Dried Fruit for use in Domestic Food Assistance Programs

<p>This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products or commercial services prepared in accordance with part 5.101(d). This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Offers are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued.</p>

<p>Solicitation number 2000011414 is issued as an invitation for bid (IFB) for Dried Fruit.</p>

<p>This acquisition is a Partial set-aside for small business concerns. This solicitation incorporates&nbsp;provisions and clauses by reference. The full text of provisions and clauses may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.</p>

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<strong>NOTICE FOR FILING AGENCY PROTESTS</strong></p>

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<strong>United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Ombudsman Program</strong></p>

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The USDA is committed to issuing solicitations and awarding contracts in a fair and prompt manner. The Ombudsman Program for Agency Protests (OPAP) was established to address protest&nbsp;issues within the agency, providing an alternative to costly and time-consuming&nbsp;litigation. Operating independently, OPAP offers relief comparable to that granted by the&nbsp;Government Accountability Office (GAO). Interested parties are encouraged to resolve concerns&nbsp;through USDA&rsquo;s internal Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process before pursuing external&nbsp;forums such as the GAO. Concerns may be addressed informally or through a formal agency&nbsp;protest filed with either the Contracting Officer or the Ombudsman.</p>

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<p><strong>Informal Forum with the Ombudsman</strong></p>

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1.&nbsp;<strong>Initial Point of Contact</strong>: Interested parties who believe a specific USDA procurement is&nbsp;unfair or otherwise defective should first direct their concerns to the applicable Contracting&nbsp;Officer.</p>

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2.&nbsp;<strong>Escalation</strong>: If the Contracting Officer is unable to address their concerns, interested parties&nbsp;are encouraged to contact the USDA Ombudsman for Agency Protests. Under this informal&nbsp;process, the agency is not required to suspend contract award performance. Utilization of&nbsp;the informal forum does not suspend any time requirement for filing a formal protest with&nbsp;the agency or other forums.</p>

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3.&nbsp;<strong>Required Informatio</strong>n: To ensure a timely response, interested parties should provide the&nbsp;following information to the Ombudsman: solicitation/contract number, contracting office,&nbsp;Contracting Officer, and solicitation closing date (if applicable).</p>

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<strong>Formal Agency Protest with the Ombudsman</strong></p>

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1.&nbsp;<strong>Effort to Resolve</strong>: Prior to submitting a formal agency protest, protesters must first use&nbsp;their best efforts to resolve their concerns with the Contracting Officer through open and&nbsp;frank discussions.</p>

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2.&nbsp;<strong>Independent Review</strong>: If the protester&rsquo;s concerns remain unresolved, an Independent&nbsp;Review is available by the Ombudsman. The protester may file a formal agency protest with&nbsp;either the Contracting Officer or, alternatively, with the Ombudsman under the OPAP&nbsp;program. Contract awards or performance will be suspended during the protest period&nbsp;unless justified in writing for urgent and compelling reasons or determined in writing to be in&nbsp;the best interest of the Government.</p>

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3.&nbsp;<strong>Resolution Timeline</strong>: The agency&rsquo;s goal is to resolve protests within 35 calendar days from&nbsp;the date of filing.</p>

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4.&nbsp;<strong>Required Information</strong>: Protests shall include the information set forth in FAR&nbsp;33.104(a)(3). Failure to submit the required information may result in a delay or dismissal of&nbsp;the protest.</p>

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5.&nbsp;<strong>Timeliness</strong>: Protests must be filed within the timeframes specified in FAR 33.104.</p>

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6.&nbsp;<strong>Submission</strong>: Formal protests under the OPAP program should be submitted electronically&nbsp;to SPE.inquiry@usda.gov and the Contracting Officer.</p>

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<strong>Election of Forum</strong>. By initiating a protest with the USDA, the protester agrees not to pursue the&nbsp;same matter with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or any other external forum while&nbsp;the agency protest is pending. If a protest is filed externally, the agency protest will be dismissed.</p>

Point of Contact

• Samantha Klagenberg — samantha.klagenberg@usda.gov — 9702225931
• Kelli Dawkins — kelli.dawkins@usda.gov — 8169262112

View on SAM.gov

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/ab7b0c11330d4a43a0d2722b9e438796/view