On-Call Marine and Coastal Engineering Services

Beaufort County, South Carolina, is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to procure on-call marine and coastal engineering services from up to three qualified consulting firms. The services encompass a comprehensive range of deliverables including marine inspections, bridge evaluation and load rating analysis, design of marine structures (docks, bulkheads, seawalls, boat ramps, and shoreline stabilization), hydrographic surveys, dredging, project and construction management, permitting and compliance coordination with regulatory agencies, sediment transport analysis, wave analysis, grant writing, and resilience and sea-level rise planning. Qualified firms must demonstrate staff experience and technical competence, knowledge of Beaufort County and local conditions, familiarity with regulatory requirements at industry, local, state, and federal levels, past performance on similar projects within Beaufort County, and staff availability and responsiveness. The evaluation will be points-based across five weighted criteria: Experience (25 points), Industry Knowledge and County Program Familiarity (25 points), Approach to Process (15 points), Staff Availability (15 points), and Similar Past Projects (20 points). Proposals must not exceed ten double-sided pages and must include an executive summary, approach to project objectives, experience and qualifications of the design team with organizational charts and key personnel resumes, and supporting materials. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EST via Teams; questions must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2026; and the qualification statement submission deadline is Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EST through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bcgov.

The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions targeting disadvantaged enterprises, though all respondents must comply with Title VI nondiscrimination requirements and maintain professional liability insurance with a minimum limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence, along with $1,000,000 in Commercial General Liability coverage. Selected firms must provide at least 50 percent of production on contracted projects using internal staffing, and any firm applying as prime may serve as a subconsultant on another team only if that role does not exceed 10 percent of contract value. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. The contract term is one year with two one-year renewal options, for a potential three-year total engagement, with a maximum annual contract value of $750,000 per selected consultant per year. Anticipated funding sources include future sales tax, current and future impact fees, and grant funding opportunities. The contract is contingent on annual appropriations by County Council and may be terminated for convenience without penalty to the County.