Pre-Bid Summary BPM05698.pdf

Tawes State Office Building – 580 Taylor Avenue – Annapolis, Maryland 21401 410-260-8DNR or toll free in Maryland 877-620-8DNR – dnr.maryland.gov – TTY Users Call via the Maryland Relay

Title: – Maryland Geological Survey – Remotely Operated Vehicle

Invitation for Bid (IFB) No. BPM05698 Pre-bid Summary Via Google Meet

Date: July 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM

On July 9, 2026, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) held a remote pre-bid conference via Google Meet for a 6-month contract, with no MBE/VSBE goals. The conference, attended by four vendors, covered procurement requirements, emphasizing mandatory electronic submission on eMMA by July 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM and submission of written questions by July 13, 2026.

I) Welcome and Introduction:

Emmanuel Smith, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) procurement officer for this project, introduced himself and welcomed everyone in attendance, followed by the introduction of DNR Resource Assessments Maryland Geological Survey Subject Matter Experts. The Potential Bidders were asked to introduce themselves by putting their contact information in Google Chat to constitute the attendance.

Those in attendance were:

Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

1. Emmanuel G. Smith, Procurement Officer

Subject Matters Experts (SMEs)

2. Christopher P. Williams, Program Chief, Coastal and Environmental Geology, MGS

Vendors in attendance (4): (Deep Trekker Inc., Khadfish, LLC, Blueye Robotics, and Survey Equipment Services, Inc)

II) General Procurement Information:

Emmanuel, the Procurement Officer, told the group the purpose of the pre-bid conference was to give everyone guidance on the State procurement process and to provide an overview of this IFB. He emphasized that today’s session is merely for guidance and attendees should not rely on verbal communications for information regarding the IFB. Questions and comments must be submitted in writing, by email, to the Procurement Officer for a formal response. He then gave an overview of the IFB, highlighting essential portions of the solicitation.

Key Information Provide by the Procurement Officer (Emmanuel):

• Questions Due: July 13, 2026, by 2:00 PM.

• Proposals Due: July 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM Local Time (via eMMA only).

• Contract Term: six months, no renewal options.

• Designation: No MBE/VSBE participation goals.

• Evaluation: The Bids will be evaluated based on the Total Bid Price, as per COMAR 21.05.02.13. All Bids will be ranked from the lowest (most favorable) to the highest (least favorable) price based on the Total Bid Price as submitted in its Bid.

Emmanuel reminded everyone to review the Key Information Summary Sheet on page and also indicated that any change or clarification to the IFB will be made through amendments posted on eMMA, and all amendments.

Award Basis – The Contract shall be awarded to the responsible Bidder submitting a responsive Bid with the most favorable Bid Price or most favorable evaluated Bid Price for providing the goods and services as specified in this IFB.

Company Requirement: Emmanuel emphasized that vendors should be in good standing with SDAT and remain so throughout the contract, and Out of State companies must have a resident agent in Maryland.

III) Submission Requirements:

Bids shall be submitted in one submission on Emma. Emmanuel suggested that Bidders allow plenty of time to submit their bids on eMMA and if the bidders need assistance, they should contact eMMA Helpdesk at:

eMMA.HelpDesk@maryland.gov and all bids shall be submitted with the required attachments; the bidders should reference Section 4.19 for attachments and documents required with their submission.

IV) Scope of Work Christopher P. Williams, Program Chief, Coastal and Environmental Geology, MGS Unit provided the background, purpose and goal and the overview of the scope of work described in the IFB, stressing the key points and the requirements.

V) Questions and Answer

Christopher Williams answered questions from the vendors. Emmanuel stated that even though questions were answered here, all questions should be submitted in writing to him, the Procurement Officer, for it to be binding and official.

VI) Closing Remarks:

1. The Procurement (Emmanuel Smith) thanked the participants and reminded all potential Bidders to put all their questions in writing to get an official response from the State.

2. The potential Bidders were informed that a summary of today’s meeting, the PowerPoint Presentation, and the attendees list will be posted online as soon as possible.

The Procurement Officer thanked everyone for their attendance, and the meeting concluded and their interest in this solicitation. The pre-bid conference adjourned at approximately 12:00 p.m.

Prepared By:

Emmanuel G. Smith

Procurement Officer II mailto:eMMA.HelpDesk@maryland.gov