Biosolids hauling services (grant funded)

Collier County Board of County Commissioners Procurement Services Division, on behalf of the Public Utilities Department, seeks qualified contractors to provide biosolids hauling services through Request for Proposals (RFP) 25-8403R, a grant-funded solicitation with a May 7, 2026 deadline at 3:00 PM EST for submission via the online bidding system at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/collier-county-fl. The procurement encompasses transportation, dewatering where applicable, and disposal of biosolids from five facilities: North County Water Reclamation Facility (NCWRF), South County Water Reclamation Facility (SCWRF), Golden Gate Wastewater Treatment Plant, Orange Tree Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Northeast Service Area (NESA) Interim Wastewater Treatment Plant. Services include providing trailers, dewatering equipment and supplies, hauling biosolids to state-permitted disposal facilities, and managing all associated labor and compliance activities, with work scheduled Monday through Saturday, 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding county holidays, with normal requests serviced within 48 hours and urgent requests within two hours. Proposers must complete Attachment A (Category Interest Form) and Attachment B (Cost of Services), selecting between non-dewatering locations (NCWRF at 2,000 tons monthly and SCWRF at 1,791 tons monthly) or dewatering-required locations (Golden Gate at 360,000 gallons monthly, Orange Tree at 358,705 gallons monthly, and NESA at 208,730 gallons monthly), and must bid on all line items for selected locations. The County intends to award multiple contractors with separate awardees designated for non-dewatering and dewatering-required facilities under an initial five-year contract term with three optional five-year renewals, requiring 18 months' notice prior to expiration for non-renewal. Qualified proposers must possess all necessary federal, state, and local regulatory compliance capabilities including FDEP, EPA, and OSHA standards; furnish a Payment and Performance Bond equal to the contract term value; maintain Worker's Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate), and Automobile Liability coverage ($1,000,000 per occurrence); be enrolled in E-Verify at submission; and comply with all PUD Performance Standards including zero offsite odors, zero sanitary sewer overflows or spills, and zero offsite fugitive dust emissions. Evaluation criteria include cost management, schedule adherence, work quality, personnel professionalism, project administration, communication clarity, and overall customer satisfaction as demonstrated through completed Reference Questionnaires.

The solicitation includes local vendor preference provisions and grant-funded compliance requirements, with no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises identified in the available documentation. All proposers must submit completed mandatory forms including the Vendor Declaration Statement, Conflict of Interest Certification, Immigration Certification with E-Verify proof, Reference Questionnaire forms for each reference, Grant Provisions and Assurances, and W-9 Form, along with proof of status from Florida's Division of Corporations, copies of all requested licenses and certifications, and acknowledgment of county IT Technical Architecture Requirements if applicable; failure to provide applicable documents renders a proposal non-responsive. The county historically has spent approximately $3,700,000 annually for biosolids hauling services, though the solicitation explicitly states this figure may not be indicative of future purchasing patterns and serves as a reference point for budget planning rather than a guaranteed award value. Initial pricing rates submitted are for evaluation purposes only and subject to change during negotiations with selected contractors, with price modification requests permitted after the initial contract term if documentation is submitted at least 18 months before renewal dates. No incumbent vendors or existing contractor information is identified in the procurement documents, indicating this represents an open competitive procurement opportunity. All proposals must remain valid for 180 days from submission, and the County will not be liable for any costs incurred by proposers in preparing proposals or participating in selection procedures.