Department of State, Office of Acquisition, P. O. Box 9115, Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA 22219-0244

S -- LANDSCAPING/GROUNDSKEEPING SERVICES SOL S-OPRAQ-97-R-0039 DUE 031497 POC Harry E. Lundy, Contract Specialist, (703) 875-6014;; Fax: (703) 17. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This requirement is a total Small Business Set-aside. SIC Codes 0782, and 0783 (Grounds and Landscape Maintenance Services), size standard, $5 million of annual receipts, meaning the annual average gross revenues of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. The RFP Number is S-OPRAQ-97-R-0039. Notice incorporates provisions and clauses for the acquisition of commercial services which are effective through FAC 90-41 (August 8, 1996). These services are required by the U. S. Department of State, at the International Chancery Center located between Connecticut Avenue and Reno Road on the north and south sides of Van Ness Street, N.W., Washington, DC. Prospective offerors are invited to tour the International Chancery Center before submitting their proposals. The services consist of a contractor providing all supervision, labor, materials and equipment, necessary to (1) remove existing dead plant material, (2) initiate soil preparation and improvements, (3) perform planting, mulching, and sodding as required by the contract, (4) cut grass and weeds in all open areas, (5) trim overhanging branches around street lights and electrical wires, (6) remove fallen and dead trees as directed by the Contracting Officer (CO), (7) remove weeds and moss from cracks in the sidewalks and roads and (8) fertilize, weed, mulch, plant, daily clean-up, prune, remove leaves, mow, remove and replace dead plants, trees, and shrubs. Daily clean-up shall include equipment and materials not blocking access to existing facilities. Rubbish, debris, litter and garbage located in landscaped areas shall be disposed of daily by the contractor. At the end of the work day, the Contractor shall inspect the site to ensure a litter-free appearance. On site access routes utilized by landscaping equipment and/or delivery vehicles shall be maintained free from clay or mud balls, clods and mud. The Contractor shall repair all ruts made by delivery vehicles and/or landscaping equipment. Contractor shall provide the following: 1. Fertilizer. 2. Manure. 3. Mulch. 4. Peat moss. 5. Topsoil. 6. Compost, including the labor and equipment. Replacement plants, trees and shrubs will be provided by the State Department and installed by the Contractor in accordance with these specifications. The contractor shall appoint a Project Manager, who shall be able to comprehend the English language. The Contractor's appointed Project Manager shall. Be familiar with plants used on site, know their nomenclature, horticultural needs, and other attributes necessary for successful landscape and grounds maintenance. Be cognizant of the required project schedule and be available on the job site throughout each scheduled work day. Work shall be performed during the normal work week, 0700 to 1700, Monday through Friday. Requests for permission to work other than normal business hours, or Saturdays, Sundays and/or federal holidays shall be submitted, to the CO for approval, 24 hours in advance of the proposed scheduled change. The Contractor shall coordinate with the CO in advance of project completion to allow scheduling of preliminary and final inspections. Utilities: Determine location of underground utilities and perform work in a manner which will avoid damage. Hand excavate, as required. Maintain grade stakes set by others until removal is mutually agreed upon by parties concerned. The Contractor shall be responsible for insect and disease control and is required to develop and adhere to a pest control program as well as remedial. The Contractor shall be liable for all phytotoxic reactions. Spraying shall be performed after working hoursunless otherwise approved by the Government representative. The Contractor may be recalled for additional spraying, as necessary, under the terms and specifications of this contract, at no additional cost to the Government. The turf shall be renovated between August 15 and September 15 as follows: Locate and mark all underground irrigation heads. Cut grass to a height of one inch (2.5cm.) to 1 1/2 inches (4cm.). Vertically mow (detach). Rake and remove all thatch and debris. Fertilize grass. Seed at the rate of six pounds (2.7kg.) of seed per 1,000 square feet (93 square meter) of area. Apply seed uniformly by means of a power drill or power disc seeder, or equivalent, so that the seed is planted and covered with approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inch (.32 to .64cm.) of soil. The seed mixture shall be 90 percent K-31 tall fescue and 10 percent Kentucky blue grass, shall be certified, and approved by the Site Manger. Immediately after seeding, the entire area shall be watered and then kept moist to assure even germination. AESTHETICS/DESIGN OF FLOWER BED, GROUND COVER AND PLANT MAINTENANCE: To ensure that flowers are kept in a horticulturally acceptable condition at all times, the Contractor shall provide a maintenance program including, but not limited to the following: (1) PEST CONTROL: If pests become evident, appropriate pest control shall be provided by the Contractor. (2) EDGING: Beds of Ornamental plantings shall have a well defined edge established and maintained once every month. All metal edging shall be kept in a planting bed in good appearance, including tamping and realignment. (3) LEAF REMOVAL: Leaves shall be removed from all planting beds, turf, and fence areas on a regular basis. (4) GRASS CUTTING: Grass cutting shall be scheduled so that it does not interfere with vehicle parking. Areas to be cut shall be policed prior to mowing to remove any paper, stones, or debris. Grass-cutting equipment shall be operated, so as not to permit discharge from chutes within 10 feet (3 meters) of buildings, vents, mulch beds, etc. The mowing equipment shall be set to cut grass at a height of no less than two inches (5cm.). During periods of drought, the period between cuttings shall be extended to allow grass to attain a height of 2 1/2 inches (6.35cm.)(minimum) before cutting. A grass-cutting cycle must be completed prior to starting a new cycle within four working days. (5) EDGING: Edging around curbs, walks, etc., shall be done with a power edger (blade type) each time the grass is cut. A well defined line must be established and maintained. (6) TRIMMING: Trimming around monuments, flagpoles, walls, signs, etc., shall be done each time the grass is cut. The trimming height is the same as grass-cutting height. Note: Lawn areas containing naturalized plantings of flowering plants (daffodils), shall not be mowed until their foliage has turned yellowish-brown and died back to the ground. (7) LIMING: If the soil tests indicate a need tolime, it shall be applied uniformly at 50 pounds (23kg.) per 1,000 square feet, (93 square meters) with a minimum of overlapping or skipping. The time of application shall be between January 1 and the last day of February. Lime shall be pulverized dolomitic limestone (horticultural grade) and contain not less than 85 percent of calcium and magnesium carbonates. Containers shall be labeled to show chemical and mechanical analysis. (8) IRRIGATION: The Contractor shall monitor the existing irrigation system during the operating season to insure proper root zone moisture. The amount of water required varies greatly from micro climate to micro climate, but as a general rule it is recommended that beds receive a minimum of one inch (1") water per week throughout the operating season. Resulting contract shall be for a base year and four options of 1 year each. Indefinite Quantity Contract Type contemplated. BASIS FOR AWARD: Award will be made to the offeror whose proposal provides the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. For this solicitation, technical merit shall be equally important with price. No mathematical formula will determine price/technical tradeoff for purposes of award. A superior technical proposal may not receive award if its price is significantly higher than a lower-ranked but fully acceptable technical proposal. The lowest priced proposal may not receive award if its technical proposal is deemed marginal in any subfactor and a superior technical proposal at a reasonable price has been submitted by another offeror. The Government reserves the right to determine whether the superior technical merit of a proposal is worth the price premium. Where prices are very close, however, significantly superior technical merit will generally be the determining factor. (a) Only one award will result from this solicitation. Proposals that do not offer all of the requirements specified in this CBD will not be eligible for award.(b) Request Firm Fixed Prices for maintenance and Firm Fixed Prices for labor hours. TECHNICAL EVALUATION FACTORS: Proposals will be evaluated against Factors A & B listed below: They are equal in worth to each other. General a. Offerors should note that technical proposals which merely copy the Statement of Work will be considered nonresponsive to this solicitation and will not be considered further. b. The technical proposal should include unpriced details of labor hours and other direct cost elements. Factor A -- Technical Approach: This factor measures the qualification and experience of the proposed contractors to identify and understand the horticultural needs of the International Chancery Center. (1) Understanding of Mission. The Contractor shall present a narrative demonstrating the extent to which the mission of the solicitation is understood. The extent to which proposal demonstrates understanding of mission will be evaluated. (2) The Contractor shall present a narrative describing a work plan for achieving the contract mission objectives. The extent to which the proposal describes a work plan for achieving contract mission objectives will be evaluated. (3) Methodology and techniques for performing the contract. The extent to which proposal sets forth appropriate methodology and techniques for performing the contract will be evaluated. (4) The offeror shall submit a Quality Control Plan that demonstrates how the Company intends to manage this contract. The Company's lines of authority regarding management of the overall contract to include subcontractor relationships will be examined. What is the corporate philosophy for contract management, and how will this methodology be implemented in this contract. (5) The contractor shall present a narrative demonstrating innovative approaches for performing the work. The extent to which proposal demonstrates innovative approaches for performing the work will be evaluated. All labor categoriesshall be weighted equally for evaluation purposes. Each subfactor is of equal value. Factor B -- Corporate Experience/Past Performance. The Offeror's proposal shall include corporate experience and past performance which clearly demonstrates that the Offeror and/or subcontractor(s) are capable of performing the statement of work described in this CBD. The offeror's proposal will be evaluated on how well the relevant corporate experience/past performance of the prime offeror and its proposed subcontractor(s) pertains to the requirements cited in this CBD as indicated by the offeror's response. (1) Personnel -- Personnel proposed by the offeror will be evaluated for their years of experience. Extent to which proposed key personnel possess qualifications will be evaluated. (2) Past Contracts -- The contracts the offeror has performed in the past five years (up to a total of six) will be evaluated, as follows: Experience/Past Performance will be analyzed by the Government under the following: (a) Performance history -- How well offeror has performed on previous contracts. (b) Cost Management -- Whether offeror has provided quality services at reasonable prices. (c) Termination history -- Whether offeror has had previous contracts terminated for default or otherwise terminated due to customer dissatisfaction. Offerors are further advised that in its analysis, the Government will also assess the overall experience and past performance of subcontractor efforts. (3) Relevant experience -- The Offeror's examples of relevant corporate experience and past performance will be verified. It should demonstrate knowledge and experience of same and/or similar work described in this CBD. (4) Contractor shall present narrative on how well it performed on previous contracts. (5) Provide the following information for each contract and subcontract: (a) Customer's name, complete address and telephone number. (b) Name and telephone number of the Government's Contracting Officer or the Government's Contracting Officer's Representative. If there are multiple CORs, please provide all the names. (c) Contract number and was performance as the Prime or Sub contractor. (d) Contract type. (e) Dollar value of Award and Final Contract Value. (f) Contract effective date and completion date. (g) Place(s) of performance. (h) Description of contract work, scope and responsibilities. (i) Statement explaining how the contract work is the same as or similar to this required work. It is not sufficient to simply state that it is the same or similar in scope or magnitude. (j) Performance, include cost overrun/underrun information, information on default or termination for convenience, examples of effective and timely performance, awards or outstanding achievements, etc. In evaluating an offeror's past performance, the Government will try to determine whether the offeror has consistently provided its customers with quality services on time, at reasonable prices or costs and fees. In making this determination, the Government will consider information in the offeror's proposal and information obtained independently by the Government from other sources. If the Government elects to conduct discussions, offerors in the competitive range will be afforded an opportunity to address an extremely unfavorable report. The offeror's response, or lack thereof, will be considered. Evaluation of past performance will be subjective, based on consideration of all known circumstances and other facts reasonably available to the Government. Pertinent work under non-Government contracts may also be included. Subjective technical scoring for the technical proposal will be as follows: EXCEPTIONAL -- Exceeds specified performance or capability in a beneficial way; has a high probability of success; no significant weaknesses. ACCEPTABLE -- Satisfies evaluation factors. Good probability of success; weaknesses can be readily corrected. MARGINAL—Fails to satisfy the evaluation factors; low probability of success; significant deficiencies. UNACCEPTABLE -- Fails to minimally satisfy the evaluation factors; significant deficiencies, not correctable without a major revision to the proposal. Any prompt-payment discounts offered will not be evaluated, but may be taken as offered. See Note 24. Responses to this RFP must be received by the Contracting Office no later than 2:30 p.m., March 12, 1997. Responses shall be delivered to Harry E. Lundy, U.S. Department of State, Office of Acquisition, Rm. 528, 1701 N. Ft Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209. If mailed, post mark must show mailing date no later than 5 calendar days prior to closing date. Mailing Address: Harry E. Lundy, U.S. Department of State, Office of Acquisition, P.O. Box 9115, Rosslyn Station, Arlington, VA 22219.***** (0049)

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