LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT - USM BID 26-20.pdf

This legal advertisement is a sealed bid notice from the University of Southern Mississippi Facilities, Planning, and Management for Bennett Auditorium Interior Upgrades - Curtain Replacement (RFP 26-20, RFx: 3160007851). However, the related state and local contract opportunity reveals the actual primary procurement: Reef Augmentation #2 for experimental oyster reefs located in Mississippi Sound in Harrison County, managed by the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. The project requires application of #57 limestone gravel substrate (particle size 0.5" to 1.0") to eight designated oyster reef plots across four sites—Bay St. Louis Northern, Bay St. Louis Southern, West Pascagoula, and East Pascagoula—with each plot receiving 100 cubic yards of material. The contractor must distribute limestone with GPS precision within 10 meters of designated reef plot edges during the spring-summer 2026 implementation window (April-July 2026). Sealed bids are due by 2:00 p.m. CDT on Friday, February 20, 2026, submitted to the USM Gulf Coast Research Lab Procurement Office at 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564, with electronic submission available through the Mississippi state procurement portal.

The contractor must provide comprehensive technical support, implement quality control procedures utilizing side-scan sonar imagery before and after material application, and warrant all work against defects for one year from delivery. Bidders must submit a certified check or bidder's bond equal to five percent of the total bid price, with the successful contractor required to furnish performance and payment bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract amount, both signed by a Mississippi Resident Agent. The contract is subject to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) requirements, with quoted prices submitted on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Allowed basis. Payment terms include a 2 percent discount if paid within ten days, with net payment due within 45 days per Mississippi law. The contract is subject to federal labor provisions under Public Law 87-581 Work Hours Act of 1962, with minimum wage rates predetermined by the Secretary of Labor. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed; the contract value will be determined by sealed bids received. The University reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive irregularities, or advertise for new proposals.