Superior National Forest Vault Toilet Pumping

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service is soliciting quotations for vault toilet pumping services across multiple locations within the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. The contractor must provide all necessary management, supervision, labor, personnel, transportation, materials, equipment, and supplies to pump out and dispose of human waste from vault toilets at recreation sites, trailheads, campgrounds, and administrative locations near Aurora, Virginia, Cook, Crane Lake, Echo Trail, Ely, Fernberg Trail, Isabella, Tofte, Grand Marais, and the Gunflint Trail. Services will be performed on a call-when-needed basis primarily during the snow-free season from May through November, with some vaults requiring year-round pumping, and contractors must respond within two weeks of notification. Award will be made to the highest technically rated offeror offering fair and reasonable pricing and acceptable past performance, with evaluation criteria including technical approach, pricing, and past performance history. The deadline for submitting questions is April 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time, and quotations are due by May 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, with contract performance beginning May 8, 2026.

This solicitation is designated as a total small business set-aside under NAICS code 562991 (Septic Tank and Related Services), with a small business size standard of $9 million. Historical data indicates approximately 25 to 35 total vault pumpings are performed annually across the entire forest, with previous contracts numbered 12444625P0025 and 12444625P0026 establishing baseline operations. The contract is anticipated to be firm-fixed price for one year, with the period of performance extending from May 8, 2026 to March 31, 2027. The procurement includes two separate line items for East Zone and West Zone pumping services, with the West Zone encompassing 44 distinct vault locations and the East Zone encompassing 84 locations, requiring bidders to provide per-pumping costs for each individual vault location. Work will be performed in the Duluth, Minnesota area (55808), with contractor operations permitted Monday through Sunday between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM, coordinated through local ranger district offices.