C05_Amendment 0001.pdf

(x)

1240BE27Q0006

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

40BE

PORTLAND OR 97204-2829

STE 310

1220 SW 3RD AVE

USDA-FS CSA NORTHWEST 3

10/15/20260001

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

10/15/2026

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.)

Southern Research Station Bent Creek Experimental Forest Janitorial Services

Amendment 0001 - The following questions were received after the issuance of Amendment 1.

The Government provides the responses and these answers are hereby incorporated into the solicitation, 10 pages.

Period of Performance: 11/15/2026 to 11/14/2031

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)

ANDREA J. POLLOCK

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 .

10/21/2026

The following questions were received after the issuance of Amendment 1. The Government provides the responses below. These answers are hereby incorporated into the solicitation.

PLEASE BE SURE TO USE THE SCHEDULE OF ITEMS SPREADSHEET TO SUBMIT YOUR

PRICE.

1. Due time: the SAM.gov header and the SF 1449 state quotations are due October 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern, while the instructions in the body state 1:00 PM Mountain. Which time zone governs? The quotations are due on 10/26/2026 at 1:00 PM Eastern.

2. Questions deadline: the document prints a written-questions deadline of October 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM Pacific, which appears to be a typographical error for 2026. Please confirm the correct questions deadline. 2026

3. Previous contract: is this a new requirement or a recompete of an existing contract? If it is a recompete, please share the previous contract number, the incumbent awardee, the previous award amount (base plus all options), and the previous period of performance, so we can gauge the scope accurately. New

4. Site visit: the solicitation does not list a site visit. Will one be scheduled before the due date? If so, may a subcontractor representative attend on our behalf? Information was posted 10/202026 on the SAM.gov posting. There is a site visit planned at 1:00 PM ET on 10/23/2026.

5. Background checks: the PWS references Tier 1 background investigation / fingerprinting for cleaning staff. When in the process is that completed (before award, before start of performance, or during transition), and does it apply to subcontractor employees as well?

See page 22 of the PWS, The background investigation begins after award, as the Government cannot initiate personnel vetting for non-awardees.

6. Submission: please confirm quotations are submitted by email to your address only, consisting of the signed SF 1449, pricing for all base and option-year CLINs, a technical/staffing approach, and past-performance information. Yes, quotes must include all four elements listed above and be sent only to my email address.

7. The seven listed buildings and flooring areas add up to 13,571 square feet, but the printed total is 12,337. Please confirm that all seven buildings, including Building 8, are included and which total should be used. Yes — all seven buildings listed in the PWS are included, including Building 8 (Bunkhouse). The printed total of 12,337 SF is an administrative error, there is a total of 13,571 SF.

8. The price schedule shows one deep-cleaning service per year, but the PWS says up to twice per year. Should we price one event in each year's listed line, with any second event ordered separately, or include both events? Price the CLIN for one annual deep-cleaning event only. Any second deep-cleaning event would be ordered separately at the unit price established in the awarded contract using a bi-lateral modification.

9. Past performance. The solicitation states that offerors shall submit a minimum of three

(3) years of relevant past performance information for janitorial or similar facility maintenance services, and the evaluation criteria include a Neutral rating for an offeror that does not have a past performance record. May the past performance information requirement be satisfied by submitting the proposed subcontractor's relevant janitorial past performance? If not, may an offeror without its own past performance record submit a statement to that effect and be evaluated as Neutral? Yes, an offeror may satisfy the past performance submission requirement by submitting the proposed subcontractor’s relevant past performance. Offerors should clearly identify: the subcontractor’s role, which tasks the subcontractor will perform, and the relevance of the subcontractor’s past performance to this requirement.

A Neutral rating does not count against an offeror. Under the RFO FAR, if an offeror has no relevant past performance, the Government must assign a Neutral rating—neither positive nor negative—and evaluate the offeror based on the other factors, such as technical approach and price.

10. Could you confirm availability of Attachments 1 through 6, including the pricing schedule, building diagrams, and wage determination? They are attached to the document uploaded to the SAM.gov posting.

11. Does the Government require or offer a site visit before quotations are submitted? The solicitation does not require a site visit and but there will be one on 10/23/2026 at 1:00 PM ET as posted to the SAM.gov posting on 10/20/2026.

12. For an offeror without three years of relevant corporate janitorial past performance, will a statement of neutral past performance satisfy the submission requirements? Yes. The solicitation explicitly provides for a Neutral rating when an offeror has no past performance record, page 5. An offeror without corporate janitorial past performance may submit a statement indicating that no relevant past performance exists, and the Government must evaluate that offeror as Neutral, not negatively.

13. Is the vendor responsible for providing restroom consumables? If so, how many employees in each building and what types of dispensers are utilized? Yes, see PWS Page 11 (Item 19 – Restocking Bathroom Supplies). There are 2 employees in each building regularly and large groups on occasion using the Training Center for meetings or workshops. There are multiple types of dispensers are in all restrooms. Currently bottles of soap are being used for convenience and this is acceptable. The existing dispenser are outdated.

14. Annual Window Glass Cleaning Scope Parameters (CLIN 0003 vs. PWS Section 3.4 & Task 2): PWS Section 3.4 requires annual exterior and interior window cleaning from ground level up to the second floor across all facilities, noting that storm windows count as three separate surfaces for reimbursement. Conversely, Task 2 (PWS Section 27.0) specifies deep glass cleaning up to 8 feet. To ensure fair and consistent pricing across all offerors for CLIN 0003, could the Government provide an estimated total window count or second-story exterior glass surface area across the 7 buildings? Offerors must base pricing on their review of the building diagrams (Attachment 5) and the narrative requirements in the PWS.

15. Allowable Work Hours for Monthly Tasks and Event Deep Cleaning: PWS Section 6.0 defines regular government working hours strictly as Fridays from 07:00 AM to 05:00 PM.

While weekly basic janitorial tasks (PWS Sections 3.1 & 3.2) are scheduled for Fridays, are monthly floor and office cleaning services (PWS Section 3.3) and annual/event deep cleaning (CLINs 0003 & 0004) required to occur exclusively on Fridays, or may they be scheduled Monday through Thursday during normal business hours upon prior coordination with the COR? PWS Section 6.0 establishes: “The Government’s regular working hours are Monday through Friday from 0800 to 1630, except federal holidays…” “The contractor is responsible for conducting business during government regular working hours…”

The reference to Fridays applies only to the Government’s internal weekly cleaning schedule expectations; it does not restrict monthly or annual tasks to that single day.

Therefore: Yes — monthly cleaning (PWS 3.3) and annual/deep-cleaning tasks (CLINs 0003 & 0004) may be scheduled Monday through Thursday, provided:

• the contractor coordinates in advance with the COR, and

• the work occurs during regular business hours (Mon–Fri, 0800–1630).

The PWS does not mandate that these tasks occur on Fridays.

16. Provisional Site Access During Background Investigation Processing: PWS Section 23.0 mandates a Tier 1 background investigation (OF306, eApp/NBIS, fingerprinting) requiring up to 14 days for unaccompanied access. In the event of contract award occurring shortly prior to the scheduled November 15, 2026 performance start date, will the Forest Service permit provisional or escorted access for contractor personnel while federal security vetting is actively being processed? Yes, the Forest Service will permit escorted access for contractor personnel while federal security vetting is actively being processed.

17. Government-Furnished Janitorial Closets, Utilities, and Refuse Disposal: PWS Sections

18.0 and 26.0 require contractor-furnished supplies/equipment and proper trash disposal.

Will the Government provide dedicated, lockable janitorial storage space with utility water sinks in each of the 7 facilities, and are on-site waste/recycling dumpsters provided by the Forest Service at no cost to the contractor? The only lockable janitorial space is in the Training Center. (There is a utility sink in this space.) There are also utility water sinks in each of the other buildings. Yes, there are on-site waste / recycling dumpsters paid for by the Forest Service at no cost to the contractor.

18. Scope and Frequency of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 Biohazard Remediation: PWS Sections 10.0 and 40.0 require compliance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030 (Bloodborne Pathogens) for biohazard cleaning and disposal. Is biohazard remediation intended solely as incidental restroom spill cleanup during routine janitorial shifts, or does the Government anticipate specialized biohazard call-out protocols? Biohazard remediation is limited to incidental, routine janitorial cleanup required during normal custodial services.

Examples: small restroom spills, minor blood droplets, bodily fluid incidents discovered during cleaning. If the Forest Service requires specialized biohazard response beyond routine cleaning, that work would fall outside the scope of this contract and must be separately ordered or procured.

19. Do you have an estimate of how many hours a week the government expects for the regular cleaning, or a building-by-building breakdown of the square footage and cleaning frequency? The solicitation does not provide labor-hour estimates for weekly cleaning and intentionally avoids directing level of effort. This is a performance-based requirement. The PWS does, however, provide:

Square footage for each of the 7 buildings (PWS Page 2).

Cleaning frequency requirements:

Weekly: PWS Sections 3.1 and 3.2

Monthly: Section 3.3

Annual: Section 3.4

Task descriptions and standards (PWS Section 26.0 through 34.0)

Because the contract is fixed-price and performance-based, the Government cannot provide labor-hour expectations. Offerors must determine staffing based on their approach.

20. What days and hours can cleaning crews be on site? Is it during business hours, after hours, or either? PWS Section 6.0 states:

“The Government’s regular working hours are Monday through Friday from 0800 to 1630…”

“The contractor is responsible for conducting business during government regular working hours…”

This means:

Cleaning may occur Monday–Friday, 8:00–16:30, unless otherwise coordinated with the COR.

There is no requirement that all work occur on Fridays; only the weekly tasks are traditionally scheduled that day. After-hours access is not permitted unless approved in writing by the COR and subject to security protocols.

21. For the monthly, annual, and deep clean work, are there set months or dates you want those done, or do we schedule them with the COR? Monthly, annual, and deep-clean tasks are to be scheduled with the COR.

22. Will the government provide any supplies, paper products, or trash liners, or should all of that be included in our price? All consumables, chemicals, and trash liners must be contractor-provided and included in the price.

23. The wage determination (WD 2015-4369 Rev 32) didn't seem to be attached to the package. Could you send it or confirm which revision applies? The wage determination is the last attachment included in the pdf uploaded to the SAM.gov posting.

24. How long does the federal background check and fingerprinting usually take, and can workers start before it clears? The fingerprinting and background checks take 1 to 2 weeks. Arrangements will be made to escort contractor employees in order to get work complete while they are in process.

25. Deep Cleaning Services: The Schedule of Items lists deep cleaning as one event per contract year, ordered as needed. Could you clarify whether the Government anticipates a full-facility deep cleaning annually and whether the quoted price should cover all listed deep-cleaning services for all seven buildings? Offerors must: Price one complete deep-cleaning event each year, covering all seven buildings, including all tasks listed in PWS Section 27.0, with any additional event (if requested) paid separately via a bi-lateral modification.

26. Paperwork and billing - Please confirm when the initial cleaning schedule and cleaning-product Safety Data Sheets are due. The documents list five days and ten business days for the schedule, and ten days and ten business days for the safety sheets.

Should cleaning reports and invoices be submitted after each weekly service or combined into a monthly submission?

Reference: PWS Sections 6, 24, and 30 — Working Hours, Safety, and Key Deliverables;

PDF pages 18, 23, and 27.

Initial Cleaning Schedule is due no later than 10 business days after award.

SDS are due within 10 business days after award.

Weekly services → weekly reports (each report due 10 business days after that week’s work).

Monthly services → monthly reports (same 10-business-day rule).

Deep cleaning events → individual reports (10-business-day rule).

The PWS does not authorize combining into a single monthly submission unless coordinated and approved by the COR. The default expectation is reporting by service event, not by calendar month.

Invoices should be submitted monthly, unless a different billing structure is discussed and agreed upon with the awardee. Typically weekly invoices are neither required nor expected.

27. Are there any solicitation-specific restrictions on using a qualified small-business janitorial subcontractor, beyond the FAR limitations on subcontracting? What is required:

Standard FAR and PWS responsibilities

Even if the subcontractor performs most (or all) janitorial tasks, the prime contractor remains fully responsible for:

No minimum self-performance percentage required.

No cap on how much janitorial labor may be subcontracted.

No requirement that the prime perform the “primary” or “predominant” service tasks.

Contract compliance under FAR 52.212-4:

Key Personnel roles (Contract Manager & QCR) — PWS Section 9.

Ensuring subcontractor staff complete background checks — PWS Section 23.

Flow-down of required FAR clauses (including SCLS and Trafficking compliance)

— FAR 52.244-6.

Providing deliverables (QCP, schedules, SDS, reports) — PWS Section 30.

Managing and inspecting subcontractor performance per the QCP — PWS Sections 26–34.

These are performance responsibilities, not subcontracting restrictions.

Offeror rely on a subcontractor’s relevant janitorial past performance.

All personnel—prime or subcontractor—must:

Complete Tier 1 background investigation

Complete required USDA security training

Receive approval before entering Government facilities

There is no distinction between prime and subcontractor personnel for these requirements.

28. May the Contract Manager also serve as the Quality Control Representative, or must these be separate individuals? Yes, one qualified individual may serve as both Contract Manager and Quality Control Representative, provided that person can fully meet all duties of both positions (availability during working hours, oversight of performance, QCP implementation, communication with the COR, etc.).

If staffing changes or combined roles affect performance, the contractor must still meet all PWS requirements.

29. Does the government have an estimated number of cleaners or weekly labor hours for the seven buildings? If available, could you share the previous contractor's staffing levels?

May the same cleaning crew service all seven buildings during a scheduled visit? Are cleaning services permitted after normal business hours, or must they be performed between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM? Are all seven buildings regularly occupied, or are any used only intermittently? Approximately how many deep-cleaning events are anticipated annually, beyond the annual tasks in the PWS? The solicitation does not provide: any expected number of cleaners, any estimated labor-hours per week, any staffing model, or any historical production data.

This is intentional because the requirement is performance-based and fixed-price. The Government cannot prescribe or estimate staffing levels.

Offerors should price only one deep-cleaning event per year; additional events are not anticipated but remain possible and would be separately ordered via a bi-lateral modification.

30. Are there specific minimum insurance coverage limits required for the contractor, including commercial general liability, workers' compensation, and automobile liability? If so, could you identify the applicable requirements? Offerors must maintain whatever insurance is necessary to comply with state law and industry-standard business practices, but the Government does not specify or enforce minimum limits for this contract.

31. PWS section 28 requires emergency attendance within 2–4 hours and a separately approved cost estimate. Which CLIN/pricing entry should cover emergency services, and is any standby/response cost to be included in the scheduled-service prices? Emergency cleaning is ordered separately via a bi-lateral modification and priced per the contractor’s CO-approved estimate at the time of the event. Offerors should not include any standby, contingency, or emergency-response cost in their fixed prices for CLINs 0001–0004.

32.The evaluation section requests at least three years of relevant past-performance information but also provides a neutral rating for offerors without a record. Is three years a mandatory eligibility threshold, and may a vendor document that period using multiple relevant contracts? Offerors may use multiple contracts, including overlapping or sequential work, to demonstrate at least three years of relevant janitorial or facility-maintenance experience.

33. Window workload and predecessor: Is there a window count by building/story, including storm units, for annual interior/exterior cleaning? If releasable, please provide the prior annual/CLIN pricing or bid abstract for 12445025P0004, and identify material scope changes from that contract. Offerors must rely on Attachment 5 – Building Diagrams for estimating purposes. The prior contract pricing or bid abstract is not included in this solicitation and cannot be released without a formal public records process. No documents relating to Contract 12445025P0004 are included in the solicitation, the

Government cannot identify or compare scope changes based on the materials provided.

34. PWS Section 27.0 lists strip, seal, polish, wax, and scrub as deep-cleaning methods for all hard-floor types, including wood, concrete, ceramic tile, and vinyl. Please confirm the appropriate treatment method for each material. PWS Section 27.0 requires the contractor to apply “the most appropriate deep-cleaning methods and solutions for each specific floor type.” This language is intentional. The Government does not expect the same chemical stripping or waxing process to be used on all surfaces.

Accordingly:

Vinyl / Resilient Tile: May require stripping, sealing, waxing, and polishing consistent with commercial custodial standards.

Wood Flooring (2,853 SF): Shall not be chemically stripped or waxed unless the finish specifically requires it. Wood floors shall be cleaned and may be buffed, polished, or recoated using wood-appropriate finishes.

Concrete Flooring (2,999 SF): Shall not be waxed or chemically stripped. Concrete floors shall be scrubbed, cleaned, and may be sealed or polished if applicable.

Ceramic Tile (336 SF): Shall be scrubbed and deep-cleaned, including grout, but shall not be waxed or stripped.

Contractors shall select methods appropriate to each material. The Government does not require or assume strip-and-wax treatment for wood, concrete, or tile.

35. Are any laboratories, research spaces, or equipment rooms restricted or subject to special access requirements beyond normal building access? All interior rooms within Buildings 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 12 fall within the custodial scope; however, individual occupants may request that their personal office or workspace not be entered for cleaning. If an occupant does not wish their office to be serviced, they may place their wastebasket outside the door for collection, and the contractor will not be faulted for not entering that room.

For laboratory and research spaces: Yes, occupants may temporarily lock lab doors when conducting sensitive work or special projects.

When a lab or office is locked and unavailable for cleaning, the contractor shall note the room and occupant, provide this information to the Contract Manager, and the COR will be notified.

The contractor will not be penalized for “missed” service in spaces intentionally made inaccessible by the Government.

Once an area is reopened and available, the contractor shall resume routine cleaning during the next scheduled service.