The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

(617) 626-1520 | mass.gov/MarineFisheries

Maura T. Healey Governor

Kimberly Driscoll Lt. Governor

Rebecca L. Tepper Secretary

Thomas K. O’Shea Commissioner

Daniel J. McKiernan Director

ISSUE DATE: March 3, 2026

1. Description or Purpose of Procurement:

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries solicits the conduction of a research study to evaluate the logistics and costs associated with collecting, storing, pooling and transporting landed (by others) green crabs to appropriate composting and/or other types of appropriate disposal sites in the 15 communities, Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Harwich, Dennis, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown, of Cape Cod Massachusetts. The study shall include interviews with the 15 communities and existing possible disposal sites and will result in a final written report that presents results and makes recommendations on feasibility and generates a list of outstanding issues and next steps. The study will also evaluate the best feasible means of humanely dispatching the crabs and where in the process that activity could and/or needs to occur.

2. Applicable Procurement Law

Check Appropriate

Box (“X”):

Type of Purchase Applicable Laws

Executive Branch Goods and Services x Goods and Services MGL c. 7, § 22; c. 30, § 51, § 52; 801 CMR 21.00

Human and Social Services MGL c. 7, § 22, § 22N; c. 30, § 51, § 52; 801

CMR 21.00; 808 CMR 1.00

Legal Services MGL c. 30, § 51, § 52 and § 65; c. 7, § 22;

and 801 CMR 21.01(2) (b)

Grants MGL c. 7A, § 7; St. 1986 c. 206, § 17; 815

CMR 2.00

Purchasing Department Department of Fish and Game, Division of Marine Fisheries Address 30 Emerson Ave City, State Zip Code Gloucester, MA 01930 Procurement Contact Person Wayne Castonguay Telephone Number 978-360-2272 E-Mail Address Wayne.Castonguay@mass.gov RFR Name/Title Cape Cod European Green Crab Disposal Study RFR Number DMF RFR 26019 http://www.mass.gov/marinefisheries

3. Acquisition Method:

Check All Applicable (“X”): Category x Fee-For-Service Outright Purchase Rental (not to exceed 6 months) Term Lease License Other:

4. Whether Single or Multiple Contractors are Required for Contract:

Check One (“X”):

x Single Contractor Multiple Contractors

a. Estimated Number of Awards

The target maximum number of Contractors is one; the Purchasing Department may award more or fewer contracts, if it is in the best interests of the Commonwealth to do so.

5. Entities Eligible to Use the Resulting Contract

Check One (“X”): Eligible Entities

Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Defined Entities Only. Any Contract(s) resulting from this Bid will be open for use by the issuing Purchasing Department and the following other entities:

• [Identify additional Eligible Entities by name] x Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Issuing Entity Only.

6. Expected Duration of Contract (Initial Duration and any Options to Renew):

Contract Duration Number of Options Number of

Years/Months Initial Duration

1 year

Renewal Options

Total Maximum Contract Duration

1 year

7. Anticipated Expenditures, Funding, or Compensation:

Estimated Value of Procurement: up to $10,000

8. Contract Performance and Business Specifications:

Scope of Services:

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries solicits the conduction of a research study to evaluate the logistics and costs associated with collecting, storing, pooling and transporting harvested and landed (by others) green crabs to appropriate composting and/or other types of appropriate disposal sites in the 15 communities of Cape Cod Massachusetts. The study shall include interviews with the 15 communities and all existing possible disposal sites and will result in a final written report that presents results and makes recommendations on feasibility and generates a list of outstanding issues and next steps. The study will also evaluate the feasible means of humanely dispatching the crabs and where in the process that activity could and/or needs to occur based on logistic considerations and the requirements of the storing, transporting and disposing entities.

Performance Measures:

The bidder will be required to participate in a kick-off meeting to determine specific mutually acceptable study tasks and expectations, submit a progress report approximately halfway through the performance period and a final report. The final report must be submitted by July 31, 2026.

9. Small Business Purchasing Program

Program Background

The Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) was established pursuant to Executive Order 523 to increase state contracting opportunities with small businesses having their principal place of business within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Pursuant to the SBPP, it is the intention of the issuing department to award this Small Procurement to one or more SBPP participating business(es) as described below.

SBPP Award Preference

While all businesses, no matter the size or principal place of business, may submit responses to this solicitation, should an SBPP participant respond and meet the best value criteria as described in this solicitation, the SBPP participant shall be awarded the contract. The Strategic Sourcing Services Team (SSST) will not evaluate submissions from non-SBPP participants unless no SBPP Bidder meets the SSST’s best value evaluation criteria.

SBPP Participation Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in this procurement as an SBPP participant, an entity must meet the following criteria, and be marked as an SBPP-registered business in COMMBUYS:

https://www.mass.gov/sbpp https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-523-establishing-the-massachusetts-small-business-purchasing-program https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-523-establishing-the-massachusetts-small-business-purchasing-program https://www.commbuys.com/bso/

1. Have its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;

2. Been in business for at least one year;

3. Employ a combined total of 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees in all locations, or employees work less than a combined total of 26,000 hours per quarter; and

4. Have gross revenues, as reported on appropriate tax forms, of $15 million or less, based on a three-year average.

Non-profit firms also must be registered as a non-profit or charitable organization with the MA Attorney General’s Office and be up to date with all filings required by that office and be tax exempt under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.

SBPP Compliance Requirements

It is the responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that their SBPP status is current at the time of submitting a response and throughout the life of any resulting contract. Misrepresentation of SBPP status will result in disqualification from consideration, and may result in debarment, contract termination, and other actions. To learn more about the SBPP, including how to apply, visit the SBPP Webpage.

Program Resources and Assistance

Bidders and Contractors seeking assistance regarding SBPP may visit the SBPP webpage, http://www.mass.gov/sbpp, or contact the SBPP Help Desk at sbpp@mass.gov.

10. Environmentally Preferable Products

Products and services purchased by state agencies must be in compliance with Executive Order 515, issued October 27, 2009. Under this Executive Order, Executive Departments are required to reduce their impact on the environment and enhance public health by procuring environmentally preferable products and services (EPPs) whenever such products and services perform to satisfactory standards and represent best value, consistent with 801 CMR 21.00. In line with this directive, all Contracts, whether departmental or statewide, must comply with the specifications and guidelines established by OSD and the EPP Program. EPPs are products and services that help to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, protect public health and the environment, and promote the use of clean technologies, recycled materials, and less toxic products. Bid responses must identify how a contractor meets these goals.

11. Evaluation Criteria

Contractors must submit responses that meet all the submission requirements of the RFR. Only responsive proposals that meet the submission requirements will be evaluated, scored, and ranked by the evaluation team according to the evaluation criteria. Additional information may be requested for evaluation purposes. The following are the specific evaluation criteria:

a. Quality of proposal (40%): Is the proposal well written and displays a clear understanding of the goals & objectives? Is the proposal realistic and likely to produce desired results?

http://www.mass.gov/sbpp http://www.mass.gov/sbpp mailto:sbpp@mass.gov https://www.mass.gov/executive-orders/no-515-establishing-an-environmental-purchasing-policy?_ga=2.237660352.1741219494.1633353146-758386467.1632336759

b. Meeting project goals and objectives (40%): Does the proposal fully address the project’s goals & objectives? Does the proposal address all the requested components? How well does the proposal address the stated goals and objectives?

c. Contractor qualifications (20%): Is the contractor well-qualified to undertake this project and has the demonstrated experience to do so?

12. Instructions for Submission of Responses:

Only electronic quotes submitted via COMMBUYS will be accepted in response to this RFR. Responses must be sent via the “Create Quote” functionality in COMMBUYS. For instructions concerning how to submit a Quote, please see Appendix B.

Please include the proposed tasks and budget in the form of a study proposal as part of the quote. Any submission that fails to meet the submission requirements of the RFR will be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and may be corrected. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the vendor to make minor corrections to the submission.

13. Estimated Procurement Calendar

Procurement Activity Date Time

Bid Release Date March 3, 2026

Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses (“Bid Opening Date/Time” in COMMBUYS)

March 17, 2026 4:00pm

Notification of Apparent Successful Bidder(s) (Estimated)

March 21, 2026

Estimated Contract Start Date April 1, 2026

Bidders are required to monitor COMMBUYS for changes to the procurement calendar for this Bid.

a. Online Questions (Bid Q&A)

Written Questions must be entered using the “Bid Q&A” tab for the Bid in COMMBUYS It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify receipt of questions.

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded

Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network, or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Written Responses to Questions will be released on or about the “Responses to Questions Posted Online” date indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above).

(Written questions and responses will be posted on the Bid Q&A Tab for this Bid in COMMBUYS.)

b. Bid Amendment Deadline

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after initial publication.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid, and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

c. Quotes (Bid Responses) Deadline (Bid Opening Date/Time)

See the Quotes (Bid Responses) Deadline (Bid Opening) Date and Time indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above).

d. Estimated Contract Start Date

This is the approximate start date. The actual start date will be the Contract Effective Date which is the date the Contract is executed by the parties.

14. Required Forms

If selected under this RFR, the respondent will need to complete the following:

Check if applicable (“X”)

Form/Document Notes/Instructions

Commonwealth Terms and Conditions Electronic Submission

Request for Taxpayer Identification Number & Certification (Massachusetts Substitute W-9 Form)

Electronic Submission

Standard Contract Form and Instructions Electronic Submission

Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing Electronic Submission

Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Electronic Submission

Prompt Payment Discount Form Electronic Submission

The above attachments are available as part of the Bid record on COMMBUYS

(WWW.COMMBUYS.COM).

http://www.commbuys.com/

15. RFR Attachments

Appendix A: Required Specifications https://www.mass.gov/doc/rfr-required-specifications-of-commodities-and-services

Appendix B: Electronic Quote Submission Instructions https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids

Appendix C: RFR – Other Specifications

Acceptable Forms of Signature

Effective June 15, 2021, for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e. contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2.

Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3.

Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/rfr-required-specifications-of-commodities-and-services https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids https://www.mass.gov/doc/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids

Updated: August XX, 2021

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE

Cape Cod European Green Crab Disposal Study

RFR #______ / COMMBUYS Bid# ______