Dry cargo voyage charter - heavy lift

The Military Sealift Command is seeking to procure a dry cargo voyage charter for heavy lift transportation services to transport four Avenger Class Mine Countermeasure vessels (USS SENTRY, USS DEVASTATOR, USS GLADIATOR, and USS DEXTROUS) from Naval Support Activity Bahrain to the Navy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The solicitation requires a U.S. or foreign-flagged Float-On/Float-Off (FLO/FLO) vessel capable of loading, transporting, and discharging these specialized naval vessels, with comprehensive services including line handlers, temporary facilities, gas-free tank maintenance, and compliance with U.S. Navy towing manual specifications. The contract will be awarded as a firm-fixed-price arrangement under FAR 13.5 Simplified Procedures for Commercial Products and Services, with the government intending to evaluate and award without discussions. Key requirements include providing an Independent Marine Surveyor to oversee operations and a Load Master for coordination meetings. The solicitation has undergone multiple amendments, with the current offer due date set for August 26, 2025, at 1100 Eastern Time, and post-award planning meetings scheduled for September 23-26, 2025.

This procurement does not utilize any set-aside designations and is open to all qualified contractors. The contract involves transporting four specific Mine Countermeasure vessels, with available load dates extending from October 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026, and includes a 3-day layday window for last-on first-off cargo operations. The place of performance spans from the load port at Naval Support Activity, Bahrain, to the discharge port at the Navy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia, with Float-on/Float-off operations to be conducted in the vicinity of Manama, Bahrain. While no specific contract value is disclosed, the procurement involves complex heavy lift maritime transportation services requiring specialized vessel capabilities and extensive coordination between contractor personnel and Navy officials. The selected contractor must comply with various regulatory requirements, including restrictions on business operations with the Maduro regime in Venezuela and adherence to Department of Labor wage determinations for maritime personnel.