Fiberboard Boxes for seedlings at the Bessey Nursery

The Department of Agriculture Forest Service Region 2 (Rocky Mountain Region) is soliciting quotations for the procurement of custom fiberboard boxes designed for transporting tree seedlings at the Bessey Nursery on the Nebraska National Forest. The solicitation seeks three distinct box types with specific internal dimensions and technical specifications, including requirements for flap construction, burst test ratings of 200 pounds, and selective wax coating on certain box types. All quotations must be submitted by 5:00 PM Mountain Time on January 24, 2026, with technical questions due by January 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM Mountain Time. The government will award a firm-fixed-price contract to the lowest-priced, technically acceptable offer, evaluating proposals based on demonstrated compliance with minimum specifications, construction method capability, and pricing. Vendors must submit separate technical capability and price proposal attachments via email to Tina.Frankenbery@usda.gov and confirm their ability to meet all detailed product specifications outlined in the solicitation.

This solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business Set-Aside, restricted to vendors with no more than 1,250 employees as defined by the applicable North American Industry Classification Standard Code 322211. The procurement requires delivery of 8,000 total fiberboard boxes across three size categories: 6,000 boxes measuring 27 inches by 13 inches by 12 inches, 1,500 boxes measuring 36 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, and 500 boxes measuring 30 inches by 6 inches by 6 inches. All boxes must be delivered on pallets to the Bessey Nursery in Halsey, Nebraska, with a required delivery date of June 1, 2026, and vendors must provide two days advance notice prior to shipment. The solicitation incorporates provisions and clauses by reference from the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 12 for commercial items, with detailed specifications and evaluation criteria documented in the attached supplementary documents.