A06_Seed_mixing_spec__final_w_Eval_Factors.docx

PART 1 – GENERAL

Summary The Bureau of Land Management (hence forward referred to as the Government or BLM) requires seed mixing of grass, forb, and brush species for various restoration projects. The Government is seeking a contract to fulfill this requirement. This section includes the description of work, location requirements, and environmental considerations for the seed mixing projects.

A. Description of work: The Government will furnish unmixed, grass, forb, and shrub seed to the Contractor for mixing. The Contractor shall furnish all supervision, labor, equipment, tools, materials, supplies, and incidentals necessary to complete the work. The seed shall be evenly and proportionally mixed, bagged, placed on pallets, and wrapped for pickup by the Government or freight company. Bags of mixed seed shall weigh 50 pounds each, unless otherwise specified, and shall be securely closed. Work shall comply with all federal, state, and local regulations.

B. Location: Seed shall be mixed at the Contractor’s location as specified in their proposal. The government will pick up mixed seed from the Contractor’s mixing facility. The Government may choose to have mixed seed picked up directly from the mixing facility through a freight company.

C. Quality Assurance The Contractor shall comply with specifications outlined in this document. A Government Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and/or project inspector (PI) will be involved in seed delivery, seed pickup, and final project inspection (at the time of pickup). A Government representative may be present to observe the seed mixing process.

1. Original tags from the seed shall be returned to the BLM. At a minimum 90% of the tags need to be returned.

2. The BLM has the right to test any seed mix to verify the specification are being met.

Project/Site Conditions A. Facility Environment: Seed mixing operations and storage shall be conducted out of the elements preferably indoors, preferably in a climate-controlled environment, to maintain maximum seed viability. At no time during handling, storing, or mixing seed, shall the seed be exposed to inclement weather (rain, snow, etc.). Seed must be always kept dry and free from exposure to moisture and water.

B. Clean-up: The Contractor shall be responsible for disposal of all materials in a manner consistent with federal, state, and local laws, and for all expenses incurred from disposal. Disposal materials may include, but are not limited to, pallets, shrink wrap, cardboard, and seed bags.

The Contractor shall complete all seed mixing, bagging, and palletizing within the specified time frame. Mixes will generally need to be completed within 7-14 days from the time Government seed is delivered to the Contractor. The Government will pick up or arranged to ship pallets of mixed seed no more than 7 days after seed mixing project is completed.

PART 2 – MATERIALS

Government Furnished Materials A. Seed: The Government will provide all seed required for mixing. Seed will be unmixed and labelled by variety and/or species/subspecies and will be in 50- or 40-pound bags unless otherwise specified.

Contractor Furnished Materials A. Equipment: The Contractor shall provide a facility for mixing and storing seed, seed mixing equipment mixing hopper, scale(s), seed bags, sewing machine(s) with string, project tags/labels, and wrapping material to secure bagged seed on pallets. A forklift and operator shall be on site to assist moving the seed (including loading and unloading). All expenses relating to operation and maintenance and of equipment shall be included in the unit price for mixing.

The Contractor shall furnish, operate, and maintain the minimum following equipment:

· Electrically operated mechanical seed mixer. Mixer type may be vertical or horizontal but shall uniformly and evenly mix individual seed varieties. Seed mixer shall not damage seed (no grinding, crushing, or over heating seed).

· Single string /single stitch sewing machine and string for closing and sealing seed bags. Double string, or double stitch will not be accepted.

· Scales for weighing bags and calibration.

· Shrink wrapping equipment capable of securing stacked bags on a pallet.

· Forklift or other means of moving palletized seed. Contractor will be responsible for unloading unmixed seed delivered by the Government, and for loading mixed seed picked up by the Government or freight company.

· A ramp, loading dock, or other means of unloading cargo trailers up to 53ft in length and up to 4.5 feet from ground to bottom of trailer.

· Seed bags capable of holding up to 50 pounds of mixed seed.

B. Personnel: The Contractor shall supply all necessary personnel to properly execute all aspects of the project.

PART 3 – EXECUTION

Transportation, Mixing, and Storage A. Transportation: The Government is responsible for transporting seed to be mixed to the Contractor’s mixing facility. This shall be coordinated with the COR/PI and Contractor during normal business hours, i.e. Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The Government will be responsible for transportation from the mixing site after the seed is mixed. The government may choose to have mixed seed shipped directly from the mixing facility using a third-party freight company. The Government will arrange for freight pick up.

B. Mixing: The Contractor shall mix seed according to the Government specifications. The Government shall provide all seed to be mixed. Contractor shall not substitute any of the provided seed, make alterations to the seed mixes, or add or subtract species from the specified mix. The Contractor shall ensure that seed is mixed uniformly with all seed varieties evenly distributed throughout the mix.

C. Seed Mix: The Government shall provide a mix sheet to the Contractor for each mix completed under this contract. The mix sheet will provide the varieties in the mix by pound and variety. The mix sheet will also provide the seed mix name which the contractor shall use to label each pallet of mixed seed. Seed mix sheet will be provided by the Government upon delivery of unmixed seed to mixing facility.

Contractor shall ensure seed mixing equipment is cleaned between each seed mixing project to prevent seed contamination from previous mixes.

D. Bagging: All seed shall be mixed prior to bagging. Bags of mixed seed should weigh 50 pounds each. All bags within a single mix must be within +/- 0.5 pounds of 50 pounds. Bags must be sealed (sewn shut). Seed bags shall be standard poly or woven sacks of similar strength and characteristics. Burlap sacks will not be allowed. The Contractor may reuse the bags that the unmixed seed was delivered in. In order to reuse bags, the Contractor must remove the string and not cut or damage the bag, damaged bags shall not be reused for mixed seed.

E. Pallets: Mixed bags of seed shall be placed on pallets approximately 1,000 – 1,500pounds (20 -30 bags) per pallet, unless otherwise specified, and securely shrink-wrapped. Pallets shall be standard size shipping pallets 48 inches x 40 inches unless otherwise specified. Pallets shall not exceed 52 inches in height unless otherwise specified. A cardboard slip sheet must be placed on pallets before stacking seed to prevent damage to bags and loss of seed from pallet nails and broken wood slats. Pallets from Government furnished unmixed seed may be reused. Contractor shall provide any additional pallets necessary to palletize mixed seed. Any excess pallets shall be disposed of by contractor.

F. Labelling: All completed pallets of mixed seed shall be clearly labeled with the following information:

· Project Name (provided on mix sheet)

· Number of bags on the pallet G. Storage: All seed (mixed and unmixed) shall be stored in a dry and secured location and not left exposed to weather. The Contractor is responsible for the protection of seed (mixed and unmixed) from damage due to weather, rodents, insects, theft, or any other hazards. Any seed damaged or lost, while in the custody of the Contractor, will be replaced by the government at the cost of the Contractor.

H. Total Pounds Mixed: Due to slight variability in bag weights, the Contractor will be allowed a 3% variation in total bags mixed from total bags of seed provided.

Project Meetings and Inspection of Work A. Pre-work Meeting: A conference will be held prior to the start of work to review work requirements, specifications, schedules, payroll and payments, and administrative provisions of the contract.

1. Notification – The Government will notify the Contractor at least three days in advance as to when the pre-work conference will be held.

2. Location – This conference may take place over the phone, at a government facility, or at the Contractor’s facility. The location will depend upon availability of personnel and distance.

3. Attendance – Representatives responsible for coordination of work from both parties including Contractor supervisory personnel and Government personnel, CORs and/or PIs shall be present.

B. Progress Meetings: One (or more) progress meetings may be held as necessary to discuss project progress, answer questions, problem solve, etc.

1. Notification – Progress meetings may be requested by the Government or Contractor. Requests shall specify who shall attend.

2. Location – Meetings may be held over the phone or at the Contractor’s facility/project site as necessary.

C. Inspection – A Government COR or PI may be on site to spot check any, and all aspects of the projects including handling of seed, seed mix ratios, bag weight, bag closure and labelling, pallet wrapping and storage. Any issues and/or deficiencies observed will be brought to the Contractor’s attention; the Contractor shall immediately address/correct these issues and/or deficiencies at no additional cost to the Government.

1. Notification – The Contractor shall notify the Government primary point(s) of contact (COR and/or PI) by phone and in writing at least 3 working days prior to project completion so the Government can schedule a final inspection.

2. Location – The final inspection/meeting will be held at the Contractor’s facility/project site.

3. Deficiencies – The Contractor shall correct all deficiencies at no additional cost to the Government and within the allotted project timeframe of ten (10) days.

PART 4 – MEASUREMENT and PAYMENT Measurement and Payment Payment will be made based on the bulk pounds of seed mixed, bagged, palletized, wrapped, and returned to and accepted by the BLM. Contractor shall consider all potential costs and include them in the price per pound quote. Invoicing through the Internet Payment Platform (IPP) is required by the Government. See payment clause for IPP information. After completion and acceptance of a seed mix project, the contractor will submit for payment in IPP and upload a proper invoice.

PART 5 -- REQUIRED BID PACKAGE

52.212-2 EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEMS ( OCT 2014)

(a) The Government will award multiple contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offerors whose offers conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Technical Capability, Prior Experience and Past Performance, when combined, are significantly more important than Price.

The overall proposal shall consist of a completed Standard Form 1449, completed Bid Schedule, and a detailed work plan that demonstrates the capability to meet the technical aptitude of the Statement of Work.

Failure to provide required information may result in a non-responsive quote.

Evaluation Factor No. 1: Technical Capability

1. Offeror shall describe the type, quantity, and capability of equipment that will be used to fulfill the specifications, including:

a Describe seed mixing equipment, state whether equipment is a vertical or horizontal mixer, volume (seed capacity in pounds). Offeror may provide mixer manufacturer specifications.

b Describe equipment that will be used to process mixed seed such as forklifts, shrink wrappers, turn tables, scales, vehicles, etc.

2. Offeror shall describe how seed will be stored, both unmixed and mixed. Provide storage location, type of storage, and describe how seed will be safe from weather, damage, or theft.

3. Offeror shall describe the crew size that is available to mix seed. Include seed mixing production rates, i.e. how many pounds of seed the crew could mix per day.

4. Provide details on location of mixing facilities, including town and state. Preference may be given to facilities that are closer in proximity or strategically located to BLM seed warehouse facilities located in Boise ID, Ely NV, and Shoshone ID, due to government incurred shipping costs. Evaluation of bid proposals will factor the costs of government transportation of unmixed seed to, and mixed seed from, the Contractor’s mixing facility location, as an overall value to the government.

Evaluation Factor No. 2: Prior Experience

1. Key Personnel – Offeror shall provide information of key personnel and their experience. Provide relevant information as it pertains to the capabilities, certifications, expertise and involvement in the project and proposal.

2. Offeror shall provide a narrative description of the company’s past experience with mixing seed.

Evaluation Factor No. 3: Past Performance

1. Offeror shall provide 3 past performance references (contact name, company name, telephone number, and email address) from the past 3 years for relevant work and magnitude. Past performance can be based on the Contracting Officer’s knowledge, contractor provided references, and other reasonable sources.

The Government will evaluate qualifications based on the extent to which the personnel meets or exceeds skills, experience, and/or education required in performing the specifications in the Statement of Work.

The Government will determine whether the Offeror consistently provides quality services in a timely manner.

Evaluation Factor No. 4: Price

1. Submit completed Bid Schedule for the list of Line Items provided in the solicitation. Price will be evaluated after evaluations of the technical proposals. Each price proposal shall be evaluated for reasonableness. An offered price that is too high or too low may indicate the offeror does not understand the requirements of the contract and may be grounds for eliminating its proposal.

2. Material unbalancing between line items may be cause for rejection of the offeror’s proposal.

Award Determination

The Government will award a contract to the Contractor(s) whose proposals: (a) conforms to the terms of the solicitation and (b) provides the best value to the Government.

Award may not necessarily be made to the Offeror(s) submitting the lowest price.