Hay and Straw for Kentucky Horse Park

The Commonwealth of Kentucky's Finance and Administration Cabinet on behalf of the Kentucky Horse Park seeks qualified vendors to establish a Master Agreement for the supply of hay and straw products through Request for Bids (RFB) 758 2600000556. The procurement is divided into two groups: Group 1 covers baled straw (5 tons annually) and Group 2 covers baled hay (124 tons annually) consisting of four specific mixtures—Orchard Grass/Alfalfa (20 tons), Timothy Grass/Alfalfa (20 tons), Timothy Grass/Orchard Grass (80 tons), and Western Straight Alfalfa (4 tons)—for a combined total of 129 tons. All bales must meet strict quality standards including specified weight ranges (40-60 pounds for straw and 50-80 pounds for hay), freedom from mold, excessive seed heads, weeds, dust, and foreign matter, and compliance with USDA Hay Quality Designation Guidelines. Vendors must provide all labor and equipment for unloading and stacking at the Kentucky Horse Park (4089 Ironworks Parkway, Lexington, Kentucky 40511), including hay elevators where required for loft access, with deliveries completed within seven days of order and scheduled Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM local time. Written vendor questions were due April 29, 2026 by 10:00 AM ET, with the original bid due date of May 8, 2026 extended to May 13, 2026 at 1:30 PM ET for electronic submission through the Commonwealth eProcurement system. Award decisions will utilize a best value ranking methodology allocating 90 points to pricing and 10 points to delivery performance, with the lowest-priced responsive bidder receiving maximum points and subsequent bidders scored proportionally based on their delivery timeframes. The resulting contract will be for an initial one-year period from the date of award with four optional two-year renewal periods available by mutual written agreement, with pricing remaining firm for the first twelve months thereafter subject to justified price increases based on documented industry-wide cost changes with 30 days' written notice.

The procurement includes reciprocal preference provisions for Kentucky resident bidders as defined under Kentucky Revised Statutes 45A.490-494, with qualified bidders eligible for statutory preferences including Kentucky Correctional Industries (20 percent preference) and other qualified nonprofit organizations (15 percent preference), with the latter requiring that at least 75 percent of direct labor hours be performed by individuals with severe disabilities. All vendors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, as well as Automobile Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence if performing deliveries, and must be registered in the Commonwealth eProcurement System prior to bid submission. Bidders claiming resident or qualified bidder status must submit required affidavits effective for one year from execution date and notarized by an authorized representative, certifying compliance with applicable Kentucky tax registration, corporate authorization, and workers' compensation requirements. All pricing must be quoted F.O.B. destination freight prepaid and allowed with vendors responsible for all shipment and freight charges, exclusive of federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax. The Commonwealth will make payment within 30 working days of invoice receipt and acceptance of goods, reserves the right to cancel the RFB if responses exceed available funding, and retains the option to extend the Master Agreement to other state agencies with vendor consent, though no specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents.