FY26 Duluth-Superior Maintenance Dredging (MD)

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. THIS IS FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY – This notice does not constitute a solicitation announcement or restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach and NO AWARD will occur from this notice. NO SOLICITATION, SPECIFICATIONS, OR DRAWINGS are available for this Notice. This is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation for Bid (IFB).

INTRODUCTION:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, is issuing this Sources Sought notice and conducting market research as a means to identify the interest and capabilities of both small and large business entities to provide maintenance dredging services to the Duluth-Superior Harbor located in Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin.  

No basis for claim against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought Notice. The Government will not pay for information or comments provided and will not recognize any cost associated with the submission of responses or comments.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES (IN FULL OR IN PART) OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. All Small Business Set-Aside categories will be considered. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

This project involves maintenance dredging in the Duluth-Superior Federal navigation channel located along the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Contractor will be required to mobilize a dredge to the Duluth-Superior channel and perform mechanical dredging within the channel.  Dredging will be required within the following areas:

• Dredge Area 3: Duluth Anchorage Area
• Dredge Area 6: East Gate Basin
• Dredge Area 11: Superior Front Channel (Near Barkers Island)
• Dredge Area 14: Near the mouth of the Nemadji River
• Dredge Area 17: Superior Entry (between the pier structures and breakwater structures)

The contract may also include options to perform additional dredging within Dredge Area 3 at the Duluth Anchorage Area.

Dredged material will be mechanically placed at the Erie Pier Confined Disposal Facility (CDF). Placement at this facility will require material to be washed to segregate fine to coarse grained sands from silty poorly draining material. The sand will have to be stockpiled on site. Every 10,000 CY of washed sand will require a sieve analysis to confirm the washing operations are sufficiently separating the fines from the sand.

The Contractor must have the equipment and ability to perform in-water mechanical dredging to the required depths and to transport and place material at the required placement area. The required dredging depths will be approximately 28 ft to 31 ft below Low Water Datum (LWD) depending on the location within the harbor. The material is expected to be a mix of (predominantly) sand, with the potential of minor debris typical in an active harbor. The quantity of dredged material in the contract may range from approximately 75,000 cubic yards to 140,000cubic yards.

The anticipated period of performance for dredging is 15 June 2026 through 30 October 2026.

The Contractor would then demobilize when dredging and material placement are complete.

The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code is 237990 – Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction, which has a small business size standard of $37 million. The Product Service Code (PSC) is Y1KF – Construction of Dredging Facilities. Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to respond; however, each respondent must clearly identify the firm’s business size in the attached questionnaire. Small business firms interested in performing this work are strongly urged to respond to this Notice. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions.

SOURCES SOUGHT RESPONSES:

If your organization has the potential capacity and capability to perform this type of work, please complete the attached questionnaire and submit via email to Contract Specialist Joseph Orlando at contact@example.gov and Contracting Officer Michelle Barr at contact@example.gov no later than 2:00 PM Eastern Time on January 05, 2026. Please reference in the subject line "SOURCES SOUGHT FY26 Duluth-Superior MD.”

All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government.

The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought notice.

RESPONDENTS WILL NOT BE CONTACTED REGARDING THEIR SUBMISSION OR INFORMATION GATHERED AS A RESULT OF THE SOURCES SOUGHT.