Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Womble Work Center Fiber Optic Installation
Department of Agriculture · Forest Service
More open Forest Service contracts
AI summaryCombined synopsis/solicitation 12445127Q0005: the USDA Forest Service, for the Womble Ranger District, wants a small business electrical contractor to bury conduit and fiber optic cable between the Ranger Office and the Womble Work Center in Mt. Ida, Arkansas. Only small businesses can bid. The lowest price wins one firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work costs) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) call. SAM.gov lists the response due date as November 23, 2026, 9:00 AM Central, but the attached form says October 29, 2026. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 26, 2026. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 22, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 26, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov.
Combined synopsis/solicitation 12445127Q0005: the USDA Forest Service, for the Womble Ranger District, wants a small business electrical contractor to bury conduit and fiber optic cable between the Ranger Office and the Womble Work Center in Mt. Ida, Arkansas. Only small businesses can bid. The lowest price wins one firm-fixed-price (FFP: one set price, whatever the work costs) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) call. SAM.gov lists the response due date as November 23, 2026, 9:00 AM Central, but the attached form says October 29, 2026.
Who can bid
- Small business total set-aside: only small businesses can bid. The size standard for NAICS 238210 is $19 million.
- Be a responsible source able to do the work with expert, experienced workers, bringing in help such as factory representatives or subcontractors if needed
How to submit: Email to Cynthia.granderson@usda.gov with the notice ID in the subject line, due November 23, 2026, 9:00 AM Central (SAM.gov); the attached form says October 29, 2026, 0900 CT. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (9)
- Serious: Small business set-aside. Only small businesses can bid on this total small business set-aside, with a $19 million size standard.
- Serious: Two different response due dates. SAM.gov says November 23, 2026, 9:00 AM Central, but the solicitation form gives a bid submittal deadline of October 29, 2026, 0900 CT and a question deadline of October 27, 2026; ask the contracting officer which governs.
- Worth checking: Unclear if you need an existing BPA. The notice invites all responsible sources, but the form says the call follows the contractor's own BPA terms; ask the contracting officer whether you need a BPA to bid.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Worth checking: Wage determination attached (Davis-Bacon). A Davis-Bacon wage determination (government-set minimum pay rates for construction workers), AR20260047, is attached, so workers must be paid at least the listed rates.
- Worth checking: Self-guided site visit certification. There is no scheduled site visit; signing the form certifies you inspected the site yourself, so plan your own visit before bidding.
- Worth checking: Bid all lines; award may be split by funding. Leaving out a line may make your offer unacceptable, and the government may create separate calls depending on funding.
- Worth checking: Performance end date differs. The schedule says award through January 2, 2027 in one place and November 2, 2026 to January 4, 2027 in another.
- Minor: Submittals due before work starts. Product submittals are due 15 days before related work begins and approval is not automatic, which can delay the start in a short performance period.
- Minor: Two email address spellings for the contract specialist. The notice uses Cynthia.granderson@usda.gov and the form lists cynthia_granderson@usda.gov; send to the notice's address and confirm receipt.
Read from the notice and 3 attachments. Show which files.
- A04_SOW_12445127Q0005.pdf (read)
- 12445127Q0005.pdf (read)
- Wage Determination.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Install 2 inch non-metallic conduit and direct-bury pull boxes with lids from the Ranger Office to the Work Center, at least 18 inches deep
- Install 8 strand outdoor fiber optic cable with LC connectors and a pulling eye from the Office network closet to the Work Center network closet
- Backfill around the conduit and pull boxes and disturbed areas to natural grade, with 6 inches of topsoil; the Work Center parking lot gets washed rock topped with 2 inches of approved asphalt patching material
- Seed, fertilize and mulch all disturbed areas as the specifications describe
- Send submittals (product data sheets) 15 days before starting any related work, and a certified list of qualified service organizations for the equipment
- At closeout, remove materials, debris and impacted vegetation, and send an electronic operation and maintenance manual and warranty registrations
- Work 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays, unless the contracting officer's representative (COR) agrees otherwise
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price BPA call (one call, awarded on lowest price)
- Period of performance
- November 2, 2026 to January 4, 2027 in the schedule; the same sheet also says award through January 2, 2027
- Place of performance
- Womble Work Center, 24 Forbes Road, Mt Ida, AR 71957 (Ouachita National Forest, Montgomery County, Arkansas)
- Estimated value
- Magnitude between $25,000 and $100,000, as the solicitation form states it
- Contract vehicle
- BPA call; the form says work follows the contractor's respective BPA. The notice also says all responsible sources may submit a quote.
- How they'll choose
- Lowest price among responsive (follows the solicitation) and responsible (able to do the work) offers. The government intends one BPA call based on overall low bid but may create single calls depending on funding.
- Offers due
- November 23, 2026, 9:00 AM Central (SAM.gov); the attached form says October 29, 2026, 0900 CT (from the version posted Oct 22, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Email to Cynthia.granderson@usda.gov with the notice ID in the subject line
What they'll judge offers on
- Price (bid all lines)
What to include when you submit
- Put the notice ID in the email subject line.
- Attach files in Microsoft Word, Excel or Adobe PDF format.
- Confirm with Contract Specialist Cynthia Granderson that your offer arrived.
- Bid every line; the form says to bid all lines.
- Complete the offer section of the Standard Form 1442 (solicitation, offer and award form for construction), including acknowledgment of any amendments.
- By signing, you certify you inspected the site yourself; the site visit is self-guided.
Not in the notice text
- Whether a business without its own BPA with the Forest Service can bid is not clear.
- Quantities, units and prices for the schedule lines are not shown beyond line 0001, which gives no quantity or unit.
- Whether the attached Davis-Bacon wage determination covers the electrical and fiber cable installation workers is not stated; it lists truck driver, bulldozer, backhoe, pipelayer, laborer and carpenter rates.
- Whether performance and payment bonds are required is not shown on the form.
- How the response due date conflict is resolved is not stated.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. More open small business set-asides under NAICS 238210
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to Cynthia.granderson@usda.gov with the notice ID in the subject line. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
- Service contracts usually set minimum pay rates (the Service Contract Act). Price the labor with the SCA price calculator.
- Construction contracts over $2,000 pay at least the local Davis-Bacon wage rates, from the wage determination in the solicitation. Price your labor from it: How to price a government contract, and how Davis-Bacon differs from the Service Contract Act.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 22, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- National Forests in Mississippi, Jackson, MS
- Product/service code
- N061 · Installation of Equipment – Electric Wire and Power Distribution Equipment
- Business type
- Construction & renovation (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 238210)
- Versions
2 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 26, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Nov 23, 2026
- Oct 22, 2026 · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (this version)Due Nov 23, 2026
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Part 12. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a separate written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation number 12445127Q0005 is issued as a Request For Quote (RFQ) for Womble Work Center Fiber Optic Installation at Mt. Ida, AR National Forest Service. This acquisition is set-aside for small business concerns. The applicable North American Industry Classification Standard Code is 238210 The small business size standard is $19 million This acquisition is a Total Small Business Set-Aside. All responsible sources may submit a quote which will be considered by the agency. Submit offer by email to Cynthia.granderson@usda.gov with the notice ID in the subject line so that it is delivered into this inbox by the due date and time. Emails should contain attachments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF format. Be aware that large attachments may increase the time required to deliver an email. It is the offeror’s responsibility to confirm receipt of the offer from Contract Specialist, Cynthia Granderson.
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