Sustainable Agriculture Activity

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Government, represented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Colombia, is seeking proposals from U.S. or non-U.S., non-profit or for-profit organizations, to provide services to expand licit, profitable and climate-smart agri-business models for Colombia’s rural producers and value chain actors in conflict- affected regions with high prevalence of illicit crops, as described in the attached Request for Proposals (RFP).

The Authorized Principal Geographic Code for this solicitation is 937 – Default. The NAICS Code for this solicitation is 541990 – All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services.

USAID anticipates awarding a single Hybrid - Cost plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Completion - Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract.  The Total Estimated Cost-Plus Fixed Fee for services under this contract (CLIN 001 & CLIN 002) is estimated to fall within the range of $45 million to $53 million.  This procurement will be conducted under Full and Open Competition procedures, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR Chapter 1).  Please refer to Section L for information regarding proposal requirements. Offerors should consider the expected delivery time required by the proposal transmission method they choose, and they are responsible for ensuring proposals are received at USAID by the due date and time as specified in Section L.  Failure to comply with the submission date and time will deem any submission unacceptable and it will not be reviewed or evaluated.  Faxed proposals are not acceptable, nor will they be reviewed or evaluated.

Section L of the RFP sets forth all instructions for the preparation and submission of required proposal contents, including critical dates/times for the submission of questions, and the proposal submission closing date and time. Section M states the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated. The competition will utilize a Highest Technical Rated with Fair and Reasonable Price and Realistic Cost (HTR) process, not a tradeoff process. In this process, USAID is concerned with getting the best technical solution that has a fair and reasonable price and realistic cost. There will not be a tradeoff to justify paying a premium for a higher technical rated proposal.

Offerors must carefully review Sections L and M of this RFP for details of this process. Section L of the RFP sets forth all instructions for the preparation and submission of required proposal contents, including critical dates/times for the submission of questions, and the proposal submission closing date and time.  Section M states the criteria by which proposals will be evaluated. Oral explanations or instructions given before award of the contract that are not formalized with an amendment will not constitute a formal amendment of the RFP and will not be binding.

This RFP in no way obligates USAID to award a contract or task order nor does it commit USAID to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal.  Award of a Contract under this RFP is subject to availability of funds and other internal USAID approvals.

USAID expects that Offerors will have equal access to all local organizations needed to implement this contract and strongly discourages exclusivity agreements with local organizations.

This RFP can be viewed and downloaded from www.sam.gov.  USAID bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. Further, be aware that amendments to solicitations are occasionally issued and will be posted on the same website from which you downloaded the solicitation.  USAID advises to regularly check the above website for amendments.

Interested firms can register and use the Interested Vendor List (IVL) accessible through this solicitation on www.sam.gov, so that firms can contact one another for consideration of teaming arrangements and/or small business subcontracting opportunities in response to this solicitation.