Virtual Industry Day for FY27 USACE National Dredging Procurement Strategies

The Virtual Industry Day Meeting for the USACE National Dredging Center will occur on 09 Sept 2026 at 13:00 PM EST via Teams.  All interested dredging companies are encouraged to attend. 

During the meeting, we will be discussing three potential planned national contract acquisition strategies.

1. Hopper Contracts: The National Dredging Center anticipates awarding multiple maintenance dredging and beach renourishment projects as consolidated contracts.  See the attached spreadsheet Attachment 2 for proposed pairings for consolidated procurement packages. We anticipate the pairings of the attached projects and encourage feedback from industry on any of our projected pairings.

2. Scope Dredge to Budget: Optimize the Budget in terms of quality, scope, durability with innovative betterments and betterments within the budget.  The goal of the scope-dredge to budget is maximizing achievable scope within a target budget that will be provided in the solicitation.  The National Dredging Team intends to issue 1 solicitation for the Galveston/Houston Area of Responsibility.

• Phase One

-A technical qualifications-based evaluation of initial proposals

-RFP that defines the project with functional and performance requirements, budget cap, and schedule/delivery requirements

-A statement of the maximum number of offerors that will be selected to submit Phase 2 proposals.

-RFO FAR 36.101-2(b)(4) states maximum number of offerors shall not exceed five (5)

• Phase One proposals from vendors do not include:

-Detailed design information

-Cost or price information

• Down-select Decision for most highly qualified offerors in accordance with the solicitation.

• Proposed Phase 1 Qualifications

-Proof of bonding capacity

-Past Performance

-Proposed Plant

• Proprietary Meetings (RFO FAR 15.101 Exchanges with Industry before receipt of proposals)

• Phase Two in accordance with FAR 15 Source Selection Procedures to determine best value.

Official Phase Two RFP issued by amendment for most highly qualified offerors to submit phase-two competitive proposals that include technical proposals and cost or price information.

• Proposed Phase 2 Evaluation Factors

-Maximum amount of time to maintain the channels at authorized dimensions

-Maximum use of beneficial use

-Schedule

-Management Approach

• The harbors to be dredged include the Sabine-Neches Waterway, Galveston Harbor & Channel, Houston Ship Channel, Texas City Ship Channel, Freeport Harbor, Matagorda Ship Channel, Corpus Christi Ship Channel, Brazos Island Harbor, Gulf Intracoastal Waterway & Tributaries, Channel to Victoria, and Channel to Harlington. See Attachment 1 for project descriptions and map.

3. National Small Business Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC):

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) executes construction contracts for regular, reoccurring, and emergency National Enterprise Dredging requirements at various coastal harbors, inland rivers, canals, and connecting channels throughout the United States. Individual projects are typically annual requirements and may utilize mechanical, hydraulic, or a combination of dredging equipment and techniques with activities to include but not limited to maintenance and new work dredging, dredged material placement, and other activities such as Confined Disposal Facility (CDF), Dredged Material Disposal Facility (DMDF), or upland containment facility maintenance, groundskeeping, other earthwork at placement sites, surveying, or other work connected with dredging and placement requirements. Task orders issued under this MATOC will require the contractor to mobilize dredge plant and support vessels to the project location, perform dredging as shown on the respective plan(s), place dredged material—which may include beach nourishment, open-water placement, CDFs, DMDFs, beneficial use, or alternative placement strategies as indicated in individual task orders—and demobilize once complete.

The maximum ordering capacity for the 5-year ordering period of the MATOC and maximum task order amounts are TBD.

Below are the draft source selection criteria proposed:

1. FACTOR 1: Technical Capability
   
   1. Submission Requirements:
      
      1. Dredge Information: The offeror shall provide documentation for any dredges being proposed for use under this solicitation/contract, and any subsequent task orders. If the proposal does not include at least one of the identified dredges below, then Factor 1 will be rated “Unacceptable”. Proposed dredges must include a minimum of at least one of the following:

1. Cutter Suction Dredge - employs a mechanical cutter to break up material which is then excavated hydraulically and transported to the placement site through a pipeline.
   1. Minimum Requirement: 10-inch discharge diameter or larger
   2. Mechanical Dredge - uses of some form of bucket to excavate and raise submerged material.
      1. Minimum Requirement: 5 cubic yard bucket or larger

Offeror can submit more than one dredge(s) that meets the minimum requirements above in responding to this evaluation factor. Dredges that are still under construction or are in the process of undergoing major reconstruction will not be considered.

The dredge documentation must include the following information:

1. dredge type;
2. certify that the dredge meets minimum requirements stated above;
3. proof offeror owns the dredges submitted (leased dredges are not acceptable).

1. FACTOR 2: Past Performance
   
   1. Submission Requirements: Offerors will be required to provide three (3) past performance examples of recent and relevant maintenance dredging projects for the type of dredge submitted under Factor 1 – Technical Capability, which demonstrate that they have experience accomplishing the following: dredging of Navigation Channels, Rivers, Harbors, Inland Waterways with depths ranging from 6 feet to 50 feet. The past performance examples must include dredging that has been performed within the last six (6) years from the date of the solicitation. 

In addition to submitted examples, the Government may review any other  sources of information for evaluation of past performance.

If the Offeror is proposing as a Joint Venture (JV), Partnership and/or Teaming Arrangement and past performance cannot be provided as such, each partner shall submit past performance information but shall not exceed the three (3) projects total for this factor.

1. Note 1: NAA: The Offeror will be required to provide documentation related to EM 385-1-1 requirements such as Floating Service Naval Architecture Analysis (NAA) with either MATOC or Task Order proposal.

2. Note 2: The Offeror may be required to submit a letter of commitment with their proposal from a surety that confirms that the offeror's bonding capacity meets a specified minimum amount.

Please RSVP no later than 10AM ET 08 September 2026 to both Ros Shoemaker and Terri Adams at Rosalind.m.shoemaker@usace.army.mil and terri.m.adams@usace.army.mil if you plan to attend the Industry Day.  A Teams calendar invite will be sent out to all RSVP’s.  Industry is also encouraged to provide any feedback on the proposed acquisition strategies or contract pairings.  Feedback can be provided via email to the contracting officer and contract specialist listed above.  If you would like to provide any questions in advance of the meeting, please provide them no later than 10AM ET, 08 September 2026.