RFQ_financial analysis tool_01292020.pdf

Federal Student Aid (FSA) Request for Quote (RFQ)

Financial Analysis Tool Subscription

Description:

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial item(s) prepared in accordance with the format in FAR subpart 12.6, as supplemental with additional information included in this notice.

This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. This solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ).

This notice and the incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

This requirement is solicited as full and open. Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov, in order to be considered for award. The government anticipates awarding a firm-fixed price contract resulting from this RFQ.

Federal Student Aid (FSA) is seeking an existing web-based subscription service, that includes alerts when any major public announcement is made regarding the for profit institutions, and has built in analytics tools that provides in-depth financial ratios that may show other high risk factors is required to provide early warning signs of a possible precipitous closure of a postsecondary educational institutions.

The scope of this project is to acquire licenses/subscription for Financial Analysis Services and training for users to support financial and risk analysis research that supports Federal Student Aid’s mission of oversight for postsecondary educational institutions participating in Title IV programs.

The financial analysis tool needs to provide the following:

- An intuitive, web-based portal with reporting capability to be used to search for financial data;

- Access to real-time metrics regarding the corporations to include stock prices, trade volumes, and comparison to peer group organizations;

- Access to reliable financial data for credit analysis, model building, statistical studies, economic analysis and regulatory enforcement-based activities;

- Training on using the software to be included as part of the subscription.

Performance Objectives

Provide access to a web-based tool for 6 user accounts, including the After-Market Research subscription service.

Deliverables

- Web based tool that provides financial analysis information for Publicly Traded Corporations (PTCs).

http://www.sam.gov/

- Current and historical data for PTCs.

- Access to real-time metrics regarding the corporations to include stock prices, trade volumes, and the ability to compare PTCs.

- Reporting capabilities to include creating fully customized reports and dashboards.

- Credit ratings that provide independent objective assessments of the credit worthiness of PTCs.

- Basic research tools and market data needed to perform financial analysis of PTCs.

- Data needs to enable users to drill down in detail regarding a specific entity and to compare PTCs on a set of variables.

- Access to recent transactions and key developments for the PTCs.

- Information contained in the software is clear, concise, and informative to the Federal

Student Aid’s financial analyst staff.

- Web based tool that provides a process for obtaining reports and relevant industry standards; and illustrates how the reports can be customized and dashboards developed to get the most out of the data.

- Training on using the software to be included as part of the subscription.

Constraints

Tool shall be web-based, online and allows for monitoring Securities and Exchange filings, Media Alerts, and to conduct comprehensive financial ratio scoring, including timely access to real-time and important financial information on large for-profit publicly traded institutions.

Period of Performance

The period of performance includes a One Year Base Period and three twelve (12) month Option Periods.

The estimated period of performance is as follows:

Base Year – March 1, 2020 – February 28, 2021

Option Year One – March 1, 2021 – February 28, 2022

Option Year Two – March 1, 2022 – February 28, 2023

Option Year Three – March 1, 2023 – February 28, 2024

FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items (Oct 2014) (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: Technical, Past Performance and Price.

Factor 1 is more important than factor 2. When combined factors 1 and 2 are more important than factor 3. In the event that evaluation results in an outcome where the ratings are significantly close, price will become an increasingly more important factor in the best value determination.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of Provision)

FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications – Commercial Items (Dec 2019) The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed through https://www.sam.gov. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (v)) of this provision.

The FULL TEXT of the provision can be found at the following link:

https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52212-3-offeror-representations-and-certifications-commercial-items

FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions- Commercial Items (May 2015) Incorporated by Reference.

FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (Jan 2020), applies to this acquisition. The following additional clauses cited in the clause are also applicable to this acquisition: 52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, 52.223-3 Convict Labor, 52.222-19 Child Labor, 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities, 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans, 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Worker with Disabilities, 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Person, 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving, 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer System for Award Management.

FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Service (Nov 1999) https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52212-3-offeror-representations-and-certifications-commercial-items https://www.acquisition.gov/content/52212-3-offeror-representations-and-certifications-commercial-items

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 5 days.

(End of clause)

FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000)

(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 5 days; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 10 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

(b)If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 54 months.

(End of clause)

FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998) This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, 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. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address:

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html (End of clause)

The attached Additional Terms and Conditions include the Department of Education terms and conditions and Federal Student Aid locale clauses.

Addendum to 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items Submission of Quotes: Quotes shall be submitted in two volumes: Volume I shall include the following information: Technical Solution and Past Performance information. Written quotes and any accompanying/associated technical brochures shall not exceed ten (10) pages in length, the page limitation is based on the number of pages when printed single-spaced on 8 ½ x 11 page with 1” margins in 12-point Times New Roman font. No pricing information shall be included in volume I. Volume II includes pricing only.

Evaluation Factor 1 Technical Solution (shall not exceed 7 pages) The offeror shall submit a quote that clearly demonstrates that the proposed solution meets the performance objective and be capable of providing stated deliverables. Offerors who propose a financial analysis tool that is not web based will not be considered for award.

Evaluation Factor 2 Past Performance (shall not exceed 3 pages) The offeror shall provide a list of three (3) references for completed work within the last three

(3) years which are similar in scope, magnitude, relevance and complexity to this requirement.

The offeror shall also provide and point of contact for each reference which includes their phone http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html numbers and email addresses. The contract numbers, brief scope of work, total dollar value and period of performance shall also be included.

Evaluation Factor 3 Price The offeror shall submit their price quote using the following format:

Base Year Item # Unit Price Quantity Extended Price Financial Analysis Service 0001 $ $ Base Year Total $ Option Year One Financial Analysis Service 1001 $ $ OY1 Total $ Option Year Two Financial Analysis Service 2001 $ $ OY2 Total Option Year Three Financial Analysis Service 3001 $ $ OY3 Total $ Total Base Year & all Options $

Quotes must be received electronically (e-mail) by Friday, February 7, 2020, 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). Quotes are to be forwarded, via e-mail, to Kimberly Hopkins, Contract Specialist at Kimberly.Hopkins@ed.gov, and Joyce Bettis, Contracting Officer at Joyce.Bettis@ed.gov. The subject line of the e-mail shall be Financial Analysis Tool Quote Submission. All questions pertaining to this requirement are due, via e-mail, by 12:00 p.m.

(Eastern Standard Time) on February 3, 2020. The responses to the questions will be answered with an amendment to this synopsis/solicitation no later than February 4, 2020.

Period of Acceptance of Quotes:

The offeror agrees to hold firm their proposed prices in their quote for 45 calendar days from the date specified for the receipt of offers.

mailto:Kimberly.Hopkins@ed.gov mailto:Joyce.Bettis@ed.gov