Mitigation Credits to Offset Wetland Impacts for Projects in NWFWMD Regulatory Basin St. Andrews Bay

The State of Florida's Department of Transportation (FDOT) has issued an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for the purchase of mitigation credits to offset wetland impacts for projects in the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) St. Andrews Bay regulatory basin. The ITB outlines the required mitigation credit types, including freshwater forested/palustrine forested, freshwater wet flatwoods/wet prairie, and saltwater marsh/emergent, with FDOT estimating the need for 5 acres of each freshwater credit type and 3 acres of the saltwater credit type. Bids are due by December 21, 2023 at 10:00 AM, with a public bid opening scheduled for 10:30 AM the same day. FDOT will post the intended award on December 22, 2023. This is a 24-month term contract with no renewals specified. Pricing for the mitigation credits must be provided on a per credit basis, with the vendor required to have approved banking instruments and available federal and/or state mitigation bank credits that meet the ITB's technical specifications. FDOT will purchase credits from the lowest bidder(s) to meet the project needs.

The ITB does not mention any set-asides or incumbent providers. Funding will be provided through federal sources, and FDOT reserves the right to allocate the purchased credits across any of its projects as needed. The bid tabulation indicates that the apparent awarded vendor is the Horseshoe Creek Mitigation Bank, though this does not constitute a binding contract until a Purchase Order or written acceptance is issued by the Department. FDOT also reserves the right to award to the second low bidder, reject all bids, or act in its best interest if any irregularities are discovered in the vendor's bid or if the vendor fails to submit required Bonds and Insurance or comply with other bid requirements.