Minutes_Pre-Solicitation19KE5022Q0010_Traditional Media Monitoring _CO.pdf

MINUTES OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA MONITORING SERVICES FOR NAIROBI

CONTRACT PRE-PROPOSAL

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE HOSTED BY THE US EMBASSY NAIROBI

Solicitation Number 19KE5022Q0010

August 18, 2022, 11:00 AM

Embassy members present: Aisha O’Neal (Contracting Officer); Eric Kamau (Contract

Specialist); Eric Mangera (PDS), Abigail Ross (PDS), Hilda Nakhwanga (PDS)

10 representatives from 10 prospective bidder companies were present.

Introduction

• Vendors signed into the virtual TEAMS meeting.

• The Contracting Specialist started the meeting by welcoming the offerors and introduced all Embassy attendees.

• The Contracting Specialist began with a few ground rules, indicated that all microphones should remain muted, and all questions posted in the chat box.

The Solicitation Process

• A pre-quotation conference (TEAMS) was held for Traditional Media Monitoring

Services Solicitation Number 19KE5022Q0010, E. Kamau provided the conference introduction. Also provided was an explanation of the purpose which was to ensure prospective offerors understood the significant solicitation requirements and to provide instructions for official question submissions. Participants were informed all contractual written questions should be submitted to the CO in writing, at this email NairobiGSO-

Contracts@state.gov by August 19, 2022 by 12:30 pm and that responses pertaining to the contract will be disseminated to all offerors electronically along with the meeting minutes as soon as they become available.

• Reminded proposals must be submitted electronically to NairobiGSO-

Contracts@state.gov on or before August 29, 2022, by 4:00 pm. Your quotation must be submitted electronically "Quotation Enclosed Solicitation Number 19KE5022Q0010 Traditional

Media Monitoring Services " It is important to make sure the submission is made in specific size and format; in MS-Word 2007/2010 or MS-Excel 2007/2010 or Adobe

Acrobat (pdf) file format. The file size must not exceed 30MB. If the file size should exceed the 30MB, the submission must be made in separate files and attached to separate emails with less than 30MB each. No proposal will be accepted after this time. See

Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions.

• Kamau, E. provided the project overview, solicitation guidance, and a comprehensive review of the solicitation process. Notified offerors in order for a quotation to be considered, they must complete and submit the following: SF 1449;

mailto:NairobiGSO-Contracts@state.gov mailto:NairobiGSO-Contracts@state.gov mailto:NairobiGSO-Contracts@state.gov mailto:NairobiGSO-Contracts@state.gov

Section 1, Pricing; Section 5, Representations and Certifications and ensure compliance with FAR 52.229-11; and Additional information as required in Section 3.

• Specifically, he called attendees attention to the following sections of the solicitation document:

Sections 1 - The Schedule

• Provided instructions on populating Standard Form (SF) 1449.Solicitation/Contract/Order for Commercial Items. Instructed to complete the entire OFFEROR portion of the SF

1449, including all blank spaces, and have the form signed by an authorized representative of your company, or the proposal may be considered unacceptable and may be rejected. Any subsequent amendment to this solicitation will be detailed using

Standard Form (SF) 30 Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract.

• Discussion on project: schedule; scope; period of performance; pricing table; solicitation description; scope of work; delivery requirements; expectations; and terms and conditions

• Discussion regarding Quality Assurance & Surveillance Plan; Contracting Officer

Representative (COR) verification & Role

• Addressed VAT and explanation of non-acceptance of VAT in pricing or invoices

• Addressed James Zadroga 9/11 2% levy requirement.

• Contract consists of media monitoring services from a firm that has the capacity to produce a daily summary of media reporting in Kenya to include English, Swahili, and vernacular language articles, programs, media, or news mentions in print, radio, television, and online news. The contractor will be required to track all news media outlets (print, electronic, online) and provide links to content that will help the U.S.

mission in Nairobi understand which outlets give coverage of USG activities in Kenya, activities that generate coverage and the tone used in reporting. The contractor will provide a daily wrap up that curates news commentaries, and resources related to key areas of interest for the USG with a focus on national publications, major radio and television broadcasting stations in Kenya including vernacular radio stations, and online news channels.

• Addressed 4.0 Key Deliverables section and reminded daily report with active links to search results where the stories are located (news clips database, online) and relevant information such as headline, publishing date/time, journalist, keyword referenced, relevant summary, media house and tonality are to be delivered no later than (NLT)

6:00am each morning. The contractor is also required to provide access to a central database where all clips and results can be stored and accessed by U.S. Embassy Nairobi.

The database should allow for exporting reports and related analyses based on customized searches by date, media house/publication/channel, country, and end-user categories/tags.

• Also reminded of their reporting requirements and schedule.

• Reminded the Contractor shall be responsible for performance of all services described in this contract. The Contractor is also responsible for strict adherence to all instructions and quality requirements stated in this contract. When deviations are considered necessary, specific instructions or waivers shall be obtained in writing from the Contracting Officer

(CO).

• Informed the contract is for a one-year period from the date of contract award, with two one-year options.

• Discussed Pricing Table II. Pricing. Explained that the Contract shall be paid a fixed-price per unit of service for Standard Services. Line items in the pricing table unit amounts will guide on the rate to be stated and calculated based on the quantities requested. Instructed to provide a grand total of the cost of the entire period of performance. Offeror should include any cost they may incur. Instructed that the quantities represented in the pricing chart are based on estimated Government requirements.

• Explained contract is firm, fixed- price contract payable entirely in the currency indicated in the SF-1442. No additional sums will be payable for any escalation in the cost of materials, equipment or labor, or because of the Contractor's failure to properly estimate or accurately predict the cost or difficulty of achieving the results required.

• Quality Assurance Plan will be the basis for managing the quality of services to be delivered

• Advised the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) will periodically inspect services being performed and to determine whether work is being performed in a satisfactory manner, and that all services are of acceptable quality and standards.

• Advised the Contractor will not be reimbursed for Value Added Taxes (VAT) until this contract because all supplies (good and services) to the US Embassy are exempt from

Value Added Tax and that vendors are therefore required to present invoices without a tax element, i.e., indicate 0% VAT on all invoices.

Section 2 – Contract Clauses

• Discussion on contract clauses and importance familiarizing and fully understanding;

many were addressed, specially explained was new Zadroga Act implementation and

Human Trafficking

• SAM registration importance and instructions. Reminded participants of the annual requirement to re-register

• Addressed payment procedures: contractor will send all invoices electronically to

Financial Management Center, U.S. Embassy Nairobi, email:

NairobiPayables@state.gov

• Explained the clause provision to extend the term of the contract by exercising the respective option year(s).

• Explained USG may opt to extend services per clause 52.217-8 to a period not exceeding

6-months.

Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions

• Advised to ensure they fully comply with the instructions indicated in this section.

• Explanation of solicitation provisions and requirements – attendees were instructed not to simply use the boiler plate tender submissions. Provide responses to the solicitation provisions.

• Summarized instructions and submittal requirements. Reminded of soft copy submittal requirement to the following address nairobigso-contracts@state.gov indicating

Solicitation Number 19KE5022Q0010.

mailto:nairobigso-contracts@state.gov

Section 4 – Evaluation Factors

• Discussion of the evaluation criteria; award will be made to the lowest priced, acceptable, responsible offeror. The quoter shall submit a completed solicitation, including Sections

1 and 5; the evaluation factors that will form part of the technical selection criteria.

Section 5 – Representations and Certifications

• Reminded to populate the various representation statements. Offerors may be disqualified if they fail to complete this section in its entirety.

• Discussion of representations and certifications; Reminded bidders to pay attention to areas in this section requiring input such as SAM registration status.

Next, Kamau, E. reminded attendees of the request for quotation submission date. He discussed the importance of full adherence to the process and thanked participants for attending.

The conference adjourned at 1215 hours.