COLUMBIA COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO. 2026-O FOR

CONTINUING GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with F.S. 287.055 the Consultant’s Competitive

Negotiation Act (CCNA), sealed qualifications will be received until 2:00 P.M., Thursday, October

29, 2026 at the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners, Purchasing Department, 135 NE

Hernando Avenue, Suite 203, Lake City, Florida 32055.

Qualifications will be opened at 2:00. P.M., or as soon thereafter, on Thursday, October 29, 2026 at the same location in the presence of the Purchasing Department staff and all other interested persons.

TIMETABLE

Date of Advertisement: 09/23/26

Last Date of Inquiries: 10/23/26

Final Addendum: 10/26/26

BID Due: 10/29/26 2:00PM

BID Open: 10/29/26 after 2:00PM

Issued By: Purchasing Department ejones@columbiacountyfla.com

The following are proposed dates for Recommendation of Award or Contract. The County reserves the right to alter dates as needed:

BCC: NOVEMBER 19, 2026 (or later)

All Qualifications shall be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners, Purchasing Department, 135

NE Hernando Avenue, Suite 203, Lake City, Florida, which shall record receipt thereof by date and time on the Sealed Qualification Envelope. The deadline for receipt of a particular Qualification submittal shall be per the Request for Qualifications. All Qualifications must be physically received by the

Purchasing Department prior to the deadline indicated in the Request for Qualifications. A Qualification may not be submitted by facsimile transmission or by email. The use of an overnight delivery service, of the United States Postal Service or any other type of delivery service to submit a Qualification shall be entirely at the risk of the Bidder submitting the same, and any Qualification so received after the applicable deadline shall be deemed untimely. Upon receipt, the Purchasing Department will maintain custody and control of all Qualification submittals until after they have been opened. The Purchasing

Department shall serve as the permanent record holder of all Qualification submittals for the County

Manager.

An original and three copies of the Qualification and USB drive must be received in a sealed envelope.

Proof of liability insurance, form W-9 taxpayer identification number, and bid information shall be included with all responses submitted.

mailto:ejones@columbiacountyfla.com

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

These instructions will bind bidders and conditions herein set forth, except as specifically qualified in special bid and contract terms issued with any individual bid.

1. The following criteria are used in determining low responsible bidder:

The ability, capacity and skill of bidder to perform required service.

Whether the bidder can perform service promptly or within specified time.

The determined character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience and efficiency of bidder.

The performance of previous contracts with Columbia County or entities similar to

Columbia County.

The suitability of equipment or material for County use.

The ability of bidder to provide future maintenance.

2. Payment Terms are net thirty (30) unless otherwise specified. Favorable terms, discounts, may be offered and will be considered in determining low bids if they are deemed by

Purchasing Department to be advantageous to the County.

3. All bids should be tabulated, totaled and checked for accuracy. Where applicable, the provided unit price will prevail in case of discrepancies or other errors.

4. All requested information shall be included in the envelope. All desired information must be included for your bid to receive full consideration.

5. If anything on the bid request is not clear, you should contact the Purchasing Director immediately.

6. A bidders list is available at the Purchasing Office.

7. Quote all prices F.O.B. our warehouse or as specified in bid documents.

8. Each proposal shall be clearly marked on the outside of the envelope including Fed Ex, UPS or other delivery service envelopes, as a sealed bid. The name of the item being bid shall be shown on the outside in full.

9. The County shall not be liable for any bid opened prematurely if that bid was not sealed in a properly marked envelope.

10. If only one (1) bid is received, the bid may be rejected and re-advertised or excepted if determined to be in the counties best interest.

11. Bids received late will not be accepted. It is the bidder’s sole responsibility to ensure proposals are timely delivered and received before the deadline.

12. Telephone and facsimile bids will not be accepted under any circumstances. Should a timely delivered bid be misplaced by the County but later found before ranking occurs, the

(Unless otherwise specified in the ITB/RFP/RFQ) bid will be considered. A bidder may request a receipt showing the day and time a bid envelope is delivered to the appropriate office of the County.

13. Bids requiring bid bonds will not be accepted if bond is not enclosed. Cash or certified check will be accepted in lieu of bond except on construction projects with a project budget exceeding $40,000.

14. Upon request of the Purchasing Office or County Manager, a bidder must provide proof that the bidder has the requisite organization, capital, plant, stock, ability, and experience to perform the contract contemplated by the Request for Proposals/Qualifications or

Invitation to Bid.

15. Any alterations, erasures, additions, or omissions of required information or any changes to specifications or bidding schedule are done at the risk of the bidder. Any bid will be rejected that has a substantial variation, that is; a variation that affects price, quantity, and quality or delivery date (when delivery is required by a specific time).

16. When requested, samples will be furnished to the County free of expense, properly marked for identification and accompanied by a list where there is more than one (1) sample. The

County reserves the right to mutilate or destroy any sample submitted whenever it may be to the best interest of the County to do so for the purpose of testing.

17. The County will reject any material, supplies or equipment that did not meet the specifications, even though the bidder lists the trade names or names of such material on the bid or price quotation form.

18. The unauthorized use of patented articles is done entirely at the risk of the successful bidder.

19. The ESTIMATED QUANTITY given in the specifications or advertisements is for the purpose of bidding only. The County may purchase more or less than the estimated quantity and the vendor must not assume that such estimated quantity is part of the contract.

20. Only the latest model equipment as evidenced by the manufacture’s current published literature will be considered. Obsolete models of equipment not in production will not be acceptable. The equipment shall be composed of new parts and materials. Any unit containing used parts or having seen any service other than the necessary tests will be rejected. In addition to the equipment specifically called for in the specification, all equipment catalogued by the manufacturer as standard or required by the State of Florida shall be furnished with the equipment. Where required by the State of Florida Motor

Vehicle Code, vehicles shall be inspected and bear the latest inspection sticker of the

Florida Department of Revenue.

21. The successful bidder on motor vehicle equipment shall be required to furnish with delivery of vehicle, certificate of origin and any other appropriate documentation as required by the

Florida Motor Vehicle Department.

22. Prospective bidders are required to examine the location of the proposed work or delivery and determine, in their own way, the difficulties, which are likely to be encountered in the prosecution of the same.

23. All materials, equipment and supplies shall be subject to rigid inspection, under the immediate supervision of the Purchasing Department, its designee and /or the department to which they are delivered. If defective material, equipment, or supplies are discovered, the contractor, upon being instructed by the Purchasing Department or designee, shall remove, or make good such material, equipment, or supplies without extra compensation.

It is expressly understood and agreed that the inspection of materials by the County will in no way lessen the responsibility of the Contractor release him from his obligation to perform and deliver to the County Sound and satisfactory materials, equipment, or supplies.

The Contractor agrees to pay the costs of all tests upon defective material, equipment, or supplies or allow the costs to be deducted from any monies due him from the County.

24. Unless otherwise specified by the Purchasing Department all materials, supplies, or equipment quoted herein must be delivered within thirty (30) days from the day of notification or exceptions noted on bid sheets.

25. A contract will not be awarded to any corporation, firm, or individual who is, from any cause, in arrears to the County or who has failed in former contracts with the County to perform work satisfactorily, either to the character of the work, the fulfillment or guarantee, or the time consumed in completing the work.

26. Reasonable grounds for supposing that any bidder is interested in more than one proposal for the same item will be considered sufficient cause for rejection of all proposals in which he is interested.

27. Submitting a proposal when the bidder intends to sublet the contract may be a cause for rejection of bids or cancellation of the contract by the County Manager.

28. Unless otherwise specified, the County reserves the right to award each items separately or on a lump sum basis whichever is in the best interest of the County.

29. Respondents to this solicitation or persons acting on their behalf may not contact, between the release of the solicitation and the end of the 72-hour period following the agency posting the notice of intended award, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays, any employee or officer of the executive or legislative branch concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except in writing to the procurement officer or as provided in the solicitation documents. Violation of this provision may be grounds for rejecting a response.

30. The County reserves the right to reject any quotations or specifications and the right to waive minor discrepancies as to all bidders equally, when such rejection or waiver is deemed to be in the best interest of the County. For unit priced items, the County may elect to purchase part, all, or none of the materials, supplies, or equipment specified in a bid.

31. The bidder or the bidder's authorized representative or agent must sign the bid in the space provided. Unsigned bids will be rejected. Signature must be "wet" signatures in ink.

Typewritten or printed signatures will not be accepted.

32. Any bidder may withdraw his/her bid at any time before the time set for the opening of the bids.

33. It is mutually understood and agreed that if at any time the Purchasing Department or designee shall be of the opinion that the contract or any part thereof is unnecessarily delayed or that the rate of progress or delivery is unsatisfactory, or that the contractor is willfully violating any of the conditions or covenants of the agreement, or executing the same in bad faith, the Purchasing Department or his/her designee shall have the power to notify the contractor of the nature of the complaint. Notification shall constitute delivery of notice, or letter to address given in the proposal. If after three (3) working days of notification the conditions are not corrected to the satisfaction of the Purchasing Officer, he shall have the power to take whatever action necessary to complete the work or delivery and the expense shall be deducted from any paid by the County out of such monies as may become due to the said contractor. In case such expense shall exceed the last said sum, then and in that event, the bondsman or the contractor, his/her executors, administrators, successors, or assigns, shall pay the amounts of such excess to the County on notice made by the Purchasing Department or his/her designee of the excess due.

34. If the bidder proposes to furnish any item of foreign make or product, he shall write

“foreign” together with the name of the originating country opposite such item on a proposal.

35. Any complaint from bidders relative to the invitation to bid or attached specifications shall be made prior to the time of opening bids; otherwise, the bidder waives any such complaint.

36. Contracts may be cancelled by the County with or without cause on thirty- (30) days advance written notice.

37. All contractors submitting bids for road projects in excess of $250,000 must be pre-qualified with the Florida Department of Transportation and shall provide proof of such qualification.

38. Any bidder affected adversely by an intended decision with respect to the award of any bid, shall file with the Purchasing Department for Columbia County, a written notice of intent to file a protest not later than seventy-two (72) hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays), after the posting of the bid tabulation. Protest procedures may be obtained in the Purchasing Department.

39. A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor's list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to Columbia County, may not submit a bid on a contract with Columbia County for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to Columbia County, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with Columbia County, and may not transact business with Columbia County for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

40. Vendor/Contractor shall utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system, in accordance with the terms governing use of the system, to confirm the employment eligibility of;

All persons employed by the Vendor/Contractor during the term of the Contract to perform employment duties within Florida; and

All persons, including subcontractors, assigned by the Vendor/Contractor to perform work pursuant to the contract with the County.

41. Contractor shall register on line at https://www.columbiacountyfla.com/PurchasingBids.asp for this specific project. All addendums are delivered via email through this website, and it is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure all addendums are used in the bid submittal.

https://www.columbiacountyfla.com/PurchasingBids.asp

Sealed Bid Envelope: Each Bid and its accompanying materials shall be submitted in a single, sealed, and opaque envelope. The following items shall be prominently marked on the cover of the envelope by the Bidder:

a. The number assigned to the particular Request for Qualifications.

b. The title of the Bid exactly as it appeared in the Request for Qualifications.

c. The date of the Bid Opening.

1. Additional Evaluation: The County reserves the right to request any additional information from Bidders after Bid Opening and before award as may be necessary to assist in review and evaluation of any Bid prior to submittal of a recommendation for award to the Board of County

Commissioners.

2. Americans with Disabilities Act: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person needing a special accommodation to participate in this matter should contact the

Columbia County ADA Coordinator, by mail, at P.O. Box 1529, Lake City, FL 32056, or by telephone at (386) 755-4100, no later than seven (7) days prior to the hearing or proceeding for which this notice has been given. Hearing impaired persons can access the foregoing telephone number by contacting 1-386- 758-2139 (TDD).

3. Award: The Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will be awarded to the responsible Firm submitting a Proposal determined to provide the best value to the County with price, technical, and other applicable factors considered.

4. Bid Errors: Where Bid forms have erasures or corrections, each erasure or correction must be initialed in ink by the Bidder. In case of unit price Bid items, if an error is committed in the extension of an item, the unit price as shown in the Bid response will govern. Errors between any sum, computed by the Bidder, and the correct sum thereof will be resolved in favor of the correct sum. Any discrepancy between words and numbers will be resolved in favor of the written words.

5. Bid Preparation Costs: By submission of a Bid, The Bidder agrees that all costs associated with the preparation of his/her Bid will be the sole responsibility of the Bidder and shall not be borne by the County. The Bidder also agrees that the County bears no responsibility for any costs associated with the preparation of their Bid and/or any administrative or judicial proceedings resulting from the solicitation process.

6. Bid Protests: Any person who is adversely affected by a Request for Bids, by any Addendum thereto, or by a Bid Decision may file with the County Manager a written notice of Bid Protest no later than 4:30 p.m. on the third Business Day immediately following the date notice is published, with respect to a Request for Bids; no later than 4:30 p.m. on the third Business

Day immediately following the date of issuance, with respect to any Addendum; and within 72 hours after the posting of the notice, exclusive of hours occurring during days that are other than Business Days, with respect to a Bid Decision. Full bid protest procedures can be found in Section 304.8 of the County Purchasing Policy which can be found on the County’s website by following the appropriate links from the Home page at https://www.columbiacountyfla.com/Purchasing.asp

7. Business Registration Requirement: In accordance with Chapters 605-623, Florida Statutes, in order to do business in the State of Florida, corporations (and other business designations) are required to be registered and in good standing with the Department of State, Department of

Corporations. To be eligible to receive a contract and/or purchase order registration must be accomplished prior to the initial posting indicating intent to award to that vendor. Failure to be registered may be cause for disqualification. Contact the Department of Corporations at (850)

245-6000. Online- filing is available at: http://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz

8. Cancellation of RFQ: Columbia County reserves the right to cancel a solicitation at any time prior to approval of the award. The decision to cancel a solicitation cannot be the basis for a protest under the formal protest process as referenced herein.

9. Conflict of Interest: The award hereunder is subject to Chapter 112, Florida Statutes. All proposers must disclose with their Proposal, any personal or organizational conflicts of interest pursuant to Section 112.313, Florida Statutes, the name of any officer, director, or agent who is also an employee of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners. Further, all proposers must disclose the name of any Columbia County Board of County Commissioners employee who owns, directly or indirectly, an interest of the proposer’s firm or any of its branches.

10. Contractor Qualifications and Requirements: At the time of Bid Opening, all Bidders must be certified or registered pursuant to Chapter 489, Florida Statutes at the time of submitting a

Bid. All Bidders must submit evidence of current state certification or registration as applicable, prior to award of this Bid.

The following licensing requirements shall apply when the applicable Florida statute mandates specific licensing for Contractors engaged in the type of work covered by this solicitation.

a. State of Florida, Department of Professional Regulation as Professional Engineer.

b. Said licenses shall be in the Bidder's name as it appears on the Bid Form. Bidder shall supply a copy of each applicable license showing the appropriate license numbers, with expiration dates as required by the County. Failure to hold and provide proof of proper licensing, certification and registration may be grounds for rejection of the Bid and/or termination of the Contract.

c. Sub-Contractors Contracted by the Prime Contractor shall be licensed in their respective fields to obtain construction permits from the County. Said license must be in the name of the Sub-

Contractor.

11. Copyright Restrictions: Both the County seal and the County logo are being registered for a http://www.columbiacountyfla.com/Purchasing.asp http://www.columbiacountyfla.com/Purchasing.asp http://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz copyright. Neither the Columbia County seal nor the logo may be used or provided to non-

Columbia County government users for use on company Bids, presentations, etc.

12. Deviations: Bidders are hereby advised the County will only consider Bids that meet the specifications and other requirements imposed upon them by this Bid document. In instances where a deviation is stated in the Bid Form, said Bid will be subject to rejection by the County in recognition of the fact that said Bid does not meet the exact requirements imposed upon the

Bidder by the Bid or Contract documents.

13. Execution of Contract and Notice to Proceed: The awarded Bidder may be required to sign a written Contract. Said Contract will evidence in written form the agreement between the parties.

14. Indemnification: The awarded Bidder shall indemnify and hold harmless the County, and its officers and employees, from liabilities, damages, losses, and costs, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees, to the extent caused by the negligence, recklessness, or intentionally wrongful conduct of the company and other persons employed or utilized by the company in the performance of the Contract. The provisions of Florida Statutes Chapter 768.28 applicable to Columbia County, Florida apply in full to this Contract. Any legal actions to recover monetary damages in tort for injury or loss of property, personal injury, or death caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of any employee of the County acting within the scope of his/her office or employment are subject to the limitations specified in this statute.

No officer, employee or agent of the County acting within the scope of his/her employment or function shall be held personally liable in tort or named as a defendant in any action for any or damage suffered as a result of any act, event, or failure to act. The County shall not be liable in tort for the acts or omissions of an officer, employee, or agent committed while acting outside the course and scope of his/her employment. This exclusion includes actions committed in bad faith or with malicious purpose, or in a manner exhibiting wanton and willful disregard of human rights, safety, or property.

15. Inquiries/Questions: Any questions regarding this RFQ must be submitted via email to:

ejones@columbiacountyfla.com and must be received by the specified date. Responses to questions, clarifications, and addenda will be distributed to potential Bidders by email. It is the responsibility of interested Bidders to verify if this information has been issued prior to submitting a Bid.

All Addenda language issued shall become part of the Bid and Contract documents, and receipt must be acknowledged on the Bid Form, by completion of the applicable information on the

Addendum, and submitting it with the Bid. Failure to acknowledge Addenda which have no effect on the competitive nature of the bidding process may be a waivable deviation at the

County’s sole discretion.

16. Insurance Requirements: Any Bidder submitting a Bid must include, within its initial Bid submittal, proof of the following insurance, in effect continuously from the date of submittal mailto:bccpurchasing@columbiacountyfla.com through the sixty (60) days subsequent to the scheduled Bid Opening date:

a

a. Commercial General Liability

i. General Aggregate $1,000,000

ii. Products and Completed Operations Aggregate $1,000,000

iii. Personal and Advertising Injury $1,000,000

iv. Each Occurrence $1,000,000

v. Fire Damage (any one fire) $50,000

vi. Medical Expense (any one person) $5,000

b. Automobile Liability $1,000,000

Combined single limits with bodily injury/property damage, with minimum limits for all additional coverages

c. Workers Compensation/Employers

Liability

i. Workers Compensation statutory limits

ii. Employers Liability

a. Each Accident $100,000

b. Disease-Policy $500,000

c. Disease-Each Employee $100,000

d. Professional Liability

i. When required by contract-per occurrence $1,000,000

The County Manager may add to the insurance requirements or modify such by waiving, raising, or lowering the minimum coverages required for particular projects prior to a Request for

Proposals. Any additional or modified insurance requirements will be set forth in the Request for Proposals as necessary for a particular project. The Board will not waive any defects in a

Bid submittal pertaining to any insurance requirements herein.

Upon being awarded the Bid, the Bidder must provide proof that such insurance will be in effect from the date of commencement of the project. The Bidder must maintain insurance coverage at the above-prescribed levels through the date of completion of the project and that coverage must include all independent Contractors and Sub- Contractors. Either prior to or simultaneously with the execution of the Contract, the successful Bidder must deliver certificates of insurance for the required insurance coverages to the County naming “Columbia

County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida; and The Board of County Commissioners, Columbia County, Florida, its Employees, agents, boards and commissions, as their interests may appear” as “Additional Insured.” The certificate of insurance shall also include a thirty (30) day prior written notice of cancellation, modification or non-renewal to be provided to the

County.

17. Laws and Regulations: The Bidder shall comply with all laws and regulations applicable to provide the goods and/or services specified in this solicitation. The Bidder shall be familiar with all federal, state and local laws that may affect the goods and/or services offered. All applicable

Federal and State laws, municipal and Columbia County ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over any part of the project shall apply to the entire project and Contract.

18. Negotiations: After due consideration, Columbia County intends to entertain a short list of firms. Staff will begin negotiations with the number one ranked firm derived from the Columbia

County Board of County Commissioners short listing. If negotiation with the firm is successful, contract procedures will be initiated. If a successful negotiation cannot be reached, the County will begin negotiations with the number two, then number three ranked firm if deemed necessary by the County.

19. No Bid: Each company not intending to respond to this Bid should reply with a written “No Bid

Statement”. Such action will maintain the company on the appropriate active Bidder solicitation list. Three (3) failures to respond to solicitations may result in deletion from the Bidder solicitation list.

20. No Contact Period: During the Request for Bid Period, from publication of the notice of a

Request for Bids to the making of a Bid Decision, and during any related Protest Period, Bidders are prohibited from contacting, by any means, whether orally, telephonically, electronically or in writing, any member of the Board, any County Employee, including the County Manager, the County Attorney, or any member of the designated Evaluation Committee or any agent of the County regarding the Request for Proposals in any respect, with the exception of (i) Inquiries may be submitted to the Purchasing Department or other County Employees or agents if specifically provided in the Request for Proposals (ii) pre-Bid conferences provided for in the request package; and (iii) formal presentations by Bidders to the designated Evaluation

Committee or to the Board or any committee thereof specifically contemplated in the Request for

Bids.

21. Payments: All payments made under this Proposal will be made in accordance with the Local

Government Prompt Payment Act; in effect, not later than 45 days from receipt of proper invoice.

22. Presentations: At the discretion of the Board of County Commissioners any Committee contemplated herein, Vendors submitting proposals may be requested to make oral presentations as part of the evaluation process.

23. Public Entity Crimes: Pursuant to Section 287.133(2)(a) of the Florida Statutes, a person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a Bid for a Contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a Bid for a Contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit Bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a Contractor, supplier, Sub-Contractor, or consultant under a Contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017 of the Florida

Statutes, for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. By submitting a Bid, Proposal or Reply - Bidder attests that they have not been placed on the Convicted Vendor List.

24. Public Records – Proprietary/Confidential Information: In accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (Public Records Law) and except as may be provided by other applicable

State and Federal Law, all proposers should be aware that proposals are public record. Proposers should identify specifically any information contained in their proposal which they consider confidential and/or proprietary and which they believe to be exempt from disclosure, citing specifically the applicable exempting law. Failure to identify confidential and/or proprietary information prior to submission of the proposal may result in such information being subject to release if requested in a public records request.

25. Qualification: The County shall have the right to review the references, experience of assigned personnel, and qualifications of the Bidder in order to make the final determination of acceptability of the Bidder to be awarded the Contract and construct the work.

The Board of County Commissioners may reject, at its sole discretion, any Bidder the

Commission finds to lack, or who’s present or former executive employees, officers, directors, stockholders, partners or owners are found by the Commission to lack honesty, integrity, or moral responsibility. The Commission's finding may be based on any of the following factors:

the disclosure required herein, the County's own investigation, public records, or any other reliable source of information. The Commission may also reject any Bidder failing to make the disclosure required herein. By submitting a Bid, Bidder recognizes and accepts that the Board of County Commissioners may reject any Bid at its sole discretion and the Bidder waives any claim it might have for damages or other relief arising from the rejection of its Bid or resulting directly or indirectly from the rejection of its Bid based on these grounds or from the disclosure of any pertinent information relating to the reasons for rejection of its Bid.

26. Scrutinized Companies Certification: In compliance with subsection (5) of Section

287.135(5), Florida Statutes the Bidder certifies that the company is not participating in a boycott of Israel as defined in subsection (1) of the Statute; is not on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum

Energy Sector List as referred to in subsection (2) of the Statute; and is not engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria as defined in subsection (1) of the Statute. The included Scrutinized

Companies Certification Form must be completed and returned as part of the bid submittal.

27. Sub-Contractors: The County reserves the right to approve all Sub-Contractors. If Sub-

Contractors are to be utilized, their names and references must be included within this Bid.

Responsibility for the performance of the Contract remains with the main Contractor exclusively. After the commencement of the project, Sub-Contractors may be added or modified during the Contract period only with prior written permission from the County, and only for reasonable cause, as judged by the County.

28. Use of Contract by other Government Agencies: At the option of the Vendor/Contractor, the use of the Contract resulting from this solicitation may be extended to other governmental agencies, including the State of Florida, its agencies, political subdivision, counties, and cities.

Each governmental agency allowed by the Vendor/Contractor to use this Contract shall do so independent of any other governmental entity. Each agency shall be responsible for its own purchases and shall be liable only for goods or services ordered, received and accepted. No agency receives any liability by virtue of this bid and subsequent contract award.

29. Vendor Debarment: By submitting a Bid, Proposal or Reply, the Bidder certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting proposals for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Florida and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting proposals for contracts issued by any subdivision or agency of the

State of Florida.

30. Waiver of Formalities/Rejection of Bids: The County reserves the right to waive formalities in any Bid, to reject any or all Bids with or without cause, to waive irregularities/technicalities, and waive technical and non-technical or non-material defects in the Bid document or submittal of any Bid. The County reserves the right to make award either in part or completely, and/or to accept the Bid that, in its judgment, will be in the best interest of the County. Bids in which the prices obviously are unbalanced will be rejected. The County reserves the right to reject any and all Bids and to re-advertise for all or any part of this solicitation as deemed in its best interest.

31. Withdrawal of Bid: Bids may be withdrawn by a written or faxed request by the Bidder and received by the Purchasing Department before the date and time for receiving Bids has expired. Negligence on the part of the Bidder in preparing a Bid is not grounds for withdrawal or modification of a Bid after such Bid has been opened by the County. Bidders may not withdraw or modify a Bid after the appointed Bid Opening, and Bids will be in force for a minimum of thirty (30) days after the Bid Opening. Bidders may not assign or otherwise transfer their Bids.

INTRODUCTION

SOLICITATION OF LETTERS OF INTEREST AND STATEMENT OF

QUALIFICATIONS

RFQ 2026-O

CONTINUING GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING SERVICES

INTENT AND GENERAL INFORMATION

Columbia County is requesting qualifications from licensed and experienced geotechnical engineering firms to provide professional services in support of County capital improvement projects, transportation infrastructure, facilities, and other initiatives requiring subsurface evaluation and geotechnical expertise. Columbia County anticipates entering into Agreements with one or multiple qualified firm(s), with an initial term of five (5) years.

All professional services to be provided under this agreement shall be performed by

Professionals licensed to practice in the State of Florida and in strict compliance with the

Consultant’s Competitive Negotiation Act, 287.055 F.S. (CCNA). Consultants providing services under this contract shall at all times be knowledgeable of the limiting thresholds of the CCNA statutes and shall ensure that full compliance is maintained at all times.

SUBMITTAL

An original and three (3) copies for a total of four (4) and one thumb drive of each submission or alternate submissions must be received in a sealed envelope prominently marked on the outside with the words “RFQ 2026-O Continuing Geotechnical Engineering Services”.

Missing documentation may result in disqualification.

DEADLINE for receipt of submittals or alternate submittals in response to this Request is

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Proposals should be mailed to CCBCC, P.O. Box 1529, Lake City FL 32056-1529, or hand delivered to: CCBCC, 135 NE Hernando

Ave. Room 203, Lake City, FL 32055. Submissions by fax or other electronic media will not be accepted under any circumstances. Late submissions will not be accepted, but will be returned unopened to the sender at the sender’s expense.

PROHIBITION OF LOBBYING IN PROCUREMENT MATTERS.

During the period between the time the submittals for invitation for proposals request for qualifications, or information, or the invitation to negotiate, as applicable, has been issued by

CCBCC and the time the CCBCC awards the contract, no proposer, no lobbyist, principal, or other person may lobby on behalf of a competing party in a particular procurement matter, either any member of the Board, or any CCBCC employee. Violation of the provision may result in disqualification of violating party.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected firm shall provide geotechnical engineering services on an as-needed basis. Services may include, but are not limited to:

1. Subsurface exploration, including soil borings, test pits, pavement cores, and related field investigations

2. Laboratory testing of soils, aggregates, asphalt, concrete, and other materials

3. Analysis and recommendations related to foundations, pavement design, earthwork, slope stability, and groundwater conditions

4. Geotechnical reporting with findings, interpretations, calculations, and recommendations

5. Construction-phase support including field testing, special inspections, and review of contractor submittals

6. Expert consultation and attendance at meetings as required by County staff

7. Conducting Standard Penetration Tests, Cone Penetration Tests, or other accepted exploration methods

8. Performing laboratory analysis for classification, compaction, strength, consolidation, permeability, shrink-swell, and other relevant parameters

9. Providing foundation design recommendations for shallow or deep foundations

10. Providing pavement structure recommendations for new construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation

11. Evaluating subsurface conditions affecting stormwater facilities, roadway embankments, culverts, and utilities

12. Assessing geotechnical risks and offering mitigation strategies

13. Preparing clear, concise geotechnical engineering reports suitable for public-sector construction projects

14. Any additional geotechnical or materials engineering services necessary to support County projects

DELIVERABLES

The selected firm(s) will coordinate with Columbia County staff or designee, project consultants, contractors, and regulatory agencies throughout the duration of each assignment.

The County may issue task orders detailing the scope, schedule, and specifications for each project.

The consultant shall provide field exploration logs and laboratory test results, along with draft and final geotechnical reports that include recommendations for design, construction, and risk mitigation. All associated data, drawings, and analytical materials shall be delivered in digital format as part of the final project documentation.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Conformity and adherence to the terms and conditions of this solicitation shall be a condition considered by CCBCC as part of its review process. In determining submission acceptance, any data submitted or related to the offeror’s proposal, required or voluntary, shall be subject to evaluation as deemed appropriate and in the best interest of the County, including the conduct of the offeror or any representative of the offeror with regard to an CCBCC official or employee. Inaccurate and misleading information provided in an offeror’s proposal may result in rejection of the proposal.

Submittals in response to this solicitation will be reviewed against the criteria listed herein above, and award of contract(s) shall be made in accordance to standard purchasing procedures, the CCBCC Procurement Policy and applicable regulations of the State of Florida.

Submittals will be evaluated on the basis of submitted materials, references, and interviews as applicable.

Evidence of current professional registration (engineering or as applicable) is required.

A certificate of Insurability for professional errors and omission liability shall be provided before contract execution at minimum amounts as follows:

SUBMITTAL

Submittals should not contain information in excess of that requested, must be concise, and must specifically address the issues of this RFQ. It is requested that the response be no more than _25___ pages (excluding dividers, resumes, and reference letters) and titled Letter of

Interest and Statement Qualifications, RFQ # 2026-O. Resumes shall be limited to two pages per person that will be assigned to CCBCC projects.

The submittals should include the following:

• Description of the consulting firm’s expertise in meeting the needs of the County and working with regulatory agencies

• Brief overview of the consulting firm’s history and organization that includes the name of the consulting firm’s contact person, telephone, fax number and email address.

• Resumes of all personnel that will be assigned to the project(s) with a copy of their professional license. Provide client contact information for all projects listed in resumes.

• List a maximum of five (5) recent projects that the consulting firm performed during the past five (5) years to indicate proficiency in similar work. If available, please provide client reference letters on these projects. The correspondence shall be from the current contact person and include a telephone number

• Identification and address of any sub consultants that will be involved, including a description of qualifications.

• Provide a short narrative outlining your projects approach to manage a project in order to meet schedule, budget requirements and how the consulting firm determines cost/benefit ratio for a proposed project.

• Describe the current workload and the consulting firm’s daily ability to handle the scope of services.

• Relative to the scope of services for the projects, describe the specific ability of the firm.

Include any innovative approaches to providing the services: briefly describe your quality assurance/quality control program. Describe how your consulting firm ensures constructability and design performance of projects. Describe how your consulting firm interacts with the regulatory agencies.

SELECTION AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES

The CCBCC will utilize a selection committee consisting of CCBCC staff who will review and rank all proposals received. The evaluation criteria listed below will be utilized to evaluate the individuals and consulting firms and the selection committee will narrow the final list to no more than three (3) individuals and consulting firms. The final three selected individuals and firms may be invited to give an oral presentation to the CCBCC. The Board shall be the sole judge of its own best interests, the proposals and the resulting negotiated agreement. The Board’s decision will be final.

Consulting firms will be evaluated using a number of factors including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Experience and expertise of the consulting firm to meet the needs of the County and working with regulatory agencies. (20 points)

2. Qualifications and abilities of Professional Personnel. (25 points)

3. Ability to work with the County and applicable departmental staff. (10 points)

4. Project understanding and approach (20 points)

5. Ability to complete projects in a timely manner. (10 points)

6. Past performance and reference letters (five projects and five references). (15 points)

Evaluator: _______________________

SCORE SHEET – TO BE USED BY THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE

RFQ 2026-O RATING CRITERIA

All submittals received in accordance with this Request for Statement of Qualifications will be evaluated using the following worksheet.

Max Score Score

1. Firm’s qualifications, expertise, and experience with agencies

2. Qualifications and abilities of professional personnel

3. Ability to work with County and applicable departmental staff

4. Project understanding and approach 20

5. Ability to complete project in a timely manner

6. Past performance and reference letters

(five projects and five references)

TOTAL: 100 __________________________

SAMPLE SCORES:

0 Non-responsive-included no information on subject criteria

1 Poor

3 Fair

5 Average

7 Good

10 Excellent

Name of Consultant Being Scored:

SECTION VII. FORMS

FORM A

VENDOR INFORMATION AND SIGNATURE FORM

Vendor Name

Trade License (If applicable)

Contact Person(s)

Street Address with City, State and Zip Code

Mailing Address (If different from Above)

Phone Number

Fax Number

E-Mail

Proposer will do the work as ____Individual ____Joint Venture ____Partnership

____Corporation

Date and State of Incorporation

DATE:_____________ STATE: _________________

Name of partnership or joint venture

By signing below, the submission shall be deemed a representation and certification by the

Proposing Firm that you have investigated all aspects of the solicitation, have read and understand the solicitation, and acknowledge all addenda.

Authorized Signature:

Printed Name of Signer:

Date Signed:

Title of Signatory:

Non-Collusion Affidavit

STATE OF_____________________

COUNTY OF

I state that I

__________________________________________________of

(Name and Title) (Name of Firm) am authorized to make this affidavit on behalf of my firm and its owner, directors and officers. I am the person responsible in my firm for the price(s) and amount(s) of this Response, and the preparation of the Response. I state that:

1. The price(s) and amount(s) of this Response have been arrived at independently and without consultation, communication or agreement with any other Provider, potential provider, Proposal, or potential Proposal.

2. Neither the price(s) nor the amount(s) of this Response, and neither the approximate price(s) nor approximate amount(s) of this Response, have been disclosed to any other firm or person who is a Piovicler, potential Provider, Proposal, or potential Proposal, and they will not be disclosed before Proposal opening.

3. No attempt has been made or will be made to induce any firm or persons to refrain from submitting a Response for this contract, or to submit a price(s) higher that the prices in this Response, or to submit any intentionally high or noncompetitive price(s) or other form of complementary Response.

4. The Response of my firm is made in good faith and not pursuant to any agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any firm or person to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive Response.

5.

its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, director, and employees (Name of Firm) are not currently under investigation, by any governmental agency and have not in the last three years been convicted or found liable for any act prohibited by State or Federal law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion with respect to Proposal, on any public contract, except as follows:

I state that I and the named firm understand and acknowledge that the above representations are material and important, and will be relied on by the Board of County Commissioners of Columbia County, Florida for which this Response is submitted. I understand and my firm understands that any misstatement in this affidavit is, and shall be treated as, fraudulent concealment from the State of Florida of the true facts relating to the submission of responses for this contract.

Dated this day of

Name of Organization:

Signed by:

Print Name:

Being duly sworn deposes and says that the information herein is true and sufficiently complete so as not to be misleading.

The foregoing instrument was executed before me this day of

20 ,by as of who personally swore or affirmed that he/she is authorized to execute this document and thereby bind the Corporation, and who is personally known to me OR has produced as identification.

(stamp) NOTARY PUBLIC, State of

Public Entity Crimes Statement

SWORN STATEMENT UNDER SECTION 287.133(3) (a), FLORIDA STATUTES: THIS

FORM MUST BE SIGNED IN THE PRESENCE OF A NOTARY PUBLIC OR OTHER

OFFICER AUTHORIZED TO ADMINISTER OATHS.

This sworn statement is submitted with Proposal, ITN, or Contract Number

2. This sworn statement is submitted by [Name of entity submitting sworn statement] whose business address is and (if applicable) its Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) is

(If the entity has no FEIN, include the Social Security Number of the individual signing this sworn statement:

3. My name is and my relationship to the above is [Please print name of individual signingi

4. I understand that a “public entity crime” as defined in section 287.133(l)(g), Florida Statutes, means a violation of any state or federal law by a person with respect to and directly related to the transaction of business with any public entity in Florida or with an agency or political subdivision of any other state or with the United States, including, but not limited to, any proposal or contract for goods or services to be provided to any public entity or an agency or political subdivision and involving antitrust, fraud, theft, bribery, collusion, racketeering, conspiracy, or material misrepresentation.

5. I understand that ‘convicted or ‘conviction’ as defined in section 287.133(1) (h), Florida…