This is a combined synopsis/quotation (RFQ) for commercial items prepared inaccordance with the format in Subpart 12.603 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. The Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is requesting a quotation to provide up to (17) seventeen each Quarter Horses. Crossbreeds may be accepted on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the government. All horses shall have a documented age between five (5) and ten (10) years of age. The horse shall weigh no less than 900 pounds and no more than 1250 pounds. The horse shall measure not less than 15 hands and not more than 16.5 hands in height. All service mounts will be altered male horses (Geldings). A candidate horse must be sound and be well proportioned in conformation. The horse must be gentle and calm with a good disposition. A Government designee shall view all candidate horses prior to award of a contract. During the viewing session, the prospective vendor shall provide current vaccination/quarantine records, health certificate issued by a certified/licensed veterinarian, registration certificates, breed surveys, a full physical examination of the candidate horse by a certified veterinarian, and other related paperwork, as applicable. A certified Government Instructor will administer a series of tests to determine whether the horse has the capability of working in the law enforcement environment. Each horse will be required to pass these tests. The following are a series of tests that the Government will conduct to determine whether or not a horse will meet the minimum requirements. When approached, the horse must turn and face, standing quietly, especially in a confined area. The horse must be easily haltered without giving any indications of head-shyness or resistance to “catching”. The candidate horse must exhibit good ground manners and remain calm when being handled. The candidate horse must stand still and calm while being saddled. He must show no signs of aggressiveness of being “cinchy” during this process. The candidate horse must stand still and calm during this evolution. The candidate horse must demonstrate a proper understanding of stopping, turning and backing with only a light to moderate touch of the reins. Excessive force should not be necessary during this process. The candidate horse must stand quietly while the rider dismounts. The candidate horse must load and unload from a variety of trailers without difficulty. Balking will be a disqualifying factor when considering the purchase of a candidate horse. The candidate horse must stand quietly and calmly while being shod or having his feet worked on. All candidate horses must exhibit the “proper temperament” during the entire selection process. The candidate horse must be calm when any number of people or equipment are moving or standing around him. He must display confidence in any number of environments, including areas of unsure footing, tight enclosed or narrow spaces, moving vehicles/equipment, loud noises and/or bangs and popping sounds. Although the flight or fight response is always prevalent, the candidate horse must remain calm or quickly recover and not run off with the rider when startled. The candidate horse must possess a gentle and calm demeanor during the hours of darkness and around large groups of people. The candidate horses will be subjected to extreme weather and extreme terrain on a daily basis. All candidate horses must be acclimatized for work in this environment. The Government retains the right to return a candidate horse to the contractor/seller, if within 60 days, the animal is deemed not suitable for service. This determination will be based on the testing criteria specified herein or the horse is discovered to have a pre-existing medical problem, chronic disease or a hereditary defect that could render the horse unsuitable for service. The seller will replace the horse within thirty days of receipt of notice that any of the aforementioned conditions exist. This animal shall be replaced with a suitable horse that meets all the testing criteria. The Government retains the sole right to make any and all determinations as to the acceptability/unacceptability of the candidate. The contractor/seller shall not, in any case, hold the Government responsible for the disposition of a medically or physically defective horse. This Quotation is solicited FOB Destination for delivery to the Customs & Border Protection offices as follows: 6 ea to Nogales, Arizona, 6 ea to NACO Station, Bisbee, AZ, 5 ea to Nogales, AZ. The Offeror shall provide (1) the number of horses available for sale, (2) delivery schedule and (3) prices per each horse. FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items applies with evaluation factors of technical capability to meet the Government needs, delivery schedule and price. The following FAR Clauses are incorporated by reference: 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors- Commercial Items; 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; 52.212- 5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items, which incorporate the following Clauses: 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (E.O. 11246); 52.222-35 Affirmative Action for Disabled Veteran Era (38 U.S.C. 4212); 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (29 U.S.C. 793); 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era (38 U.S.C. 4212; 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases (E.O. 12722, 12724, 13059, 13067, 13121 and 13129); and 52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Other than Central Contractor Registration. Successful Offeror will complete the information in 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items and submit with response to this RFQ. The Offeror may obtain the full text of the clauses electronically at web site http://www.arnet.gov/far. Request for Quotation incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2001-14. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 112920. This requirement is a small business set aside procurement. Closing date or response date for this synopsis/quotation ACL-3-Q-0030 is August 1, 2003 at 4:00pm, Pacific Daylight Time. Only written responses will be accepted. Responses can be faxed to (949)-360-3013, Attn: Sheryl Wright, or email in MSWord format to
[email protected]. All responsible sources may submit a quotation that will be considered by the agency. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice.