Pre-qual for animal feed, bedding and supplies

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, Purchasing Department, is soliciting pre-qualified vendors through Request for Pre-Qualification #24-016/CB to establish a vendor list for the supply of animal feed, bedding, and supplies on a term contract basis. The procurement seeks vendors capable of supplying animal feed (excluding dog food), hay for bedding or feed, bedding consisting of pure pine shavings and/or pine pellets, bags for dog litter pick-up, and general animal supplies. Qualified vendors must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance with a minimum limit of $500,000 per occurrence and Workers' Compensation Insurance in accordance with Florida Statute Chapter 440, and must be registered in Palm Beach County's Vendor Self Service (VSS) system, with any subcontractors also requiring registration. The initial submission deadline was December 21, 2023; however, new vendors may submit applications at any time after this date for evaluation and addition to the pre-qualified list. Pricing will be established on a project-by-project basis, with each project awarded to the vendor offering the lowest fixed price subject to applicable local preference provisions, and all pricing must be firm and free from escalation clauses unless specifically requested otherwise. Pre-qualified vendors will be notified on an as-needed basis for individual projects and must submit written quotes within five (5) business days of notification. The resulting contract will have a term of sixty (60) months or until estimated funding is expended, and projects equal to or exceeding the Mandatory Bid Amount of $100,000 will be separately solicited through a formal competitive sealed bid process.

The Equal Business Opportunity (EBO) Program applies to this solicitation, with the Affirmative Procurement Initiative waived; however, only firms certified by Palm Beach County at the time of solicitation opening are eligible to meet EBO requirements. The solicitation encompasses demographic categorizations by business ownership including African-American/Black, Hispanic American, Asian American, Caucasian American, and Native American-owned businesses, as well as gender classifications for supplier businesses. No specific incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. Delivery shall be F.O.B. destination, and the County may return any items that fail to meet specifications for full refund at vendor expense. The anticipated total contract value over the sixty-month contract period is $1,095,000, although Palm Beach County reserves the right to increase or decrease this amount based on actual requirements and retains the right to re-qualify or terminate vendors at its sole discretion.