Fumigation for Forestry Nurseries

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, Division of Forestry, issued Request for Bid (RFB 758 2000000687) on June 1, 2020, for fumigation services at two state-operated forestry nurseries. This solicitation seeks Tri-Brom 80 methyl bromide fumigation services totaling 16 acres across two locations: John P. Rhody Nursery in Gilbertsville, Kentucky (8 acres) and Morgan County Nursery in West Liberty, Kentucky (8 acres), with fumigation scheduled between late August and late September 2020. The selected vendor must provide all equipment, materials, fumigant, a certified applicator, trained handlers, and personal protective equipment, apply fumigation at a rate of 240 pounds per acre using continuous tarping method with 1 mil plastic film to achieve a minimum 60% buffer zone credit, train 2 to 4 nursery personnel at each location as handlers, and guarantee normal fumigation results with re-treatment at no cost for any acres failing to meet expected outcomes. All vendors must comply with EPA, OSHA, USDA, and Commonwealth of Kentucky licensing, certification, permit, and notification requirements for methyl bromide application. The bid submission deadline is June 15, 2020, at 1:30 PM ET, with written questions due by June 8, 2020, at 10:00 AM ET, and bids must be submitted electronically through the eProcurement system. Award will be determined using a best value ranking approach with price as the sole measurable criterion (100 points), while delivery is evaluated on a pass/fail basis, with the lowest-priced conforming bidder receiving maximum points and subsequent bidders scored proportionally.

Kentucky resident bidders are eligible for reciprocal preference consideration, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries, Kentucky Industries for the Blind, and certain nonprofit organizations serving individuals with severe disabilities receive preferential scoring of twenty and fifteen percent respectively. All bidders and offerors must execute an Annual Affidavit affirming compliance with Kentucky's campaign finance laws, tax obligations, sales and use tax registration requirements, and state tax payment status, with the affidavit effective June 1, 2020, through May 31, 2021. The contract will be awarded on a "Group All" basis, requiring vendors to bid all line items or face rejection as non-responsive, and all pricing must be quoted as F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, exclusive of federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax. Proposed pricing must remain valid for a minimum of sixty calendar days after the bid due date, and payment will be made within thirty working days of invoice receipt, with a one percent daily penalty applying for each day delivery exceeds the contracted due date. No incumbent vendors or budget range information is provided in the solicitation documentation; however, the Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if all responses exceed available funding.