Replace backcountry camping platforms

The Department of the Interior National Park Service Southeast Region is seeking contractors to replace backcountry camping platforms (chickees) and docks at four remote locations in Everglades National Park: Shark Point Chickee, Johnson Key Chickee, Little Rabbit Key Dock, and Watson River Chickee. The project involves complete demolition of existing wooden structures and construction of new over-water facilities featuring prestressed concrete piles, aluminum structures, fiberglass decking with ADA compliance, composite wood elements, and metal roofing systems. Contractors must demonstrate experience working in remote locations with complex logistics, and the site superintendent must be a direct employee of the prime contractor. The evaluation will focus on technical approach, past performance, and cost, with non-cost factors being significantly more important than price. Proposals are due September 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. ET, and must include a technical proposal (maximum 20 pages), past performance questionnaires from at least three previous clients, a detailed cost breakdown, and a 20% bid bond.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside under NAICS code 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction) with an estimated project value between $500,000 and $750,000. No incumbent contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The performance period runs from November 3, 2025, to May 29, 2026, providing approximately six months for completion. All work sites are located in Florida Bay within Everglades National Park and are accessible only by boat, with vessel draft restrictions of 30 inches maximum due to shallow water conditions. The project requires strict adherence to environmental permits and protection measures for threatened and endangered species including crocodiles, sawfish, manatees, and sea turtles, with contractors responsible for paying $1,306.08 in required mitigation credits.