Wildflower Seeds & Service - FHWA ER eligible

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Purchases issued Request for Bid (RFB) 22-717 on May 25, 2022, seeking bids for wildflower seeds and associated services eligible for Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief (FHWA ER) funding. The solicitation closed on June 15, 2022, at 1:30 PM Eastern Time, with a tentative award date of June 29, 2022. Vendors must bid on all 261 line items across six product categories: native wildflowers and forbs (117 items), native grasses (56 items), wildflowers (35 items), forbs (13 items), grasses (16 items), and cover crop/food plot seeds (20 items), plus four service line items. The procured goods include pollinator wildflower and native grass seed mixes that must be tagged according to state and federal regulations and meet minimum standards for germination and pure live seed (PLS) percentages specified by bidders. Services include site preparation, plot seeding, site maintenance, and equipment mobilization across twelve Kentucky Transportation Cabinet districts spanning from Paducah to Pikeville. Pricing shall be quoted on a per-pound basis for seeds (based on pure live seed), per-acre basis for site preparation, seeding, and maintenance services, and per-mile basis for equipment mobilization, with all quotes submitted F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed. Evaluation criteria allocate 95 points for price and 5 points for delivery time, with award based on best value. The Master Agreement will have an initial period beginning upon award and expiring June 30, 2023, with four optional one-year renewal periods available with written approval from both the vendor and the Division of Purchases.

Kentucky resident bidders receive reciprocal preference, and qualified bidders as defined under Kentucky Administrative Regulations are eligible. All bidders must complete and submit a notarized Annual Affidavit affirming compliance with campaign finance law, proper disclosure of subcontractor information, sales and use tax registration status, and state tax payment compliance prior to contract award. Successful bidders must provide General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and Kentucky worker's compensation insurance, with certificates of insurance required within ten days of notice of intent to award. The contract is subject to Davis-Bacon Act wage determinations, Buy America requirements for steel and iron materials, and federal funding compliance provisions. Late deliveries will incur a one-percent daily penalty deduction from invoices for each day delivery is delayed. No specific budget range or award value is identified in the solicitation documents; pricing is based on the competitive bids received for each line item. Vendors must respond through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) e-procurement platform at https://emars311.ky.gov/webapp/vssprdonline3111d/AltSelfService, with submission requirements including relevant documentation such as bid sheets, catalogs, and affidavits limited to 65,000 KB per file.