Apalachicola Bay Oyster Restoration

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is requesting bids on oyster reef restoration services in Apalachicola Bay, Franklin County, under ITB FWC 26.27-31, with sealed bids due November 3, 2026 at 1:30 PM ET and a mandatory pre-bid conference on October 14, 2026 at 9:30 AM ET via teleconference.

The scope requires a contractor to coordinate acquisition, delivery, staging, and barge deployment of a minimum of 26,666 cubic yards of approved restoration material (uniformly sized concrete, mixed-layer concrete, or crushed lime rock) across 12.4 acres in two parallel rows measuring 300 yards by 100 yards by 16 inches in height. The contractor must also disperse existing restoration material from 2024 projects. Work must be completed by September 1, 2027, with annual deployment limited to May 1 through September 1 on weekdays between sunrise and 30 minutes before sunset Eastern Time. Shallow-draft deck barges capable of navigating 3- to 6-foot waters are required. Bidders must demonstrate at least three completed barge-based material deployment projects in shallow environments within the past eight years and provide three verifiable references.

The estimated budget is $3.5 million over a one-year contract term from Purchase Order issuance, with extension provisions for force majeure. Bidding must be on a per-cubic-yard basis for material delivery, staging, and labor, plus per-acre pricing for dispersing existing material. Award will be made to the responsive, responsible bidder with the lowest total bid price. A Performance Bond equal to 100 percent of the total contract price is required before work commences. Subcontracting is prohibited. Contractors must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace and Sunbiz systems and possess current Florida business licensure if required. Financial penalties apply for underperformance, including reduced payment if material deployment falls below minimum cubic yardage or reef height specifications. The contractor assumes all costs and liability for securing and maintaining staging areas on state property. Questions are due October 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. The anticipated award date is November 6, 2026.