Used Railroad Rail D8

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Purchases is issuing a Request for Bid (RFB) for the procurement of used railroad rail to support the McCreary County Maintenance Facility in Whitley City, Kentucky. The Commonwealth seeks 12,000 linear feet (300 pieces) of used railroad rail meeting 130-136 pounds per linear yard structural grade specifications, with 40-foot lengths and legible manufacturer classifications stamped in the web; the material must be steel, straight, and structurally sound. This one-time contract utilizes a two-phase bidding process: Phase 1 requires vendors to submit unpriced technical offers by January 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to KYTC.Bids@ky.gov, with written questions due by December 23, 2020, and the Commonwealth's responses issued by December 30, 2020. Vendors whose technical offers are deemed acceptable in Phase 1 will be invited to participate in Phase 2, an online reverse auction conducted through eBridge on January 14-15, 2021, with vendor training scheduled for January 12-13, 2021, and a tentative award date of January 22, 2021. The contract will be awarded based on best value criteria, with price weighted at 95 points and delivery time at 5 points; vendors must specify exact delivery timeframes or receive zero points for delivery scoring, and delivery is desired at the earliest possible date with 24 hours' notice required prior to delivery and six hours allowed for unloading. Vendors are responsible for prepaid freight to the delivery location, with liquidated damages assessed at one percent per day for late delivery unless delays result from Commonwealth actions or force majeure events, and all bids must remain valid for 90 days following the bid closing date.

Kentucky resident bidders receive reciprocal preference against nonresident bidders from states offering preference to their own residents, while Kentucky Correctional Industries receives a 20 percent preference and qualified bidders including Kentucky Industries for the Blind receive a 15 percent preference. Vendors must submit required affidavits addressing campaign finance compliance, tax status, and other statutory requirements, and all bidders must comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. The awarded supplier will incur a transaction fee of three percent of the final awarded purchase price payable to eBridge; this fee must be included in all bid submissions. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents, and no specific budget range or award value is listed, as pricing will be determined exclusively through the competitive online reverse auction process where the lowest responsive, responsible bidder meeting evaluation criteria will be awarded the contract in its entirety.