Pupae Broker Services

This is a competitively solicited, firm fixed-price contract awarded under a Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5) for pupae broker services, with the NAICS code 488510 supporting the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Preventive Release Program. The contract requires the successful bidder to act as a customs broker at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas, facilitating the importation of 12 monthly shipments of sterile Mexican fruit fly pupae and Tamarixia radiata parasitoids into Mexico under SAGARPA and SAT regulations, ensuring regulatory compliance and timely release for USDA field operations. The performance period is one year, with options to extend up to five years and six months through 52.217-9, and all work must occur at the designated Mexican Point of Entry. Packaging requires cooling gels and climate-controlled transport to preserve biological integrity, though specific temperature parameters, labeling formats, or barcoding standards are not defined. The contract references a Statement of Work, Pricing Schedule, and Wage Determinations as attachments, though pricing details and total contract value are not disclosed in the available information. Submission was electronic via SAM, and offerors were required to hold prices firm for 90 days, with evaluation based on Relevant Experience, Past Performance, and Price—no tradeoffs permitted, and award made on best value without being Low Price Technically Acceptable. The contract imposes numerous FAR and AGAR clauses critical to compliance, including 52.232-33 for electronic funds transfer via SAM, 52.219-9 for small business subcontracting with Alternate III and IV activated, and 52.219-14 limiting subcontracting to ensure the small business performs a significant portion of the work. Critical compliance obligations include 52.203-17, 52.203-19, and 452.203-71, which prohibit internal confidentiality agreements and mandate adherence to federal anti-discrimination laws, with DEI certifications tied directly to payment eligibility and flowdown requirements to subcontractors. Security requirements under 52.240-90 and 52.240-91 require contractors to affirm compliance with federal security prohibitions, while the contractor must maintain active SAM registration, provide a Unique Entity ID, and comply with labor standards under 52.222-41. The contracting officer