DMA-ITB-320 - License to Use Land for Apiary

The State of Florida Department of Military Affairs (DMA) has issued an Invitation to Bid (ITB) numbered DMA-ITB-320 for a License to Use Land for Apiary purposes at the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. The procurement seeks a vendor to utilize approximately 25,000 acres of land on the North Post and East Post areas for apiary operations from December 1, 2024, to November 30, 2025, with potential renewal options for two additional one-year terms. Qualified vendors must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace prior to contract award and will be required to provide a $1,000 security deposit. The bid submission deadline is November 14, 2024, at 4:00 PM EST, with the intended award to be posted on November 15, 2024. Evaluation criteria will focus on the highest bid price, with the contract being awarded to the most responsive and responsible vendor. Key objectives include maintaining beekeeping operations in compliance with state and federal regulations, and the contract is structured as a revenue-generating agreement with no direct expenditure from the DMA.

The solicitation encourages participation from certified and non-certified minority business enterprises and provides preference to vendors with a certified drug-free workplace program. There are no specific set-aside designations explicitly detailed beyond the minority business enterprise encouragement. The contract does not specify existing infrastructure requirements or integration needs for apiary operations. While no specific budget range is listed, the revenue-generating nature of the contract suggests that bidders will be proposing monetary compensation for the land use license. Interested parties must demonstrate compliance with beekeeping regulations and have the capability to successfully manage apiary operations on a substantial land area. The DMA's approach emphasizes open competition while promoting diversity and workplace safety standards among potential contractors.