THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY and a SOLICITATION IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. This notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or an obligation on the part of the Government. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals. Submission of any information in response to this marker survey is purely voluntary. The government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred associated to this request for capability information. The USDA Forest Service, Superior National Forest in Duluth Minnesota requires the services of an 8(a) certified contractor to provide: (1) Hand planting of bareroot and/or container stock, full planting, fill-in planting, spot planting, underplanting, and planting on sites with or without previous site prep. (2) Hand scalping prior to planting to prepare planting spot. (3) Installation of tree protectors. (4). Transport and care of seedlings from cooler to planting sites, and until seedlings are planted. (5) Preventing spread of noxious weeds from one planting site to another. Government will furnish: Seedlings, Tree protectors, Tree protector stakes/ties, and Root dip. Interested 8(a) contractors must submit a capability statement to include: (1) Describing your company and its capability to complete a project of this scope, magnitude, complexity, and within the required time. Include a statement detailing any special qualifications and certifications held by your firm and/or in-house personnel. (2) A statement or list of your firm's current or past technical experience. (3) Demonstrated experience with similar types of projects. (4) Past performance on contracts with government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules. (5) Quality control plan. (6) Safety Plan. Interested firms must provide a customer reference list with addresses and telephone numbers for all projects listed as related experience. In order to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, all contractors must be registered in the System for Awards Management (SAM) to be considered for an award of a Federal Contract. For information regarding registration contact the SAM Web Site at https://www.sam.gov/. It is also required that all contractors be registered in the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) to be considered for an award of a Federal Contract. For information regarding registration in ORCA, contact the ORCA web site at https://www.sam.gov/. This is NOT a Request for Proposals but a Request for Qualifications. This procurement is Total Set-Aside for eligible 8(a) Concerns. The primary North American Industrial Classification System Code (NAICS) is 115310, which has a size standard of $7 million in average receipts. This Source Sought announcement is a tool to identify businesses with the capability to accomplish the work. This is not a solicitation. Firms who respond to this announcement will be evaluated for the sole source award of firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract. The initial contract period will be for one (1) year and the Government may, at its option, extend the contract to a maximum of three (3) years by exercising each of the two (2) one-year renewal options. Work under the contract will be subject to satisfactory negotiation of individual Task Orders. The minimum order per base and all option years shall be at least $2500 and the maximum order amount for base year and all option years shall not exceed $1,000,000. Task Orders will be negotiated as firm fixed-price procurements for individual or clusters of projects. Work under each Task Order will be subject to satisfactory price negotiation prior to issuance of a Notice to Proceed (NTP). Total number of task orders awarded will fluctuate based on need and availability of funds. Those firms that meet the requirements described and wish to be considered must submit an original and three copies of the complete package. The package must be received at the following address: ATTN: Paul Nephew, Contracting Officer, 8901 Grand Avenue Place, Duluth, MN 55808-1122 or by email at
[email protected]. Submittals are due by 3:00 pm central time on January 25, 2013. Firms responding to this announcement before the closing date will be considered for selection, subject to any limitations indicated with respect to size, specialized technical expertise, or other requirements listed. Facsimile transmissions will not be accepted. Solicitation packages are not provided and no additional project information will be given to firms during the announcement period. Contractual Point of Contact is Paul Nephew, Contracting Officer, Phone 218-626-4360, email:
[email protected]