OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Design, Build, Operate and Finance a Passenger Ferry System in Tampa Bay
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
BUSINESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT (PROCUREMENT)
REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS
Hillsborough County will receive sealed bids and/or proposals for the following, until the stated date and time when they will be publicly opened.
Invitation To Submit Proposals for
RFP-C-0246-0-2013/JH,
Passenger Ferry Service
Hillsborough County has received a proposal from a private entity to design, build, operate and finance a passenger ferry system in Tampa Bay, with principal service between South Hillsborough County and MacDill Air Force base and downtown Tampa. The general outline of this proposal was announced on May 22, 2013. It has received significant media and public attention. The proposed project is generally described at www.TampaBayHighSpeedFerry.com. Available government studies related to this potential service can be found at http://www.tampabayhighspeedferry.com/resources.asp. It will be asserted that the specifics of the documents received by Hillsborough County as of the date of this notice are exempt from disclosure under both Fla. Stat. 288.075 and Fla. Stat. Chapter 688.
Hillsborough County provides this notice pursuant to Fla. Statute 287.05712(4)(b) of its intent to consider the development of an interim and/or comprehensive public private partnership agreement for the purposes of implementing a high speed passenger ferry service in Tampa Bay and invites interested private parties to submit other proposals. Proposals must be submitted by 5 p.m. on September 30, 2013.
Proposers must meet the following minimum qualifications:
1) Compliance with the applicable provisions of the Jones Act, 46 USC § 50101;
2) At least ten years of successful experience operating high speed passenger ferries;
3) At least ten years of experience managing, designing and constructing ferry terminals and ancillary amenities.
4) Demonstrated capacity to maintain and repair high-speed passenger ferries;
5) Demonstrated experience and capacity to provide transportation service to secured military installations;
6) Holding a Document of Compliance (DOC) and/or a Safety Management Systems (SMS) certificate as defined by the International Safety Management Code.
Proposals must include:
1) Identification for specific terminal locations and ferry route(s);
2) Plans for multi-modal connections to ferry terminals;
3) Ownership interests in or acquisition strategies to secure proposed vessels and terminals locations;
4) Operating plan and budgets;
5) Capital plan and budgets;
6) Financing plans for the development and implementation of the project;
7) General environmental assessments of proposed terminal locations and ferry route(s);
8) Estimated time frames for project development and commencement of revenue operation.
9) A description of the distribution of risk between the public and private sector;
10) A description of the Public Purpose – Proposals will be evaluated on the extent to which they accomplish the following public purposes:
a. Public asset serves developments beyond the project site.
b. Proposal enhances the community’s economic base.
c. Other public benefits identified by the proposer.
Interested proposers shall submit 4 printed copies and a PDF of the proposal to:
John Hollingshead, Division Director - Procurement
Business & Support Services / Operations
601 E Kennedy Blvd / 18th Floor
Tampa, Florida 33602
The proposal will be evaluated based upon its compliance with the requirements and goals set out in F.S. §287.05712.
Hillsborough County reserves the right to reject all proposals to this solicitation at any point when in its sole discretion the public benefit of the proposal is inadequate.
Information on these and other Requests for Bids, along with Bid/Proposal results may be accessed at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/procurementservices.
Minority and women owned firms will be afforded a full opportunity to participate in these matters and will not be subject to discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color or national origin.
Questions regarding the above projects may be directed to Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners, Business and Support Services Department (Procurement), 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 18th Fl., County Center, Tampa Florida, 33602, (813)272-5790, during regular business hours.
