014000518 Oregon Global Opportunity Plan RFP.docx

RFP [###-####-##] – [RFP title]

ATTACHMENT F - REFERENCE CHECK FORM

OBDD RFP No. 014000518 OregonBuys RFP No. S-12300-00002089

Request for Proposals:

Oregon’s Global Opportunity 5 Year Global Strategy and Inbound Attraction Strategic Plan

Proposal due date: March 7, 2022

Single Point of Contact (SPC):

Mr. Devon Thorson, Contracts Officer Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon) 775 Summer St., NE, Suite 200 Salem, OR 97301-1280 Telephone: (971) 600–4484 Email: Devon.T.Thorson@biz.oregon.gov

Oregon Business Development Department (“Business Oregon”, or “Department”) is issuing this Request for Proposals for or a consulting firm(s) that can design Oregon’s Global Opportunity which will set direction for both trade and business attraction as part of an overarching economic development strategy in Oregon. This phase of the Global Strategies and Recruitment Team’s (GSRT) plan will include stakeholder-driven, cross-sector (public and private), as well as cross-agency global business development strategy, a process that, at a minimum, employs the use of previous studies, survey responses, and stakeholder discussions to direct funding, programs, and policies to address global business development barriers and opportunities in Oregon.

Through this work, the Department with help from the selected consultant or firm(s) will identify state investments and opportunities that position Oregon as a leading state in global trade and business development as well as one that is prepared to innovate and explore novel approaches that are responsive to the Department mission of an inclusive economy that is globally competitive and prosperous for all Oregonians.

With support from Department staff, the selected consultant or firm(s) will bring their specialized expertise to inform, orchestrate, facilitate, and synthesize the work from a series of regional meetings that will be located throughout the entire State of Oregon.

Business Oregon’s budget for this project is $150,000 over an approximate three-month timeline.

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES & EXPERTISE NEEDED \ PROPOSED STATEMENT OF WORK

The selected consultant or firm (“Contractor”) will perform the following services from the four major criteria as described below. The Department seeks to complete the final report within approximately three months of execution of the Contract. Dates and deadlines for intermediate tasks are negotiable between Contractor and the Department, provided that the final report deadline is met.

1. Research

· Coordinate with Department staff, including working with Business Oregon’s economist and research analyst, receive and review data, identify trends and opportunities for both trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) over the most recent 5-to-10-year period.

· Provide a summary review of NAICS and HS codes by market, category, MSA’s and other relevant geographic or economic indicators and data sets.

· Identify investment and export trends and opportunities.

· Research and map FDI businesses in Oregon and top 50 small and medium-sized exporters.

2. Trade and Foreign Direct (Domestic) Investment

· Identify gaps and opportunities and develop a SWOT analysis for Oregon to target trade support for Oregon businesses.

· Survey Oregon businesses about trade development needs and resources.

· Create a synopsis of supply chain disruptions of concern to Oregon businesses and target industry groups.

· Provide recommendations on which markets could or should be targeted for both FDI and trade/exports for future consideration. Consider competing states and countries as part of the recommendation, as well as foreign representative office/contactor recommendations, regional hubs, etc.

· Conduct a comparative analysis of Oregon’s business climate to competitive states (which will be mutually selected).

· Recommend business development strategies to attract both domestic and foreign investment to Oregon, which can include: incentives, target businesses, lead generation, messaging/branding, site visits/familiarity tours, education and workforce, supply chain opportunities.

· Recommend targeted trade shows/missions/business travel for emerging, growth and maintenance markets, marketing channels for B2B, DTC and eCommerce, develop market representation needs and opportunities, help identify new networks and partnerships (domestically and internationally).

· Identify stakeholders and strategies to increase participation from more diverse stakeholders as well as state-wide geographical representation.

· Facilitate round table conversations with Oregon businesses, by region and industry sector.

· Develop strategy to engage with Oregon Legislative representatives and Congressional Delegation.

3. Marketing Needs Assessment Assess Department needs and utility for the following marketing tools:

· Oregon pitch and value proposition

· Digital strategy/transformation

· Video and photo libraries

· Testimonials

· Channels to reach a more inclusive audience

· Website presentation(s) and other digital tools for exporters, foreign buyers/customers/investors, partners/stakeholders

· Focus groups, surveys or other method of validation

· Interview Global Trade Specialists and key traded sector industry association heads and key customers, investors, partners and clients.

4. Timeframe, Budget, and Scope Considerations

· Proposers are encouraged to describe follow-on activities that could leverage and/or expand upon the work described, but that are unachievable in the timeframe and budget required by this project.

· The Department will rely upon deliverables from this project to inform the development of legislative concepts and budget proposals moving forward and to support discussions about the best strategies for using public funds as part of a suite of statewide activity to support economic development. Proposers are encouraged to make suggestions or recommended modifications to the proposed statement of work to ensure that required materials are delivered on time.

· In addition to negotiations over the tasks proposed in this RFP, the Department reserves the right to amend the resulting contract to include other activities reasonably related to the subject matter of the study or its preparation and presentation.

Proposed Tasks and Deliverables The proposed tasks listed below are indicative of the types of deliverables the Department is anticipating, but Proposers are encouraged to suggest additional or alternative tasks and deliverables that, based on previous experience, will result in the outcomes sought in this RFP and that align with the timeframe and budget described.

Proposed Task 1: Kick-off Meeting The Contractor shall facilitate a kick-off meeting to discuss roles, responsibilities, timelines, and processes. It is also anticipated that the Contractor will schedule regular check-in meetings with Department staff to ensure adequate communication over the course of the contract.

Task 1 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 2: Stakeholder Meeting Schedule The Contractor will develop a schedule of stakeholder, partner and business meetings. The schedule will include a description of, and rationale for, the anticipated agenda and goals, outcomes, and outputs (as applicable) to be accomplished at each meeting. The Department anticipates that there will be many topics that could be covered and that it will be necessary to strategically determine which topics are required to accomplish the desired outcomes.

With support from Department staff, the Contractor will bring their specialized expertise to inform, orchestrate, facilitate, and synthesize the work from a series of international, national, state and regional meetings.

Task 2 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 3: Stakeholder Meeting Charter The Contractor will coordinate with the Department to develop a charter for the stakeholder meetings to help guide the direction of the project. Special attention in the charter will be given to equity, inclusion, diversity and various geographically different communities. The Contractor may be asked to engage with Oregon Legislative Representatives and Oregon’s Congressional Delegation. The Contractor will be encouraged to develop novel ways to engage new and diverse and non-traditional sets of stakeholders in both private and public sectors.

Task 3 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 4: Stakeholder Meeting Execution The Contractor will prepare surveys and meeting content and agendas that allow stakeholders to express their trade development needs and resources. These discussions and surveys will be designed to allow stakeholders to communicate where support is most required and supply chain disruptions. The Contractor will identify stakeholders to be interviewed or surveyed by balancing equity, inclusion and state geographical representation. In these meetings, the Contractor will facilitate round table conversations and town halls as well as interviews with Oregon Legislative Representatives, chambers of commerce or Oregon businesses, by region and industry sector.

The Contractor will capture key details of each meeting or survey and provide written summaries to the Department. The summaries will include a description of key topics discussed, findings/takeaway messages, action items and next steps. These summaries will be provided to the Department to help facilitate progress throughout the process. The Department anticipates that each meeting summary will provide or inform draft material/content for the 5-Year Global Strategies and Inbound Attraction Strategic Plan.

Task 4 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 5: Establish Research and Analysis Charter The Contractor will coordinate with the Department staff, including Business Oregon’s economist and research analyst to develop a charter for the research into FDI, export analysis, marketing needs, current Oregon business climate and future strategies to increase growth/investment.

Task 5 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 6: FDI and Exports Analysis The Contractor will research and compile data on exports and FDI. This data will be designed to guide the Department to see previous investments, export trends and future opportunities for growth. The Contractor will provide details on foreign investments trends from the past 5 to 10 years in Oregon. The Contractor will create a map showing where FDI is located, the industries involved, size of the investment and employment statistics. The data will identify opportunities for FDI growth and where resources and attention should be allocated to maximize these opportunities. Consideration of a mutually agreed upon list of competing states and countries will be included in this analysis.

In detail, the Contractor will analyze and export trends using NAICS and HS codes. The Contractor will also create a list and details about the top fifty small and medium-sized exporters. The Contractor will also identify opportunities for export growth and where resources and attention should be allocated to maximize these opportunities with consideration given to competing states and countries.

The Contractor will recommend business development strategies to attract national and foreign investment to Oregon, which can include: incentives, target businesses, lead generation, messaging/branding, site visits/familiarity tours, education and workforce, supply chain opportunities or others that the contractor recommends.

Task 6 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 7– Marketing Needs Analysis The Contractor will review and analyze the current value proposition, marketing materials, digital strategy, website design, and pitches. Contractor will provide suggestions on improving the Department’s global marketing, and develop a digital transformation plan for the Department. The Contractor will identify channels that can be used to reach a more inclusive audience in regards to diversity, equity, inclusion, and rural communities.

The Contractor will explore and provide feedback on how to update video and photo libraries, and identify companies that can be used in testimonials. The Contractor will use focus groups or other methods of validation to develop suggestions on marketing needs.

The Contractor will develop a list of trade shows, missions or business travel to bolster emerging, growth, market maintenance or marketing channels for B2B, DTC and eCommerce.

Task 7 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 8: Current Oregon Business Climate Analysis The Contractor will create a comparative analysis of Oregon business climate, looking at competitive and neighboring states for Oregon’s target industry groups. The Contractor will include a synopsis of supply chain disruptions, challenges and opportunities for Oregon businesses and target industry groups.

The Contractor will develop a target market plan and make recommendations for foreign trade office representation. The plan will help identify new international networks and partnerships to expand or adjust Oregon’s target markets.

Task 8 Deliverables:

Proposed Task 9: 5 Year Global Strategies and Inbound Attraction Strategic Plan The Contractor will develop the 5 Year Global Strategies and Inbound Attraction Strategic Plan that is anticipated to include, but is not necessarily limited to: strategies to increase engagement and services to stakeholders and legislators that participated in the conducted surveys, roundtable discussions and/or information interviews and an analysis with a future implementable strategic plan for Oregon’s FDI, exports, business attraction, marketing and current business climate.

An outline of the report, presentation draft of findings for key stakeholders, and a draft report must be delivered to the Department with enough time for the Department to review and provide comments before the final report deadline. All materials will include an editable version to facilitate staff access and use (e.g., Word or PowerPoint) as well as PDF versions.

Task 9 Deliverables:

Department Obligations The Department will strive to ensure all necessary and available data and information are made available to Contractor. The Department will ensure staff are available as needed for meetings and feedback.

Additional Considerations Proposals may optionally recommend an alternative timeline for approach, milestones and next steps. Additionally, they may recommend team/agency, industry and partner engagement strategies.

1.3 QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

The Single Point of Contact (SPC) for this RFP is identified on the Cover Page, along with the SPC’s contact information. All inquiries, whether relating to the RFP process, administration, deadlines, award, or to the intent or technical aspects of the services must be submitted in writing (email preferred; mail or fax are acceptable) to the SPC. All inquiries should reference the RFP number; identify Proposer’s name and contact information; and refer to the specific area of the RFP being questioned (i.e. page, section and paragraph number if applicable).

All questions must be received not later than (7) calendar days prior to the Proposal due date specified on the title page of this RFP.

Substantive questions and answers will be issued as official addenda to this RFP. Changes or modifications to this RFP shall be binding on Department only if in the form of written addenda issued by Department.

The Department will provide addenda by posting them to Oregon Buys, and on the Department’s website at https://www.oregon.gov/biz/programs/homeareas/contracts/. In addition, the Department may directly provide addenda to directly solicited firms. Anyone who has received a copy of this RFP from a source other than Department is responsible for checking with the SPC or online postings. Department is not responsible for sending addenda to any unknown potential Proposers.

Department may require any clarification it needs to understand a Proposal.

1.4 NO RFP PROTESTS

As an Intermediate Procurement, no protest opportunity is required or allowed.

1.5 DUE DATE

Proposals must be received by March 7, 2022, on or before 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Absolutely no Proposals will be accepted after this date and time. Department relies on the state of Oregon email system clock to determine the correct time and is not responsible for any delays or difficulties experienced in the transmission of any Proposal. Please do not wait until the last minute to email your Proposal; it will be too late to correct any problems.

1.6 ELECTRONIC RESPONSES BY EMAIL ONLY

Only electronic proposals sent by email are acceptable. Proposals sent by fax, regular mail, and physical deliveries are not acceptable. The email subject or reference line for all submittals should include the RFP title and RFP number.

Proposals will be received only at the following email address: devon.t.thorson@biz.oregon.gov The Department will accept Proposals in electronic files compatible with Microsoft Office applications. The signed cover sheet required by section 1.9 must be submitted as a .PDF file. Files in excess of 15 megabytes must be submitted incrementally. Proposals must not be submitted as .zip, .exe, or .com files. Alternatively, the Department will also accept links to web pages where proposal documents can be downloaded – a Proposer must deliver an email by the due date and time.

1.7 NO LATE OR MISDIRECTED SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

The Department relies on the state of Oregon email clock. Submittals that are late or misdirected will be considered non-responsive, without exception. The Department is not responsible for errors of any kind involved with electronic submission, nor for notifying Proposers of complete or incomplete receipt of a Proposal.

1.8 FORMAT AND PAGE LIMIT FOR PROPOSALS

The Department will accept Proposals in electronic files compatible with Microsoft Office applications. The signed cover sheet required by section 1.9 must be submitted as a .PDF file. Files more than 15 megabytes must be submitted incrementally. Proposals must not be submitted as .zip, .exe or .com files.

Proposers may choose how to allocate pages between any sections, within the overall page limit. The Proposal must not exceed 20 pages total (excluding the work sample and Cover Sheet (Attachment A)). Department will consider the pages up to that allowable number and discard all pages in excess of the allowable number. One (1) page is defined as: one side of a single 8-1/2" x 11" page, with 12-point minimum font size for the substantive text. Proposers may use their discretion for the font size of other materials (e.g., graphics, charts). Any page or partial page with substantive text, graphics, charts, resumes, etc., will be counted as one (1) page.

1.9 COVER SHEET

The Department must receive a completed Cover Sheet (substantially in the form of Attachment A), signed by a duly authorized representative of the Proposer empowered to bind the Proposer.

1.10 PUBLIC RECORDS

This RFP, and one copy of every proposal accepted in response to it, will be kept by Department and made a part of its records. All accepted Proposals will become part of the public file without obligation to Department. If a Proposal contains any information that may be exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Public Records Law, ORS 192.410 through 192.505, the Proposer must clearly designate that portion of its Proposal it considers to be exempt, along with a justification and citation to the authority relied upon. Application of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), ORS 646.461 and 646.475, and the Oregon Public Records Law will determine whether any information is actually exempt from disclosure. Identifying an entire Proposal as exempt from disclosure is not acceptable and will not be effective to exempt the Proposal or any part of it from disclosure. Failure to identify the portion of the Proposal claimed as exempt from disclosure, and to specify a justification and the authority relied upon, will be deemed a waiver of any future claim based on disclosure of that information.

1.11 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By submitting its Proposal, the selected Proposer agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of a standard state of Oregon Personal/Professional Services Contract, including requirements for insurance as determined by Department. Any Proposal that is conditioned on Department’s acceptance of any other terms and conditions or rights to negotiate will be rejected as non-responsive.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST FOR USE BY PROPOSERS - INFORMATION ONLY

2.0 INFORMATION REQUESTED FROM PROPOSERS; SCORED CRITERIA

Scoring for the Project Implementation Plan, Firm and Team Qualifications, and Price and Value will be separate. The total score will be based on the categories described below.

The combined responses to the criteria in each subsection of this Section 2.0 must not exceed the total allowable page limit described in Section 1.8. The Department will consider the pages up to that allowable number and discard all pages in excess of the allowable number.

2.1 PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

Proposers must fill out and submit RFP Attachment B, listing applicable references. References will not be scored but are mandatory as a responsibility check for the department.

The Oregon Global Opportunities Plan should describe how Proposer will pursue the work including a description of your proposed approach to successfully complete the work and address key issues within the timeline provided. At a minimum, this should include:

(1) A description of your approach and research for conducting an international development strategic plan. Include best practices and how the Proposer sees the plan being utilized and implemented.

(2) A description of your approach for orchestrating, facilitating, and synthesizing the work from multiple high-level meetings (workgroup meetings, focus groups, town halls, etc.) to inform and ultimately develop a 5-year statewide plan.

(3) A description of your approach to stakeholder commitment and engagement; especially non-traditional and under-represented stakeholders in the space of international development and business attraction.

(4) A description of your approach and audience recommendations for communicating and sharing findings, including anticipated printed materials, online tools, and/or marketing collateral; and

(5) A critique of the proposed statement of work, identifying key success factors and potential risks, and recommending changes such as other tasks to include, as applicable.

B) Firm and Team Qualifications 45 Points maximum

(1) Provide brief bios of key members who will be performing the work on this project and their associated role, responsibilities and committed percentage availability. You may provide links to external resources if desired (such as LinkedIn profiles, awards, or bios). Please provide information that demonstrates the team’s:

· Subject matter expertise, prior experience, and leadership facilitating stakeholder dialogue leading to the development of International Development and Business Attraction strategy at the state level.

· Awareness of, fluency in, and experience with international development; both global trade and inbound investment economic development best practices.

· Knowledge and experience related to stakeholder dialogue facilitation with a variety of facilitation tools to help medium to large groups of stakeholders uncover strategies around which they can align.

· Experience turning discussions and findings of facilitated conversations into professionally produced guiding documents, reports, digital tools, and collateral in a variety of formats.

· Knowledge and experience analyzing, measuring, and conveying the impact of strategic, statewide and globally-based economic development investments and programs for a state.

(2) Briefly describe projects performed within the last ten years involving high-level stakeholder engagement, dialogue facilitation, and the creation of economy-wide international development strategy.

(3) From the projects described above, provide a work sample (s) for the one project most comparable to the Department’s needs. It may be attached to your Proposal as a PDF file, or you may provide a web link for viewing or downloading. This is a separate attachment or link and will not count towards the page limit.

C) Price and Value 10 Points maximum

(1) Proposer must show how much can be accomplished within a budget of $150,000, formatted as deliverables-based.

(2) Please list billing rates for the team members listed, and any other costs.

3.0 EVALUATION PROCESS

The selection process will be administered in accordance with the authority and procedures in ORS 27B.070, and OAR Chapter 123, Division 6 and OAR 137-047- 0270. Proposals received on time will be reviewed against any Pass/Fail criteria. Proposals meeting those criteria will be forwarded to an evaluation committee that will independently score each Proposal according to the scored criteria set forth in Section 2.1.

Without limiting the possibilities allowed under OAR 137-047-0270, the Department may, at any time in its sole discretion, (a) provide notice to a Proposer of selection for Contract negotiation and possible award; (b) gather more information for evaluation, (c) provide notice to a Proposer(s) of non-selection; or (d) provide notification to Proposer(s) that the RFP is cancelled (and either that the RFP may be resolicited or that Department intends to take no further action with respect to the RFP).

The Department reserves the right to employ any of the procedures allowed by Oregon Administrative Rule 137-047-0270, such as additional competitive steps or Proposals, modified or additional selection criteria, interviews, competitive simultaneous discussions or negotiations, etc. Information or issues revealed by a Proposer’s questions or Proposal, may, in the Department’s sole discretion, trigger such modifications or further steps. If there are further steps beyond the initial Proposal and scoring, the scoring results from the first step and any subsequent step will be added together.

Department reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals for good cause if it is in the public interest, and is not liable for any costs a Proposer incurs while preparing or presenting its Proposal or during further evaluation stages.

4.0 NEGOTIATIONS

The Department, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to negotiate all terms and conditions in the standard State of Oregon contract to the extent allowed by law.

If negotiations with the top ranked Proposer are not successful, Department may terminate negotiations and begin negotiating with the next highest ranked Proposer.

RFP ATTACHMENT A - COVER SHEET & CERTIFICATIONS

STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL to Oregon Business Development Department __________________________________________ (Legal Name of Proposer) accepts all the terms and conditions contained in the 5 Year Global Strategy and Inbound Attraction Strategic Plan RFP, and a standard State of Oregon contract (as they may have been modified or reserved for negotiation).

|_| Corporation |_| Professional Corporation |_| Partnership |_| Limited Partnership |_| Ltd. Liability Company |_| Ltd. Liability Partnership |_| Sole Proprietorship |_| Other __________ Mailing Address

Type name of contact/authorized representative Email address Telephone Other Type name of person(s) authorized to sign Contract Affirmative Action, Nondiscrimination: Department is an equal-employment-opportunity employer and values diversity in its work force. It also requires Proposers to have an operating policy as an equal employment opportunity employer, and to follow good faith diversity efforts when subcontracting.

We certify that we have a formal statement of nondiscrimination in employment policy and have an affirmative action program if over 50 employees. (Firms of 50 people or less do not need a formal program, but must have a policy). Does your firm have 50 or more employees? |_| Yes |_| No We also certify that we have not and will not discriminate against a subcontractor in the awarding of a subcontract because the subcontractor is a minority, women or emerging small business enterprise certified under ORS 200.055, and will follow good faith efforts in ORS 200.045 during any subcontracting.

Responsibility Certifications Has your company ever been declared in breach of any contract to provide services for unperformed or defective work?

|_| Yes |_| No If “yes,” explain.

Has any employee or agent of your company been convicted under state or federal law of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property or any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty?

|_| Yes |_| No If “yes,” explain.

Has your company or any employee or agent of your company been indicted under state or federal false claims or antitrust laws, or charged with any other criminal offense arising out of obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public or private contract or subcontract? |_| Yes |_| No If “yes,” explain.

During the last ten years, has your firm changed majority ownership or been the debtor in a bankruptcy case? |_| Yes |_| No If “yes,” explain.

Does your firm have any outstanding judgments pending against it? |_| Yes |_| No If “yes,” explain.

During the last ten years, has your firm been a party to litigation, arbitration or mediation where the amount in dispute exceeded $10,000? |_| Yes |_| No If “yes,” explain. (Include court, and party names.)

Conflicts of Interest: Please select (only) one of the following three options:

What does “financial interest” mean?

If your firm, or employee of your firm working on the project (or a member of the employee’s household), will/may or may be perceived to receive or lose private income depending on government business choices based on your firm’s services, findings or recommendations, this must be listed as a financial interest. An example would be ownership in physical assets affected by government business choices related to these services. The possibility of contracting for further consulting services is not included in this definition and is not prohibited.

What does “other interest” mean?

If your firm, or employee of your firm working on the project (or a member of the employee’s household), will/may or may be perceived to have political, legal or any other interests that will affect what goes into your firm’s services, findings or recommendations, or will be/may be, or may be perceived to be, affected by government business choices related to these services, this must be listed as an other interest.

Tax Information and Tax Compliance: The undersigned certifies and swears under penalty of perjury that: I am authorized to act on behalf of Contractor, I have authority and knowledge regarding Contractor’s payment of taxes, , Contractor is not subject to tax withholding, and Contractor is not in violation of any Oregon tax laws, including but not limited to a state tax imposed by ORS 320.005 to 320.150 and 403.200 to 403.250 and ORS chapters 118, 314, 316, 317, 318, 321 and 323 and the elderly rental assistance program under ORS 310.630 to 310.706 and local taxes administered by the Department of Revenue under ORS 305.620. Contractor shall continue to comply with the tax laws of this state or a political subdivision of this state during the term of the public contract.

Signature of Authorized Representative certifying the truth of all statements:

[Signature]

RFP ATTACHMENT B - LIST OF REFERENCES

Department may check to determine whether these references support Proposer’s ability to comply with the requirements of this RFP. Department may use references to obtain additional information, or verify any information needed. Department may contact any reference (submitted or not) to verify Proposer’s qualifications.

Proposer must provide at least three references from current or former client for similar projects performed within the last four years. References must be able to verify the quality of that related work.

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