Instructions_to_Offerors.docx

AG-32SC-S-14-0003

Instructions to Offerors:

A. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Proposals must be complete, self-sufficient, and respond directly to the requirements of this Request for Proposals (RFP). Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror's proposal.

B. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS: All proposals must be received by the contracting office (identified below) no later than 1:00 PM Central Time on January 31, 2014.

1. Offeror shall submit its proposal electronically via e-mail to: josh.dobereiner@ars.usda.gov or via U.S. Postal Service on CD-ROM in uncompressed files to:

USDA/ARS

Eastern Business Service Center Attn: Josh Dobereiner 1815 N. University Street Peoria, IL 61604

2. The Offeror's proposal shall be submitted in separate volumes as outlined below. Each volume shall be on a separate CD-ROM, if submitted by mail, or a separate file attachment, if submitted electronically.

3. Each CD-ROM shall have a label affixed to each CD and CD cover. The label shall include the Offeror's name, RFP number, and the proposal's volume number.

4. Offerors are responsible for submitting proposals and any revisions and modifications, so as to reach the Government office designated above by the time specified.

5. Any proposal, modification, or revision that is received at the designated Government office after the exact time specified for receipt of proposals is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the contracting officer determines that accepting the late proposal would not unduly delay the acquisition, and—

a) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals; or

b) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of proposals and was under the Government’s control prior to the time set for receipt of proposals; or

c) It was the only proposal received.

C. REQUIRED PROPOSAL FORMAT FROM OFFERORS:

1. PROPOSAL FORMAT

a) Purpose. These instructions prescribe the format of proposals and describe the approach for the development and presentation of the proposed data. The proposal shall include all of the information requested in the specific instructions. Failure to include all information requested may adversely affect the evaluation. A proposal that merely reiterates or promises to accomplish the requirements of the RFP will be considered unacceptable. A proposal that is orderly and sufficiently documented will be easy for the Government to understand and will enable the Government to perform a thorough and fair evaluation.

b) Offerors are cautioned to submit enough information to enable the Government to fully ascertain each offeror’s capability to perform all of the requirements contemplated by this RFP. All commitments made in the proposal may become a part of the resultant contract. The data submitted with each proposal should be complete and concise, but not overly elaborate.

c) Type Size: Type size for text documents will not be smaller than Microsoft Word, Times New Roman 10 point font, normal proportional spacing and page size shall be no larger than normal letter size (paper (8 ½ x 11”). Margins shall be 1" on all sides of the document. Type size for graphics, charts, diagrams and tables, shall be of an appropriate font and size for the application, and must be clearly readable without magnification assistance to the normal eye. Text lines will be no less than single-space.

2. COST/PRICE (Volume I): The Cost/Price Proposal must be submitted on the Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) Sheet provided with the RFP and incorporate the following:

a) Field agents must be paid in accordance with the applicable wage determinations that have been issued for each locality identified in the Statement of Work;

b) All rates should be based on a delivery of no less than ten calendar days after issuance of the task order;

c) The unit prices should include the following costs:

(i) Payment to field agents – this includes any preparation time, travel time, shopping time, packaging time, and shipping time.

(ii) Project management – this includes items such as recruiting, training, and overall management of the project.

(iii) Other costs – this includes any labor overhead, general overhead, and profit associated with doing this portion of the work.

d) Acknowledgement of any RFP amendments.

e) Complete the necessary fill-ins and certifications at AGAR clause 452.209-70 – Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction (Deviation 2012-01) (Feb 12), 452.209-71 – Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants. (See attached AGAR 452 Notification)

3. TECHNICAL CAPABILITY (VOLUME II):

a) The Technical Proposal shall, at a minimum, be prepared in a format consistent with the evaluation criteria for contract award as specified in the “Evaluation Factors for Award”. The proposal shall contain sufficient detail to enable the Government to evaluate the Offeror’s technical competency. Limited to 20 single-sided pages.

b) The Technical Proposal shall be a stand-alone document containing all information necessary for the Government to perform a complete technical evaluation. In evaluating the technical proposal, the Government will only consider information contained in the technical proposal itself. Information contained in any other part or proposal submitted under this solicitation or in other documents will not be considered.

c) Technical capability shall demonstrate how the offeror will be able to meet the requirements stated in the Statement of Work (SOW). The offeror’s responses will be evaluated as identified in the section titled, “Evaluation Factors for Award”. Using the instructions provided below, provide, as specifically as possible, the actual methodology proposed for accomplishing/satisfying the Technical/Management subfactors. All of the requirements specified in the RFP are mandatory. By submitting a proposal, the Offeror is representing that it will perform all requirements specified in the RFP. It is not necessary to repeat this information in the proposal. It is necessary, however, to describe how the Offeror will accomplish/satisfy the requirements and specifically how that capability will be used for this effort. Do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the RFP. Offerors should not make any reference to rates or price in this volume

d) The Government shall utilize the following subfactors: (1) Management Approach, (2) Procurement, Handling, and Shipping of Samples, and (3) Quality Approach to determine if the Offeror has the technical knowledge to manage and provide services in accordance with the requirements of this RFP. The subfactors will receive an adjectival rating as defined in the Evaluation Factors for Award.

· Subfactor 1 - Management Approach: The Offeror shall describe its management approach to meet the current and future requirements defined in the SOW. Identify any risks and explain how the risks, if any, will be mitigated. Provide and clearly state how any innovative and/or unique approaches will apply and benefit the Government. Management shall address the following:

a) Project Management - Describe the qualifications of the project manager. Discuss the project manager's previous work experience overseeing a contract of this type. Explain the project manager's experience with resolving problems to meet clients' expectations.

b) Workforce Management - Describe the methods used to select individual shoppers in each city and the requirements for hiring. Explain the training and instructions provided to the individual shoppers (include samples of documents provided). Describe the accountability of agents to quickly correct mistakes (agent's responsibility for mistakes such as shipping incorrect food/supplement samples or not purchasing specified items).

c) Experience - Describe the methods used to complete similar previous job types. Discuss experience in procuring food samples on a nationwide basis. Describe experience with shipping food/supplement samples, particularly in regards to procuring samples simultaneously from 10 or more locations throughout the country and having them arrive at a designated shipping address the next day. Detail the quality of previous related job experience. Discuss the frequency of sample procurement and shipping work done (regular basis or only on rare occasions). Describe the satisfaction of clients and how much repeat business the Offeror has.

· Subfactor 2 - Procurement, Handling, and Shipping of Samples: The Offeror shall provide a narrative that explains its approach to meet the procurement, handling, and shipping requirements of the SOW. Identify any risks and explain how the risks, if any, will be mitigated. Provide and clearly state how any innovative and/or unique approaches will apply and benefit the Government. This subfactor shall address the following:

a) Procurement - Describe the procedure for identification and purchase of samples. Explain how the Offeror will rectify mistakes and how quickly new samples will be sent to designated shipping address.

b) Handling - Describe the protocol for handling various categories of food/supplements (shelf-stable, fresh produce, refrigerated, and frozen) from time of purchase to time samples are shipped. Detail how the samples will be stored prior to shipping. Explain the Offeror's ability to freeze samples not originally purchased as frozen items prior to shipping and ship them as frozen items the next day. Detail the method of packing samples, particularly in respect to items to be shipped frozen. Describe the precautions used to prevent spoilage.

c) Shipping - Describe the materials used to ship each type of food/supplement sample (shelf-stable, fresh produce, refrigerated, or frozen). Describe the methods used to pack and ship each type of sample. Detail the procedures for ensuring products remain intact and are kept at the proper temperature during shipping. Explain the ability to ship samples to two different designated addresses simultaneously. Detail the system for tracking samples throughout the shipping process. Describe the procedures for communicating the shipping and arrival of food samples at the designated processing facility.

· Subfactor 3 - Quality Approach: The Offeror shall describe its approach to a fully integrated Quality Control Plan (QCP) that ensures quality services for the requirements defined in the SOW. Provide examples of innovative and/or unique approaches used in other efforts and describe how the approach or innovation benefited the customer. Detail step-by-step procedures that will be used to resolve problems. Describe methods for handling purchasing problems, i.e. missing items, purchase of incorrect items, wrong brands, products that do not fit within guideline provided, mislabeled items, items that do not include identification of where purchased, etc. Explain methods for handling shipping problems, including replacement procedures for receipt of damaged or spoiled product and/or product received in unacceptable condition.

4. PAST PERFORMANCE (Volume III): The Offeror shall provide a minimum of three (3) relevant past performance contract references. Information shall be submitted on the Past Performance Evaluation Sheet provided. The contract references should represent recent and relevant performance under Government, (Federal, state, local) and/or commercial contracts. In addition to the Past Performance Evaluation Sheet, a narrative of no more than two (2) pages per contract may be included for each contract. The narrative should explain why a particular contract was unique; if there were problems that needed to be resolved; and explain how the contract relates to this solicitation. The narrative should also indicate if there have been any changes, i.e. ownership, management, key personnel, etc., since the work was performed.

· Recency, as it pertains to past performance information, is a measure of the time that has elapsed since the past performance reference occurred. Recency is generally expressed as a time period during which past performance references are considered relevant. For the purpose of this requirement, recency is any contract under which any performance, delivery, or corrective action has occurred within three (3) years prior to the RFP closing date, even if the award date is outside this three (3) year window.

· Relevancy is defined as:

· Relevant: present/past performance effort involved similar scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this RFP requires

· Not Relevant: Present/past performance effort involved little or none of the scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this RFP requires.

(End of Instructions)