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Sources Sought - Hawaii-Wide Forklift Lease BPA

Department of Defense · Department of the Army · 0413 AQ HQ RCO-HI
Account requiredWhy it scored this way

Every reason behind the verdict rather than the headline one — which of your certifications match, how much runway is left, whether the work is your size, and what we would need to know to sharpen it.

Solicitation documents

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Draft the paperwork

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What would disqualify you

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Sources Sought response

A complete draft response — capability statement, relevant past performance, business size and socioeconomic status, and answers to the agency's specific questions.

Questions to submit

Genuine ambiguities and requirements that disadvantage a smaller bidder, drafted as questions you can submit before the Q&A deadline.

Past performance write-ups

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Solicitation details

Solicitation number
RCO-HI-SS-1
Notice type
Special Notice
NAICS
532490
Product service code
W039
Set-aside
Unrestricted
Posted
2026-09-30
Response deadline
Feb 1, 2027, 3:00 AM UTC
Contracting contact
nicholas.b.zehr.civ@army.mil

Market intelligence

Account requiredWho wins this work, and what it pays

Comparable awards under NAICS 532490 at this agency — the incumbent, what they were paid, when their period of performance ends, and the real pricing distribution rather than the headline number. From public federal award records.

Statement of work, as posted

Regional Contracting Office Hawaii (RCO-HI) is conducting market research to identify capable commercial sources that can provide rental or dry lease Material Handling Equipment (MHE), including forklifts and container-handling equipment, in support of Government requirements throughout the Hawaiian Islands. This Sources Sought Notice is issued for market-research and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation, request for quotation, request for proposal, commitment, or obligation by the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) as a result of responses to this notice, nor will the Government reimburse any costs associated with preparing a response.RCO-HI anticipates a potential requirement to establish multiple BPAs with qualified vendors to provide MHE rental/dry lease support. Requirements may arise with limited advance notice and may require equipment delivery, pickup, maintenance, repair, replacement equipment, and field-service support. The anticipated areas of performance include Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai. Interested vendors may respond if they are capable of supporting one or more of these islands; vendors are not required to demonstrate capability across all locations.The Government is seeking information regarding the commercial availability of approximately 5,000-pound capacity forklifts; approximately 6,000-pound capacity narrow-aisle or warehouse-configured forklifts; approximately 6,000-pound capacity standard industrial forklifts; approximately 10,000-pound capacity industrial, rough-terrain, or telehandler-type forklifts; approximately 30,000-pound capacity heavy-lift forklifts; and Rough Terrain Container Handlers (RTCHs) or commercially comparable container-handling equipment. Equipment may be required for warehouse, installation, field, port, airfield, cargo-handling, and mobilization support activities. For each type of equipment offered, vendors should identify the manufacturer, model, model year, rated lift capacity, lift height, mast configuration, fork length, overall dimensions, operating weight, tire type, fuel or power type, available attachments, and any significant operating limitations. Vendors should also identify whether equipment is physically located on the island where it would be provided, available for transfer from another Hawaiian island, or would require shipment from outside Hawaii.The Government is particularly interested in understanding each vendor???s fleet availability and surge capacity. Interested vendors should identify the number of units in their total fleet for each equipment category, the number of units physically located on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai, and the number of units normally available for short-notice rental. Vendors should state the maximum quantity of each equipment type that they could provide simultaneously for a single Government requirement and should distinguish between equipment available within seven days and equipment available within 30 days. Vendors should also explain whether equipment may be reserved, committed, or otherwise prioritized under a BPA and identify any associated reservation fees, minimum-use periods, cancellation terms, or other commercial conditions.Interested vendors should describe their standard rental or dry lease terms, including the rental periods available and any minimum rental duration. Responses should explain which services are included in quoted rental rates and which services are separately priced. Vendors should describe their preventive-maintenance program, corrective-maintenance procedures, normal and emergency service response times, after-hours and weekend support, and process for providing replacement equipment when a unit becomes non-mission capable. Vendors should also identify any Government responsibilities associated with the rental, including operator qualifications, fuel, cleaning, equipment staging, access coordination, wash-rack use, damage liability, or return-condition requirements.Vendors should describe their delivery, pickup, transportation, and inter-island movement capabilities. Responses should identify normal delivery timelines and emergency delivery timelines after receipt of an order or BPA call, including the vendor???s ability to support 24-hour, 48-hour, 72-hour, five-day, and seven-day response requirements. Vendors should state whether they possess or can arrange heavy-haul transportation suitable for 30,000-pound forklifts, RTCHs, and other oversized or overweight MHE. Vendors should also identify whether they can move equipment between Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai; the anticipated transportation method; estimated transit time; and associated costs or constraints.The Government is also seeking information on vendor ability to deliver and service equipment at authorized commercial port facilities, airfields, Hawaii Department of Transportation facilities, military installations, and other controlled-access locations. Vendors should provide a general description of their current ability to access and service such locations, including any anticipated requirements for installation access, vehicle registration, personnel credentialing, safety documentation, insurance, escorts, delivery coordination, or lead time. Vendors should not submit sensitive credentials, security plans, or personally identifiable information in response to this notice.To assist the Government in developing an acquisition strategy and independent Government cost estimate, vendors should provide nonbinding budgetary pricing for each equipment category offered. Pricing information should include daily, weekly, and monthly rental rates; delivery and pickup charges; mobilization and demobilization charges; inter-island transportation charges; attachment costs; excess-hour charges; environmental or administrative fees; damage-waiver costs; emergency, after-hours, weekend, or holiday charges; and any other recurring or nonrecurring costs. Vendors should identify discounts available for multiple units, extended rental periods, recurring BPA calls, advance reservations, multiple-island support, or other volume-based arrangements. Vendors should also identify the anticipated duration for which proposed pricing could remain valid and describe any expected escalation factors.Interested vendors should provide company name, business address, website, primary point of contact, telephone number, email address, Unique Entity ID, CAGE code if applicable, and business size and socioeconomic status under the applicable North American Industry Classification System code. Vendors should identify whether they are the equipment owner, an authorized dealer, a broker, or a prime contractor using subcontracted equipment or maintenance support. If subcontractors, affiliates, or third-party equipment owners would be used, the vendor should identify their role and explain the respondent???s ability to control equipment availability, delivery, maintenance, and response times.The email subject line should state: ???Sources Sought Response ??? MHE Rental/Dry Lease Support ??? Hawaiian Islands ??? [Company Name].??? Responses should clearly identify the Hawaiian island or islands that the vendor can support and the types and quantities of equipment available at each location.This notice is for planning and market-research purposes only. It does not obligate the Government to issue a solicitation, establish a BPA, award a contract, or pay for information received in response to this notice. The Government may use information received to refine the scope, determine the appropriate acquisition strategy, assess small-business capability, establish potential geographic groupings or line items, and develop future solicitation requirements.

Contact

Point of contact
Nicholas Zehr
Role
not stated on this notice — SAM publishes a role for only about 5% of them, so this may be a contract specialist rather than the contracting officer
Email
nicholas.b.zehr.civ@army.mil
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