digitization QandA updates 8.14.24.pdf

1. Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management, SAM, https://www.sam.gov/. All offerors ho bid on Federal Government contracts are required to be registered and update Sam.gov registrations annually.

2. Is this solicitation on for those with GSA Schedules, and specifically those with SIN 51210ERM Electronic Records Management Solutions? TFE does not hold such a schedule, but offers a competitive solution that is being utilized by DOE at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, and will be implemented in the next month for DOE’s prime contractor Savannah River Mission Completion.

• Not at this time, since this is just for digitization

3. Is there a specific format for the pricing? We recognized that this is firm fixed price; however, would you like to see that price by task, or simply one total price?

• One total price for the project (i.e. requirements in the SOW based on boxes being shipped)

4. Would you please confirm the period of performance is 12 months? In Section 13, it states “TBD.” Section 16 indicates that close-out will be 12 months after vendor start.

• 12 months after vendor starts digitizing with a 12 months warranty for quality control factors.

5. Is there a deadline for questions, should we have others?

• There is no specific deadline for questions, as long as there is enough time for us to gather the needed information and be able to put out the information to al vendors.

6. What is the NARA approved vendor list mentioned?

• Contractor list obtained from NARA containing contractor listings. Has contractors listed that are NARA-Compliant Digitization Services for Federal Records.

7. What are the expected quality metrics from the digitization of physical records?

• Metrics can be found here: Digitization of Federal Records | National Archives and in

SOW. The link to NARA provides everything NARA requires when digitizing. The link goes in detail the formatting and digital requirements.

8. What is the budget for the digitization project?

• We ask each vendor to please submit their most fair and reasonable bid and we will consider all bids along with the other evaluations factors listed in section 12 of the SOW starting on page 21

9. Is this solicitation of digitization of physical records a set-aside?

• It is not, the specific requirements can be found in the SOW (FIRM FIXED PRICED, QUALITY

OF THE TECHNICAL APPROACH, PAST PERFORMANCE,ETC)

10. SOW pg 7 “AI may be leveraged to enhance categorization, tagging, and metadata assignment.”

• To assist vendors with assessing the level of effort needed to train the AI engine, can the Agency please provide the categorization, tagging, and metadata requirements?

https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/policy/digitization

• Please see NARA’s digitization requirements … Digitization of Federal Records | National Archives

11. SOW pg. 7 “To scan and digitize approximately 500,000 pages and/or visual media according to NARAs digitization rules which is found in 36 CFR 1236 Subpart D, Regulations on Digitizing Temporary Records and 36 CFR 1236 Subpart E, Regulations for Digitizing Permanent Records.”

• What are all the types of visual media that will be encountered? If unknown, what types should vendors assume?

• SOW Pg. 10

• What percentage distribution of the total volume (500k) does the Agency estimate will be paper and each type of visual media? If unknown, what percentages of each should vendors assume?

• 90% or better is paper records – 10% or less is media

12. SOW pg 9 “The standard strategy creates a digital twin using details from physical content.”…“This unknown content will utilize the digital twin using details from physical content as needed for upload purposes into the platform.”

SOW pg 14 Table 1 “Vendor will utilize a deep digital twin methodology, which includes relating manifest/box/folder-level information to processed content”

SOW pg 17 “Loose content in a folder will also be bundled together, and a folder will be output-scanned as a single PDF using a digital twin approach.”

Can the Agency please clarify “digital twin” in the context of this scanning project?

• Please research Digital Twin Methodology to understand this requirement.

13. A.) SOW pg 14 Table 1 “Image Resolution in DPI = 500”

SOW pg 19 “The Vendor will process all documents at 500 DPI”

SOW pg 19 “The Vendor typically will process all documents at 300 DPI once QA is completed on the PDF.”

• This is a typo if it says 300 – should say 500

B.) Can the Agency please confirm the required DPI output? Industry standard DPI settings are 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1200.

• NARA’s current standard is 300DPI and we expect this to change, thus we are requiring 500 DPI.

14. A) SOW pg 15 “Handwriting will need to be assessed on an as needed basis.”

14. B) What percentage of the 500K should vendors assume will have handwriting?

• Less than 1%

15. A.) SOW pg. 16 “All content will be physical and in records boxes (1.3 cubic feet or approximately 2500 pages each box).”

Will the non-paper (visual) media be intermingled within the paper folders or is the non-paper media filed separately?

• Co-mingled

16. SOW pg 17 “Scope of volume is assumed at 500,000 images for backfile scanning. This is estimated to be 230 boxes.” Should the vendor assume the 500K images includes all backsides?

• No – 500,000 is a per physical page estimate (pages may have both sides printed on but not necessarily).

17. A.) SOW pg. 17 “Non-CUI / Non-PII documents expected as a security level for processing” SOW pg. 21 “The Vendor must ensure all employees maintain at least a Public Trust background check to ensure integrity of CUI information. This will be provided by the Vendor and is not an additional cost to SEPA.”

• Yes – they must have a Public Trust due to our CUI documents.

B.) Can the Agency confirm what tier is required?

• Tier 2

18. SOW pg. 17 “Documents are organized in folders and individually in boxes.”

• What percentage of the volume scope should vendors assume are folders vs. individual documents (not in a folder)?

19. What should vendors assume is the average number of pages per folder?

• What should vendors assume is the average number of pages per individual document

(not in a folder)?

o Unkown

• What should vendors assume is the average number of pages per folder?

o Unkown

• What should vendors assume is the average number of pages per individual document (not in a folder)?

o Unkown

20. SOW pg. 18 “Permanent processed content will be placed back into folders and boxes for return to a SEPA nominated location upon request, but no later than three months after content is digitized.”

• What percentage of the 230 boxes should vendors assume are permanent content for return to SEPA?

• About 50%

• What are the ‘SEPA nominated location(s)’ the permanent boxes would be return-shipped to?

• Back to the address they originated from

21. SOW pg. 19 “Maps of larger sizes”…”Some oversized maps are included, and odd sized documents and media included”

• What is the length of the longest map side?

• Unknown

• What percentage of the paper volume is larger than 11”x17”? If unknown, what percentage should vendors assume?

• Less than 1%

22. SOW pg. 19 “Aged paper going back to 1900’s could be involved with long term content and is very fragile.”

• What percentage of the total volume should vendors assume will require special handling due to the fragility of the source material?

• 75% or better. Most of these records are from the 1920s-1980s

• There is also some VHS, media, and handwritten

23. Do we have to submit a firm fixed price in the proposal or do we submit a breakdown of price for various digitization steps?

• We would like 1 amount to accomplish the requirements.

• You can also submit a breakdown of how your company came up with the price

24. Most current (518210DC) NARA-Compliant Digitization Services for Federal Records

Subgroup list

• 2024_08_14_08_35_37 NARA compliant digitization services for federal records subgroup llist.xlsx

25. Which Employees must have the required background checks/security clearances to work on the digitization project?

• Anyone involved with the handling of records requires a public trust. Thus, if the selected vendor plans to have administrative staff or other staff that never touch or see these records, then we wouldn’t require them to have a Public Trust.

26. Vendor is responsible for shipping to and from destination file://FILESERVER/Public/LAA/Juvonna/Digitization/2024_08_14_08_35_37%20NARA%20compliant%20digitization%20services%20for%20federal%20records%20subgroup%20llist.xlsx file://FILESERVER/Public/LAA/Juvonna/Digitization/2024_08_14_08_35_37%20NARA%20compliant%20digitization%20services%20for%20federal%20records%20subgroup%20llist.xlsx