ITB - Supply of Native Seeds and Related Items for the Harris County Flood Control District

The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) is issuing an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the supply of native seeds and related items, with bids due by April 20, 2026. This procurement involves the delivery of native grass and forb seeds sourced from genetic stock within the South Texas region, with provisions allowing out-of-region ecotype seed only with prior HCFCD approval if local germplasm cannot be sourced. All seeds must be certified by a state or commercial seed lab no more than six months prior to delivery, cleaned and preprocessed to ensure proper planting and germination through processes such as hulling, thrashing, and debearding, and labeled with securely attached tags displaying testing date, germination percentage, hard seed percentage, inert material percentage, noxious weed percentage, other weed percentage, viability, and pure live seed percentage. The contract is structured as a one-year initial term beginning approximately May 14, 2026, with options for four additional one-year renewals subject to Commissioners Court approval and identical terms and pricing. A voluntary virtual pre-bid conference will be held on April 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. CST via Microsoft Teams, with written questions due through Bonfire to Hugh Taylor at hugh.taylor@pur.hctx.net by the specified deadline. All deliveries must be directed to the Michael Talbott Service Center-Distribution Center at 10770 Vinecrest Drive, Houston, TX 77086, and awards will be made based on lowest and best offer while considering ability to perform, with Harris County reserving the right to award to multiple vendors designated as "Primary" and "Secondary."

No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are identified in the solicitation documents; however, Harris County expects vendors to make good faith efforts to support minority- and woman-owned business (M/WBE) participation goals and requires completion of Form 1295 (Certificate of Interested Parties) prior to bid submission. Bidders must comply with the Harris County Minimum Wage Policy requiring a minimum wage of $21.65 per hour, adjusted annually, for all contractors and subcontractors performing work on the contract; exemptions exist for goods-only suppliers and contracts valued under $50,000 annually. All contractors and subcontractors must maintain mandatory insurance coverage including Workers Compensation, Commercial General Liability with per-occurrence limits of $1,000,000 and general aggregate of $2,000,000, Automobile Liability with combined single limits of $1,000,000, Umbrella/Excess Liability of $1,000,000, and Professional/Errors & Omissions Liability of $1,000,000, with Harris County Flood Control District named as an additional insured. Bidders must also complete the Subcontractor Listing Form identifying all potential subcontractors and suppliers, with Harris County reserving the right to reject any proposed subcontractors and requiring certification status documentation for HUB/MWBE or Certified Section 3 entities. Bidders must meet Tax Residence Certification requirements and establish eligibility under Texas Government Code 2252.001, disclosing principal place of business location and any outstanding debts owed to Harris County. No specific budget range or contract value is disclosed in the available documentation, with pricing to be determined through the competitive bidding process based on unit pricing for seeds and related items.