Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

Scope of Services Required: The United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center is requesting professional qualification statements (SF 330s) from qual... Scope of Services Required: The United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center is requesting professional qualification statements (SF 330s) from qualified firms for architect and engineering (A-E) services of a licensed land surveyor for the performance of legal boundary surveys for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and other easement programs. Projects will be located throughout the State of Mississippi. The Contractor shall be licensed and registered in the State of Mississippi. The Contractor shall provide legal boundary surveys of the ACEP/WRE (Wetlands Reserve Easement program), EWPP-FPE (Emergency Watershed Protection Program-Flood Plain Easement program), and other USDA-NRCS easements. Survey work shall consist of performing all surveys, measurements, computations, drawings, and descriptions according to attached Land Survey Specifications for NRCS Easement Programs. This acquisition is for A-E services and is procured in accordance with the Section of Architects and Engineers statute as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 36.6. A-E firms meeting the requirements described in this announcement are invited to submit the documentation required in this notice. Firms responding to this announcement before the closing date will be considered for selection, subject to any limitation indicated with respect to business size or any other limitations listed in this notice. Survey work shall consist of performing all surveys, measurements, computations, drawings, and descriptions according to attached Statement of Work/Specification. Type of Contract: The Government anticipates multiple award of up to four (4) Firm Fixed-Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for Architect and Engineering (A-E) Services as a result of this request for qualifications. Only one (1) award will be made for each of the four (4) geographic regions as designated above and on the Regional Map, Attachment 2. Awards will be for an ordering period of a base year and four (4) option years. Work under each award will be subject to satisfactory negotiation of individual task orders. Requirements for task orders may originate from anywhere within the state of Mississippi. As requirements occur, Contracting Officers or their authorized representatives, will notify the Contractor holding the contract covering the Geographic Area in which the requirement is located and request a pricing proposal. This Request for Pricing Proposal (RFPP) will include a task specific scope of work and any attachments; and the date/time and location that proposals are due. Task Order awards will be made only upon successful negotiations with the firm designated for that specific Geographic Region. If negotiations are not successful and a fair and reasonable price cannot be negotiated, or a firm reaches capacity, a request for technical proposals will be provided to the other regional contract holders in the state and award will be based on fair opportunity. In addition, failure to successfully negotiate with the IDIQ contract holders at the state level may result in the requirement being accomplished by other means. Set-Aside Status: This procurement is being solicited as a total small business set-side. The NAICS code for these services is 541370, Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services; and the SBA size standard is $16.5 million. Estimated Start and Completion Date: The estimated start date is October 2022 with a one-year base period, and four (4) option years. Evaluation Criteria: This acquisition is for A-E services and is procured in accordance with the Section of Architects and Engineers statute as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 36.3. A-E firms meeting the requirements described in this announcement are invited to submit the documentation required in this notice. Firms responding to this announcement before the closing date will be considered for selection, subject to any limitation indicated with respect to business size or any other limitations listed in this notice. Following an evaluation of the qualifications submitted, at least three firms that are considered to be of the most highly qualified in each Geographic Area will be chosen for interviews in accordance with FAR 36.602-1(c). Upon conclusion of these interviews and final ranking of firms, the most highly qualified firm will be selected for price negotiation and other terms and conditions in accordance with FAR 36.606. The A-E firm must demonstrate the team’s qualifications with respect to the published evaluation criteria. Failure to provide complete submission information defined in the evaluation criteria below may affect a firm’s qualification ratings. Evaluation Criteria (1) through (5) are considered important and are equal among themselves. Firms shall designate, in descending order of importance, their regional preference for award. If a firm ranks as the most highly qualified in more than one region, that firm will be given the opportunity to select which region to be considered for award. It is intended that awards will be made to four different firms, however, the Government reserves the right to make award of more than one Geographical Area IDIQ contract to the same firm(s). (1) Criterion 1 - Specialized Experience and Technical Competence (SF330, Part I, Section F): Submittals must demonstrate the specialized experience and technical competence of the prime firm, joint venture partners, consultants, key subcontractors and/or free-lance associates. The Offeror shall submit a maximum of six (6) projects total, all six projects must be completed within the last five (5) years, from the date of this solicitation and must be in the types of projects specifically indicated above in Instructions to Offerors under Paragraph B, PROJECT DESCRIPTION. Projects must be 100% complete. If more than six projects are submitted, only the first six projects listed in the proposal will be evaluated. Each project example should include the following information: which prime firm, partner, consultant or key subcontractors executed the project, a description/narrative/photos of the project, scope, location, contract dollar award amount and final dollar cost, the start date, original contract finish date, the actual finish date, customer POC with current phone number and email information. Projects should also list any key personnel that worked on the submitted projects. Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts, where numerous Task Orders are listed together, are not acceptable as projects. Rather each Task Order would be considered a project. The Government will evaluate the specialized experience of a firm on similar projects and technical capabilities of the prime firm and any subcontractors. Evaluation will be based on the extent of directly related experience in performing legal boundary and easement surveys; specialized education at the university level, and all other applicable education and training in the engineering and land surveying disciplines. Examples of previous rural and remote boundary survey work in Mississippi shall be provided for review. Previous work examples of rural and remote boundary and easement survey work in Mississippi will be evaluated based on difficulty of terrain. (2) Criterion 2 - Professional Qualifications (SF330, Part I, Sections D, E & G): The A-E firm must identify the qualifications of personnel in the following key disciplines: Registered Surveyor; Surveying Technician. The surveyor must be a licensed registered land surveyor in the State of Mississippi. Firms shall possess professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services similar in nature to those required as part of this requirement. Submittals should demonstrate that the firm’s staff is capable of certifying that all work is in compliance with the state laws and regulations. Examples of previous legal boundary and easement survey work shall be provided for review, as well as a description of the type of surveys performed and references with phone numbers. The Government will evaluate and consider the education, training, certification, overall and relevant experience and longevity with the proposed team. Evaluation will include the level of formal education, continuing education, the number of years licensed, and involvement in professional activities/organizations. Evaluation will be based upon the professional engineering and land surveying registration and qualified personnel work experience associated with legal boundary surveys, and their availability to work on this contract. Previous legal boundary work examples will be evaluated based on the complexity of work. (3) Criterion 3 - Capacity to Accomplish the Work (SF330, Part I, Section H): Firms shall have the capacity to accomplish the work in the required time with sufficient resources. The firm shall demonstrate their ability and any subcontractors or partners, to provide survey services within the geographic region(s). Considerations will include the overall capacity of the prime and any subcontractors or partners' capacity to perform the work in the required time. Firms must address and demonstrate capacity to execute multiple task orders simultaneously. Availability of an adequate field equipment as follows: quantity and size of survey crew trucks, all-terrain vehicles, airboats, boats, survey equipment, and AutoCAD software applications. The Government will evaluate and consider the availability of an adequate number of personnel in key disciplines. Evaluation will be based on the number of qualified personnel available to work on this contract and ability to successfully execute multiple task orders simultaneously. The array of field equipment and software/hardware available to work on this contract, and the quantity of work currently under contract and the completion dates of existing contract work. (4) Criterion 4 - Knowledge of Locality (SF330, Part I, Section H): Firms shall provide evidence of their knowledge of the locality and general geographical area for the State of Mississippi. Evaluation will be based on the firm's proximity to the contract area and ability to provide service in a cost-effective manner and past rural boundary and easement survey work experience in the contract area similar in size and scope. For firms outside the State of Mississippi (but licensed and registered in the State of Mississippi) submit a plan to provide service in a cost effective manner. Firms must clearly indicate the office location where the work will be performed. (5) Criterion 5 - Past Performance (SF330, Part I, Section H): SUBMIT A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION FOR EACH PROJECT UNDER CRITERION 1. IF A COMPLETED CPARS EVALUATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, the Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) (Attachment 4) included in this notice is provided for the firm or its team members to submit to the client for each project included under Criterion 1, Specialized Experience and Technical Competence. DO NOT SUBMIT A PPQ WHEN A COMPLETED CPARS IS AVAILABLE. IF A CPARS EVALUATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, ensure correct phone numbers and email addresses are provided for the client point of contact. Completed PPQs should be submitted with the SF330. If the firm is unable to obtain a completed PPQ from a client for a project(s) before the response date set forth in this notice, firms should complete and submit with their responses the first page of the PPQ (Attachment 5), which will provide contract and client information for the respective project(s). Firms should follow-up with clients/references to ensure timely submittal of questionnaires. If requested by the client, questionnaires may be submitted directly to the Government's point of contacts via email at monique.king@usda.gov and laureen.eipp@usda.gov, prior to the response date. Firms shall not incorporate by reference into their response PPQs or CPARS previously submitted in response to other A-E services procurements. The prime contractor and/or team members shall provide information to demonstrate how well the firm has performed on recent (within 5 years) relevant projects performed for any of the following entities: Governmental agencies (i.e. Federal or State), and/or private industry in terms of cost control, quality of product/work and compliance with performance schedules similar in nature to the work required as part of this announcement. Evaluating past performance and experience will include information provided in Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) or Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) for Criterion 1 projects that demonstrate recent relevant specialized experience in areas as detailed in Criterion 1 and may include customer inquiries, Government databases, and other information available to the Government including contacts with points of contact in other criteria. Submission Requirements: General Submission Requirements - All submissions to this announcement shall be submitted electronically via email to Contract Specialist, Monica King at monique.king@usda.gov and Contracting Officer, Laureen Eipp at laureen.eipp@usda.gov. a. No paper copies, CD-ROMs, or facsimile submissions will be accepted. b. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure receipt. c. All amendments will be made available for viewing in www.sam.gov . It shall be the Offeror’s responsibility to check the website for any amendments. File Size Limitations - Offerors are advised that the file size limitation is 10MB due to email server restrictions. If needed, Offerors are advised to break the files down into smaller sections and deliver in separate emails. In such cases, please divide the sections as logically as possible and be sure to clearly name the files as specified below. File Names - To ensure your submission is received and processed appropriately, it is important that interested parties CAREFULLY ensure their electronic files adhere to the following naming convention: Each filename shall begin with the Solicitation number, followed by the word “RESPONSE,” followed by your firm’s name, and finally a brief file description. EXAMPLES: “Firmname 12FPC322R0017 RESPONSE SF330.pdf” “Firmname 12FPC322R0017 RESPONSE Qualifications.pdf” “Firmname 12FPC322R0017 RESPONSE Attachment 2_PPQ.pdf” File Organization, Formatting, and other instructions - Although hard copies are not accepted, each file shall be clearly indexed, and logically assembled. Font size shall be 11 or larger. Pages shall be letter sized--larger page sizes (such as 11x17 foldouts, etc.) will be counted as two pages. Offerors shall prepare responses in the English language. Responses shall be in a narrative format, organized and titled so that each section of the proposal follows the order and format of the factors. Information presented should be organized so as to pertain to only the criteria factor in the section that the information is presented. Responses shall completely and adequately address the requirements of this qualification submission request. Offerors are reminded that elaborate corporate marketing information, formatting, special reproduction techniques, etc., are not necessary. Failing to submit attachments or failing to complete the responses properly may result in rejection without further evaluation. Information pertaining to more than one criteria factor should be repeated in the each section for each factor. Electronic files shall be Microsoft Windows compatible. Files shall be submitted in their native format (i.e., doc, xls, ppt, etc.), or if in pdf format, shall be in searchable text. If the electronic files are of a size at which they must be compressed (zipped), they shall be compressed into one zipped folder. Submission & Deadline - Interested parties shall submit responses no later than 2:00 PM Central time on July 25, 2022. The time & date of proposal receipt will be the delivery time & date recorded of email receipt on the Government’s server. Do not assume that electronic submission will occur instantaneously. Offerors should time their submission with prudence by not waiting until the last day—this will allow for unexpected delays in the transmittal process and troubleshooting. Offerors are encouraged to keep a copy of the delivery and/or read confirmation for their record but shall also request confirmation. Submission of proposals after the deadline will be considered late and ad such will e processed in accordance with FAR 15.208. Mandatory Submission Requirements - All contractors must be registered and in an “active” status in the System for Award Management (SAM) to be eligible for an award of a Federal contract. For information regarding registration, visit the SAM website at SAM.gov | Home. In accordance with the FAR 36.601-4(b), the A-E firm must be a registered/licensed Surveyor or architectural and/or engineering firm to be eligible for award. The A-E firm must provide proof that the firm is permitted by law to practice the professions of land surveying and/or architecture or engineering in Mississippi (e.g., copy of registration or certification). Failure to submit the required proof could result in a firm’s elimination from consideration. Inquires: Offerors with technical inquiries and any other questions shall submit their inquiries via email to Contract Specialist, Monique King at monique.king@usda.gov and Contracting Officer, Laureen Eipp at laureen.eipp@usda.gov. Offerors are requested to review the requirements in its entirety prior to submission of a new inquiry. The Government reserves the right to decline addressing certain questions. Further, no questions, unless in the Government’s interest, will be answered any later than 10 business days prior to the stated deadline. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to monitor www.sam.gov for posting of inquiries and responses. This is a Request for Qualifications only, DO NOT SUBMIT A PRICE PROPOSAL Attachment to the Request for Proposals include: Attachment 1A – SOW/Specification – Land Surveying, Mississippi Attachment 1B – SOW/Specification – Land Survey Re-establishment , Mississippi Attachment 2 – Geographic Region Map of Surveying Regions Attachment 3 - SF330 form/2021 fillable Attachment 4 – Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ)