US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Performance Work Statement

Contents Project Title General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose

2.0 Definitions

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

4.0 Deliverable / Schedule

5.0 Government Furnished

6.0 Travel

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

8.0 Security Requirements

9.0 Data Rights

10.0 Section 508 - Electronic and Information Technology Standards

11.0 Performance Requirement Measures

Project Title Deer Carcass Processing Services – USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, OH

General Information

1.0 Background and Purpose

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) located in Ohio conducts wildlife damage management activities, including the removal and processing of white‑tailed deer from participating management projects. WS requires one or more qualified meat processing facilities to receive, process, package, freeze, store, and support distribution of venison from deer harvested during local management operations. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that all harvested deer are processed safely, in compliance with Federal and State regulations, and that final venison products are distributed to charitable organizations.

2.0 Definitions

WS – USDA APHIS Wildlife Services DOW – Ohio Division of Wildlife CWD – Chronic Wasting Disease SAM.gov – System for Award Management (Federal vendor registration system) IPP.gov – Invoice Processing Platform (Treasury online invoice system) Processor – The meat processing facility contracted to perform deer carcass processing Offal – Internal organs and non‑meat byproducts generated during carcass processing

Contractor Requirements

3.0 Technical Requirements / Tasks

The Contractor shall perform all tasks listed below. All tasks shall be completed in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations, USDA inspection standards, and Ohio Department of Agriculture or County Health Department requirements.

3.1 Facility Requirements

The processing facility shall be inspected by the USDA, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, or the appropriate County Health Department.

To ensure WS personnel can meet mission‑critical operational timelines, carcass handling requirements, and chain‑of‑custody standards, the contractor’s processing facility shall be located within a travel time equivalent to approximately 60 miles from Brecksville, Ohio.

This proximity requirement is necessary to enable timely delivery, efficient operational coordination, proper biosecurity practices, and compliance with wildlife management protocols.

3.2 Receipt of Deer Carcasses

WS or its designee will deliver field‑dressed, eviscerated deer between Tuesday and Saturday, excluding Federal holidays. Deliveries will occur between 7:00 AM and 12:00 PM, unless weather delays occur (notification provided before 9:00 AM).

Annual volume will range between 100 and 1,600 deer, primarily between October and March.

3.3 Processing Requirements

The processor shall skin each deer, remove all venison meat, grind the venison, and package it in either 1-pound or 5-pound packages based on professional discretion. Each package shall include the processing plant name, the statements “NOT FOR SALE” and “VENISON,” safe handling instructions, and required Ohio DOW identification or permit numbers.

3.4 Freezing and Storage

All packaged venison must be immediately frozen to 0°F or below. Storage boxes or containers shall not exceed 30 pounds. WS, its designee, or charitable organizations will retrieve frozen venison as requested.

3.5 CWD‑Sampled Deer Handling

The processor will receive DOW tag or permit numbers for each deer. Ground venison from sampled deer must be stored separately until WS provides negative CWD test results. Venison from deer testing positive must remain frozen for WS pickup and proper disposal.

3.6 Disposal Responsibilities

The processor shall dispose of all waste byproducts and offal through an approved sanitary landfill or another State or Federal‑approved method and shall assume responsibility for all associated disposal costs.

3.7 Unprocessable Deer

The processor shall determine whether each deer can be safely processed. If a deer must be discarded, the processor shall notify WS within 24 hours and provide justification. The disposal rate must not exceed 2 percent of all deer delivered

3.8 Recordkeeping and Access

The processor shall maintain records for all deer processed for at least one year. WS or DOW personnel may request record inspection with 24-hour notice.

3.9 Invoice and Registration Requirements

The processor shall enroll in SAM.gov and IPP.gov at no cost and submit all invoices through IPP.gov. Each invoice must list the number of deer processed per project and the total pounds of processed meat per project, and the processor is responsible for tracking project‑specific meat weights.

4.0 Deliverable / Schedule

Key Deliverables

Item No. Deliverable Description Due 1 Processing Services Complete processing of deer as delivered per

Sections 3.2–3.3 Ongoing during contract performance

2 CWD‑Hold Tracking Separate and label CWD‑sampled venison pending WS clearance

Ongoing

3 Disposal Notifications Written notice for unprocessable deer with justification

Within 24 hours of determination

4 Project-Specific Receipts

Provide completed project receipt template for each pickup

At each pickup

5 Monthly Invoice Submission through IPP.gov with project totals Monthly 6 Processing Records Maintain accessible records for 1 year Ongoing

5.0 Government Furnished

WS will provide deer carcasses, offal packaged in bags or totes, DOW permit and tag numbers, project identifiers, and annual receipt templates. WS will also coordinate pickup of processed venison and CWD‑positive materials.

6.0 Travel

Government‑funded travel is not anticipated. The processor must ensure adequate staffing and transportation for waste disposal and meat handling.

7.0 Contractor’s Key Personnel

Key personnel shall possess experience in commercial meat processing, knowledge of food safety requirements, familiarity with USDA and State inspection standards, and the capability to manage fluctuating processing volumes, particularly during peak season. No formal résumé submission is required unless requested by the Contracting Officer.

8.0 Security Requirements

No Federal security clearance is required. Access to SAM.gov and IPP.gov systems must comply with platform credentialing requirements.

9.0 Data Rights

All processing records, CWD‑identified batch logs, receipts, weights, and invoices generated under this contract become Government‑furnished information and may not be sold or shared outside authorized parties.

10.0 Section 508 - Electronic and Information Technology Standards Section 508 does not apply because no IT deliverables are required.

11.0 Performance Requirement Measures

Indicate how the government will measure the contractor's performance for specific tasks or work critical to the mission essential items).

• Payment deduction is generally a remedy for non-performance, not as an incentive. Non-Monetary incentives may include award term contract arrangement (contractor is awarded periods of performance) or Past Performance for quality level of performance.

• Below is an example of Performance Requirement Measure and Surveillance:

Performance Objective

Required Task or Deliverable

Performance Standard Method of Surveillance

Positive/Negative Incentive % for NOT meeting the Task

Accurate, timely meat processing

Sections 3.2–3.4 ≥ 98% of deer delivered processed; < 2% disposal

WS inspection, reconciliation of records

Past performance, continued eligibility

Proper CWD segregation Section 3.5 100% compliant segregation WS verification Positive/negative past performance Waste disposal compliance

Section 3.6 100% disposal compliant with State/Federal rules

Documentation review

Negative incentive for violations

Recordkeeping accuracy Section 3.8 Records complete and accessible Spot checks Past performance

Accurate invoicing Section 3.9 100% accurate project counts Invoice review Correction required before payment