II_01_ RFP_2032H8-24-R-00005 P00007 11.6.24.docx

Internal Revenue Service Office of the Chief Procurement Officer Acquisition Support and Professional Services

Request for Proposal (RFP) 2032H8-24-R-00005

Date Issued:

May 8, 2024

Amendment 00007 Date Issued:

November 7, 2024

Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO)

Table of Contents

Section M. EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD …………………………...……… See Attachments

Multiple-Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Request for Proposal (RFP)

Part I SECTION B. Services & Price/Costs B.1 Introduction The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to award a multiple award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for administrative, technical, information technology, and support services. This procurement is a competitive 8(a) set-aside. The solicitation will be solicited through FAR Part 12 – Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services and FAR Part 15 – Contracting by Negotiation via SAM.gov. The North American Industry Classification Code System (NAICS) codes are (Primary) 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services and 541511- Custom Computer Programming Services.

Award will be made based on a tradeoff evaluation using the criteria stated in Section L and Section M of this solicitation.

There will be three (3) separate and distinct competitions occurring simultaneously. The OCPO Acquisition Support and Professional Services (ASPS) Multiple Award IDIQ will consist of approximately five (5) separate and distinct 8(a) small business set-aside contracts for each of the three (3) following functional categories. The government reserves the right to award more or less than the estimated number of contracts or none if it is the best interest of the IRS.

For illustration purposes, the following provides a simplified visual depiction of the ASPS strategy:

Organizational Services Task

Customer Experience Task

Acquisition Lifecycle Planning Task

Acquisition Support Task

Data Management and Governance Task

Automation Task

Interested 8(a) small businesses will only be able to submit one (1) proposal for each Functional Category. The Offeror is not required to submit a proposal for all three (3) Functional Categories but rather only the category(ies) it qualifies for and would like the Government to consider.

For example, if the Offeror would like to be considered for Functional Categories 1 and 2, the Offeror shall submit two, separate and distinct proposals, one for each Functional Category in response to its respective solicitation.

Cross Teaming Limitation An Offeror (including affiliates, divisions, subsidiaries, or joint venture (JV) participants) shall only participate as a Prime Contractor/Offeror/Subcontractor/Team member/Consultant in the submission of one proposal in response to each FC.

For example, if a Prime Offeror who is part of a Joint Venture (JV) submits a proposal for FC1, as an individual member of the Joint Venture, they shall not propose to the same FC1 as a first-tier subcontractor on another proposal or as a Prime Offeror. However, a proposal as Prime or Subcontractor for FC2 or FC3 may be submitted.

Similarly, only one company within the same corporate structure (regardless of whether they are sharing resources from a parent company, affiliate, division, and/or subsidiary), shall submit a proposal in response to the same FC. All proposals violating these prohibitions will not be evaluated for award.

Solicitation Question(s):

Offerors are instructed to read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments pertaining to this solicitation on sam.gov prior to submitting questions and/or preparing a proposal. All questions or concerns regarding any aspect of this solicitation shall be submitted electronically via email to OCPO.ASPS.Requirement@irs.gov no later than November 15, 2024 at 10:00 am Eastern Time.

The subject line of the e-mail shall contain the following: “2032H8-24-R-00005 – Solicitation Question(s).” Offerors shall clearly identify the specific section of the solicitation to which each question relates when submitting questions. Reference shall be made to the solicitation section heading, pdf. page number of the solicitation, specific location on the page (e.g. paragraph 2.3) to facilitate the Government’s response to each question. Questions shall be submitted on the Solicitation Question Form, Attachment #13.

Proposal Submission Phase 2 Offerors shall include the appropriate Phase 2 electronic volume and proposal documents as stated in Section L of this solicitation via email to OCPO.ASPS.Requirement@irs.gov no later than November 22, 2024, at 2:00 pm Eastern Time.

Questions or concerns sent to an email address other than the one identified above will not be considered by the Government.

B.2 Price Schedule Line Item Table Track 1: Functional Category 1 - Optimization

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Base Period (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

The purpose of this line item is to provide the obligated Minimum Quantity Guarantee

Period of Performance:

Within one (1) year of IDIQ award Base Period (Firm-Fixed-Price)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46.

Option Period 1 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 2 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price List)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (See Price List)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 3 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price List)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price List)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 4 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Track 2: Functional Category 2 - Acquisition Lifecycle Planning and Support Services

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Base Period (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

The purpose of this line item is to provide the obligated Minimum Quantity Guarantee

Period of Performance:

Within one (1) year of IDIQ award Base Period (Firm-Fixed-Price)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 1 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 2 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 3 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 4 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Track 3: Functional Category 3 - Information Technology (IT)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price List)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price List)

Base Period (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Base Period (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

The purpose of this line item is to provide the obligated Minimum Quantity Guarantee

Period of Performance:

Within one (1) year of IDIQ award Base Period (Firm-Fixed-Price)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 1 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 1 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price List)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 2 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 2 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 3 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 3 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Option Period 4 (12 months) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) (Reference Attached Price Template)

Travel will be reimbursable in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations and FAR 31.205-46 Option Period 4 (12 months) (Reference Attached Price Template)

B.3 IDIQ Maximum and Minimum Amounts The maximum value (total of the base and all option periods) of each contract awarded because of this solicitation is:

This type of contract requires the Government to order and the Contractor to furnish at least a stated minimum quantity of supplies or services. The Post Award Conference will meet this minimum quantity guarantee and will not exceed $250.00 per awardee/contract.

SECTION C. Description/Specifications/Performance Work Statement

C.1.0 INTRODUCTION

C.1.1 Background:

The mission of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is to provide America’s taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all. The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) provides acquisition life-cycle support for the IRS, the Department of Treasury Departmental Offices (DO), and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). On average, each year, the IRS executes 1,900 contracts with a total contract value under $10M; 60 contracts with a total contract value over $10M and under $100M; and 15 contracts with a total contract value over $100M. OCPO is comprised of the following divisions:

1. Acquisition Management & Planning (AMP) – Proactively engages customers and stakeholders to deliver effective, advanced acquisition planning services and drive innovative, optimal acquisition solutions. AMP’s acquisition professionals offer the highest level of customer service and consult on technical and administrative processes throughout all stages of the acquisition life cycle.

2. Office of Analytics, Research, & Technology (ART) – Provides program management support for procurement data systems, maintains data repositories, and conducts advanced data analytics. Additionally, ART leads the identification, testing, and implementation of tools and technologies to support an efficient, data-driven workforce and the improvement of processes and controls. ART applies best practices in change management and quality assurance to deliver the right solutions to achieve data-informed, technology-assisted performance improvement.

3. Office of Business Solutions Acquisition (OBSA) – Plans, negotiates, executes, and manages the procurements of non-information technology products and services nationwide for the IRS and Treasury.

4. Office of Information Technology Acquisition (OITA) – Plans, negotiates, executes, and manages the procurements of information technology (IT) products and services for IRS, Treasury, and BEP.

5. Office of Resource Planning (ORP) – Coordinates internal processes, resources, procedures, and collaboration tools to keep functioning at peak performance. ORP manages business operations, organizational strategy and evaluation, budget planning and execution, human resources, communications, and risk management activities.

6. Office of Procurement Policy (OPP) – Conducts pre-award, post-award, compliance, and quality assurance reviews and assists in formulating and implementing processes and procedures that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement operations. OPP also develops and maintains procurement policies, monitors small business utilization, manages, and monitors Delegations of Procurement Authority, oversees the restricted purchase list, and ensures ratifications of unauthorized commitments are supported and properly documented. Additionally, the OPP identifies and delivers developmental opportunities and manages acquisition training and certification programs.

C.1.2 Scope:

The Contractor shall provide all necessary qualified personnel and services as described in this Performance Work Statement (PWS) and specified through individual orders.

The Contractor shall provide a range of support to include but not limited to consulting, program management, communications, organizational effectiveness (OE), strategic planning, acquisition support services, acquisition pre-planning activities, enterprise lifecycle, data analysis, data visualization, Microsoft support services, and robotic process automation. The Contractor shall provide dedicated staff with relevant expertise within the task area supported.

Due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) the IRS expects to see an increase in the volume of contracts executed. The Contractor shall support the IRS in execution, tracking, reporting, and managing IRA related actives in support of IRA spend and strategy execution. The Contractor shall provide consultants to assist with the ability to optimize, modernize, process improve, and create new tools/processes for tracking, reporting, auditing, executing, and validating IRA related activities.

These services may be used by other IRS Business Units for program/project management, stakeholder engagement including facilitation, data analysis and visualization, governance, communications, automation, tracking, gap analysis and recommending, reporting, auditing, user experience/change management, and strategy updating as it pertains to the optimization of the IRS.

The Contractor shall ensure alignment with IRS and Treasury strategic goals and objectives as well as government-wide policies/procedures/Executive Orders, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Department of the Treasury Acquisition Regulation (DTAR), Department of the Treasury Acquisition Procedures (DTAP), and other IRS procurement specific policies/procedures. The Contractor shall utilize industry best practices and lessons learned to minimize risk and improve efficiencies within each task area.

This is a non-personal services IDIQ contract. As such, the Government will not exercise any supervision or control over Contractor employees performing the services herein. Such Contractor service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor(s), who in turn, are responsible to the Government.

C.2.0 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

C.2.1 Performance Summary Contractor personnel shall perform assigned tasks within established deadlines, attend and participate in formal and ad hoc meetings, draft and review documents, schedules and related items, maintain accurate work products and documentation, follow and adhere to applicable IRS policies and procedures, meet and correspond with other IRS and Government personnel, including other Contractor personnel, and provide services and support to successfully satisfy the requirements of this IDIQ contract and its orders.

C.2.2 Approved IRS Software and Languages The following are currently approved IRS software, tools, and data coding used to support this IDIQ contract. This list is shared for informational purposes and may change as the IRS optimizes and modernizes over the life of the IDIQ.

· Microsoft 365 Suite – PowerBI, Power Automate, SharePoint Online, PowerApps, DAX, PowerQuery, and Excel for Data Analytics

· Languages – RSstudio, Python, and Jupyter Notebook Cobol

· Survey - Qualtrics

· Oracle - SQL

· Systems Applications and Products (SAP)/Procurement Public Sector (PPS) - Procurement Writing System

· Visual Basics for Applications C.2.3 Specific Functional Categories and Tasks The Contractor shall provide the services necessary to meet the scope of the contract and the individual orders, as related to the Functional Categories and PWS Tasks reflected in the below table:

Functional Category 1 - Optimization

Organizational Services Task - PWS para C.2.4.1

Customer Experience Task - PWS para C.2.4.2

Functional Category 2 - Acquisition Lifecycle Planning and Support Services

Acquisition Lifecycle Planning Task - PWS para C.2.5.1

Acquisition Support Task - PWS para C.2.5.2

Functional Category 3 - Information Technology

Data Management and Governance Task - PWS para C.2.6.1

Automation Task - PWS para C.2.6.2

C.2.4 Optimization The Contractor shall support a full range of procurement organizational management services that are required for on-going and emerging activities. The Contractor shall develop methods to track and implement current and emerging activities. Services include effective business process optimization and creation, auditing, policy assessments, data analysis, consulting, planning, and facilitating. The Contractor shall also develop and maintain tools and templates for new processes including leveraging lessons learned and audit findings for process improvement that minimizes risk and improves efficiencies.

C.2.4.1 Organizational Services The Contractor shall create solutions for projects that require consultative and analytic expertise to achieve strategic outcomes. Support requires expertise in a broad range of services which include:

· Policy optimization and streamlining

· Organizational change management

· Design and transformation support

· Developing career models

· Assisting in talent management and recruiting strategies

· Developing workforce plans

· Experience in organizational communications

· Strategic planning

· Developing and analyzing performance metrics

· Coaching and mentorship

· Recommending techniques to implement organizational change

· Compiling findings, briefings, narrative summaries/briefs, and statistical analysis into complex written reports

· Training and professional development on OCPO-specific needs C.2.4.2 Customer Experience The Contractor shall provide expertise in Customer Experience (CX) methodologies and improvement strategies for the acquisition lifecycle. The support services shall include:

· Journey mapping

· Story boarding

· Process and tool mapping

· Providing customer research

· Conducting stakeholder interviews

· Performing surveying

· Recommending mapping tools and processes C.2.5 Acquisition Lifecycle Planning and Support Services The Contractor shall provide a broad range of acquisition support. Services include supporting all phases of the acquisition lifecycle involving planning, requirements definition, category management, solicitation development, evaluation, award, post-award management, contract closeout, and other administrative support. The Contractor shall also provide analysis and execution of strategic activities in support of sourcing goals.

C.2.5.1 Acquisition Lifecycle Planning The Contractor shall provide expert facilitation services and subject matter expertise to execute goals within the acquisition lifecycle and Category Management, innovation, and strategic sourcing functions. Support of all phases of the acquisition lifecycle to include:

· Proficiency in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) category management principles, policies, and executive orders

· Performing short- and long-range forecasting

· Writing and developing requirements

· Conducting procurement package triage

· Supplier/industry engagement activities

· Utilizing industry best practices to innovate the acquisition lifecycle

· Knowledge of federal government procurement practices and innovative planning activities

· Analysis and execution of strategic activities associated with the acquisition of specific commodities, and services in support of strategic sourcing goals. The strategic sourcing goals include, but are not limited to:

· All acquisition components of the strategic sourcing process such as consulting, facilitating, category/commodity profiling, and market and trend analysis.

C.2.5.2 Acquisition Support The Contractor shall provide a full range of acquisition lifecycle support services (i.e. acquisition planning, market research, pre-solicitation, solicitation, cost and price/audit analysis, pre-award, award, contract administration and management and contract close-out) to include:

· Tracking and reporting acquisition actions

· Preparing contract documents in SAP/PPS, Procurement Request Information System Management (PRISM), Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), or other procurement writing systems

· Creating Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) - Next Generation records

· Routing procurement documents through Acquisition Workflow Approval Routing Efficiency (AWARE) or other review/routing tools for internal procurement reviews

· Ensuring procurement files are stored appropriately in document repository

· Assisting in the training of customers on the different acquisition strategies and approaches to enable them to make decisions based on desired mission outcomes that are aligned to the FAR, Treasury Regulations, IRS policies and procedures.

Acquisition lifecycle support shall be in accordance with all Government regulations and policies including the FAR, DTAR, DTAP, and other IRS procurement specific policies/procedures.

C.2.6 Information Technology The Contractor shall provide a full range of technical support and solutions to achieve organizational efficiency. To support the agency mission, projects and system requirements, the Government requires information technology services such as data processing, analyses, and automation. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide services for various applications and systems in support of ongoing operations.

C.2.6.1 Data Management and Governance The Contractor shall perform automated data processing, and any other reports or analyses directed toward improving the effectiveness, efficiency and economy of management and general administrative operations. Tasks to include:

· Assisting with the analysis of workload and workflow

· Providing technical support services necessary to deliver and ensure ongoing operations of M365 applications and SharePoint Online environment which include but not limited to:

· SharePoint design, information security, data and application integration

· Web parts, data workflow, forms, web content management, data and SharePoint libraries

· System integration and data connection, data ingestion and analysis

· Data tracking, customer consultation/coordination, briefings

· Requirements specification analysis, data analysis, reporting, planning, and technical services

· Designing, development, integration, and maintenance of tools and subsequent data governance

· Developing and maintaining of SharePoint sites to include but not limited to:

· Support for the development, maintenance, and user training of workflow and document management

· Design, build, expand and maintenance of data warehouse

· Development, and maintenance of operational & project visualizations and dashboards

· Inclusive of charts and graphs for improved decision making C.2.6.2 Automation The Contractor shall perform tasks that automate repetitive contracting activities and extract high-definition information from Government contract files. Tasks to include:

· Running robotic processes automation bots (e.g., UiPath, Power Automate)

· Running algorithms to extract text from documents, validation of information, developing code (e.g., R, Python), delivering automated solutions, and natural language/ large language capabilities to search text

· Providing skilled personnel with experience to assist with robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, and building natural language processing solutions. Provide trustworthy artificial intelligence reporting (e.g. Executive Order 13960). Ability to identify and suggest process improvements, and the creation of new tools for digitalization of new and existing processes.

· Usability testing and provide technical documentation for all their work C.2.7 Travel Contractor personnel may be required to travel to support services required under individual orders. All travel shall be in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). All travel requires Government approval/authorization and notification to the order level Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

Contractor personnel who travel in support of orders issued will be held to the same standard and requirements Government personnel are required to adhere to. Examples include, but are not limited to renting economy cars, staying at hotels only at the Government per diem rate (if the Government per diem rate is not offered, a cost comparison needs to be completed and approved by the Contracting Officer (CO) in advance of the travel occurring), utilizing the cheapest form of parking at airport locations (i.e. long term or extended parking), and purchasing airline tickets at the lowest possible rate (if the lowest rate is not selected, reasons for a higher rate will need to be documented and approved prior to travel occurring).

C.3.0 DATA REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

C.3.1 Transition-In/Transition-Out Plan There may be a need for a Transition-In and/or Transition-Out Plan at the order level. The Contractor shall facilitate the transition of contracted activities and services to the appropriate Government personnel and from/to a follow-on Contractor in accordance with the Government approved plan. The transition duration and reporting requirements will be identified at the order level.

C.3.2 Quality Control Plan The Contractor shall provide a Quality Control Plan for each order that describes the application of the appropriate methodologies for accomplishing performance expectations and objectives. The Contractor’s plan is the means the work complies with the stated requirements and ensures non-recurrence of defective services. The Contractor shall identify and implement its approach for providing and ensuring quality to meet the requirements in the order level PWS.

C.3.3 Reports Reports will be identified and required at the order level.

C.4.0 MEETING REQUIREMENTS

C.4.1 Post Award Conference The Contractor shall participate in an IDIQ post award conference. The exact day, time, and location of the conference is to be determined, but contractors will be notified at least 10 (ten) calendar days in advance of the scheduled conference. The purpose of the post award conference is to aid both the Contractor and the Government in achieving a clear and mutual understanding of contract requirements and identify and resolve potential problems.

A post award Conference may be required at the order level, the meeting requirements will be determined at that time.

C.4.2 Additional Meetings The Contractor may be asked to attend or conduct meetings, provide meeting minutes, prepare agendas, and participate in ad hoc communications. The meeting requirements will be identified at the order level.

C.5.0 KEY PERSONNEL

Key personnel will be specified at the order level.

C.6.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Orders issued under this IDIQ will be performance-based. Each order will have a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan with specific performance standards and measures.

C.7.0 DELIVERABLE TABLE

C.7.1 Other Deliverables Additional deliverables will be identified and required at the order level.

C.8.0 GENERAL PWS INFORMATION

C.8.1 Government and Contractor Furnished Property, Materials, or Information The need for Government Furnished Property (GFP), Materials (GFM), or Information (GFI), will be determined at the order level.

C.8.2 Place of Performance The primary place of performance will be in the Metropolitan DC area (Lanham, MD, Washington, DC) and any additional locations will be determined at the IDIQ order level. Individual orders may allow for work at the Government’s site, pre-approved remote locations, or telework. If the contractor chooses to perform work at a location other than the Government facility, the resulting travel to and from the Government’s facility would not be reimbursable as a direct charge under this contract.

The place of performance may not change on any orders without the written approval of the CO. Any work performed at a location other than the previously approved place of performance will not be accepted.

Telework: Contractors may be allowed to telecommute (see FAR 7.108), under certain circumstances, pending the current policy regarding this subject and the approval of the COR.

Work performed at a remote location (i.e., telework) utilizing Government provided laptops and access to Government/IRS systems shall be billed at the Government site rates on invoices submitted on all orders.

Place of performance will be identified in each resulting order.

C.8.3 Hours of Operation The hours of operation shall be determined at the order level.

The Contractor shall not perform any services on the following Government recognized holidays, unless authorized in advance by the COR:

1. New Year’s Day

2. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday

3. President’s Day

4. Memorial Day

5. Juneteenth

6. Independence Day

7. Labor Day

8. Columbus Day

9. Veteran’s Day

10. Thanksgiving Day

11. Christmas Day

The U.S. Government also observes the following:

Any day designated by Federal Statute Any day designated by Executive Order Any day designated by Presidential Proclamation

These parameters may be altered in each order.

C.8.4 Non-Disclosure Agreements All Contractor personnel (to include subcontractors, teaming partners, and consultants) who will be personally and substantially involved in the performance of the orders issued which require the Contractor to act on behalf of or provide advice with respect to any phase of an agency procurement, as defined in FAR 3.104-4, shall execute and submit an “Employee/Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement” Form. This is required prior to the commencement of any work on such order and whenever replacement personnel are proposed under an ongoing order. Any information obtained or provided in the performance of any order is only to be used in the performance of that order.

C.8.5 Disclosure and Avoidance of Inherently Governmental Functions The Contractor shall not perform or give the appearance of performing inherently governmental functions as described in FAR Parts 2 and 7. All Contractor personnel shall identify themselves as Contractor support personnel in all forms of communication with all entities with whom the IRS has business dealings. The Contractor shall:

· Answer all telephone calls and have a personalized voice message with an introductory statement including the fact the person is Contractor support personnel.

· Include a title block in all emails stating the person is Contractor support personnel. For example: Jane Doe, Professional Services Unit, Contractor Support to the IRS.

· Ensure those persons with whom the Contractor interacts with in any face-to-face, or video teleconferences, understands the person is Contractor support personnel.

Section D. Packaging and Marking Packaging and marking required under this IDIQ contract will be specified at the individual order level.

Section E. Inspection and Acceptance Inspection and inspection of service required under this IDIQ contract will be specified at the individual order level.

Section F. Deliveries or Performance F.1 Period of Performance The period of performance for the IDIQ will include a 12-month base Period and four (4) 12-month option periods.

The period of performance of each order will be specified at the individual order level.

F.2 Place of Performance The place of performance will be specified at the individual order level.

F.3 Delivery Schedule The delivery schedule will be specified at the individual order level.

Section G. Contract Administration Data

G.1 Accounting and Appropriation Data

CLIN/SLIN/SC

Accounting Code

Obligation Amt

Period of Performance

G.2 Identification of Government Personnel

The Government reserves the right to administratively substitute any of the points of contact listed below at any time. The CO is the only person authorized to change this contract or orders issued. Thereunder, the Contractor shall not comply with any order, direction, or request of Government personnel- that would constitute a change - unless it is issued in writing and signed by the CO or is pursuant to specific authority otherwise included as part of this contract. If, in the opinion of the contractor an effort outside the existing scope of this contract is requested, the contractor shall promptly comply with the Notification of Changes clause of this contract.

Contracting Officer Name: Sharrye Favron Contracting Officer Email Address: sharrye.n.favron@irs.gov

Other Point of Contact(s) Contract Specialist (CS), Ronald Callender: ronald.a.callenderjr@irs.gov Contract Specialist (CS), Davida Patton: davida.e.patton@irs.gov

IR1052.201-70 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) appointment and authority (APR 2015)

(a) The COR is TBD.

(b) Performance of work under this contract is subject to the technical direction of the COR identified above, or a representative designated in writing. The term “technical direction” includes, without limitation, direction to the contractor that directs or redirects the labor effort, shifts the work between work areas or locations, and/or fills in details and otherwise serves to ensure that tasks outlined in the work statement are accomplished satisfactorily.

(c) Technical direction must be within the scope of the contract specification(s)/work statement. The COR does not have authority to issue technical direction that:

(1) Constitutes a change of assignment or additional work outside the contract specification(s)/work statement;

(2) Constitutes a change as defined in the clause entitled “Changes”;

(3) In any manner causes an increase or decrease in the contract price, or the time required for contract performance;

(4) Changes any of the terms, conditions, or specification(s)/work statement of the contract;

(5) Interferes with the contractor's right to perform under the terms and conditions of the contract; or

(6) Directs, supervises or otherwise controls the actions of the Contractor's employees.

(d) Technical direction may be oral or in writing. The COR must confirm oral direction in writing within five workdays, with a copy to the Contracting Officer.

(e) The Contractor shall proceed promptly with performance resulting from the technical direction issued by the COR. If, in the opinion of the Contractor, any direction of the COR or the designated representative falls within the limitations of (c) above, the Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer no later than the beginning of the next Government workday.

(f) Failure of the Contractor and the Contracting Officer to agree that technical direction is within the scope of the contract shall be subject to the terms of the clause entitled “Disputes.”

(End of clause)

IR 1052.232-9001 Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements for the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) (JUL 2019)

(a) Definitions:

"Short payment" as used in this clause means the partial payment of an invoice for goods/services actually rendered at the time of payment when the invoice includes additional goods/services that have not yet been provided/rendered.

“Short payment” example: The contract requires the delivery of a set number of items, with the price, delivery location, and delivery due date also specified. The vendor delivers 50% of the items as specified but invoices for 100% of the items. Before implementation of the IPP, the IRS would have paid the vendor for the items delivered and instructed the vendor to re-invoice the IRS when the balances of the items were delivered. In other words, the IRS would "short pay" the invoice since the IRS did not remit payment for the full invoice amount. With implementation of the IPP, the IRS can no longer do this because the IRS cannot accept an electronic invoice that includes items not yet received. The IRS will reject the invoice. The vendor needs to submit an invoice for only the items received by the IRS (in this case, 50%), and, if these items meet all other contract terms and conditions, the IRS will pay the invoiced amount. The vendor submits subsequent invoice(s) for items as they are delivered and accepted.

(b) The Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) is a secure Web-based electronic invoicing and payment information service available to all Federal agencies and their suppliers. Effective October1, 2012, invoicing for payment through the IPP will be mandatory for all new contract awards. Additional information regarding the IPP may be found at the IPP website address https://www.ipp.gov. Contractors must complete the contractor POC information below and submit it with their proposal submissions. Contractors may contact the IPP Helpdesk for assistance via e-mail at ippgroup@stls.frb.org or via phone at (866) 973-3131. Once a contract award has been made, the contractor will be contacted by the IPP via e-mail to set-up an account. It will be necessary for contractors to login to their IPP accounts every 90 days to keep their IPP accounts active.

(c) Contractor POC Information Contractor Name: _________________________________________ Contractor IPP POC Name: _________________________________ Contractor Phone Number: __________________________________ Contractor E-mail Address: __________________________________

(d) Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements Vendor invoices submitted electronically through the IPP should be in the proper format and contain the information required for payment processing. To be approved for payment, a “proper invoice” must list the items specified in FAR 52.232-25 (a)(3)(i) through (a)(3)(x), or in the case of a Commercial Item Contract, the items included in 52.212-4(g)(1)(i) through (g)(1)(x).

If the vendor is offering a discount via the IPP, the discount must be reflected on the invoice. The vendor will select 'Create Invoice'. The IPP system will default to ‘Net 30 Prompt Pay’ under the Payment Terms dropdown box. The vendor will select from 54 different discount options for the invoice that is being created. If the vendor chooses to offer a discount on the invoice screen, the information will interface to the payment system for processing. Discounts that are offered on attachments rather than the invoice itself cannot be accepted.

Under this contract, the following documents are required, at a minimum, to be submitted as an attachment to the invoice:

Contractor shall submit one (1) invoice per month to include all costs for both the Prime and any Subcontractors. The Contractor shall invoice for CAF funding per monthly invoice.

Please do not submit into IPP any documentation/attachments that conflict with what is stated on the invoice.

Payment and Invoice Questions:

For payment and invoice questions, contact the Ancillary Systems at (304) 254-3372 or via e- mail at cfo.fm.ipp.customer.support@irs.gov.

(e) Waiver If the Contractor is unable to use the IPP for submitting payment requests starting on October 1, 2012, then a waiver form must be completed and submitted with the contractor’s proposal submission for review and approval by the CO based on one of the conditions listed in the waiver. The vendor will be notified prior to award as to whether their request for waiver has been approved or denied. If the waiver is granted, then a copy of the waiver must be submitted with each paper invoice that the vendor submits to the payment office, or the invoice will be returned.

(f) Short Payment Short payment on vendor submitted invoices will no longer be processed or paid. If any portion of the invoice does not meet the requirements for a proper invoice, the entire invoice shall be rejected and returned to the vendor unpaid.

IRS IPP Waiver Form The IRS invoicing and payment requirements clause (IR 1052.232-9000) requires that all invoices under awards made (or effective) on or after October 1, 2012, be submitted electronically via the IPP unless a waiver is requested and granted. If the Contractor is unable to submit its invoice through the IPP, the Contractor shall complete this waiver form indicating the reason for the waiver request by selecting the appropriate box below and providing a narrative summarizing in detail the circumstances requiring a waiver. For a solicitation, submit the waiver form with the proposal submission. For a modification that incorporates the IPP clause into an existing contract, submit the waiver form with the modification. The CO will notify the vendor via e-mail or another appropriate means of communication prior to award as to whether their waiver has been approved or denied. If the waiver is granted, then a copy of the approved waiver must be submitted with each invoice that the vendor submits to the payment office, or the invoice will be returned. Reason for requesting a waiver of the requirement to submit an electronic invoice via the IPP:

1. Submission of invoices through IPP would impose a hardship on an individual (includes employees and sole proprietors) due to either a physical or mental disability; a geographic, language, or literacy barrier; or an undue financial burden. The requirement to submit invoices through the IPP is automatically waived for all individuals who do not have payment capability using ACH with a U.S. financial institution.

2. The political, financial or communications infrastructure where the place of business is located does not support access to the IPP for submitting invoices electronically.

3. The contractor is located within an area designated by the President of the United States or an authorized agency administration as a disaster area. (Please identify area/location.)

4. The submission of invoices electronically may pose a threat to national security, the life or physical safety of an individual may be endangered, or a law…