Vessel Loading and Unloading Observation (VLUO) Services 12-1NTS-25-R-0003

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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS) requests quotations from responsible sources to conduct third-party observation for CONUS of all cargo being loaded onto ocean vessels to reduce or eliminate the risk that anything other than clean, wholesome products, free from insect or rodent infestation or contamination, packaged in sound clean containers, are loaded for delivery to food aid programs and perform as needed for OCONUS discharge surveys, draft surveys, through bill of lading (TBL) surveys, and discharge and delivery surveys of containerized, bulk, and breakbulk commodities for food assistance programs. It is the intention of the Government to award a firm-fixed price contract to one firm for this requirement. Offerors are required to propose services for the CONUS locations which are listed on the KC-362 form located at https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/KC0362.pdf; and for the OCONUS locations which include, but are not limited to Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, C. African Rep., Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic. of Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, West Bank Gaza, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Foreign-Prep, and Republic of South Africa. Please also note the following: Please ensure that you read the RFP solicitation in its entirety. Failure to provide all required elements as indicated in the solicitation will result in the quote being excluded from consideration for award. Past performance ratings should be submitted directly to the Contract Officer from a third party. A signed SF1449 must be submitted with your proposal. Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted to Travis Cathey (travis.cathey@usda.gov) by Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 4:30pm CST. Questions will be answered and posted by Friday, September 5, 2025, at 4:30pm CST

Amendment A01 Posted 9/5/2025. The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions received in response to the solicitation identified in Block 9A and to make changes to the SF-1449/solicitation/performance work statement and other attachments. The solicitation due date has been extended to September 15, 2023, at 4:30 p.m CST. Offerors must acknowledge this amendment and any other amendment when submitting their proposal and SF-1449. The solicitation and performance work statement has been updated in multiple sections, please make sure to read them in their entirety. Please see the questions and answers document that has been added to the attachment section.. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS) requests quotations from responsible sources to conduct third-party observation for CONUS of all cargo being loaded onto ocean vessels to reduce or eliminate the risk that anything other than clean, wholesome products, free from insect or rodent infestation or contamination, packaged in sound clean containers, are loaded for delivery to food aid programs and perform as needed for OCONUS discharge surveys, draft surveys, through bill of lading (TBL) surveys, and discharge and delivery surveys of containerized, bulk, and breakbulk commodities for food assistance programs. It is the intention of the Government to award a firm-fixed price contract to one firm for this requirement. Offerors are required to propose services for the CONUS locations which are listed on the KC-362 form located at https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/KC0362.pdf; and for the OCONUS locations which include, but are not limited to Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, C. African Rep., Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic. of Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, West Bank Gaza, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Foreign-Prep, and Republic of South Africa. Please also note the following: Please ensure that you read the RFP solicitation in its entirety. Failure to provide all required elements as indicated in the solicitation will result in the quote being excluded from consideration for award. Past performance ratings should be submitted directly to the Contract Officer from a third party. A signed SF1449 must be submitted with your proposal. Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted to Travis Cathey (travis.cathey@usda.gov) by Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 4:30pm CST. Questions will be answered and posted by Friday, September 5, 2025, at 4:30pm CST

The contract award date is 12/15/2025. This contract is to provide cargo observation services in CONUS and OCONUS. The services will include The CONUS 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. Damages occurring from the dock, port shed, truck, or rail car to the barge, container, or vessel hold are documented by the CONUS VLUO Contractor and corrected or removed at the time of the Contractor s observation. The OCONUS services will involve attending, witnessing, and examining food cargoes, documenting the count and condition of these food aid shipments and activities related to disposition, and providing a written report. This is a firm-fixed price contract which consist of a base and four ordering periods. This contract was awarded to NAVOCOR LLC.