Release: City Seeks Responses Regarding Solid Waste Service Procurement and Transition

All current municipal solid waste contracts will expire in 2025, with new or altered service to begin on or around January 1, 2026
 

INDIANAPOLIS – Today the City of Indianapolis announced the release of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for professional services regarding solid waste service procurement and transition. This RFQ calls for qualified firms or teams to assist the Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) in procuring contracts for all solid waste and recycling services.

The City has 11 geographical areas in which single-family residences receive weekly solid waste collection services provided by Indy DPW and two contractors. The Solid Waste Division of Indy DPW also manages contracts for solid waste-to-energy disposal, landfill disposal, curbside recycling collection and processing, drop-off recycling collection and processing, seasonal leaf collection and composting, and transfer station management. Municipal solid waste contracts have a statutory lifespan of 40 years. All current contracts associated with the program will expire in 2025, with new or altered service to begin on or around January 1, 2026.

In 2019, the City's Office of Sustainability (OOS) developed and published Thrive Indianapolis, the City's first-ever sustainability and resiliency action plan, which established several specific waste and recycling goals to make possible a 40% increase in the community-wide waste diversion rate by 2030 and a "reduce first" approach to waste by actively promoting waste minimization policies, programs, and events. 

Indy DPW, in partnership with OOS, conducted a solid waste minimization study in 2021/2022 to fully understand the many variables of the solid waste program. The implementation schedule resulting from this study will guide Indy DPW as it moves forward with selecting consulting partners and executing procurement tasks. The City now requires a qualified contractor or team to partner with DPW and OOS to assist in the next two years of procurement efforts, as well as the transition period thereafter. 

Procurement effort work may include, but not be limited to, the development of request for proposal documentation, proposal reviews, vendor negotiations, and assistance in drafting and executing vendor agreements. Transition period work may include, but not be limited to, public outreach, creating education campaigns, assisting the department with transitioning to potential new partners, or navigating new terms with existing partners.

The RFQ (titled Solid Waste Service Procurement & Transition: RFQual-14DPW-2023-1) is posted on the City's bid portal here. To be awarded the contract, vendors must be registered with the City of Indianapolis. The deadline for questions is April 7, 2023 at noon, and the deadline for submissions is April 21, 2023 at noon.