RFP No 2026004 Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) Fiber Optic Construction Services

The Northern Wasco County People's Utility District is soliciting proposals for Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) fiber optic construction services under RFP 2026004, with proposals due November 6, 2026, at 4:00 PM PST through OregonBuys and a mandatory pre-proposal conference on October 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM PST via Microsoft Teams.

Contractors must hold valid Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) licensing at proposal submission and throughout the contract term. All work must comply with prevailing wage rates established by the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) for Northern Wasco County. The District requires a comprehensive employee drug-testing program meeting Oregon Department of Transportation Commercial Driver's License standards as a condition of contract award, with breach constituting grounds for debarment under Oregon Revised Statutes 279C.130.

Scope encompasses aerial and underground FTTP cable installation, service drop installation, hand hole and conduit placement, acceptance testing, right-of-way restoration, traffic control, and utility coordination. Detailed technical specifications are established in Exhibit A (Fiber Optic Construction Standards, effective September 18, 2025) and Exhibit B (Construction Package—Zone 1). Key specifications include maximum cable pulling pressures of 600 pounds, minimum bend radius of 18 inches, installation temperature range of −22 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, fiber splicing acceptance standards with maximum individual splice location events of 0.3 decibels per TIA standards, vault and handhole H22 loading requirements, Schedule 40 PVC conduit at 36-inch minimum burial depth, and aerial service drop installations maintaining 12-foot minimum clearance above grade with 40-inch minimum clearance to energized conductors. Work order unit definitions specify 92,000 linear feet of strand installation, 106,000 linear feet of fiber optic cable placement, 435 aerial storage loops, 1,192 aerial drops, 1,000 buried drops, and 2,400 individual fiber splices. The contractor must provide comprehensive insurance including Workers' Compensation with $500,000 employers' liability limits, Professional Liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence and annual aggregate, Commercial General Liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 annual aggregate, and Automobile Liability of $1,000,000.

The initial contract term is twenty-four months with three optional one-year renewal periods at the District's discretion. Pricing must remain firm for the initial twenty-four-month period, with escalation requests during renewals limited to documented pass-through cost increases. Compensation is structured as a not-to-exceed master services agreement with unit pricing on a Work Order Bid Sheet and individual purchase orders, subject to Net 30 payment following District acceptance of invoices. Bid security equal to five percent of the bid price, performance bonds (100% of contract price), and payment bonds (100% of contract price) are required; sureties must be licensed in Oregon and appear on the U.S. Treasury Department Circular 570 list of acceptable sureties.

Evaluation criteria total 200 points: proposal contents summary (0–20 points), firm qualifications and experience (0–10 points), references (0–10 points), assigned staff experience and resumes (0–15 points), work plan and schedule (0–20 points), Work Order Bid Sheet (0–20 points), material availability and resource commitment (0–25 points), exceptions to agreement and insurance requirements (0–30 points), and potential interviews (0–50 points). References must demonstrate three or more years of experience with the offeror; local and similar-size contract references are preferred. First-tier subcontractors representing 5 percent of the bid amount (minimum $15,000) or $350,000 regardless of percentage must be disclosed via Exhibit G within two working hours after the proposal due date. Failure to submit the disclosure results in proposal rejection.

Questions are due October 28, 2026, with addendum issuance anticipated November 3, 2026. The District anticipates issuing a Notice of Intent to Award on November 23, 2026, with contract execution anticipated for December 9, 2026, and project commencement following issuance of a Notice to Proceed. Warranty extends two years from project completion, with contractors required to remedy defects within seven calendar days of written notification or face District-authorized third-party repairs charged to the contractor.