1450-26-R-RFQF-00004

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) is issuing a Request for Quote Formal (RFQF) for a reverse auction to procure the furnishing and deployment of approved cultch material into the Western and Central Mississippi Sound for oyster bed enhancement. The procurement seeks bids for cultch material delivery via barge to specified deployment areas totaling 150 to 200 acres at a density of 100 cubic yards per acre, with approved materials limited to course aggregate (#4 stone) or oyster shell that must be clean, free of hazardous substances, and contain no more than 5% fines or fragments smaller than three-fourths to one and one-half inches in diameter. Bidders must demonstrate prior comparable project experience with at least one reference and must be electronically registered in Mississippi's MAGIC procurement system, with bidding structured on a unit price per cubic yard basis and award made to the responsive, responsible bidder offering the maximum amount of approved cultch material at the lowest price per cubic yard. Initial bid responses are due March 5, 2026 at 2:00 PM CST, with the reverse auction scheduled tentatively for March 11, 2026 and contract award anticipated for March 12, 2026; deployment activities must occur between April 8, 2026 and June 30, 2026, limited to daylight hours Monday through Friday with actual deployment dates determined by MDMR personnel. Bidders must provide evidence of insurance including workers' compensation, general liability with $1,000,000 aggregate coverage, and personal injury/bodily injury and property damage coverage of $500,000 per occurrence, with MDMR named as additional insured, and contractors must possess United States Coast Guard-approved equipment and maintain OSHA compliance.

The solicitation contains no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond, and no incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available procurement documents. The project is funded under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) and requires contractor compliance with extensive federal assurances including nondiscrimination, environmental protection, and various federal statutes, with payment to be made within 45 days of receiving an approved invoice upon satisfactory completion of work and deliverables. The contract will be executed for a fourteen-month term subject to extension at MDMR's discretion, with total contract value not to exceed $1,600,000. Bids may be submitted by hand delivery, mail, or through the MAGIC Portal to Rick Kinnard, Procurement Director, at the MDMR office located at 1716 AJ Holloway Drive, Biloxi, Mississippi 39532, and detailed specifications and bid documents are available from the MDMR Procurement Office, the MDMR website at www.dmr.ms.gov, and the Mississippi Procurement Portal. The contract is governed by Mississippi law with litigation to be brought in Biloxi, Harrison County.