U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking capability statements from all firms interested in performing work to grind or incinerate trees due to the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB). Entire trees, their shrubs, limbs, branches, exposed surface roots and stumps and soil mixed with these materials will be ground down to pieces no larger than one inch in either height or width (1” x 1”) in two dimensions, or incinerated to ash or charcoal with any excess woody debris ground as above. There is no restriction on the size of the material brought for destruction, and trees greater than 20 inches in diameter and longer than 10 ft. are common. Load is determined by the green woody material from government and utility (line clearance) activities, other landscapers and tree services, and the material dropped off by local residents of Tate Township, Ohio (the Asian Longhorned beetle Quarantine Zone currently), the possible expansion into surrounding areas, and the activities of other government contractors or workers performing tree removal or landscaping operations (up to 600 trees per week or 100 cubic yards per hour of woody material, whichever is greater), so the precise quantity of material ground into mulch is not foreseeable, and will be paid per cubic yard at two rates, depending on the bid. The yardage ground will be paid at one rate for normal yardage without soil, and a higher rate for yardage with small amounts of foreign material mixed into the woody material that cannot be separated upon receipt. Service will be on as-needed basis in support of the USDA/ODA program strategies for the eradication of ALB in Ohio. Once trees are removed from other sites, they are delivered to the Yard and overseen by government monitors. The Contractor will be required to work at least one Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm most months of the year, and is expected to operate 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday as well as later hours depending upon amount of material to be managed. The Contractor must be able to grind and deregulate all material within 48 hours of receipt. Contractor personnel must include a Foreman capable of managing the daily operations of a yard, supervising all heavy equipment and training operators (including operation of all tools and equipment, and when repairs and maintenance are needed), as well as relief staff and the resources to attend Contractor meetings, and manage yard and personnel expenses (lease, for example) and invoice for expenses electronically in the Invoice Processing and Payment system. Maintenance of the Yard equipment and supplies, as well as the grounds, signage, fencing, security, safety equipment (fire extinguishers, for example) and Yard facilities, is at the expense of the Contractor. The Contractor will be required to pay the going rates to all employees for the local area, according to standard rate ranges set by the U.S. Department of Labor. The contract will necessitate the lease or purchase of land and maintenance of such by the Contractor, to hold material while it is waiting to be ground, being ground, or ground again and deregulated into mulch (and waiting for removal by residents or the Contractor) of no less than 60,000 square feet. The contract will also require the provision of basic facilities including, but not limited to, a climate controlled and electrified trailer for the exclusive use of government monitors; unisex restrooms (two, minimum) sufficient for the number of personnel working at the Yard, both government and Contractor; shelter for Contractor employees to use when managing the yard; fencing or obstructions to control unauthorized people entering the yard and exiting with regulated woody debris. Safety and security is expected to be maintained at the yard by the Contractor, with oversight performed daily. Mulch or topsoil will also be removed by the Contractor on a continuous basis, with necessary hauling, loading, grinding and movement of security barriers or fencing provided by the Contractor. The equipment necessary to perform the work may include, but is not limited to, the following: tub grinder (100 cubic yard per hour capacity), horizontal chippers/grinders (up to 15” diameter capacity), bucket trucks, and chainsaws sufficient for any size tree, and transport equipment (for example, tractor trailer 18 wheeled for hauling, or dump trucks, grapple skidder, forwarded, clam bunk). The contract will require a performance bond (Standard Form 25) in the penal amount of $500,000.00 prior to commencement of work. Should the solicitation be issued as a small business set aside, the contractor will be required to comply with the requirements of clause 52.219-14 “Limitations of Subcontracting” which requires that 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel is expended for the prime contractor’s employees. Additional information about the USDA APHIS ALB Program and other Plant Pest and Disease Programs is available online at www.aphis.usda.gov. The appropriate NAICS code for the proposed project is 561730 with a small business size standard of $7.5 million. All interested parties are invited to submit capability statements for acquisition planning purposes. The following outline is recommended (5-page limit): 1) Company name, address, and primary point of contact information 2) Recent and relevant past performance information. Include project name, description, dollar value, dates of performance, point of contact (name, title, phone, email). Indicate if the work was performed as a prime contractor or subcontractor. 3) Describe the equipment available for the performance of the proposed project. 4) Describe the personnel and crew available for performance of the proposed project. 5) Provide your firm’s current bonding level (aggregate). 6) Business Ownership and Self‐Certification information (i.e. Small Business, Women‐Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned) 7) Current Government Certifications (i.e. 8(a) certified, 8(a) joint venture, Small Disadvantaged Business HUBZone Certified) 8) List Pertinent Codes: NAICS Codes (numbers only), DUNS number, and CAGE code It is at the discretion of USDA to determine if a small business set-aside is appropriate based upon the capability information provided in response to this notice, and other pertinent information gathered by the contracting officer. Respondents should ensure the information provided is detailed, current, accurate, and complete. Please submit capability statements by email to KimYen N. Tu at
[email protected] no later than November 1, 2020 @ 12pm Central Time. This notice does not constitute a solicitation. This invitation for capability statements is for planning purposes only. The acquisition strategy for this proposed project has not yet been determined. Response to this notice is strictly voluntary. The Government will not reimburse any party for its participation in this effort. Information submitted in response to this notice is subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge or provide feedback with respect to any information submitted under this notice.