Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, Inc. dba Visit Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is pursuing a single-source procurement opportunity with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival, Inc. for an event sponsorship initiative focused on promoting Florida agricultural products. This non-competitive procurement is specifically designed to leverage the festival's advertising platform to showcase "Fresh From Florida" branded products, aligning with statutory mandates under Florida Statutes 571.2 and 571.24. The contract term will run from the date of execution through June 30, 2026, with the solicitation posted on May 7, 2025, and a final date for receiving vendor information set for May 29, 2025, at 12:00 PM. The primary deliverable is event sponsorship that generates additional retail sales for Florida agricultural commodities by utilizing the festival's exclusive marketing channels. Prospective vendors who believe they can provide comparable commodities or services are invited to submit relevant information to the contact person before the specified deadline, with the department reserving the right to review and potentially modify its single-source procurement approach based on received information.

The procurement is specifically targeted at a single vendor - the Greater Fort Lauderdale Food & Wine Festival - due to their exclusive ownership, licensing, naming rights, and trademark associated with the event. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises are mentioned in the documentation. The total estimated budget for this sponsorship is up to $50,000, with an approximate contract amount of $35,000. Internal approvals for this procurement have already been obtained from multiple departmental leaders, including the Chief of Seafood and Agriculture Marketing, the Director of Marketing and Development, and the Director of Administration. The procurement will be conducted through the Vendor Information Portal, pursuant to Section 120.57(3) of Florida Statutes, and is geographically situated within Leon County. If the department determines after vendor submissions that the services are indeed only available from a single source, they will proceed with posting their intended decision to enter into an agreement with the identified vendor.