Appendix IV - Vendor Questions.docx

This is an Appendix IV Vendor Questions form for Invitation to Bid (ITB) 2526 074 issued by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) for wastewater surveillance services. The solicitation seeks a single or multiple respondents to provide comprehensive wastewater surveillance services including coordination and facilitation of wastewater sample collection and transfer from multiple Florida municipalities, calibration of testing equipment and analytical methods in accordance with DCF's approved substance list, creation and management of a data dashboard for tracking and reporting, and operation of a fully equipped laboratory capable of performing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis for comprehensive drug detection. The written question submission deadline was March 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, with DCF responses anticipated by March 16, 2026. Bid responses were due March 19, 2026 by 10:00 AM Eastern Time with public opening at 2:00 PM via video conference. The Notice of Intent to Award was anticipated for March 24, 2026, with a contract start date of March 30, 2026. The contract term extends from March 30, 2026 through June 30, 2028, with renewal options available for an additional three fiscal years covering fiscal years 2028-29 through 2030-31.

Respondents were required to submit three mandatory components: Required Certifications (PMT-58), Technical Response (PMT-59), and Cost Proposal (PMT-60), along with documentation verifying technical qualifications, licenses, certifications, and relevant experience. The cost proposal utilized unit-based pricing with separate line items for initial setup and dashboard creation, equipment calibration, and monthly surveillance services spanning fiscal years 2025-26 through 2027-28. No specific budget ranges or award values were disclosed in the solicitation materials. The solicitation did not identify set-aside provisions for disadvantaged enterprises or restrict participation by organization type, though optional tiebreaking certifications were available for organizations designated as Minority Business Enterprises, Veteran Business Enterprises, Florida Businesses, Foreign Manufacturers with Florida factories, or Drug-Free Workplaces. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were referenced, and notably, no questions were received from vendors during the question submission period.