General Bid Information

The Utah Division of Purchasing handles all of the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program's (AMRP) work over $5,000 and uses and uses SciQuest to bid all projects.

For general information and details regarding the State of Utah's purchasing and procurement procedures click here.

Contractors interested in bidding on AMRP projects should visit the Division of Purchasing web page and study the information below and on these pages.

Click here to access the Vendors Guide to Doing Business with the State of Utah. This describes how contractors can register with SciQuest to be automatically notified of projects out to bid.

Bidder Qualifications

All contractors must hold a current Utah license for the type of work to be done. Usually an E100 license. Bid security (5%) and performance and payment bonds (100%) are required. In addition, contractors must be eligible under the Applicant/Violator System (see below).

Pre-Bid Meetings(also known as the Bid Walk or the "Show Me" Tour)

Because of the special nature of abandoned mine reclamation work, attendance at pre-bid meetings is critical to understanding the job.

Abandoned mine reclamation work is different from standard residential or commercial construction. It requires specialized work in unusual conditions and unique circumstances.

Mandatory pre-bid meetings will be scheduled on two different days. They will be duplicate meetings. Attendance at either one of these meetings in its entirety is required to bid. Bids from firms not on record as attending a meeting will be considered nonresponsive. A representative of your firm must sign the pre-bid attendance sheet.

Pre-bid meeting participants will receive a project briefing and then tour a sample of the mine sites within the project area. The pre-bid meeting normally lasts several hours or most of the day and involves driving and hiking over rugged terrain. Street shoes are not appropriate. High clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles are usually required.

Because of time and access constraints, the pre-bid meeting may not visit every work location in the project. Bidders are encouraged to visit as many of the mine sites as possible before submitting their bids. Do not enter mines!

Contract Specifications

To help potential bidders become familiar with the AMRP projects, the procurement process, and contract terms, a sample specification package is provided here.

Bid Prices

All bids are done using a lump sum basis. The bid schedule breaks the work into itemized tasks, with a lump sum bid price for each. Although estimated quantities are provided and unit prices are requested, bidding is not on a unit price basis. The estimated quantities indicate the scope of the task to aid in pricing. The unit prices are requested in case there is a future adjustment of the price. The lump sum bid price does not have to equal the product of the estimated quantity times the unit price.

Certified Person

Worker safety is paramount to the AMRP. All construction activity occurring under the brow of a mine, such as installation of masonry walls or bat gates, must be monitored by a mine safety officer called the Certified Person (see Section 0250, Part 1.04.C of the construction specifications). The Certified Person must have certain specialized skills and mining experience, so it may be difficult for a general contractor to find a qualified person to hire for short-term work. Often, qualified workers can be found through Job Service in mining communities. Recently retired miners are sometimes available and willing to work for short jobs.

Bid Submittals

Besides asking for price information, the bid will request other information to be submitted that will aid the AMRP in evaluating a bidder's understanding of the work and ability to perform the work. All required submittals must be included with the bid or it will be considered non-responsive. Submittals required by the AMRP are included in Chapter 2 of the construction specifications. Examples of technical section submittals are provided here.

Applicant/Violator System Eligibility Check

The two apparent low bidders must submit additional information on the ownership and control of their companies. Federal regulations require the successful bidder on contracts funded through the Title IV of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977(SMCRA) to be eligible to receive a permit to conduct surface coal mining operations. In general, this means that the AMRP can not hire a contractor who is or whose company is associated with a coal mine operator with outstanding unpaid fines under SMCRA. This is mainly an issue in the eastern United States, where surface mine operators with heavy equipment sometimes moonlight as general contractors, but this does occur in Utah. Additional information and data submission forms may be obtained from the U.S. Office of Surface Mining's Applicant/Violator System Office. AVS information is required after the bid opening from the two apparent low bidders. It is not required for the bid submission.