Remove marine debris

INVITATION FOR BIDS
IFB Number: 3160008100
To Provide: Monitoring Services
Issue Date: July 15, 2026
CLOSING LOCATION
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
515 East Amite Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Or Electronically in MAGIC
BID COORDINATOR
Regina Cochran, Accounting
Telephone: (601) 961-5201
Fax: (601) 961-5715
E-mail: procurement@mdeq.ms.gov
CLOSING DATE AND TIME
Bids must be received by 3:00 p.m. CST
August 31, 2026
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SECTION 1
1.1 Bid Acceptance Period
The original bid form shall be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope or package to the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) no later than the time and date
specified for receipt of bids. Timely submission of the bid is the responsibility of the bidder.
Failure to submit a timely bid may be considered just cause for rejection of the bid.
The envelope or package shall be marked with the bid opening date and time, and the RFx
number of the IFB. The time and date of receipt shall be indicated on the envelope or package
when received by MDEQ. Each page of the bid form and all attachments shall be identified
with the name of the bidder. Failure to submit a bid on the bid form provided may be
considered just cause for rejection of the bid. Modifications or additions to any portion of the
bid document may be cause for rejection of the bid.
MDEQ reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether to reject a bid with
modifications or additions as non-responsive. As a pre-condition to bid acceptance, MDEQ
may request the bidder to withdraw or modify those portions of the bid deemed non-
responsive that do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery of the service. (Non-
responsive portions of the bid that do not affect service quality, quantity, price or delivery
may be, for example, clauses that specify the state in which litigation is to be brought or that
provide for high interest charges for late payment.)
The bid shall be limited to no more than a total of thirty (30) typed pages including contents
pages, supporting appendices, and resumes. Paper size shall be 8 1/2" x 11". Text shall not
be smaller than a font size of 12. Alternatively, electronic bids may be submitted to
Mississippi's Accountability System for Government Information and Collaboration
(MAGIC) RFx Number 3160008100 by the date and time specified herein. The original must
be signed by an authorized representative of the bidder. MDEQ will receive bids offered from
organizations having specific experience and qualifications in the area identified in this
solicitation. For consideration, bids must contain evidence of the organization's experience
and abilities in the specified area and other disciplines directly related to the proposed service.
Other information required by MDEQ is included herein. Unless otherwise stated, all bidders
shall provide profiles and resumes of the staff to be assigned to the project, references,
illustrative examples of similar work performed, and any other information that clearly
demonstrates the bidder's expertise in the area of this solicitation.
The original Bid and all attachments shall be signed and submitted in a sealed envelope or
package to:
Bid for Marine Debris Removal-Round Island
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality
Attn: Regina Cochran
515 East Amite Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201
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1.1.1. Timeline
* Invitation for Bid (IFB) Issue Date: July 15, 2026
* Optional Pre-bid Meeting: July 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM CST via Webinar
* Questions to MDEQ Deadline: August 12, 2026
* Anticipated Posting of Response to Inquiries/Amendments: August 19, 2026
* Bid Package Submission Deadline: August 31, 2026 at 3:00 pm CST
* Anticipated Notice of Intent to Award: September 18, 2026
* Anticipated Post-Award Debriefing Request Date: September 23, 2026
* Post-Award Debriefing Held by Date: September 25, 2026
1.1.2. Late Submissions
Bids received after the specified time shall be rejected. The only acceptable evidence to
establish the time of receipt at the office identified for bid opening is the time and date stamp
of that office on the bid wrapper or other documentary evidence of receipt used by that office.
MDEQ will not be responsible for delayed or lost mail received after the deadline.
1.2 Expenses Incurred in the Procurement Process
All parties participating in the procurement process with regard to this solicitation shall bear
their own costs of participation, pursuant to Section 1.4.4 of the Public Procurement Review
Board Office of Personal Service Contract Review Rules and Regulations.
1.3 Bid Form
All pricing must be submitted on the Bid Form (Attachment A). Failure to complete and/or
sign the bid form may result in the bidder being determined nonresponsive.
1.3.1 Bidder Certification
The bidder agrees that submission of a signed Bid Form is certification that the bidder
will accept an award made to it as a result of the submission.
1.4 Debarment
By submitting a Bid, the bidder certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting bids
for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or
Federal government and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred
from submitting bids for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State
of Mississippi.
1.5 Additional Information
Questions about the contract provisions or technical portions of the procurement document
must be submitted in writing no later than the date and time specified for Questions to Regina
Cochran at procurement@mdeq.ms.gov. Bidders are cautioned that any statements made
verbally by any person shall not be relied upon unless subsequently ratified by a formal
written amendment to the bid document.
1.6 Acknowledgement of Amendments
Bidders shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to the solicitation by signing and
returning the amendment with the bid. The acknowledgement shall be submitted to
MDEQ. Each bidder shall submit a written acknowledgement of every amendment to
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MDEQ on or before the submission deadline.
1.7 Type of Contract
Compensation for services will be in the form of firm fixed-price rates provided in response
to this IFB.
1.8 Written Bids
All bids shall be in writing.
1.9 Disposition of Bids
All submitted Bids become the property of the State of Mississippi.
1.10 Proprietary Information
The bidder should mark any and all pages of the proposal considered to be proprietary
information which may remain confidential in accordance with Miss. Code Ann. 25-61-9
and 79-23-1. The provisions of the Contract which contain the professional services
provided, any unit prices contained within the Contract; the overall price to be paid, and the
term of the Contract shall not be deemed to be a trade secret or confidential commercial or
financial information and shall be available for examination, copying, or reproduction in
accordance with Miss. Code Ann. 25-9-120 and the Mississippi Public Records Act. Any
pages not marked accordingly will be subject to review by the general public after award of
the Contract. Material so designated shall accompany the proposal and shall be readily
separable from the proposal in order to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential
portion of the proposal. Public requests to review records with information marked as
proprietary will be handled in accordance with the requirements of Miss. Code Ann. 25-
61-9.
1.11 Contract Rights
Contract rights do not vest in any party until a contract is legally executed. MDEQ is under
no obligation to award a contract following issuance of this solicitation.
1.12 Property Rights
Property rights do not inure to any offeror until such time as services have been provided
under a legally executed contract. No party responding to this IFB has a legitimate claim of
entitlement to be awarded a contract or to the provision of work thereunder. MDEQ is
under no obligation to award a contract and may terminate a legally executed contract at
any time.
SECTION 2
2.1 Purpose
MDEQ is soliciting bids, subject to the conditions stated herein and attached hereto, from
organizations licensed to do business in the State of Mississippi to assist MDEQ with marine
debris removal services to support the Reducing Marine Debris Impacts on Birds and Sea
Turtles Project ("the Project"). The purpose of the Project as approved in the Regionwide
TIG final PR/EA 1 ("the Plan"), is to support the restoration of natural resources and services
injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, which occurred on or
about April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of America.
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The purpose of this monitoring project is to remove marine debris from Round Island, which
was created in 2016 using beneficial-use sediment material and has been identified as a debris
hotspot due to the known presence and regular accumulation of marine debris. Round Island
provides nesting and foraging habitat for birds and is located near documented Kemp's ridley
sea turtle foraging habitat, as indicated by a high concentration of telemetry reports in the
surrounding area from the State of the World's Sea Turtles mapper.
Project Area
The project area (Figure 1) includes the upland areas of the "new" Round Island, comprised
of approximately 76 acres of beaches, dunes, and scrub-shrub vegetation. The interior portion
of the island is an active beneficial-use dredge disposal site and is excluded from the scope
of this contract. The project area does not include any in-water removal activities or any
beach cleanup activities on the southern portion of "original" Round Island.
Figure 1. Project Area
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2.2 Scope of Work
MDEQ is requesting cost quotes for five (5) cleanup events at Round Island within the
project area over a five-year period of performance. The Contractor will coordinate with
MDEQ for data collection activities. Offerors shall outline costs for all tasks described
below on a per-event basis.
2.2.1 Specific tasks for Marine Debris Removal Services include the following:
* Coordinate with MDEQ to schedule and conduct five (5) annual cleanup events at
Round Island over the period of performance. The following scheduling
requirements apply:
Cleanup events shall be scheduled between November 1 and March 31 to:
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(1) avoid conflicts with sea turtle and shorebird nesting seasons; (2)
maximize debris capture following the Atlantic hurricane season (June-
November); and (3) take advantage of seasonally lower tides that maximize
accessible beach area. MDEQ may authorize events outside this window on
a case-by-case basis.
Prior to each event, the Contractor shall submit a proposed event date and
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access/logistics plan to MDEQ for review and approval no less than fourteen
(14) days in advance.
* Conduct recurring debris removal operation within the project area during each
cleanup event as follows:
Recurring cleanup events shall be focused on removal of debris of any size
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(surface level or slightly embedded) within the project area.
Debris removed during these events shall be primarily collected by hand.
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Mechanical equipment (skid-steer loader or equivalent) may be used if larger
pieces of debris are encountered.
* Transport collected debris back to the mainland and dispose of it properly in
accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations. Documentation
of disposal (e.g., weight tickets, disposal facility receipts) shall be retained and
provided to MDEQ upon request.
Note: If hazardous materials are encountered during cleanup activities (e.g.,
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petroleum containers, pressurized cylinders, or materials exhibiting
characteristics of hazardous waste), the Contractor shall cease handling of
that material and notify MDEQ immediately. Disposal of hazardous
materials is outside the scope of this contract; MDEQ will coordinate
appropriate handling separately.
* Monitor and track the amount and type of debris collected during each cleanup
event in accordance with the Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan (MAM
Plan) for this project, as attached to the Regionwide TIG Final RP/EA 1, and any
supplemental tracking guidance provided by MDEQ. Item type data shall be
collected using the EPA's Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP) application
or equivalent format as directed by MDEQ. Following each annual cleanup event,
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the Contractor shall provide MDEQ with the following deliverables within (30)
days of each event:
Raw ETAP data spreadsheet documenting all debris items collected.
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Annual field summary report including all parameters identified in Table 1
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below, a brief narrative description of site conditions and activities, and any
observations relevant to future event planning (e.g., notable debris types or
accumulation patterns, access challenges, wildlife observations).
Parameters Data Metrics Year Year Year Year Year
1 2 3 4 5
Debris removal events Duration (hours)
Participants
(count)
Debris removed Number (count)
of items, by
type1
Quantity (total
weight, lbs)
Quantity (total
volume, ft3)
Qualitative visual Low (1),
assessment of re- medium (2), or
accumulation of debris high (3)
(at time of event)
1Details on the specific debris removed (e.g., traps, plastics, nets, fishing line, bottles, straws, etc.) will be documented
according to the EPA's Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol (ETAP).
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2.2.2 Additional Considerations
* Round Island is an offshore island accessible only by vessel. The Contractor is
responsible for providing all vessel transportation for personnel equipment, and
debris to and from Round Island. The following requirements apply:
All vessels shall be appropriate for shallow-draft conditions in the Mississippi
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Sound. Given the absence of maintained navigation channels to the island and the
prevalence of low water levels during target cleanup window (November-March),
the Contractor shall verify vessel draft requirements in advance of each event.
Vessel(s) must be capable of transporting mechanical equipment (e.g., skid-steer
o
loader or equivalent) if mechanical removal is anticipated for a given cleanup event.
2.2.3 Wildlife Protective Measures:
* Round Island provides habitat for multiple federally listed species, including sea
turtles, shorebirds, and colonial waterbirds. Section 7 consultation under the
Endangered Species Act has been completed for the Project, and protective
measures are required of the Contractor and all associated personnel as conditions of
that consultation. All contractor personnel shall be briefed by MDEQ on these
requirements prior to the first field event.
2.3 Period of Performance
The period of performance of any contract awarded pursuant to this project is expected to
commence upon execution by both parties and continue for a period of five (5) years.
2.4 Qualifications
Offeror(s) shall be licensed to do business in the State of Mississippi and shall demonstrate
experience conducting marine debris removal or coastal cleanup operations, including
experience with both hand collection and mechanical removal methods. Offeror(s) shall have
access to shallow-draft vessel(s) suitable for operations in the Mississippi Sound, with the
capability to transport mechanical equipment (e.g., skid-steer loader or equivalent) to an
offshore island location. Offeror(s) shall demonstrate familiarity with federal Endangered
Species Act requirements applicable to coastal and marine environments, including
protective measures for sea turtles, shorebirds, and manatees, and shall have demonstrated
experience with proper waste transport and disposal in accordance with all applicable local,
state, and federal regulations.
2.5 Term Renewal of Contract
The contract may be renewed at the discretion of MDEQ for a period of five (5) successive
one-year periods under the same prices, terms, and conditions as in the original contact. The
total number of renewal years permitted shall not exceed five (5) years.
2.6 Minority and Women Businesses
MDEQ's policy is to promote participation of Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and
Women Business Enterprises (WBE) in the contracts let by MDEQ. The intent of the
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following provision is to encourage contractors to involve such businesses in a meaningful
role in the provision of services under this IFB.
A. Offeror's and Offeror's subcontractors will abide by the following steps to encourage
participation by MBE and WBE:
1. Including MBE and WBE on solicitation lists;
2. Assuring that MBE and WBE are solicited whenever they are potential sources;
3. Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into small tasks or
quantities to permit maximum participation of MBE and WBE;
4. Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirements of the work permits,
which will encourage participation by MBE and WBE;
5. Using the services and assistance of the Small Business Administration and the
Office of Minority Business Enterprise of the U.S. Department of Commerce or
Mississippi Development Authority's Minority Business Small Business
Development Division (Mississippi Procurement Technical Assistance Program),
as appropriate; OR satisfying the self-certification requirements of this section
where appropriate, and
6. Including these steps in any subcontracts awarded under this contract.
B. If applicable, Offeror shall supply MDEQ with proof of Offeror's and Offeror's
subcontractor's minority status by providing the following prior to contract execution:
1. Certification by the Small Business Administration;
2. Certification by the Mississippi Development Authority's Minority Business
Certification Program; or
3. Self-Certification through Notarized affidavit of the MBE/WBE documenting that
said business is:
a. Wholly owned or majority controlled by a minority or woman; and
b. Has been doing business in Mississippi for a period of at least six months
prior to the provision of work under this contract.
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SECTION 3
3.1 Bid Evaluation
This IFB sets forth the evaluation criteria to be used. No criteria will be used in an evaluation
that is not set in this IFB. Only bidders who are found responsive and responsible will have
their bids considered. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible/responsive
bidder whose bid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in this IFB.
3.1.1 Responsive Bidder
Bidder must submit bid which conforms in all material respect to this IFB, as
determined by MDEQ. Bids will be reviewed to ensure compliance with the
Mandatory Requirements of this IFB. Any offeror who does not supply this
information and/or meet these requirements will be deemed non-responsive.
3.1.2 Nonconforming Terms and Conditions
A bid response which includes terms and conditions that do not conform to the terms
and conditions in the IFB is subject to rejection as non-responsive. MDEQ reserves
the right to permit the bidder to withdraw nonconforming terms and conditions prior
to a determination of non-responsiveness.
3.1.3 Conditioning Bid Upon Other Awards
Any bid which is conditioned upon receiving award of both the particular contract
being solicited and another Mississippi contract shall be deemed non-responsive and
not acceptable.
3.1.4 Mandatory Requirements
The bid package must be sealed and must contain all of the following items and
information to be deemed responsive:
A. Company Information: Bidder must provide the information below in the
following manner:
Bidder's company name:
The place of performance:
All appropriate company contact
information, including the following:
Company's Physical Address for place of
performance and Principal Place of
Business (if different):
Designated company contact:
Contact's e-mail address:
Contact's phone number:
Bidder's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
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