FF&V for Non-DoD Schools on Oahu

15 August 2025: a) Solicitation Q&A #2 attached; b) Responses to additional questions forthcoming; c) Deadline for questions extended to 1700 Hours, Thu 21 Aug 2025.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 August 2025: Solicitation Q&A and revised SOW FFV Oahu Schools - 080425 attached

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SF1449 has been posted

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Defense Logistics Agency (“DLA”) Troop Support Indo-Pacific (“Agency”) intends to enter into an Indefinite-Delivery Contract (“IDC”) with a commercial firm to supply a full-line of United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Grade Number 1 or better quality Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (“FF&V”) products to Non-Department of Defense (DoD) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) School customers, on the island of Oahu, State of, Hawaii. Specific quality requirements per item are included in the Schedule of Items (Attachment 1). Failure to propose the specified quality requirements per item as item as identified in Attachment 1 may render an offeror’s proposal technically unacceptable. If the item’s description in Attachment 1 does not provide a specific quality grade, the minimum quality grade that is required to meet the terms of this Solicitation is USDA Grade Number 1.

A single contract will be awarded to a successful offeror(s) to source, purchase, store, and deliver a variety of FF&V items to DLA Troop Support Indo-Pacific customers on an ongoing basis, while at the same time maintaining acceptable fill rates, levels of customer service, and product quality. Multiple contracts will not be awarded for this requirement. Therefore, an Offeror must currently possess the physical, logistical, and financial resources to serve as a commercial distributor of a variety of FF&V items. It is neither sufficient nor acceptable for an Offeror to be a third-party logistics (“3PL”) company (i.e. a company that does not intend to serve as the FF&V supplier but instead intends to subcontract out key logistical components required by the contract, including but not limited to ordering, warehousing, distribution, etc.). By offering, an Offeror affirms its status as a current and functioning commercial distributor of FF&V items.

The offeror shall maintain a temperature controlled and secured facility physically located on the island of Oahu for storage and distribution of FF&V. To determine whether an Offeror meets the technical requirement of being a current and functioning commercial FF&V distributor, the Contracting Officer will require an Offeror as well as its major distribution partners in the supply chain to provide its current and valid Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”) license. In other words, if offeror intends to utilize a secondary distribution partner to provide local warehousing capability, the secondary distribution partner will be required to submit its current and valid Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (“PACA”) license. The offeror is required to ensure its supplier farms comply with the USDA Group Food Safety Program. The offeror must provide valid certifications from farms supplying FF&V specific produce items intended for school meals under this contract. Such farms must be GAP-certified in specific relation to produce items, and related agricultural practices, intended for school meals. This USDA GAP requirement does not apply to the offeror’s own operations.

This solicitation consists of non-Department of Defense (DoD) school customers. Offerors are required to offer on all items in the Schedule of Items; failure to do so may result in exclusion from award consideration.

This solicitation is being issued as a 100% small business set-aside and utilizes the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) Source Selection Process.

Submissions:

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 1700 Hours HST, Friday, August 29, 2025.

Please email proposals to floyd.shiroma@dla.mil. and kirk.moser@dla.mil. It is the offeror's responsibility to confirm receipt of the proposal.