RFQ 1126058 - Herring Test Fish Bait

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's Division of Commercial Fisheries is soliciting quotes for a herring test fish bait procurement under RFQ 1126058, targeting a specific herring food and bait test fishery in Sitka Sound during the 2025/26 fall and winter seasons. The procurement seeks vendors to harvest herring, with the contract award based on the lowest number of herring tons quoted, not to exceed 210 tons. Bidders must be current CFEC permit holders for the Southeast Alaska Herring Roe Purse Seine Fishery or the Southeast Alaska Herring Winter Food and Bait Fishery, or be a company licensed to process herring in Southeast Alaska. The vessel used must be equipped with a refrigerated sea water system and have a minimum fish hold capacity of 25 tons. The procurement's key objectives include generating $30,000 through the test fishery and potentially requiring the selected vessel to assess herring biomass in Sitka Sound, with the possibility of accommodating one or two department biologists during harvesting. The solicitation was posted on September 30, 2025, with quotes due by 12:00 PM AKST on October 31, 2025, and the harvest period scheduled from November 3, 2025, to February 28, 2026.

Bidder qualifications include holding a current Alaska Business License and being responsible for providing the vessel, fishing gear, and crew expenses. The pricing structure involves the state being paid at the base price for herring overages up to 10%, and two times the base price for herring exceeding 10% of the original bid. The base price will be calculated by dividing $30,000 by the tons of herring quoted. While no specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise requirements are mentioned in the documentation, the procurement appears open to qualified commercial fishing entities meeting the specified criteria. The contract has a potential award value of $30,000, with the exact final compensation dependent on the actual quantity of herring harvested. Electronic submission of quotes is preferred, with completed RFQ forms to be submitted via email to dfg.contracting@alaska.gov, and any questions can be directed to the Procurement Officer, Hollie Roselle, at hollie.roselle@alaska.gov or 907-465-8731.