SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- AQUATIC VERTEBRATE VOUCHERING
- Notice Date
- 10/19/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Ord Service Center/Nheerl, Rtp Procurement Operations Division, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
- ZIP Code
- 27711
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-RT-05-00015
- Response Due
- 11/2/2004
- Archive Date
- 12/2/2004
- Description
- NAICS Code: 712190 THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL SERVICES PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN 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. The solicitation number is RFQ-RT-05-00015, and the solicitation is being issued as a full and open competition Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 01-25. The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 712190, which has a size standard of $6.0 million to qualify as a small business, is applicable. A firm, fixed-price contract is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. This procurement is for the contractor to perform detailed fish vouchering services to verify and validate the taxonomic identification of aquatic vertebrates from samples collected in U.S. western streams and rivers and preserve portions of the samples as permanent archival records for future reference and use in a scientific/fish museum. The period of performance will be from the date of award through September 30, 2005. EMAP has collected aquatic vertebrate (fish and amphibian) voucher samples from ca. 1200 stream and river sites in the 12 western states over the period 2000-2003. These vouchers have been identified and archived at the Smithsonian Institution. Although originally envisioned as a four-year sampling effort, EMAP's western pilot will require a fifth field season in the summer of 2004. During the fall of 2004, the contractor receiving this award will accept shipment of preserved voucher specimens of aquatic vertebrates from the Southwest, Northwest and Plains stream and river sites. Samples will be provided to the contractor by EPA's Western Ecology Division (WED). WED will provide a computer file of site locations and other pertinent information to the contractor to facilitate developing a permanent catalog record of the voucher specimens submitted for archival. Requirement: Southwest - Preserved voucher specimens of aquatic vertebrates from approximately 60 stream and river sites in the states of Arizona, Nevada, California, and Utah will be provided. EPA anticipates generating approximately 5 voucher samples (multiple individuals/sample) for each of the ca. 60 sites sampled in 2004, for a total of ca. 300 vouchers (or samples) requiring identification and archiving. Northwest - Preserved voucher specimens of aquatic vertebrates from approximately 60 stream and river sites in the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho will be provided. EPA anticipates generating approximately 5 voucher samples (multiple individuals/sample) for each of the ca. 60 sites sampled in 2004, for a total of ca. 300 vouchers (or samples) requiring identification and archiving. Plains - Preserved voucher specimens of aquatic vertebrates from approximately 80 stream and river sites in the states of Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado will be provided. EPA anticipates generating approximately 5 voucher samples (multiple individuals/sample) for each of the ca. 80 sites sampled in 2004, for a total of ca. 400 vouchers (or samples) requiring identification and archiving. TASKS: Task 1: Identify voucher specimens to species for all adults and juveniles. Where large numbers of small, difficult to identify (or hybridized) individuals are collected, subsampling and reporting percentage species composition is acceptable. Prepare and deliver summary reports (as described in Deliverables) to WED within 3 months of receipt of the voucher specimens. Catalog and archive the voucher specimens in the permanent collection. Task 2: Examine photographs of large specimens to verify species identification. Typically, easy-to identify game fish will not be included in voucher collections, but will be photographed and returned to the stream alive. Prepare and deliver summary reports (as described in Deliverables) to WED within 4 months of receipt of the photographs. Specimens will be preserved in the field in 10% borate-buffered formalin. Two types of aquatic vertebrate samples may be collected. Voucher samples contain selected specimens of individuals identified and counted in the field; they provide a record of what was collected in the field and released Unknown samples contain specimens that could not be confidently identified in the field. The contractor shall transfer specimens to alcohol for permanent storage. In general, both voucher and unknown specimens will be limited to small fish (juveniles, small adults) and amphibians, so as not to be a space burden. The contractor may request to WED in advance that additional specimens be preserved. Each putative species will be placed in a separate mesh bag with a numbered tag by the field crews. The species identified by the contractor from the bag must be linked back to that specific tag number for each site so that WED can link each voucher species with a unique tag number. This number, in turn, can be linked to species identified on field sheets, whether or not they were correctly field-identified, and whether or not the bag contained more than one species. In addition, these species identifications can be used to infer proportional abundances of released fish species in the field collections. It is critical that this chain of identification be maintained. Following standard museum practices, the contractor shall archive the specimens in their permanent collection. After seven years, the contractor may dispose of large specimens after notifying and receiving approval from WED. The contractor's collection must be located in a climate controlled environment in order to ensure sample integrity. The contractor must have a permanent computerized catalog database, with daily backups in order to assure long-term sample tracking and data retrieval. Samples must be stored in sealed jars in 70-75% ethanol OR isopropanol on shelves. Jars should contain permanent museum labels (preferably printed on waterproof paper with indelible printer ink. Hand written labels are acceptable.) Disposal of any hazardous waste (e.g., formalin, ethanol or isoproponal) is the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor shall submit a reference list of taxonomic keys to be used in the identification of aquatic vertebrates from this project for approval by EPA. If supplemental references are required, it is the responsibility of the contractor to acquire them. When the contractor staff encounters a specimen with which it has little experience, it is expected that the curatorial staff will seek expert opinion on verification of the identification. Deliverables: The following reports shall be submitted: 1. The contractor shall provide an electronic (any common database is acceptable) and hardcopy report on species identifications and counts by sample type (voucher vs. unknowns) for each stream sampling event (stream-date combination) and tag number. Where subsampling techniques are used, counts of the group from which the subsample is drawn and counts of the identified subsample shall be reported by sample type, sampling event and tag number. Hybrids shall be identified to the lowest taxonomic level reasonable, and probable crosses identified. Both electronic and hardcopy files shall be provided to WED within 3 months of receipt of voucher specimens or photographs. Final reporting of difficult specimens and hybrids may be delayed to allow for specimens to be exchanged with taxonomic experts at other locations. 2. The collection data shall be entered into the contractor's catalog/data system. One set of hard copies of these data shall be sent to WED for review with Deliverable #1. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52-212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items; 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: A. Technical Capabilities Criteria: 1. Qualifications and Demonstrated Ability of Personnel. a. Curator/Collections Manager. Offerors shall include in their proposals the qualifications and demonstrated abilities of the individual proposed to serve as Curator/Collections Manager. The contractor shall have a designated curator who will serve as the contact to the EPA. This individual shall have a Ph.D. with at least 10 years experience in the curation and management of museum collections of fish. Offerors shall indicate whether the individual proposed is presently employed by the company and what proportion of this individual's time would be made available for this contract, as well as the nature and extent of the individual's commitment to other contracts. Where the individual proposed is not presently employed by the company, submit qualification standards and the methods/sources of potential candidates in a staffing plan. b. Curatorial Assistant/Museum Technicians. The contractor shall have support staff experienced with accurate sorting and identification of fishes, using taxonomic keys for fish and amphibian identification, and database management. These persons should have at least a B.S. degree and 2 years experience in identification of aquatic vertebrates and standard museum practice. Under certain circumstances, these positions may be held by undergraduate and graduate students, provided that there is sufficient supervision by the curator or collections manager to ensure the quality and integrity of the data. 2. Knowledge and Approach to the Statement of Work. Offeror's shall demonstrate a full and complete understanding of the requirements of the Statement of Work. The offeror's understanding must include identification of the types of problems that are likely to occur during performance and demonstration of how it proposes to overcome problems to accomplish the work. The offeror shall include a description of its procedures for assuring the integrity of the work, and describe its capability to produce all required deliverables in a timely and acceptable manner. 3. Experience. Contractors will be evaluated on their experience in the identification and vouchering of aquatic vertebrate specimens collected in the regions of interest (Southwest, Northwest, and Plains of the U.S.). B. Past Performance: Offerors shall submit a list of 3 references (customers) that can verify their past performance accomplishing similar tasks. Provide the company name, address, contact person, and telephone number. Past performance will be evaluated on the following: 1. Quality of product or service. 2. Timeliness of performance and ability to adhere to deadlines. 3. Overall customer satisfaction. C. Price. Award will be made to the offeror whose offer represents the best value to the government, price and other factors considered. For the purpose of this best value decision, technical capabilities and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price. All offerors are to include with their offer a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The following FAR clauses apply to this acquisition: 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 and the following additional FAR clauses which are cited in Clause 52.212-5: 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52-232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer,52.222-41 Service Contract Act of 1965, as Amended. Any applicable wage determination will be made a part of the resultant purchase order. The completed Representations and Certifications should be included with the price quotation. All technical questions are to be forwarded via email to the Contracting Officer at the following email address: hill.jennifer@epa.gov. Offerors should review the Statement of Work and other information posted with this Request for Quotation on EPA's website at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. Scroll down to the REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS section and click on the solicitation. Scroll down below that section to COMMERCIAL BUY CLAUSES AND FORMS which are provided for your convenience. Please submit two copies of the technical proposal and two copies of the price proposal to Jennifer B. Hill, Contracting Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 if using US Post Office. Courier delivery address is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Attn: Jennifer B. Hill, RTP Procurement Operations Division (D143-01), 4930 Page Road, Durham, NC 27703. All offers are due by November 2, 2004, 12:00 p.m.,EDT. No telephonic or faxed requests will be honored.
- Record
- SN00696099-W 20041021/041019212047 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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