Bids on contracts for construction or repair work in the formal bidding range must be accompanied by a bid bond or deposit in the amount of not less than 5 percent of the bid. Bid bonds shall be enclosed in a separate envelope and attached to the outside of the sealed bid package. This security is held by the City of Havelock to guarantee that the successful bidder will execute the contract and provide performance and payment bonds if required. If a bidder backs out of his or her bid or refuses to enter into a contract, the City of Havelock may retain the bid deposit or seek payment under the bid bond. Bids will be considered incomplete if not accompanied by a bid bond or deposit. The bids are good for 75 days after opening. The winning bidder will be issued a Notice To Proceed (NTP) along with a Purchase Order. The performance period is 30 calendar days from the NTP. Bidders are cautioned not to submit bids until the proposed requirements and specifications have been carefully examined. It will be considered that bidders will have satisfied themselves as to the accuracy of the specifications. No proposal will be considered unless prices are submitted for all items requested in any section. The City reserves the right to change the amount of quantities. All bids submitted should be to the desired specifications. Any exceptions to the specifications will be evaluated based on the best interest of the City. Any deviation from specifications indicated herein must be clearly pointed out; otherwise, it will be considered that items offered are in strict compliance with these specifications, and bidder will be held responsible therefore. Deviations shall be explained in detail. The bidder shall not construe this paragraph as inviting deviation or implying that any deviation will be acceptable. The names of certain brands or makes denote quality standard in the article desired, but do not restrict bidders to the specific brand, make or manufacturer named. They are meant to convey to prospective bidders the general style, type, character and quality of the article desired. The successful bidder on all construction contracts will be required to conduct the operation in accordance with all Federal, State, and Municipal health and safety rules, regulations and laws applicable to the operation. The successful bidder may be asked to provide the City with a copy of the company's safety plan prior to commencing work. For all projects over $30,000, a general contractor's license must be furnished to the City if applicable. The City of Havelock reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to purchase items from the state contract in the efforts to award the contract to the bidder it deems to be for the best interest of the City For questions in regards to the bid specifications, the City requires and only responds to questions submitted in writing and sent via email to: Bids@havelocknc.us. Questions must be received by 12:00 PM (EST) on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 and will be answered by 2:00 PM (EST) on Thursday August 24, 2023.