Pre-Solicitation Announcement for Trade Mitigation Purchase of Grape (Dried and Fresh) Products

On August 27, 2018, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, announced details of actions the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would take to assist farmers in response to trade damage from unjustified retaliation.  As part of those actions, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service announces the Food Purchase of up to $48,211,000 under the authority of Section 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act for distribution to various food nutrition assistance programs.  Products to be procured include but are not limited to:

Solicitations will be issued in the near future, and will be available electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system.  A hard copy of the solicitation will not be available. Public WBSCM information is available without an account on the WBSCM Public Procurement Page. All future information regarding this acquisition, including solicitation amendments and award notices, will be published through WBSCM, and on the Agricultural Marketing Service's website at www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food. Interested parties shall be responsible for ensuring that they have the most up-to-date information about this acquisition. The contract type is anticipated to be firm-fixed price. Deliveries are expected to be to various locations in the United States on an FOB destination basis.

Pursuant to Agricultural Acquisition Regulation 470.103(b), commodities and the products of agricultural commodities acquired under this contract must be a product of the United States, and shall be considered to be such a product if it is grown, processed, and otherwise prepared for sale or distribution exclusively in the United States. Packaging and container components under this acquisition will be the only portion subject to the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements, as addressed by FAR clause 52.225-5.

Offerors are urged to review all documents as they pertain to this program, including the latest—

• AMS Master Solicitation for Commodity Procurements (MSCP), April 12, 2017;
• Draft Trade Mitigation Specification for Table Grapes, September 18, 2018; and
• Qualification Requirements for Prospective Contractors Selling Commodities to USDA, March 1, 2017.

These documents are available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website.

To be eligible to submit offers, potential contractors must meet the AMS vendor qualification requirements. Details are available online at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/becoming-approved. For questions concerning vendor qualifications, please email NewVendor@ams.usda.gov. Once qualification requirements have been met, access to WBSCM will be provided. Bids, modifications, withdrawals of bids, and price adjustments shall be submitted using this system. Submission of the above by any means other than WBSCM will be determined nonresponsive.

To receive e-mail notification of the issuance of AMS solicitations, contract awards, and other information, subscribe online by visiting: “Stay up to date on USDA Food Purchases” available on the AMS Commodity Procurement website.

In an effort to assist all impacted producers, these acquisitions will not be set-aside for small business.   Adjustments to the information in this notice may be subject to change due to growing conditions; product availability; market conditions; trade negotiation status; and program capacity. The acquisition schedules are subject to change at the unilateral right of the Government.

The Government will host a pre-solicitation call on September 27, 2018 at 1:00 PM.  Please call 888.844-9904 and enter access code 1693356 to join the audio call.

Call Questions and Answers

Inquiries may be directed to the Marketing Specialists, David Cottrell and Bonnie Meyer, via email at david.cottrell@ams.usda.gov and bonnie.meyer@ams.usda.gov.