Flathead National Forest Tree Wrapping Contract

Tree Wrapping Contract Flathead National Forest 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; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. AG-03R6-S-12-0023 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) as a performance based service contract for Tree Wrapping Services for the Hungry Horse Ranger District of the Flathead National Forest. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-55. This acquisition is a total Small Business Set aside and the NAICS code associated with this acquisition is: 115310; small business size standard is 7 million. SCHEDULE OF ITEMS ***Please provide quotes based on attachment labeled "Schedule of Items." GENERAL CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS PERFORMANCE BASED SERVICE CONTRACT This work is being solicited as Performance Based, Commercial Item contract. Performance Based means the Contractor is responsible for an end product. If an end product is not provided, an adjustment to the payment will be made. A Commercial Item contract streamlines the terms and conditions to resemble those already used in the everyday marketplace. BASIS OF AWARD One award will be made. Offer of award will be made to the Quoter(s) whose quote, as determined by the Contracting Officer, provides the best value to the Government, considering but not limited to such factors as price, Contractor's experience with this type of work and past performance to accomplish this type of work. The Experience Questionnaire will be used as part of the evaluation and is found as an attachment to the combined solicitation/synopsis. The Contractor shall institute a complete Quality Control Plan (QCP) to ensure the requirements of this contract are provided as specified. The goal of the QCP should be to identify and correct any problems that may arise before they are identified by the CO or his/her representative. A written Quality Control Plan must be submitted to the Government prior to commencement of work and will be incorporated into the resultant contract. SCOPE OF CONTRACT It is the purpose of this contract to secure services for wrapping Government-furnished tree seedlings. The Contractor shall furnish all labor, equipment, supervision, transportation, supplies (except those designated as Government-furnished) and incidentals to perform all work necessary to wrap trees at the location specified. WRAPPING LOCATION The tree wrapping facility is located at the Hungry Horse Ranger District at the Administration Site, Hungry Horse, Montana. Facilities to be used in the prosecution of the work are the Forest Service tree wrapping storage and compound area. The tree seedlings shall be wrapped at the tree wrapping compound and stored in the tree cooler or as otherwise directed by the Contracting Officers Representative, (COR). SITE VISIT (FAR 52.237-1) (APRIL 1984) Offerors or quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. Interested parties desiring to inspect the work area are asked to make an appointment with Paul Jorgenson at the Hungry Horse Ranger Station, telephone +1 (555) 000-0000. GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY The Government will furnish the following: Gate keys - to be signed out and returned upon completion of contract Lights, water, washtubs and cans Terra-Sorb Sontara wrap (similar to Kimtex) in rolls, scissors, nails, ribbon and root pruning shears Vegetable oil for dipping shears Tree seedlings Plastic tubs, baskets or boxes for wrapped trees (hereafter called tub) Use of the cold storage buildings and wrapping sheds Flagging or wood stakes to be labeled with seed lot identification Permanent ink markers Toilet facilities Hoses and nozzles The Contractor shall be liable for all loss or damage of such delivered Government-furnished property until completion and final acceptance of the work required under this Contract. CONTRACT TIME The need for tree wrapping services may not be continuous. There may be periods of high activity around the dates that various planting units open. Likewise, there may be periods of inactivity when planting units have not opened, the number of wrapped trees exceeds the 3-day planting needs, or weather and ground conditions have closed the tree planting sites, etc. These periods of inactivity, which may be of several days duration, are considered normal to this type of work. The Contractor is expected to suspend operations during these periods of inactivity and to begin again promptly when additional trees are needed to be wrapped. Item No. Description Estimated Period of Performance 1.1-1.8 Contract Period May 01, 2012 - July 25, 2012 When weather and ground conditions are favorable for planting and tree survival, the Notice to proceed with the work will be issued. The effective date of the Notice to Proceed will be a few days before the tree planting begins. Because proper planting conditions prevail for a limited length of time, it is imperative that the Contractor begin work promptly once conditions are favorable and be able to respond to a varied number of requested trees to be wrapped. For this Contract, all wrapping will be done at Hungry Horse Ranger Station. The Contractor shall generally be required to wrap trees from designated nursery lots at a rate of 7,000 to 30,000 trees per day. There will probably be periods of low planting activity when the Contractor will wrap quantities of less than 7,000 trees. CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS The Contractor shall employ competent and skilled personnel. As a part of this quotation form, the offeror is required to submit a list of the personnel who will do the work and their experience to the Contracting Officer. Prior to a change of personnel, a list shall be submitted with names and their experience to the Contracting Officer for approval. SAFETY The Contractor shall conduct all operations in compliance with the normal safety standards for this type of work. DAMAGE TO GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT Building finishes and equipment soiled or damaged due to the Contractor's operations shall be cleaned, repaired, replaced or restored to a condition not less than that existing immediately prior to the damage. SERVICE CONTRACT ACT FAR 52.222-41 Service Contract Act of 1965 is applicable to this contract if the contract exceeds $2,500. Please see the attached Wage Determination No. 2005-2317, Revision No.: 11, Date of Revision: 6/13/2011, or on-line at: http://www.wdol.gov/ PREWORK CONFERENCE Prior to commencement of work, the Contracting Officer may arrange a meeting with the Contractor to discuss the contract terms and work performance requirements. DELIVERY OF TREE SEEDLINGS Trees in nursery boxes or bags will be stored by the Government in the cold storage cooler. The Contractor shall remove designated trees, identified by the lot number on the nursery box end, from the tree cooler facility and take them to the wrapping area. Wrapped trees in tubs shall be moved to an adjacent storage area or back to the tree cooler as directed by the COR. The Contractor shall not be responsible for safeguarding the trees in the tree cooler once the Government has taken possession of the trees. Bareroot Tree Seedlings The major portion of the trees furnished to the Contractor shall have tops ranging from 3 to 24 inches in length and roots from 5 to 13 inches in length. Size of stock is measured as follows: Measurement of Root Length - Vertically from original ground line (root collar) to the end of the longest root when seedling is held suspended by stem in natural position. Measurement of Top Length - Vertically from original ground line (root collar) to the terminal bud. RETURN OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY When planting is complete, the Contractor shall dispose of the used Sontara wrap and box liners as directed by the COR. All other Government-furnished property shall be returned to the Government. WORKSITE All work areas must be kept clean, neat and orderly at all times. All tree boxes and bags shall be broken down and stacked flat in piles near the tree wrapping area, as directed by the COR. Individuals not involved with the contract, such as small children and pets or other animals will not be allowed at the worksite. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CARE OF TREES The Contractor shall adhere to the following specifications for care and protection of tree seedlings: (a) Tree seedlings shall be protected at all times from drying, heating, smothering, freezing, crushing, drowning, abrasion, rapid temperature fluctuations or contact with injurious substances. (b) Trees stored in boxes, bags, or bundles shall not be exposed to direct sunlight. Punctured or torn bags or boxes must be promptly resealed. Containers of trees shall be thawed only in full shade. Seedlings shall not be handled until completely thawed. Bundles, bags, or boxes shall be separated to provide free air movement. (c) Tree seedlings shall not be removed from shipping containers until needed for wrapping. (d) If culling of seedlings in a lot appears necessary, or if mold, dry roots, or evidence of injury or dying is observed, the condition shall be reported to the COR, who will decide which trees are to be culled. The Contractor shall place all potential cull trees in a separate pile; roots shall be kept moist at all times. Each day, care needs to be taken to keep potential culls alive until the COR determines the number of cull trees. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of the trees furnished could be culls. (See tree care specifications (a) and (b) for further instructions.) (e) Seedlings removed from the tree colder shall not be allowed to stand, lay in water or snow or be covered with snow. (f) Tree seedlings shall not be removed from the tree cooler for more than 4 hours prior to wrapping without approval of the COR. PREPARATION OF TREES BY CONTRACTOR The Contractor shall prepare bareroot trees for planting as follows: (a) The Contractor may wish to cut enough Sontara wrap to wrap 30,000 trees prior to beginning wrapping or may elect to cut Sontara wrap on a day-to-day basis. The Sontara wrap can be cut with a pair of scissors and shall be 30 inches in length. (b) Trees shall not be handled or wrapped until fully thawed. (c) Seedling roots may required pruning from 9 to 13 inches in length as directed by the COR or Inspector. (d) Firmly wrap them in wet Sontara wrap as shown in Exhibit 1. The trees shall be laid out on the Sontara wrap so that the roots are not tangled. Torn or ripped Sontara wrap shall not be used. The Sontara wrap on the wrapped trees shall be kept wet at all times as instructed by the COR. (e) There shall be exactly 50 trees to a bundle, unless otherwise authorized by the COR. Bundles shall be fastened tightly with a nail or similar item, or tied with ribbon or similar item, insuring all roots and the root collar are covered completely by the Sontara wrap. (f) Contractor shall have the tree seedlings wrapped and ready for pick-up by 5:00 pm the day before the seedlings are to be planted unless the daily order amount to be wrapped is increased. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY The Assessment Method for the Performance Requirements for all tree wrapping on this contract is included in Delivery of Tree Seedlings Schedule of Work above and will be evaluated as follows: COR Inspection and Customer Feedback. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN - TREE WRAPPING 1. Purpose: This Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) describes methods that will be used to monitor the Contractor's performance. The QASP is not part of the Contract. It is provided to the Contractor solely for informational purposes and is subject to change by the Government during the life of the contract. The Government reserves the right to perform assessments more or less often than outlined in this QASP. 2. Introduction: The QASP establishes methods to assess or evaluate performance of the Contractor under the contract. It is designed to provide an effective method of monitoring Contractor Performance for each objective on the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) in the contract. The Government is concerned with the quality of the services provided, and not with the method that the Contractor uses to provide the services. 3. Responsibility for Quality Control: The Contractor is responsible for quality control and management actions to meet the performance requirements and terms of the Contract. The Government performs quality assurance to assess the quality of services rendered, if the services meet the contract requirements, and if the contract standards are achieved. Quality Control for Commercial Items is in accordance with accepted industry practices. 4. Surveillance Methods: The Government will evaluate the Contractor's performance under this contract. Examples of Government surveillance may include: a. Government Inspections. b. Customer complaints with verification by the CO. 5. Deduction Methods: The Government will record performance noting any substandard performance. For substandard performance, the Government's preferred course of action will be discussions with the Contractor to make the Contractor aware of the problem, and to effectively prevent any recurrence of substandard performance. The Government may also take the following actions: a. Presentation of a Contract Discrepancy Report requiring a written explanation for substandard performance. b. Payment deductions in accordance with the PRS. c. Payment deductions in accordance with the applicable FAR clause(s). d. Require correction or re-performance of the service. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE SUMMARY ***Please see attached Quality Assurance Surveillance Summary*** Deduction Threshold. If the number of defects or instances of unacceptable performance, observed during the contract is equal to or less than the maximum allowable defect rate (MADR), then there will be no deduction in payments to the Contractor for that task. However, if the number of defects observed during the contract is greater than the MADR, then there will be a deduction in payments to the Contractor for that task. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS The provision at FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, applies to this acquisition. The provisions at FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation - Commercial Items will be used as follows: (a) 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. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Past performance and tree wrapping specific experience Price Ability to meet delivery schedule *Past performance will be evaluated based on information provided on the attachment labeled "experience questionare". Offerors must submit a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items with offer. The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and in addition to this provision are the following addenda: FAR 52.217-6 Option for Increased Quantity (MAR 1989) The Government may increase the quantity of supplies called for in the Schedule at the unit price specified. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 7 days. Delivery of the added items shall continue at the same rate as the like items called for under the contract, unless the parties otherwise agree. FAR 52.236-7 Permits and Responsibilities (NOV 1991) The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses and permits, and for complying with any Federal, State, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work. The Contractor shall also be responsible for all damages to persons or property that occur as a result of the Contractor's fault or negligence. The Contractor shall also be responsible for all materials delivered and work performed until completion and acceptance of the entire work, except for any completed unit of work which may have been accepted under the contract. FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): Federal Acquisition Regulations - https://www.acquisition.gov/far and the Agriculture Acquisition Regulations - www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES 52.245-1 Government Property (JUNE 2007) OFFER DUE DATE AND PLACE Offers are due at the Western Montana Acquisition Zone, US Forest Service, Building 24 - Fort Missoula, Missoula, MT 59804 by March 8, 2012 at 17:00 MST. The following must be included to be considered complete and therefore evaluated for award: 1.Completed Schedule of Items with all items quoted on. 2.Completed Experience Questionare. 3.Proof of ORCA registration or completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3 SOLICITATION INFORMATION For information regarding this solicitation please contact the following: Contracting Officer: Tina Mainey Email: contact@example.gov Phone: +1 (555) 000-0000 Administrative Contracting Officer: Greg Treible Email: contact@example.gov Phone: +1 (555) 000-0000