Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Texas, Channel Improvement Project, Upper Bay Reach in Nueces County, Texas, Pipeline Dredging.

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT announcement; a market survey for information only, to be used for preliminary planning purposes.  THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS SYNOPSIS.  No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this synopsis or any follow up information requests.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District has been tasked to solicit for and award a pipeline dredging project for Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Texas, Channel Improvement Project, Upper Bay Reach in Nueces County, Texas.  Proposed project will be a competitive, firm-fixed price contract procured in accordance with FAR 14, Sealed Bidding-Acquisition.  The type of set-aside decision(s) to be issued will depend upon the capabilities of the responses to this synopsis.

The purpose of this sources sought announcement is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of industry, to include the Small Businesses Community:  Small Business, Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB).  The Government must ensure there is adequate competition among the potential pool of responsible contractors.  Small Business, Section 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB businesses are highly encouraged to participate.

The Government is seeking qualified, experienced sources capable of performing the following:

Project Information:  The Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Texas Channel Improvement Project Upper Bay Reach is contract encompasses construction starting at station 70+000, just westerly bay side of the Corpus main channel La Quinta Junction. Potentially work could extend some 11 miles going across Bay, into Corpus Christi Inner Harbor Avery Point Reach and Chemical Basin areas. The construction elements of the project include 1) deep draft maintenance and new work channel dredging, 2) upland Placement Area (PA) #3A, #3B and #1/2 dike raising, and 3) removal of existing pipelines.  

The contract involves the complete clean out of the maintenance material from the existing channel (47 feet Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW)) template, widening the width from 400 to 530 feet and the construction of the new barge lanes (14 feet MLLW) template 200 feet in width parallel both sides of Upper Bay Reach.  Additionally, three (3) pipelines obstructing the deepening of the channel may need to be removed, if option is exercised.   

Due to the size of the contract, it has been divided into schedule 1 and several options.  Schedule 1 includes dredging barge lanes and main channel starting at station 70+000 approximately 6.5 miles across Upper Bay between La Quinta Junction and Corpus Christi Ship Channel bridge.  The estimated maintenance template dredging volume is 2.4M cubic yards (CY)  and the construction of the new channel (authorized depth and advanced maintenance) is estimated to generate an estimated 11.1M CY and placed in the open-water disposal sites. 

Options will compose the remaining work including skip-dredge (plugs) sections, left out of schedule 1 due to pipelines being removed by owners, the dredging Inner Harbor Avery Point Reach and Chemical Basin Reach and optional incremental raising of existing perimeter dikes at existing upland placement areas (e.g. Placement Areas 1-2; 3A and 3B) with associated drop-outlet structure modifications.

In accordance with DFARs 236, the estimated construction price range for this project is between $100,000,000 and $250,000,000.

Estimated duration for Schedule 1 is approximately 496 calendar days.  If all proposed project options are exercised the project duration is estimated at a total of approx. 687 days. The assumed dredging plant type equipment and dredging rate is based on pipeline production.

The North American Industry Classification System code for this procurement is 237990 which has a small business size standard of $30,000,000. 

The Product Service Code is Y1KB.

Small Businesses are reminded under FAR 52.219-14, (Deviation 2019-O0003), Limitations on Subcontracting.  Firm will not pay more than 85% of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance, excluding the cost of materials, to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities.  Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count toward the 85% subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. 

Should the acquisition be set-aside for the 8(a) Program, 8(a) firms are reminded the need to have a bona-fide office in the geographical area of consideration where the work is to be performed as determined by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Prior Government contract work is not required for submitting a response to this sources sought synopsis.  However, all construction performance must be in compliance with the USACE Safety and Health Requirements Manual, (EM 385-1-1), and must also comply with all Federal, State and local laws, ordinances, codes and/or regulations.

Anticipated solicitation issuance date is on or about May 26, 2021, and the estimated response due date will be on or about June 28, 2021.  Award is estimated for July 2021. The official synopsis citing the solicitation number will be issued on the Beta Sam.Gov website https://beta.sam.gov/, inviting firms to download a copy of the plans and specification when it is issued.

Firm’s response to this Sources Sought Synopsis shall be limited to 5 pages and shall include the following information:

1.  Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) & Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) (This information can be obtained from your System for Award Management (SAM) Registration at www.sam.gov ). 

2.  Firm’s name, address, point of contact, phone number, and e-mail address.

3.  Firm’s Business Size – Large Business, Small Business, 8(a), HUBZone, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, or Women Owned Small Business.   Proof of Small Business Administration (SBA) registration 8(a) and Hubzone Small Business shall be provided with this response.

4.  Firm’s Joint Ventures (existing), including Mentor Protégés and teaming arrangement information is acceptable.

5.  Firm’s Bonding Capability (Construction bonding level per contract and aggregate construction bonding level, both expressed in dollars) via letter from bonding company. 

6.  Firm’s interest in submitting a bid.  Please indicate whether your firm will submit a bid for this project, if this project is set-aside for Small Business, 8(a), Hubzone Small Business, or Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business.

7.  Qualifications:  Responses to this sources sought announcement shall indicate specialized experience and technical competence in:

a.  Contractor must be experienced in completing work outlined under the paragraph above for “Project Information”.

b.  Provide documentation for your firm on past similar efforts as a prime contractor. 

c.  Provide a list of your present commitments and completion dates for these commitments. Identify dredge on present commitments and identify dredge to be used on this requirement. The evaluation will consider overall experience.

8.  Submission Requirements:  Firms submitting responses shall provide information on the most recent up to three projects that prove you can meet the qualification criteria listed above, with contract number, project location, description of work requirements, contact and phone number for each effort. 

Interested Firm’s shall respond to this Sources Sought Synopsis no later than November 16 2020 at 2:00 PM (CST).  All interested firms must be registered in the System for Award Management (www.sam.gov) to be eligible for award of Government contracts.  Email your capability statement to Lucille R. Smith, Contract Specialist at Lucille.R.Smith@usace.army.mil . 

Firms responding to this sources sought announcement, who fail to provide ALL of the required information requested, may not be used to help the Government make the acquisition decision, which is the intent of this sources sought announcement. 

For technical questions, please contact: Carlos Tate at (409) 766-3819 or Mr. Jose Castro at (409) 766-6334.