Swift Water, Personal Floatation Devices (PFD)

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet, on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2200000087 to procure Swift Water Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) for Elliott County. The solicitation seeks a single vendor to establish a Master Agreement for the supply of 130 units of Force 6 Rescue Ops Personal Floatation Device model P504 or an approved equal, featuring US Coast Guard Type V certification with Type III performance, 26 pounds of built-in flotation, laser-cut Hypalon MOLLE pockets, seven adjustment straps, 500 denier Cordura fabric outer shell, extraction handle, 62 square inches of SOLAS reflective material, and olive coloring. Bidders proposing alternate brands or specifications must submit descriptive literature for equality verification, with failure to provide sufficient documentation resulting in a non-responsive bid determination. The procurement will be awarded on a best value basis using a scoring methodology that allocates 90 points to price, with the lowest bidder receiving maximum points, and 10 points to delivery time in working days. Vendors must clearly specify delivery timeframes, as vague terms such as "as required" or "prompt" may result in non-responsive bids, and failure to meet contracted delivery dates results in a one percent daily deduction from invoices. The solicitation was released on August 12, 2021, with vendors' written questions due by August 19, 2021 at 10:00 AM ET and a closing date of August 27, 2021 at 1:30 PM ET. The initial contract term will be one year from the date of award, with optional renewal provisions for four additional one-year periods subject to written approval and potential renegotiation of terms. Bidders must submit responses electronically through the Commonwealth's eProcurement system, and all bidders must be registered in the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) system prior to submission, with pricing quoted on an F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed basis.

Reciprocal preference applies to Kentucky resident bidders, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries, Kentucky Industries for the Blind, and qualifying nonprofit organizations receive preferential scoring in the evaluation process. All bidders must comply with Kentucky campaign finance laws, sales and use tax registration requirements, state tax compliance provisions, and prohibitions against boycotts of open-trade jurisdictions. Resident bidder status requires demonstration of Kentucky business authorization, one-year history of Kentucky corporate income tax filing, unemployment insurance fund payments, and active workers' compensation policies, with claims of such status requiring notarized affidavits. The solicitation documentation does not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors, nor does it specify a budget range or award value for the Master Agreement. Prices shall remain firm for the initial twelve-month contract period with no increases permitted during this time; subsequent increases require written justification based on industry-wide price changes. The Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the contract with thirty days' notice and may extend the Master Agreement to other state agencies with vendor consent. All responses and supporting documentation must be submitted through the Commonwealth's electronic procurement system, with detailed instructions provided in the How to Respond to Online Bid guide.