Utility Locator Assistance

The City of St. Petersburg is seeking qualified vendors to provide utility locator assistance services through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for technical field services. The primary objective is to respond to and document requests from the Florida Sunshine State One Call Center to locate and mark underground infrastructure, including fiber optic cables, city lighting electrical lines, potable water, reclaimed water, and wastewater utilities throughout the city's service areas. Vendors must provide experienced utility locators capable of responding to Sunshine 811 locate tickets during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), with emergency requests requiring a two-hour response time. Standard locate requests must be processed within two business days, and each ticket requires a minimum of three digital photographs with GPS coordinates in State Plane System format (NAD 83) with sub-meter accuracy. Minimum qualifications include three years of experience in utility locator services and the ability to obtain required insurance coverage. The evaluation criteria focus on identifying the lowest responsible and responsive vendor, with a required 5% bid bond. Key dates include a January 28, 2026 deadline for questions and a February 12, 2026, 3:00 p.m. response deadline.

The City intends to award two contracts: a primary vendor and a secondary vendor, with a preference to award the secondary contract to a City of St. Petersburg Certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE) if available. The initial contract term is three years, with one optional two-year renewal period possible through mutual written agreement. Vendors must comply with Florida E-Verify requirements and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1,000,000 per occurrence commercial general liability, $2,000,000 combined single limit commercial automobile liability, $2,000,000 pollution liability, and $1,000,000 professional liability/errors and omissions insurance. For service contracts exceeding $200,000, vendors with more than 50 full-time employees must adhere to the City's living wage requirements. The estimated annual expenditure is approximately $750,000, though this figure may vary. Vendors must submit hourly rates for standard hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and after-hours, weekend, and holiday services. Responses must be submitted electronically through the City's online bidding portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/stpete.