Underground Utility Repair and Infrastructure Services

State University of New York at Buffalo is requesting bids for underground utility repair and infrastructure services across its North, South, and Downtown campuses and affiliated buildings under IFB 25AJB0194, with proposals due September 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. and bidder questions due August 28, 2026. Mandatory contracting goals apply: 15.00% MBE, 15.00% WBE, and 6.00% SDVOB participation.

The scope encompasses all labor, materials, equipment, and vehicles for water main repair and replacement (0.5 to 24 inches diameter), sewer system rehabilitation (2 to 36 inches diameter), steam piping systems, underground valve and fire hydrant maintenance, manhole structural restoration, and site restoration including backfilling, compacting, and repaving. The contractor must address cracking, collapse, root damage, and leak fixing; perform non-destructive utility locating prior to excavation; and respond to both planned and emergency repairs with minimal operational disruption. Bidders must demonstrate at least five years' experience in similar utility work at higher education institutions, provide three client references from comparable institutions completed within the last five years, maintain dedicated equipment for emergency response, and provide emergency telephone availability on an as-needed basis.

The contract term is five years. Pricing shall remain firm for the first year, with increases in subsequent years limited to the Northeast Urban Consumer Price Index not to exceed 5% annually. Labor is billed at actual hours worked on-site; equipment charges reflect actual utilization at established rates; materials are reimbursed at the contractor's actual net cost plus an agreed-upon markup. The incumbent contractor is Nichols, Long and Moore. Award requires State Office of the Attorney General and Office of the State Comptroller approval.

Evaluation uses composite scoring: Technical evaluation weighted at 70%, Cost at 30%. The bidder with the highest composite score will be recommended for award. Prevailing wage requirements under New York State Labor Law 220 apply. The contractor must maintain $2,000,000 per occurrence / $4,000,000 general aggregate commercial general liability insurance, $1,000,000 combined single limit business automobile insurance, and workers' compensation coverage. Proposals are binding and firm for fifteen days from bid opening. All submissions must be made through ShopBlue (Jaggaer) eProcurement portal.