Inactive

The New England District (NAE) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is issuing this Sources Sought Announcement to determine interest, availability and capability of 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disa... The New England District (NAE) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is issuing this Sources Sought Announcement to determine interest, availability and capability of 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned and Small Business concerns for Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contracts for environmental monitoring and sampling services to support dredged material management in NAE. The NAICS codes for the work described below is 541620 with a size standard $19,000,000. The contract period of performance is expected to begin in May of 2024 and would remain in place for up to five years from the contract award date. NAE intends to award this work as a single indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a total value up to $6,000,000. The location of services to be performed under this contract shall be primarily in the six New England States (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, and CT). Under this contract the successful offeror will be required to provide services to support environmental analysis, resource assessment, and Dredged Material Management for the New England District and elements of the USACE North Atlantic Division (NAD). Offerors will be evaluated based on professional capabilities relative to the support services outlined in the sections below as well as demonstrated knowledge and experience with ecological issues in the Northeast and adjacent coastal waters, with a particular focus on the requirements of applicable environmental laws and regulations, particularly the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) as they pertain to the testing and management of dredged material. Following is a list of anticipated requirements and tasks that will serve as the primary factors for evaluation of each offeror’s experience and capabilities. Tasks are further summarized later in this document. To be considered qualified, firms MUST include the completed summary table in their capabilities package. Task orders are expected to involve Technical Support 70% of the time and Environmental Studies and Reports 30% of the time. Note that at least 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel under this contract must be expended by the employees of the offeror. This does not, however, include laboratory analytical services. The firm must demonstrate the capacity to execute the full value of the contract over the ordering period - accomplishing multiple task orders concurrently while maintaining quality and schedule. Firms will be evaluated on the available capacity of key personnel from the prime firm and its team subconsultants. The prime contractor needs to demonstrate that it has the core competencies to perform work required under the contract on its own. In order to meet or exceed the requirements of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.219-14, "Limitations on Subcontracting", the prime along with "similarly situated" subcontractors must have the capacity to perform at least 50% of the work over the life of the contract. "Similarly situated" subcontractor means a first-tier subcontractor, including an independent contractor that has the same small business program status as that which qualified the prime contractor for the award and that is considered small for the specified NAICS code. The firm should address how it will meet these requirements based upon the assumption that the items listed under "Specialized Experience and Technical Competence" above constitute the preponderance of the work to be performed under this contract. Technical Support: * Demonstrated ability to stage large field sampling, survey, and analysis efforts in coastal, freshwater, and riverine environments. Demonstrated ability to provide laboratory and field equipment and/or technical support for field studies (including expert staff, boats, positioning equipment, sampling equipment, etc.) with particular emphasis on oceanographic survey (including multibeam bathymetry, side-scan sonar, acoustic backscatter), sediment-profile imaging, marine sediment testing, water quality monitoring, and plume tracking associated with dredging project effects. The Contractor must have the demonstrated ability to perform field surveys within the NAD footprint, primarily in the New England coastal waters. * Demonstrated ability to perform water quality, sediment chemistry, bioassay, and bioaccumulation analyses according to the most up to date protocol. A thorough knowledge of the Green Book, Inland Testing Manual, and New England Regional Implementation Manual requirements is required. Laboratory facilities must meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USACE certification requirements. * Demonstrated ability to produce Sampling and Analysis Plans (SAP) and Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) according to USACE and EPA technical, reporting, and formatting requirements. * Demonstrated ability to perform identification of plants, fish and wildlife, and benthic infauna from marine, terrestrial, and freshwater environments. * Demonstrated experience in computer modeling and database development for complex environmental monitoring programs. * Demonstrated experience in geospatial data analysis, management, and presentation. Environmental Studies and Reports * Demonstrated ability to prepare reports on environmental monitoring studies, oceanographic surveys, and sediment analysis pertinent to dredged material management and similar USACE water resources projects, including bioassay and bioaccumulation testing of proposed dredged materials. * Demonstrated ability to undertake specific field and/or laboratory studies to answer resource and impact questions; prepare USACE approved work plans for the conduct of environmental studies; and report on the collection of sediment samples using grabs, sediment coring devices (vibracore) and other methods as may be necessary to acquire required volumes to undergo chemical, physical, and biological analysis and present results. * Demonstrated ability to use computer models and/or geographic information systems (GIS) to describe existing environmental conditions and potential environmental effects of proposed projects. Interested firms should submit a capabilities package to include the following: business classification (e.g. 8(a), HUBZone, etc.), staff size, primary area(s) of expertise, qualifications, demonstrated experience in performing the work requirements stated above, and a completed summary of capabilities table. Responses are due 30 days from the date of this announcement. Responses should be emailed to Elizabeth Glasgow at elizabeth.k.glasgow@usace.army.mil. Responses are limited to thirty pages. The Government will not pay for any material provided in response to this market survey nor return the data provided. This notice is for information purposes only and is not a request to be placed on a solicitation mailing list nor is it a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a solicitation. The results of this survey will be considered to be in effect for a period of one year from the date of this notice.