OH__UG_Line_Maintenance_RFP.docx

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc.

PO Box 9, Chiefland, FL 32644 11491 NW 50th Ave, Chiefland, FL 32626

ISSUED DATE: September 24, 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc. is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to provide General Overhead and Underground Line Construction Services for 2027-2029. This document is a request for a proposal for the scope of work described below. This RFP establishes minimum requirements a bidder must meet to be eligible for consideration as well as information to be included in the Contractor’s bid response

TERRITORY DESCRIPTION

Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc., is an electric distribution Cooperative in north central Florida, serving 37,130 active services as of year-end, 2025. The Cooperative maintains 4,059 miles of overhead distribution line, 417 miles of underground distribution line, and 43 miles of transmission line in Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy Counties. The Cooperative operates 16 distribution substations, purchasing power at 69 kV from Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc., a statewide cooperative power supplier.

The Cooperative’s service territory, located in the “Big Bend” area of Florida, is flanked by the Gulf of Mexico on the west; Tri-County and Clay ECI’s to the north and northeast, respectively; and Sumter and Withlacoochee ECI’s to the south and southeast, respectively. The majority of the area is rural where small farms, multiple dairies, and timberlands are the predominant land usage. There are several small towns within the service area, along with some “pockets” of residential development. The service area is bisected by U.S. Highway 19 & 98, which runs from the northwest to the southeast, and by U.S. Highway 27A, which runs west to east.

BID SUBMISSION

Respondent(s) may submit their proposal any time prior to the submission deadline. All proposals should be submitted through the VendorLink portal where the opportunity was broadcast. Proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. on October 23, 2026. Late proposals or proposals submitted in any other form than identified above may be rejected.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

CFEC will entertain questions for clarification until October 8, 2026, at 3:00 pm. All questions must be submitted in writing by email to cbeauchamp@cfec.com.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

· Submittal of Proof of Insurance as required by the requirements below

· Submittal of Resume

· Submittal of (3) Letters of Reference-MANDATORY

· Submittal of Safety Record

· Completion of Time and Materials Bid Sheet

· Completion of “Exhibit “A”

· Completion of Exhibit “B”

INSURANCE

Contractor shall, at its own cost and expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect during the term of this Agreement, policies of insurance, of the types and in the minimum amounts stated herein, with responsible insurance carriers duly qualified in those states (locations) where the Services are to be performed, covering the operations of Contractor, pursuant to this Agreement.

(Minimum Amounts)

Professional Errors and Omissions Insurance

N/A

CFEC shall be named as an additional insured in such policies which shall contain standard cross liability clauses. The contractor shall cause the liability it assumed under this Agreement to be specifically insured under the contractual liability section of the liability insurance policies. The liability policy shall be primary without the right of contribution from any insurance by CFEC. Such policies shall require that CFEC be given not less than thirty (30) days prior written notice of any cancellation thereof or material change therein. CFEC shall have the right to request an adjustment of Limits of Liability for General Liability and Errors and Omissions Insurance as Contractor’s exposure to CFEC increases (i.e. if Contractor’s annual payment is expected to be $2,000,000 then $1,000,000 limits are no longer adequate). Such policies shall provide coverage for CFEC during the term of this Agreement and up to and until the expiration of any applicable statute of limitations applicable to the occurrences triggering any of the insurance, indemnification, subrogation, and defense clauses included in this Agreement.

Upon CFEC’s request, Contractor shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing all of the above coverage, including all special requirements specifically noted above, and shall provide CFEC with certificates of insurance evidencing renewal or substitution of such insurance thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of such renewal or substitution.

CHANGES, INTERPRETATIONS, QUESTIONS

CFEC reserves the right to cancel a solicitation at any time prior to the execution of a resulting contract. The decision to cancel a solicitation cannot be the basis for a protest.

CFEC reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information of any Respondent. Any such request should not be construed by a Respondent as an indication of the selection to provide proposed services.

Any proposal may be withdrawn until the date and time set above for the submission of the proposals. Any proposal not so withdrawn shall constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of 90 days, to provide to CFEC the services set forth in this RFP, or until one or more of the proposals have been awarded.

Respondents shall not direct any queries or statements concerning their proposal to CFEC staff during the selection process, from the time of submission of a proposal until the execution of a contract. Any respondent who initiates any discussions with staff in any manner other than that described below is subject to disqualification from this procurement. No oral interpretation of this RFP shall be considered binding.

EVALUATION AND AWARD

CFEC will evaluate and rank the most advantageous proposals and make a selection for contract negotiation and award. The selected Respondent will be notified in writing with the intent to award letter. CFEC reserves its right to award the contract to someone other than the lowest price offeror.

Award criteria may include, but is not necessarily limited, to the Contractor’s background and experience in performing requested services, availability, and best financial value.

Each proposal will be evaluated individually and in the context of all other proposals. Proposals must be fully responsive to the requirements described in this RFP and to any subsequent requests for clarification or additional information made by CFEC through written addenda to this RFP. Proposals failing to comply with the submission requirements, or those unresponsive to any part of this RFP, may be disqualified. There is no obligation on the part of CFEC to award the proposal to the lowest-priced Respondent, and CFEC reserves the right to award the contract to the Respondent submitting the best overall responsive proposal which is most advantageous to and in the best interest of CFEC consistent with the evaluation criteria. CFEC shall be the sole judge of the proposals that are in the best interests.

SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Respondents shall provide a summary regarding their ability to deliver the requested services in a specific timeframe, including a proposed project timeline. Information regarding dedicated staff and current workload should be provided. Resumes for key personnel should also be included. Resumes should not exceed two pages per person.

Resumes should include a description of:

• Training, education, and degrees.

• Related experience and for whom.

• Professional certifications, licenses, and affiliations.

Respondents shall provide three letters of reference demonstrating their experience and/or skill with similar projects. This is a MANDATORY requirement. Prior experience and skills with other rural electric cooperatives are desirable. Respondents are responsible for verifying correct phone numbers and contact information provided. Failure to provide accurate information may result in the reference not being obtained or considered.

SAFETY RECORD

Bidders shall provide their OSHA 300A Summary and the OSHA incident rate for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024, preferably for work performed in the state of Florida. Additionally, bidders shall include their company’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Bidders may also submit a brief description of their safety plan. Please do not include your safety manual.

DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

CFEC is a Drug Free Workplace. CFEC also requires its Contractors to be drug free and have their employees periodically drug tested by Contractor.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

1. CFEC is seeking qualified contractors for a three-year contract to provide construction services on an hourly and as-needed basis and not limited to replacement, adding, and retirement of overhead and underground primary and secondary lines and poles. Also, when needed to provide power restoration services during normal business hours and after-hour times. The contractor shall provide all labor and equipment necessary to complete this service.

2. Contractor shall possess and maintain all necessary licenses, certifications, permits, and other compliance requisites for working on all types of high-voltage transmission electrical circuits and distribution electrical circuits. In addition, Contractor’s employees should have the appropriate power line experience and certifications.

3. Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local electrical safety codes, rules, regulations, and/or ordinances including National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), state and local electrical safety codes.

4. Contractor shall provide and ensure that all personnel wear Class 3 electrical safety gloves while performing high voltage electrical work. All gloves must comply with ANSI/SEA or ASTM Standards and be inspected for defects prior to use.

5. CFEC will furnish the materials.

6. Unless otherwise indicated in this Scope of Services, all services performed under this contract shall be paid in accordance with this Price Proposal.

7. The Contractor shall furnish all Apple mobile devices required by their crews to accomplish this Scope of Work. The Contractor must have the ability to remotely manage and/or remotely wipe the Apple mobile device in the event the device is stolen or lost. All Apple mobile device performance issues not related to CFEC’s mobile work order software or mobile mapping software are the sole responsibility of the Contractor. Contractor shall provide two iPads per four-man crew to ensure four- man crews can split into two-man crews as needed. Apple mobile device minimum requirements and capacity are listed below:

Apple Minimum Hardware Specifications for mobile work orders and map viewing/inspection of new or existing poles in map.

· Latest version of Apple iOS installed

· iPads: iPad Air or larger for map viewing

· iPad Mini or larger for mobile work orders

· iPhone: 11 or larger for map viewing

· Cellular connectivity: Required for Field Communication and improved Location Services accuracy.

The Cooperative shall furnish all two-way truck radio devices required by their crews to accomplish this Scope of Work. Installation of two-way truck radio gear will be completed by the contractor prior to the start of the executed contract and at the contractor’s expense. All two-way truck radio gear shall be returned to the Cooperative prior to the termination/expiration of the contract. The Contractor will be responsible for the replacement cost of damaged equipment.

WORK SCHEDULE

CFEC is seeking up to three, four-man crews to work as follows:

Two crews working 10-hour days Monday through Thursday and one crew working 10-hour days Tuesday through Friday. The start time for these days will be 6:30 a.m. The number of crews is subject to change per CFEC’s discretion.

CFEC observes the following holidays (no work outside of outages will be allowed on these holidays to prevent disturbances to our members):

If any holiday falls on Saturday, it shall be observed the Friday preceding the holiday, and if any holiday falls on Sunday, it shall be observed the following Monday.

TIME AND MATERIALS SCHEDULE

CFEC will set a ceiling price in the Task Order that the Contractor exceeds at its own risk. In this circumstance, CFEC will assert a high degree of oversight to ensure the Contractor is utilizing efficient methods and effective cost controls.

Work shall be compensated on a time and equipment basis according to the Time and Materials Schedule. All hourly rate charges must be supported by adequate backup documentation, including, but not limited to, timesheets and equipment sheets.

Contractor must maintain signed timesheets for all labor provided within a given invoice period and submit them with all invoices. Timesheets shall be signed by CFEC designee verifying the work performed and hours worked. Contractor will retain the original billing copy of all time sheets. A separate timesheet must be used for each task identified by CFEC.

LABOR COSTS OF OPERATOR ARE NOT INCLUDED in the rates and should be invoiced separately from equipment costs.

Equipment must be in good mechanical condition, complete with all required attachments. Each rate covers all costs for ownership and operation of equipment, including depreciation, overhead, all maintenance, field repairs, lubricants, tires, OSHA equipment, and other costs incidental to operation.

Standby equipment costs will not be compensated. Equipment must be in actual operation performing work to be invoiced.

FUEL ADJUSTMENTS

To address the potential for significant changes in fuel prices, Purchaser/Supplier will implement a fuel adjustment clause during the term of the agreement. Rates will be subject to an annual fuel adjustment mechanism at the end of each 12-month contract period.

Any adjustment made will be based on information obtained from the U.S. Energy Industry Association (EIA) (http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_pri_gnd_dcus_rlz_w.htm) for the given area in which the work is occurring. Calculations will be based on the average price for diesel for the calendar quarter.

The baseline price for diesel will be established at $3.90 per gallon.

A review of EIA prices will take place on a quarterly basis. Reconciliation will be made if the quarterly average price changes up or down more than 50 cents per gallon from the baseline price of $3.90 for diesel fuel, stated above.

In a case where the average price per gallon increased by more than 50 cents from the baseline price, Contractor will be sent an e-mail instructing Contractor to invoice CFEC the amount resulting from the following formula. Contractor's total sales for the applicable quarter multiplied by 4% (Contractor provides this percent based on their cost attributable to fuel, 4.3% in the examples below), multiplied by the percentage increase in fuel cost above the baseline price plus 50 cents. See example 1

In a case where the average price per gallon decreased by more than 50 cents from the baseline price, Company will manually invoice Contractor the amount resulting from the calculation indicated above, except that percentage decrease shall be used in place of percentage increase. See example 2

Example 1: Contractor to invoice Company

Based on 1,000,000 in sales (equipment) for the quarter Step 1. (PADD 1C cost 4.50 per gallon)- (base cost of3.90) = .60 / gallon Step 2. (.60 difference)- (.50 adjustment) =.10 I gallon difference Step 3. (.10 / gallon difference)/ (base cost of 3.90) = 2.56% increase Step 4. (1,000,000 sales) x (4.3% fuel portion of cost) x (2.56%) = 1,100.80

Example 2: Company to invoice contractor

Based on 1,000;000 in sales (equipment) for the quarter Step 1. (PADD IC cost 3.20 per gallon)- (base cost of 3.90) = .70/ gallon difference Step 2. (.70 difference)- (.50 adjustment) = .20/ gallon difference Step 3. (.20-gallon difference)/ (base cost of3.90) = 5.128% decrease Step 4. (1,000,000 sales) x (4.3% fuel portion of cost) x (5.128%) = 2,205.04

If the quarterly price change is less than 50 cents per gallon, no adjustment will be made for the change in the fuel price.

2027-2029 TIME AND MATERIALS SCHEDULE

Labor Rates

Year 1- Hourly Labor

Year 2- Hourly Labor

Year 3- Hourly Labor

2027-2029 TIME AND MATERIALS SCHEDULE

Equipment Rates

Year 1- Equipment Hourly Rate

Year 2- Equipment Hourly Rate

Year 3- Equipment Hourly Rate

OPTION FOR EXTENSION

CFEC may, at its discretion, extend the contract term by one year, by written notice to the contractor within ten (10) days of the contract expiration date, provided that CFEC gives the contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the contractor to an extension.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

The contractor shall be responsible for the control of pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the work area.

Each crew will have at least one person on the crew who speaks and reads English to act as an interpreter between contractor’s non-English speaking crew members and CFEC’s employees.

Crew Foreman or General Foreman shall have more than five years’ experience working as a Class A Journeyman Lineman.

The contractor shall supervise and direct the work, using skilled labor and proper equipment for all tasks. The safety of the contractor’s personnel and equipment is the responsibility of the contractor.

The contractor shall provide contact information for all key personnel to CFEC that shall include name, phone number, cell phone number, and email address. The contractor and its agents shall respond in a timely manner to all CFEC inquiries at all times. The contractor must report all claims to CFEC within the same day as the damage.

CFEC or its designee shall forward all claims of damage to the contractor daily. The contractor shall provide all contact information, including name, phone number, cell phone number, fax number, and email address, for personnel responsible for resolving all claims of damage. The contractor must respond to all claims of damage within 24 hours and resolve them within ten calendar days. The contractor is responsible for all damage caused by his crew and/or subcontractors in the performance of power restoration.

EXHIBIT “A”

AFFIDAVIT OF CORPORATE OWNERSHIP RFP

I, know all men by these presents that “Contractor’s Name,” hereafter called the “Contractor” as principal, do certify the following in regard to Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Inc., hereafter called the “Owner” in connection with the project described in the scope of services.

1. That the contractor, its proprietor, any partners, or stockholders are NOT an employee of the Owner and are NOT or HAVE NEVER BEEN on the Owner’s Board of Trustees; and

2. That the contractor, its proprietors, any partners, or stockholders are NOT immediately related to any employee of the Owner or the Owner’s current Board of Trustees other than those listed below (immediately related means grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, and corresponding in-laws). Check “yes” or “no” accordingly. By listing individuals, it is understood that this subject action may disqualify the contractor from entering any contractual agreement with the Owner.

Contractor Employee Relationship

% Owner

Owner

Employee

Relative

EXHIBIT “B”

CONFLICT/NON-CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

Check One

[ ] To the best of our knowledge, the undersigned firm has no potential conflict of interest due to any other clients, contracts, or property for this project.

OR

[ ] The undersigned firm, by attachment to this form, submits information which may be a potential conflict of interest due to other clients, contracts, or property interest for this project.

Litigation Statement

Check One

[ ] The undersigned firm has had no litigation and/or judgements entered against it by any local, state, or federal entity and has had no litigation and/or judgements entered against such entities during the past ten (10) years.

OR

[ ] The undersigned firm, by attachment to this form, submits a summary and disposition of individual cases of litigation and/or judgements entered by or against any local, state, or federal entity, by any state or federal court, during the last ten (10) years.

Failure to check the appropriate boxes above may result in disqualification of your proposal. Likewise, failure to provide documentation of a possible conflict of interest, or a summary of past litigation and/or judgements, may result in disqualification of your proposal.

Signed, as to both statements

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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