10-IFB-2245930689-TT-DACS-Wildland Firefighter Crews NCFS.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Invitation for Bid #: 10-IFB-2245930689-TT

North Carolina Forest Service - Forest Protection (NCFS-FP)

Emergency Services for Wildland Firefighter Crews

Date of Issue: July 8, 2026

Bid Opening Date: August 14, 2026

At 2:00 PM ET

Procurement Lead:

Tammie Taylor

Procurement Specialist

Ver: 11/2025

Invitation for Bid #

10-IFB-2245930689-TT

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of bids, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your bid.

Failure to do so may subject your bid to rejection.

Vendor Name

Vendor eVP#

Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor

Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register at https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Bid Number: 10-IFB-2245930689-TT Vendor: ________________________________________

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this IFB to the procurement lead (Tammie Taylor) through the Message Board in the Sourcing Tool. See section 2.4 for details.

Invitation for Bid No.: 10-IFB-2245930689-TT Bids will be publicly opened: August 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET

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Using Agency: NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – Forest Service

Commodity No. and Description: 921016- Fire Services

Requisition No.: RQ240552

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Invitation for Bid (IFB), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this bid, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

this bid is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54), none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter

78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this bid, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its Sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this IFB, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

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As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned Vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State.

By execution of this response to the IFB, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this bid, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the Ariba Sourcing Tool.

Failure to execute/sign bid prior to submittal may render bid invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late bids shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least (120) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this IFB.

ACCEPTANCE OF BIDS

If your bid is accepted, all provisions of this IFB, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.4 IFB SCHEDULE

2.5 MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE

2.6 BID QUESTIONS

2.7 BID SUBMITTAL

2.8 BID CONTENTS

2.9 ALTERNATE BIDS

2.10 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS

3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 PRICING

4.2 INANCIAL STABILITY

4.3 HUB PARTICIPATION

4.4 REFERENCES

4.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.6 PERSONNEL

4.7 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

4.8 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

4.9 LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS

4.10 SUBCONTRACTORS

4.11 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 TASKS/DELIVERABLES/REQUIREMENTS

5.2 DEVIATIONS

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

6.2 INVOICES

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.4 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.6 CONTRACT CHANGES

6.7 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – Forest Service is seeking for qualified vendors to provide the services of a commercially available Type 2 Initial Attack (IA) qualified wildland fighter crews for fire suppression activities, fuel mitigation projects, all-hazard incidents, and severity assignments with North Carolina.

The North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS), a division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is responsible for protecting, managing, and promoting more than 18 million acres of forestland across the state. The agency provides wildfire prevention and suppression, forest management assistance for nearly 14 million acres of privately owned forestland, reforestation and seedling production, pest and disease management, urban forestry support, and public education programs. These services help safeguard lives and property, sustain healthy and productive forests, support a multi-billion-dollar forest products economy, and ensure long-term environmental and community benefits for North Carolinians.

The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Specific Contract.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of one (1) year, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”).

At the end of the Contract’s initial term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to two (2) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than sixty (60) days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the State reserves the right to extend the Contract after the last active term.

Bids shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this IFB and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT

This IFB is comprised of the base IFB document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

ATTENTION: This is an NC eProcurement solicitation facilitated by the Ariba Network. The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.

What is the Ariba Network?

The Ariba Network is a web-based platform that serves as a connection point for buyers and Vendors. Vendors can log in to the Ariba Network to view purchase orders, respond to electronic requests for quotes, participate in Sourcing Events, and collaborate with buyers on contract documents.

For training on how to use the Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site:

http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ http://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/Vendor-training.

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this IFB and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this IFB.

If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this IFB, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the BID QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an IFB addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s bid or otherwise. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s bid that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the bid non-binding or subject to further negotiation.

Vendor’s bid shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this IFB Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon during negotiations and incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s bid as nonresponsive.

2.4 IFB SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this IFB. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue IFB State 7/8/2026 Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference State 7/22/2026 at 1:00 PM ET Submit Written Questions Vendor 7/29/2026 by 10:00 AM ET Provide Response to Questions State 8/5/2026 Submit Bids Vendor 8/14/2026 by 2:00 PM ET Contract Award State TBD

2.5 MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE

Date: 07/22/2026 Time: 1:00 PM Eastern Time Location: NC Forest Service Regional Office

14 Gaston Mountain Road Asheville, NC 28806

Contact #: 919-302-8988-cell #, 828-665-8688-office #, Jason.guidry@ncagr.gov

Instructions: It shall be MANDATORY that a representative from each Vendor be present for a pre-bid conference.

Attendees must arrive promptly. All attendees must sign in upon arrival and clearly indicate each prospective Vendor represented on the sign in sheet. LATE ARRIVALS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SIGN IN OR PARTICIPATE IN THE PRE-BID CONFERENCE, NOR SHALL THEIR BID BE CONSIDERED. Once the sign-in process is complete, all other persons wishing to attend may do so to the extent that space and circumstances allow.

FAILURE TO ATTEND THE MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE SHALL RESULT IN VENDOR’S BID BEING DEEMED NON-

RESPONSIVE AND NOT CONSIDERED FOR AWARD.

The purpose of this conference is for all prospective Vendors to apprise themselves of the conditions and requirements which will affect the performance of the work called for by this IFB. Vendors must stay for the duration of the conference.

No allowances will be made for unreported conditions that a prudent Vendor would recognize as affecting the work called for or implied by this IFB.

Vendors are cautioned that any information released to attendees during the conference, other than that involving the physical aspects of the facility referenced above, and which conflicts with, supersedes, or adds to requirements in this IFB, must be confirmed by written addendum before it can be considered to be a part of this IFB and any resulting contract.

2.6 BID QUESTIONS

Upon review of the IFB documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the IFB in order to submit the best bid possible. To accommodate the Bid Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Questions related to the content of the solicitation, or the procurement process should be directed to the person on the title page of this document via the Sourcing Tool's message board by the date and time specified in the IFB SCHEDULE Section of this IFB. Vendors will enter “IFB # 10-IFB-2245930689-TT – Questions” as the subject of the message. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable IFB section. This is the only manner in which questions will be received.

Questions or issues related to using the Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM ET to

5:00 PM ET.

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be posted in the Sourcing Tool in the form of an addendum and shall become an Addendum to this IFB. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this IFB, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the IFB and an addendum to this IFB.

2.7 BID SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its bid has been received as described in this IFB by the specified time and date of opening. Failure to submit a bid in strict accordance with instructions provided shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s bids(s). Solicitation responses are subject to Sealed Bidding requirements.

Vendor’s bids for this procurement must be submitted through the Sourcing Tool. For training on how to use the Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Questions or issues related to using the Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to

5:00 PM EST.

Tips for Using the Sourcing Tool

1. Vendors should review available training and confirm that they are able to access the Sourcing Event, enter responses, and upload files well in advance of the date and time response are due to allow sufficient time to seek assistance from the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk.

2. Vendors may submit their responses early to make sure there are no issues, and then submit a revised response any time prior to the response due date and time. The State will only review the most recent response.

3. Vendors should respond to all relevant sections of the Sourcing Event. Certain questions or items are required in order to submit a response and are denoted with an asterisk. The Sourcing Tool will not allow a response to be submitted unless all required items are completed. The Sourcing Tool will provide error messages to help identify any required information that is missing when response is submitted.

4. Simply saving your response in the Sourcing Tool is not the same as submitting your response to the State.

Vendors should make sure they complete the submission process and receive a message that their response was successfully submitted.

5. Only Bids submitted through the Content Section of the Ariba Sourcing Event will be considered. Bids submitted through the Message Board will not be accepted or considered for award.

If confidential and proprietary information is included in the bid, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the bid. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-152 and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services, or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.

If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the bid with its bid submission, the Department may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

2.8 BID CONTENTS

Vendors shall provide responses to all questions and complete all attachments for this IFB that require the Vendor to provide information and upload them to the Sourcing Event in the Sourcing Tool. Vendor may not be able to submit its response in the Sourcing Tool unless all required items are addressed. Vendors shall provide authorized signatures where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in the State rejecting Vendor’s bid, in the State’s sole discretion.

Vendors shall upload the following items and attachments in the Sourcing Tool:

a) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the IFB.

b) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this IFB, if required to be returned.

c) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM

d) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

e) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

f) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

h) Completed and signed version of CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS and OMB STANDARD FORM LLL

2.9 ALTERNATE BIDS

Unless provided otherwise in this IFB, Vendor may submit alternate bids for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate bid must specifically identify the IFB requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate bid. Each bid must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, Vendor shall follow the specific instructions for uploading Alternate Bids in the Sourcing Tool.

2.10 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this IFB are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found in the Sourcing Tool, which are incorporated herein by this reference.

The following definitions, acronyms, and abbreviations are also relevant to this IFB:

DEFINITIONS FOR NATIONAL TYPE 2IA FIREFIGHTER CREWS ACRONYMS

1. AGENCY COOPERATOR - Government entities, including federal, state, and local, available and authorized through Cooperative Agreement to assist the NC Forest Service.

2. AIR MILE - A nautical mile used as a measure of distance flown by aircraft.

3. ALL-HAZARD - Non-fire incidents which utilize ICS organizations to mitigate conditions or damages resulting from natural or manmade disasters. Hurricanes and floods are examples of all-hazard incidents.

4. DANGER/HAZARD TREE INDICATORS - (reference NWCG 6 minute for safety. “Hazard Tree Indicators”.)

• Trees burning for any period of time

• High risk tree species (rot and shallow roots)

• Numerous downed trees in the area (Dead, broken, or burning tops and limbs overhead)

• Accumulation of downed limbs (Fungus or growth of decay species on the tree)

• Cavities or evidence of woodpecker damage

• Forked tops, multiple tops, and/or uneven branch distribution

• Absence of needles, bark or limbs

• Leaning or hung-up

5. DESIGNATED DISPATCH POINT (DDP) - Physical address where the Contractor must be located during the MAP.

6. NCFS – The North Carolina Forest Service

7. INCIDENT - An occurrence or event, either human-caused or natural phenomena, that requires action by emergency service personnel to prevent, or minimize loss of life or damage to property and /or natural resources.

8. INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS) - Flexible, scalable response organization that provides a common framework organizational structure, management hierarchy, and procedures designed to improve response operations temporary emergency incident(s) of any size, type, and complexity.

Bid Number: 10-IFB-2245930689-TT Vendor: __________________________________________

9. INTERAGENCY RESOURCE ORDERING CAPABILITY (IROC) - A dynamic, modern, flexible and scalable application that aligns with interagency business needs for resource ordering for all hazard incidents.

10. MANDATORY AVAILABILITY PERIOD (MAP) - The MAP encompasses that period as designated in the Schedule of Items during which availability and specific NCC location is mandated by the terms of this contract. MEAL ALLOWANCE - An allowance paid as per Section C.29.1 (h) by the Government to partially compensate the Contractor for meals when food and drink is not supplied by the Government.

11. NATIONAL INTERAGENCY COORDINATION CENTER (NICC) - The focal point for coordinating the mobilization of resources for wildland fire and other incidents throughout the United States. Located in Boise, Idaho, the NICC also provides Intelligence and Predictive Services related products designed to be used by the internal wildland fire community for wildland fire and incident management decision-making.

12. NATIONAL WILDFIRE COORDINATING GROUP (NWCG) - Group made up of representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Fire Administration, State forestry agencies through the National Association of State Foresters, and the Intertribal Timber Council. NWCG coordinates programs of the participating wildfire management agencies. The group provides a formalized system of standards for training, equipment, qualifications, and other operational functions that guide the requirements for fire suppression and all-hazard incidents.

http://www.nwcg.gov/nwcg_admin/members.htm

13. ORDERED STANDBY - Compensable time when a resource is held, by direction or orders, in a specific location fully outfitted and ready for assignment.

14. OPERATIONAL PERIOD - Equal to one shift, an operational period is assumed to be 12 hours in fire suppression mode, or 8-10 hours during project work.

15. PPE- Personal Protective Equipment

16. POINT OF HIRE - Contractor’s place of business or where NCC is located at time of dispatch.

17. PROJECT WORK - Optional work related to hazardous fuels management activities such as hazardous fuels reduction, prescribed fire application, brush removal, and land rehabilitation. Project Work shall not include construction, facilities maintenance and repair, or timber-related activities.

18. PROPERTY -

Accountable Property. Items with a purchase price of $5,000 or more, or items that the Incident Agency considers sensitive (e.g., cameras, chainsaws) and therefore accountable for the purposes of responsible property management for the incident. This property is generally tagged with an agency identification number.

Durable Property. Goods that are non-accountable items that have a useful life expectancy greater than one incident (e.g., sleeping bags, water handling accessories, tents, headlamps, tools). This property may be marked with paint or etching to show "US GOVT", or an agency specific marking.

Consumable Goods. Consumable goods are dry good items normally expected to be consumed on the incident (e.g., replacement radio and headlamp batteries, plastic one-quart canteens, and plastic sheeting).

This property is not marked.

19. SEVERITY/PREPAREDNESS - The class of assignments that are related to pre-suppression or fire preparedness activities.

Appropriate Severity/Preparedness activities are stand-by at the DDP, patrol, tool sharpening, or other activities that do not http://www.nwcg.gov/nwcg_admin/members.htm unduly interfere with fire readiness. Work performed while on a Severity/Preparedness assignment is paid at the full fire suppression contracted rate.

20. FIRE SUPPRESSION - Suppression encompasses all the work of extinguishing or confining a fire, beginning with its discovery.

21. USER UNIT - The agency unit under whose authority work is ordered and performed, responsible for providing direct incident management to a given area pursuant to a cooperative agreement, contract, or other authority.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in the State’s best interest.

All responsive bids will be reviewed, and an award or awards will be based on the responsive bid(s) offering the lowest price that meets the specifications provided herein, to include any required verifications set out here in such as but not limited to past performance, references, and financial documents.

While the intent of this IFB is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items, or to cancel this IFB in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in bids received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this IFB is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29. of the Instructions to Vendors entitled COMMUNICATOINS BY VENDORS

Each Vendor submitting a bid to this IFB, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency;

other government agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s bid or qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this IFB or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this IFB regarding requirements of the IFB (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

The State will conduct an evaluation of responsive Bids, as follows:

Bids will be received according to the method stated in the Bid Submittal section above.

All bids must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the bids from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids is authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. Cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a Vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the bid. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all bids should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Prices bid cannot be altered or modified as part of a clarification.

Bids will generally be evaluated, based on completeness, content, cost and responsibility of the Vendor to supply the requested Goods and Services. Specific evaluation criteria are listed in Section 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State will make Award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, under the IFB number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other bids lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected bid was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the State.

The State reserves the right to negotiate with one or more Vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the State.

3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this IFB, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

a) Total cost to the State

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills https://evp.nc.gov/

f) Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This IFB serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the State;

and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement.

The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether bids should be evaluated or rejected, the State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State’s needs as described in the IFB. Except as specifically stated in the IFB, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the State exercising its discretion to reject a bid in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this IFB. By submitting a bid, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this IFB. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification, or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better bid, the Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question and answer period in accordance with the Bid Questions Section above.

4.1 PRICING

Bid price shall constitute the total cost to the State for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees.

Complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM included in this IFB and upload in the Sourcing Tool. The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT A, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.1.1 Import Tariff Temporary Surcharge

Pricing shall be exclusive of any pending tariffs or temporary tariff surcharge. Vendor may request a temporary tariff surcharge in ATTACHMENT A: PRICING SUBMITTAL WORKBOOK as a charge separate from the contract price. Any temporary tariff surcharge(s) associated with purchases shall be provided by way of a percentage tariff surcharge. All tariff surcharges proposed are intended to be temporary and based on current tariff implications specific to related commodities with evidence of submitted documentation of affected MSRP products. Vendor understands that the agency may request additional justification. Any temporary tariff surcharge percentage will be negotiated and mutually agreed upon. The state is not obligated to accept any proposed import tariff surcharge. Proposed tariff surcharges may be used as a factor for evaluation and award.

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION.

The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty

(30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the Vendor’s financial stability.

4.3 HUB PARTICIPATION

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute G.S. 143-48, it is State policy to encourage and promote the use of small, minority, physically handicapped, and women contractors in purchasing Goods and Services. As such, this IFB will serve to identify those Vendors that are minority owned or have a strategic plan to support the State’s Historically Underutilized Business program by meeting or exceeding the goal of 10% utilization of diverse firms as 1st or 2nd tier subcontractors.

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION.

4.4 REFERENCES

Vendor shall upload to the Sourcing Tool at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the soliciting State entity. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein.

The State may contact these users to determine whether the services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and whether Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the Bid.

4.5 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of Vendor performing Services under any Contract arising from this IFB may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State.

4.6 PERSONNEL

Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner. “Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the State. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

Should the Vendor’s bid result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner.

The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.7 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

If Vendor’s bid results in an award, Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the Service and deliverables under a resulting Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such Service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the Contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the Contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

4.8 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

A. Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation:

☐ Small Purchases

☐ Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00

☒ Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00

4.9 LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS

Federal law prohibits recipients of federal funds, whether through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, from using those funds to influence or attempt to influence (lobby) a federal official in connection with obtaining, extending, or modifying any federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. Further, federal law requires that applicants for federal funds certify:

• that they abide by the above restriction;

• that they disclose any permissible (non-federal) paid lobbying on the Federal Awards being applied for; and

• that such certification requirements will also be included in any subawards meeting the applicable thresholds.

Vendors must complete and submit the CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS and the OMB STANDARD FORM LLL when responding to this solicitation.

4.10 SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent of the State. In the event that the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall assure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

4.11 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the State, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State. Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) bid from further consideration for the award.

No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute “transacting business” in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. §55-15-01 (corporations) or §57D-7-01 (LLCs). Please go to: https://www.sosnc.gov/ to register.

Vendor has registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State: Yes ☐ No ☐

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

The North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) is seeking to contract with qualified vendors to provide commercially available Type 2 Initial Attack (Type 2-IA) wildland firefighting crews to support statewide fire suppression, prescribed fire https://www.sosnc.gov/ operations, fuel mitigation projects, all-hazard incidents, and severity assignments. These contracted crews must be fully trained, properly equipped, and able to meet federal and state qualification standards. They must be available during designated Mandatory Availability Periods and capable of rapid deployment, responding to resource orders within defined timeframes, operating under NCFS supervision, and maintaining required crew composition, experience levels, PPE, tools, communications equipment, and operational readiness. Services include initial attack response, project-based work, extended wildfire operations, and adherence to all safety, performance, reporting, and compliance requirements set forth in the IFB.

5.1 TASKS/DELIVERABLES/REQUIREMENTS

Designated Dispatch Point (DDP):

Crews are required to be located within a 30-mile radius of the NC Forest Service Regional Office located at 14 Gaston Mountain Road, Asheville, NC 28806.

Mandatory Availability Periods (MAP):

• November 1, 2026 through November 30, 2026

• March 1, 2027 through April 30, 2027

Daily availability for initial dispatch (on station):

• 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. during eastern standard time (November 2, 2026 - March 7, 2027)

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during daylight savings time (March 8, 2027 – November 1, 2027)

Upon receiving a Resource Order via email during the timeframes of the Daily Availability, the contractor has thirty

(30) minutes to begin travel to the location provided by the NCFS. A Resource Order is a detailed document that describes the name of the resource being ordered, the number of individuals requested, and the destination and time the resource is expected to be at the location for the assignment. The Resource Order will originate with the NCFS and be sent electronically to the crew lead or established designee for each assignment.

If fire suppression or prescribed burn activities extend past 6 p.m. the contractor is required to complete the assignment until released.

After standard daily availability, upon receiving a dispatch call the contactor has one (1) hour to confirm availability and be travelling with a full crew to the location of dispatch within two (2) hours of the initial dispatch call.

Vendor shall ensure that crew personnel adhere to current work/rest day-off policies (Reference the current National Interagency Mobilization Guide for these policies 2025 Interagency Standards for Resource Mobilization).

Prior to departing for the incident, the contractor will provide the NCFS a complete passenger and cargo manifest (SF-245), listing each crew member’s complete name and departure time. An example of the SF-245 is provided in Appendix A.

Dispatching for Fire Suppression:

Upon receiving a Resource Order via email during the timeframes of the Daily Availability, the contractor has thirty

(30) minutes to begin travel to the location…