SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Abstract, Title and Closing Services - Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Notice Date
- 2/2/2011
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541191
— Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Minnesota State Office, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 600, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101-1854
- ZIP Code
- 55101-1854
- Solicitation Number
- AG-6322-S-11-0001
- Archive Date
- 3/12/2011
- Point of Contact
- Todd R Davis, Phone: 6516027932
- E-Mail Address
-
todd.davis@mn.usda.gov
(todd.davis@mn.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Representation and Certifications Wage Determination 2005-2289 Wage Determination 2005-2287 Wage Determination 2005-2285 Statement of Work Copy of Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format specified in Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. Multiple blanket purchase agreements (BPA) as defined at FAR 13.303 are planned as a result of this solicitation for abstract, title and closing services for various conservation easement programs in various counties within the state of Minnesota. A blanket purchase agreement (BPA) is a simplified method of filling anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services by establishing "charge accounts" with qualified sources of supply. BPA's are not binding contracts, but rather agreements that set forth pricing and other terms and conditions. BPA's can be cancelled at any time by either party and vendors are not required to accept orders under a BPA. However, individual calls/orders issued against a BPA are legally binding once performance begins or the vendor accepts the order in writing. (ii) Solicitation Number AG-6322-S-11-0001 - This solicitation is issued as a Request for Quotes (RFQ), and the simplified acquisition procedures at FAR Part 13 are being utilized. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-49, effective January 24, 2011. (iv) This is a 100% small business set aside and the applicable NAICS code 541191 -- Title Abstract and Settlement Offices, which has a size standard of $7 million (annual revenue). Only quotes from small businesses will be considered. A size standard is the largest that a concern can be and still qualify as a small business for Federal Government programs. Size standards are the average annual receipts of a firm. How to calculate average annual receipts of a firm can be found in 13 CFR § 121.104. For more information on these size standards, please visit http://www.sba.gov/size. (v) BPA Line Item Numbers. Pricing must be held for 30 calendar days after the due date for quotes listed in this notice to provide for adequate time to evaluate quotes and make award. All costs for services provided must be allocated to one of the contract line items below. Although not recommend, firms may substitute or add additional line item(s) for related costs that are not able to be attributed to one of the following line items. These substitutions and/or additions will be used to evaluate the total price for purposes of evaluating the quotes and for issuing calls/orders under any resultant BPA. Any costs for clearing exceptions to the title will be proposed to the Contracting Officer and agreed upon between the parties through modification to an individual BPA call prior to rendering the services. Separate reimbursement for any other costs will not be made. The quoted price schedule will be used to evaluate each offeror's price and to establish the rates to be used for any resultant BPA calls. Item Description Qty Unit Unit Price 001 Abstract Update - Title/Records Search (per abstract) 1 EA $ ____________ 002 Title Exam (base fee, including first abstract) 1 EA $ ____________ 003 Title Exam (additional fee for each additional abstract examined) 1 EA $ ____________ 004 Title Insurance Commitment (per easement) 1 EA $ ____________ 005 Title Insurance Premium (per easement, rounded up) 1 $1,000 value $ ____________ 006 Closing Services (per easement) 1 EA $ ____________ 007 Recording Fee (per document) 1 EA $ ____________ If rates for line item 005 vary based on dollar value, list the per $1,000 premium amount for each applicable dollar range with the quote. (vi) Description of Requirements. Abstract, title and closing services for various conservation easement projects located in multiple geographies/counties as grouped below. See the Statement of Work for more detail on the services required which apply to all contract line items. Historical estimates of the total number of easements projects for each group are listed for the last three years. However, the quantities listed after the county names are for information only and do not necessarily reflect the quantity of easement projects that may arise in the future. No minimum or maximum number orders are guaranteed under any resultant BPA's. Geographies were grouped in an effort to balance workload among the several BPA's without establishing too many or too few BPA's. Additional easements projects have been conducted in other counties throughout the state but in much lower volume. Requirements for those counties not listed below that are in excess of the micro purchase threshold will be competed among at least three vendors, which may include existing BPA holders for the counties listed below. For those requirements under the micro purchase threshold a BPA call may be issued to one of the BPA holders for a county not listed below using the pricing established in the agreement if both parties agree to do so. Vendors may quote on multiple geographic areas, but only one vendor can hold a BPA for one geographic area. If vendors chose to bid on multiple geographic areas they must list their order of preference for award should they be the lowest priced, technically acceptable offeor for more than one area. Any tie quotes will be resolved using the procedures at FAR Part 14. Area 1 Becker and Mahnomen (31) Area 2 McLeod (19) Area 3 Jackson, Sibley, Waseca, and Meeker (15) Area 4 Pope and Stevens (34) Area 5 Clay, Wilkin, and Otter Tail (35) Area 6 Kandiyohi (40) (FOR KANDIYOHI, TWO BPA's WITH TWO SEPARATE VENDORS WILL BE ISSUED DUE TO HIGHER ANTICIPATED VOLUME. REASONABLE ATTEMPTS WILL BE MADE TO FAIRLY DISTRIBUTE ANY RESULTANT BPA CALLS BETWEEN THE TWO VENDORS.) Area 7 Freeborn, Mower, and Steele (25) Area 8 Douglas and Grant (18) Area 9 Big Stone and Swift (15) Area 10 Norman (25) Area 11 Marshall, Polk and Pennington (15) Area 12 Rice, Le Sueur and Scott (1) (DESPITE THE HISTORICALLY LOW NUMBER OF EASEMENTS A HIGHER VOLUME IS ANTICIPATED IN THE FUTURE) (vii) Date(s) and Place(s) of Delivery and Acceptance. The period of performance will vary for each project under each BPA call. See the Statement of Work for specific timeframes for project deliverables. Delivery and acceptance will be made by the Contracting Officer at the NRCS MN State Office. It is imperative that performance be executed in a prompt manner so as to ensure timely closing of the conservation easement. (viii) The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, applies to this acquisition. The following addenda also apply. Offerors must read and follow the following additional instructions: In order to comply with the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, all contractors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) to be considered for an award of a Federal Contract. For information regarding registration contact the CCR Web Site at www.ccr.gov. Successful offers will also be required to provide a completed NRCS Conservation Cooperator Certification, a completed Standard Form 1199a (Direct Deposit) to facilitate electronic transfer of funds for all payments, and provide evidence of at least $1 million in liability insurance coverage (certificate of insurance) for errors and omissions or provide an indemnification agreement from the title insurance for which the contractor will close the transaction or transactions prior to award of a BPA. Only one copy of the quote is required to be submitted. Offeors can be submitted by mail, fax or email (scanned documents). If the document is faxed it is recommended that the offeror call or send an email the contracting officer to confirm receipt. (ix) FAR provision 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items does not apply to this solicitation. Instead, the following evaluation procedures will be used as permitted by FAR 13.106-2(b)(1). The lowest priced, technically acceptable quote will be selected for award of a BPA for each geographic area. For Kandiyohi County (Area 6) the two lowest priced, technically acceptable quotes for Kandiyohi County will be selected for award of a BPA. Under this procedure quotes are first evaluated for technical acceptability and receive a pass or fail rating. They will not be ranked based on technical acceptability. In order to be considered for price evaluation and possible award, proposals must address all technical acceptability requirements listed below. Next, quotes that pass all technical requirements will be ranked by price within each geographic area by summing the value of all quoted line items in the price list referred to in section (v) of this notice. To ensure that the effect of the insurance rate(s) in line item 005 is adequately evaluated, a sample easement value of $200,000 will be used to determine the total amount for this line for evaluation purposes only, while the rest of the line items will be evaluated using a quantity of one (1). Requirements for Technical Acceptability. First, quotes will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis to ensure that they meet the following technical acceptability factors. Prior Experience with Abstracting, Title Search, Title Examination, Easement Closings, Title Commitments and Title Insurance Policy Issuance: Offerors must demonstrate that their firm has significant recent and relevant prior experience with any type of easement closings in the geographic area(s) quoted. This includes both the quantity and frequency of conducting the tasks described in the Statement of Work. This will be evidenced by providing details in their quote such as the type of entity the closing was conducted for (federal, state, local government, private business, or a private landowner, etc), the location of the property by county, the nature of the transaction, the types of activities performed (i.e. abstracting, title search, title opinion/commitment, providing title insurance, and closing), and the date. Personnel Qualifications: All personnel must have a minimum of five (5) years experience having performed the aforementioned types of services. Offerors must identify all personnel who will work on any NRCS projects under any resultant contract. For each person the following type of information must be provided (job title, years of experience, percentage of time spent on pertinent duties, education and any applicable certifications and/or licenses). (x) Offerors are required to complete a copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, and submit it with the quote. However, upon award of a BPA each vendor must be registered in the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) and have completed the online representations and certifications. Alternatively, the offeror may chose to complete their registration in ORCA and provide the first page from the website with their proposal as evidence that it has been completed. This registration must be updated annually. For information regarding registration in ORCA, contact the ORCA web site at https://orca.bpn.gov. (xi) The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and there are no addenda. (xii) The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and the following additional FAR clauses cited in the clause are applicable to this acquisition. (b) (8)(i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (June 2003) (18) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (APR 2009) (19) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUN 2003) (20) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (AUG 2009) (21) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (FEB 1999). (22) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (MAR 2007) (24) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998) (34) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) (37) 52.232-29, Terms for Financing of Purchases of Commercial Items (FEB 2002) (39) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer - Central Contractor Registration (OCT 2003) (c) (1) 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965 (NOV 2007) See wage determinations attached to this notice which include the individual counties specified in this notice. (2) 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 1989) This Statement is for Information Only. It is not a Wage Determination Employee Class (Series and Grade) Monetary Wage-Fringe Benefits GS-1170-09 (Realty Series) $19.92/hr G S-0963-09 (Legal Instrument Examining) $19.92/hr GS-0905-14 (General Attorney) $40.58/hr GS-0950-11 (Paralegal Specialist) $24.10/hr GS-0965-11 (Land Law Examining Series) $24.10/hr (xiii) Statement regarding any additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions (such as contract financing arrangements or warranty requirements) determined by the contracting officer to be necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices: The following additional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) clauses and provisions apply to this solicitation and any resultant contract award. FAR clauses and provisions can be found at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/html/FARTOCP52.html#wp372482. AGAR clauses and provisions can be found at http://www.da.usda.gov/procurement/policy/agar.html. Fill-in's, as required, are provided with the clauses and provisions below. PROVISIONS 452.204-70 Inquiries. Inquiries and all correspondence concerning this solicitation should be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer. Offeror's should contact only the Contracting Officer issuing the solicitation about any aspect of this requirement prior to contract award. 452.219-70 Size Standard and NAICS Code Information. The North American Industrial Classification System Code(s) and business size standard(s) describing the products and/or services to be acquired under this solicitation are listed below: Contract line item(s): All contract line item(s). NAICS code 541191 -- Title Abstract and Settlement Offices Size Standard $7 million in revenue annually. CLAUSES 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference. 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration. 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards. 3 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons. 52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification. 52.224-2 Privacy Act. 52.232-23 Assignment of Claims. 52.233-1 Disputes. 52.233-3 Protest after Award. 52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim. 52.243-1 Changes-Fixed Price. Alternate I 52.253-1 Computer Generated Forms. 452.211-72 Statement of Work/Specifications. The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services and facilities (except as otherwise specified), to perform the Statement of Work/Specifications referenced. 452.211-73 Attachments to Statement of Work/Specifications. The attachments to the Statement of Work/Specifications referenced are hereby made part of this solicitation and any resultant contract. 452.211-75 Effective Period of the Contract. The effective period of this contract is from "the date of award" through "5 years from the date of award". 452.224-70 Confidentiality of Information. (xiv) DPAS ratings do not apply to this solicitation. (xv) The date, time and place quotes are due is listed in the announcement on FedBizOpps. (xvi) The name and telephone number of the individual to contact for information regarding the solicitation is listed in the announcement on FedBizOpps. FINAL NOTE: All offeror's are reminded to provide the following documents, in addition to any others required by this notice, with their quote. 1) A completed copy of the price schedule listed in section (v) for each area quoted. If multiple areas are quoted, list the order of preference referred to in section (vi). 2) Responses to the technical acceptability requirements in this solicitation listed at section (ix). 3) Evidence of current CCR registration by printing page 1 of the registration on the website. 4) Evidence of current ORCA registration by printing page 1 of the registration on the website or completion of the representation and certification at FAR provision 52.212-3, which is attached to this notice.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/NRCS/MNSO/AG-6322-S-11-0001/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Multiple locations throughout Minnesota., Minnesota, United States
- Record
- SN02371697-W 20110204/110202234257-a96144d7243637c2fac14a41cfa3a657 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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