Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE 25 Head of Hereford Breed Calves This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract... SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE 25 Head of Hereford Breed Calves This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals or quotes and does not obligate the Government to award a contract. This notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or an obligation or commitment by the Government, nor is it a Request for Proposal (RFQ) at this time. Responses to this Notice must be in writing. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to conduct market research to determine, in particular, the capability of Small Business firms to provide the supplies/services described below. Documentation of technical expertise must be presented in sufficient detail for the Government to determine that your company possesses the necessary experience to compete for this acquisition. Responses to this notice shall include the following: (a) company name; (b) address; (c) point of contact; (d) phone, fax and email; (e ) DUNS Number; (f) Cage Code; (g) socioeconomic category (i.e., small business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Business, etc.); (h) a technical/capability statement as well as your existing customers (i) any GSA Schedule numbers and expiration dates and (j) if you accept credit cards. ARS will accept responses from ALL socioeconomic categories in order to gain a more complete understanding of the market for these supplies. The USDA, ARS, Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit and Cattle Fever Tick Research Lab – Kerville, TX and Edinburg, TX has a for 25 head of Hereford Breed Calves The unique requirements of the product are: Sixteen (16) head of cattle are needed for ARS Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit research studies in Edinburg, TX for tick colony cycling of Rhipicephalus microplus and R. annulatus and colony maintenance to provide tick specimens for tick research at the the Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory (CFTRL) facility in Edinburg, TX. Animal requirements are to be less than 24 months, between 250-400 lbs., any breed, Hereford breed is preferred, will accept Charolais. No bull calves. No Brahman, Brahman cross, or Brahman influence accepted. Brahman have a natural immunity to the cattle fever tick making them non-suitable for colony maintenance. Four (4) head of cattle are needed for ARS Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit research studies in Kerrville, TX for tick and fly colony maintenance and to provide tick and fly specimens for tick and fly research at the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory (KBUSLIRL) facility in Kerrville. Animal requirements are to be less than 24 months, between 400-450 lbs., any breed, Hereford breed is preferred. No Brahman influence accepted. Five (5) head of cattle are needed for ARS in vivo gene silencing research studies at the Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory (CFTRL) in Edinburg, TX for use in Rhipicephalus microplus gene silencing study (Hunter), required to support ARS provisional patent submission 2/6/2020 with one-year timeline. Animal requirements are to be less than two year’s old, between 250-400 lbs., Hereford breed is preferred. No Brahman influence accepted. Brahman have a natural immunity to the cattle fever tick making them non-suitable for colony maintenance. All cattle that will be utilized in ARS Livestock Arthropod Pest Research Unit research studies in Kerrville, TX and in Edinburg, TX, must first be processed through the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory (KBUSLIRL) facility in Kerrville. Upon purchase, the animals are transported to KBUSLIRL where they are vaccinated, screened for health issues, and conditioned for use in ARS research studies taking place in both Kerrville and in Edinburg, TX at the Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory (CFTRL). The required breed of cattle for tick and fly research studies may vary, but Hereford is preferred. Cattle must be at the right age (less than 24 months) and size (between 250-500 lb.). Purchasing from cattle auction facilities within a 60-mile radius are preferred, as cattle coming into the sale from the surrounding counties have no prior exposure to cattle fever ticks, as this part of the state is fever tick-free. The proximity of the cattle auction facility with the KBUSLIRL also impacts employee time spent on transport. All cattle that will be utilized for tick research studies at CFTRL are transported to Edinburg, TX, by KBUSLIRL animal caretakers after processing vaccinations, screening for health issues, and conditioning for the research studies at CFTRL. The NAICS Code for the expected acquisition is 115210, with a Size Standard of $8M. Any subsequent procurement will be conducted as a commercial item purchase in accordance with FAR Part 12 and as a Simplified Acquisition Procedure in accordance with FAR Part 13. Please email capability statements to Jennifer Busbea at jennifer.busbea@usda.gov by 5:00 P.M. Central Time on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Please note "12744L20SS0001 Sources Sought Notice – Hereford Cattle" in the subject line of the email. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that the response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organizations qualifications to deliver the services. Respondents are also advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information or provide feedback about any of the information received. After review of the responses received, the Government may issue a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation in Federal Business Opportunities. No proprietary, sensitive, confidential or classified information shall be included with your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation.