California Forest Engineering and Road Maintenance (FERM) Blanket Purchase Agreement
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The USDA Forest Service is managing an Open and Continuous Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for California Forest Engineering and Road Maintenance (FERM) services. This BPA, initially awarded to multiple small businesses, remains open for new vendors to join throughout its period of performance, which extends through March 31, 2033. The agreement covers a wide range of road maintenance and construction activities across all California Federal Forests and Grasslands, with an emphasis on emergency repairs due to recent storm damage.
Purpose & Scope
The FERM BPA aims to procure both Road Maintenance and Road Construction services. This includes routine tasks such as blading, ditch cleaning, culvert maintenance, vegetation management, and hazard removal, as well as construction activities like installing earthen barricades, drain dips, cattleguards, and gates. The work is critical for maintaining forest infrastructure and supporting disaster recovery efforts. Projects are located across numerous National Forests and Grasslands in California, including Angeles, Cleveland, Eldorado, Inyo, Klamath, Lassen, Los Padres, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, San Bernardino, Sequoia, Shasta-Trinity, Sierra, Six Rivers, Stanislaus, and Tahoe National Forests, and Butte Valley National Grassland.
Contract Details
- Contract Type: Multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs)
- Period of Performance: Early spring 2023 through March 31, 2033
- Set-Aside: Total Small Business
- NAICS Code: 237310 (Highway, Street and Bridge Construction) with a $45 million size standard
- Agency: USDA Forest Service, Stewardship Contracting Branch
- Place of Performance: Various Federal Forests and Grasslands throughout California
Submission & Evaluation
Initial proposals were due by March 15, 2023. Evaluation for the initial awards was based on a "Best Value" approach, considering Past Performance, Equipment Availability, Biobased/BioPreferred Products, and Cost/Price. Past performance and equipment availability were weighted equally and considered approximately equal to cost/price when combined with biobased products. The solicitation remains Open and Continuous to add vendors as needed. Firms must be registered and current in the System for Award Management (SAM) to conduct government business.
Key Documents & Requirements
Bidders must review detailed specifications for road maintenance, specific pay item descriptions, and technical drawings for features like earthen barricades, rolling dips, and gate installations. Compliance with various Wage Determinations (e.g., for Orange, Ventura, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Imperial, Inyo/Kern/Mono, Del Norte/Humboldt/Lake/Mendocino counties, and a statewide service wage determination) is mandatory. The latest Amendment 1 (April 2025) updated FAR/AGAR clauses, which will be incorporated into all call orders and existing awarded BPAs upon modification. Contractors must also adhere to a Fire Plan outlining prevention and suppression activities.