How to Write an Underwater Services RFP That Gets Comparable Bids

By Priya Raghunathan, Port authority procurement analyst. Reviewed by Dana Whitcombe, technical reviewer.

Underwater Inspection Last spring, we put out an underwater services RFP for hull inspections on three tugs and a steel barge. We got five responses, and the bid prices ranged from $18,000 to $94,000 for what was, in my head, the same job. That's not a spread. That's a mess. I'm Priya, a procurement analyst for a port authority on the West Coast. I've scored close to forty underwater service bids in the past eight years. The problem isn't usually the contractors. It's the RFP. Write a vague spec, and you'll get vague bids. Write a tight one, and the bids line up well enough to actually compare. A good underwater services RFP forces every bidder to price the same physical work, with the same surface team, same data deliverables, and same risks. You don't want to pick the cheapest outlier. You want to pick the best contractor out of a pile you can actually compare.

Define the Work in Concrete Terms

First, describe the asset and the environment. You'd be surprised how many RFPs say 'inspect the following structures' with a one-line list. Underwater work is all about access. Give tide windows. Give water depth. Give seafloor conditions. Give the voltage on the shore power, because a diver doesn't always know that 480 V is a real hazard. For each bid item, specify the task: hull visual inspection, thickness gauging, propeller polish, intakes, sacrificial anodes, port infrastructure, whatever. Add the standard to meet. For diving, that's commercial dive standards like 29 CFR 1910.424, or the more stringent ADCI Consensus Standards. If you want U.S. Coast Guard-recognized? Check the local regs. Also, be honest about what you don't know. It's fine to say 'sediment may be an issue.' That lets the bidder price for visibility. I've seen RFPs that pretend the water is remarkably clear. It isn't.

Specify Deliverables – The Data You Actually Need

Do you want a written report? Video? Sonar? Point cloud? You need to say it. I've seen bids where one bidder included a full 3D model and another a printed PDF. Both are fine, but you can't compare them without much pain. Tell them the file format. Tell them the coordinate system. Tell them who owns the data. If you need a real-time inspection feed, that requires a topside monitor and a fiber or a good telemetry system. Don't assume. A concrete example: we always require a side-scan sonar mosaic georeferenced to NAD83, and a diver's narrative log with photos. That way, every bidder quotes the same sensors and the same data processing. And if you want a report in PDF, say PDF. Don't say 'a report.'

Require a Pricing Schedule, Not Just a Price

The fastest way to kill comparability is to let bidders choose their own pricing structure. One will give you a lump sum. Another will quote a day rate for a dive team plus a rate per hour. Another will give you a rate per linear foot of hull cleaning. Good luck. Make them fill out a matrix: mobilization, daily dive rate (8-hour, 10-hour, night), per-scan-hour, per-item unit pricing, data processing, standby time, weather days, anything specific. You can still allow a lump sum as a secondary bid, but make the standard schedule mandatory. A word about weather days: in the Pacific Northwest, you'd better define them. If the barometer drops, you'll get a dispute. Write it in the RFP: who pays for idle time when the sea state goes beyond the stated limit.

Set Experience and Safety Standards That Don't Backfire

Require commercial diver certification and insurance, obviously. But be careful about minimum experience. If you require five years in berth operations specifically, you're going to price out a perfectly good dive company that works harborwide. Instead, ask for a list of similar projects: three references with contact numbers and a written safety record. Check their safety records. Some authorities require a dive supervisor on site for any project over a certain depth. Write that. But also let the bidder propose a plan. Don't write such a rigid spec that the best method gets disqualified. Here's the digression I promised: I still remember a bid from 2019 where a bidder proposed sending down a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) for a post-storm inspection. The RFP only said 'dive team required.' So we had to reject a perfectly good bid on a technicality. Now I write 'diver or ROV, method to be approved' and invite data on the method.

Score Publicly and Tell Them the Scoring

List the evaluation criteria and weights in the RFP. For us, it's 40% price, 30% demonstrated experience, 20% safety and mobilization plan, 10% schedule. When you do that, bidders know what to optimize. When you don't, they guess. And here's the thing about scoring: the goal isn't to pick the lowest. The goal is to pick the contractor who delivers on time, under budget, and safely. So price matters, but a low outlier that shows no understanding of your environment will cost you more in the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What certifications should I require for underwater services? For a port or harbor environment, I'd require commercial diver certification and proof of insurance that meets your port's risk rules. That often means a program that aligns with 29 CFR 1910.424 for commercial diving operations. Some ports also ask for ADCI or IMCA accreditation as evidence of a mature safety culture, but don't make it the sole gate. How do I compare lump sum vs. Day rate bids? You don't. Use a standard pricing schedule as the primary requirement, then allow lump sum as a secondary line. That way every bidder fills the same columns, and you can see the real differences in mobilization, equipment, and weather-day assumptions. Should I allow an ROV to be proposed as an option? Yes, but with conditions. Say that the method is bidder-proposed and must meet the inspection standard. If you let an ROV in, you can open the door to more efficient options for high-current or deep-water inspections. Just ask for a method statement and confirm the data deliverable format. What if a bidder asks for a pre-bid site visit? Grant it. A pre-bid site visit, even a short walk along the pier or a briefing on the water, can eliminate missing information. If staff is tight, offer a virtual walkthrough with video. Make attendance optional, and don't let it become a bid-shopping session.