Eq Rental w/Operator D-11 FHWA ER Eligible

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, on behalf of Highway District 11 (KYTC District 11 - Manchester District Office), is seeking a master agreement contract for equipment rental with operator services designated as D-11 FHWA ER Eligible. This Request for Bid (RFB) solicits vendors to provide 26 line items of heavy equipment with qualified operators for road and street maintenance operations, including various excavators with multiple attachment types, dump trucks, dozers, loaders, graders, compactors, cranes, chippers, trimmers, and support services such as flaggers and laborers. All equipment must be provided in excellent mechanical condition with one qualified operator (except light plants), and vendors must furnish all maintenance, repairs, fuel, and lubrication. Routine work response time must not exceed five calendar days with a guaranteed minimum of eight hours per work order, while emergency response is required within 48 hours, with a $750 mobilization fee for equipment delivered and operational within 24 hours and $1,000 daily penalties for failure to meet response time requirements. Vendors must bid all 26 line items to be considered for award, submit detailed specification information including brand and model for compliance verification, and demonstrate capacity to provide multiple units of certain equipment simultaneously (up to eight dump trucks, three excavators with buckets and grapples, two large dozers, and eight flaggers). All pricing must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky eProcurement system (e-MARS) on an hourly rate basis. The RFB was issued on September 3, 2021, with a bid closing date of September 24, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time; written questions must be submitted by September 16, 2021, at 3:00 p.m., with Commonwealth responses provided by September 17, 2021, at 7:00 p.m., and the tentative award date is November 1, 2021. The initial contract period runs from November 1, 2021, through February 28, 2023, with four optional one-year renewal periods available. Award will be based on best value using a ranking approach with price weighted at 95 points and response time weighted at 5 points.

Kentucky resident bidders are eligible for reciprocal preference, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries, Kentucky Industries for the Blind, and certain nonprofit agencies serving individuals with disabilities may receive preference scoring. Funding for this contract will be provided through the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Emergency Relief (ER) program, which requires compliance with FHWA 1273 clauses, Davis Bacon Act wage determinations effective for Kentucky highway construction, Buy America provisions for steel and iron materials, and prohibitions on telecommunications equipment from specified producers. The contractor must carry General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and maintain Kentucky workers' compensation insurance, with an ACORD Certificate due within ten days of award notice. All bidders must execute the Annual Affidavit document certifying compliance with Kentucky's campaign finance laws, disclosure requirements related to contractor responsibility, sales and use tax registration requirements, state tax obligations, and prohibitions on boycotts of persons or entities based in jurisdictions with which Kentucky maintains open trade. Vendors must also submit certifications regarding the prohibition on utilizing illegal immigrant labor, and foreign entities must provide certificates of authority from the Kentucky Secretary of State if required by law. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the solicitation documents.