Marine Surveyors

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Highways District 3, issued Request for Proposal 605 2200000378 on May 27, 2022, seeking a qualified Marine Surveyor to provide personal services for the inspection and certification of two tugboats under construction in Monroe County, Kentucky by Grandview Welding & Equipment, Inc. The surveyor must evaluate boat builder specifications and drawings, conduct a minimum of four on-site progress construction inspections at the manufacturing facility in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, and perform final construction inspections to certify that tugboats are complete, sound, and workable in accordance with current boat manufacturing standards. Key deliverables include detailed written reports documenting work progress, observations, issues, and solutions following each site visit, with an additional post-construction inspection visit to the tugboats' final work location. The surveyor must hold current credentials from either the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) or the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS), with membership in both organizations preferred, and must provide three professional references from prior similar service contracts. Proposals were evaluated on 1,000 total points consisting of cost (300 points), education and certifications (250 points), experience and resume (300 points), references (150 points), and potential oral presentations worth an additional 250 points. An offeror's conference was held on June 21, 2022, at Grandview Welding in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, with written questions due by 4:30 p.m. on June 7, 2022, and the revised proposal submission deadline of July 13, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are identified in the procurement documents; however, Kentucky resident bidders receive a reciprocal preference, and qualified bidders as defined by statute receive a 15 percent preference. The incumbent contractor for the tugboat construction is Grandview Welding & Equipment, Inc., under a separate fixed-price contract valued at $824,594.00 for the manufacture and delivery of two complete tugboats. The marine surveyor contract runs from award through June 30, 2023, with the Commonwealth reserving the right to renew for up to two additional one-year periods, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet and the Legislative Research Commission Government Contract Review Committee. Compensation is structured on an hourly basis with a single blended hourly rate applying to all individuals assigned to perform work, paid monthly upon submission of valid invoices documenting hours expended; no overhead, travel costs, printing, copying, supplies, or other reimbursements are authorized. The contractor must maintain professional liability insurance naming the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as an additional insured and must comply with all applicable federal and state laws, including the non-discrimination requirements of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and federal prevailing wage requirements where applicable.