40608- IFB Orange Creek Groundcover Restoration

The St. Johns River Water Management District is seeking bids for the Orange Creek SJ29 - Pine Plantation to Upland Sandhill Groundcover Restoration and Habitat Enhancement project through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) 40608. The procurement is specifically for habitat restoration work and seeding services in Polk County, Florida, targeting a 25-acre area that has been selectively timbered and recently burned. Key project objectives include improving habitat value for wetland buffers and enhancing groundcover vegetation within a sandhill pine restoration area. Bidders must be licensed in Florida and meet minimum qualifications, including having completed at least three similar projects in the last three years and providing a field supervisor with a valid Florida Pesticide Applicators License. The non-mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for October 30, 2024, with bid submissions due by 2:00 p.m. on November 8, 2024. The District will award the contract to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, with all work to be completed by September 30, 2025. Evaluation criteria will include bid price, plant quantity, and maintenance of specified plant type percentages.

The solicitation does not explicitly mention any set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. The District indicates that they may use the Drug-Free Workplace preference to break a potential bid tie. The estimated budget for the project is $99,188, though the District reserves the right to adjust this amount and may increase, decrease, or delete parts of the work as needed. Invoicing will be handled in separate components: pre-herbicide application, plant delivery and installation, and post-treatment herbicide work, with monthly invoicing not to exceed the total bid amount. The contract allows for plant spacing adjustments, with the bid to be awarded based on the most plants at the lowest bid while maintaining the same percentage of plant types. No incumbent vendors are specifically identified in the documentation, and there are no explicit details about existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements.