20AL2199 Green River State Fish & Wildlife Area Farm Lease

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is seeking bids for agricultural farming services on state-owned property within the Green River State Wildlife Area located in Lake County. The Invitation for Bid (IFB) requests bids from responsible vendors to lease approximately 124.8 acres per year from 2020 through 2023 for farming purposes. The resulting contract will have an initial term of March 1, 2020 or upon signature of the IDNR Director, whichever occurs later, and shall terminate on February 29, 2024. Bids are due by February 11, 2020 at 2:00 PM, and a mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on January 28, 2020 at 10:00 AM. Pricing for the lease must be submitted as a dollar amount per acre per year, and the State will accept the highest bid from a responsive and responsible bidder. The successful bidder will be responsible for all labor, equipment, and supplies necessary to conduct the farming operations in accordance with the State's requirements.

The IFB indicates there is no small business set-aside for this opportunity. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is provided. The total award value is not specified, but the contract will involve leasing approximately 124.8 acres of state-owned land per year. Vendors must provide business, financial, and other references, as well as an irrevocable letter of credit to guarantee the lease payment and property taxes, in order to be considered for the award.