Sonic Drilling

The Virginia Department of Energy is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for sonic drilling services in support of the Earth MRI Priority II Grant, with sealed bids due electronically through eVA.virginia.gov by Friday, May 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The procurement encompasses sonic drilling operations at two locations: the Kyanite Mine Site (30 Willis Mountain Plant Lane, Dillwyn, VA 23936) in Alleghany County and the Crimora Mine Retreat (691 Crimora Mine Road, Crimora, VA 24431) in Campbell County. The contractor must furnish and operate sonic drilling equipment to complete approximately six exploratory borings using 4-inch by 6-inch sonic drilling methods with a combined total depth of up to 60 meters across both locations. Deliverables include site mobilization and demobilization (capped at 5 percent of total bid), drilling operations (estimated 360 meters total), furnishing and installing 50-pound bentonite chips and 47-pound Portland cement, providing twenty wooden core boxes, sampling activities, and site restoration and cleanup with disposal documentation. The contract period shall commence upon the Date of Award and continue until project completion, anticipated within 30 calendar days after receipt of the Notice to Proceed. Questions regarding the solicitation are accepted until May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., directed to Jennifer Dillemuth or Amanda Sneed. Bidders must submit pricing on a lump-sum basis with unit prices, extensions, and grand totals clearly indicated across seven line items, and the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Contractors must comply with federal Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements, Build America Buy America Act material sourcing requirements, CFR 200 invoicing standards, E-Verify employment verification if employing more than 50 employees, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Required insurance includes workers' compensation, commercial general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, employer's liability of $100,000, and automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit.

This procurement is designated as a Small Business Set-Aside Award Priority with a statewide goal that 42 percent of purchases be made from small businesses certified by the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD); bidders must submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan demonstrating utilization of certified small businesses to be considered responsive. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. As of July 1, 2025, the Virginia Department of Energy will no longer reimburse offerors for sales tax, which impacts overall project costs. The bid schedule requires submission of pricing for all line items to avoid non-responsive determinations, and all costs associated with the work—including labor, supervision, equipment, materials, transportation, permits, insurance, overhead, and profit—must be included in the bid pricing. No specific award value or budget range is identified in the available solicitation materials, indicating that the contract will be awarded competitively based on sealed bids received.