J.2 Instructions to Offerors and Basis for Award.pdf

Campuswide Scrap Metal Recycling Services

Release Date: March 3, 2026

Section L. Instructions to Offerors

L.1 RFP GENERAL CONDITIONS

The submission of a proposal to the Government shall constitute the offeror’s acknowledgement, agreement and compliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP.

The Government will not be obligated to pay any cost incurred by a contractor in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Offerors are cautioned to ensure that their proposal submissions are complete and reflective of the evaluation criteria and requirements described herein. Offerors are encouraged to provide their best terms with their initial proposal submission. Offerors shall not assume that the Government will afford an opportunity to clarify, discuss, or revise a proposal. The Government reserves the right to allow offerors to address weaknesses and revise their proposals if it determines that it is in the best interest of the Government.

Proposals shall be valid for 90 days from the date of proposal submission.

Any exceptions or conditional assumptions taken with respect to the requirements outlined in the RFP or SOW shall be fully explained in the offeror’s Introductory Letter. The Government cautions offerors that taking exception to any term or condition may render their proposal non-responsive and the offeror will be ineligible for award, unless the RFP expressly authorizes such an exception with regards to a specific term or condition.

L.2 QUESTIONS AND PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

All correspondence in conjunction with this solicitation, including questions and proposal submittals, shall be directed to the Contracting Officer, Tatjana Johnson, via e-mail at tatjana.johnson@aoc.gov. E-mail messages shall not exceed 10 MB. If necessary, offerors shall compress files with a .zip extension.

L.2.1 Questions Due Date

Questions about the technical or contractual details of this procurement must be submitted in writing via e-mail by March 16, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET. When submitting questions, please include the RFP #, Company Name and the word “Questions” in the subject line of the email. For example, “AOCSSB26R0007_ ABC Inc. Questions”.

Questions submitted after this cut off will be responded to at the discretion of the Contracting Officer. Offerors shall use Attachment J.3 to submit questions.

Answers to questions will be provided as an amendment to the RFP.

L.2.2 Proposal Due Date

Proposals must be received no later than March 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET. When submitting your final proposal, please include the RFP #, Company Name and the word “Proposal” in the subject line of the email. For example, “AOCSSB26R0007_ ABC Inc. Proposal”.

Proposals received after this date and time shall be considered late and shall not be accepted by the Government unless it is determined by the Contracting Officer to be in the best interest of the Government.

L.3 VOLUMES AND ORGANIZATION

Proposals shall be clearly and concisely written, as well as being neat, indexed and logically assembled as described herein. Offerors are advised to supply all information in the sequence and format specified in the table below. The submitted proposal must provide a sufficient basis for a thorough evaluation and contain the information necessary for evaluation. The Government will not assume the offeror possesses any capability, understanding, or commitment not specified in the proposal. The proposal must not merely repeat the solicitation and Statement of Work requirements, but rather must provide convincing documentary evidence in support of conclusive statements of how contract requirements will be met.

Proposals shall be prepared in separate volumes: Volume I – Technical and Volume II – Price. The offeror shall provide the requested information within the designated volume evaluation factor. Any requested information placed outside of the designated location shall not be considered or evaluated under that evaluation factor regardless of whether it is located somewhere else in the proposal. In order for the technical proposal to be strictly evaluated on the merit of the material submitted, Volume I and Volume II shall be submitted as separate documents. Pricing is prohibited in, and shall be omitted from, Volume I. Each volume shall be indexed by evaluation factor.

Volumes shall be organized in the following manner:

VOLUME FACTOR TITLE PAGE LIMIT (NOT TO

EXCEED)

I

N/A Introductory Letter 1 page 1 Technical Capability Maximum of 10

Pages 2 Past Performance Maximum of 2

Pages per Contract Profile

3 Environmental Compliance No Page Limit

II

4 Price N/A, see J.4 Scrap Metal Pricing Spreadsheet

N/A Standard Form 33 No Page Limit

All pages in Volume I, except the introductory letter, shall include page numbering.

Content which is outside the Page Limits in the above chart will not be evaluated by the Government.

L.3.1 Paper Size and Formatting

Written materials shall be submitted on 1 sided single-spaced pages using standard 8 ½” x 11” size paper with a minimum of 1” margins. Font size shall be Times New Roman, Calibri, or similar fonts with a minimum of 12-point size for text and 10-point size for tables and graphics.

L.3.2 Introductory Letter

The following introductory information is required before the first index of Volume I:

• RFP Number & Title;

• Name and address of offeror;

• UEI Number & cage code;

• NAICS / PSC;

• Name, telephone number, and e-mail address of offeror’s main point-of-contact;

• Date of submission;

• Name, title, and signature of authorized representative; and

• All technical factor assumptions to the RFP and SOW shall be identified in this section. Pricing assumptions shall be identified in Volume II. Exceptions identified in other areas of the proposal will not be considered.

L.3.3 Standard Form 33

The offeror shall complete Page 1 of the SF33. The entire form shall be returned in PDF format in Volume II. Any SF-30 associated with any amendments to this RFP shall be signed by the offeror and included in Volume II as well.

L.3.4 Factor 1: Technical Capability – Maximum of 10 Pages

The Offeror shall provide the following information in their proposal:

• Facility Address and a mapping output or certification showing the shortest safe driving route from U.S. Capitol to the facility, confirming the distance is 25 miles or less.

• Documentation of operational capacity, including:

a. Current scale certification (dated within the last 12 months).

b. Description of staging space and turnaround capability for government trucks.

c. Gate hours, appointment scheduling process, and safety procedures for inbound loads.

• A description of logistics and equipment quality, including:

a. Dispatch process and escalation procedures

b. Fleet capacity and contingency plans for peak demand

c. Types and sizes of dumpsters available

d. Maintenance schedule and safety features (secure lids, locking mechanisms for tipping (but also for locking), labeling, contamination controls)

L.3.5 Factor 2: Past Performance - Maximum of 2 Pages per Contract Profile

The Offeror shall describe at least three (3) recent and relevant contracts completed within the past five (5) years. Contracts will be considered recent and relevant if they document completed and/or ongoing work of a similar size, scope, and complexity for a Government or private entity. Included details for each contract profile must include:

a. Agency/Entity Name;

b. Contract Point of Contact (POC) information (e.g., name, telephone number, and e-mail of either the Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer’s Representative, or Program Manager);

c. Contract Number;

d. Contract Value (in U.S. dollars);

e. Contract Type (i.e. Firm-Fixed-Price, Labor-Hour, Time & Materials, or Cost

Reimbursement);

f. Contract Period of Performance;

g. Contract Place of Performance;

h. Contractor’s Role in Contract (Prime or First Tier Subcontractor);

i. Description of the work performed, including scope and responsibilities;

j. Any significant problems or issues that occurred during performance of the contract and how the Offeror resolved those issues; and

k. Highlights of Offeror’s performance that contributed to the success of the contract.

The Offeror shall use Attachment J.5 Corporate Experience Template to submit their Factor 2 response.

L.3.6 Factor 3: Environmental Compliance - No Page Limit

Environmental compliance evaluates the contractor’s ability to operate in full compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations while maintaining strong sustainability practices. This includes demonstrating valid permits, adherence to stormwater and hazardous waste requirements, OSHA safety standards, and robust spill prevention measures. Offerors shall complete an Environmental Checklist for the locality where the scrap metal facility is located. Offerors must show a history free of unresolved violations.

The Government will provide an Environmental Compliance Evaluation Checklist (J.6 Environmental Compliance Evaluation Checklist) in excel format. On the excel spreadsheet, check “Compliant, Partial, or Non-Compliant”. If any entry is considered not applicable, provide an explanation in the “Notes” section. In addition, use the “Notes” section to elaborate on specific information, for example, the actual name/# of the permit.

Include any details in the “Notes” section that help the Government get a full understanding of Offeror’s commitment to environmental compliance.

The checklist must include supporting documentation for each item marked as compliant, such as copies of permits, certification, stormwater plans and Environmental Health and Safety Plans. Attach all referenced documents in an organized manner (e.g., labeled tabs or electronic folders) corresponding to checklist items. Do not simply check boxes; provide narrative explanations and evidence where required. Failure to provide evidence for any mandatory item may result in a rating of “Unacceptable” for Factor 3.

L.3.7 Factor 4: Price

Offerors shall complete excel spreadsheet “J.4 Scrap Metal Pricing Spreadsheet”, specifically column F. Amounts will auto-populate.

Section M. Evaluation Factors for Award

M.1. QUALIFIED OFFEROR EVALUATIONS

The following will be the evaluation factors for award. The Government will utilize the Lowest-Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) approach to determine best value. For this procurement, the lowest price technically acceptable contractor is the offeror who submits a proposal where the Government receives the highest net reimbursement rates for recycled scrap material and where the Offeror meets the operational requirements of the solicitation. Listed in no order of importance, all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are equally significant to price.

In order for proposals to be acceptable and eligible for evaluation the proposals must be prepared in accordance with and comply with the instructions found in Section L. Any technical factor (Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Environmental Compliance) rated “Unacceptable” will not be eligible for contract award.

M.2 Factor 1: Technical Capability

The Government will evaluate whether the offeror demonstrates:

• Distance Compliance: The Offeror’s ability to provide a conveniently located facility and deliver reliable, timely scrap metal services. The facility must be within 25 miles of Washington, DC.

• Operational Capacity: Operationally equipped to accept government truck deliveries, including certified scales, adequate staging space, and safe turnaround times.

• Logistics and Equipment Quality: The ability to meet service-level commitments for dumpster delivery and pickup within 24 hours – 7 days of request, supported by a documented dispatch process, fleet capacity, and contingency plans for peak demand. Preferred proposals will include well-maintained containers with secure lids, proper labeling, contamination controls, and a maintenance plan that ensures safety compliance.

M.3 Factor 2: Past Performance

The Government will evaluate whether the offeror demonstrates:

• Contractor ability to successfully deliver the requested services of similar size, complexity, and scope to this requirement; and

• Contractor degree of customer satisfaction or evidence of the same.

M.4 Factor 3: Environmental Compliance

The Offeror’s environmental compliance will be evaluated to determine whether the Offeror demonstrates compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations through:

• A complete and thorough checklist that includes notes and details (one to 2 phrases or sentences) for each item on the checklist that demonstrates stewardship and compliance. Checklist Includes an explanation in the “Notes” section for any checklist items that are not applicable.

• Provides facility permits (solid waste, stormwater, air) and provides evidence of at least a five year history of no unresolved notices of violation (statement on letterhead or letter from municipality).

• Includes stormwater Best Management Practices or similar, OSHA Safety program and spill prevention plans and other documents that demonstrate commitment to sustainability.

Additionally, the Government may use data obtained from other sources. The Government may request a site visit to the scrap metal facility. While the Government may attempt to follow up on a checklist that has not been received, the Offeror is ultimately responsible for ensuring their submission

M.5 Adjectival Ratings for Qualified Offerors Evaluation

The technical (non-price) factors will be evaluated using the following ratings and definitions:

Acceptable The Proposal meets the Government’s requirement.

Unacceptable The Proposal does not meet the Government’s requirement.

M.6 Factor 4: Price

Price will not be rated objectively but will be evaluated based on a comprehensive review.

Price proposals will be evaluated with respect to accuracy and completeness based on information submitted in the offeror’s written submission. This process will involve verification that percentages are presented in the requested format (excel) provided.

Additionally, the Government may utilize one or more of the following methods to evaluate price:

• Review of the proposed level-of-effort and associated pricing;

• Comparison to other proposals received;

• Comparison and/or analysis based on the Independent Government Estimate;

• Comparison/analysis to historical percentages;

• Clear pricing for ferrous and non-ferrous including grades and specs;

• Transparent basis tied to recognized market indices/formulas (e.g. monthly index, weekly average), defined update frequency, floor/ceiling protections, and example calculations; and

• Distinct revenue share terms when the contractor performs onsite pickup including how delivery/pickup charges are included.

As part of the price evaluation, the Government will evaluate the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services by applying six (6) months of the offeror’s proposed average percentage during the final option period to the offeror's total proposed price. Thus, for the purpose of evaluation under this solicitation, the offeror's total price will include the base period and all other option periods. Please note, offerors shall not submit a price for the potential FAR 52.217-8 extension of services period. The Government will calculate this price extension of services period in accordance with the instructions outlined above.

The prices quoted shall accurately reflect the cost of services rendered in accordance with the Statement of Work, including all costs to complete the work within the intent of the anticipated contract.

The government will rank price by the highest price offered to the Government for scrap metal per pound inclusive of hauling services.

Offerors rated “Unacceptable” for Factors 1, 2, and/or 3 will not be eligible for award and their price (Factor 4) will not be evaluated.