36C78620R0011-002.docx

1. REQUISITION NO.

2. CONTRACT NO.

3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE

4. ORDER NO.

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

6. SOLICITATION ISSUE DATE

a. NAME

b. TELEPHONE NO. (No Collect Calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/LOCAL

TIME

9. ISSUED BY

CODE

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

UNRESTRICTED OR

SET ASIDE:

% FOR:

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(WOSB) ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS:

SIZE STANDARD:

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

RFQ

IFB

RFP

15. DELIVER TO

CODE

16. ADMINISTERED BY

CODE

17a. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

CODE

FACILITY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

DUNS:

DUNS+4:

PHONE:

FAX:

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN OFFER 18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

ITEM NO.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

QUANTITY

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only) 27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED.

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

ARE

ARE NOT ATTACHED

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN _______________

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. ___________________________________ OFFER

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

DATED ________________________________. YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

SET FORTH HEREIN IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER) 30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

(REV. 2/2012)

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

STANDARD FORM 1449

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

36C78620R0011 12-20-2019 Katherine Iacovelli 703-630-9350 01-17-2020 43C2 Department of Veterans Affairs NCA Contract Service 18434 Joplin Rd Triangle VA 22172 X 541720 $22 Million N/A X Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration 18434 Joplin Rd Triangle VA 22172 43C2 Department of Veterans Affairs NCA Contract Service

Y http://www.tungsten-network.com/customer -campaigns/veterans-affairs/

1-877-752-0900 The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) desires to enter into Firm Fixed Price contract(s) with universities in partnership with public schools (K-12) located within 150 miles of a National Cemetery (or committed to remote work) that will engage in a program of development of research-based educational outreach materials as part of the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program (VLP).

Projects are to be completed and acceptable within 365 days.

Award is Subject to Availability of Funds with a possibility of no awards to more than one being made depending on funding and pricing of acceptable projects.

COR: TBD

May be also cross posted on Grants.gov X X Katherine Iacovelli Table of Contents

SECTION B - CONTINUATION OF SF 1449 BLOCKS

B.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

(Continued from Standard Form 1449, block 18A)

1. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION: All contract administration matters will be handled by the following individuals:

a. CONTRACTOR:

b. GOVERNMENT: Contracting Officer 00786: Katherine Iacovelli Department of Veterans Affairs NCA Contract Service 18434 Joplin Rd Triangle, VA 22172

2. CONTRACTOR REMITTANCE ADDRESS: All payments by the Government to the contractor will be made in accordance with:

3. INVOICES: Invoices shall be submitted in arrears:

. Other [X] At completion of requirement.

1. Invoices shall be submitted in arrears for cumulative work performed at completion of requirement and the Government has accepted the items.

1. Invoices shall be submitted electronically.

1. Required Contents of Invoice: If any information below is missing from an invoice, the invoice shall be subject to being rejected and returned for revision.

1. Contractor Information (Name, Complete Address, Telephone Number)

1. Date of Invoice

1. Unique Invoice Number

1. Each invoice may be submitted only once. If the need exists to submit a corrected invoice, the original invoice number should be noted with “COR” added at the end of the invoice number on the revised invoice. Where possible “CORRECTED INVOICE” shall be clearly noted.

1. Purchase Order Number (Only one purchase order may be included on each invoice submitted)

1. Total Dollar Amount Invoiced

1. Certificate of Conformance

· This certifies that (Contractor’s Name) furnished the above listed supplies or services called for by the above listed purchase order number in accordance with all applicable requirements. We further certify that the supplies or services are the quality specified and conform in all respects with the contract requirements.

4. GOVERNMENT INVOICE ADDRESS: All Invoices from the contractor shall be submitted electronically in accordance with VAAR Clause 852.232-72 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests.

http://www.tungsten-network.com/customer-campaigns/veterans-affairs/

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS: The Offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the Solicitation numbered and dated as follows:

6. MISSING PAGES: It is the responsibility of the Offeror to examine this Solicitation to verify that he, or she, has received all pages. In addition, in compiling this package, some pages may have been duplicated. If the Offeror feels that pages are missing or duplicated, the Offeror is encouraged to contact the Contract Officer at the telephone number shown in Block 7B, Standard Form 1449, Solicitation / Contract/Order for Commercial Items.

7. NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR(S): Prospective awardees SHALL be registered with SAM at http://www.sam.gov, Prior to Award and through final payment, and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) at http://www.sam.gov prior to award and through final payment. Contract will not be awarded until SAM registration has been completed.

B.2 STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION (NCA)

DEVELOPMENT OF AN EDUCATIONAL

PROGRAM FOR NCA VETERANS LEGACY PROGRAM (VLP)

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO)

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this request for proposals (RFP) is to solicit fully developed proposals from universities in partnership with public schools (K-12) located within 150 miles of a National Cemetery. The proposed project will engage in a program of development of research-based educational outreach materials as part of the National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA) Veterans Legacy Program (VLP).

The purpose of VLP is to promote memorialization of the nation’s veterans’ legacy enshrined in National Cemeteries. Responses to this SOO will contribute to VLP’s “Local Legacy, National Heritage” program, which seeks to create an experience of learning that builds community and commemoration of veterans’ legacy, by sharing positive narratives, which may be used to teach, both about the unique individual qualities of the Veteran and about Veterans as a community.

Proposals submitted in response to this SOO should include one or more of NCA’s cemeteries in the region. The partnership may also include in their scope state Veteran cemeteries and/or tribal Veteran cemeteries.

University faculty may come from a variety of disciplines in the humanities, creative arts, museum studies, digital humanities or Education, e.g. history, graphic design, film, American studies, etc. The schools and teachers with whom university faculty partner can come from a single school or multiple schools, representing any grade(s) and subject(s). The scope and depth of this partnership can vary but NCA will require a formalized expression of this partnership between the institute of higher education (IHE) and the local educational authority (LEA), such as a letter of commitment or a memorandum of agreement.

2. BACKGROUND

Currently, NCA manages 139 national cemeteries, with 4.7 million gravesites.

The Veterans Legacy Program was launched by NCA on Memorial Day 2016 with the goal of extending memorialization of the veterans’ legacy enshrined in the national cemeteries. NCA’s initial suite of products included in-print lesson plans, digital maps, and other materials written to support the educational outreach needs of two national cemeteries in the pilot program, Riverside (CA) National Cemetery and Beaufort (SC) National Cemetery (http://www.cem.va.gov/legacy/index.asp). In 2017, NCA further developed the program with various academic partners. NCA’s long term goal is to develop educational outreach materials for all 139 of its national cemeteries, eventually, in media and formats that reflect the latest in research, instructional technology, and best practices.

Memorial Day and Veterans Day are typically the target dates for a public launch of the next generation of VLP materials for schools and public outreach, and we encourage offerors to include events at the cemeteries around those observances that allow students an opportunity to share their research with the community. Actual timetables of work can be negotiated, depending on unique local circumstances.

3. OBJECTIVE OR SCOPE OF EFFORT

Offerors are requested to submit a proposal to support the memorialization of the nation’s veterans’ legacy enshrined in National Cemeteries in the following areas:

1. Outreach Materials:

· A framework of digital and non-digital outreach based on student research focused on the Veteran National Cemetery (or Cemeteries).

2. Educational Materials:

· A framework of digital instructional materials relevant to the grade-level of K-12 students involved (e.g. lesson plans, learning guides)

3. Extended Memorialization:

· A way to present the students’ research in a way that is appropriate to their discipline and accessible to the public (specific means of hosting extended memorialization can be negotiated with NCA, e.g. site hosting).

Reasonable Geographic Scope of Project: We have had extensive prior Program activity at cemeteries in certain areas (please consult VLP website) and invite proposals treating cemeteries in new areas for VLP, or dramatically new approaches to previously treated cemeteries. We ask offerors to limit proposals to treating cemeteries within 150 miles of their home institution. If a greater radius of operation is required, please explain why.

4. PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The contract is expected to have a period of performance of twelve (12) months after date of award, with the intention that at least two full academic semesters or equivalent are included in the period of performance, with ample time in between instructional terms to allow for research and production.

5. OPERATING CONSTRAINTS

TRAVEL: The government anticipates travel to perform the tasks associated with the effort, as well as to attend program-related meetings throughout the period of performance. Travel expenses for program participants from IHE and/or LEA to a National Cemetery can be included as a line item detailing those costs, to include visits to the cemeteries within scope of the proposal. All travel must conform to Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/FTR.pdf. The number of visits to the cemeteries, for students and team members, can be at least two, but no more than five. Travel expenses for one, two-day program-related meeting with NCA leadership in Washington, DC can cover up to two members of the team.

6. PROGRAM SCOPE and STRUCTURE

It is known that some partnerships may differ in terms of size, internal capacity and support. Offerors shall acknowledge what their team’s capacity will be and seek to create a distribution of award amounts to empower students and faculty from institutions of varying size.

Programs may be of a “class project” size, which would include one or two instructors of faculty rank collaborating on a project in their classes. Digital presentation of Veteran biographies is expected at this scale as well as contribution to commemorative observances at the national cemetery.

A “community-based project” would include a larger faculty team, working with students through courses and/or direct recruitment. At this level, production of Veteran biographies with digital presentation, as well as creating community-based events to showcase them, at least one of which must be at the national cemetery of focus is expected. Examples of successful community-based events from prior programs include, “History Day” at the cemetery, exhibits in libraries, recitations/performances during Memorial Day or Veterans Day ceremonies at the cemetery, presentations at K-12 schools, and screenings for local students.

Projects that offer “innovation in Veteran storytelling” would include a faculty team of any size (3+) engaging students at undergraduate and graduate levels through a variety of disciplines or methodologies. Veteran biographies would be shared digitally and through other means. Community-based outreach includes an extensive partnership with area K-12 students, teachers, and school leaders. “Innovation” is determined by the disciplinary context of the intellectual leadership of the program, or thematic or innovative approach in museum exhibition or education. This can be artistic, literary, digital, cartographical, social, or educational.

Offerors shall budget accordingly and fairly, consistent with fair market value and scale of proposed work. These awards are intended to provision student research, digital production of research materials, and fair compensation for contributing leaders, in that order of priority. (More specific information about budgeting can be found below). Proposals shall state at each level the inclusion of the student-veteran community in some way. Museum-based proposals shall state at each level the inclusion of Veteran research, exhibit, and programming costs.

Please note that for all products produced under this contract, the offeror will retain copyright to all intellectual property. VA will retain non-exclusive usage rights to products developed under this contract. All work product and external communications will be co-branded with the offeror’s institution and VA. Guidance on appropriate and lawful use of VA logo and branding will be shared with the offeror upon award.

To restate: all work product produced under this contract and future work derived from research and content produced under this contract will always bear the VA brand, as well as the brand of the institution that received the contract. The Awardee shall not commercialize any work product without the written consent of the NCA/VA legal department.

While there is no actual priority list, there are cemeteries new to NCA that recently had media and community attention that you garner easier community output from the heightened awareness.

7. PRIVACY

All work conducted under this solicitation will be in compliance with all relevant federal privacy laws.

The Privacy Act of 1974 states that there is no expectation of privacy for decedents. Offerors are free to research Veterans using all available and lawfully obtained material. Living relatives or associates of a deceased Veteran do have expectations of privacy, however.

If the proposed program includes interviewing relatives or associates of a Veteran, please obtain a signed release prior to commencing any interview. Releases will offer interviewees three options: 1) the interviewee consents to the use of their attributed statements and/or image in materials developed for the Veterans Legacy Program, which will only be used to memorialize the Veteran through educational outreach solely in non-profit, non-commercial educational contexts (examples of VLP content: a short documentary film about a Veteran; a lesson plan about a Veteran); 2) the interviewee consents to the use of their statements in a manner as described in Option 1 above but attributed by kinship or association, not by name, e.g. “sister,” or “fellow Veteran”; 3) the interviewee consents only to off-the-record interviewing with the intention of providing VLP students a better understanding of the Veteran’s service or life. Release forms should allow an interviewee to select an option and sign (printed name and signature). Release forms must be kept on file and made available upon request.

Interviewing subjects for information about a Veteran is distinct from researching them. For interviews, only a release statement, as described above, is required. If a proposed program chooses to conduct research on living relatives or associates of a Veteran, the offeror must obtain Institutional Review Board (IRB) clearance prior to commencing the work. Such activity would be out of scope for this solicitation and VA would not be a sponsoring party.

Student-generated work under this program will be used in the production of memorial and educational materials for non-profit and non-commercial usage in educational contexts, but if that same work was assessed as an assignment or requirement in a for-credit course, those assessed values (grades) are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). VA will not ask for student assessment data, nor should offerors or their representatives disclose any student assessment data.

8. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES/REQUIRED RESULTS

Each proposal is for a project focusing on at least one NCA National Cemetery. The Offeror’s initial proposal should contain the Offeror’s best terms from price and technical standpoints. Offerors are cautioned to submit sufficient information and in the format specified in the proposal instructions. Failure to submit all required documentation as required may result in your submission being determined non-responsive and subsequently removed from further consideration.

The Offeror shall provide a proposal which demonstrates their best approach for attaining the following required results:

A. Team/Key Personnel: The team of contributing scholars must consist of at least two members from accredited institutions of higher education (IHEs) within the area of focus, each of whom is a faculty member who holds an advanced degree in their field and has evidence of demonstrated scholarly output. The team may also include licensed K-12 educators and/or administrators involved with the development of instructional materials. The team will designate a single Point of Contact (POC). An external Project Manager may be hired if no one from the institution is qualified. Resumes for all key personnel shall be included.

Products: Faculty members shall define a framework of at least two digital media products produced for educational outreach based on student-generated research. The final products must be publicly accessible examples of applied cemetery research. Published research about Veterans should share positive narratives, which celebrate Veteran service and will be used to inspire and to teach, both about the unique individual qualities of the Veteran and about Veterans as a community. Student research should be in digital formats that can be printed: preferred formats, Adobe PDF (accompanied with original MS Word file), Esri ArcGIS or Story Maps, and video formats that are editable for YouTube upload. Finished digital media products should be cobranded with NCA and should be formatted in a way that it can be featured on NCA websites and social media platforms.

OR

Professional Development Program: The team should outline a professional development program for K-12 educators with an emphasis centered on applied cemetery research focused on a national cemetery. The program should include instruction on how to use cemetery research to create instructional materials for use in K-12 classrooms. Programming should include the use of Veteran research in a national cemetery. The development program should include a visit to a local National Cemetery. Finished digital media products should be cobranded with NCA and should be formatted in a way that it can be featured on NCA websites and social media platforms.

OR

Media: Faculty members shall develop a schedule of communication efforts that will highlight student involvement during the creation of the digital media products. This can include social media posts shared on official institute pages. Media posts shall be able to reach a local audience that allows the public to learn about the ongoing work in their community. NCA shall be kept informed of all events or external media that highlights work being conducted.

OR

Museum/Historical society/Non-Profit: A framework of at least two outreach programs created by museum/nonprofit personnel focused on the Veteran National Cemetery (or Cemeteries) and biographies of soldiers interred there. One of these programs shall be digitally accessible. These programs include, but are not limited to: specially designed, publicly accessible exhibitions, lecture series, heritage tours, curriculum design and field trip experiences, virtual exhibits, film series, teacher professional development workshops, etc. Products about Veterans shall share positive narratives, which celebrate Veteran service and will be used to inspire and to teach, both about the unique individual qualities of the Veteran and about Veterans as a community.

B. Instructional materials: Faculty members shall include the development of at least five lesson plans appropriate to the schools, grades, and subjects of teachers and K-12 students in the partnership. These lesson plans can take multiple forms. Lessons can build upon each other to form a complete instructional unit. Examples could be online learning modules, service learning projects incorporating historical inquiry, etc. Though designing lesson plans around a visit to the National Cemetery is ideal, lesson plans can be designed using virtual means and methods. Regardless of chosen format, lesson plans must meet a standard of criteria, as follows:

· Standards Aligned: Lesson plans must be explicitly aligned to relevant state and national standards, e.g. Common Core, NCSS, etc.

· Complete: Lesson plans must include all resources, materials, and aids required for successful school-based implementation of the lesson.

· Accessible: In keeping with the Universal Design for Learning framework, lesson plans must be able to be used and understood by everyone. Goals, Assessments, Materials, and Methods should be thoughtfully designed and articulated, using a variety of materials and pedagogical approaches. Designing the lesson plan(s) for a diversity of learners improves learning outcomes for all.

· Cross-Curricular: Lesson plans should be multi-disciplinary, e.g. teaching literacy using historical documents, mapping cemeteries using GIS, etc.

· Student-centered: Students must be active participants in their learning.

· Source rich: Available primary sources and place-based resources (related to National Cemetery) must be utilized in the lesson planning process.

C Extended memorialization: Faculty members and/or museum-based professionals shall define how they plan to use the student research to extend memorialization of the veterans’ legacy enshrined in the National Cemetery or cemeteries of focus to community, state, and possibly national audiences. Extending memorialization covers all efforts to share the memorializing research of the program with broader audiences, to include the regular use of social media. Memorialization should represent the diversity of Veterans interred in the cemetery.

D Collection of program assessment data: Faculty members shall design assessment instruments for their students and the K-12 students showing how this participation in this program affected students’ performance in their subject of inquiry, e.g. history, film, Education, American studies social studies, English Language Arts, art. Data should be anonymously sampled, but demonstrated to be valid and reliable. Museum educators in museum-based programs should include post-participation assessments. All assessment data will be shared with VA with student names redacted or with pseudonyms supplied in accordance with research practices under FERPA.

E Past Performance: The Government will rate past performance based on quality of service, using references provided by the Offeror and other information available to the Government. In order to be considered, the past performance must be relevant to this solicitation, i.e., similar in size, scope, and complexity

9. PRICE

Proposed Budget: In the proposed budget please indicate in the cost for each of the items specified below. Note that the following list is neither inclusive nor definitive of costs that will be covered; if the scope and nature of your proposal requires additional items than what is covered here, please include them in the appropriate section (see below).

NCA will support the following: reasonable additional compensation for full-time university instructional faculty named in the proposal who are directly involved in classroom-based instruction of VLP; appropriate honoraria for supporting externals such as K-12 teachers; indirect costs (IDCs) appropriate for humanities and Education programs (required to disclose; NCA reserves the right to negotiate for lower IDCs); production costs for produced materials; participating students, faculty and staff between host institution and national cemeteries, cost of workforce in direct support of program; transportation expenses for university students, school staff and students between host institution(s) and national cemetery; and costs for extended memorialization, if applicable. As well, please include in your budget reasonable anticipated expenses for two team members to attend a meeting of all VLP awardees with VLP Program leadership in Washington, DC (or another city in the continental US to be specified later). This Program meeting would entail no more than two full business days.

Proposed budget can include any expenses directly related to student-centered events at national cemeteries. The following will not be supported by NCA: ordinary wages and benefits; instructional materials (e.g. textbooks); undergraduate or graduate tuition; acquisition of computer or network hardware or software not used solely for this work; food and beverages; video equipment (cameras, lighting, etc.); and clothing. The goal of this program is to fund time and access for students to conduct research and the expense of digital production.

Costs not covered by this award include: course buy-outs; additional faculty, of any rank; computers (other than those to be used by students in the coursed of their research, if necessary); cell phones; summer funding; any additional compensation for faculty that exceeds fair contribution to the project; research or conference travel for anything not directly related to VLP activity; catering; branded giveaways (e.g. mugs, pens, etc.); and anything that does not directly contribute to the advancement of student research under VLP. The majority of the funds should provision student research, to include on-site research at the national cemetery. Stipends to faculty should be reasonable for their contribution.

Please include in your proposed budget a justification for each line item. VA reserves the right to negotiate the proposed budget in whole or part.

Please submit your budget in the format of OMB No. 3136-0134, attached.

Deliverables will be developed according to a timetable negotiated by NCA and faculty member(s) representing IHE, with final deliverables received by NCA no later than 365 calendar days after date of award, unless otherwise negotiated.

10. KEY PERSONNEL

11. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

11.1 METHOD AND DISTRIBUTION OF DELIVERABLES:

The Contractor shall deliver documentation in electronic format, unless otherwise directed in Section B of the solicitation/contract. Acceptable electronic media include: MS Office applications or Adobe pdf applications.

11.2 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION:

A Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will be identified for this contract. The Contractor shall coordinate the service to be performed for the project with the COR before the start of work. The Contractor shall coordinate work with the activities of the cemetery and the COR. The COR will provide Quality Assurance oversight to ensure contract work is being performed accurately and on schedule.

The COR will provide on-site support in relation to resources available. The Contractor shall perform all on-site activities with respect and dignity for cemetery visitors and funeral operations. Work may need to be temporarily suspended or shifted to other areas due to occasional active burial operations.

The Contractor will be required to provide a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), i.e. a quality control plan with the proposal. The Government will have three days to review and either approve or return for adjustments if Contractor becomes an Awardee.

11.3 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION

VA will provide the Contractor with access to local National Cemetery data.

11.4 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

None.

12. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor service requirements are summarized into performance objectives that relate directly to mission essential items. The performance threshold briefly describes the minimum acceptable levels of service required for each requirement. These thresholds are critical to contract success.

The proposal must meet the minimum criteria in terms of Factors 8 A-E

Methods

-No grammar or spelling errors Faculty oversight

-Meeting all Factor 6-C criteria Faculty and teacher oversight

-Should showcase students’ research Faculty and professional oversight

-Instruments must be valid and reliable -Data shared must be aggregated and disaggregated by population Faculty oversight

13. EVALUATION

The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions.

Communication conducted to resolve minor or clerical errors do not constitute discussions and the Contract Officer reserves the right to award a contract without the opportunity for proposal revisions or discussions.

All proposals will be first reviewed for completeness. Proposals that fail to provide the information requested may lead to the proposal being considered non-responsive and not considered further.

The number of proposals accepted for award will depend upon the number of acceptable proposals submitted and is subject to available funding. Awards will be made to the Offeror(s) providing the best value to the Government using the tradeoff process. Comparative Analysis may be used. Factors being evaluated are Technical, Price and Past Performance. Technical has 8 sub factors. Those listed in 8. A-E, Inclusion of student-veteran community and official documentation of such; timeline and QUASP. All subfactors are equal in importance.

13.1 TECHNICAL

The Contractor will provide a narrative for each element 7A-E. Please explain: (1) How it will satisfy each of the desired results/objectives specified in the SOO; and (2) The timeline for providing it. Please make sure resumes verify all requested information. Anything not verified will be taken to mean the person listed as performing the duty does not have the training or education to do so.

In order to be found technically acceptable, the following criteria must be met: (1) The Offerors proposal contains at least the minimum requirements outlined in 7. A-E, and (2) The Offeror presents a realistic plan for providing it. Information will be scored on it demonstrating an understanding of the work requirements and the speed of the work to be performed to deadline.

Evaluation Rating Scale for Factors

13.2 PRICE

Price will be evaluated for reasonableness and realism:

A fair and reasonable price determination will be made through any combination of the following methods per FAR 15.404.

Because below-cost prices are not inherently improper, when vendors are competing for award of a fixed-price contract, offerors are given notice that a business decision to submit a low-priced quotation may be considered as reflecting on their understanding of the contract requirements or the risk associated with their approach.

13.3 PAST PERFORMANCE

The Past Performance Approach shall be evaluated based on Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs), the Contractor’s Past Performance Narrative, and any other sources determined to be relevant in order to make a determination of risk. All past performance information shall be evaluated for Quality, Responsiveness, Management of Key Personnel, Problem Resolution, Invoice Accuracy, and Overall Performance, Timeliness, and Relevance. Offerors are to demonstrate successful performance under contracts (ongoing or completed) which are similar in scope, magnitude, price, and complexity to the subject requirement. The Government shall make determination of relevance. Referrals where contact information provided cannot be reached telephonically or by email will not be considered. If no past performance information is readily available, the contractor may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance.

The Government will evaluate past performance risk using the following adjectival ratings:

14. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

The quote package shall contain the following and shall be submitted in the format in the table below to Katherine.iacovelli@va.gov:

· Completed and signed SF 1449 with all required blocks completed including DUNS and email address

· Offeror information block in B.1.a

· Completed Schedule of Prices, the table shall not be manipulated

· Technical Qualifications as specified in the evaluation factors for the Government’s evaluation.

· Organization Chart

· 2 sets of resumes for all professionals. One copy shall have all the names of all companies, personnel, contract locations redacted. Phone numbers and street addresses shall be redacted.

· Five (5) past performance references within the last 5 years that are similar in size and scope to this solicitation. Use only the Past Performance Questionnaire form. Prepare one form for each reference. Additional references will not be acknowledged.

· Amendments, if any

· DO NOT SEND A COPY OF THE RFP.

· Extraneous info such as introduction letter, marketing materials will not be considered.

Failure to submit all required documentation may result in your submission being determined technically unacceptable and removed from further consideration.

TABLE:

A cover page, table of contents or other which are not required, will be included in the page count.

Non-redacted information in Vol 1B may be redacted with a sharpie or not considered due to technical non-compliance. Only restating the SOW and/or not detailing the exactly the work and deliverables may lead to your proposal being considered non-responsive and not considered further.

The Government will award a Firm Fix Unit Price contract resulting from this solicitation to responsible offerors whose offer is the best value to the Government meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards More than one award may be made, depending upon availability of funds. Risk will be considered in all factors and overall.

36C78620R0011 END of SOO Page 1 of Page 1 of

SECTION C - CONTRACT CLAUSES

C.1 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS—COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2018)

(a) Inspection/Acceptance. The Contractor shall only tender for acceptance those items that conform to the requirements of this contract. The Government reserves the right to inspect or test any supplies or services that have been tendered for acceptance. The Government may require repair or replacement of nonconforming supplies or reperformance of nonconforming services at no increase in contract price. If repair/replacement or reperformance will not correct the defects or is not possible, the Government may seek an equitable price reduction or adequate consideration for acceptance of nonconforming supplies or services. The Government must exercise its post-acceptance rights—

(1) Within a reasonable time after the defect was discovered or should have been discovered; and

(2) Before any substantial change occurs in the condition of the item, unless the change is due to the defect in the item.

(b) Assignment. The Contractor or its assignee may assign its rights to receive payment due as a result of performance of this contract to a bank, trust company, or other financing institution, including any Federal lending agency in accordance with the Assignment of Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3727). However, when a third party makes payment (e.g., use of the Governmentwide commercial purchase card), the Contractor may not assign its rights to receive payment under this contract.

(c) Changes. Changes in the terms and conditions of this contract may be made only by written agreement of the parties.

(d) Disputes. This contract is subject to 41 U.S.C. chapter 71, Contract Disputes. Failure of the parties to this contract to reach agreement on any request for equitable adjustment, claim, appeal or action arising under or relating to this contract shall be a dispute to be resolved in accordance with the clause at FAR 52.233-1, Disputes, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Contractor shall proceed diligently with performance of this contract, pending final resolution of any dispute arising under the contract.

(e) Definitions. The clause at FAR 52.202-1, Definitions, is incorporated herein by reference.

(f) Excusable delays. The Contractor shall be liable for default unless nonperformance is caused by an occurrence beyond the reasonable control of the Contractor and without its fault or negligence such as, acts of God or the public enemy, acts of the Government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, fires, floods, epidemics, quarantine restrictions, strikes, unusually severe weather, and delays of common carriers. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing as soon as it is reasonably possible after the commencement of any excusable delay, setting forth the full particulars in connection therewith, shall remedy such occurrence with all reasonable dispatch, and shall promptly give written notice to the Contracting Officer of the cessation of such occurrence.

(g) Invoice.

(1) The Contractor shall submit an original invoice and three copies (or electronic invoice, if authorized) to the address designated in the contract to receive invoices. An invoice must include—

(i) Name and address of the Contractor;

(ii) Invoice date and number;

(iii) Contract number, line item number and, if applicable, the order number;

(iv) Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and extended price of the items delivered;

(v) Shipping number and date of shipment, including the bill of lading number and weight of shipment if shipped on Government bill of lading;

(vi) Terms of any discount for prompt payment offered;

(vii) Name and address of official to whom payment is to be sent;

(viii) Name, title, and phone number of person to notify in event of defective invoice; and

(ix) Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). The Contractor shall include its TIN on the invoice only if required elsewhere in this contract.

(x) Electronic funds transfer (EFT) banking information.

(A) The Contractor shall include EFT banking information on the invoice only if required elsewhere in this contract.

(B) If EFT banking information is not required to be on the invoice, in order for the invoice to be a proper invoice, the Contractor shall have submitted correct EFT banking information in accordance with the applicable solicitation provision, contract clause (e.g., 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award Management, or 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Other Than System for Award Management), or applicable agency procedures.

(C) EFT banking information is not required if the Government waived the requirement to pay by EFT.

(2) Invoices will be handled in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (31 U.S.C. 3903) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) prompt payment regulations at 5 CFR part 1315.

(h) Patent indemnity. The Contractor shall indemnify the Government and its officers, employees and agents against liability, including costs, for actual or alleged direct or contributory infringement of, or inducement to infringe, any United States or foreign patent, trademark or copyright, arising out of the performance of this contract, provided the Contractor is reasonably notified of such claims and proceedings.

(i) Payment.—

(1) Items accepted. Payment shall be made for items accepted by the Government that have been delivered to the delivery destinations set forth in this contract.

(2) Prompt payment. The Government will make payment in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act (31 U.S.C. 3903) and prompt payment regulations at 5 CFR part 1315.

(3) Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). If the Government makes payment by EFT, see 52.212-5(b) for the appropriate EFT clause.

(4) Discount. In connection with any discount offered for early payment, time shall be computed from the date of the invoice. For the purpose of computing the discount earned, payment shall be considered to have been made on the date which appears on the payment check or the specified payment date if an electronic funds transfer payment is made.

(5) Overpayments. If the Contractor becomes aware of a duplicate contract financing or invoice payment or that the Government has otherwise overpaid on a contract financing or invoice payment, the Contractor shall—

(i) Remit the overpayment amount to the payment office cited in the contract along with a description of the overpayment including the—

(A) Circumstances of the overpayment (e.g., duplicate payment, erroneous payment, liquidation errors, date(s) of overpayment);

(B) Affected contract number and delivery order number, if applicable;

(C) Affected line item or subline item, if applicable; and

(D) Contractor point of contact.

(ii) Provide a copy of the remittance and supporting documentation to the Contracting Officer.

(6) Interest.

(i) All amounts that become payable by the Contractor to the Government under this contract shall bear simple interest from the date due until paid unless paid within 30 days of becoming due. The interest rate shall be the interest rate established by the Secretary of the Treasury as provided in 41 U.S.C. 7109, which is applicable to the period in which the amount becomes due, as provided in (i)(6)(v) of this clause, and then at the rate applicable for each six-month period as fixed by the Secretary until the amount is paid.

(ii) The Government may issue a demand for payment to the Contractor upon finding a debt is due under the contract.

(iii) Final decisions. The Contracting Officer will issue a final decision as required by 33.211 if—

(A) The Contracting Officer and the Contractor are unable to reach agreement on the existence or amount of a debt within 30 days;

(B) The Contractor fails to liquidate a debt previously demanded by the…