Bid Request - Tidal Restoration Preliminary Field Investigations

The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) is requesting bids for tidal restoration preliminary field investigations at three sites in the Narragansett Bay Region, with bids due October 23, 2026 at 4:00 PM EST. Bidders must respond under the Ecological Restoration Technical Services Master Agreement (RFR ID #DER 2027-MSA) and hold Category 1 Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Revitalization status.

The three sites are Dublin Street Culvert in Somerset, Old Providence Road in Swansea, and Mason Street Culvert in Rehoboth. Bidders must submit a single generalized scope of work and fee proposal for one site, which DER will adapt to all three locations during contract negotiation. DER will execute three separate site-specific contracts with the selected vendor, one per site, each funded through June 30, 2027. Scope includes data review, site reconnaissance, topographic and bathymetric surveys, tidal studies with minimum 30-day water level logger deployment, wetland resource delineation, subsurface borings, existing conditions plans, and a technical report identifying restoration benefits, site constraints, and recommended next steps. All deliverables must be provided in both editable and final formats: models, AutoCAD files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, and raw data files.

Budget is capped at approximately $50,000 per site. Compensation is time and materials with a not-to-exceed amount structured under the Master Agreement fee schedule. Travel mileage is reimbursed at the current IRS rate; direct expenses may include laboratory fees and public filings. Subcontractors are permitted an allowable markup of up to five percent on labor costs only. Vendors cannot charge usage fees for owned data loggers; rental of specialized equipment not in standard inventory may be claimed as direct expenses.

Work commences in November 2026 with draft deliverables due by June 1, 2027. Written questions are due October 9, 2026, with DER responses posted October 16. No site visit or bidders' conference will be held. Selection criteria emphasize demonstrated experience with tidal restoration and coastal ecology, understanding of sea level rise implications for salt marsh restoration, well-planned task approaches, appropriate staff allocation, feasible timelines, and overall value. DER reserves the right to reject all bids, solicit additional proposals, contract for only a portion of proposed services, and interview respondents prior to selection.