NIGP 91855: Geological Consulting and Study

NIGP 91855 Geological Consulting and Study, an Item code, encompasses subsurface investigation, geotechnical assessment, groundwater analysis, and related earth science services that state and local governments procure to support infrastructure planning, water resource management, environmental compliance, and risk mitigation across utility, transportation, environmental, and municipal sectors. Recent solicitations reveal a mix of geotechnical materials testing, hydrogeologic modeling and feasibility studies, brackish groundwater production zone analysis, landslide monitoring, and watershed master planning—work typically performed by licensed professional engineers, geoscientists, and hydrogeologists under continuing services agreements or task-order frameworks structured on hourly or lump-sum compensation. Issuing bodies include county utilities departments, municipal water authorities, regional water management districts, state water agencies, county capital programs offices, transportation authorities, and special-purpose districts. Florida water utilities—Pinellas County Utilities, Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department, and West Basin Municipal Water District—appear as repeat buyers, alongside Georgia Department of Transportation and state-level agencies such as the Texas Water Development Board and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The code spans a geographic mix anchored in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Washington, California, and Oregon, reflecting both arid and water-resource-constrained jurisdictions pursuing alternatives supplies and flood resilience studies.

Representative recent opportunities include Hillsborough County Capital Programs Department's RPS-26-00367 for Miscellaneous Subsurface Investigation and Testing, an RFP due November 3, 2026, seeking an estimated $6 million four-year continuing contract for geotechnical services, materials testing, roofing and waterproofing assessments, and asbestos-related work; West Basin Municipal Water District's RFPDS0151 for Groundwater Modeling and Reporting Services, an RFP due October 20, 2026, for annual MODFLOW/SEAWAT updates over five years to support seawater intrusion barrier permitting; Pinellas County Utilities' RFQ 26-0616-CCNAC for Hydrogeologic Consulting Services, a five-year CCNA contract with $5 million estimated value and an August 11, 2026 deadline; and the City of St. Cloud's RFQ 2026-039 for a Watershed Master Plan, due June 4, 2026, with an estimated cost of $600,000. Small business enterprise participation goals are mandatory at most of these jurisdictions—typically 10 to 20 percent—and professional liability insurance requirements run $1 million to $3 million per claim. Work-order or task-order structures with no guaranteed minimum are standard; individual project fees and construction costs are capped at $500,000 to $7.75 million per engagement. Competition appears moderate to active across multiple issuing bodies, with evaluation weighting technical qualifications and relevant experience heavily and cost as a secondary or negotiable factor under CCNA or Brooks Act procedures.