61320619Q0102_Instructions_to_Offerors.docx

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Offerors are required to submit their quotes by email to sjohnson@cpsc.gov in the following, separate volumes:

VOLUME I: INDEFINITE DELIVERY/INDEFINITE QUANTITY (IDIQ) PRICING

The price quote for the IDIQ award must include a price list for all services in the IDIQ Performance Work Statement (PWS) the offeror is capable of providing on a fixed-price basis. Quotes for the IDIQ contract must be structured in a menu format to facilitate the creation of each task order for testing. Each menu line item shall include unit pricing and cover a work category or sub-category, with the structure of the menu format at the discretion of the contractor. Pricing must be provided for the base period, and all option periods of performance. Labor rates must be provided on a fully burdened, hourly basis.

CPSC anticipates that the following items may be included in the contractor's price list for the IDIQ:

Senior researcher

Researcher

Junior researcher

NOTE: The contractor may propose additional labor categories and items. The above labor categories are suggestions, and do not represent the entire scope of the requirement. The contractor shall include in their price list any other items required for completion of the requirements.

The quote must prominently display the offeror's Taxpayer Identification number, CAGE code and DUNS number, as well as contact information for the offeror's point of contact for the quote. SAM.gov registration is required for any quote to be considered for award.

VOLUME II: IDIQ TECHNICAL QUOTE

No pricing information shall be included in any technical submission.

The page limit for the IDIQ technical response is 10 pages, not including Key Personnel biographies and letters of commitment.

The technical volume describes the technical approach that the Offeror provides for the requirements of the PWS. The contractor must demonstrate that they meet all of the requirements in PWS Section 7, Contractor Qualifications. The contractor shall include the details of how the Offeror plans to accomplish the scope of work, what personnel are proposed and the qualifications of the contractor personnel, the resources the contractor plans to utilize, and all information necessary to demonstrate the contractor's capabilities. (Please do not submit resumes.) The Offeror shall demonstrate their ability to staff and retain appropriate personnel to conduct testing and associated reporting on the results of the testing. The quote shall demonstrate the feasibility of the contractor's approach and ability to oversee and carry out the objectives, scope and requirements of the solicitation to include adequate staffing to complete the scope of work.

Key Personnel: The offeror shall designate in writing which personnel are Key Personnel for this requirement. The offeror shall provide the experience (titles, degrees, years of experience, etc.) and qualifications for all key personnel who shall participate in the performance of this contract. One key personnel must be categorized as Principal Investigator. If additional personnel are required, the quoter shall submit titles and experience for those personnel. At least one of these personnel should have experience conducting studies with children under 6 years old or evaluating children under 6 years old in clinical settings. At least one of these personnel should have a background focused on children such as child development, child psychology or early childhood education.

VOLUME III: PAST PERFORMANCE

Volume III shall demonstrate the Contractor’s background and experience with projects similar to the PWS tasks. The Contractor shall provide references to include organization, name, address, email address, telephone number, a point of contact and the contract value. The Government reserves the right to consider past performance information from other sources. Any lack of relevant past performance shall be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably.

VOLUME IV: TASK ORDER PRICING

It is the sole discretion of the contractor which Task Order(s) they wish to quote. A minimum of one Task Order must be quoted to be considered for award.

The contractor shall price each Task Order separately, on a firm-fixed price basis for the individual order. Task Order pricing may not be combined, as the Government will evaluate each task order separately and may award orders independently or not at all depending on the continued existence of the requirement, availability of funding, and agency determination to fund the requirement.

Each Task Order price quote must clearly identify which Task Order is being priced, and pricing must be based on the offeror's proposed IDIQ pricing. All pricing for Task Orders must be on a firm fixed-price basis and state which price menu line items from the IDIQ are included in reaching the firm fixed-price total.

VOLUME V: TASK ORDER TECHNICAL QUOTES

Each Task Order technical quote is limited to 10 pages. The contractor shall clearly identify, which Task Orders are being quoted. The technical quotes for each Task Order shall be clearly separated.

This volume shall clearly outline for each Task Order being quoted the contractor’s understanding of the Task Order PWS, the resources that will be provided for completion of the work, the planned testing and recruitment strategies, and staff capabilities for the individual Task Order.

BASIS FOR AWARD

This is a best value procurement. Award of an IDIQ contract is contingent upon the Offeror being recommended for award of a Task Order. Offerors who do not receive a Task Order award will not receive an IDIQ contract.

Award may be made without discussions. The Government reserves the right to enter into negotiations in order to achieve a best value determination. Negotiations may be conducted whenever the Contracting Officer deems it appropriate.

Task Orders will be awarded, subject to agency determination to fund this requirement and offeror responsibility, to those acceptable quotes which are the best overall value to the government, the price or cost of which is not necessarily the lowest, but which is sufficiently more advantageous to the Government than the lowest offer so as to justify the payment of additional amounts, based on the evaluation criteria described in this section.

For each Task Order price will be evaluated separately, based on the proposed level of effort and resources associated with deliverables in order to perform the requirement, and for reasonableness in relationship to the Offeror's quoted technical solution. Among Task Orders with equally high technical evaluations, price will be the determining factor for award.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION FACTORS

Factor 1 - Technical Capability - The offeror shall submit evidence in their technical quote that illustrates their ability to meet the requirements of the PWS and their technical capability to perform the required services:

Factor 1 Subfactor A: Proposed Overall Methodology and Understanding of the Work The quote will be evaluated for understanding of the required tasks and the methodology to be used in performing the tasks of the PWS. The quote will be evaluated for the completeness and feasibility of the proposed research approach, facilities for conducting the data collection, and plan for participant recruitment.

Factor 1 Subfactor B: Qualifications of Company and Experience with Performing Similar Work The quote will be evaluated to determine whether the contractor meets the requirements of the PWS, including experience with toy age grading procedures, conducting user research including children, data collection and statistical analysis, participant recruitment, market research, and the designation of appropriate Key Personnel for this requirement.

Factor 2. Past Performance Quotes will be evaluated based on the performance demonstrated in previous, similar projects. Offerors with no relevant past performance shall be evaluated neither favorably nor unfavorably. The Government reserves the right to obtain information for use in the evaluation of past performance from any and all sources including sources outside of the Government. Past performance information will be utilized to determine the quality of the contractor's past performance as it relates to the probability of success for the required effort.

RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF FACTORS:

Factor 1 - Technical Capability (includes subfactors A and B, which are of equal importance)

Factor 2 - Past Performance

Technical factors and past performance, when combined, are more important than price. Price will be evaluated at the Task Order level.

THE EVALUATION PROCESS

Written quotes will be evaluated by technical evaluators. Quotes will be objectively evaluated and placed into one of the following categories: Outstanding, Acceptable, Susceptible to being made acceptable, or Unacceptable. The definitions for these categories are as follows:

Outstanding – A unique approach which satisfies all of the Government’s requirements with extensive detail to indicate how the approach is innovative and not only feasible, but desirable, and which is well supported by experience and quantifiable evidence that it will be successful. A quotation which offers significant advantages to the Government in meeting all requirements.

Acceptable: An approach which satisfies all of the Government’s requirements with adequate detail to indicate the feasibility of the approach and an understanding of the Government’s need.

Susceptible to being made acceptable – An approach which, as initially proposed, cannot be rated acceptable because of minor errors or omissions which are capable of being corrected without a major rewrite or revision of the proposal. This proposal does not clearly meet the Government’s requirement. (Quoters will only be given an opportunity to correct this rating if the Government enters into negotiations. Otherwise, such proposals will be determined to be unacceptable. Therefore, quoters are encouraged to provide complete and thorough explanatory technical proposals with their initial submission.)

Unacceptable – The proposal fails to meet to address the technical factors of the solicitation, contains major errors, omissions, or deficiencies, or indicates a lack of understanding of the Government’s need. The proposed approach is based on unproven techniques or is inadequately supported with evidence that it will be successful, or the approach cannot be expected to meet the Government’s requirements without a major rewrite or revision of the proposal.