Ammonia, anhydrous, bulk, purchase and delivery

Palm Beach County, Florida issued Invitation for Bid (IFB #18-056/MB) for the purchase and delivery of anhydrous ammonia in bulk quantities on a term contract basis. The County seeks refrigeration-grade anhydrous ammonia at 99.9% purity to be delivered to five water treatment plants located throughout Palm Beach County, including facilities in West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton. The estimated annual usage totals 240,000 pounds across all delivery locations, with monthly consumption ranging from 2,000 to 7,500 pounds per facility. Pricing must be submitted on a per-pound basis with all delivery and unloading charges included in the unit price, and prices must remain firm for 90 days from bid submission and throughout the contract term unless modified by written amendment. Delivery is required within 48 hours of receiving a delivery order, with deliveries permitted only between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Bidders must provide proof of three relevant references, comply with Palm Beach County's criminal history records check ordinance for designated critical facilities, maintain Commercial General Liability insurance of at least $500,000 and Business Auto Liability of $1,000,000, and submit detailed descriptive literature matching offered product names and numbers. The bid submission deadline was April 12, 2018, at 4:00 p.m., directed to the Palm Beach County Purchasing Department, with the County reserving the right to conduct independent testing to verify product specifications and return non-conforming items at the bidder's expense.

The successful bidder will be awarded a 12-month initial contract with the option to renew for four additional 12-month periods upon mutual written agreement and Board appropriation, with the County awarding the contract on an all-or-none basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The solicitation includes a 15% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal, with provisions allowing award to an SBE-compliant bidder if their bid does not exceed the low non-compliant bid by more than 10%. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The procurement does not specify an award value or budget range; rather, the contract award will be based on the lowest responsive and responsible bid meeting all specifications and requirements. The total estimated annual consumption of 240,000 pounds provides potential insight into the contract value range, though specific pricing was to be determined through the competitive bidding process.