USDA, APHIS, Field Servicing Office, Butler Square West, 5th Floor, 100 North 6th St., Minneapolis, MN 55403

B -- PEST RISK ASSESSMENT SOL 52-M-APHIS-00 POC Robert J. Crowther, Contracting Offier. Telephone: (612) 370-2115 WEB: Click on the "solicitation" number, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mpls/ contracts/cbd.html. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), is contracting out for 12 qualitative risk assessments on designated fruits and vegetables (including herbs) from Honduras and six other Central American countries that were affected by Hurricane Mitch. USDA is assisting Honduras rebuild their fragile economy and infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Mitch. The risk assessments must be completed before Honduras can export these products into the United States. There are 48 commodity/country risk assessments in the contract, all of which must be completed prior to October 30, 2000. Contractor personnel conducting risk assessments must have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in entomology or plant pathology. Other skills in acarology, nematology, malacology, biology, and virology are desirable. Helpful course work includes ecology, botany, statistics, report writing, geography, and economics. A minimum five years of State/Federal plant regulatory duties at port, domestic, and/or foreign locations. Other experiences, such as employment in an extension service providing pest management recommendations is helpful. Simplified Acquisition Procedures will be followed in accordance with the provisions of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Part 13. The solicitation document and incorporated clauses and provisions are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 97-15. This is an unrestricted acquisition. All responsible sources may submit an offer for consideration. The Government will make award to the offeror whose offer conforms to all solicitation requirements and represents the "best value" to the Government, technical quality, cost or price, and other price related factors considered. For this solicitation, the combined weight of technical factors are equally as important as cost or price, and other price related factors. Therefore, award may be made to other than the lowest priced responsible offeror. Fora copy of the "request for quotations (RFQ)", fax or e-mail a written request for a copy of the "request for quotation (RFQ)" to the Contracting Officer. Fax: (612) 370-2106; e-mail: bob.j.crowther@usda.gov. SIC Code: 8733; $5.0 Million. The RFQ will be issued on or about March 29, 2000. The estimated date for receipt of offers is April 13, 2000. The actual date for receipt of offers will be the date identified in the RFQ for receipt of offers. The RFQ will be posted at the following website as soon as it is available for public viewing: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/mpls/ contracts/cbd.html Posted 03/23/00 (W-SN437703). (0083)

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