AMENDMENT 1 75D301-23-Q-76498 Face App QA_1 DJM.pdf

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

PREVIOUS EDITION UNUSABLE 30-105 Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Amend 1. Answers to Questions #1 RFQ 75D301-23-R-76498 for project entitled, "Face Measuring Mobile Application"

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

PAGE OF PAGES

1 7

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

00001

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

See Block 16C.

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE 3635 7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE 3635 Ctrs for Disease Control & Prevention PGH Office of Acquisition Services, Branch 4 626 Cochrans Mill Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0070

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

X

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

75D301-23-Q-76498

9B. DATED (See Item 11)

June 5, 2023

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (See Item 13)

CODE FACILITY CODE

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

X The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, X is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning one(1) copy of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, X is required to sign this document and return one (1) copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this amendment is to provide answers to questions. See pages 2-7.

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16A. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

Diane J Meeder

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C. DATE SIGNED

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BY ___________________________________________

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C. DATE SIGNED

ITEM 10A.

*Additional answers to questions anticipated on Monday, June 26, 2023.

1. To check with you whether you are interested in working with the offshore development model?

A. This action has been set aside for small businesses under FAR Part 19. All offerors must comply with the FAR small business requirements that also include, but not limited to FAR 52.219-14, etc.

2. Project Timeline and Budget.

A. The project timeline is contained in the details of the solicitation announcement and RFQ documents. The budget is not releasable.

3. I had previously understood the Simplified Acquisition Threshold to be $250,000 as defined in FAR 2.101. I noticed that the description on SAM.gov references FAR 13.5 which includes this statement:

(a) This subpart authorizes the use of simplified procedures for the acquisition of supplies and services in amounts greater than the simplified acquisition threshold but not exceeding $7.5 million ($15 million for acquisitions as described in 13.500(c)), including options, if the contracting officer reasonably expects, based on the nature of the supplies or services sought, and on market research, that offers will include only commercial products or commercial services.

Please confirm, does this particular solicitation fall under the $7.5 million threshold?

If so, is it because it is defined as a commercial product?

A. The work under this requirement is considered a commercial item and qualifies the use of FAR Part 13.5 for the use of simplified procedures for the acquisition of supplies and services in amounts greater than the simplified acquisition threshold but not exceeding $7.5 million.

4. Are you open to working with an Offshore company for this project?

A. See answer to A.1.

5.Can you please provide a document for something describing the details of this project or the scope of work in more depth?

A. Please see the detailed Statement of Work and supporting documents on SAM.gov under RFQ# 75D301-23-R-76498.

6. Regarding the requirement for vendor past performance evaluation, section "E.5 Past Performance Evaluation" in the solicitation document specifies that CPARS will be used for the evaluation. Additionally, section "E.6 CDC42.0001 Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Requirements (Aug 2021)" provides further details on CPARS and does not mention any other evaluation method. Considering the nature of this RFQ is total small business set-aside, numerous companies within this set-aside may not possess CPARS. In the event that a company does not have any CPARS, would it be acceptable to provide a Past Performance Questionnaire as an alternative?

A. If you don’t have past performance information in the CPARs system, a past performance questionnaire would be acceptable.

Please note you are also given the opportunity to provide prior experience in the corporate experience section.

Corporate Experience: Demonstrated experience through completing product development work similar scope and scale to the requirements, providing details on ability to meet deadlines, nimbleness in adapting to new information, success, error reduction, and achieving goals and timelines. Provide detailed information and contract information for similar work. (End of Provision)

7. Does the CDC anticipate a need to manage NIOSH Bivariate Panel sizes, for example to add new sizes in the future?

A. Currently there are no plans in the immediate future to revise the NIOSH Bivariate Panel.

8. Will the CDC make end users, such as individuals responsible for performing scans, available to their software partner for user research, persona development, and validation testing?

A. CDC will not make test subjects available to the software developer.

9. I wanted to find out [and] see how NIOSH is planning to [use] the software. Would it be under a pandemic scenario only, or do they expect to release it as soon as it’s ready?

A. The long-term research projections for employing the app are not yet developed. We plan to release the app to the public when it is ready for the initial use of face measurement and calculating the user’s NIOSH Panel sizes.

10. Could you tell me if there is a specific requirement for using LIDAR instead of photogrammetry? It's worth noting that only specific devices, such as the iPhone models listed below, have built-in LIDAR cameras:

o iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max o iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max o iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max o 2020,2021 and 2022 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9 inch iPad Pro

A. No requirement for LIDAR. The technology you propose must be capable of taking accurate and reproducible measurements.

11. The statement in the SOW mentions that "the app should function using the front-facing and the rear-facing camera." Does this imply that both cameras need to be supported? Please be aware that the front-facing camera on modern iPhones is a TrueDepth camera, capable of providing real-time depth data, while the rear camera includes LIDAR functionality.

A. You can discuss the rationale for using one or both cameras in your proposal if you perceive technical limitations or advantages.

12. Will an Institutional Review Board (IRB) review be required for this project?

A. No. There is no requirement to obtain an IRB approved protocol.

13. Will the app developer receive training and equipment for pre-alpha testing to perform manual caliper measurements? This might be necessary for on-site testing at the app developer offices to ensure rapid precision and accuracy checks.

A. The app developer will be responsible for obtaining their own training on taking these measurements. That cost can be built into your proposal.

14. What is the budget range for a project like this?

o E.g. We would ideally want to develop support for both LIDAR and standard image processing, allowing more capable devices to produce more accurate results.

A. The budget is based upon the offeror’s assessment of what it would cost to complete the work under the statement of work and all other requirements.

15. Are there any ADA compliance requirements?

o E.g. What is the expectation around the user’s ability to hold the camera while taking the scan?

Put another way, some users could be prohibited from properly using a smartphone because of some minimal capability.

o Does Mobile App Requirement #9, “508 compliant” address all accessibility requirements?

Mobile Application | Section508.gov

A. The accessibility requirements are specified under 508.

16. Are there requirements related to minimum lighting conditions for the scan to be performed?

o E.g. If someone is trying to scan their face in the dark, does the system let them know that minimum lighting conditions have not been met?

A. The app developer will have to determine what lighting parameters are needed.

17. Are there restrictions against the subject being asked to take multiple scans / photos for the system to analyze (e.g. left profile, right profile, front), or do the measurements have to be produced from a single scan?

A. Multiple scans are acceptable.

18. Are there restrictions against the system requiring the user to hold the device camera a specified distance from their face when taking the scan?

o E.g. the image of two different sized people may look identical (e.g. on a Zoom call).

A. No

19. Is there any access to human test subjects provided by the CDC to the app developers as part of the quality assurance (QA & Testing) process?

A. CDC will not provide test subjects to the app developers. You should build in costs for test subjects in your proposal if you intend to use them.

20. Are there any reference models that will be available to the developers to verify their analysis relative to CDC thresholds? If so, how will such reference models be made available?

A. Some data sharing of CDC data may be possible, although we cannot currently provide a definite answer on this.

21. Is sending the scan results by email how the analysis data should be shared by the user to other parties.

A. We currently anticipate data sharing will be by email.

22. Where will the shared “scan results” be stored once received by the CDC? Is that storage solution part of the scope of this project?

https://www.section508.gov/sample-procurement/mobile-application/

A. If results are shared with CDC, CDC will address the storage needs.

23. Is the assumption that a user will only scan their own face on their personal device/ Or, is there an expectation of a shared device to be used to scan multiple individuals.

A. We anticipate that a user should be able to perform the scan themselves on their personal device, and also the situation where a single device could be used to scan multiple people (for example, where one workplace administrator could use one device to scan their work team).

24. If so, can the user be expected to provide the user input information (7e) once for their user profile and then automatically apply this same information for each scan by that user? As people age , or gain and lose weight, how are scans of the same person managed over time in their account?

A. Once the contracted is awarded, we will work with our internal NIOSH data security group to discuss this.

25. For the user input information to be stored with each scan (7e), are there any required and optional fields?

o Name o Date o Current respirator model(s) being used o Date of last fit test and method of fit test o Race (dropdown menu) o Sex (dropdown menu) o Age (dropdown menu) o Occupation o Device Type used for Scan o Custom user fields 1 - N

A.We currently see these as all optional fields.

26. Can the user choose from the history of scans when they share a scan analysis with the CDC?

A. You will have to describe the necessity of storing a history of scans in your proposal if you think this will benefit the project.

27. Is there any requirement for the app to determine if the same person’s face is being scanned beyond the 1st time? If so, what should be done with the historical scans when a new scan of the same individual is created?

A. There is no such requirement.

28. Page 12, SECTION 7 – DELIVERABLES/REPORTING SCHEDULE says the ‘Pre-alpha version’ deliverable is a ‘Skeleton of app with all button locations, logos, and ability for buttons to work’. Could you please explain what you mean by “ability for buttons to work”?

What should the buttons do at this stage, given that the next stage (Alpha version 1) is where the camera will start and capture facial features?

A. We can define these details after the award is made and the project is underway.

29. It mentions FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer – Central Contractor Registration. What is the timeline for receiving payment after an invoice is approved? How many days?

A. Since this requirement is set aside for small business, the anticipated timeline for receipt of payment is approximately 15 days after the invoice has been approved.

30. Is the project to be developed in site or remotely?

A. At the contractor’s site.

31. For the presentation of the offer, is it required to submit, as an attachment, experiences that support the requirement?

A. The offeror should provide as much information they determine meets the requirements of the solicitation and would provide them their best competitive advantage.

32. Is the participation of international companies allowed?

a. If the answer to the previous Questions is NO, is it necessary to have legal documentation of the company's incorporation in the USA?

b. What financial and legal documentation must be submitted for the presentation of the bid?

A. Offeror’s must be fully registered and validated in SAM.gov prior to submitting a quote and meet the criteria as a small business under NAICS 541511 with a size standard of $34 million. See SAM.gov for registration requirements and procedures.

33. The complete team must be aligned to the understanding and must provide the service with full support in English or another language?

A. We currently anticipate English language only, although your proposal may explain the need the for other languages and the associated costs.

34. What is the budget allocated for the project?

A. See answer A.14.

35. What is the estimated time for the development of the project?

A. See the performance periods stated in the RFQ.

36. Should the bidder have experience in the development of IOS and Android applications?

A. See the RFQ for evaluation criteria of an offeror’s quote.

37. Is there any solutions that is recommended or tested for procurement?

A. It is up to the contractor to make that determination.

38. Are you open for custom development project ?

A. It is up to the contractor to make that determination.

39. Are you able to share any budget parameters or constraints for this project?

A. See answer A.14.

40. Has the RFP is open for both implementation agencies and CMS vendors?

A. This is only a CDC procurement.

41. Is there currently an incumbent in result of previous Source sought/RFI A. No incumbant.

42. What is the target date for getting application online?

A. The Statement of Work in the RFQ has the deliverables schedule.

43. Is it the Vendor's responsibility to provide designs for Solution?

A. Yes.

44. Is it traditional face measuring application or it require certain integrations ?

A. The Statement of Work in the RFQ describes the requirements.

45. The solicitation says "In order to facilitate the Government's determination whether proposed EIT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template, in accordance with its completion instructions."

I found 2 different forms. Which form (below) would you like us to submit along with our offer?

• The VPAT 2.4Rev 508 (March 2022) found here? https://www.itic.org/advocacy/resources/?policy=vpat or

• The hhs-508-webapps-checklist found here? https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html (the link is titled Web Sites, Web Applications & Software (XLSX, 38 KB)

A. The use of the completed HHS checklist/template is preferred. See additional guidance Acquisition Guidance on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®) and Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) (hhs.gov)

46. It does not appear that there are explicit instructions provided for the technical solution, other than the response should be in as much detail as considered necessary to reflect a clear understanding of the nature of the work. It would be helpful to clarify whether https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://www.itic.org/dotAsset/353efda0-598d-4593-aa53-f4f1f0f61d82.doc?dl=1&chrome=false&dov=1 https://www.itic.org/advocacy/resources/?policy=vpat https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-508-webapps-checklist.xlsx?dl=1&chrome=false&dov=1 https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/accessibility-checklists/index.html https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-508-webapps-checklist.xlsx https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-os-a11y-vpat.pdf https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-os-a11y-vpat.pdf we have the flexibility to propose a technical solution based on our own judgment or if there are specific requirements that need to be addressed.

A. Offeror’s shall review the Statement of work and requirements and should provide an explanation of their technical approach to provide the funtioning application(s), etc. as per the Statement of Work and requirements.

47. Regarding "in a spreadsheet form", should the Business Quote be an Excel document or in a Word document with a table that contains the pricing?

A. The Business Quote should be in Word format with pricing details contained in separate Excel spreadsheet that can should also include a table of pricing in the Word doc.

48. If a situation arises that requires work which was impossible to identify prior to the award of the contract, can the cost of the work be covered?

A. This is a Firm Fixed priced award. All costs must be included with your quote for the work to be accomplished.

49. Page 6, table 1, lists 19 facial dimensions. At least some of these facial dimensions are dependent upon identifying bone structure under the skin. It's somewhat likely that we will not be able to measure facial dimensions according to bone structure using 3-D imaging. If that is the case, can the contractor identify such technical limitations, without being in breach of contract?

A. Describe in your proposal how your technology will perform the measurements and meet the requirements in the Statement of Work.

50. Is there an estimated budget that you're hoping to spend for the project?

A. See A.14.

51. Would you prefer to award the contract to companies that can provide all of the optional feature items as well as the Android app?

A. Offerors should address all the requirements of the solicitation.

52. Will we be using some kind of API by NIOSH to help create the bivariate panels?

A. NIOSH will provide guidance on the how the NIOSH Panels can be determined from the facial measurements once the award is made. The facial dimensions required for determining NIOSH Bivariate Panel size and the NIOSH PCA Panel size are specified in the paper: Zhuang Z, Bradtmiller B, Shaffer RE. New respirator fit test panels representing the current U.S. civilian work force. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2007 Sep;4(9):647-59. doi: 10.1080/15459620701497538. PMID: 17613722.

53. What kind of structure are you looking for in the quote? “Your price quote should include a breakdown of labor, labor rates, materials, associated costs, etc.”. What does this mean? It would be extremely helpful if you had any examples.

A. Format of proposed costs should be in a spreadsheet format. For example: you would list the proposed labor category, the number of hours, the labor rate, and total for that labor category the overall total for any proposed labor categories, materials, etc, indirect rates, profit, etc., for each of the base and optional work under the solicitation.

54. Is it possible to complete and deliver the project earlier if possible, such as within 6 months?

A. The government will need time to review and assess the work in accordance with the statement of work and a condensed delivery time may not work within the government’s schedule.

55. How do you prefer the users send NIOSH their reports? Will NIOSH be providing us anything to help us with this like a server to send data to? This is needed for us to calculate if there are backend requirements because all of the data collection, storage, and analysis happens locally on the device.

A. We anticipate reports will be emailed to CDC and then be stored on a secure CDC server.

56. Does the CDC want the app to have the capability for users to scan both themselves and others, or just one of those options?

A. Yes. The app should have the functionality for an individual to scan themselves and also for an individual to scan another person.

57. Is a voice command required? Could the movement of speaking take a face out of alignment, or is the voice option needed for increased accessibility?

A. Yes, a voice command is required. See 7.b. in the RFQ’s Statement of Work. When the actual scans are being performed, the person must be still and not talking.

58. Will the user's device need to be on a solid surface, on a tripod-like device, or hand-held? Does device stability impact the scan?

A. You should discuss these aspects in your proposal as part of your design and what needs to happen to make your app work.

59. Do all panel measurements need to be taken with the camera, or can they be determined by algorithms/AI? We are imagining that capturing the head circumference and neck circumference would involve some AI data based on other proportions, especially when a user is measuring their own head.

A. Your proposal should describe your methods to obtain the measurements accurately. We are not disallowing AI if the measurements can be accurately calculated, repeated, and validated.

60. Since the past performance evaluation will be evaluated using CPARS as a pass/fail will commercial work without CPARS be acceptable?

A. Yes.

61. Will you accept commercial work as compliant in meeting the corporate experience evaluation factor?

A. Yes.

62. is the completed and signed 1449 to be included with the business proposal since Section B has cost information?

A. Yes, it is preferred.

63. Are we to cost out all CLINs in Section B including the Optional tasks?

A. Yes

64. This is a project we [ …] extensively tested many method and really the only one that works consistently is using the iPhones front camera with the truedepth sensor.The issue is that your request is asking for a few things that are not technically feasible to get size and wanted to know how to address this in the request. 1) iOS -- using the back camera to get accurate measurements - this has proved unreliable for size accuracy.2) Android - getting measurement data with android that have depth sensors or user holding a object up to their face of known size (i.e. a credit card).

A. The offeror is to provide a solution based on their expertise to meet the requirements of the solicitation.

65. I will need to perform clinical trials at up to seven different universities. Can I procure the required service agreements after the contract is awarded?

A. This contract is not requesting that the awardee to develop the technology to predict respirator fit (pg 11). The contract may include any necessary subcontracotrs, agreements, etc that they determine necessary and is supported to perform the work. All anticipated costs shall be included with the submitted offer.

66. Will the government consider an extension of the proposal due date?

A. The government hopes to have a decision on Monday concerning any extension consideration.