The City of Dover is seeking proposals for underground utility locating services for a three-year contract with options for two one-year extensions. Proposals must be submitted by April 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on April 1, 2026. Questions must be submitted in writing by April 8, 2026. Vendors must provide three paper copies and one electronic copy of their proposal. The contract will be awarded to the most advantageous proposal based on specific selection criteria including work experience, response time, total cost, geographical knowledge, and ability to handle ticket management. Vendor preferences for local and minority-owned businesses are available. Proof of insurance is required. The contract is expected to begin on July 1, 2026.
The deadline to submit final proposals is Wednesday, April 22, 2026, by 2:00 PM.
Invoices are typically processed within thirty 30 calendar days. The contract is for three 3 years with a city option for two 2 one 1 year extensions, with anticipated rates as per the proposal submitted by the contractor.
Proposals will be independently evaluated according to criteria including work experience with locating water, wastewater, electric and fiber lines, safety record, ability to meet response time to emergency tickets, total cost, geographical knowledge of Dover, ability to handle ticket receiving and reporting, and contractors ability to sustain locators within the organization.
The written proposal must include firm name and contact person, a brief history of the firm, a description of services, a listing of at-fault damages and violations, references, staff listing, proof of a current safety plan, proof of insurance, information on litigation, and a statement regarding conflicts of interest.
Any utilities damaged because of mismarking or failure to mark will be the responsibility of the contractor, who will be financially obligated for the repair of the facilities and any other claims related to the damage.
A nonmandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on April 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the JW Pitts Center located at 10 Electric Avenue, Dover, DE ****.
Questions concerning the request for proposal must be made in writing and emailed no later than April 8, 2026.