AGR - DQSF - Farming Service and Manure Removal

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) to solicit bids from vendors to provide farming services and manure removal at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. The contract will have an initial term of three (3) years, with the option to renew for up to three (3) additional three-year terms, for a total potential term of ten (10) years. The successful vendor will be responsible for farming 754 acres of cropland and 45 acres of established hay field, as well as providing daily manure removal services during the annual DuQuoin State Fair. The vendor will be compensated through the revenue generated from the farming services, and no additional payment will be made for the manure removal. Bidders must submit pricing for the farming acreage as well as the total firm amount for the initial three-year term. The award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder who submits the highest bid.

There are no small business or diversity set-asides for this solicitation. The current incumbent vendor is Alan R. Bowers, Jr., who was awarded the previous contract for a 3-year term with three 3-year renewal options, with a total potential value of $1,219,564.80 over the 9-year period. Submissions must be made electronically through the State's BidBuy procurement platform, as per the Chief Procurement Office's Notice 2020.06 requiring electronic submissions for all competitive solicitations.