Supplement 509 Alaska Pollock

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service is soliciting bids for the purchase of frozen Alaska Pollock fillet portions for Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs under Supplement 509 to the Master Invitation for Bids - Domestic Commodity Procurement. The required product must be boneless, skinless, unbreaded, raw, and frozen, with a target portion weight of 4.0 ounces. All fish must be caught and processed in U.S. waters on U.S. flagged vessels or within U.S. facilities. The product must meet U.S. Grade A standards and comply with FDA and USDC/NOAA Seafood Inspection Program regulations. Contractors must be qualified through a technical proposal and a pre-award onsite capability assessment audit covering facility processes, quality control, and a food defense plan. Eligible contractors are subject to ongoing audits, with frequencies ranging from once per contract for intermittent providers to at least once per month for those with continuous contracts. Packaging requirements specify heat-sealed primary packages in various bulk configurations, placed in 40-pound shipping cases that must bear the USDA Shield and Grade A Shield. Deliveries must be made to AMS assigned destinations using tamper-proof, serially numbered seals. Key administrative requirements include the submission of a Certificate of Conformance and the maintenance of an approved USDC Product Management Plan. Technical proposals must be submitted in a non-PDF format, such as Microsoft Word, to the specified AMS email addresses. Contractors are responsible for all costs associated with audits and certification services. Ineligibility criteria include current late deliveries on USDA contracts, failure to adhere to FDA or USDC/NOAA regulations, or being suspended or debarred under federal regulations.