Air Carrier Freight Forwarding Services for NOW moths

A. The purpose of this amendment is to make the following changes to this solicitation:

1. Page 1: Box 8- Change response due date to 12/14/2017 at 10:00 AM CT

2. Pages 1-2: Change estimated pounds to 60,000 for full boxes and 30,000 for empty boxes.

3. Page 3 (paragraph E): updated to allow for ground transport for return of empty boxes.

4. Page 3: Add paragraph H which states "If the direct flight from Phoenix to Bakersfield is eliminated or changed to an unacceptable time during the course of this contract period of performance (a time outside the preferred times in the Statement of Work) the contract will be terminated for convenience."

5. Page 4 (Statement of Work) is changed as follows: The estimated weight for boxes is changed to: "A full box will weigh approximately 86 to 104 pounds. Return (empty) box weight will be between 46 to 54 pounds."; Daily weight of shipping boxes changed to "as much as 208 lbs."; The sentence "Ground transport return of the empty boxes will be allowed as long as it meets the three day return requirement. For boxes returned via ground transportation the return address is the PBRF located at 3645 E. Chipman Road, Phoenix, AZ." Added to section regarding return of boxes; The words "or grand transport" added to final sentence regarding return of empty boxes.

6. Pages 11-20 (Contract Terms): FAR Clause 52.245-1 Government Property (Jan 2017) is added.

B.  The attached amended RFP incorporates the above changes.

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. Post Questions and Answers dated December 4, 2017.
2.  Establish COB December 5, 2017 as the deadline for additional questions.

The purpose of this modification is to attach the solicitation.

The USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), in Phoenix, AZ intends to procure air carrier services, for up to seven days per week, for the transport of air freight full boxes of live Navel Orangeworm (NOW) Moths from Phoenix, AZ to Bakersfield, CA as well as the return of the empty shipping boxes from Bakersfield to Phoenix. The estimated period of performance will be from February 1, 2018 through November 30, 2018. Option periods for four additional years (February 1 through November 30 each year) will be included in the contract for a maximum contract length of five years.

The USDA intends to award a Requirements contract with firm-fixed price per pound line items with economic price adjustment for airline fuel and security surcharges. This will be a best value procurement. It is anticipated that the formal solicitation, Request for Proposal (RFP) 12-6395-18-Q-0012, will be released on or about November 17, 2018 and posted on this FEDBIZOPPS website. Please download the RFP from this website. This is being offered as a total small business set-aside. Therefore, all interested small businesses may respond. The NAICS code is 488510. INTERESTED PARTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING THIS WEBSITE FOR ANY AMENDMENTS ISSUED TO THIS SOLICITATION. A hard (printed) copy of the solicitation will not otherwise be available. Any questions or inquiries must be e-mailed to the Contracting Office, to the attention of Larry Nelson at Larry.D.Nelson@aphis.usda.gov. phone: (612) 336-3225.