Statement of Objectives Conveyance System Maintenance and Parts Solicitation 12639524Q0201.pdf

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

(SOO)

SOLICITATION NUMBER: 12639524Q0201

CONVEYANCE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND PARTS FOR THE

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA),

AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (AMS), COTTON & TOBACCO

PROGRAM

LOCATION(S): Conveyance System Maintenance Services and Parts must be provided for USDA, AMS, Cotton & Tobacco Program Classing Offices

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One Year Base Period, with Four One- Year Option Periods (5 Years Total)

Base Period: 08/01/2024 – 07/31/2025 Option Period I: 08/01/2025 – 07/31/2026 Option Period II: 08/01/2026 – 07/31/2027 Option Period III: 08/01/2027 – 07/31/2028 Option Period IV: 08/01/2028 – 07/31/2029

SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE: June 14, 2024

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I: Purpose Page 3

Part II: Scope

Part III: Period and Place of Performance

Part IV: Background

Part V: Performance Objectives

Part VI: Key Personnel, Operating Constraints & Other Considerations

I. Purpose: The purpose of this Statement of Objectives (SOO) is to provide the basic, high-level objectives of this acquisition, in terms of the Government’s required results.

II. Scope: The Contractor must provide Standard Services (Preventative

Maintenance (PM) Services), Additional Services (As-Needed Maintenance Services), and Parts for conveyance systems for the USDA, AMS, Cotton & Tobacco Program at the Cotton Classing Facilities identified below as “Included Facilities”.

Included Facilities:

• Memphis, Tennessee

• Lubbock, Texas

• Abilene, Texas

• Florence, South Carolina

• Rayville, Louisiana

• Macon, Georgia

Additionally, USDA may add or remove Cotton Classing Facilities subject to this contract at any time. For a Cotton Classing Facility to be added to the contract, USDA will provide the classing facility information, including drawings of the conveyance system, to the Contractor and request a price quotation from the Contractor for the requested services at the additional site(s) in line with the current pricing. At this time, it is anticipated that none of the six Cotton Classing Facilities included within this SOO will be removed from the contract during the five-year period of performance, should all options be exercised. At this time, it is anticipated that there may be a need for Standard Services (PM services), Additional Services (As-Needed Maintenance Services), and parts for additional Cotton Classing Facilities at the following locations:

• Corpus Christi, Texas

• Lamesa, Texas

• Visalia, California

NOTE: If there are any Cotton Classing Facilities added, they will not exceed 30% of the total contract dollar value, including options.

PM Services and As-Needed Maintenance Services include providing on-site repairs, maintenance, and troubleshooting; remote services for programming corrections, electronic configuration of devices, and troubleshooting performance problems; modifications to programming to facilitate improved flow of processes and communication with additional devices; troubleshooting problems in the system programming.

Operations at the Cotton Classing Facilities are seasonal in nature.

Normal Working Months are defined as months that each facility normally conducts operations. Normal Off-Season Months are months that each facility is not conducting normal operations.

A. Standard Services: Standard Services consist of Preventative Maintenance (PM) Services and will serve as the minimum guarantee for this contract. PM Services must be firm fixed-priced and will be established for the Base Year and four (4) one-year Option Periods at the time of contract award. The Contractor will be required to perform PM Services semi-annually (two times per contract year) beginning in the Base Period and continuing for each Option Period exercised by USDA.

1. PM Services: The Contractor must provide routinely scheduled PM Services once prior to the Normal Working Months, and once after the Normal Working Months for each Cotton Classing Facility, a total of two times per year during the Normal Off-Season Months for each Cotton Classing Facility for the entire contract period.

After each instance of performance of PM Services, the Contractor must provide the USDA Technical Point-of-Contact the following two

(2) deliverables:

• Recommended Parts List - A list that includes recommended compatible parts for the USDA to purchase and stock for each conveyance system. The list must include the make and model number (when applicable) for each part.

• A Preventative Maintenance Report in sufficient detail to describe the PM Services rendered for each instance, at each Cotton Classing Facility.

2. Conveyance System Parts Information: The following is a general summary of parts, programming, and communications components that require maintenance, repair, and/or replacement:

• Mechanical:

• Electrical motors

• Gearbox drives

• Shafts

• Bearings

• Chains

• Belts

• Power supplies

• Electronic cards

• Powered rollers

• Slave rollers

• Roller sleeves

• Communication cables

• Roller bands of various sizes

• Electronic relays

• Programming and Communication:

• Programmable Logic Controllers

• Cotton Electronic Recording Systems

• High Volume Instruments

• Rapid Conditioning Units

• Camera systems

B. Additional Services Indefinite Quantity Provisions (As-Needed Maintenance Services and Parts Ordering): USDA may order Additional Services within the general scope of the Contract or parts at its discretion at any time throughout the period of performance. Additional Services consist of As-Needed Maintenance Services.

1. As-Needed Maintenance Services: When ordered by USDA, the Contractor will be required to provide Additional Services for all conveyance systems within the Cotton Classing Facilities included within the scope of this Contract that arise during the Normal Working Months and Normal Off-Season Months at each of the facilities.

Additional Services include any services related to operations, maintenance and repairs, alterations, systems upgrades, within the scope of the Contract but, not covered within Standard Services (PM Services).

It is critical to minimize any disruption of operations at the Cotton Classing Facilities. When Additional Services are required, the Contractor will be notified by the USDA Technical Point-of-Contact at the applicable Cotton Classing Facility. During the Normal Working Months for each Cotton Classing Facility, Additional Services will be considered urgent, and the Contractor will be required to respond to Additional Services requests within two (2) hours of notification if the repair may be accomplished remotely, and eight (8) hours if the repair requires performance on-site. During Normal Working Months, due to the urgent nature of the services, the Contractor must provide a quotation within three (3) business days after Additional Services are provided for each Cotton Classing Facility.

During the Normal Off-Season Months for each Cotton Classing Facility, Additional Services are not urgent in nature and do not require the urgent response times identified during the Normal Working Months. During the Normal Off-Season Months, the Contractor must respond to requests for As-Needed Maintenance by providing a quotation within five (5) business days and must complete each repair, either remotely or on-site (as appropriate for each instance) within the timeframe mutually agreed-to. The Contractor must attempt to complete work as promptly as feasible, but no later than the date agreed upon.

Additional Services quotations must include a brief description of the technical approach to completing the service, and the quotation must also include detailed pricing on a firm fixed-price basis. The Contractor must utilize established fully burdened labor rates (as established in this contract) for the positions that apply to the Additional Service during the base period or option period, if exercised, that the service is rendered. At a minimum, the price quoted to complete the Additional Service must include parts and materials (if applicable), labor and subcontracting costs as described below. A fully burdened labor rate (price per hour) is defined as a price that includes wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit.

The Contractor must identify the price of any new, additional subcontractor labor necessary to complete any instance of Additional Services and the Contractor’s methodology to determine that the level of effort and price of labor is reasonable, e.g., competitive quotes for the subcontracted work, justification of only one source, and any other additional information to assist the Government in determining the reasonableness of the proposed subcontract(s). The Contractor must compete subcontractor opportunities for the work to the maximum extent practicable. If work is to be subcontracted, the subcontracted portion of the work must be clearly identified within the Contractor’s Additional Services quotation that is submitted to USDA. The quotation must include the subcontractor’s labor hours, hourly rate, a parts and materials listing with associated costs, and overhead and profit. Additionally, the Vendor must quote an Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient to apply to quotations that subcontract any portion of the Additional Services required. The Additional Services Mark- Up Coefficient rate is fixed and applies only to Additional Services orders that include any portion of the work to be subcontracted. The Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient includes all General and Administrative (G&A) fees, and profit. No additional markup coefficient is allowable under this contract. If the entirety of the Additional Services requirement is to be accomplished in-house (by the Prime Contractor), and none of the Additional Services are to be subcontracted, the Additional Services Mark- Up Coefficient must not be applied to the Additional Services quotation.

The Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient must not exceed 10%. The subcontracted part of the work is to be quoted at actual cost to the Contractor, marked up by the Additional Services Mark-Up Coefficient accepted for award.

If parts or materials are required for an Additional Service, USDA may provide the parts or materials, or the Contractor may be asked to provide the parts and materials. Parts and materials must be priced at estimated actual cost marked up by the Parts Mark-Up Coefficient accepted for award. Receipts for any parts or materials may be requested at any time by USDA.

Contract payment will be withheld if notification is given of non-payment to a subcontractor who completed work under this contract.

Notes:

• During Normal Off-Season Months, because Additional Services are not considered urgent as they are during the Normal Working Months for each Cotton Classing Facility, the Contractor must provide a quotation and receive USDA approval to provide services prior to commencing with Additional Services.

• Additional Services valued at greater than $2,500.00 are subject to the Wage Rate Requirements (Service Contract Act) in accordance with FAR subpart 22.10 and other specific regulatory supplements.

Applicable regulatory requirements must be identified by the CO and included in the Additional Services Task Order. The Service Contract Act Wage Determination incorporated within the base Contract must apply to any Task Orders issued. When Additional Services are ordered and the total of the order is $2,500.00 or less, the order may be paid via Government Purchase Card (GPC) (credit card). The Vendor must have and maintain the ability to accept major credit cards.

2. Parts Ordering: At the request of USDA, the Contractor must provide a quotation for parts requested by USDA to purchase and stock for each conveyance system. The quotation must include the make and model number (when applicable) for each part, as well as specific unit pricing for parts and recommended quantities. Additionally, the quotation must include supporting documentation that the price for parts quoted was developed from the Contractor seeking quotes from a minimum of two suppliers to obtain a fair and reasonable price. The Vendor must quote a Parts Mark-Up Coefficient to apply to quotations for parts only. The Parts Mark-Up Coefficient includes all material handling fees, including General and Administrative (G&A) fees, and profit. No additional markup coefficient is allowable under this contract. The Parts Mark-Up Coefficient rate is fixed and applies only to parts. The Parts Mark-Up Coefficient must not exceed 10%. The Vendor may apply the Parts Mark-Up Coefficient accepted at the time of contract award for any order that contains parts (Additional Services orders that include Contractor-provided parts and Parts only orders).

If the USDA elects to purchase the parts through the Contractor, for orders greater than $2,500.00, the purchase will be made via issuance of an order by the USDA Contracting Officer against the base IDIQ contract. If parts are ordered and the total of the order is $2,500.00 or less, the order may be paid via Government Purchase Card (GPC) (credit card). The Vendor must have and maintain the ability to accept major credit cards.

III. Period and Place of Performance: This will be a five (5) year Indefinite- Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract, should all options be exercised. The anticipated periods of performance are as follows:

Base Year: 08/01/2024 – 07/31/2025 Option Period I: 08/01/2025 – 07/31/2026 Option Period II: 08/01/2026 – 07/31/2027 Option Period III: 08/01/2027 – 07/31/2028 Option Period IV: 08/01/2028 – 07/31/2029

The USDA, AMS, Cotton & Tobacco Program Cotton Classing Facilities included within this scope are located at the following locations:

• Memphis, Tennessee: 3275 Appling Road, Memphis, TN 38133-2701

• Lubbock, Texas: 120 Texas Tech Parkway, Lubbock, TX 79409-4108

• Abilene, Texas: 24 Windmill Circle, Abilene, TX 79606-5233

• Florence, South Carolina: 1725 Range Way, Florence, SC 29501-1118

• Rayville, Louisiana: 161 Industrial Loop, Rayville, LA 71269-7347

• Macon, Georgia: 1100 Parkway Drive, Macon, GA 31220-8311

IV. Background: The conveyance systems within the Cotton Classing

Facilities consist of fill workstations, loader workstations, High Volume Instrument (HVI) workstations and classer workstations. Each site’s specific conveyance system configuration may differ from the systems located at other sites.

The following table provides a summary of the conveyance system(s) that will be subject to this contract for each Cotton Classing Facility:

Location Year

Built Workstations Samples per hour Normal Working Months

Normal Off- Season Months

Fill Loader HVI Classer

Memphis, TN

2017 2 6 10 4 1000 September through March

April through August

V. Performance Objectives:

1. Provide semi-annual Preventative Maintenance (PM) services

(Standard Services) for the included USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, Cotton & Tobacco Program Cotton Classing Offices (two PM Services per contract year) to ensure the conveyance systems remain in good operational order, and to minimize wear and tear on the components of the conveyance systems.

2. When ordered by the USDA, provide As-Needed Maintenance

Services (Additional Services) for the specified USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, Cotton & Tobacco Program Cotton Classing Offices. The objective of As-Needed Maintenance is to urgently respond within the required timeframes and complete necessary repairs as soon as possible during the Normal Working Months to minimize disruptions to the operations of the Cotton Classing Facility.

The Contractor must remain on the job until the urgent repairs have been completed.

During the Normal Off-Season Months (months not identified as Normal Working Months) for each Cotton Classing Facility: The Contractor must respond to requests for Additional Services by providing a quotation to the USDA Technical Point of Contact within five (5) business days of the request. Note: During the Normal Off- Season Months Additional Services are not considered urgent;

Memphis, TN

2019 2 6 10 4 1000 September through March

April through August

Memphis, TN

2022 4 16 24 12 2400 September through March

April through August

Lubbock, TX

2020 4 16 24 12 2400 September through

April

May through August

Abilene, TX

2015 4 Not Applica ble

8 4 800 October through March

April through

September Florence, SC

2018 2 8 12 6 1000 September through

February

March through August

Rayville, LA

2019 2 8 12 6 1000 September through January

February through August

Macon, GA

2024 4 20 24 12 2400 October through March

April through

September therefore, the Contractor must provide the quote and receive approval from USDA to proceed with Additional Services during this time.

3. When requested by USDA, provide a quotation for requested parts and quantities. When ordered by USDA, provide specified parts for the conveyance systems in the quantities and unit prices specified within each order.

VI. Key Personnel, Operating Constraints & Other Considerations:

A. Key Personnel Qualifications and Submission of Resumes for New Employees Assigned as Key Personnel: The Contractor must submit resumes for all new employees proposed as “key personnel” to the USDA Technical Point of Contact before they begin work during the entirety of the contract period of performance (base and all option periods). The USDA Technical Point of Contact may deny permission to allow new personnel to provide services under this contract if qualifications indicate a material degradation from the skill levels indicated in the Contractor’s quotation that was accepted by USDA for contract award, or if skills or reliability concerns are such that the USDA Technical Point of Contact believes the protection of building equipment may be jeopardized.

NOTE: During the solicitation phase of this procurement, resumes for key personnel must be submitted with quotations as outlined within the quotation submission instructions of the solicitation.

1. Minimum Qualifications of Key Personnel: The intent of this paragraph is to be for informational purposes only and is not to be considered prescribed positions by the Government. However, the Contractor must adhere to the below minimum qualifications when the positions are utilized and proposed in the Performance Work Statement. Resumes for Key Personnel must be submitted with the contractor’s quotation.

a. Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) Programmer: The PLC Programmer is a highly skilled IT professional who designs, maintains, and troubleshoots machines and plants that use programmable logic controllers. Programmable logic controllers (PLC) are small computers that are connected to a machine and are programmed to control the machine's functions. A PLC programmer helps develop and program PLCs to fit the application.

The Contractor’s PLC Programmer(s) must possess at least five (5) years of recent (within the past seven years) experience in the design, maintenance, and troubleshooting of complex machines, automation systems, and plants that use programmable logic controllers. A detailed resume must be submitted to the USDA Point of Contact for approval prior to the assignment of any PLC Programmer to the Contract. Both new and replacement PLC Programmers must meet these qualification standards. Minimally, the resume must contain:

a. The full name of the proposed PLC Programmer(s).

b. A detailed description of the proposed PLC Programmer(s) employment history for the previous seven (7) years. The names and addresses of the companies for whom the proposed project manager worked for the past seven (7) years, along with the names and telephone numbers of the immediate supervisors. The resume must contain sufficient information for the USDA to be able to determine that the proposed PLC Programmer possesses the required relevant experience.

b. Contract Project Manager: The Contractor must designate a Contract Project Manager in writing and provide the name and contact information to the USDA Contracting Officer and USDA Technical Points of Contact. The Contract Project Manager is considered essential to the work being performed under this Contract.

The Contract Project Manager must possess at least five (5) years of recent (within the past seven years) experience in the management and supervision of maintaining and troubleshooting complex conveyance & automation systems. A detailed resume must be submitted to the USDA Contracting Officer and USDA Technical Point of Contact for approval prior to the assignment of the Project Manager to the Contract. Both new and replacement Project Managers must meet these qualification standards. Minimally, the resume must contain:

a. The full name of the proposed project manager.

b. A detailed description of the proposed project manager’s employment history for the previous seven years. The names and addresses of the companies for whom the proposed project manager worked for the past seven years, along with the names and telephone numbers of the immediate supervisors. The resume must contain sufficient information for the USDA to be able to determine that the proposed Project Manager possesses the required relevant experience.

Any request for substitution of Key Personnel after contract award must include a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the Contracting Officer. Any proposed substitute must have qualifications equal to or superior to the qualifications of the incumbent. The USDA Technical Point of Contact will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the Contractor of their approval or disapproval thereof.

If any of the identified Key Personnel cease to perform under the contract and the substitute is disapproved, the contract may be immediately terminated in accordance with the termination clause of the contract.

The Contractor will provide to the Contracting Officer the names, titles, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers of key personnel at time of award.

B. Employee Training: The Contractor must maintain a training program to ensure employees working under this Contract have the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the work required by this Contract.

C. Appearance: Contractor personnel must present a neat appearance and be easily recognized. This must be accomplished by wearing uniforms bearing the name of the company and employee name. Uniforms must be regularly laundered, consistent among personnel classifications, and maintained presentable to tenant personnel during all working hours.

D. Personnel Security Requirements: Contractors must comply with the personal identity verification (PIV) policies and procedures established by the AGAR Advisory No. 81, Revision 03 dated July 19, 2010 – Common Identification Standard for Contractors.

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

In addition, procedures to be followed by Contractors and Contractor employees are specified in the Departmental Regulation and Departmental Manual (DM) 4620-002. Copies can be downloaded from the website at http://hspd12.usda.gov

In accordance with the USDA policy and directives, a Background Investigation of the personnel working under this contract is required prior to commencing services as well as maintaining it throughout the duration of the contract. The Contractor must, through their own internal background investigation protocol and pre-employment investigation, ensure that each contractor employee submitted for a federal background investigation is reasonably expected to receive a favorable adjudication of their respective investigation.

The USDA will pay for the required federal background investigation. The government must have and exercise full and complete control over granting, denying, withholding, or termination the background investigation clearance for employees.

https://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/policy/advisories.htm http://hspd12.usda.gov/

All Contractor personnel that will have access to the USDA facility will be required to have, a Tier 1, Low Risk – Non-Sensitive background investigation with no less than favorably adjudicated results. Once approved and working at the facility, the Contractor personnel must not be removed or diverted from the site without prior notification to the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor must not employ persons for work on this contract if such employee is considered by the USDA to be a potential threat to health, safety, general well-being or operational mission of USDA and its employees and property. If the USDA finds a prospective employee to be unsuitable for his or her assigned duties, the contractor will be advised immediately that such employee cannot continue to work or be assigned to work under the contract.

The USDA Technical Point of Contact or other agency designated point of contact will assist the contractor, where practical, with the background investigation process and the associated paperwork.

The Contractor must provide to the USDA Personal Identity Verification Sponsor and the Personnel Security Specialist the information required to initiate the background investigation, including information on previous Office of Personnel Management background investigations or clearances conducted by the contractor. The Contractor must ensure that prime and subcontractor employees requiring background investigations complete and submit the proper paperwork and forms. You can obtain further guidance from the Personnel Security Specialist who oversees the investigation process for contractors:

USDA, APHIS, MRP-BS, HRD, HRO

Personnel Security Section Attn: Tenzing Choekyi, Personnel Security Specialist (AMS Contractors),

(612) 336-3486, Tenzing.Choekyi@usda.gov Attn: Kelly Ashford, Personnel Security Assistant (AMS Contractors), (612) 336-3351, Kelly.Ashford@usda.gov 250 Marquette Ave STE 410 Minneapolis, MN 55401-2329

For further information and reference on the USDA personnel security requirements please see the document entitled AGAR Advisory 81 entitled “Common Identification Standard for Contractors” at https://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/policy/docs/Proc%20Adv%20081% 20C.pdf

E. Credentials and Identification: Contractor personnel with credentials must be required to comply with all access security screening procedures applicable to Government or other personnel possessing similar credentials, or as determined by the building practices as defined by the Facility Security Committee. All Contractor personnel possessing credentials (PIV or otherwise) must visibly display their credentials at all times while in the building(s) where work is being performed.

The Contractor must be responsible for ensuring that all identification credentials are returned to the COR whenever its employees leave the Contract (i.e., when the Contract has been completed, employees leave the company, employees are dismissed or terminated, or the Government determines that the employee is to be removed from the contract).

Whenever employee badges are lost the contractor must immediately file a “lost PIV” incident report with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Protective Service (FPS) and provide a copy of the incident report (including incident number) to the COR. The Contractor must be responsible for paying the Government for replacement credentials at the current cost per badge.

The Government will withhold final payment until such time as all employee badges (PIV or otherwise) have been collected and returned to the COR. Any badges not returned as an employee departs, or at contract conclusion must be accompanied by a DHS FPS incident report for each badge and a fee of $100 per badge not returned must be deducted from the contract payment amount.

F. Escorting: Temporary contract employees who do not have favorable preliminary or final suitability determinations and need to work in non-public federally controlled space must be escorted. In those cases, the Contractor must comply with the security clearance procedures for Escort Only Contractors. All uncleared contract employees must be escorted in non-public space by a Government employee or another responsible cleared contract employee who is approved by the USDA Technical Point of Contact.

Government employees or approved cleared contract employees who provide escorts for uncleared contract employees must always be within eyesight of the uncleared contract employees. The Contract Government escort must watch uncleared employees and remain with uncleared contract employees for the entire time they are in non-public federally controlled space. Any security violation of escort requirements by a cleared and approved contract employee must result in the immediate removal from the Contract of all contract employees involved, i.e., escorts and uncleared escorted contract employees. Also, violations of escort requirements by subcontract employees in accordance with security requirements must be grounds for loss of facility access for those individuals or grounds for termination of Contract, or both.