Eq Rental Drill and Blasting w/Op D-11 FHWA ER Eligible

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, on behalf of Highway District 11, issued a Request for Bid (RFB) on July 20, 2022, with a closing date of August 10, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time for equipment rental, drilling, and blasting services with operator for operations in Carter County. The procurement seeks a master agreement contract to fracture rock and construct stable final rock cut faces using presplit blasting and production blasting techniques, with the initial contract period beginning upon award through July 31, 2023, with four optional one-year renewals subject to written approval. Bidders must provide four line items with specific unit costs: hand-operated rock drilling equipment (priced per hour), hydraulic track drilling services (priced per linear foot), blasting agent services for holes up to 10 feet deep (priced per hole), and blasting agent services for depths exceeding 10 feet (priced per foot of additional depth). The vendor must bid all line items to be considered for award and must furnish a licensed Kentucky blaster responsible for determining hole patterns, blast sequences, hole diameters and depths, explosive quantities, and appurtenances for each shot. Evaluation follows a best value methodology with 95 points allocated to price (lowest bidder receives maximum points) and 5 points allocated to response time, which must not exceed five calendar days. The contractor must guarantee a 48-hour response time to begin work following notification of an emergency, must provide at least two phone numbers for 24-hour contact, and will receive $750.00 in emergency mobilization costs for each piece of required equipment delivered to the work site and beginning work within 24 hours of notification, with penalties of $1,000 per day deducted for failure to respond within 72 hours.

The contract is funded through the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief (ER) program and includes no stated set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses. Contractors must comply with Davis-Bacon Act wage determinations, Buy America requirements, and federal regulations including FHWA Form 1273, which incorporates nondiscrimination provisions, prevailing wage requirements, debarment certifications, and lobbying restrictions. The contractor must furnish a general liability insurance certificate with limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and Kentucky workers' compensation insurance within ten days of notice of intent to award, with the Commonwealth listed as an additional insured. Bids are to be submitted through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) online platform at https://emars311.ky.gov/webapp/vssprdonline3111d/AltSelfService with a required placeholder price of $0.01 entered in the e-procurement system, and all bidders must complete the Annual Required Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors affirming compliance with Kentucky Revised Statutes regarding campaign finance laws, tax registration, and boycott restrictions. No incumbent vendor or award value is identified in the solicitation documents, and the tentative award date is August 15, 2022.