S01 Combined Synopsis Solicitation - Title Search Update and Closing Services - North Dakota.pdf

Title Search, Update and Closing Services for North Dakota

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service

12FPC123Q0018

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). The acquisition procedures at FAR Part 13.5 are being utilized. The Government anticipates this solicitation will result in a Five (5) Year Firm Fixed Priced Blanket

Purchase Agreement (BPA) to the responsible Contractor whose quote conforms to the solicitation and will be most advantageous to the government. The Government reserves the right not to award any BPA under this solicitation. The estimated award date of the BPA is on or around June 1, 2023. The BPA will be valid for years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 provided that the need still exists. The Government will review the BPA each year in accordance with FAR 13.306.6 – Review Procedures.

The government will be obligated only to the extent of authorized call orders placed against the resulting BPA and does not guarantee any orders. Obligations shall be made at the individual call order level and be subject to the availability of funds. The government will make awards without negotiations using pricing set forth in the resultant BPA awarded. This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-02 effective February 14, 2023 which can be found at http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html under the current FAR section.

This acquisition is a 100% set aside for Small Business vendors. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541191 – Title Abstract and Settlement Offices. The small business size standard is $11.0 million. For more information on size standards, please visit http://www.sba.gov/size. Questions MUST be submitted to the Contract Specialist via e-mail – Howard.Stover@usda.gov. E-mail questions MUST include solicitation 12FPC123Q0018 in the subject line to avoid oversight. We will not accept questions after

0800 Eastern Time on 5 May 2023.

All quotations are due no later than 0800 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time on Monday, May 12, 2023 and must emailed to Mr. Howard Stover (Contract Specialist) via e-mail at Howard.Stover@usda.gov. Facsimile or hard copy quotes are not acceptable.

DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENT:

The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program Wetland Reserve Easement component

(ACEPWRE), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Emergency Watershed Protection Program -

Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE), and the Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) authorize the acquisition of conservation easements from willing landowners for the purpose of restoring and protecting wetlands, floodplains, grasslands, or forest lands. NRCS is the lead USDA agency that is charged with administering these programs.

The contractor must coordinate and facilitate the following services:

1. Obtaining and updating chain of title, including copies of all instruments that created rights, interests, or encumbrances on the property.

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2. Providing easement boundary and ingress and egress descriptions.

3. Providing preliminary title commitments and issuing final title insurance policies.

4. Other services, as necessary, to finalize the easement transaction.

The contractor will perform the same services as in a commercial transaction, including obtaining and recording deeds, and any necessary curative instruments to ensure merchantable, insurable title to the easement area in the name of the United States of America.

Date(s) and Place(s) of Delivery and Acceptance. The period of performance for each task is detailed in

Attachment 1, Statement of Work.

PURCHASE LIMITATION:

The dollar limitation for each individual call order issued under this BPA is $700.00.

The maximum individual call order amount is $15,000.00

The total estimated amount of this BPA is $750,000.00 over the course of 5 years.

INDIVIDUALS AUTHORIZED TO PURCHASE UNDER THIS BPA:

All warranted Contracting Officers within USDA can place calls against the resultant BPA.

ELECTRONIC INVOICING AND PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS – INVOICE PROCESSING

PLATFORM (IPP)

Invoices must be submitted electronically through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Invoice Payment

Platform System (IPP). See FAR Part 13.303-3 (a) (6) below for additional details. The Contractor must use the

IPP website (https://www.ipp.gov) to register, access, and use IPP for submitting invoices. Contractor assistance with enrollment can be obtained by calling (866) 973-3131. Invoices submitted by means other than IPP will not be accepted unless the Contracting Officer authorizes alternate procedures in writing. Invoices may be submitted up to once a month.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING QUOTES.

Attachment 1: Statement of Work to review full list of tasks associated with this request.

Attachment 2: Clauses

Attachment 3: Pricing Schedule Worksheet has been developed to facilitate preparation of quotes. Interested contractors shall utilize to this solicitation to submit pricing quotations for services listed per year supporting all counties within North Dakota supporting the five (5) year Blanket Purchase Agreement.

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SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) REGISTRATION.

All Contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management, or SAM, prior to award of a Federal

Contract. For information regarding registration visit https://www.sam.gov/

FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. (OCT 2018)

FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items (OCT 2018)

The Government intends to award up to two BPAs resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes (descending order of importance):

Evaluation Factor #1: Technical Capability: Sample Policies, Approach & Capacity (no more than 5 pages)

Evaluation Factor #1: Technical Capability: Sample Policies, Approach & Capacity (no more than 5 pages to address 1-6 below):

1. Describe the approach to provide services and how the firm will meet the timelines identified in

Attachment 1, Statement of Work. Identify the single point of contact NRCS will have at the firm for all communications and the key qualifications of the single point of contact.

2. Provide three samples of a commitment and policy issued by the firm for a federal client. A sample from an agricultural land sale conservation easement transaction would be preferable. If your firm has not worked on a federal contract, please provide three samples of a commitment and policy the firm issued for an agricultural land sale or a conservation easement transaction.

3. Describe your experience in assisting land owners with subordinating or releasing any liens on their property for the purposes of a conservation easement transaction to meet performance deadlines referenced in Attachment 1, Statement of Work?

4. Does your firm have a local State presence to allow for flexibility in accessing local town offices, who often maintain irregular hours, to perform title searches and meet performance deadlines referenced in

Attachment 1, Statement of Work?

5. Does your firm have a local State presence to allow for flexibility in accessing local town offices, who often maintain irregular hours, to record executed documents and meet performance deadlines referenced in Attachment 1, Statement of Work?

6. Will the firm be sub-contracting title work to local State firms? If yes, please explain how the plan for ensuring subcontractors meet the timelines identified in Attachment 1, Statement of Work.

Evaluation Factor #2: Past Performance (no more than 4 pages to address 1-4 below):

1. Will this be the firm’s first time working with a federal contract?

2. Does the firm have an active System for Award Management, www.sam.gov, registration?

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3. What other federal agencies has the firm provided title services?

4. Include a summary of the offerors’ most recent three similar projects, maximum 3 pages.

For any past work stated, provide:

▪ applicable customer name

▪ size of project (in acres)

▪ contract dollar values

▪ description of work performed, and

▪ period of performance

▪ name, phone number and e-mail address of the person who can verify your past experience/performance

5. Past Performance Questionnaire is provided as Attachment 8.

6. Please submit Evaluation Factors one & two in Volume I of your submittal. Please submit the Bid Sheet and pricing information in Volume II of your submittal.

The below List of Attachments are incorporated and made part of this solicitation and award:

Attachment 1 - Statement of Work

Attachment 2 – Clauses

Attachment 3 – Pricing Schedule Worksheet – 1 rate per service supporting all counties within the State of North

Dakota supporting fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027. Please provide a price for each service and not

1 lump sum per year supporting all rows within the table provided within Attachment Three (3).

Attachment 4 – Past Performance Questionnaire

Attachment 5 - Conservation Cooperator Acknowledgement (One will need filled out at time of BPA award) – Do not include with your quote. This is filled out at time of award.

Attachment 6 – Service Contract Act - Index of Wage Determinations – North Dakota

Attachment 7 – DOJ Title Standards

Attachment 8 – NRCS Title Closing Standards

Attachment 9 – Evaluation Criteria for North Dakota Title Company BPA

END OF SOLICITATION