B02 RFQ 12319823R0007 CNAAT National Training 8.1.23.pdf

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Request for Quote (RFQ) No. 12319823R0007 Child Nutrition Access and Accountability through Technology (CNAAT) National Training

August 1, 2023

USDA Food and Nutrition Service 1320 Braddock Place Contract Management Division Alexandria, Virginia 22314

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 12319823R0007 Child Nutrition Access and Accountability through Technology (CNAAT) National Training

Dear Offerors:

This acquisition is being issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP) on SAM.gov - Open Market under NAIC Code Number 541611 – Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services and R499 Support - Professional: Other.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) anticipates awarding a single firm-fixed priced (FFP) contract where the procurement is conducted under a full and open competition in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 15.101-1 Tradeoff Process will apply for best value.

The requirements are outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) (Attachment 1).

Please send Technical and Price Quotation regarding the RFP via e-mail to the Contract Specialist, Carolyn Wilson at Carolyn.Wilson@usda.gov. No phone calls will be accepted. All questions must be received using the Question Format (Attachment 4) no later than (NLT) 12:00 pm eastern daylight time, Tuesday, August 8, 2023.

Thank you in advance and we look forward to reviewing your proposal.

Sincerely, Carolyn Wilson Contract Specialist Contract Management Division (CMD) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) mailto:Carolyn.Wilson@usda.gov

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1. GENERAL INFORMATION

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Child Nutrition Programs, Program Monitoring and Operational Support Division has a requirement for non-personal services to include management, labor, supplies, and equipment necessary for the Child Nutrition Access and Accountability through Technology (CNAAT) National Training in accordance with the attached PWS (Attachment 1).

Offerors shall ensure their representations, certifications, and other information on the System for Award Management (SAM) website are accurate and current at the time of proposal submission.

2. PRICING

2.0 The resulting contract will incorporate the Offeror’s completed Pricing Schedule (Attachment 2).

2.1 All pricing shall be submitted using the Pricing Schedule (Attachment 2). In addition, FNS requests that the Offeror includes any available discounts at the time of the proposal submission.

3. PERFORMANCE

3.0 Period of Performance

Base Year: (Date of award) – through 12 Months Option Year One (1): (Date of Option Exercise) – through 12 Months Option Year Two (2): (Date of Option Exercise) – through 12 Months Option Year Three (3): (Date of Option Exercise) – through 12 Months Option Year Four (4): (Date of Option Exercise) – through 12 Months

3.1 Place of Performance

Base Year – To Be Determined (TBD) Option Year 1 – To Be Determined (TBD) Option Year 2 – To Be Determined (TBD) Option Year 3 – To Be Determined (TBD) Option Year 4 – To Be Determined (TBD

The Contractor shall perform the planning and preparation remotely.

4. INSTRUCTIONS

FAR 52.212-1 Addendum

4.0 General

a. Any questions concerning this RFP must be submitted via e-mail to the Contract Specialist, Carolyn Wilson at carolyn.wilson2@usda.gov and must be received by 12:00 PM EDT on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. All (timely) questions received and responses to these questions will be provided to the Offerors via SAM.gov as a amendment to the RFP. Offerors shall not direct any questions concerning this RFP to anyone other than the Contract Specialist.

b. This RFP does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of any mailto:carolyn.wilson2@usda.gov

3 | P a g e quotation or in making necessary studies for the preparation thereof. Nor does it commit the Government to procure or contract for said services. The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed procurement.

c. The Government will award a single Firm-Fixed Price Contract with Options resulting from this RFP to the Offeror whose quotation represents the best value to the Government after evaluation in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Therefore, initial quotations should contain the Offeror’s best proposal from a technical and price standpoint.

d. Offerors shall provide sufficient information for the Government to determine its level of confidence in the ability of the Offeror to perform the requirements of the solicitation based on an assessment of the Offeror’s technical capability information submitted in its quotation. Offerors shall submit a complete and acceptable proposal in accordance with the instructions contained herein. Such a proposal: (1) is for the total requirement and scope stated in the RFP and (2) accepts each of the requirements, provisions, terms and conditions, and clauses stated in all sections of this RFP. Alternate proposals will not be considered.

e. Proposal shall remain valid for a minimum of 90 calendar days from the deadline for receipt of proposals.

4.1 Proposal Submission

a. Proposal submitted in response to this RFP shall be formatted in accordance with the instructions provided in this section. The quotation must be received no later than Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 12:00 PM EASTERN.

b. In addition, the Offeror shall set forth any assumptions used in development of its pricing. Any exceptions taken to the terms and conditions of the RFP shall be stated in the price propsoal. For each exception, the Offeror shall identify the term or condition, state the reason for the exception, and provide any other information concerning the exception. The Offeror is advised that any exception taken to the terms and conditions of the RFP may adversely impact their evaluation rating. The Government reserves the right not to accept any exceptions to this RFP.

52.217-5 Evaluation of Options.

EVALUATION OF OPTIONS (JULY 1990)

Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government’s best interests, the Government will evaluate offers 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).

(End of Provision)

Quotations shall consist of three volumes, as follows:

Volume I – Technical Capability - includes Technical Approach & Management Approach

Volume II – Past Performance https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/current/far/html/Subpart%2017_2.html#wp1078150

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Volume III – Price

TECHNICAL CAPABILITY (VOLUME I) – Not to Exceed (NTE) 20 pages total

The length of the technical capability volume shall not be more than 20 pages total. Offerors are encouraged to submit the fewest number of pages responsive to the Performance Work Statement (PWS) requirements using the quotation section page limits as cited within this section.

The Pricing Information SHALL NOT be included in the technical quote.

Quote shall be submitted via email with the solicitation number in the subject line. All files shall be compatible with Microsoft Office product(s) and/or Adobe software.

1. Cover Page (not to exceed 1 page) – At a minimum, this page shall include the Offeror’s name, address, taxpayer ID number, CAGE code;

Offeror’s Point of Contact to include name, title, phone number, and e-mail address; the solicitation number and date of submission. This page shall also include a quotation validity date of no less than 90 days.

2. Executive Summary (not to exceed 2 pages) The Executive Summary shall provide a concise narrative summary of your technical quotation, highlighting any key or unique features.

3. Technical Capability (not to exceed 17 pages)

At a minimum, the following shall be addressed:

a. A description (in the Offeror’s own words) of the technical approach that satisfies the requirements of the Performance Work Statement (PWS). This discussion shall clearly demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding for performing and managing the work, including the proposed methods to ensure that schedules are met, the methods for achieving the goals and objectives stated herein, and any other information (i.e., difficulties, uncertainties, and risks associated with the work) that may bear on your ability to perform the PWS requirements successfully. A simple repetition and/or paraphrasing of the requirements set forth in this solicitation is unlikely to provide for an adequate demonstration by prospective Offerors of a proper understanding of the scope of effort required and may be judged as insufficient for establishing technical capability.

b. The Offeror shall describe its management approach and business model, clearly outlining how it plans to accomplish the requirements of the PWS. The narrative shall address the Offeror’s plan for recruiting, training, and retention of qualified personnel to fill vacant positions and maintain continuity of personnel throughout performance of the contract.

c. The Offeror shall include its organizational structure and its staffing plan, which clearly outlines staffing levels that align personnel by proposed labor category and staffing information to support the proposed level of effort. The staffing plan shall address how the Offeror shall manage employee absenteeism as it relates to impact on operations and PWS requirements. The Offeror’s staffing plan shall specifically address the Offeror’s approach to staffing positions requiring qualifications as described in the PWS. The Offeror shall submit a resume (restricted to two (2) pages) for each Key Personnel which clearly indicates required qualifications, certifications, and experience, along with statements of availability and letters of commitment for Key Personnel. NOTE: The Offeror must

5 | P a g e notify the Contract Specialist if, between the time of quotation submission and award, their proposed key personnel will be unavailable to perform under the contract post-award.

PAST PERFORMANCE (VOLUME II)

Offerors must provide past performance information in accordance with the Instructions and Format provided in Attachment 3. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to send the Past Performance Questionnaire to its customers and direct the customer to submit the completed survey to Carolyn Wilson at carolyn.wilson2@usda.gov no later than Wednesday, August 16, 2023 by 12:00 PM EASTERN. Past Performance Surveys received after the due date will be deemed late and may not be considered.

Offerors shall provide examples of three (3) past projects performed within the past three (3) years to include contracts or task orders for work of the same or similar to the requirements specified in the PWS, including timeliness and quality of services provided and brief descriptions of how the projects relate to this project and how the success of prior projects was determined. This list must include the contract number, value, description, and technical/contracting points of contact (POC’s). The POC’s names, telephone numbers, agency and e-mail addresses must also be included. These past projects will be evaluated for relevancy to the scope and requirements of this PWS.

If the reference does not submit a past performance questionnaire, the reference will not be considered in the relevancy and evaluation of the Offerors past performance.

PRICE (VOLUME III)

Offer must be made on all items in the Price List. The total price shall include the unit price, quantity, discount terms, and the total price.

(End of FAR 52.212-1 Addendum)

5. ADDENDUM FAR 52.212-2 (EVALUATION)

1. BASIS OF AWARD:

The Government will select the best value by conducting a tradeoff among all of the evaluation factors.

Technical factors and past performance when combined are more important than price. A single Firm-Fixed Price Task Order will be awarded to the Offeror who is deemed responsible in accordance with FAR Part 9, as supplemented, whose quotation conforms to the solicitation’s requirements, (to include all stated terms, conditions, representations, certifications, and all other information required by the FAR 52.212-1 Addendum of this solicitation) and is judged, based on the evaluation factors to be the best value for the Government.

CPARS and FAPIIS searches will be conducted to determine if the selected awardee is a responsible Offeror.

2. EVALUATION FACTORS:

The Government reserves the right to incorporate any part of the awardee’s quotation, in part or whole, into the contract. If the Government elects to exercise this right, the Government will address with the awardee whether or not that aspect of the quotation needs to be protected due to being proprietary or a trade secret.

Evaluation Factors

Factor 1: Technical Capability (Technical and Management Approach) Factor 2: Past Performance Factor 3: Price

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FACTOR 1 - TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY - (VOLUME I)

The Government will assess its level of confidence that the Offeror shall successfully perform the solicitation requirements based on the Technical Capability information submitted in the Offeror’s quotation.

The Government will evaluate the overall quality, reasonableness and comprehensive understanding of the Offeror’s technical and management approaches as to whether it includes a detailed narrative that clearly outlines the methodology for accomplishing the requirements of the PWS.

Technical Approach:

The Offeror shall be evaluated to determine whether it demonstrates a substantive understanding of the scope, complexity and requirements associated with the objectives described in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s quote to determine whether the Offeror’s approach demonstrates a clear understanding of, and a clear plan to achieve all objectives outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Management Approach:

The Offeror shall be evaluated to determine whether the Management Plan provides a clear chain of responsibility, quality control plan, cost control method, contract administration, and adequate, qualified staff resources. The Government will evaluate the Management Plan document submitted and the labor categories proposed.

The Offeror shall be rated in the technical capability in accordance with the following:

1. Technical Approach and Management Approach

Rating Definition Highly Acceptable (HA)

The Offeror’s response to the requirements is highly acceptable and responds to the full range of requirements and skill sets are excellent. The Offeror has demonstrated that its approach, when implemented, would benefit the Government. The Offeror’s response gives the Government a strong degree of confidence that requirements can be met in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Acceptable (A) Based on the Offeror’s recent/relevant/quality performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the Offeror shall successfully perform the required effort.

Unacceptable (U) Based on the Offeror’s recent/relevant/quality performance record, the Government does not have a reasonable expectation that the Offeror shall successfully perform the required effort.

FACTOR 2 – PAST PERFORMANCE – VOLUME II

The Government will review the Offeror’s submitted Past Performance information for work that was performed within the last three years or is ongoing for relevancy to this requirement based on similar size/scope and complexity.

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The Offeror shall be rated in Past Performance on the probability of meeting the solicitation requirements based on the Offeror’s demonstrated record of recent and relevant quality work performance in meeting contract requirements. Based on an integrated assessment of recent, relevancy and quality of work, the Government will assign an overall Past Performance rating as follows:

FACTOR 3 – PRICE - VOLUME III

The Offeror’s price proposal shall be evaluated to determine if the firm-fixed price proposed for each labor category is fair and reasonable for the base and all options periods. The Government may use various price analysis techniques and procedures to determine fair and reasonableness as follows:

o Comparison of proposed prices received in response to the solicitation.

o Comparison of previously proposed prices and contract prices with current proposed prices for the same or similar end items or services, if both the validity of the comparison and the reasonableness of the previous prices can be established.

o Comparison of proposed prices with the Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE).

o Comparison of proposed prices with prices obtained through Market Research for the same or similar items or services.

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

Factors 1 and 2 are more important than Factor 3.

6. POST AWARD CONFERENCE

Within two weeks after contract award, the Contractor shall contact the Contract Specialist to discuss the agenda and key personnel to attend the post-award orientation meeting. Within two weeks of the award of this contract, the Contractor shall meet with FNS staff. The purpose of this meeting is to refine expectations for the project, initiate working relations, and orally present technical approach to accomplishing the work, challenges, and rocks in the road that could cause delays or interruptions to the prosecution of the contract work.

Rating Definition Acceptable (A) Based on the Offeror’s recent/relevant/quality performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the Offeror shall successfully perform the required effort.

Unacceptable (U) Based on the Offeror’s recent/relevant/quality performance record, the Government does not have a reasonable expectation that the Offeror shall successfully perform the required effort.

Neutral (N) No recent/relevant/quality performance record is available, or the Offeror’s performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reassigned.

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The Contract Specialist shall, as a mandatory requirement, include a comprehensive and detailed review and orientation of the FNS CMD On/Off boarding Process Manual (i.e. personnel security background investigation clearance process) on the agenda for the Post Award Conference.

Within one week after the orientation meeting, the Contractor shall submit to FNS an electronic copy of the draft Summary Memorandum documenting the discussion. It shall summarize the meeting, including an elaboration of project objectives, decisions reached, and identification of any outstanding issues and strategies for resolving them. The final meeting summary (in electronic form) shall incorporate FNS’s comments and be provided to FNS within one week of receiving FNS feedback.

(a) The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to approve changes in any of the requirements of the contract. This authority remains solely with the Contracting Officer. In the event the Contractor effects any change at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the changes will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any increase in costs incurred as a result thereof.

(b) Only the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist have the authority to contact the Contractor to discuss costs and/or technical requirements of the contract.

(c) Contact from other Government employees could result in unauthorized commitments. Government representatives who are working on, or asked to work on, a particular contractual issue should inform and coordinate the activity with the Contracting Officer or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The COR must be a part of all contacts and meetings with the Contractor that pertain to scope or cost. Depending on the nature of the meeting, the COR must also give advance notification to the Contracting Officer or Contract Specialist. All contacts with the Contractor must be documented and retained with the COR’s contract correspondence file.

As deemed appropriate, one copy must be forwarded to the Contracting Officer. Examples of documented contacts are providing technical direction, work plan instructions, deliverable rejection, potential changes to the Performance Based Work Statement or delivery schedule, costs and subcontractor or consultant recommendations.

(d) The Contractor shall designate one individual to be contacted during the period of the contract for handle contract administration in a prompt and timely manner:

Name:* Title:* Phone:* Email:*

*to be provided by Contractor

7. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES

Note: All terms and conditions of the GSA Schedule are in full force and effect of this task order.

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

9 | P a g e 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/these address (es): www.acquisition.gov

FAR 52.217-8, OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

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 Vendor within 30 days before the task order expiration.

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 30 days; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 30 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 66 months.

The following clause(s) are incorporated by reference:

52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting (OCT 2022)

FAR Subpart 7.5 – INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS

Pursuant to FAR 7.503, the Contractor shall not perform any inherently Governmental functions under this contract. No Contractor employee shall hold him or herself out to be a Government employee, agent, or representative. No Contractor employee shall state orally or in at any time that he or she is acting on behalf of the Government. In all communications with third parties writing in connection with this contract, Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractor employees and specify the name of the company for which they work.”

(End of Provision)

The following Department of Agriculture Acquisition Regulations (AGAR) are in full text:

AGAR 452.204-70 Inquiries (FEB 1988)

Inquiries and all correspondence concerning this solicitation should be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer. Offerors should contact only the Contracting Officer issuing the solicitation about any aspect of this requirement prior to contract award.

AGAR 452.224-70, CONFIDENTIALTY OF INFORMATION (FEB 1988)

(a) Confidential information, as used in this clause, means –

(1) Information or data of a personal nature, proprietary about an individual, or (2) information or data submitted by or pertaining to an organization.

http://www.acquisition.gov/

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(b) In addition to the types of confidential information described in (a)(1) and (2) above, information which might require special consideration with regard to the timing of its disclosure may derive from studies or research, during which public disclosure of primarily invalidated findings could create an erroneous conclusion which might threaten public health or safety if acted upon.

(c) The Contracting Officer and the Vendor may, by mutual consent, identify elsewhere in this contract specific information and/or categories of information which the Government will furnish to the Vendor or that the Vendor is expected to generate which is confidential. Similarly, the contracting Officer and the Vendor may, by mutual consent, identify such confidential information from time to time during the performance of the contract. Failure to agree will be settled pursuant to the "Disputes" clause.

(d) If it is established that information to be utilized under this contract is subject to the Privacy Act, the Vendor will follow the rules and procedures of disclosure set forth in the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, and implementing regulations and policies, with respect to systems of records determined to be subject to the Privacy Act.

(e) Confidential information, as defined in (a)(1) and (2) above, shall not be disclosed without the prior written consent of the individual, institution or organization.

(f) Written advance notice of at least 45 days will be provided to the Contracting Officer of the Vendor's intent to release findings of studies or research, which have the possibility of adverse effects on the public or the Federal agency, as described in (b) above. If the Contracting Officer does not pose any objections in writing within the 45 day period, the Vendor may proceed with disclosure. Disagreements not resolved by the Vendor and Contracting Officer will be settled pursuant to the "Disputes" clause.

(g) Whenever the Vendor is uncertain with regard to the proper handling of material under the contract, or if the material in question is subject to the Privacy Act or is confidential information subject to the provisions of this clause, the Vendor shall obtain a written determination from the Contracting Officer prior to any release, disclosure, dissemination, or publication.

(h) The provisions of paragraph (e) of this clause shall not apply when the information is subject to conflicting or overlapping provisions in other Federal, State or local laws.

(End of Clause)

AGAR 452.237-74, KEY PERSONNEL (FEB 1988)

(a) The Contractor shall assign to this contract the following key personnel:

Identified at time of Task Order

(b) During the first ninety (90) days of performance, the Contractor shall make no substitutions of key personnel unless the substitution is necessitated by illness, death, or termination of employment.

The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days after the occurrence of any of these events and provide the information required by paragraph (c) below. After the initial 90-day period, the Contractor shall submit the information required by paragraph (c) to the Contracting Officer at least 15 days prior to making any permanent substitutions.

(c) The Contractor shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed

11 | P a g e substitutions, complete resumes for the proposed substitutes, and any additional information requested by the Contracting Officer. Proposed substitutes should have comparable qualifications to those of the persons being replaced. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor within 15 calendar days after receipt of all required information of the decision on substitutions. The contract will be modified to reflect any approved changes of key personnel.

AGAR 452.237-75 RESTRICTIONS AGAINST DISCLOSURE (FEB 1988)

(a) The Contractor agrees, in the performance of this contract, to keep all information contained in source documents or other media furnished by the Government in the strictest confidence. The Contractor also agrees not to publish or otherwise divulge such information in whole or in part in any manner or form, or to authorize or permit others to do so, taking such reasonable measures as are necessary to restrict access to such information while in the Contractor’s possession, to those employees needing such information to perform the work provided herein, i.e., on a “need to know” basis. The Contractor agrees to immediately notify in writing, the Contracting Officer, named herein, in the event that the Contractor determines or has reason to suspect a breach of this requirement.

(b) The Contractor agrees not to disclose any information concerning the work under this contract to any persons or individual unless prior written approval is obtained from the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor agrees to insert the substance of this clause in any consultant agreement or subcontract hereunder.

AGAR 452.237-76 Progress Reporting (FEB 1988)

The Contractor shall submit a progress report monthly, covering work accomplished during that period of the contract performance. The progress report shall be brief and factual and shall be prepared in accordance with the following format:

(a) A cover page containing:

(1) Contract number and title;

(2) Type of report, sequence number of report, and period of performance being reported;

(3) Contractor's name and address;

(4) Author(s); and

(5) Date of report.

(b) SECTION I - An introduction covering the purpose and scope of the contract effort. This shall be limited to one paragraph in all but the first and final month's narrative.

(c) SECTION II - A description of overall progress plus a separate description of each task or other logical segment of work on which effort was expended during the report period. The description shall include pertinent data and/or graphs in sufficient detail to explain any significant results achieved.

(d) SECTION III - A description of current technical or substantive performance, and any problem(s) which may impede performance along with proposed corrective action.

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(e) SECTION IV - A planning schedule shall be included with the first progress report for all assigned tasks required under the contract, along with the estimated starting and completion dates for each task. The planning schedule shall be updated and submitted with each subsequent technical progress report, including an explanation of any difference between actual progress and planned progress, why the differences have occurred, and--if behind planned progress--what corrective steps are planned.

(f) SECTION V - If applicable, financial information shall be submitted for each major task or line item cost.

Data shall include:

(1) The total estimated cost budgeted (fee excluded).

(2) The estimated cost expended during the current reporting period.

(3) Identification of direct labor hours of prime contractor and subcontractor(s) and/or consultant(s), if applicable.

(4) Total project to-date expenditures.

(5) Total remaining funds.

Section 508 – Accessibility of Electronic and Information Technology:

(a) The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d) as amended by the workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L. 105-220). Specifically, subsection 508(a)(1) requires that when the Federal Government procures Electronic and Information Technology (EIT), the EIT must allow Federal employees and individuals of the public with disabilities comparable access to and use of information and data that is provided to

Federal employees and individuals of the public without disabilities.

(b) The EIT accessibility standards at 36 CFR Part 1194 were developed by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board ("Access Board") and apply to contracts and task/delivery orders, awarded under indefinite quantity contracts on or after June 25, 2001.

(c) Each Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (36 CFR 1194), as specified in the contract, as a minimum. If the Contracting Officer determines any furnished product or service is not in compliance with the contract, the Contracting Officer will promptly inform the Contractor in writing. The Contractor shall, without charge to the Government, repair or replace the non-compliant products or services within the period of time to be specified by the Government in writing. If such repair or replacement is not completed within the time specified, the Government shall have the following recourses:

1. Cancellation of the contract, delivery or task order, purchase or line item without termination liabilities; or

2. In the case of custom Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) being developed by a contractor for the Government, the Government shall have the right to have any necessary

13 | P a g e changes made or repairs performed by itself or by another firm for the noncompliant EIT, with the contractor liable for reimbursement to the Government for any expenses incurred thereby.

(d) The contractor must ensure that all EIT products that are less than fully compliant with the accessibility standards are provided pursuant to extensive market research and are the most current compliant products or services available to satisfy the contract requirements.

(e) For every EIT product or service accepted under this contact by the Government that does not comply with 36 CFR 1194, the contractor shall, at the discretion of the Government, make every effort to replace or upgrade it with a compliant equivalent product or service, if commercially available and cost neutral, on either a contract specified refresh cycle for the product or service, or on a contract effective option/renewal date; whichever shall occur first. To access more information regarding Section 508: http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/standards.htm.

Prohibition on Personal Services

Pursuant to FAR 37.1, no personal services shall be performed under this contract. All performance requirements shall flow only from the COR to the Contractor's Project Manager or Section Leads. No Contractor employee will be directly supervised by the Government. All individual Contractor employee assignments, and daily work direction, shall be given by the applicable Contractor employee supervisor. If the Contractor believes any Government action or communication has been given that would create a personal services relationship between the Government and any Contractor employee, the Contractor shall promptly notify the Contracting Officer.

Pursuant to FAR 7.5, the Contractor shall not perform any inherently Governmental functions under this contract. No Contractor employee shall hold him or herself out to be a Government employee, agent, or representative. No Contractor employee shall state orally or in writing at any time that he or she is acting on behalf of the Government. In all communications with third parties in connection with this contract, Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractor employees and specify the name of the company for which they work.

Organizational Conflict of Interest:

Contractor and subcontractor personnel performing work under this contract may receive, have access to or participate in the development of proprietary or source selection information (e.g., cost or pricing information, budget information or analyses, specifications or work statements, etc.) or perform evaluation services which may create a current or subsequent Organizational Conflict of Interests (OCI) as defined in FAR Subpart 9.5. The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer immediately whenever it becomes aware that such access or participation may result in any actual or potential OCI and shall promptly submit a plan to the Contracting Officer to avoid or mitigate any such OCI. The Contractor’s mitigation plan will be determined to be acceptable solely at the discretion of the Contracting Officer and in the event the Contracting Officer unilaterally determines that any such OCI cannot be satisfactorily avoided or mitigated, the Contracting Officer may effect other remedies as he or she deems necessary, including prohibiting the Contractor from participation in subsequent contracted requirements which may be affected by the OCI.

mailto:joseph.hodges@fns.usda.gov mailto:joseph.hodges@fns.usda.gov

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Printing:

Unless otherwise specified in this contract, the Contractor shall not engage in, nor subcontract for, any printing (as that term is defined in Title I of the Government Printing and Binding Regulations in effect on the effective date of this contract) in connection with the performance of work under this contract. Provided, however, that performance of a requirement under this contract involving the duplication of less than 5,000 units in the aggregate of multiple pages, will not be deemed to be printing. For the purpose of this paragraph, such pages may not exceed a maximum image size of 10 3/4 by 14 1/4 inches

Paperwork Reduction Act:

In the event that it becomes a contractual requirement to collect identical information from ten or more public respondents, the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C., 3501 et seq., shall apply to this contract. In such an event, the Contractor shall not expend any funds to take any other action whatsoever to solicit information from any of the public respondents until the Contracting Officer has notified the Contractor in writing that the required Office of Management and Budget clearance has been obtained. The Contractor shall provide to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) or to the Contracting Officer such information as will facilitate obtaining such clearance.

8. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

8.0 Contracting Officer (CO)

a. The Contracting Officer (CO) has the overall responsibility for the administration of this contract.

He/she alone, without delegation, is authorized to take actions on behalf of the Government to modify terms and conditions of this contract. In the event the Contractor effects any change at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the change will be considered to have been made without authority, and no adjustment will be made in the contract price to cover any resulting incurred costs.

b. The Contracting Officer is:

TBD

Alexandria, VA 22314

c. The Contract Specialist (CS) is:

Carolyn Wilson 1320 Braddock Place carolyn.wilson2@usda.gov

d. Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

TBD

Any correspondence concerning technical matters shall be forwarded directly to the Contracting Officer’s

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Representative (COR), with copies to the CO and CS.

A COR will be given authority by the CO to monitor all technical aspects and assist in administration of the contract. The types of action within the purview of the COR are: to assure that the Contractor performs all the technical requirements of the contract; to perform or cause to be performed all inspections and acceptance necessary in connection with performance of the contract; and to maintain both written and oral communication with the Contractor concerning technical aspects of the requirements. The COR shall monitor the Contractor’s performance under the contract and notify the Contractor and the CO of any deficiencies observed, as well as to coordinate Government Furnished Property (if applicable) and to provide for site entry of Contractor personnel, if required.

The COR is not authorized nor has authority to:

• Award, agree to, or sign any contract, delivery order or task order. All contractual agreements, commitments, or modifications shall be made only by the CO.

• Make any commitments or otherwise obligate the Government, or to make any changes to the contract.

• Grant deviations from or waive any of the terms and conditions of the contract.

• Impose or place a demand upon the Contractor to perform any task or permit any substitution not specifically provided for in the contract.

• Increase the dollar limit of the contract or authorize work beyond the dollar limit of the contract, or authorize the expenditure of funds.

• Give direction to the Contractor or to the employees of the Contractor except as provided for in the contract.

• Change the period of performance.

• Authorize the purchase of equipment, except as required under the contract.

• Authorize the furnishing of Government property, except as required under the contract.

• Authorize subcontracting or the use of consultants.

• Approve shifts of funding between line items of the budget.

• Approve travel and relocation expense over and above that provided for in the contract.

• Authorize the use of overtime.

• When, in the opinion of the Contractor, the COR requests effort outside the existing scope of work, the

Contractor shall promptly notify the contracting officer in writing. No action shall be taken by the Contractor under such direction until the contracting officer has issued a modification to the contract; or until the issue has been otherwise resolved.

9. INVOICE REQUIREMENTS

Submission of Invoices:

(a) Invoices shall be submitted in accordance with the “Authorized Payment Schedule” for each contract/task/order. The submission of an acceptable, progress update to the Government is a condition precedent to processing of the Contractor’s pay request for the monthly invoice.

To constitute a proper invoice, the invoice must include the following information and/or attached documentation:

1. Name and address of the business concern;

2. Invoice number and invoice date;

3. Contract number, Delivery Order number, Purchase Order number, Task Order number, or other authorization for delivery of property or services actually delivered or rendered;

4. Description, unit price, extended price, and quantity of property and services actually delivered or rendered with supporting documentation (i.e. travel receipts, etc.).

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5. Shipping and payment terms;

6. Name, title, phone number, and complete mailing address of responsible official to whom payment is to be sent;

7. A certification statement saying that the funds have only been used for work for this contract;

8. Name, title, phone number, and mailing address of person to notify in the event of a defective invoice;

9. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or DUNS+4; and

10. Contractors MUST note FINAL INVOICE on the final invoice when submitted upon final delivery of all supplies/equipment or completion of the contract. USDA and the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) – http://www.ipp.gov/Contractors/index.htm.

The IPP is a government-wide secure web-based payment information service offered free of charge to government agencies and their suppliers by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service (FMS).

One-time enrollment in IPP means that you will receive a series of e-mails from Treasury services.

The first email will have the IPP Logon ID and link to the IPP application. A second e- mail, containing the password will be sent within 24 hours. Once you receive these emails, please login to the IPP application and complete the registration process.

Benefits of registering with IPP include the ability for your company to create invoices directly from a contract award and submit them electronically.

The IPP Customer Support Desk is available to assist users Monday through Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 8:00AM - 6:00PM ET, including answering any questions related to accessing IPP or completing the registration process. Their toll-free number is 866-973-3131 or they can be reached at: IPPCustomerSupport@fms.treas.gov. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Controller Operations Division Help Desk at: 1-877-243-3072 or via e-mail at: cod.help@usda.gov.

10. LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1: PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

ATTACHMENT 2: PRICING SCHEDULE

ATTACHMENT 3: PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE

ATTACHMENT 4: QUESTION FORMAT

http://www.ipp.gov/Contractors/index.htm.

mailto:IPPCustomerSupport@fms.treas.gov mailto:cod.help@usda.gov