HDEC02-09-R-0001.doc

Section SF 1449 - CONTINUATION SHEET

STATEMENT OF REQUIREMENTS

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) will contract with a source to provide Fresh Fruits & Vegetables (FF&V) to various store facilities assigned to DeCA’s East Region and located within the United States (CONUS) and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (OCONUS). The contractor shall supply DeCA commissaries with quality products that meet or exceed the U.S. Grade No. 1 as specified in the Core and Non-Core Item Lists at Attachment E for Area 1. The scope of the resultant contract may be expanded to include live, fresh potted plants delivered to the CONUS commissary stores, except for Sugar Grove. Delivery of potted plants to Cuba will not be required. The period of performance for this contract shall be for a base term of 24 months, with three 12-month option periods that may be exercised at the sole discretion of the Government.

The contractor shall provide DeCA with all necessary customer support, order processing, electronic price updates, reporting, purchasing, distribution, and merchandising materials/personnel necessary for the successful performance under the resulting contract. In addition, the contractor shall be responsible for providing all necessary licenses, permits, supervision, facilities, equipment, order processing, distribution, inventory management, and personnel at contractor’s own facilities/distribution center to receive, store, handle, sort, and deliver all required FF&V items to the various commissary locations that are serviced under this contract.

The contractor shall provide a dedicated customer service office committed to resolving all questions or concerns as described in 52.212-4, paragraph 3.

Contractor-Owned Ordering System

The contractor will maintain an order-processing center and provide a web-based retail ordering system. The contractor shall have the ability to receive and process orders from all the commissary locations to be supported under the resulting contract, send electronic price updates, inventory management, and create detailed sales and order history reports. The contractor-owned pricing and ordering system shall interface with the existing DeCA electronic systems, without any additional cost or effort to DeCA (i.e. interface is limited to DeCA personnel accessing the system via the Internet, therefore, all the necessary software, equipment, and/or web page developments shall be provided at no additional cost to the Government).

The Store Produce Manager or a designated representative at each location shall be provided with the capability and any necessary training to log onto the contractor’s website to place and otherwise administer an order. The orders are processed internally by the contractor’s order-processing center and sent electronically to the contractor’s respective purchasing office and distribution center. The contractor will be responsible for updating prices and maintaining an electronic product catalog. The contractor shall ensure the unit price (case price divided by number per case) is always rounded up two decimal places i.e., applying the zero mil rule. The contractor shall also ensure the “suggested retail price” is rounded up, using the zero mil rule, after applying the 7% markup. The contractor’s ordering and pricing program shall be capable of providing a downloadable file (i.e. comma delineated text file) and printed hardcopy of the ordering/pricing guide and various reports.

DeCA’s authorized ordering personnel at each location will be assigned a unique username and password that identifies them within the contractor’s web-based ordering system. Once logged on, DeCA’s authorized ordering personnel are presented with a catalog containing items and prices specific to their group/store. The catalog shall be organized by category and include search features. The category and search features of the catalog must allow the authorized individual to browse the entire catalog, individual categories, or search for specific items. The system shall also display historical information that will permit the store location to easily identify, including but not limited to such things as the most recent orders placed, core items where the price has increased or decreased (e.g., color-coded for changes) since the last order, and new or special items. DeCA’s store personnel will have the ability to log on at any time (24/7, unless otherwise specified for periods of scheduled system downtime for backup purposes, etc.), whether it originates from a government workplace location or an off-site location, to place an order or review their order history.

The contractor’s order processing center will provide the Store Produce Manager with features that aid in planning and increasing productivity. The Store Produce Manager shall be able to print out a weekly order guide. This order guide shall be organized into categories and have a logical layout. The order guide will contain information such as Case Price, Unit of Measure, Unit Price and Suggested Selling Price (based on a DeCA-assigned markup). The order guide will also contain a list of weekly specials. The contractor shall provide produce commodity updates designed to keep the Store Produce Manager up-to-date on special buys and industry news. The Store Produce Manager or authorized designee shall submit a single order to the contractor’s order processing center through the web-based ordering system.

The lead-time from order placement to product receipt at the store level for CONUS locations (Continental USA) will not exceed 24 hours. Any exceptions to this 24-hour rule shall require the approval of the Region Produce Specialist; on a location-by-location basis (see 52.212-4, paragraph 7(a)). The lead-time from order placement to product receipt at the Port of Embarkation (POE) for the OCONUS location shall not exceed 5 calendar days for air shipments and 72 hours for ocean vessel shipments.

Distribution

The contractor will provide timely deliveries (in accordance with Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, paragraph 7, Delivery Schedule) in temperature-controlled trucks to each commissary delivery location (except Sugar Grove, WV commissary that is supported out of the Fort Lee commissary) and to the designated POE for the OCONUS location.

Distribution is a key factor in a successful FF&V program. A successful distribution system relies on two main factors, a large volume of product movement and a sufficient number of well-placed distribution centers. When these two factors are present, customers will receive the freshest products available. Each consolidation and/or distribution center utilized by the contractor in performance of the resulting contract shall have multiple temperature-controlled areas in order to meet the different recommended temperature requirements for the various products in order to maintain shelf life and ensure the FF&V received at each location is of the freshest and highest quality.

The contractor shall maintain a close and professional relationship with DeCA Headquarters, regional and store-level personnel to ensure that the collective goal of delivering the highest quality product is met on a daily basis. The contractor shall also ensure efficient payment of their suppliers to maintain a strong relationship within the product chain.

The contractor shall work with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors to ensure that all products are inspected, received, stored, staged, and shipped in accordance with USDA standards. Any problems that are found at final destination, that may be an indication of problems at origin, shall be reported to the contractor’s quality assurance personnel for resolution.

Product Line

The contractor will purchase and deliver a full assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables required by the Defense Commissary Agency (core and non-core items). The contractor shall work closely with DeCA HQ and Region personnel in the area of purchasing, distribution, or transportation (i.e. DeCA Corporate Buy Program). Thirty days before the first order is placed by the stores, the contractor shall provide DeCA’s MBU and Region personnel an electronic version of the completed order guide that includes all core items and a complete assortment of non-core items. The contractor may be expected to review its order guide with MBU and Region personnel on a routine basis for the purposes of adjusting the assortment of non-core items. For information on the core and non-core items, see Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, paragraph 4 (Ordering Information) and at attachment E.

Additional Support and Promotion Plan

The contractor shall provide additional support and promotions to each commissary store in Area 1. Additional support includes point of sale material, recipe cards, pamphlets, coupons, seasonal décor, and/or other material that is often available from produce commissions. Additional support also includes value added services that are designed to enhance the overall produce program and increase customer satisfaction through a well-merchandised produce department. Further, additional support includes periodic merchandising support during promotions, resets, and/or grand opening events that provide show-stopping merchandising techniques and SUPER sale priced items. The contractor will coordinate with commissary management (Store Director or designee) the details of providing, and displaying the store with additional support materials.

Support of Small Business

This solicitation is 100% set-aside for small business concerns. Under this requirement, any concern proposing to furnish a product that it did not itself produce must furnish the product of another small business producer. Given the fact that FF&V production is a worldwide marketplace, in the event that there are no small business producers that can meet the contract requirements for a given commodity, DeCA will work with the contractor to secure the necessary resale products through other available contracting processes. Exceptions or waivers to brandname products will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Products that are known to only be available from large business producers/growers shall be identified in the proposal.

Lot

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FF&V)

FFP

BASE PERFORMANCE PERIOD: OCTOBER 1, 2009 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Contractor is to provide Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FF&V) for resale to 21 commissary locations in DeCA's East Region. The base period of performance will commence approximately 30 calendar days after notification of contract award (or a date specified by the Contracting Officer) for 24 consecutive months.

The Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron Savings for all Core Items for the Base Performance Period is:

The following store locations are in AREA 1 of DeCA's East Region:

Camp Lejeune, NC; Charleston AFB, SC; Charleston NWS, SC; Cherry Point, NC; Fort Bragg North, NC; Fort Bragg South, NC; Fort Eustis, VA; Fort Gordon, GA; Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Lee, VA; Langley AFB, VA; Little Creek NAB, VA; New River, NC; Norfolk NB, VA; Oceana NAS, VA; Parris Island MCRD, SC; Portsmouth NNSY, VA; Seymour Johnson AFB, NC; Shaw AFB, SC; Sugar Grove, WV and Guantanamo Bay NS, Cuba (Produce orders destined to Cuba are delivered to Norfolk VA for shipment to Guantanamo Bay and therefore is included in Area 1).

FOB: Destination

ESTIMATED

NET AMT

Lot

FFP

OPTION YEAR 1 PERFORMANCE PERIOD: OCTOBER 1, 2011 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

Contractor is to provide Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FF&V) for resale to 21 commissary locations in DeCA's East Region.

The Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron Savings for all Core Items for Option Year 1 is:

The following store locations are in AREA 1 of DeCA's East Region:

Camp Lejeune, NC; Charleston AFB, SC; Charleston NWS, SC; Cherry Point, NC; Fort Bragg North, NC; Fort Bragg South, NC; Fort Eustis, VA; Fort Gordon, GA; Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Lee, VA; Langley AFB, VA; Little Creek NAB, VA; New River, NC; Norfolk NB, VA; Oceana NAS, VA; Parris Island MCRD, SC; Portsmouth NNSY, VA; Seymour Johnson AFB, NC; Shaw AFB, SC; Sugar Grove, WV and Guantanamo Bay NS, Cuba (Produce orders destined to Cuba are delivered to Norfolk VA for shipment to Guantanamo Bay and therefore is included in Area 1).

ESTIMATED

Lot

FFP

OPTION YEAR 2 PERFORMANCE PERIOD: OCTOBER 1, 2012 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Contractor is to provide Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FF&V) for resale to 21 commissary locations in DeCA's East Region.

The Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron Savings for all Core Items for Option Year 2 is:

The following store locations are in AREA 1 of DeCA's East Region:

Camp Lejeune, NC; Charleston AFB, SC; Charleston NWS, SC; Cherry Point, NC; Fort Bragg North, NC; Fort Bragg South, NC; Fort Eustis, VA; Fort Gordon, GA; Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Lee, VA; Langley AFB, VA; Little Creek NAB, VA; New River, NC; Norfolk NB, VA; Oceana NAS, VA; Parris Island MCRD, SC; Portsmouth NNSY, VA; Seymour Johnson AFB, NC; Shaw AFB, SC; Sugar Grove, WV and Guantanamo Bay NS, Cuba (Produce orders destined to Cuba are delivered to Norfolk VA for shipment to Guantanamo Bay and therefore is included in Area 1).

ESTIMATED

Lot

FFP

OPTION YEAR 3 PERFORMANCE PERIOD: OCTOBER 1, 2013 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Contractor is to provide Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FF&V) for resale to 21 commissary locations in DeCA's East Region.

The Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron Savings for all Core Items for Option Year 3 is:

The following store locations are in AREA 1 of DeCA's East Region:

Camp Lejeune, NC; Charleston AFB, SC; Charleston NWS, SC; Cherry Point, NC; Fort Bragg North, NC; Fort Bragg South, NC; Fort Eustis, VA; Fort Gordon, GA; Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Lee, VA; Langley AFB, VA; Little Creek NAB, VA; New River, NC; Norfolk NB, VA; Oceana NAS, VA; Parris Island MCRD, SC; Portsmouth NNSY, VA; Seymour Johnson AFB, NC; Shaw AFB, SC; Sugar Grove, WV and Guantanamo Bay NS, Cuba (Produce orders destined to Cuba are delivered to Norfolk VA for shipment to Guantanamo Bay and therefore is included in Area 1).

ESTIMATED

ADDENDUM

ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS

1. ACCEPTANCE OF OFFERS: The period of acceptance of offers shown in paragraph (c) of the FAR Clause 52.212-1, is changed as follows: The offeror agrees to hold the offer firm for 180 calendar days from the solicitation closing date (offer due date).

2. QUESTIONS RELATING TO THIS SOLICITATION: All questions of a technical and/or contractual nature concerning this solicitation shall be submitted in writing no later than 10 calendar days prior to the offer due date. A consolidated list of questions and answers, if applicable, may be provided to all prospective offerors as appropriate. Answers to questions will not alter the solicitation unless, and until, an amendment is made to the solicitation. Address questions to the Contracting Officer at the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), Resale Contracting Division, ATTN: Ms. Sarah Saunders, Resale Produce Support Branch, 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800. The contract specialist will accept written questions from prospective offerors by fax at (804) 734-8009 pp 78630 (pp = pause pause) or E-mail to loria.samples@deca.mil.

3. BUSINESS REFERENCES:

(a) Offerors are required to submit six (6) business references and must send a transmittal letter and past performance survey to all customers submitted as business references in advance of the submission of their proposal in order to comply with paragraph (b) below. The six business references can be commercial businesses and/or government agencies other than DeCA that your firm and proposed teaming partner, if applicable, has done business with during the last three years, or currently in progress, that are similar to the requirements of this solicitation and demonstrates your firm’s ability to perform the proposed effort. The references must be able to provide information on their business experiences with your company and your teaming partner relating to the following: (1) product deliveries, (2) quality history, and (3) business relations/customer satisfaction. This information should be related to the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables. Billing departments, sales offices, or customer service departments are not suitable references. A sample letter for transmitting the performance survey to your business references and the required performance survey are provided at Attachment D (Business Reference Sample Letter and Past Performance Survey).

(b) To ensure no delays occur in the technical evaluation, offerors must submit the following information by 4 P.M., Local Time/Fort Lee, EST, Friday, January 9, 2009:

(1) A list of six (6) business references who will be providing information on their business experiences with your company, and who will be completing and returning past performance surveys. Include the following information for each business reference listed:

i. Name and Address of the Business Reference.

ii. Name and title of the Point of Contact.

iii. Telephone number, facsimile number, and Email address of contact person.

iv. Type of business (retail, wholesale, or foodservice).

v. Estimated annual dollar value and type of agreement/contract.

vi. Indicate whether your firm is a producer/supplier, distributor or broker to the business reference and type of products/service provided.

(2) A list of six (6) business references for each teaming partner that is proposed. Include the information listed above (i thru vi) for each of your teaming partner’s business references.

(c) Past performance surveys that have been completed by the offerors business references must be submitted by 4 P.M., Local Time/Fort Lee, EST, Friday, January 16, 2009. The business references must send the completed surveys directly to the contracting office. SURVEYS PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY THE OFFEROR WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

(d) The completed past performance surveys can be submitted by fax, by E-mail or by regular mail. Faxes will be accepted at (804) 734-8009 pp 78630 (pp=pause pause), Attn: Loria Samples, or E-mail to Loria.samples@deca.mil. Responses can be mailed, but must be received by the deadlines listed above. Mailed responses should be sent to the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), Resale Produce Branch, Attn: PSCP (Loria Samples), 1300 E. Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800.

(e) If your firm previously submitted a proposal to DeCA in the past 12 months where business reference surveys were required and received by DeCA, those surveys may be used for subsequent solicitations provided the surveys completed by the references are not more than 12 months old. The offeror should contact Loria Samples before the deadline, by phone at (804) 734-8000 ext. 48630 or by email at loria.samples@deca.mil to request that previous past performance surveys be used. The offeror should provide the solicitation number and the name of the references for verification that the references were received. An offeror that has submitted a proposal to DeCA in the last year is still required to submit the required information stated above in paragraphs (a) and (b) by the specified deadline.

(f) If your firm has provided produce to DeCA commissaries in the past or currently in progress under a formal or informal contract/agreement (with DeCA) such as a Requirements Type Contract (RTC), Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), or Resale Ordering Agreement (ROA), provide the contract/agreement number and list of commissary stores. DeCA will obtain past performance information directly from the commissary stores in addition to the past performance requirements above.

(g) Generally, offerors submit commercial references of their best customers and anticipate a favorable rating of their past performance. However, if an offeror believes negative information may be obtained from a reference that has since been corrected, you may annotate a brief narrative with your submission of business references or business proposal (Volume I, Section 1). If negative information is obtained, the Contracting Officer will provide the offeror with an opportunity to respond to general comments about adverse past performance.

(h) Offerors may submit with their business proposal (Volume I, Section 1) additional information relating to the firm’s relevant past performance that may promote its likelihood of successfully performing the solicitation requirements. For example, quality awards or certifications suggesting good workmanship or conformance to contract specifications, or letters from customers addressing adherence to contract schedule, commitment to customer satisfaction, and overall business relations. The burden of providing these examples of past performance information rests with the offeror, and must be submitted with the original proposal by the date stated as the date for receipt of offers. The Government reserves the right to consider other past performance data obtained from other sources as stated in 52.212-2, para 3(B).

4. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

(a) Compliance with Instructions: The Government may assess the extent the offeror complies with the instructions in this RFP and completeness. The Government will consider any failure to comply with these instructions to be indicative of the kind of behavior that it can expect during contract performance and a lack of capability to perform satisfactorily.

(b) Format of Proposal: Submit your proposal package in two volumes (Volume I Business Proposal and Volume II Technical Proposal). Provide an original of each volume; in addition, provide four (4) copies of Volume II (Technical Proposal). Each volume should contain a table of contents and should be indexed in a systematic format. All requests in the solicitation that require a written response to a question should be addressed by first stating the question and then providing the answer. Each volume of the proposal should not exceed 200 pages including all exhibits provided by the offeror. All attachments required by the solicitation are excluded from the proposal size. Offerors must submit four (4) copies of their oral presentation (see paragraph 4, section h) with the proposal package in a separate envelope marked “Oral Presentation Slides” with the submission of their proposal. Proposals are subject to an initial screening by the contracting officer for completeness and compliance with proposal preparation requirements. Only those proposals meeting these requirements may be evaluated further.

(c) Submission of Proposal: Mail the completed package to the address in Block 9 of the Standard Form 1449, Attention: Loria Samples (PSCP). The lower left corner of the envelope must clearly identify the solicitation number, date and time for receipt of offers and the office designated to receive offers. The proposal package must be received no later than the date and time shown in Block 8 of the SF 1449, unless changed by an amendment to the solicitation. No proposals submitted by facsimile will be accepted.

(d) Contract Award. IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 52.212-1(g), OFFERORS ARE HEREBY ADVISED THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO EVALUATE OFFERS AND AWARD A CONTRACT WITHOUT DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFERORS (except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)). Therefore, offerors should propose their best offer initially containing the best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions. In accordance with FAR 15.306(d)(2), the objective of discussions is to “maximize the Government’s ability to obtain best value, based on the requirements and the evaluation factors set forth in the solicitation.” Should discussions be deemed necessary by the Contracting Officer due to proposal weaknesses, deficiencies, or other issues that must be addressed before award, they will be conducted either orally and/or in writing, with only those offerors determined to be within the competitive range. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(e) Formal Teaming Arrangement: A contractor teaming arrangement is when the offeror submitting a proposal will significantly depend on the products, capital contributions, or expertise [in whole, or in part] of another company (or companies) to successfully complete the terms of any contract resulting from this solicitation. The Government will recognize the integrity and validity of contractor team arrangements; provided, the arrangements are identified and company relationships are fully disclosed in an offer. The prime contractor maintains full responsibility for contract performance, regardless of any team arrangement between the prime contractor and its subcontractors. Offerors who submit an offer based on such an arrangement must submit a written, legal teaming arrangement that is properly executed with their proposal. The specific responsibilities assigned to a company must be clearly stated in the teaming arrangement. See Section 3(b) under Busniess References for submission of past performance requirements. Also see Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, paragraph 20 on Teaming Arrangements.

(f) Site Visit Assessment: The Government reserves the right to conduct a site visit of the offeror’s facility, if deemed necessary by the Government.

(g) Intellectual Property/Data Rights: Documentation as it relates to the software that will be used in any contract that results from this solicitation should be included in Section 1 of the Business Proposal. On company letterhead, the contractor is required to respond to the following:

1. Does your firm have the intellectual property or data rights to the software you intend to use under any contract resulting from this solicitation? If so, provide documentation of ownership to include any copyright or pending patents.

2. Provide documentation that identifies the owner of the software and documentation of ownership of the right-to-use license or transfer of ownership.

3. Are you allowing other companies to use your web based ordering system? If so, how are you controlling this process?

4. The Government requires a single interfaced contractor-owned pricing and ordering system. If teaming, how will orders be transmitted from the contractor’s web based ordering system to your teaming partners?

5. Provide a general log-in and password. The log-in and password will be used by the Government to evaluate your company’s web based ordering system, and to monitor pricing throughout contract performance. Per Addendum to FAR 52.212-1, Volume II Technical Proposal, Section 1 – Experience, paragraph (3), the Government reserves the right to test the automation solution in order to validate capabilities and confirm compatibility. Per Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, para 11, the Government reserves the right to monitor pricing throughout contract performance.

(h) The Oral Presentation:

· After the closing date for offers, the Government may require each offeror make an oral presentation of not longer than 60 minutes to the Government’s technical evaluation board.

· Each offeror should be prepared to elaborate on details of any part of their technical capabilities that could not be discussed in their proposal.

· Plan your presentation not to exceed the time allowed. The offeror will not be allowed to finish the oral presentation if it takes longer than 60 minutes.

· After your oral presentation, you must answer questions from the technical evaluation board for no longer than 30 minutes.

· The Government will audio and videotape the oral presentation solely for its use and records. Participation in the oral presentation provides consent to the government to use the presentation recording for internal government purposes after contract award.

· The purpose of the oral presentation is to allow the offeror to present their technical capabilities, emphasizing strong points using the evaluation criteria as set forth in the solicitation. If there is a conflict in the oral presentation and the written proposal, the written proposal will prevail as the offeror’s final response.

· If oral presentations are required, the contracting officer will schedule the oral presentations and will notify each offeror of the date, time, and location of its oral presentation after the Government receives the offers in response to this RFP. The first oral presentation is expected to take place approximately two weeks after the closing date for offers. The contracting officer will provide additional instructions for the oral presentation with the notification. The government will hold the oral presentation at the Headquarters Defense Commissary Agency, 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, Virginia 23801. The Government reserves the right to reschedule an offeror’s oral presentation at the discretion of the contracting officer.

· During the oral presentation the offeror must address the technical capabilities of their company by addressing the evaluation technical capability sub-factors listed in the solicitation. The topics should be discussed in the order in which they are listed below. The presentation should also include how the company’s teaming arrangements will be used to fulfill the requirements of the solicitation. See Technical Proposal (Volume II), Sections 1-5 for details on the information that should be presented.

(a) Experience

(b) Quality Program

(c) Production Capability/Distribution Plan

(d) Additional Support/Promotion Plan

(e) Teaming Arrangements (if applicable)

· An offeror’s oral presentation must be made by one or more persons who will be primarily responsible for the performance of any resultant contract. This person must be able to legally bind the company contractually. However, the maximum number of contractor persons allowed in the oral presentation is five (5).

· Each offeror may use any electronic media or slide presentation in their oral presentation. The offeror is required to provide four (4) paper copies of their intended presentation in a separate envelope marked “Oral Presentation Slides” with the submission of their proposal. THE ORAL PRESENTATION SLIDES MUST NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION CONCERNING PRICING OR THE PERCENTAGE OF PATRON SAVINGS.

· Neither the oral presentation nor the question and answer session will constitute discussions, as defined in FAR 15.306. They will also not obligate the Government to conduct discussions or to solicit or consider any revisions to the offer or to request a best and final offer.

(i) All correspondence submitted to the Government shall be written in English.

5. PROPOSAL PACKAGE:

BUSINESS PROPOSAL – VOLUME I (Sections 1 – 4):

Section 1: This section of your firm’s proposal shall include the following:

(a) A completed Standard Form (SF) 1449. Ensure that Blocks 17a, 30a, 30b, and 30c on the SF 1449 are complete and that an authorized official with authority to bind the company contractually signs the document. Provide your company’s DUNS and CAGE code numbers in Block 17a. *

(b) All amendments issued against this solicitation before the closing date shall be signed and dated and included in this section.

(c) The following fill-in clauses must be completed and submitted in this section: FAR Clause 52.209-5, Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters (MAY 2008); DeCA Local Clause 52.232-4500, Delivery Ticket Invoice (DTI) Procedures (APR 2000); and DFARS 252.212-7000, Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items (JUN 2005) and DFARS Clause 252.247-7022, Representation of Extent of Transportation by Sea (AUG 1992).

(d) The provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representation and Certification – Commercial Items (JUN 2008), Alternate I (APR 2002) is incorporated into this solicitation by full text. The prospective offeror is required to register and complete the Annual Representations and Certifications via the Online Representatives and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://orca.bpn.gov. to comply with this provision. Registration will be verified in ORCA upon proposal submission. Offerors are also required to register in the Central Contractors Registration (CCR) database at http://ccr.gov, and submit their completed CCR in this section with its initial proposal submission. All offerors must be registered in the CCR and ORCA under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 424480.

(e) The offeror shall also include in this section a letter on company letterhead that provides the name, title, phone number, and email address of all person(s) who are authorized to negotiate and bind the firm contractually. In this letter also provide your firm’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). These will be the only persons authorized to request changes to the Contracting Officer under any contract resulting from this solicitation.

(f) The offeror may provide any additional information relating to the firm’s past performance as stated in paragraph 3 (Business References) above that has not already been provided in advance.

(g) Formal Teaming Partner Arrangement, if applicable, as required in Volume II of the Technical Proposal, Section 5, see page 21 for submission requirements.

NOTE: The DUNS and CAGE code numbers must match the information in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Database. In addition, your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) in the CCR database must also match the IRS files. Registration in the CCR is mandatory for award eligibility.

Section 2: This section of your firm’s proposal shall include the following:

(a) Complete the Delivery Requirements Compliance Certification for both the contractor and each teaming partner at Attachment C and return it with your proposal in this section of Volume I and Volume II.

(b) Provided the offeror certifies their intent to comply with the preferred delivery schedule of the solicitation, an offeror may also propose an alternate delivery schedule, in addition for consideration. On a separate page, the offeror must provide the advantages of DeCA accepting a proposed alternate delivery schedule, and it must be clearly stated and submitted with your proposal in this section of Volume I and Volume II. The Government is not obligated to accept an alternate delivery schedule. The Contracting Officer will provide the offeror with notification if the proposed alternate delivery schedule is accepted or not accepted by the Government.

Section 3: This section of your firm’s proposal shall include the following:

(a) Offerors shall provide a current dated Blue Book Report (http://www.bluebookprco.com/Guest/index_nonmember.asp) and Red Book Report (www.thepacker.com/rbm) in this section as it relates to the firm submitting the offer and/or performing the contract (including teaming partners). The reports should provide up-to-date and comprehensive credit and marketing information on the company to include, but not limited to, names of company principals, recent company developments, financial status, rating trends, and trade report summary.

The offeror and all teaming partners shall also provide a current dated Blue Book and Red Book Reports and a current and comprehensive report from Dun and Bradstreet Incorporated. The report should provide a business summary, executive summary, credit capacity summary, special events, financial stress summary, financial stress norms, credit score summary, credit score norms, payment trends, summary of payment habits, payment analysis by industry, public filings summary, public filing detail, business background, and financial summary. The phone number for customer service at Dun and Bradstreet is (800) 234-3867.

(b) Offerors shall provide documentation of their company’s current and valid Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) license. Documentation is also required for any teaming partner that will be delivering product directly to the stores. A copy of the screen print from the Internet search database found at http://www.ams.usda.gov/pacasearch/ will be sufficient. The Government reserves the right to request further documentation, if necessary.

Section 4: This section of your firm’s proposal shall include the following:

(a) Pricing information: The offeror shall submit pricing information in this section as follows: (1) Completed paper copy of the spreadsheets, and (2) A rewritable compact disc (CD-RW) containing the completed Excel file(s). The paper copy of the spreadsheet will prevail if discrepancies arise. Use Microsoft EXCEL to open the pricing spreadsheet. Attachment E is the Schedule of Supplies for Area 1. The Excel workbook file contains two (2) worksheets as follows:

1. Core Items List with Pricing Proposal for High Volume Core Items.

2. Non-Core Item List.

Each offeror is required to complete all required information within the Excel spreadsheet at Attachment E. The Excel spreadsheet found at Attachment E, will automatically calculate the total estimated amount that will be used as the estimated total amount for the base period and each option period for evaluation purposes. In accordance with the instructions that follow, complete each worksheet found at TABS 1 and 2. Submit the completed spreadsheets with your proposal.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE WORKSHEETS:

TAB 1:

1.) PRICING FOR HIGH VOLUME CORE ITEMS (MANDATORY): Unit prices are required for the 40 High Volume Core Items (Mandatory) as specified in TAB 1 of Attachment E, line item numbers “AA” through “BX”. Complete the worksheet(s) as follows:

i. Enter your company’s name at the top of the worksheet, shown in yellow highlight. This information will automatically populate to the other tabs.

ii. Verify that your proposed products meet the Period of Availability (Column C), Preferred Grade (Column D), Size/Package standard (Column E), and Unit of Issue (Column F). Any revision to the standards listed in these columns shall be annotated clearly for consideration.

iii. Enter your company’s Item Number for each core item in Column G. DeCA will designate a Produce Look-Up (PLU) for each item and will provide to the awardee prior to commencement of performance.

iv. Offerors shall provide two unit prices – price per pound/each and price per unit of issue (i.e. case). Enter a unit price per LB/EA (Column I) and a unit price per U/I/CS (Column J) for each High Volume Core Item (Mandatory) in TAB 1, line items AA through BX.

v. An estimated annual quantity for each high volume core item (currently in season) is provided in Column H. This is only an estimate and actual orders may be greater than or less than this estimate. The extended dollar amount for each high volume item will be calculated automatically by multiplying the estimated annual quantity by the proposed unit price per U/I/CS. The sum of the extended dollar amounts will represent the total annual estimated price for the contract. These amounts will automatically be calculated in column K, so no manual intervention is required.

2.) OTHER REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR CORE ITEMS: Unit prices are not required for all core items at the time of proposal submission, only the HIGH VOLUME CORE ITEMS (Mandatory), line items AA through BX as stated above. However, item numbers are required for the core items located in TAB 1 of Attachment E, pages 3-4. The awardee will be required to submit pricing on all core items, in season, prior to the start of contract performance. All core items are mandatory; therefore, proposing an alternate core item or not pricing a high volume core item may result in the removal of the entire proposal from any further consideration for contract award. All core items must be available for delivery, if ordered, 100% of the time during the specified availability period. Complete pages 3-4 of TAB 1 of the spreadsheet for these core items as follows:

i. Verify that your proposed products meet the Period of Availability (Column C), Preferred Grade (Column D), Size/Package standard (Column E), and Unit of Issue (Column F). Any revision to the standards listed in these columns shall be annotated clearly for consideration.

ii. Enter your company’s Item Number for each core item in Column G. DeCA will designate a Produce Look-Up (PLU) for each item and will provide to the awardee prior to commencement of performance.

TAB 2:

1) OTHER REQUIRED INFORMATION FOR NON-CORE ITEMS: Unit prices are not required for the 539 non-core items at the time of proposal submission. However, other additional information is required as specified in this section for the 539 non-core items found in TAB 2 of Attachment E. The non-core list contains fruits, nuts, and vegetables in alphabetical order and the items are numbered 1 through 539. The awardee will be required to submit pricing on the proposed non-core items that are in season, prior to the start of contract performance. At all times the pricing of non-core items during performance must be competitive with retail stores in order to draw patrons to purchase your products at the commissary. The non-core item list contains products that will supplement the produce department’s assortment but is not all inclusive and is subject to change. Offerors may provide additional items to be evaluated by the technical evaluation team. The assortment and availability of the non-core list proposed by an offeror may demonstrate a higher technical capability that may be reflected in the offeror’s technical evaluation score. An offeror may offer an alternative item or not offer on a non-core item and still be considered for contract award. Non-core items must be available for delivery, when ordered, no less than 98% of the time that they are in season. Complete the spreadsheet for non-core items as follows (Place a copy of your completed Non-Core Items indicating their availability in both Volume I & II, Section 4):

i. Enter your company’s Item Number in Column C for each non-core item marked as Available. DeCA will designate a PLU for each item and will provide to the awardee prior to commencement of performance.

ii. Complete the Item Count per Unit of Issue column (Column E) for each non-core item marked as Available by annotating the number of units per case (i.e. 4 bags per case = 4 bg/cs).

iii. Indicate the items that would be available during contract performance by placing an “X” in the Available column (Column F) or indicate that the item will not be available (at any time) during contract performance by placing an “X” in the Not Available column (Column G).

iv. Verify the unit of issue for each non-core item marked as Available in Column D. If the unit of issue should be other than a case pack (i.e. bin), make the change in the Unit of Issue column (Column D), as appropriate.

v. ADDITIONAL ITEMS: An offeror may propose additional items that are not listed for consideration. If your proposal includes additional items to supplement/enhance the assortment, provide the following information on each item: description, item number, unit of issue, item count per unit of issue, and period of availability if seasonal. Provide the required information on a separate sheet of paper and submit in both volumes, section 4 of your proposal.

ALTERNATE ITEMS: If an offeror cannot provide an exact non-core item, the offeror may propose an acceptable commercial alternate item for consideration. Alternate items must be identified by entering the phrase “ALTERNATE ITEM” in the Item Number column (Column C) on the spreadsheet. On a separate sheet, identify alternate items by cross-referencing the Line Item Number, and provide the following information on each item: description, item number, unit of issue, item count per unit of issue, and period of availability if seasonal. Provide the required information on a separate sheet of paper and submit in this volume and section of your proposal. The Government is not obligated to accept alternate items and may do so if it is determined that the alternate item satisfies the requirement.

(b) The offeror shall submit pricing in two formats (1) Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron

Savings and (2) Unit Prices on the 40 High Volume Core Items (Mandatory) for a specified period of time (Week of January 5 – 9, 2009).

(1) Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron Savings: Each offeror must propose a single overall guaranteed minimum percentage of patron savings for the base period of performance and each option period. The offeror may offer a different percentage of savings for the base and each option period of performance. The guaranteed minimum percentage of patron savings is the average amount the contractor will save the commissary patron on all core items over the selling price of the same of similar items from comparable commercial operations within the local commuting area and/or geographical area which are within a 20 mile radius of the commissary location (excluding membership clubs and convenience type stores). The minimum percentage of patron savings shall be at least 38% when comparing DeCA’s selling price (DeCA’s selling price includes a maximum resale markup of 7%) of all core items to the selling price in comparable local civilian markets during each weekly pricing period. The sample provided below shows the calculation applied to one line item to achieve a 38% savings:

DeCA’s Selling Price

Offerors Offerors Commissary Unit Price with

Commercial

Case Price Unit Price 7% Mark up 7% markup

Selling Price $26.00 10# $2.60 $.19 $2.79

$3.85 = 38%

Patron Savings

Fill in the Guaranteed Minimum Percentage of Patron Savings on pages 6-9 of the solicitation for each period of performance by entering the percentage amount in whole numbers (a single % of savings average over all stores in the area) and on Attachment E page 5. An offeror may propose an alternate pricing structure with multiple pricing zones in addition to the single percentage of patron savings, provided the offeror indicates their intent to meet the minimum 38% patron savings. (See Unit Prices and Other Information Required)

The contractor will be required to maintain at a minimum, the proposed percentage of patron savings throughout the life of the contract. For additional information on the periodic surveillance requirements for the minimum percentage of patron savings, see Addendum to FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, paragraph 11, Periodic Surveillance Requirements.

(2) Unit Prices on the 40 High Volume Core Items (Mandatary): Unit prices for

High Volume Core Items (Mandatory) shall reflect the application of the offeror’s proposed guaranteed minimum percentage of patron savings based on price surveys conducted by the offeror during the pricing week of January 5, 2009. The proposed unit prices will indicate an understanding of the percentage of patron savings application in addition to providing the government with the opportunity to perform a price realism assessment. Pricing must be FOB Destination for all locations; this is the delivered price to the commissary location (except Cuba) absent of any anticipated markup by the commissary for resale. Unit prices are required for each High Volume Core Item (Mandatory). NOTE: The Government will pay all transportation costs for FF&V airlift and surface deliveries to Cuba. See Addendum 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions, Paragraph 7 - Delivery Requirements for further details.

(c) Related Information. As adequate competition is expected from this solicitation no cost or pricing data is required; however, the Contracting Officer reserves the right to require such data if they are otherwise unable to determine the proposed price to be reasonable or realistic or to resolve any apparent unbalanced pricing.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL – VOLUME II (Sections 1 – 5):

This volume of the proposal shall include the written technical capability narratives including exhibits. Sections 1 through 5 should be tabbed for ease of identification with the technical question stated at the top of the page followed by the response. Use standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper in portrait orientation. It is imperative that your written narratives explicitly address all of the questions under each evaluation sub-factor. The narratives must be written in a clear, concise fashion, describing precisely how the offeror proposes to perform the contract requirements. Provide information as it also relates to your major subcontractor(s) and/or teaming partner(s).

Section 1: SUB-FACTOR – EXPERIENCE

(1) Describe, in detail, your firm’s and your proposed teaming partners experience with work of similar nature, scope, complexity, and difficulty that must be performed under the resulting contract of this solicitation. Include your firm’s experience in buying, selecting product assortment, pricing, order processing, inventory management, and delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to the commercial sector and/or government agencies. Include in your narrative how many years your company has been in this business and describe whether you and your teaming partners’ firms are produce houses, distributors or brokers. Also include the number of customers, frequencies of deliveries, and average number of orders delivered weekly.

(2) Provide a company profile with related experience of individuals who will be involved with all aspects of performance of any resulting contract from this solicitation (i.e. key personnel and experience levels). Describe your firm’s corporate structure, to include departments such as buying, quality assurance, food safety, customer service, and transportation.