Grounds Maintenance Services

**This requirement was previously listed under a Sources Sought Notice posted on 13 June 2017 under solicitation number FA4621-17-R-0011. Due to change in fiscal year and a new contract writing system, a new solicitation needed to be created for this requirement. The new solicitation number for this requirement is FA4621-19-Q-A003. Please reference this solicitation number for all future notices/actions regarding this requirement. The 22d Contracting Squadron (22 CONS) of the 22d Air Refueling Wing announces the projected solicitation for Grounds Maintenance Services at McConnell AFB, Kansas 67221. The 22d Contracting Squadron intends to issue a Request for Quote (RFQ) for a 100% competitive set-aside to SBA certified 8(a) concerns on or about 29 January 2019 for the acquisition of Grounds Maintenance Services to be performed at McConnell AFB, Kansas. All responsible 8(a) concerns may submit a quote which shall be considered by the agency. The Government anticipates utilizing the simplified acquisition procedures outlined under FAR Part 13 in the solicitation and award of a purchase order for this requirement based on a best value evaluation decision. The evaluation factors include price, technical, and past performance. The technical evaluation will be limited to a Mission Essential Contractor Services Plan which must meet the requirements established in DFARS Provision 252.237-7024 and will be analyzed on an acceptable/unacceptable basis. The Government intends to issue an award to a single SBA certified 8(a) concern under a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) purchase order on or about 8 March 2019. Services will be procured pursuant to the regulatory direction of FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items. The expected award shall consist of one base period of performance (12 months, 1 April 2019 through 31 March 2020) and may include up to four optional periods of performance (each 1 year in duration, and running consecutively from the expiration of the base period of performance). The successful contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, supervision and other items and services necessary to (1) ensure grounds maintenance is performed in a manner that maintains healthy grass, trees, shrubs and plants, (2) to engage in preventive grounds maintenance actions to present clean, neat and professional base, airfield and missile site appearances, (3) maintain Government irrigation systems, and (4) remove snow and ice to the standards specified within the Performance Work Statement (PWS). All work performed by the contractor shall be performed in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, Air Force standards, instructions, and commercial practices as set forth in the PWS for said services. The NAICS code for this requirement is 561730, Landscaping Services. The Small Business Size Standard is $7,500,000.00. The closing date and time for submission of quotes shall be contained in the solicitation package. The entire solicitation package shall be made available only on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website at www.fbo.gov. Requests for copies of the solicitation package, or any cumulative parts thereof, by any other means shall not be honored. Firms are responsible for monitoring the FedBizOpps website for the release of the solicitation package, which should be on or about 29 January 2019, for downloading their own copy of the solicitation package and for downloading their own copy of each associative amendment, if any. All firms wishing to submit a quote subsequent to the solicitation described herein MUST be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database, or risk their otherwise timely proposal being considered nonresponsive regardless of its completeness, timeliness or other salient considerations. Information on SAM registration can be obtained at the web site, http://www.sam.gov. No response to this announcement is required. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this announcement. The solicitation subsequent to this announcement may be cancelled. After solicitation and prior to award, the possibility exists to reject all quotes when cancellation is clearly in the public interest. This announcement does not obligate the Government to pay for any bid/proposal preparation costs. Per AFFARS 5352.201-9101 OMBUDSMAN (Jun 2016), the following applies: (a) An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. When requested, the ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the ombudsman does not affect the authority of the program manager, contracting officer, or source selection official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. The ombudsman may refer the interested party to another official who can resolve the concern. (b) Before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution. Consulting an ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines for any other processes (e.g., agency level bid protests, GAO bid protests, requests for debriefings, employee-employer actions, contests of OMB Circular A-76 competition performance decisions). (c) If resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, the interested party may contact the ombudsman, Ms. Susan Madison, AFICA/KM (OL-AMC), 507 Symington Drive, Scott AFB IL 62225-5022, phone number (618) 229-0267, facsimile number (618) 256-6668, email: susan.madison@us.af.mil. Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations that cannot be resolved at the Center/MAJCOM/DRU/SMC ombudsman level, may be brought by the interested party for further consideration to the Air Force ombudsman, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS) (Contracting), SAF/AQC, 1060 Air Force Pentagon, Washington DC 20330-1060, phone number (571) 256-2395, facsimile number (571) 256-2431. (d) The ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds the agency. (e) Do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer.