RFQ-10-004 Mowing 2010 season - Part 1 of 4

United States Department of Agriculture

Rural Development

Kentucky State Office

January 15, 2010

TO POTENTIAL LAWN CARE CONTRACTORS:

USDA Rural Development, Kentucky State Office, is seeking quotations for Lawn Care services for single family homes. These services include lawn mowing, trimming, and removal of clippings and debris for the 2010 lawn care season. Services are anticipated to be required in most of the counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. See the “Statement of Work” for more details about the services to be performed. You do not have to respond to this Request for Quotation, but you cannot receive a purchase order unless you do respond. A purchase order will be issued only to those competitors offering the best value to the Government, price and other factors included. Full quotation preparation information and evaluation and selection criteria are set forth in the Request for Quotations (RFQ).

The Start date is projected to be APPROXIMATELY April 1, 2010. Because the Government allocates funds on a Fiscal Year basis, the term of the order can only go through September 30, 2010. However, the awarded purchase orders will include an option to continue services through the end of the mowing season, usually October and in some areas of the state through November of this calendar year. The prices you quote must be valid for the entire mowing season, including both the basic term and the option period. We anticipate that purchase orders will be issued to multiple vendors, but only to one contractor per county. An order might not be awarded for every county if the prices in that county are not reasonable, and/or if the demand for services in a county does not warrant issuance of a purchase order. It is anticipated that no services will be performed in Fayette or Jefferson counties.

Please be sure to read the Request for Quotations (RFQ) carefully and thoroughly. There are several changes to the Statement of Work from prior years You may submit quotations for any or all of the counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You must, however, guarantee that you will perform all services within any county at the same prices that you quote. We will give a slight evaluation advantage to vendors who provide the complete range of items 01, 02, and 03 for all counties served by an individual Area Office. See Standard Form 18 for items list.

Purchase orders will be issued for an estimated number of mowings for the period at a fixed price per mowing. The number of mowings is dependant on the number of properties requiring services , and on the weather. The number of lawns per county to be maintained could be as few as zero, or 1, and as many as 12 or more. The number is dependant on the number of properties that enter the foreclosure process during the year. The number can also vary during the year as properties enter the foreclosure process, or as properties are disposed. To assist competitors, we included a list showing the current estimated number of mowing properties in each county. This list can change substantially, both adding new properties and removing disposed properties, during the mowing season. Also enclosed is a listing of the purchase order prices by county for mowings during the 2009 mowing season.

The total dollar amount to be obligated to a Purchase Order as well as the amount of funding per line item will be an estimate only, but may not be exceeded unless the Contracting Officer obligates additional funds. The contractor is not guaranteed to receive the amount of funds that will be obligated on the purchase order. In fact payments are usually substantially below that amount as mowings are often less than the maximum estimated quantity. The Government will pay only for acceptable mowings that were actually ordered and performed by the contractor.

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS REGISTRATION:

The US Government is undertaking a major project to do as much business as possible by electronic methods. Even though this will be a fairly small lawn care purchase order, you must be registered in three electronic systems to receive a purchase order. If you do not have a computer, or internet access, you can often make arrangements to use a computer at a public library.

We recently learned of some help you can receive if you are having trouble completing your CCR and/or ORCA registrations or if you have other difficulties in completing your quotation. You can contact:

Debbie McKnight

Kentucky Procurement Assistance Program

23rd Floor Capital Plaza Tower

Frankfort, KY 40601

800-838-3266 or 502-564-4252 fax 502-564-5932 http://www.thinkkentucky.com/KPAP

This staff is dedicated to helping Kentucky Small Businesses set up and do business with the Federal Government. They should be your first contact for assistance.

Central Contractor Registration (CCR): Your company must be registered in the US Government’s Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system and your registration must be current. CCR registrations expire every 12 months. If you are already registered, you must also have reviewed and updated your CCR information on an annual basis. You may obtain information on CCR registration and annual update requirements via the internet at http://www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423, or 269-961-5757. Generally CCR registration takes from ½ to 1 hour. The first step in completing a CCR registration is to obtain your DUNS Number.

On-Line Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA): Your company must be registered in ORCA and your registration must be current. ORCA registrations expire every 12 months. See the Clause in the Request for Quotations entitled: “52.204-8 Annual Representations and Certifications”. The ORCA web site is at http://orca.bpn.gov Please be sure to click on the “FAQs” tab for information about ORCA and how to register.

VID Numbers: The USDA Rural Development now makes payments to vendors by Electronic Funds Transfer instead of by paper checks. Therefore, your company must have a USDA Vendor Identification Number (VID). A VID number is not the same thing as the VXP number that was used a couple of years ago. VID Numbers were first given in May 2004. If you do not have a VID Number, or if you need to change your information such as business name, banking information, Taxpayer Identification Number, etc, then complete the form “FFIS VENDOR CODE REQUEST” which is included in this Request for Quotation.

All of your registrations’ in the CCR, ORCA, and your VID# must use the same Taxpayer Identification Number (which can be your personal social Security number if your business in not a corporation or LLC), and the same name in which you file your Federal Tax returns.

SERVICE CONTRACT ACT

This Request for Quotation and any resulting Purchase Order that may exceed $2,500.00 might contain the clause entitled “Service Contract Act”. The Service Contract Act applies to acquisitions where the primary deliverable is services rather than a physical item. The Service Contract Act will normally apply to lawn mowings, lock changes and winterizations, caretaker cleanups and eviction if the total amount of our Purchase Order exceeds or may reasonably be expected to exceed $2,500.00. Depending on the circumstances, the Service Contract Act does not always apply to the “Business Owner”. You can see 29 CFR part 541 for a definition of the term “Service Employee”. You can access that information on the internet at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html Scroll down to 1994 and click on Page Number (1995 forward)

On the next page click in the circle for 2004 and then near the bottom of the page enter the page numbers to search, and then click “SUBMIT”. You can find a discussion of the “Business Owner” exemption on page 22132. The actual text of the Code of Federal Regulations applicable to “Business Owner” is on page 22261. The entire section relating to exempt employees begins on page 22122. If you utilize subcontractors instead of employees to perform services, the “Business Owner” of the subcontractor may be exempt from the Requirement of the Service Contract Act. We do not and can not make a legal determination of if the Service Contract Act will apply in any given situation. You can contact the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division for information to determine if the Service Contract Act applies in your circumstances. See the Federal Government listing pages of your local telephone book.

The service contract act requires that you pay employees at least a certain wage and fringe benefits. Those wage rates and fringe benefits are set forth in “Wage Determinations” which are included as attachments to this Request for Quotation. There will be several Wage Determinations attached if this is a state wide or multi county acquisition, because the Wage Determinations vary depending on the county in which the services are provided. The applicable Occupation Code and Title for these services will be shown in the RFQ and/or purchase order/BPA.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR QUOTATION:

To submit your quotation, complete blocks 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the Request for Quotation Standard Form 18. You do not have to return the Wage Determinations as part of your quotation.

Complete the Price Quotation Pages showing your quoted price for each county that you wish to service. Note that award is by individual county. If your quotation is based on an “all or nothing” basis, or on specific groupings of counties specify such constraints in your price quotation.

Complete the attached FFIS Vendor Code Request Form if you do not already have a VID Number, or if you need to make any changes to your current registration.

You should submit a separate Technical quotation. The technical quotation shall not include any pricing information. The technical quotation should address your past performance in providing services of this nature, and shall also address your possession of equipment and reliable transportation to be used in providing these services, your staffing and/or staffing plan, and your ability to perform these services. Generally, the technical proposal should be 1 page or less in length. If you will be providing services through the use of employees and/or subcontractors, then provide the information listed on the second page of the Request for Quotations.

Finally complete paragraph J.2. of the provision entitled 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The “FILL-IN” is the last blank on the last page of this Request for Quotations. If you are making no changes to the Representations and Certifications that you completed ON-LINE through the ORCA system then you can enter either “N/A” or “NOT APPLICABLE”, otherwise, indicate the paragraph of the change that you are making. The remainder of the representations and certifications need not be completed on the quote form because they are to be completed On-Line.

Send your quotation to arrive no later than THE DATE AND TIME SHOWN IN BLOCK #10 ON THE Standard Form 18 entitled “Request for Quotation at the following address:

Rural Development, USDA

ATTN: David R. Beveridge - Lawn Care Quote

771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200

Lexington, KY 40503

You may also Email your complete quotation. If you submit your quotation by Email be sure to send a complete copy to BOTH david.beveridge@ky.usda.gv and to linda.wolfe@ky.usda.gov

You may also FAX your quotation to 859-224-7339. If you FAX your quotation also send the original copy by mail. If you FAX your quotation, please send me an Email to david.beveridge@ky.usda.gov or call me at 859-224-7332 and notify me that you sent a FAX response so we can be sure to locate your quotation.

If you submit your quotation by FAX or by Email then ALSO send a complete hard copy original with your original signature to the mailing address specified above for receipt of quotations.

If you need any additional information, please call me at 859-224-7332.

Information about our Foreclosure Property Caretaking Program We typically issue two statewide Requests for Quotation each year for “caretaker services”. In the winter we release this Request for Quotations for lawn mowing services for the entire mowing season.

In the summer we typically release a Request for Quotations for Lock changes and Winterizations of caretaker properties. The purchase orders issued under that program run for the Government’s Fiscal Year from October through September 30 of the following year.

We also sometimes require contract services to clean up foreclosure properties, both the inside of the house, and the yard. There is no specific RFQ released for that work because each job is separately quoted. If you are interested in that type of work, please let us know by checking the appropriate blocks on the “Request to Remain on Mailing List” form.

We also occasionally contract for eviction services. These purchase orders cover removing all items of personal property from the house and yard, and depositing them on the public street, curb area, or public right of way. There is no specific RFQ released for that work because each job is separately quoted. If you are interested in that type of work, please let us know by checking the appropriate blocks on the “Request to Remain on Mailing List” form.

We also maintain a list of “Standing Price Quotations” for removal and proper legal disposal of abandoned vehicles at foreclosure properties. If you are interested in that type of work, please let us know by checking the appropriate blocks on the “Request to Remain on Mailing List” form.

Prior Year Prices

Because it is public information, and is often requested, this letter also provides the prices paid for lawn care services during the last mowing season.

Sincerely, David R. Beveridge

Contracting Officer

Attachments:

Request to remain on mailing list, or report of duplicate mailings, or request to be removed from mailing list.

NCAIS/SIC Code instructions for CCR registration

FFIS Vendor Code Request Form

Current Estimated mowing property list

Awarded prices 2009 Lawncare USDA Rural Development, Kentucky State Office

Request for Quotations RFQ-10-004 for Lawn Care Services

Request to Remain on Mailing List Or Report of Duplicate Mailings

Or request to be removed from mailing list

If you are not submitting a price quotation under this Request for Quotations we may remove your name from our mailing list unless you specifically request to remain on our mailing list. Our caretaker program consists of this mowing program, a lock change and winterization program, and occasional property cleanup jobs, and evictions.

1. You can request to remain on our mailing list by returning this page with the proper information.

2. If you received duplicate mailings, please help us save your tax money by reporting the duplication.

3. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please fill in the third area below.

1. [ ] I request to remain on the mailing list for foreclosure property caretaker opportunities.

Please tape your mailing label below, or insert information as it appeared on your mailing label.

Please check the types of caretaking opportunities in which you are interested in the box below:

*I am interested only in the following programs

Name________________________________

*You may check all programs.

*[ ] Mowing

Address______________________________

*[ ] Lock changes and winterizations

*[ ] House & Lawn property cleanups

City & State ________________________ZIP_______ *[ ] Evictions-moving items to street

*[ ] Abandoned vehicle removal

2. [ ] I received duplicate mailings.

Please tape both mailing labels below, or insert information as it appeared on both of your mailing labels.

Also, please indicate the type of program noted above that you are interested in. You may check all programs.

Name___________________________ Name___________________________

Address_________________________ Address_________________________

City & State _____________________ City & State _____________________

ZIP__________

ZIP__________

3. [ ] I am not interested in this type of opportunity. Please remove me from your mailing list.

Please tape your mailing label below, or insert information as it appeared on your mailing label.

Name________________________________

Address______________________________

City & State ________________________ZIP

Please return this form to:

USDA, Rural Development

771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200

Lexington, KY 40503

Selected NAICS and SIC Codes

When you are registering in the CCR System, you will be asked for an NAICS Code and a SIC Code. The following are codes for the general types of services that we order. You can register for as many codes as you wish.

When registering in CCR always claim any business preference program that you may be entitled such as veteran owned, woman owned, minority owned, etc. Proper registration for these preferences can result in additional business for you.

NAICS CODES

541191 Title Search Companies-Real Estate (Use for Title Opinion Updates) 531320 Appraisers – Real Estate

236118 Handyman Services/Home Improvement Residential building

561730 Lawn Care Services

488410 Motor Vehicle Towing

541370 Surveying 541110 Offices of Lawyers (Use for Single Family Housing Foreclosures)

SIC CODES

6541 Title Abstract Offices

6531 Real Estate Agents and Managers

Appraisers

Real Estate Auctions

8111 Legal Services

8811 Private Households

Gardeners

Caretakers

Maintenance Workers

1799 Special Trade Contractors

Awning installation

Cleaning Building Exteriors

Countertop Installation

Dampproofing

Fence Construction

Insulation of pipes

Mobile Home setup and tie down

Paint & wallpaper stripping

Plastic wall tile installation

Tile installation

Wallpaper Removal

Waterproofing

Weatherstripping

Window shade installation

Automotive Services, except Repair and Carwashes-Includes Wrecker Service (towing) automotive

You do not have to send this form unless you are making changes to your previous registration, or you do not have a VID #. If this form is required, submit with your quotation. All information, including banking information is required.

FFIS VENDOR CODE REQUEST KY Overprint Aug 2007

For use by Kentucky State Office, USDA Rural Development ONLY -contains specific KY contact information.

VENDORS-Please return this page by FAX to the contracting office that provided it to you and also submit a paper copy with your quotation.

GOVT CONTRACTING STAFF ONLY: FAX TO: Fiscal Control Branch– 314-457-4374 TYPE OF REQUEST: Check the ones that apply.

_____ Admin (S&E) __X__Program Loan Costs

_____ New _____Correction – IMPORTANT:”X” Line #s changed: (Always Complete #1) [___1][___2][___3][___4][___5][___6][___7][___8][___9][___10][___11][___12]

1. TAXPAYER ID No./SSN (Always Complete #1) (9 digits):__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

2. VENDOR NAME (As it should appear on checks): (Must be the same as your “Legal Business Name” in your CCR Registration and your FEDERAL TAX returns.)

3. VENDOR PHONE NUMBER (__ __ __) __ __ __ - __ __ __ __

4. REMIT TO ADDRESS (As it should appear on checks):

STREET/PO BOX _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ STATE _ _ ZIP CODE _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _

5. TYPE OF VENDOR (Check the one that applies)

_X_ C Commercial Vendor (Business or Individual)

___ G US Federal Government-Non USDA (not serviced by NFC)

___ L Local Government Entity (Cities, Municipalities, Counties, etc.)

___ Q Non Employee Travel through TRVL ONLY

___ S State Government Entity (State Agencies, Universities, etc.)

___ V Intra Departmental USDA (Federal Agencies within USDA)

6. CCR REGISTERED?(Check One)___Y; ___N 7. If Y, DUNS or DUNS+4 Number __________________

8. EFT EXEMPT? N All vendors use “N”

9. If VXP, provide VXP # ____________________________

If the DUNS/DUNS+4 Number or VXP# above are provided, you do not have to fill in the EFT fields below ONLY IF THE BANK ACCOUNT AND ROUTING NUMBER IN OUR CCR RECORD ARE ACCURATE. NOTE: The contracting staff CANNOT see your EFT information in your CCR record so please do not ask us to check it for you, or do not leave them blank if uncertain if your CCR information is correct. Payment will be delayed WITHOUT interest if your EFT information is not correct and/or does not match your CCR information.

10. EFT: BANK ACCT NUMBER ___________________________11. TYPE OF ACCT ___

(CHECKING Or SAVINGS)(“C” or “S”)

12. BANK ROUTING NUMBER (MUST BE 9 DIGITS)_______________________________________

=====================(VENDORS—Do not write below this line)=======================

Requester’s Name: David R. Beveridge Phone: 859-224-7332 FAX 859-224-7339

FFIS VENDOR CODE: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ (to be filled in by the Government)

Current Estimated mowing property list. If an estimated number of properties is not given, then there are no current properties for that county. The mowing property list can change substantially during the mowing season.

BOWLING GREEN

__5____Allen

__2____Barren

______Butler

______Edmonson

__2____Logan

______Simpson

______Warren

COLUMBIA

__1____Adair

__1____Casey

__1____Cumberland

______Green

__2____Marion

______Metcalf

__2____Monroe

______Russell

______Taylor

ELIZABETHTOWN

__1____Breckenridge

__4____Bullitt

__1____Grayson

__2____Hardin

______Hart

__1____Larue

__1____Meade

__2____Nelson

______Washington

HAZARD

______Breathitt

__2____Harlan

______Knott

__8____Lee

__2____Leslie

__1____Letcher

______Owsley

__5____Perry

LEXINGTON

__2____Anderson

__1____Bourbon

______Boyle

__4____Clark

______Estill

______Fayette

__2____Garrard

__7____Jessamine

__2____Madison

__2____Mercer

______Woodford

LONDON

__1____Bell

__1____Clay

______Clinton

__4___Jackson

__2____Knox

__1____Laurel

__3____Lincoln

__1____McCreary

__1____Pulaski

______Rockcastle

______Wayne

__2____Whitley

MADISONVILLE

__1____Christian __3____Daviess ______Hancock __1____Henderson

__12___Hopkins ______McLean __2____Muhlenberg __1____Ohio

______Todd __1____Union ______Webster

MAYFIELD

__1____Caldwell __1____Crittenden

______Ballard

__2____Calloway ______Carlisle __1____Fulton __1____Graves ______Hickman __1____Livingston

______Lyon __1____Marshall __1____McCracken __1____Trigg

MOREHEAD

______Bath

__2____Boyd

__1____Bracken

__5____Carter

__2____Fleming

__4____Greenup

__1____Lewis

__2____Mason

______Menifee

______Montgomery

__3____Nicholas

______Powell

______Robertson

__1____Rowan

PAINTSVILLE

__1____ Elliott

______ Floyd

__1____ Johnson

______Lawrence

__2____Magoffin

______Martin

__3____Morgan

______Pike

______Wolfe

SHELBYVILLE

______Carroll

__1____Franklin

__1____Henry

______Jefferson

______Oldham

__2____Shelby

_____Spencer

______Trimble

WILLIAMSTOWN

______Boone

______Campbell

______Gallatin

______Grant

__2____Harrison

__1____Kenton

__1____Owen

__1____Pendleton

__1____Scott Purchase Order Prices by county for mowings for 2009 Mowing Season

771 Corporate Drive • Suite 20 • Lexington, KY 40503

Phone: (859) 224-7300 • Fax: (859) 224-7425 • TDD: (859) 224-7422 • Web: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ky

Committed to the future of rural communities.

“USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.”

To file a complaint of discrimination write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice or TDD).