Inv. to Bid for PA System Replacement at PBIA (PB 20-1)

Palm Beach County Department of Airports issued a sealed bid invitation for the complete replacement of the Public Address System at Palm Beach International Airport (Project No. PB 20-1), with bids due on March 17, 2020, at 2:00 PM Local Time. The procurement encompasses demolition of the existing PA system and installation of new head-end communication room equipment, 74 microphone paging stations, 81 ambient noise sensors, and 1,892 speakers across multiple ceiling mount and surface mount configurations distributed throughout the terminal and concourse areas. The project includes comprehensive deliverables such as system programming and testing, project record documents, operation and maintenance manuals, record drawings, and one year of post-acceptance on-site assistance totaling 50 hours. Prospective contractors must meet strict qualifications including a minimum of five years in business selling, installing, and maintaining similar systems at large international airports, current manufacturer certification as a certified installer, a minimum of three reference sites actively using identical or similar solutions for at least twelve months, and Florida licensure at the time of bid submission. The project is organized in three phases totaling 635 calendar days from Notice to Proceed: a 60-calendar-day procurement phase, a 365-calendar-day commissioning and installation phase, and a 30-calendar-day final acceptance phase, with liquidated damages assessed at $500 to $1,500 per calendar day depending on the phase. A pre-bid conference was held on February 12, 2020, with multiple addenda issued addressing technical specifications, clarifications, and bid opening date extensions; bidders were required to submit questions by March 3, 2020, and acknowledge receipt of all six addenda with their proposals.

This federally-funded project is subject to a 15 percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal, with prime contractors required to demonstrate good faith efforts to meet this target and self-perform a minimum of 20 percent of total contract work with direct hire forces. All work must comply with federal requirements including Davis-Bacon prevailing wage standards, the Copeland Act, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, Title VI Civil Rights protections, and Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) under the Airport and Airway Safety and Capacity Act of 1987. Bid security of 5 percent of the bid price and performance and payment bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract price are required. The project specifications require integration with existing airport infrastructure and compliance with NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code), FAA regulations, and detailed technical specifications covering electrical materials, conduit systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and PA system requirements, including Dante audio transport protocol compatibility. All contractor employees must obtain Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) badges at contractor expense, involving a ten-year background check and FBI fingerprinting. While no specific contract award value is stated in the bid documents, the scope and complexity of the project—including extensive speaker installation, networking infrastructure, fiber optic cabling with minimum 12 strands of single-mode fiber between communication rooms, and comprehensive testing and commissioning—indicates a substantial procurement value requiring qualified bidders with significant experience and financial capacity.