Sol_75N94025R00001_Amd_0001.pdf

(x)

75N94025R00001 x x

1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 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 letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

x

NICHD

Bethesda, MD 20892-7511 National Institute of Child Health National Institutes of Health

11/19/20240001

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

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

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

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

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

11/19/2024

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

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

Solicitation Title: "Managing, Editing, and Publication of Alcohol Research: Current

Reviews" (ARCR) Services.

Amendment 01:

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

2) Revise Section C.2, 2nd paragraph.

3) Revise Section J, to transpose the order of sequence of two documents.

4) Revise Section L.1.b., Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal.

5) Revise Section L.4, Level of Effort.

6) Revise Section M, Technical Evaluation Rating Definitions Table.

PLEASE NOTE: The date and time for receipt of proposals remains unchanged.

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

LISA L. SCHAUPP

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

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

Solicitation No. 75N94025R00001 Amendment 1

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

SOLICITATION NUMBER 75N94025R00001

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS-ONE (1)

DATE OF ISSUANCE: December 05, 2024

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth below. The hour and the date specified for receipt of offers remains unchanged, 12/20/2024, 1pm ET. Offerors must acknowledge receipt of the amendment prior to the hour and the date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

I. By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted (Please note that this is the preferred method); or

II. By separate letter or e-mail which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers.

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT 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 letter, provided each letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

The purpose of this document is to provide responses to questions submitted by potential Offerors concerning the Request for Proposals Solicitation Number 75N94025R00001.

NOTE: OFFERORS ARE ADVISED THAT RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS REFERRED TO IN THIS SECTION ARE

PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. NEITHER THE TECHNICAL

REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS NOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE RFP ARE CHANGED UNLESS

CHANGED BY A FORMAL AMENDMENT (CORRECTION/CHANGE).

A. QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

I. Vendor Question 1:

In Reference to: SOW, Section 3.1.1., Project Management Application and Processes (Page 2).

What internal commercial off-the-shelf project management application is currently being used, and does it fully meet the needs of the project?

Amendment 1

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

Government Response to Vendor Question 1:

Editorial Manager; yes

BaseCamp 2 and TeamGantt interface; no

The journal is currently in the discovery process looking for project management tools with an integrated interface providing: easy detection of where assignments are in the workflow, which category of personnel have been assigned, and the specific personnel assigned to each workflow step;

adaptable manuscript publication estimates based on real time production workflow timelines that automatically updates based on production step leads and lags; data analysis tools available within the applications that allows for regular evaluation of production steps across manuscripts/projects to inform optimization efforts; project templates that can be used for all manuscripts/projects with the same established workflow; automated efficiencies where possible (e.g., automatic assignment to next step/category of personnel); etc. Of note, the journal has a data centric approach and is continually looking for ways to make processes more efficient, effective, and automated, where possible. Project management tools that track ad hoc projects, assignments, and communications is also a necessity.

II. Vendor Question 2:

In Reference to: SOW, Section 3.1.3., Editorial Advisory Board, paragraph D. (Page. 4).

To ensure consistency in offeror pricing, what is the standard honorarium for each EAB member?

Government Response to Vendor Question 2:

This has not been initiated yet, so there is no standard set for ARCR. NIH has guidelines established, which the journal would need to comply with: https://public.csr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2017- 10/SREAFlatRateBreakdown.pdf

III. Vendor Question 3:

In Reference to: SOW, Section 3.2., Concept Development and Review, paragraph D. (Page 5).

The cost of Editorial Manager software varies by the number of submissions processed annually and the number of features required. What is the current cost of the Editorial Manager software being used for this project?

https://public.csr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2017-10/SREAFlatRateBreakdown.pdf https://public.csr.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2017-10/SREAFlatRateBreakdown.pdf

Amendment 1

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

Government Response to Vendor Question 3:

Approximate cost is $5,600 per year (with its current configuration).

IV. Vendor Question 4:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Section C.2., Technical Progress Reports (Page 8) and Section F.2., Deliveries (Pages 12 - 16).

As stated in paragraph 2 of Section C.2, "For proposal preparation purposes only, it is estimated that in addition to the required electronic version(s) hard copies of these [monthly] reports will be required..." In Section F.2., the Technical Reports Delivery and Distribution Schedule table, line item 19, indicates "Electronic copy to CO and COR." Please confirm whether hard copy reports are required.

Government Response to Vendor Question 4:

Only electronic versions are needed.

V. Vendor Question 5:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Section G.7., Key Personnel (Pages 21 - 22) and Section L.4., Level of Effort (Page 50).

There appear to be inconsistencies in key personnel titles. The Senior Science Editor and Lead Copy Editor/Science Writer positions listed in the RFP on page 22 are not included in the Level of Effort table on page 50. Please clarify.

Government Response to Vendor Question 5:

Editors would be estimated hours for other science editors in the editor pool.

Copy Editor(s) include efforts of the Lead Copy Editor/Science Writer positions and other copy editors in the pool. The Lead Copy Editor/Science Writer ensures consistency of all copy editor's work in the copy editing pool.

Of note, all estimated labor hour delegations are subject to change as the journals needs evolve, including adoption of more efficient workflows, automated efficiencies, etc.

Amendment 1

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

VI. Vendor Question 6:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Section L.4., Level of Effort (Page 50).

Are offerors required to propose the labor categories and level of effort provided in the Level of Effort table on page 50 or may offerors propose their own labor mix corresponding to their technical approach?

Government Response to Vendor Question 6:

These are estimated labor hours based on the journal's current workflow, which is continually being reevaluated and changed for optimization. The overall goal is to reduce the labor hours expended for and the time elapsed between internal production steps. The journal is currently in the discovery process for evaluating automated tools to integrate into internal production steps where feasible and modifying production steps to support the journal's goals.

We have asked that proposals include suggestions for automated tools and fixed costs (e.g., fixed cost per page for copy editing) wherever possible.

To allow for comparison between proposals, please provide estimates for the labor categories and level of effort as listed on page 50 of the solicitation. If the offeror has alternate suggestions for labor mixes based on their specific technical approach, with the above aims in mind, please provide this information separately.

VII. Vendor Question 7:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Section L.11.1.b., Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal (Pages 52 - 53), and Attachment 14 - Packaging and Delivery of Proposals for use with the NIH electronic Contract Proposal submission (eCPS) Website.

Page 53 of the solicitation states; "Proposals will be typewritten, paginated, reproduced on letter size paper, printed/copied double-sided on at least 30 percent post-consumer fiber paper ..." Attachment 14 requires electronic proposal submission. Please clarify.

Government Response to Vendor Question 7:

Offerors must follow instructions on Attachment 14 - Packaging and Delivery of Proposals - NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website.

The Government is confirming and requiring electronic proposal submission only.

Amendment 1

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

VIII. Vendor Question 8:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Section L.13., Past Performance Information (Page 57). Please clarify in which proposal, Technical or Business, the Past Performance information should be included.

Government Response to Vendor Question 8:

The Government is confirming that the Past Performance Information must be included in the Technical Proposal.

IX. Vendor Question 9:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Section L.15.a., Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference, FAR 52.252-1 (Page 60).

Please clarify whether or not the Alternate I (Oct 2018) clause for System for Award Management, FAR Provision 52.204-7 (Oct 2018) is applicable to this solicitation.

Government Response to Vendor Question 9:

The Government is confirming that Alternate I (Oct 2018) of FAR 52.204-7 is not being applied to this solicitation.

X. Vendor Question 10:

In Reference to: Solicitation # 75N94025R00001, Attachment 14 - Packaging and Delivery of Proposals for use with the NIH electronic Contract Proposal submission (eCPS) Website.

To facilitate the government's efficient review of proposals and to ensure consistency in the level of detail that is provided by each offeror, please consider establishing a page limit for technical proposals.

Government Response to Vendor Question 10:

Please refer to Page 2 of Attachment 14 (Packaging and Delivery of Proposals - NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website), for details.

Attachment 14 (Packaging and Delivery of Proposals - NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website) Section II.B, Page Limitations, will be changed to the following:

Page Length: Technical Proposals shall not exceed 30 pages in length. This page count does not include a cover letter or resumes/CVs. Offers that exceed the page limitation will be deemed not responsive and will not be eligible for review. There is no page limitation for Business Proposals. However, please note, in accordance with e-CPS instructions, the maximum upload size for all proposal document(s) together is 387.19 MB. Also, for all proposed Key Personnel, commitment letters must be submitted.

Amendment 1

1) To add answers to questions submitted.

XI. Vendor Question 11:

Can you confirm whether NIH's HHS has contracted similar contracts in past years and if so, what company fulfilled those contractual needs.

Government Response to Vendor Question 11:

The Government is only confirming the requirements for this solicitation.

The Incumbent: IQ Solutions, Inc.

Current Contract Number: 75N94020C00001 See FPDS and Sam.gov for more information.

XII. Vendor Question 12:

Do you know whether there is any reason that NIH is looking to change contractors or if there were any performance concerns or issues with delivery on the contracted scope of work?

Government Response to Vendor Question 12:

The Government is re-competing this requirement and based on market research the government is competing this requirement as a full and open competition with the exclusion of sources (small businesses) under SAM.gov utilizing NAICS code 513120, Periodical Publishers.

End of Questions and Answers

Amendment 1

2) Revise Section C.2, 2nd paragraph.

Section C.2. will be deleted in its entirety and will be replaced with the following:

2. Technical Progress Reports In addition to the required reports set forth elsewhere in this Schedule, the preparation and submission of regularly recurring Technical Progress Reports will be required in any contract resulting from this solicitation. These reports will require descriptive information about the activities undertaken during the reporting period and will require information about planned activities for future reporting periods. The frequency and specific content of these reports will be determined prior to contract award. [Note: Beginning May 25, 2008, the Contractor shall include the applicable PubMed Central or NIH Manuscript Submission reference number when citing publications that arise from its NIH funded research.]

For proposal preparation purposes only, it is estimated that only the required electronic version(s) of these reports will be required as follows:

[X] Monthly [ ] Quarterly [ ] Semi-Annually [ ] Annually [ ] Annually (with a requirement for a Draft Annual Report) [ ] Final - Upon final completion of the contract Page 9 [ ] Final - Upon final completion of the contract (with a requirement for a Draft Final Report)

[End of Section C.2 Revision]

Amendment 1

3) Revise Section J, to transpose the order of sequence of two documents.

Revise Section J, to transpose the order of sequence of two documents.

Document:

- "Packaging and Delivery of Proposals - NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website"

- This document was on the list as Attachment #12. It will now be on the list as Attachment #14.

- "Proposal Summary and Data Record, NIH-2043"

- This document was on the list as Attachment #14. It will now be on the list as Attachment #12.

The revised Section J - List of Documents, Exhibits, and Other Attachments is as follows:

SECTION J - List of Documents, Exhibits and Other Attachments

Attachment Number

Title Date

1 Attachment 1 - Statement of Work (ARCR 2025) - 08.30.2024

08/30/2024

2 Invoice/Financing Request & Contract Financial Reporting Instructions for NIH C.R. Type Contracts, NIH(RC)-4

11/14/2024

3 Electronic Invoicing Instructions for NIH Contractors/Vendors

11/14/2024

4 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, SF-LLL 11/14/2024 5 Commitment To Protect Non-Public Information 11/14/2024 6 Roster of Employees Requiring Suitability Investigations 11/14/2024 7 Employee Separation Checklist 11/14/2024 8 Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Costs (plus fee) w/ Excel

Spreadsheet 11/14/2024

9 Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data 11/14/2024 10 HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template 11/14/2024 11 Offeror's Points of Contact 11/14/2024 12 Proposal Summary and Data Record, NIH-2043 11/14/2024 13 Proposal Intent Response Sheet 11/14/2024

Packaging and Delivery of Proposals - NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website

11/08/2024

15 Summary of Related Activities 11/14/2024 [End of Section J Revision]

Amendment 1

4) Revise first paragraph of Section L.1.b., Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal

First paragraph of Section L.1.b., Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal, will be deleted in its entirety and will be replaced with the following:

"b. Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal

The proposal must be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization and must stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of this RFP. Your proposal shall be submitted in the number of copies, to the addressees, and marked as indicated in the Attachment entitled, PACKAGING AND DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL, Part III, Section J hereof. See Attachment #14, Package and Delivery of Proposals for Use with the NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website, for submission of proposal instructions. All documents required for responding to the SOLICITATION should be placed in the following order: ... "

[End of Section L.1.b. Revision]

SolicitationNo.75N94025R00001 Amendment 1

5) Revise Section L.4., Level of Effort

Section L.4., Level of Effort, will be deleted in its entirety and will be replaced with the following:

"4. LEVEL OF EFFORT

The Government's requirement for the work set forth in the Statement of Work of this solicitation is 47,361 direct labor hours. It is estimated that the labor hours are constituted as specified below and will be expended approximately as follows:

Labor Hours

Labor Category

Base Year

Option Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Option to Extend Services (Up to 6 months)

Total

1) Managing Editor 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 1,000

2) Associate Managing

Editor 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 1,000

3) Senior Science Editor 400 400 400 400 400 200

4) Copy Editor(s) 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 750

5) Digital Communications

Analyst(s) 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 1,300 650

6) Marketing/Analytics Specialist(s)

460 460 460 460 460 230

7) Graphic Designer(s) 500 500 500 500 500 250

8) UX

Specialist/Designer(s) 91 91 91 91 91 46

9) Editor(s) 100 100 100 100 100 50

10) Corporate

Monitor/Support 260 260 260 260 260 130

TOTAL 8,611 8,611 8,611 8,611 8611 4,306 47,361

[End of Section L.4. Revision]

SolicitationNo.75N94025R00001 Amendment 1

6) Revise Section M, Technical Evaluation Rating Definitions Table

The "Technical Evaluation Rating Definitions" Table in Section M will be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following table:

Technical Evaluation Rating Definitions

Adjectival Rating

Symbol

Description/Definition

Neutral

N

No past performance available for evaluation. Offeror has asserted that it has no directly related or similar relevant past performance experience. Proposal receives no merit or demerit for this factor.

Outstanding

O

Based on the Offeror's record of past performance, no issues, concerns, or risks are associated with receiving timely services and contract performance. Past performance surveys and the Offeror's experiences indicate that the Offeror is capable of exceeding the requirements of the delivery order. The Contractor has demonstrated significant experience with and knowledge of the issues and problems of large organizations.

Good

G

The Offeror's record of past performance indicates there is very little risk associated with receiving quality products, timely services and full contract performance. Past performance surveys and the Offeror's experience indicate the Offeror will meet or exceed the requirements of the delivery order. The Contractor has demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the issues and problems of large organizations.

Acceptable

A

The Offer's record of past performance indicates that there is some potential risk associated with receiving quality products, timely services, and contract performance. Past performance surveys and the Offeror's experience indicate the Offeror may have some problems during performance of the delivery order. The Contractor has demonstrated limited experience with and knowledge of the issues and problems of large organizations.

Unsatisfactory U The Offeror's record of past performance indicates it will be unable to perform successfully on the delivery order.

Risk Level Rating Symbol Description/Definition

Very Low Risk VLR

The proposal contains no deficiencies or weaknesses. Based on information provided, there is no doubt that the offeror demonstrates an exceptional understanding of the services required to meet or exceed most contract requirements. The highest quality of contract performance is anticipated.

Low Risk LR

The proposal contains no deficiencies and only a few minor weaknesses that do not require discussions. Based on the information provided, there is little doubt that the offeror demonstrates a high quality of understanding of the services required to meet or exceed some contract requirements.

Moderate Risk MR The proposal contains no deficiencies and some weaknesses. Based on the information provided, the Offeror demonstrates an understanding of the services required to meet contract requirements.

High Risk HR

The proposal contains deficiencies and significant weaknesses. Based on information provided, there is doubt that the contractor understands the services required to meet the contract requirements. Requirement/services can be met only with major changes to the proposal.

Unacceptable Risk UR

Technical proposal has many deficiencies and/or gross omissions; failure to understand much of the scope of work necessary to perform the required tasks;

failure to provide a reasonable, logical approach to fulfilling much of the government's requirements; failure to meet many personnel requirements in the solicitation. (When applying this adjective to a proposal as a whole, the technical proposal would have to be so unacceptable in one or more areas that it would have to be completely revised in order to attempt to make it other than unacceptable.)

[End of Section M Revision]

END OF AMENDMENT 1