About this opportunity
AI summaryThe Land Trust Alliance requires a project consultant to deliver technical assistance, easement consultation, coaching, and land transaction advice in support of the New York Forest Conservation Easements for Land Trusts Program. The consultant will help prepare for and deliver the annual grant round, build working relationships with land trusts and state officials, and assist applicants with proposal eligibility, completeness checks, and project due diligence. Work will be performed offsite across a one-year contract term. Eligibility is restricted to USA-based onshore applicants. Proposals must include a brief professional experience narrative, client references, and a budget broken out by services or level of effort with hourly rates. Mandatory requirements include entering a written subcontract incorporating New York State contract provisions, establishing vendor responsibility, and maintaining a minimum of $1,000,000 in general liability insurance. Questions must be submitted by email no later than October 30, 2026. Proposals are due electronically by November 19, 2026. Evaluation criteria focus on professional qualifications (35%), experience assisting land trusts (25%), grants management experience (15%), project management expertise (15%), and proposed cost (10%). The total project budget is up to $55,000 USD.
Buyer and opportunity details
- Client
- Land Trust Alliance
Scope of work
- Help prepare for and deliver the annual FCELT grant round in Fall 2027
- Conduct outreach guided by the Alliance to promote the FCELT program across New York
- Act as a pre-submission resource to land trusts developing forest land acquisition proposals
- Provide technical assistance to check proposals for eligibility and completeness and support the grant review panel
- Assist new and past awardees with conservation easement project development and due diligence
- Assist with efforts to develop a conservation easement template and project documentation
How proposals are evaluated
| Criterion | Weight / scoring |
|---|---|
| Conservation easement acquisition and real estate transaction expertise | 35% |
| Demonstrated, working knowledge of New York land trusts, FCELT, DEC requirements, and Land Trust Standards and Practices | 20% |
| Demonstrated experience in assisting and coaching land trusts as they bring publicly funded projects through a full project lifecycle from inception to closing | 15% |
| Experience with grants management, providing technical assistance to land trusts or other entities that perform conservation easement transactions, and proposed approach to managing both | 10% |
| Completeness/thoroughness of proposal in addressing scope of work requirements and qualifications | 10% |
| Proposed budget/cost | 10% |
Minimum qualifications
- Minimum of five years of acquisition-related work at a land trust, consulting firm, or similar entity
- Significant conservation easement acquisition and real estate expertise
- Project management expertise, with grants management experience preferred
- Familiarity with the New York land trust community, state conservation funding programs, and state-level conservation plans and priorities
- Ability to manage multiple projects at various stages of development and timelines
- Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communications skills
- Preference for the contractor to be located in the State of New York
Documents to include with your response
- Brief narrative outlining relevant experience, technical expertise, and coaching approach
- List of proposed team members including biographies and/or resumes
- Budget broken out by the six primary services or level of effort with hourly rate
- List of at least three client references and contact information, including a non-profit entity
- Work products from similar projects for other organizations (if appropriate)
- New York State Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire (if contracted services equal or exceed $100,000 cumulative value)
Key dates
- Alliance publishes RFP
- Tuesday, October 27, 2026
- Interested consultants submit optional confirmation of intention and questions by email
- Friday, October 30, 2026
- Alliance distributes responses to questions
- Wednesday, November 4, 2026
- Interested consultants submit proposal by email
- Thursday, November 19, 2026
- Conduct applicant interviews, as needed
- Week of November 23, 2026
- Alliance selects consultant and offers contract
- By Wednesday, December 2, 2026
- Contractor begins work on contract
- January 1, 2027
- Contractor completes work on contract
- December 31, 2027
How to submit
- Method
- Instructions
- Submit proposals electronically to Rex Linville at [email protected]
Contract details
- Term
- Initial contract from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027, with optional annual renewals through September 30, 2031
- Estimated value
- $45,000 to $55,000 annually
- Place of performance
- Offsite / New York State
- Insurance and bonding
- General liability insurance minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate at time of contract execution
- Funding
- Agreement between the Land Trust Alliance and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
