How to bid on OUPS utility response and markings for the City of Toledo

What Toledo is buying

The City of Toledo Department of Public Utilities is seeking a qualified company to respond to Ohio Utilities Protection Service ticket requests and mark sewer and water lines within the city. The work is described as a fully turnkey operation.

This IFB may suit firms equipped to handle utility locating and marking work and able to meet the licensing requirements in the specifications. A bid guaranty is required.

Key dates and the bid deadline

A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for October 22, 2026, at 6:00 AM. The bid deadline is November 3, 2026, at 1:30 PM ET.

Submit through PlanetBids before the deadline. A submission is not complete until PlanetBids issues an email confirmation of transmission. If you use a check for the bid guaranty, it must also reach the City’s Division of Purchases and Supplies by the due date and time.

Who this opportunity suits

This opportunity is relevant to firms that respond to utility protection tickets and mark sewer and water lines. The department is DPU/Sewer & Drainage, and the specifications set the licensing requirements.

Review the specifications before bidding to confirm your firm meets the applicable licensing requirements and can provide the turnkey work.

How to access and submit the bid

Open the solicitation on the City of Toledo’s PlanetBids portal. The scope, dates and document list are public; PlanetBids may ask you to complete a human verification check. To download documents, receive addenda and submit electronically, register a free vendor account with the City.

Complete the required project paperwork, bidder experience and references, signed vendor contract, and bid guaranty. Line items populate through e-bid. Enter prices to two decimal places, with only one price per line item.

Upload a bid bond or a scanned cashier’s or official check on a solvent bank. Checks must be payable to the City of Toledo; company and personal checks are not accepted. The original bid bond does not need to be sent to the City. A check must be uploaded and physically received by the deadline at the Division of Purchases and Supplies, One Government Center, Suite 2000, 640 Jackson Street, Toledo, OH 43604. A bid without a guaranty will be deemed non-responsive.

Prepare a complete, competitive response

Read the specifications and all posted bid documents, including the bid guaranty instructions and insurance requirements. Check the listing for addenda and incorporate any changes into your response.

Allow time to complete the electronic submission and confirm that PlanetBids emails a transmission confirmation. If using a check, plan for delivery to the City by the deadline as well as uploading the scan.

Toledo says some paperwork is submitted once rather than with every bid. City paperwork includes a notarized Child Support Affidavit and Vendor Utility; new vendors also submit the Vendor Registration Form and Business Tax Registration Form. Annual paperwork includes a W-9, insurance certificate naming the City as an additional insurer, EEO Compliance, Debarment Certification, Living Wage Affidavit and Bureau of Worker’s Compensation Certificate. Keep applicable documents current and update the City if information changes.