High Volume Instrument for Measuring the Properties of Cotton Fibers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Cotton and Tobacco Programs intends to procure 20 high volume instruments for classing cotton. This procurement will also include an option to purchase 10 additional instruments throughout the life of the contract as well as a maintenance agreement for all instruments purchased for a period of five years with options for three additional years. The NAICS code for this procurement is 334516 with a size standard of 500 employees. 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. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through FAC 2005-54. OFFERORS ARE TO PROVIDE A PROPOSAL FOR THE ITEMS SPECIFIED IN THE ATTACHMENT. ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES MAY SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR CONSIDERATION. Prices shall include all necessary labor, parts, materials, and transportation necessary to meet the requirements of the contract. 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 the full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): www.acquisition.gov/far/. Award will be made to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to this combined synopsis/solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. A trade off process will be used to evaluate quotes. The Government intends to evaluate offers and award without discussion, however, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions later if determined necessary by the Contracting Officer. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 1) Relevant Experience & Past Performance. The Government will use all available resources and information available in doing the evaluation for past performance; 2) Technical Approach including (a) Mandatory Technical Requirements; (b) Supplies and Maintenance; (c) Training and 3) Price. Relevant Experience & Past Performance are the most important. Technical Approach is more important than Price. Price is the least important. In order to assess the offeror's ability to meet the required technical specifications of the instrument, the offeror shall submit with their proposal all drawings, operations and technical manuals that detail the instrument being proposed. In order to assess the offeror's ability to provide maintenance of the instrument, the offeror must provide information on their ability to provide maintenance and describe in full detail the type of maintenance they provide under this contract. This should include a narrative of their prior and current experience in providing maintenance on the proposed instruments. In order to assess the offeror's ability to provide training, technical support and warranty of the instruments, the offeror shall include a narrative or other documentation to describe the training to be provided for the instruments as well as the warranty given. The offeror shall also include a narrative of their experience in providing technical support for the instruments. Past performance is a measure of the degree to which an offeror has satisfied customers in the past, and complied with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The assessment will consider the firm's record of conforming to specifications and to standards of good workmanship / customer service, and adherence to contract schedules, terms and conditions. In accordance with FAR 52.212-1 (b) (10) regarding past performance, references are requested. Each offeror must submit three (3) references which are either current or recent customers for contracts similar in nature to the one described in this announcement. Please provide the name, address, phone number, fax and email for each reference. The provision 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items applies to this solicitation. The contractor shall either complete the on-line Offeror Representations and Certifications or return a completed copy of the Offeror Representations and Certifications. The Online Reps and Certs Application Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) can be found at http://www.bpn.gov., or complete a hard copy found at www.acquisition.gov/far/. The clause at 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. The clause at 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes Or Executive Orders Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses identified in FAR 52.212-5 are considered checked and are applicable to this acquisition: 52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (2006) with Alternate I; 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2010); 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns; 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting; 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Apr 2009); 52.222-3 Convict Labor; 52.222-19 Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies; 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity; 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Veterans; 52.222-40 Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act; 52-223-18 Contractor Policy to ban Text Messaging While Driving; 52.225-1 Buy American Act; 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-29 Terms for Financing of Purchases of Commercial Items; 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration. To be awarded this contract, the offeror must be registered in the CCR. CCR information may be found at http://www.ccr.gov. Quotations are due to the United States Department of Agriculture, AMS, Cotton and Tobacco Programs, 3275 Appling Road, Room 1, Memphis, TN 38133 by 3:00 PM CST, January 17, 2012. The assigned Contract Specialist is Beverly Brown . Mrs. Brown may be reached at BeverlyS.Brown@ams.usda.gov, (901) 384-3099, ext. 3103. A COMPLETE QUOTE WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING: 1) Three completed and signed copies of the SF-1449 with a completed Section B attached. 2) A detailed narrative addressing the technical specifications as well as the services (training, maintenance, warranty, etc.) to be provided as requested above. 3) References as requested above. 4) A statement stating that the Offeror has read and has a clear understanding of the Statement of Work and the contract clauses/provisions stated in this synopsis. 5) A completed copy of the provisions at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items or confirmation that this has been completed on-line. If an Offerors quote does not contain all of the items listed above, the quote may be considered incomplete for evaluation purposes and no further consideration will be given to the offerors quote, thereby making an offeror ineligible for award.