RFB01142026 Lease 1099. 3 Acres of Agriculture Land

The Commonwealth of Kentucky, through the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) and the Finance and Administration Cabinet Division of Real Property, is issuing a Request for Bids (RFB01142026) for the lease of 1,099.3 acres of agricultural land located at the Boatwright Wildlife Management Area in La Center, Ballard County, Kentucky. The procurement encompasses five field units (Clark Estate units CE1-CE4 and Little Clark Estate) consisting of approximately 974.3 acres of row crop land plus 125 acres designated for food plots. Bidders must submit sealed bids indicating a cash bid per acre for the row crop acreage, with a minimum bid of $100 per acre, and include a good-faith deposit of $100 with their submission. The lease agreement will be effective for one year with renewal options for up to four additional successive yearly renewals, operating on a crop year basis from March 15 through November 1 annually. Beyond cash rent, successful bidders must provide goods and services valued at approximately $110,000 annually, including white rock road maintenance ($60,000), green browse and food plot seed ($15,000), chemical and fertilizer application ($20,000), and heavy equipment services ($15,000). Bids are due by January 14, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST at the Division of Real Properties, Bush Building, 3rd Floor, 403 Wapping Street, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-2607, with online bidding prohibited. Interested parties may contact Kelly Hawkins at 502-229-4366 for additional information.

The solicitation does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting participation to particular categories of organizations, indicating that the opportunity is open to all qualified bidders capable of meeting operational and insurance requirements. Successful bidders must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance with a $1,000,000 combined single limit and casualty insurance covering the premises. The rental payment structure requires a 10% spring deposit with a security bond for the estimated 90% balance, with final adjusted payments due December 1 of each contract year, calculated based on actual planted acreage verified by KDFWR using GPS equipment; a three percent late charge applies to any balance not received by the December 1 deadline. No incumbent vendor information or existing contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to modify or withdraw fields from the lease for wildlife habitat management purposes. Award value will be determined by the successful bidder's per-acre cash bid multiplied by the 974.3 acres of row crop land, plus the value of goods and services provided.