Field and Grass Seed

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
NC Department of Transportation
Invitation for Bid #: 54-CA-PR35712
Grass Seed
Date Issued: July 16, 2026
Bid Opening Date: July 31, 2026
At 2:00 PM ET
Direct all inquiries concerning this IFB to:
Christian Andresen
Procurement Specialist III
Email: ctandresen@ncdot.gov
Phone: (919)707-2627

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Invitation for Bid # 54-CA-PR35712
Grass Seed
______________________________________________________
For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of bids, provide your company's eVP (Electronic Vendor
Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This
page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available
for public inspection.
This page shall be filled out and returned with your bid.
Failure to do so shall be sufficient cause to reject your bid.
___________________________________________________
Vendor Name
______________________________
Vendor eVP #
Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered
Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor
Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register at https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn
Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.
Ver. 11/2025

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Department of Transportation
Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this IFB to: Invitation for Bids # 54-CA-PR35712
Christian Andresen Bids will be publicly opened: July 31, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET
ctandresen@ncdot.gov
(919)707-2627
Using Agency: NC Department of Transportation Commodity No. and Description: 101517 - Field and Grass Seed
Requisition No.: PR35712
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Invitation for Bids (IFB), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish
and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.
By executing this bid, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:
this bid is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),
that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter
78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and
it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.
Furthermore, by executing this bid, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor's knowledge and belief, that:
it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded
from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.
As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result
of this IFB, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer
with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.
As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned Vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning
fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of
any Contract arising from this solicitation.
G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans,
specifications, estimates for public Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public
Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of
this bid response to the IFB, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor's entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor are not
aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees or agents of Vendor's organization.
By executing this bid, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL
TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.
Failure to execute/sign bid prior to submittal will render bid invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late bids cannot be accepted.
COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):
PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:
VENDOR'S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:
Ver: 11/2025 1

Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
VALIDITY PERIOD
Offer shall be valid for at least ninety (90) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: _____ days, or if extended by mutual
agreement of the parties. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this IFB.
BID ACCEPTANCE
If your bid is accepted, all provisions of this IFB, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement
between the parties ("Contract"). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply.
Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.
FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this ____ day of _______________, 20____, as indicated
on the attached certification, by ______________________________________________________
(Authorized Representative of NC Department of Transportation)
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Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND .......................................................................................... 5
1.1 CONTRACT TERM................................................................................................................. 5
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 5
2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT ....................................................................................... 5
2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE ........................................................................................................ 5
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................ 5
2.4 IFB SCHEDULE ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.5 BID QUESTIONS ................................................................................................................... 6
2.6 BID SUBMITTAL .................................................................................................................... 7
2.7 BID CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................... 7
2.8 ALTERNATE BIDS ................................................................................................................. 7
2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................ 8
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS .................................................. 8
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD ............................................................................................................ 8
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION ......... 8
3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES .............................................................. 9
3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES ................................................................. 10
4.0 REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................. 10
4.1 PRICING .............................................................................................................................. 10
4.2 ESTIMATED QUANTITIES ................................................................................................... 10
4.3 PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION ............................................................................................... 10
4.4 TRANSPORTATION AND IDENTIFICATION ....................................................................... 11
4.5 DELIVERY ............................................................................................................................ 11
4.6 INSPECTION........................................................................................................................ 11
4.7 PACKAGING ........................................................................................................................ 11
4.8 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS ....................................................................................... 12
4.9 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION ................................................ 12
4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION .......................................................................... 12
4.11 SUSTAINIBILITY EFFORTS ................................................................................................. 12
4.12 SUBCONTRACTORS ........................................................................................................... 12
5.0 PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................. 12
5.1 SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................ 12
5.2 DEVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 15
6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION .......................................................................................... 15
6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE ......................................................... 15
6.2 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT .......................................................................................... 15
6.3 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ................................................................................................... 16
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Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
6.4 INVOICES ............................................................................................................................ 16
6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION ...................................................................................................... 16
6.6 PRODUCT RECALL ............................................................................................................ 16
6.7 PRICE ADJUSTMENTS ....................................................................................................... 16
6.8 CONTRACT CHANGES ....................................................................................................... 16
7.0 ATTACHMENTS .................................................................................................................. 17
ATTACHMENT A: PRICING.................................................................................................................. 17
ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ............................................................................. 20
ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS ...................................... 20
ATTACHMENT D: RESERVED ............................................................................................................. 20
ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR .............................................. 20
ATTACHMENT H: VENDOR REQUEST FOR EO50 PRICE-MATCHING ............................................. 20
ATTACHMENT I: NCDOT APPROVED FESCUE AND BLUEGRASS VARIETIES .............................. 21
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Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
The purpose of this Invitation for Bids (IFB) is to establish an Agency Specific Contract, to obtain pricing, and select a Vendor to
fulfill the annual needs of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for its 2026 Field and Grass Seed.
1.1 CONTRACT TERM
The Contract shall have a term beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the "Effective Date") and ending on January
31, 2027.
Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB and any addenda issued hereto.
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT
The IFB is comprised of the base IFB document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are
incorporated herein by reference.
2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE
ATTENTION: The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of
the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.
General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS
It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all
relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this IFB and comply with all requirements and
specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may
be issued in connection with this IFB.
If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any component within this IFB, those must be submitted as questions
in accordance with the instructions in the BID QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a
result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an IFB addendum. The State may also
elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during
the question-and-answer period, prior to contact award.
Other than through this process or negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate
or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor's bid. This applies to any language
appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor's bid that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors'
instructions herein or to render the bid non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor's bid shall constitute a firm offer
that shall be held open for the period required herein ("Validity Period" above).
The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this IFB
response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or
inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon through negotiations and
incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph
shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor's bid as non-responsive.
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Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
2.4 IFB SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this IFB. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue IFB State July 16, 2026
Submit Written Questions Vendor July 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET
Submit Bids Vendor July 31, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET
Public bid opening for this solicitation will be conducted via conference call. Vendors may use the links below or the call-
in number to join the bid opening on July 31, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET.
Microsoft Teams Need help?
Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 287 172 175 527 21
Passcode: e3FY9vz3
Dial in by phone
+1 984-204-1487,,886760315# United States, Raleigh
Find a local number
Phone conference ID: 886 760 315#
Join on a video conferencing device
Tenant key: ncgov@m.webex.com
Video ID: 118 042 632 1
More info
Contract Award State TBD
2.5 BID QUESTIONS
Upon review of the IFB documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the IFB in order to submit the best bid
possible. To accommodate the Bid Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the "Submit Written
Questions" date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.
Written questions shall be e-mailed to ctandresen@ncdot.gov by the date and time specified above. Vendors will enter "IFB #
54-CA-PR35712 Questions" as the subject for the email. Question submittals will include a reference to the applicable IFB
section and be submitted in the format shown below:
Reference Vendor Question
IFB Section, Page Number Vendor question ...?
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State's response, and any additional terms deemed necessary
by the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, and shall
become an Addendum to this IFB. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel,
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Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this IFB, shall be considered authoritative or binding.
Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this IFB.
2.6 BID SUBMITTAL
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Vendor shall bear the risk of late submission due to unintended or
unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor's sole responsibility to ensure its bid has been received as described in this IFB by the
specified time and date of opening. The date and time of receipt will be marked on each bid when received. Any bid or portion
thereof received after the bid submission deadline will be rejected.
All bid responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Additional information can be found
at the eVP updates for Vendors link: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors.
If confidential and proprietary information is included in the proposal, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the
proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. 66-152 and other information exempted
from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. 132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services or
appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules
set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion,
having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined
to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above.
However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.
If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, the Department may release
an unredacted version if a record request is received.
Failure to submit a bid in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor's bid(s).
Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload bids.
Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this IFB. It is important that all Vendors responding on this IFB
periodically check the State's eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall
be deemed to have read and understood all information in this IFB and all Addenda thereto.
2.7 BID CONTENTS
Vendors shall populate all attachments of this IFB that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized
signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor's submission of incomplete items, may result in the
State rejecting Vendor's bid, in the State's sole discretion
Vendor IFB responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:
a) Completed and signed version of EXECUTION PAGES.
b) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this IFB, if required to be returned.
c) Vendor's Response: Sections 4.5, 4.10, and 6.1
d) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING
e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR
f) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT H: VENDOR REQUEST FOR EO50 PRICE-MATCHING, if applicable
2.8 ALTERNATE BIDS
Unless provided otherwise in this IFB, Vendor may submit alternate bids for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of
Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate bids must specifically identify the IFB requirements and advantage(s)
addressed by the alternate bid. Any alternate bid, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the
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Bid Number: 54-CA-PR35712 Vendor: ____________________________________
legend: "Alternate Bid #54-CA-PR35712". Each bid must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific
pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in
a separate bid. Each bid must be complete and independent of other bids offered.
2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS
Relevant definitions for this IFB are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors referenced below which
are incorporated herein by this reference.
The following definitions, acronyms, and abbreviations are also relevant to this IFB:
a) NCDA&CS - North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Customer Service
b) Labeling Analysis - Information needed to verify the quantity and amount of seed in the lot.
c) Lot - A grouping of similar products within this IFB.
d) TZ Test - A biochemical test, which differentiates live from dead seeds based on the activity of the enzymes in the seeds.
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD
North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the
additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all
award decisions shall be in the State's best interest.
All responsive bids will be reviewed, and award(s) will be based on the responsive bid(s) offering the lowest price that meets
the specifications to include any required verifications set out herein, such as but not limited to past performance, references,
and financial documents.
While the intent of this IFB is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor for all line items, the State reserves the right to make
separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this IFB in
its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.
If a Vendor selected for award is determined by the State to be a non-resident of North Carolina, all responsive bids will be
reviewed to determine if any of them were submitted by a North Carolina resident Vendor who requested an opportunity to
match the price of the winning bid, pursuant to Executive Order #50 and G.S. 143-59 (for more information, please refer to
ATTACHMENT H: VENDOR REQUEST FOR EXECUTIVE ORDER #50 PRICE MATCHING. If such bid(s) are identified, the State will
then determine whether any such bid falls within the price-match range, and, if so, make a Contract award in accordance with
the process that implements G.S. 143-59 and Executive Order #50.
The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in bids received.
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION
While this IFB is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from
engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29 of the Instructions To
Vendors entitled COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS.
Each Vendor submitting a bid to this IFB, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates,
is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other
government agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head,
members of the General Assembly and Governor's office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of
Vendor's bid or qualifications, the content of another Vendor's proposal, another Vendor's qualifications or ability to perform
Ver: 11/2025