Seedling Bed Former

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, Division of Forestry – John P. Rhody Nursery, issued a Request for Bid (RFB 758 2100000729) on June 9, 2021, for the procurement of one seedling bed former unit. The equipment must meet specific operational requirements, including the ability to perform rototilling and bed formation with a working width of 125 centimeters, compatibility with 45-horsepower tractors or greater, and capability for three-point hitch and PTO power operation; the primary specification references a FOBRO Rotary Cultivator 1250 or approved equal. Vendors' written questions were due by June 16, 2021, at 10:00 AM ET, with bid closing at June 23, 2021, at 1:30 PM ET. The procurement will be awarded as a Group All contract requiring vendors to bid all line items or face rejection as non-responsive, with the contract awarded to a single vendor on a best value basis allocating 90 points to price and 10 points to delivery time. All bids must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service portal; paper bids are not acceptable. Delivery is required to the Division of Forestry's John P. Rhody Nursery in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis, with the vendor responsible for all shipment and freight charges. Proposed pricing must remain valid for a minimum of 60 calendar days after the bid due date, and quotations must exclude Federal Excise Tax and Kentucky Sales or Use Tax.

Kentucky resident bidders are eligible for reciprocal preference, while qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries and Kentucky Industries for the Blind may receive preference points equal to 20 percent and 15 percent of the maximum points, respectively. All bidders must be registered in the Kentucky eProcurement System and submit an executed Annual Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors affirming compliance with state campaign finance laws, tax registration requirements, and other statutory obligations. Bidders submitting alternate brand proposals must provide descriptive literature demonstrating specification equivalency; failure to provide sufficient documentation may result in bid rejection. The solicitation does not reference any incumbent vendors, current contractors, or specific technology integration requirements. No site visits, bidders' meetings, or conferences are scheduled. The Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if responses exceed available funding; however, no specific budget range or award value is stated in the solicitation documents provided.