NC26-43 Market Reporter

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, through its Animal Industry conducting unit, is seeking a Market Reporter to provide livestock market reports for three Utah auction facilities: Cedar Livestock in Cedar City, Producers Livestock in Salina, and R Livestock Market in Elsinore. The selected contractor will attend regular and special livestock auctions to collect market information, evaluate cattle using USDA standards, compile data into written reports, and upload findings to the USDA online platform. The contract requires generating approximately 156 reports annually (52 reports per location), with the contractor demonstrating expertise in livestock evaluation, grading based on maturity and frame size, and strong communication abilities. The technical evaluation will assess vendors across three key criteria: Grading Cattle (300 points), Compiling Reports (150 points), and Attending Sales (250 points), totaling 700 possible points. Proposals must be submitted through the U3P platform by December 30, 2025, with all questions to be submitted during the designated question and answer period, and vendors are prohibited from communicating about the solicitation with procurement staff except through the designated procurement officer.

The procurement does not specify specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. The total project budget is $325,000 annually, with $65,000 allocated per year for all three locations, comprising $50,000 from USDA and $15,000 from UDAF. Each market report is budgeted at a fixed rate of $250, and vendors submitting costs exceeding this threshold will be disqualified. Travel expenses will be covered from the yearly budget, including mileage reimbursement at $0.70 per mile and hotel accommodations at GSA rates. The contract term is anticipated to be 1-5 years, depending on funding availability, with vendors required to guarantee pricing for the first year. Any future price increases will require submission of market research and agency approval, with each increase guaranteed for one additional year. The procurement anticipates a single contract award to the responsive and responsible vendor with the highest evaluation score, determined through a comprehensive review of technical capabilities and cost proposal.