Serenola Substation Fence Installation

This project involves the installation of a high-security perimeter fence at the Serenola Substation to establish a robust physical deterrent against intruders and trespassers. While the interior electrical equipment is already secured by an existing enclosure, this new installation will encompass the broader property boundary, creating a secondary layer of defense as part of our critical infrastructure protection strategy. The goal is to harden the site's outer perimeter while ensuring the operational continuity of Alachua County's power grid.

The installation requires approximately 7-foot high chain-link fabric. A critical component of the scope includes the installation of two 20-foot-wide custom gates positioned on either side of the substation. These gates must be engineered with an 85-foot setback from the road to allow for safe vehicle queuing and will be secured using heavy-duty industrial padlocks.

We are seeking a vendor with documented experience in energized utility environments and a strong understanding of physical security standards. The selected partner must demonstrate the ability to execute precise grounding and bonding protocols and maintain strict safety standards throughout the construction phase. This project represents a vital investment in our 10-year capital plan and offers a premier opportunity for a quality vendor to support the long-term resilience of regional utility infrastructure.

Background

The Serenola Substation property was historically protected by a full perimeter fence that effectively managed site access and secured the utility’s assets. However, during the construction and expansion of SW 40th Blvd, the original fencing was removed to accommodate the new roadway and infrastructure adjustments. Since the completion of the thoroughfare, the property has remained unfenced, leaving the grounds open to the public and creating a significant security vacuum.

In the absence of a physical barrier, GRU has experienced a sustained increase in unauthorized activity on the property. The site has become a frequent target for trespassing and vandalism, and has seen the establishment of homeless encampments. These unauthorized occupations have led to heightened safety risks, including incidents of fire and other illicit activities that threaten both public safety and the operational integrity of the substation.

The restoration of this perimeter is no longer just a property boundary requirement but a critical necessity for risk mitigation. This project aims to re-establish a secure line of defense to deter criminal activity, protect GRU personnel, and ensure the resilience of the critical electrical infrastructure serving the Gainesville region

Project Details

• Reference ID: RFP 2026-078
• Department: Security
• Department Head: Barrie Corp (Director of Administrative Services for Utilities)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-22T20:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-06-08T17:00:00.000Z — Serenola Substation 4303 SW 40th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608

Meetings & Milestones

Evaluation Criteria

• Price (30 pts)
• Electrical Grounding (20 pts) —

  Given the proximity to substation equipment, "standard" fencing knowledge is insufficient. The vendor should be graded on their technical plan for bonding the fence and gates to the substation ground grid (per IEEE 80). This includes verifying their crew’s safety certifications (e.g., OSHA substation safety training) and their history of zero-incident performance in high-risk zones

• Hardware Durability & Specifications (20 pts) —

  This project requires industrial-grade deterrents, not residential materials. Vendors should be evaluated on the quality of their 9-gauge chain link fabric, the structural integrity of the 14-foot wide gates, and the security of the outrigger/barbed wire assembly. The hardware must be robust enough to withstand attempted forced entry and environmental wear over a 10-year lifecycle

• Vendor Performance & Public Utility Experience (15 pts) —

  Evaluate the vendor’s history with similar utility or government contracts. High marks should be given to vendors who can provide references from other utilities or critical infrastructure managers. This confirms they understand the unique procurement, insurance, and performance bond requirements typical of GRU and other municipal utility operations.

• Vendor Safety Record (15 pts) —

  The vendor must provide safety records or statements covering the past three years, demonstrating a commitment to a zero-incident culture. Evaluation will prioritize contractors with a clean record of no work-site injuries, lost-time accidents, or OSHA-recordable incidents. Proposers should submit a safety plan should a worksite injury occur.

  Previous 3 years EMR on Insurance Company's letterhead.

Submission Requirements

• Respondent Certification Form (required) —

  "I hereby propose to provide the goods/services requested in this Solicitation. I agree to hold pricing for at least 60 calendar days from the Solicitation due date. I agree that GRU’s terms and conditions herein take precedence over any conflicting terms and conditions submitted for GRU’s consideration, and agree to abide by all conditions of this Solicitation.

  I certify that all information contained in this Response is truthful to the best of my knowledge and belief. I further certify that I am duly authorized to execute and submit this Response on behalf of the organization as its agent and that the organization is ready, willing and able to perform if awarded.

  I further certify that this Response is made without prior understanding, agreement, connection, discussion, or collusion with any other person, company or corporation submitting an offer for the same product or service; and the undersigned executed this Respondent’s Certification with full knowledge and understanding of the matters therein contained."

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Drug-Free Workplace Certification Form (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  "Preference may be given to a business that certifies that it has implemented a drug-free workplace program. Pursuant to Section 287.087, Florida Statutes, whenever two or more competitive solicitations that are equal with respect to price, quality, and service are received by the State or by any political subdivision for the procurement of commodities or contractual services, a response received from a business that certifies that it has implemented a drug-free workplace program shall be given preference in the award process. Established procedures for processing tie responses will be followed if none of the tied providers has a drug free workplace program. In order to have a drug-free workplace program, a business shall:

  1. 1. 1. Publish a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.
        2. Inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace, the business's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace, any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs, and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations.
        3. Give each employee engaged in providing the commodities or contractual services that are under proposal a copy of the statement specified in Subsection (1).
        4. In the statement specified in Subsection (1), notify the employees that, as a condition of working on the commodities or contractual services that are under proposal, the employee will abide by the terms of the statement and will notify the employer of any conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any violation of Chapter 893, Florida Statutes, or of any controlled substance law of the United States or any state, for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five (5) days after such conviction.
        5. Impose a sanction on any employee who is so convicted or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program as such is available in the employee's community.
        6. Make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of applicable laws, rules and regulations.

  As the person authorized to sign the statement, I certify that this firm complies fully with the above requirements."

• Affidavit of Compliance with Section F.S. 787.06(14) Florida Anti-Human Trafficking Compliance (required) —

  Pursuant to section 787.06(14), Fla. Stat., when this contract is executed, renewed, or extended the Contractor and any subcontractors must provide the City with an affidavit, signed by an officer or a representative of the Contractor and any subcontractors under penalty of perjury, attesting that the Contractor and subcontractor does not use coercion of labor or services as those terms are defined in this section.

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Bid Bond (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• BABA Certifications (required) —

  Recipients must maintain certifications or equivalent documentation for proof of compliance that those articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, affixed to, or otherwise used in the infrastructure project, not covered by a waiver or exemption, are produced in the United States. The certification or proof of compliance must be provided by the suppliers or manufacturers of the iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials and flow up from all subawardees, contractors and vendors to the recipient. Recipients must keep these certifications with the award/project files and be able to produce them upon request from DOE, auditors or Office of Inspector General.

• Proof of Active SAM.gov Status Registration (required) —

  Provide the Unique Entity ID number and upload the Active Status Registration for your organization. SAM.gov/home

• Performance and Payment Bond (required) —

  By checking "Yes", bidder understands the following:

  If awarded, a Performance Bond and Payment Bond are required. Contractor shall provide such bonds, using the forms attached, for 100% of the price of the awarded contract as security for the full and complete performance of the Contract and for the payment of all persons performing labor, furnishing materials or furnishing equipment in connection with the Contract.

  The surety or sureties shall be a company or companies satisfactory to GRU. In accordance with the Florida Statutes, a person entering into a contract with GRU for the construction of a public building or repairs to a public building or a public work is required, prior to commencing work, to execute and record in the public records of Alachua County, a payment and performance bond with a surety insurer authorized to do business in the state as surety.

• Subcontractor Information Form (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

  List all subcontractors that will be used for the Work along with the tasks they will provide. If the subcontractor is a small and minority-owned business, women’s business enterprise, or labor surplus firm, check the boxes that apply. The selected prime Contractor will be asked to provide the actual subcontractor spend amount at a later date. Subcontractors are not permitted to work at GRU if listed on the State of Florida Suspended Vendor List or the Federal Suspensions and Debarments. 

  • • Small Business Enterprise (SBE): A business that is independently owned and operated and is qualified as a small business under the Small Business administration criteria and size standards at 13 C.F.R. Part 121.
    • Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE): A business enterprise that is (a) at least 51% owned by one or more women, or in the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more women; and (b) whose management and daily operations are controlled by one or more women. (13 C.F.R. Part 127) 
    • Minority Business Enterprise (MBE): A business that is (a) at least 51% owned by one or more minority group members, or in the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more minority group members; and (b) whose management and daily operations are controlled by one or more minority group members. (13 C.F.R. § 124.103, 13 C.F.R. § 124.102, and 13 C.F.R. § 124.105).
    • Labor Surplus Area (LSA): A locality, defined by the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, that has a civilian average annual unemployment rate during the previous two calendar years of 20% or more above the average annual civil unemployment rate for all states during that same period. (20. C.F.R. § 654.4-654.5). There is an “Exceptional Circumstance Consideration Provision” that allows a civil jurisdiction to ask for inclusion in the LSA list after it is published, due to events such as COVID-19, natural disasters, and other adverse economic changes.
    • Labor Surplus Area Firm (LSAF): A firm that together with its first-tier subcontractors will perform substantially in LSAs as identified by the Department of Labor in accordance with 20. C.F.R. § 654. Performance is substantially in LSAs if the costs incurred under the contract on account of manufacturing, production, or performance of appropriate services in labor surplus areas exceed 50% of the contract price (40 C.F.R. § 33.103). 
• Subcontractor Information Form (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Attach Clarifications and/or Exceptions. (required) —

  Any deviation from this Solicitation must be provided and explained in detail with the Response. Deviations must be explained on a separate page labeled “Clarifications and Exceptions” and included with the Response. Each clarification and exception must correspond to the specific referenced section in the Solicitation. Otherwise, the Response will be considered in strict compliance with the Solicitation and the selected Respondent will be held accountable for compliance with the Specifications

  Upload your Clarifications and/or Exceptions here.

• Insurance Requirements —

  Please download the below documents for your review.

• Electrical Grounding (required) —

  Given the proximity to substation equipment, "standard" fencing knowledge is insufficient. The vendor should be graded on their technical plan for bonding the fence and gates to the substation ground grid (per IEEE 80). This includes verifying their crew’s safety certifications (e.g., OSHA substation safety training) and their history of zero-incident performance in high-risk zones

• Hardware Durability & Specifications (required) —

  This project requires industrial-grade deterrents, not residential materials. Vendors should be evaluated on the quality of their 9-gauge chain link fabric, the structural integrity of the 14-foot wide gates, and the security of the outrigger/barbed wire assembly. The hardware must be robust enough to withstand attempted forced entry and environmental wear over a 10-year lifecycle

• Vendor Performance & Public Utility Experience (required) —

  Evaluate the vendor’s history with similar utility or government contracts. High marks should be given to vendors who can provide references from other utilities or critical infrastructure managers. This confirms they understand the unique procurement, insurance, and performance bond requirements typical of GRU and other municipal utility operations.

• Vendor Safety Record (required) —

  The vendor must provide safety records or statements covering the past three years, demonstrating a commitment to a zero-incident culture. Evaluation will prioritize contractors with a clean record of no work-site injuries, lost-time accidents, or OSHA-recordable incidents. Proposers should submit a safety plan should a worksite injury occur.

• Experience Modification Rate (EMR) Documentation —

  Experience Modification Rate (EMR) Documentation for the most recent three (3) full years provided on letterhead from current insurance provider.

• Key Personnel (required) —

  The firm must list in its response, the Project Manager, Project Engineer, Quality Assurance Supervisor and other key personnel that will be assigned to this Project. The listing will need to include their biography, years of service in the industry, years of service with the Firm and their role in the Project.

• State or Federal Funding (required) —

  Will the purchase of goods or services be funded by the State or Federal Government (i.e. Grants, FEMA Reimbursements).

• FEMA Funds (required) —

  Is this RFP going to be used for FEMA related funding?

• GRIP Grant? (required) —

  Is this a GRIP Grant?

• Construction (required) —

  Is this a Construction Project?

• Award will be made to the best evaluated Respondent(s) for Response(s) (required) —

  Award will be made to the best evaluated Respondent(s) for Response(s)

• Goods only, or Service, Labor or Labor/Material? (required) —

  1. Is this Solicitation for Goods only?

  2. Is this Solicitation for a Service, Labor or Labor and Material?

  3. Is this Solicitation for Consulting Services?

  4. Is this Solicitation for Software Services?

• Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting (required) —

  Is the pre-bid meeting mandatory?

• Mandatory - entrance after meeting begins (required) —

  Enter number of minutes below:

  "Representatives arriving to the Pre-Bid/Proposal Meeting more than __ minutes late will not be allowed to participate in the meeting."

• Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting (required) —

  Is the pre-bid meeting non-mandatory?

• Non-Mandatory - entrance after meeting begins (required) —

  Enter number of minutes below:

  "Representatives arriving to the Pre-Bid/Proposal Meeting more than __ minutes late will not be allowed to participate in the meeting."

• Presentations (required) —

  Will there be a shortlist of bidders to be invited to present to the evaluation team?

• Engineering Services or Consulting Services (required) —

  Is this solicitation for engineering services, or for consulting services other than engineering services?

• Professional Services Agreement (required) —

  Is this solicitation for engineering, architectural or consulting services?

• Experience Modification Rate (EMR) (required) —

  Does vendor need to provide EMR?

• Electronic Pricing Table (required) —

  Would you like to have bidders respond to an electronic pricing table through OpenGov?

  Some examples of when to say "yes":

  1. This is a quote for goods or services
  2. This is a bid, with a pricing table that can be uploaded from an Excel spreadsheet
  3. Hourly rate schedules
• List your Evaluation Criteria (required) —

  List criteria being evaluated (i.e. price, delivery and warranty). 

• Evaluation Committee (required) —

  List 3-5 names of member who will be on the evaluation comittee.

• Contract (required) —

  Is a multi-year contract required?

• Term of Agreement: Begin Date (required) —

  Enter the begin date here (i.e. October 1, 2024)

• Term of Agreement: Termination Date (required) —

  Enter the termination date (i.e. September 30, 2024)

• Renewals (required) —

  How many renewal will this contract have? (i.e. 'Three (3)'; 'Two (2)'; 'Three (3) One Year', etc.)

• Bid Bond (required) —

  Will this solicitation require a bid bond?

• Performance and Payment Bond (required) —

  Will a Performance Bond be required for this solicitation?

• Surety Bond. (required) —

  Is a Surety Bond required with bid submittals?

• Surety Bond $ Amount (required) —

  Enter the dollar amount of the surety bond

• Commercial Blanket Bond. (required) —

  Is a Commercial Blanket Bond required with bid submittal?

• Fidelity Bond (required) —

  Is a Fidelity Bond required?

• Liquidated Damages (required) —

  Will Liquidated damages be required?

• Liquidated Damages dollar amount $ (required) —

  Enter dollar amount of Liquidated Damages.   

  For example: "Liquidated damages shall be assessed in the amount of $[XXX,XXX].  [Define when liquidated damages will apply]." 

• In what capacity will vendor be doing business? (required) —

  In what capacity will vendor be doing business?

  1. Software
  2. Engineering
  3. Contractor
• Work Hours (y/n) (required) —

  Do work hours apply to this solicitation?

• Work hours - Days of week/time of day work can be done. (required) —

  Enter the days of the week and the hours of the day that work can be done. (i.e. Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm)

• Delivery Date (required) —

  Do you have a required delivery date?

• Delivery Date (required) —

  Provide required delivery date

• Delivery Location (required) —

  Do you have a specific delivery location?

• Delivery Location (required) —

  Enter full delivery address here.

• Job Site. (required) —

  Is there a specific location where work will be done?

• Job Site Address (required) —

  Please provide address for the job site.

• Florida Trench Safety Act. (required) —

  Does the Florida Trench Safety Act apply to this solicitation?

   

  The State of Florida incorporates the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) excavation safety standards, 29 C.F.R.  1926.650 Subpart P, as its standard (Sections 553.60-64, F.S.). The Contractor/Respondent shall list separately in their Proposal the cost of compliance with these standards on a lineal footage basis and the method of compliance. The bidder shall determine if special shoring requirements are needed. Special shoring shall be identified and priced on a square footage basis in the Proposal. The Successful Bidder is fully responsible for the design of the trench safety system and the compliance with the applicable standards for the project.

• Best and Final Officer (BAFO) (required) —

  Will a best and final offer apply to this solicitiation?

• Contractor, Supplier or Consultant? (required) —

  Is the vendor a:

  (Your answer will automatically populate throughout the contract document)

• CONTRACTOR, SUPPLIER OR CONSULTANT (CAPS) (required) —

  Is the vendor a:

  (Your answer will automatically populate throughout the contract document)

• Type of Contract (required) —

  Choose whether this is an "Agreement" (such as a PSA or Software) or a "Contract". The document will be consistent with this answer.