Fumigation for Forestry Nurseries

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Division of Forestry, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 1900000094 to procure fumigation services for two state-operated forestry nurseries located in Elliott County. The solicitation seeks a single vendor to provide comprehensive soil fumigation services across approximately 24 total acres at the John P. Rhody Nursery in Gilbertsville and Morgan County Nursery in West Liberty, with three distinct commodity line items: application of Tri-Brom 80 (methyl bromide with chloropicrin) at 240 pounds per acre across up to 20 acres, Dominus Biofumigant application at 30 gallons per acre for up to 3 acres, and Dominus Biofumigant application at 40 gallons per acre for up to 1.0 acre. Selected vendors must furnish all equipment, materials, fumigants, certified applicators, trained handlers, and required personal protective equipment while maintaining full compliance with EPA, OSHA, USDA, and Kentucky licensing and certification requirements, including completing fumigation plans, implementing continuous tarping methods with 1-mil plastic film, conducting post-application monitoring and repairs, and guaranteeing normal fumigation results with re-treatment at no additional cost if needed. The procurement was released on August 6, 2018, with written vendor questions due by August 9, 2018 at 12:00 PM ET and bid submissions due by August 16, 2018 at 1:30 PM ET to the Commonwealth's Office of Procurement Services in Frankfort; sealed bids must be submitted in person, with facsimile and electronic submissions prohibited. Pricing serves as the primary evaluation criterion accounting for 100 of 100 available points, while delivery performance is evaluated on a pass/fail basis with one percent daily deductions for late delivery. The initial contract period spans one year from the date of award with four optional one-year renewal periods at the discretion of both parties, and fumigation services must be delivered between late August and late September annually.

Kentucky resident bidders will receive reciprocal preference in evaluation, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries and Kentucky Industries for the Blind may receive preference points equal to 15 to 20 percent of maximum available points. All bidders and subcontractors must submit notarized annual affidavits certifying compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, sales and use tax registration requirements, non-delinquency on state taxes and fees, and adherence to prohibitions under KRS 11A.236 during the previous ten years; resident bidders claiming status must demonstrate authorization to conduct business in Kentucky and provide evidence of corporate income tax filing, unemployment insurance payments, and active workers' compensation policies for the one-year period prior to contract advertisement. Vendors must quote prices exclusive of federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax, with all quoted prices remaining valid for a minimum of 60 calendar days after the bid due date; price increases are prohibited during the first 12 months of the contract but may be requested thereafter based on industry-wide price changes with written justification and Commonwealth approval, while price decreases must be immediately reported and applied. The Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if bid responses exceed available funding; no specific budget amount or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents.