Used railroad rails district 9

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, issued a Request for Bids (RFB) for the procurement of used railroad rails to support District 9 operations in Fayette County. The solicitation sought 184 pieces of 40-foot used railroad rails totaling 7,360 linear feet, with each rail meeting a minimum specification of 136 pounds or greater per linear yard. All rails must be steel, straight, and structurally sound with legible manufacturer classifications stamped in the web and holes cut near the end for lifting mechanisms. Materials were to be delivered F.O.B. Destination to the KYTC Elliott County Maintenance lot located at 3287 N. KY 7 Sandy Hook, Kentucky 41171, with delivery required at the earliest possible date during normal business hours, accompanied by 24-hour advance notice to the engineer and allowing 6 hours for unloading by district personnel. The procurement was evaluated on a best value basis using two measurable criteria: price (95 points) and delivery time (5 points). The bid closing date was May 23, 2019, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time, with written questions due by May 15, 2019 and the Commonwealth's response issued by May 16, 2019. Following initial hard copy technical bid submission, an online reverse auction bidding event was scheduled for May 30, 2019, from 2:00 PM to 2:15 PM ET, with vendor training occurring May 28-29, 2019, and a tentative award date of June 14, 2019. A one percent penalty per day would be deducted from the vendor's invoice for each day delivery was delayed beyond the contracted due date, and delivery dates were required to be specific rather than generic.

Commonwealth of Kentucky resident bidders were eligible for reciprocal preference equal to the preference given by nonresident bidders' states of residence. Additionally, Kentucky Correctional Industries received a twenty percent preference of maximum points, and other qualified bidders received a fifteen percent preference. The solicitation required all standard affidavits, certifications of authority for foreign entities, and compliance with Kentucky Revised Statutes and federal regulations regarding nondiscrimination. Vendors awarded the contract were obligated to pay a three percent transaction fee to eBridge Business Solutions, the electronic bidding platform used for this procurement, assessed on the final selling price and incorporated into bid pricing. The contract was governed by Kentucky law with any litigation to be brought in Franklin County, Kentucky state or federal courts. No specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the solicitation documents, and this was designated as a one-time contract rather than a recurring arrangement. All bids remained valid for a minimum of 90 calendar days after the bid closing date.