Bat Mist Net Surveys

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) Biodiversity Division is seeking a contractor to conduct bat mist net surveys across five wildlife management areas (WMAs) in Tennessee for a five-year contract period. The procurement, identified as ITB 32801-13563, requires the selected vendor to perform surveys on one WMA in each of TWRA's four administrative regions annually, including White Oak, Cheatham, Catoosa, Mt. Roosevelt, and North Cumberland WMAs. Surveys must be conducted between May 15 and August 15, with three consecutive nights of surveying at three sites per WMA, using a minimum of four net sets per site, totaling 36 net nights per WMA and 144 net nights statewide annually. The primary objectives include supporting environmental reviews, increasing knowledge of threatened and endangered bat species distribution, and contributing to TWRA's conservation planning. Contractors must obtain specific permits, including a Section 10 Endangered Species Recovery Permit from USFWS and a Wildlife Scientific Permit from TWRA, to handle species such as Indiana bats, Northern Long-eared bats, Gray bats, and Tricolored bats. The bid opening period runs from January 16, 2025, to February 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM CST, with written questions due by February 3, 2025.

The contract encourages participation from diverse business enterprises, including minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, disabled-owned, and small business enterprises. Contractors must provide a 25% non-federal match to the grant, which can be fulfilled through cash, contributed goods and services, volunteer hours, or property. Respondents must be registered with the State of Tennessee Supplier Portal and maintain specific insurance coverages, including workers' compensation ($1M), commercial general liability ($1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate), and automobile liability ($1M). While specific award values are not explicitly stated, the specifications suggest an annual request of approximately $60,000, with a corresponding $20,000 match requirement. The contract includes federal funding compliance provisions, such as FFATA reporting requirements, Buy America provisions, and prohibitions on certain telecommunications equipment. The successful bidder will be selected based on the lowest cost from qualified bidders meeting all requirements, with all data collected to be stored in TWRA's Biodiversity Division Terrestrial program.