Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a presolicitation notice for a $300 million multiple award task order contract (MATOC) for contractors interested in performing quality assurance (QA) work for U.S.-Mexico border wall construction. 
• The work, which also pertains to associated structures, includes, among other things, onsite support to government construction field offices; onsite construction QA inspections and the reporting of potential construction issues to the proper authority; the preparation of QA reports; logging and distributing submittals; the review of safety plans; safety inspections; and helping with the review of construction contractor claims.
• The Army Corps noted that the full solicitation is scheduled for a Nov. 20 release. 

Dive Insight:

As part of the MATOC, the Army Corps expects that the work will be focused south of San Diego, within the Tucson and Yuma areas in Arizona, near the El Paso-Southern New Mexico Corridor and the McAllen area in South Texas. 

The Army Corps notice comes on the heels of reports that smugglers have used off-the-shelf reciprocating saws outfitted with special blades to cut through 30-foot, concrete-filled steel bollards installed recently as part of barrier construction, according to The Washington Post. The height of the bollards makes it easier for them to be pushed wide enough for an adult to fit through after they are cut at the base, a problem that was not an issue with the previously specified 15- and 18-foot-tall bollards.

And despite the height, those intent on entry have used rope and other ladders to climb over, The Post also reported.

Even though the selected pool of QA contractors will eventually be able to bid on $300 million worth of border wall contracts, there is no guarantee that they will win any work. Similar to an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contractor pool, contractors must still submit competitive bids for each task order that is presented.

Public agencies turn to this type of pool bidding when they know they will need construction services but haven't yet determined a timeline or other project specifics. Sometimes, the contractors also give unit prices as part of their initial bids in order to gain entry to the pool, which is a great deal for the contracting agency because it locks in a price, although it is not unusual for there to be inflation allowances for multiyear bidding.

The prequalification process can also save time when the bidding starts because the agency has already vetted each contractor.

Of course, the downside for contractors is that they might never win a contract or be held up if it takes longer than expected for the agency to secure funding. 

Last year, the Army Corps issued two solicitation notices for border wall MATOCs as well. One of them, worth $5 billion, was awarded to 12 contractors in May: 

• BFBC (Bozeman, Montana)

• Texas Sterling Construction Co. (Houston)

• Bristol Construction Services LLC (Anchorage, Alaska)

• Burgos Group LLC  (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

• Gibraltar-Caddell JV (Montgomery, Alabama)

• Fisher Sand & Gravel (Dickinson, North Dakota)

• Southwest Valley Constructors Co. (Albuquerque)

• Randy Kinder Excavating Inc. (Dexter, Missouri)

• Martin Brothers Construction (Sacramento, California)

• SLS Ltd. (Galveston, Texas)

• Posillico Civil Inc./Coastal Environmental Group Inc. JV (Farmingdale, New York)

• CJW JV (Santa Ana, California)