2 Combined Synopsis Attachment NRMA00002301162.pdf

NRMA00002301162SML

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION

Non-personal Services for Federated Authentication Software Solution for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Central Library

(I) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice and in accordance with the simplified acquisition procedures authorized in FAR Part 13. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

(II) This solicitation is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). Submit written quotes on RFQ Number NRMA00002301162SML.

(III) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-04 (JUN 2023) (Deviation 2023-03) (DEC 2022).

(IV) This solicitation is being issued as a total Small Business Set-Aside. The associated NAICS code is 541519. The small business size standard is $34.0 million or 150 employees.

(V) This combined solicitation/synopsis is for purchase of the following commercial services:

CLIN 0001 – Base Year Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for federated authentication software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2023 through 10/01/2024.

CLIN 1001 – Option Year 1 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for federated authentication software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2024 through 10/01/2025.

CLIN 1002 – Option Year 1 Not-to-Exceed $10,340.00 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary to allow additional libraries to utilize Federated Authentication Software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2024 through 10/01/2025.

CLIN 2001 – Option Year 2 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for federated authentication software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2025 through 10/01/2026.

CLIN 2002 – Option Year 2 Not-to-Exceed $10,700.00 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary to allow additional libraries to utilize Federated Authentication Software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2025 through 10/01/2026.

CLIN 3001 – Option Year 3 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for federated authentication software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2026 through 10/01/2027.

CLIN 3002 – Option Year 3 Not-to-Exceed $11,060.00 Services, non-personal, to provide all labor, equipment and materials (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary to allow additional libraries to utilize Federated Authentication Software at the NOAA Central Library in Silver Spring, MD, in accordance with the Statement of Work. Period of Performance 10/02/2026 through 10/01/2027.

(VI) Description of requirements is as follows:

See attached Statement of Work which applies to Base Year and all Option Years 1 – 3.

INVOICES TO BE BILLED IN ARREARS. QUOTE PRICING MAY BE PROVIDED ON

ATTACHED SF18 FORM OR ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD.

STATEMENT OF WORK

Department of Commerce (DOC) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) NOAA Central Library (NCL)

Authentication Software for Authorizing Access to Subscription-Based Library Electronic Resources

1. INTRODUCTION

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) promotes science, service and stewardship via its mission to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans and coasts;

share that knowledge and information with others; and conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings, and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA’s products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America’s gross domestic product.

The NOAA Central Library (NCL) is located at NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. It, along with its three component libraries -- the Atlantic Ocean Marine Laboratory (AOML) Library located in Miami, Florida; the Western Regional Center Library located in Seattle, Washington; and the National Hurricane Center Library located in Miami, Florida, comprise the NOAA Central and Regional Libraries (NCRL), which reports to NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), Office of Science & Support (OSS). NCL is part of a network of 19 other NOAA Libraries located around the country who serve their local offices and laboratories and comprise the larger NOAA Library and Information Network. The NOAA Library Network is made up of a variety of library types from reading rooms, to solo librarian sites, to University run satellite campuses, to the multi-staffed HQ library in Silver Spring.

NCRL and the NOAA Library Network provide resources and research support to NOAA employees so they are better able to fulfill the mission of the agency. The collections include both print and electronic materials and cover subject areas related to aquaculture, cartography, coastal zone management, ecology, fisheries, hydrography, geophysics, GIS, global climate change, meteorology, ocean/atmosphere interactions, remote sensing, photogrammetry, and water resources. The majority of library collections are now provided electronically via both NOAA-wide subscriptions and individual library subscriptions.

Access to these subscription-based resources has historically been provided by supplying publishers/vendors with the IPs associated with particular NOAA facilities and locations.

Use of individual Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or block ranges of IP addresses to restrict access to or allow access to specific resources is an outdated practice and has both operational and security concerns.

IP addresses can be learned and used by third parties that do not own the address to gain access to systems or subscriptions that rely solely on the IP address for access. IP addresses can change within an organization due to refresh and modernization and would require updating any service provider that uses IP addresses for access control. Use of IP addresses for subscription-based services also locks in the end user by requiring them to be coming from the network in which the IP address has been provided for access control; this limits mobility and overall ease of use.

The Office of Management and Budget memorandum M-21-07, requires all federal agencies to complete the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). This means end user devices would be coming from a range of new IP space that comprises a 128-bit alphanumeric value vice the 32-bit numeric IPv4 address used today. The IPv6 address space is so vast, it would be very cumbersome and not feasible to use for access control. Example IPv4 address 192.168.10.150 and an example of an IPv6 address 3002:0bd6:0000:0000:0000:ee00:0033:6778.

For more secure, controlled access and authorization to subscription-based resources, a role based system should be deployed. Role-based access control (RBAC) restricts access based on a person's role within an organization or in this case, as defined by the subscription service. A role could be as high level as "is a NOAA employee" or as granular as "is a chemical scientist". Users can have multiple roles and users can be grouped into roles for easy management of large user bases. As the user would first authenticate to the RBAC based system, where the user is coming from (their IP address) no longer matters or needs to be managed across multiple subscriptions providing better security, mobility, and accountability for the subscribed services.

Based on the security concerns associated with IP authenticated access, and the coming changes to IPV6 enumerated above, the NOAA Central Library needs to shift to federated authentication to provide access to subscription-based resources. This type of software is a RBAC based system, and is used by both university and federal research libraries, including the Department of Commerce Research Library, Naval Air Warfare Center, and Veterans Administration Library Network

2. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

NCRL requires a federated authentication solution (E.g., OpenAthens, brand name or equal) to provide secure and effective access to electronic resources, such as journals, eBooks, and databases, licensed across the NOAA Library Network. The NCRL manages the contract utilized by NOAA Libraries across the network to procure their electronic resource subscriptions. The NCRL also administers and manages the NOAA-wide subscriptions, as well as those for both the Silver Spring HQ campus and the Miami AOML campus. Because the NOAA Central Library has management control of these three designated subscription locations, we plan to start implementation of federated authentication software for resources licensed for these locations/duty stations:

• NOAA-wide

• NOAA Central Library

• AOML Miami Library

Once these entities are implemented the NCRL plans to expand coverage to other libraries across the network as requested by those libraries. Therefore, we require option years that include the possibility of adding additional individual library resources as the need arises.

3. REQUIREMENTS

A. Contactor Capacity Requirements:

The Contractor shall provide a statement of qualifications. This statement shall include:

• Years in businesses related to this solicitation

• Type of Operation (e.g., Individual, Partnership, Corporation, Nonprofit corporation, Consortium, Government, etc.)

• Company-wide annual sales volume

• Number of employees

• Key employees involved in implementing and sustaining the proposed solution

• Demonstrated history as a trusted partner to libraries and archives (Contractors should have a minimum of 10 years working with libraries).

• Demonstrated history as a trusted partner to medium-to-large size academic and special libraries.

• List of subcontractors (if any) and their expected role

B. General System and Support Requirements:

Below are the requirements that shall be met by the solution as a whole.

B.1. Architecture, System Updates and Upgrades, and Reliability NOAA Central Library will not consider any client-based solutions, and will only review cloud-based systems. The system shall include the following:

Mandatory (M) or Desirable (D)

(a) Be completely cloud-based.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply. Please specifically address

M

(b) Be proprietary and not open source. M

(c) Must support single-sign-on as well SAML.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(d) SAML must use publicly validatable key infrastructure (PKI) (The signing certificate contained within your metadata must be issued by a publicly recognized certificate authority (CA), NOT self-signed and NOT an "in-house" CA.)

D

(e) SAML 2.0 Integration:

SAML must use publicly validatable key infrastructure (PKI) (The signing certificate contained within your metadata must be issued by a publicly recognized certificate authority (CA), NOT self-signed and NOT an "in-house" CA.)

SAML must support metadata generation (or contractor must have capability to generate metadata)

SAML - must support “WantAssertionsSigned = ‘true’

SAML - must support AuthnRequestSigned = ‘true’

SAML - the CN of the certificate must be the ‘entity id’ of the application

SAML - the entityId must be set to the URL of the application endpoint

SAML - Must be able to support a primary and secondary metadata for the SAML.

(f) Support the ability to connect to local directories/IdPs. (obtain user attributes)

M

(g) Require a single administrative interface regardless of the amount of NOAA locations/duty stations.

M

(h) Must authenticate users based on their identity/credentials. M

(i) Must be able to provide authentication to major publishers such as AAAS, ACS, Elsevier, SpringerNature, Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(j) Must be able to provide authentication using standard protocols (SAML 2.0 ,LADP) for vendors/publishers.

M

(k) Have authentication software in full, operational release at the time of bidding, or with the ability to beta test with production release within 3 months of the solicitation’s closing date.

M

(l) System deliverables shall comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d).

M

Provide details for each system demonstrating the solution adequately addresses the requirements for Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d).

Submit a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for each system offered.

(m) For the authentication system, roll outs of all upgrades, feature enhancements, updates and fixes for the solution should happen quickly and easily without intervention by the NOAA Central Library or NOAA IT staff.

M

(n) Provide the ability to test out new updates in a sandbox or development environment.

D

(l) If there is any required client software associated with the authentication software, the process should be straightforward for installation and upgrades.

In your proposal, please describe the process for installation and upgrade of any required client software, the typical frequency of upgrades, and the administrative permissions needed to complete upgrades.

M

(o) Not including scheduled downtime for updates, have a system uptime of at least 98%.

In your proposal, please document the system’s typical annual scheduled downtime. Also document the system’s average unscheduled downtime for the last 24 months.

D

(p) Contractor(s) should notify NOAA Central Library staff if there are any disruptions in service.

M

(q) Contractor(s) should provide a schedule of disruptions to services with ample time for the NOAA Central Library to prepare.

B.2. Data Security and Access The system shall include the following:

Meet DOC IT Security Policy media sanitization requirements (MP-6) M

Meet FAR 39.101(d) regulations involving NIST common security configuration checklists including Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC) or United States Government Configuration

Baseline (USGCB) initiative

Meet Personal identity verification requirements from FAR 4.1302 and FIPS PUB 201 [in accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12)]

M

Meet FAR part 11.002 requirements which state that unless the agency Chief Information Officer waives the requirement, when acquiring information technology using Internet Protocol, the requirements documents must include reference to the appropriate technical capabilities defined in the USGv6 Profile (NIST Special Publication (SP) 500-267) and the corresponding declarations of conformance defined in the USGv6 Test Program. To meet this requirement each DOC acquisition of IP protocol technology must express requirements for IPv6 capabilities in terms of the USGv6 Profile (i.e., using the USGV6 Capabilities Check List) and vendors must be required to document their product’s support of the requested capabilities through the USGv6 test program (reference https://wwwx.antd.nist.gov/usgv6/ using the USGv6 Suppliers Declaration of Conformity.

B.3. Integration and Extensibility The solution shall seamlessly integrate with the following system(s):

NOAA catalog, Alma/Primo VE M

NOAA IdP M

B.4 Contractor support

B.4.1. Training The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive training plan for understanding and using all system functions. This training shall include at minimum the following:

(a) Onsite or webinar-based training on all back- and front-end (user) system functions.

M

(b) Onsite or webinar-based training on both implementation and operation of all functions, tailored specifically to the NOAA Central Library.

(c) Complete system documentation and training materials (including print and videos) available online.

M

(d) Printed training and marketing materials for front-end (user) systems.

D

(e) Access to training and marketing materials that the Library can customize and print with its own branding.

D

(g) Continuous training after implementation. If webinar-based, available at no extra cost.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply. Please also include a description/list of typically scheduled live webinars and a list of recorded webinar available at any time.

B.4.2. Help Desk/Customer Support The Contractor shall provide the following:

(a) Provide support via email, phone, and online. M

(C) Provide the same level of customer support to all customers, without additional charges for higher levels of support.

(d) Provide an online user group and user group meetings. D

B.4.3. System Maintenance and Long-Term Management The Contractor shall ensure that:

(a) Major and minor system releases will occur on a regular basis.

In your proposal, please provide an annual maintenance schedule, the product’s Roadmap for the next 24 months, and the update schedule for the next 12 months.

(b) Major and minor product updates releases will occur with no or extremely limited assistance from the NOAA’s Library or IT staff.

M

(c) Any customizations will be kept intact and unaltered by upgrades and releases.

M

(d) The system has long-term feasibility and relevance by tracking trends and technological advancements that are relevant to authentication software, and incorporating these advancements into the system’s long-range design.

C. NOAA Central and; Network Library Staff Functional Requirements Staff functions are those that are used exclusively by NOAA Central Library staff and comprise the Administration of the authentication system. All functions shall be cloud-based.

C.1. Requirements Applicable to All Library Staff Functions The following requirements are applicable to all backend/Library staff functions and the system(s) that handle those functions:

C.1.2. System Integration The system shall consist of a single solution that integrates a seamless workflow between systems/functions. The system shall:

(a) Offer integration between NOAA catalog, Alma/Primo VE, and authentication.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(b) Provide workflow automation such as dashboards, reminders, e-mails, and alerts.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

C.1.3. Data Handling The system shall:

(a) Levage NOAA catalog data, Alma/Primo user records, via SAML attributes (whether campus or user group) in order to generate user accounts within the authentication system.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply. Information on licensing or technical restrictions or constraints placed on the use of

M

(b) Levage NOAA catalog data, Alma/Primo user records, via SAML attributes (whether campus or user group) in order to limit/restrict access to specific electronic resources.

M

(b) Make data available through documented web services and APIs, including supported data operations (read, write, update, delete, etc.).

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply. Information on licensing or technical restrictions or constraints placed on the use of these tools and services should be provided. Please include a list of all currently available APIs and those that are planned for future release.

C.2. Requirements Applicable to Specific Backend/Library Staff Functions

C.2.1. Account and Resource Administration The system shall have the ability to:

(a) Allow library staff administrators to manage and conduct maintenance on user accounts within the administrative interface, including carry out troubleshooting when necessary.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(b) Allow library staff administrators to manage and conduct maintenance on electronic resources within the administrative interface, including carry out troubleshooting access issues when necessary.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with

(c) Allow library staff administrators to implement configurations within the administrative interface.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with

C.2.2. Usage Statistics and Reporting

The system shall have the ability to:

(a) Generate usage reports by any attributes(s) that are associated with the users. Depending on the implementation, this may include campus, user group, line office, etc.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(b) Generate the majority of usage reports within 10 minutes (or some other quantitative measure).

In your proposal, please describe how long it takes to view/download different types of reports after running them.

Please differentiate between pre-designed/off-the-shelf reports and custom-designed reports.

M

(c) Include a dashboard for building custom reports, as well as allow to filter data by date range and user attributes exploratory functionality.

M

(d) Allow for the downloading of report (in Microsoft Excel, CSV, TSV, PDF)

M

(e) Provide a functionality for auditing access, resources, and/or users.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(f) Provide capability to export log data NOAA Cyber Security Division

D. User-Facing Functional Requirements User-facing parts of the system shall:

(a) Provide a login interface that will be the patron’s primary point of entry for authentication via Single-Sign-On, enabling NOAA staff to access resources.

M

(b) Integrate with NOAA Discovery Layer via proxy URLs, Alma/Primo VE, specifically allow for patrons to authenticate when clicking on proxy links.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

D.1 Web Integration and Customization The system shall:

(a) Supply APIs, widgets, and other embedded code ((HTML, JS, etc.)

that generates a proxy URL to licensed resources (journals, ebook, databases)

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(b) Supply APIs, widgets, and other embedded code (HTML, JS, etc.)

that allow for the integration of the login interface into third party interfaces.

In your proposal, please describe how the system complies with this requirement or explain why it does not comply.

M

(c) Provide branding and styling options.

Please describe any support for branding and styling through CSS, Javascript, and any other web design tools or languages.

(d) Keep any customizations intact and unaltered by upgrades. M

4. DELIVERABLE SCHEDULE

The Contractor shall provide a detailed timeline, plan, and recommendations for the implementation of a new authentication system. This plan shall involve moving away from the library’s current method of IP authentication to a form of federated authentication and would involve the electronic resource associated with the locations/duty stations, NOAA-wide, NOAA Central Library.

The plan shall include:

• Kick-off meeting with the contractor within one week of the award date.

• Within the same week of the kick-off meeting, start training all library staff who will be administering the software.

• When training is complete, the contractor shall begin provisioning authentication software to the library staff who will administer the system, implementing all required configurations in coordination with the NOAA Central Library Systems Librarian.

• Additionally, the contractor shall provide software updates as they become available.

(VII) Date(s) and place(s) of delivery and acceptance:

Period of performance shall be:

Base Year for a twelve-month period 10/02/2023 through 10/01/2024.

Option Period 1 for a twelve-month period 10/02/2024 through 10/01/2025.

Option Period 2 for a twelve-month period 10/02/2025 through 10/01/2026.

Option Period 3 for a twelve-month period 10/02/2026 through 10/01/2027.

Place of Performance is 1315 East West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

(VIII) FAR 52.212-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND

COMMERCIAL SERVICES (MAR 2023), applies to this acquisition.

NOTICE TO OFFERORS: Instructions for submitting quotations under this request for quote must be followed. Failure to provide all information to aid in the evaluation may be considered non-responsive.

Offers that are non-responsive may be excluded from further evaluation and rejected without further notification to the offeror.

1. Submit PDF or Microsoft Word format quotations to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the time specified in the solicitation. Email quotes are required and can be sent to Stephanie.Long@noaa.gov.

2. Offeror shall have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM found at https://sam.gov/content/home) in order to provide a quote and be eligible for award. Must provide their UEID/CAGE CODE with their quote.

3. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of them or their capability.

4. Offerors must provide all evaluation criteria in accordance with FAR 52.212-2. Offerors who do not provide all evaluation criteria will not be accepted.

1. Technical Approach and Capability.

The Offeror’s overall technical approach will be evaluated to assess the Government's level of confidence in the Offeror’s understanding of, approach to, and ability to successfully perform the requirements as described in the Statement of Work. Provide a detailed description of the company’s experience performing similar services. A detailed technical approach write-up describing how the Offeror will perform this service is required to be submitted with the quote regardless of whether a site visit was made or not. The technical approach write-up must not be a reiteration of the Statement of Work, but how your company plans on performing the tasks listed in the attached Statement of Work. (i.e. performance checklists, anticipated number of employees, anticipated hours at the facility and/or confirmation of supplies being provided, etc.)

a. Technical approach write-up shall address all criterion listed within the requirements of the Statement of Work. It is acceptable to use the Statement of Work’s https://sam.gov/content/home

Requirements section formatting and tables within the Offeror’s technical approach write-up to ensure all criterion are addressed.

2. Past Performance.

The Offeror's past performance on related contracts will be evaluated to determine, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements, quality and timeliness of delivery of goods and services, cost management, communications between contracting parties, proactive management and customer satisfaction. The Government will use its discretion to determine the sources of past performance information used in the evaluation, and the information may be obtained from references provided by the Offeror, the agency’s knowledge of Offeror performance, other government agencies or commercial entities, or past performance databases, and will be based on responsiveness, quality, and customer services. Quote shall include at least two references for similar and relevant services including the phone number, full address, and e-mail address.

Offerors lacking relevant past performance history, or for whom past performance information is either not available or has not been submitted to the Government, will receive a neutral rating for past performance.

3. Price.

The Government will evaluate the price quote for completeness and reasonableness in relation to the RFQ requirements. Quoted prices must be entirely compatible with the Non- Price Technical Solution.

(IX) FAR 52.212-2, EVALUATION- COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES

(NOV 2021), applies to this acquisition. Offers will be evaluated based on price and the factors set forth in paragraph (a).

The evaluation will consider the Non-Price Technical Solution (Technical Approach and Past Performance) to be significantly more important than price. However, as quotes are determined to be more equal in the non-price evaluation factor, price becomes more important and may become the determining factor for award. If, at any stage of the evaluation, all vendors are determined to have submitted equal, or virtually equal, Non-Price Technical Solutions, price could become the factor in determining which vendor will receive the award.

The Government intends to evaluate the quotes and award a purchase order based on the Offeror’s initial quote; therefore, the Offeror’s initial quote should contain the Offeror’s best terms from a Non-Price Technical Solution and price standpoint.

The Government reserves the right not to award a purchase order depending on the quality of the quote(s) submitted and the availability of funds. Furthermore, the Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities or omissions in quotes received.

The Government may make award to other than the lowest-priced Offeror or the Offeror with the highest technical rating if the Contracting Officer determines that to do so would result in the best value to the Government. The Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall price to achieve only slightly superior performance capability.

(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.

Paragraph (a) is hereby completed as follows: Evaluation will be based on the following:

1. Technical Approach and Capability.

The Offeror’s overall technical approach will be evaluated to assess the Government's level of confidence in the Offeror’s understanding of, approach to, and ability to successfully perform the requirements as described in the Statement of Work. Provide a detailed description of the company’s experience performing similar services. A detailed technical approach write-up describing how the Offeror will perform this service is required to be submitted with the quote regardless of whether a site visit was made or not. The technical approach write-up must not be a reiteration of the Statement of Work, but how your company plans on performing the tasks listed in the attached Statement of Work. (i.e. performance checklists, anticipated number of employees, anticipated hours at the facility and/or confirmation of supplies being provided, etc.)

a. Technical approach write-up shall address all criterion listed within the requirements of the Statement of Work. It is acceptable to use the Statement of Work’s Requirements section formatting and tables within the Offeror’s technical approach write-up to ensure all criterion are addressed.

2. Past Performance.

The Offeror's past performance on related contracts will be evaluated to determine, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements, quality and timeliness of delivery of goods and services, cost management, communications between contracting parties, proactive management and customer satisfaction. The Government will use its discretion to determine the sources of past performance information used in the evaluation, and the information may be obtained from references provided by the Offeror, the agency’s knowledge of Offeror performance, other government agencies or commercial entities, or past performance databases, and will be based on responsiveness, quality, and customer services. Quote shall include at least two references for similar and relevant services including the phone number, full address, and e-mail address.

Offerors lacking relevant past performance history, or for whom past performance information is either not available or has not been submitted to the Government, will receive a neutral rating for past performance.

3. Price.

The Government will evaluate the price quote for completeness and reasonableness in relation to the RFQ requirements. Quoted prices must be entirely compatible with the Non- Price Technical Solution.

The Government intends to award a trade-off, single firm fixed-price purchase order on an all or none basis with payment terms of Net 30.

(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)

"THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR NON-RECEIPT OF QUOTES.

IT IS THE OFFEROR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST AND RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION OF

THE QUOTE RECEIPT".

CAR 1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010)

OFFERORS MUST SUBMIT ALL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS SOLICITATION IN WRITING

VIA EMAIL TO STEPHANIE.LONG@NOAA.GOV. QUESTIONS SHOULD BE RECEIVED NO

LATER THAN 12:00PM MST/MDT ON JULY 14, 2023. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation.

Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract.

(End of clause)

(X) FAR 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS-COMMERCIAL

PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (DEC 2022) (DEVIATION 2023-03) (DEC 2022),

applies to this acquisition.

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

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—

"Covered telecommunications equipment or services" has the meaning provided in the clause 52.204- 25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

Economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concern means a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned by, and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by, one or more women who are citizens of the United States and who are economically disadvantaged in accordance with 13 CFR part 127, and the concern is certified by SBA or an approved third-party certifier in accordance with 13 CFR 127.300. It automatically qualifies as a women-owned small business eligible under the WOSB Program.

Forced or indentured child labor means all work or service—

(1) Exacted from any person under the age of 18 under the menace of any penalty for its nonperformance and for which the worker does not offer himself voluntarily; or

(2) Performed by any person under the age of 18 pursuant to a contract the enforcement of which can be accomplished by process or penalties.

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

Immediate owner means an entity, other than the offeror, that has direct control of the offeror.

Indicators of control include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: ownership or interlocking management, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and equipment, and the common use of employees.

https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_204_25 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_204_25 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-127 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-127.300

Inverted domestic corporation, means a foreign incorporated entity that meets the definition of an inverted domestic corporation under 6 U.S.C. 395(b), applied in accordance with the rules and definitions of 6 U.S.C. 395(c).

Manufactured end product means any end product in product and service codes (PSCs) 1000-9999, except—

(1) PSC 5510, Lumber and Related Basic Wood Materials;

(2) Product or Service Group (PSG) 87, Agricultural Supplies;

(3) PSG 88, Live Animals;

(4) PSG 89, Subsistence;

(5) PSC 9410, Crude Grades of Plant Materials;

(6) PSC 9430, Miscellaneous Crude Animal Products, Inedible;

(7) PSC 9440, Miscellaneous Crude Agricultural and Forestry Products;

(8) PSC 9610, Ores;

(9) PSC 9620, Minerals, Natural and Synthetic; and

(10) PSC 9630, Additive Metal Materials.

Place of manufacture means the place where an end product is assembled out of components, or otherwise made or processed from raw materials into the finished product that is to be provided to the Government. If a product is disassembled and reassembled, the place of reassembly is not the place of manufacture.

Predecessor means an entity that is replaced by a successor and includes any predecessors of the predecessor.

Reasonable inquiry has the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

Restricted business operations means business operations in Sudan that include power production activities, mineral extraction activities, oil-related activities, or the production of military equipment, as those terms are defined in the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110- 174). Restricted business operations do not include business operations that the person (as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007) conducting the business can demonstrate—

(1) Are conducted under contract directly and exclusively with the regional government of southern Sudan;

(2) Are conducted pursuant to specific authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the Department of the Treasury, or are expressly exempted under Federal law from the requirement to be conducted under such authorization;

(3) Consist of providing goods or services to marginalized populations of Sudan;

(4) Consist of providing goods or services to an internationally recognized peacekeeping force or humanitarian organization;

http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title6-section395&num=0&edition=prelim http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title6-section395&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_204_25

(5) Consist of providing goods or services that are used only to promote health or education; or

(6) Have been voluntarily suspended."Sensitive technology"—

Sensitive technology—

(1) Means hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, or any other technology that is to be used specifically—

(i) To restrict the free flow of unbiased information in Iran; or

(ii) To disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict speech of the people of Iran; and

(2) Does not include information or informational materials the export of which the President does not have the authority to regulate or prohibit pursuant to section 203(b)(3)of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(3)).

Service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern—

(1) Means a small business concern—

(i) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans; and

(ii) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more service-disabled veteransor, in the case of a service-disabled veteran with permanent and severe disability, the spouse or permanent caregiver of such veteran.

(2) Service-disabled veteran means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16).

Small business concern—

(1) Means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field of operation, and qualified as a small business under the criteria in 13 CFR part 121 and size standards in this solicitation.

(2) Affiliates, as used in this definition, means business concerns, one of whom directly or indirectly controls or has the power to control the others, or a third party or parties control or have the power to control the others. In determining whether affiliation exists, consideration is given to all appropriate factors including common ownership, common management, and contractual relationships.

SBA determines affiliation based on the factors set forth at 13 CFR 121.103.

Small disadvantaged business concern, consistent with13 CFR 124.1002, means a small business concern under the size standard applicable to the acquisition, that—

(1) Is at least 51 percent unconditionally and directly owned (as defined at 13 CFR 124.105) by—

(i) One or more socially disadvantaged (as defined at13 CFR 124.103) and economically disadvantaged (as defined at 13 CFR 124.104) individuals who are citizens of the United States; and

(ii) Each individual claiming economic disadvantage has a net worth not exceeding $850,000 (DEVIATION 2023-03) after taking into account the applicable exclusions set forth at 13 CFR124.104(c)(2); and http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section101&num=0&edition=prelim http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section101&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-121

(2) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled (as defined at 13.CFR 124.106) by individuals, who meet the criteria in paragraphs (1)(i) and (ii) of this definition.

Subsidiary means an entity in which more than 50 percent of the entity is owned—

(1) Directly by a parent corporation; or

(2) Through another subsidiary of a parent corporation

Successor means an entity that has replaced a predecessor by acquiring the assets and carrying out the affairs of the predecessor under a new name (often through acquisition or merger). The term "successor" does not include new offices/divisions of the same company or a company that only changes its name.

The extent of the responsibility of the successor for the liabilities of the predecessor may vary, depending on State law and specific circumstances.

Veteran-owned small business concern means a small business concern—

(1) Not less than 51 percent of which is owned by one or more veterans (as defined at 38 U.S.C.

101(2)) or, in the case of any publicly owned business, not less than 51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more veterans; and

(2) The management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more veterans.

Women-owned business concern means a concern which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of its stock is owned by one or more women; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women

Women-owned small business concern means a small business concern—

(1) That is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least51 percent of the stock of which is owned by one or more women; and

(2) Whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women.

Women-owned small business (WOSB) concern eligible under the WOSB Program (in accordance with 13 CFR part 127), means a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned by, and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by, one or more women who are citizens of the United States, and the concern is certified by SBA or an approved third-party certifier in accordance with 13 CFR 127.300.

(b)

(1) Annual Representations and Certifications. Any changes provided by the Offeror in paragraph (b)(2) of this provision do not automatically change the representations and certifications in SAM.

(2) The offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically in SAM accessed through http://www.sam.gov. After reviewing SAM information, the Offeror verifies by submission of this offer that the representations and certifications currently posted electronically at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, have been entered or updated in the last 12 months, are current, accurate, complete, and applicable to this solicitation (including the business size standard(s) applicable to the NAICS code(s) referenced for this solicitation), at the time this offer is submitted and are incorporated in this offer by reference (see FAR 4.1201), except for paragraphs ______________.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-127 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-127.300 http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_212_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-4#FAR_4_1201

[Offeror to identify the applicable paragraphs at (c) through (v) of this provision that the offeror has completed for the purposes of this solicitation only, if any.

These amended representation(s) and/or certification(s) are also incorporated in this offer and are current, accurate, and complete as of the date of this offer.

Any changes provided by the offeror are applicable to this solicitation only, and do not result in an update to the representations and certifications posted electronically on SAM.]

(c) Offerors must complete the following representations when the resulting contract is for supplies to be delivered or services to be performed in the United States or its outlying areas, or when the contracting officer has applied part 19 in accordance with 19.000(b)(1)(ii). Check all that apply.

(1) Small business concern. The offeror represents as part of its offer that—

(i) It □ is, □ is not a small business concern; or

(ii) It □ is, □ is not a small business joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 121.103(h) and 13 CFR 125.8(a) and (b). [ The offeror shall enter the name and unique entity identifier of each party to the joint venture: __.]

(2) Veteran-owned small business concern. [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (c)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that it □ is, □ is not a veteran-owned small business concern.

(3) Service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. [ Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a veteran-owned small business concern in paragraph (c)(2) of this provision.] The offeror represents as part of its offer that—

(i) It □ is, □ is not a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern; or

(ii)It □ is, □ is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 125.18(b)(1) and (2). [The offeror shall enter the name and unique entity identifier of each party to the joint venture: __.] Each service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern participating in the joint venture shall provide representation of its service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern status.

(4) Small disadvantaged business concern. [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (c)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents, that it □ is, □ is not a small disadvantaged business concern as defined in 13 CFR 124.1002.

(5) Women-owned small business concern. [Complete only if the offeror represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (c)(1) of this provision.] The offeror represents that it □ is, □ is not a women-owned small business concern.

(6) WOSB joint venture eligible under the WOSB Program. The offeror represents that it □ is, □ is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 127.506(a) through (c).

[ The offeror shall enter the name and unique entity identifier of each party to the joint venture: __.]

(7) Economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) joint venture. The offeror represents that it □ is, □ is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 127.506(a) through (c).