This is a combined synopsis/quotation (RFQ) for commercial items prepared inaccordance with the format in Subpart 12.603 as supplemented with additional
information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation;
quotations are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The
Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is
requesting a quotation to provide up to (17) seventeen each Quarter Horses. Crossbreeds
may be accepted on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the government. All horses
shall have a documented age between five (5) and ten (10) years of age. The horse shall
weigh no less than 900 pounds and no more than 1250 pounds. The horse shall measure
not less than 15 hands and not more than 16.5 hands in height. All service mounts will be
altered male horses (Geldings). A candidate horse must be sound and be well
proportioned in conformation. The horse must be gentle and calm with a good
disposition. A Government designee shall view all candidate horses prior to award of a
contract. During the viewing session, the prospective vendor shall provide current
vaccination/quarantine records, health certificate issued by a certified/licensed
veterinarian, registration certificates, breed surveys, a full physical examination of the
candidate horse by a certified veterinarian, and other related paperwork, as applicable. A
certified Government Instructor will administer a series of tests to determine whether the
horse has the capability of working in the law enforcement environment. Each horse will
be required to pass these tests. The following are a series of tests that the Government
will conduct to determine whether or not a horse will meet the minimum requirements.
When approached, the horse must turn and face, standing quietly, especially in a confined
area. The horse must be easily haltered without giving any indications of head-shyness or
resistance to âcatchingâ. The candidate horse must exhibit good ground manners and
remain calm when being handled. The candidate horse must stand still and calm while
being saddled. He must show no signs of aggressiveness of being âcinchyâ during this
process. The candidate horse must stand still and calm during this evolution. The
candidate horse must demonstrate a proper understanding of stopping, turning and
backing with only a light to moderate touch of the reins. Excessive force should not be
necessary during this process. The candidate horse must stand quietly while the rider
dismounts. The candidate horse must load and unload from a variety of trailers without
difficulty. Balking will be a disqualifying factor when considering the purchase of a
candidate horse. The candidate horse must stand quietly and calmly while being shod or
having his feet worked on. All candidate horses must exhibit the âproper temperamentâ
during the entire selection process. The candidate horse must be calm when any number
of people or equipment are moving or standing around him. He must display confidence
in any number of environments, including areas of unsure footing, tight enclosed or
narrow spaces, moving vehicles/equipment, loud noises and/or bangs and popping
sounds. Although the flight or fight response is always prevalent, the candidate horse
must remain calm or quickly recover and not run off with the rider when startled. The
candidate horse must possess a gentle and calm demeanor during the hours of darkness
and around large groups of people. The candidate horses will be subjected to extreme
weather and extreme terrain on a daily basis. All candidate horses must be acclimatized
for work in this environment. The Government retains the right to return a candidate
horse to the contractor/seller, if within 60 days, the animal is deemed not suitable for
service. This determination will be based on the testing criteria specified herein or the
horse is discovered to have a pre-existing medical problem, chronic disease or a
hereditary defect that could render the horse unsuitable for service. The seller will
replace the horse within thirty days of receipt of notice that any of the aforementioned
conditions exist. This animal shall be replaced with a suitable horse that meets all the
testing criteria. The Government retains the sole right to make any and all determinations
as to the acceptability/unacceptability of the candidate. The contractor/seller shall not, in
any case, hold the Government responsible for the disposition of a medically or
physically defective horse. This Quotation is solicited FOB Destination for delivery to
the Customs & Border Protection offices as follows: 6 ea to Nogales, Arizona, 6 ea to
NACO Station, Bisbee, AZ, 5 ea to Nogales, AZ. The Offeror shall provide (1) the
number of horses available for sale, (2) delivery schedule and (3) prices per each horse.
FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items applies with evaluation factors of technical
capability to meet the Government needs, delivery schedule and price. The following
FAR Clauses are incorporated by reference: 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-
Commercial Items; 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; 52.212-
5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-
Commercial Items, which incorporate the following Clauses: 52.222-21 Prohibition of
Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (E.O. 11246); 52.222-35 Affirmative
Action for Disabled Veteran Era (38 U.S.C. 4212); 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for
Workers with Disabilities (29 U.S.C. 793); 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Disabled
Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era (38 U.S.C. 4212; 52.225-13 Restriction on
Certain Foreign Purchases (E.O. 12722, 12724, 13059, 13067, 13121 and 13129); and
52.232-34 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Other than Central Contractor
Registration. Successful Offeror will complete the information in 52.212-3 Offeror
Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items and submit with response to this
RFQ. The Offeror may obtain the full text of the clauses electronically at web site
http://www.arnet.gov/far. Request for Quotation incorporates provisions and clauses in
effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2001-14. The North American
Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 112920. This requirement is a small
business set aside procurement. Closing date or response date for this synopsis/quotation
ACL-3-Q-0030 is August 1, 2003 at 4:00pm, Pacific Daylight Time. Only written
responses will be accepted. Responses can be faxed to (949)-360-3013, Attn: Sheryl
Wright, or email in MSWord format to
[email protected]. All responsible sources
may submit a quotation that will be considered by the agency. Oral communications are
not acceptable in response to this notice.
Bid Protests Not Available