Provide, prepare, tow, and sink vessels

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is soliciting bids for a contract to provide, prepare, tow, and sink five steel barges for artificial reef creation, specifically at the PA-34 CCA-McClellanville Reef site located 9 nautical miles from Sandy Point buoy R"2". The vessels must meet specific technical requirements, including a minimum keel length of 40 feet, beam of 10 feet, and height of 5 feet. Contractors are responsible for comprehensive vessel preparation, which includes thorough cleaning, removal of all hazardous materials, drainage of fluids, and opening of internal voids. The successful bidder must tow the barges to the precise location designated by Marine Resources Division personnel and sink them to ensure complete and even flooding. Key submission deadlines include questions due by January 30, 2024, at 12:00 noon EST, and sealed bids due on February 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. EST. Deployment must occur within 90 days of purchase order issuance, with additional stipulations that sea conditions be no greater than 2 to 4 feet unless mutually agreed upon. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder on a lump-sum basis for all five barges.

The solicitation is open to various entity types, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporate entities, tax-exempt corporations, and government entities, with the requirement that all bidders must be registered South Carolina vendors. Contractors must maintain comprehensive liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence for commercial general liability, $1,000,000 per accident for auto liability, and statutory workers' compensation limits. Bidders may claim applicable resident vendor, resident contractor, or resident subcontractor preferences if they meet statutory requirements. While no specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the documents, the contract involves the procurement and preparation of five steel barges for reef creation. The contractor will bear all liability and risk of loss throughout the vessel handling and deployment process, with specific accountability for ensuring the vessels are placed within permitted reef boundaries and meet vertical profile specifications. Award notification will be posted on February 28, 2024, at http://www.procurement.sc.gov, and all submitted bids must remain valid for a minimum of ninety calendar days following the opening date.