VIPR I-BPA for Faller for East Zone (Regions 1, 2, and 4)

Quick Summary

The USDA Forest Service has re-opened Solicitation 1202SB23Q7019 for an open season Onboarding period, seeking Faller Module(s) and Faller Single resources for fire suppression and all-hazard incidents in the East Zone (Regions 1, 2, and 4). This is a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside opportunity to establish or expand Multiple Award Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPAs). Vendor quotes are due May 7, 2026, at 16:00 MST.

Purpose & Scope

This solicitation aims to establish or expand I-BPAs for Faller services to support local, regional, and national wildland fire suppression, all-hazard incidents, prescribed fire project work, and Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) project work. The current amendment re-opens the original solicitation for an "open season Onboarding" period, allowing new Offerors to submit quotes and existing I-BPA awardees to revise rates, modify, or add new resources. Onboarding is conducted under the original solicitation's terms, conditions, and evaluation factors.

Key Requirements

Contractors must provide all necessary equipment, materials, supplies, transportation, lodging, and certified personnel.

• Personnel: Fallers require 3 years of commercial logging and/or wildfire incident faller experience (1000 hours = 1 year), RT-130 Annual Fireline Refresher, an Arduous Work Capacity Fitness Test, and Government certification as Faller 1. English speaking proficiency is mandatory.
• Equipment: Specific Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandated, including boots, hard hats, gloves, chaps, eye/hearing protection, headlamps, fire shelters, and flame-resistant clothing. Chainsaws must meet specific criteria (e.g., two per faller, operational, minimum 30" bar, 67cc power head).
• Transportation: Dependable 4-wheel drive vehicles with seatbelts, external hazardous material carriage, specific tire standards, a spare tire, and no official agency markings. Vehicles must be cleaned for noxious weed control.

Contract Details

• Contract Type: Multiple Award Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPAs).
• Set-Aside: 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5), including HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned (EDWOSB), and 8(A) businesses.
• Period of Performance: 2 years from the original award date (estimated June 2026), with annual review modifications.
• Individual Order Limit: Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT).

Submission & Evaluation

• Quote Due Date: May 7, 2026, at 16:00 MST.
• Submission Method: Electronically via the Virtual Incident Procurement (VIPR) Next Gen System at https://www.fs.usda.gov/business/incident/vendorapp.php?tab=tab_d. Technical quotes require specific pictures and documents.
• Required Information: Signed and dated offers, solicitation number, offeror details, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, and representations/certifications.
• Evaluation Factors: (1) Operational acceptability of equipment/resource (Pass/Fail), (2) Price reasonableness, and (3) Past performance dependability risk. Lower prices generally result in higher dispatch priority.
• Socioeconomic Advantage: A 5% advantage will be applied for each socioeconomic category checked (capped at 10%) for Dispatch Priority List (DPL) ranking.
• SAM Registration: Active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) is mandatory for payment.

Contact Information

For inquiries, contact Britta Wolsey at Britta.Wolsey@usda.gov or 307-351-3413.