FirePants2010TermSourcesSought.doc

SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE & MARKET SURVEY

Sources are sought for information to assist in developing the solicitation for a possible firm fixed price term contract to supply GSA with the National Fire Equipment System (NFES) items listed below. These items are various sized Type I and Type II Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) style, Flame Resistant Aramid Wildland Firefighter's Pants in accordance with Forest Service Specification 5100-92M dated January 15, 2010 and MTDC Drawing 973F dated October 9, 2009.

Please review the item purchase description at the end of this document for specifications and requirements to supply these items. This is not a request for a quote. Do not submit a quote, but only the information requested in association with the Firefighter's Pants items listed in the two tables below.

TABLE 1

Color: Spruce Green

ESTIMATED PEAK MONTHLY REQUIREMENT

Unit of Issue: Pair (PR)

ESTIMATED ONE YEAR QUANTITY

TABLE 2

Color: Light Spruce Green

ESTIMATED PEAK MONTHLY REQUIREMENT

Unit of Issue: Pair (PR)

ESTIMATED ONE YEAR QUANTITY

If you are interested and can supply these items, please respond to this notice by emailing the information requested below to: Linda Haffner at linda.haffner@gsa.gov by April 28, 2010.

1. Point of Contact Name, phone number, and email address.

2. Company Name and Address.

3. Are you a small business? If you aren't the manufacturer, is your manufacturer a small business (see FAR 19.502-2 (c))?

4. Do you have experience in manufacturing these type items in accordance with Forest Service Specification 5100-92M and MTDC drawing MTDC 973F identified in the item purchase description below?

5. Acknowledge that you have read and understand the item purchase description below and any referenced specification documents, etc. for special requirements such as testing, marking, packing, packaging, and palletization, etc. Items supplied must comply with the item purchase description and specifications described herein with no exceptions. Confirm that the items you supply will comply with the item purchase description and Forest Service specifications with no exceptions.

6. What is your best delivery time?

7. What is the country of origin?

8. Will you be able to supply all items in both tables?

9. According to the current market of this item, would GSA obtain better pricing, if there were quantity breaks? If yes, provide quantity breaks.

10. Do you have commercial customers for these items? If yes, what are the minimum and maximum order quantities for your commercial customers?

11. Are you able to supply the estimated quantities identified in the tables above.

12. Do you agree that NAICS code 315225 is the appropriate NAICS code for these items. If not, please furnish the code you think is more appropriate and why.

If you have any questions regarding this notice, please include along with any comments in your response requested by April 28, 2010.

You may be contacted after receipt of the above information.

THIS NOTICE IS ONLY TO IDENTIFY SOURCES AVAILABLE TO SUPPLY THESE ITEMS. THIS IS NOT AN ORDER. UPON COMPLETION OF THIS RESEARCH AND IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE GOVERNMENT, A SOLICITATION WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.FEDBIZOPPS.GOV IN THE NEAR FUTURE. YOU WILL THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT AN OFFER.

Thank you for your time and interest in supplying this information.

The Item Purchase Description applicable to all items follows:

ITEM PURCHASE DESCRIPTION

These items shall be in accordance with Forest Service Specification 5100-92M, dated January 15, 2010 and MTDC drawing MTDC 973F dated October 9, 2009. First article samples will be required after award of a contract. As an exception to specific statements contained within the referenced Forest Service specification, the following items shall be furnished only to successful bidders upon contract award: color shade samples, full-size drawings and full-size patterns. For bidding purposes, 11" X 17" drawings will be furnished upon request. They will contain sufficient information regarding size, shape, and quantity of material for bidding purposes. Note it is the bidder's responsibility to determine yield and waste from the provided 11" X 17" drawings and no further direction or clarification will be provided by the government.

PACKAGING: Each pair of pants shall be packaged in accordance with paragraphs 5.1 and 5.1.1 of 5100-92M.

PACKING: Thirty (30) pairs of pants of one size only shall be packed in accordance with paragraph 5.2 of 5100-92M.

SUPPLEMENTAL PACKING AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS: All fiberboard boxes, cushioning, and dunnage used in packing and packaging of this item shall contain recovered materials in accordance with the EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guideline For Products Containing Recovered Materials (40 CFR 247) and the EPA Paper Products Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 104, May 29, 1996). The EPA's Recommended Recovered Fiber Content Levels for Paperboard and Packaging Products are available at http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/tools/cpg/products/paperbrd.htm

SPECIAL MARKING: The National Fire Equipment System (NFES) number appearing below the National Stock Number (NSN) of this Item Purchase Description shall be marked on the shipping container below the NSN. The NFES number shall be preceded by "NFES".

MARKING: Shipments to GSA and other civilian agencies shall be marked in accordance with FED-STD-123. Shipments to the Department of Defense (DOD) shall be marked in accordance with MIL-STD-129.

PALLETIZATION: The shipping (transport) containers shall be palletized. The pallets shall be 48-inch length x 40-inch width, general purpose, four-way entry, flush stringer, and double-face non-reversible pallets. The palletized load shall not exceed 2500 pounds in weight for shipments to the Eastern Distribution Center (Burlington). The palletized load shall not exceed 2000 pounds in weight for shipments to the Western Distribution Center (French Camp and Stockton Locations). The palletized load shall not overhang the pallet deck board edge by more than 1 inch and shall not exceed 53 inches in overall height (including pallet). Less than half pallet loads or loads shipped by small package carrier in acceptable transport packing need not be palletized. When less than full but more than a half pallet is used, the palletized load shall utilize proper bracing and/or reinforcement to ensure that the load can withstand two additional loads placed on it.

STACKING: A load-stacking test shall be performed once, at the beginning of the contract, for each different unitized or palletized load configuration. A fully palletized load shall be tested utilizing a total stack of three palletized loads, with all the proper bracing and/or reinforcement necessary to perform the test. There shall be no evidence of damage to the pallets, shipping containers or products when stack is tested on the rigid surface for a minimum of 24 hours, in compliance with all the National and Local Safety Regulations. The pre-tested palletized load configuration shall be duplicated using the same packaging materials, pattern, number of shipping (transport) containers, and procedures consistent throughout the duration of the contract. Palletized loads shall be stable and safe when handled with mechanical equipment by qualified personnel.

MATERIALS: All lumber used inside or outside a shipment shall be bark free. No used wood pallets with repaired components or stringers will be acceptable. All wood pallet stringers shall be manufactured from hardwoods. Pallets manufactured of materials other than wood, shall conform to all the requirements specified herein.

UNITIZATION: For the purpose of this requirement, the assembled group of containers or items in a single load that can be handled as a unit throughout the distribution system. Unitization encompasses, but is not limited to, consolidation in a container, placement on a pallet or load base having forklift capability, or securely binding together. Shipments should be considered for unitization where appropriate or specified.

UNITIZATION OF PALLET LOAD: The palletized load shall be unitized and secured to the pallet to insure that the load arrives intact without product damage. The containers or items shall be placed in a suitable pattern to form a stable and balanced load. Vertical, horizontal or filler reinforcement shall be added as necessary to meet the stacking strength requirements. A palletized load shall be secured to the pallet by shrink or stretch wrapping, and/or, by steel or nonmetallic strapping. When steel or nonmetallic strapping is used, edge protectors shall be provided to prevent damage to the cartons when tensioning the strapping. As a minimum, two straps shall run lengthwise, two straps shall run widthwise, and two straps shall run around the girth of the palletized load. A palletized load shall be capable of protecting the products against damage in a multiple handling, transportation, and storage environment having distribution warehouses with rack systems that support the load/s overhead of warehouse personnel.

Notice of special requirements for shipment to all countries that have endorsed the IPPC Guidelines for treatment of non-manufactured wood packaging: The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) has approved and published on March 15, 2002, “Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade”. Countries endorsing the IPPC Guidelines are found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/swp/. Clause D-FSS-468 requires non-manufactured wood pallets and other non-manufactured wood packaging material used in shipments destined to IPPC compliant countries require the appropriate wood treatment. Additionally, shipments delivered to DOD distribution facilities or freight consolidation points for eventual delivery to or through EU/IPPC countries shall comply with applicable DLA Regulations and Procurement Letter PROCLTR 02-17.

END OF ITEM PURCHASE DESCRIPTION