VIPR I-BPA for Faller for East Zone (Regions 1, 2, and 4)
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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has re-opened Solicitation 1202SB23Q7019 for an open season Onboarding period, seeking Faller services for East Zone (Regions 1, 2, and 4). This opportunity establishes Multiple Award Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPAs) to support local, regional, and national fire suppression and all-hazard incidents. Vendor quote responses are due no later than April 23, 2026, at 16:00 MST.
Scope of Work
This solicitation requires "Faller" services, including "Faller Module" and "Faller Single" categories, for wildland fire suppression, all-hazard incidents, prescribed fire, and Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) project work. Services will be utilized by the USDA Forest Service and potentially other State and Federal wildland fire agencies.
Key requirements for personnel and equipment include:
- Services: Timber falling for incident support.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Mandated items such as specific boots, hard hats, gloves, chaps, eye/hearing protection, headlamps, fire shelters, and flame-resistant clothing.
- Equipment: Two chainsaws per faller, meeting specific power head and bar length requirements.
- Personnel Qualifications: Minimum 3 years of commercial logging or wildfire faller experience, RT-130 Annual Fireline Refresher, and an Arduous Work Capacity Fitness Test. English proficiency is also required.
Contract & Timeline
- Contract Type: Multiple Award Incident Blanket Purchase Agreement (I-BPA).
- Set-Aside: 100% Small Business Set-Aside.
- Duration: Agreements are for 2 years from the date of award, with annual review modifications. No orders or payments are guaranteed.
- Estimated Award: June 2026.
- Response Due: April 23, 2026, at 16:00 MST.
- Submission Method: Quotes must be submitted through the VIPR NextGen application at
https://www.fs.usda.gov/business/incident/vendorapp.php?tab=tab_d.
Evaluation
Award decisions for this Onboarding period will use the same evaluation factors as the original solicitation. These include:
- Operational acceptability of equipment/resource.
- Price reasonableness.
- Past performance dependability risk. A 5% advantage will be applied for each socioeconomic category checked (e.g., HUBZone, SDVOSB, 8(a)), up to a 10% cap. Offers must remain firm for 60 calendar days.
Additional Notes
This amendment re-opens the original solicitation for an open season Onboarding period, running concurrently with the USFS Contracting Officer’s annual I-BPA review ("Rollover"). Existing I-BPA awardees may revise rates, modify resources, or add new resources. New Offerors meeting all eligibility requirements may submit quotes. All proposed resources and new quote submissions must meet the criteria and Acceptability Pass/Fail requirements established in the original solicitation. Resulting new I-BPA awards will be identical in terms and conditions to the original agreements. Exhibit H (Special Contract Requirements/Geographic Area Terms and Conditions) and Exhibit K (Faller Resume template) are relevant.