Sources Sought Posting Camp Cook .pdf

THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL, REQUEST FOR QUOTE,

OR AN INVITATION FOR BID. NO ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS OR DRAWINGS ARE

AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. NO CONTRACT OR PURCHASE ORDER WILL BE AWARDED

FROM THIS NOTICE. THIS MARKET RESEARCH IS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF INTEREST,

CAPABILITIES, AND QUALIFICATIONS OF INTERESTED VENDORS AND WILL BE USED BY

THE GOVERNMENT TO SHAPE THE ACQUISITION STRATEGY IN DEVELOPING A

COMPETITIVE REQUIREMENT.

The United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Special Projects Operations Center –

Southwest Region intends to issue a solicitation for a camp cook a contract for Contract Inspection

Support Services. Services will need to be provided in backcountry camp sites established in the Trinity

Alps Wilderness of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest (California). The Forest Service is looking to award a single contract. The contract is anticipated to be for a base period and four (4) option periods.

The Forest Service will provide equipment and food supplies to complete the requirements; therefore, the awarded contractor(s) must provide all management, supervision, and labor. The contractor(s) personnel must have necessary expertise, qualifications, and experience to assure performance of the work in accordance with sound, safe, and efficient management practices. Sources are being sought for entities with a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 722330, Mobile Food Services, with a Small Business Size Standard of 9 Million Dollars. We are requesting information on all business sizes and categories listed in item #2 below. Responses are requested with the following information:

1. Vendor’s name, address, UEI, points of contact with telephone number(s) and e-mail address(es);

2. Business size/classification to include any and all business types and sizes.

3. Description of capability to perform any or all of the following services:

The services resulting from this contract require performance of food handling and storage, menu preparation, kitchen set up and maintenance, meal preparation and cooking services for an 15–18 person Conservation Corps Crew and 2 Forest Service Trail workers performing trail maintenance/ rehabilitation/ construction work between mid April and late September, in a primitive wilderness area. Dates are estimated and are subject to change based on crew availability. (See below statement of work for a detailed explanation of the work required)

Interested vendors can email their capabilities and zone coverage to Blaine Greenwalt at

Blaine.greenwalt@usda.gov. Responses must be received by 1500 Mountain Standard Time, Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

Questions will NOT be responded to, however, notification that your capabilities statement was received will be sent. This Sources Sought is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the

Government pay for any information provided.

mailto:Blaine.greenwalt@usda.gov

Statement of Work

Scope of Contract The services resulting from this contract require performance of food handling and storage, menu preparation, kitchen set up and maintenance, meal preparation and cooking services for an 15-18 person Conservation Corps Crew and 2 Forest Service Trail workers performing trail maintenance/ rehabilitation/ construction work between mid April and late September, in a primitive wilderness area. Dates are estimated and are subject to change based on crew availability.

Contract Time and Estimated State Date Contract time will be 120 workdays with an estimated start date of approximately April 15 annually and end date of September 30 annually. The Contractor is not expected to work Saturdays or Sundays unless an exception is made to accommodate a change of schedule.

Schedule changes will be communicated to the Contractor as soon as practical. Additional workdays beyond the 120 awarded may be added during Contract performance if Clause 52.217-8 is exercised or as mutually agreed between the Contractor and the Contracting Officer (CO). Due to the remote nature of the contract performance, the CO’s agreement to additional days may be communicated to the Contractor via the COR, Inspector or pack crew.

Work during Federal Holidays shall occur as follows:

Holiday Work Status

Memorial Day The Contractor will NOT be expected to cook Juneteeth The contractor will NOT be expected to cook Independence Day The Contractor will be expected to cook

Labor Day The Contractor will be expected to cook

Location and Schedule Backcountry camp sites will be established in the Trinity Alps Wilderness of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Throughout contract duration, camp will relocate at various times –roughly, between 2 to 4 times – to different locations in the Trinity Alps Wilderness where the CCC will be accomplishing work and requiring camp cook services. Only one camp will require services at any given time. Camp locations and dates are subject to change based on weather and project completion dates. Contractor will be expected to adhere to all wilderness laws and regulations while performing this contract. No motorized equipment may be used within designated Wilderness areas. Contractor will comply with all fire restrictions required by the Forest Service and will adjust operations accordingly.

Throughout the entire project timeframe, the Contractor is not required to stay in the wilderness during unpaid weekends. However, travel to and from worksites is the responsibility of the Contractor.

The contractor shall be on site weekly to cook meals starting breakfast Monday morning and ending after Friday dinner. On days when the trail crew is working away from the camp area, the camp shall remain onsite Monday-Friday to provide food security.

The contractor will provide a back-up cook if they aren’t available for planned days they are not available to cook. The back-up cook will be approved by the government and must meet all the same training standards and certifications as the contractor.

The contractor will not be paid on days they are sick.

Technical Specifications The Contractor prepares and serves two appetizing, well-balanced, hot, and nutritious meals each workday. Meat entrees will be provided with supplemental non-meat protein (vegetarian) dishes provided as requested. Sack lunches will be made by each crew member, but contractor is responsible for laying out all lunch items for preparation.

The Contractor shall have knowledge and experience cooking and baking in Dutch ovens, cooking over a fire, and cooking in the ground as this will be required for preparing meals for the crew. No motorized equipment, including chainsaws and motorcycles, may be used within designated wilderness without expressed written authorization.

The Contractor plans menus, controls food supplies through weekly inventories of food in camp and Weaverville refrigerator unit and provides a list of food to be ordered based on projected needs after reconciling with supplies on hand. The food order shall be given to the lead animal packer during the weekly food re- supply on the forms provided. Food costs shall not exceed $1,750 per food order. For planning purposes, CCC crew menus will start on Tuesday and end the following Monday. Contractor shall also plan weekend and non-work holiday meals that will be prepared by crewmembers. Menus are subject to Government approval.

April 2023 exact Date TBD. The contractor shall report to Kings Canyon NP or Yosemite NP (location TBD) to participate in the Crew Kick off meeting. Crew Kick off meeting will be three days and two nights contractor will be expected to camp at the venue. Duties will entail assisting in cooking dinner and breakfast daily. Contractor shall participate in staff meetings and crew reviews throughout the day as well as participate in evening programs and activities to include the “behind the Kitchen” crew cook meetings nightly. On the final day the Contractor will be expected to contribute to the group cleaning of area and travel to Weaverville.

The last week of April are days wherein the Contractor shall be oriented, prepare camp kitchen supplies, wash kitchen items, create the first shopping list and assist Forest Service employees shop for and pack supplies for the first trip into the backcountry. These preparations will be performed at the Forest Service barn in Weaverville, CA., and a grocery store in Redding CA.

In the last week of April the Contractor shall prepare the evening meal, and the next day the morning meal plus the provision of supplies for lunch, in Weaverville. Subsequent meals will be provided in the backcountry. Once the crew and Contractor are in the backcountry, food will be supplied once a week by pack stock. The Contractor will present the weekly inventory of supplies and the grocery list and menu to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Inspector, or the Forest Service Mule Packer by noon on Monday of each week.

A majority of the time a Kitchen Patrol (KP) will be assigned to the contractor for assistance.

Crew members will rotate into this role during the contract period. Contractor directs assigned helpers, if available, in the performance of sanitation, maintenance and food preparation duties. If no KP is available, the contractor will be responsible for making meals without assistance. Contractor’s operations shall comply with the Health and Safety Code Handbook;

Chapter 50, Employee Safety, Security, and Health, Section 55, Temporary Camps (Enclosed – See Exhibit A).

Camps are drug, alcohol and weapon-free. No alcohol, drugs or firearms will be allowed in camp or around corps members. Failure to comply with this drug, alcohol and weapon -free environment will be cause for default of this contract.

Hours worked shall be those necessary to start a warming fire by 5:15 AM to coincide with the morning meal, provide sack lunch supplies by 5:30 AM, serve prepared breakfast at 6:00 AM, and dinner by 5:30 PM, each work day, unless otherwise agreed between the Contractor and Contracting Officer. The workweek shall be Monday through Friday including certain Federal Holidays as described elsewhere in the contract. While a day off will be given to crew members for each of these holidays, it may not occur upon the actual holiday. For CCC Crews, the workweek will be Monday through Friday. If the contractor is not able to cook meals by the required times, both breakfast and dinner, on each of the required days they will not be paid for the day.

The Contractor is expected to be present for the camp moves, and will be involved in set up of new camps, particularly the kitchen and food storage areas. Meal planning and food supplies shall be managed so that a minimum amount of food is relocated during camp moves.

Standard Menu Minimum Requirements:

Standard menu items and minimum quantities to be available per person are listed below for each type of meal: i.e., hot breakfasts, sack lunches, hot dinners. The food shall meet or exceed the quality and quantity standards cited herein and shall be selected and cooked to minimize health hazards.

Hot Breakfast

• Eggs – 2 fresh eggs (3 when scrambled) or 6 oz. of liquid eggs.

• Meat – 4 oz. (raw weight).

• Bread or Hot cakes or French Toast or Waffles – or equivalent starch (equal to three 1 – 1.5oz. slices of bread)

• Potatoes – 6 oz. or equivalent starch

• Milk –1 pint

• Fresh Fruit or Canned Fruit or Chilled Juice

Hot Dinners Hot dinners shall be prepared and served at the camps. Hot dinner menus shall include the items and minimum quantities identified below. Contractor may elect to serve an entrée such as lasagna or casseroles. However, these entrees must have a meat side dish which ensures meals attain the total minimum meat quantity standard cited below is attained. Dinners shall consist of the following standard menu requirements:

• Whole/Full Muscle Meat: boneless beef or pork, 8 oz.; boneless poultry or fish, 10 oz.

• Non-meat protein dish, 6 oz. of a non-meat substitute protein, such as BBQ beans, veggie patty, vegetarian hot dog, tofu, beans, soybean products, cottage cheese, eggs, or equivalent

• Vegetables – 4 oz.

• Potatoes – 6 oz. or equivalent starch

• Bread – two 1 – 1.5 oz. slices

• Milk – 1 pint

• Dessert – 4 oz

Lunch Contractor shall order lunch supplies in sufficient quantity, quality, and variety to provide crewmembers adequate lunches. The Contractor must make available, at a minimum, the ingredients necessary to make the following items:

• Entrée 1 - One Meat Sandwich (or Sandwich with Non-meat/Vegetarian Substitute)

• Entrée 2 – Variety Item (examples follow)

• Peanut butter & jelly

• Bagel with cream cheese

• Two slices bread, peanut butter, cheese

• Nuts

• Pita (pocket bread) with tuna packets

• Burritos, chimichangas or similar

• Fruit, fresh or dried

• Snack

• Fresh Fruit

• Nuts

• Cookies

• Drink

• Juice

• Electrolyte-replacing drink, such as Gatorade

• Lemonade

Sanitation:

The Contractor shall keep clean, sanitary kitchen at all times, providing a readily available supply of soap and hot water for washing, insuring that wash water container is filled each evening. The Contractor shall store all food and foodstuffs in a sanitary manner, protected from weather, flies, and rodents. Food storage coolers are to be cleaned as they are emptied all food storage devices shall be sanitized and disinfected once a week at a minimum. The hot water heating container shall be cleaned each Thursday.

Maintenance:

Contractor shall maintain the stoves, utensils, water filter system, and all other equipment in good working order.

Camp Environment:

Backcountry camp crews are comprised of a Crew Supervisor, crewmembers varying in age from 18-24 and two Forest Service representatives. The crewmembers come from diverse backgrounds, many from inner cities, with varied levels of education and work experience.

Getting to know each other and learning to live together in a unique situation is a large part of the backcountry experience.

The role of the cook within the social environment is to help oversee the welfare and morale of the crew and to create a comfortable, positive atmosphere in the camp. The cook interacts with the crew on a daily basis, solicits feedback and suggestions from them (e.g., food likes/dislikes, allergies, special needs), and gives direction and tracks crewmember work accomplishments in camp. The cook participates in the weekly camp staff meetings, where issues are aired, and suggestions and praise are encouraged.

Camp locations are remote and the access by foot can be arduous, which can serve to give the cook an idea of the work the crews perform on a daily basis. The cook needs to instill a sense of respect in the camp, particularly in relation to diversity of background, opinion, etc. The presentation, quality, and quantity of food, as well as the cook’s attitude, are integral to a successful backcountry experience.

In the Event of Fire Restrictions:

In the likely event that fire restrictions are imposed during the term of the contract, water heating and waste disposal methods would need to be adjusted. Additional propane and a heavy-duty propane burner would be provided for heating water, and additional animal-proof containers would be provided for the temporary storage of garbage. A warming fire will not be required or allowed under fire restrictions.

Contractor Furnished Components Contractor shall furnish a sleeping bag, tent and all personal items needed to live in a backcountry camp. Contractor shall furnish own transportation to and from trailheads.

Contractor is responsible for walking into campsites and transporting all personal supplies after the initial trip into camp.

Access to the worksite is by foot. The Government will transport the Contractor’s personal gear to the worksite. However, personal gear transported shall not be in excess of 150 pounds.

Government Furnished Components The Government will furnish all food, kitchen equipment and tent, stoves, cooking utensils, food storage (bear-resistant coolers, bear-resistant and rodent-proof boxes) and sundries necessary to prepare and serve meals. The Contractor’s meals shall be included as part of the food budget. If available, corps members will assist in kitchen cleanup duties. If no one is available from the crew, contractor shall be responsible for all cleanup and preparation of meals. The Government will deliver all food and miscellaneous items needed for the project.

Contractor is responsible for loss, damage, or destruction of property provided by the Government.