Conveyance System Maintenance and Parts for USDA, AMS, Cotton & Tobacco Program

SOLICITATION INFORMATION, QUOTATION EVALUATION CRITERIA, INSTRUCTIONS & KEY DATES: This solicitation is a Request for Quotations (RFQ) to establish a single-award, five (5) year (should all options for Standard Services be exercised) Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Standard Services (Preventative Maintenance (PM) Services), Additional Services (As-Needed Maintenance Services), and Parts for conveyance systems for the USDA, AMS, Cotton & Tobacco Program at Cotton Classing Facilities in the following locations: Memphis, Tennessee; Lubbock, Texas; Abilene, Texas; Florence, South Carolina; Rayville, Louisiana; Macon, Georgia. Standard Services (PM Services) will serve as the firm fixed-price minimum guarantee for this contract. PM Services must be firm fixed-priced and will be established for the Base Year and four (4) one-year Option Periods at the time of contract award. The Contractor will be required to perform PM Services semi-annually (two times per contract year) beginning in the Base Period and continuing for each Option Period exercised by USDA. USDA may order additional services within the general scope of the Contract or parts at its discretion at any time throughout the period of performance. Additional Services consist of As-Needed Maintenance Services. Additional Services and Parts orders will be subject to the Indefinite Quantity clauses incorporated within the contract. This solicitation is issued as full and open (no set-aside used) under NAICS code 238290 - Other Building Equipment Contractors, with a Size Standard of $22.0 Million in annual sales. Other Than Small Businesses are encouraged to submit a quote, which must include a Subcontracting Plan (See technical evaluation factors). All relevant documents (services requirements, locations, terms and conditions, etc.) are included as an attachment to this notice. Interested vendors should thoroughly read and complete all requested documents to confirm their ability to provide the services as required. Questions are due Thursday, June 27, 2024, at Noon Central Time. All questions/inquiries must be submitted via email to the Contract Specialist, Matthew Phillips, at Matthew.Phillips3@usda.gov. Inquiries submitted via telephone will be redirected to an e-mail submission. Questions will be answered by USDA and responses will be distributed to Vendors via amendment of the solicitation posting within SAM.gov prior to the due date for quotations. Late questions will be answered at the discretion of the Contract Specialist. Vendors must submit their quotation package in its entirety to the Contract Specialist, Matthew Phillips, via e-mail at Matthew.Phillips3@usda.gov. Vendors who fail to complete and submit their quotation in accordance with the requirements of this solicitation may be considered non-responsive. Quotations received prior to the solicitation closing date and time, Monday, July 8, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time will be considered by USDA. Incomplete quotations will not be considered. Quotations will be evaluated in accordance with FAR Part 13 procedures, and award will be made to the responsible Vendor whose quotation is determined to provide the best value to the Government, per FAR 52.212-2. Trade-off analysis of price or technical factors will be used in the award determination. After evaluation of quotations is completed, the Government will make an award to the responsible Vendor whose quotation (technical and price) conforms to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the Government, price and technical factors identified within this solicitation considered. For this solicitation, all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price. As quotations become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluation of price becomes more important. The Government will not make an award to any Vendor whose quoted prices are not considered to be fair and reasonable. A COMPLETE QUOTE MUST INCLUDE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: The company name, address, phone number, contact person, and SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) within Block 17a. on page 1 of the attached Standard Form 1449. Vendors must also complete Blocks 17a., 30a., 30b., and 30c. on page 1 of the SF 1449. A Technical Quotation that addresses the Technical Quotation Evaluation Factors as provided below. A Price Quotation using Attachment 1 - Vendor Quotation Form attached to this solicitation. The Vendor must only fill in the blue-shaded areas of the pricing template to be considered for award. The completed Attachment 1 - Vendor Quotation Form must include pricing as follows: Standard Services (Preventative Maintenance Services): The Vendor must quote a firm fixed-price for each pre- and post-season PM Service for each location. Additional Services (As-Needed Maintenance Services): The Vendor must include all labor disciplines projected to be used when Additional Services are ordered. The Vendor must include a fully burdened labor rate for each labor discipline included within their quote (Attachment 1). A fully burdened price per hour is defined as a price that includes wages, overhead, general, and administrative expenses, and profit. Additionally, the Vendor must quote an Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient to apply to quotations that subcontract any portion of the Additional Services required. The Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient rate is fixed and applies only to Additional Services orders that include any portion of the work to be subcontracted. If the entirety of the Additional Services requirement is to be accomplished in-house (by the Prime Contractor), and none of the Additional Services are to be subcontracted, the Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient must not be applied to the Additional Services quotation. The Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient must not exceed 10%. Parts Orders: The Vendor must quote a Parts Mark-Up Coefficient to apply to quotations for parts only. The Parts Mark-Up Coefficient includes all material handling fees, including General and Administrative (G&A) fees, and profit. No additional markup coefficient is allowable under this contract. The Parts Mark-Up Coefficient rate is fixed and applies only to parts. The Parts Mark-Up Coefficient must not exceed 10%. Note: The Government may use various price analysis techniques and procedures to evaluate price. Consistent with FAR 52.217-5, the total evaluated price will be calculated by adding the total price for Standard Services for the base and option periods combined in accordance with the pricing template submitted by the Vendor. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). Fully burdened labor rates for Additional Services will not be included in the total evaluated price. However, the prices will be reviewed for price realism as a part of determining the overall price reasonableness of the quotation. Prices for Additional Services, when reviewed in conjunction with the total evaluated price, should be consistent. Vendors whose quotations contain a low total evaluated price and high fully burdened labor rates for Additional Services tasks may be considered unbalanced pricing and may result in the quotation being rejected. The quoted Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient and the Parts Mark-Up Coefficient must not exceed 10% to be considered fair and reasonable after evaluation. Prices and price reasonableness determinations for Parts will be evaluated at the order level, if ordered. TECHNICAL QUOTATION EVALUATION FACTORS AND INSTRUCTIONS: Factor 1 - Performance Work Statement (PWS): This Factor considers the PWS provided by the Vendor. The Statement of Objectives (SOO) attached to this solicitation notice establishes the desired high-level outcomes and objectives for performance. The PWS submitted by the Vendor with their quotation must emphasize outcomes, desired results and objectives at a more detailed and measurable level than what is provided within this SOO. The PWS submitted by the Vendor who is awarded the contract resulting from this solicitation will be incorporated within the resulting contract; this SOO will not become a part of the contract and will be discarded after award. Factor 1 (PWS) Quotation Submission Instructions: The PWS submitted with the Vendor's quotation must address the objectives and demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements of this SOO. At a minimum, the PWS must: Demonstrate how the Vendor will accomplish Standard Services (PM Services) semi-annually (once before the Normal Working Months and once after the Normal Working Months) and the results to be achieved for each of the included Cotton Classing Facilities, including providing the required two (2) Standard Services deliverables (Recommended Parts List and Preventative Maintenance Report). Demonstrate how the Vendor will accomplish Additional Services (As-Needed Maintenance) when ordered, and a statement acknowledging the required response times (during Normal Working Months and Normal Off-Season Months) for each Cotton Classing Facility. Additionally, the Vendor must include a statement acknowledging the application of the Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient (not-to-exceed 10%) for Additional Services orders issued under the contract. Demonstrate how the Vendor will provide quotations for parts when requested, including a statement acknowledging the required response times (during Normal Working Months and Normal Off-Season Months) for each Cotton Classing Facility, and the Vendor's methodology for obtaining competitive pricing from suppliers for quotations, accounting for the requirement for the Contractor to seek quotes from a minimum of two (2) suppliers to obtain a fair and reasonable price, or to justify the reason for not seeking quotes from at least two (2) suppliers. Additionally, the Vendor must include a statement acknowledging the application of the Parts Mark-Up Coefficient (not-to-exceed 10%) for Additional Services orders issued under the contract. Factor 2 - Key Personnel: This Factor considers the Key Personnel proposed by the Vendor; consideration will be given to the demonstrated experience and qualifications of the proposed Key Personnel on relevant projects of similar nature to the services required in this solicitation. Proposed Key Personnel will be evaluated as to qualifications and experience in all areas necessary to effectively perform the required work. It is expected that the proposed Key Personnel will be the individuals who perform work under this contract. Factor 2 (Key Personnel) Quotation Submission Instructions: For this evaluation factor, the contractor must provide the names and qualifications of the Key Personnel identified within the SOO and proposed for this requirement in the form of resumes. Resumes for each key team member must include educational qualifications, if applicable. The Vendor must clearly present the separate credentials of each proposed key team member and must provide a concise summary of each proposed key team member's separate duties and responsibilities as proposed for this requirement for services. The contractor must describe up to three (3) project examples that are all relevant (similar size, scope, and complexity) to the services required by this solicitation demonstrating the experience of each person designated as key personnel. Resumes for all proposed key team members must, at a minimum, demonstrate that the proposed key team member meets the experience outlined and information required for each position as outlined within the SOO. Factor 3 - Experience: The Vendor must submit a minimum of three (3) but no more than five (5) separate projects within the last 5 years (from June 2024) that details experience that is similar to the scope and magnitude of this requirement. Factor 3 (Experience) Quotation Submission Instructions: Vendors must complete Attachment 2 - Vendor Experience & Past Performance Sheet and submit a completed sheet for each project referenced. Factor 4 - Past Performance: Past Performance will be evaluated for the projects submitted for the experience factor. Factor 4 (Past Performance) Quotation Submission Instructions: Vendors must include complete and current contact information for each customer for each project submitted within the Attachment 2 - Vendor Experience & Past Performance Sheet. The government reserves the right to contact references to verify any information provided. Factor 5 - Subcontracting Plan: Vendors that cannot be classified as a Small Business under the NAICS that has been identified as applicable to this solicitation must submit a subcontracting plan. Factor 5 (Subcontracting Plan) Quotation Submission Instructions: Vendors must complete and include Attachment 3 - Small Business Subcontracting Plan. For the purposes of the subcontracting plan, vendors are advised to use the estimated total IDIQ contract value of $850,000 while calculating the - Goal Total Dollars and - Goals Percentage values in the Small Business Subcontracting Plan attachment. Miscellaneous Documents: This is not an evaluation factor. However, failure to submit completed, required documents may result in the Vendor being considered non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration. Miscellaneous Documents Quotation Submission Instructions: In addition to submitting a PWS, and completed Attachments 1, 2, and 3 (if applicable) as required for the evaluated factors, the Vendor must submit the following other documents: Standard Form (SF) 1449 (Vendor must complete Blocks 17a., 30a., 30b., and 30c. on page 1 of the SF 1449). Attachment 4 - Vendor Representations for Federal Acquisition Regulation Provisions. Standard Form (SF) 30 (Vendor must acknowledge amendments to the solicitation, if any are issued, by completing Blocks 8., 15A., 15B., and 15C. on page 1 of the SF 30). LIST OF ATTACHMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND DRAWINGS: Standard Form (SF) 1449 Statement of Objectives (SOO) Standard Form (SF) 30 (if the solicitation is amended) Attachment 1 - Vendor Quotation Form Attachment 2 - Vendor Experience & Past Performance Sheet Attachment 3 - Small Business Subcontracting Plan Attachment 4 - Vendor Representations for Federal Acquisition Regulation Provisions Exhibit 1 - Automation Conveyor Systems Drawings (all sites) Exhibit 2 - Applicable U.S. Department of Labor Wage Determinations (all sites)