R -- Burkina Faso & Gabon: Agriculture Sector Definitional Mission

SOLICITATION: Solicitation Number: USTDA-06-Q-11-235, Definitional Mission for Agricultural Sector Project in Burkina Faso and Gabon issued as a RFQ. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; offers are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Two copies of your offer are due no later than 4:00pm Eastern Time on September 7, 2006 to Contracting Office, U. S. Trade and Development Agency, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA 22209-3901. This procurement is a small business set aside with a small business size standard of less than $6.5M annual sales under NAICS code 541611. Award is limited to U. S. firms or U. S. individuals. Contractor and U. S. subcontractor employees used shall be either U. S. citizens or non-U. S. citizens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. Contractor use of subcontractors is limited to less than fifty percent of the proposed price. International transportation and insurance must have their nationality, source and origin in the U. S. Local lodging, food and transportation in the host country are not subject to this restriction. The Government?s estimate for this procurement does not exceed $45,000. The Government contemplates award of a firm fixed price contract. Proposals submitted by email or by facsimile will not be accepted. All contractors must be registered in Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov) in order to receive a contract award. For additional information regarding this solicitation, email contact@example.gov, telephone calls will not be accepted. SERVICES AND PRICES: Line Item 1 is a Planned Itinerary, Purchase of Tickets and Required Insurance Declarations (not-to-exceed 30% of the proposed contract price). Line Item 2 is the Final Report . DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK: Please see the FEDBIZOPS Amendments to this solicitation. INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE. Pierce Davis has been designated as the Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative (COTR) for this requirement. All services are subject to the COTR?s final approval. All work will be inspected and accepted at USTDA?s Office, Arlington, VA. DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE: The performance of this contract shall start within two weeks after the effective date of award and completion is expected within sixty calendar days from that date. Performance of this contract shall be at USTDA?s Office, Arlington, VA, at other locations in the U.S., and/or the designated host country. SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS: This solicitation includes the following additional contract requirements and terms and conditions- CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AND KEY PERSONNEL. The contractor shall provide the key personnel listed in its proposal to perform the work. Changes in key personnel may only be made with the Contracting Officer?s prior written approval. CONTRACTOR FOLLOW-ON (INELIGIBILITY). The Contractor and its subcontractors shall be ineligible to compete for, as a prime or subcontractor or otherwise, USTDA funded activities that result from this contract. USTDA reserves the right to grant a waiver, based upon FAR 9.503, if preclusion of the contractor or its subcontractors from the follow-on activity would not be in the Government?s interest. This restriction shall remain in effect for three years from the completion of this contract. The contractor agrees to include this provision in all subcontracts to this contract. Contractor Insurance. DEFENSE BASE ACT INSURANCE. Prior to departure to the host country, the contractor shall obtain Defense Base Act and Medical Evacuation insurance. Proof of such insurance shall be submitted with the initial invoice. Pursuant to FAR 52.228-3, the contractor is required to have DBA coverage for its employees performing work overseas. The contractor agrees to procure the insurance pursuant to the terms of the Contract between the USAID and USAID?s insurance carrier unless the contractor has a DBE self-insurance program approved by the Department of Labor or has an approved retrospective rating agreement for DBA. This insurance is currently required to be place in accordance with USAID Contract REE-Q-00-03-00090 with Fidelity and Casualty of New York through its agent: Rutherfoord International, 5500 Cherokee Avenue, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22132, phone +1 (555) 000-0000; facsimile +1 (555) 000-0000; email to contact@example.gov. The current rate is $2.15 per $100 of employee salary during the time spent out of the country. MEDICAL EVACUATION INSURANCE. In addition, all Contractor personnel working outside the United States shall have medical evacuation insurance for the days spent outside the U. S. This insurance shall be obtained from Medex Assistance Corporation (MEDEX). Applications for coverage may be requested by writing to MEDEX, P. O. Box 19056, Baltimore, MD 21284; by calling +1 (555) 000-0000, by facsimile +1 (555) 000-0000, or by email to contact@example.gov. The rate for short-term membership for 1-10 days is $27 per person, $2.50 per person for each additional day, and $58 per person monthly. Annual membership is $163 per person and $295 per family. The contractor agrees to insert the defense base and medical evacuation insurance requirements in all subcontracts under the contract. CONTRACT CLAUSES: The Solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through FAC 2005-10. The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (available at www.acquisition.gov), applies to this acquisition. The following additional clauses are included: FAR 52.228-3, Workman?s Compensation Insurance (Defense Base Act); and FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer Central Contractor Registration. The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, and the following additional clauses are included: FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting; FAR 52.222-1, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; FAR 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity; FAR 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and other Eligible Veterans; FAR 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; and FAR 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and other Eligible Veterans.. INSTRUCTIONS/CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS: The Provision at Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial (available at www.ustda.gov under DM Solicitation forms), applies to this acquisition with the following addition: The contractor shall submit a Technical Proposal, not exceeding 25 pages, that documents their Technical/Financial Expertise and Definitional Mission Strategy/Approach (as outlined below in the evaluation factors for award), resumes for proposed key employees (not included in 25 page count), and reference information for at least one but not more than three clients for similar work in the last three years (not included in 25 page count). In addition, the contractor shall provide a separate Business/Cost proposal that contains the information in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.212-1(b) (available at www.ustda.gov); a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (available at www.ustda.gov); completed Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheets for proposed key personnel (available at www.ustda.gov), and a completed Contractor Price Quotation Breakdown (available at www.ustda.gov). A signed SF 33 is no longer required to be submitted with your proposal. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD: FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation, Commercial Items (available at www.acquisition.gov under FAR), is being used. The following factors, in descending order of importance, will be used to evaluate all offers. All evaluation factors, other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important that cost or price. (1) Technical/Financial Expertise (relevant technical experience and skills/capabilities in the sector and knowledge of the country, region, and/or project; relevant experience with financing mechanisms most likely to be used to implement projects which are the subject of the Definitional Mission; relevant experience in project identification, development or evaluation (including budget and terms of reference development); Public, private, and multilateral lending institution financing experience relating to sector; institution financing experience relating to sector relevant foreign language skills; and relevant sector contacts, publications or reports, past performance or similar work for USTDA or any other value added assets). (2) Definitional Mission Strategy or Approach (understanding of USTDA?s objectives and prospective projects, as demonstrated in Offeror?s Definitional Mission strategic approach; offeror?s discussion and strategy for evaluating U. S. Export potential and competitiveness; offeror?s identification of project related issues or problem areas that may need to be identified, analyzed, investigated or resolved; and quality, succinctness and presentation of proposal. (3) Price/Cost.