Questions and Anwsers 27 July.pdf

1. Regulatory & Product Specification Clarifications

• State-Level Pesticide Registration: The solicitation requires EPA-registered

Verbenone dispensers. Does the USDA require the product to also hold active state-level pesticide registrations in Montana, Utah, and Idaho at the time of award, or is Federal EPA registration sufficient?

Federal EPA registration is sufficient

• Active Ingredient Payload Tolerance: The solicitation specifies a minimum of 6.75g of Verbenone per dispenser. Will the Government accept higher active ingredient payloads (e.g., 7.0g or 7.84g extended-life pouches) as fully compliant without technical penalty or requirement for a variance?

More than 6.75 grams of verbenone/unit is acceptable, less than 6.75g of verbenone is unacceptable.

• Manufacturing Batch & Shelf Life: Given that synthetic pheromones deteriorate under ambient conditions over time, does the Forest Service require the dispensers to be from a current calendar year (2026) manufacturing run, or is certified cold-stored inventory from prior production runs acceptable?

We require verbenone from the 2025 calendar year or newer

• Pouch Lot Traceability & Labeling: Must individual pouch units or outer bulk packaging bear specific manufacturer lot/batch numbers for recall and audit compliance?

Individual units DO NOT require lot/batch numbers; Bulk packaging should disclose manufacturer info such as: manufacturer, manufacture date, batch/lot number.

2. Freight, Delivery & Cold-Chain Logistics

• Facility Delivery Capabilities (Dock vs. Liftgate):

o Do all three delivery locations (Missoula, MT; Ogden, UT; Boise, ID) have dedicated loading docks and forklifts on-site to unload palletized freight?

Loading Docks and forklifts NOT available at all three locations, (forklift likely not required) o If any location lacks a dock / forklift, will liftgate service and inside delivery be required by the carrier?

Inside delivery is required-items must be delivered during business hours. (Unloading assistance is likely available upon request at all three delivery locations)

• Delivery Scheduling & Receiving Hours: What are the exact receiving hours and point-of-contact (POC) scheduling rules for each of the three locations? Are 24- to 48-hour advance delivery appointments required prior to carrier arrival?

Delivery during business hours is required. Business hours are (M-F 0800 1630) - *The Ogden Utah location should be notified (if possible) of scheduled delivery.

Daniel Ott - USDA Forest Service SPTF-FHP

Federal Building - 324 25th Street

Ogden, UT 84401

Email: TBD

Phone: TBD

• Temperature-Controlled / Cold-Chain Transit: Does the Forest Service require climate-controlled (refrigerated) transport during freight transit to protect chemical integrity, or are standard commercial LTL / parcel freight services acceptable assuming transit times adhere to standard delivery windows?

Standard Commercial LTL/Parcel freight services is acceptable

• Partial / Staggered Deliveries: Is partial delivery per line item permitted, or must all 1,500 units (Missoula), 2,500 units (Ogden), and 3,700 units (Boise) be delivered as single, complete lot shipments to each location?

Partial delivery is acceptable

• Early Delivery Permission: The period of performance is listed as 09/01/2026 to 12/01/2026. Will the Government accept early deliveries prior to September 1, 2026, if stock is available sooner?

Early deliveries will be acceptable, but November delivery is preferred.

Subcontracting, OEM Traceability & COC Requirements

• Certificate of Conformance (COC) Submission: Per FAR 52.246-15:

• Should the Certificate of Conformance (COC) be included inside each physical shipment, attached to the outer packing slip, or submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer prior to shipment arrival?

Yes- the certificate should be included with each shipment.

• Does the COC need to be issued directly by the OEM, or must the Prime Contractor issue a secondary COC as well?

An OEM directly from the manufacturer will be fine.

4. Proposal Submittals, Page Limits & Evaluation Structure "Evidence of Supply" Definition: Page 12 notes that offerors "must provide evidence that they can supply 7,700 total dispensers... A price quote will not be considered evidence."

No submittal page limits. Please keep in mind that emails do have a limit on size of documents that can be sent. We are not able to take documents from a cloud file, and we are not always able to open zip folders. All documents must be in word or PDF formant.

• What specific documentation is recognized as adequate proof (e.g., an unpriced OEM commitment letter, distributor stock verification letter, or manufacturer cut sheets)?

• Yes, the above example will count as adequate proof . The government is flexible on what is considered evidence. For example the Certificate of Conformance would be counted as Evidence. A quote/letter directly from the manufacturer would be considered as Evidence, .