Potable Water Service Project - AMIKids Beaufort

The Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority (BJWSA) in Beaufort County, South Carolina is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for engineering and design services to support a potable water service extension project serving AMIKids Beaufort. The project will extend a new water main from the intersection of Kinloch Road (State Road S-7-43) and Porches Hill Road (State Road S-7-769) in Seabrook, unincorporated Beaufort County, to the end of Honeybee Island Road, connecting to the existing distribution system. The scope of work encompasses project administration, evaluation of existing conditions, preliminary design, geotechnical exploration, final design with 50%, 90%, and 100% submittals, permitting assistance, easement support, and bidding support services, with construction phase services excluded from the initial contract but potentially available through future amendment. Required qualifications include demonstrated experience in engineering and water system design, with selected firms evaluated on a weighted basis consisting of Project Approach (40 points), Proposed Fee (30 points), Firm Qualifications and Experience (10 points), Project Personnel/Team (10 points), and Schedule and Availability (10 points). Key deadlines include a pre-proposal conference on March 24, 2026, a good faith effort written notice deadline of April 1, 2026, a question submission deadline of April 3, 2026, and a proposal submission deadline of April 17, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT via the BJWSA Procurement Portal, with contract selection notification estimated for June 1, 2026, and project kickoff estimated for June 15, 2026.

Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business (SMWBE) participation requirements apply to this procurement, requiring respondents to demonstrate good faith efforts in recruiting subcontractors or submit a self-performance affidavit. The project is funded in part through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's FY2024 Community Project Funding program, with the remaining costs provided by AMIKids Beaufort, though no specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the RFP. Respondent firms must maintain professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 and other required coverages for eight years beyond substantial completion and must demonstrate responsiveness and responsibility in offering the best overall value to BJWSA. The procurement references existing infrastructure and record drawings from the Dale Area Water Line Extension Phase 3 project (CIP-1548), prepared by Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc. dba HEG Engineering, which provides as-built documentation and technical specifications for related water line installations in the service area. A geotechnical exploration allowance of $10,000 is specified within the project scope, and compensation is proposed on a not-to-exceed hourly basis with rates broken down by task and inclusive of all subconsultant fees.