Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

This is a request for information ("RFI"). DLA Troop Support's ("Agency") Subsistence Produce Program is interested in comments and feedback regarding the Agency's intention to solicit for full service produce support to Department of Defense ("DoD;" Troop) and United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA;" Schools) Customers in the South Florida Zone. There is no solicitation available at this time. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this RFI, nor will the Government compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in developing the information provided to the Government. This RFI does not constitute a commitment from the Government and any information provided in response to this market survey will be used for informational purposes only and will not be released. Any proprietary information submitted will be protected if appropriately marked. Please note that by responding to the instant Agency request, a potential offeror is not promised any future business with the Government. The sole purpose of this RFI is to conduct Market Research to assist the Agency in crafting an appropriate solicitation in the future. Please consider the following questions: - 1. 1. The South Florida Zone currently consists of three separate customer groups requiring ongoing delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables ("FF&V") that have a quality standard of at least USDA Grade No. 1or better. Group 1 will consist of DoD Troop customers in South Florida. Group 2 will consist of USDA School customers in South Florida. Group 2A will consist of USDA School customers in the Virgin Islands. Does your firm have the ability to deliver a variety of FF&V items to these areas? If so, will you utilize subcontractors? 2. The estimated annual sales for these customer groups are as follows: $216,666 (DoD Troop Customers in South Florida); $2,066,666 (USDA School Customers in South Florida; and $43,333 (USDA School Customers in the Virgin Islands).Can your firm handle this? What is the dollar value of product going through your warehouse on an annual basis? 3. The Agency's DoD Troop customers require delivery 2 days after placing their orders, also known as a "skip day" delivery schedule. In contrast, the Agency's school customers place their orders to accommodate a 3-day lead time. Can you accommodate these delivery schedules and if so, how do you intend to? 4. What is your normal lead time for orders? Under what circumstances do you have the ability to fill orders with a shorter than the required lead time? 5. Is your firm a large or small business concern? (Small business is defined as a firm that employs fewer than 500 employees.) 6. What type of business do you have? Specifically, what type of industry is your business in? For instance, are you an FF&V company, a logistics company, etc.? Who are your firm's major customers, e.g. retailers, industrial accounts, commercial accounts? 7. A Class Domestic Non-Availability Determination ("DNAD") for Federal Supply Class 8915, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, dated 16 May 2008 is in effect for DLA Troop Support/DLA Produce Long-Term Contracts. This DNAD establishes a very limited Berry Amendment exception to the requirements of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement ("DFARS") 252.225-7012, Preference for Certain Domestic Commodities (Jun 2012), which is applicable to the Agency's procurement of food items, including FF&V. As a result of the DNAD, non-domestic FF&V may be supplied under any resulting contract for DoD Troop Customers only when domestic FF&V of "satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity" cannot be procured as and when needed at U.S. market prices. This limited exception will remain in effect until the circumstances have changed and the DNAD is formally rescinded. Notwithstanding the aforementioned DNAD, the USDA mandates via its funding restrictions that any produce supplied under its school lunch program (including tribal reservations) be sourced domestically. Unlike for DoD customers, this is a mandatory restriction that is not subject to the DNAD exception. Be aware that if individual state funding is utilized, as opposed to USDA funding, in providing produce to schools or tribal reservations within a given state, the policy may vary depending upon the state. Based on the foregoing, can you provide domestic product? 8. Do you have any long-term contracts with your customers and/or suppliers for FF&V items? If yes, please describe. If no, please explain why. 9. The final negotiated contract fixed unit price for each item delivered to all customers shall be in effect for a minimum of all orders issued during the first ordering week (from Sunday at 12:01 AM through the following Saturday until midnight). The prices shall remain in effect for all subsequent ordering weeks except as otherwise adjusted in accordance with the Economic Price Adjustment ("EPA") - Actual Material Costs for Subsistence Delivered Price Business Model. Unit Price = Delivered Price (adjustable per EPA) + Distribution Price (fixed) Requests for economic price adjustments may be submitted for the delivered price component on a weekly basis. Adjusted prices are required to be determined fair and reasonable before going into effect on the following week's electronic catalog. Distribution price will remain fixed for the period of performance. Also, due to a government requirement for pricing at time of order, an item's unit price may be set for up to 14 days (i.e. from customer order date to when delivery occurs). Can you comply with this pricing model? 10. All rebates/discounts, allowances or other similar economic incentives or benefits received that are attributable to transactions occurring under the Agency's contract shall be passed along to the Government. Are you able to comply with these requirements? 11. All products delivered shall be as fresh as possible and within the Growers/Packers' original shelf life (i.e., Best if Used- by-Date, Expiration Date, or other markings). Where applicable, products shall be appropriately identified with readable open codes such as "Best-Used-by- Date," "Sell-by-Date," date of production, or similar marking indicating the end of the guaranteed freshness date. Can your firm deliver products with the shelf life stated above or better? We encourage responses and would like to thank you in advance for your participation. Your responses, comments, suggestions and ideas regarding support for our customers are requested back by the close of business on March 23, 2016. Your responses may be sent via mail or email to the following mailing address or email address: Contracting Office Address: DLA Troop Support Philadelphia Directorate of Subsistence 700 Robbins Avenue, Building 6 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111-5096