Tow Tractor for Wormsloe State Park

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, State Parks Division, issued a Request for Quote (eRFQ) solicitation numbered 46200-469-DNR0000710 on May 4, 2023, for the procurement of a Tow Tractor for Wormsloe State Park located in Chatham County. This was a one-time buy solicitation intended to establish a contract with a single qualified supplier meeting specified equipment requirements. The solicitation required all bidders to submit complete bid packages with mandatory documentation attached, and evaluation was conducted through a three-phase process consisting of administrative review to verify timely submission and compliance with mandatory requirements, a second phase to verify business registration and product equivalency, and a final cost evaluation to identify the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The original due date for bid submission was May 31, 2023, with all written questions required to be submitted via email to Carlethia Jones, the designated issuing officer, at carlethia.jones@dnr.ga.gov. However, the solicitation was cancelled on June 7, 2023, prior to award, and no reason for cancellation was provided in the notice.

While no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting eligible respondents were noted in the solicitation documents, the evaluation criteria indicated that Georgia Enterprises for Products and Services (GEPS) eight percent price preferences and price match options for Georgia-based small businesses could have been applied, though they were not utilized in this instance. One bid was received from 1821 Enterprises LLC; however, the bidder failed the administrative review phase due to the proposed tow tractor model not meeting the specified requirements outlined in Mandatory Questions 1 and 10, as well as the absence of a required eVerify reference number, resulting in a non-responsive determination and ineligibility for contract award. No cost evaluation was conducted as a result of the administrative deficiency, and no award value or budget range was disclosed in the available procurement documents. Interested parties are advised to monitor the Georgia Procurement Registry for any future solicitation activity related to this procurement need, as all bidders must respond to new bid forms and requirements if the State Entity elects to conduct a subsequent solicitation.