Chemical to Treat Trees

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Division of Forestry, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2300000611 for the procurement of chemical products to treat trees. The solicitation seeks 90 drums of Quali-Pro Imidacloprid 75 WSB (88X1.6oz) in resealable plastic mini drums, with each drum containing 140.8 ounces, to be used for treating Hemlock trees. The RFB was posted on March 17, 2023, with written vendor questions due by March 24, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. ET and bid closing on March 31, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET, with a bid reading to follow at 3:30 p.m. ET via conference line. Required delivery is on or before May 30, 2023, to 300 Sower Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, with vendors required to contact Division of Forestry staff two hours in advance of delivery and provide shipping numbers and estimated time of arrival. All drums must be labeled "FORESTRY USE" and will be inspected upon delivery, with missing labels resulting in refusal or return at vendor expense. Pricing shall be quoted on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis, exclusive of federal excise taxes and Kentucky sales or use taxes, with award determined using a best value ranking approach allocating 90 points to price and 10 points to delivery performance; the lowest bidder receives maximum price points and early delivery vendors receive points only if they deliver before the May 30, 2023 deadline. Vendors must be registered in the Commonwealth eProcurement System prior to submission, and all bids must be submitted electronically using the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) online platform. Prior to award, successful bidders must submit Revenue Form 10A100, Certificate of Authority if applicable, required affidavits, and EEO forms if applicable, with payment made within thirty working days of receipt of goods or invoice.

Reciprocal preference applies to Kentucky resident bidders, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries and Kentucky Industries for the Blind receive additional preference points. Resident bidder status requires attestation that the entity was authorized to transact business in Kentucky on the contract advertisement date and has for one year prior maintained Kentucky corporate income tax filings, unemployment insurance fund payments, and active workers' compensation policies. Qualified bidder status requires affirmation that the entity and all subcontractors meet requirements under 200 KAR 5:410(3) and will maintain compliance throughout the contract term, including nonprofit corporations furthering Kentucky statutes and qualified nonprofit agencies for individuals with severe disabilities that employ such individuals for at least seventy-five percent of direct labor hours. All bidding entities must complete and submit a notarized Annual Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors, and Contractors attesting under penalty of perjury that they have not knowingly violated Kentucky campaign finance laws and that contract award will not violate any such provisions. No incumbent vendors or existing contract information was specified in the solicitation documents. The bid documents do not specify an initial contract period, renewal clause, or overall award value or budget range, as this is a Group All arrangement requiring vendors to bid all line items to be considered responsive.