Justification of Sole Source from Hawkins, Inc.

The City of Clermont, through its Public Services Environmental Services department, has issued Request for Information RFI 27-006 to determine if the procurement of AQUAGOLD 170 water-treatment chemicals from Hawkins, Inc. qualifies as a sole source acquisition. Hawkins, Inc. has provided a certification letter stating they are the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of this specific polyphosphate blend with no other authorized agents in Central or Northern Florida. The city is seeking information from other potential vendors to verify if equivalent products exist before proceeding with a non-competitive award, with a response deadline of October 8, 2026. Administrative requirements for participating vendors include registration through the OpenGov e-Procurement Portal and the submission of a completed Vendor Information form and IRS Form W-9. Additionally, suppliers must adhere to the City of Clermont's minimum insurance requirements, which include General Liability and Automobile Liability coverage of 500,000 dollars per occurrence, as well as Workers Compensation per Florida statutory limits. The primary point of contact for this procurement is Water Operations Chief Edward Rashinskas.