VIPR I-BPA for Heavy Equipment for West Zone Regions 5 and 6

Re-open Solicitation. Vendor responses to the solicitation are due 02/29/2024 16:00 PST. Please access the 'Open Solicitations' tab in the VIPR Vendor application (https://apps.fs.usda.gov/vipr/vendor/) to start your response.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Forest Service (USFS), ESB West Zone (Regions 5, and 6) requirement for Heavy Equipment for use during Local, Regional, and nationwide fire suppression and all-hazard incidents was originally solicited under solicitation number 12569R23Q7000.

This amendment is to re-open this solicitation to conduct an open season Onboarding in accordance with Exhibit H - Special Contract Requirements of the original solicitation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Onboarding is not a new procurement and operates differently than a new solicitation. Onboarding is a result of the provisions established in the original solicitation and is issued as a solicitation amendment to the original solicitation. The terms and conditions of the original solicitation require that 'The award decision under the open season solicitation is based upon the same evaluation factors/sub-factors as the original solicitation.' Additionally, the terms and conditions of the original solicitation require that, 'The terms and conditions of any resulting new IBPA awards are identical to the original awards and solicitation, to include period of performance.' Accordingly, while the Government will entertain suggestions and Industry input regarding the Onboarding amendment, the Government anticipates very little change to result from this input, especially as it regards any potential changes to the evaluation factors or resulting terms and conditions.

This amendment for Onboarding is against a Multiple Award Incident Blanket Purchase Agreement (IBPA) solicitation issued as a 100% Small Business Set-Aside with partial set-asides for 8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB, and EDWOSB companies.

The open season Onboarding period will coincide with the USFS Contracting Officer (CO) IBPA Annual Review process, traditionally referred to as a 'Rollover' Modification process for existing IBPA awardees. Existing IBPA awardees will have the same opportunity to revise, modify rates, and add resources the same as potential new contractors do.

All proposed resources are subject to the original solicitation criteria. New Offerors that meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the original solicitation may submit a quote response through the VIPR system during open season. Award decisions from an open season solicitation response are based upon the same evaluation factors/sub-factors as the original solicitation. New quote responses must meet all Acceptability Pass/Fail Criteria of the original solicitation. The terms and conditions of any resulting new IBPA awards are identical to the original awards and solicitation, to include period of performance. Immediately after Onboarding and at the conclusion of the CO annual review/rollover modification period, any additional Contractors or accepted new resources to existing agreements are eligible to receive dispatches/BPA Calls with the same ordering procedures as listed within the agreements.

Maintenance Cycle #23-07 updates language in section D.6.2(a)(2) and section D.6.2(c)(2) of the 2023 Heavy Equipment Template Solicitation per CR0426 to clarify resource priority. (boj)

The purpose of this amendment is to:

1. Inform vendors that Heavy Equipment for both Regions 5 and 6 WILL NOT be soliciting Stand-alone Transports. It has been found that the Region does not use enough Stand-Alone transports to warrant the workload of solicitations, technical evaluations, and negotiations/awards of approximately 600 transports when we use about 5-6 a year.

2. Update language in D.6.2--RANKING OF AWARDED RESOURCES FOR DISPATCH PRIORITY: correct language in solicitation section 6.2 and to include the Choosing By Advantages (CBA) formula which was omitted from the original version. The language within the solicitation template will be corrected at a later date during a VIPR Maintenance Cycle prior to award.

D.6.2(2) -- RANKING OF AWARDED RESOURCES FOR DISPATCH PRIORITY, Is changed to read as follows:

Within each small business program category, priority will be given according to the price offered for the type of resource. Mileage will not be considered in the ranking for resources. Priority will be based on a combination of the daily rate plus the minimum daily guarantee offered, with the lowest price being ranked the highest on the dispatch list:

Excavator: Daily Rate + Transport Minimum Daily Guarantee

Dozer and Tractor Plow: Total Points for Advantages/(Daily Rate + Transport Minimum Daily Guarantee).

D.6.2(c)(2) Excavators: Is changed to read as follows: Price offered for the type of resource. The price will be based on the daily rate, with the lowest price being ranked highest on the dispatch list. Separate priority lists will be generated for each Type of excavator. The Transport Minimum Daily Guarantee will be included in the formula.

Attribute, not given points:

Clamshell Bucket

Up Down Blade or Dozer Blade

Steep Ground Excavator

NOTE: These attributes will be listed on the priority dispatch list and if the incident specifically orders the equipment with this attribute, vendors offering that attribute will be given preference as they appear on the dispatch priority list.

Maintenance Cycle #23-06 includes changes to clauses resulting from FAC 2023-02, effective 16 March 2023; to update the Faller Resume per CR0424, which corrects minor errors and adds a place for employee and employer signatures; and modifies section D13 for medical templates to remove "Roles and Responsibilities of Key Personnel" and revert to the "Contractor's Representative" language. (boj)

Maintenance Cycle #23-05 associates a new D13 conreq for non-medical templates and removes the workforce certification from section E.3.1, which is now incorporated as Exhibit O for all 2022/2021/2019 templates. (boj)

Maintenance Cycle #23-04 incorporates minor language changes for all solicitation templates per CR0422 and updates the Faller Resume per CR0424. (boj)

The purpose of this amendment is to incorporate the omitted Regional language that is meant to accompany this solicitation. Updates to Exhibits H and L only.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), US Forest Service (USFS), ESB West Zone (Regions 5 and 6), anticipates soliciting quotes (RFQ) for Heavy Equipment (Dozers Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4, and Excavators Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4) for use during local, regional, and nationwide fire suppression and all-hazard incidents. Section D.2 within the solicitation will contain equipment details. The Contractor is responsible for all equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, lodging, trained/certified personnel, and supervision and management of those personnel, necessary to meet or exceed the Agreement specifications. Optional awarded agreement use by Interagency Cooperators (subject to that agency?s payment and administrative terms). The resources may be used in the protection of lands, to include but not be limited to, severity, fire suppression, and all-hazard incidents. The USFS Equipment & Services Contracting Branch (ESB) in tandem with Regional Program Office Representatives will determine annually whether it is in the Government?s best interest to initiate an open season on-ramping process to add additional Contractors and/or resources during the annual Contracting Officer (CO) review period noted in Section C.3.1 of the solicitation.

RATES: Proposed rates should be based on up to a 16hr. Daily Shift and include all within B.2 -- PRICING AND ESTIMATED QUANTITY. Note: D.21.8.1 -- Rates of Payments. Payment will be at the rates specified in the agreement that is in effect at the time of the order.

DISPATCH CENTER: Agreements will be competitively awarded within the Regional dispatch centers. Agreement intent and Government guidance is for Quoters to select the available dispatch center closest to their resource location in order to reasonably meet the Government?s (Host Agency?s) date and time needed for emergency incident support, as well as offer best value to the Government for travel costs for each potential dispatch/BPA Call. Since wildland fire support and locations are unknown at time of award, selection of a host dispatch center/zone outside of where the resources reside may result in loss of opportunity and failure to meet Government?s critical and timely need at time of incident. Map link: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/

SET-ASIDES: The agreement will be competitively awarded. The Government anticipates awarding multiple preseason Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPAs) using a total Small Business set aside with further consideration per Section B.6 -- SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ADVANTAGE APPLICABLE TO DPL RANKING.

****The solicitation will be issued using the Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) system****

1) Vendors must have a valid e-mail address; all VIPR communications, to include rate negotiations, technical evaluations/photo uploads, and award notifications, are conducted via e-mail.

2) Vendors must have a valid UEI (Unique Entity ID) Number. Request a free UEI Number from the System for Award Management (SAM): https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

3) Vendors must have active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM): https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration

4) Vendors are required to have a USDA Level 2 eAuthentication account that provides the ability to conduct official electronic business transactions. WILL NEED THIS TO CREATE A VIPR ACCOUNT.

Information: https://www.eauth.usda.gov/eauth/b/usda/registration

5) Vendors must submit a quote electronically using the VIPR Vendor Application: https://www.fs.usda.gov/business/incident/vendorapp.php?tab=tab_d