RFI for Fresh Fruits and Vegetable support for DLA Troop Support DoD Ships and Exports customers located in the VA Zone.

Synopsis:   SPE300-20-R-0007

The DLA Troop Support intends to solicit for a full-line of produce support for DoD Troops: Ships and Exports customers located in the Virginia Zone. This is 100% Small Business Set Aside acquisition. This contract will consist of two (2) twenty- four (24) month tier periods, for a total contract length, of four (4) years.

Its estimated maximum total contract dollar value is $48,800,000.00. The delivery points require indefinite quantities of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables throughout the term of the contract.  A more detailed listing of the delivery sites can be found in the solicitation.  All responsible sources may submit proposals that will be considered by DLA Troop Support.

The Government will award a contract(s) resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose offer(s) conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The source selection method for this procurement will be the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection procedures and shall use the following to evaluate offers:

1. Technical Acceptability - A technically acceptable offer is an offer that takes no exceptions to the terms and conditions in the solicitation and complies fully with all submission requirements, including submissions relating to the two sub factors listed below.  A proposal that takes exception to solicitation terms and conditions or that fails to comply with all submission requirements may be deemed technically unacceptable and, thus, may be found ineligible, and removed from further consideration, for the award.  By submitting a proposal with no exceptions, an offeror is confirming it possesses the necessary facilities, equipment, technical skills and capacity to successfully provide all items required by this solicitation. The following sub-factors will be evaluated and must be found acceptable for a proposal to be eligible for award:

A. Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) License – The offeror shall possess and submit proof of a valid current PACA license.  The submitted PACA license must be effective for at least thirty (30) days after the solicitation closing date.

B. USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) Audit – The offeror shall submit a valid, current USDA GAP/GHP audit report / certificate covering a full range of fresh fruits and vegetables for each place of performance identified in the offeror’s proposal. The audit report must demonstrate a passing score, and specifically passing in the following parts: General, Wholesale Distribution (6) and Preventive Food Defense (7). In lieu of a USDA GAP/GHP audit report / certificate, the offeror may submit an audit report / certificate conducted by a recognized private independent third-party certifying company certifying to an industry recognized food safety standard that exceeds all aspects of the USDA GAP/GHP audit report / certificate requirements. The audit report(s) must demonstrate that a passing score(s) was/were received. NOTE: Offerors relying on a non-USDA GAP/GHP audit report / certificate must agree to have a USDA GAP/GHP audit report / certificate for each place of performance by the start of contract performance.

2. Pricing - Pricing is required for all items found in the Schedule of Items (for each Group, if applicable) and for all tiers. Failure to offer pricing for all items and for all tiers may result in a proposal being removed from consideration for award as technically unacceptable. The Government will perform an aggregate price analysis on all items found in the Schedule of Items (for each Group, if applicable). To determine an offeror's Evaluated Aggregate Price, the Weighted Aggregate Distribution Price will be added to the Aggregate Delivered Price.  Please refer to paragraph (d) of this provision for further details regarding these price components.  The award(s) will be made on the basis of the lowest Evaluated Aggregate Price (for each Group, if applicable) of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-price factors.  The Government reserves the right to remove item(s) from the Schedule of Items or do a common item comparison if offerors do not submit pricing for all items. Prior to award, the offered prices of the presumptive awardee(s) will be evaluated on an individual line-item basis to determine whether each price is fair and reasonable using analytical techniques deemed appropriate by the Contracting Officer in her/his complete discretion.

3. Evaluated Aggregate Price:

The Evaluated Aggregate Price is obtained by adding the Weighted Aggregate Distribution Price and Aggregate Delivered Price together.

4.  For purposes of the Price Proposal Evaluation, Weighted Aggregate Distribution Price and Aggregate Delivered Price are considered equal. This equality is accounted for mathematically by applying a weighting factor of 6 (based on current Government data) to the Aggregate Distribution Price.

The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors.  Therefore, the offeror’s initial offer should contain the offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint.  However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

See www.ams.usda.gov/services/auditing/gap-ghp/audit for details concerning program and certification.

Copies of the solicitation will be found on here (future posting) and the DLA-EBS Internet Bid Board System at https://www.dibbs.bsm.dla.mil.   If not already registered, prospective offerors will be required to do so prior to viewing and downloading a copy of the solicitation.  RFPs are in portable document format (PDF).  In order to download and view these documents, prospective offers will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. This software is available free at http://adobe.com. Solicitation issue date will be February 6, 2020 and will be issued under FAR 15.101-2 Low Price Technically Acceptable (LTPA).

The resultant award will be for an indefinite delivery contract, with a guaranteed minimum of 10% of the first year.