualifications-based selection process pursuant to Kansas law.
The District intends to select one CMAR firm to serve as the construction partner for the entire bond program.
2. PROJECT OVERVIEW
The anticipated total construction value is approximately $78,000,000.
The bond program is expected to include:- High School addition and renovations
- Career & Technical Education (CTE) enhancements
- Middle School addition and renovations
- Elementary facility secure entrances and improvements
- Infrastructure upgrades and site improvements
- Major building systems upgrades
- Potential mass site reconfiguration and early site work
Anticipated Timeline
- Bond Election: March 3, 2026
- CMAR Pre-construction Start: July 2026
- Potential Early Bid Packages
- Mass excavation
- Foundations and footings
- Structural steel
- Precast systems
- Vertical Construction Start: Winter 2026/2027
- Program Completion: Winter Break 2028/2029
The District anticipates issuing multiple early bid packages to mitigate schedule and material cost risk.
Incite Design Studio (iDS) will serve as Architect of Record.
3. SELECTION PROCESS
The CMAR selection will occur in three phases:
Phase One – RFQ (Qualifications Only)
The District will evaluate qualifications and shortlist three (3) to five (5) firms.
Phase Two – RFP
Shortlisted firms will submit:
- Pre-construction Fee
- General Conditions
- Overhead & Profit
In accordance with Kansas statute, fee proposals will be submitted directly to the Kansas Secretary of Administration. Fee scoring shall not exceed 5% of total evaluation.
Phase Three – Interviews
Executive session interviews with shortlisted firms.
Interview scoring shall not exceed 15% of total score.
The District reserves the right to reject any or all submittals.
4. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The selected CMAR shall provide services including, but not limited to:
A. Pre-construction Phase
- Detailed cost modeling at each design milestone
- Phasing and logistics planning for occupied campuses
- Early bid package development
- Long-lead material procurement strategy
- Value analysis and construct ability review
- Budget reconciliation with Architect
- Development of Guaranteed Maximum Price(s)
- Risk management planning
- Coordination of early site/make-ready packages
B. Construction Phase
- Competitive public bidding of trade packages
- Subcontractor pre-qualification
- Contract administration
- Schedule management
- Budget control and reporting
- Quality control and safety oversight
- Coordination with school operations
- Closeout and warranty management
- All savings under the Guaranteed Maximum Price shall be returned to the District.
5. PHASE ONE – QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS
Submittals shall be organized as follows:
1. Firm Overview
- Legal name and primary office location
- Years in business
- Organizational structure
- Current workload and bonding capacity
2. Relevant K-12 Experience
- Minimum three (3) Kansas USD CMAR projects
- Experience delivering multi-campus programs over $50M
- Experience working in occupied educational facilities
3. Experience in Central Kansas
The District seeks firms with demonstrated successful delivery of projects in Central Kansas and familiarity with the regional subcontractor market.
4. CMAR Experience Under K.S.A. 72-6760
- Understanding of statutory CMAR process
- Past Kansas CMAR fee submissions
- Experience coordinating with the Secretary of Administration
5. Key Personnel (Specific to This Program)
Identify proposed:
- Project Executive
- Project Manager
- Superintendent(s)
- Pre-construction Lead
- Scheduling Lead
Include resumes and confirm availability through Spring 2029.
6. Early Package Strategy
Provide specific narrative describing:
- Experience releasing early mass excavation packages
- Structural steel and precast pre-purchasing strategies
- Managing winter vertical starts
7. Financial Capacity
- Bonding letter equal to or exceeding $78,000,000
- Insurance limits consistent with AIA A133
- Summary financial statement
8. Local and Regional Subcontractor Engagement
Describe:
- Strategy for engaging Central Kansas subcontractors
- Past local participation percentages
- Approach to transparent public bidding
9. References
Minimum six (6):
- Two Owners (USD preferred)
- Two Architects
- Two Subcontractors
- The District will evaluate qualifications based on:
- Relevant K-12 CMAR experience
- Central Kansas experience
- Key personnel qualifications
- Pre-construction capabilities
- Early package delivery strategy
- Financial capacity
- References and past performance
Fee proposals are not included in Phase One.
7. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
- Eight (8) hard copies
- One (1) digital PDF copy
- Maximum 40 pages (excluding covers/dividers)
Deliver to:
Dr. Shiloh Vincent, Superintendent
McPherson USD 418
514 North Main
McPherson KS 67460
Submission Deadline:
Tuesday, May 29, 2026 – 2:00 PM CST
8. ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE
Printable CMaR RFQ (Spring 2026)
Prior RFPs