KDFWR Fish Food for Fish Hatcheries

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) is soliciting bids for fish food products to support its fish hatchery operations through Request for Bid (RFB) 660 2600000470. This is a Master Agreement procurement covering eleven line items of specialized aquafeed and fish food products, including Aquafeed Warm Water formulations (32% and 36% protein), Aquaxcel Fish Marine Starter products in various pellet sizes (0.3mm, 0.8mm, 1.5mm, and 2.2mm), Aquafeed 4512 (45% protein), Minnow Meal, and Aquafeed Warm Water Sinking variants, with estimated quantities ranging from 2 to 75 tons per line item procured on an as-needed basis. All bids must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky eProcurement Vendor Self Service (VSS) system at vss.ky.gov, with vendor registration required 24-48 hours prior to submission. Written questions from potential bidders were due by March 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, with KDFWR responses issued by March 26, 2026 at 7:00 p.m., and the bid closing date is April 3, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Award will be made using a best value evaluation approach with pricing weighted at 90 points (lowest bidder receives maximum points) and delivery time weighted at 10 points (30 working days after receipt of order is the required baseline, with additional points awarded for faster delivery). The initial contract period is one year from the date of award, with options for four additional one-year renewal periods subject to written agreement by all parties, plus a potential 90-day extension. All quotations must be provided on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis, with prices remaining firm for the first twelve months; price increases after twelve months require written justification based on industry-wide changes submitted at least thirty days in advance.

Kentucky resident bidders are eligible for reciprocal preference considerations, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries receive additional preference points equal to 20 percent of maximum points, with 15 percent preference available for Kentucky Industries for the Blind and qualified nonprofit agencies serving 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, provide proof of Kentucky tax registration via Revenue Form 10A100, and submit required affidavits certifying compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws and, where applicable, resident bidder or qualified bidder status, prior to contract award. Bidders must bid on all line items to be deemed responsive, and the KDFWR reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if funding is insufficient or if responses exceed available funding. No specific incumbent vendor or budget range information is provided in the solicitation documents. A bidders' conference call is available at 877-746-4263 (participant code 02 94 361#) at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date for interested parties to hear bid readings and obtain additional information about the procurement.