This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation 301813Q014 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ), and incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-15. In accordance with FAR Subpart 19.2, this solicitation is a total set aside for "small businesses." It has been determined that the appropriate North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 336999 ("All other transportation equipment manufacturers"), under which the small business size standard is currently set at 500 or fewer employees. It is anticipated that this solicitation shall culminate in the award of at least one indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with a period of performance of five federal fiscal years (October 1 through September 30, annually). Any resulting IDIQ contract may be used by all of the bureaus within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as well as by the U.S. Forest Service, contingent upon prior written approval of the Region 3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contracting Office issuing the contract. Following said approval, written delivery orders will be funded and issued against the resulting contract(s) by sufficiently warranted Contracting Officers (COs) of any of the aforementioned federal bureaus. Minimum/maximum order: A guaranteed minimum of two (2) amphibious wetlands firefighting vehicles with trailers will be ordered by the issuing contracting office per contract, and no more than a total of sixty (60) of the vehicles and sixty (60) of the trailers may be ordered by the combined, authorized federal bureaus over the entire five-year (5-yr) period of contract performance. No more than three (3) vehicles and three (3) trailers may be ordered per separate delivery order without the express written approval of the Region 3 FWS Contracting Officer. Line Item 001: new amphibious wetlands firefighting vehicle. Line Item 002: new electric-braked trailer complete with hitch and submersible wiring, meeting U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications for the weight and size of the Line Item 001 vehicle. Description of requirements: Line Item 001: Each amphibious wetlands firefighting vehicle must be: (a) new; (b) diesel-powered sufficiently to operate the vehicle under the following conditions; (c) capable of carrying a driver plus one (1) or two (2) other crewmembers as well as one-hundred (100) or more gallons of water and a built-in firefighting spray mechanism (the spray mechanism is to be included in the quote, to be used for firefighting dispersal of the stored water; the spray mechanism must deliver at least twenty-five gallons of water per minute (25 gpm) pressurized at thirty pounds per square inch (30 psi) or greater, and the associated water pump (centrifugal, not positive displacement, and self-powered or hydraulic) must feature drafting capability for rapid tank-refill under on-site wildland firefighting operations); (d) all while attaining speeds under full weight-load of ten miles per hour (10 mph) on dry land and two (2) mph in water, through sloughs and swamps and across canals, rivers and lakes, in mud and in deep water as well as on dry ground; (e) for safety purposes, possess a front- or rear-mounted winch, a low center of gravity, and a center ground clearance of at least twenty four (24) inches (these attributes will allow it to move over and through common impediments such as tree stumps and uneven ground without becoming mired during wildland firefighting operations); (f) made of corrosion-resistant materials due to the wet environments in which it will be used; (g) simple to operate, and designed and built for reliability and simple maintenance; and (h) small and light enough to be safely towed by a pickup truck (its size and weight cannot exceed common road restrictions that would necessitate transportation permits) and constructed in such a manner as to minimize ground pressure, preferably to less than three (3) psi when fully loaded with its crew, a full tank of water and the fire spray/pump system. Line Item 002: Each trailer must be (a) new; (b) capable of safely transporting the Line Item 001 vehicle over long distances in compliance with all U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations applicable to hauling the Line Item 001 vehicle; (c) designed for ease of on-location loading/unloading without the need for ramps or loading docks; and (d) equipped with electric-assisted brakes, submersible wiring, complete hitch and safety chain setups, bearing buddies or comparables, and (preferably) tandem axels. Line Items 001 and 002 shall be priced and delivered F.O.B. Origin (Contractor's manufacturing plant). Delivery of each vehicle/trailer set shall be made within sixty (60) days of receipt of its order, with 30 additional days delivery allowed for each vehicle ordered under the same delivery order or under simultaneous delivery orders placed under the contract. Quoters may suggest an alternative delivery schedule and/or maximum number of units to be provided over the five-year contract period as well as economy-of-scale factors. The following FAR provisions are hereby incorporated into this RFQ by reference (full text may be accessed electronically at www.arnet.gov/far): 52.212-1, "Instructions to Offerors-Commercial", 52.212-2, "Evaluation-Commercial Items", with the following criteria added to paragraph (a) of 52.212-2, in descending order of importance: technical quality relative to the aforementioned criteria; price; and past performance. Each offeror shall include a completed copy of the provision of 52.212-3, "Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items" with its price quote. The following FAR clauses are hereby incorporated into this RFQ by reference: 52.212-4, "Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items" and 52.212-5 (June 2003), "Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items" [checked applicable in paragraph (b): 1, 5i, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 24 and 30]. The following FAR clauses are also applicable: 52.216-18 "Ordering" (from date of award through September 30, 2008); 52.216-19 "Order Limitations" (a) minimum order of one (1) amphibious wetland firefighting vehicle with trailer and (b) maximum individual order of three (3) vehicles and three (3) trailers. To receive technical evaluation credit, quoters shall submit, in addition to the quote, descriptive literature fully explaining the quality and features of the proffered items; statements should also be submitted that explain how the proffered items meet, exceed, or do not meet each of the specified criteria. Also include a list of the last five (5) customers purchasing these items (including dates of sale, quantity, phone numbers and contact names); this information will be used by the Government as a means to ascertain past performance. Quotations should contain annualized prices, with the first year's price good through September 30, 2004, and annual pricing thereafter through the fifth year ending on September 30, 2008. Mail, fax or e-mail quotation packets to the attention of Ken Kaseforth, Contracting Officer, to U.S. F.W.S., Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building (Room 652), 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, MN 55111-4056; Fax number (612)713-5151; E-mail:
[email protected]. Quotations must be received no later than close of business (4:30 p.m. C.D.T.) on Friday, September 5, 2003. See Numbered Note 1.