combined_synopsis_solicitation.pdf

Solicitation 11316018Q0003

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

International Trade in Goods Database

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulator (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This combined announcement quotations from all interested offerors.

(ii) This solicitation number 11316018Q0003 is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ).

(iii)The solicitation and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-100, dated 08/22/2018.

(iv) This is a full and open competition. The associated North American Industrial Classification

Standard (NAICS) Code is 518210 Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Service. All vendors responding shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). All responsible sources may submit a quote, which shall be considered by the agency.

(v) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) Line Items:

Contractor shall quote all items on a firm-fixed price basis for the five-year BPA.

Order Unit price1 QTY Total Price Ordering Period 1

Ordering Period 2

Ordering Period 3

Ordering Period 4

Ordering Period 5

Total:

1 Each offeror shall assume that the unit price is for a single database with unlimited users, and each component who wishes to issue a call against this BPA will be charged the same unit price.

The Government fully expects that all submitted offerors will propose a discount to the government, which will help the government so that the government may receive the best value when evaluating using the trade-off process.

Please provide your Terms of Service Agreement.

(vi) Description of Requirement:

The Government intends to award multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) for the procurement of a subscription for an International Trade in Goods Database for five years. The BPA will be available for all Executive Office of the President (EOP) components to use.

PART 1: STATEMENT OF WORK

1.0 Purpose:

The purpose of this BPA is to obtain a web-based application/database containing detailed merchandise trade data. The database should provide quick and efficient access to official merchandise trade data from the United States, major trading partners and other countries of interest and should have easy-to-use functions for searching, displaying, reporting, and exporting data for analysis.

2.0 BPA Ceiling

The Not to Exceed (NTE) ceiling of this BPA is $600,000.00. The ceiling price is the Government’s best estimate of costs for performance over the five-year period and does not represent a guaranteed total amount. The Government is obligated only to the extent of authorized purchases made under the BPA.

3.0 Background

There are two components of the EOP, the United States Trade Representatives (USTR) and the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), which have a primary responsibility to track and review U.S. international trade.

The EOP requires access to detailed trade data to fulfill its legal obligations to do the following:

• Conduct international trade negotiations;

• Develop and coordinate international trade policy;

• Enforce U.S. rights under international trade agreements;

• Report on the trade agreements program;

• Identify, analyze, and estimate the trade-distorting impact of barriers to U.S. exports and investment; and

• Identify countries that deny adequate protection, or market access, for intellectual property rights.

4.0 Description of Services

The contractor shall provide access to their online database with up-to-date and historical detail (both monthly and annual) trade statistics for major and emerging market countries.

• Available via an Online portal 24 hours, 365 days a year from any location

Data Availability

The contractor shall provide a subscription that has annual and monthly merchandise export and import data, with full (6-digit +) Harmonized System (HS) detail from official statistics for the following countries (at a minimum).

Annual Data (with at least a five-year history, unless otherwise specified):

• North American Countries:

o United States (Back to 1990) (Subnational Detail for U.S. District, Ports and States) o Canada (Back to 2000) (Including Subnational Detail for Provinces);

o Mexico (Back to 2000)

• European Union: (including extra-EU trade, and individual country detail for: Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and EU Brexit2)

• Other European Countries: Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Norway

• Middle East Countries: Egypt, Israel

• Asia Pacific Countries: Australia, China (Back to 2000), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey

• Central and South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El

Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru

• African Countries: South Africa, Morocco

Contractor shall provide account support including:

• Support available via telephone, email, and in-person as needed

• Provide training, as needed

• Provide technical support for both software and data related questions

The subscriptions shall provide the following for each country:

• Official sources of data for each country

• Data for exports, imports, balances, and total two-way trade at the 2, 4, 6, and detailed product level

• Data provided for value, quantity, and price.

• Provide reports in currencies of reporting countries and U.S. Dollars.

• Provide a listing of the latest data updates

Trade Analysis Functions and Features

The subscription shall provide the following trade analysis functions and features for ease of use, quicker results and user-based customization.

• Provide the ability to browse data:

o View data for all partner countries for all trade or selected HS detail

2 United Kingdom Customs Data is required after Brexit; Customs data for other members of the E.U. is beneficial.

o View data for all HS (at various levels of detail – 2, 4, 6, or detailed) to the world or selected partner country at once o Ability to easily access (drill down into) more detailed information for a specific country or product detail, from a 2-digit all the way down to a detailed product level within the same module.

• Browse HS hierarchy or go directly to a particular code

• Access information for imports, exports, total trade, or trade balance by reporter country, for all goods, by HS Code and by partner country, as well as by HS and partner country or by partner country and HS.

• Directly access and extract data for Harmonized System levels: 2, 4, 6 and detailed level, for all products from a particular country.

• Provides capability to save search queries based on the parameters of a query for repeated use.

• Data can be displayed in multiple time periods including the following: month of, quarterly, year to date, year ending, annual.

• Data includes both value and quantity, with the ability to show quantity at aggregate levels (HS 2, 4, 6), or by user defined groups.

• Ability to create and save user-defined country and product aggregates for use when industries cut across various HS chapters or for customized analysis of regions or groups of countries.

• Product aggregation options can display in value and quantity.

• Data can be easily downloaded (in excel or txt format) allowing for the download of multiple time periods and products at one time. When awarding the contract, the amount of data that can be downloaded or otherwise extracted from the system at one time will be considered.

5.0 Delivery:

The contractor must deliver 24 hours, 365 days access to an online database containing detailed import and export merchandise trade statistics from the official source of individual reporting countries.

The access to the online database shall be for all employees globally who are working from an office, their homes, or on travel, as well as access to customer service (online, via phone, in person).

6.0 Government Furnished Property (GFP) and Government-Furnished Information

(GFI):

There is no GFP or GFI.

7.0 Period of Performance:

The period of performance for the BPA is five years, from September 29, 2018 through September 28, 2023. Each call awarded under the BPA will have its own period of performance.

BPA ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS

BPA Call

Only authorized users may place orders under the BPA. Authorized users are Contracting/Ordering Officers from the Executive Office of the President (EOP) Components.

Each call issued under the BPA shall identify the component, number of users, period of performance, and the COR. All calls placed under the BPA are subject to the terms and conditions of the basic agreement. In the event of any conflict between the call and the BPA, the BPA will take precedence.

PART 2: PRICING

Pricing is contained in Section (v) of this RFQ

PART 3: CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

3.1 Government Contact Information/ Roles & Responsibilities [Feb 2014]

Contracting Officer (CO):

Executive Office of the President Office of Administration Office of the Chief Financial Officer Procurement and Contract Management Division ATTN: Mashonda Walston Telephone: (202) 395-7968 Email: mwalston@oa.eop.gov

Contracting Officer (CO):

The CO is responsible for:

1) Negotiation and award of orders, contracts, or agreements: COs have full authority to legally bind their organization within their designated warrant level.

2) Administration: Although COs have the ability to manage the orders, contracts, or agreements, the day-to-day administration activities will generally be carried out by the contracting officer’s representative.

3) Settlement and Resolution of Contracting Issues: The CO is authorized to settle and resolve contracting issues.

4) Contract Records: The CO is responsible for maintaining a complete record of all contracting documents (electronically and/or manually).

Contract Specialist (CS):

The CS is responsible for:

1) The daily interactions of the orders, contracts, or agreements, which include communicating with the contractor in resolving concerns, drafting requirements, award documents, modifications, etc.

2) The CS has no authority to change the terms and conditions of the order, contract, or agreement, including the schedule and price.

Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR):

1) The CO’s authorized COR will be designated after award. Additionally, each order, mailto:%20mwalston@oa.eop.gov contract, or agreement will specify the designated COR.

2) The COR is the individual within the program management function who has overall technical responsibility for this effort. The COR supports the CO during administration of this effort by:

a. Providing technical clarification relative to overall workload matters;

b. Providing guidance to the contractor in the preparation of deliverables and services;

c. Providing acceptance of delivered products and services in accordance with the order or contract terms and conditions; and

d. Making final decisions regarding any recommended rejection of deliverables.

3) The COR also provides technical direction to the contractor, i.e., shifting work emphasis between areas of work, fills in details, or otherwise serves to accomplish the purposes of this effort. Technical direction shall be within the general scope of this effort. The COR does NOT have the authority to issue any technical direction that:

a. Constitutes an assignment of work outside the general scope of this effort;

b. Constitutes a change as defined in the “Changes” clause (See FAR 52.243);

c. In any way causes an increase or decrease in cost or the time required for performance;

d. Changes any of the terms, conditions, or other requirements of this effort; or

e. Suspends or terminates any portion of this effort.

4) All technical direction shall be issued in writing by the COR or will be confirmed by the COR in writing within 10 calendar days after verbal issuance. A copy of the written direction will be furnished to the CO.

5) In addition to providing technical direction, the COR will:

a. Monitor the contractor’s technical progress, including surveillance and assessment of performance, and recommend to the CO any changes in the requirement;

b. Assist the contractor in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance;

c. Perform inspection and acceptance or recommendation for rejection of contractor deliverables and identify deficiencies in delivered items. This does not replace any other quality assurance inspection requirements that are specified elsewhere within the order, contract, or agreement; and

d. Ensure invoice payments are processed in a timely manner in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (FAR Subpart 32.9).

SECTION 4 - EOP STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

4.1 Statement on EOP Special Terms and Conditions [FEB 2014]

The following EOP specific clauses shall apply to the order, contract, or agreement resulting from this solicitation. These terms and conditions flow down to any subcontractors.

4.2 Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements [Dec 2015, deviation AUG 2018]

Invoice Description

To constitute a proper invoice, the invoice must include the following information and/or documentation:

• Name of business concern, invoice number and date;

• Contract or order number, or other authorization for delivery of property or services;

• Description, price, and quantity of supplies/services actually delivered or service rendered for each item billed;

• Shipping and payment terms;

• Name (where practicable, title, phone number, and complete mailing address of responsible official to whom payment is to be sent). The “remit to” address must correspond to the remittance address in the order, contract, or agreement; and

• Other substantiating documentation or information as required by the order, contract, or agreement.

Payment shall only be made once delivery occurs or services are rendered, in accordance with the Solicitation and Contract Terms and Conditions.

Orders for subscriptions may be billed on a one-time basis.

Electronic Submission of Payment Requests The Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) is a secure web-based electronic invoicing and payment information service available to all Federal agencies and their supplier by the U.S. Treasury's Financial Management Service. The IPP allows Federal agencies and their suppliers to exchange electronic contracts, purchase and task orders, blanket purchase agreements, invoices, and payment information in one easy to access web portal. This service is free of charge to Government agencies and their suppliers, including services and support.

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause- (1)”Payment request” means a bill, voucher, invoice, or request for contract financing payment with associated supporting documentation. The payment request must comply with the requirements identified in FAR 32.905(b), “Content of Invoices” and the applicable Invoicing clause included in this contract, order, or agreement.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this clause, the Contractor shall submit payment requests electronically using the IPP. Information regarding IPP is available at www.ipp.gov.

(c) The Contractor may submit payment requests using another method only when the EOP Contracting Officer (CO) authorizes alternate procedures in writing (see Attachment C Electronic Invoicing Waiver Form).

(d) If alternate payment procedures are authorized, the Contractor shall include a copy of the CO’s written authorization with each payment request.

For payment and invoice questions, go to https://www.ipp.gov or contact the Department of Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service’s Accounts Payable Branch at (304) 480-8000 Option 7 or via email at AccountsPayable@fiscal.treasury.gov.

http://www.ipp.gov/ https://www.ipp.gov/ mailto:AccountsPayable@fiscal.treasury.gov

In accordance with FAR 52.212-4 Section (i)(5) Overpayments, Accounts Receivable Conversion of Check Payments to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT): If the Contractor sends the Government a check to remedy duplicate contract financing or an overpayment by the Government, it will be converted into an EFT. This means the Government will copy the check and use the account information on it to electronically debit the Contractor’s account for the amount of the check. The debit from the Contractor’s account will usually occur within 24 hours and will be shown on the regular account statement.

The Contractor will not receive the original check back. The Government will destroy the Contractor’s original check, but will keep a copy of it. If the EFT cannot be processed for technical reasons, the Contractor authorizes the Government to process the copy in place of the original check.

Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) Waiver If unable to use the IPP for submitting payment requests, Offerors shall complete the attached Electronic Invoicing Waiver Form and submit with their quote or proposal. Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) and Microsoft Word are the only acceptable electronic invoicing formats. Invoices must contain the information required in FAR 52.212-4(g) and the EOP Terms and Conditions.

On the Electronic Invoicing Waiver Form, the Offeror shall indicate the reason(s) and the duration for which it is requesting the waiver. If the Offeror’s current invoicing system is not compatible with the IPP, the Offeror shall provide contact information for the person who can work with the IPP administrator to develop an interface.

The waiver duration shall not exceed six months at which time the Contractor must be fully compliant with IPP requirements, or apply for a follow-on waiver with the CO, not to exceed six months.

The CO will review the waiver request and either approve or deny the request. If approved, and the Offeror receives an award, the Contractor shall submit a copy of the approved Electronic Invoicing Waiver Form with each emailed invoice. If a copy of the Electronic Invoicing Waiver Form is not attached, the invoice will be rejected.

4.3 Prohibition of Advertising of Award [Feb 2014]

The contractor shall not refer to this award in commercial advertising or similar promotions in such a manner as to state or to imply that the product or services provided is endorsed, preferred, or is considered superior to other products or services by the Executive Office of the President (EOP), the Office of Administration, or the White House. This includes advertising, or similar promotions, in all forms of electronic, broadcast, and print media.

In addition, the contractor is restricted from reproducing the image(s) of the EOP in any form of commercial advertising or promotion. This includes images of official seals and buildings. The reproduction of official seals and the images of buildings are a matter controlled by statute, regulation and Executive Order. Any proposed usage of such symbols must be brought to the attention of the contracting officer.

4.4 Restriction Against Disclosure [Feb 2014]

The contractor agrees, in the performance of this order, contract, or agreement to keep the information contained in the source documents, or otherwise furnished by the EOP, in the strictest confidence, said information being the sole property of the EOP. The contractor also agrees not to publish, reproduce or otherwise divulge such information, in whole or in part, in any manner or form, nor authorize or permit others to do so, taking reasonable measures to restrict access to the information while in his or her possession to those employees who must have the information to perform work on the order, contract, or agreement (i.e., a “need-to-know” basis). The contractor agrees to immediately notify the contracting officer (CO) in writing in the event the contractor determines, or has reason to suspect, a breach of confidentiality. The contractor is responsible for ensuring all employees involved in the performance of this order, contract or agreement sign a “Non-Disclosure Agreement” that is attached. The contractor shall provide a signed agreement to the CO prior to each employee beginning work.

EOP retains full legal control over any information and records submitted by it to the contractor and may, to the extent permitted by law, modify such information or request that it be withdrawn from the contractor’s files and systems. Such information, to the extent permitted by law, shall not become part of contractor records. If the contractor receives a request for EOP information, or a request to which EOP information would be responsive, the contractor shall not provide EOP information in response to the request and shall instead refer the request to EOP. EOP will address the request in accordance with applicable law. Requests included within this paragraph include, but are not limited to, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, Congressional requests and litigation-related requests. Any such request shall be sent in writing to the Office of Administration, Office of General Counsel through the CO.

All information regarding the procedures developed under this order, contract, or agreement must be regarded as sensitive information by the contractor and not to be disclosed to anyone outside the contractor's organization without the written permission of the CO.

4.5 Contractor’s Responsibility For Personnel [Feb 2014]

The contractor shall be responsible for managing and overseeing the activities of all of its personnel, as well as subcontractor personnel used in performance of this effort. The contractor's management responsibilities shall include timely and effective support, performed in accordance with the requirements contained in the order, contract, or agreement.

4.6 Potential Conflicts Of Interest [Feb 2014]

(a) The contractor shall inform the contracting officer (CO) whether or not, to the best of its knowledge and belief, it has or does not have any organizational or personal conflicts of interest as defined below:

In accordance with FAR Part 2, Definitions, “Organizational conflict of interest” means that because of other activities or relationships with other persons, a person is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the Government, or the person’s objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or a person has an unfair competitive advantage.

In accordance with FAR Subpart 9.502, an organizational conflict of interest may result when factors create an actual or potential conflict of interest on an instant contract, or when the nature of the work to be performed on the instant contract creates an actual or potential conflict of interest on a future acquisition. In the latter case, some restrictions on future activities of the contractor may be required.

(b) If the contractor discovers an organizational conflict of interest with respect to this order, contract, or agreement prior to award, the contractor shall immediately notify the CO in writing and provide its plan to mitigate the conflict. Personal conflicts of interest will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the CO. Depending on the severity of the conflict, alternative staff may be appointed to work on the requirement. If that solution does not remove the conflict or the appearance of conflict of interest, the contractor may be excused by the Government from participation in the requirement.

(c) The contractor agrees that if, after award, it discovers or creates an organizational or personal conflict of interest with respect to the order, contract, or agreement, it shall make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the CO and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), which shall include a description of the action the contractor has taken or proposes to take to avoid, eliminate or neutralize the conflict. The Government may, however, terminate the order, contract, or agreement for the convenience of the Government.

(d) In the event that the contractor was aware of the organizational or personal conflict of interest prior to the award of the order, contract, or agreement and intentionally did not disclose the conflict to the CO, the Government may terminate the order, contract, or agreement at no cost to the Government and demand payment of any out-of-pocket costs, including costs associated with reissuance of the order, contract, or agreement.

(e) The contractor shall also inform the CO and COR of any business or other relationships which create a potential conflict of interest or which might present an appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of the contractor or the contractor’s employees, including all instances in which a former or existing client of the contractor is or is likely to become the subject of a lawsuit. In addition, the contractor must agree that any information provided to the contractor in the course of the requirement is confidential and cannot be used for financial gain.

4.7 Contractor’s Interfaces/Collaboration [Feb 2014]

The contractor and/or its subcontractors may be required as part of the performance of this requirement to work with other contractors working for the Government. Such other contractors shall not direct this contractor and/or their subcontractors in any manner. Also, this contractor and/or its subcontractors shall not direct the work of other contractors in any manner.

The Government will establish the initial contact between the contractor and other contractors and will participate in an initial meeting at which the conventions for the scheduling and conduct of future meetings and contacts will be established. The designated contracting officer’s representative (COR) for all associated efforts will be included in any establishment of conventions.

4.8 Payment for Unauthorized Supplies Or Services [Feb 2014]

No payments shall be made for any unauthorized supplies and/or services or for any unauthorized changes to the work specified herein. This includes any services performed by the contractor of its own volition or at the request of an individual other than a duly appointed contracting officer (CO).

4.9 Section 508 Conformance Requirements for Information Technology Requirements [Aug 2015] Section 508 Language Software Licenses and Subscription Services

Accessibility Requirements (Section 508) Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220) requires that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology (EIT), they must ensure that it is accessible to people with disabilities. Federal employees and members of the public who have disabilities must have equal access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that enjoyed by non-disabled Federal employees and members of the public.

All EIT deliverables within this work statement shall comply with the applicable technical and functional performance criteria of Section 508 unless exempt. Specifically, the following applicable EIT accessibility standards have been identified:

Section 508 Applicable EIT Accessibility Standards 36 CFR 1194.21 Software Applications and Operating Systems, applies to all EIT software applications and operating systems procured or developed under this work statement including but not limited to GOTS and COTS software. In addition, this standard is to be applied to Web-based applications when needed to fulfill the functional performance criteria. This standard also applies to some Web based applications as described within 36 CFR 1194.22.

36 CFR 1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications, applies to all Web-based deliverables, including documentation and reports procured or developed under this work statement. When any Web application uses a dynamic (non-static) interface, embeds custom user control(s), embeds video or multimedia, uses proprietary or technical approaches such as, but not limited to, Flash or Asynchronous Javascript and XML (AJAX) then 1194.21 Software standards also apply to fulfill functional performance criteria.

36 CFR 1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria, applies to all EIT deliverables regardless of delivery method. All EIT deliverable shall use technical standards, regardless of technology, to fulfill the functional performance criteria.

36 CFR 1194.41 Information Documentation and Support, applies to all documents, reports, as well as help and support services. To ensure that documents and reports fulfill the required

1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria, they shall comply with the technical standard associated with Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications at a minimum. In addition, any help or support provided in this work statement that offer telephone support, such as, but not limited to, a help desk shall have the ability to transmit and receive messages using TTY.

Section 508 Applicable Exceptions The Executive Office of the President EOP has determined the exceptions for this work statement and only the exceptions described herein may be applied. The following exceptions has identified that may apply: 36 CFR 1194.3(b) Incidental to Contract, all EIT that is exclusively owned and used by the contractor to fulfill this work statement does not require compliance with Section 508. This exception does not apply to any EIT deliverable, service or item that will be used by any Federal employee(s) or member(s) of the public. This exception only applies to those contractors assigned to fulfill the obligations of this work statement and for the purposes of this requirement, are not considered members of the public.

Section 508 Compliance Requirements 36 CFR 1194.2(b) (COTS/GOTS products), When procuring a product, each agency shall procure products which comply with the provisions in this part when such products are available in the commercial marketplace or when such products are developed in response to a Government solicitation. Agencies cannot claim a product as a whole is not commercially available because no product in the marketplace meets all the standards. If products are commercially available that meet some but not all of the standards, the agency must procure the product that best meets the standards. When applying this standard, all procurements of EIT shall have documentation of market research that identify a list of products or services that first meet the agency business needs, and from that list of products or services, an analysis that the selected product met more of the accessibility requirements than the non-selected products as required by FAR 39.2. Any selection of a product or service that meets less accessibility standards due to a significant difficulty or expense shall only be permitted under an undue burden claim.

4.10 Inspection and Acceptance [Feb 2014, Deviation AUG 2018]

Place of Inspection and Acceptance

Inspection and acceptance of the products or services to be furnished hereunder shall be made by the appropriate COR, or other authorized representative designated in the order, contract or agreement.

Scope of Inspection

All deliverables will be inspected for content, completeness, accuracy and conformance to order, contract or agreement requirements by the COR, or other authorized representative designated in the order, contract or agreement. Inspection may include validation of information or inspection of the deliverables, as specified in the order, contract or agreement. The scope and nature of this inspection will be sufficiently comprehensive to ensure the completeness, quality and adequacy of all deliverables.

Basis of Acceptance

The basis for acceptance will be in compliance with best commercial practices and those requirements provided in the order, contract or agreement.

Non-Conforming Products or Services

Unless specified otherwise in the orders or contracts, non-conforming products or services will be rejected. Deficiencies will be corrected, by the contractor, within three workdays of the rejection notice or as time constraints deem necessary. If the deficiencies cannot be corrected within three workdays, the contractor shall immediately notify the COR, or other authorized representatives designated in each order, contract, or agreement of the delay and provide a proposed corrective action plan within three workdays or as time to conform dictates more urgent action.

4.11 Contractor’s Core Duty Hours [FEB 2014]

The core duty hours for EOP are from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of Federal Government holidays. Contractor personnel shall ensure that the typical workday is longer than the core duty hours, and that personnel are required to conform their workday to ensure that it includes the core hours.

The contracting officer’s representative (COR) and the contractor must mutually agree upon all deviations to this schedule not mentioned herein. Work conducted outside these core hours may be negotiated by the COR as long as it does not affect the terms and conditions of the order, contract, or agreement, including schedule and price.

The following Federal Government holidays are normally observed by Government personnel:

New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Presidential Inauguration Day (metropolitan DC area only), President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and any other day designated by Federal Statute, Executive Order, and/or Presidential Proclamation, or any other kind of administrative leave such as acts of God (i.e. hurricanes, snow storms, tornadoes, etc.), Presidential funerals or any other unexpected Government closures.

4.12 Contractor Separation (APR 2017)

COs retain the right to remove the contractor personnel whose actions conflict with the performance of the order, contract, or agreement, suspected of committing misconduct, and/or have changes in their fitness/eligibility status. All on-site contractor personnel will be escorted by the COR when off-boarding and off-site contractor personnel may be off-boarded remotely when appropriate, as determined by the CO. The COR will ensure that all security and exit procedures are followed and that all Government property is returned. Contractor personnel removed from this order, contract, or agreement for security reasons shall not be eligible for reinstatement or utilized on any other EOP order, contract, or agreement without EOP Security Office or DWHIT approval. If contractor personnel are terminated, or resign, etc., the above items shall be returned to the EOP prior to, or within 24 hours, of their departure, or by an agreed upon time. The contractor shall ensure that all EOP assets, information, data, records, and materials remaining in the contractor employee’s possession after removal shall be returned to the EOP.

When a contractor employee no longer intends to support this order, contract, or agreement for any reason, the contractor must notify the COR and EOP Security Office in writing as soon as possible, but no later than a minimum of 2 business days. Additionally, the contractor shall ensure all security exit requirements are adhered to by their employees as follows:

• Out-processed by Human Resources, Office of the General Counsel, Procurement, and EOP Security Office;

• Return government issued identification, equipment, assets, information, data, records, and materials prior to departure; and,

• Escorted off the EOP Complex.

4.13 General Security Requirements (APR 2017)

Contractors operating on EOP premises shall comply with security requirements of U.S. Secret Service, EOP Security Office, and other law enforcement or campus security entities.

Security requirements while on EOP premises may include, but are not limited to:

• All contractor personnel shall carry and display government-issued identification badges;

• All contractor personnel shall carry or possess valid government-issued identification (e.g., driver’s license) while on-site (if appropriate, such as operating government vehicles);

• All equipment, vehicles, materials, personal possessions, and people within proximity of the premises may be subject to security searches; and,

• No photographs, videos, or other recordings may be taken within any EOP building, except for pre-designated points on tour routes.

The EOP reserves the right to direct any contractor personnel to be immediately removed based upon the Government's determination of inappropriate conduct, directly or indirectly, whenever there is reasonable suspicion to believe, that such action is warranted in the interest of national security. This action shall be made whether or not the cause is deemed of sufficient severity to warrant action to terminate the contractor.

Based on the proposed location of this order, contract, or agreement, the use or possession of any personal, or contractor provided, electronics (e.g., mobile phones, cameras, fitness trackers, or Bluetooth enabled devices) or of any other electronic equipment is authorized. Personal devices shall not be used to collect, receive, transmit, or store any Government information, data, records, or materials. However, such use may be limited at certain times or locations as directed by the CO, COR, and/or the EOP Security Office. This does not apply to medical electronic devices.

4.14 PHYSICAL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS (APR 2017)

Contractor personnel shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the conduct of personnel and the operation of the facility as specified in EOP Complex physical security policies, procedures, and requirements. Failure to do so may result in temporary or permanent denial of physical access to the EOP Complex or permanent revocation of access privileges.

The contractor shall not remove any Government assets, information, data, records, or materials from the EOP Complex without specific authorization from the CO and/or COR.

Contractor personnel access to the EOP Complex is only authorized during scheduled work hours, unless otherwise approved by the CO or COR.

4.15 ESCORTED CONTRACTORS (APR 2017)

Contractor personnel shall be escorted by government personnel during work hours while on the EOP Complex, or related facilities. For work during the weekend or non-Federal workdays, the Contractor shall notify the CO no later than three business days prior to the required work.

This notice is required so escorts may be provided and is separate and distinct from any notices required for individuals not reporting to work for other reasons (illness, rescheduling, etc.). The Contractor should also notify the CO if contractor personnel will not report to the job site on a particular day so that the escort will be rescheduled for other duties.

(vii) The base period of performance is for one year from contract award with four one-year options. The estimated start date is 9/29/18.

(viii) The provision at 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items (AUG 2018) applies to this acquisition.

ADDENDUM - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

The Government expects Contractors to examine this entire RFQ. Failure to do so will be at the contractor’s own risk. The Government will reject the quote, if it does not contain all of the requested information, as outlined herein. This RFQ does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred by the contractor in preparation and submission of initial, or any subsequent, quotes or for any other costs incurred prior to award of the BPA. The contractor shall acknowledge all amendments to the RFQ, if applicable.

Submission of Quotes

Contractor shall submit quotes via email to mwalston@oa.eop.gov and solicitations@oa.eop.gov by 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on September 20, 2018 per the following instructions:

• Contractor shall provide the following Volumes:

o Volume I –Factor 1 Technical Approach o Volume II–Factor 2 Past Performance o Volume III–Factor 3 Price Quote

• Contractor shall not include any price information in Volumes I and II.

• Quotes received after 2:00 PM EST on September 20, 2018 will be deemed late and may not be considered.

• Quotes shall include the RFQ number, the name, address, email address and telephone number of the contractor and the company’s DUNS.

• Quotes shall include pricing for all five-year line items and provide the cost savings of doing a five-year multi-year call versus a five one-year calls.

• Quotes shall include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the RFQ.

• Contractor shall include the completed Non-Disclosure Agreement (Attachment A) signed by an authorized agent of the Offeror acknowledging agreement to its terms and conditions.

mailto:mwalston@oa.eop.gov mailto:solicitations@oa.eop.gov

• Contractor shall include the completed Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.209-11 Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction (Attachment B).

• Contractor shall include a completed Electronic Invoicing Waiver Form (Attachment C), if applicable.

• The contractor shall agree to hold the prices in its quote firm for 60 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes, unless another time is specified in an addendum to the RFQ.

Factor 1: Technical Approach Quotes shall not include any price information in Volume 1. Contractor shall provide a description of the services offered that address the content and functionality requirements stated in Part 1 Statement of Work. The technical approach shall demonstrate the contractor’s comprehension and understanding of the services required. The contractor shall provide the full list of countries that will be available on their database, including HS level and the time-periods (monthly vs annual) available for each, and any additional historical detail.

Technical Approach Assumptions

Submit all (if any) assumptions, conditions, or exceptions with any of the terms and conditions of this RFQ. If not noted in each section of your quote, the Government will be assume that the offeror proposes no assumptions for award, and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein. The Government reserves the right to reject any quote that includes any assumption that affects the Government’s requirements.

Factor 2: Past Performance The contractor shall provide its recent (within the last three years) and relevant experience in projects similar in size, scope, and complexity to the requirements detailed in RFQ.

The contractor shall describe its relevant past performance on no more than three similar contracts it has held within the last three years which are of similar size, scope, and complexity to the requirements detailed in RFQ. All past performance references shall be for unclassified contracts. The contractor shall provide the following information regarding its past performance references:

1. Company – Contract holder, and position of the Contract Holder on the contractor’s team (e.g., prime or subcontractor)

2. Contract Number(s)

3. Name(s), phone number(s), fax number(s) and e-mail(s) of a verified point of contact at the federal, state, local government or commercial entity for which the contract was performed.

4. Dollar value of the contract

5. Contract start and end dates

6. Contract type

7. Detailed description of the work performed

Note: The submitted information shall allow the Government to verify the contractor’s past performance information. Each reference shall include both a contracting and a technical/ functional point of contact. The contractor shall ensure that information presented for points of contact are accurate and current (i.e., current phone numbers, titles, etc.). The Government will not attempt to “track down” reference data in cases where inaccurate data is presented. In conducting the past performance assessment, the Government may use data obtained from other sources, as well as that provided in the quote, including the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS).

Factor 3: Price Quote The contractor shall submit pricing as required by the RFQ in Section v for five years. The price quote shall be a separate volume from the written technical submission. The contractor shall include all discounts that the contractor will offer to the Government.

The contractor shall submit cost savings of doing a multi-year versus five one-year calls.

Price Assumptions

Submit all (if any) assumptions, conditions, or exceptions with any of the terms and conditions of this RFQ. If not noted in each section of your quote, the Government will be assume that the offeror proposes no assumptions for award, and agrees to comply with all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein. The Government reserves the right to reject any quote that includes any assumption that affects the Government’s requirements.

(ix) 52.212-2 Evaluation – Commercial Items (OCT 2014) applies to this solicitation.

Method of Award

The Government anticipates awarding to one contractor as a result of this RFQ. Unless the government rejects all offers, the Government will award a BPA resulting from this RFQ to the responsible contractor whose quote conforming to the RFQ is determined to be the best overall value based on an evaluation of the Technical Approach, Past Performance, and Price.

The Government intends to evaluate quotes and award the order without discussions with contractors, and reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary. Therefore, the contractor’s initial quote should contain the best price and technical terms.

If the CO determines that the number of quotes that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of quotes in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated quotes.

The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest and waive informalities or minor irregularities in offers received.

The Government will evaluate quotes on a best value, tradeoff basis. The Government has listed the evaluation factors below with non-price factors considered equally important. All non-price factors when combined, are more important than price.

Evaluation Factors

Factor 1: Technical Approach

Factor 2: Past Performance

Factor 3: Price

Factor 1: Technical Approach

The Government will evaluate the Technical Approach based on the following:

• Access the completeness and effectiveness of the proposed database to meet the content and functionality requirements stated in the Statement of Work.

• The versatility of the database including the variety of countries and HS level available within the database.

Factor 2: Past Performance

The past performance evaluation will examine how the contractor’s past performance validates expected performance and customer satisfaction. In conducting the past performance assessment, the Government may use data obtained from other sources as well as that provided in the quote.

The Government will evaluate past performance as a measure of the Government’s confidence in the contractor’s ability to perform successfully, based on a demonstrated record of performance.

The Government will first determine the relevancy of the past or present performance by assessing whether the contractor’s recent (within the last three years) projects are of a similar size, scope, and complexity to the effort required by the RFQ.

The Government will then assign a past performance rating which indicates the level of performance on past and present efforts, as well as a confidence rating on how well the contractor performed on recent contracts.

Factor 3: Price Quote

The Government will evaluate the price quote to determine whether the annual price is fair and reasonable. The Government may consider prices that are excessively high or low (without sufficient justification) unrealistic and unreasonable and may receive no further consideration.

Assumptions, Conditions, or Exceptions

The Government will evaluate all assumptions as part of the individual factor or sub factor to which they apply. The Government reserves the right to reject any quote that includes any assumption(s) that affect satisfying the Government’s requirements.

(x) Include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commerical Items, with quote.

FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items (AUG 2018)

The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website located at https://www.sam.gov/portal. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (u) of this provision.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision— “Economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concern” means a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned by, and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by, one or more women who are citizens of the United States and who are economically disadvantaged in accordance with 13 CFR part 127. It automatically qualifies as a women-owned small business eligible under the WOSB Program.

“Highest-level owner” means the entity that owns or controls an immediate owner of the offeror, or that owns or controls one or more entities that control an immediate owner of the offeror. No entity owns or exercises control of the highest level owner.

“Immediate owner” means an entity, other than the offeror, that has direct control of the offeror. Indicators of control include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

ownership or interlocking management, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and equipment, and the common use of employees.

“Inverted domestic corporation”, means a…