Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Data Collection, Ground Truth Project: KANSAS and NEBRASKA
The USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station intends to initiate a Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement action and award a negotiated, Firm-Fixed Price incentive contract for Image-based Change Estimation (ICE) Ground Truth and Nonforest Tree Inventory plots in Kansas and Nebraska. The Contractor will provide inventory data to the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Unit. This is a pilot study to test the feasibility of collecting ground truth data for Land Use/Land Cover change and measuring Trees Outside Forest (TOF). This data will be collected from predetermined forest inventory plots randomly located across both Kansas and Nebraska. The Image-based Change Estimation (ICE) Ground Truth and Nonforest Tree Inventory plots will combine nearly all field inventory protocols and procedures that FIA collects currently. These will include all P2, P2+, P2+/Soils, Urban, as well as ICE points and pilot variables from a previous Plains States inventory. These protocols and procedures will be modified to be collected on Nonforest conditions. Forested Conditions will be identified but not measured for all the listed protocols, procedures, and data in the plot types listed.
The acquisition will be solicited using the procurement process prescribed in Part 12, Commercial Items, of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), in conjunction with the policies and procedures for solicitation, evaluation and award prescribed in Part 13, Simplified Acquisition Procedures; and Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation. A Firm-Fixed Price contract will be awarded for a period of one year (12 months) to the offeror whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, falls within the competitive price range. The contract period will be from approximately October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2018. The Government will award the contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose proposal, conforming to the RFP will be the Best Value to the Government. The award may be made to a superior offeror which is not the lowest offered price, but which is significantly more technically advantageous than the lowest offer so as to justify the payment of a higher price.
The evaluation factors listed in descending order of importance are:
Factor 1 - Experience and Qualifications of Contractor and Key Personnel
Factor 2 - Past Performance
Factor 3 - Capability to Perform
Factor 4 - Cost
Factors 1 and 2 are of equal weighting; Factors 1, 2, and 3 are significantly more important than cost; however cost will contribute substantially to the selection decision. Award of the contract will be made as a whole to the offeror whose proposal conforms to all requirements of the specifications and is the "greatest value" to the Government, cost and other factors considered.
A Pre-Proposal Meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday, August 7, 2017 at 10:30 am EST via teleconference on Monday, August 7, 2017 at 10:30 AM Eastern Time (09:30 AM Central Time). Please contact Mr. James Blehm, Supervisory Forester, by e-mail at jblehm@fs.fed.us to register for the site visit. He may also be contacted by telephone at 651-649-5198 (office); or 651-472-1759 (cell).
Solicitation documents, plans and specifications will only be available via the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) homepage located at https://www.fbo.gov/ An electronic copy of Solicitation Number AG-3604-S-17-0022 will be posted on this site on or about July 17, 2017. No hard copies will be issued and no written or fax requests will be accepted. Proposals are due on or about Monday, August 21, 2017 by 3:00 pm EST. Proposals may be e-mailed to Briana Chalmers at the following e-mail address: bcchalmers@fs.fed.us Proposals may also be sent by mail to the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 11 Campus Blvd., Ste. 200, Newtown Square, PA 19073. ATTN: Briana Chalmers. No bound/spiral proposals; and no fax submission proposals are accepted.
The NAICS Code for this project is 115310 with a size standard of $7.5 million. It is the contractor's responsibility to monitor FBO for any amendments. All contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM as required by FAR 4.1102. Also contractors who receive a federal contract of $25,000.00 or more are required by legislation to submit an annual VETS-100 Report on your employment of targeted veterans. Information on submitting your report may be obtained by calling 703-461-2460 or by accessing the following Internet website: http://vets.dol.gov/vets100/.
Service Contract Act Wage Rates will be applicable. Award will be made as a whole to one offeror. This procurement is set aside 100% for small business concerns.
Briana C. Chalmers, Contract Specialist, Phone 610-557-4053, Email bcchalmers@fs.fed.us - James Blehm, Supervisory Forester, Phone 651-649-5198, Email jblehm@fs.fed.us
