Amended Solicitation 75N97020R00005.pdf

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SOLICITATION

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

1. Requisition or other Purchase Authority:

2. Request for Proposal (RFP) Number:

75N97020R00005

3. Issue Date:

May 15, 2020

4. Set Aside:

[ ] No [X] Yes See Part IV Section L

5. Title: Indexing of the Biomedical Literature for MEDLINE for the National Library of Medicine (NLM)

6. ISSUED BY:

Office of Acquisitions National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health 6707 Democracy Boulevard Two Democracy Plaza, Suite 105 Bethesda, Maryland 20892 - MSC 5488

7. SUBMIT OFFERS TO:

See Part III, Section J, "Packaging and Delivery of the Proposal," ATTACHMENT 1 of this Solicitation.

8. Proposals for furnishing the supplies and/or services in THE SCHEDULE will be received at the place specified in, and in the number of copies specified, in Attachment 1, "Packaging and Delivery of the Proposal," until 5:00 P.M. local time on June 15, 2020. Offers will be valid for 120 days unless a different period is specified by the offeror on the Attachment entitled, "Proposal Summary and Data Record, NIH 2043”.

9. This solicitation requires delivery of proposals as stated in ATTACHMENT 1, "PACKAGING AND DELIVERY OF THE PROPOSAL." If proposals are required to be delivered to two different locations, the OFFICIAL POINT OF RECEIPT for determining TIMELY DELIVERY is the address provided for the OFFICE OF ACQUISITIONS.

IF YOUR PROPOSAL IS NOT RECEIVED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER OR HIS DESIGNEE AT THE PLACE AND TIME SPECIFIED FOR THE OFFICE OF ACQUISITIONS, THEN IT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND HANDLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HHSAR Clause 352.215-70, "Late Proposals and Revisions"

LOCATED IN SECTION L.1. OF THIS SOLICITATION.

10. Offeror must be registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) prior to award of a contract. Offerors must access the CCR through The System for Award Management (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov

11. FOR INFORMATION CALL: Uyen Phuong

PHONE: 301-496-6546

e-MAIL: phuongu@mail.nlm.nih.gov

COLLECT CALLS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Uyen Phuong Contracting Officer Office of Acquisitions National Library of Medicine http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:phuongu@mail.nlm.nih.gov

RFP Number: 75N97020R00005

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RFP TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I - THE SCHEDULE

SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

SECTION D - PACKAGING, MARKING AND SHIPPING

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

SOLICITATION ATTACHMENTS

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL ATTACHMENTS

BUSINESS PROPOSAL ATTACHMENTS

INFORMATIONAL ATTACHMENTS

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION

b. NOTICE OF SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

c. NAICS CODE AND SIZE STANDARD

d. TYPE OF CONTRACT AND NUMBER OF AWARDS

e. COMMITMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

f. COMMUNICATIONS PRIOR TO CONTRACT AWARD

g. RELEASE OF INFORMATION

h. PREPARATION COSTS

i. SERVICE OF PROTEST

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Contract Type and General Clauses

2. Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal

3. Proposal Summary and Data Record (NIH-2043)

4. Separation of Technical and Business Proposals

5. Potential Award Without Discussions

6. Use of the Metric System of Measurement

7. Privacy Act - Treatment of Proposal Information

8. Selection of Offerors

9. Past Performance Information

10. Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference

b. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

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1. Technical Discussions

2. Other Considerations

3. Technical Evaluation

c. BUSINESS PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Basic Cost/Price Information

2. Proposal Cover Sheet

3. Other Administrative Data

4. Qualifications of the Offeror

5. Subcontractors

6. Proposer's Annual Financial Report

SECTION M - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

1. GENERAL

2. EVALUATION OF OPTIONS

3. TECHNICAL EVALUATION FACTORS

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PART I - THE SCHEDULE

THE INFORMATION SET FORTH IN SECTION A - SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM, HEREIN CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ANY OFFEROR INTERESTED IN RESPONDING TO THIS SOLICITATION.

ANY CONTRACT RESULTING FROM THIS SOLICITATION WILL INCLUDE IN ITS SECTION A - SOLICITATION/ CONTRACT FORM, ACCOUNTING, APPROPRIATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION APPLICABLE TO THE

CONTRACT AWARD.

THE CONTRACT SCHEDULE SET FORTH IN SECTIONS B THROUGH H, HEREIN, CONTAINS CONTRACTUAL INFORMATION PERTINENT TO THIS SOLICITATION. IT IS NOT AN EXACT REPRESENTATION OF THE CONTRACT DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE AWARDED AS A RESULT OF THIS SOLICITATION. THE CONTRACT COST OR PRICE AND OTHER CONTRACTUAL PROVISIONS PERTINENT TO THE OFFEROR (i.e., those relating to the organizational structure [e.g., Non-Profit, Commercial] and specific cost authorizations unique to the Offeror's proposal and requiring Contracting Officer Prior Approval) WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS AND WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE RESULTANT CONTRACT. THE ENCLOSED CONTRACT SCHEDULE IS

INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE OFFEROR WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO UNDERSTAND THE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE RESULTANT CONTRACT.

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

ARTICLE B.1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

The purpose of this contract is to obtain indexing for approximately 690,000 biomedical journal articles for MEDLINE, 100,000 MTIFL Completion articles, and creating approximately 70,000 Gene Links per year. Indexing is also sought for up to 2,100 records per year for the HSRProj records.

ARTICLE B.2. OPTION PRICES

a. Unless the Government exercises its option pursuant to the option clause referenced in ARTICLE I.3.

ADDITIONAL CONTRACT CLAUSES, this contract consists only of the Base Period specified in the Statement of Work as defined in SECTIONS C and F, for the price set forth in ARTICLE B.2. of this contract.

b. Pursuant to Option for Increased Quantity set forth in ARTICLE I.3. ADDITIONAL CONTRACT CLAUSES of this contract, the Government may, by unilateral contract modification, require the Contractor to perform the Option Period(s) specified in the Statement of Work as defined in SECTIONS C and F of this contract. If the Government exercises this/these option(s), notice must be given before the expiration date of the contract.

Specific information regarding the time frame for this notice is set forth in the OPTION PROVISION Article in SECTION H of this contract. The fixed price of this contract will be increased as set forth in paragraph c., below.

c. Upon the delivery and acceptance of the Option Items described in SECTION C of the contract and identified in the schedule of charges below, the Government shall pay the Contractor the unit price(s) set forth below:

Option Period Description of Option Quantities

Total Price of Option Quantities

Base Period Indexing of Biomedical Literature Option Year Indexing of Biomedical Literature

SECTION C - DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

ARTICLE C.1. STATEMENT-STATEMENT OF WORK

a. Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall be required to furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the Statement of Work, dated May 15, 2020, attached hereto and made a

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ARTICLE C.2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

All reports required herein shall be submitted in electronic format.

All electronic reports submitted shall be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Additional information about testing documents for Section 508 compliance, including guidance and specific checklists, by application, can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html under "Making Files Accessible."

a. Technical Progress Reports

1. 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 in addition to the required electronic version(s) 01 hard copies of these reports will be required as follows:

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

SECTION D - PACKAGING, MARKING AND SHIPPING

All deliverables required under this contract shall be packaged, marked and shipped in accordance with Government specifications. At a minimum, all deliverables shall be marked with the contract number and Contractor name. The Contractor shall guarantee that all required materials shall be delivered in immediate usable and acceptable condition.

SECTION E - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

a. The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will perform inspection and acceptance of materials and services to be provided.

http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/index.html

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b. For the purpose of this SECTION, TBD is the authorized representative of the Contracting Officer.

c. Inspection and acceptance will be performed at:

National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Maryland 20892 - MSC 5488

d. This contract incorporates the following clause by reference, with the same force and effect as if it were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make its full text available.

FAR Clause 52.246-4, Inspection of Services - Fixed Price (August 1996).

FAR Clause 52.246-16, Responsibility for Supplies (April 1984).

SECTION F - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

ARTICLE F.1. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

a. The period of performance of this contract on or about September 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021 (7-months period).

b. If the Government exercises its option(s) pursuant to the OPTION PROVISION Article in Section H of this contract, the period of performance will be increased as listed below:

Option Option Period Option Year April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022

ARTICLE F.2. CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE, FAR 52.252-2 (FEBRUARY

1998)

This contract incorporates the following clause(s) by reference, with the same force and effect as if it were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make its full text available. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address: https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar .

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSE:

52.242-15, Stop Work Order (August 1989)

Alternate I (April 1984) is not applicable to this contract.

52.242-17, Government Delay of Work (April 1984).

SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

ARTICLE G.1. CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

The following Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will represent the Government for the purpose of this contract:

https://www.acquisition.gov/?q=browsefar

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To be specified prior to award.

The COR is responsible for: (1) monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the Contracting Officer changes in requirements; (2) interpreting the statement of work and any other technical performance requirements; (3) performing technical evaluation as required; (4) performing technical inspections and acceptances required by this contract; and (5) assisting in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance.

[The alternate COR is responsible for carrying out the duties of the COR only in the event that the COR can no longer perform his/her duties as assigned.]

The Contracting Officer is the only person with authority to act as agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: (1) direct or negotiate any changes in the statement of work; (2) modify or extend the period of performance; (3) change the delivery schedule; (4) authorize reimbursement to the Contractor for any costs incurred during the performance of this contract; (5) otherwise change any terms and conditions of this contract; or (6) sign written licensing agreements. Any signed agreement shall be incorporated by reference in Section K of the contract

The Government may unilaterally change its COR designation.

ARTICLE G.2. INVOICE SUBMISSION

Invoice Instructions for NIH Fixed-Price Type Contracts, NIH(RC)-2, are attached and made part of this contract. The Contractor shall follow the attached instructions and submission procedures specified below to meet the requirements of a "proper invoice" pursuant to FAR Subpart 32.9, Prompt Payment.

1. Payment requests shall be submitted to the offices identified below. Do not submit supporting documentation (e.g., receipts, time sheets, vendor invoices, etc.) with your payment request unless specified elsewhere in the contract or requested by the Contracting Officer.

a. The original invoice shall be submitted to the following designated billing office:

National Institutes of Health Office of Financial Management Commercial Accounts 2115 East Jefferson Street, Room 4B-432, MSC 8500 Bethesda, MD 20892-8500

b. One copy of the invoice shall be submitted to the following approving official:

Office of Acquisitions National Library of Medicine 6707 Democracy Boulevard Two Democracy Plaza Room 105 Bethesda, Maryland 20892 MSC 5488 phuongu@mail.nlm.nih.gov

The Contractor shall submit an electronic copy of the payment request to the approving official instead of a paper copy. The payment request shall be transmitted as an attachment via e-mail to the address listed above in one of the following formats: MSWord, MS Excel, or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Only one payment request shall be submitted per e-mail and the subject line of the e-mail shall include the Contractor's name, contract number, and unique invoice number.

[Note: The original payment request must still be submitted in hard copy and mailed to the designated billing office to meet the requirements of a "proper invoice."]

NLM COAC

mailto:phuongu@mail.nlm.nih.gov

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The Contractor shall submit an electronic copy of the payment request to the Central Point of Distribution mailbox. The payment request shall be transmitted as an attachment via e-mail to the address listed above in one of the following formats: MSWord, MS Excel, or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Only one payment request shall be submitted per e-mail and the subject line of the e-mail shall include the Contractor's name, contract number, and unique invoice number. [Note: The original payment request must still be submitted in hard copy and mailed to the designated billing office to meet the requirements of a "proper invoice."]

c. Inquiries regarding payment of invoices shall be directed to the designated billing office, (301) 496-6088.

ARTICLE G.3. POST AWARD EVALUATION OF CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE

a. Contractor Performance Evaluations

Interim and Final evaluations of Contractor performance will be prepared on this contract in accordance with FAR Subpart 42.15. The Final performance evaluation will be prepared at the time of completion of work. In addition to the Final evaluation, Interim evaluation(s) will be prepared Annually as follows on August of each performance period.

Interim and Final evaluations will be provided to the Contractor as soon as practicable after completion of the evaluation. The Contractor will be permitted thirty days to review the document and to submit additional information or a rebutting statement. If agreement cannot be reached between the parties, the matter will be referred to an individual one level above the Contracting Officer, whose decision will be final.

Copies of the evaluations, Contractor responses, and review comments, if any, will be retained as part of the contract file, and may be used to support future award decisions.

b. Electronic Access to Contractor Performance Evaluations

Contractors may access evaluations through a secure Web site for review and comment at the following address:

http://www.cpars.gov

SECTION H - SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

ARTICLE H.1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING

The Contractor shall clearly state, when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money: (1) the percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money; (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program; and (3) the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources.

ARTICLE H.2. RESTRICTION ON PORNOGRAPHY ON COMPUTER NETWORKS

The Contractor shall not use contract funds to maintain or establish a computer network unless such network blocks the viewing, downloading, and exchanging of pornography.

ARTICLE H.3. GUN CONTROL

The Contractor shall not use contract funds in whole or in part, to advocate or promote gun control.

http://www.cpars.gov/

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ARTICLE H.4. OPTION PROVISION

Unless the Government exercises its option pursuant to the Option Clause set forth in SECTION I., the contract will consist only of the Base Period of the Statement of Work as defined in Sections C and F of the contract. Pursuant to FAR Clause 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Terms of the Contract set forth in SECTION I. of this contract, the Government may, by unilateral contract modification, require the Contractor to perform additional options set forth in the Statement of Work and also defined in Sections C and F of the contract. If the Government exercises this option, notice must be given at least 60 days prior to the expiration date of this contract, and the Use for Fixed-Price Contracts:

price of the contract will be increased as set forth in the OPTION PRICES Article in SECTION B of this contract.

ARTICLE H.5. INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL ACCESS SECURITY

See attached “Appendix: Information and Physical Access Security.”

ARTICLE H.6. ACCESS TO NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) ELECTRONIC MAIL

All Contractor staff that have access to and use of NIH electronic mail (e-mail) must identify themselves as contractors on all outgoing e-mail messages, including those that are sent in reply or are forwarded to another user. To best comply with this requirement, the Contractor staff shall set up an e-mail signature ("AutoSignature") or an electronic business card ("V-card") on each Contractor employee's computer system and/or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) that will automatically display "Contractor" in the signature area of all e-mails sent.

ARTICLE H.7. CONTRACTOR'S USE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES AT NIH

The Contractor is authorized to use library resources at NIH in the same manner as NIH staff. The Contractor's approved use of these resources is limited to performing the requirements of this contract. The Contractor shall not use library resources at NIH in a manner that exceeds the Fair Use limitations codified in 17 U.S.C. sec. 107 of the Copyright Act. Contractors shall not share access to library resources at NIH with, perform searches for, or provide results to, non- NIH users, i.e. collaborators at other universities or research centers

ARTICLE H.8. REPORTING MATTERS INVOLVING FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE

Anyone who becomes aware of the existence or apparent existence of fraud, waste and abuse in NIH funded programs is encouraged to report such matters to the HHS Inspector General's Office in writing or on the Inspector General's Hotline. The toll free number is 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). All telephone calls will be handled confidentially. The website to file a complaint on-line is:

http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/hotline/ and the mailing address is:

US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General

ATTN: OIG HOTLINE OPERATIONS

P.O. Box 23489 Washington, D.C. 20026 http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/hotline/

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PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION I - CONTRACT CLAUSES

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE I.1. GENERAL CLAUSE LISTING(S) WILL BE APPLICABLE TO MOST CONTRACTS

RESULTING FROM THIS RFP. HOWEVER, THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE SUCCESSFUL

OFFEROR(S) WILL DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC GENERAL CLAUSE LISTING TO BE CONTAINED IN THE

CONTRACT(S) AWARDED FROM THIS RFP:

The complete listing of these clauses may be accessed at:

https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/reference-material-prospective-offerors-and-contractors

ARTICLE I.1. GENERAL CLAUSES FOR A NEGOTIATED FIXED-PRICE SERVICE

CONTRACT

ARTICLE I.2. AUTHORIZED SUBSTITUTIONS OF CLAUSES

Any authorized substitutions and/or modifications other than the General Clauses which will be based on the type of contract/Contractor will be determined during negotiations.

It is expected that the following substitution(s) will be made part of the resultant contract:

a. FAR Clauses 52.215-15, Pension Adjustments and Asset Reversions (October 2010); 52.215-18, Reversion or Adjustment of Plans for Post Retirement Benefits (PRB) Other Than Pensions (July 2005); and, 52.215-19, Notification of Ownership Changes (October 1997), are deleted in their entirety.

b. FAR Clauses 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (November 2016), and 52.219-16, Liquidated Damages--Subcontracting Plan (January 1999) are deleted in their entirety.

c. Alternate I (April 1984) of FAR Clause 52.243-1, Changes, Fixed Price (August 1987), is hereby deleted in its entirety and Alternate II (April 1984) of FAR Clause 52.243-1, Changes, Fixed Price (August 1987), is substituted therefor.

d. FAR Clause 52.249-4, Termination for Convenience of the Government (Services) (Short Form) (April 1984), is deleted in its entirety and FAR Clause 52.249-2, Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed Price) (April 2012) is substituted therefor.

ARTICLE I.3. ADDITIONAL CONTRACT CLAUSES

Additional clauses other than those listed below which are based on the type of contract/Contractor shall be determined during negotiations. Any contract awarded from this solicitation will contain the following:

This contract incorporates the following clauses by reference, (unless otherwise noted), with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available.

a. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES

1. FAR Clause 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (October 2015).

https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/reference-material-prospective-offerors-and-contractors

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2. FAR Clause 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (October 2016).

3. FAR Clause 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting With Inverted Domestic Corporations (November 2015).

4. FAR Clause 52.217-6, Option for Increased Quantity (March 1989).

". .. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within

60 days prior to performance period expires ...... "

5. FAR Clause 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services (November 1999).

". The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 60 days prior to performance period expires. "

b. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ACQUISITION REGULATION (HHSAR) (48 CHAPTER

3) CLAUSES:

1. THERE ARE NO APPLICABLE CLAUSES IN THIS SECTION.

ARTICLE I.4. ADDITIONAL FAR CONTRACT CLAUSES INCLUDED IN FULL TEXT

Additional clauses other than those listed below which are based on the type of contract/Contractor shall be determined during negotiations. Any contract awarded from this solicitation will contain the following:

This contract incorporates the following clauses in full text.

a. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) (48 CFR CHAPTER 1) CLAUSES

1. FAR Clause 52.204-21, Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (June 2016)

a. Definitions . As used in this clause--

"Covered contractor information system" means an information system that is owned or operated by a contractor that processes, stores, or transmits Federal contract information.

"Federal contract information" means information, not intended for public release, that is provided by or generated for the Government under a contract to develop or deliver a product or service to the Government, but not including information provided by the Government to the public (such as on public Web sites) or simple transactional information, such as necessary to process payments.

"Information" means any communication or representation of knowledge such as facts, data, or opinions, in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual (Committee on National Security Systems Instruction (CNSSI) 4009).

"Information system" means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information (44 U.S.C. 3502).

"Safeguarding" means measures or controls that are prescribed to protect information systems.

b. Safeguarding requirements and procedures.

1. The Contractor shall apply the following basic safeguarding requirements and procedures to protect covered contractor information systems. Requirements and procedures for basic safeguarding of covered contractor information systems shall include, at a minimum, the following security controls:

i. Limit information system access to authorized users, processes acting on behalf of authorized users, or

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ii. Limit information system access to the types of transactions and functions that authorized users are permitted to execute.

iii. Verify and control/limit connections to and use of external information systems.

iv. Control information posted or processed on publicly accessible information systems.

v. Identify information system users, processes acting on behalf of users, or devices.

vi. Authenticate (or verify) the identities of those users, processes, or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational information systems.

vii. Sanitize or destroy information system media containing Federal Contract Information before disposal or release for reuse.

viii. Limit physical access to organizational information systems, equipment, and the respective operating environments to authorized individuals.

ix. Escort visitors and monitor visitor activity; maintain audit logs of physical access; and control and manage physical access devices.

x. Monitor, control, and protect organizational communications (i.e., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems.

xi. Implement subnetworks for publicly accessible system components that are physically or logically separated from internal networks.

xii. Identify, report, and correct information and information system flaws in a timely manner.

xiii. Provide protection from malicious code at appropriate locations within organizational information systems.

xiv. Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available.

xv. Perform periodic scans of the information system and real-time scans of files from external sources as files are downloaded, opened, or executed.

2. Other requirements. This clause does not relieve the Contractor of any other specific safeguarding requirements specified by Federal agencies and departments relating to covered contractor information systems generally or other Federal safeguarding requirements for controlled unclassified information (CUI) as established by Executive Order 13556.

c. Subcontracts . The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (c), in subcontracts under this contract (including subcontracts for the acquisition of commercial items, other than commercially available off-the-shelf items), in which the subcontractor may have Federal contract information residing in or transiting through its information system.

2. FAR Clause 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (July

2013)

As prescribed in 9.104-7(c), insert the following clause:

The Contractor shall update the information in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) on a semi-annual basis, throughout the life of the contract, by posting the required information in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at http://www.acquisition.gov .

As required by section 3010 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-212), all information posted in FAPIIS on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews, will be publicly available. FAPIIS consists of two

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The non-public segment, into which Government officials and the Contractor post information, which can only be viewed by-- Government personnel and authorized users performing business on behalf of the Government; or The Contractor, when viewing data on itself; and The publicly-available segment, to which all data in the non-public segment of FAPIIS is automatically transferred after a waiting period of 14 calendar days, except for-- Past performance reviews required by subpart 42.15;

Information that was entered prior to April 15, 2011; or Information that is withdrawn during the 14-calendar-day waiting period by the Government official who posted it in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this clause.

The Contractor will receive notification when the Government posts new information to the Contractor's record.

If the Contractor asserts in writing within 7 calendar days, to the Government official who posted the information, that some of the information posted to the non-public segment of FAPIIS is covered by a disclosure exemption under the Freedom of Information Act, the Government official who posted the information must within 7 calendar days remove the posting from FAPIIS and resolve the issue in accordance with agency Freedom of Information procedures, prior to reposting the releasable information. The contractor must cite 52.209-9 and request removal within 7 calendar days of the posting to FAPIIS.

The Contractor will also have an opportunity to post comments regarding information that has been posted by the Government. The comments will be retained as long as the associated information is retained, i.e., for a total period of 6 years. Contractor comments will remain a part of the record unless the Contractor revises them.

As required by section 3010 of Pub. L. 111-212, all information posted in FAPIIS on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance reviews, will be publicly available.

Public requests for system information posted prior to April 15, 2011, will be handled under Freedom of Information Act procedures, including, where appropriate, procedures promulgated under E.O. 12600.

(End of clause)

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PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS

SECTION J - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

The following documents are incorporated into this RFP:

SOLICITATION ATTACHMENTS

Attachment No. Title Location

Attachment 1: Packaging and Delivery of Proposals for Use with NIH electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) Website Attachment 2: Statement of Work Attachment 3: Appendix: Information and Physical Access Security

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL ATTACHMENTS

Attachment No. Title Location Summary of Related Activities http://oamp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/DGS/contracting-forms/summary-related-activities.pdf

BUSINESS PROPOSAL ATTACHMENTS

Attachment No. Title Location Attachment 4: Proposal Summary and Data Record, NIH-2043

Attachment 5: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, OMB

Form SF-LLL https://oamp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/file s/DGS/contracting-forms/NIH2043.pdf https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/D GS-workform-information/attachment-files

INFORMATIONAL ATTACHMENTS

Attachment No. Title Location Attachment 6: Invoice Instructions for NIH Fixed Price

Contracts NIH(RC)-2 https://oamp.od.nih.gov/dape/forms-and-documents http://oamp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/DGS/contracting-forms/summary-related-activities.pdf https://oamp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/DGS/contracting-forms/NIH2043.pdf https://oamp.od.nih.gov/sites/default/files/DGS/contracting-forms/NIH2043.pdf https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files https://oamp.od.nih.gov/DGS/DGS-workform-information/attachment-files https://oamp.od.nih.gov/dape/forms-and-documents https://oamp.od.nih.gov/dape/forms-and-documents

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PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF

OFFERORS

IF YOU INTEND TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, YOU MUST:

1. Go to the System for Award Management (SAM) and complete the Representations and Certifications. The

SAM website may be accessed at: http://www.sam.gov ; and

2. Complete, and INCLUDE as part of your BUSINESS PROPOSAL:

SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

which is included as an Attachment in Section J-LIST OF ATTACHMENTS, SOLICITATION ATTACHMENTS of this solicitation.

If you are unable to access this SECTION K - REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS electronically, you may request a copy from the Contracting Officer identified on the cover page of this solicitation.

3. FAR Clause 52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications (December 2014).

The Contractor's representations and certifications, including those completed electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM), are incorporated by reference into the contract.

(End of Clause) http://www.sam.gov/

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SECTION L - INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION [FAR Provision 52.215-1 (January 2017)]

a. Definitions. As used in this provision-- "Discussions" are negotiations that occur after establishment of the competitive range that may, at the

Contracting Officer's discretion, result in the offeror being allowed to revise its proposal.

"In writing", "writing", or "written" means any worded or numbered expression that can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and includes electronically transmitted and stored information.

"Proposal modification" is a change made to a proposal before the solicitation's closing date and time, or made in response to an amendment, or made to correct a mistake at any time before award.

"Proposal revision" is a change to a proposal made after the solicitation closing date, at the request of or as allowed by a Contracting Officer as the result of negotiations.

"Time," if stated as a number of days, is calculated using calendar days, unless otherwise specified, and will include Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. However, if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, then the period shall include the next working day.

b. Amendments to solicitations. If this solicitation is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation by the date and time specified in the amendment(s).

c. Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.

1. Unless other methods (e.g., electronic commerce or facsimile) are permitted in the solicitation, proposals and modifications to proposals shall be submitted in paper media in sealed envelopes or packages (i) addressed to the office specified in the solicitation, and (ii) showing the time and date specified for receipt, the solicitation number, and the name and address of the offeror.

Offerors using commercial carriers should ensure that the proposal is marked on the outermost wrapper with the information in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(ii) of this provision.

2. The first page of the proposal must show--

i. The solicitation number;

ii. The name, address, and telephone and facsimile numbers of the offeror (and electronic address if available);

iii. A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation and agreement to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item;

iv. Names, titles, and telephone and facsimile numbers (and electronic addresses if available) of persons authorized to negotiate on the offeror's behalf with the Government in connection with this solicitation;

and

v. Name, title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent shall be accompanied by evidence of that agent's authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

3. Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.

(i)Offerors are responsible for submitting proposals, and any modifications or revisions, so as to reach the

Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that proposal or revision is due.

(ii) (A) Any proposal, modification, or revision received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is "late" and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and--

(1) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals; or

(2) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for

- 17 -receipt of offers and was under the Government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(3) It is the only proposal received.

(B) However, a late modification of an otherwise successful proposal that makes its terms more favorable to the

Government, will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(iii) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the proposal wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(iv) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that proposals cannot be received at the office designated for receipt of proposals by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation, the time specified for receipt of proposals will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(v) Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before award. Oral proposals in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile proposals, proposals may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before award, subject to the conditions specified in the provision at 52.215-5, Facsimile Proposals. Proposals may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or an authorized representative, if the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the proposal before award.

(4) Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, the offeror may propose to provide any item or combination of items.

(5) Offerors shall submit proposals in response to this solicitation in English, unless otherwise permitted by the solicitation, and in U.S. dollars, unless the provision at FAR 52.225-17, Evaluation of Foreign Currency Offers, is included in the solicitation.

(6) Offerors may submit modifications to their proposals at any time before the solicitation closing date and time, and may submit modifications in response to an amendment, or to correct a mistake at any time before award.

(7) Offerors may submit revised proposals only if requested or allowed by the Contracting Officer.

(8) Proposals may be withdrawn at any time before award. Withdrawals are effective upon receipt of notice by the Contracting Officer.

(d) Offer expiration date . Proposals in response to this solicitation will be valid for the number of days specified on the solicitation cover sheet (unless a different period is proposed by the offeror).

(e) Restriction on disclosure and use of data.

(1) The proposal submitted in response to this request may contain data (trade secrets; business data (e.g., commercial information, financial information, cost and pricing data); and technical data) which the offeror, including its prospective subcontractor(s), does not want used or disclosed for any purpose other than for evaluation of the proposal. The use and disclosure of any data may be so restricted; provided, that the Government determines that the data is not required to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, and the offeror marks the cover sheet of the proposal with the following statements, specifying the particular portions of the proposal which are to be restricted:

"Unless disclosure is required by the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, (the Act) as determined by Freedom of Information (FOI) officials of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), data contained in the portions of this proposal which the offeror has specifically identified by page number, paragraph, etc. as containing restricted information shall not be used or disclosed except for evaluation purposes.

The offeror acknowledges that HHS may not be able to withhold a record (e.g. data, document, etc.) nor deny access to a record requested pursuant to the Act and that the HHS's FOI officials must make that determination. The offeror hereby agrees that the Government is not liable for disclosure if HHS has determined that disclosure is required by the Act.

If a contract is awarded to the offeror as a result of, or in connection with, the submission of this proposal, the Government shall have right to use or disclose the data to the extent provided in the contract. Proposals not resulting in a contract remain subject to the Act.

The offeror also agrees that the Government is not liable for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose the data for any purpose, including the release of the information pursuant to requests under the Act. The data subject to this restriction are contained in pages ( insert page numbers, paragraph designations, etc. or other identification)."

(2) In addition, the offeror must mark each page of data it wishes to restrict with the following statement:

"Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the cover sheet of this proposal

- 18 -or quotation."

(3) Offerors are cautioned that proposals submitted with restrictive statements or statements differing in substance from those cited above may not be considered for award. The Government reserves the right to reject any proposal submitted with a nonconforming statement(s).

(f) Contract award.

(1) The Government intends to award a contract or contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose proposal(s) represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors and subfactors in the solicitation.

(2) The Government may reject any or all proposals if such action is in the Government's interest.

(3) The Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received.

(4) The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions with offerors

(except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)). Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary. If the Contracting Officer determines that the number of proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the Contracting Officer may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals.

(5) The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit cost or prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the proposal.

(6) The Government reserves the right to make multiple awards if, after considering the additional administrative costs, it is in the Government's best interest to do so.

(7) Exchanges with offerors after receipt of a proposal do not constitute a rejection or counteroffer by the Government.

(8) The Government may determine that a proposal is unacceptable if the prices proposed are materially unbalanced between line items or subline items. Unbalanced pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more line items is significantly overstated or understated as indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques. A proposal may be rejected if the Contracting Officer determines that the lack of balance poses an unacceptable risk to the Government.

(9) If a cost realism analysis is performed, cost realism may be considered by the source selection authority in evaluating performance or schedule risk.

(10) A written award or acceptance of proposal mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time specified in the proposal shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party.

(11) If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall disclose the following information, if applicable:

(i) The agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed offeror's offer.

(ii) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.

(iii) The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection;

(iv) A summary of the rationale for award.

(v) For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror.

(vi) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.

(End of Provision)

Alternate I (October 1997).As prescribed in 15.209(a)(1), substitute the following paragraph (f)(4) for paragraph (f)(4) of the basic provision:

(f) (4) The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract after conducting discussions with offerors whose proposals have been determined to be within the competitive range. If the Contracting Officer determines that the number of proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the Contracting Officer may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals. Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint.

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a. NOTICE OF SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

1. General. Offerors are solicited only from small business concerns. The procurement is to be awarded only to one or more such concerns, organizations, or individuals. This action is based on a determination by the Contracting Officer, alone or in conjunction with a representative of the Small Business Administration, that it is in the interest of maintaining or mobilizing the Nation's full productive capacity, or in the interest of war or national defense programs, or in the interest of assuring that a fair proportion of Government procurement is placed with small business concerns. Bids or proposals received from others will be considered non-responsive.

2. Definitions. The term "small business concern" means a concern, including its affiliates, which is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and can further qualify under the size standards in this solicitation. In addition to meeting these criteria, a small business concern submitting an offer in his own name shall furnish, in the performing the contract, only end items manufactured or produced by small business concerns in the United States or its outlying areas, provided that this additional requirement does not apply in connection with construction or service contracts.

b. NAICS CODE AND SIZE STANDARD

Note: The following information is to be used by the offeror in preparing its Representations and Certifications (See Section K of this RFP), specifically in completing the provision entitled, SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM REPRESENTATION, FAR Clause 52.219-1.

1. The North American Industry Classification…