Tree Seedling Bags

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2600000098 for the procurement of tree seedling bags, with submissions due by September 10, 2025, at 1:30 PM ET. The solicitation encompasses eight commodity lines totaling 13,450 bags divided into two groups: Group 1 (five lines) for JPRN Forestry facilities and Group 2 (three lines) for MCN Forestry facilities, with vendors permitted to bid on one group, multiple groups, or all groups. The bags specified include four JPRN sizes and four MCN sizes, ranging from 15" x 3" x 35" to 40.5" x 11" x 25", all requiring 3-ply construction with specified kraft and kraft-coated materials and single-color green (GCMI-20) printing with logos per Attachment C. Delivery is required by December 1, 2025, to two locations: John P Rhody Nursery in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, and Morgan County Nursery in West Liberty, Kentucky, with shipping costs included in bid pricing and a 10 percent quantity overrun allowance permitted. Award decisions will be based on best value methodology allocating 90 points to price and 10 points to delivery performance, with bonus points awarded on a sliding scale for early delivery and one percent daily penalties applied for late delivery. Vendor written questions must be submitted by September 3, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET, and all bids must be submitted electronically through the Kentucky eProcurement system. Prior to award, successful vendors must provide proof of Commercial General Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Kentucky tax registration if applicable, required affidavits, and certificates of authority for foreign entities.

Kentucky resident bidders receive reciprocal preference equal to preferences granted by nonresident bidders' home states, while qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries and Kentucky Industries for the Blind receive preference point adjustments of 20 percent and 15 percent respectively of maximum available points. Vendor affidavits are mandatory submissions requiring notarization and attestation of compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, tax filing obligations, unemployment insurance fund payments, and workers' compensation insurance maintenance. No incumbent vendor information or set-aside restrictions specific to disadvantaged enterprises are identified in the solicitation documents. The Commonwealth reserves the right to request updated affidavits and supporting documentation at any time to verify claimed bidder status, with failure to provide requested documentation potentially resulting in bidder disqualification or contract termination. No specific contract award value or total budget allocation is disclosed in the available solicitation materials; pricing is determined through competitive bidding with contract award by group based on best value ranking.