Request for Proposals for the Business Consignment of the Survey on the Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings

Request for Proposals for the Business Consignment of the Survey on the Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings
Main text starts here. Home > Prefectural Government Information & Statistics > Bidding and Contracts > Goods and Contracts > Public Announcements of Bids, etc. (Goods and Contracts) > Request for Proposals for the Business Consignment of the Survey on the Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings Updated: July 23, Reiwa 8 (2026) Page Number: 864032 Request for Proposals for the Business Consignment of the Survey on the Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings We are soliciting proposals for the business consignment of the survey on the production and distribution status of sweet potato seedlings.
1. Business Name: Survey on the Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings Business Consignment
2. Details of Contracted Business: As described in the "Specifications for Business Consignment of Survey on Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings".
3. Method of Business Implementation: Proposals will be solicited, and one party will be selected after review and selection to undertake the business.
4. Maximum Contract Amount: 3,999,600 yen (including consumption tax and local consumption tax)
*The above includes all expenses required for this project. Payment of the contract amount will generally be made after all work is completed.
5. Eligibility Requirements:
All of the following requirements must be met.
(1) Not falling under the provisions of Article 167-4 of the Local Autonomy Act (Cabinet Order No. 16 of 1947).
(2) Must be registered as a contractor in the Chiba Prefecture Goods and Other Bidder Qualification Register, or be expected to be registered by the deadline for submission of proposals specified in these guidelines.
(3) Must not have been subject to suspension of bidding eligibility for general competitive bids and designated competitive bids for Chiba Prefecture goods and other items during the period from the start of the recruitment to the contract date.
(4) Must not have been subject to designation suspension based on the "Standards for Designation Suspension, etc. of Bidders for Chiba Prefecture Goods and Other Items" (established December 1, 1982) or exclusion from bidding based on the "Guidelines for Exclusion of Organized Crime Groups from Contracts for Goods Procurement, etc." during the period from the start of the recruitment to the contract date.
(5) Must not be a member of the selection committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") that conducts the review and selection. Furthermore, must not belong to a corporation or other organization where such a committee member is the principal, an executive, an advisor, or a member.
(6) Must not be an organization whose primary purpose is religious or political activities.
(7) Must not be an organization whose purpose is to recommend, support, or oppose specific public officials (including candidates) or political parties.
(8) Must not be a "Bōryokudan" (organized crime group) as defined in Article 2, Item 2 of the Act on Prevention of Unjust Acts by Bōryokudan Members (Act No. 77 of 1991), or an organization with executives and employees who are "Bōryokudan" members as defined in Item 6 of the same article, or an entity engaged in activities beneficial to them.
6. Inquiry Reception and Response:
Inquiries regarding this matter will be accepted via email. Please confirm receipt by phone after sending the email to prevent issues such as non-delivery.
Inquiries and responses will be published on the Chiba Prefecture website on Friday, August 7, Reiwa 8 (2026).
(1) Reception Period: Until 5:00 PM on Tuesday, August 4, Reiwa 8 (2026).
(2) Contact Information: Fertilizer and Pesticide Section, Environmental Agriculture Promotion Division, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Chiba Prefecture. Email: shokubo@mz.pref.chiba.lg.jp Phone: 043-223-2888
*Inquiries regarding the status of proposals or the names of committee members for this proposal review will not be accepted.
7. Application Method and Deadline:
Please carefully review the "Guidelines for Proposal Solicitation for Business Consignment of Survey on Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings (Proposal)" attached at the end of this page and apply.
*To apply for this business, a two-step procedure is required: "Submission of Application Declaration" and "Submission of Proposal Documents".
(1) Submission of Application Declaration:
Organizations intending to apply for this business must submit an "Application Declaration" (Form No. 1).
If the Application Declaration is not submitted by the deadline, you cannot apply for this bid (submit proposal documents).
Submission Deadline: 5:00 PM, Friday, August 7, Reiwa 8 (2026) (must arrive by this time).
Submission Method: Email (To: shokubo@mz.pref.chiba.lg.jp)
*After submission, please confirm receipt by phone (043-223-2888).
*Cancellations are possible even after submitting the Application Declaration.
(2) Submission of Proposal Documents:
Submission Deadline: 3:00 PM, Thursday, August 20, Reiwa 8 (2026) (must arrive by this time).
*Late submissions will not be accepted, so please allow ample time for submission.
(3) Submission Method: Submit in person or by mail.
a. In person: Submit between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM during the period up to the deadline (until 3:00 PM on the final submission day).
b. By mail: Please use a method that clearly indicates sending and receiving.
Submission Address: Fertilizer and Pesticide Section, Environmental Agriculture Promotion Division, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Chiba Prefecture, Chiba Prefectural Government Building, 17th Floor, 1-1 Ichiba-cho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, 260-8667.
Number of Copies to Submit: Submit 1 original and 8 copies (copies acceptable) of the application documents as described in the recruitment guidelines. (No seal impression required for original or copies).
8. Selection Method:
(1) The Committee established by the Prefecture will review the proposals, presentations, and Q&A sessions to select the best proposal as the candidate for the contract.
(2) The Selection Committee will be held in late August, Reiwa 8 (2026). Details will be notified separately to the proposers.
9. Recruitment Guidelines, Specifications, and Forms:
Business Consignment Specifications (PDF: 3,100.6KB)
Proposal Solicitation Guidelines (PDF: 272.4KB)
Application Declaration (Form No. 1) (Word: 23.7KB)
Proposal Form (Form No. 2) (Word: 31KB)
Overview and Track Record of Organization (Form No. 3) (Word: 64.5KB)
Business Schedule (Form No. 4) (Word: 30KB)
Business Implementation System (Form No. 5) (Word: 30KB)
Cost Estimate (Form No. 6) (Word: 35KB)
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Specifications for Business Consignment of Survey on Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings
*These specifications outline the general scope of the business for the proposal solicitation. The final specifications will be determined through consultation after the contractor is selected by Chiba Prefecture (hereinafter referred to as "the Prefecture").
1. Business Name: Survey on the Production and Distribution Status of Sweet Potato Seedlings Business Consignment
2. Contract Period: From the contract date until Friday, February 26, Reiwa 9 (2027).
3. Purpose: Chiba Prefecture ranks third nationally in sweet potato production, with its quality and taste highly regarded.
However, the sweet potato black rot disease poses a threat to sweet potato producing regions.
This disease is transmitted through infected "seed potatoes" and "seedlings," and the fungus can remain in the soil, potentially causing significant damage to producing regions.
Sweet potato cultivation is widespread, not only among farmers but also in home gardens, community farms, school gardens, and harvest experience facilities.
The most crucial control measure is to prevent the introduction of infected seedlings into fields, and securing healthy seedlings is essential. However, the origin and production methods of many sweet potato seedlings in circulation are unknown, as are the labels at the time of sale.
Furthermore, the distribution of seedlings is diversifying, with online sales becoming common.
Therefore, this survey aims to grasp the actual situation of sweet potato seedling production and distribution used for cultivation within the prefecture, to aid in future sweet potato black rot disease control measures, including preventive measures, awareness campaigns for high-risk targets, and improved traceability in case of black rot outbreaks.
4. Business Content:
(1) Information Gathering and Database Creation of Businesses Involved in Sweet Potato Seedling Production and Distribution
Based on the purpose of this survey, this section targets businesses that supply (produce, wholesale, retail) sweet potato seedlings (primarily for fresh consumption) within Chiba Prefecture. Information necessary for the survey (business name, location, business content, etc.) will be collected, and a database will be created with a list of survey populations categorized by distribution stage (seedling companies (by business content such as production, wholesale, retail), retail stores such as home centers, farmers, agricultural cooperatives, etc.).
In addition to businesses located within the prefecture, businesses that supply seedlings on a national scale will also be targeted.
(2) Questionnaire Design and Implementation
a. Survey Target: Sweet potato seedling production and distribution related businesses that supply (produce, wholesale, retail) sweet potato seedlings (primarily for fresh consumption) within Chiba Prefecture (including businesses for which information has been gathered and organized in (1)).
b. Survey Method: Employ survey methods that are likely to achieve a high response rate according to the characteristics of the survey targets. Propose specific methods for conducting the questionnaire survey and creative ideas for improving the response rate.
c. Survey Content: The following survey content is an example. Proposals should aim to achieve results that fulfill the survey objectives.
① Respondent's attributes (industry, business content, contact information, department in charge)
② Varieties of sweet potato seedlings handled (primarily for fresh consumption varieties (Beniazuma, Takake 14, Beni haruka, Silk sweet, Ama hazuki, etc.)) (Reference: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries "Situation of Sweet Potatoes" https://www.maff.go.jp/j/seisan/tokusan/imo/attach/pdf/siryou-17.pdf)
③ Sweet potato seedling production status (if producing (own production/contracted)) Location of production fields, production volume, shipping destinations (by variety)
③-2 If "Chiba Prefecture" is included in the answers to the shipping destination question in ③: Shipping form, inspection status at the time of shipment, items indicated at the time of shipment, future shipping prospects, etc.
④ Sweet potato seedling sales status (if selling) Suppliers, buyers, sales volume (by variety)
④-2 If "Chiba Prefecture" is included in the answer to the "Buyers" question in ④: Confirmation status at the time of purchase, sales form, future sales intentions, etc.
⑤ Other: Challenges in production and distribution, willingness to cooperate with hearing surveys, etc.
d. Questionnaire and Survey Items: Propose the content of the questionnaire and survey items considered by the applicant, along with the survey objectives and expected summary.
The questionnaire and survey items will be determined through consultation with the Prefecture after the contract is concluded.
e. Aggregation of Questionnaire Results: Check the content of the answers, input free-response data, and create a database.
Also, aggregate and organize the data by distribution stage (seedling companies (by business content such as production, wholesale, retail), retail stores such as home centers, farmers, agricultural cooperatives, etc.).
f. Other: Preparations for the survey and tasks arising from the survey implementation.
The contractor will perform tasks such as confirmation with the Prefecture as needed.
*Inquiries from survey targets related to the questionnaire survey will be handled by the contractor in principle.
(3) Implementation of Hearing Surveys: In addition to the questionnaire survey, conduct more detailed hearing surveys.
(4) Analysis of Survey Results and Report Creation:
a. Creation of Distribution Flowchart: Create a flowchart of sweet potato seedling distribution.
(Reference: Sakata Seed Corporation website "Seedling Companies and Their Product Flow" https://corporate.sakataseed.co.jp/about-us/seed-business/seed-company.html)
b. Aggregation and...