QR 41102_13 Gal Spray Drone.pdf

QUOTATION REQUEST

March 11, 2025

Interested Firms

Re: Quote Request 41102 – Purchase of HYLIO HYL-150 ARES 13-gallon Agricultural Spray Drone, and Hands on Training

The St. Johns River Water Management District (District) desires to procure a HYLIO HYL-150 ARES spray drone package to treat both aquatic, terrestrial invasives, and hands on training. Please refer to Statement of Work for detailed specifications.

Respondent must submit its response by uploading to DemandStar. Instructions for submitting are provided below.

DemandStar upload: Bids may now be uploaded directly to www.demandstar.com

If you are interested in this project, upload to www.demandstar.com, before 2:00 p.m. on March 25, 2025.

Recommendation for award shall be based on the lowest quote that meets all training requirements of this quote request. The District anticipates issuing a Purchase Order for this purchase. Refer to (Exhibit 3) to review the District’s standard Purchase Order terms and conditions.

Minimum Qualification:

Respondents must meet the minimum qualifications below and all supporting documentation must be submitted with the response to this quotation request.

1. Proof of firm’s ability to do business in the state of Florida. (Respondent-provided documentation must be provided with quote response.)

2. Respondent must have completed at least three (3) projects of a similar nature (refer to tasks outlined in the Statement of Work) in the past three (3) years by the individual, firm, or project manager assigned to the project. (District provided form, Qualifications – Similar Project Form)

3. Respondent must have no less than two years of experience with hands on training specified in the attached Statement of Work. (District-provided form, Qualifications - Similar Projects Form)

Once quotes are received, staff will review each quote and will make a recommendation for award based on the lowest bidder that meets all the qualifications of this quote request.

If you need assistance or have any questions about submitting your quote, please email Breanna Pierce at BPierce@sjrwmd.com or call (386) 643-1168.

http://www.demandstar.com/ http://www.demandstar.com/ mailto:BPierce@sjrwmd.com

INFQ 41102

NOTE: Please check the box provided if you are unable to provide a quotation for this service at this time and return this page to my attention at bpierce@sjrwmd.com.

I am unable to provide a quotation at this time for the following reason(s):

Respondent’s Signature Respondent’s Company Name mailto:bpierce@sjrwmd.com.

The District is a political subdivision of the state of Florida, whose boundaries cover all or portions of 18 counties, and is tax exempt (Tax ID No. 85-8012643710C-3; expires March 31, 2028). Respondent shall provide an estimate of all applicable taxes and fees in its quote, including a list of taxes and fees that fall under the District’s exemption.

1. Opening of Quotes

a) The Florida Public Records Act, §119.071(1)(b), Fla. Stat., exempts sealed quotes from inspection and copying until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision pursuant to §120.57(3)(a), Fla. Stat., or until 30 days after opening of quotes, whichever is earlier. This exemption is not waived by the public opening of quotes.

b) Unless otherwise exempt, Respondent’s quote is a public record that is subject to disclosure upon expiration of the above exemption. If any information submitted with the Quote is a trade secret as defined in §812.081, Fla. Stat., and exempt from disclosure pursuant to §815.04, Fla. Stat., Respondent must clearly identify any such material as “CONFIDENTIAL TRADE SECRET” in its submittal and explain the basis for such exemption. The District reserves the right, in its sole judgment and discretion, to reject a submittal for excessive or unwarranted assertion of trade secret confidentiality and return the submittal to Respondent.

c) Respondents shall bear all costs associated with preparing and submitting responses to this Quote Request. The District will, in no way, be responsible for these costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome.

2. Inquiries and Addenda

a) District staff are not authorized to orally interpret the meaning of the Quote Request package, or correct any apparent ambiguity, inconsistency, or error therein. In order to be binding upon the District, the interpretation or correction must be given by the Procurement Specialist and must be in writing. The Procurement Specialist may orally explain the District’s procedures and assist Respondents in referring to any applicable provision in the Quote Request documents, but the Respondent is ultimately responsible for submitting the quote in the appropriate form and in accordance with written procedures.

b) Every request for a written interpretation or correction must be received at least nine days prior to opening of quotes in order to be considered. Requests must be submitted by email to BPierce@sjrwmd.com. Interpretations, corrections, and supplemental instructions will be communicated by written addenda to this solicitation posted by Onvia DemandStar to all prospective Respondents (at the respective addresses furnished for such purposes) not later than five days prior to the date fixed for the Quote Request opening.

c) Submission of a quote constitutes acknowledgment of receipt of all addenda. Quotes will be construed as though all addenda had been received. Failure of the Respondent to receive any addenda does not relieve Respondent from any and all obligations under the quote, as submitted. All addenda become part of the Agreement.

3. Award Procedures

a) Section 286.0113, Fla. Stat., exempts from being open to the public, any portion of a meeting at which: (1) a negotiation with a Respondent is conducted pursuant to a competitive solicitation; (2) a Respondent makes an oral presentation as part of a competitive solicitation; (3) a Respondent answers questions as part of a competitive solicitation; or (4) negotiation strategies are discussed.

Also, recordings of, and any records presented at, the exempt meeting are exempt from §119.07(1) and §24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution (Public Records) until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after opening the Quotes or final replies, whichever occurs earlier. A complete recording shall be made of any portion of an exempt meeting. No portion of the exempt meeting may be held off the record.

b) Pursuant to §286.0113 Fla. Stat., if the District rejects all quotes and concurrently provides notice of its intent to reissue the competitive solicitation, the recording and any records presented at any exempt meeting shall remain exempt from §119.07(1) and §24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution (Public Records) until such time as the District provides notice of an intended decision concerning the reissued competitive solicitation or until the District withdraws the reissued competitive solicitation. A recording and any records presented at an exempt meeting are not exempt for longer than 12 months after the initial District notice rejecting all quotes.

c) The District will examine the quotes to determine completeness. Obvious mismatches with regard to technical or commercial requirements will be rejected at this time.

d) If two or more quotes are equal in all respects, the Agreement will be awarded as follows: (1) to the Respondent that certifies compliance with §287.087, Fla. Stat., via the Drug-Free Workplace Form;

or (2) by lot.

e) In the event the Successful Respondent(s) fail to enter into the Agreement or the Agreement with said Respondent is terminated within 90 days of the effective date, the District reserves the right to negotiate with the other respondents in ranked order, if available, and award an Agreement.

f) All Respondents will be notified of the District's intent to award or decision to award the Agreement.

For the purpose of filing a protest under §120.57(3), Fla. Stat., the time period will commence as provided in “Notices and Services Thereof.”

4. Disqualification of Respondents

Any of the following causes will be considered as sufficient grounds for disqualification of a Respondent and rejection of the Quote:

a) Contacting a District employee or officer other than Breanna Pierce, the procurement specialist assigned to this solicitation action, about any aspect of this Quote Request before the notice of intended decision is posted.

b) Submission of more than one quote response for the same subject matter by an individual, firm, partnership, or corporation under the same or different names;

c) Evidence of collusion among Respondents;

d) Submission of materially false information with the Quote;

e) Information gained through checking of references or other sources which indicates that Respondent may not successfully perform the Work;

f) Respondent is failing to adequately perform on any existing contract with the District;

g) Respondent has defaulted on a previous contract with the District;

h) The evidence submitted by Respondent, or the District’s investigation of Respondent, fails to satisfy the District that Respondent is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the Agreement in a manner acceptable to the District and within the time period specified;

i) Any other cause that is sufficient to raise doubt regarding the ability of a Respondent to perform the Work in a manner that meets the District’s objectives for the Work.

5. Rejection of Quote

a) Quotes must be emailed to the specified location and received during the time specified on page 1 in order to be considered timely. Untimely quotes will not be considered. Quotes will be considered irregular and may be rejected if they show material omissions, alterations of form, additions not called for, conditions, limitations, unauthorized alternate quotes, or other material irregularities. The District may consider incomplete any quote not prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions specified herein, and reserves the right to waive any minor deviations or irregularities in an otherwise valid Quote.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=%22open%20government%22&URL=0100-0199/0119/Sections/0119.07.html

b) The District also reserves the right to reject any and all quotes when it determines, in its sole judgment and discretion that, it is not in its best interest to award the agreement.

6. Public Entity Crimes/Discriminatory Vendors

In accordance with §287.133 and §287.134, Fla. Stat., a person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted or discriminatory vendor lists following a conviction for a public entity crime or placement on the discriminatory vendor list may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit bids, proposals, or replies on leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or Contractor under a contract with any public entity; and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in §287.017 for CATEGORY TWO ($35,000) for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the convicted or discriminatory vendor lists.

7. Diversity Opportunities

The District is committed to the opportunity for diversity in the award and performance of all procurement activities. The District encourages its primary respondents to make a good faith effort to ensure that women and minority-owned business enterprises (W/MBE) are given the opportunity for maximum participation as second and lower tier participants. The District will assist Respondents by sharing information on W/MBEs to encourage their participation.

8. Prohibition Against Considering Social, Political, or Ideological Interest in Government Contracting

Notice is hereby provided that pursuant to Section 287.05701, Florida Statutes, the District (1) will not request documentation of or consider a Respondent’s social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the Respondent is a responsible respondent and (2) may not give preference to a Respondent based on the Respondent's social, political, or ideological interests.

9. Notices and Services Thereof

a) The District will publish notice of specifications and criteria, including addenda, intended agency decisions, or other matters pertinent to this solicitation on Onvia DemandStar at DemandStar.com, Vendor Registry at vendorregistry.com, Central Bidding at centralbidding.com or the District’s website at sjrwmd.com.

b) Notices will be posted for a minimum of 72 hours following the time at which they are deemed received. The time period for filing a Notice of Protest pursuant to §120.57(3), Fla. Stat., and Rule 28-110.003, Fla. Admin. Code, commences at the time notices are deemed received.

c) As a courtesy to Respondents, the District may send copies of the notices of intended agency decisions via email or facsimile to Respondent. These courtesy communications neither constitute official notice nor vary the times of receipt set forth above.

10. Protest Procedures

a) Pursuant to§120.57(3), Fla. Stat., and Rule 28-110.003, Fla. Admin. Code, any person adversely affected by the terms, conditions, or specifications contained in a solicitation, including addenda, must file a written Notice of Protest within 72 hours after its posting.

b) Pursuant to §120.57(3), Fla. Stat., and Rule 28-110.003, Fla. Admin. Code, any person adversely affected by a District decision or intended decision to award a contract, or to reject all bids, proposals, or qualifications, must file a written Notice of Protest within 72 hours after posting of the decision or intended decision.

c) Pursuant to §120.57(3), Fla. Stat., and Rule 28-110.004, Fla. Admin. Code, the protester must also file a Formal Written Protest within ten days after the date the Notice of Protest is filed with the District. The Formal Written Protest must state with particularity the facts and law upon which the protest is based. Pursuant to §287.042(2)(c), Fla. Stat., any person who files an action protesting the decision or intended decision must post with the District Clerk at the time of filing the Formal Written Protest a bond, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to the St. Johns River Water Management District in an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the District’s estimated contract amount.

d) No additional time will be added for mailing. All filings must comply with Rule 28-106.104, Fla.

Admin. Code, and must be addressed to and received by the District Clerk at the District Headquarters in Palatka, Florida within the prescribed time periods. The District will not accept as filed any electronically transmitted facsimile pleadings, petitions, Notice of Protest, or other documents.

e) The District’s acceptance of pleadings, petitions, Notice of Protest, Formal Written Protest, or other documents filed by email is subject to certain conditions set forth in the District’s Statement of Agency Organization and Operation (issued pursuant to Rule 28-101.001, Florida Administrative Code), which is available for viewing at sjrwmd.com. These conditions include, but are not limited to, the document being in the form of a PDF or TIFF file and being capable of being stored and printed by the District.

f) Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in §120.57(3), Fla. Stat., or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond will constitute a waiver of proceedings under chapter 120, Fla. Stat. Mediation under §120.573, Fla. Stat., is not available.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Exhibit 1 – Statement of Work Exhibit 2 – Cost Schedule / Availability Exhibit 3 – Purchase Order Terms and Conditions

Exhibit 1 – Statement of Work Purchase of HYLIO HYL-150 ARES 13-gallon Agricultural Spray Drone, and Hands on Training

I. INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

The St. Johns River Water Management District covers an area of approximately 12,283 square miles spanning 18 counties. The District is the lead manager of more than 425,000 acres of public lands, while it manages another 335,000 acres through a variety of partnerships with numerous agencies and local governments. The District is charged with 4 core missions including water quality protection, water resource conservation, flood protection and the stewardship of natural systems. Vital to achieving these core missions is the invasive plant management program which is responsible for the control of nuisance upland and aquatic vegetation on all District owned conservation areas/restoration areas, including multiple water management areas, 111 miles of federal levees, 100 miles of non-federal levees, 12 major water control structures and six pumping stations.

The District takes an integrated approach toward achieving invasive management goals in order to minimize non-target impacts and potentially reduce the amount of chemical usage. The variety of methods utilized to maximize efficacy of invasive vegetation control in addition to chemical control include prescribed burning, biocontrol, mechanical, and water level manipulations where feasible. Compliance with all laws (State and Federal) and permits are required. Failure to comply may result in immediate termination. Importantly, the District must comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). As such, the invasive plant program supervisors approve all plans for herbicide application prior to commencement of work and rigorously tracks all herbicide usage by location and targeted plant species.

The District already utilizes multiple types of equipment to conduct invasives treatments including airboats, ATVS/UTVs, P/U trucks, all with tank mounts. Ground contractors with the same equipment are utilized also, as well as a helicopter contract that can complete large acreage projects. The District has three drone vendors on contract as well.

The District is ready to take the next innovative step with the management of invasives by purchasing a spray drone that will enable us to further reduce our chemical footprint, reduce costs, and facilitate working around public needs. Spray drones have been touted in the agricultural industry to provide better coverage of products, increase precision of applications minimizing drift and are easy to use. The drone will be able to tackle both broadcast and spot treatments more efficiently than a helicopter on applicable projects.

II. Objective

The purpose of this statement of work is to solicit the purchase of a Hylio HYL-150 ARES spray drone package to treat both aquatic and terrestrial invasives to provide for flood protection, manage and enhance Florida native plant communities, and provide for recreational access where feasible. The items in this solicitation shall include:

a. HYL-150 ARES drone package including:

1. One (1) HYL-150 ARES drone

2. One (1) HYL-150 ARES FPV camera

3. One (1) HYL-150 ARES HYLIO GroundLink controller

4. HYL-150 ARES FAA regulatory onboarding

5. HYL-150 ARES obstacle avoidance system

6. One (1) AG-272 Toolkit

7. Agrosol GCS ground control software

b. Additional items for purchase include:

1. One (1) HYL-150 ARES 13 gallon (50L) smart spray system

2. One (1) Spare parts kit HYL-150 ARES

3. Two (2) 18S9KW battery chargers

4. Four (4) 18S 30,000 mAh batteries

5. Hands on training for no more than three (3) days (one training day is reserved and will take place after the FAA onboarding process is complete)

III. Statement of Work/ Spray Drone Specifications

a. Drone must come with pre-planning software that is compatible with a PC/laptop to pre-plan missions in the office.

b. Drone must have a 13-gallon payload for liquid products. This purchase will not include a granular spreader system attachment, but the drone must have that capability.

c. Drone vendor must provide the District with FAA certificate of authorization (COA) onboarding process (does not include drone registration or part 107 remote pilot certificate).

d. Vendor must be capable of providing hands on training in the office and in the field.

e. Vendor will not charge a recurring fee for the operating software.

f. Software must be compatible with GeoTIFF files

g. Drone must come with Tee-jet nozzles

h. Software must produce post mission summary reports that are exportable in a PDF or similar format that includes date, location, applied products, and a map of the application area with flight pattern, applicator name, acres, gallons, swath width, and dosage.

i. Drone must be capable of polygon, linear, or spot treatment patterns

j. Drone must come equipped with a live streaming camera to view real time video.

k. Drone must be capable of being flown in autonomous and manual modes.

l. Drone must be equipped with upwards and downwards obstacle avoidance radar, active in both autonomous and manual modes.

m. Drone must have real-time kinematic positioning capability

n. Drone package must come with a GroundLink controller that is NDAA compliant

o. Drone software must have the ability to add buffers in the mission around obstacles such as boundaries, structures, and other areas to avoid

p. Bids from any vendor to sell a drone produced in a foreign country of concern will not be accepted.

Manufacturers/drones must be compliant with rule 60GG-2.0075, F.A.C., which states, “A governmental agency may not purchase, acquire, or otherwise use a drone or any related services or equipment produced by a manufacturer domiciled in, or produced by a manufacturer the governmental agency reasonably believes to be owned or controlled (in whole or in part) by a foreign country of concern. These include but are not limited to:

i. DJI

ii. XAG

iii. Autel Robotics

Exhibit 2 – Cost Schedule / Availability

Item Total Cost HYL-150 ARES drone package including:

One (1) HYL-150 ARES drone One (1) HYL-150 ARES FPV camera One (1) HYL-150 ARES HYLIO GroundLink controller HYL-150 ARES FAA regulatory onboarding HYL-150 ARES obstacle avoidance system One (1) AG-272 Toolkit Agrosol GCS software

Additional items for purchase include:

One (1) HYL-150 ARES 13 gallon (50L) smart spray system One (1) Spare parts kit HYL-150 ARES Two (2) 18S9KW battery chargers Four (4) 18S 30,000 mAh batteries Hands on training for no more than three (3) days (one training day is reserved and will take place after the FAA onboarding process is complete).

Total Cost $

Availability / Expected Delivery Date: _____________________________________________

*Note: The prices provided above shall include all fees associated with the purchase, including delivery to the District (4049 Reid Street, Palatka, FL 32177).

I HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE, as Respondent's authorized representative, that I have fully read and understand all terms and conditions as set forth in this quote request and upon award of such quote, shall fully comply with such terms and conditions.

Respondent (firm name)

Address

Email address

Typed name and title Telephone number

Signature Date

EXHIBIT 3 – PURCHASE ORDER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following terms and conditions of this Purchase Order (Order) apply unless expressly superseded by a separate written agreement between the parties. Terms and conditions on the face of this Order supersede the printed terms and conditions below.

COMMODITY PURCHASES: TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. This Order, including attachments, constitutes a binding contract under the terms and conditions contained on this and the reverse side when accepted by Seller, either by acknowledgment or by commencement of shipment. No changes may be made in this Order without the authorization of purchaser, St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD). Neither Seller nor SJRWMD may assign any portion of this Order without the prior consent of the other.

2. All rights and obligations of the parties are governed by the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code — Article 2, Sales; Chapter 672, Florida Statutes (“F.S.”).

3. Materials will be properly packaged and marked with the purchase order number. Quantities specified herein are not to be exceeded unless otherwise authorized by SJRWMD. SJRWMD reserves the right to cancel this Order, or any part thereof, without obligation if delivery is not made on the times(s)/date(s) specified.

4. Goods purchased under these terms must be delivered and received by the SJRWMD receiving section.

Inspection of items will be made at the destination, unless otherwise specified, and before payment is due. SJRWMD may reject any goods that are defective or not in conformance with specifications as to quality or performance. Title to property passes only after inspection and acceptance by SJRWMD.

Rejected goods will be returned to Seller at Seller's risk and expense. SJRWMD has no further obligations with regard to rejected goods.

5. Separate invoices are required for each Order. In the absence of a separate agreement between the parties, full payment will be made within 45 days of inspection and acceptance of goods. Invoices must be received within 15 days of delivery.

6. All prices must be F.O.B. the place of destination unless otherwise agreed. Where a specific purchase is negotiated F.O.B. the place of shipment, Seller will prepay shipping charges and include them on the invoice. C.O.D. shipments will not be accepted and will be returned to Seller at Seller's risk and expense.

7. The sale price will be the lowest prevailing market price and under no circumstances higher than specified herein without the express authorization of SJRWMD.

8. In the event of a default or breach by the Seller, which results in a cost increase to SJRWMD, SJRWMD may procure articles or services from other sources and charge Seller as liquidated damages any excess costs.

9. All materials, drawings or other items provided by SJRWMD to Seller remain the property of SJRWMD and will be returned to SJRWMD upon demand. Unless otherwise agreed, all containers, reels or pallets shipped with goods by Seller remain the property of SJRWMD.

10. The items covered by this Order will comply with all federal, state or local laws relative thereto. Seller shall defend all actions or claims brought against SJRWMD, and hold and save SJRWMD harmless from all losses, costs, or damages, related to actual or alleged infringement of letters of patent or copyrights, or claims arising from fatalities, injuries and/or property damage resulting from manufacturing or design deficiencies of delivered goods.

11. SJRWMD is exempt from any sales, excise, or federal transportation taxes, and from the provisions of the Robinson Patman Act.

12. In accordance with Chapter 442, F.S., Seller will advise SJRWMD if a product is a toxic substance and, in such case, will provide a Material Safety Data Sheet at the time of delivery.

13. This Order shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors, and assigns where permitted by this Order.

This Order shall be governed under the laws of the State of Florida. In the event of any legal dispute arising from or related to this Order, each party shall bear its own costs and attorney’s fees, including appeals. The parties hereby waive their right to jury trial and consent to trial by a court of competent jurisdiction.

14. Pursuant to chapter 760, F.S., Seller shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.

15. A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit bids, proposals, or replies on leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity; and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of $35,000 for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

16. Seller certifies that no District officer, agent, or employee has any direct or indirect material interest, as defined in chapter 112, F.S., in Seller’s business under this Order, or shall have any such interest during the term hereof. Pursuant to §216.347, F.S., any state grant monies received from the District to fund this Order shall not be used to lobby the Florida Legislature, the judicial branch, or any state agency.