A22_W912EE22S0003 SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE_20220208.pdf

W912EE22S0003

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT/REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS IS

NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT, NOR IS IT A REQUEST FOR

PROPOSAL. THIS REQUEST DOES NOT OBLIGATE THE GOVERNMENT TO ANY

CONTRACT AWARD. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS RELEASED PURSUANT TO FAR

15.201(e), EXHANGE WITH INDUSTRY, BEFORE RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Vicksburg District is requesting Capability Statements from all qualified and interested large and small business to furnish subsistence food and supplies for the Vicksburg and Memphis Districts field units.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 445110 for Supermarkets and

Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores (Size Standard – $35 Million).

1. Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Information: The Vicksburg Contracting Office

(VCO) is soliciting Capability Statements and Past Performance information from all qualified and interested contractors to participate in a requirement for multiple Blanket

Purchase Agreements (BPAs) for the Army Corps of Engineers for subsistence food and supplies as needed for its vessels. The BPAs are anticipated to be a period not to exceed five years from date of the agreement. There is a possibility multiple agreements may be made in response to this sources sought notification.

2. Project Information: The requirement is for subsistence food and supplies for the

Vicksburg and Memphis Districts field units. Requirements are not known in advance and may vary considerably. The Corps will be in need of subsistence food and supplies every year to support personnel working on the fleet of vessels. The Corps is in possession of many different towboats and barges that may require such support. This BPA shall cover supply and delivery of food, field feeding and food service equipment, and supplies for the exclusive use of mess facilities on water-borne field units within the Mississippi Valley Division. A more accurate identification of items will be given in the specifications of each purchase order.

Multiple purchase orders are expected to be placed weekly using one or multiple vendors.

a. Delivery: The contractor is responsible for ensuring the supplies ordered under this contract, shall be delivered F.O.B. Origin. Delivery orders will specify delivery no less than 96 Hours from the date of order to USACE Vicksburg District, CEMVK-OD-R, Subsistence Unit, 2449 Haining Road, Vicksburg, MS 39183.

b. Ordering: Orders against this contract will be placed using regional vendors.

Vendors must have a distribution center within 150 mile radius of Vicksburg, MS. In emergency situations, staff can drive to the distribution center to pick up items needed.

Vendors that can provide bulk and individual items are preferred.

When subsistence order is placed with the vendor, they will provided a “code” for that particular request. The code represents the separate vessels that need the groceries.

It is imperative that the code be represented when items are received and on the invoice.

Multiple orders could be made to that vendor in a day. The orders need to remain separate for delivering those items to that vessel and accounting purposes.

c. Requirements: To become and remain a BPA holder, the Contractor must possess and continue to possess the necessary facilities, equipment, technical skills, and capacity to successfully provide all items in the Schedule of Supplies sample inventory list (attached).

d. System for Award Management: In accordance with FAR provision 52.204-7, prospective contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to entering into a BPA master agreement and receiving resulting BPA calls. Lack of registration in the SAM database will make an offeror ineligible to receive a BPA and any resulting BPA calls. Information on SAM registration can be obtained via the Internet at https://www.sam.gov.

e. Product Quality:

Shelf-life:

All products delivered shall be fresh and within the manufacturer’s original shelf life (i.e., Best if Used by Date, Expiration Date, or other markings). All products shall be identified with readable “open coded” “Best When Used by Date,” “Sell by Date,” date of production, date of processing similar marking indicating the end of the guaranteed freshness date.

Products required to be frozen must be delivered frozen to the customer unless approved by the Contracting Officer. NOTE: a product designated as “Frozen” shall never be frozen using a slow-frozen process.

All items must have no less than two-thirds (2/3) of the manufacturer’s stated shelf life remaining at the time of delivery.

Commercial standards should be used to maintain temperatures appropriate for individual items.

f. Name Brands required by union agreements: The following name brands, or brands of equal quality will be purchased:

Smuckers Jam and Jelly

Hillshire Smoked Sausage

Bryans All Beef Hot Dogs

Tennessee Pride Pork Sausage (hot and mild)

Heinz Ketchup

Le Gout Red Pepper Relish

Skippy or Jiff Peanut Butter

Campbell’s Soups Cattleman’s

Bar-B-Que Sauce Louisiana Hot Sauce http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

g. Packaging, Packing, and Labeling

All packaging and packing shall be in accordance with best commercial practices. Labeling shall be in accordance with best commercial practices. Labeling shall be in accordance with the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and regulations promulgated thereunder. All meat will be vacuum packed when practicable. In all instances the packaging must protect the product from freezer burn and contamination.

Commercial standards should be used to maintain temperatures appropriate for individual items. Frozen products must be processed and packed to allow removal of the individual units from the container without damage to the other units. The intent is to be able to remove only that amount of product required for current needs, without the necessity of defrosting all units. Chill and freeze products must be shipped in refrigerated (Reefer) Vans and appropriately separated per temperature requirements.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration

(FDA) provide guidance such as the ‘Protecting Perishable Foods During Transportation by Truck’ handbook and other resources regarding safely and properly loading, transporting, and delivering perishable and non-perishable food items. It is crucial that practices such as stacking unprepared meat on top of fresh items and failing to store frozen and chilled items at proper temperatures during shipment does not occur to avoid cross contamination and food spoilage which could potentially result in illness of employees of the water-borne Vicksburg District, Memphis District, and other MVD field units. Every effort must be made to ensure subsistence items delivered are handled in accordance with proper food storage and distribution guidelines.

3. Submission Requirements: The Government invites contractors with the capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements, as indicated in this posting, to submit a

Capability Statement consisting of appropriate documentation, literature, brochures, and past performance information with references. Past performance documentation shall include contact names, as well as a description of the services provided, contract type (i.e., fixed price or cost), and dollar value. Proof of Small Business Size must also be included. The company's CAGE

Code and DUNS number shall also be included with the submission.

The Capability Statement for this sources sought is not expected to be a proposal, but rather short statements regarding the company's ability to demonstrate existing or developed expertise and experience in relation to similar requirements. Any brochures or currently existing marketing material may also be submitted with the Capabilities Statement. Please indicate your interest and/or ability to provide all services, and provide the maximum lifting capabilities of your facility. This sources sought is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government will not pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of this sources sought. Respondents will not be notified of the Sources Sought results.

All interested firms with 445110 as an approved NAICS code have until Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 1:00 p.m. (central time) to submit the following information:

1. Please provide your company name, address, distance from Subsistence Unit, 2449

Haining Road, Vicksburg, MS 39183, point of contact with corresponding phone number, e-mail address, CAGE code and small business size under NAICS 445110.

2. Clearly confirm that your company business size as Large Business, Small Business, and if applicable, designation as HUBZone, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned

Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Woman-Owned Business.

3. Evidence of capabilities to perform comparable/relevant work on three recent projects

(not more than five years old). Include project name and key/salient features of the project; completion date, total contract value, and your company's level of involvement in the project. Please provide at least one point of contact (with email address and phone number) for project validation.

4. If your company is not currently providing this support, has your company had experience in the last 5 years providing these types of services?

5. What does your company specialize in?

6. Firm's capability to perform, to include geographic location, project size, equipment list and equipment capability.

7. What experience does your company have with Government contracts?

Submissions that are not received within the allotted time and/or do not meet all requirements will not be considered. Responses to this Sources Sought must be e-mailed to Judy Huell at Judy.M.Huell@usace.army.mil with the title “VICKSBURG DISTRICT

SUBSISTENCE FOOD AND SUPPLIES BPA”. No hard copy or facsimile submissions will be accepted. All responses must be received no later than March 2, 2022 by 1:00 p.m., CST.

mailto:Judy.M.Huell@usace.army.mil