Babcock Ranch Preserve Road Work

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is requesting sealed bids for Babcock Ranch Preserve Road Work (FWC 26/27-30), with bids due October 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM ET and a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit on September 23, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET. Bidders must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace and SunBiz prior to bid opening.

The scope is supplying, delivering, spreading, and grading approximately 5,280 tons of DOT-certified shell road base material (Code B02 – Bank Run Shell Base) across 1.29 miles of road at Babcock Ranch Preserve near Punta Gorda, Florida. The material must be applied at 6 to 10 inches depth and 14 to 18 feet width, with a finished roadway requiring a minimum 4-inch center crown. Work commences February 1, 2027 and must be completed by May 31, 2027, with a minimum of 25 loads per day and maximum of 100 loads per day required during the work period. Bidders must provide a minimum of three verifiable references for similar projects and submit pricing on a per-ton basis; total price is calculated by multiplying the per-ton price by 5,280 tons.

The estimated budget is $163,700. The contract term is one year from Purchase Order issuance. A Performance Bond equal to 100 percent of the total contract price is mandatory, due within ten days of Purchase Order issuance. Subcontracting is permitted with submission of a List of Subcontractors and a Subcontractor Minority Status Report with each invoice. Liquidated damages of $100 per calendar day apply for failure to meet the May 31, 2027 completion deadline. Bidders must comply with all federal, state, and local regulations, obtain necessary permits, maintain appropriate insurance coverage, and assume responsibility for equipment cleaning, site security, damage repairs, and wildlife protection measures including maintaining a 25-foot buffer around flagged gopher tortoise burrows. The anticipated award date is October 15, 2026.