Sealed Proposals will be received on the Pennsylvania electronic document and bid management website known as PennBid at https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/ by the City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (OWNER), 10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018, until February 10, 2025 at 10:00 am, at which time Bids will be opened on the website for the 2025 08 CDBG ADA Curb Ramps Project, which website permits an unlimited number of persons to simultaneously observe the opened bids and automatic tabulation thereof at the same time that the information becomes available to OWNER.
The Work to be performed for the 2025 08 CDBG ADA Curb Ramps Project consists of the following:
design and construct ADA curb ramps throughout the City of Bethlehem, as more particularly specified in the Contract Documents.
The Bid for the 2025 08 CDBG ADA Curb Ramps Project (PROJECT) shall be accompanied by Bid Security in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the Bid in the form of a certified check, bank money order, or bid bond. All Bids shall be effective for sixty (60) calendar days from the date of the Bid opening, unless an award of the contract is delayed by the required approval of another government agency, the sale of bonds or the award of a grant, in which case all bids shall remain effective for one hundred twenty (120) calendar days from the date of the Bid opening. On or before the last day during which bids shall be effective, if a contract will be awarded it shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. After issuance of the Notice of Award, such contract must be completed within 90 calendar days from the date of the Notice to Proceed. The successful bidders will be required to provide Construction Performance and Payment Bonds equal to 100% of the contract amount as specified in the contract documents, which bonds shall also cover a 1-year correction period which will commence upon completion of the Work.
The Contract Documents in the form of a project manual for the Work can be obtained over the internet from the Pennsylvania electronic document and bid management program known as PennBid at https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/. Potential bidders must register with PennBid online to have access to said documents. Registration is at no cost and the process takes only a few minutes. Once registered, potential bidders can obtain all project documents for this project and any other PennBid-registered project and submit and update his/her/its confidential proposals online prior to the deadline for submitting a bid.
This project is subject to certain special requirements. For example, as more specifically detailed in the Contract Documents, the successful bidder shall be required to (a) assure protection against discrimination for employees, applicants for employment, and subcontractors on the grounds of actual or perceived race, color, sex, religion, ancestry, genetic information, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, use of guide or support animals and/or mechanical aids; (b) pay certain minimum salaries and wages; and ( c) reserved.
The bidder is specifically advised that the project is receiving or is anticipated to receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds pursuant to the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, and potentially other federal funding. Consistent with other Federal programs, CDBG funds require that the successful bidder and their subcontractors must comply with various federal laws, regulations and guidelines, including without limitation: Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 and Executive Order 11246; 29 CFR Parts 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 Davis-Bacon Act; 40 U.S.C. 327- 333 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, and The Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act (Division G, Title IX, Subtitle A, Parts I-II, Sections 70901 through 70927 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, Nov. 15, 2021. The project documents contain certain federal requirements related to making affirmative efforts to solicit minority and women-owned, and other target firms as part of the bid submission. This project is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1702), subject to 24 CFR Part 75. Section 3 requires that to the greatest extent feasible, employment, training, and other economic opportunities related to this project are directed to low- and very-low-income persons (Section 3 workers and Targeted Section 3 workers) and to eligible businesses (Section 3 Businesses). The project is receiving funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, and the Davis-Bacon Act applies. The successful Bidder shall pay no less than the Federal Wage Rates determined for the project area. For these reasons, prospective bidders should not submit their bids until ten (10) days prior to the bid opening date.
The Build America, Buy America Act, (Division G, Title IX, Subtitle A, Parts I-II, Sections 70901 through 70927 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), Public Law 117-58, 135 Stat. 429, Nov. 15, 2021, was enacted in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act on November 15, 2021 (“BABAA”). According to BABAA, “none of the funds made available for a Federal Financial Assistance program for infrastructure, including each deficient program, may be obligated for a project unless all of the iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in the project are produced in the United States.” This requirement is known as the “Buy America Preference (BAP)” (or “domestic procurement requirement”). The general contractor and all subcontractors (all tiers) must comply with the requirements of BABAA, and all applicable rules and notices promulgated thereunder, as may be amended, as applicable this project.
A prebid conference will be held on January 21, 2025 at 10:00 am in/at Bethlehem City Hall, Room B-504. Representatives of the OWNER will be present to discuss the Project. Bidders are ENCOURAGED to attend this conference to facilitate the award and administration of this contract in the most efficient manner possible. The City representative will transmit to all prospective Bidders of record such Addenda as the City representative considers necessary in response to questions arising at the conference. In the meantime, questions may be directed to the Project Manager identified for this Project via the “Messages/Vendor Discussions” feature in PennBid.
OWNER reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Bids or portions thereof.
All Proposals shall be submitted exclusively in electronic format to OWNER through PENNBID at https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/. Proposals provided by any other means will not be accepted. All proposals must be labeled “Proposal for 2025 08 CDBG ADA Curb Ramps” and submitted in PDF format. Incomplete proposals and those received after the specified date and time will not be considered. Hand delivered, mailed, courier, faxed and/or emailed responses will not be accepted. Upon OWNER’s request, Bidders must deliver the original bid security within seventy-two (72) hours (weekends and holidays excluded) of a demand for same.
