Add No. 2 - RFP 2026014 Q & A - Mod.pdf

DEP Solicitation No. 2026014 Addendum No. 2 Page 1 of 5

ADDENDUM No. 2

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

DEP Procurement Section

3800 Commonwealth Boulevard, MS#93 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000

December 22, 2025

Addendum To:

DEP Solicitation No. 2026014, entitled “Marine Archeological Submerged Cultural Resources Remote Sensing Investigation”

The Department hereby answers questions posed by prospective Vendors. This addendum does not need to be returned with the response.

Question Number

Solicitation

Section

Solicitation Page Number

Question / Answer

1.

4.2 20

Does the contractor need to apply for a Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) Archaeological Research Permit?

No. A Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Permit is not required for this remote sensing survey since no ground disturbing activity will be taking place.

2.

Attachment 1 Draft Contract

(Attachment 2) 4 & 14

Maritime specific insurance policies including Maritime Employer’s Liability, Inland Marine, USLH and Jones Act insurance can take months to acquire upon contract execution. Will time considerations be given for contractors who do not have this insurance in place?

This project must be completed by June 30, 2026, due to the availability of funds.

3.

Attachment 1 Draft

Contract (Attachment 2)

Maritime companies carry Marine General Liability instead of Commercial General Liability can the insurance section be modified to accept either?

Marine General Liability coverage is acceptable.

4.

Can the project budget be shared? What are the cost expectations?

The project budget is $125,000.

5.

Are there any facilities/lay down areas that the contractor can utilize for mobilization, berthing of vessel, trucks and trailers etc for use for the duration of the project?

Yes. The landbase location has some parking and dock space that can be used by the Contractor. There is also space at Indian Key Fill that can be utilized by the Contractor. The closest public boat ramp to the location is at Founders Park.

Addendum No. 2 Page 2 of 5

Question Number

Solicitation

Section

Solicitation Page Number

Question / Answer

6.

Is a generator running topside on a vessel allowed in the "no-combustion motor" zone?

Yes. A topside generator is allowed in the no internal combustion motor zone.

7.

Would an interferometric Side Scan Sonar / Phased Multibeam Echosounder provide an acceptable data set?

Yes, that technology is acceptable as are its data sets.

8.

Can a company be on one or more teams providing bids to

FDEP?

The Department anticipates awarding a single contract to a responsible vendor who has the capability in all respects to fully perform the contract requirements.

9.

Can FDEP provide an estimated budget for this scope of work?

See answer to question # 4.

10.

Attachment 1 -

Are respondents allowed to submit redlines/proposed revisions to the sample contract?

Pursuant to Florida law, the Department cannot accept proposed changes to the terms and conditions of its standard contracts for this Request for Proposals.

11.

Attachment 1 -

Given that the scope of work is for professional services and the indemnification in the sample agreement is not limited to the professional consultant’s negligence, will the Department revise the indemnification in the final version of the contract to be consistent with Florida statute 725.08 for professional indemnity?

The Department will not revise its indemnification provision.

12.

Attachment 1

There is conflicting language between certain terms in the sample contract and the special terms and conditions. Do the special terms and conditions take precedence over the terms in the contract?

As indicated in the first paragraph of Attachment 2, Special Terms & Conditions: “These Special Terms and Conditions shall be read together with general terms outlined in the Standard Terms and Conditions, Attachment 1. Where in conflict, these more specific terms shall apply”.

13.

Attachment 1 Article 8b

2 (PDF page 5)

Can the "Invoice Reduction" be stricken? The project team will provide a proposed schedule within the proposal and discuss the schedule with the client at regular intervals.

This provision is necessary to comply with section 287.058(1)(h), Florida Statutes, and cannot be stricken.

Addendum No. 2 Page 3 of 5

Question Number

Solicitation

Section

Solicitation Page Number

Question / Answer

14. Attachment 1 Article

5 (PDF page 8) Will FDEP consider adding the following clause: "f.

Contractor shall be permitted to terminate this Contract if the Department commits a material breach of the Contract, including failure to make payment to Contractor in accordance with this Contract, and the Department does not cure such breach within thirty (30) days of receipt of written notice from Contractor."

The Department will not revise its standard terms and conditions for this contract.

15. Attachment 1 Article

11 (PDF page 14)

Will the Department consider removing the Parent Company guarantee requirement from Article 34 given that such a guarantee could complicate or prohibit a sale?

See answer to question # 14.

16.

Price Sheet FORM D PDF page 36

The form states "Estimated number of acres listed in the table below are for response purposes only. There is no guarantee of minimum acres to be surveyed." While compensation is listed as "fixed price basis" within Attachment 1 Article 5.a.. Should the survey area acreage be reduced below the estimated 215 acres, will the contract amount or rather the compensation paid by FDEP be reduced by the contractor-provided price per acre or by another amount?

The Contractor will be paid according to the number of acres surveyed up to 215 acres.

17.

4 20

Is the PI required to be on the survey platform at all times?

No. It isn’t necessary for the PI to be on site at all times.

18. 4 20 Should all the data be collected at the same time (i.e.

simultaneously)?

Yes. It is the Department’s preference that the data be collected simultaneously.

19. 4 20 Are any protected species observers (PSOs) needed for the project?

A specific observer isn’t required. However, Contractors must abide by NOAA Fisheries Vessel Strike Avoidance Measures https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2021- 06/Vessel_Strike_Avoidance_Measures.pdf

20. 4 20 Is there a maximum drafted vessel that is allowed for the project?

There is not a maximum draft required. However, some of the survey will be taking place around Indian key. To survey the area effectively the vessel should be able to operate in water from 1-3 feet deep.

https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2021-06/Vessel_Strike_Avoidance_Measures.pdf https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2021-06/Vessel_Strike_Avoidance_Measures.pdf

Addendum No. 2 Page 4 of 5

Question Number

Solicitation

Section

Solicitation Page Number

Question / Answer

21. 4 20 Will a FDEP or client representative be onboard during data collection?

No.

22.

4.2b 22

Does FDEP prefer a digital or hard copy of the raw geophysical data?

Contractor shall provide a digital copy of the data as indicated in Section 4.2 (b) (4).

23. 4.2b 22 What processed deliverable is required (acoustic contacts, acoustic mosaic magnetic anomalies, magnetic contours, acoustic reflectors, etc…) and what are the preferred formats (shapefile, csv, etc..)?

As indicated on the attached Addendum No. 2 – Revised - RFP 2026014, data should include acoustic contacts, acoustic mosaic, magnetic anomalies, magnetic contours.

Tabular data (acoustic contacts, magnetic anomalies) should be provided in shapefiles and csv. Acoustic imagery should be provided in GeoTIFF format. Acoustic reflectors should be provided in shapefiles cross-referenced to annotated imagery files. Magnetic contours should be provided in shapefiles. Reporting should be consistent with FL DHR Module 3, https://dos.fl.gov/media/31394/module3.pdf and

Chapter 1A-46 Archaeological Reports Standards and Guidelines, https://dos.fl.gov/media/31388/1a_46.pdf.

24.

4.3 23

This section implies the first and only invoice will occur of FDEP's acceptance of final deliverables. Can the project be invoiced on a milestone basis or percent complete basis?

Milestones would be discussed with FDEP and could include kick off meeting, obtaining a 1A-32, completion of fieldwork, and acceptance of final report.

No. Please refer to Section 4.3 & 4.4.

25.

1.4 5

The RFP notes that the contract will end on June 30, 2026, but the Award Date (Anticipated) in Section 1.9 Timeline of Events says "On or about: 1/30/2026" What provisions are there for contract extension if the Award Date extends well into 2026 (i.e., up to 180 days after date of opening per Section 2.13) and thus impacts the ability of the selected firm to conduct and complete the work by June 30, 2026?

The Department anticipates a Contract to be in place by February 2026. The funds must be utilized by June 30, 2026.

Therefore, the services must be completed by June 1, 2026 as indicated in Section 4.2 c.

https://dos.fl.gov/media/31394/module3.pdf https://dos.fl.gov/media/31388/1a_46.pdf

Addendum No. 2 Page 5 of 5

Question Number

Solicitation

Section

Solicitation Page Number

Question / Answer

26.

Does FDEP have an anticipated or allocated budget for this project? Can it be shared?

See answer to question # 4.

27.

Can the due date be extended to January 19, 2025?

No.

28.

Will any permits other than a 1a-32 be required?

No. The 1a-32 permit is the only permit that will be required.

29.

4 20

Is an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) and/or Drone technology allowed to be used for survey?

The substrate and seagrass is not to be disturbed. If a submersible drone or ASV can be operated in shallow water from 1-3 feet without disturbance of the seafloor then it would be an acceptable technology to use for the surveys.

An aerial drone or unpiloted aerial vehicle would not be ideal as only magnetic data could be collected.

30.

Award 26

Is this a small business set-aside?

This solicitation is not a small business set-aside.

31.

Pre-response meeting

Are non-combustion engines completely ruled out or can they be used in the main channels for survey?

Yes. Combustion engines can be used in the main channels.

32.

Pre-response meeting

Are trolling/push pull methods required throughout the survey area or only in the shallow areas and around seagrass flats?

Trolling motors and push poles are only required in the NICM zones.

33.

Pricing

This project should be priced out by survey line mile, correct?

No. The Department requested Respondents to provide a price per acre, not survey line mile.

34.

4 20

Confirmation that only the 1A-32 permit is needed for this project?

See answer to question #28.

In accordance with Section 2.6, Addenda/Amendments to the RFP, the Department hereby formally amends the Solicitation. The amendments are indicated in blue with strikethrough for deletions and underlines for additions.

The following documents have been amended:

• Addendum No. 2 – Revised RFP 2026014