RFQ Solicitation 12445223Q0008 Enoree Road Maintenance.pdf

SOLICITATION, OFFER,

AND AWARD

2. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

6. PROJECT NO. 4. CONTRACT NO. 5. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO.

PAGE OF PAGES

7. ISSUED BY CODE 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO

SOLICITATION

(Construction, Alteration, or Repair)

1. SOLICITATION NO. 3. DATE ISSUED

IMPORTANT -- The "offer" section on the reverse must be fully completed by offeror.

9.

INFORMATION

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NO. (Include area code) (NO COLLECT CALLS)

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder."

CALL:

FOR

SEALED BID (IFB)

NEGOTIATED (RFP)

1088710

USDA-FS CSA EAST 12

1720 PEACHTREE ST NW

STE 876S

ATLANTA GA 30309-2449

Penny Zortman penny.zortman@usda.gov James Hunt james.hunt2@usda.gov

PENNY ZORTMAN 803-561-4000

101/24/2023

12445223Q0008

10. THE GOVERNMENT REQUIRES PERFORMANCE OF THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THESE DOCUMENTS (Title, identifying no., date)

Project: FY23 Enoree CON Road Maintenance

Location: Enoree Ranger District located 48 miles NorthWest of Columbia, SC in

Newberry, Fairfield, Laurens, Chester & Union County.

Magnitude of Construction: Between $100,000 and $250,000.

11. The Contractor shall begin performance

12a. THE CONTRACTOR MUST FURNISH ANY REQUIRED PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS?

award, notice to proceed. The performance period is mandatory negotiable. (See ________________________________________________.)

13. ADDITIONAL SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS:

a. Sealed offers in original and is not required.is, b. An offer guarantee

c. All offers are subject to the (1) work requirements, and (2) other provisions and clauses incorporated in the solicitation in full text or by reference.

(date). If this is a sealed bid solicitation, offers will be publicly opened at that time. Sealed envelopes containing offers shall be marked to show the offeror's name and address, the solicitation number, and the date and time offers are due.

d. Offers providing less than

12b. CALENDAR DAYSYES NO

(If "YES", indicate within how many calendar days after award in Item 12b.)

10 365 calendar days and complete it within ________________ ________________ calendar days after receiving

02/23/2023

NSN 7540-01-155-3212

x x x x copies to perform the work required are due at the place specified in Item 8 by _____________ ___________________ (hour) local time calendar days for Government acceptance after the date offers are due will not be considered and will be rejected . _________________

STANDARD FORM 1442 (Rev. 4-85)

Prescribed by GSA

FAR(48 CFR) 53.236-1(d)

17. The offeror agrees to perform the work required at the prices specified below in strict accordance with the terms of this solicitation, if this offer is accepted by the Government in writing within ____________________ calendar days after the date offers are due. (Insert any number equal to or greater than the minimum requirement stated in item 13d. Failure to insert any number means the offeror accepts the minimum in item 13d.)

14. NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR (Include ZIP Code) 15. TELEPHONE NO. (Include area code)

16. REMITTANCE ADDRESS (Include only if different than item 14.)

CODE FACILITY CODE

AMOUNTS

18. The offeror agrees to furnish any required performance and payment bonds.

19. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the solicitation -- give number and date of each)

AMENDMENT NO.

DATE.

20a. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER (Type or print) 20b. SIGNATURE 20c. OFFER DATE

AWARD (To be completed by Government)

21. ITEMS ACCEPTED:

22. AMOUNT 23. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

24. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM 25. OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION PURSUANT TO

26. ADMINISTERED BY CODE 27. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CONTRACTING OFFICER WILL COMPLETE ITEM 28 OR 29 AS APPLICABLE

(Contractor is required to sign this document and return (Contractor is not required to sign this document.)

Your offer on this solicitation is hereby accepted as to the items listed. This award consummates the contract, which consists of (a) the Government solicitation and your offer, and (b) this contract award.

No further contractual document is necessary.

30a. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTOR OR PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN (Type or print) 31a. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

30b. SIGNATURE 30c. DATE 31b. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 31c. DATE

BY

2PAGE OF

USDA-FS CSA EAST 12

1720 PEACHTREE ST NW

STE 876S

ATLANTA GA 30309-2449

JAMES M. HUNT

28. NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT 29. AWARD

Contractor agrees to furnish and deliver all items or perform all work requirements identified on this form and any continuation sheets for the consideration stated in this contract. The rights and obligations of the parties to this contract shall be governed by (a) this contract award, (b) the solicitation, and (c) the clauses, representations, copies to issuing office.)

10 U.S.C. 2304(c) 41 U.S.C. 253(c)

STANDARD FORM 1442 (REV. 4-85) BACK

Continued...

ITEM NO.

(A)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(B)

QUANTITY

(C)

UNIT

(D)

UNIT PRICE

(E)

AMOUNT

(F)

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

3 13

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

12445223Q0008

Delivery Location Code: 4670

FRANCIS MARION SUMTER NATIONAL FO

4931 BROAD RIVER RD

COLUMBIA SC 29210 US

0001 EN-CON Road Maintenance IDIQ

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

PART I—THE SCHEDULE

SECTION B--SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 SCHEDULE OF ITEMS

See Attachment 01 Schedule of Items

SECTION C--DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/STATEMENT OF WORK

C.1 SCOPE OF CONTRACT

See Attachment 00 Statement of Work

C.2 PROJECT LOCATON

The project area is located at the Francis Marion & Sumter National Forest, Enoree Ranger District, 20 Work Center Rd, Whitmire, SC 29178, Newberry, Fairfield, Laurens, Chester & Union County, South Carolina.

C.3 MAGNITUDE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Between $100,000 and $250,000

SECTION D--PACKAGING AND MARKING

D.1 and D.2 are included in the Parent IDIQ.

D.3 PACKING AND MARKING

All shipments of materials, equipment and/or supplies shall be addressed to the Contractor and not to the Government.

D.4 PROJECT LABELING FOR OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE

The Government singularly identifies each project with a contract number at time of award. The contract number is a unique identifier to purposely and permanently represent an awarded project. The Government issued contract number is to be referenced on all official communication starting upon notice of award. See D.2 in the parent IDIQ.

SECTION E--INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

E.1 CLAUSES

All inspection clauses are included in the Parent IDIQ. The inspection clause which applies to this project is:

52.246-12 Inspection of Construction (AUG 1996)

SECTION F--DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

F.1 CLAUSES

The FAR 52.242-14 Suspension of Work (APR 1984) clause is included in the Parent IDIQ.

52.211-18 Variation in Estimated Quantity (APR 1984)

52.211-10 Commencement, Prosecution, and Completion of Work (APR 1984) The Contractor shall be required to (a) commence work under this contract within 10 calendar days after the date the Contractor receives the notice to proceed, (b) prosecute the work diligently, and (c) complete the entire work ready for use not later than 365 days after Notice to Proceed. The time stated for completion shall include final cleanup of the premises.

SECTION G--CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 through G.6 are included in the Parent IDIQ.

G.1 Contracting Staff (Forest Service Addendum to G.1) All communications pertaining to contractual and/or administrative matters under this contract shall be sent to:

Task Order Contract Specialist Name: Penny Zortman Email: penny.zortman@usda.gov

Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Name: Joseph Coleman Phone: 803-231-9812 Email: joseph.coleman@usda.gov

G.7 OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Post Award Conference A post award conference with the successful offeror is required. It will be scheduled and held before work begins , after the date of contract award. The conference will be held at a location to be determined as agreed upon.

SECTION H--SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

H.1 through H.16 are included in the Parent IDIQ

H.17 OTHER REQUIREMENTS

USE OF PREMISES

(a) Before any camp, quarry, borrow pit, storage, detour, or bypass site, other than shown on the drawings, is opened or operated on USDA land or lands administered by the USDA, the mailto:penny.zortman@usda.gov mailto:joseph.coleman@usda.gov

Contractor shall obtain written permission from the Contracting Officer. A camp is interpreted to include a campsite or trailer parking area of any employee working on the project for the Contractor.

(b) Unless excepted elsewhere in the contract, the Contractor shall (i) provide and maintain sanitation facilities for the work force at the site and (ii) dispose of solid waste in accordance with applicable Federal, State and local regulations.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL OR HISTORIC SITES

If a previously unidentified archaeological or historic site(s) is encountered, the Contractor shall discontinue work in the general area of the site(s) and notify the Contracting Officer immediately.

CONTROL OF EROSION, SEDIMENTATION, AND POLLUTION

(a) Operations shall be scheduled and conducted to minimize erosion of soils and to prevent silting and muddying of streams, rivers, irrigation systems, and impoundments (lakes, reservoirs, etc.).

(b) Pollutants such as fuels, lubricants, bitumens, raw sewage, and other harmful materials shall not be discharged on the ground; into or nearby rivers, streams, or impoundments; or into natural or man-made channels. Wash water or waste from concrete or aggregate operations shall not be allowed to enter live streams prior to treatment by filtration, settling, or other means sufficient to reduce the sediment content to not more than that of the stream into which it is discharged.

(c) Mechanized equipment shall not be operated in flowing streams without written approval by the Contracting Officer.

PART II--CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I--CONTRACT CLAUSES

I.1 CLAUSES

All Clauses included in the Parent IDIQ apply to this Task Order, per H.12.2 in the Parent IDIQ. Clauses included below provide additional clarification pertinent to Forest Service requirements and the specific requirement under this Task Order.

Addendum to 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clauses:

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far (FAR clauses begin with 52)

Department of Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) Clauses:

https://www.acquisition.gov/agar (AGAR clauses begin with 452) https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/agar

Deviations to clauses may be viewed at:

https://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/policy/FARClassDeviations.htm

52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Products and Commercial Services (JAN 2022)

(DEVIATION APR 2020)

52.228-1 Bid Guarantee (SEP 1996)

(a) Failure to furnish a bid guarantee in the proper form and amount, by the time set for opening of bids, may be cause for rejection of the bid.

(b) The bidder shall furnish a bid guarantee in the form of a firm commitment, e.g., bid bond supported by good and sufficient surety or sureties acceptable to the Government, postal money order, certified check, cashier's check, irrevocable letter of credit, or, under Treasury Department regulations, certain bonds or notes of the United States. The Contracting Officer will return bid guarantees, other than bid bonds –

(1) To unsuccessful bidders as soon as practicable after the opening of bids, and

(2) To the successful bidder upon execution of contractual documents and bonds (including any necessary coinsurance or reinsurance agreements), as required by the bid as accepted.

(c) The amount of the bid guarantee shall be 20 percent of the bid price or $1,000,000.00, whichever is less.

(d) If the successful bidder, upon acceptance of its bid by the Government within the period specified for acceptance, fails to execute all contractual documents or furnish executed bond(s) within 10 days after receipt of the forms by the bidder, the Contracting Officer may terminate the contract for default.

(e) In the event the contract is terminated for default, the bidder is liable for any cost of acquiring the work that exceeds the amount of its bid, and the bid guarantee is available to offset the difference.

52.228-11 Individual Surety - Pledge of Assets (FEB 2021) (DEVIATION APR 2020)

(a) The Contractor shall obtain from each person acting as an individual surety on a performance bond or a payment bond -

(1) A pledge of assets that meets the eligibility, valuation, and security requirements described in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 28.203-1; and

(2) Standard Form 28, Affidavit of Individual Surety, [except that the words “being duly sworn, depose and say” on the Standard Form 28 are replaced with the word “affirm” and the Standard Form 28 is not required to be sworn and notarized in block 12].

(b) The Contracting Officer may release a portion of the security interest on the individual surety's assets based upon substantial performance of the Contractor's obligations under its performance bond. The security interest in support of a performance bond shall be maintained—

(1) Contracts for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work of the Federal Government exceeding $150,000 (40 U.S.C. 3131). Until completion of any warranty period, or for 1 year following final payment, whichever is later.

(2) Contracts subject to alternative payment protection (see FAR 28.102-1(b)(1)). For the full contract performance period plus 1 year.

https://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/policy/FARClassDeviations.htm https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-28#FAR_28_203_1

(3) Other contracts not subject to the requirements of paragraph (b)(1) of this clause. Until completion of any warranty period, or for 90 days following final payment, whichever is later.

(c) A surety's assets pledged in support of a payment bond may be released to a subcontractor or supplier upon Government receipt of a Federal district court judgment, or a sworn statement by the subcontractor or supplier that the claim is correct along with a notarized authorization of the release by the surety stating that it approves of such release. The security interest on the individual surety's assets in support of a payment bond shall be maintained—

(1) Contracts for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work of the Federal Government exceeding $150,000 which require performance and payment bonds (40 U.S.C. 3131). For 1 year following final payment, or until resolution of all pending claims filed against the payment bond during the 1-year period following final payment, whichever is later.

(2) Contracts subject to alternative payment protection (see FAR 28.102-1(b)(1)). For the full contract performance period plus 1 year.

(3) Other contracts not subject to the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this clause. For 90 days following final payment.

(d) The Contracting Officer may allow the Contractor to substitute an individual surety, for a performance or payment bond, after contract award. The Contractor shall comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this clause within the timeframe established by the Contracting Officer.

52.228-15 Performance and Payment Bonds -- Construction (JUN 2020) (DEVIATION

APR 2020)

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause -- “Original contract price” means the award price of the contract; or, for requirements contracts, the price payable for the estimated total quantity; or, for indefinite-quantity contracts, the price payable for the specified minimum quantity. Original contract price does not include the price of any options, except those options exercised at the time of contract award.

(b) Amount of required bonds. Unless the resulting contract price is valued at or below the threshold specified in Federal Acquisition Regulation 28.102-1(a) on the date of award of this contract, the successful offeror shall furnish performance and payment bonds to the Contracting Officer as follows:

(1) Performance Bonds (Standard Form 25, EXCEPT THAT A SEAL IS NOT REQUIRED).

The penal amount of performance bonds at the time of contract award shall be 100 percent of the original contract price.

(2) Payment Bonds (Standard Form 25-A, EXCEPT THAT A SEAL IS NOT REQUIRED).

The penal amount of payment bonds at the time of contract award shall be 100 percent of the original contract price.

(3) Additional bond protection.

(i) The Government may require additional performance and payment bond protection if the contract price is increased. The increase in protection generally will equal 100 percent of the increase in contract price.

(ii) The Government may secure the additional protection by directing the Contractor to increase the penal amount of the existing bond or to obtain an additional bond.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-28#FAR_28_102_1

(c) Furnishing executed bonds. The Contractor shall furnish all executed bonds, including any necessary reinsurance agreements, to the Contracting Officer, within the time period specified in the Bid Guarantee provision of the solicitation, or otherwise specified by the Contracting Officer, but in any event, before starting work.

(d) Surety or other security for bonds. The bonds shall be in the form of firm commitment, supported by corporate sureties whose names appear on the list contained in Treasury Department Circular 570, individual sureties, or by other acceptable security such as postal money order, certified check, cashier’s check, irrevocable letter of credit, or, in accordance with Treasury Department regulations, certain bonds or notes of the United States. Treasury Circular 570 is published in the Federal Register or may be obtained from the:

U.S. Department of Treasury Financial Management Service Surety Bond Branch 3700 East West Highway, Room 6F01 Hyattsville, MD 20782 Or via the internet at http://www.fms.treas.gov/c570/.

(e) Notice of subcontractor waiver of protection (40 U.S.C. 3133(c)). Any waiver of the right to sue on the payment bond is void unless it is in writing, signed by the person whose right is waived, and executed after such person has first furnished labor or material for use in the performance of the contract.

52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (NOV 2021)

(DEVIATION APR 2020)

(a)[(1) In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3903 and 10 U.S.C. 2307, upon receipt of accelerated payments from the Government, the Contractor shall make accelerated payments to its small business subcontractors under this contract [in accordance with the accelerated payment date established], to the maximum extent practicable and prior to when such payment is otherwise required under the applicable contract or subcontract, [with a goal of 15 days] after receipt of a proper invoice and all other required documentation from the small business subcontractor [if a specific payment date is not established by contract.

(2) The Contractor agrees to make such payments to its small business subcontractors without any further consideration from or fees charged to the subcontractor].

(b) The acceleration of payments under this clause does not provide any new rights under the Prompt Payment Act.

(c) Include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in all subcontracts with small business concerns, including subcontracts with small business concerns for the acquisition of commercial products or commercial services.

52.236-4 Physical Data (APR 1984) Data and information furnished or referred to below is for the Contractor's information. The Government shall not be responsible for any interpretation of or conclusion drawn from the data or information by the Contractor.

http://www.fms.treas.gov/c570/

(a) The indications of physical conditions on the drawings and in the specifications are the result of site investigations by not applicable

(b) Weather conditions:

MONTH

PRECIP

(IN)

January 3.96 February 3.66 March 4.26 April 3.24 May 3.40 June 4.25 July 4.01 August 4.85 September 3.97 October 3.24 November 3.53 December 4.18

PART III--LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J--LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

J.1 ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 00 - Statement of Work Attachment 01 – Schedule of Items Attachment 02 - Work List Attachment 03 - Wage Determination Highway SC20220040 Newberry County

SECTION L--INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR

RESPONDENTS

1) Offeror must have an active entity registration at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ in order to submit an offer.

2) All offers shall include:

a) Price Proposal

i) A completed Standard Form 1442, along with a completed Schedule of ltems shall be emailed to penny.zortman@usda.gov and james.hunt2@usda.gov no later than the date in block 13 of the SF 1442.

ii) Attachment 01 - Schedule of ltems, all blocks must be completed by the offeror. All Items must be priced.

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ mailto:penny.zortman@usda.gov mailto:james.hunt2@usda.gov

iii) Acknowledgement of solicitation amendments (if any). This can be accomplished by completing section 19 on the SF-1442 or by submitting the signed SF-30(s) from sam.gov with your price proposal.

(3) Contact the Contracting Officer by e-mail if you do not understand any part of these instructions.

52.222-5 Construction Wage Rate Requirements—Secondary Site of the Work (MAY 2014) (a)(1) The offeror shall notify the Government if the offeror intends to perform work at any secondary site of the work, as defined in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of the FAR clause at 52.222-6, Construction Wage Rate Requirements, of this solicitation.

(2) If the offeror is unsure if a planned work site satisfies the criteria for a secondary site of the work, the offeror shall request a determination from the Contracting Officer.

(b)(1) If the wage determination provided by the Government for work at the primary site of the work is not applicable to the secondary site of the work, the offeror shall request a wage determination from the Contracting Officer.

(2) The due date for receipt of offers will not be extended as a result of an offeror’s request for a wage determination for a secondary site of the work.

52.222-23 Notice of Requirement for Affirmative Action to Ensure Equal Employment Opportunity for Construction (FEB 1999) f(a) The offeror's attention is called to the Equal Opportunity clause and the Affirmative Action Compliance Requirements for Construction clause of this solicitation.

(b) The goals for minority and female participation, expressed in percentage terms for the Contractor's aggregate workforce in each trade on all construction work in the covered area, are as follows:

Goals for minority participation for each trade Goals for female participation for each trade

______________32.0__________________ _6.9%_______________________

These goals are applicable to all the Contractor's construction work performed in the covered area. If the Contractor performs construction work in a geographical area located outside of the covered area, the Contractor shall apply the goals established for the geographical area where the work is actually performed. Goals are published periodically in the Federal Register in notice form, and these notices may be obtained from any Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs office.

(c) The Contractor's compliance with Executive Order 11246, as amended, and the regulations in 41 CFR 60-4 shall be based on (1) its implementation of the Equal Opportunity clause, (2) specific affirmative actions obligations required by the clause entitled "Affirmative Action Compliance Requirements for Construction," and (3) its efforts to meet the goals. The hours of minority and female employment and training must be substantially uniform throughout the https://acquisition.gov/far/current/html/52_222.html#wp1147505 length of the contract, and in each trade. The Contractor shall make a good faith effort to employ minorities and women evenly on each of its projects. The transfer of minority or female employees or trainees from Contractor to Contractor, or from project to project, for the sole purpose of meeting the Contractor's goals shall be a violation of the contract, Executive Order 11246, as amended, and the regulations in 41 CFR 60-4. Compliance with the goals will be measured against the total work hours performed.

(d) The Contractor shall provide written notification to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Federal Contract Compliance, U. S. Department of Labor, within 10 working days following award of any construction subcontract in excess of $10,000 at any tier for construction work under the contract resulting from this solicitation. The notification shall list the--

(1) Name, address, and telephone number of the subcontractor;

(2) Employer's identification number of the subcontractor;

(3) Estimated dollar amount of the subcontract;

(4) Estimated starting and completion dates of the subcontract; and

(5) Geographical area in which the subcontract is to be performed.

(e) As used in this Notice, and in any contract resulting from this solicitation, the "covered area" is Francis Marion National Forest at Enoree Ranger District in Whitmire, SC in Newberry County.

Alternative Forms of Security If furnished as security, money orders, drafts, cashier's checks, or certified checks shall be drawn payable to USDA Forest Service.

Pre-Bid/ Pre-Proposal Conference

(a) The Government is planning a pre-bid/pre-proposal conference, during which potential offerors may obtain a better understanding of the work required.

(b) Offerors are encouraged to submit any and all questions by email no later than Friday, February 17, 2023, by 2PM .

(c) In order to facilitate conference preparations, it is requested that the person named on the Standard Form 1442 of this solicitation be contacted and advised of the number of persons who will attend. Please RSVP for the site visit by 2/15/23 by 2pm.

(d) The Government assumes no responsibility for any expense incurred by an offeror prior to contract award.

(e) Offerors are cautioned that, notwithstanding any remarks or clarifications given at the conference, all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged unless they are changed by amendment to the solicitation. If the answers to conference questions, or any solicitation amendment, create ambiguities, it is the responsibility of the offeror to seek clarification prior to submitting an offer.

(f) The conferences will be held at the following locations for the corresponding line items and Forests listed in the Schedule of Items:

Date: 2/16/2023 Time: 10AM Location: Enoree Ranger District Office

20 Work Center Rd, Whitemire, SC 29178

SECTION M--EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1 PROVISIONS

M.2 PROPOSAL EVALUATION

• One award will be made. Quotes will be evaluated using a price. One award will be made. This contract will be awarded using a Lowest Price source selection type process. Once the contracting officer determines the lowest price offer adhering to the requirements of the solicitation is fair and reasonable for the work to be performed and not materially unbalanced, the Government will evaluate the offer for responsibility in accordance with FAR Part 9.104.

• PRICE The price will be evaluated for completeness and reasonableness. The price quote will be evaluated to ensure it covers all requirements and includes all pricing information required by the solicitation. The Government will evaluate the lowest price offer to determine if the price is fair and reasonable for the work to be performed through the use of price analysis. To be considered fair and reasonable for the work performed, the evaluators will also check for appearance of unbalanced line item prices. If deemed necessary, the supplemental price breakdown information will be used to assist the Government in performing the price evaluation described above. An Offer is unbalanced when it is based on prices significantly less than cost for some work and prices which are significantly overstated for other work.

• Prices are reasonable in comparison to estimates, prior prices paid, and competition and can be supported by suitable estimating techniques. If a price is unreasonably low to realistically perform the work for the proposed price, the offer will be not considered reasonable and will not be considered for contract award.

• The Government may waive minor informalities or irregularities in proposals received or elect to not award at all. If necessary, the Government may conduct discussions with any or all offerors.