Protective Canopy Shade System Service (Clay Center, NE)

The United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) is seeking a contractor to extend, inspect, retract, and repair NetPro Protective Canopy shade systems covering feedlot pens and sheep pens at their facility in Clay Center, Nebraska. This solicitation (1232SA26Q0174) is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for commercial items and will be evaluated using a lowest price technically acceptable approach, with technical acceptability determined by the contractor's relevant experience performing similar projects within the past five years and past performance ratings. Prospective contractors must submit written questions by March 3, 2026, and all quotations are due by March 11, 2026, submitted via email to Spencer Hamilton at spencer.hamilton@usda.gov. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for February 24, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time at USMARC, with RSVPs required by February 23, 2026. The solicitation requires contractors to acknowledge receipt of Amendment 0001 prior to the proposal deadline and to demonstrate a minimum of two but no more than three similar projects completed within the past five years, with acceptable or neutral past performance ratings qualifying for award consideration.

This is a Total Small Business Set-Aside acquisition with a small business size standard of $16.50 million, limiting competition to designated small business concerns. The contract is structured as a firm-fixed price requirements contract with a base period from May 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026, with four optional one-year extension periods extending through October 31, 2030. The scope encompasses 161 NetPro Protective Canopy shade systems across 10 different locations, with a phased replacement schedule totaling 56 shades in 2026, 34 in 2027, 16 in 2028, 27 in 2029, and 48 in 2030. Service Contract Labor Standards apply, with a stated wage rate of $22.60 per hour plus $5.55 in fringe benefits for General Maintenance Workers. The contractor must provide all tools and equipment necessary for extension, inspection, retraction, and repair operations, while the government furnishes replacement canopy fabric and associated parts.