Florida Freshwater Commercial Trip Ticket System

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is pursuing a sole-source acquisition for the Florida Freshwater Commercial Trip Ticket System, a digital data collection platform designed to replace paper-based reporting for commercial freshwater fisheries and integrate seamlessly with the existing Saltwater Commercial Trip Ticket system and the proprietary VESL platform operated by Bluefin Data LLC. This procurement is justified under Florida Statutes 120.57(3) and 287.057(3), as well as Rule 60A-1.045, F.A.C., due to the unique, proprietary nature of the technology, the absence of alternative vendors capable of achieving the required system interoperability, and the necessity to maintain operational continuity and IT security compliance across the agency's fishery data infrastructure. The estimated contract value is $50,000.00, and no competitive bidding process is anticipated; instead, prospective vendors are invited to submit written documentation by July 23, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time via email to Martin Ehlen at Martin.Ehlen@myfwc.com, demonstrating their ability to meet the system’s technical requirements and deliver a solution compatible with the existing VESL architecture. The selected vendor must warrant full capability to perform all contract requirements, uphold the integrity and reliability necessary for good-faith performance, and comply with Chapter 287, F.S., and all applicable Florida laws and IT security standards. The place of performance is the State of Florida, and while no formal period of performance, delivery schedule, or inspection criteria are detailed, the system's design mandates ongoing maintenance and support exclusively by the original developer due to its proprietary architecture and lack of publicly accessible documentation. There are no contract options, line-item pricing structures, packaging requirements, or specified invoicing methods, and no formal contracting officer representative or technical representative has been designated in the documentation.