DraftRFIOct12.docx

RFI REQUESTING SOURCES SOUGHT AND CAPABILITY STATEMENTS

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This is not a request for offers, quotes or proposals. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. This is a market research tool only to determine the capability of potential sources.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is contemplating establishing a contract under NAICS Code(s) 541611, Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services, and the Small Business Standard is 15 million, PSC Code R410 for describe the requirement concisely here and is issuing this Request For Information (RFI) in order to solicit responses from capable 8(a) sources and capability statements to ensure sufficient competition exists to meet the government’s requirements.

Teaming arrangements and joint ventures will be considered for any subsequent procurement based on the Government's market research, provided that the prime contract is awarded to an 8(a) business and that 8(a) businesses provide fifty percent or more of the support)).

Please review the draft performance work statement (PWS) and provide your feedback to Donald Comer at Donald.M.Comer@hud.gov. Please submit your questions by email, under the following subject line: RFI Questions: SF Handbook Implementation and Support Services Requirement. Questions will conclude on October 16, 2017.

So, what exactly is HUD contemplating acquiring?

The Contractor shall provide technical expertise, administrative, clerical, and support functions. Services include providing Single Family Housing (SFH) Policy Handbook development, communications support, policy business process automation maintenance and project management.

BACKGROUND

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), creates affordable homeownership opportunities through FHA-insured mortgages offered by FHA-approved lenders. FHA insures these lenders against losses from mortgages and home improvement loans underwritten in accordance with FHA guidelines.

FHA conveys policy and guidance on its insurance programs to industry partners via workshops, conferences, policy documents, teleconferences, handbooks and guides. FHA industry partners are individuals and entities involved in different sectors of the housing market. They include FHA-approved lenders, appraisers, homebuyers, homeowners, inspectors, counseling agencies, local governments, homebuilders, non-profit agencies, brokers and real estate agents.

The current contract awarded to iWorks Corporations is a firm fixed price contract type.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WORK

Editing Services - The Contractor shall provide editing services which shall consist of updating, modifying, and formatting draft sections of the current SFH Policy Handbook to ensure consistency of information throughout the Handbook.

Ad Hoc Writing Assignments - The Contractor shall provide miscellaneous editing support. Examples of editing support may include proofreading, formatting, drafting press releases, drafting communication plans, receiving content changes, and ensuring that the language is consistent with the purpose and objective of the policy.

Communications Support - The contractor shall report on the effectiveness of the marketing and communication efforts, and recommend modifications in strategies and approaches. On an as-needed basis, the Contractor shall provide ongoing assessments of SFH websites for accuracy, visibility, and completeness. The assessment area shall include HUD@Work website (intranet) and SFH presence on www.hud.gov. The Contractor shall provide findings and recommendations, such as proposed language and layout of the website.

Training - The Contractor shall provide general training and super user training.

Maintenance and Modification -The Contractor shall provide programming support for minor modifications to the Business Process Automation (BPA) tool that arise after launch or when SFH has broad usage of the tool. The Contractor may be required to periodically develop and/or maintain relationships with HUD SharePoint Administrator, HUD Test Center staff or Office of Single Family Housing (OSFH) staff to assess the functionality of the BPA tool or to adjust the BPA tool to meet specifications.

End-user Support - The Contractor shall provide trouble-shooting support and end-user support, which includes assistance with system loading errors, inability to access a certain page, etc. This task does not include call-center support.

Project Management Support - The Contractor shall perform project management activities to support the overall management of this contract. The Contractor’s PM must be available to come to the HQ Office in Washington, DC on an as-needed basis as determined by HUD, not to exceed 60 hours per month, except during the transition periods. During the transition periods the Contractor’s PM may be required to be at HUD’s HQ Office in Washington, DC up to 120 hours per month.

CONTEMPLATED PERFORMANCE METRICS

All deliverables will be reviewed at 100%.

CONTEMPLATED REPORT REQUIREMENTS

Monthly status reports.

CONTEMPLATED MAGNITUDE OF THE PROJECT

$3 – $5 Million

CONTEMPLATED PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

At the contractor’s facility except for the Project Manager who will be expected to be on-site at HUD HQ’s.

RESPONSE REQUESTED

8(a) Business Concerns are encouraged to respond.

This synopsis is a market research tool being used to determine the availability and capability of potential sources prior to determining the method of acquisition and whether the government will proceed with this acquisition. The Government will not pay for any information solicited. If a contract is ultimately pursued, responses to this synopsis will be used to aid in determining whether the acquisition is set-aside for small business or in establishing small business subcontracting goals. All qualified firms are encouraged to respond.

The capability statement shall address, at a minimum, the following for the past three years:

1. Name and address of company and or companies (if there is a teaming arrangement or joint venture);

2. Technical expertise relevant to the requirement;

3. Technical approach relevant of the requirement (1 to 2 paragraphs);

4. Management approach relevant to the requirement (1 to 2 paragraph);

5. Corporate experience relevant to the requirement (1 to 2 paragraph);

6. Indicate if you are a small business or any other socio-economic categories that apply to your firm under the designated NAICS code;

7. Whether you have had unequal access to any information relevant to the acquisition that could provide an unfair competitive advantage;

8. Relevant past performance. Your capability statement needs to include a list of three customers (Government/non-Government) within the past three (3) years highlighting similar work in nature, scope, complexity, and difficulty and a brief description of the scope of work. Your submission for relevant past performance must include for each customer:

· Contract name;

· Contracting Agency or Department, POC and contact information;

· Yearly contract value (in $$);

· Whether your firm was the prime or a subcontractor;

· Period of performance;

· Description of work and how it relates to the requirements.

Interested firms responding to this market survey must provide a capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Governments requirements for the above. The capability statement shall be in sufficient enough detail, but not exceed __ pages TOTAL, so that the Government can determine the experience and capability of your firm to provide the requirements above. Please specify one primary and one alternate Point of Contact (POC) within your firm, including telephone numbers and email addresses in case clarifications of your submission are needed.

Only electronic copies of capability statements will be accepted and should be emailed to: Donald.M.Comer@hud.gov and Jerl.S.Traylor@hud.gov. The e-mail shall contain the following subject line: Response to Sources Sought Notice – SF Handbook Implementation and Support Services Requirement. The Government may use the responses received to determine whether to proceed with the acquisition as a set-aside, or in the absence of a least two small business responses to this notice, may determine to proceed with a full and open competition. This decision and whether to proceed with the acquisition is at the sole discretion of the Government.

All interested contractors should submit their capability statements by 3:00 p.m. EST on November 1, 2017. Late responses will not be considered.