Attachment 1 - Requirements and Instructions to Offerors.pdf

Attachment 1

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION 70Z03824QE0000065

REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items Sep 2023

52.212.2 Evaluation-Commercial Items Oct 2014

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this Request for Quote (RFQ) to the responsible offeror whose quotation conforming to the RFQ is the most advantageous to the Government, price and non-price factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate the quotations and are listed in relative order of importance:

Factor 1 – Technical Acceptability/Performance

Factor 2 – Price

Requirements

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) requires multi-user online subscription access to a variety technical specifications and standards, such as engineering drawings, safety requirements, and performance specifications, from a variety of publishers.

Factor 1 – Technical Acceptability/Performance will be evaluated in two stages. The initial stage will consist of reviewing the offeror’s quotation for their ability to provide the following:

1. One year of online, web-based access to the standards listed in Attachment 2 – List of Required Standards by Publisher.

2. For up to seventy-five (75) personnel located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

3. Standards should be viewable for U.S. Government computer in PDF format with the ability to print a copy for the user.

4. Email notifications when a subscribed document is revised, superseded, withdrawn, canceled, or otherwise changes.

5. Instructions on how to access subscribed documents.

6. Over the year, the USCG may need access to additional standards not listed in Attachment 2. The successful offeror shall have the ability to add additional standards to the USCG’s subscription access on a pro-rated basis. In addition, the successful offeror shall have the ability to provide additional standards on a single-user basis and be billed separately from the annual subscription access.

Factor 1 – Technical Acceptability/Performance (Initial Evaluation)

During the initial evaluation, the Government will assess the information submitted with the offeror’s quotation to determine how well the subscription meets the requirements of this solicitation. Technical acceptability will be evaluated to determine an overall pass/fail rating according to the ability of the offeror to provide online, multi-user subscription access that meets all the requirements of this solicitation.

Factor 2 – Price

Only the lowest priced offer will be evaluated for Technical Acceptability/Performance, during both the initial and final evaluation stages. Should the lowest price offer not receive an acceptable or past performance rating, the process will continue in order of lowest priced offer until the lowest priced, technically acceptable offer is identified.

Factor 1 – Technical Acceptability/Performance (Final Evaluation)

During the final evaluation, the apparent successful offeror will provide the USCG with a live, virtual demonstration to ascertain whether the vendor’s subscription access is compatible with USCG computer systems which are subject to strict security and compatibility requirements to ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of sensitive information. Final technical acceptability/performance will be evaluated to determine an overall pass/fail rating according to the ability of the offeror to provide subscription access that is compatible with the USCG’s computer security protocols. While it is not possible to determine the compatibility of government

Attachment 1

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION 70Z03824QE0000065

REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

systems with common plugins (e.g., browser extensions, software add-ons) without real-world testing; however, several factors must be considered:

1. Security Standards

• Plugins must meet federal security standards, including compliance with the Federal Information

Security Modernization Act (FISMA) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines.

• Plugins are often vetted for vulnerabilities, malware, or potential data leakage before being approved for use.

2. Least Privilege Principle

• Plugins must adhere to the principle of least privilege, meaning they should only request the minimum permissions necessary to function.

3. Centralized Management

• Government systems use centralized management tools to deploy and control plugins. This ensures that only authorized plugins are installed and that updates are applied promptly.

4. Regular Audits

• Approved plugins are subject to regular security audits and updates to ensure they remain compliant with evolving security standards.

5. Compatibility Testing

• Plugins must be tested for compatibility with government systems, including operating systems, browsers, and other software.

• Testing ensures that plugins do not interfere with system performance or security.

Submission of Quotes and Additional Instructions:

Quotes and any supporting documentation shall be emailed directly to Mrs. Geneva James, Purchasing Agent, at

Geneva.K.James@uscg.mil no later than the closing date of this solicitation. Offerors shall quote on an “all or none” basis.

Quotes shall include the following information:

A. Pricing for one-year multi-user subscription access as described under “Requirements”.

B. Any exceptions to the “Requirements”.

C. Two points of contacts to schedule the demonstration described under Factor 1 – Technical

Acceptability/Performance (Final Evaluation). Information shall include names, phone numbers, and email addresses

Delivery Terms

Multi-user subscription access shall be provided to the USCG via electronics means within five (5) business date after receipt of order (ARO). F.O.B. destination is the F.O.B. point for all deliverables. The period of performance for this order is one year after date of initial subscription access.

mailto:Geneva.K.James@uscg.mil