USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service, ASD, PCS, Room 2161 South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700

66 -- GROUND MEAT SAMPLING RING KIT SOL FSIS-15-W-98 DUE 050698 POC Anita Voiselle This is a combined Synopsis Solicitation for a commercial item prepared in accordance with information in FAR Subpart 12.6 as supplemented with the additional information included in this notice.This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number is FSIS-15-W-98 and is issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). This solicitation documents and incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-04. The Standard Industrial Code (SIC) is 3829. This requirement is set-aside for small business with a 5-point preference given to woman-owned small business.The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has a requirement for Ground Meat Sampling Ring Kits. The sterile kits will be used by inspection personnel when collecting samples of ground raw meat and poultry products for salmonella analysis. A 25-gram sample is required to run the analysis. By uniformly filling the sampling ring, a 25-gram sample is obtained. The current product being utilized is Ground Meat Sampling Ring Kit product number USDA-GMS-025 from International BioProducts of Redmond, Washington 98052. The kit is comprised of the following: a sampling ring with the approximate dimensions of 1.50 inch ID, 1.75 inch OD, and 0.862 inch height (+/- 0.12 inch). The ring is made of clear acrylic plastic (tube). A 20 x 20 cm polyethylene sheet (2 mil thickness) and a 5.5" x 9" 4 mil polyethylene stomacher type sample bag with wire closure and a perforated top for easy opening. The Sampling Ring is rolled into the middle of the plastic sheet (eggroll style) and taped with a sterility seal, so the ring and sheet can be accessed at one time. The ring, sheet and bag are sterile. Delivery shall be FOB Destination to the following addresses: St. Louis, MO, Athens, GA, and Alameda, CA. The Government intends to make a single award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contract with a minimum of 50,000 kits and a maximum 150,000 kits per year. The award shall include four one-year option periods. Cost will be based on a firm fixed price per case. For evaluation purposes only, pricing shall be provided for a one-case (100 kits per case) unit. Pricing is to be provided for Fiscal Year 1998 plus four option years, priced separately. The award will be made to responsible offeror whose proposal provides the best value to the Government based on price and conformance to FSIS specifications. In response to this solicitation, Offerors must provide the following information: company name, address, telephone number, price, delivery time, payment terms, taxpayer identification number, product sample, completed FAR provision 52.212-3, and the signature of an authorized representative. Alternate proposals will be accepted. The following provisions and clauses are incorporated in this solicitation by reference. The provisions will be provided by the contracting officer in full text upon written request. FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items is hereby included by reference. The following are addenda to FAR Clause 52.212-1 paragraph (d) Product Samples. Product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during pre-award testing. Each offeror is required to provide a product sample. Far 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Items applies to this solicitation and the following evaluation criteria (arranged in their order of importance) shall be used to evaluate offers. Technical capability of the samples offered to meet the Government requirement and price. FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders Commercial Items, paragraphs b (6) through (10): The following provision is also incorporated into this solicitation and must be completed and returned with the Proposal: FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications. A copy will be provided upon request. The following clauses are also incorporated into this solicitation: 52.216-18 Ordering.ORDERING (OCT 1995) (a) Any supplies and services to be furnished under this contract shall be ordered by issuance of delivery orders or task orders by the individuals or activities designated in the Schedule. Such orders may be issued from date of award through September 30, 1998. (b) All delivery orders or task orders are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of conflict between a delivery order or task order and this contract, the contract shall control. (c) If mailed, a delivery order or task order is considered "issued" when the Government deposits the order in the mail. Orders may be issued orally, by facsimile, or by electronic commerce methods only if authorized in the Schedule. 52.216-19 Order Limitations. ORDER LIMITATIONS (OCT 1995) (a) Minimum Order. When the Government requires supplies or services covered by this contract in an amount of less than 50,000, the Government is not obligated to purchase, nor is the Contractor obligated to furnish, those supplies or services under the contract. (b) Maximum Order. The Contractor is not obligated to honor- (1) Any order for a single item in excess of 150,000; or (2) Any order for a combination of items in excess of $150,000; or (3) A series of orders from the same ordering office within 10 days that together call for quantities exceeding the limitation in subparagraph (1) or (2) above. (c) If this is a requirements contract (i.e., includes the Requirements clause at subsection 52.216-21 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)), the Government is not required to order a part of any one requirement from the Contractor if that requirement exceeds the maximum-order limitations in paragraph (b) above. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (c) above, the Contractor shall honor any order exceeding the maximum order limitations in paragraph (b), unless that order (or orders) is returned to the ordering office within days after issuance with written notice stating the contractor's intent not to ship the item (or items) called for and the reasons. Upon receiving this notice, the Government may acquire the supplies or services from another source. 52.216-22 Indefinite Quantity. INDEFINITE QUANTITY (OCT 1995) (a) This is an indefinite-quantity contract for the supplies or services specified, and effective for the period stated, in the Schedule. The quantities specified, and effective for the period stated, in the Schedule are estimates only and are not purchased by this contract. (b) Delivery or performance shall be made only as authorized by orders issued in accordance with the Ordering clause. The Contractor shall furnish to the Government, when and if ordered, the supplies or services specified in the Schedule up to and including the quantity designated in the schedule as the "maximum." The Government shall order at least the quantity of supplies or services designated in the Schedule as the "minimum." (c) Except for any limitations on quantities in the Order Limitations clause or in the Schedule, there is no limit on the number of orders that may be issued. The Government may issue orders requiring delivery to multiple destinations or performance at multiple locations. (d) Any order issued during the effective period of this contract and not completed within that period shall be completed by the Contractor within the time specified in the order. The contract shall govern the Contractor's and Government's rights and obligations with respect to that order to the same extent as if the order were completed during the contract's effective period; provided, that the Contractor shall not be required to make any deliveries under this contract after September 30, 1998. PLACING AND PROCESSING OF ORDERS Ordering Period: The Government may place orders for supplies under individual delivery orders from date of award through September 30, 1998. Each order placed under this contract shall be issued and processed in the following manner: Authorized Ordering Activities: Only FSIS Contracting Officers (CO) are authorized to award delivery orders under this contract. Types of Orders: Orders placed under this contract will be firm-fixed price delivery orders. A firm-fixed price order is defined as an order for which the parties have agreed upon price, and all other terms and conditions prior to issuance. Authority to Proceed: Upon receipt of a fully executed Delivery Order, the Contractor shall proceed with delivery of the items specified. Pricing of Orders: The Contractor warrants that the prices charged under this contract will not exceed the prices charges by the Contractor to its most favored customers for like services under comparable conditions. INVOICE REQUIREMENTS: Invoices shall be submitted in an original and one copy to the Contracting Office designated in this contract. To constitute a proper invoice, the invoice must include the following information and/or attached documentation (in addition to the requirements of FAR 52.232-25). (1) Delivery Order Number (2) Description, price and dates products shipped. INVOICE SUBMISSION: Invoices shall be submitted to the following address USDA, FSIS, ASD, Contracting Room 2158, South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250. Proposals must be received in the contracting office by May 6, 1998. For information regarding this solicitation, please call Anita Voiselle on 202-720-0586. Submissions should be sent to:Anita Voiselle,USDA, FSIS, ASD, AAS, Room 2158, South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250 (0107)

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