Rail Supplies for Motive Rail at WHF

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Department of Military Affairs, issued Request for Bid 758 2100000148 for rail supplies required at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Kentucky. The procurement encompasses five line items: 1,600 pieces of 6" x 8'-8.5" Grade 3 railroad crossties constructed of oak and mixed hardwood with 100% endplate treatment; freight and delivery services for the railroad ties covering 512 miles to the Greenville facility; 80 packages of 5/8" x 6" railroad spikes packed in 100-pound cans; four Model 1004ARS Heavy Duty Manual Switch Stands (Backsaver brand or approved equal) with 42" connecting rods; and 50 tons of #23 aggregate ballast rock. All items must be delivered within 4-6 weeks of contract award, with railroad ties required to be available within 3 weeks of order and delivered within 3 weeks of receipt. Bidders proposing alternate brands or specifications must submit descriptive literature for approval, and failure to do so may result in non-responsive bid designation. Written questions from potential bidders were due by September 28, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. ET, with the bid closing date of October 6, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Electronic submissions through the Kentucky eProcurement system were mandatory, with all proposed pricing required to remain valid for a minimum of 60 calendar days after the bid due date. Award determination utilized a best value approach allocating 90 points to price and 10 points to delivery performance, with the lowest-priced compliant bid receiving maximum points and other bids scored proportionally.

The solicitation included preferential provisions for qualified bidders, specifically Kentucky Correctional Industries (20 percent preference), Kentucky Industries for the Blind, and qualified nonprofit agencies serving individuals with severe disabilities (15 percent preference). Kentucky resident bidders received reciprocal preference equal to the preferences offered by nonresident bidders' home states. All pricing was required to be submitted on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis, with vendors responsible for all shipping costs and exclusion of federal excise taxes and Kentucky sales or use taxes. Prior to award, successful bidders were required to submit a Kentucky Tax Registration Form (Form 10A100), a Secretary of State Certificate of Authority for foreign entities, required affidavits including annual affidavits attesting to campaign finance law compliance and Kentucky tax registration status, and Equal Employment Opportunity forms if applicable. The solicitation did not specify a contract value or budget range, and awards were to be made by line item to vendors offering the best value. A one percent daily deduction applied to vendor invoices for each day delivery deadlines were missed, and the Commonwealth reserved the right to cancel the RFB if responses exceeded available funding.