Bid No. 267023 Algae Identification and Enumeration

The City of Salem, Oregon, Department of Public Works Operations is soliciting competitive bids for algae identification and enumeration laboratory services through Bid No. 267023. The procurement seeks a qualified laboratory capable of analyzing approximately 275 freshwater algae samples annually, including phytoplanktonic and periphytic forms, with deliverables requiring identification to group and species level, density reporting in appropriate units, biovolume calculation, and trophic state index value determination. The five service line items include approximately 215 phytoplankton samples with standard turnaround, 15 periphyton samples with standard turnaround, 15 periphyton samples with heterocyst and akinete analysis, 5 phytoplankton samples with fast turnaround, and 32 phytoplankton samples with rush turnaround. The selected vendor must provide sample collection bottles, arrange permanent archival of slides and electronic data on permanent storage media, and coordinate turnaround times with the City's Water Quality Section, with the majority of samples expected between April and November and averaging approximately 10-15 standard turnaround samples weekly from July 15 through September 30. Electronic bids must be submitted through Equity Hub's Bid Locker by April 22, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. local time, with public bid opening conducted virtually via Microsoft Teams, and written questions regarding bid specifications due by April 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. local time. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive bidder within thirty days of bid closing, with the agreement term commencing July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, and renewable for four additional one-year periods subject to satisfactory performance and budget approval.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are identified in the procurement documents provided. The City does apply a non-resident bidder preference policy whereby non-resident bidders will have a percentage increase applied to their bids equal to any preference given to in-state bidders in their home state. All bidders must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance with limits not less than $2,000,000 combined single limits and workers' compensation insurance as required by applicable law, and pricing must be submitted for all five service line items on the provided proposal form with prices remaining firm for thirty calendar days following the bid closing date. The pricing structure requires all costs to be inclusive of delivery on an F.O.B. City of Salem destination basis, excluding federal excise taxes, and price discrepancies will be resolved in favor of unit prices rather than extensions. No specific budget range or award value is stated in the procurement documents, with compensation to be structured as a fixed sum determined through the competitive bidding process. The City reserves the right to cancel the procurement or reject any or all bids in its best interest.