New Varieties Development for Florida Citrus

The Florida Department of Citrus is issuing a Notice of Intended Single Source Purchase for new varieties development services to support Florida's citrus industry. This is not a competitive bid or proposal process; rather, prospective vendors who believe they can provide the described services must submit relevant information by April 27, 2026, to Sharon McLeod, Purchasing Manager, at 863-537-3964 or smcleod@citrus.myflorida.com. The procurement seeks research and licensing programs that develop, evaluate, and prioritize new citrus varieties to address consumer market expansion and disease and pest tolerance, with a contract term of one year beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The vendor must demonstrate expertise in citrus variety development and possess established relationships within Florida's citrus industry. Key deliverables include the development and management of new citrus varieties with emphasis on addressing industry challenges such as Huanglongbing (citrus greening) and related diseases. No specific site visits or bidders' conferences are required for this procurement, which is categorized under UNSPSC code 93141905.

The Department intends to award this contract to the New Varieties Development and Management Corporation (NVDMC) as a single source vendor, justifying the single source procurement based on NVDMC's unique expertise and fifteen-year history of established relationships with Florida's citrus industry dating back to 2006, when the organization was initially funded through competitive RFP processes and was the sole respondent to the 2009 RFP due to the specialized nature of the services required. Given the documented devastation of Florida's citrus industry from Huanglongbing and related diseases over the past decade, the Department has determined that continuity with the incumbent vendor is critical to maintain progress toward industry needs and recovery efforts. The estimated contract value is $650,000.00 for the one-year service period. No set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types are mentioned in the procurement notice. The Department will post notice of its intended decision to enter into an agreement with the selected vendor pursuant to Section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, following review of any information submitted by prospective vendors by the April 27, 2026 deadline.