Airport Baggage Handling Upgrade

The City of Amarillo is soliciting a best value bid for design support services, materials, equipment, and installation to upgrade the baggage handling system at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, with proposals due June 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. CDT and a mandatory pre-proposal conference on June 4, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. CDT. Attendance at the mandatory pre-proposal meeting is a condition of bid eligibility.

The scope encompasses programming updates to existing master control panels and programmable logic controllers, installation of new baggage sorting devices and scan guns, maintenance catwalks and ladders, new user interfaces with workstations and mobile tablets, control system replacements, network upgrades from ControlNet to Ethernet/IP, and six optional alternates addressing dimensioners, high-speed diverters, vertical sortation units, inspection slider tables, and removal of existing Vacu-Lift systems. Work must occur in phases to preserve airport operations and be completed within 240 calendar days of notice to proceed. Work hours are restricted to 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, unless approved otherwise. The project is subject to Davis Bacon Prevailing Wage Rate requirements and FAA Buy American Preference compliance under 49 U.S.C. § 50101; bidders must certify their Buy American compliance strategy and may request Type 2, 3, or 4 waivers within 15 calendar days of selection if unable to meet 100 percent domestic content.

The estimated base bid budget is $6.5 million. All bids exceeding $50,000 require bid security of 5 percent of the total bid amount; contracts exceeding $100,000 require Performance and Payment Bonds each equal to 100 percent of the contract price. Bid validity is 120 days from submission. Award will be based on a weighted evaluation totaling 100 points: Base Bid Purchase Price (40 points), Bidder Qualifications (50 points), and Safety Record Questionnaire (10 points). Bidder qualifications are assessed on reputation, service quality, past City relationships, performance timelines, and key personnel experience. Bidders must provide three governmental references for similar services. A local preference consideration applies under Texas Local Government Code § 271.9051 to vendors with principal place of business in Amarillo city limits if their bid falls within 5 percent of the lowest non-local bid and the contract value is under $500,000; however, this contract exceeds that threshold and the local preference does not apply. Questions are due June 9, 2026, with responses by June 15. Bid opening is scheduled June 25, 2026 via teleconference. The awarded contractor must provide all bonds, insurance certificates, and signed contracts within 10 calendar days of notice of award before notice to proceed is issued.