Q&A.Dec20.pdf

Q&A for AG-3187-S-17-0022/24 20 December 2016

1. Does the Government require contract staff to utilize the licenses, or is the intent for the solution to be used by the Government personnel?

a. Forest personnel will be utilizing the licenses.

2. Under the Commercial clauses and provisions included in this solicitation, is awarding a contract to an offeror whose platform will be offered to the general public for sale, lease, or use within 2 to 4 weeks, an option?

a. Offeror’s are encouraged to review the definition of a “Commercial Item” under FAR 2.101.:

“Commercial item” means --

(1) Any item, other than real property, that is of a type customarily used by the general public or by non-governmental entities for purposes other than governmental purposes, and--

(i) Has been sold, leased, or licensed to the general public; or,

(ii) Has been offered for sale, lease, or license to the general public;

(2) Any item that evolved from an item described in paragraph (1) of this definition through advances in technology or performance and that is not yet available in the commercial marketplace, but will be available in the commercial marketplace in time to satisfy the delivery requirements under a Government solicitation;

(3) Any item that would satisfy a criterion expressed in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this definition, but for --

(i) Modifications of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace; or

(ii) Minor modifications of a type not customarily available in the commercial marketplace made to meet Federal Government requirements. Minor modifications means modifications that do not significantly alter the nongovernmental function or essential physical characteristics of an item or component, or change the purpose of a process. Factors to be considered in determining whether a modification is minor include the value and size of the modification and the comparative value and size of the final product. Dollar values and percentages may be used as guideposts, but are not conclusive evidence that a modification is minor

3. If the intent is for contract staff to utilize the solution, what is the preferred location?

a. Not applicable – see previous response

4. Are there any system constraints that would preclude one solution over another based on government security/firewalls etc.?

a. The Offeror’s solution will not have direct access to, or integration with any Forest Service systems.

5. Is the work detailed under Task 6 included in the incumbent contract or is it a new requirement?

a. Task 6 is currently performed under the incumbent contract

6. Do we have any existing data to be migrated into the system?

a. The Forest Service may need to upload certain data into the new system (e.g. graphical elements, templates, etc.); however, proprietary data under the incumbent contract will not be migrated.

7. What is the Forest Service's definition of "Automatic Toning"?

a. “Automatic Toning” is an analysis that assesses the general character or attitude of content or responses and classifies it as positive/neutral/negative (i.e. the “three point scale”).

8. In regards to Task No 3, how will we monitor all media?

a. The Offeror is responsible for demonstrating their ability to accomplish the tasks outlined in the Statement of Work

19 December 2016

1. Can Offeror’s submit quotes via e-mail

a. E-mail is the only acceptable method for submission of quotes. As outlined in the RFQ, all quotes must be submitted by e-mail to rnjones@fs.fed.us. Quotes sent via courier, shipping service, facsimile, etc. are not acceptable and will be considered non-responsive.

2. Are there any new tasks, goals, or items in the SOW as part of this solicitation that were not part of the incumbent contract?

a. No – all tasks included as part of the SOW are currently performed as part of the incumbent contract.

3. Should an “additional user” be priced as a User who will receive access to the entire platform + access to 10 Additional Wire Releases?

a. Yes – additional users ordered as part of this contract should have access to the entire platform and pricing should reflect of that access

4. How does the Government define “press release” – an email blast sent to a list of journalists through the platform via email? Or a wire-release distribution. Can you confirm it is the Government’s intent to send out 20 wire releases throughout the course of the base period?

a. Yes – the Government intends to send up to 20 wire-releases throughout the base period, and up to 20 additional releases during any exercised option year.

5. Will the Forest Service write their own press releases, or will the Contractor be responsible for providing that content?

a. Forest Service staff will write all press releases; press release creation and editing are not part of this requirement.

mailto:rnjones@fs.fed.us

6. Will media lists be transferred from the incumbent vendor to the new platform, or will the Forest Service build them?

a. Media lists will not be transferred. Offerors shall provide established media lists relevant to the Forest Service, as well as provide functionality for creating custom media lists as needed.

7. How would the Forest Service like vendors to differentiate between real and “Fake News” sites in each of the tasks?

a. The Offeror is responsible for verifying the reputability of sources, where reasonably practical.

16 December 2016

1. Is Cision the Forest Service’s preferred software for this requirement?

a. The Forest Service has no preferred vendor or software for this requirement

2. Is partial funding available upfront?

a. Clauses and Provisions concerning advance, partial, and other types of Interim payments have not been included in this solicitation

1. Can invoicing be done weekly? Or how often is invoicing normally done?

a. Invoicing is typically done after all work has been performed under a given Delivery

Order.

2. Are questions allowed after the job is awarded to offeror so as to make sure we are on the same page in during the development cycle?

a. The Contracting Officer may elect to hold a post-award orientation (also known as a

“kick-off meeting”) after award of the contract; however, this orientation is not a substitute for the contractor’s fully understanding the work requirements at the time offers are submitted, nor is it to be used to alter the final agreement arrived at in any negotiations leading to contract award. As this is a commercial acquisition, the Government does not anticipate the need for significant custom development efforts.

3. Is this the solicitation the first solicitation for this requirement or has the Forest Service contracted out for this requirement in the past?

a. The Forest Service has contracted for these services in the past. The incumbent contract is AG-3187-C-16-0004 and the incumbent contractor is Cision US, Inc.

4. The solicitation states that the “total value of this award shall not exceed $900,000”; does that include the base year only, or the base year and all option years?

a. The total value of the base year and all option years cannot exceed $900,000 combined, including the base cost and any additional optional delivery orders. Offeror’s pricing will be evaluated based on the base year and option year pricing.

5. What would be the time frame allotted to build such a website?

a. This is a solicitation for a Commercial Item; the Forest Service does not anticipate the need for development times, beyond time needed for the Forest Service to build media lists, upload graphical elements, etc. to the system.

6. Can companies from outside USA compete for this requirement? Can requirements be performed outside of the USA?

a. All companies must be registered in SAM.gov as a small business under the appropriate NAICS code in order to be eligible to compete for this requirement. Quotes from foreign Offeror’s will be reviewed to ensure they comply with all relevant trade agreements, executive orders, and other concerns as outlined in FAR part 25. All quotes must be submitted in English and in US dollars.

7. Will in-person meetings be required as part of this award?

a. No, in-person meetings will not be required.

8. Will the Contractor have login access to FS social media platforms so that a custom API may be developed?

a. No, the Contractor will not have log-in access to any Forest Service social media profiles.

9. Will there be a need to analyze news coverage?

a. Yes

10. Is there a need to monitor news from online or broadcast news sources?

a. Yes, this is included under Task 03

11. Does the Forest Service require social media management or social media publishing?

a. No, this is not included in this requirement

12. Will all “additional users” that would be ordered be Forest Service Users?

a. Yes – any additional users will also be Forest Service users, typically from regions outside of the Forest Service headquarters in Washington, DC.

13. What is the total budget for this opportunity?

a. The Forest Service anticipates awarding an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract with a minimum order value of $1,000 and a maximum order value of $900,000.

Total budget will depend on the number of delivery orders issues, number of optional users added throughout the base year, and any exercised option years.

14. What is the due date and time of this requirement?

a. All responses are due by e-mail to rnjones@fs.fed.us no later than 18:00 – or 6:00PM –

Eastern Time on 12/22/2016. Late submissions will not be accepted.

14 December 2016

1. What is the incumbent contract number for this requirement?

a. AG-3187-C-16-0004

2. What is the incumbent vendor for this requirement?

a. Cision US, Inc is the incumbent vendor for this requirement

In regards to Task 08

3. What is the estimated number of press releases needed for this requirement?

a. The Forest Service estimates twenty (20) press releases will be needed as part of the base requirement. Each additional user will require an estimated ten (10) press releases.

4. What is the estimated average word count for press releases under this requirement?

a. The average word count for press releases posted under this requirement is 700 words.

Offerors are encouraged to include any word or character limits for press releases in their technical proposals.

mailto:rnjones@fs.fed.us

5. Is there a preferred wire service of the Forest Service?

a. The Forest Service has no preferred wire service