Lake Buffum Revegetation-Emergent Vegetation

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is conducting a competitive Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the supply and planting of emergent aquatic vegetation within Lake Buffum in Polk County, Florida. The procurement involves three distinct plant species: Egyptian paspalidium supplied as 4-inch nursery-grown liners, giant bulrush supplied bare-root from nursery-grown, private wild-collected, or relocated sources, and maidencane supplied bare-root from similar sources. Bidders must demonstrate the capability to supply, deliver, and plant all contracted vegetation by June 12, 2026, with planting anticipated between April and May 2026. Contractors are responsible for all associated costs including plants, containers, labor, equipment, maintenance, fuel, and safety devices, and must obtain all required permits including FDACS nursery registration certificates and permits for aquatic plant collection. Each plant species will be awarded separately to the responsive, responsible bidder submitting the highest total number of plants based on a formula dividing the allocated budget by the price-per-plant, with contractors required to supply a minimum of 95 percent of contracted plants. Sealed bids must be received by February 26, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET with public opening at the same time, written questions due by February 11, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET, and the anticipated award date of March 2, 2026. A non-mandatory site visit is available at Lake Buffum (2808 Doc Lindsey Road, Fort Meade), and all contractors must be registered with MyFloridaMarketPlace and the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) prior to bid opening.

Bidders must comply with all Florida and federal laws including E-Verify employment eligibility verification requirements, comprehensive insurance coverage, and provisions related to discriminatory vendor lists, forced labor prohibitions, and debarment requirements. While no specific set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises are noted, contractors must submit a Subcontractor Minority Status Report with each invoice if utilizing subcontractors, and subcontracting is permitted under the procurement. Payment is made only for plants successfully planted as jointly determined by the contractor and project manager through daily reports, with no partial payments allowed unless specifically requested by the Contract Manager and final invoices due within seven calendar days of project completion. Liquidated damages of $100 per calendar day are assessed for completion delays exceeding the 30-calendar-day window, unless delays result from circumstances beyond the contractor's control. The total estimated budget for this procurement is $60,000, allocated as follows: $15,000 for Egyptian paspalidium, $30,000 for giant bulrush, and $15,000 for maidencane, with the contract term being one year upon issuance of the Purchase Order.