Survey and Staking for High-Game Fencing, Cameron County, Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), seeks a contract with a small business firm for surveying services for its Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP) in Cameron County, Texas. This acquisition is being procured in accordance with 40 USC 1103, as implemented in FAR Subpart 36.6.

Background: CFTEP is charged with controlling the spread of Cattle Fever Ticks (CFT) that can infect cattle with bovine babesiosis. This infection can lead to a negative impact on the cattle business and result in an infestation of local ranches. CFT are not exclusive to cattle. These ticks have also found suitable hosts in white-tailed deer and several exotic ungulates, including nilgai antelope. APHIS is concerned about the role of white-tailed deer and nilgai antelope in spreading ticks in the area.

Deer can serve as an effective CFT host and distribute engorged female ticks within their core areas and home ranges. Hunter-killed white-tailed deer, infested with southern cattle ticks, were located on properties that had been vacant of cattle for about 10 years. Free-ranging nilgai in Cameron County are also hosts of the CFT. Nilgai have large home ranges, up to 75,000 acres.

Requirement: In the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, CFTEP will fund construction of game fencing on private and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge property located in rural areas of Cameron County. Fencing will be a minimum of 8 feet high and installed in areas to prevent access of CFT host wildlife in tick-free areas.

The high-game fence will not obstruct public or private access roads or driveways, not be installed through township areas, nor be installed across water resources, including streams and arroyos. It is intended that surveying begin this fiscal year and construction staking will coincide with the award and performance of the fence construction contract next fiscal year.

Firms that meet the requirements described in this announcement and that are registered with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors are invited to submit a Standard Form 330, Architect-Engineer Qualifications, Parts I and II, to james.g.roloff@usda.gov. Please include your UEI. Following an evaluation of the qualifications and performance data submitted, three of the most highly qualified firms will be chosen for negotiation.

Selection of firms for negotiation shall be made in order of preference based on demonstrated competence and qualifications necessary to satisfy the performance in accordance with the specific selection criteria listed in this announcement. The NAICS code for this acquisition is 541370, Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services, which has a small business size standard of $19M.

The wages and benefits of service employees (see FAR Subpart 22.10) performing under this contract must be at least equal to those determined by the Department of Labor under the Service Contract Act. To be eligible for contract award, a firm must be registered in the System for Award Management. Firms must demonstrate the ability to meet the selection criteria listed below in descending order of importance.

(1) Professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of required services. Firms shall submit resumes of its key personnel. Each resume shall include a minimum of three specific completed projects that best illustrate the individual team member’s experience relevant to this contract scope. Each firm must provide a brief description of its ability to perform the work described in the scope. This description must describe the work on previous projects similar in size and scope, the personnel available to support the project, and the nature of the firm’s primary business and facilities. The firm shall propose their recommended approach for meeting the scope.

(2) Specialized experience and technical competence in the type of work required. Provide a detailed narrative of up to five relevant projects completed within the last five years that best illustrate overall team experience relevant to this contract scope.

(3) Capacity to accomplish the work in the required time. In narrative form, discuss the proven ability to accomplish the work in the required time. Describe experience in successfully delivering projects per performance schedule, providing timely construction support, and successfully completing multiple projects with similar delivery dates.

(4) Location in the general area of the project and knowledge of the locality of the project. The A&E firm must be registered with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Describe the ability to travel to Cameron County upon request or necessity.

(5) Past performance on contracts with government agencies and private industry in terms of cost control, quality of work, and compliance with performance schedules. Provide a written narrative that discusses the firm’s ability to work with Government entities or similar relevant experience with other entities. Provide a copy of all performance evaluations issued for government contracts (as applicable).

For non-federal contracts, provide facility owner documentation of the firm’s performance issued on that contract. If no documentation exists, so state. Provide owner points of contact: name, title, address, telephone number, e-mail, and copies of awards and letters of appreciation/commendation as desired. Firms responding to this announcement before the closing date will be considered for selection. Email transmissions will be accepted. Please note the file size may delay receipt of your submission. Solicitation packages are not provided. This is not a request for proposals.