CMU Project Support and Design Assistance RFP
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Background
The Block Design Collective (BDC) is a non-profit entity seeking exemption under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(6) that has been established by the Concrete Masonry Checkoff Board to expand the use of Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) in all types of construction. The primary goals of the BDC are to establish an exhaustive library of concrete masonry resources and tools easily accessible by the design community, to provide education and training to improve designer comfort and familiarity with the use of masonry, to provide project support and design assistance service to architects and engineers at no cost to them, and to influence projects to utilize CMU by engaging owners and decision-makers throughout the project lifecycle.
Overview of Proposal Request
The Block Design Collective is seeking qualified design professionals/firms to provide project support services on behalf of the concrete masonry industry. The selected consultants will assist in delivering timely, high-quality, technical support to designers and builders.
The goal of the BDC is to have national coverage to handle a broad spectrum of inquiries in every state. To do that will require engaging multiple consultants across the country. Each consultant will serve under a separate contract agreement with a pre-determined fee structure.
Project support provided through the BDC will be promoted on a national level and provided to the clients at no charge. Architects and engineers will be encouraged to submit inquiries via an online platform where the Block Design Collective will sort, assign, track, and complete design assistance tickets. Partnering consultants will be assigned tickets based on the nature of the inquiry and the location of the ticket.
On a case-by-case basis, the BDC may elect either to remain the point of contact for the client or to put the client in direct contact with a partnering consultant to follow-through on the support. It is important to note that timeliness is a key metric that will be used to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our services. While some inquiries will inherently take more involvement that others, consultants will be expected to respond within a reasonable amount of time.
In addition to providing project support, consultants will be encouraged to proactively identify opportunities to enhance the use of concrete masonry within projects. This includes recognizing instances where CMU designs can be optimized for better efficiency or where the expanded use of CMU can provide added value to the client in terms of performance, durability, or cost-efficiency.