USDA Fruit and Tree Nut Purchase Program Announced

Date
March 21, 2018

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced plans to purchase canned and frozen fruit products for the National School Lunch Program and other Federal food nutrition assistance programs. Offers will be solicited in the following forms:

CANNED FRUITS

WBSCM MATERIAL

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

100209

APRICOTS HALVES EX LT CAN- 6/10

100210

APRICOT HALVES CAN- 24/300

100211

MIXED FRUIT CAN- 24/300

100212

MIXED FRUIT EX LT CAN- 6/10

100216

APRICOTS DICED PEELED EX LT CAN- 6/10

100218

PEACHES CLING SLICES CAN- 24/300

100219

PEACHES CLING SLICES EX LT CAN- 6/10

100220

PEACHES CLING DICED EX LT CAN- 6/10

100223

PEARS CAN- 24/300

100224

PEARS SLICES EX LT CAN- 6/10

100225

PEARS DICED EX LT CAN- 6/10

100226

PEARS HALVES EX LT CAN- 6/10

 

FROZEN FRUITS

WBSCM MATERIAL

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

100239

PEACHES FREESTONE SLICES FRZ CTN- 20 LB

100241

PEACH FREESTONE DICED FRZ CUP- 96/4.4 OZ

100254

STRAWBERRY SLICES FRZ CTN- 30 LB

100256

STRAWBERRY FRZ CUP- 96/4.5 OZ

100261

APRICOT FRZ CUP- 96/4.5 OZ

110846

STRAWBERRY FRZ - 6/5 LB

110859

MIXED BERRY CUP – 96/4 OZ

110860

STRAWBERRY SLICES 6/5 LB BAG

110862

APRICOT SLICES FRZ - 6/5 LB Package

There will be a conference call on Thursday, March 29th, at 2:00pm EST to discuss the planned solicitation schedule. The call in line is 1-888-844-9904, passcode is 1693356.

Solicitations will be issued in the near future for deliveries beginning October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019. Offers to sell these products must be received not later than the date specified on the Solicitations.

Solicitations will be available electronically through the Web-Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) system. A hard copy of solicitations 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;
  • Applicable commodity specification(s) identified in the subsequent solicitation(s); 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. The AMS point of contact for new vendors is Andrea Lang who can be reached by phone at (202) 720-4237 or by email to NewVendor@ams.usda.gov. Details of these requirements are available online at: https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food/becoming-approved. 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.

Inquiries may be directed to the Contracting Officer, David Munford, at (202) 440-2223 or via email at david.munford04@ams.usda.gov.

The USDA prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

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