Forestry Tree Seedling Bags

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Division of Forestry issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2100000230 on October 23, 2020, seeking vendors to establish a Master Agreement for the supply of forestry tree seedling bags. The procurement requires 12,000 bags total across three size specifications: 15x3x35 inches (4,000 bags), 36x11x40 inches (4,000 bags), and 36x11x25 inches (4,000 bags), all constructed with 3-ply materials and printed in green with specified logo artwork design per Attachment D. Delivery is required to two Kentucky nurseries: John P. Rhody Nursery in Gilbertsville and Morgan County Nursery in West Liberty, with production runs permitting 2 percent variance over or under ordered quantities. The contract period extends one year from the award date with four optional one-year renewal periods subject to written approval and potential renegotiation of terms and pricing. Bids were due November 9, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. ET via mandatory electronic submission through the Kentucky eProcurement system; vendors' written questions were required by October 30, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. ET. The award methodology employs a best value ranking approach allocating 90 points for price (lowest bidder receives maximum points with proportional scoring for others), 10 points for delivery time stated in specific working days (with one percent invoice deduction per day for late delivery), and 10 points for experience, totaling 110 possible points, with lowest responsive and responsible bidder selection required. All bidders must submit the mandatory Annual Affidavit certifying compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, tax registration requirements, and other statutory obligations, with resident bidders required to provide additional documentation demonstrating continuous Kentucky business authorization, corporate income tax filings, unemployment insurance payments, and workers' compensation coverage for one year prior to solicitation advertisement.

Kentucky Correctional Industries receives a 20 percent preference equal to the maximum points awarded, while qualified bidders including Kentucky Industries for the Blind receive a 15 percent preference; nonprofit corporations furthering purposes under KRS Chapter 163 and qualified nonprofit agencies employing individuals with severe disabilities for at least seventy-five percent of direct labor hours also qualify for preferences. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the solicitation documents. Pricing must exclude federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax, remain firm for the initial 12-month period, and be quoted F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed with the vendor responsible for all shipment and freight charges; unit pricing applies to quantities between 2,000 and 5,000 bags per order. No specific award value or budget range was disclosed in the procurement documents, though the scope indicates 12,000 bags across six line items to be priced individually. Billing inquiries should be directed to Stephanie Benassi at the Finance and Administration Cabinet, 300 Sower Boulevard, 4th Floor, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, while procurement questions during the bidding period could be addressed to Evelyn Osborne at 502-564-0552.