Storage & Transportation Services for Various Equipment at Secured Warehouse Facility

This solicitation has been editted to update the Date Offerers Due from 10/30/2023 to 11/03/2023, an attach Questions and Answers response to solcitation. This notice is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items using Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This acquisition will be made in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6 - Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and solicitation for commercial Items, as applicable, and as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation (a written solicitation will not be issued) and quotes are being requested. The Solicitation number is RFQ-NIAID-2195934 and the solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotes (RFQ). This acquisition will be processed under FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). The solicitation documents and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-05 dated September 22, 2023.. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 493110 - General Warehousing and Storage (size standard: $34,000,000). The requirement is being competed as full an open competition, and is a total small business set-aside. Program (TRP) (collectively - Program) requires off-site storage to maintain Emergency/Pandemic Preparedness Supplies and the storage of critical caging and cage components required to sustain vivarium operations. Specifically, a secure warehouse is needed to store and transport critical supplies required to ensure the continuity of operations for the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) and TRP vivarium. Program currently has items and equipment stored at a secure warehouse with Pakolatus LLC in the Baltimore'Washington metropolitan area. Program needs the continued use of storage/warehouse and transportation services. Any new vendor will need to provide free services of moving the existing equipment from the Pakolatus warehouse to the new warehouse. See attached Statement of Work (SOW) for more details. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has a requirement for the following: At least 1,225.00 square feet of storage space in a warehouse close enough to the NIH facility in Bethesda, MD to enable rapid transport of items. For example, the warehouse should not be located further than the city of Baltimore (~ 35-40 mile radius). Free labor and transportation: Free 24hr turn-around transportation of goods, coming from storage warehouse to the institute's loading docks, and vice versa to the storage warehouse. This includes moving items from the warehouses of the existing vendor to the warehouses of the new vendor, if needed. The vendor must be familiar with or specialized in the storage and transportation of [potentially sensitive and expensive] biomedical & scientific supplies and equipment. This would ensure that the stored supplies are not mishandled/damaged while in storage. The warehouse must be a secured facility with ventilation, smoke/fire detectors & extinguishers. This must include security surveillance measures in place. The warehouse must have a pest/vermin management program (critical for the storing of vivarium supplies). The vendor must have insurance coverage in case something is damaged at the warehouse and/or during transportation and the item needs to be repaired or replaced. This includes a minimum of a $3,000,000 insurance policy. Evidence of insurance coverage should be provided with the submission. Place of Performance or Delivery: The Base Year period of performance is estimated to be 12/1/2023 to 11/30/2024. The Option Year 1 period of performance is estimated to be 12/1/2024 to 11/30/2025. The Option Year 2 period of performance is estimated to be 12/1/2025 to 11/30/2026. The Option Year 3 period of performance is estimated to be 12/1/2026 to 11/30/2027. The Option Year 4 period of performance is estimated to be 12/1/2027 to 11/30/2028. The government intends to award a - firm fixed price purchase order to the responsible contractor as a result of this RFQ that will include the terms and conditions set forth herein. The award will be based on the technical capability to meet the requirements and price. NIAID will evaluate quotes to determine the best value to the government. NIAID will evaluate price only for those quotes, which are rated as technically acceptable. In the event quotes are evaluated as technically equal, price will become a major consideration in selecting the successful Offeror. Quote responses should include the price breakdown for the required base year and four (4) one-year options periods. The following FAR provisions apply to this acquisition: FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items (SEPT 2023) FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (DEC 2022) FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) (Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://www.sam.gov/ in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items (Please ensure 52.209-2 -- Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations--Representation. (Nov 2015) is updated in your SAM record) FAR 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements - Representation (JAN 2017) 52.204'26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (OCT 2020) *** Must complete representation if attached to this solicitation- see attachment 52.204-26 The following FAR contract clauses apply to this acquisition: FAR 52-212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items (DEC 2022) FAR 52-212.5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Commercial Items (SEP 2023) FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (MAR 2023) FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018) FAR 52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (NOV 2021) HHSAR 352.222-70, Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 2015) 52.252-2 -- Clauses Incorporated by Reference. (Feb 1998) 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 their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm. By submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation (www.sam.gov). Copies of the above-referenced provisions and clauses are available from http://www.acquisition.gov/far/loadmainre.html & http: //www.hhs.gov/regulation/index.html or, upon request, either by telephone or fax. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Submission shall be received not later than November 3, 2023 @ 4:00 PM EST Offers may be emailed to Tonia Alexander at talexander@niaid.nih.gov, Jesse Weidow at jesse.weidow@niaid.nih.gov, and Lu Chang at by 4:00 pm eastern standard time November 3, 2023. Offers shall include RFQ number in the subject line (NIAID-RFQ-24-2195934). Late submission shall be treated in accordance with the solicitation provision at FAR 52.212-1(f). All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by this Agency. Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via email to the respective contacts above.