Underground Utility Locating Services

City of Dover
March 18, 2026
To Whom It May Concern:
The City of Dover will receive sealed proposals on April 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM local time for the
purpose of contracting for UNDERGROUND UTILITY LOCATING FOR THE CITY OF DOVER, RFP
NUMBER 26-0017COD. The proposal must be submitted with three (3) paper copies and one
(1) electronic copy on either a CD/DVD or flash drive in a sealed envelope to: City of Dover
Procurement Office, 710 William Street, Dover, DE 19904. All vendors must complete the
request for proposal (RFP) notice and send it via email to doverwhse@dover.de.us or by fax
to (302) 736-7178 if they intend to submit a proposal. Any vendor not returning the form
may not receive published addenda.
A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on April 1, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. The
meeting will be at the JW Pitts Center located at 10 Electric Avenue, Dover, DE 19904.
Your submission is not revocable for ninety (90) days following the response deadline indicated
above.
LATE SUBMISSIONS:
A proposal received after the closing date and time for receipt of the proposals is late and shall
not be considered. It is the responsibility of the submitter to ensure that the proposal is
received prior to the closing date and time.
QUESTIONS:
If you have questions concerning this Request for Proposal, they must be made in writing and
emailed to me at doverwhse@dover.de.us. All questions must be submitted no later than April
8, 2026. All questions will be compiled and answered in the form of an addendum and will be
emailed to all prospective proposers who return the attached RFP notice and will be posted on the
City of Dover web site, https://www.cityofdover.com/bid-procurement. All changes or
corrections to this Request for Proposal will be handled by addenda issued by the Purchasing Office.
The receipt of all addenda must be acknowledged in the proposal submission.

The City of Dover reserves the right to request corrections, clarifications, and/or additional
information pertaining to the proposer's response.
Proposals will be opened publicly at the time and place designated in this letter. All proposals
will be opened in the presence of the Procurement Manager or his/her designee. All other
information contained in the proposals shall be considered confidential to avoid disclosure of
contents prejudicial to competing offerors during the process of negotiation. The main purpose
of the RFP opening is to reveal the name(s) of the proposer(s), not to serve as a forum for
determining the award.
The contract shall be awarded within 90 days of the closing date to the offeror whose proposal
is determined in writing to be most advantageous to the City. All prices must be held firm for a
minimum of 90 days from the date of the opening. The proposals and summaries shall not be
open for public inspection until after receipt of a fully executed contract.
Public employees and elected officials must discharge their duties impartially so as to assure
competitive access to governmental procurement by responsible contractors. Moreover, they
should conduct themselves in such a manner as to foster public confidence in the integrity of City
procurement. Dover Code Article II Section 30 (Appendix A of this policy), establishes standards of
ethical conduct among public officials and employees. Vendors participating in the City
procurement will be disqualified from the procurement if the employee, official or vendor is found
to be in violation of the City's ethical standards and a referral of the matter will be presented to the
Ethics Commission.
Please reference the City of Dover Purchasing Policy if you have any questions at:
https://www.cityofdover.com/media/Purchasing/Policy/Purchasing%20Policy%20Final%2005-23-
2022.pdf.
The City of Dover reserves the right to waive technicalities, to reject any or all submissions, or any
portion thereof, to advertise for new proposals, to proceed to do the work otherwise, or to
abandon the work, if in the best interest of the City.
All vendors must completely fill out, sign, date, and return the attached "Consent for
Disclosure Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)" form with their submission. Failure
to return the completed form will be deemed consent to the disclosure of all information
included in the submission after the receipt of a signed contract or issuance of a purchase
order. Any and all proprietary information contained within the bid must be isolated and
clearly marked. The cover must indicate that the bid contains such information.
Minority, women, veteran, service-disabled veteran, and individuals with disabilities owned
vendor preference shall be three percent (3%) of the value of the award. The vendor must
identify qualification and claim to the preference on the submitted proposal documents. The
vendor must provide authoritative proof of minority ownership such as identification in the
certification directory maintained by the State of Delaware Office of Supplier Diversity to
qualify for this preference. This preference is to be considered as a stand-alone and cannot be

added to any other preference that may be allowed. This preference shall not apply to
subcontractors.
Local vendor preference shall be considered for materials, equipment, construction contracts,
and utility contracts. Local vendor preference shall be three percent (3%) of the annual value of
the award. The term local vendor is defined as a gradually increasing range with preference
assigned as follows:
Rule 1: Vendor located within the city limits of the City of Dover.
Rule 2: Vendor located within Kent County, Delaware (applicable only if no vendor
qualifies under rule 1)
Rule 3: Vendor located within the State of Delaware (applicable only if no vendor
qualifies under rules 1 & 2)
In the event that no vendor qualifies under rules 1, 2, or 3, no local vendor preference will be
awarded. The vendor must identify qualification and claim to the preference on the
submitted proposal documents. This preference is to be considered as stand-alone and cannot
be added to any other preference that may be allowed.
A performance bond shall be required from the successful proposer for a construction contract.
Such a bond shall be for the full amount of the contract. If the contractor fails to provide such a
bond or a binder within fifteen days of the award of the contract, the award of the contract or the
contract shall be void. The bond shall be released by the City of Dover upon successful completion
of the contract and upon a detailed inspection of the contracted work.
In the event the contractor does not fulfill its obligations under the terms and conditions of this
contract, the City of Dover may contract for an equivalent product on the open market. Any
difference in cost between the contract prices herein and the price of open market product shall be
the responsibility of the contractor. Under no circumstances shall monies be due the contractor in
the event open market products can be obtained below contract cost. Any monies charged to the
contractor may be deducted from an open invoice.
Neither the contractor nor the City of Dover shall be held liable for non-performance under the
terms and conditions of this contract due but not limited to, government restriction, strike, flood,
fire, or unforeseen catastrophe beyond either party's control. Each party shall notify the other in
writing of any situation that may prevent performance under the terms and conditions of this
contract.
Vendors must provide references to the City of Dover upon request. Vendor references may be
checked to verify the proposer's ability to perform the contract requirements, the quality of
work, and the ability to meet obligations.
ENVELOPES MUST BE MARKED "UNDERGROUND UTILITY LOCATING FOR THE CITY OF DOVER,
RFP NUMBER 26-0017COD." No faxed or emailed proposals will be accepted.

The City of Dover shall have the right to reject any or all proposals if deemed to be in the best
interest of the City, such as but not limited to local vendor preference and minority vendor
preference while awarding.
Sincerely,
Barry Wolfgang
Contract and Procurement Manager
City of Dover
(302) 736-7795
www.cityofdover.com

City of Dover
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NOTICE
RFP Number: 26-0017COD RFP Opening: April 22, 2026 at 2:00 P.M.
Description: Underground Utility Locating for the City of Dover
If you are interested in the Request for Proposal described above, you can download it in
Adobe PDF format from our web site http://www.cityofdover.com/bid-procurement. Any
amendments or other additional information related to this solicitation will be posted with
the original document on the web site.
If you do not have internet access and want to receive this Request for Proposal, all
subsequent amendments, or additional information on the RFP package, please provide the
requested information to:
The City of Dover
Purchasing Office
710 William Street
Dover, DE 19904
Fax: (302) 736-7178, attention Procurement Manager
E-mail: doverwhse@dover.de.us
Please complete the following and return this form to the City of Dover Purchasing Office.
Company: Vendor Response /Request
No submission at this time, please retain on
Address vendor list
Please send complete RFP package
Contact: I will download the RFP package
Phone I intend to submit
Email I do not intend to submit

City of Dover
CONSENT FOR DISCLOSURE UNDER
THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL AND INVITATIONS TO BID
From time to time, the City of Dover receives requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for
information submitted in response to Requests for Proposals and Invitations to Bid. This information shall be
provided to those who request it under FOIA; however, in accordance with 29 Del. C. 10002(l)(2), trade secrets
and commercial or financial information obtained from a person which is of a privileged or confidential nature
are not deemed public records.
Please indicate your preference regarding the disclosure, under FOIA, of the information that you are submitting
by checking the appropriate box and providing the information below. Please note that prior to issue of a
purchase order or full execution of a contract, only the names of vendor(s) and bid tabulations will be released
for Invitations to Bid, and only the names of vendor(s) and information deemed necessary for City Council to
make an informed decision on award approval will be released for Requests for Proposals.
I consent to the disclosure of all information included in this submission.
This submission includes trade secrets and commercial or financial information which is of a privileged
or confidential nature that is exempt from disclosure under 29 Del. C. 10002(l)(2). In accordance with
29 Del. C. 6923(j)(4) and 6924(j)(3), I have isolated and identified in writing the confidential portions
of the submitted proposal/bid and attached a statement that explains and supports my claim that the
proposal/bid items identified as confidential contain trade secrets or other proprietary data and I am
prepared to defend against disclosure. I understand that any items not so identified are subject to
disclosure.
Name:
Signature: Date:
Title/Position:
Company Name:
Email Address: Telephone:
Mailing Address:
RFP/Bid No.
For additional information, please contact: City of Dover - City Clerk's Office
P.O. Box 475
Dover, DE 19903
cityclerk@dover.de.us
Phone (302) 736-7008; FAX: (302) 736-5068
Please note that this form is a public record and will be provided to those who request
information regarding Requests for Proposals and Invitations to Bid under FOIA.
P.O. Box 475 ~ Dover, Delaware 19903-0475
Community Excellence Through Quality Service

CITY OF DOVER, DELAWARE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
FOR
UNDERGROUND UTILITY LOCATING SERVICES
FOR THE CITY OF DOVER
RFP NUMBER
26-0017COD
March 2026
Issued By:
City of Dover
Central Services Department
710 William Street
Dover, Delaware 19904
(302)736-7046
Fax (302) 736-7178

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DIVISION 0 - BID DOCUMENTS
Section Title Pages
TOC Table of Contents................................................................................. TOC-1
AFP Advertisement for Proposals.............................................................. AFP-1
ITP Invitation to Proposers........................................................................ ITP-1 thru ITP-4
IP Instructions to Proposer...................................................................... IP-1 thru IP-5
PF Proposal Form..................................................................................... PF-1 thru PF-3
A Agreement............................................................................................. A-1 thru A-6
TOC-1

ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS
Sealed proposals will be received on behalf of the City of Dover, (herein called the "Owner") at the City of
Dover, City of Dover Procurement Office, 710 William Street, Dover, DE 19904 no later than 2:00 p.m. EST on
Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Proposals will then be publicly opened and read aloud immediately thereafter
for the following:
Underground Utility Locating Services for the City of Dover
Request for Proposal No.: 26-0017COD
Contract Duration: Three (3) year with a City option for two (2) one (1) year extensions.
This work is detailed in the Underground Utility Locating Services for the City of Dover, RFP No.: 26-
0017COD, bid documents consists of providing locating services to the City of Dover.
Local vendor preference shall be considered for materials, equipment, construction contracts, and utility
contracts. Local vendor preference shall be three percent (3%) of the annual value of the award. The term
local vendor is defined as a gradually increasing range with preference assigned as follows:
Rule 1: Vendor located within the city limits of the City of Dover.
Rule 2: Vendor located within Kent County, Delaware (applicable only if no vendor qualifies under rule 1).
Rule 3: Vendor located within State of Delaware (applicable only if no vendor qualifies under rule 1 or 2).
If in the event no vendor qualifies under rules 1, 2, or 3, no local vendor preference will be awarded. The
vendor must identify qualification and claim to the preference on the submitted proposals documents. This
preference is to be considered as standalone and cannot be added to any other preferences that may be
allowed.
Minority owned vendor preference shall be three percent (3%) of the value of the award. The vendor must
identify qualification and claim to the preference on the submitted bid documents. The vendor must
provide authoritative proof of minority ownership such as identification in the certification directory
maintained by the State of Delaware, Department of Administrative Services, Office of Minority and
Women Business Enterprises to qualify for this preference. This preference is to be considered as a stand-
alone and cannot be added to any other preference that may be allowed. This preference shall not apply to
subcontractors.
The right is reserved, as the interests of the City of Dover may appear, to reject any and all proposals, to
waive any information in proposals received, and to accept or reject any items of any bid.
City of Dover, Delaware
By Barry Wolfgang
Contract and Procurement Manager
City of Dover
AFP-1

SECTION ITP
INVITATION TO PROPOSERS
BID NUMBER: 26-0017COD
Sealed Proposals, three (3) paper copies and one (1) electronic copy, will be received
by the City of Dover, City of Dover Procurement Office, 710 William Street, Dover, DE no
later than 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 for the Underground Utility Locating
Services for the City of Dover, at which time the proposals will be opened.
I. NAME OF SOLICITING GOVERNMENT
City of Dover, Delaware
City Hall - The Plaza
P.O. Box 475
Dover, Delaware 19903-0475
II. PURPOSE OF REQUEST
A. The City of Dover (the City) request proposals for providing all aspects of Utility locating
services for a three (3) year period and possible two (2), one (1) year extensions. The City
currently locates water, sewer (gravity sewer and force main) and electric (including fiber)
for all City owned facilities in Dover and areas outside corporate limits. The current service
territory includes 74 Square Miles. These facilities will be constructed from both conductive
and non-conductive materials. The Contractor shall conform to the Owners requirements as
outlined in Utilities Service Protection Center of Delmarva, Inc. (Delmarva811) and will be
acting as an Agent for the City. The City invites written proposals from qualified firms that
are interested in providing services, as outlined below. This contract will begin on July 1,
2026.
B. This will be a non-exclusive contract and nothing herein shall limit the City's right to obtain
proposals or services from other professional for similar work at any time the City chooses.
III. SCOPE OF WORK
A. Contractor shall comply with all aspects applicable outlined in the Underground Utility
Damage Prevention and Safety Act, located in the Delaware State Law.
B. Contractor shall provide complete personnel, office services, vehicles, and all tools and
materials necessary for the safe and proper performance of this agreement.
C. All locators must be provided with cell phones by the Contractor to allow the City of Dover
to contact field personnel. A contact phone number staffed during normal business hours
must be provided for customer inquiries.
D. The City of Dover will provide maps as appropriate to the contractor in multiple formats
including but not limited to AutoCAD, ArcMap (access to our GIS mapping) and paper copies.
These maps will provide the general location of the utilities. It is understood that the
Contractor will NOT have maps that show the entire underground infrastructure and the
Contractor will be responsible for locating these unmapped facilities.
ITP-1