New Varieties Development for Florida Citrus

The Florida Department of Citrus is seeking to contract with the New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) to provide services for research and licensing programs that evaluate and prioritize the need for new citrus varieties in Florida. This is a single-source procurement due to the ongoing devastation of the citrus industry from citrus greening over the past 10 years, and NVDMC's specialized understanding of the industry's needs for new disease and pest-tolerant varieties to combat these challenges. The contract term is from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, with an estimated value of $650,000. This is not a request for bid or proposal, but the Department is asking prospective vendors who believe they can provide these services to submit relevant information by May 2, 2024. If the Department determines that the services are available from a single source, it will post a notice of its intended decision to enter into an agreement with NVDMC pursuant to Florida Statutes.

NVDMC has held this contract since 2006 and was the sole respondent to the Department's 2009 procurement, due to its specialized purpose and service to the citrus industry. There are no set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond, and the Department has not listed any other incumbent vendors or current contractors. The procurement does not provide any details on a possible award budget range.