High Pressure Piping Services

Minnesota State University, Mankato is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for high pressure piping repair, installation, and pipe fitting services on campus under a master service contract. The procurement seeks a fully equipped individual or crew capable of performing maintenance work including cutting, threading, and installing high pressure steam and condensate lines; welding; bolt-up of high-pressure equipment; anchor repairs; and installation of expansion joints on pipes ranging from ½ inch to 10 inches in diameter, with work potentially conducted in confined spaces, tunnels, and crawl spaces. Required qualifications include journeymen with a minimum of 10 years' experience and welders with state credentials and ASME welding procedures. The contractor must provide all equipment, tools, vehicles, hand tools, power tools, rigging equipment, ladders, scaffolding, welders, cutting equipment, and personal protective equipment, with all costs incorporated into submitted hourly rates. The RFP was published on March 2, 2026, with a deadline for clarifying questions on March 11, 2026, question responses published by March 13, 2026, and proposal submissions due by March 20, 2026, at 2:00 PM CDT. Vendor selection and notification is anticipated in March 2026 with contract execution targeted for April 1, 2026. Evaluation criteria include adherence to Minnesota State terms and conditions (5 percent), work plan (20 percent), cost/value (35 percent), qualifications of respondent and personnel (30 percent), and completeness of response (10 percent). The contract term is three years with no renewal options mentioned.

This procurement is subject to prevailing wage requirements under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 177, with rates established by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry for Blue Earth County. The applicable prevailing wage rate for Pipefitter-Steamfitter classification is $71.29 per hour total ($42.02 basic rate plus $29.27 fringe benefits), effective December 22, 2025, with overtime compensation required at one and one-half times the basic rate for hours exceeding eight per day or forty per week. The contractor must assume responsibility for permitting, inspections, parking permits (currently $411 annually), and compliance with Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry journeyman-to-apprentice ratios. Insurance requirements include workers' compensation with minimum employer's liability limits of $100,000 per employee, comprehensive general liability insurance of $2,000,000 per occurrence, and commercial automobile liability insurance of $2,000,000 combined single limit. Contractors must submit an Affidavit of Non-Collusion and Affirmative Action declarations, with affirmative action workforce certification required for contracts exceeding $100,000 with more than forty full-time Minnesota employees. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP documentation; compensation will be determined on an hourly basis with total contract obligation not to exceed a dollar amount to be specified by Minnesota State University, Mankato.