U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contracts Management Division (MD-33), Attn: ORDSC, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

B -- FISH VOUCHERING SERVICES TO VERIFY TAXONOMIC IDENTIFICATION OF AQUATIC VERTEBRATES & THEN TO ARCHIVE INTO CONTRACTOR'S FISH MUSUEM SOL XMW058 POC Ramona G. Evans, Contract Specialist (919/541-4749) WEB: Click here to visit the site that has information about, http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. E-MAIL: Click here to contact the Contract Specialist via, evans.ramona@epa.gov. THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS 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. QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The solicitation number is XMW058, and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-17. The associated Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code is 8422 which has a size standard of $5.0M in average annual receipts over the last three years to qualify as a small business; however, it is anticipated that the contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. A firm-fixed-price purchase order is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation. It is anticipated that there will be three awards made: XMW058-1 (NORTHWEST); XMW058-2 (SOUTHWEST); and XMW058-3 (PLAINS). The purpose of this procurement is for the contractor to perform careful and 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 to preserve portions of the samples as permanent archival records for future reference and use in a scientific/fish museum. The period of performance is expected to be for 1 year from date of award, with options for two additional 1-year periods and one additional 7-month period. In addition to this Request for Quotation, offerors should review the Statements of Work and other information posted with this Request for Quotation on EPA's web site at the following address: http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd/ . For XMW058-1 (NORTHWEST) -- Offerors shall provide EPA with a price estimate on a per species/sample basis for the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) below. In the CLINs below, EA = Species/Sample. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 169 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 1 -- BASE PERIOD -- NTE 845 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Base Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2000 through 08/31/2001. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 181 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 2 -- OPTION 1 PERIOD -- NTE 905 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 1 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2001 through 08/31/2002. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 181 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 3 -- OPTION 2 PERIOD -- NTE 905 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 2 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2002 through 08/31/2003. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 181 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 4 -- OPTION 3 PERIOD -- NTE 905 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 3 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2003 through 04/01/2004. For XMW058-2 (SOUTHWEST) -- Offerors shall provide EPA with a price estimate on a per species/sample basis for the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) below. In the CLINs below, EA = Species/Sample. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 84 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 1 -- BASE PERIOD -- NTE 420 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Base Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2000 through 08/31/2001. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 84 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 2 -- OPTION 1 PERIOD -- NTE 420 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 1 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2001 through 08/31/2002. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 84 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 3 -- OPTION 2 PERIOD -- NTE 420 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 2 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2002 through 08/31/2003. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 84 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 4 -- OPTION 3 PERIOD -- NTE 420 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 3 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2003 through 04/01/2004. For XMW058-3 (PLAINS) -- Offerors shall provide EPA with a price estimate on a per species/sample basis for the Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) below. In the CLINs below, EA = Species/Sample. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 63 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 1 -- BASE PERIOD -- NTE 315 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Base Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2000 through 08/31/2001. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 63 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 2 -- OPTION 1 PERIOD -- NTE 315 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 1 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2001 through 08/31/2002. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 63 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 3 -- OPTION 2 PERIOD -- NTE 315 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 2 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2002 through 08/31/2003. Assuming 5 voucher samples per site and a maximum of 63 sites CONTRACT LINE ITEM NUMBER (CLIN) 4 -- OPTION 3 PERIOD -- NTE 315 EA @ $_______ per Species/Sample = $_______. See the Statement of Work. Option 3 Period estimated period of performance: 09/01/2003 through 04/01/2004. The following FAR provisions apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Evaluation-Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Item. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 are as follows: (i) 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 point to 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 and proposals. 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. In responding to this solicitation, each offeror's proposal must 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. Each offeror's proposal shall include a description of its procedures for assuring the integrity of the work. Each offeror shall also describeits capability to produce all required deliverables in a timely and acceptable manner. 3.) Contractor Experience. Contractors will be evaluated on their experience in the identification and vouchering of aquatic vertebrate specimens collected in the region of interest (Northwest, Southwest, or Plains) ; (ii) PAST PERFORMANCE -- Submit a list of 3 "customers" (provide the company name, address, contact person, and phone number) who can verify the contractor's past performance in accomplishing similar tasks. Past performance will be evaluated in three areas as follows: (1) quality of product or service, (2) timeliness of performance & ability to adhere to deadlines; and (3) overall customer satisfaction; and (iii) PRICE in decreasing order of importance. Technical capability and past performance when combined are significantly more important than price. Award will be made to the offeror whose offer represents the best value to the Government considering the criteria referenced above. As offers become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluated price becomes more important. All offerors are to include with their offers a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The following FAR clause applies to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items. The following additional FAR clauses which are cited in clauses 52.212-5 are applicable to the acquisition: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I; 52.203-10, Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity; 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting; 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; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, As Amended. Any applicable wage determination(s) will be made a part of the resultant purchase order. Price and technical information should be submitted in separate proposals. It is requested that the completed Representations and Certifications be included with the price proposal. Offerors are asked not to phone the contract specialist with questions. Technical questions are to be forwarded via email to the Contract Specialist at the following email address: evans.ramona@epa.gov . Offerors should frequently go to EPA's web site ( http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd/ ) and click on this Request for Quotation, to check the status of this procurement and to ascertain if any amendments have been issued addressing technical questions and/or extending the due date for receipt of offers. The Contract Specialist will also try to notify any offerors who have emailed her expressing an interest in the solicitation when and if amendments have been posted to the web site (see email address above); however, it is each offeror's responsibility to frequently check this site for an updated status of the procurement and for any amendments that have been issued. Please submit two copies of the technical proposal and two copies of the price proposal to Ramona G. Evans, Contract Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, MD-33, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Courier Delivery Address is: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Receptionist-Administration Bldg. Lobby, Attn: Ramona G. Evans (MD-33), 79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. All offers are due by August 8, 2000, 3:30 p.m. ET. No telephonic or faxed requests or offers will be honored. The Statements of Work are posted with the RFQ at this same web site: http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd . Posted 07/20/00 (W-SN476991). (0202)

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