Vancouver, Washington, Feb. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will choose a small business contractor to construct a new trail overlook, kiosk and fee plaza within the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The project, estimated to cost between $100k and $250k, has a proposal submission deadline of March 21, 2018.
Contractors that wish to visit the site prior to making an offer are instructed to RSVP to contracting officer Ryan Boisvert (Ryan_Boisvert@fws.gov) by February 26, 2018. The site visit will take place on February 28.
In general, USFWS is looking for an overlook, a kiosk, and a fee plaza. The 1600 sqft overlook will consist of pavers and basalt. The 60ft long kiosk, constructed of natural rock or stamped concrete, will contain three round decorative columns that extend ten feet from the base, a cedar trellis (with a five-year warranty) and steel support columns (painted with 25-year paint) which will eventually support USFWS panels. The contractor may put a personal touch on the structure as well with an optional submission of three stamp designs focusing on wildlife images located at the refuge. The required fee plaza will be a gate system along the trail with a galvanized or painted steel swing gate which secures while open and closed, a sign that follows USFWS guidelines for pay and usage policies, and an “Iron Ranger” or equivalent pay box.
The refuge is one of four high-priority urban refuges in the Portland-Vancouver Metro Area and would be a great addition to a contractor’s portfolio. For the best chance at securing the contract, small businesses may use a third-party registration firm to make sure they are registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) correctly, have filled out the government’s standard forms properly and submitted all capability declarations distinctly. It’s important to note that while price is a major part of the offer, past performance is slightly higher in value for the contracting officer’s decision.
US Federal Contractor Registration (USFCR), the world’s largest third-party government registration firm, registers companies on their behalf in SAM and assists with establishing capability statements and past performance records. Winning a government contract can take many attempts, however USFCR is prepared to not just assist on a single opportunity, but help companies build federal buyers as a sustainable source of income over the long term. Business who sign up with USFCR will have access to the Advanced Procurement Portal (APP) which synthesizes opportunity, contract, and agent data. The organization in APP allows businesses to manage their evolution as federal contractors from the early stages of learning the ropes to the heights of understanding the market.