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12505B23Q0074 Grass Hay Small Bales IDIQ Documents.pdf | Mar 13, 2023 |
Grass Hay Small Bales IDIQ - Award Notice
Contact and place of performance
Aaron Dimeo
Ames, Iowa 50010
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6 , as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number 12505B23Q0074 is issued as a request for quote (RFQ) . The solicitation document and...
View moreThe United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Services (USDA-ARS) Midwest Area (MWA) Administrative Office’s Acquisitions & Personal Property/Fleet Team on behalf of the USDA-ARS Animal Resources Unit of the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) located at 1920 Dayton Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50010 is requesting quotes for grass hay small bales.
Background:
Grass Hay Small Bales are required for daily care of a variety of animals used in laboratory research at the USDA Laboratories in Ames, IA.
Technical Requirements:
Minimum Specifications for Grass Hay Small Square Bales:
Grass hay must be Grade No. 2 or upper Grade No. 3, according to standards of the Hay Market Task Force of America Forage and Grassland Council. Relative Feed Value Index (RFV) should be 70-100; Crude Protein should be 7-14% on dry matter basis; Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) should be less than 49% on a dry matter basis; and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) should be less than 65% on a dry matter basis.
The hay must be from year 2023 crop, and meet the specifications listed below. The composition of the hay is to be of no more than 50% composition of any one type of the following grasses: Orchard Grass, Brome (Smooth or Meadow), Timothy, Limestone Little Bluestem, Western Wheatgrass, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Prairie Cordgrass, Indian Grass, and side-oats grama. Hay must be greater than fifty per cent (50%) leaves and green; contain less than 2% foreign material; be free of mold, musty odor, dust, etc. No hay will be accepted that has been rained on, is moldy, weathered, weedy, wet, shows signs of insect damage or shows poor construction. This includes hay that shows signs of storage in direct contact with floor such as dirt, gravel, discoloration, moisture damage, and/or mold. All hay is to be harvested from fields that are not grazed and should be from fields located on one farm or close proximity. All hay delivered must be of consistent composition from first to last load.
The hay shall be satisfactorily baled with rot-proof twine. Bales that are ragged, bales shorter than 32" or longer than 42", and bales having wires or twine of unequal tension, which makes it difficult to handle, will not be acceptable. ROUND BALES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTABLE. Bales should weigh between 55 and 75 pounds each. Hay shall not contain foreign material that may be injurious to livestock.
Storage:
The vendor shall store the hay at no additional cost to the Government until such time as all deliveries have been made and the contract has been completed.
Inspection:
The Government reserves the right to inspect the premises and origin of hay before, and at any time after the contract is consummated to assure that the hay is not being contaminated with dangerous pathogens. The Government reserves the right to make inspection of fields, barns where the hay is being stored, and the bales to determine quality and freedom from animal contaminations and also to assure that the vendor’s operations will meet conditions required.
Final inspection will be made at time of delivery to the National Animal Disease Center, and the hay must meet specifications & requirements as specified herein or it will not be accepted. It will be required that the hay not be unloaded until inspected and approved by Government personnel. After delivery, each load of hay will have a sample sent for forage analysis at the government’s expense. Based on the results of this testing, if the load does not meet the minimum specifications, it will be subject to rejection in whole or part.
Deliveries:
Deliveries shall be direct from fields or barns via clean vehicles not used for transportation of livestock. Shipment by rail is not acceptable. Deliveries shall be made to: USDA, ARS, MWA, NADC, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Building 13, Ames, Iowa 50010. Deliveries shall be made during normal business hours of 7:30 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. The Contractor shall make deliveries within five (5) working days after receipt of a written order from an authorized Government employee. Partial deliveries of a minimum quantity may be requested.
It will be requested that contractor call (515)-337-7248 prior to delivery.
Contractor will require state-issued identification to gain access to the facility for escorted delivery to the hay storage building.
It is required by the ICC that both the empty and loaded weight must be obtained from the same weighing station. The Contractor shall provide the Government with a certified copy of the loaded weight ticket at the time of each delivery, which must be obtained at an Official Weighing Station with the firm’s name inscribed on the weigh ticket.
A DELIVERY TICKET must accompany the weigh ticket also, allowing for a signature of a person making the delivery and a signature of government personnel receiving the hay. The delivery ticket must list the number of bales per load.
The Contractor shall be responsible for unloading and stacking the hay in an area designated by the Government. Preferred: If the bales are banded in bundles of not less than 14 bales/bundle and not more than 21 bales/bundle, the government will mechanically unload and stack the hay in the designated storage area at no expense to the contractor.
Key Deliverables:
Acceptable bale sizes: Between 32" and 42" in length. Any size bales shorter than 32" or longer than 42" would NOT be acceptable.
Acceptable hay types: Mixed grass hay with two or more types (NOT to exceed 50% of one type) - Orchard Grass, Brome (Smooth or Meadow), Timothy, Limestone Little Bluestem, Western Wheatgrass, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Prairie Cordgrass, Indian Grass, and side-oats grama.
Order frequency and quantity: There will be NO schedule for deliveries. Delivery orders will be issued against the resulting IDIQ for fulfillment on an as needed basis.
The resulting award will be an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. As such, the 225 tons is the MAXIMUM quantity that can be ordered/delivered against the contract. The actual quantity ordered may be UNDER the maximum.
The quantity per order will be 25 or 50 tons depending on the need. Orders may include a line to cover any potential overage.
Delay in harvest: A delay in hay harvest would NOT be an issue so long as it does not get too late into June.
Period of Performance
The Firm-Fixed Price, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract shall be in effect for 365 days, 12 months, or 1 calendar year: May 1, 2023 (05/01/2023) – April 30, 2024 (04/30/2023).
Evaluation Factors:
Pursuant to FAR 52.212-2, the criteria for evaluation and basis for award will be Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA). Technical acceptable is define as meeting ALL of the technical requirements identified on the Statement of Work and reiterated in the solicitation description. The Government intends to make one Firm-Fixed Price award based on the lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) quote received. "LPTA" means the best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable quote with the lowest evaluated price. The lowest priced quote will be evaluated first; if NOT found technically acceptable, the next lowest priced quote will be evaluated, and so on until a technically acceptable quote is identified. The government will NOT review higher priced quotes if the lowest (or a lower) priced quote is determined to be technically acceptable.
Submitting a Quote:
Failure to demonstrate compliance with ALL instructions presented herein will constitute sufficient cause to reject a quote without further discussions. All responsible sources may submit a quote which will be put into considered for award.
Vendors responding to this announcement shall submit their quote in accordance with FAR 52.212-1. The applicable FAR clauses and provisions for this acquisition are included in the attachments to this solicitation. The Government anticipates making one Firm-Fixed Price award.
Vendors responding to this announcement shall submit their quote along with all other requested and required documentation (such as completed FAR clauses and provisions) to be included as part of ALL offeror’s responses. The quote should include any and all fees, charges, and/or surcharges. This will be a tax-exempt purchase.
The solicitation attachments include FAR clauses, a Statement of Work (SOW), and FAR provisions. Be sure to read and review ALL of the attachments and to complete any and ALL additional documentation required as part of your quote submission. Of critical importance is to review the SOW as it contains the requirements for this acquisition.
In addition, all submissions should include the FAR clauses and provisions completed in their entirety. The FAR clauses and provisions constitute the terms and conditions for submitting a quote in response to this solicitation as well as the terms and conditions of the anticipated award. The FAR provisions apply to the solicitation and submission of quotes. The FAR clauses apply to the solicitation and submission of quotes as well as to the resulting award. The FAR clauses will be included as part of the resulting award. Please review ALL of the FAR clauses and provisions and be certain to complete all of the FAR clauses and provisions that require the offerors impute (i.e. all boxes are checked and all blanks are filled in).
Please ensure your quote will be current and that the price quoted will NOT expire for a minimum of 30 days.
To be eligible to be put into consideration for award, ALL vendors who respond to this solicitation must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) with a current and active registration at the time their quote is submitted. A vendor can contact SAM by calling 1-866-606-8220 or e-mail at www.sam.gov. NO EXCEPTIONS. A Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number is required in order to register. Vendors must also include their UEI# on their quote.
The submission and payment of invoices on the resulting award will be made through the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). As such, vendors must be currently registered or register in IPP in order to be able to submit and receive payment on invoices for the resulting award. Invoices to be billed quarterly in arrears.
Only electronic submissions made via email will be accepted (NO verbal quotes made by phone call, quotes submitted by USPS mail, or quotes submitted in the body of an email). Please email all quotes in writing along with completed FAR clauses and provisions as well as ALL other requested and required documentation to [email protected] by NO later than Monday, March 20, 2023 at 5:00 PM Central Time (CT).
NOTE: Be absolutely certain to reference the RFQ number “12505B23Q0074” and/or title of the solicitation “Grass Hay Small Bales IDIQ” in the subject, body, and/or attachments on your quote submission email to ensure your submission can be located and attributed to this solicitation. Failure to do so could potentially result in your submission being deemed “unresponsive” and as a result your quote may NOT be put into consideration for award (as your quote may NOT be located when searching the recipients email to ensure all responses to the solicitation have been logged before making an award determination).
The United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Midwest Area requires grass hay small bales for the daily care of laboratory research animals at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. This requirement is a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside issued under solicitation number 12505B23Q0074. The acquisition is classified under NAICS 111940 Hay Farming and PSC 8710 FORAGE AND FEED. The agency intends to award a single firm-fixed price, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for a performance period of one year, effective from May 1, 2023, through April 30, 2024.
The scope of work involves providing a maximum of 225 tons of Grade No. 2 or upper Grade No. 3 grass hay from the 2023 crop. The hay must be delivered in small square bales weighing between 55 and 75 pounds and measuring between 32 and 42 inches in length. Technical specifications require a Relative Feed Value (RFV) index between 70 and 100, crude protein between 7% and 14%, and specific limits on acid and neutral detergent fiber. Deliveries will be issued on an as-needed basis in 25-ton or 50-ton increments and must be transported via clean vehicles direct from fields or barns. The vendor is responsible for storing the hay until all deliveries are completed and for unloading and stacking the bales at the designated storage area unless bundles are banded for mechanical unloading.
Quotes are due by March 20, 2023, at 5:00 PM Central Time and must be submitted electronically to Aaron Dimeo. The government will evaluate submissions using the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection process. Vendors must include completed Federal Acquisition Regulation clauses and provisions found in the single PDF attachment and maintain active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP). Final inspection and forage analysis will occur at the time of delivery to ensure compliance with quality standards, including freedom from mold, dust, and foreign materials.
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