Sources Sought
SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR PROJECT LABOR AGGREEMENTS (PLAs) TO COASTAL STORM RISK MANAGEMENT (CSRM) FOR BETHANY BEACH AND SOUTH BETHANY BEACH, DE (CSRM - BEACHFILL), FENWICK ISLAND, DE (CSRM – BEACHFILL), REHOBOTH BEACH & DEWEY BEACH, DE (CSRM – BEACHFILL)
Department of Defense · Department of the Army
AI summaryThe Army Corps of Engineers' Enterprise Dredge Delivery Center (EDDC), under the Wilmington District, is asking the construction community whether a project labor agreement (PLA) should be required on large beach sand projects in Delaware. A PLA is a pre-hire agreement with labor unions that sets job terms for one project. This is a Sources Sought notice, not a request for proposals. The response due date is November 2, 2026, 3:00 PM Eastern. More in the summary
Market research, not a bid. Replying is free and tells Department of the Army who could do this work. Send a short reply to the contracting contact; no price is needed. See the contact
AI summary Beta
The Army Corps of Engineers' Enterprise Dredge Delivery Center (EDDC), under the Wilmington District, is asking the construction community whether a project labor agreement (PLA) should be required on large beach sand projects in Delaware. A PLA is a pre-hire agreement with labor unions that sets job terms for one project. This is a Sources Sought notice, not a request for proposals. The response due date is November 2, 2026, 3:00 PM Eastern.
How to submit: Email to Terri Adams (terri.m.adams@usace.army.mil) and Ros Shoemaker (rosalind.m.shoemaker@usace.army.mil). What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (4)
From the version posted Oct 18, 2026.
- Worth checking: A PLA could be required of every contractor and subcontractor. If the Army Corps decides to require a PLA, every firm on the job, including small subcontractors, would have to negotiate or join one for this project.
- Worth checking: Large project over $35 million. The work is described as large-scale and exceeding $35 million, which suggests a small firm would need strong bonding and capacity or a teaming partner.
- Worth checking: Dredging equipment needed. The notice says the Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach work needs a hopper dredge, a ship that digs sand and carries it, and the other areas need a hopper or hydraulic cutterhead dredge.
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- Minor: Not a request for proposals. Responding does not sign you up for the later solicitation, which is expected in FY2027. You must respond to it separately.
Read from the notice text only.
Full summary
What they want
- Answer eight questions on whether a PLA fits these projects: local PLA use, skilled labor shortages, schedule issues, reasons for and against a PLA, whether you would bid with or without one, and likely cost impact.
- Give details on projects completed in the last 2-5 years: name and location, description, estimated versus final cost, on-time or not, number of craft trades, whether a PLA was used, and challenges.
- Possible future work (not yet solicited): periodic renourishment of the beach berm and dune at Bethany Beach and South Bethany Beach, about 532,000 cubic yards of sand, plus about 165,000 CY optional.
- Fenwick Island: about 207,000 cubic yards of sand, plus about 60,000 CY optional advanced nourishment.
- Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach: about 390,000 cubic yards of sand, plus about 120,000 CY optional advanced nourishment.
- Base work would also include repair or replacement of dune grass, fencing and crossovers.
- Sand would come from offshore borrow areas by hopper or hydraulic cutterhead dredge (Borrow Area E, the Fenwick borrow area, Borrow Area B).
- Place of performance
- Bethany Beach, DE, USA on SAM.gov; the notice covers Bethany Beach and South Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, and Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach, DE
- Estimated value
- Large-scale construction project exceeding $35 million, as the notice describes it
- Offers due
- November 2, 2026, 3:00 PM Eastern
- How to submit
- Email to Terri Adams (terri.m.adams@usace.army.mil) and Ros Shoemaker (rosalind.m.shoemaker@usace.army.mil)
What to include when you submit
- Title the email "Delaware CSRM PLA Response".
- Answer the eight PLA questions the notice lists.
- Give the seven items on each project completed in the last 2-5 years (or other timeframe, as appropriate).
- Respond again to the solicitation when it is announced; this survey response does not count as an offer.
Not in the notice text
- Whether a site visit will be held, and whether it would be required, is not stated. This is construction (NAICS 237990).
- Which wage rule applies, such as a Davis-Bacon wage determination (minimum pay rates for construction workers), is not stated.
- Whether the future solicitation will require a PLA is not decided; the Government will decide after this survey.
- The future solicitation's set-aside, contract type, period of performance, evaluation method and exact release date are not given; the notice says only that it is expected in FY2027 (fiscal year 2027).
- Whether the three beach areas will be one contract or several is not stated.
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside. Any business can reply: this is market research, and no bid is being taken yet.
- To respond, send a short reply to the contracting contact near the top of this page. No price is needed.
- Construction contracts over $2,000 pay at least the local Davis-Bacon wage rates, from the wage determination in the solicitation. Price your labor from it: How to price a government contract, and how Davis-Bacon differs from the Service Contract Act.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 18, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Office
- W074 ENDIST Wilmington, NC
- Product/service code
- Y1KF · Construction of Dredging Facilities
- Business type
- Construction & renovation (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 237990)
- Versions
3 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 18, 2026 · Amendment 0002 (this version)Due Nov 2, 2026
- Oct 18, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Nov 2, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 7, 2026 · Sources SoughtDue Sep 15, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
Terms on this notice: Sources sought notice
Full notice text from SAM.gov
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