A28 RFQ- Recruitment Platform FINAL.pdf

DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA)

OFFICE OF ACQUISITION

Intelligence Support Unit (FACN)

Digital College Recruitment Platform

REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ)

15DDHQ24Q00000118

15DDHQ24Q00000118

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 STANDARD FORM 18

SECTION 2 COMMODITY OR SERVICES SCHEDULE

SECTION 3 STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION 4 INSTRUCTION TO QUOTER

SECTION 5 EVALUATION AND BASIS FOR AWARD

SECTION 6 PROVISION & CLAUSE MATRIX FOR ORDERS AGAINST OTHER AGENCY CONTRACTS

SECTION 7 DEA-2852-204-94 – SECURITY REQUIREMENST FOR NON-SENSITIVE POSITIONS

ESCORTED ACCESS – U.S. CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED (JAN 2013)

SECTION 1

15DDHQ24Q00000118 Page 1

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

(THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

THIS RFQ IS IS NOT A SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDEX

PAGE

1. REQUEST NO.

15DDHQ24Q00000118

2. DATE ISSUED

07/01/2024

3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO.

D-24-HR-0013

4. CERT. FOR NAT. DEF.

UNDER BDSA REG. 2 AND/

OR DMS REG. 1

RATING

DEA

Attn: Office of Acquisition (FA) 8701 Morrissette Drive Springfield, VA 22152-1080

5a. ISSUED BY 6. DELIVER BY (Date)

7. DELIVERY

OTHER

(See Schedule)

FOB DESTINATION X

9. DESTINATION

5b. FOR INFORMATION CALL (NO COLLECT CALLS) a. NAME OF CONSIGNEE

SEE SCHEDULE

NAME

teresa.a.roshaudelgado@dea.gov

TELEPHONE NUMBER

AREA CODE NUMBER

Ext.:

8. TO:

b. STREET ADDRESS

c. CITY

a. NAME b. COMPANY

c. STREET ADDRESS

d. CITY e. STATE f. ZIP CODE d. STATE e. ZIP CODE

10. PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO THE

ISSUING OFFICE IN BLOCK 5a ON OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date)

07/31/2024 10:00am ET

IMPORTANT: This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it to the address in Block 5a. This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or service. Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Quotation must be completed by the quoter.

11. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

ITEM NO.

(a)

SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(b)

QUANTITY

(c)

UNIT

(d)

UNIT PRICE

(e)

AMOUNT

(f)

This is a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for a Digital College Software as a Service (SaaS) Recruitment Platform described in Section 4 of this Solicitation. Award of a Purchase Order (PO) for one base year and four option years is intended beginning date of award.

See Continuation Sheet(s)

12. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

a. 10 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

0.00 %

b. 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

0.00 %

c. 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%)

0.00 %

d. CALENDAR DAYS

NUMBER

PERCENTAGE

0.00 NOTE: Additional provisions and representations [ ] are [ X ] are not attached.

13. NAME AND ADDRESS OF QUOTER 14. SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN

QUOTATION

15. DATE OF

QUOTATION

a. NAME OF QUOTER

b. STREET ADDRESS 16. SIGNER

a. NAME (Type or print) b. TELEPHONE

c. COUNTY AREA CODE

d. CITY e. STATE f. ZIP CODE c. TITLE (Type or print) NUMBER

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition not usable

STANDARD FORM 18 (REV. 6-95)

Prescribed by GSA-FAR (48 CFR) 53.215-1(a)

This is a Firm Fixed Price (FFP)/Labor Hour (LH) Hybrid Purchase Order (PO).

SECTION 2

15DDHQ24Q00000118 Page 2

Section 1 - Commodity or Services Schedule

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

CONTINUATION SHEET

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

0001 Talent Engagement Suite 30 Recruiters Sourcer Licenses

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: 7A20

Base Period

1 LT $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

0002 Expert Assist - Federal Program Management

Labor Hours

PSC: 7A20

Base Period

300 HR $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

1001 Talent Engagement Suite 30 Recruiters Sourcer Licenses

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 1

1 LT $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

1002 Expert Assist - Federal Program Management

Labor Hours

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 1

300 HR $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

2001 Talent Engagement Suite 30 Recruiters Sourcer Licenses

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 2

1 LT $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

2002 Expert Assist - Federal Program Management

Labor Hours

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 2

300 HR $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

3001 Talent Engagement Suite 30 Recruiters Sourcer Licenses

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 3

1 LT $________ $_________________

15DDHQ24Q00000118 Page 3

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

3002 Expert Assist - Federal Program Management

Labor Hours

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 3

300 HR $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

4001 Talent Engagement Suite 30 Recruiters Sourcer Licenses

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 4

1 LT $________ $_________________

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

4002 Expert Assist - Federal Program Management

Labor Hours

PSC: 7A21

Option Period 4

300 HR $________ $_________________

SECTION 3

STATEMENT OF WORK

Drug Enforcement Administration

Department of Justice Digital College Recruitment Platform

1.0 BACKGROUND

The mission of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to ensure the safety and health of American communities by combating criminal drug networks bringing harm, violence, and overdoses to the United States. To accomplish that mission, the DEA employs approximately 10,000 personnel throughout the world which includes Special Agents, Diversion Investigators, Intelligence Research Specialists, and Forensic Chemists – across 241 domestic offices in 23 U.S. divisions and 93 foreign offices in 69 countries.

DEA’s mission requires a professional, motivated workforce with diverse skill sets. A high volume of extremely qualified candidates is essential to continually support and exceed DEA’s hiring goals. Amid the competition among federal, state and local agencies seeking similar candidates, DEA requires the development of a branding and marketing strategy to reach appropriate prospective employees.

2.0 PURPOSE

DEA wants to take advantage of current technology and digital recruitment platforms to proactively recruit for mission critical occupations (Special Agent, Diversion Investigator, Intelligence Research Specialist, and Forensic Chemist); as well as professional and administrative occupations to support the DEA Administrator’s objectives of achieving 100% staffing goals.

The purpose of this acquisition is to procure access to an early talent recruiting platform that allows DEA recruiters to reach large numbers of students and alumni as potential applicants in a timely, efficient and targeted manner.

Such a platform shall have an applicant pool that incorporates students from colleges and universities from across the nation with diverse backgrounds. Through the platform, DEA recruiters shall be able to research for potential applicants by sourcing and reviewing the profiles of both current students and alumni based on their areas of study (majors/minors), degree(s), and interests. Many of the DEA applicants for entry level professional positions range from the age 21-36 years old. Reaching current and recently graduated college students is critical to this objective.

3.0 SCOPE

DEA is seeking an early talent recruitment platform for agency-wide use among approximately 30-50 recruiters and other administrative personnel supporting the diverse population of CORE series positions (Special Agent, Diversion Investigator, Intelligence Research Specialist, and Forensic Chemist).

3.1 The Recruitment platform solution shall:

a) Offer an off the shelf Software as a Service (SaaS) talent marketplace tool that consolidates the full range of undergraduate majors, master’s degrees and specialized support to target minority serving institutions by promoting DEA’s participation at career fairs and events via messaging and informing students and graduates about DEA’s CORE series position opportunities;

b) Reach the full range of public, private and for-profit National Colleges and Universities;

c) Support the DEA’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) strategy with access to qualified applicants from underrepresented populations;

d) Offer a platform that can manage postings, increase engagement, source applicant information and provide real-time communication;

e) Offer reporting tools that provide insight into applicant engagement, recruiter performance, and outcomes from events and career fairs to measure DEA return on investment;

f) Provide the ability to benchmark recruiting performance, DEA efforts, and data sharing to improve campaign strategies;

g) Boost DEA brand awareness and applicant engagement across major social media platforms;

h) Offer full-service customer support including strategic engagement and consulting services;

i) Offer best practices to maximize recruiting efficiencies by enhancing access to recruiting events and streamlining the recruiter process by making it easier to source potential candidates’ profiles;

j) Simultaneously register for unlimited in-person and virtual recruitment events;

k) Streamline analytics to provide auditing and reporting metrics on usage by recruiters and interaction with candidates;

l) Offer dedicated support and training tailored to meet the unique recruitment requirements of the

DEA.

4.0 SPECIFIC TASKS/CHARACTERISTICS OF PLATFORM

DEA is seeking an early talent recruitment platform and a career network that bridges the gap between employers, universities, colleges, and students.

The platform shall have capabilities to integrate with the university registrar’s database and provide access to verified student academic data, as well as connecting employers who are actively recruiting with colleges and universities, and alumni groups. Furthermore, the platform shall incorporate students, colleges and universities, and employers with exclusive partnerships with the colleges and universities to reach potential applicants unlike any other available platform. The requirements are for a platform that most college and universities are using nationwide and eventually at a global level with millions of active students and alumni which the DEA can source from.

DEA aims to leverage this platform to develop and manage an early talent pipeline, encompassing undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni with relevant skills for DEA positions. The objective is to enhance recruitment efforts by allowing DEA recruiters to engage with qualified candidates at scale and establish meaningful connections that lead to employment. Ultimately, the platform shall assist DEA in filling critical roles while retaining candidates who share the agency's mission and long-term goals.

The platform shall offer:

1) Platform Access;

2) In-App Analytics;

3) Dynamic Branding Profile;

4) Premium Support Phone Line;

5) Unlimited multi-posting of events and jobs;

6) Access to over 7 million Students, 85% of the top 500 colleges and universities (1,000+ colleges and universities in total), and employers;

7) DEA to expand our higher education partnerships across over 1,200 colleges and universities using a single database and login to reach across the entire network;

8) A platform that integrates with the university registrar's database; which provides the DEA with access to verified academic data;

9) Support to the DEA with training and the effective use of the platform via regular office hours and email communication to ensure the team is using the platform effectively, without DEA management oversight;

10) Recruiter sourcing to provide unlimited and massive outreach efforts to students, thereby enhancing brand recognition and awareness for the DEA;

11) Access to college and university-validated candidate profiles with academic and enrollment data synced regularly from the school-specific database to engage proactively with the students;

12) A team of experts that shall regularly meet and train the team, provide best practices and audit the communication being sent to ensure DEA’s overall success;

13) Access to data and insights for national recruitment trends, benchmarking, and diversity engagement;

14) Capability to enable recruiters to measure the number of students who fit criteria (location, ethnicity, major etc.) in their local areas; to assist in finding colleges and universities to fit agency needs;

15) A SaaS that empowers the DEA to track, manage and host virtual and in-person events and career fairs directly through the platform;

16) A secure, cloud-based tool that does not require the download and installation of a licensed product;

5.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance will consist of 1-base year with 4-option years broken down as follows:

• 1-base year period of performance from date of award through 12 months after award

• Option Period I: TBD

• Option Period II: TBD

• Option Period III: TBD

• Option Period IV: TBD

6.0 SECURITY

Reference DEA-2852.204-94 of the Clause Matrix.

7.0 INSURANCE

During the entire period of performance under this contract, the Contractor shall procure and maintain in good standing not less than the following minimum insurance, proof of insurance shall be provided to the COR or CO upon request and shall be valid throughout the period of performance of the contract.

The Government will not be liable for any cost incurred by the Contractor for Worker’s Compensation Insurance (Defense Base Act). The contract will be performed in the United States and is not a public work contract, (construction, alteration, removal or repair of a public work). Reference clause FAR 52.246-25.

8.0 CLAIMS

The Government will not be liable for any cost incurred by the Contractor, subContractor, or any contract employee, in the furnishing of required security information, or in complying with the DEA’s security requirements during the entire term of the contract. The Contractor agrees that no claims may be filed for Delay of Work due to any Contractor, his subContractors, or any employees therefor, failing to comply with the DEA security requirements.

SECTION 4

Section 4: Instructions to Quoter

1. COMMITMENT OF GOVERNMENT TO AWARD A Purchase Order (PO).

This solicitation does not commit the Government to award a Purchase Order (PO) Contract. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with the proposed procurement.

2. ALTERNATE QUOTE INFORMATION

Alternate quotations are not solicited, are not desired, and will not be evaluated.

3. OFFER ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

The Quoter shall indicate an offer acceptance period of not less than 90 calendar days.

4. COMMUNICATIONS

(a) All communications concerning the solicitation, including any of a technical nature, shall be made by email through the Contract Specialist, teresa.a.roshaudelgado@dea.gov. All other form of communications will not be considered All questions, technical or otherwise, in response to this solicitation shall be in writing and received by the Government on or before 7/8/2024 by 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. Questions shall identify the applicable section, page number and paragraph. The Government will provide to all Quoters a list of all questions received with the Government responses in the form of an amendment to the RFQ. The Government will not consider questions received after this date.

5. TIME, DATE AND PLACE FOR SUBMISSION OF QUOTE

One (1) original of the technical quotation (Volume 1) and one (1) original of the business quotation (Volume II) for each of its Technical and Business Quotations in a Microsoft Office Compatible format are due by email to teresa.a.roshaudelgado@dea.gov on or before 7/31/2024 by 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time.

6. COMPLIANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS

When evaluating a Quoter’s capabilities to perform the prospective contract, the DEA will also consider compliance with these instructions. The Government will consider Quoter’s noncompliance with these instructions, or any attempt to evade the requirements imposed by these instructions, as indicative of conduct the Government may expect from the Quoter during the contract performance. The Government reserves the right to treat noncompliance with these instructions as a risk, and may treat such a risk as grounds to eliminate any offer from award consideration.

7. QUOTATION PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS-GENERAL

(a) Quotation shall conform to the Request for Quotation (RFQ) provisions and be prepared in accordance with this section.

(b) Quotation shall be clearly marked with the RFQ number and title. The Quoter shall submit its complete quotation in Microsoft Office compatible file to teresa.a.roshaudelgado@dea.gov.

(c) The following SF18 blocks shall be filled in by the Quoter: Section 8 (include DUNS/UEI) codes and authorized representative email/phone number); 13, 14, 15 and 16 for a valid Quote submission.

(d) Quotation shall be submitted in electronic format, and must be clearly and concisely written, neat, indexed, and logically assembled. The quote shall be prepared in two separate volumes:

Volume 1. Technical Quotation Volume 2. Price Quotation

(e) Quoter is cautioned that evaluation of each volume will be conducted independently. Therefore, if the required content is not present in the volume being evaluated, it will not be considered.

a. Technical Quote (Volume 1) - General – The Technical Quotation shall address the requirements of the Specifications. It shall indicate the Quoter’s capabilities and the means to be used to satisfy the requirements of the product Specifications.

It will be evaluated in accordance with evaluation factors. The Quote shall be specific and complete in every detail. The Quote shall be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, using Times New Roman font, 12 pitch type (or Equivalent) and printed, unreduced in size, cm 8 1/2” by 11” page, not exceeding 8 pages, single sided. Any pages in excess of the page limitation will be disregarded and will not be included in the Quote evaluation.

b. Price Quote (Volume 2) - Price quote shall include a unit price for each and every CLIN, on an all or none basis, multiplied by the estimated quantity per CLIN and sum of all CLINs per year in accordance with the Schedule of Supplies. See Section 2 of the Request for Quote. The Government will determine price reasonableness based on the total price for the base year plus all four option years.

(f) The Quoter shall further organize their technical quotation to address the following evaluation criteria:

• Factor 1—Technical Capability

• Factor 2 – Past Performance.

(g) Expenses related to vendor submission: The Government will not pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any quotes.

8. TECHNICAL QUOTE (VOLUME I) INSTRUCTIONS

Technical Quotes are to be prepared in a format that will facilitate the evaluation.

Accordingly, Quotes shall be structured in such a way as to address, separately, each of the evaluation factors specified below.

• The Quoter shall demonstrate in detail its technical capability to accomplish the Government’s tasking referenced in Section 3.0 “Scope” and 4.0 “Specific Tasks/Characteristics of Platform” of the Statement of Work (SOW). Specific to Section 3.0 and 4.0, offer:

An off the shelf Software as a Service (SaaS) talent marketplace tool;

Integrate with university registrar’s databases;

Connect employers actively recruiting with colleges and universities, and alumni groups;

Provide a secure cloud-based tool that does not require download and installation of a licensed product;

Provide a platform that offers an event management system for DEA to track, manage and host virtual and in-person events/career fairs directly through the platform;

Offer reporting tools that provide insight into applicant engagement, recruiter performance, and outcomes from events and career fairs to measure DEA return on investment;

Offer customization with the ability to automate the recruitment process by managing posting, engagement, applicant information and real-time communications through a single platform;

The ability to boost DEA brand awareness and applicant engagement across major social media platforms;

Access to college and university-validated candidate profiles with academic and enrollment data synced regularly from the school-specific database to engage proactively with the students.

Factor 2: Past Performance

Past performance shall include, at a minimum, the following information for both the Quoter and major subcontractors (a major subcontractor is defined here as a company/vendor for which over 25% of the total contract effort will be subcontracted over the life of the contract):

a) Project Title

b) Whether the Contractor performed as the Prime or SubContractor

c) Agency Managing Project

d) Client/Agency Point of Contact (POC) to include name, phone number, and email address

e) Project Agency Contract/Order Number

f) Period of Performance

g) Contract Type

h) Value by Year of Contract/Order and BPA or IDIQ Total Ceiling Total Amount for Total Number of Years

i) Discuss in detail their performance

j) Describe how tasks in Past Performance are similar to those of this Solicitation (Scope, Magnitude/Size & Complexity; mapped to the tasks in accordance with the PWS/SOW

k) Describe any other relevant functions performed, innovative techniques introduced, or commendations received

l) Specifically address how they dealt with issues in the face of trouble; Address management actions taken to live up to commitments or standards

Factor 1: Technical Capability:

The Government will evaluate the list of up to 3 contracts provided by the Quoter with past performance history from the past 3 years that is similar to this requirement displaying their ability to provide services referenced in the PWS/SOW. The Government will evaluate if the Quoter has provided sufficient information to facilitate the Government’s considerations of this factor and if the Quoter convincingly demonstrated in writing that the listed references are similar in size, scope and complexity to the requirements of this solicitation. The Government will contact the Quoter's references, as needed, to confirm past performance i.e. work performed and real results (on time, within cost, and quality of performance).

BUSINESS QUOTE (VOLUME II) INSTRUCTIONS (No Page Limit)

QUOTE/PRICE

The Quoter shall provide the following business information with their Quote/Price:

Proposes price per line item number (CLIN) and fill in the unit prices on the Government provided sheet.

See Section 2 of the Request for Quote. The pricing sheet shall calculate the extended totals and grand total for each year and all five years (base and four options). The Quoter’s unit prices shall include all direct and indirect costs associated with the item or other services not separately priced including profit.

OTHER BUSINESS INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED:

(a) Company Information (Name, Address, Point of Contact, email)

(b) Certification of Teaming Agreement and/or SubContractor Information in place (if applicable)

(c) SubContractor’s Name(s), Address, Point of Contact, email (if applicable)

(d) GSA Federal Supply Schedule (if applicable)

(e) Business size

(f) Quoter Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items with fillable clauses (UEI & DUNS

# for SAM)

(g) NAICS code

(h) Terminations. List any contract(s) terminated (partial or complete) within the past 5 years and basis for termination (convenience, default, or no cost settlement). Include the contract number, name, address, and telephone number of the terminating officer

(i) DEA-2852.209-70 – Organizational Conflicts of Interest. The Quoter shall refer to clause DEA- 2852.209-70 Organizational Conflicts of Interest (MAY 2012) located in attached clause matrix.

Furthermore, the Quoter shall include a section in its price quote (Volume II) to warrant that to the best of its knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances that would give rise to an organizational conflict of interest as described in FAR Subpart 9.5, and the Quoter has disclosed all such relevant information. In the event that an actual, potential, or apparent organizational conflict of interest is discovered prior to award, the Quoter shall make full disclosure of the particular facts and circumstances to the Government’s Contracting Officer in writing. This disclosure shall include a description of the actions that the Quoter has taken, or proposes to take in order to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the risk to the Government

(j) Completion of DEA-2852.242-74 – Contract Administration Points of Contact

(k) All fillable Clause Matrix. Any changes or updates to the representations and certifications on file in the System for Award Management as required by paragraph (b) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation provision 52.212-3 Contractor Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items.

SECTION 5

Section 5: Evaluation and Basis for Award

1. EVALUATION OF QUOTATIONS—GENERAL

(a) It is the Government's intention to award a Purchase Order (PO), Firm Fixed Price (FFP)/Labor Hour (LH) hybrid type contract through competitive negotiations to the Quoter whose Quotation is considered most advantageous to the Government, considering the factors listed and price.

Evaluation is performed to determine the Quoter’s understanding of the work to be performed, approach, potential for completing the work as specified in the solicitation and price reasonableness.

(b) A technical evaluation will be conducted to determine acceptability of the Quoter’s Quotation in accordance with evaluation factors established by the Government prior to receipt of Quotations.

The technical evaluation will result in Confidence ratings by Factors and overall. Past Performance will receive an Acceptable or Neutral rating. Price will not receive an adjectival rating.

Confidence Rating Technique:

The Government will document relative strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, deficiencies, or risk for selection. The table below shows the ratings the Government will assign in its evaluation.

High Confidence

The Government has high confidence that the Quoter understands the requirement and will successfully perform all requirements of the SOW/PWS at an acceptable quality level as demonstrated by its quote. Quote meets the requirements and indicates a thorough or exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements. Quote contains benefits to the Government and few to no limitations to successful performance. Risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

Some Confidence

The Government has some confidence that the Quoter understands the requirement and will successfully perform all requirements of the SOW/PWS at an acceptable quality level as demonstrated by its quote. Quote meets the requirements and indicates an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. Benefits and limitations to successful performance are offsetting or will have little to no impact on contract performance. Risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate.

Low Confidence

The Government has low confidence that that the Quoter understands the requirement and will successfully perform all requirements of the SOW/PWS at an acceptable quality level as demonstrated by its quote. Quote does not clearly meet requirements and has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. Quote has one or more limitations which are not offset by benefits. Risk of unsuccessful performance is high. Or quote does not meet requirements and contains one or more deficiencies. Quote is unawardable.

TABLE-1

• A strength is defined as an element of a quotation which exceeds a requirement of the solicitation in a beneficial way to the Government.

• A weakness is defined as a flaw in a quotation that increases the chance of unsuccessful performance.

• A deficiency is defined as a material failure of an Quoter or quotation to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in an Quoter or quotation that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

The table below shows ratings the Government will assign in its Past Performance evaluation.

Acceptable

Based on the Quoter’s recent (3 years or less) relevant performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the Quoter will successfully perform the required effort. (“Relevant” defined as past performance that was similar in size, scope and complexity to the requirements of this solicitation).

Neutral

No past performance record or recent relevant performance record; does not count favorably or unfavorably in the rating scheme. The Quoter’s performance record is unknown or does not provide performance record. Will not count favorably.

TABLE-2

2. EVALUATION OF TECHNICAL QUOTATION (VOLUME I)

The Government will assess Quoter’s level of confidence – High, Some, and Low, based on evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies on each Technical factor and it’s subfactors.

Factor 1: Technical Capability

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has demonstrated a sound, clear technical understanding of the requirement, effective approach, and techniques to satisfy the tasks/elements of the Statement of Work (SOW). The Quoter’s technical capability demonstrates Quoter’s ability and understanding to successfully accomplish the objectives and/or tasks/services to be performed including its ability to organize and manage tasks and deliverables.

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to offer an off the shelf Software as a Service (SaaS) talent marketplace tool;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to integrate with university registrar’s databases;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to connect employers actively recruiting with colleges and universities, and alumni groups;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to provide a secure cloud-based tool that does not require download and installation of a licensed product;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to provide a platform that offers an event management system for DEA to track, manage and host virtual and in-person events/career fairs directly through the platform;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to offer reporting tools that provide insight into applicant engagement, recruiter performance, and outcomes from events and career fairs to measure DEA return on investment;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to offer customization with the ability to automate the recruitment process by managing posting, engagement, applicant information and real-time communications through a single platform;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has the ability to boost DEA brand awareness and applicant engagement across major social media platforms;

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Quoter has access or the ability to obtain access to college and university-validated candidate profiles with academic and enrollment data synced regularly from the school-specific database to engage proactively with the students.

Factor 2: Past Performance

The Quoter will be evaluated on their performance under existing and prior contracts for similar services within the last three years based on information obtained from references provided by the Quoter’s Past Performance.

The Government will assess three (3) contracts or call orders, performed during the past three (3) years that are representative of the Quoter’s capability to provide services with similar scope, magnitude/size, and complexity of prior performance, similar to that stated in the SOW.

• The Government will supplement the information provided by the Quoter with information the Government obtains through reference checks, contacting the point of contact of the reference checks, its own knowledge/experience, and/or from other sources. These sources may include, but are not necessarily limited to, other Government contracting offices, the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS).

Past Performance will be rated on an ACCEPTABLE or NEUTRAL rating system. See Confidence Rating Technique Table 2.

3. EVALUATION OF PRICE QUOTATION (VOLUME II)

Price Quotations (Section 2 of the Request for Quote) will be evaluated using techniques specified in FAR 15.404-1 Quote analysis techniques, which may include, but not limited to, comparison to the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) and evaluation for reasonableness. The Government will evaluate the total price for the base year and all four option years. The Government will also evaluate the Business Quote. Specifically, the Government will ensure that all required information is provided pursuant to the solicitation instructions including, but not limited to, completion of DEA-2852.209-70 – Organizational Conflicts of Interest. The Government will evaluate any disclosure/description of the actions that the Quoter has taken, or proposes to take in order to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the risk to the Government.

4. BASIS FOR AWARD

The Government will make award to the responsive, responsible Quoter(s) whose quote is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. All evaluation factors other than cost/price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. As technical differences narrow between quotes, cost/price will become more important. If there are no significant technical differences between quotes, cost/price alone may be the determining factor for source selection. Award will be based on Best Value method.

SECTION 6

DEA PROVISION & CLAUSE MATRIX – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

Updated through FAC 2024-03

MAR 2024 Page 1 of 36

SOLICITATION #: D-24-HR-0013

52.252-1 SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this address:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far-smart-matrix.

(End of provision)

CONTRACTING OFFICER: Check the corresponding box for the provisions and clauses applicable to this procurement.

52.204-6 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (OCT 2016)

52.204-7 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (OCT 2018)

52.204-7 ALT I SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (OCT 2018) WITH ALTERNATE I (OCT 2018)

52.204-16 COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ENTITY CODE REPORTING (JUL 2016)

52.209-7 INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS (OCT 2018)

52.209-12 CERTIFICATION REGARDING TAX MATTERS (OCT 2020)

52.211-6 BRAND NAME OR EQUAL (AUG 1999)

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (Sep 2023)

52.212-2 EVALUATION—COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Factor 1 – Technical Capability Factor 2 – Past Performance

[Contracting Officer shall insert the significant evaluation factors, such as (i) technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement; (ii) price;

(iii) past performance (see FAR 15.304); and include them in the relative order of importance of the evaluation factors, such as in descending order of importance.]

Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly more important when combined, when compared to cost or price.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

52.225-7 WAIVER OF BUY AMERICAN STATUTE FOR CIVIL AIRCRAFT AND RELATED ARTICLES (FEB 2016)

DOJ-06 NATIONAL SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT (APR 2014)

(a) Any offeror responding to this solicitation acknowledges that before acquiring information technology equipment or software, the U.S. Department of Justice and its component entities will assess the supply chain risk of cyber-espionage or sabotage associated with the acquisition of such equipment or software, including any risk associated with such equipment or software being produced, manufactured, or assembled by one or more entities identified as posing a cyber-threat, including but not limited to, those that may be owned, directed, or subsidized by the People’s Republic of China.

(b) By submitting an offer to this solicitation, the Offeror understands and agrees that the Government retains the right to reject any offer or response to this solicitation made by the Offeror, without any further recourse by, or explanation to, the Offeror, if the Government determines the Offeror or the equipment or software offered by the Offeror, in whole or in part, presents an unacceptable risk to national security.

(c) To assist the Government in assessing whether the acquisition poses a national security risk, offerors are required to complete and submit with its offer or quotation the National Security Acquisition Risk Assessment Questions, which are attached to this solicitation. Offerors must answer all questions completely and accurately to the best of their knowledge and belief. All answers are to be reflective of the parent and subsidiary levels of an organization.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far-smart-matrix https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52204-6-unique-entity-identifier https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52204-7-system-award-management https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52204-7-system-award-management https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52204-7-system-award-management https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52209-7-information-regarding-responsibility-matters https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52209-12-certification-regarding-tax-matters https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52211-6-brand-name-or-equal https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52212-1-instructions-offerors-commercial-items https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52212-2-evaluation-commercial-items https://www.acquisition.gov/content/15304-evaluation-factors-and-significant-subfactors#i1108563 https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52225-7-waiver-buy-american-statute-civil-aircraft-and-related-articles

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(d) Offerors are also required to request, collect, and forward with its offer or quotation completed National Security Acquisition Risk Assessment Questions from all subcontractors that will provide any equipment or software in performance of the contract or order. Offerors are responsible for the thoroughness and completeness of each subcontractor's submission.

(e) Failure to provide any such requested information may render a proposal unacceptable.

(End of provision)

JAR 2852.233-70 PROTESTS FILED DIRECTLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (NOV 2020)

(a) The following definitions apply in this provision:

(1) ‘‘Agency Protest Official’’ (APO) means the Deciding Official for a procurement protest filed with a contracting activity of DOJ when the contracting officer will not be the Deciding Official because of the protestor’s election under JAR 2833.103(b).

(2) ‘‘Deciding Official’’ means the official who will review and decide a procurement protest filed with the agency. The Deciding Official will be the contracting officer unless the protestor requests pursuant to JAR 2833.103(b) that the protest be decided by an individual above the level of the contracting officer, in which case the HCA will designate an APO to serve as the Deciding Official.

(3) ‘‘Interested Party’’ means an actual or prospective offeror whose direct economic interest would be affected by the award of a contract or by the failure to award a contract.

(b) Only interested parties may file a protest.

(c) An interested party filing a protest with the DOJ has the choice of requesting either that the Contracting Officer or the APO decide the protest.

(d) A protest filed directly with the DOJ shall:

(1) Indicate that it is a protest to DOJ.

(2) Be filed with the Contracting Officer.

(3) State whether the protestor chooses to have the Contracting Officer or the Agency Protest Official decide the protest. If the protestor is silent on this matter, the Contracting Officer will decide the protest.

(4) Indicate whether the protestor prefers to make an oral or written presentation of arguments in support of the protest to the deciding official.

(5) Include the information required by FAR 33.103(d)(2):

(i) Name, address, facsimile number and telephone number of the protestor.

(ii) Solicitation or contract number.

(iii) Detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the protest, to include a description of resulting prejudice to the protestor.

(iv) Copies of relevant documents.

(v) Request for a ruling by the agency.

(vi) Statement as to the form of relief requested.

(vii) All information establishing that the protestor is an interested party for the purpose of filing a protest.

(viii) All information establishing the timeliness of the protest.

(e) The decision by the APO is an alternative to a decision by the Contracting Officer. The APO will not consider appeals from the Contracting Officer’s decision on an agency protest and a decision by the APO is final and not appealable.

(f) The Deciding Official may conduct a scheduling conference. The scheduling conference, if conducted, will establish deadlines for oral or written arguments in support of the agency protest and for agency officials to present information in response to the protest issues. The deciding official may hear oral arguments in support of the agency protest at the same time as the scheduling conference, depending on availability of the necessary parties.

(g) Oral conferences may take place either by telephone or in person.

(h) The protestor has only one opportunity to support or explain the substance of its protest. DOJ procedures do not provide for any discovery. The deciding official may request additional information from the agency or the protestor. The deciding official will resolve the protest through informal presentations or meetings to the maximum extent practicable.

(i) A protestor may represent itself or be represented by legal counsel. The DOJ will not reimburse the protester for any legal fees related to the agency protest.

(j) The DOJ will stay award or suspend contract performance in accordance with FAR 33.103(f), unless the contract award is justified, in writing, for urgent and compelling reasons or is determined, in writing, to be in the best interest of the Government. The justification or determination shall be approved at a level above the Contracting Officer. The stay or suspension, unless over-ridden, remains in effect until the protest is decided, dismissed, or withdrawn.

(k) The deciding official will make a best effort to issue a decision on the protest within thirty-five (35) days after the filing date. The decision shall be written, and provided to the protestor using a method that provides for evidence of receipt.

(l) The DOJ may dismiss or stay proceedings on an agency protest if a protest on the same or similar basis is filed with a forum outside DOJ.

(End of Clause)

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/section-2852.233-70

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SOLICITATION #: D-24-HR-0013

OFFERORS – COMPLETE THE REPRESENTATIONS BELOW AND RETURN THEM WITH YOUR OFFER OR QUOTE IF THE VERSIONS OF THESE PROVISIONS IN YOUR ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THE SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT ARE EARLIER THAN OCT 2020.

52.204-24 REPRESENTATION REGARDING CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SERVICES OR EQUIPMENT (NOV 2021)

The Offeror shall not complete the representation at paragraph (d)(1) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument" in paragraph (c)(1) in the provision at 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation, or in paragraph (v)(2)(i) of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services. The Offeror shall not complete the representation in paragraph (d)(2) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not use covered telecommunications equipment or services, or any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services" in paragraph (c)(2) of the provision at 52.204-26, or in paragraph (v)(2)(ii) of the provision at 52.212-3.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision— Backhaul, covered telecommunications equipment or services, critical technology, interconnection arrangements, reasonable inquiry, roaming, and substantial or essential component have the meanings provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

(b) Prohibition.

(1) Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Nothing in the prohibition shall be construed to—

(i) Prohibit the head of an executive agency from procuring with an entity to provide a service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or

(ii) Cover telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(2) Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2020, from entering into a contract or extending or renewing a contract with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. This prohibition applies to the use of covered telecommunications equipment or services, regardless of whether that use is in performance of work under a Federal contract. Nothing in the prohibition shall be construed to—

(i) Prohibit the head of an executive agency from procuring with an entity to provide a service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements; or

(ii) Cover telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(c) Procedures. The Offeror shall review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for "covered telecommunications equipment or services".

(d) Representation. The Offeror represents that—

(1) It will, will not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract or other contractual instrument resulting from this solicitation. The Offeror shall provide the additional disclosure information required at paragraph (e)(1) of this section if the Offeror responds "will" in paragraph (d)(1) of this section; and

(2) After conducting a reasonable inquiry, for purposes of this representation, the Offeror represents that— It does, does not use covered telecommunications equipment or services, or use any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services. The Offeror shall provide the additional disclosure information required at paragraph (e)(2) of this section if the Offeror responds "does" in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.

(e) Disclosures.

(1) Disclosure for the representation in paragraph (d)(1) of this provision. If the Offeror has responded "will" in the representation in paragraph (d)(1) of this provision, the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offer:

(i) For covered equipment—

(A) The entity that produced the covered telecommunications equipment…