PWS_V2_1.docx

Performance Work Statement Development and Commercial Release of Native Plant Materials

1. Background:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a significant and ongoing need for locally adapted, source-identified native seed for use in restoration and reclamation projects in support of BLM’s responsibilities under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and applicable surface reclamation requirements under the Mineral Leasing Act. Native seed is used to reclaim lands affected by mining and energy development, stabilize soils and restore vegetation following wildfire and other disturbances, reduce the establishment and spread of invasive species, support fuels management objectives, improve wildlife habitat, and contribute to the conservation and recovery of federally listed and other species of management concern.

Development of native plant materials from small-scale wildland seed collections to commercial availability is a long-term, multi-stage process. Candidate materials are evaluated through common-garden studies and other comparative trials to assess establishment, performance, and suitability relative to other available plant materials. Promising accessions then advance through evaluation, seed increase, and production trials before sufficient information and seed quantities are available to support formal release and subsequent commercial production.

2. Objectives:

The objective of this contract is to procure services to complete the development process and commercial release of locally adapted, source-identified native plant materials identified in Attachment 1. Each material has been identified as a candidate for formal release and use in restoration applications based on field trials and evaluation.

This requirement is primarily for plant materials development and seed-increase services rather than the purchase of existing inventory of a commercial seed commodity. Depending on the materials awarded, the Contractor shall complete the remaining development process including; production, documentation, certification, release, and initial distribution activities necessary to transition each awarded material from development into commercial production. Successful performance will increase the availability of locally adapted native plant materials for future purchase and use by BLM and other restoration practitioners.

The Government may award work for one, multiple, or all plant materials identified in Attachment 1. Requirements under Tasks 8.1 through 8.6 apply to each material included in the resulting award unless otherwise specified.

3. Scope:

The Contractor shall provide all personnel, supervision, acreage, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, technical expertise, transportation, applicable fees, and other resources necessary to perform Tasks 8.1 through 8.6.

The Contractor shall perform required production activities in conformance with applicable USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program protocols, seed-certification requirements, and appropriate agronomic practices. Because native seed production is subject to weather, biological conditions, and other factors outside the Contractor's reasonable control, performance will be evaluated based on completion of required activities, compliance with applicable protocols and quality standards, and achievement of specified contract milestones rather than guaranteed seed yield unless a minimum quantity is expressly established in this PWS.

4. Performance Period:

Services are anticipated to commence on October 1, 2026. The acquisition will consist of a base year covering FY2027 and three one-year option periods, for a total potential period of performance from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2030.

5. Place of Performance:

Work will be performed primarily at the contractor’s plant materials center and associated production facilities, where the existing plant materials and seed-increase fields are maintained.

6. Security:

This requirement includes no unique security requirements.

7. Government-furnished property:

Initial starter seed accessions (G0), which may be furnished for development, are Government property. This contract supports the late-stage development and production of G1 and subsequent-generation plant materials. Plants, seed, and seed-increase fields produced or established under this contract from the G0 starter seed shall be the property of the Contractor, subject to the use and disposition requirements of this PWS.

Seed and other reproductive material produced under the contract shall not be sold, transferred, distributed, discarded, or otherwise disposed of except as authorized by this PWS or by the Contracting Officer (CO), after consultation with the BLM Technical Point of Contact (POC). G1 germplasm shall be maintained, reserved, and dispositioned in accordance with Task 8.4.

8. Tasks:

8.1 Seed Increase Field Establishment and Maintenance

The Contractor shall establish and maintain the production acreage specified in Attachment 1 for each awarded material to support seed increase, formal release, and initial commercial distribution. Specifically, the Contractor shall:

· Maintain existing evaluation and seed-increase fields associated with awarded material(s) until they are no longer needed to support later phases of development, as applicable.

· Establish additional seed-increase fields of sufficient capacity as specified in Attachment 1, using appropriate propagation, planting, and establishment methods for each awarded material.

· Adhere to the isolation and land history requirements of the applicable certifying state agency with jurisdiction over the field following AOSCA standards to prevent potential hybridization. Isolation standards may be checked through field inspections.

· Provide all necessary acreage, site preparation, irrigation, equipment, labor, materials, and supplies required for field establishment and maintenance.

· Conduct appropriate crop management activities, including irrigation, fertilization, weed management, pest and disease management, and other agronomic practices necessary to maintain viable seed-increase fields.

· Maintain the identity and separation of individual accessions throughout all phases of the contract to prevent inadvertent contamination, mixing, or loss of genetic integrity.

· Maintain production records sufficient to document field establishment, management activities, and the identity and disposition of plant materials.

8.2 Seed Harvest, Processing, and Storage

The Contractor shall complete the agronomic and post-harvest activities necessary to support the multi-year development and seed-increase process. The Contractor shall:

· Monitor seed-increase fields to determine appropriate timing for seed harvest based on crop maturity and field conditions.

· Harvest available seed using methods appropriate to the species and scale of production.

· Cure, dry, clean, and process harvested seed using methods that preserve seed quality and genetic identity.

· Maintain separation and traceability of seed lots by species, accession, generation, seed-increase field, and harvest year, as applicable.

· Store cleaned seed under conditions appropriate to maintain viability and quality until testing, certification, release, or distribution.

· Maintain records of harvested, processed, stored, and distributed seed quantities.

· Document significant crop failures, production limitations, or environmental conditions affecting establishment, harvest, or seed yield.

8.3 Seed Testing and Certification

The Contractor shall coordinate required seed testing, inspection, and certification through the appropriate official state seed testing and agricultural certifying entity or regulatory body, as applicable. Specifically, the Contractor shall:

· Have each seed-increase field enrolled in the applicable state seed certification program, where required and meet applicable AOSCA Pre-Variety Germplasm standards and requirements of the certifying agency having jurisdiction over the seed-increase field.

· Submit representative seed samples to an approved laboratory for required testing following harvest and processing.

· Obtain testing necessary to document seed purity, germination or viability, and the presence or absence of prohibited or restricted noxious weed seed and other contaminants, as applicable.

· Coordinate required field inspections and seed certification activities.

· Pay applicable testing, inspection, and certification fees.

· Maintain and provide BLM copies of seed test results, inspection records, certification documentation, and other associated records upon request.

· Address identified deficiencies, when practicable, through additional cleaning, processing, testing, or other appropriate corrective actions.

· Ensure that seed distributed under the contract is appropriately labeled and documented according to applicable certification and release requirements.

8.4 Germplasm Maintenance

The Contractor shall retain sufficient G1 germplasm to establish at least one future seed-increase field of the production acreage specified in Attachment 1. G1 germplasm produced under this contract is Contractor property but shall be maintained and reserved for continued propagation of the released material and shall not be sold, transferred, discarded, or otherwise disposed of except as authorized by this PWS or the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall maintain records documenting the identity, quantity, generation, and disposition of retained G1 germplasm throughout the period of performance. The Contractor shall:

· Maintain G1 germplasm separately from subsequent generations and other accessions to preserve genetic identity and traceability.

· Store and/or maintain G1 material under conditions appropriate to preserve viability.

· Maintain records documenting identity, quantity, generation, and disposition.

· Maintain the required G1 inventory throughout the period of performance and, at contract completion, retain or otherwise dispose of the material as directed by the Contracting Officer.

8.5 Plant Material Release

The Contractor shall complete the technical and administrative activities necessary to present each awarded material for formal release as a Selected Class plant material. The Contractor shall:

· Compile existing evaluation, trial, agronomic, and seed-production information necessary to support release of each material.

· Prepare draft release documentation describing the origin, evaluation history, distinguishing characteristics, adaptation, performance, production characteristics, intended uses, and other information required by applicable release protocols.

· Prepare and submit required applications, forms, and supporting documentation.

· Coordinate with BLM POC or COR and the Colorado Pre-Varietal Plant Release Committee, or other applicable release and certification authorities, to schedule and facilitate review of the proposed releases.

· Participate in meetings or technical reviews necessary to present the materials and respond to questions regarding their evaluation, performance, production, and proposed release.

· Address comments or requested revisions resulting from the review process and prepare final release documentation.

· Upon approval, complete applicable documentation and certification actions necessary to establish each material as a Selected Class release.

· Following release, coordinate the initial distribution of available seed to multiple commercial seed growers at no cost to encourage establishment of commercial production and broader market availability.

8.6 Reporting and Contract Coordination

The Contractor shall provide sufficient reporting and coordination to allow BLM to monitor progress, evaluate performance, track plant materials and seed inventories, and identify issues that may affect successful completion of the contract. The Contractor shall:

· Designate a primary point of contact responsible for coordination with the COR and other designated BLM personnel.

· Participate in periodic coordination meetings with BLM, as requested, to review production status, upcoming activities, release progress, anticipated milestones, and issues affecting performance.

· Provide an annual progress report summarizing activities completed during the performance year within 90 days of the end of each performance year. At a minimum, the report shall include the following for each awarded material:

· Status and acreage of evaluation and seed-increase fields.

· Field establishment, maintenance, and other significant agronomic activities completed during the reporting period.

· Seed harvest quantities and disposition by seed-increase field and generation, as applicable.

· Seed cleaning, processing, testing, inspection, and certification activities and associated results.

· Current seed and germplasm inventory, including quantities retained for future increase and quantities available for distribution.

· Status of release documentation, applications, committee review, and other activities associated with formal Selected Class release.

· Seed distributed to commercial growers, including quantities and recipients, as applicable.

· Significant production issues, crop failures, environmental conditions, or other circumstances affecting performance or anticipated seed yield.

· Corrective actions or management adjustments taken in response to identified production issues.

· Activities and milestones anticipated during the subsequent performance period.

· Notify the COR within five business days of significant events or conditions that may materially affect contract performance, including crop failure, substantial loss of plant material or germplasm, significant pest or disease outbreaks, extreme weather impacts, inability to meet a scheduled milestone, or other circumstances that could affect successful completion of the requirement.

· Maintain supporting production, inventory, testing, certification, release, and distribution records throughout the period of performance.

· Provide copies of final seed test results, inspection and certification records, release documentation, and other technical deliverables required under Tasks 8.1 through 8.5.

· Coordinate with BLM prior to significant changes in planned production activities, field configuration, seed disposition, or other actions that could materially affect the scope, schedule, or intended outcome of the contract. Only the Contracting Officer may authorize changes that affect price, quality, quantity, delivery, or other terms and conditions of the contract.

· Participate in a final contract closeout meeting, if requested, and provide a final summary report documenting the status of each plant material, completed release activities, final seed and germplasm inventories, commercial distributions, outstanding activities, and recommendations necessary to support continued commercial production following completion of the contract.

9 Delivery Requirements:

The Contractor shall provide the deliverables identified in Attachment 2 (Delivery Schedule) to document performance of Tasks 8.1 through 8.6. Unless otherwise specified, electronic deliverables shall be submitted to the COR. The COR will review deliverables for completeness and conformance with the PWS and will notify the Contractor of any deficiencies requiring correction. Acceptance of reports or documentation does not constitute acceptance of deficient underlying work.

9.1 Government Review and Acceptance

The COR will review submitted deliverables for compliance with the requirements and acceptance criteria identified in this PWS. Unless otherwise specified, the Government will review deliverables within 7 business days of receipt and will either accept the deliverable or identify deficiencies requiring correction. The Contractor shall correct identified deficiencies and resubmit the deliverable within a mutually agreed-upon timeframe appropriate to the nature of the correction.

Acceptance will be based on the Contractor’s completion of required activities, accuracy and completeness of documentation, maintenance of plant material identity and traceability, compliance with applicable seed testing and certification requirements, and achievement of required contractual milestones. Because field establishment, seed yield, and formal release decisions may be influenced by weather, biological conditions, and independent third-party review, the Government will not base acceptance solely on achievement of a predetermined seed yield or approval decision unless such an outcome is expressly identified elsewhere in the PWS as a mandatory performance requirement.

9.2 Physical Seed and Germplasm

Any government-furnished G0 starter seed that may be supplied shall remain Government property and shall be separately identified and accounted for throughout the period of performance. G1 and subsequent-generation seed and plant materials produced under the contract are Contractor property, subject to the use and disposition requirements of Section 7. All plant materials produced under this contract shall be maintained, stored, labeled, and distributed in accordance with the requirements of this PWS and applicable certification standards. Each seed lot shall remain identifiable by species, accession, generation or class, production year, and other applicable certification information throughout processing, storage, and distribution.

Seed designated for initial commercial distribution shall be provided to recipients identified or approved in coordination with BLM and accompanied by applicable seed test, certification, and identity information. The Contractor shall document all quantities distributed and maintain sufficient G1 germplasm to support future seed increase and continued availability of the released materials.

Physical seed quantities available for delivery or distribution will be based on actual production and recoverable cleaned seed yield unless minimum quantities are expressly established elsewhere in the PWS.

9.3 Pricing Structure

The contract will be structured as a fixed-price, severable acquisition using separately priced production, plant material release, and annual reporting units which are summarized below in sections 9.3.1-9.3.3. The Government may award one, multiple, or all plant materials identified in Attachment 1 based on program requirements and availability of funds. Award of one plant material does not obligate the Government to award any other plant material.

Offerors shall provide fixed pricing for each applicable unit and performance period identified in the Plant Materials Bid Sheet. The resulting contract price will be based on the plant materials awarded, number of production units required, applicable performance periods, and any separately priced release and reporting requirements.

9.3.1 Production Acreage

The primary unit of production shall be one 0.13-acre seed-increase field for one awarded plant material for one performance year. Offerors shall provide a fixed unit price for each plant material and applicable performance period. Where more than one 0.13-acre seed-increase field is required for a particular development phase, the total annual production price shall be calculated per material by multiplying the fixed unit price by the number of required production units.

The annual production unit price shall include all costs necessary to perform Tasks 8.1 through 8.4 for the applicable 0.13-acre production unit, including field establishment and maintenance, agronomic management, harvest and post-harvest processing, testing and certification, G1 germplasm maintenance, and all associated labor, acreage, facilities, equipment, materials, transportation, fees, supplies, and overhead.

The fixed unit price is based on satisfactory performance of the required production activities and maintenance of the specified acreage and is not based on the quantity of seed ultimately produced or harvested. Variability in establishment, seed yield, or harvest resulting from weather, biological conditions, or other factors outside the Contractor's reasonable control will not, by itself, alter the fixed unit price, provided the Contractor has satisfactorily performed the required activities and complied with applicable production, certification, documentation, and reporting requirements.

The number of production units per plant material may vary by performance period. Where production acreage other than an increment of 0.13 acre is required, the applicable acreage, unit of measure, and price shall be identified in the pricing schedule or established through an authorized contract modification.

9.3.2 Plant Material Release Preparation

Technical and administrative services required under Task 8.5 for formal Selected Class release shall be separately priced for each awarded plant material as a fixed-price release unit.

The release unit price shall be a fixed price for completion of the Task 8.5 requirements for one awarded plant material and shall not vary based on production acreage or actual labor hours expended.

Payment for release services shall be based on completion and Government acceptance of the required contractor-controlled activities and deliverables. Payment shall not be contingent upon approval of the proposed release by an independent release committee, certification authority, or other third party, provided the Contractor has satisfactorily completed the required submission, coordination, response, and documentation activities.

9.3.3 Recordkeeping, Documentation, and Annual Reporting

Administrative services required under Task 8.6 for routine contract coordination, recordkeeping, and annual reporting shall be separately priced as a fixed annual reporting and contract-support unit for each performance year regardless of the number of accessions awarded.

The annual reporting and contract support unit shall include all costs necessary to perform Task 8.6 for the applicable performance period. The fixed price shall not vary based on actual labor hours expended, production acreage, seed yield, or number of production units, except where the pricing schedule expressly provides for additional reporting units associated with multiple awarded plant materials.

9.3.4 Option-Year Pricing

Offerors shall provide fixed prices for all applicable production, release, and reporting units for the Base Year and each option year identified in the solicitation. Proposed option-year pricing shall account for anticipated changes in labor, materials, agricultural inputs, equipment, overhead, and other costs associated with performance during the applicable period.

Exercise of an option is at the sole discretion of the Government and is subject to continued program need, availability of funds, satisfactory contractor performance, and applicable contract terms. Exercise of an option does not obligate the Government to continue production of every plant material included in a prior performance period unless expressly identified in the contract.

9.4 Performance-Based Payment Schedule

Payment shall be based on satisfactory completion and Government acceptance of the work associated with each awarded plant material and applicable performance period. Payment is for completion of required services and accepted deliverables and is not contingent upon achievement of a predetermined seed yield or approval of a plant material release by an independent third party.

9.4.1 Annual Production Payment

For each awarded plant material, the Contractor may invoice the fixed annual production-field price following:

1. Completion of the field establishment, maintenance, harvest, processing, testing, certification, germplasm maintenance, and other production activities required and applicable to that performance year;

2. Submission of the Annual Progress Report and associated production, inventory, testing, inspection, and certification records required by the PWS; and

3. Government acceptance of the applicable annual deliverables in accordance with Section 9.1 and the Delivery Schedule.

Where a required activity cannot be completed during a performance year because of documented biological, environmental, or other conditions outside the Contractor's reasonable control, the Contracting Officer will evaluate whether the Contractor has satisfactorily completed the contractor-controlled requirements applicable to that performance period. Any change to contractual requirements, price, or period of performance must be authorized by the Contracting Officer.

9.4.2 Release Services Payment

Where Task 8.5 is separately priced, payment for release services shall be made upon completion and Government acceptance of the applicable release deliverables. The pricing schedule may divide the fixed release price between the following milestones:

1. Draft/Submission Milestone: Acceptance of a complete release package suitable for submission to the applicable release authority; and

2. Final Documentation Milestone: Acceptance of the final release package incorporating applicable review comments and documenting the disposition of the proposed release.

Payment for the final milestone shall not be contingent upon third-party approval of the material, provided the Contractor has satisfactorily completed all required submission, coordination, response, and documentation activities.

9.4.3 Final Payment

Final payment for the last performance period shall be subject to submission and acceptance of the Final Contract Summary and Germplasm Inventory required by the Delivery Schedule and satisfactory accounting for the disposition of seed and G1 germplasm produced or maintained under the contract.

Invoices shall clearly identify the applicable contract line item, plant material/accession, performance period, production acreage, and accepted deliverable or milestone for which payment is requested.

Attachment 1: Plant Materials Bid Sheet

* The Government reserves the right to award one, multiple, or all bid rows based on program requirements and availability of funds. Pricing shall be provided separately for each plant material and performance period. Award of one plant material does not obligate the Government to award any other plant material.

Release Documentation (CO 932-279-11)

Release Documentation (CO 932-235-10)

Attachment 2: Delivery Schedule

Seed-Increase Field Establishment and Status Documentation – Documentation identifying seed-increase fields established or maintained for each accession, including acreage, field location/identifier, establishment method and date, and current field status.

Seed Production and Inventory Records – Record of seed harvested, processed, stored, retained, and distributed by species, accession, seed-increase field, harvest year, and generation, as applicable.

Plant Material Release Package for Committee Review– Draft technical release documentation for each accession, including origin, evaluation and trial history, production performance, adaptation, distinguishing characteristics, intended use, and required applications and supporting forms.

Commercial Seed Distribution Record – Documentation of initial seed distributed to commercial growers following release, including recipient, accession, seed lot, quantity, date, and generation/class, as applicable.

Annual Progress Report – Annual report meeting the content requirements of Task 8.6

Significant Production Issue Notification – Notification of events that may materially affect performance, including substantial crop failure, loss of germplasm, significant pest or disease outbreaks, extreme weather impacts, or anticipated inability to meet a major contract milestone.