REQ for pre-qual of vendors for animal feed, bedding, supplies

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, Purchasing Department, issued a Request for Pre-Qualification (RPQ) for vendors to supply animal feed, bedding, and supplies on a term contract basis. The procurement seeks vendors capable of providing animal feed (excluding dog and cat food), hay for bedding or feed, bedding materials (pure pine shavings and/or pine pellets), bags for dog litter pick-up, and general animal supplies. The initial submission deadline was February 10, 2022, at 4:00 p.m.; however, the pre-qualification process remains open, allowing new vendors to submit requests at any time for addition to the pre-qualified vendor list. Vendors must be registered in the County's Vendor Self Service (VSS) system, maintain current Business Tax Receipts, possess all required licenses and certifications, and comply with criminal history background checks for facility access. The contract term is sixty (60) months or until estimated funding is expended. Once pre-qualified, vendors will be notified of individual projects on an as-needed basis and will have five (5) business days to submit written quotes on County-provided response forms using fixed pricing that includes all labor, materials, transportation, delivery charges, fuel surcharges, and incidental expenses. Award of individual projects will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, subject to applicable preferences, with any project exceeding the Mandatory Bid Amount of $100,000 requiring separate formal competitive sealed bidding.

The County reserves the right to apply Small/Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (S/M/WBE) preferences and Local Preference provisions, which allow certified small businesses within 10 percent of the lowest bid and local vendors a 5 percent preference adjustment for evaluation purposes. The F.O.B. point is destination, with vendors assuming all transportation risk and responsibility for filing loss or damage claims. The anticipated contract value over the sixty-month period is $49,422. Failure to respond to five consecutive project quotation requests may result in removal from the pre-qualified vendor list. The County reserves the right to terminate contracts for convenience with five days' notice or for cause with ten days to cure after notice of default. Delivery locations will be specified on individual delivery orders and include various facilities within Palm Beach County, including the Glades area.