Request for Quote-Vegetation Monitoring Baseline Plot Implementation on WMAs (DFW-2027-023)

Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is seeking quotes for vegetation monitoring baseline plot implementation on Wildlife Management Areas under RFQ DFW-2027-023, with quotes due August 24, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Vendors must be pre-qualified under the Natural Community, Restoration, Natural Resources Mapping and Management Planning category of the Biological Surveys, Research and Testing Master Agreement. Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) participants meeting best value criteria receive award preference; eligible SBPP businesses must have principal place of business in Massachusetts, be in business at least one year, employ 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, and have gross revenues not exceeding $15 million on a three-year average.

The scope involves establishing and surveying 18 baseline vegetation monitoring plots across two sites: Montague Plains WMA (9 plots) and Frances A. Crane WMA (9 plots). Work spans grassland, shrubland, open canopy woodland, and successional forest communities. Deliverables include permanent survey plots with low-profile metal survey tags and submeter-accuracy georeferencing, line-point intercept sampling along four 25- to 50-meter transects per circular plot, plot-level plant species inventory using standardized NRCS codes, photographic documentation at each transect, and rare plant species documentation. Data must be organized using modified Daubenmire cover classes and delivered in searchable digital format. Field data collection at Montague Plains must be completed by September 30, 2026, and at Frances A. Crane by October 15, 2026, with all final deliverables due December 4, 2026. An alternate option prices 6 additional plots (3 at each location).

The estimated total procurement value is up to $30,000. Contract start is September 1, 2026. Evaluation uses a 100-point framework: Qualification and Experience (50 points), Proposal Completeness and Effectiveness of Response (20 points), and Price (20 points). Bid responses require a written proposal, completed mandatory bid response form, and resumes of the principal investigator and all field staff demonstrating knowledge of Massachusetts flora and experience conducting vegetation sampling studies. All Commonwealth property, including deliverables, remains Commonwealth property; vendors must transfer all data and provide knowledge transfer assistance at no additional charge upon contract termination.