Daily floating work platform for core sampling

The Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD) is seeking to procure a daily floating work platform for core sampling at the John Coffee Memorial Bridge on the Natchez Trace Parkway. The solicitation is for a two-day rental of a barge/boat with an operator, specifically to be used on January 29-30, 2025, for conducting concrete core sampling. The work platform must accommodate four people, include space for a 30-gallon water tank and a small portable generator, and be capable of being tethered to a bridge pier in navigable waterways. Zion Marine, Inc. has been identified as the sole source capable of providing the required floating platform and crew, with the agency intending to award directly to this vendor. Quotations must be submitted by January 28, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET, either via email to regina.mcdonald@dot.gov or by mail, with vendors required to be registered in SAM.gov prior to award.

The solicitation is not set aside for small businesses and follows simplified acquisition procedures under FAR Part 13 for purchases under $250,000. The place of performance is located near Florence, Alabama, specifically at Mile Post 327 with coordinates of LAT. 34-50' 12.70", LON. 87-56' 27.40". Zion Marine, based in Kingston, TN, is the only identified supplier meeting the specific requirements of launching from a small watercraft boat launch while providing sufficient deck space for crew and equipment. The contract involves critical core sampling that requires a stable work area for operating a concrete core drill to retrieve field test samples. Additional compliance requirements include representations regarding covered telecommunications equipment under Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act, with vendors needing to confirm they do not use prohibited telecommunications equipment from specified Chinese manufacturers.