191Z1024R0001 Media Monitoring.pdf

Date: April 04, 2024

Dear Prospective Quoter:

Subject: Request for Proposals number 191Z1024R0001

Enclosed is a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad. If you would like to submit Proposal, follow the instructions in Section 3 of the solicitation, complete the required portions of the attached document, and submit it to the address shown on the Standard Form 1449 that follows this letter.

The U.S. Government intends to award a contract/purchase order to the responsible company submitting an acceptable offer at the lowest price. We intend to award a contract/purchase order based on initial Proposals, without holding discussions, although we may hold discussions with companies in the competitive range if there is a need to do so.

Interested parties may submit any questions concerning the solicitation as soon as possible but not later than 1500 hrs Baghdad Local Time on April 16, 2024 via email to BaghdadGSOProcAgt3@state.gov. The email subject line must read “Solicitation 191Z1024R0001 Questions (insert Company Name)”. Late questions may not be considered.

Proposals shall be submitted as soon as possible but not later than 1400 hrs Baghdad Local Time on May 06, 2024 in PDF format electronically to BaghdadGSOProcAgt3@state.gov. The email subject line must read “Solicitation 191Z1024R0001 Proposal (insert Company Name)”. Proposal submissions via links are not allowed and will not be considered for further consideration. The proposal shall be valid for 90 days.

The file size must not exceed 20MB. If the file size should exceed the 20MB, the submission must be made in separate files and attached to separate emails with less than 20MB each.

Solicitation and award will be subject to laws and regulations of the United States of America. In order for a proposal to be considered, you must also complete and submit the following:

1. SF-1449

2. Section I, Pricing

3. Section 5 Representations and Certifications

4. Additional information as required in Section 3

5. Proof of SAM Registration

Embassy of the United States of America Baghdad, Republic of Iraq

Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad mailto:BaghdadGSOProcAgt3@state.gov

Offerors shall be registered in the SAM (System for Award Management) database at https://www.sam.gov prior to submittal of their offer/proposal as prescribed under FAR 4.1102. Failure to be registered at time of proposal submission may deem the offeror’s proposal to be considered non-responsible and no further consideration will be given. Therefore, offerors are highly encouraged to register immediately if they are interested in submitting a response to this requirement.

Sincerely, James Adams Contracting Officer

Enclosure:

Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad https://www.sam.gov/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1 - THE SCHEDULE

• SF-1449 cover sheet

• Continuation To SF-1449, RFP Number 191Z1024R0001, Prices, Block 23

• Continuation To SF-1449, RFP Number 191Z1024R0001, Schedule Of Services, Block 20

Description/Specifications/Work Statement

SECTION 2 - CONTRACT CLAUSES

• Contract Clauses

• Addendum to Contract Clauses - FAR and DOSAR Clauses not Prescribed in Part 12

SECTION 3 - SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

• Solicitation Provisions

• Addendum to Solicitation Provisions - FAR and DOSAR Provisions not Prescribed in Part 12

SECTION 4 - EVALUATION FACTORS

• Evaluation Factors

• Addendum to Evaluation Factors - FAR and DOSAR Provisions not Prescribed in Part 12

SECTION 5 - REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• Offeror Representations and Certifications

• Addendum to Offeror Representations and Certifications - FAR and DOSAR Provisions not Prescribed in Part 12

Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 02/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE Computer Generated Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

PR12298528

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE

DATE

4. ORDER NUMBER 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

191Z1024R0001

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

April 04, 2024

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME James Adams, Contracting Officer via e-mails addresses: adamsjr3@state.gov

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER(No collect calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/ LOCAL TIME

May 06, 2024 at 1400 Hrs

9. ISSUED BY CODE 10. THIS ACQUISITION IS UNRESTRICTED SET ASIDE:____ % FOR:

General Services Office SMALL BUSINESS WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

U.S. Embassy – Baghdad Al Kindi Street, Baghdad International Zone

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELLIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM NAICS: 541910

Baghdad, Republic of Iraq SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

EDWOSB

8 (A) SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINAT-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

12. DISCOUNT TERMS 13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

15. DELIVER TO CODE 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

See Continuation To SF-1449 U.S. Embassy Baghdad - Al Kindi Street, Baghdad Internaitonal Zone Baghdad, Republic of Iraq BaghdadGSOProcAgt3@state.gov

General Services Office U.S. Embassy – Baghdad Al Kindi Street, Baghdad Internaitonal Zone Baghdad, Republic of Iraq BaghdadGSOProcAgt3@state.gov

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFERER CODE FACILITY

CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY Financial Management Office U.S. Embassy – Baghdad Al Kindi Street, Baghdad Internaitonal Zone Baghdad, Republic of Iraq BaghdadVendorInvoice@state.gov

CODE

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN

OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK

BELOW IS CHECKED SEE ADDENDUM

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

See Continuation To SF-1449, Block 23 and Block 20, Description/Specifications/Work Statement

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a.SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED.

ADDENDA

ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b.CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN __2__ COPIES

TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET

FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT

TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED HEREIN.

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. _________________ OFFER DATED

____________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY

ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO

ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER James Adams

31c. DATE SIGNED 04/04/2024

Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad mailto:adamsjr3@state.gov mailto:BaghdadGSOProcAgt3@state.gov mailto:BaghdadVendorInvoice@state.gov

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: _______________________________ 32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER

NUMBER

35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

36. PAYMENT 37. CHECK NUMBER

PARTIAL FINAL

COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

38. S/R ACCOUNT NO. 39. S/R VOUCHER

NO.

40. PAID BY

41.a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT 42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER

41C. DATE

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC’D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

Media Monitoring Services

SECTION 1 - THE SCHEDULE

CONTINUATION TO SF-1449

RFP NUMBER - 191Z1024R0001

PRICES, BLOCK 23

I. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

A. The purpose of this firm-fixed-price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract is to provide Media Monitoring and Analysis, Summarization and Dissemination of News and Reports to the American Embassy Mission in the Republic of Iraq. In addition to generalized media monitoring, the contractor shall have and maintain expertise in shaping products that enhance the situational awareness of the political, governance, development, security, civic society, and broader socio-economic issues confronting senior U.S. diplomatic officials. The company shall have and maintain demonstrated depth of analytical capabilities of the overall mission and possess the editorial judgment to discern distinct differences in foreign policy objectives.

B. The contract will be for a ONE-year period from the date of the contract award, with FOUR one-year options.

II. SCOPE OF CONTRACT

A- The United States Embassy Baghdad in Iraq is acquiring professional services including media monitoring and analysis, as well as summarization and dissemination of news and reports. This contract is aimed at improving situational awareness by augmenting the Baghdad’s Public Affairs Section (PAS) capability to evaluate and report to senior U.S. Government decision-makers on contemporaneous cultural and political attitudes in the Iraqi regions as they relate to the United States policy in Iraq. There will be multiple deliverables on the daily, weekly basis. The deliverables include, but are not limited to, human-selected, near-real-time news alerts focusing on regional issues and analysis of major international as well as regional and local news stories to include trending, tonality, issue and message tracking.

B- Defense Base Act (DBA) Insurance. DBA insurance is required in accordance with FAR clauses

52.228-3 and 52.228-4 contained in Section II. DOSAR Clause 652.228-70 contained in Section V assists the Contractor in determining the need for DBA insurance or other coverage. DBA Insurance shall be obtained from any U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) authorized DBA insurance broker. DBA insurance cost shall be included in the fixed price of the contract. Where DBA is applicable, the Contractor shall be required to provide evidence of insurance within 15 calendar days from the date of award. The list of DOL-authorized carriers is available at:

http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm

JAMES ZADROGA 9/11 VICTIMS HEALTH AND COMPENSATION ACT OF 2010

NOTICE: UNLESS A WAIVER OR EXCEPTION APPLIES, PAYMENTS SUBSEQUENT TO

THIS PROCUREMENT ARE SUBJECT TO AN EXCISE TAX OF 2% PERSUANT TO 26

U.S.C. 5000C.

Media Monitoring Services http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/lscarrier.htm

III. TYPE OF CONTRACT

This is a firm-fixed unit price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract. Orders will be placed by firm, fixed- price task orders.

For each year of the contract, the U.S. Government guarantees a minimum order of $45,000.00 USD. The maximum amount of Media Monitoring services each year of this contract will not exceed $650,000.00

USD.

Individual purchases shall be documented as follows: Orders will be placed by issuance of task/delivery orders on form OF-347.

IV. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The performance period shall start from award date and continue for a period of 12 months. The Government may exercise up to FOUR option Year(s) by issuing a funded modification(s) to the contract.

V. PRICING

1. Prices:

1.1. All prices shall be in (USD) for non-local offerors, or local currency (IQD) for local offers.

1.2. The prices are stated in _________________ (offeror insert currency).

1.3. In consideration of satisfactory performance of the services required under this contract, the Contractor shall be paid a firm fixed-price (FFP) per month / week as stated in the pricing schedule with reference to 2. Pricing Schedule.

1.4. The Government will make payment in the currency stated in paragraph “1.1” above.

1.5. Value Added Tax (VAT): The Government will not reimburse the Contractor for VAT under this contract. The Contractor shall not include a line for VAT on Invoices as the U.S. Embassy, Baghdad has a tax exemption certificate with the host government.

2. Pricing Schedule: Please note that Iraq’s work week is Sunday through Thursday and Iraq’s weekend is Friday and Saturday.

2.1 Base Year Prices: The performance period shall start from award date and continue for a period of 12 Months.

CLIN 0001: News Alerts, Monitoring Reports and Analysis: Iraq and Regional Arabic Language Press

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

1.1

Iraq breaking news alerts from Iraqi and international media with a performance target of 15 alerts per day.

[Price per Month]

Month 12

1.2

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week) [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.3

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.4

Afternoon Iraq-focused International News Briefing 5 times a week (Delivered 1600 Baghdad time) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.5

Daily weekday morning Erbil report and daily Kurdish-language media monitoring in English, with breaking news alerts from KRG and related international Kurdish-language media outlets (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

[Price per Month]

Month 12

CLIN 0002: Iraq and Regional Monitoring in Arabic and English

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

Media Monitoring Services

2.1

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S English language media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, delivered 5 days a week).

(in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.2

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S. English media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend). (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.3

Occasional Iraqi media round-up product of Embassy-identified events, stories, or visitors; time frame to be determined by Embassy, with at least 24-hours’ notice. Estimated requests up to 10 per month

CLIN 0003: Social Media Alerts, Reporting-

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

3.1

Daily Social Media Report (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week) focusing on four concurrent issues: political, development, security, and socio-economic. Report also includes 1 volume/frequency graph per issue. (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.2

Daily Kurdish Social Media Report from Kurdish language social media platforms delivered 0700 Erbil time and 7 days a week. The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue. [Price per Month]

Month 12

Media Monitoring Services

3.3

Weekly report about Embassy Iraq's social media platforms statistics and analysis. This includes, but not limited to, the tone of comments and number of retweets by influencers. The product is to be delivered in English and in consultation with PAS Baghdad. [Price per Week]

Week 52

3.4

Weekly report summarization of a range of analytics defined in consultation with the Embassy;

that is, a weekly analysis on trending topics on social media platforms in Iraq (Facebook, Instagram, Thread, X, Telegram).

[Price per Week]

Week 52

CLIN 0004: Television Monitoring Alerts, Reporting

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

4.1

Television and Radio monitoring of major Iraqi television news (daily reporting format to mirror Iraqi news reporting) – Outlets to be determined in consultation with PAS Baghdad, (in English) [Price per Month]

2.2 Option Year One Prices: The performance period shall be for 12 Months from the date of exercise of the option.

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

1.1

Iraq breaking news alerts from Iraqi and international media with a performance target of 15 alerts per day.

[Price per Month]

Month 12

Media Monitoring Services

1.2

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week) [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.3

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.4

Afternoon Iraq-focused International News Briefing 5 times a week (Delivered 1600 Baghdad time) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.5

Daily weekday morning Erbil report and daily Kurdish-language media monitoring in English, with breaking news alerts from KRG and related international Kurdish-language media outlets (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

[Price per Month]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

2.1

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S English language media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, delivered 5 days a week).

(in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.2

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S. English media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend). (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

Media Monitoring Services

2.3

Occasional Iraqi media round-up product of Embassy-identified events, stories, or visitors; time frame to be determined by Embassy, with at least 24-hours’ notice. Estimated requests up to 10 per month

CLIN 0003: Social Media Alerts, Reporting

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

3.1

Daily Social Media Report (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week) focusing on four concurrent issues: political, development, security, and socio-economic. Report also includes 1 volume/frequency graph per issue. (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.2

Daily Kurdish Social Media Report from Kurdish language social media platforms delivered 0700 Erbil time and 7 days a week. The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue. [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.3

Weekly report about Embassy Iraq's social media platforms statistics and analysis. This includes, but not limited to, the tone of comments and number of retweets by influencers. The product is to be delivered in English and in consultation with PAS Baghdad. [Price per Week]

Week 52

3.4

Weekly report summarization of a range of analytics defined in consultation with the Embassy;

that is, a weekly analysis on trending topics on social media platforms in Iraq (Facebook, Instagram, Thread, X, Telegram).

[Price per Week]

Week 52

Media Monitoring Services

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

4.1

Television and Radio monitoring of major Iraqi television news (daily reporting format to mirror Iraqi news reporting) – Outlets to be determined in consultation with PAS Baghdad, (in English) [Price per Month]

2.3 Option Year Two Prices: The performance period shall before 12 Months from the date of exercise of the option.

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

1.1

Iraq breaking news alerts from Iraqi and international media with a performance target of 15 alerts per day.

[Price per Month]

Month 12

1.2

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week) [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.3

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.4

Afternoon Iraq-focused International News Briefing 5 times a week (Delivered 1600 Baghdad time) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

Media Monitoring Services

1.5

Daily weekday morning Erbil report and daily Kurdish-language media monitoring in English, with breaking news alerts from KRG and related international Kurdish-language media outlets (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

[Price per Month]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

2.1

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S English language media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, delivered 5 days a week).

(in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.2

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S. English media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend). (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.3

Occasional Iraqi media round-up product of Embassy-identified events, stories, or visitors; time frame to be determined by Embassy, with at least 24-hours’ notice. Estimated requests up to 10 per month

CLIN 0003: Social Media Alerts, Reporting-

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

Media Monitoring Services

3.1

Daily Social Media Report (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week) focusing on four concurrent issues: political, development, security, and socio-economic. Report also includes 1 volume/frequency graph per issue. (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.2

Daily Kurdish Social Media Report from Kurdish language social media platforms delivered 0700 Erbil time and 7 days a week. The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue. [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.3

Weekly report about Embassy Iraq's social media platforms statistics and analysis. This includes, but not limited to, the tone of comments and number of retweets by influencers. The product is to be delivered in English and in consultation with PAS Baghdad. [Price per Week]

Week 52

3.4

Weekly report summarization of a range of analytics defined in consultation with the Embassy;

that is, a weekly analysis on trending topics on social media platforms in Iraq (Facebook, Instagram, Thread, X, Telegram).

[Price per Week]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

4.1

Television and Radio monitoring of major Iraqi television news (daily reporting format to mirror Iraqi news reporting) – Outlets to be determined in consultation with PAS Baghdad, (in English) [Price per Month]

2.4 Option Year Three Prices: The performance period shall be for 12 Months from the date of exercise of the option.

CLIN 0001: News Alerts, Monitoring Reports and Analysis: Iraq and Regional Arabic Language Press

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

1.1

Iraq breaking news alerts from Iraqi and international media with a performance target of 15 alerts per day.

[Price per Month]

Month 12

1.2

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week) [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.3

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.4

Afternoon Iraq-focused International News Briefing 5 times a week (Delivered 1600 Baghdad time) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.5

Daily weekday morning Erbil report and daily Kurdish-language media monitoring in English, with breaking news alerts from KRG and related international Kurdish-language media outlets (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

[Price per Month]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

2.1

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S English language media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, delivered 5 days a week).

(in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.2

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S. English media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend). (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.3

Occasional Iraqi media round-up product of Embassy-identified events, stories, or visitors; time frame to be determined by Embassy, with at least 24-hours’ notice. Estimated requests up to 10 per month

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

3.1

Daily Social Media Report (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week) focusing on four concurrent issues: political, development, security, and socio-economic. Report also includes 1 volume/frequency graph per issue. (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

Media Monitoring Services

3.2

Daily Kurdish Social Media Report from Kurdish language social media platforms delivered 0700 Erbil time and 7 days a week. The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue. [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.3

Weekly report about Embassy Iraq's social media platforms statistics and analysis. This includes, but not limited to, the tone of comments and number of retweets by influencers. The product is to be delivered in English and in consultation with PAS Baghdad. [Price per Week]

Week 52

3.4

Weekly report summarization of a range of analytics defined in consultation with the Embassy;

that is, a weekly analysis on trending topics on social media platforms in Iraq (Facebook, Instagram, Thread, X, Telegram).

[Price per Week]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

4.1

Television and Radio monitoring of major Iraqi television news (daily reporting format to mirror Iraqi news reporting) – Outlets to be determined in consultation with PAS Baghdad, (in English) [Price per Month]

2.5 Option Year Four Prices: The performance period shall be for 12 Months from the date of exercise of the option.

CLIN 0001: News Alerts, Monitoring Reports and Analysis: Iraq and Regional Arabic Language Press

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G) Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total

Media Monitoring Services

[D x E]

1.1

Iraq breaking news alerts from Iraqi and international media with a performance target of 15 alerts per day.

[Price per Month]

Month 12

1.2

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week) [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.3

Morning Iraq-focused International News Briefing (Delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.4

Afternoon Iraq-focused International News Briefing 5 times a week (Delivered 1600 Baghdad time) [English only] [Price per Month]

Month 12

1.5

Daily weekday morning Erbil report and daily Kurdish-language media monitoring in English, with breaking news alerts from KRG and related international Kurdish-language media outlets (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

[Price per Month]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

2.1

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S English language media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, delivered 5 days a week).

(in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

Media Monitoring Services

2.2

Morning Iraq News Briefing from International and U.S. English media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekend). (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

2.3

Occasional Iraqi media round-up product of Embassy-identified events, stories, or visitors; time frame to be determined by Embassy, with at least 24-hours’ notice. Estimated requests up to 10 per month

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (G)

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

3.1

Daily Social Media Report (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week) focusing on four concurrent issues: political, development, security, and socio-economic. Report also includes 1 volume/frequency graph per issue. (in English) [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.2

Daily Kurdish Social Media Report from Kurdish language social media platforms delivered 0700 Erbil time and 7 days a week. The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue. [Price per Month]

Month 12

3.3

Weekly report about Embassy Iraq's social media platforms statistics and analysis. This includes, but not limited to, the tone of comments and number of retweets by influencers. The product is to be delivered in English and in consultation with PAS Baghdad. [Price per Week]

Week 52

Media Monitoring Services

3.4

Weekly report summarization of a range of analytics defined in consultation with the Embassy;

that is, a weekly analysis on trending topics on social media platforms in Iraq (Facebook, Instagram, Thread, X, Telegram).

[Price per Week]

Subpart Description Unit Price per Unit Quantity Extended Total [D x E]

4.1

Television and Radio monitoring of major Iraqi television news (daily reporting format to mirror Iraqi news reporting) – Outlets to be determined in consultation with PAS Baghdad, (in English) [Price per Month]

3. Price Summary to include DBA

Base Period:

First Option Year:

Second Option Year:

Third Option Year:

Forth Option Year:

Grand total (Firm-Fixed Price for Base Year plus all Option Years):

CONTINUATION TO SF-1449,

RFP NUMBER - 191Z1024R0001

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES, BLOCK 20

DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

VI. PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Background: The purpose of this firm-fixed-price Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Contract is to provide Media Monitoring and Analysis, Summarization and Dissemination of News and Reports to the American Embassy Mission in the Republic of Iraq. In addition to generalized media monitoring, the contractor shall have and maintain expertise in shaping products that enhance the situational awareness of the political, governance, development, security, civic society, and broader socio-economic issues confronting senior U.S. diplomatic officials. The company shall have and maintain demonstrated depth of analytical capabilities in both spheres of the overall mission and possess the editorial judgment to discern distinct differences in foreign policy objectives.

Scope of Services: The contractor shall have and maintain experience in analyzing news stories and social media postings centering on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Iraq. Through its own resources, the company shall be able to provide this analysis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year (24/7/365).

Analysis of media coverage products includes human-selected alerts of breaking news, daily international news summaries, daily Iraq news summaries that are selected from Arabic sources. In turn, these news sources are then translated into English as media alerts, and social media analytics including trending and messaging tracking. The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy is responsible for developing strategic messaging which relies on a deep understanding of the traditional and social media landscape focusing on the U.S. mission in Iraq. It is imperative that the Embassy and its diplomats receive thorough analysis of breaking news alerts, international and Iraq news summaries, social media alerts, and analysis of major news stories that includes trending, tonality, issue and message tracking. The U.S. diplomatic mission depends on a current situational awareness and understanding of the full range of international, Iraq national and regional reporting. The contractor shall have and maintain experience in providing service in this dynamic environment, utilizing an editorial judgment of what type of news story would be of interest to further the mission. The monitoring company shall not be an affiliate of a media company providing news stories or online reporting.

Objective: The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad seeks to enhance its capacity in monitoring international, regional, and Iraq national news as it relates to the diplomatic mission in Iraq. The objective is to give the embassy and its senior leadership a more comprehensive view of the daily media landscape to assist in the development of its public diplomacy and public affairs strategies. The intent is to provide deeper context to news reporting through expert media analysis that extends “daily news” into issue trending, tonality, and resonance.

Period of Performance: This is 1 year period of performance with 4 option years after contract award.

Place of Performance: This contract shall be performed at contractor’s place of performance.

Methodology: The methodology required for this contract includes the following:

1. Human-selected, news alerts in English focusing on Iraq issues. These news alerts shall be drawn from 24/7 monitoring of a broad-section of online news agencies including but not limited to:

BBC, AL Arabiya, CNN, Al-Jazeera, and other major news services. The U.S Government shall provide the contractor with a distribution list of state.gov email addresses.

Media Monitoring Services

An example of an alert follows:

November 25, Ambassador Stuart E. Jones visited Basrah to meet with provincial officials, tribal leaders, and energy sector executives.

Xxxxx (Source Name) www.xxxx.com (Hyperlink) to read full text.

2. Morning and Afternoon International News Briefings. Shall include relevant and pertinent news articles in English to the Iraq region that have appeared since the last report. A variety of keywords will be selected in consultation with the US Embassy and will be periodically updated as current issues change. Length of the briefings depends on the volume of news. Editorial discretion must be used to determine article selection. Briefings must include professional analysis to devise a reporting period executive summary of the media landscape as well as “bottom line up front” formatting for major articles. Hyperlinks pointing to the complete story online.

Deliverables: The following categories are the products to be delivered:

1. News Alerts, Monitoring Reports, and Analysis: Iraq and Regional Arabic-language Press Monitoring

• Breaking Iraqis news alerts in the international media of major developments as defined in consultation with the Embassy from Arabic-language media sources (delivered as available, 7 Days a week in English).

• Morning Iraq-Focused International News Briefing (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

• Morning Iraq-Focused international News Briefing (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekends/holidays in English from Arabic-language media sources).

• Afternoon Iraqi News Briefing (delivered 1600 Baghdad time, 5 days a week in English from

Arabic-language media sources).

• Daily weekday morning Erbil report and daily Kurdish-language media monitoring in English, with breaking news alerts from KRG and related international Kurdish-language media outlets (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 5 days a week in English from Arabic-language media sources).

2. News Alerts, Monitoring Reports, and Analysis: International, English-language Press

• Morning Iraq-focused news briefing from U.S and international English- language media sources (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 5 days a week in English).

• Morning Iraq-focused news briefing from U.S and international English- language media sources

(delivered 0700 Baghdad time, weekends/holidays in English).

• Occasional Iraqi Media round-up product of Embassy-identified events, stories, or visitors; time frame to be determined by Embassy, with at least 24-hours’ notice. Estimated requests up to 10 per month.

Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad http://www.xxxx.com/

3. Social Media Alerts, Reporting

• Daily Arabic Social Media Report focusing on the most important four issues discussed (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week). The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue.

• Daily Kurdish Social Media Report from Kurdish-language social media platforms (delivered 0700 Erbil time, 7 days a week). The product is to be delivered in English and includes one volume/frequency graph per issue.

• Weekly report on Embassy Iraq’s social media platforms statistics and analysis. The report will include but not limited to the tone of comments and number of retweets and reposts by influencers. The product should be delivered in English.

• Weekly report summarization of a range of analytics defined in consultation with the Embassy;

that is, a weekly analysis on trending topics on social media platforms in Iraq. The product should be delivered in English.

4. Monitoring and Reporting of Local/Regional/International Arabic-language Television and Radio News

• Daily television and radio monitoring report on major Iraqi, regional, and international news broadcasts (delivered 0700 Baghdad time, 7 days a week). Outlets to be determined in consultation with Embassy Baghdad.

Social Media/TV & Radio Channels /Printed Media to be monitored:

EXISTING CHANNELS LIST

TV CHANNELS

Al-Arabiya TV + Website Dijla TV + Website

Al-Jazeera TV + Website NRT + Website

Al-Forat TV Rudaw TV

Al-Hurra Iraq TV + Website Al-Sharqiya News TV + Website

Al-Iraqiya TV – IMN Sky News Arabia

Kurdistan 24 BBC Arabic

Al-Sumaria TV + Website France24 Arabic AVA Media (TV) UTV + Website Kurdistan TV 24 HD TV – Economic TV

Al-Rabiaa TV + Website Al-Rasheed TV + Website

Media Monitoring Services

Al-Tagheer TV + Website

Rudaw Channel 8 (TV) Social Media Facebook +964 Media (social media) Twitter / TV presenters/influencers +964 Media (social media) Instagram +964 Media (social media) Printed Media and Websites Baghdad Today News NAS News

The Iraqi News Agency (INA) - IMN +964 Media (Website and social Media) Al-Sumaria PUK Media

Al-Baghdadia Rudaw

Al-Ghad Shafaaq Channel 8 (online)

Al-Araby al-Jadeed

AVA Media (online)

Ashraq al-Awsat

Al-Mada AzZaman Newspaper

Al-Masalah Al-Sabah Newspaper

BBC Arabic Al-Sharqiya

Dijla News - TV website Sky News Arabia

Al-Hayat NINA France24 Arabic Awene KirkukNow BMC Kurdiu.org Esta News Kurdistan24 Bas News Kurdistani Nwe Diplomatic Kurdsat News Ezidi24 Kurdistan TV Gav News Lvin Hawlati NRT Hawler Nas Kurds Khabat Rachlakeen KNN Radio Nawa Payam Run Media Peysar Rudaw PUKMedia SNN Shar Press Spee Media Speda Wisha Westga News Xendan Zeman 7 Roj

Media Monitoring Services

Radio

Radio Dijla

Radio Al-Rasheed Radio Hawa Dijla

Radio Dang Rudaw

VII. INVOICING

(a) The Contractor shall submit monthly invoices to the COR at the address shown in paragraph D below. A proper invoice shall include the following information:

• Contractor's name and bank account information for payments by wire transfers

• Invoice Date

• Contract number

• Name, title, phone number, and address of person to contact in case of defective invoice

(b) If an invoice does not contain the above information, the Government reserves the right to reject the invoice as improper and return it to the Contractor within 7 calendars days. The Contractor shall then submit a proper invoice.

(c) The COR will take each summary invoice and furnish the detailed invoice to the appropriate official in each individual Government agency. That agency representative will review the detailed invoice and either approve for payment or advise the COR of the inaccuracies found. It shall be the COR who will interact with the Contractor on any invoice problems.

(d) The contractor shall send all invoices to the following address:

Financial Management Office American Embassy – Baghdad Al Kindi Street, International Zone, Baghdad, Iraq

Or by electronic means in Acrobat PDF format to the following email address:

BaghdadVouchers@state.gov, Attn: BEC/PAS , and to: BaghdadVendorInvoice@state.gov, Attn: BEC/PAS.

(e) Payment will be made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) within 30 days after receipt of the proper invoice.

VIII. KEY PERSONNEL

1. The Project Manager shall be able to converse in English and Arabic. (Subject to U.S Government approval) the Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key person:

POSITION/FUNCTION NAME

2. During the first 90 days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is required due to illness, death, or termination of employment. The Contractor

Media Monitoring Services for U.S. Embassy Baghdad mailto:BaghdadVouchers@state.gov mailto:BaghdadVendorInvoice@state.gov shall notify the Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required below to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days before making any permanent substitutions.

3. After the first 90 days of performance, the Contractor may substitute a key person if the contractor determines that it is necessary. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer of the proposed action immediately. Prior to making the substitution, the Contractor will provide the information required below to the Contracting Officer.

4. The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances requiring the proposed substitution, a complete resume for the proposed substitute. The proposed substitute shall possess qualifications comparable to the original key person. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor of its approval or disapproval of the substitution within 15 calendar days after receiving the required information. The Government will modify the contract to reflect any changes in key personnel.

4. The Contracting officer reserve the rights to ask the contractor to substitute the key personnel if he is not performing as per the level of expectation, The Contracting Officer shall notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days.

IX. LAWS AND REGULATIONS

The Contractor shall, without additional expense to the Government, be responsible for complying with all laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations applicable to the performance of the work, including those of the host country, and with the lawful orders of any governmental authority having jurisdiction. Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall comply with the more stringent of the requirements of such laws, regulations and orders and of the contract. In the event of a conflict among the contract and such laws, regulations and orders, the Contractor shall promptly advise the Contracting Officer of the conflict and of the Contractor's proposed course of action for resolution by the Contracting Officer. The Contractor shall comply with all local labor laws, regulations, customs and practices pertaining to labor, safety, and similar matters, to the extent that such compliance is not inconsistent with the requirements of this contract. Proper documentation and evidence satisfactory to the Contracting Officer of compliance with this clause shall be submitted by the Contractor at such times as directed by the Contracting Officer. This contract shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the substantive laws of the United States of America. By the execution of this contract, the Contractor expressly agrees to waive any rights to invoke the jurisdiction of local national courts where this contract is performed and agrees to accept the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States Department of State’s designated Board of Contract Appeals and the United States Court of Federal Claims for hearing and determination of any and all disputes that may arise under the Disputes clause of this contract.

X. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

The Contractor and its employees shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters relating to their duties and functions. They shall not communicate to any person or organization(s) the progress, procedures or results of the work under this contract, or any information known to them by reason of their performance of services under this contract which has not been made public, except in the necessary performance of their duties or upon written authorization of the Contracting Officer. All documents and records (including photographs) generated during the performance of work under this contract shall be

Media Monitoring Services for the sole use and become the exclusive property of the U.S Government. Furthermore, no article, book, pamphlet, email, recording, broadcast, speech television appearance, film or photograph concerning any aspect of work performed under this contract shall be published or disseminated through any media without the prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer. These obligations do not cease upon the expiration or termination of this contract. The Contractor shall include the substance of this provision in all contracts of employment and in all subcontracts hereunder.

XI. COORDINATION OF SERVICES

Services shall be coordinated with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

XII. QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN (QAP)

This plan is designed to provide an effective surveillance method to promote effective contractor performance. The QAP provides a method for the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) to monitor contractor performance, advise the contractor of unsatisfactory performance, and notify the Contracting Officer of continued unsatisfactory performance. The contractor, not the Government, is responsible for management and quality control to meet the terms of the contract. The role of the Government is to conduct quality assurance to ensure that contract standards are achieved.

Performance Objective PWS Para Performance Threshold Services.

Performs all media monitoring, analysis and dissemination of news as set forth in the statement of work.

PERFORMANCE WORK

STATEMENT

All required services are performed and no more than one (1) customer complaint is received per month

1- SURVEILLANCE

The COR will receive and document all complaints from Government personnel regarding the services provided. If appropriate, the COR will send the complaints to the Contractor for corrective action.

2- STANDARD

The performance standard is that the Government receives no more than one (1) customer complaint per month. The COR shall notify the Contracting Officer of the complaints so that the Contracting Officer may take appropriate action to enforce the inspection clause (FAR 52.212.4, Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Items (May 2001), if any of the services exceed the standard.

When the Contractor fails to provide the services at the acceptable quality performance standards required by this contract, the Government shall apply daily price deductions for the services described in Article IV, PRICING, 2 Pricing Schedule, Contract Line-Item Numbers from 1 (one) through 4 (four). The Contracting Officer will make final determination as to whether downtime is the fault of the Contractor.

If requested by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall provide documentation to support claims of excusable downtime. For downtime determined to be the Contractor’s fault, the Contracting Officer may elect to assess a credit for each instance of non-performance. The Government shall deduct the total number of creditable days or any fraction of a day from the next monthly invoice payment. The credit will be determined on a daily rate calculated as follows: daily/weekly * No. of incidents = total price. Any fraction of a day will be divided by2 in case the service required is twice a day; for example, if morning/evening report missed daily rate will be divided by 2.

3- PROCEDURES

(a) If any Government personnel observe unacceptable services, either incomplete work or required services not being performed they Shall immediately contact the COR.

(b) The COR will complete appropriate documentation to record the complaint.

(c) If the COR determines the complaint is invalid, the COR will advise the complainant.

The COR will retain the annotated copy of the written complaint for his/her files.

(d) If the COR determines the complaint is valid, the COR will inform the Contractor and give the Contractor additional time to correct the defect, if additional time is available.

The COR shall determine how much time is reasonable.

(e) The COR shall, as a minimum, orally notify the Contractor of any valid complaints.

(f) If the Contractor disagrees with the complaint after investigation of the site and challenges the validity of the complaint, the Contractor will notify the COR. The COR will review the matter to determine the validity of the complaint.

(g) The COR will consider complaints as resolved unless notified otherwise by the complainant.

(h) Repeat customer complaints are not permitted for any services. If a repeat customer complaint is received for the same deficiency during the service period, the COR will contact the Contracting Officer for appropriate action under the Inspection clause.

XIII. DELIVERABLES

Reference Description Delivery Time SOW – Deliverables 1, 2 ,3 &4 Section III

Diverse news alerts, monitoring and Reports

In accordance with the SOW

Section I, Subsection I-B. DBA insurance (if applicable) 15 calendar days after award

Section II, Recruitment of Third Country Nationals on Department of State contracts (Oct 2012)

Certifications and updates As required by the clause

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SECTION 2 - CONTRACT CLAUSES

52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov

2023) IS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. (SEE SF-1449, BLOCK 27A)

52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—

Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Feb 2024)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

(1) 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements (Jan 2017) (section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions)).

(2) 52.204-23, Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab Covered Entities (Dec 2023) (Section 1634 of Pub. L. 115-91).

(3) 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (Nov 2021) (Section 889(a)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 115-232).

(4) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Nov 2015).

(5) 52.232-40, Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Mar 2023) ( 31 U.S.C.

3903 and 10 U.S.C. 3801).

(6) 52.233-3,…