Archaeological Survey

The City of Madison Planning Department issued Request for Bids (RFB #11073-0-2022-BG) for a comprehensive archaeological survey of city-owned properties within Madison's corporate limits, excluding the UW-Madison core campus and UW Arboretum. The project requires a qualified principal investigator who meets the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards for Archaeology and is listed on the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office's (SHPO) approved archaeologist list. Key deliverables include a comprehensive literature review of 242 recorded archaeological sites, remote verification of existing sites, field checks on approximately 8 city-owned property sites, consultation with tribal partners, and preparation of a final report with updated Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database entries. The project is funded by a $25,000 federal grant from the National Park Service through SHPO. Critical dates include: questions due by August 8, 2022, bid answers posted August 10, 2022, bid submissions due August 17, 2022 at 2:00 PM CST, intermediate progress reports due October 17, 2022, January 16, 2023, and April 17, 2023, with all deliverables required by July 31, 2023, and project completion by August 31, 2023.

The solicitation did not explicitly define specific set-aside designations, though firms with 15 or more employees and $50,000 or more in annual City business must comply with the City's Affirmative Action Ordinance and file required plans within 30 days of contract execution. Six firms submitted proposals: 106 Group LTD, APTIM, Cardno-Stantec, Commonwealth Heritage Group, SWCA, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. SWCA was awarded the contract at $20,000, which was not the absolute lowest bid but was selected through the evaluation process. Successful bidders are required to maintain professional liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 for six years following service acceptance. The City reserved the right to reject any or all bids and is not obligated to award a contract. The contract will be a fixed-term agreement effective upon execution by the City and will cover all professional services, travel, equipment, materials, printing, supplies, and associated expenses necessary for project completion.