3-Attachment B - Scope of Work.docx

Attachment B Scope of Work APEX Accelerator Procurement Support Services Introduction This Scope of Work (SOW) outlines the terms and processes governing the professional services the contractor will perform to support and enhance the Utah APEX Accelerator program.

Background APEX Accelerator is a statewide government contracting assistance program under the authority of the Department of War (“DoW”), Office of Small Business Programs, administering a Cooperative Agreement with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (“GOED”). APEX Accelerator’s singular mission is to assist Utah businesses in pursuing and securing government contracts and facilitate the transfer of innovative technology to the defense and government industrial base. APEX Accelerator is the State of Utah program for business assistance for government procurement. APEX Accelerator provides services at no cost to Utah businesses.

Core Services of APEX Accelerator

· Assist clients with the System for Award (SAM) registration process.

· Assist clients in developing a capability statement for government and prime defense contractor marketing purposes.

· Provide assistance to disadvantaged small businesses who are eligible for business certifications and participation.

· Counsel and train clients on Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Levels 1, 2, and 3.

· Train and refer clients to government led innovation program (GIP) agencies and events.

· Seek out companies working on critical and emerging technologies.

· Advise and assist clients in the preparation and proper submission, but not drafting, of bids and proposals, applications, certifications, registrations, etc. to prepare them for doing business with Federal, state, and local government entities.

· Advise and assist clients in pursuing and securing subcontracting opportunities.

· Assist clients in applying for Small Business Innovative Research (“SBIR”) and Small Business Technology Transfer (“STTR”) grants.

· Assist clients in finding bid opportunities through APEX Accelerator’s Bid Match System.

· Provide procurement-related training to clients and other related organizations.

· Market the APEX Accelerator program to state and local partners and stakeholders.

Scope of Work The Contractor will provide support services to APEX Accelerator for Federal Procurement Services on an as-requested, authorized basis.

The specific services to be provided include:

Solicitation & Proposal Assistance

· Provide assistance in responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ), Sources Sought, DLA Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS) solicitation, or any other solicitation related request from an agency.

· Provide cost/price proposal assistance, including but not limited to determining labor categories, labor rates, material costs, direct and indirect costs/rates, benefits, overhead and General and Administrative (G&A).

General Services Administration (GSA) Support Provide GSA assistance, including:

· Provide market assessment of client’s potential sales in GSA market.

· Identify client’s strengths and weaknesses in the GSA market.

· Assist client with required documents for application.

· Assist client in preparation of price negotiation.

· Coach client on how to write and submit the proposal.

· Assist client with GSA submission (this assistance can either be one-on-one or in group settings).

· Track clients’ “drop out” rate from GSA and clients’ successes (GSA awards).

Training Coordination Contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and coordinate 4–6 (based on client demand) Construction Quality Management trainings annually.

Post-Contract Management Provide assistance with Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment payments (aka Wide Area Workflow) and other post contract management issues, if/when requested.

Grant Assistance Provide a maximum of 150 hours of grant assistance (other than SBIR/STTR) to APEX Accelerator clients (upon authorization from APEX Accelerator director), for the following grant services:

· Client intake

· Grant search and identification

· Grant analysis

· Eligibility assessment

· Feasibility of the proposed approach

· Review of the written grant proposal

· Provide guidance on grant execution Requirements APEX Accelerator/Contractor Relationship The Contractor will operate as an independent contractor, not an employee of APEX Accelerator or GOED. The Contractor shall only provide government procurement assistance to APEX Accelerator clients when explicitly requested and authorized by APEX Accelerator.

Definition of Terms The following terms are provided for understanding and clarity:

· APEX Accelerator Active Client: A business who has received at least thirty (30) minutes of counseling from APEX within a twelve (12) month period of time.

· APEX Accelerator Inactive Client: A business who continues to be an APEX Accelerator client, but who has not received at least thirty (30) minutes of counseling from APEX Accelerator in the last twelve (12) months.

· Contractor: The business firm that responded to, competed for, and is awarded the contract to provide Procurement Support Services to APEX Accelerator, under the direction and at the behest of APEX Accelerator.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) In providing services pursuant to the contract, the contractor shall follow the following protocols:

· APEX Accelerator Regional Manager submits a request for contractor assistance to the APEX Accelerator director or his/her designee, using the APEX Accelerator digital “Authorization Form.”

· APEX Accelerator Director/designee emails approved “authorization form” to contractor.

· Contractor assigns an employee of the contractor and works with the APEX Accelerator Regional Manager in assisting APEX Accelerator client with the Procurement related activity. Contractor must only engage with client upon request of the Regional Manager and coordinate client activity with the Regional Manager.

· APEX Accelerator’s CRM system will provide contract award data. Contractor will not contact APEX Accelerator client for contract award data.

· Contractor assistance must be requested and approved by APEX Accelerator in each instance.

Compliance Department of War (DoW) Terms & Conditions This Contract incorporates all applicable DoW program requirements and terms and conditions. Contractor agrees to those requirements, terms and conditions which define program and financial management requirements, scope of work, reporting requirements and prohibitions in performance of the scope of work, applied to APEX Accelerator, its host GOED, and to the contractor.

Contractor Prohibitions and Ethics

· The contractor is prohibited from soliciting or accepting a fee, or anything of value, from an APEX Accelerator Active or Inactive client, for APEX Accelerator related services while operating under the Scope of this Award, unless approved by the APEX Accelerator director.

· If an APEX Accelerator client approaches the contractor and voluntarily offers to pay a fee for the contractor’s services, Contractor will notify the APEX Accelerator director for a determination as to whether the requested service is beyond the DoW scope of work for APEX Accelerator to determine whether the fee may be accepted.

· The contractor must perform their services with ethics and integrity and avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest. If any perceived conflict of interest arises between Contractor and an APEX Accelerator client, then prior to providing services to an APEX Accelerator client, Contractor shall provide written notice to APEX Accelerator with an explanation about the perceived conflict of interest. In that situation, the Contractor shall not provide services to the client until approved in writing by the APEX Accelerator director. For example, if the Contractor had a preexisting business relationship with a client (existing before the Contractor’s relationship with APEX Accelerator), then the Contractor would notify the APEX Accelerator director of the preexisting relationship, and wait for a decision from the director, before providing any services to the client under the APEX program.

· The contractor shall not solicit additional work from APEX Accelerator staff nor clients.

· The contractor shall not engage in an affiliated business relationship with an APEX Accelerator client, on a government solicitation.

· The contractor is subject to the terms of this contract, and if the Contractor were to engage in conduct prohibited by the subsections 1-5 (above), without the prior written consent of the APEX Accelerator director, then GOED or the APEX Accelerator director, acting in their sole discretion, may terminate the contract between GOED/APEX Accelerator and the Contractor.

Length of Contract This is a five (5) year contract, beginning on July 1, 2026, and ending on June 30, 2031.

Cost Structure The Fee-Based Cost Structure of the contract is as follows:

Invoicing Schedule: At the beginning of each month, the Contractor shall submit an invoice to the APEX Accelerator for requested and approved procurement services.

Invoicing Requirements: A separate report consisting of the following items shall be provided for each monthly invoice:

· A list of the specific services provided.

· The date those services were provided.

· The total number of consulting hours for those services.

· The total number of administrative hours for support services.

· The hourly rate(s) charged.

Payment Terms: GOED will pay only for the actual document hours that align with the pre-approved procurement support services.