The VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is soliciting simplified bid proposals for Subsurface Tile Drain & Analysis Services. VAAFM, under the Clean Water Initiative Program, requests assistance in evaluating outputs from agricultural subsurface tile drains throughout the state of Vermont, with a focus on the Lake Champlain Basin. Pursuant to Act 64 of the 2015 Vermont Legislature, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and VAAFM provided the Legislature with a Tile Drain Report that contained recommendations of how to best manage tile drains to mitigate and prevent the contribution of nutrients through tile drains to surface waters in Vermont. VAAFM and ANR are offering this request for proposals to address the recommendation related to increasing data collection and assessment. This data will help understand the effects of field management and conservation practices.  Samples will be taken from tile drains year-round in regions across Vermont beginning as soon as possible and ending June 30, 2019. VAAFM anticipates signing agreements with at least one contractor (with the potential of signing multiple contractors) under the terms described in this RFP to ensure timely sample collection and analysis. See attached sample collection form and RFP for more information. Send questions and submit proposals to Ray Doherty, Grants Specialist at [email protected].