Cooling Tower Fill, Drift Eliminators, Louvers, and Refurbishment of Other Components at the Downtown West Central Energy Plant

The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) District Cooling is seeking a qualified contractor to refurbish cooling towers at the Downtown West Central Energy Plant through a Request for Proposal (RFP26_PR8879). The project involves replacing film fill material, drift eliminators, louvers, and refurbishing components for five Marley Crossflow Cooling Towers (CT-1A, CT-1B, CT-1C, CT-2A, and CT-2B). Specific deliverables include removal and disposal of existing materials, power washing, sealing and repair of seams, interior and exterior coating preparation, and installation of manufacturer-specified replacement components. Bidders must provide pricing for both Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket materials. A mandatory pre-response conference is scheduled for December 10, 2025, at 8:30 AM EST, with questions due by December 12, 2025, and addenda to be issued by December 15, 2025. Proposals are due on December 19, 2025, by 2:00 PM EST, with work anticipated to commence in mid-March 2026 and be completed by June 1, 2026. Evaluation criteria include qualifications and experience, responsiveness to requirements, safety and quality programs, financial soundness, and pricing.

Bidders must possess an active Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) license and have a minimum of 10 years of experience performing similar services. Contractors are required to maintain comprehensive general liability insurance with limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence and pollution liability insurance of $2,000,000. A payment and performance bond equal to 100 percent of the contract price is mandatory at contract execution. Submission requirements include a W-9 form, proof of business license, sworn statement on public entity crimes, dispute disclosure form, and evidence of bond compliance. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, the RFP includes detailed requirements for company background, financial information, project approach, references, safety documentation, and quality assurance programs. The pricing schedule offers two primary options: OEM and aftermarket parts, with potential for early payment discounts (1-3% for payment within 10-20 days). OUC reserves the right to award the contract to one or multiple firms, reject all proposals, or negotiate with responsive bidders.