Attachment 9 - NBF IDIQ QandA.pdf

Solicitation 030ADV26R0033

Attachment J-9 - Question & Answers

# Question Answer

1 - In reading Attchment J.5 it looks like the assumptions and the pricing grid do not align. The assumptions look like they are for an in-person show at the WCC and the pricing guide seems to be for a hybrid event at the Library. Curious how you would like us to handle that part.

Please base according to hours provided in assumptions and individual items in price schedule.

2 Is this a new IDIQ? Yes – the is a new 5-year IDIQ

3 We do also see a number of covid-era line items and pricing elements included here, especially around the web based application. There has been a lot of consolidation in the industry as well as a limited number of on-shore and SOC2 compliant offerings. Are there any specific needs for the web app along these lines?

There are very low cost solutions and there are very high cost solutions for this. We would love to get a better understanding of the Library's need to ensure we are scoping a solution that is desired.

Please refer to Section C of the solicitation.

4 Is there any incumbent/recompete or this is a brand-new project? If yes, could you please provide us with their award number or even if the customer bought similar services in the past.

This is for a new IDIQ. The current contract for these services will end in 2026.

5 Is the 7-page limit inclusive of photographs, or are photographs excluded from the page count?

Page limit removed – see amendment.

6 Is the contractor expected to provide an entirely new ticketing platform, or is there an incumbent system the Library expects the contractor to integrate with? We have used a number of different systems and platforms and can integrate with many.

Would love a further description to understand the technical requirement.

See section C.3.9 in the solicitation.

7 C.3.7 Transportation Services requires shuttle service between the Festival site

This will be addressed with the awardee of the planning order.

and the Library. For the base year (2027

NBF), is a venue already selected, or will the venue and shuttle routing be defined at the order level? Should we assume this is between the Library of Congress and the

Washington Convention Center?

8 Is the broadcast team expected to be on-site for the full duration of the festival, or only during designated broadcast windows?

Broadcast team is expected to be onsite to fulfill the requirements of the order pertaining to a broadcast.

9 C.3.3.14 (Additional Services) ends abruptly after item (h) with "Mother's

Room" — it appears the list is cut off. Can the Library confirm if additional items were intended to follow?

Updated see Section C.3.3.14 of amendment.

10 The Generative AI clause (H.14) prohibits use of generative AI to create deliverables without written CO authorization but exempts AI tools "already widely incorporated in day-to-day life" and embedded image-editing AI. Please clarify whether commonly used AI-assisted features within professional creative software (e.g., editing, captioning, and design applications) fall under the exemption or require authorization.

The contractor shall not use generative AI to create or produce any deliverables under this contract without specific written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

11 Does the AI prohibition extend to internal project management tools (e.g., AI-assisted scheduling, draft communications) or is it limited to deliverables submitted to the

Library? Many project management tools

(including Microsoft Teams) have integrated AI tools and platforms are changing rapidly with inclusion of AI. Is there a preferred platform recommendation?

The contractor shall not use generative AI to create or produce any deliverables under this contract without specific written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

12 Can the Library confirm whether the SOW section references in this price schedule correspond to Attachment J-3 (the 2027

NBF Planning Order SOW, not distributed) rather than the main

The planning order SOW refers to the IDIQ sections. Both SOWs refer to the price schedule.

solicitation's Section C? This is critical for offerors to price correctly.

13 Section C.7 lists items the Library "may" provide as Government Furnished

Property, including some that also appear as priced contractor deliverables in J-5

(e.g., CART). Please confirm, for the sample order pricing only, which listed

GFP items the offeror should treat as

Library-furnished versus contractor-provided.

All items in J-5 should be priced accordingly unless otherwise stated.

14 Attachment J.5 assumptions seem to be for an in-person show at the WCC and the pricing guide seems to be for a hybrid event at the Library. Which should we price? Will the LC be providing tables, chairs, etc?

All items in J-5 should be priced accordingly unless otherwise stated.

16 Can you provide additional clarity on the web platform requested? Are there existing systems that the Library already utilizes that are approved for events (e.g. Zoom for

Gov meetings for NLS conference)?

The Library seeks offerors to provide an approach for the requirement.

17 The Virtual Event Web Application requirements in C.3.2.1 and the per-element pricing in the J-2 Other

Deliverable Rates tab describe a high degree of customization. Please clarify whether the Library requires a true custom-built application in which each listed function (e.g., Lobby, Expo

Hall, gamification, breakout rooms, VIP area) is a discrete, separately developed element, or whether a configured commercial event platform that delivers the same functions as integrated features would satisfy the requirement. Please indicate if any current platform is already approved by the Library (e.g. Bizzabo, CVENT, vFairs, Swoogo, Zoom Events, Zoom for Gov, WebEx, On24, Hublia)

18 If a commercial off-the-shelf event platform is acceptable, please confirm whether offerors should still provide a price for each individual function line in the J-2 Other Deliverable Rates tab, or whether functions delivered as standard features of a licensed platform may be priced at the platform/licensing level with a line-number cross-reference. Many existing systems do not price these separately.

19 Please confirm whether the Library has any existing, already-approved platforms or enterprise systems it expects the contractor to use or integrate with for the virtual Festival (for example, video conferencing or webcasting tools previously authorized for Library use), as opposed to the contractor sourcing the platform independently.

See section C.3.2.3 in the solicitation.

20 Section C.3.2.1.1 requires the Application to "fully integrate and coordinate between the loc.gov site and Application." Please clarify the expected level of integration:

single sign-on, embedded content, API-level data exchange, or linking/redirection in order to platform accordingly.

See section C.3.2.1.1 in the solicitation.

21 Clause H.6 requires non-Library hosting environments to be FedRAMP compliant with full Assessment & Authorization documentation, and H.8 designates the work as CUI / Security Category Moderate under NIST 800-53. Please confirm whether the public-facing Virtual Event

Web Application and its hosting environment must hold a FedRAMP authorization (and at what impact level), or whether these requirements apply only to systems that store or process non-public Library information.

This will be addressed with the awardee of the planning order.

22 If FedRAMP authorization is required for the event platform, please confirm whether the Library will accept a platform that is

FedRAMP "In Process" or that holds an equivalent attestation (e.g., SOC 2 Type II, This will be addressed with the awardee of the planning order.

StateRAMP), given that few commercial event platforms currently hold a

FedRAMP authorization. If required, is the

Library working with an authorized system currently that would be acceptable for this effort.

23 Please confirm whether U.S.-based

(onshore) data storage and processing is a mandatory requirement for the event platform and any associated content management or storage system.

This will be addressed with the awardee of the planning order.

24 The Application is public-facing and allows attendee registration and account creation. Please clarify whether attendee-provided personal information is considered CUI under H.8, and whether the platform must therefore meet the FIPS

140-3 encryption and FIPS 199 categorization requirements described in

H.6 and H.8 for that data.

The awardee must adhere to all clauses in the solicitation. Further discussion of approach regarding the NBF will be addressed with the awardee of the planning order.

25 For the Virtual Event Web Application, please clarify the Library's relative priority among platform cost, breadth of functionality, and security/compliance posture, so that offerors can propose an approach aligned with the Library's preferred balance.

The Virtual Event application should be foremost secure and complaint. Secondly balanced with functionality and cost.

26 The J-5 sample order assumes hosting for up to 25,000 concurrent users over nine days, while the J-2 hosting line spans

5,000 to 100,000 concurrent users. Please confirm whether offerors should price the

J-2 hosting line as a single rate covering that full range, as banded tiers, or per a representative concurrency, so that pricing is evaluated consistently across offerors.

In the J-2, Offerors should provide prices for up to 100K concurrent users for each period.

For the J-5, Offeror should use the price they provided in the J-2 (or discounted).