C -- A&E SERVICES WITH EMPHASIS IN SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE IN THE PLANNING, DESIGNING, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS FOR TRUCK CROPS AND ORCHARDS

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, West Virginia, announces a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Architect and Engineering firms interested in contracting for A&E Services with emphasis in specialized experience in the planning, designing and implementation of irrigation systems for truck crops and orchards. The irrigation systems may range from a small organic truck farm up to a 30 acre orchard/vineyard and may require the design of the irrigation system, water source (pond, water catchments facility, etc.) and associated components. These components may include but are not limited to: irrigation pipelines, main and submains (both low and high pressure); subsurface drainage systems; micro irrigation (drip/trickle emitters); pumping plant, sprinkler irrigation (solid set, traveling gun and center pivot); chemical mixing facilities; overhead freeze protection systems; and irrigation water management practices. This procurement will be evaluated using Brooks Act procedures. This procurement is unrestricted and is therefore open to all businesses regardless of size. The type of contract to be awarded will be an (IDIQ) Indefinite Delivery and Indefinite Quantity contract, consisting of one or more work orders. The initial contract period will be for one year and the government may, at its option, extend the contract to a maximum of five years by exercising each of the four one year renewal options. SF-330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications, is being requested. This form can be obtained from the following web site: http://www.gsa.gov. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. The government contemplates the award of one to three Firm-Fixed Price; Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contracts resulting from this competition. The matching of an A&E firm, under these and other multiple award contracts, to an individual work order need, will be made after considering factors such as: 1. Geographic location of the firm in relation to the work assignment, 2. Availability of transportation services in relation to the work assignment and the firms location, 3. Specialized experience and other qualifications of the firms under this and other multiple awarded contracts for A&E services, 4. Capacity of the firms under contract to perform the work, considering current contract work orders and services being provided other clients, 5. Complexity of this and other work assignments, and 6. Other factors as appropriate. Work under each of the contracts will be subject to satisfactory negotiation of individual delivery orders. Each contract will be for a period of one base year and the government may, at its option, extend the contract for 4 one-year option periods. The firms selected are guaranteed a minimum of $5,000 in fees for the base and each subsequent year where the option is exercised and a maximum of $200,000 in fees for each year of the contract. Delivery Orders are expected to include civil, agricultural, and or environmental engineering services consisting of those needed to design and implement elements of an above ground irrigation system. Services to be provided may include but are not limited to site investigation, surveying; hydrology, hydraulic design, irrigation design, pumping plant, storage reservoirs, preparation of construction drawings and specifications, construction site layout, construction observation, quality assurance testing and preparation of as-built drawings. All services shall be provided in accordance with applicable NRCS standards, policy and criteria. Services are also expected to include those required to provide solutions to natural resource quality and quantity problems including but not limited: well, ponds, pumping plants, irrigation pipelines (both low and high pressure); subsurface drainage systems; micro irrigation (drip/trickle emitters); pump sizing/selection; sprinkler irrigation (solid set, traveling gun and center pivot), chemical mixing facilities, overhead freeze protection systems, nursery irrigation and irrigation water management practices. Services requested may require (1) field investigations to perform engineering surveys, geologic and soils investigations, (2) design and preparation of engineering plans and construction specifications, (3) performance of construction layout, water management checks, leak testing, pressure and uniformity testing, inspection, checkout, and certification of completed practices in accordance with NRCS standards, specifications, and documentation requirements as set forth in Section IV of the Field Office Technical Guide, National Engineering Handbook, and the National Engineering Field Handbook, the Engineering Handbook, Irrigation Guide, National Engineering Manual and supplements to the referenced handbooks. These open-ended contracts may include design for repair, replacement and upgrading of existing systems, design review of other A&E firms, and construction phase services. Services may involve direct consultation, supervision and inspection of construction for a specific project, including reviews and approvals of shop drawings, material selections, quality control testing such as those associated with concrete placement and earth fill compaction. Responses should include proposed sub-consultants for all disciplines including civil, agricultural, environmental, soil mechanics engineering, and irrigation design and water management planning and application. Responses should also include the qualification of personnel and description of facilities, materials, equipment and services to perform the type of tasks described by this notice. The preparation of construction and design documents in electronic format and with approved NRCS computer software or other approved software is required. All design drawings will be submitted using AutoCAD, version 2000 or later. PRESELECTION CRITERIA Project manager must be a Registered Professional Agricultural, Environmental, and or Civil Engineer licensed in the State of West Virginia. Required submittals: (1) SF-330 for the prime contractor (2) SF-330 for any proposed sub-consultant, (3) An Organizational Chart indicating all key personnel (prime and consultants) to be utilized under this contract, (4) Selection criteria submittals. Submittals must address each of the below listed selection criteria in sequence: (1) Professional capabilities; (2) Specialized experience and technical competence, including hydrology, hydraulics, surveying, irrigation, pumping plant design, truck crop and orchard planning, sprinkler irrigation, micro-irrigation, fertigation, chemigation, construction oversight, and others as required; (3) Capacity to accomplish work in the required time considering current contract work orders and services being provided to other clients; (4) Past performance on contracts with respect to cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules; (5) Quality control experience; (6) Geographical location in relation to the work assignment and knowledge of the locality of the project, provided that the application of the criterion leaves an appropriate number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project; and (7) Experience with NRCS standards and specifications. All firms will be evaluated on the above factors which are shown in descending order of importance. Selection of firms shall be through an order of preference based on qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the type of professional services described above. All requirements of this announcement must be met for a firm to be considered to be responsive. Offerors that fail to submit the required information or adequately address the required information may be rejected. Interested A&E firms that have the capabilities to perform the anticipated work must submit four copies of their qualification documents. The SF-330 must include (1) the prime DUNS number, (2) Each key person's office address, including telephone/fax numbers and e-mail addresses if different than as stated in the SF-330, (3) Registrations must include state in addition to the year, and discipline, (4) Include a point of contact, telephone and current fax number and e-mail address for each project listed. POINT OF CONTACT Four copies of the complete package must be received at the following address: ATTN: Contracting Officer, USDA, NRCS, 75 High Street, Room 301, Morgantown, WV 26505. Submittals are due July 19, 2005by 3:30 PM local time.