Forage Plot Harvester

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. Solicitation No. AG-5615-S-17-BB07H may be issued as a Request for Proposals (RFP). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-26. The NAICS code applicable to this acquisition is 333111. **This solicitation will be awarded if funds become available before September 30, 2017.** The USDA, ARS, MWA, US Dairy Forage Research Farm, Prairie du Sac, WI has a requirement / need for a Wintersteiger CIBUS Forage Plot Harvester brand name or equivalent. This equipment must be diesel powered and setup with readily exchangeable front-mounted heads for harvesting and weighing forage and biomass crops. The harvester must be equipped with a row-independent chopper and a sickle-bar cutting unit. Cutting width of both heads must equal or exceed the width of the plot harvester to prevent damage to non-harvested forage. Operator of unit must be able to drive, cut, collect, electronically weigh, and discharge harvested forage without leaving the operator's seat. The plot harvester will be used to determine the yield of a wide variety of forage and biomass crops grown in crop rotation trials. The harvester must be equipped with easily exchanged heads suitable for harvesting tall-stature crops such as silage corn and short-stature crops such as alfalfa. A row-independent chopper is required to harvest tall-stature crops planted in various row configurations. A sickle-bar cutting unit is required to harvest short-stature crops in various row configurations with minimal damage to plant tissue. THE SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS: The forage plot harvester must meet these minimum requirements: 1) must have minimum 75 hp air- or water-cooled diesel engine, wheels, hydrostatic drive, and hydraulically driven steering, header, reel, and conveyor systems for cutting, collecting, and discharging weighed forage, 2) driver seat with readily accessible controls for driving, cutting, collecting, weighing, and discharging forage, 3) 1200 liter or larger weighing container set up for side or rear discharge of forage and equipped with three or more load cells capable of weighing at least 250 kg of forage, 4) have a tablet PC, software, and complete electronic system for acquiring, storing, and transferring yield data in common spreadsheet formats (e.g. Microsoft Excel) to other computers, 5) a front-mounted hydraulically driven row-independent chopper with a minimum cutting width of 1.25 meters that has left and right crop dividers and discharges chopped forage into the weighing container, 6) front-mounted hydraulically driven sickle-bar cutting unit with a minimum cutting width of 1.25 meters that has left and right crop dividers and a pickup reel and conveyor system to deliver cut forage into the weighing container, 7) Cutting width of the row-independent chopper and the sickle-bar cutting unit must equal or exceed the width of the plot harvester to prevent damage of non-harvested forage, 8) must come with at least a 12-month warranty for parts and labor, 9) include operators manual, delivery, setup, 10) provide training regarding operations of the plot harvester including how to best maintain the equipment. Copies of the Descriptive Literature describing their proposed equipment and any other operating literature. DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL: In order to be considered for award Offerors shall provide 1) A quote on company letterhead detailing the item description, unit price and total price, 2) Descriptive literature, brochures, information on service and support, 3) At least 3 to 5 references for the proposed equipment. References must have received the proposed equipment within the last three (3) calendar years (Government references preferred but will accept commercial references). References shall be provided for the product proposed and if possible include the email address of the person to be contacted, 4) Company DUNs number, 5) GSA Contract number and Expiration Date (if applicable to equipment requested), and 6) Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provisions FAR 52.212-3 (only), OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS, with this offer; a copy of this provision may be obtained at https://acquisition.gov/comp/far/loadmainre.html. REJECTION OF PROPOSAL: Failure to demonstrate compliance will be cause to reject the quote without further discussions. All responsible sources may submit an offer which will be considered. The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and can be found in full text at https://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference are as follows: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items; FAR52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items: FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items (Provide with Proposal); FAR 52.214-21, Descriptive Literature (Provide with Proposal); FAR 52.204-7, FAR 52.204-10 System Award Management database (ALL OFFERORS MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE SYSTEM AWARD MANAGEMENT DATABASE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AN AWARD). The website address for registration is: https://www.sam.gov; and FAR 52.222-22, Previous Compliance Report, FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference are as follows: FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items apply to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses cited in 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items are applicable to this acquisition: FAR 52.222-3, Convict Labor (E.O. 11755): FAR 52.222-19, Child Labor; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans; 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-SAM - System Award Management (31 U.S.C. 3332); 52.232-35, Payment by Third Party (31 U.S.C. 3332) and FAR 52.233, Protest After Award. The above FAR clauses may be viewed at http://www.acquisition.gov/comp/far/loadmainre.html. SHIPPING: FOB Destination. DELIVERY TO: USDA-ARS, Dairy Forage Research Farm, S8822 Sunset Drive, Prairie du Sac, WI 53578. PROPOSAL PRICE MUST INCLUDE: shipping or handling fees, as well as any applicable duties, brokerage, or customs fees. DELIVERY DUE DATE: The Government requires delivery within 180 days after award however, each offeror shall include their proposed delivery schedule as part of their quote. FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEM, the significant evaluation factors, in the relative order of importance, are (i) technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement including delivery date; (ii) past performance; and (iii) price (based on F.O.B. Destination), technical and past performance are more important than price. Award will be made based on overall BEST VALUE to the Government. EVALUATION & AWARD FACTORS: The contract resulting from this solicitation will be awarded to the responsible party whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, is determined most advantageous to the government cost, and other factors considered. Each Proposal shall respond to each of the evaluation factors identified below. With the exception of past performance, a technical evaluation will be performed on each quote based solely on the information furnished and not on previous knowledge or associations. The evaluation factors are as follows: (1) Technical Evaluation Factors: A) All quotes will be rated against the salient characteristics and minimum requirements, B) Delivery, C) Set-up, D) Warranty, E) Descriptive Literature. The Offeror shall extend to the Government the full coverage of any standard commercial warranty normally offered in a similar commercial sale, provided such warranty is available at no additional cost to the Government. Acceptance of the standard commercial warranty does not waive the Government's rights under the inspection clause nor does it limit the Government's right with regard to the other terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict, the terms and conditions of the contract shall take precedence over the standard commercial warranty. The contactor shall provide a copy of its standard commercial warranty (if applicable) with this response. Any amendment and documents related to this procurement will be available electronically at the Internet site: http://www.fbo.gov. Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of those documents related to this procurement, if any. Furnish Proposals to Dolores Milton, Contracting Officer, USDA, ARS, Administration Office, US Dairy Forage Research Center, 1925 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1108, no later than 4:30 p.m. July 27, 2017. Proposals and other requested documents may be provided by facsimile to (608) 890-0048 if desired. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Contracting Officer at (608) 890-0045 or Email.