Sources Sought Notice 12314422R0025 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) George Washington Carver Center (GWCC) Foodservice Operator – Beltsville, MD This is a Sources Sought Synopsis. This announcement is not a solicitation, RFP, or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. Responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The purpose of this Sources Sought Synopsis is in support of Market Research being conducted by the Procurement Operations Division (POD), Acquisition Management Branch, Washington DC (AMB-WDC) to identify potential sources and gather information on current capabilities within the market. This synopsis is for planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited hereunder. All costs associated with responding to this Sources Sought Synopsis will be solely at the responding party's expense. The forthcoming RFP for these services is subject to Randolph-Shephard Act (RSA) and gives preference to the State Licensing Agencies (SLA’s). The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to solicit interested parties’ input from small business concerns, with the intent of assessing set-aside possibilities. If your firm wishes to participate in the market research, you may provide documentation that supports your company's capability in meeting these requirements. Only small businesses concerns are invited to participate in this Market Research. This Sources Sought Notice is posted under SAM.gov, under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 722310, Food Service Contractors, with a size standard of $38.5M. An abbreviated summary of the Performance Work Statement (PWS) is as follows: The USDA Office of Operations, Safety & Sustainability Emergency Operations Division (OO/SSEOD) seeks a qualified Foodservice Contractor to operate a dining service program offering innovative and unique approaches to dining and sustainability. USDA will engage a Foodservice Contractor to operate the existing cafeteria in its George Washington Carver Center (GWCC) located in Beltsville, MD. The GWCC dining room contains seats for 279 people, but does not expect full capacity to be reached given the current telework/remote work environment. USDA OO/SSEOD is currently developing more accurate building occupancy projections. The anticipated contract shall be a No Cost Contract. The No Cost Contract shall be based on the Foodservice Contractor maintaining a menu price structure in such a manner to result in the Foodservice Contractor realizing a reasonable profit, or if incurring a loss, adjustments may be negotiated to permit a reasonable profit. For this provision, a net profit not to exceed 6% can be considered a reasonable profit. The Foodservice Contractor shall be able to demonstrate administrative expenses, profit and losses when requested by the Contracting Officer . The USDA will select a Foodservice Contractor who will deliver a variety of high quality, freshly prepared, sustainably produced and procured foods on a daily basis, and that creates strong customer satisfaction. USDA envisions dining services that offer a diversity of freshly prepared food, the incorporation of national brands, the utilization of American products, and overall services that have a positive societal impact. USDA expects these to include: Food and beverage items that are fresh and locally grown when feasible but otherwise produced in the United States. A fully-sustainable dining service program that economically supports sustainable food systems as a way of contributing to the vitality, environmental sustainability, and quality of life in America. Back-of-House Operations that include a verifiable waste reduction program; verifiable recycling program, uses (to the maximum extent possible) environmentally preferable products including products that are BioPreferred, made from recycled materials that are recyclable and/or biodegradable; and uses environmentally preferable practices. Please submit a 2-page capability statements, which includes a brief company overview and description of recent and relevant experience. The brief company overview shall include socioeconomic designation and affiliation with SLA’s, if any. Within the submitted capability statements, USDA is seeking feedback from small business concerns regarding their expertise and experience with successfully completing this type of work. The type of contract, period of performance, and amount of funding are yet to be determined. For this Sources Sought Notice, the government will not respond to questions. The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to solicit interested parties’ input from small business concerns, with the intent of assessing set-aside possibilities. All responses / submissions should be emailed directly to Elliot Dale, Contract Specialist, at
[email protected], no later than Friday, June 24, 2022, 2:00PM EST . USDA personnel may contact firms responding to this announcement to clarify a responder’s capabilities and other matters as part of this market research process. Thank you for your time and consideration. Elliot Dale Contract Specialist