Advanced Manufacturing Program

Lake County Schools' Procurement Services is seeking to acquire advanced manufacturing curriculum equipment for South Lake High School (SLHS) through a sole source procurement process. The procurement involves a comprehensive package of educational technology, including a 48 x 48 CNC Pro Advance Router Package, Dual Head 3D Printer Package with PC, Smart Board and Smart Charging Cart, 3 Station UR Robotic Learning Factory, Advance Manufacturing FICP Level 1, and Festo STEM Program package. The solicitation was posted on September 8, 2025, with vendor responses due by September 17, 2025, at 2:00 PM, following Florida Administrative Code 6A-1.012(12)(d) requirements. Bluegrass Education Technologies, LLC of Lexington, Kentucky, is the proposed single/sole source provider, representing itself as the exclusive dealer for Festo Didactic, Inc., Lab-Volt series Learning Systems, and ROOTS Education Co. in Florida. The procurement aims to support the Advance Manufacturing program by providing specialized educational technology that includes built-in diagnostics for student learning, tasks aligned with industry exam standards, and work-based learning opportunities connected to industry needs.

The procurement appears to be unrestricted in terms of set-aside designations, with no specific limitations on respondent types mentioned in the documentation. Bluegrass Education Technologies has been identified as the exclusive dealer for the specified equipment, with sole source justification letters from Festo Didactic, Inc. and ROOTS Education Co. confirming their unique position in the market. The total acquisition cost for the goods and services is $1,142,384.00, with an urgent need to purchase within the grant period. The procurement is justified by the custom nature of the trainers and equipment, which require significant manufacturing time and are critical to supporting the Advance Manufacturing program at SLHS. The vendor has been thoroughly vetted, with the requestor certifying that no other equivalent products or services were found acceptable. The equipment is specifically designed to meet state curriculum framework standards and provide students with advanced manufacturing training opportunities.