Active SLED Opportunity · ALASKA · KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH

    2026 North Rainbird Trail Improvements

    Issued by Ketchikan Gateway Borough
    localRFPKetchikan Gateway BoroughSol. 242528
    Open · 12d remaining
    DAYS TO CLOSE
    12
    due May 6, 2026
    PUBLISHED
    Apr 13, 2026
    Posting date
    JURISDICTION
    Ketchikan Gateway
    local
    NAICS CODE
    237310
    AI-classified industry

    AI Summary

    Ketchikan Gateway Borough requests proposals for construction of a stairway and trail improvements on the Rainbird Trail at UAS Ketchikan Campus. The project includes debris clearing, material transport, stair and rail construction, and trail rerouting to restore safe public access.

    Opportunity details

    Solicitation No.
    242528
    Type / RFx
    RFP
    Status
    open
    Level
    local
    Published Date
    April 13, 2026
    Due Date
    May 6, 2026
    NAICS Code
    237310AI guide
    State
    Alaska
    Agency
    Ketchikan Gateway Borough

    Description

    The Ketchikan Gateway Borough is seeking the services of a qualified company or individual to construct a trail stairway on the north entrance of Rainbird Trail at UAS Ketchikan Campus, per engineered drawings from R&M. The Stair Construction will include some trail maintenance leading up to and exiting the new stair to create a defined path through the area.

    This improvement would involve:

    • Clearing debris at the sites,
    • Transporting materials to the site.
    • Construction of the stair and rail.
    • Adding D-1 to level landing and reroute the trail at a price value per lineal footage to be achieved before and after the stair to eliminate existing inadequate trail conditions.
    • Restrain the compact gravel with log edging installed on one or both sides of the trail with reinforcement steel lagged into the ground.
    • Assume log edging may be sourced on land immediately adjacent to the trail, either through salvaging already fallen timber, or with the assent of relevant property owner.

    Work will be conducted in the City of Ketchikan on a public access trail. Site security and public safety are of the utmost importance. It is the responsibility of the contractor to secure all tools and materials to minimize tampering by the public. Ketchikan Gateway Borough bares no responsibility for the loss of tools or materials, and any such loss of Borough-supplied materials will be the responsibility of the Contractor to replace at their own expense.  It is the responsibility of the contractor to prevent public access to the work area during any period in which the job site is rendered inaccessible due to the work.

    The Cost Proposal will include price of new stair construction, complete and in place, tree and rock removal/cutting (clearing location), fill compacted, in place, and transportation of materials.

    This project may afford an opportunity to engage community volunteers to expedite completion of the project, but this has not been organized by the Borough as of this date.  Respondents bearing existing volunteer organizations to assist with construction will be reflected in the scoring

    Proposals shall identify and provide credits for variance to any terms set forth above that will provide for a greater quantity of work to be performed.

    Background

    The Rainbird Trail offers a convenient and immersive rainforest experience within a 20-minute walk from the city center and cruise ship docks. This trail is moderately difficult and traverses some 1.25 - miles of steep terrain above the UAS Ketchikan Campus, the Jefferson Reservoir, and Third Ave. bypass. The terrain is a mixture of site-sourced rock and gravel walking surfaces, log tread stairs, bridges and cut rock walkways.

    A couple years ago the area incurred a landslide mid trail. This created an unsafe and unclear transition from start to finish on this trail. It hasn't been maintained and is overgrown since the slide. As the area has become stable and safe, we are taking steps to regenerate activity by improving each side of the slide. Our plan is to eventually restore the hike to its full length.

    This improvement will help define the north route back through the forest trail and increase the usability throughout the year.

    Project Details

    • Reference ID: 2026-007
    • Department: Public Works
    • Department Head: Morgan Barry (Public Works Director)

    Important Dates

    • Questions Due: 2026-04-24T01:00:00.000Z
    • Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-04-22T22:00:00.000Z — UAS Parking Lot (2600 7th Ave, Ketchikan, AK 99901) at the Rainbird Trailhead

    Evaluation Criteria

    • FORM AND CONTENT OF PROPOSAL (5 pts)

      Whether the proposal is (1) well organized, (2) void of material that is neither required nor desired, (3) does not exceed the suggested maximum number of pages, and (4) includes the requested copies of the proposal for Part One and Part Two

    • FIRM QUALIFICATIONS (10 pts)

      Qualifications, experience, training, certifications and licenses for project manager and key supervisors anticipated to provide services called for under this RFP.

    • FIRM QUALIFICATIONS (7 pts)

      Approach to performing work called for under this RFP (how the job will be staffed, travel time policy [if relevant], resources, and structure on data reporting).

    • FIRM QUALIFICATIONS (7 pts)

      Respondent’s understanding of the project and its objectives

    • FIRM QUALIFICATIONS (6 pts)

      Qualifications of subcontractors expected to be used on the project (if subcontractors are not contemplated this allocation of up to 5 points should be applied to a) through c) above)

    • RELEVANT PROJECT EXPERIENCE (10 pts)

      Past project experience similar to this project.

    • RELEVANT PROJECT EXPERIENCE (20 pts)

      Evaluation of comments by Owner references on similar projects regarding matters such as change order history, litigation and other claims, completion within schedule, workmanship, and general satisfaction.

    • WORKLOAD AND RESOURCES (8 pts)

      Proposed project schedule and ability to complete the project within that schedule given current and potential time commitments for the proposed project

    • WORKLOAD AND RESOURCES (7 pts)

      Adequacy of support personnel, facilities and other resources necessary to provide their services as required

    • PRICE PROPOSAL FOR SCOPE EXTENT (20 pts)

      Proposals will be rated upon the quantity of trail the contractor guarantees can be constructed within a budget of $175,000, inclusive of the staircase, based upon contractor submitted stationing and pricing values per the pricing table, as attached as Exhibit A - Pricing Table.

    Submission Requirements

    • Please confirm that you have read and acknowledge the federal clauses pertaining to this solicitation. (required)

      Federal Funding Acknowledgement
      Offeror acknowledges that the goods and/or services solicited under this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) are supported in whole or in part with federal funds. Offeror further acknowledges that any resulting contract may be subject to applicable federal statutes, regulations, and grant or award conditions, including but not limited to federal procurement and compliance requirements.

      Certification
      By submission of a proposal, Offeror hereby certifies that it:

      1. Has been notified and understands that this project is federally funded, in whole or in part;

      2. Agrees to comply with all applicable federal requirements, including those incorporated by reference in the solicitation and any resulting agreement; and

      3. Agrees to provide documentation of compliance and/or certifications upon request by the Owner/Agency and/or the federal awarding entity.

    • Respondents must be registered (company name, address, and telephone number) with the Borough Procurement Officer as indicated in this solicitation. (required)

      Amy L. Briggs

      Procurement & Contracts Officer

      Ketchikan Gateway Borough

      amyb@kgbak.us

      Ph. (907) 228-6637

    • Subcontractor's List (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

      Respondents must fill out the Subcontractors List indicating the name(s) of any anticipated subcontractors for the proposed project. Use multiple pages if necessary. For portions of the work where a subcontractor will be selected by competitive proposals at a later date enter the type of Work to be subcontracted followed by “To be Determined”. For example: “Electrical – To Be Determined”. If the use of subcontractors is not anticipated, “N/A” or “NONE” is to be written on the form.

    • Corporate Certificate, Partner Acknowledgement, LLC Acknowledgement, or Individual Acknowledgement. (required)

      Please select the applicable document, download the document, complete, and upload.

    • Price Proposal (required)

      Proposals will identify the extent of trail improvement.

      Submit the stair price proposal separately from the proposal containing per lineal footage cost for the trail repairs based upon the following design standard conditions per attached drawings. 

      Each price-proposal component must be signed and dated by the person who prepares it. If that person is not authorized to bind the respondent, the price-proposal component must also be signed by a person who is authorized to bind the respondent.

      Failure to properly sign and date the Price Proposal will be grounds for rejection.

    • Proposal (Exclusive of Price Proposal Component)

      Please upload a complete proposal exclusive of the price-proposal component. 

      Proposals must respond directly to the evaluation criteria for this project. Additional material (other than that requested below) is not required or desired. Clarity and brevity are encouraged. Limit submittals as follows:

      Proposal DocumentationUse forms provided in RFP
      Cover Letter1 page suggested maximum
      Response to Criteria5 pages suggested maximum
      ResumesProvide resumes for key personnel, 1 page suggested maximum each resume
      Pricing TablePer instructions, provide a table containing the price for different project components and the contractor-identified quantities.
      Scope ExtentsPer instructions, provide stationed quantities proceeding to the west and east of the project area.

      The following sections address the specific content expected for each portion of the proposal.

    • Proposal Documentation Form (required)

      Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

      The proposal itself must be signed by a person who is authorized to bind the respondent. Specifically:

      1. A proposal by a corporation shall be executed in the corporate name by the president, vice-president, or other corporate officer. Evidence of authority to sign must also be provided. Such evidence may be in the form of a copy of the corporate bylaws, articles of incorporation, resolution of the board, corporate certificate, or other reliable evidence.
      2. A proposal by a partnership shall be executed in the partnership name and signed by a partner (whose title must appear under the signature), accompanied by evidence of authority to sign. Evidence of authority to sign may be in the form of a copy of the partnership agreement or other reliable evidence.
      3. A proposal by a limited liability company shall be executed in the name of the firm by a member and accompanied by evidence of authority to sign. Such evidence may be in the form of a copy of the corporate bylaws, articles of incorporation, resolution of the board, corporate certificate, or other reliable evidence.
      4. A proposal by an individual shall show the proposer’s name and business address.

      Failure to provide evidence of authority to sign on behalf of the respondent will not be grounds for rejection if the Borough is able to confirm the authority of the signer to bind the respondent.

    • COVER LETTER (required)

      In the cover letter, the respondent should:

      1. state its understanding of the services to be performed,
      2. explain why the respondent firm is the best qualified to provide those services,
      3. state why the respondent firm is most likely to help the Borough achieve the goals outlined in the Project Scope of Work portion of this request for proposals; and,
      4. Provide the name and contact information of the individual who is authorized to make representations and commitments on behalf of the respondent.
    • RESPONSE TO CRITERIA (required)

      The narrative response to the Selection Criteria should specifically and accurately address each criterion in the order listed in this proposal. Respondents are encouraged to limit the response to 5 pages. Project and individual experience must be verifiable by listed references. It is the responsibility of the proposer to make certain that contact information is current. 

    • RESUMES (required)

      Provide resumes for each managing member of the team (i.e., project manager for the prime contractor and each known or planned subcontractor) that will be assigned to this project. List name, title, intended role and responsibilities for the duration of the contract, educational background, and specific qualifications related to role and responsibilities, past relevant experience, number of years of relevant experience, supervisory responsibilities if relevant, list of projects individual was associated with during the last five years including type of project and project cost.                        

      For each managing member of the team, provide at least two Owner or two Firm references for recent relevant projects.

    • Pricing Table (required)

      Contractors will provide a pricing table for the trail repairs in this project, containing a total lineal footage of all stationed work by price component.

    • Trail Repair Extents (required)

      Provide prospective stationing for trail repairs to substantiate the quantities provided in the pricing table.  Stationing will be as identified in the Scope of Work.

    • Will you be doing evaluations? (required)
    • Will you be requiring References? (required)
    • Will a surety bond be required? (required)
    • Is this state or federally funded? (required)
    • Bid protest must be filed within ____ days (required)
    • Provide project site address: (required)

      Example: 1234 Park Avenue, Ketchikan, AK 99901

    • When do you need to have this awarded by? (required)

      Please enter an estimated date. 

    • Will there be a pre-proposal meeting? (required)
    • Will the pre-proposal meeting be mandatory or non-mandatory? (required)
    • Standard Insurance Policies (required)
    • General Liability Minimum Limits (required)
    • Automobile Liability Minimum Limits (required)
    • Workers' Compensation Liability Minimum Limits (required)
    • Additional Insurance Policies (required)
    • Professional Liability Minimum Limits (required)
    • Excess Liability Minimum Limits (required)

    Key dates

    1. April 13, 2026Published
    2. May 6, 2026Responses Due

    AI classification tags

    Frequently asked questions

    SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.

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