Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, P.O. Box 520, Massena, New York 13662-0520

Y -- DESIGN AND BUILD ONE, 48 FT. LONG, 16 FT. to 18 FT. BEAM, 5 FT. TO 6 FT. 6 IN. DRAFT, TWIN SCREW, 500 HP TUG/WORKBOAT SOL DTSL55-96-R-C0621 DUE 082796 Contact Linda M. Harding, 315-764-3244/Contracting Officer, Linda M. Harding 315/764-3244. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation plans to issue a Request for Technical Proposals under Step One of the Two-Step Sealed Bidding Process for the design and building of one (1) 48 ft. length, 16 ft. to 18 ft. beam, 5 ft. to 6 ft. 6 in. draft, twin screw, and 500 HP tug/workboat for the Corporation. Current American Bureau of Shipping Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessel for Service on Rivers and Intercoastal waterways shall apply. The design and building of the tug/workboat shall be completed and delivered to the Corporation's location, Masena, New York, no later than July 30, 1997. The price range is between $500,000 and $1,000,000. This will be a Firm Fixed Price Contract. The Contractor will be required to submit a Subcontracting Plan. The Request for Proposals (RFP) shall be issued approximately July 22, 1996 and the deadline for receipt of Technical Proposals shall be approximately August 27, 1996. The RFP package may be requested by mail or faxed to 315-764-3235 and must be received no later than 15 days after CBD publication. All responsible sources may submit a Technical Proposal(s) which will be considered. ``This Notice is for informational purposes for Minority, Women-Owned and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises: The Department of Transportation (DOT), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), has programs to assist minority, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises to acquire short-term working capital and bonding assistance for transportation-related contracts. This is applicable to any eligible prime or subcontract at any tier. The DOT Bonding Assistance Program enables firms to apply for bid, payment, and performance bonds up to $1.0 million per contract. The DOT provides an 80 percent guaranty on the bond amount to a surety against losses. Loans are also available under the DOT Short Term Lending Program (STLP) at prime interest rates to provide accounts receivable financing. The maximum line of credit is $500,000. For further information regarding the bonding and lending programs, please call the DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at (800) 532-1169. For information concerning the acquisition, contact the contracting official listed above.'' (178)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0172 19960702\Y-0008.SOL)