NIGP 95984: Towing Services, Marine

NIGP 95984 Towing Services, Marine is an Item code that covers state and local government procurement of derelict and abandoned vessel removal, emergency marine towing, and related vessel disposition services. Recent solicitations show two distinct operational patterns: single-asset derelict vessel removal projects funded through Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission grant programs, and multi-year continuing contracts for emergency response and on-call marine towing. Issuing bodies include Florida county marine resources divisions (Escambia County, Lee County), municipal public works and police departments (City of Tampa, City of Sarasota), school districts for emergency fleet support (Pinellas County Schools), state environmental agencies (Oregon Department of State Lands, Texas General Land Office), and county governments managing police and public safety fleet operations (Gwinnett County, DeKalb County). A subset of solicitations deviates into terrestrial vehicle towing, reflecting ambiguity in how some jurisdictions classify mixed vehicle and vessel services under this code.

Recent opportunities concentrate in Florida, driven by state-level derelict vessel grant cycles administered by FWC. Escambia County Marine Resources Division has issued multiple ITQs for individual vessel removals across 2026 (Mojoe, Home Free, Kees Bayou Barge, 32-foot Catalina, 30-foot Morgan) with tight response windows and seven-to-fourteen-day mobilization and completion windows. The City of Fort Myers posted RFP26067 for a five-year continuing contract on derelict vessel removal with disaster response capability, response due August 18, 2026, covering Lee County and Fort Lauderdale with unit pricing by vessel size category and emergency mobilization fees. The City of Tampa issued ITB 26P00115 for removal, towing, storage, and disposal of vessels on an as-needed basis with a Small Local Business Enterprise sheltered-market designation. Outside Florida, the Oregon Department of State Lands solicited a single RFP for removal of abandoned and derelict vessels up to 40 feet across the Willamette and Columbia Rivers (response due June 23, 2026, up to $250,000 contract value through June 2027), and the Texas General Land Office solicited demolition and removal of an abandoned dry dock facility in Port Bolivar (RFP8220LP). All marine-vessel solicitations mandate high limits of specialized marine insurance—Protection & Indemnity, Maritime Workers Compensation, and Marine Pollution Liability—and most require USCG licenses, PADI/NAUI diver certification, or both. Work is highly seasonal in Florida, driven by grant funding cycles and natural disaster response requirements.