8 public bids to watch: workforce assessment, municipal valuation, pavement work, and campus services (Feb–Mar 2026)

Executive takeaway

This week’s mix spans consulting, municipal services, public works, facilities leasing, and campus services. One opportunity (Oregon’s Workforce Talent and Development Board Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment) includes a stated estimated cost and clear constraint (no travel costs). Several Massachusetts municipal bids are straightforward execution plays (pavement work, crushing, hydrants/parts), while others are specialty service work (commercial personal property valuation) or a facility/lease play (educational and office space).

What the buyer is trying to do

Workforce Talent and Development Board Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment 2026 (Oregon)

The Workforce Talent and Development Board’s Continuous Improvement Committee, acting through the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Office of Workforce Investments, intends to award a single contract to assess the committee’s work in support of statewide workforce system coordination and continuous improvement. The buyer signals a 12-month estimated term and an estimated cost of $200,000, with travel not allowable.

Commercial Personal Property Collection and Valuation (Town of Yarmouth, MA)

The Town is seeking services to collect, inspect, list, value, and report on approximately 675 commercial personal property accounts (including Class 504 Public Utility accounts) in accordance with Massachusetts requirements.

2026 Pavement Management Project (Town of Belmont, MA)

The Town is pursuing roadway reconstruction and paving at various locations, including curb and sidewalk work and related items.

Onsite Crushing Reclaim Material (asphalt and concrete) (Town of Medway, MA)

The Town needs a contractor for onsite crushing of reclaimed asphalt and concrete material, with award by the Select Board.

Mueller A-423 Hydrants & Parts (City of Attleboro, MA)

The City is buying Mueller A-423 hydrants and parts via an RFB process, with explicit submission instruction: do not submit bids via COMMBUYS.

Lease of Educational and Office Space – North River Collaborative (MA)

The Collaborative is soliciting proposals for leasing educational and office space associated with “Independence Academy.” Details should be confirmed in the full RFP package.

UMAMH-2026-1011 Student Linens Commission Program (UMass Amherst)

UMass Amherst is seeking bids for third-party linens services under a commission program. Bid documents are hosted on the University’s sourcing portal (see link in the notice).

What work is implied (bullets)

• Oregon CIC assessment: intermediate procurement to deliver an assessment over an estimated 12-month term; proposal should be built around the WTDB/CIC mission context and continuous improvement outcomes (verify specific deliverables in attachments).
• Yarmouth valuation services: field/desk activities for collection, inspection, listing, valuation, and annual reporting of ~675 accounts; compliance alignment to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59 and MA DOR certification requirements.
• Belmont pavement project: roadway reconstruction and paving, plus curb/sidewalk work and related items across multiple locations (verify plans, quantities, and phasing in bid docs).
• Medway onsite crushing: mobilization and onsite crushing operations for asphalt/concrete reclaim; coordination with DPW site access and stockpile requirements (verify production expectations and schedule in bid docs).
• Attleboro hydrants & parts: supply of specified hydrant model and associated parts; strict adherence to submission channel and due location rules.
• North River lease: offering and negotiating a lease for education and office use; space configuration, compliance, and term economics likely central (verify minimum requirements in RFP).
• UMass linens services: third-party linen service provision under a commission structure; operational plan and service model should match portal requirements (verify scope in bid documents).

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Bid if: you are a consulting firm experienced in workforce system assessments and can deliver without travel billing; you are a Massachusetts property valuation/assessment services firm with DOR-aligned reporting capability; you are a civil/site contractor equipped for roadway reconstruction and municipal paving; you are a crushing contractor with onsite asphalt/concrete processing capability; you are an authorized supplier/distributor able to furnish Mueller A-423 hydrants and parts; you control suitable education/office space and can meet the Collaborative’s leasing needs; you operate campus linen services and can work under a commission program.
• Pass if: your model depends on reimbursable travel for the Oregon assessment; you cannot meet Massachusetts statutory/certification-related reporting expectations for personal property valuation; you lack local paving/crushing capacity and bonding/insurance typically required for municipal work (verify); you cannot comply with submission channel rules (e.g., Attleboro’s “do not submit via COMMBUYS” instruction); you do not control real estate suitable for the North River lease RFP.

Response package checklist (bullets; if unknown say “verify in attachments”)

• Signed solicitation forms and certifications (verify in attachments).
• Technical approach / work plan aligned to the stated scope (verify required format in attachments).
• Pricing sheet or price proposal (verify in attachments).
• Schedule and staffing/resourcing plan (verify in attachments).
• Past performance / references (verify in attachments).
• Any required compliance statements (e.g., no travel cost billing for the Oregon assessment) (verify in attachments).
• Submission instructions: location/portal, file naming, and whether COMMBUYS is allowed (especially important for Attleboro hydrants) (verify in attachments).

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

• Anchor to the buyer’s structure: Oregon’s assessment provides an estimated cost ($200,000) and disallows travel expenses; shape your budget around remote delivery and clearly separate any non-allowable items.
• Benchmark locally: for municipal paving and crushing, pull recent comparable awards in the same state/region (BidPulsar history, town meeting packets, and posted bid tabs—verify availability in attachments/municipal sites).
• Use unit economics where appropriate: crushing and paving bids often hinge on production rates, mobilization, traffic control, and material handling assumptions—validate what the bid documents specify and avoid “best guess” quantities.
• For valuation services: research comparable Massachusetts contracts tied to Chapter 59 compliance; price should reflect account volume (~675), inspection intensity, and annual reporting cadence described in the notice.
• For hydrants/parts: confirm exact part lists, approved equivalents (if any), delivery requirements, and warranty terms in the RFB to avoid underpricing logistics or substituting non-acceptable items.
• For lease proposals: treat pricing as a total occupancy cost story (base rent plus any pass-throughs defined in the RFP); don’t assume the buyer’s preferred term or tenant improvements—verify.
• For campus linens commission programs: verify how “commission” is defined in the bid documents (revenue share, per-student program model, etc.) and build pricing around measurable service levels.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Oregon assessment: pair a workforce strategy prime with a measurement/evaluation subconsultant to strengthen assessment design (ensure the plan still fits the “no travel” constraint).
• Pavement project: team with specialty subcontractors for curb/sidewalk components where it improves schedule certainty (verify allowed subcontracting terms in bid docs).
• Onsite crushing: consider teaming with trucking/loader operators if the scope includes material movement beyond crushing (verify).
• Hydrants & parts: coordinate with authorized distributors to ensure model-specific compliance and delivery reliability.
• Lease opportunity: real estate owners may team with facilities operators/education-support service providers if the RFP requires operational elements beyond space (verify).
• Campus linens: partner with local service operators or logistics providers if the program requires campus-specific delivery/collection routes (verify in portal docs).

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Submission channel traps: Attleboro explicitly states do not submit bids via COMMBUYS; failing this is a common disqualifier.
• Cost allowability: Oregon assessment disallows travel expenses—ensure your cost narrative and price proposal align.
• Hidden requirements in attachments: many of these notices are scope summaries; confirm insurance, bonds, forms, and detailed specs in the full documents.
• Compliance-driven deliverables: Yarmouth’s valuation work references Massachusetts DOR certification requirements—missing a reporting format or process step can sink an otherwise qualified bid.
• Multi-location public works: Belmont’s “various locations” can create scheduling and mobilization risk; rely on the plan set and bid schedule (verify).
• Lease terms ambiguity: for the North River lease, avoid assuming term length, tenant improvements, or code compliance responsibilities until you read the RFP.
• Portal-only documents: UMass linens bid documents are hosted on the UMass portal; plan time for account access and document download.

Related opportunities

• Workforce Talent and Development Board Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment 2026 (OregonBuys)
• Commercial Personal Property Collection and Valuation (Town of Yarmouth, MA)
• 2026 Pavement Management Project (Town of Belmont, MA)
• Onsite Crushing Reclaim Material (Town of Medway, MA)
• Mueller A-423 Hydrants & Parts (City of Attleboro, MA)
• Lease of Educational and Office Space – North River Collaborative (MA)
• UMAMH-2026-1011 Student Linens Commission Program (UMass Amherst)

How to act on this

1. Pick the 1–2 notices that best match your delivery model and compliance comfort (especially travel allowability and submission channel rules).
2. Download and read the attachments/portal documents first; build a one-page compliance matrix before drafting narrative.
3. Call your subs/suppliers early (paving/crushing/hydrants/linens) to lock lead times and confirm exactly what can be provided.
4. Draft pricing from verified quantities/requirements only; note any assumptions explicitly when the solicitation allows it.

If you want a fast compliance review and a bid/no-bid recommendation based strictly on the solicitation documents, engage Federal Bid Partners LLC to help package a clean, on-time response.