Artificial Reef - Tire Removal Project

Pinellas County Solid Waste Department is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to contract marine salvage and debris removal services for the removal of approximately 3,300 tires from five artificial reef areas located off the coast of Pinellas County, Florida: the Clearwater Artificial Reef (320 acres, approximately 2,900 tires), Rube Allyn Reef Area (220 acres, approximately 160 tires), St. Pete Beach Artificial Reef (60 acres, approximately 60 tires), Treasure Island Artificial Reef (85 acres, approximately 70 tires), and Madeira Beach Artificial Reef (85 acres, approximately 110 tires). The contractor must remove all tires and associated marine debris, transport recovered materials via vessels capable of operating in coastal Gulf waters up to 50 feet depth and 20 nautical miles offshore, and unload materials into County-provided containers at the Artificial Reef Program Staging Area located at Sand Key Park, 1060 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater, Florida. The contractor must demonstrate at least five years of experience in marine salvage or debris removal from sensitive habitats and provide references from four customers for similar services. Work shall be performed Monday through Friday unless authorized for weekend operations with 48-hour notice, with the contractor responsible for developing and obtaining County approval of a comprehensive Safety Plan prior to mobilization and maintaining all U.S. Coast Guard and OSHA regulatory compliance for commercial diving operations. Pricing must be submitted as lump sum unit costs for mobilization and tire removal/transport/unloading services for each of the five reef locations, with all costs remaining firm for the contract duration and including all personnel, materials, labor, equipment, profit, and overhead. Evaluation criteria include an executive summary (5 percent), qualifications and experience (35 percent), project approach and methodology (50 percent), and compensation/price proposal (10 percent). The question submission deadline is March 31, 2026 at 12:00 p.m., and proposals must be submitted electronically through the OpenGov procurement website by April 16, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., with no scheduled site visits or pre-bid conferences.

The RFP contains several compliance requirements and restrictions for interested contractors. All contractors must complete and submit notarized affidavits including a Human Trafficking Affidavit (attesting non-use of coercion for labor under Florida Statutes Section 787.06(14)), a Common Carrier Attestation (certifying non-transportation of unauthorized aliens), a Foreign Countries of Concern Affidavit (certifying non-ownership or controlling interest by specified nations including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria), and an E-Verify system registration requirement. The contractor must obtain and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), business automobile liability ($1,000,000), excess/umbrella liability ($1,000,000), and watercraft liability ($1,000,000), with no performance security required. All work must comply with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Environmental Best Management Practices and Project Design Criteria requirements addressing sensitive habitat protection, protected species management (sea turtles, marine mammals, manatees), daylight-only operations, minimum distance buffers from wildlife, turbidity control measures, entanglement prevention protocols, and archaeological site protection. The contract term is twelve months from the date of award with one optional twelve-month renewal period available at the same prices, terms, and conditions subject to County approval. No incumbent vendor or budget range information is provided in the solicitation documents; however, the County will obtain any required Environmental Resource Permit through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection at no cost to the contractor, and the contractor may utilize the County's staging area for equipment mooring at no cost subject to a no-cost Facility Use Agreement.