A&E Services for Forest Product Laboratory
Introduction: This Notice is for A&E Services for the Forest Product Laboratory, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53726-2398. Tasks may include general site reconnaissance, bridge or other facility safety or condition inspections, field explorations, sampling, surveying and mapping, and geophysical investigations. Investigative work may also include engineering studies with development of alternatives, cost estimates, and recommendations. Work may include tests, evaluations, consultations, program management, conceptual design, value engineering, construction phase services, drawing and/or design review, feasibility investigation, preliminary project analyses, soils engineering, foundation investigation, geologic and soil mapping, soil sampling, evaluation, and typing, boring and core sampling with associated logging, slope stability analysis for dams, roads, trails, bridges, wastewater or water treatment systems, buildings and other structures, electrical and mechanical analyses, condition surveys, comprehensive and master planning activities, preparation of operation and maintenance manuals, and other engineering, planning, construction feasibility or maintenance feasibility related services.
The Forest Service anticipates award of one (1) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity basic contracts for a period not to exceed five years. Individual task orders will be issued against a contract as program needs arise. The yearly task order totals may not necessarily be divided evenly among the awardees. The government guarantees to purchase a minimum of $5,000.00 but not in excess of $5,000,000 in services for the contract period.
The contract will be awarded for work which will be located primarily in the Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan area at the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) main site or the Valley View remote site, 8 miles west of the FPL in the town of Middleton, Wisconsin. Other Forest Service units and Federal Government agencies may, at the discretion of the Contracting Officer, be allowed to borrow capacity against this contract, within the cost limits. Any such work will be executed as task orders issued against this contract by Contracting Officers of other Federal Government agencies or units within the Forest Service, and may not be located in the Madison, WI area. Estimated contract award date is on or about February 01, 2017.
A Source Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB), comprised of Forest Products Laboratory personnel, will evaluate the technical proposals. Offerors are advised that the technical evaluation and rating of proposals will be conducted in strict confidence. The number and identities of offerors are not revealed to anyone who is not involved in the evaluation and award process or to other offerors.
The evaluation process essentially consists of six parts: proposal compliance review and responsibility determination, technical/quality evaluation, Bio-Preferred Products, determination of competitive range, interviews/discussions with offerors of the top rated proposals, and ranking of technical proposals based on written submissions and results of discussions.
1. Proposal Compliance Review: This is an initial review to ensure that all required forms and certifications are complete, the technical proposal was received, and that the offeror is both responsible and responsive to the RFP requirements.
2. Technical/Quality Evaluation: The SSEB will evaluate and rate those proposals passing the first review, above. Proposals will be evaluated against the RFP requirements. Some factors will be rated using an adjectival-based system. Others will be rated on a "go, no-go" basis.
3. Bio-Preferred Products: Offeror must demonstrate that an effort is made to utilize bio-based products in its operations. Products can be found at www.biopreferred.gov. Technical proposals must demonstrate that offeror shall make an effort to utilize bio-based products in its operations. Technical proposal shall contain a list of products which vendor will make an effort
to utilize.
4. Determination of Competitive Range: The SSEB will rank offers based on Technical/Quality Evaluation conducted in M.2.4. The competitive range will not exceed the five top rated proposals, as determined by the SSEB.
5. Interviews/Discussions: The SSEB and SSA will conduct interviews with the offerors that are most highly qualified (competitive range), as determined by the SSEB in section M.2.5. The opportunity for an interview and further discussion of the offeror's capabilities will only be extended to the top five rated technical proposals submitted, that is, the competitive range. At the SSA's discretion, invitations for interviews may be extended beyond or reduced below the top five offerors, if the SSA finds this to be in the Government's best interest.
6. Interviews/Discussions: The SSEB and SSA will conduct interviews with the offerors that are most highly qualified (competitive range), as determined by the SSEB in section M.2.5. The opportunity for an interview and further discussion of the offeror's capabilities will only be extended to the top five rated technical proposals submitted, that is, the competitive range. At the SSA's discretion, invitations for interviews may be extended beyond or reduced below the top five offerors, if the SSA finds this to be in the Government's best interest.
An award will be made to the responsible, responsive offeror whose offer is determined to be the highest rated technical proposal, and whose negotiated rates are determined to be fair and reasonable by the Government. Firms responding to this announcement before the closing date will be considered for selection, subject to any limitations indicated with respect to size, geographic location of firm, specialized technical expertise, or other requirements listed. Following an initial evaluation of the qualification and performance data submitted, two or more firms that are considered to be the most highly qualified to provide the type of services required, will be chosen for negotiation of unit cost for task items such as corner search, monumentation, control measurement, etc.
Please submit five (5) complete copies of the above information to: USDA Forest Service, Attn: Colleen Reittinger, 1 Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI 53726-2398. All questions must be in writing. Please submit all questions to Mike Ash, mikeash@fs.fed.us. Questions and answers will be posted to FBO so please check back often as it is the contractor's responsibility to remain up to date on all available Q&A's as well as any potential resulting modifications. All questions must be received NLT four (4) days prior to the solicitation close date of January 13, 2017.
This is a total small business set-aside. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541310 and the small business size standard is 7.5M. The small business size standard on page 45 of the solication is incorrect. The correct small business size standard is 7.5M.
Michael J. Ash, Contracting Officer, Phone 6516495204, Email mikeash@fs.fed.us
