SPECIFICATIONS AND PRICE SCHEDULE.pdf

1.0 Price Schedule

The Government contemplates award of a commercial, firm‐fixed price, indefinite‐delivery indefinite‐ quantity contract for alfalfa and timothy grass hay cubes. The estimated quantity listed for these items in the below table are the maximum quantities that could be ordered. The minimum guaranteed order amount required by the contract is $. Maximum contract value is $. There is no guarantee that additional product will be ordered throughout the remaining life of the contract.

Prices shall include all costs necessary to produce and deliver the product FOB destination.

Offeror must complete the price/unit column below:

CLIN Item Unit Price/Unit

EST

QTY

Minimum Maximum

Grass/Alfalfa Hay Cubes

Ton

75 20 90

Timothy Hay Cubes

Ton

35 0 75

2.0 General

2.1 Background

The mission of the USDA‐NADC Animal Resources Unit in Ames, Iowa is to provide animal care and support services for internal users that rely on animals and animal products for research, testing, and training.

2.2 Objective

Fresh, clean, high quality feed is critical to support animal health and well‐being. Items purchased under this contract will be used to feed animals in the conduction of research. Since diet is an essential control factor necessary in the Center’s research, no substitution or deviation from the formulations is permissible without approval from the USDA. Only clean, high quality ingredients are to be used. Combining/blending with like ingredients of low quality or possible contamination is not acceptable. This would include, but not be limited to, mold and mycotoxins within feed ingredients.

2.3 Scope of Work

The Contractor shall provide all resources necessary to accomplish the tasks and deliverables described in this Statement of Work. The Contractor shall make deliveries within TEN (10) working days after receipt of a phone or written order from an authorized Government employee.

Deliveries shall be made to: USDA, ARS, MWA, NADC, 1920 Dayton Avenue, Building 13, Ames, Iowa 50010. Deliveries shall be made during normal business hours of 7:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. (CST) Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. Deliveries shall be made from the plant in which the hay cubes are manufactured and bagged in clean, closed vehicles not used in the transportation of livestock. Each shipment shall be made as through shipment to the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) without transfer from truck to truck or trailer or through terminals and unloaded at location specified by the NADC. The Contractor shall assure that the material conforms to the specifications in the contract prior to delivery. Upon delivery, at destination, the Government reserves the right to reject any or all parts of a shipment, if in the opinion of the Government, it does not meet the requirements contained herein. Bags that are torn so that hay cubes are exposed on arrival at the NADC will not be accepted for use. The Government reserves the right to inspect the processing and storage plant of hay cubes at any time during the contract period of performance. Final inspection will be made at destination for condition and quality.

Bags shall be loaded and delivered on returnable or disposable pallets so that hay cubes can be unloaded by a Government forklift operator at the Government facility. If returnable pallets are used, they shall be provided at no additional cost to the Government and the Contractor shall be responsible for pick‐up and return of these pallets after delivery.

It is required by the ICC that both empty and loaded weight must be obtained from the same weighing station. The Contractor shall provide the Government with a certified copy of both the empty and loaded weigh tickets, at the time of each delivery, which must be obtained at an official weighing station with the firm's name inscribed on the weigh ticket. A delivery ticket must be presented with each delivery (allowing for a signature of person making the delivery and signature of Government personnel receiving the delivery) and must list the number of bags. NOTE: Exception to weigh tickets would be for bags that have certified equal weights and each bag is marked, thus weigh tickets would not be required. If weigh tickets are not presented, the Government reserves the right to weigh random bags upon delivery.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR HAY CUBES

CLIN 0001: Grass‐Alfalfa cubes Content shall be a mixture of grasses (minimum 40%, maximum 75%) and alfalfa (minimum 25%, maximum 60%). Grasses shall be brome, orchard, and/or timothy. Protein content shall be no less than 11%. Moisture content shall be no more than 13.0% and not less than 11.5%. Crude fiber shall be less than 33%.

CLIN 0002: Timothy cubes Content shall be timothy grass only. Protein content shall be no less than 7%. Moisture content shall be no more than 13.0% and not less than 11.5%. Crude fiber shall be less than 35%.

The minimal guaranteed protein, crude fiber, and moisture content of the cubes in percent shall be placed on a tag attached to the bag or stamped on the bag. Hay shall not contain injurious foreign materials. The cubes shall be approximately 2 inches long x 1.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick.

The cubes shall be delivered in multi‐walled bags that shall not be less than 50/50 all‐natural Kraft paper only (plastic liners are not allowed). Individual bag weight shall not exceed 60 pounds nor be less than 40 pounds (ideally 50 pounds). All bags within the same shipment must be consistent (NTE 1‐pound difference) and shall not be tied with, nor contain, wire or backing boards or any other nonflammable materials. Bag size shall be approximately 20 inches wide x 5 inches deep and 38 inches long to facilitate stacking. Only new bags shall be used.

The hay cubes shall be made in the field during haying season or hay baled directly off field and store/processed in clean facilities free of possible contaminates. Hay cubes shall be cured in a ventilated building, a minimum of twenty (20) days prior to bagging. All fines shall be screened prior to or during the bagging process. The cubes shall be bagged in the same facility as they are cured in.

NOTE: Items purchased under this contract will be used to feed animals in the conduction of research. Since diet is an essential control factor necessary in the Center’s research, no substitution or deviation from the formulations is permissible without approval from the USDA.

Only clean, high quality ingredients are to be used. Combining/blending with like ingredients of low quality or possible contamination is not acceptable. This would include, but not be limited to, mold and mycotoxins within feed ingredients.

Cubes shall NOT contain:

1. Antibiotics

2. Hormones

3. Chemical growth promotants

4. Animal products or by‐products

5. Bactericides, bacteriostats or cocidiostats

If the mill to be used has processed feeds containing any of these materials prior to processing Government feed, it shall be flushed with at least two tons of feed which does not contain any of the above‐mentioned additives immediately before processing. This is to be done at the expense of the contractor.

2.4 Period of Performance

The contract shall run for one full year from start date.

2.5 Place of Performance

Delivery will be made to USDA, NCAH, 1920 Dayton Ave, Ames, Iowa. Pick‐up and delivery shall not be made on Federal Holidays or Observance of Federal Holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day). If the Monday is a Federal Holiday or the Observance of the Federal Holiday, delivery will be made on Tuesday of that week.

The following rules and regulations apply to all property at the NCAH, Ames, Iowa, under the custody of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and to all persons entering on such property.

Admission to Property: The campus is closed to the general public. Admission to the facility is restricted to authorized persons and approved visitors. Upon entry, visitors:

1. Will be required to present Government or other identifying credentials to the Officer at the Visitor Gate

(photo driver’s license, passport, or other official photo identification).

2. Will be issued a visitor’s badge and must wear and display the badge at all times while visiting the facilities.

3. Masks are required on federal property.