Opportunity
SAM #191BWC26B0006
Specialized Construction Services for Plugging Penstock No. 4 at Amistad Dam
Buyer
INTERNAT. BOUNDARY AND WATER COMM.
Posted
June 08, 2026
Respond By
June 18, 2026
Identifier
191BWC26B0006
NAICS
237990, 238190
This opportunity seeks specialized construction services for critical dam infrastructure work at the Amistad Reservoir and Dam in Texas. - Government Buyer: - United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or vendors are named in the notice - Products/Services Requested: - Permanent plugging of Penstock No. 4 - Unwatering of the penstock - Construction of a concrete plug - Structural concrete repair - Grouting operations - Removal of gates - Heavy lifting and rigging - Work in confined access areas - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Compliance with dam safety and site access protocols - Coordination with USIBWC personnel - Planning for physical site limitations, including load restrictions and access constraints - Firms must demonstrate experience in high-risk construction environments - Required to provide details on technical capability, personnel, equipment, and bonding capacity - Contract Details: - Anticipated as a firm fixed price construction contract - Procurement method is sealed bidding - NAICS code: 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction) - PSC code: Z2KA (Repair or Alteration of Dams)
Description
SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE
Amistad Reservoir and Dam, Plugging of Penstock No. 4
Solicitation Number: 191BWC26B0006
THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY.
This notice does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal, invitation for bid, request for quote, or commitment by the Government. No award will be made from this Sources Sought notice. The Government is not requesting pricing at this time.
All information submitted in response to this announcement is voluntary. The Government will not pay for any information submitted, nor will it reimburse any respondent for costs incurred in preparing or submitting a response.
The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, USIBWC, is conducting market research to identify qualified small business concerns capable of performing specialized construction work for the Amistad Reservoir and Dam, Plugging of Penstock No. 4 project, located in Val Verde County, Texas.
The purpose of this Sources Sought notice is to determine whether there are two or more responsible small business concerns capable of performing the full requirement at fair market prices. Responses received may be used by the Government to determine the appropriate acquisition strategy, including whether the requirement should be set aside for small business or issued using full and open competition.
This notice is for market research and planning purposes only. No solicitation is currently available. Interested parties should not request a copy of the solicitation. Any future solicitation will be posted separately, and all interested parties will be required to respond separately to that solicitation.
Response to this notice is voluntary. However, information received in response to this Sources Sought notice may significantly influence the Government’s acquisition strategy.
NAICS Code: 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
Size Standard: $45.0 million
PSC: Z2KA, Repair or Alteration of Dams
Project Location: Amistad Reservoir and Dam, Val Verde County, Texas
Anticipated Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price Construction
Anticipated Procurement Method: Sealed Bidding
SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
USIBWC requires construction services to permanently plug Penstock No. 4 at Amistad Reservoir and Dam. Penstock No. 4 was designed for irrigation use and has not been operated for irrigation purposes for several decades. The work is intended to eliminate the need for continued maintenance of the Penstock and Irrigation Gates by permanently plugging the penstock and removing related gate components.
The work is specialized and involves dam infrastructure, confined access areas, water control features, heavy lifting, unwatering, concrete placement, structural concrete repair, grouting, gate removal, and safety controls. The Government is seeking firms with demonstrated experience performing comparable work in similar high risk construction environments.
The anticipated work includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Permanent plugging of Penstock No. 4. Unwatering of Penstock No. 4. Construction of concrete plug features within dam infrastructure. Structural concrete repair associated with the penstock and dam features. Removal of penstock and irrigation gate components. Grouting and related concrete repair work. Hoisting, lifting, rigging, crane support, and use of manlift equipment. Work in confined or restricted access areas. Compliance with dam safety, construction safety, and site access requirements. Coordination with USIBWC personnel for access, work hours, security, and site controls.
The worksite includes access limitations. The adjacent USIBWC facility generally operates from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Access to the site is made through Texas Spur 349. Workers must pass through the port of entry to access the worksite. The port of entry is generally open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Department of Homeland Security hours may change without notice. Workers crossing through the port of entry must have proper documentation for reentry to the United States.
The work also includes physical site limitations, including load restrictions on Texas Spur 349 and embankment crest road limitations. Interested firms must be capable of planning and performing work under these access and site constraints.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
Responses shall be submitted by email to:
Suzette Smith, Contract Specialist
Philip Johnson, Contracting Officer
Subject Line: Sources Sought Response, Penstock No. 4, Solicitation 191BWC26B0006
Responses are due no later than June 18th, 2026.
Late responses may not be considered for market research purposes.
Responses shall be submitted on company, excluding cover page and past performance references. Responses must be complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to assess the firm’s capability to perform the full requirement.
The Government will not respond to questions concerning this Sources Sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the market research.
RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS
Interested firms shall provide the following information:
Company Information
a. Company name. b. Company address. c. Unique Entity Identifier, UEI. d. CAGE Code. e. Point of contact name, title, phone number, and email address. f. Company website, if available. g. SAM.gov registration status.
Small Business Status
Identify the firm’s business size and socioeconomic status under NAICS 237990. Include all applicable categories: a. Small Business. b. 8(a) Small Business. c. HUBZone Small Business. d. Woman Owned Small Business. e. Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business. f. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. g. Veteran Owned Small Business. h. Small Disadvantaged Business. The small business status must be consistent with the firm’s SAM.gov registration.
Bonding Capacity
Provide the firm’s current bonding capacity. At a minimum, include: a. Single project bonding capacity. b. Aggregate bonding capacity. c. Name of surety or bonding company. d. Confirmation that the firm can provide bid, performance, and payment bonds for a Federal construction project.
Relevant Experience
Provide at least three examples of projects completed within end three but not to exceed the last seven years that demonstrate experience with similar work. For each project, include: a. Project title. b. Project location. c. Customer or agency. d. Contract number, if applicable. e. Contract value. f. Period of performance. g. Prime contractor or subcontractor role. h. Brief description of work performed. i. Point of contact for the owner or customer, including phone number and email address.
Relevant experience should address work similar to the Penstock No. 4 requirement, including dam infrastructure, confined space work, unwatering, grouting, structural concrete repair, gate removal, hoisting, rigging, or other comparable heavy civil construction work.
Technical Capability
Provide a narrative explaining the firm’s capability to perform the full requirement. The response must specifically address the firm’s experience and available resources in the following areas:
a. Dam infrastructure construction or repair. b. Penstock, intake, gate, tunnel, shaft, or similar water control structure work. c. Confined space or restricted access construction. d. Dewatering or unwatering work. e. Structural concrete repair. f. Concrete plug placement or mass concrete work. g. Grouting. h. Gate removal or mechanical component removal. i. Hoisting, rigging, crane operations, or manlift operations. j. Safety planning for high risk construction environments. k. Ability to perform work at a remote or restricted access Federal facility.
Personnel and Equipment
Describe the firm’s available personnel and equipment needed to perform this work. At a minimum, address: a. Key construction management personnel. b. Safety personnel. c. Confined space qualified personnel. d. Crane, hoisting, rigging, or manlift resources. e. Concrete repair and grouting resources. f. Subcontractor support, if anticipated.
Prime Contractor Capability State whether the firm intends to perform as a prime contractor or subcontractor. If the firm intends to perform as a prime contractor, identify which portions of the work the firm expects to self perform and which portions may be subcontracted. If the firm intends to perform as a subcontractor, identify the specific portions of work the firm is capable of performing.
Teaming or Joint Venture Information If the firm anticipates using a teaming arrangement or joint venture, provide the names and roles of proposed team members, if known. The response should explain how the team collectively meets the specialized requirements of the project.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Responses that only identify general construction experience, without addressing the specialized work areas listed above, may not provide sufficient information for the Government to determine capability for this requirement.
All future notices, if any, will be posted separately on SAM.gov.