Batteries for apiary yards

The State of Colorado, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Wildlife, issued an Invitation for Quote soliciting competitive bids for marine batteries to support operations at apiary yards in Colorado. The procurement required quotes for two distinct battery groups: 240 units of Group 24 12-Volt Deep Cycle Wet Cell Marine Batteries with a reserve capacity of 140 and minimum 690 amp hours, and 48 units of Group 27 12-Volt Deep Cycle Wet Cell Marine Batteries with a reserve capacity of 160 and minimum 750 amp hours. All batteries must be non-sealed with removable cell filler caps and must meet or exceed specified performance standards. The bid submission deadline was October 16, 2014, at 11:00 AM Mountain Standard Time, with quotes submitted to Raven Lopez at the Department of Natural Resources Purchasing Office in Denver. Delivery was required on or before June 30, 2015, during normal business hours (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, weekdays) to Colorado Parks & Wildlife at 2300 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401. Vendors were required to be registered on the State's Vendor Self-Service system at the time of bid submission to be considered responsive.

The contract was initially awarded for Fiscal Year 2015 (July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015), with options for Colorado Parks and Wildlife to renew the agreement with the awarded vendor for up to four additional one-year periods extending through Fiscal Year 2019. Pricing was required to include all freight and shipping costs, as delivery was F.O.B. Destination and the State would not reimburse for shipping or freight charges separately. Annual rate adjustments during option years could be applied based on the Consumer Price Index for the West Urban Region or 5 percent, whichever is less, with only one adjustment permitted per 12-month period. No core exchange was required. The solicitation document does not specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, incumbent vendors, or provide explicit budget ranges for the procurement; however, vendors should note that pricing competitiveness and compliance with delivery terms would be key evaluation factors.