Pre-solicitation Notice Concerning Vessel Loading and Unloading Observation (VLUO) Services

This is not a solicitation. Please do not respond to this document.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS), through its Commodity Procurement Program (CPP), anticipates releasing a solicitation on or around August 18, 2025. The solicitation will seek qualified contractors to conduct third-party observation of all cargo being loaded onto ocean vessels. The primary objective is to ensure that only clean, wholesome products—free from insect or rodent infestation, contamination, and packaged in sound, sanitary containers—are shipped for delivery to food aid programs. The contractor shall also perform as needed discharge surveys, draft surveys, through bill of lading (TBL) surveys, and discharge and delivery surveys. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform observation loading domestically and surveys globally as defined.

The services will involve observing and inspecting food cargoes, recording the quantity and condition of food aid shipments, monitoring activities related to their disposition, and delivering a comprehensive written report. Contractors must have the capability to access the AMS Web Based Supply Chain Management (WBSCM) electronic ordering system to track shipments, to enter loss and damage data, access task order (TO) information, and to enter invoice information.

This solicitation is intended to result in single Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract award based on the proposal that represents the best value to the Government. The period of performance is one base period with four (4) ordering periods if exercised. The tentative response period is August 8, 2025, to September 8, 2025. Offerors are required to propose services for the CONUS locations which include, but are not limited to Beaumont, TX, Chicago, IL, Houston, TX (Various locations), Jacintoport, TX, Lake Charles, LA, ARREFF/Norfolk, VA, Jacksonville, FL and OCONUS locations which include, but are not limited to Cameroon, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Turkey, and Yemen. The Government reserves the right to award more than one contract as a result of this solicitation to ensure availability of adequate warehouse locations and facilities throughout the term of the contract.

AMS plans to solicit proposals on an unrestricted, full and open basis, for potential contractors to provide the above-mentioned services utilizing the procedures in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items, in conjunction with FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation. The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) Code for this solicitation is 488390. The selection decision will be based on the overall best value to the Government, price and non-price factors considered.

The RFP will be issued under Solicitation Number 12-1NTS-25-R-0003(2*10916). The solicitation and any related documents will be made available to interested parties through electronic media for downloading via the internet at SAM.gov. No hard copies of the solicitation will be available. Potential offerors shall be responsible for monitoring the internet site for release of the solicitation, attachments to the solicitations, and any amendments.