SOLICITATION INFORMATION, QUOTATION EVALUATION CRITERIA, INSTRUCTIONS & KEY DATES:

This solicitation is a Request for Quotations (RFQ) to establish a firm fixed-price contract for non-personal janitorial services for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) requires janitorial services within its facilities located in Frederick, Maryland. USDA intends to award a firm fixed-price, performance-based contract for janitorial services for a base period of one (1) year, with four (4) one-year option periods that may be exercised by the government in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.217-9.

The Contractor must provide janitorial services at the following USDA, APHIS, PPQ facilities:

67 Thomas Johnson Drive

Suite A2, (Building 2)

Frederick, MD 21702

12,084 square (sq) feet (ft) of usable space

3,026 sq ft of Tile

9,058 sq ft of Carpet

There are 2 men’s bathrooms and 2 women’s bathrooms in Building 2

69 Thomas Johnson Drive

Suite 100, (Building 1)

Frederick, MD 21702

25,782 square feet of usable space

5,328 sq ft of Tile

20,454 sq ft of Carpet

There are 5 men’s bathrooms and 5 women bathrooms Building 1

This solicitation is issued as a Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 52.219-6) under NAICS code 561720 – Janitorial Services with a small business size standard of $22.0 Million in annual sales. 

All relevant documents (services requirements, locations, terms and conditions, etc.) are included as an attachment to this notice. Interested vendors should thoroughly read and complete all requested documents to confirm their ability to provide the services as required.

*** A Site Visit is available at the USDA, APHIS, PPQ facilities in Frederick, MD on Wednesday, June 23, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. EDT. Vendors must RSVP for the site visit by e-mailing the Contract Specialist, Matthew Phillips ([email protected]). ***

Questions are due Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Noon Central Time. All questions/inquiries must be submitted via email to the Contract Specialist, Matthew Phillips, at [email protected]. Inquiries submitted via telephone will be redirected to an e-mail submission. Questions will be answered by USDA and responses will be distributed to Vendors via amendment of the solicitation posting within SAM.gov prior to the due date for quotations. Late questions will be answered at the discretion of the Contract Specialist.

Vendors must submit their quotation package in its entirety to the Contract Specialist, Matthew Phillips, via e-mail at [email protected]. Vendors who fail to complete and submit their quotation in accordance with the requirements of this solicitation may be considered non-responsive. Quotations received prior to the solicitation closing date and time, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. Central Time will be considered by USDA. Incomplete quotations will not be considered.

Award will be made to the responsible Vendor whose quotation is determined to provide the best value to the Government, per FAR 52.212-2. Trade-off analysis of price or technical factors will be used in the award determination. After evaluation of quotations is completed, the Government will make an award to the responsible Vendor whose quotation (technical and price) conforms to the solicitation and is most advantageous to the Government, price and technical factors identified within this solicitation considered.

For this solicitation, all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price. As quotations become more equal in their technical merit, the evaluation of price becomes more important. The Government will not make an award to any Vendor whose quoted prices are not considered to be fair and reasonable.

TECHNICAL QUOTATION EVALUATION FACTORS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

The Government will award a purchase order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Vendor whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors will be used to evaluate technical quotations:

The following Factors are listed in a descending order of importance:

(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. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Award will be issued to the Vendor whose quote is determined to provide best value to the Government, price and other (technical) factors considered. Technical factors, including the Technical Approach Narrative (Factor 1), Key Personnel (Factor 2), Experience & Past Performance (Factor 3), when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price (Factor 4).

• Factor 1, Technical Approach Narrative: This Factor considers the Technical Approach narrative provided by the Vendor. The Vendor must provide a Technical Approach narrative, not-to-exceed five (5) pages in length, to specifically address how they will accomplish the scope of services required within this Performance Work Statement. The Technical Approach narrative must also address how the Vendor will manage staffing and provide coverage for absences (short and long-term).
• Factor 2: Key Personnel - This Factor considers the Key Personnel (Supervisory) proposed by the Vendor; consideration will be given to the demonstrated experience and qualifications of the proposed Key Personnel on relevant projects of similar nature to the services required in this solicitation. Proposed Key Personnel will be evaluated as to qualifications and experience in all areas necessary to effectively perform the required work.
  • Factor 2 Instructions - For this evaluation factor, the contractor must provide the names and qualifications of the Key Personnel identified within the Performance Work Statement (ref. Sec. 1.6 CONTRACTOR KEY PERSONNEL) and proposed for this requirement in the form of resumes. Resumes for each key team member must include educational qualifications and experience, as applicable. The Vendor must clearly present the separate credentials of each proposed key team member and must provide a concise summary of each proposed key team member’s separate duties and responsibilities as proposed for this requirement for services. Resumes for all proposed key team members must, at a minimum, demonstrate that the proposed key team member meets the experience outlined and information required for each position as outlined within the Performance Work Statement.
• Factor 3: Experience and Past Performance – Experience and Past Performance will be evaluated for all projects submitted to demonstrate similar experience to ascertain the probability of successfully performing the required efforts of the Performance Work Statement.

The past performance evaluation will be specifically based upon the satisfactory completion of services performed compared to the services required under this solicitation, the record of conforming to contract requirements and standards of good workmanship, and the commitment to customer satisfaction. The Past Performance evaluation will also consider any past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience or subcontractors that performed major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant. For joint ventures, past performance records of both firms will be considered. In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance.

• • Factor 3 Instructions - Vendors must use “Attachment 2 – Vendor Experience & Past Performance Sheet” and include a minimum of two (2) but no more than five (5) references for experience with projects of the same or similar service and magnitude. Each project must have been performed within the past five (5) years from the date of this solicitation. Vendors must complete the “Customer Identification” section within the attachment for each project referenced.

Note: In the case of a Vendor without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the Vendor’s quotation will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance.

• Factor 4, Price Quotation: This is not an evaluation factor. However, failure to submit completed, required documents may result in the Vendor being considered non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration.

Vendors must submit their price quotations by utilizing the Attachment 1 – Vendor Quotation Sheet attached to this solicitation. The Vendor must only fill in the shaded areas of the pricing template for the initial Base Period and all option periods.

• Miscellaneous Documents: This is not an evaluation factor. However, failure to submit completed, required documents may result in the Vendor being considered non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration.

Quotation Submissions must include the following:

• • Attachment 1 – Vendor Quotation Sheet (completed);
  • Attachment 2 - Vendor Experience Sheet (completed);
  • Technical Approach narrative (shall not exceed 5 pages in length);
  • Standard Form 1449 (Complete blocks 17a., 30a., 30b., and 30c.);

• • Signed Standard Form 30 for any amendments issued for this solicitation.

Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important than price.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS, EXHIBITS, AND DRAWINGS:

• Standard Form (SF) 1449
• Performance Work Statement (PWS)
• Standard Form (SF) 30 (if the solicitation is amended)

• Attachment 1 – Vendor Quotation Form
• Attachment 2 – Vendor Experience & Past Performance Sheet

• Exhibit 1 – Applicable U.S. Department of Labor Wage Determination