Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

********************* The closing date has been extended until 12:00pm on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 since the original closing date is a federal holiday. ******************** COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SO... ********************* The closing date has been extended until 12:00pm on Wednesday, February 19th, 2025 since the original closing date is a federal holiday. ******************** COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION Non-Personal Landscape Services for Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC The incumbent is Yellowstone Landscape – Southeast, LLC (i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized in FAR Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (ii) This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). Submit written quotes on RFQ Number 1305M325Q0064. (iii) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2025-03 (Jan 2025). (iv) This solicitation is being issued as a total Small Business Set-Aside. The associated NAICS code is 561730. The small business size standard is $9.5 million. (v) This combined solicitation/synopsis is for purchase of the following commercial services: CLIN 0001 – Base Year Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for landscape services at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 03/01/2025 through 02/28/2026. Quantity: 12 Months Unit Price (per month): _________ Annual Total: _____________ CLIN 1001 – Option Year 1 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for landscape services at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 03/01/2026 through 02/28/2027. Quantity: 12 Months Unit Price (per month): _________ Annual Total: _____________ CLIN 2001 – Option Year 2 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for landscape services at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 03/01/2027 through 02/28/2028. Quantity: 12 Months Unit Price (per month): _________ Annual Total: _____________ CLIN 3001 – Option Year 3 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for landscape services at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 03/01/2028 through 02/28/2029. Quantity: 12 Months Unit Price (per month): _________ Annual Total: _____________ CLIN 4001 – Option Year 4 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for landscape services at the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 03/01/2029 through 02/28/2030. Quantity: 12 Months Unit Price (per month): _________ Annual Total: _____________ Aggregate Total for All Years: ____________________________ (vi) Description of requirements is as follows: See attached Statement of Work which applies to Base Year and all Option Years 1 – 4, and Department of Labor Wage Rates: WD 2015-4281, Revision No. 32, dated 12/23/2024, which can be found on: https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations INVOICES TO BE BILLED MONTHLY IN ARREARS. PROVIDE MONTHLY AND ANNUAL PRICING FOR EACH BASE AND OPTION YEAR. QUOTE PRICING MAY BE PROVIDED ON ATTACHED SF18 FORM OR ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD. (vii) Date(s) and place(s) of delivery and acceptance: Period of performance shall be: Base Year for a twelve month period 03/01/2025 through 2/28/2026. Option Period 1 for a twelve month period 03/01/2026 through 02/28/2027. Option Period 2 for a twelve month period 03/01/2027 through 02/28/2028. Option Period 3 for a twelve month period 03/01/2028 through 02/28/2029. Option Period 4 for a twelve month period 03/01/2029 through 02/28/2030. Place of Performance is NWS WFO, 5777 South Aviation Avenue, Charleston, SC 29406-6162. (viii) FAR provision 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sept 2023), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (ix) FAR provision 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (x) FAR provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (May 2024), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. Offerors are advised to include a completed copy of the provision with its offer. (xi) FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2023), applies to this acquisition and can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (xii) FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jan 2025), applies to this acquisition and can be found in full text on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (xiii) Any additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions that apply can be found on the Request for Quote form SF18 attachment. (xiv) Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) and assigned rating does not apply. (xv) Quotes are required to be received in the contracting office no later than 12:00PM MST/MDT on Monday, February 17, 2025. All quotes must be submitted electronically via email to kirsten.keen@noaa.gov. (xvi) Any questions regarding this solicitation should be submitted electronically via email to kirsten.keen@noaa.gov. UTILIZATION OF FEDCONNECT® FOR CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION The Department of Commerce will utilize the FedConnect® web portal in administering this award. The contractor must be registered in FedConnect® and have access to the FedConnect® website located at https://www.fedconnect.net/Fedconnect/. For assistance in registering or for other FedConnect® questions please call the FedConnect® Help Desk at (800) 899-6665 or email at support@fedconnect.net. There is no charge for registration in or use of FedConnect®. (End) 1352.215-72 Inquiries (Apr 2010) OFFERORS MUST SUBMIT ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS SOLICITATION IN WRITING VIA EMAIL TO kirsten.keen@noaa.gov. QUESTIONS SHOULD BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 12:00pm MST/MDT on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. (End of clause) 52.237-1 Site Visit (Apr 1984) Offerors or quoters are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. (End of provision) A site visit is highly recommended but not required. Offerors are urged and expected to inspect the site where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance, to the extent that the information is reasonably obtainable. In no event shall failure to inspect the site constitute grounds for a claim after contract award. Please contact Brian Haines, brian.haines@noaa.gov, phone: 771-215-9296 or Arthur Patrick, arthur.patrick@noaa.gov, phone: 703-966-2529 to set up a time to visit the site. All questions during the site visit should be submitted electronically to kirsten.keen@noaa.gov. FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023) NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Instructions for submitting quotations under this request for quote must be followed. Failure to provide all information to aid in the evaluation may be considered non-responsive. Offers that are non-responsive may be excluded from further evaluation and rejected without further notification to the offeror. 1. Submit PDF or Microsoft Word format quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the time specified in the solicitation. Quote documents shall include signed copies of the SF 18 and SF 30(s) to acknowledge the solicitation and any applicable amendments. Email quotes are required and can be sent to kirsten.keen@noaa.gov. 2. Offeror shall have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM found at https://sam.gov/content/home) in order to provide a quote and be eligible for award. Must provide their UEID/CAGE CODE with their quote. 3. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of them or their capability. 4. Offerors must provide all evaluation criteria in accordance with FAR 52.212-2. Offerors who do not provide all evaluation criteria may not be considered. 1. Technical Acceptability/Capability. 2. Price THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR NON-RECEIPT OF QUOTES. IT IS THE CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF THE QUOTE RECEIPT. FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation- Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021) Offers will be evaluated based on price and the factors set forth in paragraph (a). (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Paragraph (a) is hereby completed as follows: Evaluation will be based on the following; Technical Acceptability/Capability. Quote shall include at least two references from at least two separate contracts for similar and relevant recent services within the past two years including the name, phone number, full address, and e-mail address of the reference to demonstrate the offeror’s capability to successfully perform the services listed in the Statement of Work. The offeror is required to fill out blocks 1-4 and send the attached Past Performance Questionnaire to the references provided by the offeror in their submission, and email the completed survey form directly to (CS/CO email) by the closing date and time of this solicitation. The Government reserves the right to consider past performance report forms received after the due date and time of the solicitation, past performance questionnaires submitted from previous solicitations, and to contact references for verification or additional information. The offeror's past performance on related contracts will be evaluated to determine, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements, quality and timeliness of delivery of goods and services, cost management, communications between contracting parties, proactive management and customer satisfaction. The Government will use its discretion to determine the sources of past performance information used in the evaluation, and the information may be obtained from references provided by the Offeror, the agency’s knowledge of Offeror performance, other government agencies or commercial entities, or past performance databases, and will be based on responsiveness, quality, and customer services. Offerors lacking relevant past performance history, or for whom past performance information is either not available or has not been submitted to the Government, will receive a neutral rating for past performance. A good past performance rating provides higher confidence than a neutral or satisfactory rating. Price. The Government intends to award a low priced, technically acceptable, single firm fixed-price purchase order on an all or none basis with payment terms of Net 30. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (End of provision) STATEMENT OF WORK PERFORMANCE BASED SERVICE CONTRACT—LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE This is a work statement for a performance-based service. This means that the Government has described WHAT is to be accomplished, not HOW to accomplish it, and states a basis for determining whether finished work meets the Government quality requirements. It does not state detailed procedures for accomplishing the requirement unless there are safety, security or communication requirements. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure that they build into their bid/proposal price the necessary hours that it will take to meet the performance standards specified. The Contractor will be required to maintain a quality control program to ensure that the requirements of this contract are met. This program shall be created for identifying and correcting deficiencies in the quality of services before performance becomes unacceptable. SCOPE OF WORK Place of performance will be as follows: National Weather Service Forecast Office, 5777 S. Aviation Ave, Charleston, SC. 29406. The project site consists of approximately 5 acres, parts of which are occupied by buildings, walks, and other paved surfaces. All work performed under this contract is required to meet the quality and performance standards as identified. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and services necessary to perform Landscape Maintenance on a weekly basis from March 1 through October 31 and once a month (or more often if needed) from November 1 through February 28. Work shall be in a manner that will maintain healthy grass, shrubs, and plants, and present a neat and professional appearance. If services cannot be performed due to inclement weather, the Contractor shall perform any and all scheduled services the next duty day with no degradation to existing scheduled services. SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND UTILITIES Government Furnished: Electrical power shall be provided at existing exterior receptacles for the Contractor to operate their equipment, as necessary, in the performance of this contract. Contractor Furnished: The Contractor shall furnish all supplies, materials, and employee training necessary to achieve the quality performance standards of the work in this contract, unless otherwise specified herein. Training shall include all applicable OSHA and other related standards. The Contractor shall submit all Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for any materials used under this contract containing “dangerous” or “warning” labels to the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) within 10 days after contract award date. The Contractor shall furnish all equipment necessary to accomplish the work under this contract. All equipment must meet all applicable OSHA standards. The Contractor shall not use any unsafe equipment or any equipment in need of repair. .3. CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL Within five days of the contract start date, the Contractor shall submit, in writing, the name of the Site Manager. The Contractor shall supply telephone, cell phone, and/or pager numbers to the TPOC for use in contacting the Site Manager. The Site Manager shall conduct overall management coordination and shall be the central point of contact with the Government for performance of all work under this contract. The Site Manager shall be authorized to receive any notices of deficiency in contract performance. The notices may include, but not be limited to, the following: non-performance of work, deficiencies in work performed and notices of proposed payment withholding until deficiencies are corrected due to the above. The Site Manager shall be available weekdays, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., within 30 minutes to meet at the facility to discuss problem areas. All personnel employed by the Contractor shall be experienced in the type of work involved and familiar with the specifications of this contract. The Contractor is required to provide necessary and on-going tenant relations or customer service training for their employees. Contractor personnel shall conduct all operations in such a manner as to minimize any inconvenience in the use of the facilities to the occupants. SCHEDULING WORK AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Within five work days of the contract starting date, and annually thereafter for renewal periods, the Contractor shall submit to the TPOC schedules and plans to accomplish required services throughout the year. If changes need to be made to reduce conflicts with Government operations, special events, or other occurrences, the Contractor shall meet with the TPOC and revise the schedule as necessary. The TPOC may request changes to the monthly work schedule so spacing of services is distributed to meet the needs of the Government. The Contractor shall not deviate from this schedule without prior approval from the TPOC. QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM The Contractor shall establish a complete, written, Quality Control Program (QCP) to ensure that the requirements of the contract are provided as specified. The written QCP shall be submitted to the TPOC within 5 days of the start date of work. The QCP’s purpose is to provide a plan for meeting all requirements of this contract. The QCP should include, but not be limited to, the following: An inspection of the grounds which covers all services stated in “Performance Standards and Guideline Requirements” of this contract. A system to ensure that the Contractor’s employees, or subcontractor’s employees, are notified of all deficiencies in their area of responsibility. A system and plan to retrain employees to ensure that deficiencies do not reoccur. A plan for monitoring and correcting customer complaints. A record of customer complaints and the corrective action taken must be kept on file at this site and available for review by the Contracting Officer or his/her representative, at any time. A plan for the immediate forwarding of customer complaints that are not the responsibility of the Contractor, to the TPOC or their designated representative. The QCP must be kept current, reflecting the pertinent contract modifications and requisite changes or conditions. The Contractor shall review the plan with his onsite personnel to ensure complete understanding. A copy of the most current QCP must be kept on file at the worksite where the tasks are being accomplished. If the Contractor is not meeting performance or quality measures, the Government retains the right to review the QCP and related documents. Upon review of the plan and related documents, the Government will take appropriate action to ensure that all quality and performance measures are met as specified in this contract. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND GUIDELINE REQUIREMENTS NOTE: All services provided under this contract are required to meet the quality and performance standards described herein. The Contractor shall provide all labor, equipment, materials, supplies, and supervision to perform grounds maintenance and landscape services as identified in the Statement of Work. The following guidelines describe what is considered to be the normal industry quality and performance standards for intended services under this type of contract. The Contractor, through innovation, technology or other means, shall perform the required services in order to meet the quality and performance standards. The following guidelines are for reference only and final results will be the determining factor for the success or failure of this contract. Performance will be based on the Contractor’s effort in the meeting the performance and quality standards, not the frequency or method of performance. Mowing and Trimming Operations: The Contractor shall be responsible for monitoring the growth of the grass and scheduling cutting/mowing operations, but in general mowing and trimming operations should occur weather permitting on a weekly basis from March 1 through October 31. The Contractor shall maintain a grass height between 2” and 2 ½” in order to prevent scalping. Uneven mowing and rutting by equipment during contractor operations must be avoided. The Government is not responsible for damage to contractor’s equipment due to trash, debris, or uneven terrain. Contractor shall maintain all open drainage systems; open culverts under driveways and roads free of debris, trash, limbs, leaves and grass clippings. Grass and weeds shall be trimmed around trees, shrubs, buildings, fences, poles, posts, fire hydrants, parking lot bumper blocks and other fixed obstacles concurrent with mowing height to give a well-manicured look at all times. Grass clippings shall be removed to provide a uniform appearance after mowing. The contractor must exhibit care around/near parked vehicles during mowing and trimming operations so to not cause damage. It is the responsibility of the contractor to repair any vehicle damage that occurred at a result of negligence during mowing and trimming operations. Grounds Maintenance. All turf areas will be fertilized four times annually with a balanced lawn food to ensure a thick healthy lawn. All flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees will be fertilized as needed to maintain a healthy condition. Fertilizers shall be standard commercial grade of organic or inorganic fertilizer of the kind and quality specified per results of soil testing by the Contractor and appropriate to industry standards. The Contractor shall notify the TPOC prior to the beginning of each fertilizer application and post flags indicating the application. The Contractor shall apply fertilizer in compliance with instruction and conditions contained on labels and required by the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local regulations. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be available at all times. The use of compatible sod or a grass seed mixture should be used to fill in damaged grass areas or areas without grass. Edging. Grass shall be cut back from all edges 0.5” to 1.5” and not cut deeper than 1.5” to 2”. Edging shall include removal of vegetation from sidewalks (including cracks and expansion joints), driveways, concrete curbs, planting beds and mounds, and rock beds. Grass shall not extend over the edge of any of the above areas. Weed and Insect Control. Lawns shall be maintained in a manner to minimize annual and perennial weeds, including all clover and coarse grass species. Apply herbicides and/or pesticides to lawns at least twice a year and more often than that if needed to control weeds, clover and course grasses consistent with industry standards. Flower beds shall be kept weed free by pulling weeds or applying herbicides and/or pesticides. Weeding is a year-long requirement. Parking lots, walkways, rock beds, fences, and all building perimeters shall be kept free of weeds, grasses, and leaves all year long. Apply herbicides and/or pesticides to turf, shrubs, trees and ground cover twice a year and more often than that if needed to control insect infestation. The Contractor shall notify the TPOC prior to the beginning of each weed or insect control application and post flags indicating the application. The Contractor shall apply pesticides and/or herbicides in compliance with instruction and conditions contained on labels and required by the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local regulations. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be available at all times. The Contractor shall insure pesticides and herbicides used will not injure the lawn, shrubs, trees, or any other plantings. The Contractor shall notify the TPOC prior to the beginning of each fertilizer application and post flags indicating the application. Mole Control. Action will be taken through whatever means necessary to minimize the moles and the damage they do to the turf and flowerbed areas. The Contractor shall be in compliance with instruction and conditions contained on labels and required by the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local regulations. If chemicals are utilized, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be available at all times. The Contractor shall insure what is done to control moles will not injure the lawn, shrubs, trees, or any other plantings. If applicable, the Contractor shall notify the TPOC prior to the beginning of each application of chemicals and post flags indicating the application. Ant Control. Routine action will be taken through means necessary to minimize the ant mounds and the damage they do to the turf and flowerbed areas. Annual applications of preferred treatment (lasts 1 year from date of application) will be applied at the end of winter for optimum control in the most active months during spring/summer. Cost of the product, delivery, and labor will be included in the contract. The Contractor shall be in compliance with instruction and conditions contained on labels and required by the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local regulations. If chemicals are utilized, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will be available at all times. The Contractor shall insure what is done to control ants will not injure the lawn, shrubs, trees, or any other plantings. If applicable, the Contractor shall notify the TPOC prior to the beginning of each application of chemicals and post flags indicating the application. Cleanup. All grass clippings, weeds, and pruning shall be removed from the project site as necessary. Walks and driveways shall be kept free of equipment and debris. Exterior walls of building shall be kept free of soil. All trash, debris and leaves shall be removed from the property, including the vehicle parking lots, walkways, flowerbeds, and lawn areas. Mulch Replenishment. Beds will be edged and cleaned of all debris and weeds before adding mulch Pine Straw Mulch will be replenished in all planting beds, and around all shrubs, trees and walkways twice a year. Quantities supplied must be sufficient to maintain planting bed areas with a minimum mulch depth of four (4) inches, and tree mounds with a minimum depth of six (6) inches. A sample of mulch shall be submitted to the TPOC prior to application. Erosion Control. The Contractor shall repair and fill all rivulets, soil slides, and washouts when necessary. Pruning. Prune all shrubs to existing form twice during the growing season or as needed. Trees shall be pruned from ground level to up to 12’ to improve form and remove dead wood and spent blossoms as needed. Tree and shrub suckers, excess shoot growth, and limbs shall be removed as needed. Plantings such as ground cover, perennials, and bulbs, shall be cut back as appropriate for the species. Flowers Replacement. Replace flowers twice annually (March/April and October/November) so that when the flowers reach maturity each of the 4 beds in the front of the building are well covered. Damage. If the Government determines that the damage to sprinkler heads was caused by the Contractor, the Contractor shall repair/replace them at no additional cost to the Government. Final Work. During the last two weeks of the contract, the Contractor shall leave all planting beds, tree mounds, and rock beds in a weed free condition. Grass shall be mowed, weather conditions permitting, regardless of height. ITEMIZED SERVICES REQURIEMENT SHEET The following are services INCLUDED under this performance- based solicitation. The following are major service items and therefore, some minor or sub item services may not be listed. Edging Erosion Control Fertilizing Insect/Mole Control Grass Mowing Leaf Removal Mulching Pruning Trimming Weeding Bed Preparation and Maintenance Lawn Maintenance PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE Base Year: March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026 Option Year 1: March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027 Option Year 2: March 1, 2027 to February 28, 2028 Option Year 3: March 1, 2028 to February 28, 2029 Option Year 4: March 1, 2029 to February 28, 2030 TECHNICAL POINTS OF CONTACT NOAA/National Weather Service Charleston, SC Weather Forecast Office 5777 South Aviation Avenue Charleston, SC 29406-6162 Primary: Provided Upon Award Backup: Provided Upon Award