SOURCES SOUGHT
89 -- DECA PRODUCE STUDY
- Notice Date
- 3/23/2005
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 445230
— Fruit and Vegetable Markets
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Division (PSMC), Building P11200 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA, 23801-1800
- ZIP Code
- 23801-1800
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-SSRESALE1
- Response Due
- 4/29/2005
- Archive Date
- 5/14/2005
- Description
- The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) seeks information from commercial sources regarding their interest and ability to support the ?Produce Department? needs of the agency. DeCA currently operates 250 military commissaries worldwide with annual sales estimated at $358 million. Of that total, 180 stores are located within the continental United States (CONUS), Alaska, and Hawaii. Within the latter group, the annual sales for the Produce Section are estimated at $300 million. DeCA does periodically close existing or open new facilities. A military commissary is a Government facility providing grocery and other merchandise to authorized individuals, termed ?patrons.? It is a facility designed and operated similar to commercial supermarkets. DeCA?s goals are to provide a significant price savings (approximately 38%) when compared to commercial markets; to provide courteous and informative assistance; to offer a variety of items in quantities and of a quality level to satisfy patron demands; and to provide products in a clean, safe, and wholesome environment. Overall management and operation of a commissary is the responsibility of the Store Director of each store, operating within Agency policy and standards. DeCA currently obtains its CONUS fresh produce from various sources, including national, regional and local suppliers, through contracts established by the Defense Logistic Agency (DLA) at the Defense Supply Center ? Philadelphia (DSC-P), and salads and value-added products through Resale Order Agreements (ROA) established at DeCA HQ. Under these contracts, the vendors are responsible for providing and transporting products on both a short and long-term basis to the store location specified, whether through internal resources or through the use of distributors. DLA currently obtains fresh produce for the Far East through in-theater purchases and product transported from CONUS by air and surface and for the European by in-theater purchases, except for salads and value-added products which are airlifted from CONUS under the ROA. When the product is received at the store, ownership of the product passes to DeCA. The product is received, stored, handle, stocked and merchandised by DeCA internal resources, for subsequent resale to the store patrons. It is, and shall remain, the policy of the Government to provide the maximum practicable opportunity for small and small disadvantaged business concerns to participate in its acquisitions. This includes providing the maximum practicable opportunity to participate as subcontractors, consistent with efficient contract performance. DeCA seeks information from interested commercial sources on the following proposed scenario for DECA stores: Scenario: Provide all of the necessary products for the Produce Department 180 store locations within the CONUS, Alaska, and Hawaii, and 70 stores located overseas. The contractor or contractors that may receive awards under any resulting solicitation would serve as the primary point-of-contact for produce items, and would be responsible for all requirements from determination of appropriate stock assortment (as defined by DeCA) to product acquisition and store delivery. In-store operations (receiving, storage, handling, stocking, merchandising, etc.) would continue to be performed by DeCA in-store personnel. FedBizOpps - Request for Information (RFI) DeCA - PRODUCE DEPARTMENT STUDY DeCA is interested in receiving information from interested commercial sources that addresses the following, as a minimum: 1. The concept that a commercial source would employ to provide the necessary products and or related services described under the scenario above. 2. The concepts should include such things as: a. Proposed groupings of store locations. For example, although the requirement is to cover all 250 locations, there may be logical ?groupings? or ?clusters? for the individual stores by regions and/or countries. b. Methodology to be used for product selection, in each store or cluster. DeCA will specify a ?core? list of products that must be provided (see Attachment # 3), and the contractor would be expected to supplement that list with additional products, based on other appropriate criteria. Information provided should include such things as the contractor?s plan to coordinate ordering, receipt, inspection, and transportation. c. Proposed strategies for providing measurable department sales, patron savings, and patron satisfaction data to DeCA management. Provide your strategy for product pricing that would allow for adjustment due to market fluctuations while maintaining the percentage of patron savings when compared to commercial markets. Any contracted solution would need to be capable of interfacing with the DeCA automated business systems. d. Proposed strategies and methods for providing subcontracting opportunities to small and small disadvantaged business concerns.. f. Other issues that DeCA should consider before pursuing this scenario. Additional information regarding the specific interests of DeCA can be found at Attachment # 4, entitled ?Produce Section Requirements?. Attachment # 5, entitled ?Business Information?, is to be completed by each respondent to this announcement. Any questions regarding this initiative should be referred to the point-of-contact cited below. Contact with the individual stores is discouraged. In the event that an offeror has specific questions or a need to visit a store or stores, that will be coordinated from a central location at Fort Lee, Virginia. FedBizOpps - Request for Information (RFI) DeCA - PRODUCE DEPARTMENT STUDY A complete Request for Information (RFI) package, including attachments that will provide additional details, can be obtained by submitting a written request to any of the following: (1) Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Division (PSMC), 1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800; or (2) Facsimile (804) 734-8665 or 8642; or (3) e-mail at larry.hahn@deca.mil. When submitting the request, please provide an e-mail address, if available. This is not a formal ?Request for Proposal?, and no award will be made as a result of any submittals received in response to this request. DeCA Management will use the information provided for planning purposes only. In the event that DeCA determines that it wishes to pursue a formal contract for this requirement, a separate advertisement will be issued, following federal acquisition guidelines. ********* Attachments I References: 1. Attachment # 1: Map of DeCA CONUS store locations (.ppt) 2. Attachment # 2: List of store locations (name & location) w/total produce department sales for the past two years (.xls) 3. Attachment # 3: List of Produce Department line items currently available in DeCA stores ?2 parts ? Mandatory/Core Items & All Items Combined (.xls) 4. Attachment #4: Produce Section Requirements (.doc) 5. Attachment # 5: Business Information 6. DeCA maintains a commercial website (www.commissaries.com) that can be accessed to find additional information about our organization and stores.
- Record
- SN00775069-W 20050325/050323213708 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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