Sources Sought - Winter Nursery in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Services (ARS) is issuing this source sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support this requirement for a winter sorghum nursery in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 111199.

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. 

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, Web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization; and 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.

The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to 1) provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, and multiple awards MAY be made. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the above-listed services are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 12/20/2021 at 1300 CST. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to jennifer.busbea@usda.gov.

If you have any questions concerning this opportunity, please contact: Jennifer Busbea, 806-577-7228 or jennifer.busbea@usda.gov

APPENDIX 1: Purpose and Objectives

The project requires the sowing of 2.2 acres (approximately 2200 individual plots) for the cultivation and seed increase of sorghum breeding lines to be used for summer research trials. Trial size and plot number may vary each year. Farm must have the ability to sow individual plots, perform all duties necessary for optimal growth and grain yield of plants, including but not limited to irrigation, fertility, weed and pest control, and harvest. Harvest includes sorghum head collection, threshing, drying, and shipping harvested material back to Lubbock, Texas duty station. In-season management must be according to best practices for sorghum production at the location and be amenable to input from USDA partners. Additionally, facility must allow for USDA scientists to work on-site to perform genetic crosses, plant agronomic evaluations, and end of season harvest.