Att G - Q and A Responses Soil Sample.xlsx

This is a Question and Answer Responses document for RFS 26-87589 issued by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil Conservation (ISDA-DSC), addressing inquiries submitted by prospective vendors regarding the Soil Sampling Program solicitation. The RFP requires proposals from agricultural retailers, independent crop consultants, and Certified Crop Advisors to conduct soil sampling services for Indiana growers targeting operations within the Mississippi River Basin that have not conducted soil testing or have not tested within the past three or more years. The program involves collecting soil samples on up to 400 acres per farm operation and developing nutrient management plans based on test results. A mandatory pre-proposal conference was held on June 24, 2026, with written questions due by July 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET and responses posted by July 8, 2026. Proposals are due July 22, 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, with oral presentations scheduled for August 10, 2026 and award recommendation targeted for August 25, 2026. The contract term is three years with two optional one-year extensions available for a potential five-year total.

The Q&A responses clarify several critical requirements and negotiable items: vendors must submit two years of financial statements as a mandatory solicitation requirement; the use of cloud services such as Google Suite or Dropbox is prohibited for submitting deliverables; references are required regardless of prior year program participation; and insurance minimums of $5,000,000 and Cyber Liability coverage are negotiable items that may be adjusted within individual contracts. The solicitation includes set-asides for Minority Business Enterprise (8%), Women's Business Enterprise (11%), and Indiana Veteran Owned Small Business (3%) of the total bid amount, with a Buy Indiana Initiative preference of 5 points for Indiana-certified companies. Vendors receive fixed reimbursement of $12.00 per acre for a maximum of 400 acres per landowner per sampling season, with a contract not-to-exceed amount of $50,000 per vendor subject to change based on ISDA funding availability. All deliverables and invoices must be submitted within 30 calendar days of completing sampling activities, with reimbursement processed only after ISDA-DSC review and approval.