Copy of Solicitation Number 260734 Custom Photography Questions Answers FINAL.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 23 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Custom Photography
- Solicitation number
- 260734
- Issued by
- Not on record
About this file
This is a Questions and Answers document addressing clarifications to the RFQ for Custom Photography (Solicitation 260734) issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with an amendment deadline of September 18, 2026.
The acquisition requires 16 custom photo shoots per contract year during a base period (September 30, 2026 through September 29, 2027) and each option period, with 50 unique talents and 50 completely unique finished images delivered from each shoot. The contractor is responsible for sourcing and coordinating all production elements including locations, talent/models, permits, wardrobe, props, travel, meals, and accessibility accommodations, with all costs included in the firm-fixed unit price per shoot. CMS provides creative briefs, visual treatments, and required shot lists with a two-to-three-week turnaround beginning after creative brief approval. Deliverables must include high-resolution 300 dpi JPG images with CMS retaining full copyright ownership (contractors may not display approved images in their portfolios). The contractor must provide secure cloud-based storage and delivery platform with multiple user seat access (minimum three seats), searchable metadata, download capabilities, and ongoing technical support throughout each one-year performance period. Quotations are limited to eight pages, excluding resumes, letters of commitment, and portfolio submissions; portfolios must be submitted within the page limit or as authorized hyperlinks rather than separate attachments. Photo shoots may occur nationwide rather than being restricted to the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. This represents a follow-on contract with an incumbent performing under contract number 75FCMC22P0034.
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Solicitation
| Question # | Question | Answers |
| 1 | It is stated that an established number of unique shoots and locations is required; with a total of fifty (50) talents. Is the 50 talents a number that should influence the shoot count, meaning I would need at least a minimum of 50 shoots to accommodate 50 different talents used? | |
| 16 shoots per contract year, with a total of 50 talents per contract year, and 50 final deliverables from each shoot. | ||
| 2 | I also would like clarification regarding the "additional item" option for the schedule and total evaluated price section, does that option play a role for the possibility of exceeding the established number of shoots or requested additional photos/edits? | The additional item option has been removed |
| 3 | Quantity of shoots. The Statement of Work refers to "an established number of unique photo shoots" but does not state that number, and the Schedule provides an unfilled CLIN template. How many photo shoots does the Government require in the base period, and in each option period? | 16 shoots per contract year, with a total of 50 talents per contract year, and 50 final deliverables from each shoot. |
| 4 | CLIN structure. Does the Government want a per-shoot unit price, an annual lot price, or another basis? Absent direction, Luceo intends to quote a firm-fixed unit price per shoot with the assumed annual quantity stated, so that the Government may extend the quantity against the unit price. | Their intention is valid. |
| 5 | Page limit. The instructions for the written technical quote state a limit of ten single-spaced pages. The Addendum to FAR 52.212-1 states that quotations shall not exceed eight pages. Which limit governs? | Eight (8) pages govern per the RFQ Addendum to FAR 52.212‑1. |
| 6 | Portfolio. The evaluation criteria require submission of a portfolio demonstrating technical execution and artistic merit. The instructions permit no appendices or attachments other than resumes and letters of commitment. Is the portfolio counted against the page limit, and may it be submitted as a hyperlink or as a separate file? | Portfolio content must be within the page limit; no separate attachment is permitted unless CMS authorizes hyperlinks in an amendment. |
| 7 | Delivery platform requirements. Statement of Work Section III describes download access, multiple user seats, searchable metadata and multiple file sizes, and Section VII contracts one year of technical support for "the stock imagery database," including trouble-ticket history. Are these requirements of this acquisition, and if so, what does the Government expect the delivery mechanism to be? | Yes, delivery mechanism should allow for private, secure upload and cloud storage of assets, multiple user access, and download capabilities. (For example: Box, Dropbox, Frame.io, Google drive). |
| 8 | Section 508. Does the Accessibility Conformance Report required by HHSAR 352.239-78 apply to the photographic deliverables, to the image delivery mechanism, or to both? | Any reference to Section 508 will be removed from the SOW. It is not applicable to this requirement. |
| 9 | Place of performance. The notice identifies Baltimore, Maryland as the place of performance. Are photo shoots expected to occur in the Baltimore–Washington area, or may they be conducted at contractor-selected locations nationwide? | No, shoots can be and are encouraged to be produced nationwide. |
| 10 | Period of performance. The solicitation states a base period of 09/29/2026 through 09/28/2027. The Statement of Work states 9/30/2026 through 9/29/2027. Which is correct? | The SOW’s dates are correct (starting 9/30 each year). CMS will reconcile any RFQ header discrepancy via amendment. |
| 11 | We would like to know if this is a brand new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number? | Yes, The current contract number is 75FCMC22P0034. |
| 12 | How many unique photo shoots are required during the base period and each option period? | See line 1 |
| 13 | Does the requirement for 50 final images apply to each individual shoot? | Yes, CMS should be able to select 50 final images from each shoot. |
| 14 | Does “50 total talent” apply to the full three-year requirement, each contract year, or each shoot? | Each contract year |
| 15 | How many primary and secondary locations are anticipated per shoot, and will CMS provide any locations? | Multiple locations depending on purpose of the shoot (Indoor and Outdoor). |
| 16 | Is the contractor responsible for all location fees, permits, props, wardrobe, talent compensation, travel, meals, and accessibility accommodations? | Yes, contractor is responsible. |
| 17 | Are all shoots expected to occur in the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area? | See line 10 |
| 18 | Please provide the completed CLIN quantities and units for the base and option periods. | Please see revised CLIN structure in section 4 |
| 19 | The RFQ references both a 10-page and an 8-page quotation limit. Which limit governs? | 8 pages |
| 20 | Are resumes and letters of commitment excluded from the governing page limit? | Yes. Resumes and letters of commitment may be attached and are excluded from the page limit. |
| 21 | May the required portfolio be submitted as a separate attachment or electronic link, or must representative images be included within the technical quotation? | See line 7 |
| 22 | Does CMS require copyright ownership of the photographs, or a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, all-media license? | Yes, CMS requires copyright ownership. |
| 23 | May the contractor retain the right to display selected approved images in its portfolio? | No. |
| 24 | Is EPS delivery required for raster photographs? | No, high res 300 dpi JPG images can be delivered. |
| 25 | What platform, security, storage, user-seat, and accessibility requirements apply to the requested image database? | See line 8 |
| 26 | Does the two-to-three-week turnaround begin after approval of the creative brief, after completion of photography, or after each individual shoot? | After approval of each creative brief |
| 27 | Please confirm the correct base-period dates. | See line 11 |
| 28 | Will Attachment 2, Attachment 3, and any completed pricing schedule be provided to offerors? | Yes. These attachments accompany the RFQ; CMS will issue any CLIN quantity fills via amendment. |
| 29 | The Statement of Work refers to an “established number of unique photo shoots,” but the number of shoots is not stated in the materials we reviewed. Please confirm the intended number of photo shoots for the base period and, if applicable, for each option period. | See line 1 |
| 30 | The Statement of Work requires Section 508 compliance and a completed accessibility assessment/template. For this photography-only requirement, please confirm which Section 508 Product Assessment Template / VPAT or other accessibility documentation CMS expects offerors to submit with the quotation. | See line 9 |
| 31 | Number of shoots: The SOW references an “established number of unique photo shoots,” with 50 final images delivered from each shoot. Can you confirm the anticipated number of shoots during the base year and each option year? | See line 1 |
| 32 | Production responsibilities: Will CMS provide the locations, talent/models and production support, or is the photographer responsible for sourcing and coordinating these elements, including any necessary permits, releases, crew, styling and props? If the photographer is responsible, should those production costs be included in the firm-fixed price? | The photographer is responsible for sourcing and coordinating these elements and production costs should be included in the firm-fixed price. |
| 33 | Does CMS have an existing digital asset management system where the contractor will upload the final photography, or is the contractor expected to provide and host a searchable online image library? | See line 7. Both options are available. |
| 34 | If contractor-hosted asset management is required, how many CMS user accounts will be needed, and are there specific requirements for storage capacity, security, metadata, search, downloads, backups and Section 508 compliance? | At least 3 user seats to download assets. See line 7 |
| 35 | Is ongoing hosting and technical support required throughout each one-year performance period, or is the requirement limited to delivery and transfer of the completed assets? | Throughout each one-year performance period. |
| 36 | The SOW references both custom photography and access to royalty-free professional stock photography. Please clarify the stock image database. Is access to a separate stock-image database part of this requirement, or is the scope limited to photography created specifically for CMS? | The scope is limited to custom photography specifically for CMS and should not include assets downloaded from a stock website. |
| 37 | Does the requirement for 50 total talent apply to each contract year, or across the entire base year and two option years combined? | Each contract year. |
| 38 | Should pricing assume that all shoots will take place in the Baltimore/Washington area, or could production occur in multiple locations throughout the United States? | See line 9 |
| 39 | Should the 50 final photographs from each shoot include multiple crops or file formats of the same photograph, or does CMS require 50 completely unique finished images? I ask because cropping is usually based on how the image is used and can change sizes per creative asset. | Image dimensions will be provided upon creative brief delievery. CMS requires 50 completely unique finished images that include post-production editing. |
| 40 | Will CMS provide the creative briefs and required shot lists, or should the contractor include creative development, shot-list creation, visual treatments and art direction in the firm-fixed price? | CMS will provide creative brief, visual treatment and required shot list. |
| 41 | May resumes, letters of commitment and the photography portfolio be submitted as separate attachments outside the technical page limit? Would CMS prefer portfolio images embedded in the quotation or provided through a portfolio link? | See line 6 |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .