USACE Caribbean District: Industry Day for IDIQ A-E Surveying & Mapping (NAICS 541370)

Executive takeaway

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Caribbean District is planning an Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract for architect-engineer (A-E) surveying and mapping services supporting civil works projects within Puerto Rico and the Antilles. The notice is positioned as market research and an Industry Day announcement—no award will be made from responses—but it is a practical window to influence acquisition strategy and get on the district’s radar before task orders begin flowing.

What the buyer is trying to do

USACE needs recurring surveying and mapping support for the full civil works lifecycle—planning, engineering design, construction, operations, and maintenance. The work is intended to cover projects located within the geographic boundaries of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Antilles. The planned vehicle is an IDIQ with a one-year base period and options to extend up to four additional years (not to exceed five years total). The maximum order limit is anticipated to be $5,000,000 for the life of the contract.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Topographic surveying to support planning, design, and construction activities
• Property/boundary surveys
• Geodetic control surveys
• Construction surveys
• Inland hydrographic surveying
• Surveying and mapping deliverables to support planning, engineering design, construction, operations, and maintenance of civil works projects

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Should bid: Surveying and mapping firms aligned to NAICS 541370 with demonstrated capability across topographic, boundary, geodetic control, construction, and inland hydrographic surveying.
• Should bid: Teams that can reliably execute work in Puerto Rico and the Antilles (logistics and responsiveness matter for IDIQ tasking).
• Should bid: Firms prepared to support multiple civil works phases (planning through O&M), not just one slice of the lifecycle.
• Should pass: Firms without the ability to cover both land surveying and inland hydrographic needs (unless you have a clear subcontracting plan).
• Should pass: Firms that cannot support fast-turn task orders typical of IDIQ execution or cannot operate within the stated geography.

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

• Industry Day registration information (verify in attachments / notice instructions).
• Statement of whether you intend to participate as a prime or subcontractor (per notice instructions).
• Business type and any small business category details (per notice instructions).
• UEI (per notice instructions).
• Indicate interest in “One-on-One” sessions with USACE regarding the requirement (per notice instructions).
• Any requested market research input to help USACE determine the appropriate acquisition strategy (verify in attachments / notice instructions).

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

This is framed as an A-E services IDIQ under NAICS 541370, so expect selection factors and pricing structure consistent with recurring professional surveying support across multiple task orders. Since no pricing details are provided in the notice, focus your prep work on:

• Task-order realism: Build internal rate and staffing models that can flex between topographic, boundary, geodetic control, construction survey, and inland hydrographic work.
• Geography cost drivers: Validate mobilization/logistics assumptions for Puerto Rico and the Antilles so your future task-order pricing is defensible.
• Contract ceiling context: Use the stated life-of-contract maximum order limit as a planning boundary for likely task size and competition dynamics—without assuming any guaranteed volume.
• Industry Day intelligence: Use the event to learn how USACE expects to structure tasking, performance expectations, and any constraints that will affect cost (capture notes; confirm later in the solicitation).

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Pair a strong topographic/construction survey prime with a specialist providing inland hydrographic surveying.
• Team firms that cover boundary/property and geodetic control capabilities to ensure full-scope responsiveness across civil works phases.
• If you plan to pursue as a subcontractor, use Industry Day to position yourself for the specific service lanes USACE listed (topographic, boundary, geodetic control, construction, inland hydrographic).

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Not a solicitation: The notice states responses help determine acquisition strategy and that no contract will be awarded based on responses.
• Scope breadth: USACE lists multiple survey types; underestimating breadth could hurt competitiveness later if the solicitation expects end-to-end coverage.
• Geographic execution: Work is tied to Puerto Rico and the Antilles; confirm you can meet logistics and delivery needs for that footprint.
• Ceiling isn’t revenue: The stated maximum order limit is a planning cap, not a volume guarantee.
• Instruction compliance: Industry Day registration includes specific data points (business type, UEI, prime/sub, one-on-one interest); missing any could reduce engagement opportunities.

Related opportunities

• Industry Day Announcement: IDIQ A-E Services for Topographic & Hydrographic Surveying and Mapping (USACE Caribbean District)

How to act on this

1. Review the notice closely and register for Industry Day per the stated instructions.
2. Decide whether you will pursue as a prime or subcontractor and align your capability narrative to the listed survey types.
3. Prepare targeted questions for Industry Day focused on tasking patterns across planning, design, construction, and O&M.
4. Start lining up teaming coverage for any gaps (especially inland hydrographic versus land surveying lanes).

Need help shaping your Industry Day positioning and capture plan? Federal Bid Partners LLC can support opportunity qualification, teaming strategy, and response planning based strictly on the notice and released attachments.