Description
EXTENDED: This Sources Sought is being issued by the Marketing and Regulatory Programs Small Business Coordinator (SBC) in support of AMS. The United States Department of Agricultural (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Commodity Procurement Branch (CPB), Fruit and Vegetable (F&V) Programs, Room 2546-S, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0239, is seeking to increase the agency's vendor base for qualified Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) who service under the NAICS Code - 424480, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers. Manufacturers must be small businesses under (500 employees) and are ?Approved? in accordance with the AMS Website ?New Vendor Application? located at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/cp/newven.htm. All SDVOSBs responding to this publication must complete the required documents, as specified on this website. The site will refer to the completion and submission of specific documentation and, the registration into Agency and Federally-sponsored databases. The AMS seeks SDVOSBs who are also manufacturers of processed fruit and vegetable products. Small manufacturers are sought to produce canned, frozen, dried and fresh fruits and vegetables for use in the National School Lunch Program and other Federal feeding programs. Sources are sought for the following canned fruit products: fruit cocktail, mixed fruit, sliced and diced clingstone peaches, chunk and crushed pineapple, sliced and tidbit pineapple, and cranberry sauce. These products will be purchased in #2, #2.5, #10, #300 and #303 cans. Sources are sought for the following dried fruit products: dry pitted prunes in 1 and 25 lb containers, prune puree in 1 and 2 gal pails. Sources are being sought for the following fresh fruit products: grapefruit in 34-39 lb cartons. Sources are being sought for the following canned vegetable products: carrots, whole corn, mixed vegetables and vegetable soup. These products will be purchased in #1, #10 and #300 cans. Sources are being sought for the following vacuum packed vegetables: whole corn in 75 oz packs. Sources are being sought for the following frozen vegetable products: green peas in 30 lb containers, and frozen potato rounds, 6/5 lb pkgs. . . . All processed fruit and vegetable products purchased by USDA must be of 100% domestic origin. This request is for information only; proposals are not being requested nor will they be accepted in response to this synopsis. No contracts will be awarded solely on the basis of the responses to this synopsis. A comprehensive list of ?Approved? SDVOSBs vendors responding to this publication will be forwarded to Agency Contracting Officers for consideration in future and ongoing Invitation for Bid (IFB) contract opportunities. The resulting list is intended to assist procurement officials within the agency in meeting our agency goal of 3% for FY 2008 awards. All information must be submitted to: Ron Ulibarri, Administrative Supervisor, CPB, F&VP at Fax: 202-720-2782. Fax transmissions will also be accepted to: (301) 734-7323. Telephone inquiries WILL NOT be accepted. Any information submitted will not be returned. The Government does not intend to pay for any information provided in response to this synopsis.