Description
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) invites offers to sell canned vegetables as indicatedbelow and per the Announcement for distribution to the Needy Family and other domestic food assistance programs. Offers are due by 1 p.m., Central Time, Friday, October 26, 2007. Acceptances will be announced by midnight, November 5, 2007. Deliveries are to be made from December 1 - 31, 2007. Offers are invited from the trade for: Green Beans 24/#300 14,580 cases Carrots 24/#300 11,340 cases Corn, Whole Kernel 24/#300 24,480 cases Peas 24/#300 16,200 cases Mixed Vegetable 24/#300 27,540 cases No offer will be made to 8(a) vendors on this invitation. All prime vendors are reminded that they are prohibited from subcontracting with companies or individuals that have been suspended or debarred. All invitations with orders for the state of New York must have the pack date stamped on the outside of each carton. The pack date should be annotated as per the following example: (05/01/2003). Orders for the state of New York requiring this special marking will be indicated by (**). This applies to New York orders ?Only,? if and when they appear on an Invitation. Bids must be submitted electronically via the Domestic Electronic Bid Entry System (DEBES) on the Internet. Offerors who submit bids using other than DEBES will be deemed non-responsive. Offeror must be assigned a Logon ID by USDA to access the site. The Internet address is: http://pcsd.usda.gov/debes which translates into a connection of https://pcsd.usda.gov:3077/mdbc1000.exe?. Once connected, follow the online procedures. A ?HELP? button provides detailed instructions for using the system or call 202-720-4517 for assistance. Bidders are cautioned to bid only quantities they can reasonably expect to produce and deliver in accordance with the contract. Inquiries about Announcement FV-302; Appendix-1; the Commodity Specification for Canned Vegetables dated April 2004, as amended; or this Invitation should be directed to the Contracting Officer, USDA/AMS/Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Commodity Procurement Branch STOP 0239, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-0239, telephone (202) 720-4517. An electronic version of this Invitation can be obtained through the World Wide Web via the Commodity Procurement Home Page at http://www.ams.usda.gov/cp. Purchases of the required commodities will be made on a delivered basis, subject to Announcement FV-302, to the listed locations. Destination quantities are estimates and are subject to adjustment based on offerings, changes in recipient need, market conditions, and program operations. Delivery by trucks or railcars is optional to the contractor, except for those destination(s) which specify delivery by truck only or rail only. Delivery period and shipment locations can be obtained from the full invitation: http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual?s income is derived from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA?s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.