FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

1875 ORANGE AVE E

TALLAHASSEE, FL 32311-6160

(850) 488-6551

Electronic Measuring Systems for Statewide At-Sea Observer Program

FWC 25/26-25

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RESPONDENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

Purpose: The intent of this RFP is to obtain competitive responses for Electronic measuring technology and compatible data entry software that can be used on-board fishing vessels to collect, display, and submit complex fisheries data in real time in accordance with current program procedures and methods, per the specifications contained herein. Only responsive and responsible Respondents will be considered for award of this RFP.

Responsive: To be responsive, a response must constitute a definite, firm, unqualified and unconditional offer to meet all the material terms of this RFP. Material terms are those that could affect the price, quantity, quality, or delivery.

Also included as material terms are those which are clearly identified in this RFP and which, for reasons of policy, must be complied with at risk of response rejection for non-responsiveness.

Non-Responsive: Any submission that does not comply with this RFP in any way, does not contain all the properly signed forms, supplements or deviates from the RFP requirements or has an incomplete Cost Sheet may be considered nonresponsive at the discretion of Procurement Manager.

Responsible Vendors: The Commission shall only consider responsible vendors. Responsible vendors are those that have, in the sole judgment of the Commission, the financial ability, experience, resources, skills, capability, reliability and business integrity necessary to perform the requirements of the contract. The Commission may also consider references and quality to determine the responsibility of the Respondent. The Commission reserves the right to use any information, whether supplied through the Respondent’s submission or otherwise obtained, in determining responsibility.

Sealed Proposal: In response to a Request for Proposals (RFP), a sealed proposal is the final submission from a vendor prior to the proposal deadline, after which no further submissions will be considered.

Rejection of Reponses: The Commission reserves the right to reject any and all responses and to waive any minor irregularity in the submissions received in response to this RFP. The Commission reserves the right to consider all information, whether submitted or otherwise, to determine responsiveness and responsibility and to reject responses accordingly.

Name of Business: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Business Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: ____________________________ State: _____________________________ Zip code: ______________________________________

Phone: ____________________________ Fax: _______________________________ Email: ______________________________________

Federal Employer Identification Number: ________________________________________________________________________________

I certify that this RFP response is submitted without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a response for the same professional services and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I agree to abide by all conditions of this RFP and certify that I am authorized to sign this acknowledgement for the Respondent.

Authorized Signature (Manual): ________________________________________________________________________________________

Authorized Signature Name (Typed) and Title: ___________________________________________________________________________

Date: __________________________________________

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 3 of 87

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FWC 25/26-25

SCHEDULE DUE DATE METHOD

RFP Advertised January 5, 2026 Posted on the Vendor Information Portal (VIP)

Deadline for Questions

Must be received PRIOR to:

January 12, 2026

@ 5:00 PM ET

See Deadline for Questions Clause

Anticipated date for Responses to Written Questions

January 15, 2026 Posted on the Vendor Information Portal (VIP)

SEALED RESPONSE DUE

(REMEMBER: RFP number should be clearly marked on envelope)

Must be received PRIOR to:

January 26, 2026

@ 3:30 PM ET

Mailing Address:

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Attn: Purchasing 1875 Orange Ave E Tallahassee, Florida, 32311-6160 Submissions are due BEFORE the date and time of the public opening.

Public Response Opening January 26, 2026

@ 3:30 PM ET

Public Opening Location:

1875 Orange Ave E Tallahassee, FL 32311-6160

-Teleconference- Conference call phone number: 1.888.585.9008 Conference room number: 218-721-199

Evaluation Period

From February 2, 2026 to February 16, 2026

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

Anticipated Date of Intended Award

February 23, 2026 Posted on the Vendor Information Portal (VIP)

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 4 of 87

GENERAL CONDITIONS

FWC 25/26-25

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC or Commission) mission is to manage fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people. The Commission administers six (6) major programs including habitat and species conservation, freshwater fisheries management, law enforcement, marine fisheries management, hunting and game management and fish and wildlife research.

A Respondent submitting a response shall be registered in the MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) system and, where required, the Sunbiz system prior to the RFP opening. Business entities which must be on file with Sunbiz include the following foreign and domestic entities: Corporations for and not for profit, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), Limited Partnerships (LP) including Limited Liability Limited Partnerships (LLLP), and organizations doing business under a fictitious name (DBA). A Respondent may not be considered for an award if not registered in the MFMP and Sunbiz system. The Respondent’s registration address and federal employer identification (FEID) number should match the Respondent’s address and FEID number listed on the Respondent Acknowledgment form (page 2).

Certified Minority-owned, Woman-owned and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises, as certified by the State of Florida Office of Supplier Development, are encouraged by the Commission to participate in the bidding process.

Response from Respondent shall include all necessary equipment to complete the job. The Respondent is required to supply all specified documentation when submitting a response for this project.

Please note:

• The terms “Contract,” “Agreement” and “Purchase Order” are used interchangeably in the document.

• The terms “Commodities” and “Goods” are used interchangeably in the document.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

PUR 1000 and PUR1001 are hereby incorporated by reference. PUR1000 and PUR1001 can be found at the Department of Management Services website at the following link:

https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/state_agency_resources/state_purc hasing_pur_forms

The following terms and conditions take precedence over the PUR1001 and PUR1000 forms where applicable. The Commission objects to and shall not consider any additional terms or conditions submitted by a Respondent or Contractor, including any appearing in documents attached as part of a Respondent’s response. In signing and submitting its response, a Respondent agrees that any additional terms or conditions, whether submitted intentionally or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect. Failure to comply with terms and conditions, including those specifying information that must be submitted with a response, shall be grounds for rejecting a response.

The terms and conditions of Attachment A, Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, are hereby incorporated into this solicitation. Any contract resulting from this solicitation will include the terms and conditions of this solicitation and the terms and conditions contained in Attachment A .

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 5 of 87

PROCUREMENT MANAGER

Adrian Wiggins Adrian.Wiggins@myfwc.com

ESTIMATED BUDGET

The Commission has an estimated budget for this project of $90,000.00.

TERM

The contract will be effective three years upon issuance of Purchase Order.

If circumstances constituting Force Majeure have occurred, or if anything occurs beyond the Contractor’s control, the Contractor may request in writing an extension of Completion Date. The Project Manager and Contract Manager will review the extension request and if they determine it is justified, will forward to the Bid Request Inbox (bidrequest@myfwc.com) for procurement review and approval/disapproval.

RENEWAL

The Commission has the option to renew this Contract on a yearly basis for a period up to five (5) years after the initial Contract period upon the same terms and conditions contained herein. Pursuant to Sections 287.057(1)(a)2., and 287.057(1)(a)3., Florida Statutes, each Contractor shall supply a price for each year that a contract may be renewed. Evaluation of responses shall include consideration of the total cost of the contract, including the total cost for each renewal year, as submitted by the Contractor.

Exercise of the renewal option is at the Commission’s sole discretion and shall be conditioned, at a minimum, on the Contractor’s satisfactory performance of this Contract and is subject to the availability of funds. The Contractor, if it desires to exercise this renewal option, will provide written notice to the Commission no later than thirty (30) days prior to the Contract expiration date. The renewal term shall require written approval from the Commission’s Procurement Manager.

SUBCONTRACTS

Subcontracting IS permitted pursuant to the Terms and Conditions of the Purchase Order. The Subcontractor Status Report (Composite Exhibit I) shall be submitted with each invoice for payment. The List of Subcontractors (Composite Exhibit I) shall be included with response submission.

DIVERSITY

The Commission is committed to supporting Florida’s diverse business industry and population through ensuring participation by minority, women, and veteran-owned business enterprises in the economic life of the state. The State of Florida Mentor Protégé Program connects minority, women, and veteran-owned business enterprises with private corporations for business development mentoring. We strongly encourage contractors doing business with the State of Florida to consider this initiative. For more information on the Mentor Protégé Program, please contact the Office of Supplier Development at (850) 487-0915 or osdinfo@dms.myflorida.com.

FWC encourages diversity in its procurement program and requests that all subcontracting opportunities afforded by this solicitation enthusiastically embrace diversity. The award of subcontracts should reflect the vast array of citizens in the State of Florida. Respondents can visit the Office of Supplier Development website for information on certified business enterprises that may be considered for subcontracting opportunities. However, pursuant to Section 287.05701 F.S., the Commission may not request documentation of or consider a vendor’s social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 6 of 87 vendor is a responsible vendor, nor give preference to a vendor based on the vendor’s social, political, or ideological interests.

VERBAL INSTRUCTION PROCEDURE

Respondents may not consider any verbal instructions as binding upon the Commission. No negotiations, discussions, or actions shall be initiated or executed by the Respondent as a result of any discussion with any Commission employee. Only those communications from the Commission that are in writing may be considered as a duly authorized expression on behalf of the Commission.

SOLICITATION QUESTIONS

Any questions from Respondents that require an official FWC answer concerning this project shall be submitted in writing to the Procurement Manager. This includes specification inquiries, such as questions or requests for additional or altered terms and conditions. Questions to the Procurement Manager shall not constitute formal protest of the specifications or of the solicitation. Questions must be received no later than the date and time specified in the Calendar of Events (Page 3). Questions may be sent via email with the solicitation number in the subject line. It is the responsibility of the Respondent to confirm receipt of questions if needed.

If questions are received, an addendum will be issued and shall be posted on the Vendor Information Portal.

LIMITATION ON RESPONDENT CONTACT DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

Respondents to this solicitation or persons acting on their behalf may not contact, between the release of the solicitation and the end of the 72-hour period following the agency posting the notice of intended award, (note the 72-hour posting period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays) any employee or officer of the executive or legislative branch concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except in writing to the Procurement Manager or as provided in the solicitation documents. Violation of this provision may be grounds for rejecting a response.

RESPONDENT SPECIFICATION INQUIRIES

Any protest concerning the specifications of this solicitation shall be made in accordance with PUR1001, paragraph 20, “Protests”. A notice of protest of the solicitation documents shall be made within seventy-two hours after the posting of the solicitation. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3)(b), F.S., shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, F.S.

ADDENDUMS

If the Commission finds it necessary to supplement, modify or interpret any portion of the specifications or documents or answer any Respondent questions during the solicitation period, an addendum shall be posted on the Vendor Information Portal website. Each Respondent is responsible for monitoring the Vendor Information Portal for new or changing information relative to this procurement. The Commission bears no responsibility for any delays, or resulting impacts, associated with a Respondent’s failure to obtain the information made available through the Vendor Information Portal.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR RESPONSE PRESENTATION

Each response shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of Respondent’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Elaborate binding, colored displays, and promotional materials are not required. However, examples of services provided may be included as attachments to the response. Emphasis in each response must be on completeness and clarity of content.

To expedite the evaluation of responses, it is essential that Respondents follow the format and instructions

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 7 of 87 contained herein. All costs associated with preparing a response to this RFP is the sole responsibility of the Respondent.

MANDATORY RESPONSIVENESS REQUIREMENTS FOR RESPONSE SUBMISSION

Response submission should be organized as follows:

TAB A. Respondent Acknowledgment Form (Mandatory) For this response to be considered responsive, the Respondent Acknowledgement Form (page 1) must be completed in its entirety, signed by the Respondent and returned as part of the response. Otherwise, the response will be deemed non-responsive. By affixing your signature to the Respondent Acknowledgement Form, the Respondent hereby states that the Respondent has read all response specifications and conditions and agrees to all terms, conditions, provisions, specifications, and is currently licensed to do business within the State of Florida, if required by State or Federal Law, for the services or commodities the Respondent will provide the Commission under these response specifications.

TAB B. List of Subcontractors (Mandatory) (Composite Exhibit I) The Respondent shall complete and submit the List of Subcontractors in its entirety and return the form as part of the RFP response or the response shall be deemed non-responsive. The Respondent shall mark the form with “N/A” if subcontractors are not being used, TAB C. References (Mandatory) Attachment B The Respondent shall complete and submit the References form enclosed herein, to provide a minimum of three (3) references for similar projects completed. Current contact names, phone numbers and email addresses shall be given. This information shall be provided on the Reference Form, enclosed herein, and submitted with the response. The References form shall be completed correctly in its entirety and returned as part of the RFP response, or the response shall be deemed non-responsive.

TAB D. Executive Summary (Mandatory) The Respondent shall present a high-level summary of the proposed project, including the reasoning behind the proposed approach of the implementation. This summary must outline a production plan for obtaining, manufacturing, and distributing hardware and tablets, a software development and maintenance plan, and detail product standards. The Executive Summary shall be submitted as part of the RFP response or the response shall be deemed non-responsive.

TAB E. Respondent Background and Experience (Mandatory) The Respondent shall present a summary of experience, including experience with similar projects (i.e., fisheries data). Specific experience to be addressed in this section includes:

1. a brief history of the Respondent company; and,

2. experience facilitating fisheries data collection.

TAB F. Project Organization (Mandatory) The Respondent shall present qualifications and experience of proposed personnel as well as the proposed Project Team structure. Specific topics to be discussed include:

1. qualifications, experience, and education of proposed personnel, including the intended Project Manager;

2. structure of the proposed project team during software development including responsibilities, management, deadlines, testing, and implementation

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 8 of 87

TAB G. Project Plan (Mandatory) This section shall present the Respondent’s plan for completing the tasks and meeting specifications identified in the scope of work (SOW), including:

1. Development, manufacturing, modification (if applicable), and shipment of hardware

2. Hardware standards and specifications of durability, usability, and battery life

3. Tablet standards of compatibility and durability

4. Planning and developing or modification of software

5. Software standards and specifications of usability, customizability, and functionality

6. Testing of the software and incorporating feedback into additional development

7. Routine software updating and bug fixing

8. Hardware repair and replacement

TAB H. Implementation Schedule (Mandatory) The Respondent shall present their proposed implementation schedule, based on the date of purchase order issuance. The schedule shall address activities required to accomplish successful incorporation of electronic monitoring systems to the at-sea observer project and shall depict a schedule for all steps providing adequate FWC review time, revision time, if needed, and additional subsequent review time.

The Implementation Schedule from the selected Respondent shall be included in the purchase order resulting from this solicitation. A sample format is provided:

ID Milestones Start Finish Duration

1 Contract Award Day 1

TAB I. Cost Sheet (Mandatory) Attachment C

TAB J. Addendum (if applicable)

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 9 of 87

SUPPORTING/SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

The Commission requires that respondents submit all required technical, specification, and other supporting information with their response, so that a detailed analysis and determination can be made, by the Contract Manager that the product/service offered meets this RFP’s specifications and that other requirements of this RFP have been met. However, provided a response meets the requirements for a definite, firm, unqualified, and unconditional offer, the Commission reserves the right to request supplemental information from the respondent after the responses have been opened to ensure that the products/services offered completely meet this RFP’s requirements. The requirement for such supplemental information will be at the reasonable discretion of the Commission and may include the requirement that a respondent will provide a sample product(s) so that the Commission can make a first-hand examination and determination.

A respondent’s failure to provide this supplemental information or the product sample(s), within the time set by the Commission, will cause the Commission to consider the respondent non-responsive and reject the respondent’s proposal.

CONFIDENTIALITY/PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

Respondents are cautioned that Florida law generously defines what constitutes a public record and grants broad rights of public access to those records (e.g., section 119.07, F.S.). If a Respondent considers any portion of the documents, data or records submitted in their Response to this solicitation to be confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure pursuant to Chapter 119, F.S., the Florida Constitution or other authority, the Respondent must mark the document as “Confidential.” The Respondent shall also provide the Commission with a separate PDF redacted copy of its Response and briefly describe in writing the grounds and specific legal citations for claiming exemption from public records law. This redacted copy shall contain the Commission’s solicitation name, number and the Respondent’s name on the cover and shall be clearly titled “Redacted Copy.” The Redacted Copy should only redact those portions of material that the Respondent claims is confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to public disclosure pursuant to Chapter 119, F.S., the Florida Constitution or other authority. If after the notice of intended decision or thirty (30) days after response opening, whichever is earlier, the Commission receives a public record request related to the solicitation, the Commission will provide the Redacted Copy to the requestor. If the Respondent fails to properly indicate any material enclosed in their Response is confidential, the Commission is authorized to produce documents, data or records in their entirety as submitted to the Commission in answer to a public records request. The Commission will endeavor to provide notice to the Respondent of all public records requests received related to documents provided by the Respondent that were marked pursuant to this paragraph. In no event shall the Respondent hold the Commission or any of its employees or agents liable for disclosing, or otherwise failing to protect the confidentiality of information submitted in response to this solicitation.

MAILING INSTRUCTIONS

The Contractor shall submit one (1) original and one (1) separate electronic copy (on flash drive) of their response in a SEALED ENVELOPE addressed to:

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 10 of 87

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Attn: Purchasing 1875 Orange Avenue East Tallahassee, Florida 32311-6160

The envelope shall be plainly marked on the outside with: SOLICITATION NUMBER, DATE AND TIME

OF THE RESPONSE OPENING.

THE COMMISSION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPENING OF ANY ENVELOPES THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY

MARKED.

PLEASE NOTE: The Commission’s official business hours of operation are 8:00 AM–5:00 PM ET, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and state holidays. Selecting delivery services, such as next day first delivery, may result in attempted delivery prior to opening or closing, and the Commission will not be available to accept those deliveries. THE COMMISSION IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LATE SUBMISSIONS DUE TO COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO SELECTED DELIVERY SERVICES. SOLELY DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS SHALL BE DEEMED NON-

RESPONSIVE AND SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

SOLICIATION PUBLIC OPENING

The public opening of this RFP will be conducted at the date, time and method specified in the Calendar of Events (Page 3). RESPONSES RECEIVED AFTER THE SPECIFIED DATE AND TIME WILL BE

REJECTED.

Any person with a qualified disability shall not be denied equal access and effective communication regarding any response documents or the attendance at any related meeting or response opening. If accommodations are needed because of a disability, please contact the Purchasing Section at (850) 488-6551 at least three (3) workdays prior to the opening.

SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF RESPONSES

An evaluation committee consisting of three (3) Commission representatives with collective knowledge and experience related to the solicitation’s program area will independently evaluate and score each Respondent’s response. The Evaluation Criteria Scoring Sheet (Attachment D) will be used by the evaluation committee to assign scores to all evaluated responses designated as responsive.

Scores will be averaged for all evaluation committee members and ranked by the highest to lowest average score. Respondents must score at least 60 points to be considered for award.

GENERAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

General evaluation criteria include the following:

1. The Commission reserves the right to accept or reject any or all responses received and reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the responses submitted. Therefore, responses should be initially submitted as outlined in the Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements for Response Submission and Economy of Presentation sections.

2. Non-responsive responses shall include, but are not limited to, those that:

a. are irregular or are not in conformance with the requirements and instructions contained herein;

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 11 of 87

b. fail to utilize or complete prescribed forms; or

c. have improper or undated signatures.

3. The Commission may waive minor irregularities in the responses received that are merely a matter of form and not substance, and the corrections of which are not prejudicial to other respondents.

A NON-RESPONSIVE RESPONSE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

EVALUATION SCORING FACTORS

Scoring criteria include:

The following is a summary of evaluation factors with point value assigned to each. These, along with the general requirements, will be used in the evaluation of Respondent responses.

EVALUATION FACTOR MAXIMUM POINTS AVAILABLE

Executive Summary 30

Respondent Background and Experience 5

Project Organization 5

Project Plan 45

Implementation Schedule 5

Cost 10

TOTAL: 100

Points will be awarded on the basis of the following evaluation factors:

1. Executive Summary (30 points) High‐level synopsis of the response will be evaluated based on clarity and ability for methodology to meet FWC needs in accordance with the standards outlined in the SOW. The summary should include the following: thorough overview and plan for manufacturing and developing a complete product and providing services to maintain the level of performance of that product including a full production plan (10 points), software development and maintenance plan (10 points), and product standards (10 points). The production plan will be evaluated based on demonstrated ability of the respondent to obtain, manufacture, and distribute hardware and tablets. The Software development and maintenance plan will be evaluated based on described communication standards, beta and field testing, feedback generation and redevelopment, and routine debugging and updating. The product standards will be evaluated using a description of the respondents’ policies and standards for software and hardware products.

2. Respondent Background and Experience (5 points) Background and Experience will be evaluated based on experience with facilitating fisheries data collection as presented in the response. Respondents are encouraged to include examples of previous products used in fisheries data collection and other similar applications.

3. Project Organization (5 points)

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 12 of 87

Project Organization will be evaluated based on the Respondent’s proposed organization structure’s ability to successfully complete this project. Respondents should include a full organization structure description including key qualified personnel and their backgrounds and skills as well as their proposed tasks.

4. Project Plan (45 points) Project Plan will be evaluated based upon the Respondent’s proposed plan for creating and implementing electronic measuring systems that meets FWC’s needs. The project plan must include a detailed description of the 3 components of the product: the hardware, the tablets, and the software. All 3 components will be assessed based on the following parameters.

Respondents must include a full description of the hardware product including durability (5 points), battery (5 points), and usability (5 points). Durability will be evaluated based on the description of the product’s resistance to wear, impact, and the environment. Battery value will be evaluated on the specifications of the short-term (use on a single charge) and long-term (maximum battery life overtime). Usability will be evaluated on demonstrated features, customization, design, and performance.

Tablets must be included with the final product that have certain standards of compatibility (5 points) and durability (5 points). Compatibility will be evaluated by demonstrated proven field use of the tablet with accompanying hardware and software as well as its memory and battery specifications. Durability will be evaluated based on demonstrated long-term field use.

Lastly, a full description of the software product or design, including usability (5 points), customizability (5 points), specifications (5 points), and functionality (5 points). Usability will be evaluated based on the proposed interface features, accessibility by end-users, and ability to meet project needs. Customizability will be evaluated by the degree and diversity of user functions and manager tools available. Specifications entail verifying that the standards of security and storage provided in the scope of work are met. Functionality will be evaluated based on demonstration of understanding of data structure and outputs expected of the software and how satisfactory performance will be achieved.

5. Implementation Schedule (5 points) Implementation Schedule will be evaluated based on timeline provided and the thoroughness of the approach to the survey. This must include reasonable benchmarks and self-driven deadlines for all steps outlined in the executive summary.

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 13 of 87

6. Cost (10 points) The evaluation of each Respondent’s cost proposal will be conducted based on the cost formula below.

The Respondent submitting the lowest cost will receive the maximum points for the cost element of the evaluation. The other respondent's scores will be based on a relative percentage of the dollar amount higher than the lowest cost or price submitted by the lowest priced Respondent.

Formula for Cost Factor: 𝐴 ÷ 𝑁 × (𝐵) = 𝐶

A = Lowest total proposed cost (including renewals) N = Proposed cost for Respondent under review B = Number of maximum points awarded for lowest response C = Score awarded to next lowest cost

NOTE: Each evaluator independently chooses the score based on their own judgment. Failure of the Respondent to provide any of the information required in their RFP response shall result in a score of zero

(0) for that element of the evaluation. Additionally, if the lowest total proposed cost is zero ($0), ‘A’ in the formula will automatically be substituted with $0.01. If the proposed cost for the respondent under review is zero ($0), N’ in the formula will also be substituted with $0.01.

POSTING OF RESPONSE TABULATION

Response Tabulation, with recommended award, will be posted electronically as Agency Decisions on the Department of Management Services Vendor Information Portal as a Public Notice. The Agency Decision may be viewed on the Vendor Information Portal, and will remain posted for a period of 72 hours. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3)(b), Florida Statutes, shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

Awarded Respondents are instructed not to proceed until a Purchase Order, Formal Written Contract, Lease, Notice to Proceed, or some other form of written notice is given to the Contractor by the Commission.

A company or person who proceeds prior to receiving a Purchase Order, Formal Written Contract, Lease, Notice to Proceed, or some other form of written notice from the Commission does so without a contract and at their own risk.

Sealed responses, proposals, or replies received by an agency pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from Section 119.07(1) and Section 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until such time as the agency provides notice of an intended decision or until thirty (30) days after opening the responses, proposals, or final replies, whichever is earlier.

CONTRACT

The successful Respondent’s response and the Purchase Order shall form the contract between the parties.

In the event there is any disagreement between the documents, the parties shall refer first to the Request for Proposal then to Contractor’s response. The Commission reserves the right to revise the Purchase Order as necessary to meet the requirements of this RFP.

SCOPE CHANGES AFTER CONTRACT EXECUTION

The Commission shall provide written notice to the successful Contractor thirty (30) days in advance of any Commission required changes to the technical specifications and/or scope of service that affect the

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 14 of 87 successful Contractor’s ability to provide the service as specified herein. Any changes that are other than purely administrative changes will require a change order.

FWC CONTRACT MANAGER

The FWC employee identified as the Contract Manager shall perform the following on behalf of the FWC:

review, verify, and approve receipt of services/deliverables from the Contractor;

• Submit requests for change orders/amendments/renewals, if applicable;

• Review, verify, and approve invoices from the Contractor; and, if applicable, complete the Certificate of Contract Completion form; and

• Maintain an official record of all correspondence between the Commission and the Contractor and forward the original correspondence to the Procurement Manager for the official file (e.g., renewal letters, vendor name change letter).

DELIVERABLES

The following services or service tasks are identified as deliverables for the purposes of the subsequent Contract:

a. Performance of all services set forth in the Scope of Work.

b. Submission of all invoicing, supporting documentation, Corrective Action Plans and reports.

LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

If the Contractor fails to complete the work or the conditions of the Purchase Order and/or Change Orders by the completion date, the Commission shall have the right to deduct liquidated damages from any amount due and payable to the Contractor. Liquidated damages shall be assessed in the amount of $0.00 per calendar day of delay. Exceptions to this provision may be made if a delay is attributable to circumstances that are clearly beyond the control of the Contractor. The burden of proof of unavoidable delay shall rest with the Contractor and shall be supplied in a written form and submitted to the Contract Manager.

WARRANTIES/DAMAGED ITEMS/DELIVERY

The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for providing or ensuring warranty coverage and/or warranty service on any and all items including goods, materials, or equipment provided to the Commission.

If Contractor is not the Manufacturer, all Manufacturer warranties must be passed through to the Commission.

Delivery shall be made no later than the specified Delivery Date. The Contractor shall pay all costs associated with delivery and shall assume full responsibility for all item(s) damaged prior to the F.O.B.

destination delivery and agree to hold harmless the Commission of all responsibility for prosecuting damage claims.

The Contractor shall assume full responsibility for replacement of all defective or damaged goods within thirty (30) days of notice by the Commission of such defect or damage.

GUARANTEE

If products do not comply with the specifications contained herein, the Contractor shall replace the product(s) or the purchase price shall be refunded. The refund or the delivery of the replacement product(s) shall be made within thirty (30) days following the Contract Manager’s notification to the Contractor that

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 15 of 87 the original product(s) was non-compliant. Costs of returning the original product(s) will be the sole responsibility of the Contractor.

MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT ON COMMISSION PROPERTY

If the Commission allows the Contractor to have project materials or equipment delivered to and/or stored upon the Commission-managed or owned property before, during, or after the term of the project, the Contractor will be fully and solely responsible for all expenses and liability incurred as a result of the delivery or storage. Should the Commission, in its sole discretion, determine that any project materials or equipment stored on its property must be moved in response to an emergency, the Contractor shall hold harmless, indemnify, defend, and may be responsible for costs of any reasonably necessary actions taken by the Commission.

AUTHORIZED COMPENSATION

It is understood and agreed that all compensation under this RFP is specifically limited to the Contractor’s response price accepted by the Commission, and to the specific procedure for payment established in this RFP and the Purchase Order executed pursuant to it. The Commission is not liable for any costs, fees, expenses or any other compensation whatsoever incurred or charged by the Contractor, other than the response price paid for the work specifically described in the Scope of Work, which work is actually accomplished and invoiced by the Contractor subsequent to the Commission’s notice to proceed (or other notice to begin work). Thus, the Commission is not liable for any costs incurred or charged by the Contractor in anticipation of responding to, or performing work described in, this RFP, including but not limited to equipment or personnel procured by the Contractor in anticipation of such work. The Commission is not responsible to the Contractor for any loss or damages resulting from circumstances unforeseen at the time of publication of this RFP including, but not limited to, those resulting from a “force majeure”.

ADDITIONAL LEGAL REQUIREMENT

All corporations seeking to do business with the State shall, at the time of submitting a response, be on file with the Department of State in accordance with provisions of Chapter 607, Florida Statutes; similarly, partnerships seeking to do business with the State shall, at the time of submitting such response, have complied with the applicable provisions of Chapter 620, Florida Statutes. For further information on required filing and forms, please go to the following sites: http://sunbiz.org or http://dos.myflorida.com.

USE OF CONTRACT BY OTHER STATE AGENCIES AND ELIGIBLE USERS

As provided in Chapter 60A-1.045, F.A.C., and Section 287.042(16) F.S., other State of Florida agencies may purchase from the resulting contract of this RFP, provided that the Department of Management Services has determined the contract’s use is cost effective and in the best interest of the State, and with the Contractor’s consent.

Other State of Florida governmental entities and eligible users may also request of the Contractor to be able to use this contract. If the Contractor agrees to other entities to utilize this RFP contract, such agencies shall coordinate their use of this contract with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in order to reduce scheduling conflicts.

CONDITIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS

The Respondent is required to examine carefully the conditions and specifications of this RFP and to be thoroughly informed regarding any and all requirements of the conditions and specification.

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SCOPE OF WORK

FWC 25/26-25

ELECTRONIC MEASURING SYSTEMS FOR STATEWIDE AT-SEA OBSERVER PROGRAM

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this request is to solicit proposals from vendors of fisheries electronic measuring systems.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), For-Hire At-Sea Observer Survey is a long-running fisheries dependent program that collects specific, complex data on fishing catch and effort in the field. The goals of this program include capturing highly specific fishery data, recording all discards and discard conditions, and assessing the factors that influence fishing mortality. Data collected includes live-fish lengths, fish condition metrics, tagging information, angler fishing times, gear information, location information, and trip level data. Currently, data is collected manually using pencil and paper and wooden meter boards and then entered post-trip into a database. The entire data collection, review, and finalization process currently takes 6-12 months. Project managers have identified the need to convert to electronic measuring and data collection systems that can be used on-board fishing vessels to collect these data in real-time, saving time, reducing supply costs, reducing human error, and streamlining data collection to deliver across partners. Other Gulf States currently use electronic measuring systems to collect similar data successfully, serving as proof of concept. FWC is seeking an electronic measuring system that includes electronic measuring boards, all needed hardware such as a tablet and power source, and an accompanying software that can be used in the field to collect a highly specific, complex multi-level dataset through a customizable and easy-to-use interface.

The data-collected is included in the appendix below (Figures 1-5). The goals of the observer project include the following: 1. Collect fisheries-dependent information directly filling needed data gaps unable to be measured by other surveys including discarded fish lengths, discarded fish conditions (including barotrauma, hook injury, and swim condition), fisher gear information, angler behavior, time fished, and specific location; 2. Model post-release mortality utilizing conventional dart tags in tandem with discarded fish conditions; and 3. Analyze fisheries trends over large spatial and temporal scales that spans all of the Florida coasts and several other states, as well as over a decade of continuous sampling. It is imperative to preserve the current methodologies of the project which are considered minimally biased. This includes non-invasive observing techniques that minimize handling time of fish and record data efficiently and logically.

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2. DEFINITIONS

1. Electronic Measuring Systems: integrated electronic equipment that includes hardware and software components that can collect and store a variety of fisheries data, including but not limited to live fish lengths.

2. Discards: Live fish caught and released by the fishery

3. Fishing Mortality: Portion of fish removed by the fishery, either directly through harvesting and discarding dead fish, or indirectly from post-release mortality.

4. Flat Measurement: Length of a fish taken with the fish laid flat against the measuring board.

5. Levels: Refers to number of distinct nested data structures within a database. The at-sea observer dataset is collected at 4 distinct levels: Trip – data collected once for each trip; Station-data collected once for each location fished within a trip; Angler – data collected for each angler within each station; and Catch – data collected for each fish caught by a given angler (see Figure 3).

6. Nested: A data structure in which levels of data are collected within another level; i.e. a dataset within a dataset. All 4 levels of data for the at-sea observer dataset are nested.

7. Trip: A distinct sampling set defined by a fishing vessel leaving port, engaging in fishing, and returning to port. This is the outermost data level in the at-sea observer data set and defines a given combined data output.

8. Station: A distinct sampling location defined by boundaries of degree minute grid lines. Each trip can have one or more stations, each with distinct station level data.

9. Angler: A person fishing who may have one or more rigs and other dynamic data including fish time. Stations will have multiple anglers that are observed. Anglers may have multiple catches.

Angler data is entered in a table and entered continuously in a given station.

10. Catch: A fish that is captured. This is the innermost data level in the at-sea observer data set and defines each row in the combined data output. Each catch is associated with a given angler that caught it by the angler and rig number.

11. Table: A two dimensional data structure within one level of data that includes several data fields and at least one row of values. Both the angler level and catch level are recorded in tables (see Figure 4).

12. Combined Data: The full dataset that includes all 4 nested levels in one master table (see Figure 5).

13. Prepopulating fields: Data set to automatically transfer into a table. This could be from previous data levels, or data that rarely changes.

14. Sticky fields: A type of prepopulating field that holds a value throughout a table, unless specified to change.

15. Copy and Paste: A function allowing the easy transfer of same data to other determined fields.

16. Apply-all functions: A function allowing the user to select all fields at once in a given table and apply a value or command to them.

17. Conversions: Automatic data adjustments performed by the software such as unit changes or field names to code values.

18. Calculations: Predetermined mathematical functions embedded in the software such as time summation or mean functions.

19. Validations: Software functions that generate user warnings for incomplete or violations of preset rules for data entries. This will assist managers in reducing errors and omitted information in the field.

20. Stopwatch: A special function that records the combined sum of time in a field based on a series of start and stop times recorded.

21. Rig: A unique combination of fishing gears (including rig type, number of hooks, size of hooks, and hook type) a given angler may use.

Request for Proposal – Revised 6.25.2025 FWC 25/26-25, Page 18 of 87

22. Barotrauma: A gradient of severity of physical trauma a fish experiences by rapidly ascending the water column when being caught due to rapid release of pressure and expansion of internal gases.

23. Hook Injury: Physical damage caused to a fish as a result of hooking location.

24. Swim Condition: Evaluation parameter of a fish’s ability to recover and descend after being caught.

25. Barotrauma Mitigation: The use of tools to either release internal pressure by puncturing the fish (venting) or bring the fish back down to depth manually using a weighted device (recompression).

26. Predation: Catch is taken before catching or after release by a predator such as a shark or dolphin.

3. DESCRIPTION OF PRODUCT

Electronic measuring systems shall be considered which include all of the following components: 1) electronic measuring board that utilizes a magnet or comparable feature that can instantaneously capture length of a live fish, along with needed hardware for operation such as rechargeable batteries and Bluetooth components; 2) durable tablet that can be used in all weather conditions and exposed to saltwater in typical offshore vessel conditions; and 3) customizable and/or tailored software that performs as a user interface for recording and submitting fish lengths and an assortment of other fisheries metrics collected at-sea. The following sections will describe requirements and preferred features of all 3 components and other vendor services including software maintenance and development. Applicants should ensure their products and services can meet all requirements and tasks. Products with preferred features may be scored higher.

4. ELECTRONIC MEASURING BOARDS

4.1. Requirements:

4.1.1. Capable of operations in extreme environments including air temperature ranges between 32F to 120F, all humidity conditions, direct exposure to saltwater, rain, and fish slime, direct intense and long-term ultra-violet radiation exposure, and on a moving vessel that will pitch and bounce.

4.1.2. Instantaneous fish measuring (less than 1 second) using a magnet, stylus, or comparable feature for taking flat measurements of fish. Quick measuring and working up live fish prior to release is imperative to limiting bias and preventing artificial mortality.

4.1.3. Calibration feature for adjusting measurements to ensure accuracy.

4.1.4. Proven durability sufficient for measuring thousands of large live saltwater fishes up to 1 meter long or up to 50lbs. Saltwater fish typically have serrated gill plates, sharp spines, sharp or abrading teeth, and rough scales. They are capable of harsh impact damage when flailing.

Saltwater and fish slime are also very corrosive.

4.1.5. Drop and impact damage resistant for inevitable percussive damage that will occur on fishing vessels.

4.1.6. Printed or engraved metric markings, which can be…