Agricultural equipment lease

The South Carolina Department of Corrections issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitation 5400026691 for agricultural equipment leasing services for the Wateree Farm Agricultural Division. The procurement seeks to lease three specific pieces of new John Deere agricultural equipment: a 2024 410R Self-Propelled Sprayer with a 1,000-gallon capacity and 310-horsepower engine, a 2024 S350 Side-Pull Rotary Mower-Conditioner with an 11.5-foot cutting width, and a 2023 649 Windrow Pick Up compatible with a John Deere 8500 Self-Propelled Forage Harvester. The solicitation was issued on March 7, 2024, with sealed bids due by April 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. to the SC Department of Corrections Purchasing Branch in Columbia. All equipment must be new and delivered within thirty days of purchase order receipt to Wateree River Farm in Rembert, SC. The contract term is one year with options to renew for two additional one-year periods, not exceeding three years total. Award will be made to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, with equipment requiring warranties equivalent to or exceeding the original manufacturer's warranty.

The procurement allows for potential vendor preferences, including South Carolina resident vendor preference, South Carolina end-product preference, and United States end-product preference under Section 11-35-1524 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. Vendors must maintain current South Carolina vendor registration and comply with drug-free workplace requirements, ethics provisions, and debarment certifications. The contract was ultimately awarded to Sparrow & Kennedy Tractor Company of Manning, South Carolina, with a total evaluated contract amount of $133,351.51 for the initial year and a potential total contract value of $400,054.53 across all potential years. Specific line item pricing includes $110,733.61 for the John Deere 410R Sprayer, $10,417.92 for the S350 Mower-Conditioner, and $12,199.98 for the 649 Windrow Pick Up. The procurement was conducted under SC Procurement Code 11-35-1520(10), with the notice of intended award and seven-business-day delay of award waived due to receiving only one response.