Spirit of the Wild WMA and Dinner Island Ranch WMA Custom Swamp Buggies

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking competitive bids for up to three custom deck-style swamp buggies to be used at Spirit of the Wild Wildlife Management Area and Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area. The procurement is conducted through an Invitation to Bid (ITB FY-24/25-46) process, with specific requirements for vehicle capabilities including safe transportation through mud, rocky terrain, and wet marshes typical of south Florida environments. Bidders must have manufactured at least 10 swamp buggies for government entities in south Florida swamplands, with at least one built within the past five years. The bid requires pricing for a base buggy and seven alternate add-on options, including water pump systems, burn fuel pump and wand, additional storage, winches, bimini canopy, protective cover, and radio box. Key procurement dates include a bid question deadline of December 10, 2024, sealed bid submission deadline of December 20, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET, with a public bid opening at the same time, and an anticipated award date of December 27, 2024. All procured buggies must be delivered by June 15, 2025.

Vendors must be registered in the MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) system and with SunBiz prior to bid opening, with no subcontracting permitted under the contract. Payment for the swamp buggies will be structured in five equal installments based on completion milestones. The FWC reserves the right to make an award based on the base bid alone or the base bid plus any combination of alternates. While no specific set-aside designations are mentioned, bidders must demonstrate significant prior experience in manufacturing specialized vehicles for government use in challenging terrain. The bid does not specify a precise budget range, but the complexity of the custom swamp buggies and the requirement for specialized manufacturing capabilities suggest a potentially significant investment. Vendors will need to provide comprehensive pricing that includes both the base vehicle and potential optional enhancements, with the Commission maintaining flexibility in final selection based on comprehensive evaluation of technical capabilities and pricing.