Sheep Shearing

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the upcoming sheep shearing bid.

• Invoicing: Partial invoicing is permitted upon completion of the February work, with the balance invoiced after the April requirement is completed.
• Equipment: Prospective subcontractors are allowed to use their personal shearing equipment and mobile units.
• Payment Schedule: Partial payments are permitted as work is completed, with invoices approved for each of the two performance periods.
• Herd Information: The sheep breeds include Polypay, Suffolk, and Romanov, with a large spread in weight ranges for ewes (175-190 lbs) and rams (150-220 lbs).
• Animal Health: No specific information was provided regarding hormones, medications, or dietary supplements. Utmost care is required due to the animals being Federal research animals.
• Feed & Water Withholding: Feed and water will be withheld if veterinary staff allows, which may be problematic for late gestation ewes. Open ewes and rams can have feed and water withheld.
• Handling Facilities: Adequate facilities for two shearers are available onsite; additional stations may need to be brought. The shearers are only responsible for shearing; the government team will provide labor for moving and restraining sheep.
• Wool Handling: Shearers are expected to take all wool with them, as there is no onsite storage or disposal means.
• Site Access: Shearers will check in at the main office on the first day of each visit; no other specific site access or security requirements are noted.

This Q&A document clarifies several aspects of the solicitation, including payment terms, equipment usage, animal specifics, and logistical arrangements for shearing. Bidders should incorporate this information into their proposals.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To provide sheep shearing services to maintain a healthy and productive herd of sheep at the Roman L. Hurska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC).

• Shear 322 Ewes in February 2026.

• Shear 604 Ewes in April 2026.

• Shear 121 Rams and Teaser Rams in April 2026.

• The contractor must coordinate with the sheep manager to schedule specific dates.

• Work will be completed at USMARC sheep facilities located at 844 Road 313, Clay Center, NE 68933.

• The contractor must be in contact with the sheep manager, Isaac Brunkow, to schedule dates.

• Isaac Brunkow, Phone (402)762-4115, isaac.brunkow@usda.gov

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items, issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for Sheep Shearing services. The United States Department of Agriculture Meat Animal Research Center requires a contract to maintain a healthy and productive herd of sheep.

• Sheep shearing services to maintain a healthy and productive herd.

• Specific quantities and dates for service are described in Attachment 2 (Statement of Work).

• Anticipated award of a firm-fixed-price contract with one (1) year base period.

• Delivery is F.O.B. destination.

• Offers must be submitted electronically.

• Quotes will be evaluated based on the lowest price technically acceptable criteria.

• Evaluation factors include:

  • Price: To be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness.
  • Technical Acceptability: Rated "acceptable" or "unacceptable" based on the offeror's ability to meet requirements and demonstrate understanding of the SOW.
  • Past Performance: Evaluated using "Acceptable," "Neutral," or "Unacceptable" ratings based on prior contract performance.

• Offerors must provide a detailed explanation of their ability to perform the required services and address any requirements they cannot accomplish.

• The Government intends to award without discussions.

• This acquisition is set-aside for small business concerns.

• It is a Total Small Business Set-Aside.

• The applicable North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) Code is 115210, with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.

• Questions are due no later than January 15, 2026, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time via email to winston.buchanan@usda.gov.

• Offers must hold prices firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

• Shipping instructions are provided for delivery to the United States Department of Agriculture Meat Animal Research Center.

• This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; a separate written solicitation will not be issued.

• Provisions and clauses are incorporated by reference and may be accessed electronically at www.acquisition.gov.

• Offerors must request additional wage determinations no later than two days before solicitation close.

Amendment / Modification

This document is Revision 27 of Wage Determination 2015-5357, last revised on December 3, 2025. It pertains to the Service Contract Act and applies to the state of Nebraska.

This revision updates the wage determination for various occupations in Nebraska. The document lists numerous occupation codes and their corresponding titles, indicating updated wage and fringe benefit information.

This is a wage determination document, which sets the minimum wage and fringe benefits for service employees working on federal contracts. Contractors must adhere to these rates when bidding on or performing contracts covered by this determination. The specific impact on proposal deadlines or evaluation factors would be detailed in the solicitation document itself, not within this wage determination.