Corn Plot Planter (UW-MAD) [18-0040]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is soliciting bids for a new or completely refurbished four-row precision corn seed vacuum meter plot planter to be delivered to the West Madison Research Station in Verona, Wisconsin. The procurement requires a planter with specific technical specifications, including Skytrip GPS tripping and field mapping software compatible with John Deere GreenStar GPS systems, capability to plant plot lengths from 10 to 30 feet with 30-inch row spacing, and populations from 10,000 to 60,000 per acre. Additional requirements include a hydraulically adjustable telescoping toolbar, no-till coulters, and automatically actuating hydraulic row markers. Bidders must submit a signed Request for Bid Form, Bidder Response Sheet, specifications and descriptive brochures, an Itemized Bid List, Vendor Information Sheet, and a Client Reference List with three comparable business references from the past three years. The bid was posted on January 8, 2018, with a submission deadline of January 30, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. CST. Award will be made to the lowest net unit price judged to be in the best interest of the University, with the bidder required to have three years of experience providing corn plot planter items.

The State of Wisconsin encourages minority business enterprise participation, offering supplier diversity preferences for certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (DVB), or Woman-Owned Businesses (WBE) submitting qualified bids not more than 5% higher than the apparent low bid. The contract includes specific requirements for delivery, with delivery desired as soon as possible after order receipt and payment terms set at Net 30 days following University acceptance. The successful contractor must provide a full in-field orientation performed by factory-trained personnel, 24/7 service support with next-day air shipping, and a minimum two-year factory warranty. The bidder must possess service and repair capabilities as either an original manufacturer, authorized distributor, or manufacturer-authorized dealer. The contract is subject to federal compliance requirements, including debarment certification and compliance with the Discriminatory Boycotts of Israel provision under Wisconsin Executive Order 261. While no specific budget range was mentioned, the procurement is for a specialized agricultural research equipment piece to be fully installed and supported at the research station.