Amd_0001 RFQ 123A9425Q0027.pdf

(x)

123A9425Q0027 x x copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

FSIS-ASD-ACQUISITION

BELTSVILLE MD 20705-5230

5601 SUNNYSIDE AVENUE

MAILDROP 5230

USDA, FSIS, ASD, ACQUISITIONS

07/01/20250001

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

07/01/2025

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of Amendment 0001 is as follows:

1. Extend response date for submission of quotes to July 23, 2025 no later than 2:00pm EST.

2. Update Section L Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Bidders

3. Update Section M Evaluation Factors for Award

4. Provide answers to the questions submitted in reference to this solicitation.

5. Distribute revised Statement of Work

6. Distribute revised Table 2 Hazardous Waste - Associated Cost

7. Remove clause - 52.204-15 Service Contract Reporting Requirements for

Indefinite-Delivery Contracts. (OCT 2016)

-------------------Reference Continuation Page for Summary of Changes------------------

Continued ...

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

KAREN R. PETTY

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

2 7

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

123A9425Q0027/0001

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

Continuation of SF30

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Section L - Instructions,Conditions, and Notices to Bidders was revised as follows.

L.1 General Instructions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), is seeking qualified contractors to provide comprehensive hazardous waste management and emergency response services in support of FSIS laboratory operations. These services include, but are not limited to: the transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste; analytical sampling and testing; emergency response to chemical spills; and onsite training for FSIS personnel.

The government intends to establish one or more Firm-Fixed Price Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) for a base period of five (5) consecutive years, to support FSIS laboratories and facilities nationwide.

This acquisition is being conducted in accordance with FAR Parts 12 and 13 (Commercial and Simplified Acquisition Procedures).

Offerors are required to complete FAR provision 52.212-3, and other required reps/certs in SAM.gov.

Offerors must submit complete quotes electronically to Contract Specialist by the due date and time listed in the solicitation. Late submissions will not be considered.

L.2 Quote Format and Content

Quotes shall consist of two (2) Volumes:

Volume I - Technical (15-page limit, excluding appendices)

1. Technical Approach

• Describe your methodology for safely and compliantly providing hazardous waste transportation, treatment, storage, disposal, and chemical spill response for FSIS laboratories.

• Explain procedures for coordinating pickup and disposal from FSIS laboratories located in Normandy, MO and Athens, GA.

• Include approach to regulatory compliance (Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), state/local requirements)

2. Emergency Response Capability

• Detail on-call emergency chemical spill response capabilities, including maximum response times, available equipment, and triage procedures.

• Include procedures for notification and coordination with FSIS facility safety officers.

3. Training Program

• Outline proposed training offerings for FSIS lab and field personnel, including topics (e.g., hazardous waste handling, labeling, spill containment), format (e.g., virtual, onsite), and frequency.

4. Key Personnel and Staffing

• Identify key staff (e.g., Program Manager, Emergency Response Coordinator, Field Technicians) and their qualifications, including Hazardous Waste and Operations Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification.

• Provide a Staffing Plan to meet FSIS workload, including surge/emergency support.

5. Past Performance

• Provide up to three (3) recent (within the past five (5) years) and relevant contracts, specifically involving federal laboratories, hazardous waste management, or emergency response.

• Include agency name, contract number, period of performance, descriptions of work, and point of contact.

6. Certifications

• Provide evidence of EPA, DOT, and state-specific certifications and permits.

Volume II - Pricing

The Offeror shall provide a complete price build up for the Period of Performance that includes and clearly identifies all labor, and other costs, which must reconcile with the offered prices. Pricing should be added to Attachment C, "Table 2 Hazardous Waste Associated Cost."

Pricing shall be identified for the entire period of performance, five (5) consecutive years. Certified cost and pricing data is not required to be submitted part of the Volume II Cost/Pricing.

• Provide firm-fixed unit pricing for:

- Transportation of hazardous/non-hazardous waste

- Off-site treatment/disposal (by waste type and/or per pound/gallon)

- Emergency spill response (hourly)

- Analytical testing services

- Annual or as-needed training sessions

Indicate any volume discounts or geographic differentials for USDA FSIS Laboratories nationwide.

L.4 Questions and Submission Details

All RFQ questions and clarifications shall be submitted by Wednesday, July 9, 2025 12pm EST via email with the subject header "RFQ 123A9425Q0027 - Hazardous Waste Removal" to the Contract Specialist, Angela Carey, at angela.carey@usda.gov. Questions received after this date may not be answered. No additional questions will be addressed after the closing date of the solicitation.

Submit all quotes, past performance information, pricing, including Attachments B & C, to the Contract Specialist, Angela Carey, at angela.carey@usda.gov by Wednesday, July 23, 2025 2pm EST. Offeror's quote submitted shall be valid for a period of 90 calendar days from the closing date specified in the solicitation.

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M - Evaluation Factors for Award

52.204-7 System for Award Management. (NOV 2024)

52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting. (AUG 2020)

52.252-5 Authorized Deviations in Provisions. (NOV 2020)

(a) The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 1) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of (DEVIATION) after the date of the provision.

(b) The use in this solicitation of any Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 4) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of (DEVIATION) after the name of the regulation.

(End of provision)

M.1 Basis for Award

Award will be made on a best-value tradeoff basis to the responsible Offeror whose quote is determined to be most advantageous to FSIS, considering both technical merit and price.

All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price.

FSIS will use the following "Confidence Ratings" to evaluate the technical proposal:

M.2 Evaluation Factors

Factor 1 - Technical (Most Important) Subfactor 1.1 Technical Approach - The Government will evaluate the thoroughness and feasibility the Offeror's technical solution for providing hazardous waste transportation, off-site disposal, and laboratory testing services. This includes:

- Regulatory compliance and waste handling procedures

- Coordination with FSIS labs and staff

- Waste manifesting and documentation processes

Subfactor 1.2 Emergency Response - The Government will assess the Offeror's capacity to respond rapidly to emergency chemical spills at FSIS facilities, including availability, response time, and spill containment and remediation capabilities.

Subfactor 1.3 Training Program - Evaluators will assess the relevance, scope, and adaptability of

RATING DEFINITION

High Confidence

(Low Risk) The Government has high confidence that the vendor understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, and will be successful in performing the contract with little or no Government intervention.

Some Confidence (Moderate Risk)

The Government has some confidence that the vendor understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, and will be successful in performing the contract with some Government intervention.

Low Confidence (High Risk)

The Government has low confidence that the vendor understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, or will be successful in performing the contract even with Government intervention.

the Offeror's training program for FSIS laboratory personnel. The ability to tailor training to FSIS's diverse research and operational settings will be highly valued.

Subfactor 1.4 Key Personnel and Staffing - The Government will evaluate the qualifications and experience of proposed key personnel, especially in regulatory compliance, scientific waste management, and emergency operations. The proposed staffing structure will be evaluated to ensure adequate coverage, expertise, and ability to meet anticipated service levels.

Subfactor 1.5 Past Performance - The Government will evaluate the relevance, quality and outcomes of past performance on contracts similar in complexity and scope. Exceptional performance for federal laboratories, USDA, or public health entities will be given favorable consideration.

Factor 2 - Pricing (Less Important than Technical Factors)

Prices will be evaluated for completeness and reasonableness. FSIS reserves the right to conduct a price realism analysis to assess whether prices quoted are consistent with the technical solution and sustainable for the BPA's duration. The prices shall remain fixed for the duration of the BPA unless otherwise modified by mutual agreement. While price is less important than technical factors, it will become more significant if technical quotes are evaluated as substantially equal.

M.3 Tradeoff Process

The Government may award to an offeror with higher-priced quote if the superior technical approach is determined to offer the best overall value to FSIS and supports its food safety mission effectively.

M.4 Responsibility Determination

The apparent awardee must be determined responsible in accordance with FAR 9.104-1,General Standards.

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Questions and Answers

1. Who is the current vendor / incumbent?

Answer: Heritage Environmental Services, LLC

2. Can we have the current contract copy?

Answer: A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request has to be submitted to USDA FOIA https://www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis/freedom-information-act-foia.

3. What is the Annual spent / last 3 invoices?

Answer: The contract value for the previous award was $216,000 for a Base Year and four (4) option years.

4. What is the budgetary number for the waste removal and disposal service in 2024?

Answer: $216,000 divided by 5 years equals $43,200 per year.

5. Could you please confirm the required response time for emergency spill response under this contract?

Additionally, is there any flexibility in meeting this response time based on circumstances?

Answer: We are not requiring emergency spill response with this contract.

6. Please confirm if we can use our disposal methods other than incineration?

Answer: We will need to know what other methods are being used to determine if they are acceptable.

7. Please confirm if services are required in WL Lab, if yes, please provide the details?

Answer: Hazardous waste removal is not required at the Western Lab (WL). The Statement of Work has been updated to remove reference to WL.

8. Please confirm the Contract Terms whether it will be 1Year Base + 4 optional renewals or is it 5 Years Base + Optional Renewals?

Answer: The Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) established as a result of this solicitation will have a five

(5) year (consecutive) period of performance, no option years. Example: August 5, 2025 – August 4, 2030

9. Please confirm if the pricing needs to be firm for just base years?

Answer: The Offeror shall quote Firm-Fixed Prices for the entire period of performance. It’s at the discretion of the Offeror to quote prices that incorporates inflation over the course of the five-year period.

This simply means the unit price does not have to be the same amount per year.

10. Please confirm if we need to provide the pricing for optional years as well?

Answer: The resulting BPA will not have Option Years.

11. Could you please confirm if the 5-business-day timeframe for scheduling hazardous waste pick-up is flexible, or must it always be arranged within that period?

Answer: There is some flexibility, but I would say no more than 10 days.

12. Will Safety Data Sheets (SDS) be provided for the waste materials covered under this contract?

Answer: We would not be providing SDS, however, we would provide waste description, quantity, and any helpful identification information.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/about-fsis/freedom-information-act-foia