Operation of NIEHS Cafeteria and Related Services

Introductory Paragraph: The purpose of this notice is to obtain market research information from the small business community which will assist the government in determining if there are two or more small business concerns, i.e., small business, 8(a) concern, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned small business, veteran-owned small business or service-disabled veteran-owned small business that are capable of providing the described services. SBA endorsed joint ventures or teaming arrangement will be acceptable. The government's determination on how to compete the proposed requirement will be made based on responses to this notice and is at the sole discretion of the government. The applicable NAICS code is 722310, cafeteria food service contractors, and the size standard is $35.5 million. Background: The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has a requirement for cafeteria services for the Institute. There are approximately 1000 employees, including contractor support personnel, at the NIEHS main campus and an additional 300 employees at the Keystone Building that have access to the cafeteria. The cafeteria is located in the David P. Rall Building, which was constructed in the early 1980's. From its opening, a full service cafeteria has been in operation on the first floor of this building. The cafeteria seating capacity is approximately 230, occupies about 7,000 SF and adjoins the Institute's main conference center. In January 2002, the Institute completed a major renovation of the entire cafeteria and incorporated the latest design for food service and preparation. Purpose and Objective: The purpose of this effort is to provide high quality food and food services to the employees of the NIEHS. This includes maintaining a clean, safe and attractive dining area, reasonable prices for food and a variety of food offerings. Project Requirements: Major tasks required include the following: The contractor shall provide and prepare all food; operate and maintain the cafeteria; serve patrons in a professional and courteous manner; and is expected to develop new concepts, operational approaches and marketing strategies other than merely operating the existing facility. The kitchen is full service with Government-provided equipment in both the serving area and kitchen (e.g., dishwasher, ovens, 12-GAL. electric steam kettle, 40-GAL electric tilting skillet, convection steamers, fryers, ice maker convection oven, heavy duty range, conveyor system, roller drying table). The serving area has a deli station, hot entr'e station, grill station, soup/salad station, beverage bar and two cash register stations. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are served five days a week. Hours of operation are from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. In addition to the main cafeteria located on the NIEHS main campus, a refrigerated unit will be maintained for pre-packed fares in the first floor breakroom of the Keystone Building for those employees who don't have access to the cafeteria. Contractor provided supplies include all food and beverage products including condiments, napkins, new or replacement cooking utensils, pots, pans, cooking sheets, linen and uniform products, signage and menu displays trash bags and cleaning supplies, office and computer equipment, etc. Government-furnished products and services include disposables (trays, plastic utensils, paper towels and plates), maintenance of kitchen equipment, walk-in refrigerators, freezers, and large equipment items, facility utilities (gas, electricity, water, sewage disposal, trash disposal, and HVAC services), china, pest-control and a safe. The incumbent contractor is currently experiencing a customer count of approximately 450 per day. Sales data over the last 27 months indicates $437,457 total sales in CY 2012; $329,674 total sales in CY 2013 to date, and average monthly sales of $36,322 over the 27 month period. Period of Performance: It is anticipated that the period of performance will be five (5) years, base year with four (4) option years and one (1) six month option to extend services if necessary. The anticipated period of performance is scheduled to begin on March 19, 2014. Information Sought: All interested small businesses are invited to submit five (5) hard copies of their capabilities statement of not more than 20 pages (not including past performance information). The capability statement should be tailored to this notice and specifically address the company's capabilities to provide the services outlined above and the company's experience. Additionally, the response must include past performance information on Government (including GSA or other GWAC) and non-government contracts and the dates those contracts were held. The cover letter submitted in response to this notice should include 1) company name, address, point of contact, telephone number, fax number, email address; 2) DUNS number; 3) the socioeconomic status of the company, i.e., small business concern, 8(a) business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, woman-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, and/or service-disabled veteran-owned small business; and 4) Small Business Certification, if any. All questions must be sent in writing via e-mail and received before the due date for response. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Capability Statements will not be returned. Firms are advised that this notice is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). The notice shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or to ultimately award a contract on the basis of this notice or responses thereto. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice. Responses to this notice will not serve as a proposal, bid, or offer, and will not be used by the Government to form a binding contract. The sole purpose of this notice is to assess the capabilities and interests of small business concerns in performing these services so that a determination can be made on whether or not this requirement will be set-aside for small business. Once that determination has been made, a presolicitation or solicitation notice will be posted. Responses must be received no later than 3:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time), November 22, 2013, by either fedex or email only, to the following address: NIH/NIEHS, OM, OA, CBC, Keystone Building, 530 Davis Drive, Room 1051, Morrisville, NC 27560. For any questions regarding this announcement, please contact Brian D. Moyer via email moyerbr@niehs.nih.gov or Darren J. Gann at darren.gann@nih.gov. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Interested offerors may register at http://www.fedbizopps.gov to receive notification when the solicitation and any amendments are issued and available for downloading. Please note that the General Services Administration provides the notification service as a convenience and does not guarantee that notifications will be received by all persons on the mailing list. Therefore, we recommend that you monitor the FedBizOpps site for all information relevant to desired acquisitions. If the Internet option is not available to you, you may receive a hard copy of the solicitation and any amendments (via U.S. Mail) by emailing your request to moyerbr@niehs.nih.gov.