Cochran Program on U.S. Laboratory Capacity Building

The Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has a requirement the design and delivery of a training program that focus on current U.S. procedures which ensures the safety of agricultural products at US seaports and airports, food sampling methodology, laboratory testing methods, and crisis management. This combined synopsis/solicitation is open to all Offerors in accordance to FAR Part 5 as full and open competition. All vendors interested in submitting a quote for consideration should do so, prior to the solicitation closing date, in the form of an email to the point of contract listed in this solicitation. All submissions should be in accordance with the stipulations set forth below: This solicitation is open to all vendors under NAICS Code 611430 (Professional and Management Development Training) 1. Quote shall be based upon the attached Statement of Work (SOW). 2. Quotes will be evaluated based on best value with the evaluation criteria listed below. 3. All quotes shall include not only the total price, but all costs associated with the requirement. EVALUATION 52.212-2 EVALUATION -COMMERCIAL ITEMS (JAN 1999) The Government will award on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors. The two (2) technical factors - Technical Acceptability and Past Performance when combined are more important than Price (non-technical factor). Refer to FAR 15.101-2 Lowest Price technically Acceptable Source Selection Process. FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL ACCEPTABILITY, Technical acceptability is the most important factor for the acquisition. The narrative of each assessment factor is provided to describe the scope of the factor. FACTOR 2: PAST PERFORMANCE The Offeror will be evaluated on the Offeror's proven ability to meet technical acceptability for similar efforts in the recent past. The Offeror should provide narrative of experience with similar workshops or classes related to agricultural credit and financial analysis. The narrative should address when the workshops or classes were taught and the approximate number of students. The evaluation of past performance will be based on the SOW requirements. ? NON-TECHNICAL FACTOR Price (Non-technical Factor): The offeror is to demonstrate the ability to provide a sound competitive offer associated with the services identified within the solicitation. The government will evaluate the offeror's price for fairness and reasonableness. Price, while being an important factor, it is not in and of itself the determining factor in the selection of the successful offeror for award of the contract by this solicitation. Price is not scored or weighted; rather, each offeror's price will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness. FAR Clause 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. FAR Clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders -Commercial Items, apples to this acquisition. All questions must be submitted via email only to Michelle.Johnson@wdc.usda.gov on August 27, 2010 by 3pm EST with all proposals being due by September 3, 2010 at 3pm EST.