Professional Engineering Services for Marine Applications

The City of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, located in Volusia County, is issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ 12-26-ENG) under Florida Statutes 287.055 (the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act) to establish a pool of qualified professional engineering firms to provide marine application services on an as-needed basis through purchase orders and work orders. The solicitation seeks firms capable of providing comprehensive engineering services including dredging and marine design, permitting, site development improvements for marine facilities (stormwater, water, sewer, boardwalks, docks, and restrooms), seawall design and construction administration, boat ramps, floating docks, and related marine-oriented projects. Selected firms will be responsible for reviewing existing City of New Smyrna Beach codes, resolutions, ordinances, and applicable Florida state codes, then preparing complete deliverables including final plans, technical specifications, construction estimates, and bid documents necessary for marine project bidding and construction. Evaluation criteria include firm and team qualifications (30 points), project experience (25 points), project approach and innovative applications (25 points), financial stability and litigation history (15 points), and client references (5 points). Required qualifications include Florida-licensed professional engineering firms with a project manager holding a Professional Engineer license and minimum seven years of maritime engineering experience, along with supporting team members holding Florida licenses and minimum three years of experience; firms must also demonstrate financial stability for the past three years and experience with at least three previous projects involving grant and permitting agencies, site development, budgeting accuracy, and timeline management. Critical deadlines include a written questions deadline of March 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., proposal submission deadline of March 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (submitted electronically through the City's e-Procurement Portal), non-mandatory opening on March 31, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., non-mandatory evaluation meeting on April 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., and City Commission award recommendation anticipated on April 28, 2026.

This solicitation contains no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, small businesses, or minority-owned firms, though federal contract provisions require compliance with equal employment opportunity and small and minority business utilization standards where applicable. The procurement documents establish mandatory requirements for all responding firms including Workers' Compensation coverage, Commercial General Liability insurance, Automobile Liability coverage, and Professional Liability Insurance with a combined single limit of not less than $1,000,000; firms must also comply with public records requirements, E-Verify registration, human trafficking affidavits, drug-free and smoke-free workplace certifications, and non-collusion sworn statements. The City indicates it has other engineering consultants awarded under separate public solicitations and makes no covenant or promise regarding the number of available projects or guaranteed work during the contract term; the City reserves the right to seek qualifications from other firms for specialized projects as deemed in its best interest. The contract term is three years from the award date with one optional administrative two-year extension for a maximum cumulative term of five years, and compensation shall be determined through subsequent purchase orders and work orders based on the consultant's submitted fee schedule with monthly invoicing. No specific contract value or budget range is provided in the solicitation documents, as this is an as-needed services agreement with no minimum volume guarantee.