Request_for_Information.docx

Request for Information (RFI) Point of Sale and Consumer Survey Data May 14, 2019

This Request for Information (RFI) by the U.S. Department of Labor the Consumer Price Index (CPI). BLS’s CPI program requires point of sale and consumer survey data. Sources Sought Notice for Request for Information (RFI) No 1625DC-19-N-00010. The proposed acquisition classified under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 518210 - Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services (Size Standard of $32.5 Million).

DISCLAIMER:

This Request for Information/Sources Sought Notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this Request for Information/Sources Sought that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this Sources Sought Notice.

Instructions for Potential Offerors:

1. Please review the below overview of the requirements and respond if you are an interested party.

1. Include both a capabilities statement and complete all sections of the Market Research Questions. Your response should not exceed 10 pages for each business.

1. Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this market research. Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged and are up to each industry partner. Multiple teaming arrangements are acceptable. Please express your intentions in the questionnaire and capabilities package. If applicable, please specify your small business classification in any response.

1. If, after reviewing this document, you desire to participate in this market research request for information, you should reply via email with the corresponding questionnaire responses and your capabilities statement to Graves.Kelly@bls.gov no later than 12:00 pm EST Friday, May 29, 2019. Proprietary information should be clearly marked. All submissions shall be sent via e-mail. The electronic format may be in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) or compatible with Microsoft Office suite of software.

1. Objectives. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has an ongoing interest in retail point of sales data and/or consumer survey data with which to analyze, evaluate, and improve the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Specifically, the BLS is seeking detailed data on the retail items households buy and the retail stores they frequent. The data are needed for analysis and evaluation of the existing sample of items for which prices are collected for use in compilation of the CPI. The data need is broad and includes expenditure data on all categories of household consumption although BLS will likely only purchase selected categories in any given calendar year. The data could be compiled or collected from either the retailer or the consumer but must provide the required information on consumer sales purchases.

2. Background. The CPI is a Federal Principal Economic Indicator and is constructed using data collected from both households and business establishments. Because of the importance of the CPI, it is critical that the component indexes are accurate, timely and relevant. To assure the accuracy and relevance, the BLS periodically examines the results of the surveys in order to benchmark processes and products and to improve index methodology and surveys. The data requested in this Statement of Work will be used for these examinations:

· BLS will validate the CPI database by examining item specifications in the CPI database with corresponding specifications from secondary source retail sales level data or consumer purchases.

· BLS will evaluate checklists and item definitions used in CPI data collection to insure that they account for the universe of items. The retail sales level data will provide input for assuring that CPI checklists are a consistent and complete description of the items available for sale in retail establishments

· BLS will compare the distribution of specific items, UPC’s, or model number in the retail sales universe to the distribution of items selected for pricing in the CPI where UPC or model number is collected.

3. Scope. The contract requires at least twelve months of retail sales data drawn from 2018 or a more recent year. The items of interest are typically purchased in “mass merchandise” and “big-box” retailers as well as over the internet. Unless a census of all purchases is provided, the data must be generated using a probability sampling process that produces highly accurate estimates. Data values required from the vendor include:

· Universal Product Code or model number,

· brand and other individual product characteristics,

· quantity sold,

· dollar value of sales and

· type of store where purchased

For each of the eight Census regions and the total U. S. level. If data are available for local areas below the minimum described, BLS would also be interested in those data as well, if cost advantageous.

4. Description of Tasks:

4.1 Task 1. Consumer Technical Items and Mobile Accessories:

For the current calendar year, the vendor shall provide separate data sets of all product transactions from “mass merchandisers”, “big-box” retailers, and internet retailers for the category of Consumer Technical Items and Mobile Accessories.

Retail establishment sales data shall include all product transactions from the list of items above.

Data must be generated using a probability sampling process that produces highly accurate estimates or a census of expenditures.

Required data elements are detailed in the section 3, Scope.

Data must be supplied either (1) in a common electronic file format, such as delimited ASCII files, Excel workbooks, SAS datasets, etc. (2) through access to a SQL-compliant database. If the data are to be supplied through access to a database, the system shall permit BLS to submit SQL queries directly using its own SQL tools.

If a proprietary data format is utilized in response to this request, appropriate data base search and query software must be included. Additionally, if the data are provided through an online or web-based data product, at a minimum access must be provided during normal business hours (between the hours of 8:00AM and 5:00PM eastern standard time, Monday through Friday) and query responses must be provided within 24 hours of submission. Training and support must be provided until BLS staff becomes familiar with the data and software.

Any necessary site licenses must cover up to 10 simultaneous users. The cost of providing additional sites should be included as an option.

4.1 Task 2. Option

If data are available for local areas below the minimum described in task one, BLS would also be interested in those data under the same conditions as specified in Task 1.

4.2 Task 1. Physical Video Games

The vendor shall provide separate data sets of all product transactions from “mass merchandisers”, “big-box” retailers, and internet retailers for the category of Physical Video Games.

Data required include product and retailer characteristics for each of the eight Census regions and the total U. S. level as detailed in Section 3 Scope and 4.1 Task 1 above.

4.2 Task 2 (Option)

If data are available for local areas below the minimum described in task one, BLS would also be interested in those data under the same conditions as specified in Task 1.

4.3 Task 1. Video Entertainment

The vendor shall provide separate data sets of all product transactions from “mass merchandisers”, “big-box” retailers, and internet retailers for the category of Video Entertainment.

Data required include product and retailer characteristics for each of the eight Census regions and the total U. S. level as detailed in Section 3 Scope and 4.1 Task 1 above.

4.3 Task 2 (Option)

If data are available for local areas below the minimum described in task one, BLS would also be interested in those data under the same conditions as specified in Task 1.

4.4 Task 1. Small Domestic Appliances

The vendor shall provide separate data sets of all product transactions from “mass merchandisers”, “big-box” retailers, and internet retailers for the category of Small Domestic Appliances.

Data required include product and retailer characteristics for each of the eight Census regions and the total U. S. level as detailed in Section 3 Scope and 4.1 Task 1 above.

4.4 Task 2 (Option)

If data are available for local areas below the minimum described in task one, BLS would also be interested in those data under the same conditions as specified in Task 1.

BLS is requesting separate pricing for each of the tasks above. In addition, BLS is requesting combined pricing for the two tasks. BLS reserves the right to contract for any combination of tasks as described.

5. Performance Standards. Within 60 days of the signing of the contract, the vendor will:

a. Provide BLS with a proposed data set organization, with lists and descriptions of all variables.

b. Provide BLS with documentation, concordances etc., providing text descriptions of all UPC, PLU, and any other coding used in the data sets.

c. Provide BLS with sample and survey design documentation which describes time periods, item coverage, geographic location and sampling methodology.

c. Provide BLS with a delivery schedule for the data files.

e. Deliver the actual data

6. Place of Performance. Data files and/or proprietary software will be delivered, installed, and/or maintained at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue. NE Washington DC 20212. All analysis work with these data will be performed at this address.

7. Travel. Vendor may be required to perform limited travel to Washington to provide technical training and meeting with IT specialists for any proprietary software, search tools, etc., included in vendor proposal

8. Period of Performance. The period of performance is for 12 months from date of award.

9. Delivery Schedule.

Final – 60

Final – 60

Final – 60

* Standard Distribution: 1 copy of the transmittal letter without the deliverable to the Contracting Officer; 4 copies of the transmittal letter with the deliverable to the Primary TM

10. Security. Work performed under this contract will be unclassified. BLS and CPI will treat all personally identifiable data as confidential consistent with BLS Commissioner Order #1-06 and with the provisions of the Confidential Information Protection and Survey Efficiency Act (CIPSEA).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

(a) Data must be either a census of expenditures or be generated using a probability sampling process that produces highly accurate estimates. Provide description of the sampling process used to select retail establishments and measures of the accuracy (variance) of the estimates. Provide references to any published papers describing the sampling process and any peer review.

(b) Business hours access to the data is required. Please provide statistics on your access hours. In addition, for the past 6 months describe any service outages, whether planned or unplanned, that resulted in users not having access during the requested Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Also provide documentation as to the length of the service outage.

(c) The level of item detail is of extreme importance to the Bureau in order to perform the planned analysis. Therefore potential data providers must demonstrate that their data are at a level of detail necessary. Please provide data descriptions that will allow BLS to determine the level of information you propose to provide. At a minimum, the information (documentation, file layouts, test data sets, etc) should demonstrate that UPC and/or model number codes are available on most.

(d) BLS may request to purchase access to additional historical data or to extend the purchase of data to include future periods. As a result, history and stability in the market place is a critical concern. Please provide evidence of your history in this type of business such as a list of clients and the period of time you have serviced them.

PRICE/COST

The BLS would like to secure a contract for a base year with a yearly option to renew for four additional years. BLS may be interested in purchasing other categories in the renewal years as shown in Attachment 1. The Price/Cost Proposal will be evaluated for accuracy, completeness, and reasonableness. Therefore, Offerors are encouraged to propose discounted prices from existing contracts which have been already determined fair and reasonable. The BLS will evaluate offers for award purposes by evaluating prices for the base period as well as all option years; but the BLS will not be obligated to renew the contract in the option years.

Market Research Questions

1. What data elements do you have?

2. How complete is the data you provide? What percentage of values are blank or missing?

3. Can you elaborate on coverage of establishments, percent of market covered, and if you sample, what and how do you sample?

4. Does the U.S. level data depend upon, include, or require projection factors to adequately represent the U.S. market?

5. Can you provide pricing for current and historical data?

a. Is the price of your older data discounted?

6. How quickly can data be delivered and what is the turnaround for the most current data (could April data be delivered in May, June, or when)?

7. In what formats could the data be provided (text files, database access, etc.)?

8. What kind of support is available to answer questions about the data? Is technical support available for problems with the data?

Please review and respond to the following questions regarding business size.

· Please indicate your business classification for NAICS code 518210 (Size Standard of $32.5 Million) below:

|_| Small Business |_| Other Than Small Business

· If your business classification is Small Business, do you anticipate remaining under the size standard of $15 Million for the next two years?

|_| Yes |_| No

· If your business classification is Small Business, do you qualify under any of the following certification programs and socio-economic categories?

|_| HUBZone |_| Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) |_|Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) |_| 8(a) Please indicate that you can complete all of the requested tasks listed in their entirety outlined in this RFI. Note: BLS is not interested in a vendor’s abilities to complete only some aspects of a specified task.

This information will be used for market research purposes only and will not be used as a part of the source selection evaluation. All information received will be protected and safeguarded as ACQUISITION/SOURCE SELECTION SENSITIVE in accordance with FAR Part 2.101 and 3.1074, Procurement Integrity. Request you submit any input you have by e-mail to Graves.Kelly@bls.gov no later than 12:00 pm EST Friday, May 29, 2019. Please be advised that telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Please note, this is not a request for proposal.