Wildflower Seeds and Service

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 605 2200000237 on October 29, 2021, soliciting wildflower seeds and related seeding services with bids due electronically by November 17, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The procurement encompasses four primary service components: supply of pollinator wildflower and native grass seed mix priced per pound of pure live seed (PLS) with 261 line items across seven categories including native wildflowers and forbs, native grasses, wildflowers, forbs, grasses, cover crops/food plots, and services; site preparation services including vegetation elimination through herbicides and labor priced per acre; no-till seeding operations using specialized equipment (Truax grass seeder) at specified depths priced per acre; and ongoing site maintenance including herbicide application, hand pulling, and weed removal on established and new plots priced per acre, with equipment mobilization services priced per mile. Seeds must be delivered to twelve regional roadside maintenance storage facilities across Kentucky districts and must be tagged per state and federal regulations while meeting Kentucky native or local equi-type standards. The master agreement contract period extends from award through October 31, 2022, with four optional one-year renewal periods available subject to written approval by both parties. Evaluation is based on a best-value ranking approach allocating 95 points to price and 5 points to delivery time, with the lowest bidder receiving maximum points and subsequent bidders scored proportionally. Vendors must submit all required compliance documentation, including an Annual Affidavit certifying adherence to Kentucky campaign finance laws, tax compliance, and other statutory requirements, through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) eProcurement platform at https://emars311.ky.gov/webapp/vssprdonline3111d/AltSelfService, and hard copies or company quote forms will result in rejection.

No specific set-asides are designated for this procurement; however, reciprocal preference may apply to Kentucky resident bidders per KRS 45A.494, and qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries and nonprofit agencies serving individuals with disabilities receive specified preference percentages. The solicitation does not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors in the provided documentation. The existing infrastructure includes 139.17 total acres of pollinator habitat distributed across Kentucky Transportation Cabinet districts with documented plots identified by specific geographic coordinates and established seed mixes. The successful bidder must provide a $1,000,000 general liability insurance certificate and Kentucky worker's compensation insurance within ten days of award notice, naming the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Purchases as certificate holder and additional insured. Pricing must be quoted F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, with the vendor responsible for all freight charges and freight claim filing, and payment is made within 30 working days of invoice receipt with a 1 percent monthly penalty for payments exceeding 30 working days; however, a 1 percent daily deduction applies to invoices for each day delivery is delayed beyond the contracted date. No specific budget or award value range is disclosed in the procurement documents.