Wildflower Seeds

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2200000083 on August 11, 2021, seeking to establish a Master Agreement for the supply of wildflower seeds to support a pollinator outreach program. The procurement requires vendors to supply eleven individual wildflower species (Smooth Beardtongue, Blackeyed Susan, Bergamot, Purple Coneflower, Illinois Bundleflower, Greyheaded Coneflower, New England Aster, White Wingstem, False Sunflower, Common Milkweed, and Butterfly Milkweed) both individually and as pre-mixed seed packages weighing 1.33 pounds each, with the ultimate objective of planting one acre of habitat in each of Kentucky's 120 counties. Successful bidders must pre-mix seeds into packages, affix tags displaying the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources logo on the front and seed mixture information with the vendor's name and contact information on the back, and include all packaging and shipping charges in their bid prices, with delivery required to Frankfort, Kentucky by October 30, 2021. The contract will be for an initial one-year period with four optional one-year renewal periods subject to written approval and potential renegotiation. Written questions are due by August 18, 2021 at 10:00 AM ET, with bid closing on August 26, 2021 at 1:30 PM ET, and bids must be submitted electronically through the Commonwealth eProcurement System via the Kentucky Vendor Self Service platform. Award determination will utilize a best value ranking approach allocating 90 points to price (with the lowest bidder receiving maximum points) and 10 points to delivery (scored based on the vendor's stated delivery time in working days). All prices must be F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, excluding federal excise tax and Kentucky sales or use tax, with price increases prohibited during the first twelve months and thereafter requiring thirty days' advance notice with industry-wide justification.

The solicitation offers reciprocal preferences for Kentucky resident bidders, while qualified bidders including Kentucky Correctional Industries and Kentucky Industries for the Blind receive preferences of twenty and fifteen percent of maximum points respectively. Prior to award, vendors must be registered in the Vendor Self Service System and submit Revenue Form 10A100 (Kentucky Tax Registration Application), Certificate of Authority for foreign entities, required affidavits including annual affidavits certifying compliance with Kentucky campaign finance laws, tax obligations, business boycott prohibitions, and conduct restrictions, and EEO forms if applicable. All bidders and offerors must execute notarized affidavits affirming compliance with specified Kentucky statutes and certifying that neither they nor their subcontractors have violated prohibitions during the preceding ten years, with resident bidders specifically attesting to authorization to conduct business in Kentucky, state corporate income tax filing, unemployment insurance fund payments, and active workers' compensation policies. No incumbent vendors or integration requirements with existing infrastructure are identified in the solicitation documents. The Commonwealth reserves the right to cancel the RFB if all responses exceed available funding, though no specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the procurement documents.