COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION/PSEUDORABIES ANTIBODY TEST KITS

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This requirement is for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS) laboratories located throughout the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The combined synopsis/solicitation number is AG-6395-S-09-0071 and this combined synopsis/solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 05-24. This requirement is a full and open competition. The associated North America Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 325413 and the Business Size Standard is 500. The Government contemplates award of an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Firm-Fixed Price contract for psuedorabies test kits with the characteristics as described in the - Description of Requirements below. The contract term is for a five year ordering period that consists of a base ordering year with a minimum guarantee quantity of 160 test kits for the base ordering year. Each delivery order will involve a minimum order amount of 5 test kits per order. The anticipated estimated maximum quantity is 1,500 test kits per year. The total quantity of material that can be purchased via this contract is 7,500 test kits. The minimum guarantee order amount of 160 test kits is applicable only to the initial base ordering year only; there is no minimum guarantee for subsequent ordering years. Acceptance shall be at Destination. Shipping Costs shall be FOB Destination to the shipping address designated in each order. Each delivery order will require manufacturers commercial packaging based on quantity ordered. Appropriation funds will be referenced on individual delivery orders. A. Description of Requirement: USDA-APHIS-VS laboratories require an automated/semi-automated latex agglutination immunoassay screening examination that is developed for the speedy and reliable detection of antibodies to the pseudorabies virus in swine serum. This examination shall promote high levels of specificity and sensitivity and must have the capabilities of being performed in specific 96-well microplates and read by a spectrophotometer, specifically an ELX 808 Scanning Autoreader/Bio-Tek Instrument that has been prepared for this immunoassay examination. The ideal assay shall have software available that is: (a) user-friendly, (b) promotes rapid detection of suspected specimens, (c) formats any data obtained from assay readings and, (d) provides a hard copy of results as well as an objective analysis in response to such. If the assays are provided in "kits", each "kit" must allow for a number of examinations in multiples of 96 and provide any and all necessary reagents and essential supplies as follows: 1) Latex reagents that are specific for agglutination and sensitive with PRV components (i.e. anti-PRV). 2) Any sample dilution buffer that is necessary for sample dilution and preparation. 3) Ninety-six (96) well cell culture micro-plates that have the ability to be screened in the aforementioned ELX 808 reader. 4) Positive and negative control swine serum that will allow for calibration of each 96-well micro-plate and for calculation of an index that will ultimately determine positive and negative samples. B. Vendor to propose Firm Fixed Price (FFP) for the following items: Base Ordering Year 1 Date of Contract Award through 30 September 2009: Psuedorabies Test Kit meeting - Description of Requirements (maximum estimated quantity 160 test kits) FFP unit price per kit $__________ . First Option Ordering Year 2 (01 October 2009 through 30 October 2010) Psuedorabies Test Kit meeting - Description of Requirements (maximum estimated quantity 160 test kits) FFP unit price per kit $__________. Second Option Ordering Year 3 (01 October 2010 through 30 October 2011) Psuedorabies Test Kit meeting - Description of Requirements (maximum estimated quantity 160 test kits) FFP unit price per kit $__________. Third Option Ordering Year 4 (01 October 2011 through 30 October 2012) Psuedorabies Test Kit meeting - Description of Requirements (maximum estimated quantity 160 test kits) FFP unit price per kit $__________. Fourth Option Ordering Year 5 (01 October 2012 through 30 October 2013) Psuedorabies Test Kit meeting - Description of Requirements maximum estimated quantity 160 test kits) FFP unit price per kit $__________. C. Evaluation and Award: The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. This requirement will be awarded to a single vendor proposing the lowest aggregate unit price for all line items and combined option ordering periods that meet all the characteristics in the - Description of Requirements above. Quotes must be of sufficient detail to determine that they meet all the characteristics in the referenced - Description of Requirements. The Government intends to evaluate offers and award without discussion, however, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions later if determined necessary by the Contracting Officer. The provision 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items applies to this solicitation. The Offeror shall return a completed copy of the Offeror Representations and Certifications with their quotation. D. Applicable Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Provisions and Clauses: The following provisions and clauses will be incorporated by reference: The provision of FAR 52.212-3 and 52.212-3 Alt I, offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (July 2003) applies to this RFQ. 52.212-3 and 52.212-3 Alt I, the clause needs to be completed and a signed copy of this provision shall be submitted with any offer. 52.212-2, Evaluation, Commercial Items (January 1999). The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and its supplements AGAR provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition; 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items SEP 2006 52.212-3 Alt I Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items (Sep 2006) Alternate I APR 2002 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items SEP 2005 52.212-5 (Dev) Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders--Commercial Items (Deviation) SEP 2006 52.214-34 Submission Of Offers In The English Language APR 1991 52.214-35 Submission Of Offers In U.S. Currency APR 1991 52.222-3 Convict Labor JUN 2003 52.222-19 Child Labor - Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies JAN 2006 52.222-21 Prohibition Of Segregated Facilities FEB 1999 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity APR 2002 52.222-36 Affirmative Action For Workers With Disabilities JUN 1998 52.223-3 Hazardous Material Identification And Material Safety Data JAN 1997 52.223-4 Recovered Material Certification OCT 1997 52.223-5 Pollution Prevention and Right-to-Know Information AUG 2003 52.223-11 Ozone-Depleting Substances MAY 2001 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases FEB 2006 52.225-18 Place of Manufacture SEP 2006 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Central Contractor Registration OCT 2003 52.233-3 Protest After Award AUG 1996 52.243-1 Changes--Fixed Price AUG 1987 52.247-34 F.O.B. Destination NOV 1991 52.253-1 Computer Generated Forms JAN 1991 252.204-7004 Alt A Central Contractor Registration (52.204-7) Alternate A NOV 2003, 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration (Jul 2006), 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items (Jan 1999) 52.212-3 Offeror Representations And Certifications--Commercial Items (Sep 2006) 52.219-1 Small Business Program Representations (May 2004) - Alternate I (Apr 2002) 52.219-22 Small Disadvantaged Business Status (Oct 1999) 52.222-18 Certification Regarding Knowledge Of Child Labor For Listed End Products (February 2001) 52.222-22 Previous Contracts And Compliance Reports (Feb 1999) 52.222-25 Affirmative Action Compliance (Apr 1984) 52.233-4 Applicable Law For Breach Of Contract Claim (Oct 2004) 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated By Reference (Feb 1998) 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated By Reference (Feb 1998). The following provisions and clauses will be incorporated by full text: FAR 52.216-18 Ordering (Oct 1995): (a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from Date of Contract Award through on or about October 30, 2013. (b) All delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contract, the contract shall control. (c) If mailed, a delivery order or task order is considered issued when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods only if authorized in the Schedule. (End of Clause) FAR 52.216-19 -- Order Limitations (Oct 1995) (a) Minimum order. When the Government requires supplies or services covered by this contract in an amount of less than 5 test kits, the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those supplies or services under the contract. (b) Maximum order. The Contractor is not obligated to honor -- (1) Any order for a single item in excess of 500 test kits; (2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of 500 test kits or (3) A series of orders from the same ordering office within 30 days that together call for quantities exceeding the limitation in subparagraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section. (c) If this is a requirements contract (i.e., includes the Requirements clause at subsection 52.216-21 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)), the Government is not required to order a part of any one requirement from the Contractor if that requirement exceeds the maximum-order limitations in paragraph (b) of this section. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, the Contractor shall honor any order exceeding the maximum order limitations in paragraph (b), unless that order (or orders) is returned to the ordering office within 5 calendar days after issuance, with written notice stating the Contractors intent not to ship the item (or items) called for and the reasons. Upon receiving this notice, the Government may acquire the supplies or services from another source. (End of Clause) FAR 52.216-22 -- Indefinite Quantity (Oct 1995) (a) This is an indefinite-quantity contract for the supplies or services specified, and effective for the period stated, in the Schedule. The quantities of supplies and services specified in the Schedule are estimates only and are not purchased by this contract. (b) Delivery or performance shall be made only as authorized by orders issued in accordance with the Ordering clause. The Contractor shall furnish to the Government, when and if ordered, the supplies or services specified in the Schedule up to and including the quantity designated in the Schedule as the maximum. The Government shall order at least the quantity of supplies or services designated in the Schedule as the minimum. (c) Except for any limitations on quantities in the Order Limitations clause or in the Schedule, there is no limit on the number of orders that may be issued. The Government may issue orders requiring delivery to multiple destinations or performance at multiple locations. (d) Any order issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that period shall be completed by the Contractor within the time specified in the order. The contract shall govern the Contractors and Governments rights and obligations with respect to that order to the same extent as if the order were completed during the contracts effective period; provided, that the Contractor shall not be required to make any deliveries under this contract after on or about October 30, 2013. (End of Clause) You can visit the website at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/ for the provisions and clauses needed for this synopsis/solicitation. The full text of FAR references may be accessed electronically at this address: http://farsite.hill.af.mil. Quotations must be signed, dated and received by no later than 4:00 p.m. Central Time (CT) on Friday, April 10, 2009 via fax 612-336-3550 or email to daniel.m.kline@aphis.usda.gov. Any quote received after the stated date and time will not be considered for evaluation purposes and no further consideration will be given to the offerors quote, thereby making an offeror ineligible for award. All quotations from responsible sources will be fully considered. Vendors who are not registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database prior to award will not be considered. Vendors may register with CC by calling 1-800-334-3414 or online at www.bpn.gov/CCR.n For questions concerning this Request for Quotation contact Daniel Kline, Contracts Specialist, via email at daniel.m.kline@aphis.usda.gov. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS WILL BE HONORED.