Combined Synopsis Solicitation - CDC Southern Corssroads Internet II - Renewal for FY24.pdf

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 1 of 40

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Requirements (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested, and a written solicitation will not be issued.

The solicitation number for this requirement is 75D301-23-Q-76717 and is hereby issued as a

Request for Quote (RFQ) using FAR Subpart 13.1 Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intends to award a firm-fixed-price contract for the following requirement, please either fill in the dollar amounts or provide a separate excel spreadsheet containing the same information including a list of line item number(s) and items, quantities, units of measure, and options, if applicable:

• Southern Light Rail to provide 3 network racks for network equipment and associated

Telecom equipment needed to provide the physical connection to Internet II.

• Southern Light Rail to provide connectivity to Internet II and provide support for appropriate routing and routing protocol to provide communications to resources on

Internet II.

• Provide a 10Gb Ethernet port to Internet II which includes all associated cabling and transceivers.

• Provide network racks for installation of network equipment.

• Provide up to 10Gbs of network connectivity to Internet II.

• Provide Internet II routing.

• Provide network connectivity troubleshooting in the event of a communications problem to Internet II resources.

ITEM SUPPLIES / SERVICES

QTY /

UNIT

UNIT PRICE

EXTENDED

PRICE

0001 Southern Crossroads Annual

Internet 2

Access Subscription

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

Period of Performance: July 2023

– June 2024

1 Each $ $

0002 Telx Crossconnects for Verizon

10G Circuit to CDC - monthly

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

Period of Performance: July 2023

– June 2024

Each

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 2 of 40

A. Baseline Security Requirements

1) Applicability. The requirements herein apply whether the entire contract or order

(hereafter “contract”), or portion thereof, includes either or both of the following:

a. Access (Physical or Logical) to Government Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will have or will be given the ability to have, routine physical (entry) or logical (electronic) access to government information.

b. Operate a Federal System Containing Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will operate a federal system and information technology containing data that supports the HHS mission. In addition to the Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) Subpart 2.1 definition of “information technology” (IT), the term as used in this section includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services

(including support services), and related resources.

2) Safeguarding Information and Information Systems. In accordance with the

Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS)199, Standards for

Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the

Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:

a. Protect government information and information systems in order to ensure:

• Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, based on the security terms found in this contract, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information;

• Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and ensuring information non-repudiation and authenticity; and

• Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.

b. Provide security for any Contractor systems, and information contained therein, connected to an HHS network or operated by the Contractor on behalf of HHS regardless of location. In addition, if new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either the agency or contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately, within one (1) hour or less, bring the situation to the attention of the other party.

c. Adopt and implement the policies, procedures, controls, and standards required by the

HHS Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government information and government information systems for which the Contractor is responsible under this contract or to which the Contractor may otherwise have access under this contract. Obtain the HHS Information Security

Program security requirements, outlined in the HHS Information Security and Privacy

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 3 of 40

Policy (IS2P), by contacting the CO/COR or emailing fisma@hhs.gov.

d. Comply with the Privacy Act requirements and tailor FAR clauses as needed..

3) Information Security Categorization. In accordance with FIPS 199 and National

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-60, Volume

II: Appendices to Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to

Security Categories, Appendix C, and based on information provided by the ISSO, CISO, or other security representative, the risk level for each Security Objective and the Overall

Risk Level, which is the highest watermark of the three factors (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) of the information or information system are the following:

Confidentiality: [ x ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

Integrity: [x ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

Availability: [ x ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

Overall Risk Level: [x] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

Based on information provided by the ISSO, Privacy Office, system/data owner, or other security or privacy representative, it has been determined that this solicitation/contract involves:

[ x ] No PII [ ] Yes PII

4) Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Per the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) Circular A-130, “PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” Examples of PII include, but are not limited to the following: social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, biometric records, etc.

PII Confidentiality Impact Level has been determined to be: [ ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ]

High

5) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined as “information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information.” The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must comply with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, (implemented at 3 CFR, part 2002) when handling CUI. 32 C.F.R. 2002.4(aa) As implemented the term “handling” refers to “…any use of CUI, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re-using, and disposing of the information.” 81 Fed. Reg. 63323. All sensitive information that has been identified as

CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, shall be:

a. marked appropriately;

b. disclosed to authorized personnel on a Need-To-Know basis;

http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-60-rev1/SP800-60_Vol2-Rev1.pdf

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c. protected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for

Federal Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline if handled by a

Contractor system operated on behalf of the agency, or NIST SP 800-171, Protecting

Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and

Organizations if handled by internal Contractor system; and

d. returned to HHS control, destroyed when no longer needed, or held until otherwise directed. Destruction of information and/or data shall be accomplished in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.

6) Protection of Sensitive Information. For security purposes, information is or may be sensitive because it requires security to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall protect all government information that is or may be sensitive in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information by securing it with a FIPS 140-2 validated solution.

7) Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information. Any information provided to the contractor (and/or any subcontractor) by HHS or collected by the contractor on behalf of

HHS shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract and shall not be disclosed or made known in any manner to any persons except as may be necessary in the performance of the contract. The Contractor assumes responsibility for protection of the confidentiality of Government records and shall ensure that all work performed by its employees and subcontractors shall be under the supervision of the

Contractor. Each Contractor employee or any of its subcontractors to whom any HHS records may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that information disclosed to such employee or subcontractor can be used only for that purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of such information shall be protected in accordance with HHS and CDC policies. Unauthorized disclosure of information will be subject to the HHS/CDC sanction policies and/or governed by the following laws and regulations:

a. 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records);

b. 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information); and

c. 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, Subchapter I (Paperwork Reduction Act).

8) Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). All procurements using Internet Protocol shall comply with OMB Memorandum M-05-22, Transition Planning for Internet Protocol

Version 6 (IPv6). .

9) Government Websites. All new and existing public-facing government websites must be securely configured with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) using the most recent version of Transport Layer Security (TLS). In addition, HTTPS shall enable HTTP

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Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to instruct compliant browsers to assume HTTPS at all times to reduce the number of insecure redirects and protect against attacks that attempt to downgrade connections to plain HTTP. For internal-facing websites, the HTTPS is not required, but it is highly recommended.

10) Contract Documentation. The Contractor shall use provided templates, policies, forms and other agency documents to comply with contract deliverables as appropriate.

11) Standard for Encryption. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:

a. Comply with the HHS Standard for Encryption of Computing Devices and Information to prevent unauthorized access to government information.

b. Encrypt all sensitive federal data and information (i.e., PII, protected health information [PHI], proprietary information, etc.) in transit (i.e., email, network connections, etc.) and at rest (i.e., servers, storage devices, mobile devices, backup media, etc.) with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption solution.

c. Secure all devices (i.e.: desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc.) that store and process government information and ensure devices meet HHS and CDC-specific encryption standard requirements. Maintain a complete and current inventory of all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive government information (including PII).

d. Verify that the encryption solutions in use have been validated under the

Cryptographic Module Validation Program to confirm compliance with FIPS 140-2.

The Contractor shall provide a written copy of the validation documentation to the

COR [CDC-provided delivery date].

e. Use the Key Management system on the HHS personal identification verification

(PIV) card or establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to encrypt/decrypt information and recover encryption keys.

Encryption keys shall be provided to CDC Office of Chief Information Security

Officer (OCISO).

12) Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Each Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee having access to non-public government information under this contract shall complete the CDC non-disclosure agreement, as applicable. A copy of each signed and witnessed NDA shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO) and/or CO Representative (COR) prior to performing any work under this acquisition.

13) Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) – The

Contractor shall assist the CDC Senior Official for Privacy (SOP) or designee with conducting a PTA for the information system and/or information handled under this contract in accordance with HHS policy and OMB M-03-22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002.

http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips140-2/fips1402.pdf

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 6 of 40

a. The Contractor shall assist the CDC SOP or designee in reviewing the PIA at least every three years throughout the system development lifecycle

(SDLC)/information lifecycle, or when determined by the CDC SOP that a review is required based on a major change to the system (e.g., new uses of information collected, changes to the way information is shared or disclosed and for what purpose, or when new types of PII are collected that could introduce new or increased privacy risks), whichever comes first.

B. Training

1) Mandatory Training for All Contractor Staff. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees assigned to work on this contract shall complete the applicable

HHS/CDC Contractor Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records

Management training (provided upon contract award) before performing any work under this contract. Thereafter, the employees shall complete CDC Security Awareness

Training (SAT) and Records Management training at least annually, during the life of this contract. All provided training shall be compliant with HHS training policies.

2) Role-based Training. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees with significant security responsibilities (as determined by the program manager) must complete role-based training (RBT) within 60 days of assuming their new responsibilities. Thereafter, they shall complete RBT at least annually in accordance with

HHS policy and the HHS Role-Based Training (RBT) of Personnel with Significant

Security Responsibilities Memorandum.

All HHS employees and contractors with SSR who have not completed the required training within the mandated timeframes shall have their user accounts disabled until they have met their RBT requirement.

3) Training Records. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain training records for all its employees working under this contract in accordance with HHS policy.

A copy of the training records shall be provided to the CO and/or COR within 30 days after contract award and annually thereafter or upon request.

C. Rules of Behavior

1) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall ensure that all employees performing on the contract comply with the HHS Information Technology General Rules of Behavior.

2) All Contractor employees performing on the contract must read and adhere to the Rules of Behavior before accessing Department data or other information, systems, and/or networks that store/process government information, initially at the beginning of the contract and at least annually thereafter, which may be done as part of annual CDC

Security Awareness Training. If the training is provided by the contractor, the signed

ROB must be provided as a separate deliverable to the CO and/or COR per defined timelines above.

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 7 of 40

D. Incident Response

FISMA defines an incident as “an occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies. The HHS Policy for IT Security and

Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines incidents as events involving cybersecurity and privacy threats, such as viruses, malicious user activity, loss of, unauthorized disclosure or destruction of data, and so on.

A privacy breach is a type of incident and is defined by Federal Information Security

Modernization Act (FISMA) as the loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.

OMB Memorandum M-17-12, “Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally

Identifiable Information” (03 January 2017) states:

Definition of an Incident:

An occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.

Definition of a Breach:

The loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.

It further adds:

A breach is not limited to an occurrence where a person other than an authorized user potentially accesses PU by means of a network intrusion, a targeted attack that exploits website vulnerabilities, or an attack executed through an email message or attachment. A breach may also include the loss or theft of physical documents that include PU and portable electronic storage media that store PU, the inadvertent disclosure of PU on a public website, or an oral disclosure of PII to a person who is not authorized to receive that information. It may also include an authorized user accessing PU for an other than authorized purpose.

The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines a breach as “a suspected or confirmed incident involving PII” .

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 8 of 40

Contracts with entities that collect, maintain, use, or operate Federal information or information systems on behalf of CDC shall include the following requirements:

1) The contractor shall cooperate with and exchange information with CDC officials, as deemed necessary by the CDC Breach Response Team, to report and manage a suspected or confirmed breach.

2) All contractors and subcontractors shall properly encrypt PII in accordance with OMB

Circular A-130 and other applicable policies, including CDC-specific policies, and comply with HHS-specific policies for protecting PII. To this end, all contractors and subcontractors shall protect all sensitive information, including any PII created, stored, or transmitted in the performance of this contract so as to avoid a secondary sensitive information incident with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.

3) All contractors and subcontractors shall participate in regular training on how to identify and report a breach.

4) All contractors and subcontractors shall report a suspected or confirmed breach in any medium as soon as possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with applicable

CDC IT acquisitions guidance, HHS/CDC and incident management policy, and United

States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) notification guidelines. To this end, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall respond to all alerts/Indicators of

Compromise (IOCs) provided by HHS Computer Security Incident Response Center

(CSIRC) or CDC Computer Incident Response Team (CSIRT) within 24 hours via email at cdc@csirt.gov or telephone at 866-655-2245, whether the response is positive or negative.

5) All contractors and subcontractors shall be able to determine what Federal information was or could have been accessed and by whom, construct a timeline of user activity, determine methods and techniques used to access Federal information, and identify the initial attack vector.

6) All contractors and subcontractors shall allow for an inspection, investigation, forensic analysis, and any other action necessary to ensure compliance with HHS/CDC Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan and to assist with responding to a breach.

7) Cloud service providers shall use guidance provided in the FedRAMP Incident

Communications Procedures when deciding when to report directly to US-CERT first or notify CDC first.

8) Identify roles and responsibilities, in accordance with HHS/CDC Breach Response Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan. To this end, the Contractor shall NOT notify affected individuals unless and until so instructed by the Contracting Officer or designated representative. If so instructed by the Contracting Officer or representative, all notifications must be pre-approved by the appropriate CDC officials, consistent with

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 9 of 40

HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan, and the Contractor shall then send CDC- approved notifications to affected individuals; and,

9) Acknowledge that CDC will not interpret report of a breach, by itself, as conclusive evidence that the contractor or its subcontractor failed to provide adequate safeguards for

PII.

E. Position Sensitivity Designations

All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees must obtain a background investigation commensurate with their position sensitivity designation that complies with Parts 1400 and 731 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

F. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) and its employees shall comply with Homeland

Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for

Federal Employees and Contractors; OMB M-05-24; FIPS 201, Personal Identity Verification

(PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors; HHS HSPD-12 policy; and Executive Order

13467, Part 1 §1.2.

Roster. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall submit a roster by name, position, e-mail address, phone number and responsibility, of all staff working under this acquisition where the Contractor will develop, have the ability to access, or host and/or maintain a government information system(s). The roster shall be submitted to the COR and/or CO by the effective date of this contract. Any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted immediately upon change. The COR will notify the Contractor of the appropriate level of investigation required for each staff member.

If the employee is filling a new position, the Contractor shall provide a position description and the Government will determine the appropriate suitability level.

G. Contract Initiation and Expiration

1) General Security Requirements. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall comply with information security and privacy requirements, Enterprise Performance Life

Cycle (EPLC) processes, HHS Enterprise Architecture requirements to ensure information is appropriately protected from initiation to expiration of the contract. All information systems development or enhancement tasks supported by the contractor shall follow the HHS EPLC framework and methodology and in accordance with the HHS

Contract Closeout Guide (2012).

2) System Documentation. Contractors (and/or any subcontractors) must follow and adhere to NIST SP 800-64, Security Considerations in the System Development Life Cycle, at a minimum, for system development and provide system documentation at designated intervals (specifically, at the expiration of the contract) within the EPLC that require artifact review and approval.

3) Sanitization of Government Files and Information. As part of contract closeout and at

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 10 of 40 expiration of the contract, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide all required documentation to the CO and/or COR to certify that, at the government’s direction, all electronic and paper records are appropriately disposed of and all devices and media are sanitized in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media

Sanitization.

4) Notification. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall notify the CO and/or COR and system ISSO before an employee stops working under this contract.

5) Contractor Responsibilities Upon Physical Completion of the Contract. The contractor (and/or any subcontractors) shall return all government information and IT resources (i.e., government information in non-government-owned systems, media, and backup systems) acquired during the term of this contract to the CO and/or COR.

Additionally, the Contractor shall provide a certification that all government information has been properly sanitized and purged from Contractor-owned systems, including backup systems and media used during contract performance, in accordance with HHS and/or CDC policies.

6) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall perform and document the actions identified in the CDC Out-Processing Checklist

(http://intranet.cdc.gov/od/hcrmo/pdfs/hr/Out_Processing_Checklist.pdf) when an employee terminates work under this contract. All documentation shall be made available to the CO and/or COR upon request.

H. Records Management and Retention

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain all information in accordance with

Executive Order 13556 -- Controlled Unclassified Information, National Archives and

Records Administration (NARA) records retention policies and schedules and HHS policies and shall not dispose of any records unless authorized by HHS.

In the event that a contractor (and/or any subcontractor) accidentally disposes of or destroys a record without proper authorization, it shall be documented and reported as an incident in accordance with HHS policies.

http://intranet.cdc.gov/od/hcrmo/pdfs/hr/Out_Processing_Checklist.pdf

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 11 of 40

Your quote shall include the following:

• Reference number 75D301-23-Q-76717

• Total Price for CLIN 0001

• Total Price for CLIN 0002

Delivery Date: Prior to May 19, 2023

Delivery Address: via email to wlv7@cdc.gov

Acceptance and FOB point

The quote format is at the discretion of the offeror.

It is the offeror's responsibility to be familiar with the applicable clauses and provisions. Clauses and provisions may be accessed via the Internet at website http://farsite.hill.af.mil.

This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) FAC 2023-03 Effective April 26, 2023

This acquisition is set aside for Full and Open Competition under North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS) code 517919 and small business size standard $32.5M. A Firm-

Fixed Price purchase order will be issued in writing to the successful offeror. To be eligible to receive an award resulting from this solicitation, contractor must be registered in the System for

Award Management. To register apply via the Internet at http://www.sam.gov. For questions on registration contact Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220.

Include FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications with Offer or indicate if it is available online at SAM.gov.

No telephonic quotes will be processed. All responses must be received no later than 12:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time on Friday, May 19, 2023. Please send any questions and quotes to Nathan

R. Amador at wlv7@cdc.gov.

Attachments:

1. Provisions and Clauses mailto:wlv7@cdc.gov http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:wlv7@cdc.gov

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 12 of 40

Attachment 1: Provisions and Clauses

PROVISIONS

352.239-73 Electronic Information and Technology Accessibility Notice. (December 18, 2015)

(a) Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of

1998 and the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and Information (EIT)

Accessibility Standards (36 CFR part 1194), require that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology, Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency. Section 508 also requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from a Federal agency, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the agency.

(b) Accordingly, any offeror responding to this solicitation must comply with established HHS EIT accessibility standards. Information about Section 508 is available at https://www.hhs.gov/web/508. The complete text of the

Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at https://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards.

(c) The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this solicitation are stated in the clause at 352.239-74, Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility.

In order to facilitate the Government’s determination whether proposed EIT supplies meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must submit an HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template, in accordance with its completion instructions. The purpose of the template is to assist HHS acquisition and program officials in determining whether proposed EIT supplies conform to applicable Section 508 accessibility standards. The template allows offerors or developers to self-evaluate their supplies and document—in detail—whether they conform to a specific Section 508 accessibility standard, and any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues.

Instructions for preparing the HHS Section 508 Evaluation Template are available under Section 508 policy on the

HHS website https://www.hhs.gov/web/508.

In order to facilitate the Government’s determination whether proposed EIT services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, offerors must provide enough information to assist the Government in determining that the

EIT services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards, including any underway remediation efforts addressing conformance issues.

(d) Respondents to this solicitation must identify any exception to Section 508 requirements. If a offeror claims its supplies or services meet applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, and it is later determined by the

Government, i.e., after award of a contract or order, that supplies or services delivered do not conform to the described accessibility standards, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its expense.

(End of provision)

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. (MAR 2023)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code(s) and small business size standard(s) for this acquisition appear elsewhere in the solicitation. However, the small business size standard for a concern that submits an offer, other than on a construction or service acquisition, but proposes to furnish an end item that it did not itself manufacture, process, or produce is 500 employees, or 150 employees for information technology value-added resellers under NAICS code 541519, if the acquisition—

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 13 of 40

(1)Is set aside for small business and has a value above the simplified acquisition threshold;

(2)Uses the HUBZone price evaluation preference regardless of dollar value, unless the offeror waives the price evaluation preference; or

(3)Is an 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, economically disadvantaged women-owned, or women-owned small business set-aside or sole-source award regardless of dollar value.

(b) Submission of offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers may be submitted on the SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, offers must show—

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at Federal Acquisition Regulation

(FAR) 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender’s request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/solicitationcontractorder-commercial-items https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_212_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_212_3 https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/solicitationcontractorder-commercial-items

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 14 of 40

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions, including alternative line items (provided that the alternative line items are consistent with

FAR subpart 4.10), or alternative commercial products or commercial services for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that offers or revisions are due.

(2)

(i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is "late" and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and-

(A) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of offers; or

(B) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government’s control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was the only proposal received.

(ii) However, a late modification of an otherwise successful offer, that makes its terms more favorable to the Government, will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(3) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the offer wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(4) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that offers cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of offers by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of offers will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(5) Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers. Oral offers in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers, subject to the conditions specified in the solicitation concerning facsimile offers. An offer may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for receipt of offers, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the offer.

(g) Contract award (not applicable to Invitation for Bids). The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror’s initial offer should contain the offeror’s best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-4#FAR_Subpart_4_10

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 15 of 40 if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept any item or group of items of an offer, unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the Schedule, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the offer.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation.

(1)

(i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR

Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to-

GSA Federal Supply Service Specifications Section

Suite 8100 470 East L’Enfant Plaza, SW

Washington, DC 20407

Telephone (202) 619-8925

Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans

Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST ( https://assist.dla.mil/online/start/).

(ii) Quick Search ( http://quicksearch.dla.mil/).

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single Stock

Point (DoDSSP) by-

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard ( https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111-

5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 http://uscode.house.gov/browse.xhtml;jsessionid=114A3287C7B3359E597506A31FC855B3 https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 16 of 40

(j) Unique entity identifier.(Applies to all offers that exceed the micro-purchase threshold, and offers at or below the micro-purchase threshold if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the System for

Award Management (SAM).) The Offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation "Unique Entity Identifier" followed by the unique entity identifier that identifies the Offeror's name and address. The Offeror also shall enter its Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) indicator, if applicable. The EFT indicator is a four-character suffix to the unique entity identifier. The suffix is assigned at the discretion of the Offeror to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative EFT accounts (see

FAR subpart 32.11) for the same entity. If the Offeror does not have a unique entity identifier, it should contact the entity designated at www.sam.gov for unique entity identifier establishment directly to obtain one.

The Offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a Government contract when contacting the entity designated at www.sam.gov for establishing the unique entity identifier.

(k) [Reserved]

(l) Debriefing. If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall disclose the following information, if applicable:

(1) The agency’s evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed offeror’s offer.

(2) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and the debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.

(3) The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection.

(4) A summary of the rationale for award;

(5) For acquisitions of commercial products, the make and model of the product to be delivered by the successful offeror.

(6) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.

(End of provision) https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-32#FAR_Subpart_32_11

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 17 of 40

52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. (NOV 2021)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)

Technical and past performance, when combined, are significantly less important than price.

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

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. (DEC

2022)

The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically in the System for Award Management (SAM) accessed through https://www.sam.gov. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (v) of this provision.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—

"Covered telecommunications equipment or services" has the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

Economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concern means a small business concern that is at least 51 percent directly and unconditionally owned by, and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by, one or more women who are citizens of the United States and who are economically disadvantaged in accordance with 13 CFR part 127, and the concern is certified by SBA or an approved third-party certifier in accordance with 13 CFR 127.300. It automatically qualifies as a women-owned small business eligible under the WOSB Program.

Forced or indentured child labor means all work or service—

(1) Exacted from any person under the age of 18 under the menace of any penalty for its nonperformance and for which the worker does not offer himself voluntarily; or

(2) Performed by any person under the age of 18 pursuant to a contract the enforcement of which can be accomplished by process or penalties.

https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52#FAR_52_204_25 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/part-127 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-127.300

Combined Synopsis Solicitation 75D301-23-Q-76717 - Page 18 of 40

Highest-level owner means the entity that owns or controls an immediate owner of the offeror, or that owns or controls one or more entities that control an immediate owner of the offeror. No entity owns or exercises control of the highest level owner.

Immediate owner means an entity, other than the offeror, that has direct control of the offeror. Indicators of control include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: ownership or interlocking management, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and equipment, and the common use of employees.

Inverted domestic corporation, means a foreign incorporated entity that meets the definition of an inverted domestic corporation under 6 U.S.C. 395(b), applied in accordance with the rules and definitions of 6 U.S.C. 395(c).

Manufactured end product means any end product in product and service codes (PSCs) 1000-9999, except—

(1) PSC 5510, Lumber and Related Basic Wood Materials;

(2) Product or Service Group (PSG) 87, Agricultural Supplies;

(3) PSG 88, Live Animals;

(4) PSG 89, Subsistence;

(5) PSC 9410, Crude Grades of Plant Materials;

(6) PSC 9430, Miscellaneous Crude Animal Products, Inedible;

(7) PSC 9440, Miscellaneous Crude Agricultural and Forestry Products;

(8) PSC 9610, Ores;

(9) PSC 9620, Minerals, Natural and Synthetic; and

(10) PSC 9630, Additive Metal Materials.

Place of manufacture means the place where an end product is assembled out of components, or otherwise made or processed from raw materials into the finished product that is to be provided to the Government. If a product is disassembled and reassembled, the place of reassembly is not the place of manufacture.

Predecessor means an entity that is replaced by a successor and includes any predecessors of the predecessor.

Reasonable inquiry has the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain

Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

Restricted business operations means business operations in Sudan that include power production activities, mineral extraction activities, oil-related activities, or the production of…