Sterile Grass Carp for Hydrilla Populations in Lake Austin

The City of Austin, Texas is issuing an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for a multi-year contract to procure Triploid (sterile) Grass Carp to control hydrilla populations in Lake Austin. The primary objective is to address a rapidly spreading, non-native aquatic plant (Hydrilla verticillata) that has re-established itself in the Lake Austin reservoir and poses risks to recreational access and water conveyance. The contractor must supply grass carp with a minimum length of 10 inches (preferred range 10-12 inches), certified as triploid by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and deliver approximately 3,000 fish annually in good health. Deliverables include introducing the designated quantity into Lake Austin within 14 calendar days of notice of award at a City-designated site, with capability to transport at least 3,000 fish per delivery and allowance for up to one delivery at up to two release points. The contractor must provide 24 hours' notice to permit City inspection prior to introduction and shall be compensated only for grass carp successfully introduced into the lake; no compensation is provided for any fish injured or killed during the stocking process. The contractor must possess an exotic species permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and provide proof with the bid submittal. Bids are due Monday, March 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM CT, with offers opened at 3:00 PM CT the same day, and questions must be submitted by Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 3:00 PM CT. The City reserves the right to reject any delivery if the grass carp are not in good health or do not meet size standards, with rejection determinations made by a fishery biologist; the contractor must provide replacement deliveries within a minimum of 10 business days in such cases.

This solicitation includes local and small business preferences with discounts available: bids up to $500,000 receive a 5 percent discount, while bids between $500,000 and $50 million receive a 3 percent discount, and offerors that are both local and small businesses receive both discounts. Local business preference applies to entities headquartered within the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area. The City's Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE-WBE) Program does not apply to this contract, and no M/WBE subcontracting goals have been assigned due to insufficient subcontracting opportunities. Offerors must certify compliance with numerous provisions including debarment status, non-collusion, conflicts of interest, Texas Local Government Code requirements, boycott restrictions on Israel and energy companies, and LGBTQ+ conversion therapy prohibitions. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The City's anticipated budget for the initial contract year is $50,000.00, with the contract structured as an initial 12-month term with the City's sole option to extend automatically for up to four additional 12-month periods at its discretion, provided the City issues 60 calendar days' notice prior to expiration if extension is not elected. All pricing must be submitted on a per-unit basis with the extended price calculated for the estimated annual quantity, and all prices must include discounts, handling, and shipping charges with delivery terms specified as FOB Destination, prepaid and allowed.