A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC), a division, of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland (TCCSMD), to select an entity to develop, manage and operate a meat processing facility to service the Southern Maryland region farming community.

The facility will be located within the five counties of Southern Maryland, an area that includes Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s Counties. The facility may have portions of the process taking place in more than one location/facility. Innovative solutions are encouraged to apply for consideration. The facility is planned to be a public-private partnership with minimum processing capabilities of 500 bovines and 2000 sheep/goat/hog units, with an optional ability to process additional livestock species including poultry. The ideal capacity for this facility is 3000 animal units per year. The Tri-County Council plans to make a single award to an entity which can provide all of the services requested through sub-contractors and a lease or purchase of property. The contract to be awarded will be for a term of up to 9 years. The funding for this project is from capital funds awarded in the FY'15 budget. The total maximum amount available is $1.5 million, of which $500,000 is available as a loan which can be converted to a grant and the remaining $1,000,000 is available as a low interest loan only. Additionally, Senate Bill 909 was approved in 2015, regarding the project. The Council is required to follow State Procurement Law in preparing and issuing an RFP, evaluating responses and selecting an entity for the project. Bidders who are interested in submitting a bid must register online at the Maryland Department of General Services eMaryland Marketplace website at emaryland.buyspeed.com and search for bid number: MDTCSM31035090 Meat Slaughter RFP. The closing deadline for proposals is date February 8, 2018 by 4:00 pm.

A Pre-Proposal Conference for parties interested in submitting a bid will be held on Monday, October 23, 2017 at 1:00 p.m., at the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) Headquarters Auditorium located at 15035 Burnt Store Road (Rte. 231) in Hughesville, Maryland 20637. The full Request for Proposals, including important information, dates and deadlines can be viewed on the SMADC website home page www.SMADC.com under SMADC Programs "Meat Processing Facility".

Source: SMADC