F -- Growing Oak Seedings at a Nursery Facility

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR subpart 12.6 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The USDA Forest Service (FS) issues solicitation Request for Quote (RFQ) AG-43ZP-S-07-0002. The solicitation document and incorporate clauses and provisions are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 05-12. There is no set-aside for this solicitation. The associated NAICS code is 111421 and the small business size standard is $0.75 million dollars. This solicitation is open to small and large businesses. The proposed contract is not a set-aside. The purpose of this solicitation is to award a four year contract for growing oak seedlings at a nursery facility. General Specifications for Hardwood Tree Seeding Production Statement of Work. Secure the production of high quality hardwood seedlings for Region 8?s Genetic Resource Management Program seed orchard and seed production area plantings. The objective of this work is to grow high quality large hardwood seedlings (variety of species) in compliance with a defined scientific nursery protocol. Quality is defined by height, root system and root collar diameter. All seedlings produced shall be 1-0 bareroot seedlings. The Forest Service (FS) will deliver the seed (defined as nuts and/or acorns) to the nursery between October 1 and December 15 annually. Each seedlot will have a maximum of 500 seed, with a maximum limit of 100 seedlots. Seed will be collected from wild forest trees on the national forests. Acorns will have been floated at time of collection by FS personnel, and only the healthy acorns will be shipped. Damaged acorns will be disposed of prior to shipping. Contractor shall maintain identity of all seedlots by National Forest and Ranger District. Contractor shall store seed under appropriate conditions until ready to sow, but no longer than two months. Growth and culture of seedlings should follow nursery protocol and standards developed by Dr. Paul Kormanik, retired FS Southern Research Station. Publications by Dr. Kormanik are online at www.srs.fs.ded.us/pubs. No top clipping or undercutting of seedlings will be allowed. Contractor shall hand lift seedlings by seedlot and deliver to the processing facility by seedlot. Minimum exposure of root systems to the environment during lifting and transit is required. FS personnel will sort, grade, prune and assist with packing the seedlings. Contractor shall provide bags, equipment and personnel for packing the seedlings. Lifting and packing shall be performed between February 1 and February 28 each year. Contractor shall store seedlings in cold storage and assist with loading seedlings into FS furnished delivery vehicles. Contract time: The government anticipates work to begin on or around October 1, 2006. The performance period is an 18 month cycle, beginning October 1 and ending April 1 the year after. Each cycle year will become renewable at the beginning of each option year. Contract will include one base year with three option years. Based year is from date of award to September 30, 2007. Option year one (1) is from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008, option year two (2) is from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009, and option year three (3) is from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010. Location and Description: Services are to be performed within 175 miles of FS Southern Regional Office in Atlanta. Government furnished property: The government will provide the following property items to the Contractor: tree seed (nuts, acorns, maximum 100 seedlots, 500 acorn or nut/seedlot). Contractor furnished property: Contractor shall supply all materials, labor, and equipment necessary for the commercial production of high quality hardwood seedlings. Facilities for cold storage of seed and seedlings, fully equipped packing and grading facility that can be used by FS personnel during the lifting and packing process. Quantities: Quantity grown every year will vary with the amount and quality of the seed crop available in the forest. Maximum number of seedlots grown in one year is 100, minimum number of seedlots grown in one year is 25. Maximum number of seed per seedlot is 500. Seed will be collected from forest trees across R8?s National Forests in the Southern Appalachian and Ozark region areas. Species: Species to be grown will predominantly be northern red oak NRO (Quercus rubra) and white oak WO (Q. alba). Other hardwood species to be grown may include swamp white oak, scarlet oak, southern red oak, live oak, laurel oak, overcup oak, swamp chestnut oak, chestnut oak, chinkapin oak, water oak, cherrybark oak, willow oak, shumard oak, Durand oak, butternut, American chestnut, chinquapin. Type and Age Class: All seedlings will be bareroot and 1-0 age class. Seedlings shall be grown in accordance with cultural protocols developed by Forest Service Research. Cultural treatments may require modifications based on environmental conditions and crop development. Target seedling specifications: Minimum NRO seedling characteristics: a 9 mm root collar diameter measured one inch above the swell, minimum height 1 meter measured from the root collar to the terminal bud tip, a minimum of 5 first order lateral roots (FOLR) at least 1mm in diameter at the proximal end. Minimum WO seedling characteristics: a 8mm root collar diameter measured one inch above the swell, minimum height 0.8 meters from the root collar to the terminal bud tip, a minimum of 3 FOLR at least 1 mm in diameter at the proximal end. Other hardwood seedling specifications will vary according to species, but with minimum specifications the same as WO. Sowing date: All seed will be sown in the fall within two weeks of seed delivery from the storage facility. Seed collection is usually completed by December 1. Commercial carrier will deliver the seed from the Ranger Districts to the storage facility. Seedlot Identity: Seedlot identity and original seedlot numbers will be maintained throughout the sowing, growing, lifting, packing and shipping process. Documented procedures insuring integrity and identity of the seedlots must be provided to FS personnel prior to award of contract. Sowing Practices: Seed shall be hand sown for a target density of 6 to 8 seedlings per square foot of nursery bed. A minimum of three feet unplanted space will be maintained between seedlots. Fertility practices: Seedling beds will be established and maintained to the fertility levels based on recommendations from Dr. Kormanik. Contractor shall provide current soil tests of the area to be planted prior to award of contract. Irrigation practices: Nursery beds shall be irrigated based on recommendations developed by Dr. Kormanik. Soil moisture will be monitored with a tensiometer. Both irrigation schedules and tensiometer readings should be recorded and made available for inspection by FS personnel. Cultural practices: Undercutting and top clipping will not be allowed during the growing season. Horizontal root pruning and undercutting to a minimum of one foot is acceptable immediately before lifting. Lifting: Seedlings shall be hand lifted in coordination with FS personnel to minimize seedling root exposure, throughout the process from lifting to cold storage. Seedlings shall be hand lifted from the beds and placed into lifting boxes or pallets. Roots shall be protected during transport from the field to the processing facility. Seedling processing: Contractor shall furnish a suitable building with equipment for grading, root pruning, bundling and packing. Contractor shall furnish large containers of fresh water suitable for washing residual soil from the seedling root systems prior to grading and pruning. FS personnel shall perform grading, root pruning, measurements (if applicable) and tagging. Culled seedlings shall be destroyed and will not be sold to others. Contractor shall furnish suitable packing bags, strapping machine, materials and personnel for closing the bags. Seedling roots shall be treated with gel slurry prior to bag closure. Seedling processing shall be performed between February 1 and February 28, and dependant upon weather conditions and FS planting site availability. Seedling storage: Contractor shall provide cold storage facilities for storing the seedlings from time of lifting to a maximum of six weeks after lifting. Seedling bags must be stored on pallets with adequate air spaces between to insure uniform cooling. Cooler shall be capable of maintaining temperatures between 34? degrees F and 38? degrees F. Seedling shipping: FS will provide seedling shipping. The provisions at Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial applies without addenda. FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation ? commercial items applies to this acquisition. 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. Price, technical factors and past performance, when combined, are equally important. The following technical factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Knowledge and experience of growing oak seedlings. Should be at least 5 years of experience. Demonstrate nursery protocols used in growing oak seedlings ? provide water & fertilization regime, provide bed density numbers and no top clipping as part of the protocols. Show Quality Assurance Plan - Demonstrate how the oak seedlings will grow to meet the standards as stated in the statement of work. List qualification and level of training of each employee assigned to perform this requirement. Does the nursery work with scientists? Do employees read literature and attend conferences to stay up to date on current nursery technology? Past performance information to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar work and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information). Award will be made to one contractor. FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the term of this Contract (March 2000) applies to this acquisition. Contract will include one base year with three option years. Based year is from date of award to September 30, 2007. Option years will be exercise on October 1, 2007, October 1, 2008 and October 1, 2009. FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (Sept 2005) applies without any addenda to the clause to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (Aug 2006) applies to this acquisition with additional FAR clauses cited in the clause are applicable as follows: FAR 52.222-3 Convict Labor (June 2003), FAR 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999), and FAR 52.2222-26 Equal Opportunity (Apr 2002). The successful offer shall comply with FAR 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration (July 2006) and FAR 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Regulations (October 2003) prior to contract award. Offerors shall register on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database via the internet at http://www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423 or 269-961-5757. Offerors shall include a written quotation for the base year and three option years, a written proposal addressing the evaluation factors and a complete copy of the FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items (June 2006) with quote. Offeror can completed the annual representations and certifications electronically via the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) website at http://orca.bpn.gov. The FAR clauses and provisions can be access via Internet at www.arnet.gov/far.html. Submit written quotation to the USDA, Forest Service, Attn: Kay Matthews/AG-43ZP-S-07-0002, 1720 Peachtree Road, NW, Room 876S, Atlanta, GA 30309 at 4:30 pm on September 21, 2006. Quotations need to be submitted in an envelope and address properly for identification purposes. Do not fax or email your quotation. No paper solicitation will be issued. For award information, interested quoters may access the website http://www.fedbizopps.gov.