COLLIER COUNTY

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

INVITATION FOR QUALIFICATIONS (IFQ)

GRANT FUNDED

FOR

BEACH MAINTENANCE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

SOLICITATION NO.: 26-8687

STEPHANIE BOWDEN, PROCUREMENT STRATEGIST, II

PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2

NAPLES, FLORIDA 34112

TELEPHONE: (239) 252-8929

Stephanie Bowden@collier.gov mailto:Bowden@collier.gov

SOLICITATION PUBLIC NOTICE

INVITATION FOR

QUALIFICATION (IFQ) NUMBER:

26-8687

PROJECT TITLE: BEACH MAINTENANCE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: October 27th, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.

LOCATION: PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION, CONFERENCE ROOM A,

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2, NAPLES, FLORIDA 34112

IFQ OPENING DAY/DATE/TIME: NOVEMBER 12TH, 2026 AT 3:00 PM

PLACE OF IFQ OPENING: PROCUREMENT SERVICES DIVISION

3295 TAMIAMI TRAIL EAST, BLDG C-2

NAPLES, FL 34112

All proposals shall be submitted online via the Collier County Procurement Services Division Online Bidding System:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl.

INTRODUCTION

As requested by the Pelican Bay Services Division (hereinafter, the “Division or Department”), the Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division (hereinafter, “County”) has issued this Invitation for Qualifications (hereinafter, “IFQ”) with the intent of obtaining proposals from interested and qualified Proposers in accordance with the terms, conditions and specifications stated herein, in the Solicitation and/or attachments. The Proposers, at a minimum, must achieve the requirements of the Specifications, Scope of Services or Scope of Work stated herein. All references to “Proposer” are also referred to as “Contractor,” and “Vendor.”

Collier County maintains its beaches, shorelines, waterways, channels, and inlets to support public safety, coastal resilience, environmental stewardship, and navigability. The County is seeking qualified vendors to provide beach and waterway maintenance services on an as-needed basis, including debris removal, sand management, dune work, shoreline stabilization, erosion control, channel and inlet maintenance, beach renourishment, and emergency response services.

Historically, County departments have used these services to address changing shoreline and waterway conditions, storm impacts, sediment buildup, erosion, and other maintenance needs requiring timely and specialized response. Historically, County departments have spent approximately $500,000 annually; however, this may not be indicative of future buying patterns.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this solicitation is to provide maintenance services for County beaches, shorelines, waterways, channels, and inlets in support of public safety, coastal resilience, environmental stewardship, and navigability. The County intends to award to a pool of qualified Vendors available to furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, materials, and all other resources necessary to provide beach and waterway maintenance services on an as-needed basis, including Beach Cleaning Services, Beach Surface Maintenance Services, Beach Access Point and Walkover Services, Signage and Appurtenance Services, Vegetation Management Services, Sand Management Services, Waterway, Channel, and Inlet Maintenance Services, Non-Structural Stabilization and Erosion Control Services, Drainage Maintenance Services, Emergency Response Services.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl

AWARD AND TERM OF AGREEMENT

Collier County reserves the right to select one, or more than one Proposers for award as deemed the best value to the County;

however, it is the intent to:

• Pool of awarded Vendors

The results of this solicitation may be used by other County departments/divisions once awarded.

The agreement term is intended to be for three (3) years with two (2) one (1) year renewal options.

DETAILED SCOPE OF SERVICES

1 General

The Division is seeking a qualified pool of vendors, licensed in the State of Florida, to provide beach maintenance and related activities services. These services shall include, and not be limited to, the following types of work:

• Beach and waterway maintenance services on an as-needed basis, including Beach Cleaning Services,

• Beach Surface Maintenance Services,

• Beach Access Point and Walkover Services,

• Signage and Appurtenance Services,

• Vegetation Management Services,

• Sand Management Services,

• Waterway, Channel, and Inlet Maintenance Services,

• Non-Structural Stabilization and Erosion Control Services,

• Drainage Maintenance Services,

• Emergency Response Services

2 Work Areas

Work under the awarded contract may be performed at County-designated beaches, parks, dune systems, beach access areas, waterways, channels, inlets, adjacent natural areas, stormwater outfalls and drainage areas, estuarine areas, hydrologically connected uplands, and other related coastal locations within Collier County.

3 Scope of Services

The services described in this section are representative categories of work that may be requested by the County on an as-needed basis depending on site conditions, operational needs, funding availability, and emergency circumstances. The Vendor shall furnish all labor, supervision, materials, equipment, tools, transportation, permits, and incidentals necessary to perform the requested services, as directed by the County, within the time frame established in the applicable Request for Quote, and in accordance with the awarded contract Documents and all applicable laws, regulations, permit requirements, and permit conditions.

3.1 Beach Cleaning Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, the removal, containment, transport, and proper disposal of trash, litter, debris, vegetative matter, and other materials from beaches, dune areas, access points, parks, and other designated work areas.

3.2 Beach Surface Maintenance Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, beach grooming, tilling, raking, sifting, grading, leveling, escarpment removal, and related surface maintenance activities necessary to maintain safe, accessible, and functional beach conditions and support public use and shoreline upkeep.

3.3 Beach Access Point and Walkover Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, maintenance and minor restoration of beach access points, dune walkovers, boardwalk approaches, and similar access features; removal of debris and sand; clearing of obstructions;

minor surface restoration; and related work necessary to maintain safe and functional public access.

3.4 Signage and Appurtenance Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, the maintenance, repair, resetting, removal, replacement, or installation of signage, posts, piles, barriers, appurtenances, and other minor site features located within designated work areas.

3.5 Vegetation Management Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, trimming, pruning, selective removal, clearing, disposal, and related vegetation management activities necessary to maintain access, visibility, drainage, public safety, site functionality, and compliance with environmental or regulatory requirements.

3.6 Sand Management Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, excavation, redistribution, relocation, stockpiling, transport, truck hauling, placement, shaping, grading, and beneficial reuse of sand for beach, dune, access, and coastal management purposes. Services may also include dune construction, restoration, and enhancement; placement and shaping of County-furnished or pre-purchased sand and other materials; and transport or hauling of pre-purchased, County-furnished mine sand to designated work areas or coastal locations for renourishment, recovery, stabilization, or emergency response purposes.

3.7 Waterway, Channel, and Inlet Maintenance Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, removal of sediment, shoals, debris, and other obstructions; channel, inlet, and waterway clearing and cleanup; material handling, transport, placement, and disposal; and all related work required to maintain or restore drainage, navigability, access, environmental condition, public safety, including channel marker installation, repair, replacement, and removal, and operational function.

3.8 Non-Structural Stabilization and Erosion Control Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, sand placement or redistribution, grading, vegetative stabilization, biodegradable or other non-structural erosion control measures, and related work necessary to stabilize shorelines, dunes, banks, access areas, or other coastal features and reduce erosion impacts.

3.9 Drainage Maintenance Services

Services may include, but are not limited to, clearing, excavation, sediment removal, reshaping, stabilization, debris removal, and other related work necessary to maintain or restore drainage function within beach areas, dune systems, access corridors, stormwater management and drainage facilities, estuaries, and uplands.

3.10 Emergency Response Services

The Vendor shall provide emergency response services on an as-needed basis, as directed by the County, and within the time frame established by the County for the specific emergency condition.

Services may include, but are not limited to, emergency beach and coastal response, temporary protective measures, sand placement, transport and hauling of sand or other protective materials, debris removal, access restoration, stabilization, site recovery, and other urgent work necessary to address storm impacts, erosion events, unsafe conditions, or other emergency coastal, stormwater management or waterway conditions. Emergency response services shall be performed in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, permit requirements, and permit conditions to the extent practicable under the circumstances.

4 Quoting Procedures

This Solicitation is intended to result in a qualifications-based award. Pricing shall not be submitted with the initial qualifications response and shall not be evaluated as part of the initial solicitation. For purposes of this Solicitation, a company submitting a qualifications response shall be considered a Proposer. Upon award, the selected Proposer(s) shall become a Vendor under the awarded contract.

4.1 Non-Emergency Work

For non-emergency work, the County will seek to obtain quotes from all Vendors in the pool for regular services and projects, where practicable. The County intends to award work to the lowest responsive/responsible Quoter. Any quote in excess of $200,000 shall require payment and performance bonds. Work shall proceed only upon issuance of a Purchase Order and Notice to Proceed for each quoted project.

4.2 Emergency Work

The above quoting procedures and thresholds will not apply during Exigency or Emergency (E&E) Circumstances, as determined by the County. In such a situation, the County reserves the right to forego quoting procedures and issue a Purchase Order to one or more of the qualified Vendors under the awarded contract to perform the work necessary to address the E&E circumstances.

Emergency work shall be assigned outside the standard Request for Quote process when immediate response is required and shall be compensated as provided in the Contract. Assignments shall be made to the Vendor determined to be most responsive and capable of meeting the County’s timeframe, availability, capacity, mobilization, equipment, and operational requirements. Payment and Performance bonds shall be required and produced within 10 days of issuance of any Purchase Order, and work shall proceed upon issuance of a Purchase Order. Due to the unpredictable nature of emergency work and uncertain timeline, a Notice to Proceed shall NOT be required. Pricing for emergency labor and equipment rates shall be negotiated with the selected Proposer(s) following completion of the qualifications-based selection process and prior to final contract execution.

5 Invoicing Procedures

The Vendor shall provide documentation as required by the County to support project tracking, verification of work performed, and payment review. Documentation may include daily reports, photographs, load tickets, quantity calculations, time sheets, equipment usage records, inspection records, delivery tickets, disposal receipts, and other supporting records applicable to the services performed. For work authorized under the Contract, the Vendor may submit one progress payment application every 30 days. Each payment application shall identify the services performed during the billing period and shall be supported by sufficient documentation for the County to verify quantities, progress, unit costs, time-and-materials charges, or other basis for payment, as applicable.

Emergency projects shall be paid on a time-and-materials basis using negotiated emergency labor and equipment rates set forth in the Contract or otherwise approved by the County.

6 Price Methodology

All non-emergency requests for service will be quoted to all awarded vendors. Payment for work performed under the awarded contract shall be based on the applicable unit prices, lump sum amounts, time-and-materials rates, or other compensation methods identified in the applicable Request for Quote and accepted by the County. Payment shall be made only for work that is authorized by the County and satisfactorily performed in accordance with the terms of the awarded contract.

For Lump Sum work, the Vendor shall include all labor, material, equipment, staging, storage, coordination and all other items and efforts reasonably expected to be required to complete the entirety of the scope of work and intention of the bid documents.

All Time and Material Non-to-Exceed (T&M NTE) work will utilize a fee schedule. Fee schedule rates, which are subject to additions or deletions, will be negotiated with the awarded Vendors and will be added to the contract for utilization throughout the term of the contract and are to be used for urgent/disaster/emergency service requests.

For all T&M NTE work, Vendor(s) shall be required to provide backup documentation of the Vendor’s time and proof of the subcontractor services and/or parts/materials/ equipment/rental equipment by providing invoices and receipts at the time of invoice submission. The markup for subcontractors shall not exceed 15%. The markup for materials shall not exceed 15%. The markup for rental equipment, excluding vendor-owned bypass pump(s), shall not exceed 15%. Ancillary charges may be transferred to the County in the actual amount; however, mark-ups will not be allowed. Mark-ups will not be allowed on freight, sales tax, consumer fees or taxes, use, and other similar taxes or fees associated with any work under the resultant contract.

7 County Direction and Work Authorization

The County reserves the right to determine the need for services, to issue or not issue any Request for Quote, to define the scope of any requested work, and to authorize, suspend, reduce, expand, modify, or discontinue any work in accordance with the terms of the awarded contract. The County also reserves the right to determine the extent, timing, location, and priority of work as necessary to meet operational, environmental, budgetary, emergency, or public interest needs. Nothing in the awarded contract shall oblige the County to order any minimum quantity of services.

8 Environmental Protection and Regulatory Compliance

The Vendor shall be responsible for obtaining all required permits and approvals, when applicable, from Collier County and the City of Naples for beach access and for the mobilization, staging, transport, and operation of equipment on the beach in connection with maintenance and related activities. No equipment shall be brought onto the beach until all applicable permits and approvals have been obtained and all associated conditions and requirements have been satisfied. The Vendor shall comply with all permit conditions and all local requirements governing beach access, environmental protection, timing restrictions, and operational limitations, and shall bear all costs and responsibilities associated with permit acquisition, coordination, and compliance.

9 Equipment, Personnel, and Safety

The Vendor shall ensure that all personnel assigned to perform work under the awarded contract are properly trained and qualified for the services being performed. The Vendor shall provide personnel, equipment, and resources suitable for the site conditions and scope of work and shall conduct all operations safely and in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and safety standards. In environmentally sensitive or constrained areas, the Vendor shall use personnel, equipment, and operational practices appropriate to site conditions to minimize disturbance, damage, and adverse impacts.

10 Scheduling and Coordination

The Vendor shall perform work on an as-needed basis, as directed by the County, and in accordance with the schedule or response time established by the County for the applicable service or emergency condition. The Vendor shall coordinate scheduling, mobilization, site access, work activities, and completion with the County and with any agencies, property managers, Vendors, or other stakeholders identified.

Normal working hours shall be Monday through Saturday, from dawn to dusk; however, the County may modify work schedules as necessary to accommodate project conditions, operational needs, site constraints, or other requirements.

The Vendor shall comply with all County-established schedules and project-specific coordination requirements, including any sequencing requirements, environmental timing restrictions, access limitations, site conditions, and other constraints identified by the County. Examples of such requirements include seasonal or environmental work restrictions, such as sea turtle nesting season, and coordination necessary to obtain access to private property, restricted areas, or other controlled sites.

Emergency work shall be performed with immediate response, rapid mobilization, and accelerated performance.

11 Quality Control, Inspection, and Reporting

The Vendor shall perform all work in a professional and competent manner, in accordance with the requirements of the awarded contract, and to the satisfaction of the County. The Vendor shall be responsible for the quality, accuracy, and completeness of the work and shall maintain adequate quality control over its operations. The County reserves the right to inspect the work, materials, equipment, and work areas at any time to verify compliance with contract requirements. The Vendor shall promptly correct, remove, and replace any deficient, defective, or nonconforming work at no additional cost to the County. The Vendor shall provide reports, photographs, delivery tickets, load counts, daily logs, time sheets, equipment usage records, measurements, and other supporting documentation as required by the County to verify quantities, activities, compliance, progress, and completion of the work.

12 Minimum Vendor Qualifications/Licenses

Vendors shall possess and maintain throughout the term of the Contract all licenses, registrations, and authorizations required to lawfully perform the services requested by the County. At a minimum, vendors shall possess a current and valid State of Florida General Contractor License or Marine Contractor License, where applicable to the services to be performed. Vendors shall demonstrate experience, personnel, equipment, and capability sufficient to perform routine and specialized beach maintenance and coastal services of the type described herein.

13 Declared Disaster, FEMA-Eligible, and Grant-Funded Work

The awarded contract may be used for work related to declared disasters and for work that may be eligible for reimbursement or funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), or other applicable state or federal grant programs.

PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING WORK ASSIGNMENTS WHEN FEMA FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE WILL BE

USED TO FUND ALL OR A PORTION OF THE WORK UNDER A RESULATANT PURCHASE ORDER:

The County’s Project Manager will follow the procedure outlined below for obtaining quotes for projects with a value of $10,000 or less:

• A quote will be requested from one (1) of the awarded Vendors on a basis that ensures a relatively even distribution of the work over the term of the contract. Previous experience working on a facility or with a particular specialty may be considered in selection provided the overall goal of a relatively even distribution of the work is still maintained.

• The Vendor shall respond with the information and/or proposal sought within seven (7) calendar days.

• Vendor will commence work upon the County’s issuance of a Purchase Order. The Vendor agrees that any Purchase

Order that extends beyond the expiration date of the resultant contract will survive and remain subject to the terms and conditions of the resultant contract until the completion or termination of work

For Projects with a value over $10,000 and up to $250,000, or a project not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold amount in place at the time of the disaster, and as set forth by the Federal Acquisition Regulation at 48 CFR subpart 2.1, whichever amount is greater:

• Bid documents such as a Summary of Work, Plans and/or Technical Specifications, etc. will be provided to all of the selected Vendors, along with a bid schedule for providing price. Project timeline and the collection of liquidated damages may be specified in the Request for Quotation.

• The County’s Project Manager will set the required response time for each project, but Vendors will be given a minimum of ten (10) business days to provide a quote. Other projects may require a longer quoting period to allow for proper coordination. Some projects, urgent in nature, may require a shorter response schedule at the Project Manager’s discretion. This period may also include a pre-bid meeting.

• The Vendor shall provide a completed bid schedule based on the quote schedule provided, including any identified unit prices and add/deduct alternates.

• Ancillary charges may be transferred to the County in the actual amount; however, mark-ups will not be allowed.

Mark-ups will not be allowed on sales tax, consumer fees or taxes, use and other similar taxes, or fees associated with any work under the Agreement.

• The County’s Project Manager will review all quotes received, and if a minimum of three responsive quotes are not received, or if the lowest quote is outside the budget, the County may re-quote the project or formally solicit.

• Payment and Performance Bonds will be required for projects over $200,000 and shall be provided in accordance with

F.S. § 255.05.

• Vendor will commence work upon the County’s issuance of a Purchase Order. The Vendor agrees that any Purchase

Order that extends beyond the expiration date of the resultant contract will survive and remain subject to the terms and conditions of the resultant contract until the completion or termination of work.

• The County reserves the right to waive any or all of these requirements and to separately solicit any job if it’s in the best interest of the County. The County reserved the right to supply all necessary parts for selected projects and repairs.

• Projects exceeding $250,000, or a project exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold amount in place at the time of the disaster, and as set forth by the Federal Acquisition Regulation at 48 CFR subpart 2.1, whichever amount is greater, will be formally solicited and publicly advertised by the County, in accordance with Procurement Ordinance, as amended. The bid opportunity will be open to qualified bidders beyond the pool of vendors awarded under the resultant agreement for this solicitation.

The above quoting procedures and thresholds will not apply during Exigency or Emergency (E&E) Circumstances, as determined by the County. In such a situation, the County reserves the right to forego quoting procedures and issue a Purchase Order to one of the qualified Vendors under the resultant agreement to perform the work necessary to address the E&E circumstances.

RESPONSE FORMAT AND EVALUATION GRADING CRITERIA FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SHORTLIST

1.1 Vendors are encouraged to review the Invitation for Qualifications Instructions, which includes the evaluation process.

1.2 For the development of a shortlist, the following Evaluation Criteria will be utilized by the County’s Selection Committee to score each proposal. Proposals must address all the following criteria:

No. Evaluation Criteria Maximum Points

1 Cover Letter/Management Summary 10 Points

2 Experience and Capacity of the Firm 30 Points

3 Firm Responsiveness 25 Points

4 Emergency Response Plan 35 Points

TOTAL 100 Points

Detailed Criteria Descriptions are further described below. Proposals must be assembled, at minimum, in the order of the Evaluation Criteria listed or the proposal may be deemed non-responsive.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 1: COVER LETTER/MANAGEMENT SUMMARY (10 Total Points Available)

Provide a cover letter that includes:

• The Proposer’s philosophy in providing the services requested.

• Name(s), telephone number(s), and email address(es) of the authorized contact person(s) concerning the proposal.

Note: Submission of a proposal shall constitute certification that the Vendor will accept any award made as a result of this IFQ.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 2: EXPERIENCE AND CAPACITY OF THE FIRM (30 Total Points Available)

Provide a summary of the firm’s qualifications, experience, and available resources to perform the services requested under this solicitation, including, at a minimum:

• The number of years the firm has provided beach maintenance and related services, including Beach Cleaning Services, Beach Surface Maintenance Services, Beach Access Point and Walkover Services, Signage and Appurtenance Services, Vegetation Management Services, Sand Management Services, Waterway, Channel, and Inlet Maintenance Services, Non-Structural Stabilization and Erosion Control Services, Drainage Maintenance Services, Emergency Response Services for agencies of comparable size.

• Produce a copy of at least one required license. A General Contractor’s License or a Marine Contractor’s License is required.

• Produce an equipment list identifying the equipment owned by the firm that will be used to perform the services requested under this solicitation.

• Produce letter(s) from proposed subcontractor(s) confirming their availability, participation, and commitment to perform the assigned work, including applicable licenses, equipment, and personnel resources.

• References: Submit three (3) to ten (10) references using the County’s Reference Form. Include up to two additional pages per project to illustrate relevant experience. The references must be for projects within the last five (5) years whose projects are of a similar nature, size, scope and complexity of this solicitation. Up to two (2) additional pages per project may be included to illustrate relevant experience.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 3: FIRM RESPONSIVENESS (25 Total Points Available)

Provide information demonstrating the firm’s ability to respond effectively and consistently to project demands under this solicitation, including, at a minimum, the following:

• The location of the firm’s office that will handle regular contract work and any other company offices or branches that may provide additional assistance, as necessary.

• An explanation of how the firm will respond to project requests, including acknowledgment of the request, site review, if necessary, preparation of quotations, and communication of anticipated scheduling and availability in accordance with the requirements of this solicitation.

• A description of how the firm prioritizes work when multiple project requests are received simultaneously.

• A description of how the firm manages workloads when demand exceeds current capacity.

• A description of how the firm communicates with the County regarding routine project requests, status updates, and coordination.

EVALUATION CRITERIA NO. 4: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN (35 Total Points Available)

Provide the firm’s proposed emergency response plan (maximum number of five pages), or an overview of the proposed plan, including, at a minimum, the following:

• Procedures for emergency notification, communication, and coordination with the County, applicable agencies, and impacted stakeholders.

• Proposed response times and availability of personnel, equipment, materials, and subcontractors.

• Mobilization and staging of personnel, equipment, and materials.

• Methods for site access, traffic control, site security, and protection of the work area.

• Safeguards and procedures to support a safe, timely, and effective response.

• Procedures for field assessment, damage evaluation, and prioritization of response activities.

• Procedures for implementation of temporary measures and permanent repairs.

• Measures for protection of the public, adjacent property, utilities, and the environment.

• The firm’s approach to quality control, documentation, progress reporting, and closeout of emergency work.

• A 24/7 contact and escalation structure, including after-hours points of contact.

• Resource redundancy or contingency measures in the event primary crews or equipment are unavailable.

• Permitting or utility coordination procedures, if applicable.

• Restoration and demobilization procedures following completion of emergency work.