r--Wetlands and Aquatic Resources Tech Support
Added: May 27, 2016 1:54 pm THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY FOLLOW-UP REQUESTS. NO TELEPHONE CALLS REQUESTING A SOLICITATION WILL BE ACCEPTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is performing market research to identify the capabilities of firms that can provide support to the EPA's Office of Water with section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA section 404 regulatory program permits a wide range of projects which impact waters of the US. Under section 404 the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) or states who have assumed the permit program issue the permits in compliance with regulations established by the EPA. EPA reviews public notices for proposed projects and policies, approves assumption of permit program and works with the US Army Corps of Engineers and states on ways to more efficiently and effectively implement the 404 program. The permit review criteria for the 404 program are laid out in regulations referred to as the 404(b)(1) Guidelines (see http://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/section-404b1-guidlines-40-cfr-230). One of the key components of the Guidelines is the review of projects for additional potential avoidance and minimization of impacts to waters of the US. Identifying and comparing project-specific opportunities for additional avoidance and minimization often requires advanced technical knowledge of the design and implementation of the proposed activities. Given the complexity of some of these projects and proposals, EPA is seeking technical expertise for the review of proposed activities requiring authorization under CWA section 404. Common activities under review include transportation infrastructure development, residential and commercial developments, and mineral and coal mines and facilities. Based on the circumstances of the proposed project and impacts, review of these projects may focus on the identification of jurisdictional waters on site; direct impacts to aquatic resources; effects on the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of downstream waters; and/or secondary and cumulative environmental impacts. It is anticipated that the contract will be an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) single award contract with firm fixed price and time and materials task orders with an ordering period of 5 years. Approximately 25,500 hours are anticipated for the ordering period. The applicable NAICS code is 541620 ¿Environmental Consulting Services¿ with a size standard of $15 million in average annual receipts. In the capabilities statements, contractors must provide their size status for the above referenced NAICS code, (i.e. large, small) and whether or not they are a certified hub zone, 8(a), women owned, small disadvantaged and/or service disabled veteran owned concern. EPA intends to set this action aside 100% for small businesses. As a reminder, small businesses are required to perform at least 50 percent of the costs of the contract performance with their own personnel (See FAR 52.219 14) under a procurement set aside for small businesses. A draft copy of the performance work statement (PWS) is included as an attachment. Interested parties with the capability of providing any of the services described in the draft PWS posted at the FedConnect website: https://www.fedconnect.net/ are invited to submit a document (maximum 5 pages), in writing, sufficient information that clearly demonstrates their ability to provide the services described in the draft PWS, including personnel, experience and qualifications. A description of similar services previously or currently provided shall be provided. Standard company brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this Sources Sought Synopsis. Capabilities Statements in response to this Sources Sought Synopsis MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE FEDCONNECT PORTAL by 4:00 p.m. EDT, on June 26, 2016. Any questions regarding the content of this sources sought synopsis announcement must be submitted tough the FedConnect portal. You must register with FedConnect to submit documents, questions, and to view responses. FedConnect can be accessed at https://www.fedconnect.net/Fedconnect/. FedConnect is a web portal that connects agencies and vendors to streamline the process of doing business with the federal government. Tough FedConnect contractors will be able to receive, review and respond to contract pre- and post-award actions and documents such as correspondence, request for proposals, tasking instruments and contract modifications. The use of FedConnect also furthers the EPA's commitment to moving towards a paperless acquisition environment by reducing its carbon footprint and conducting its business in an ecologically friendly manner. There is no charge to use FedConnect. Vendors can register with FedConnect at www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/. For assistance in registering or for other FedConnect technical questions please call the FedConnect Help Desk at (800) 899-6665 or email at support@fedconnect.net. In addition, all vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), as this facilitates registration for FedConnect. Please note that vendors MUST have their SAM profile set to "public" otherwise FedConnect will not be able to access the SAM information required to validate vendor credentials. Registration may be completed and information regarding the registration process may be obtained at http://www.sam.gov. There is no charge for registration in SAM. A separate synopsis will be issued for the Request for Proposal (RFP) resulting from this sources sought synopsis. Some of this work has been performed previously on US EPA Blanket Purchase Agreement EP-BPA-13-C-0003 with Atkins North America, Inc. SOL-CI-16-00043 Environmental Protection Agency Cincinatti Procurement Operations Division
5/27/16, 1:54 PM Wetlands and Aquatic Resources Technical Support I
Added: Jun 30, 2016 4:23 pm IGF::OT::IGF Technical expertise for the review of proposed activities requiring authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Water, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds has a need for contractor services for a variety of technical analyses and support activities pertaining to section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA section 404 regulatory program permits a wide range of projects which impact waters of the US. Under section 404 the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) or states who have assumed the permit program issue the permits in compliance with regulations established by the EPA. EPA reviews public notices for proposed projects and policies, approves assumption of permit program and works with the US Army Corps of Engineers and states on ways to more efficiently and effectively implement the 404 program. The permit review criteria for the 404 program are laid out in regulations referred to as the 404(b)(1) Guidelines (see http://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/section-404b1-guidlines-40-cfr-230). One of the key components of the Guidelines is the review of projects for additional potential avoidance and minimization of impacts to waters of the US. Identifying and comparing project-specific opportunities for additional avoidance and minimization often requires advanced technical knowledge of the design and implementation of the proposed activities. Given the complexity of some of these projects and proposals, EPA is seeking technical expertise for the review of proposed activities requiring authorization under CWA section 404. Common activities under review include transportation infrastructure development, residential and commercial developments, and mineral and coal mines and facilities. Based on the circumstances of the proposed project and impacts, review of these projects may focus on the identification of jurisdictional waters on site; direct impacts to aquatic resources; effects on the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of downstream waters; and/or secondary and cumulative environmental impacts. It is anticipated that the contract will be an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) single award contract with firm fixed price and time and materials task orders with an ordering period of 5 years. Approximately 25,500 hours are anticipated for the ordering period. The applicable NAICS code is 541620 ¿Environmental Consulting Services¿ with a size standard of $15 million in average annual receipts. In the capabilities statements, contractors must provide their size status for the above referenced NAICS code, (i.e. large, small) and whether or not they are a certified hub zone, 8(a), women owned, small disadvantaged and/or service disabled veteran owned concern. EPA intends to set this action aside 100% for small businesses. As a reminder, small businesses are required to perform at least 50 percent of the costs of the contract performance with their own personnel (See FAR 52.219 14) under a procurement set aside for small businesses. The Contractor must be capable of providing support for the required services in an unbiased and objective manner. Because of the nature of the PWS requirements, it is anticipated that an offeror with the expertise to perform these requirements could also have relationships (e.g., a parent/subsidiary/sister company affiliation, or an existing contractual relationship) which present the potential for significant OCOI. It is the EPA¿s contention that a significant potential OCOI may exist if award were to be made to offerors within the following groups: Entities that are the sponsor of the project under review or that represent the sponsor for this project; Entities that have worked on a component of the project under review; Entities that are working for the project sponsor, but not on the project under review; Entities that have worked for the project sponsor in the last five years. Therefore, all offerors will be required to submit an OCOI plan identifying the projects they are working on and explain how potential or actual OCOI can be mitigated, avoided, or neutralized. In order to be considered for award, a determination must be made that the proposed plan adequately protects the Government¿s interest. All offerors shall submit an OCOI plan that describes procedures the offeror uses to identify and report COIs. The solicitation shall include standard EPAAR provisions (EPAAR 1552.209-70 and 1552.209-72) which require that an offeror certify whether it is aware of any potential OCOI or disclose any potential OCOI, and provide disclosure statements describing such OCOI, which may impact their ability to impartially conduct work under the PWS. The standard EPAAR solicitation provision (EPAAR 1552.209-71) requiring a contractor to make full disclosure of any actual or potential conflict of interest that is discovered or arises after contract award shall also be part of the solicitation. Furthermore, the EPAAR clause (EPAAR 1552.209-74, Alternate V, Limitation of Future Contracting) shall also be included in the solicitation and prohibits the contractor, without the approval of the Contracting Officer, from entering into contracts with an individual, organizations, or their consultants, to provide services on or in support of the specific remediation equipment, technology, or process identified in a task order. This restriction applies during the life of the contract. A draft PWS detailing the required tasks for this FBO procurement announcement is posted as an attachment on the FedConnect® web portal. Notices of any modifications to this FBO procurement announcement, including Requests for Proposals and amendments, will be posted using the FedConnect® web portal. FedConnect® can be accessed at https://www.fedconnect.net/Fedconnect/. Questions regarding the content of the subject announcement must be submitted tough the FedConnect® portal. Offerors must register with FedConnect® as an interested party to submit questions and to view responses. FedConnect® is a web portal that connects agencies and vendors to streamline the process of doing business with the federal government. Tough FedConnect® contractors will be able to receive, review and respond to contract pre- and post-award actions and documents such as correspondence, request for proposals, tasking instruments and contract modifications. The use of FedConnect® also furthers the EPA¿s commitment to moving towards a paperless acquisition environment by reducing its carbon footprint and conducting its business in an ecologically friendly manner. There is no charge to use FedConnect®. Vendors can register with FedConnect® at www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/. For assistance in registering or for other FedConnect® technical questions please call the FedConnect® Help Desk at (800) 899-6665 or email at support@fedconnect.net. In addition, all vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), as this facilitates registration for FedConnect®. Please note that vendors MUST have their SAM profile set to ¿public¿, otherwise FedConnect® will not be able to access the SAM information required to validate vendor credentials. Registration may be completed and information regarding the registration process may be obtained at http://www.sam.gov. There is no charge for registration in SAM. The solicitation is expected to be issued on or about July 29, 2016 tough the FedConnect® portal. The EPA does not intend to mail hard copies of the solicitation. It is the responsibility of the offerors to frequently check the FedConnect® portal for updates or changes. SOL-CI-16-00043 Environmental Protection Agency Cincinatti Procurement Operations Division
6/30/16, 4:23 PM