Chico Seed Orchard Pesticide Application

The contract is for pesticide application services at the Chico Tree Improvement Center in Chico, California, under a total small business set-aside reserved for Women-Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses, with eligibility extended to HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. The work involves conducting four daytime and four nighttime insecticide applications across 84 acres between May 1 and September 18, 2026, using government-furnished pesticides while providing all labor, equipment, and materials. Contractors must comply with California state regulations for pesticide applicators, including maintaining a Qualified Applicator Certificate on-site, adhering to county agricultural commissioner requirements, and following strict spill response and reporting protocols. Performance is evaluated based on technical capability, past performance, and price reasonableness through a best-value trade-off process, not as a lowest price technically acceptable procurement. The contract is firm-fixed price, issued as a Request for Quotation under FAR Part 12 as a commercial item acquisition, and requires a detailed Plan of Work demonstrating staffing, equipment use, and subcontractor roles. All offerors must be registered in SAM with a valid Unique Entity Identifier and affirm their small business status under the $9.5 million size standard for NAICS 115112. Contractors are subject to extensive compliance obligations including the Buy American Act, Service Contract Labor Standards, Fair Labor Standards Act, Employment Eligibility Verification, and anti-trafficking provisions. A DEI compliance certification is required under AGAR 452.203-71, with false certifications exposing the contractor to termination for default and potential False Claims Act liability. Security requirements mandate safeguarding federal contract information under NIST SP 800-171, though no personnel security clearances are needed. A designated on-site representative fluent in English and a foreman must be present during operations, and weekly reports, daily inspection logs, and application records must be submitted. Invoicing and payment will follow commercial practices governed by FAR 52.212-4, with accelerated payments to small business subcontractors encouraged. The contract includes provisions for subcontracting limitations, whistleblower protections, and prohibitions on inverted domestic corporations and debarred contractors. Submission of proposals is due April 27, 2026, exclusively via mailed delivery to the Albuquerque office; fax and electronic portal submissions are not authorized.