Description
CLARIFICATION -The original Sources Sought Notice established a December 31, 2005, deadline for delivery of exchange products to nonprofit organizations participating in the program. A clarification in the Sources Sought Notice is being published to extend the deadline for delivery of exchange products by participating suppliers to March 31, 2006. Given this change in delivery dates, the date for submission of exchange rates by potential suppliers will be extended to November 10, 2005. END OF CLARIFICATION Sources Sought Notice to Exchange Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)-owned Nonfat Dry Milk (NDM) for Other Food Products Description: The Kansas City Commodity Office (KCCO), Dairy & Domestic Operations Division (DDOD), is seeking qualified companies to supply ultra high temperature (UHT) shelf stable milk, fortified with vitamins A and D; nutritional bars; shelf stable ready-to-eat pudding aseptically packaged; and shelf stable milk based ready-to-eat soup aseptically packaged; (hereinafter referred to as product) for U.S. household consumption, in exchange for CCC-owned nonfat dry milk (NDM). The market value for new NDM is published weekly in the Dairy Market News, http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy. This notice will serve to obtain market research information for commercial product items sought. Information gathered in response to this Sources Sought Notice will be distributed to nonprofit charitable organizations qualified under the National Nonprofit Humanitarian Initiative (NNHI) and used solely for planning and ordering product. This notice is not a formal solicitation, but a request for interested parties to provide product information. Product information received will be cataloged and provided to qualified nonprofit organizations under the NNHI who will contact and order product from participating supplier(s) of their choice. Suppliers shall give to all qualified nonprofit organizations, equal opportunity to order and receive authorized products in accordance with this initiative. Qualified nonprofits will request CCC-owned NDM from USDA for use as payment of the product. CCC will evaluate all requests and make a determination of the amount of NDM to be allocated to each nonprofit organization. NDM will be released in store (pallet exchange basis) at the point(s) of CCC storage to the nonprofit organization and their designated participating supplier. CCC shall be responsible for any storage charges accruing up to and including the tenth day following the date of issuance of the Notice to Deliver (N/D), transfer of title in store or until the NDM is loaded out, whichever date is earlier. Any storage, handling, or other warehouse charges accruing thereafter shall be for the account of the supplier. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any prepaid warehouse charges, including load out charges, on any lot of NDM released to the supplier shall accrue to the supplier. Title and risk of loss shall pass to the supplier on the date of load-out by the warehouse operator, transfer of title in store, or ten days following the date of issuance of the N/D, whichever is earlier. The NDM released in store will be standard grade or higher and may be up to 60 months old. Product delivered to nonprofit organizations must be manufactured in plants that are USDA/Farm Service Agency, Total Quality Systems Audit (TQSA) approved and/or certified by the USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Dairy Programs. Primary and secondary product containers must include the statement “NOT FOR SALE, EXCHANGE, or EXPORT.” All quantities of product requested by qualified nonprofits are subject to the availability of CCC-owned NDM. This NNHI will conclude December 31, 2005. Interested suppliers may apply by submitting name, address, contact person, title, telephone and fax numbers, email address and available website. Each supplier must provide product price per net pound, NDM price per net pound, firm-fixed exchange rate in pounds of NDM per net pound of product(s); pack size(s); quantity per case; and pallets per truckload based on f.o.b. origin and f.o.b. destination in the 48 contiguous states. Each supplier must provide product brand name, ingredients composition, nutrition facts, servings per container, shelf life, and proof of TQSA and/or AMS approval for product manufacturing plant, and any other information that will be needed by the nonprofit charitable organizations to place product orders. All product suppliers shall comply with all applicable Federal and State mandatory requirements and regulations relating to the preparation, packaging, labeling, storage, distribution of the product(s) within the commercial marketplace. The delivered product shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food (21 CFR Part 110), and regulations promulgated there under. Interested suppliers must respond no later than November 10, 2005, to the Attention: Hilary Cole, Kansas City Commodity Office, Dairy & Domestic Operations Division, Stop 8718, P.O. Box 419205, Kansas City, MO 64141-6205, Fax (816) 823-1911.