Attachment 2 – SOW & Evaluation Procedures

RFQ: 15JA0526Q00000031

Description of Services

The Contractor shall provide Grand Jury and/or Deposition Court Reporting Services for the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Eastern District of Texas. The Government anticipates making at least one (1), but not more than two (2) multiple awards.

There will be no Government Furnished Property for the awardee, unless necessary.

The Contractor shall provide the labor, supervision, and transportation necessary to provide the court reporting services as described herein. Work under this Contract is expected to commence on August 1, 2025.

The Government requires the following for this effort:

a. Minimum number of required court reporters per location: one

(1) / Maximum of ten (10) the District will clear through security per location

b. Minimum number of required videographer(s) per location: one (1) / Maximum of four (10) the District will clear through security per location

For planning purposes only, the following general information is provided:

Under normal circumstances, the Grand Jury meets at the U.S. Courthouse Annex in Sherman, Texas 1 week a month. The grand jury meets on week two. During the week they meet, the grand jury sits on Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00AM to 5PM.

AND

There is no regular schedule for depositions; however, each session generally lasts about 8 hours.

Grand Jury proceedings may be required. Provide full address(es).

4Sherman Courtroom Annex - 200 N. Travis Street, Sherman, TX 75090

Other location will be determined by the court

Depositions will be taking place. Provide full address(es).

USAO offices - 101 E Park Blvd., Ste. 500, Plano, TX 75074; and

- 600 E. Taylor St., Ste. 2000, Sherman, TX 75090

Other locations - TBD by parties

Locations vary depending on witness, this will be determined at the time work orders are placed

1. Historically, the average number of grand jury panels for a year can range from 12 to 24 days a year depending on if we have to use a 2nd day for grand jury for any given month.

2. There is no regular schedule for depositions; nonetheless, each session generally lasts about 8 hours. The average number of depositions per year has been 100.

3. Historically, the average number of simultaneous proceedings in any one-day for the District has been zero (0).

Under normal circumstances, travel reimbursement will not be paid. The Contractor will be expected to incorporate their anticipated cost of travel into their price list. Travel shall be paid if normal site location has to be moved to alternate locations outside of a 50-mile radius of original location. The Contractor shall follow all Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). Please also refer to "Deposition Travel & Per Diem Reimbursement Restrictions" sections. Travel maybe reimbursed on a case-by-case basis with prior approval from the Contracting Officer/COR.

If the Offeror requests reimbursement for shipping or parking, please complete line items 0025/26, 1025/26, 2025/26, 3025/26, and 4025/26 and indicate how much travel is included in your quote. If the Offeror does not request it, reimbursement cannot be requested after award.

Contract Type The Contract will be an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ). Orders placed under the IDIQ will be Time-and-Materials (T&M). The Contract shall consist of one (1) one-year Base Period with four (4) one-year Option Periods, for a total contract term not-to-exceed five (5) years, unless otherwise extended under the authorities at FAR Clause 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, FAR Clause 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract, or as otherwise permitted in this Contract.

Period of Performance

Base Year 4/01/2026 – 3/31/2027 Option Year 1 4/01/2027 – 3/31/2028 Option Year 2 4/01/2028 – 3/31/2029 Option Year 3 4/01/2029 – 3/31/2030 Option Year 4 4/01/2030 – 3/31/2031

Pricing All unit prices are fixed unit prices that include ALL costs (including, but not limited to: labor (including supervision), material, equipment, facilities, overhead, G&A, and profit) necessary to provide the grand jury and deposition court reporting services required in the Contract.

The Service Contract Labor Standards Act and associated Wage Determination (WD) is applicable to this Contract and all resultant task orders:

Wage Determination #2015-5217, Revision 30, last revised 12/03/2025 Wage Determination #2015-5255, Revision 28, last revised 12/03/2025

The applicable occupation code and title is 01035 - Court Reporter and 01612 - Word Processor

II

In the event the contract is extended through FAR clause 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, the price proposed for the final ordering period will apply.

Statement of Work (SOW)

1. Scope

The Contractor shall provide all labor (including supervision), material, equipment, facilities, and whatever else may be needed to record and transcribe Grand Jury and Deposition testimony, on an "as needed" basis for the USAO specified in the Statement of Work set forth herein.

The courthouse locations for grand jury for the USAO-NYS are as follows:

Sherman Courtroom Annex - 200 N. Travis Street, Sherman, TX 75090

Other location will be determined by the court

The location for depositions are USAO-NYS offices at:

USAO offices - 101 E Park Blvd., Ste. 500, Plano, TX 75074; and

- 600 E. Taylor St., Ste. 2000, Sherman, TX 75090

Other locations - TBD by parties

In rare instances, services may be required at an alternative location.

The Contractor, or the duly authorized employee, agent, or representative of the Contractor, shall present himself/herself to the person in charge of the proceedings and he/she shall at all times be governed by the instructions of the Presiding Official in matters affecting the composition of the record, adjournment to other times or places, and matters of like character.

Right to Remove Individual Reporter. It shall be an absolute right of the USAO to inform the Contractor through the Contracting Officer of the unacceptability of specific court reporters for Grand Jury or Deposition work. The failure of the Contractor to provide a court reporter other than one designated unacceptable by the USAO shall provide a basis for the USAO's decision to obtain court reporting services from another source.

2. Grand Jury Services

RFQ: 15JA0525Q00000076

A. Scheduling of Grand Jury. The USAO will notify the Contractor of the requirements for attendance at a Grand Jury no later than one business day before the scheduled session.

Each request will set forth the date, place, and time of the session. The Contractor shall reply stating they have received the work order by returning the signed work order form or other form of written acceptance as may be agreed upon by the USAO and Contractor and will communicate the name of the reporter who will be in attendance. Any change will be communicated by the Contractor to the USAO prior to the session.

In the event a Grand Jury session is continued for more than one day, the Contractor will make reasonable efforts to assign the same court reporter for each continued segment of that given Grand Jury session. Should the Contractor not be able to provide the same court reporter, it will notify the USAO authorized Point of Contact before the Grand Jury session that another court reporter will be providing the court reporting services.

B. Original Transcripts. Unless otherwise stated, Grand Jury testimony shall be typed in an original, and delivered in .pdf or .ptx format, within one the turnaround times listed below. All Grand Jury transcripts shall contain (at a minimum) a title page stating the witness's name, Grand Jury date, time of the commencement of the proceeding for that particular witness, name, title and address of the attorney appearing for the Government.

The title page should also include the Grand Jury number of the case, i.e., 07 GJ 999, and the name of the Federal Grand Jury that the witness is appearing before. Transcripts may be ordered by the USAO within the following timeframes. Billing rates for these turnaround times are set forth in Attachment 2 – Price List of this Contract.

Note: The Eastern District of Texas does NOT order transcripts of every grand jury panel. Offerors should take account for this when they are completing the Price List.

i. Regular / 10 Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts will be completed and delivered on or before the 10th business day after the Contractor receives a request from the USAO. Transcripts shall be delivered to the USAO of each witness’s testimony, only when requested by the USAO. Colloquy will not be transcribed unless requested by the USAO.

ii. Intermediate / 5 Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts shall be completed and delivered on or before the 5th business day after the Contractor receives a request from the USAO. This request will sometimes be made the same day as the proceedings.

iii.Daily / Next-Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts shall be delivered before 9:30am of the following business day after conclusion of each day's proceedings. This may require performance after normal business hours. The Contractor may not be notified in advance of the testimony of this requirement.

iv. Expedited / Same-Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts shall be delivered by 9:00pm on the same day as the proceedings. The Contractor may not be notified in advance of the testimony of this requirement.

v. Condensed Transcripts: All condensed transcripts shall include four original transcript pages in reduced format on a single 8 ½ x 11inch page, and shall be delivered in .pdf or .ptx format. All condensed transcripts shall be completed and delivered to the USAO, as ordered, within the same turnaround times as set forth for delivery of an original transcript.

vi. Key Word Indexing: The keyword index gives an alphabetical listing of each word within the transcript and provides a page and line reference, and shall be delivered in .pdf or .ptx format.

vii. Additional Copies of Transcripts: Even though the Government has the right to copy and distribute transcripts acquired under this contract, the Government may order additional copies of any transcript. Additional copies of transcripts shall be provided to the USAO, as ordered, within the same turnaround times as set forth above.

viii. Other Requirements:

1. A transcript of all witness testimony shall be produced only when the USAO makes a specific request that a transcript be produced.

Some witness testimony may never be transcribed. Colloquy will not be transcribed unless the USAO requests it.

2. Each witness' testimony shall be in a separate transcript.

3. If the USAO does not request that a transcript be produced, charging for estimated pages shall NOT be allowed. Only the Attendance fee will be paid.

4. Grand Jury transcripts may not be sold to anyone other than the Government under any circumstances.

C. Attendance Fee. The Contractor is entitled to an Attendance Fee as set forth in the Price List of this Contract. The fee is payable for each hour the Contractor's reporter appears at a scheduled proceeding. The minimum charge for any single day is three (3) hours.

Attendance fees will be paid for each hour the Contractor's reporter appears for a scheduled proceeding.

Proceedings are presently scheduled for 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 5:00pm with a one (1) hour lunch break in between. The Contractor is not paid during this lunch break. These hours are subject to change. The Contractor will generally be asked to report at 9:00am and be dismissed at 5:00pm. A shorter day may be scheduled.

The Government guarantees payment of a minimum of three (3) hours. In the event that there are time periods during the day during which no testimony is taken, and the reporter is required to remain available for testimony later in the day, the Contractor will be paid the hourly Grand Jury Attendance Fee during those time periods. In the event that a reporter's presence is required for a whole day and no testimony is recorded, the Contractor will be paid one (1) cancellation fee or be paid the number of hours the reporter was available (charged at the Grand Jury Attendance Fee hourly rate), whichever is higher.

D. Cancellation Fee. The Contractor may wish to charge a cancellation fee. The Government will notify the Contractor by telephone of any cancellations no later than 5:00 pm the day before the scheduled proceedings. If the USAO does not notify the contractor within the designated time, the Contractor may request a cancellation fee.

E. Delivery. See Section "EOUSA AI-10-1E Federal Grand Jury Court Reporter Security Requirements (December 2015)." The Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) will request that some deliverables be sent electronically through the DOJ platforms USAFx.

USAFx is the Department of Justice's file exchange system provided for internal and external users.

F. Certification. Each reporter shall attach his/her official certification to the original transcript so recorded as follows:

CERTIFICATE

STATE OF Texas

COUNTY OF XXX

(I/We) the undersigned, a duly qualified and commissioned notary public within and for the State of Texas, do certify that before the giving of (her/his) deposition, (Name) was by me first duly sworn to depose the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; that the foregoing is the deposition given at said time and place by (Name); that I am neither a relative of nor employee of any of the parties or their counsel, and have no interest whatever in the result of the action.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and official seal of office at XXX, Texas, this (Date).

Court Reporter Name Title and Certifications Notary Public - State of Texas My commission expires (Date)

There shall be no charge for either this certification page or any index page if used.

3. Deposition Services

Depositions shall be taken by a Contractor-furnished reporter who must be a duly authorized notary for the State or District in which the deposition is held. Reporters are required to comply with Rules 28 and 30 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and specifically Rule 30(e), which provides in pertinent part as follows:

"If requested by the deponent or a party before completion of the deposition, the deponent shall have 30 days after being notified by the officer that the transcript or recording is available in which to review the transcript or recording and, if there are changes in form or substance, to sign a statement reciting such changes and the reasons given by the deponent for making them. The officer shall indicate in the certificate prescribed by subdivision (f)(1) whether any review was requested and, if so, shall append any changes made by the deponent during the period allowed."

The Contractor must give the USAO its copy prior to the witness being presented their testimony. The USAO may choose to present the deposition to the witness. In the event further information is desired, the above referenced volume is a part of the United States Code, Title 28 and may be found at any public library.

Everything spoken pertaining to the subject matter of the deposition shall be reported, unless the Presiding Official otherwise directs.

No part of any proceedings, of which notes have been taken as required, shall be omitted from the record, unless the Presiding Official so directs.

All notes, records, documentary exhibits, and any other material which is a part of, or relates to, any action recorded by the Contractor shall be the property of the United States and shall be delivered to the ordering office, together with furnished transcript, unless otherwise instructed.

A. Scheduling of Depositions. The USAO will notify the Contractor of the requirements for attendance at a deposition no later than two business days before the scheduled session.

Each request will set forth the date, place, and time of the session. The Contractor shall reply stating they have received the work order by returning the signed work order form or other form of written acceptance as may be agreed upon by the USAO and communicate the name of the reporter who will be in attendance. Any change will be communicated by the Contractor to the USAO prior to the session.

In the event a deposition is continued for more than one day, the Contractor will make reasonable efforts to assign the same court reporter for each continued segment of that given deposition. Should the Contractor not be able to provide the same court reporter, it will notify the USAO before the scheduled session that another court reporter will be providing the court reporting services.

B. Original Transcripts. Unless otherwise stated, depositions shall be typed in an original, and delivered in .pdf or .ptx format, within one of the turnaround times set forth below.

Transcripts may be ordered by the USAO within the following timeframes. Billing rates for these turnaround times are set forth in Attachment 2 – Price List of this Contract.

i. Regular / 10 Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts will be completed and delivered on or before the 10th business day after the Contractor receives a request from the USAO. Transcripts shall be delivered to the USAO of each witness’s testimony, only when requested by the USAO. Colloquy will not be transcribed unless requested by the USAO.

ii. Intermediate / 5 Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts shall be completed and delivered on or before the 5th business day after the Contractor receives a request from the USAO. This request will sometimes be made the same day as the proceedings.

iii. Daily / Next-Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts shall be delivered before 9:30am of the following business day after conclusion of each day's proceedings. This may require performance after normal business hours. The Contractor may not be notified in advance of the testimony of this requirement.

iv. Expedited / Same-Business Day Transcripts: Transcripts shall be delivered by 9:00pm on the same day as the proceedings. The Contractor may not be notified in advance of the testimony of this requirement.

v. Condensed Transcripts: All condensed transcripts shall include four original transcript pages in reduced format on a single 8 ½ x 11inch page, and shall be delivered in .pdf or .ptx format. All condensed transcripts shall be completed and delivered to the USAO, as ordered, within the same turnaround times as set forth for delivery of an original transcript.

vi. Key Word Indexing: The keyword index gives an alphabetical listing of each word within the transcript and provides a page and line reference, and shall be delivered in .pdf or .ptx format.

vii. Additional Copies of Transcripts: Even though the Government has the right to copy and distribute transcripts acquired under this contract, the Government may order additional copies of any transcript. Additional copies of transcripts shall be provided to the USAO, as ordered, within the same turnaround times as set forth above.

viii. Other Requirements:

1. A transcript of all witness testimony shall be produced only when the USAO makes a specific request that a transcript be produced.

Colloquy outside the presence of the witness will not be transcribed unless requested by the USAO.

2. Each witness' testimony shall be in a separate transcript.

C. Videographer Attendance Fee. The Contractor is entitled to a Videographer Attendance Fee as set forth in the Price List of this Contract. This fee is payable for each hour the Contractor's videographer records a scheduled proceeding. The minimum charge for any single day is three (3) hours. The videographer is not paid during a lunch break. This hourly fee shall account for the price of the videotape/recording itself.

D. Attendance Fee. The Contractor is entitled to an Attendance Fee in the amount set forth in the Price List of this Contract. The minimum charge for any single day is three (3) hours. Attendance fees will be paid for each hour the Contractor's reporter appears for a scheduled proceeding. Proceedings are presently scheduled between 9:00am to12:00pm and 1:00pm to 5:00pm with a 30-minute to one (1) hour lunch break in between. The Contractor is not paid during this lunch break. These hours are subject to change. A shorter day may be scheduled.

The Government guarantees payment of a minimum of three (3) hours. In the event that there are time periods during the day during which no testimony is taken, and the reporter is required to remain available for testimony later in the day, the Contractor will be paid the hourly Deposition Attendance Fee during those time periods. In the event that a reporter's presence is required for a whole day and no testimony is recorded, the Contractor will be paid either one (1) cancellation fee or be paid the number of hours the reporter was available (charged at the Deposition Attendance Fee hourly rate), whichever is higher. The Contractor shall allow the Government ten (10) working days to request proceedings transcript before assessing an attendance fee.

E. Cancellation Fee. The Contractor may wish to charge a cancellation fee. The Government will notify the Contractor by telephone of any cancellations no later than 5:00pm the day before the scheduled proceedings. If the Government does not notify the Contractor within the designated time, the Contractor may request a cancellation fee.

F. Delivery. Deposition transcripts shall be delivered as instructed by the individual Assistant U.S. Attorney.

G. Certification. Each reporter shall attach his/her official certification to the original transcript so recorded as follows:

CERTIFICATE

STATE OF Texas

COUNTY OF XXX

(I/We) the undersigned, a duly qualified and commissioned notary public within and for the State of Texas, do certify that before the giving of (her/his) deposition, (Name) was by me first duly sworn to depose the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; that the foregoing is the deposition given at said time and place by (Name); that I am neither a relative of nor employee of any of the parties or their counsel, and have no interest whatever in the result of the action.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and official seal of office at XXX, Texas, this (Date).

Court Reporter Name Title and Certifications

Notary Public - State of Texas My commission expires (Date)

There shall be no charge for either this certification page or any index page if used.

4. Remote Depositions

An ever-increasing number of depositions are conducted remotely. The Western District of Oklahoma reserves the right to require performance of remote depositions under the included itemized lines in the Schedule when these services are required. The Contractor shall be ready and equipped to fully support all facets of remote depositions the same as if the depositions was to occur in person.

Stipulations for remote depositions. [Fed. R. Civ. P.] Rule 30(b)(4) allows parties to stipulate that a deposition be taken by “telephone or other remote means.” If everyone is not in the same room, put an appropriate stipulation on the record at the beginning of the deposition, indicating that the deposition is being taken remotely and indicating where each participant is located. The deposition is considered to be taking place where the deponent is located, and if the deponent is not in the same room as the court reporter, there is an issue about the court reporter’s administration of the oath to the witness. A sample stipulation may include the following language:

We understand that notary laws may not permit the court reporter to administer an oath to the witness if they are not in the same location. [As such, counsel agree that the reporter will not administer the oath. Instead] or [In addition to the oath given by the court reporter], the witness will verbally acknowledge the following: “Do you solemnly swear or affirm under penalties of perjury that the testimony you will give in this matter will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” The parties agree that nothing about this process will impair in any way the use of this deposition as otherwise permitted by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Prior to administering of the oath, the court reporter is required to positively verify the identity of the witness. The witness should be required to have positive identification (s)he can produce or have opposing counsel verify and stipulate to the identity of the witness.

Remote depositions can be conducted in two ways—Coordinated with other U.S.

Attorney’s offices where the person is being deposed, using DOJ’s VTC systems, or Platform(s) offered by the Contractor (if approved by the Government).

Remote depositions use a variety of tools, including but not limited to video conference calls, audio conferences, and software-based communication tools. Different court reporting agencies provide different options for remote depositions.

Nothing in this Solicitation endorses one remote deposition method, product, or tool over another. EOUSA and the USAO will check with the Systems Manager and/or Office of the Chief Information Officer to ensure that the court reporting firm's remote deposition software will not be blocked by the USAO security firewall. Furthermore, the USAO- OHS cannot download a court reporting firm's remote deposition application or software, but instead must participate via a web-based link.

When the Contractor hosts the remote depositions—

1. Shall provide a secure upload site to receive exhibits before the deposition and load them to the presentation application before the deposition. The process for exhibit numbering, delivering, and presenting exhibits to the witness and counsel should be discussed with the court reporter well in advance of the deposition, and it may depend upon the application(s)/tool(s) used for remote deposition.

The court reporter should also take custody of the introduced exhibits for the final transcript.

2. Shall conduct a test session with all the parties a few days before the deposition. This helps ensure that all parties have the appropriate bandwidth, cameras, microphones and lighting, as well as the opportunity to ask technical questions before the deposition.

3. The court reporter should be the meeting host and send links to all parties. The court reporter will also swear in the witness and control the proceeding.

4. Separate from the role of the court reporter, a videographer is required to manage the live video streaming and record the video.

The videographer can also ensure that the deponent remains in full screen during the deposition, pause the recording for off-the record discussions, and may add timestamps and/or transcript syncing to the final product.

5. Provide technical support to assist with issues during the deposition.

6. Upon request, provide synchronized video with the transcript.

Remote Notarization. Each state’s notarization laws are different and may only apply to specific proceedings. The Contractor must check with the State Notary, Secretary of State, or other regulatory agency for the state’s specific remote notarization or oath administration laws. Court Reporters shall have State or National Certification as required to swear in witnesses for sworn testimony.

5. Transcript Format

A separate transcript shall be provided for each witness/deponent and delivered in .pdf or .ptx format. The title page shall show the name of the witness/deponent, Grand Jury date, time of the commencement of the proceeding for that particular witness, docket number, the date of proceedings, the name, title and address of the attorney appearing for the Government, caption of matter, the authority for taking the deposition, etc. and shall be followed by a page of distinctive color indexing the exhibits where applicable.

The paging of the transcripts shall be in a single series by consecutive numbers regardless of the number of days consumed in the hearings, proceeding, etc., and the paging of the transcript in a hearing shall follow consecutively the paging of the last previous hearing in the same case.

Exhibits admitted in evidence, identified in a deposition, or in Grand Jury proceedings, when requested by the Government attorney shall be stamped, marked, numbered by the Contractor, and arranged in numerical order, as directed by the individual Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and shall be annexed to the deposition transcript. The marking shall indicate clearly whether the exhibit is offered by the complainant, protestant, intervener, defendant, respondent, applicant, the ordering office, or other party of record.

The numbering of exhibits shall be in a single series of consecutive numbers, regardless of the number of days consumed in the hearing, unless otherwise directed by the Presiding Official.

The number of exhibits introduced at a hearing or in a reopened case shall follow consecutively the number on the last previous exhibit introduced by such party. Exhibits shall not be copied into the record nor shall photo static copies of exhibits for inclusion in the record be made by the reporter unless the Presiding Official so directs.

6. Recording Requisites

Recording hereunder shall be taken by reporters qualified in the operation of Steno-type equipment, Real Time recording, Computer Aided Transcription (CAT), Shorthand and/or monitored Multi-Microphone recording systems, and when permitted by the Presiding Official, by Steno mask. At the request of the USAO, recording shall also be taken by videotape. Regardless of the type of equipment used, it is mandatory that there be an accurate read back capability and that a back-up system be utilized. It is also mandatory that tape recording devices shall have a separate monitor head which shall allow the reporter to monitor the recorded tape.

A. Monitored Multi-Microphone Recording Systems. The mandatory requirements follow:

i. The Contractor's personnel shall operate and monitor the recording equipment at all times.

ii. The operating personnel shall provide to the USAO, prior to the commencement of each proceeding, a certification that the equipment is turned on and operating.

iii. The recording equipment utilized shall provide for the instant playback of testimony.

iv. The equipment shall be capable of recording as many as twenty-three grand jurors together in one room with the prosecutor and the witness.

v. The system utilized shall have a back-up system to allow continuous recording of speakers. The Grand Jury hearings shall not be stopped for any reason such as the changing of a tape.

vi. The tapes shall be of such quality that there shall be no instances of inaudibility because of accents or words used by the speakers.

vii. The system shall be portable to allow for transportation of tapes to another location when an immediate decision is required by a Federal District Court Judge.

viii. The recording monitor shall be able to identify speakers.

ix. A back-up system shall be available so as not to delay the proceedings.

x. The equipment utilized shall not pose any safety hazards due to exposed wires, cords, or for any other reason.

B. Steno mask Recording. The mandatory requirements in the event steno mask recording is permitted are as follows:

i. The respective systems shall be of such quality as to ensure against error, misinterpretation, or loss of voice.

ii. The equipment shall contain simultaneous playback, listening, and pre-amplification.

C. Real Time Recording. The steno machine is attached to the computer. As the steno types the strikes/words are translated into English onto the screen.

D. Computer Aided Transcription (CAT). With this type of system, the steno strikes a key which is written onto a disk. The disk is inserted into an attachment to the computer and the information is brought up on the computer screen. A back-up voice tape is made also so that a re-verification can be made of the transcript.

E. Video Recording. The USAO will determine video formatting: DVD, CD, Flash Drive or other media.

7. Reports

The Contractor shall submit immediately, in writing, to the Contracting Officer and the USAO the following reports:

A. Unauthorized Entry - a report on any information coming to his attention concerning unauthorized entry (actual, attempted, or threatened) at his facilities where work for the USAO is performed.

B. Loss, Compromise or Suspected Compromise - a report on any loss, compromise or suspected compromise of transcripts, notes or other related material.

C. Any change of ownership, including stock transfers that affect the control of the corporation.

D. A report of any change in the storage capability which would affect the information which the Contractor is required to safeguard.

E. The Contractor shall also maintain and keep available for review by the USAO a master index of the Grand Jury sessions, including the date, name of Grand Jury, name of case, name of AUSA(s), case number, name of witnesses and pages from those witnesses, and the name of the court reporter.

8. Orders

The Contracting Officer will provide funding at the Task Order level on Optional Form 347, which will state the amount of funding available for each ordering period. Services to be furnished will subsequently be ordered by the issuance of work orders signed by Contracting Officer’s Representative or Authorized Individuals of the USAO. All work orders issued hereunder are subject to the terms and conditions of this contract which shall control in the event of conflict with any work order.

All work orders placed under this contract must contain the following information:

Date of Order Order Number Description of Service Place of Performance Primary Point of Contact of the work order

IAW FAR 52.212-4 Alt I (i), the Contractor shall provide requisite notification in the event expenditures are expected to exceed 85% of current funding ceiling.

9. Key Personnel

Grand Jury Court Reporters require a T4 Grand Jury Security clearance and above.

The key personnel whom the Contractor shall furnish for the performance of this contract are as follows:

Name: Title:

Name: Title:

The persons specified above are considered to be essential to the work being performed hereunder. Prior to replacing any of the specified individuals, the Contractor shall immediately notify both the Contracting Officer and COR reasonably in advance and shall submit written justification (including proposed substitutions) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on the program.

No replacement of personnel shall be made by the Contractor without the written consent of the Contracting Officer.

10. Notice To Proceed

Within ten (10) calendar days after the contract award, the USAO will furnish the Contractor with personnel security application forms. The Contractor shall complete and return to the COR all personnel security application forms within seven (7) calendar days after receipt.

After a sufficient number of Contractor Personnel are cleared by the Government, a notice to proceed will be issued by the Contracting Officer or the Contracting Officer’s Representative specifying a performance start date.

11. Government Personnel

Contracting Officer Spencer Kroner Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys Acquisitions Staff Desk: 202-252-5428 Spencer.Kroner@usdoj.gov

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

Lee Spikes U.S. Attorneys Eastern District Texas Desk: 903-813-5322 Lee.Spikes@usdoj.gov

The COR is appointed to act as an authorized representative in the monitoring and administration of this task order. This individual is designated in writing as a COR, with a copy given to the Contractor. An individual designated as a COR is authorized to perform the following functions in accordance with the COR appointment letter:

Responsible, as applicable, for: receiving all deliverables, inspecting and accepting the supplies or services provided hereunder in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract; providing direction to the contractor which clarifies the contract effort;

evaluating performance; and certifying all invoices/vouchers for acceptance of the supplies or services furnished for payment.

12. Payment/Invoice Requirements mailto:Spencer.Kroner@usdoj.gov

Payment for actual work and services rendered under this contract will be made in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act. Invoices shall be submitted monthly and received no later than the 10th day for the previous month. To constitute a proper invoice, the invoice must be submitted in accordance with FAR 52.212-4 Alt. I (g). In addition, the following information must appear on the invoice:

Date service was performed Location service was performed Attorney’s Name Grand Jury Number (for Grand Jury only) Name of witness Number of pages Cost per page Call Number Identify from the Price List which service was performed

Invoices shall be submitted electronically to the invoicing mailbox.

All follow-up invoices shall be marked “Duplicate of Original.” Contractor questions regarding payment information or check identification should be directed to DOJ Vendor Assistance Hotline on (202) 616-6260.

Accounting and Appropriation Data is assigned with each task order.

EOUSA Contract Requirements

1. Minimum Dollar Guarantee and Maximum Contract Ceiling Pursuant to FAR 16.504(a), Indefinite-quantity contracts, the minimum order for the contract is stated as a dollar value and represents the total guaranteed minimum.

The total minimum dollar guarantee is $3,000 and shall only apply to the initial Base Period.

2. Maximum Contract Ceiling.

Pursuant to FAR 16.504(a), Indefinite-quantity contracts, the maximum order for the Contract may be stated as either dollar values or number of units. The number of units (daily transcripts, etc.) for each item identified on the associated Price List are provided as estimated quantities only and shall not be relied upon for purposes of establishing maximum Contract ceiling limitations.

listed in order of importance as follows:

Factor 1: Technical There are three sub-factors for the technical evaluation factor.

The maximum contract ceiling for the life of the Contract (including Base and any exercised Option Periods).

3. Minimum Security Clearance Requirements for Contractor Personnel. All Contractor personnel who will have access to Grand Jury material must pass the basic security clearance requirements set forth in Contract Clause EOUSA-AI-10-1E Federal Grand Jury Court Reporting Security Requirements prior to starting work on-site.

A. The District requires at least three (3) but not more than ten (10) court reporters, to obtain Tier 4 High Risk Public Trust background clearance.

The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employee competency, conduct, appearance, and integrity and shall be responsible for taking such disciplinary action with respect to its employees as may be necessary.

Evaluation Procedures

The Government plans to award at least one (1), but not more than two (2) multiple awards to the Offeror(s) whose quote represents the best value solution. The CO may reasonably determine that the superior solution/approach merits a higher price, and therefore represents the best value to the Government. The CO, using sound business judgment will base the selection decision on the integrated assessment of the Statement of Work and the Offeror’s capability as measured against the below evaluation factors.

Quotation shall be prepared in accordance with and comply with the instructions contained within this RFQ. The technical submission will be evaluated separately from the price submission. Each quote will be evaluated in accordance with the evaluation factors listed herein.

The A. Kfollowing ey Persofactorsnnel -sh Tallhe be Ofufesedror tos haevll paluaterovi deofferors, qualif ieand d pethers evonnelaluation w ho hacriteriave s uffforic ienawardt are experience, education, training, and skills to satisfactorily perform the requirements of this Statement of Work. Key personnel will be rated based upon their technical expertise and experience, as demonstrated on submitted resumes, in relation to the requirements listed throughout this Statement of Work.

B. Technical Approach - The Offeror will be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate technical sufficiency in their proposed technical and management approach to perform and support the requirements of this Solicitation.

This section of the Offeror’s quote shall address information regarding how the proposed tasks identified in the Statement of Work will be performed, the various resources that will be used to facilitate performance, and an identification of potential difficulties in conducting the work and practical suggestions for overcoming these difficulties.

C. Remote Depositions - The Government requires that the following areas are addressed in the Technical Volume:

1. Please indicate the platform(s) available for remote depositions.

2. In the platform(s) provided, the Offeror shall describe at minimum:

a. Controls made available to Government staff (i.e., can the AUSA control the exhibits including zoom and highlighting).,

b. Screen view(s) is(are) available (i.e., single, split, multiple, etc.) for simultaneously viewing a witness, exhibit, etc.

c. Breakout rooms (or other sidebar functionality) availability, including how the Offeror will facilitate.

d. Software capabilities for chat functions and to what extent the chats can be sectioned by participant/groups, including the ability for one participant to chat privately with another participant while the deposition occurs or to transfer files.

e. Exhibit presentation format for witnesses during depositions (i.e., displayed via share screen or another method(s)).

f. Method/functionality for exhibit tabbing, highlighting or other markings to draw the witness' attention to specific pages/portions during deposition (i.e., using annotation functions on the tool, use of separate tool, formatting exhibits in advance of presentation). If exhibits can be annotated, how will copies of those annotations be saved?

Factor 2: Organizational Past Performance The Offeror will be evaluated based on their past performance experience. The Offeror shall submit up to two (2) past performance references of similar work and scope completed within three (3) years of this Solicitation closing. Evaluation will be based on the relevancy of recent efforts accomplished by the Offeror.

Other information that may be obtained, including how well the Offeror cooperated with the client, the quality and timeliness of work delivered, and if costs were properly controlled (if applicable) will also be evaluated. Past performance information will also be accessed by the Government from available online databases, including sources such as the Contractor Performance Assessment Rating System (CPARS) and Systems for Award Management.

EOUSA will evaluate the breadth and depth of the Offeror’s past performance and the degree to which the Offeror’s past performance was positive, taking into consideration technical effectiveness, timeliness of performance, and management effectiveness.

Factor 3: Price If an Offeror has multiple remote deposition software available, please indicate if there are cost differences based on the platform used. If so, please note the price differences.

Additional Fees/Temporary Discounts – the Offeror shall identify any additional fees or discounts, including text streaming, set up or user fees, and additional user fees, e.g., some firms are limited the number of participants in a deposition to a set number and charging for others above that limit.

Price will be evaluated in accordance with FAR Part 13. The Government may require additional pricing information to assist in determining the extent to which the price is fair and reasonable, and the pricing information shall be provided if requested.

The Government will evaluate quotes for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

Factors 1 (Technical) and 2 (Past Performance) when combined, are significantly more important than Price. However, EOUSA will not select an Offeror for award on the basis of a superior capability without consideration of the amount of its price. Factor 3 (Price) will become increasingly important as proposal evaluation ratings for the non-price determinants approach equality between Offerors.

The Government reserves the right not to make an award as a result of this Solicitation if, in the opinion of the Government, the submission would not provide satisfactory performance at a price that is considered fair and reasonable and/or economically feasible.