Amendment 2 - Attachment 2 - HOPSS_Industry_Day_PPT.pdf

1Image Courtesy NIDA, MRI in IRP Neuroimaging Lab

HOPSS

HHS One Professional Services Solution

Market Research Industry Day Christine Frate | Nancy Lamon-Kritikos Stephen Puckett | Kim Black Anita Allen

November 19, 2024

General

• Please hold questions until the Q&A section.

• This virtual industry day is being recorded. By continuing to be on this virtual meeting, you and other participants are consenting to be recorded. If you do not want to be recorded, please leave the virtual meeting now.

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions | Nancy Lamon-Kritikos

HHS OSDBU Remarks | Shannon Jackson | Arielle Douglas | Anita Allen

Background and History | Stephen Puckett

Scope | Stephen Puckett

Contractor Expectations | Christine Frate

Questions & Answers | Christine Frate

Responses to Questions Submitted in Advance | Christine Frate

Next Steps & Final Notes | Nancy Lamon-Kritikos

Meet the Team

Kim Black

Shannon Jackson

Christine Frate

Stephen Puckett

Contracting Officer Branch Chief Office of Acquisition National Institute on Drug Abuse Small Business Specialist

HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Contracting Officer Section Chief Office of Acquisition National Institute on Drug Abuse

Contracting Officer’s Representative Section Chief STARS Program Office National Institute on Drug Abuse

Contracting Officer’s Representative Branch Chief STARS Program Office National Institute on Drug Abuse

Anita Allen

Executive Director Small Business Specialist HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Nancy Lamon-Kritikos

Arielle Douglas

Deputy Director Small Business Specialist HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), within National Institutes of Health (NIH), on behalf of:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Professional services in support of the HHS mission and strategic plan

HHS-wide to align with Government-wide Category Management Initiatives

Emphasis on agency-wide managed-spend acquisitions that are more efficient and cost effective, while in alignment with small business objectives

HHS includes Office of the Secretary (including Staff Divisions), Regional Offices, and Operating Divisions (including 10 public health and 3 human service agencies)

HHS One Professional Services Solution - HOPSS

Introduction to HOPSS Contract Program

• Follow on requirement for the NIH-wide Scientific Operations and Administrative Resources (SOAR) Contract

• Conducting market research and stakeholder outreach

Industry

HHS-wide

• Reviewing small businesses capabilities and considering how best to maximize participation

Small Business Sources Sought Notice

Small Business Interested Vendors List

• Developing Final Acquisition Plan

Introduction to HOPSS Contract Program

• Multiple award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) type contract program

Flexible task order type – e.g., time-and-materials, cost-reimbursement, fixed-price, labor-hour

Services will be labor-based and will include level-of-effort or task-based services

Task orders will be competed among selected pool of contract-holders

Intend to make a reasonable number of contract awards to allow for competition without being overly burdensome

Contractor Team Arrangements involving small businesses are encouraged - with the goal of the full team being capable of competing for task orders under the entire Statement of Work

• Anticipate up to 10-year ordering period

• Contract award estimated spring or summer 2026

Introduction to HOPSS Contract Program (cont.)

Examples of Level-of-Effort Services Examples of Task-Based Services MRI Technologist services to support advanced neuroimaging analysis techniques during 12-month period

Services for developing two animal study proposals, making protocol amendments, generating various mouse models including conditional, tissue-specific, and double mutant models, and managing/supervising mouse colonies for NIH laboratory over 12-month period

MRI Psychology Researcher licensed by the State of Maryland to lead clinical trial management services for 6-month trial on aging in special populations

Medicinal chemistry services for potent, selective small molecule probes for modulation of novel biological interactions

• Level-of-effort services will require furnishing of required technical effort, and the order will specify the number of labor hours or percentage effort to be expended, generally without reference to a specific intended conclusion

• For task-based services, the order’s statement of work will describe the tangible results to be achieved through the contracted effort and may include specific performance characteristics and/or metrics

HHS OSDBU Remarks

HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

Anita Allen is the Small Business Specialist Assigned to HOPSS

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS and HOPSS have a strong commitment to small business participation for this contract program

The NIDA and OSDBU team have been meeting biweekly since mid May 2024

• Dedicated to having the HOPSS Program be transparent throughout the acquisition process

• Continued outreach to the community

• Importance of responding to the Small Business Sources Sought Notice and Interested Vendors List Survey

Background and History

• Contract program first established at NIH in 2003

• Current Contract:

Scientific Operations and Administrative Resources Contract (SOAR) Future “HOPSS”

Provides professional scientific support services necessary to conduct the business and fulfill the mission of NIH’s biomedical research program

• NIH-wide, $3.6B IDIQ multiple-award contract

• 5 vendors (1 small, 4 other than small)

• 5-year ordering period, July 8, 2021 – June 21, 2026

• Centralized through National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

• Over 2,150 contractor staff providing services across all 29 NIH organizations

27 institutes and centers + NIH OD & ARPA-H

• Two (2) task areas constitute the technical scope of this contract:

Task Area 1: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) services Task Area 2: Business and Operational Services to Support STEM activities

• Task Areas are interconnected – both require specialization of supporting health and human services

Scope

Task Area 1: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math

Professional services in support of the HHS mission and strategic plan for functions related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The overall goal will be to support and expand understanding of health care, public health, human services, and biomedical research.

Examples of Services

• Directly assisting in an experiment, laboratory, or a clinical setting

• Providing direct patient care

• Supporting the development of research methodologies

• Providing scientific or other professional analysis and advice

• Expanding scientific understanding of health care, public health, human services, biomedical research

Examples of Labor Categories

• Scientist 1

• Biological Scientist

• Scientific Program Analyst

• Bioinformatics Scientist

• Research Analyst

• Nurse

• Clinical Operations Manager

• Medical Officer

• Molecular Biologist

• Chemist

Task Area 1: Science

Note: Examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not exhaustive lists of services or labor categories

• Advancing and managing computer technology, applications, software, machinery and equipment management

• Developing data science and machine learning

• Creating solutions for data collection, management, storage, and analysis

• Providing highly technical scientific IT services

Examples of Labor Categories

• Computer Systems Analyst

• Database Administrator

• Computer Scientist

• MRI Technologist

• Data Scientist

• Computer Programmer

• Data Mining Engineer

Task Area 1: Technology

Note: Examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered exhaustive lists of services or labor categories

• Designing, building, or maintaining systems, machines, and spaces

• Managing facilities construction or operations projects

• Providing services to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and public health

• Maintaining and supporting facility operations

• Developing systems using specified engineering techniques

Examples of Labor Categories

• Facilities Security Engineer

• Facilities Technician

• Electrical Engineer

• Robotics Engineer

• Biomedical Engineer

• Materials Engineer

• Repair Technician

• Emergency Management Specialist

Task Area 1: Engineering

Note: Examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered exhaustive lists of services or labor categories

• Developing research methodologies

• Providing scientific or other professional analysis and advice using data, expand scientific understanding of health care, public health, human services, biomedical research

• Developing presentations, using data visualization, when possible, in support of research findings being presented

• Collecting, categorizing, analyzing data, and interpreting results

Examples of Labor Categories

• Statistician

• Bioinformatics Scientist

• Clinical Biostatistician

• Data Analyst

Task Area 1: Mathematics

Note: Examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered exhaustive lists of services or labor categories

Task Area 2: Business and Operational

Professional services in support of the HHS mission and strategic plan for business and operations functions.

Project management, general business, and general operations to support the STEM activities for health care, public health, human services, and biomedical research.

• Coordinate the tasks of key STEM functions within an organization

• Develop and manage project schedules for STEM activities

• Provide high level support for key leaders within the heath or human service organization

• Draft, review and edit written documents for STEM activities

Examples of Labor Categories

• Operations Coordinator

• Senior Advisor

• Management Analyst

• Project Manager

• Contract Specialist

• Editor

• Budget Analyst

• Regulatory Affairs Specialist

• Property Technician

Task Area 2: Business and Operational in STEM

Note: Examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered exhaustive lists of services or labor categories

Contractor Expectations

• Still in process of conducting market research and acquisition planning to finalize our requirements

• Plan to build on successes of historic NIH SOAR program as a model for HOPSS

SOAR HOPSS

NIH-wide HHS-wide 5 contract-holders, including 1 small business and 4 other-than-small organizations

More than 5; the goal is to have a reasonable number to allow for competition without being overly burdensome

• Under SOAR, Contractors:

Provide technically complex, mission critical services Operate in high throughput, fast-paced environment Bring ample, deep bench, pool of candidates; ability to scale up quickly Maintain scientifically-fluent, robust, management resources and sufficient infrastructure Recruit and retain highly specialized labor categories Manage highly-technical contractor teams and troubleshoot advanced technical issues

Questions and Answers

• Due to the large number of registrations, we had to limit the number of participants at today’s Market Research Industry Day

• We are will be collecting questions from the community to take back so please enter any questions into the chat

• Alternatively, you may email questions by Friday, November 22, 2024 at 1:00 PM ET:

Please use subject line:

“QUESTION - 75N95025R00017 - HOPSS MR Industry Day - (INSERT VENDOR NAME)” Email both Kyle.Miller2@nih.gov and cc: Jeff.Moore@nih.gov

• After the Market Research Industry Day, the NIDA intends to post event summary information, including questions and answers, on SAM.gov as an Amendment to the Market Research Industry Day Special Notice.

• All information regarding the requirement will be posted on SAM.gov for equal access to the community.

mailto:Kyle.Miller2@nih.gov mailto:Jeff.Moore@nih.gov

Responses to Questions Submitted in Advance No. Questions Answers 1 When will the solicitation be released? The NIDA is still in the process of finalizing the acquisition package and will release the solicitation once all details have been finalized and approvals have been obtained. We estimate spring 2025;

however, interested parties should monitor SAM.gov.

2 Contract Structure: Are you anticipating multiple awards under this solicitation, potentially splitting between the two Task Areas (1: STEM Services and 2: Business and Operational Services)?

Task Areas 1 and 2 are interconnected – both require background in STEM, with specialization of supporting health and human services.

Task orders may frequently include a mix of labor from both task areas. For example, a TO for “MRI Technologist services to support advanced neuroimaging analysis techniques” may require four (4) positions from Task Area 1 and one (1) position from Task Area 2.

3 Selective Task Bidding: Would it be permissible for our company to submit a response focusing solely on Task Area 2 (Business and Operational Services), or are prospective contractors expected to bid on both task areas?

For responses to the Small Business Sources Sought Notice, capability statements should contain the interested parties’ best documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements; Contractor Team Arrangements involving small businesses are encouraged - with the goal of the entire team being capable of competing for task orders under the entire Statement of Work.

No. Questions Answers 4 Employee Experience Leverage: In the capability statement, would it be acceptable to highlight the previous relevant experience of our employees on similar federal contracts, even if that experience was gained before their employment with our company? This could provide a fuller picture of our team’s expertise. Can we leverage our employees' experience to meet the company's required experience?

For responses to the Small Business Sources Sought Notice, capability statements should contain the interested parties’ best documentation of their ability to meet each of the project requirements.

5 Performance Standards: Could you clarify any specific performance metrics or quality standards that contractors are expected to meet under each task area?

Any applicable performance and/or quality standards will be specified in the solicitation.

6 Future Participation and Teaming: For companies unable to meet the entire SOW independently, are teaming arrangements encouraged, and are there guidelines or expectations for such collaborations?

Yes, Contractor Team Arrangements, particularly ones involving small business, are encouraged. See FAR Subpart 9.6 and FAR Part 19.

No. Questions Answers 7 Would the Government please confirm if HOPSS is replacing SOAR? If so, is the Government expecting to retain the same contract ceiling of $3.6 billion?

Yes, HOPSS is the follow-on requirement of the SOAR contract.

Since HOPSS will be HHS-wide, the maximum contract value is anticipated to be higher than the SOAR contract value of $3.6B.

8 How many awards is the Government anticipating on granting on the future HOPSS contract?

For HOPSS, the Government anticipates an increase in awardees from the current five (5) SOAR contracts; however, the final number will be based on the results of the competition and is undetermined at this time.

9 Is the Government considering making HOPSS a small business set-aside?

The Government cannot provide a response to this question at this time, as NIDA is still conducting market research to determine the most appropriate way to maximize small business participation.

10 Would the Government provide task order examples and/or more details on the nature of historical task order areas?

Paragraph six (6) of the Special Notice Attachment 1: Contract Scope includes task order examples. Historical task areas included scientific, operations, administrative services necessary to conduct the business and fulfill the mission of NIH’s biomedical research program.

No. Questions Answers 11 I am trying to write the capability statement, and it said to "address each of the project requirements separately", where can I find these project requirements?

Please refer to the Special Notice Industry Day Attachment 1:

Contract Scope for the project requirements.

12 Are there specific ISO certifications that HHS would consider as limiting risk and/or increasing success?

Any applicable ISO certifications will be specified in the solicitation.

13 In preparing our response we need either details on the scope, complexity, and volume of tasks or an estimate to the level of required support.

Under SOAR, the incumbent contract program, there are ~450 new task orders awarded per year. However, in the first year, there were over 2,100 new orders as we transition from the predecessor contract. The SOAR contract maximum value is $3.6B. Services are generally technically complex, mission critical services.

No. Questions Answers 14 Frequently, the government requests fewer years of support than needed to match the desired level of expertise. For example, on one of our acquisition efforts the government identified a bachelor’s +6 years of experience as a senior level acquisition specialist. We found that if this level of expertise was insufficient to bring on senior level team members, but as a result our competitors underbid us significantly.

HOPSS anticipates establishing minimum qualifications for labor categories requirements, and ceiling labor rates, with the base IDIQ contract. Additional qualification requirements may be established at the task order level, when necessary, to address more specific needs for each requirement.

15 Are there any incumbents? If so, [what are the] contract details?

Yes, there are 5 current contract holders.

1. 22nd Century (75N95021D00019)

2. Axle Informatics (75N95021D00010)

3. GAP Solutions (75N95021D00011)

4. Guidehouse Digital (75N95021D00013)

5. Kelly Services (75N95021D00012)

16 Can a company still provide an RFI response if they did not survey for the industry day

The Small Business Sources Sought Notice and Industry Day Special Notices are independent, so participation in one is not dependent on participation in the other.

No. Questions Answers 17 Will NIH consider a phased approach to the selection process? Suggested phases: Phase 1:

Past Performance Phase 2: tech and price

Yes, NIH is considering the feasibility and appropriateness of a phased evaluation process; however, the evaluation process is still being developed and all information will be finalized in the solicitation.

Next Steps / Final Notes

• Monitor SAM.gov for all notices regarding this acquisition

• NIDA intends to post event summary information, including questions and answers, on SAM.gov as an Amendment to this Special Notice

• SAM.gov Market Research Industry Day Special Notice – Ongoing survey for

Interested Vendors List https://sam.gov/opp/f27de3325afb481495730fb51d8bda3f/view

• SAM.gov Small Business Sources Sought Notice – Responses due Monday, December 2, 2024, 1:00 PM ET https://sam.gov/opp/59611b58d0b447dead3838a3408e520f/view https://sam.gov/opp/f27de3325afb481495730fb51d8bda3f/view https://sam.gov/opp/59611b58d0b447dead3838a3408e520f/view

Thank you for your interest!