CSS Advertising RFQ 75N95020Q00228.pdf

RFQ No. 75N95020Q00228

1 | P a g e

COMBINED SYNOPSIS / SOLICITATION-COMPETITIVE

Title: Support for Targeted Participant Marketing and Advertising Services at the NIDA IRP Clinical Program.

1. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (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 separate written solicitation will not be issued.

2. The solicitation number is 75N95020Q00228 and the solicitation is issued as request for quotation (RFQ).

This acquisition is for a commercial item or service and is conducted under the authority of the FAR Part 13.5—Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items; and FAR Part 12—Acquisition of Commercial Items.

The mission of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program (IRP) is to conduct state-of-the-art research on basic mechanisms that underlie substance use disorders (SUDs), and to develop new methods for the treatment of SUDs. Research is supported at the molecular, genetic, cellular, animal, and human clinical levels and conceptually integrates highly innovative strategies and techniques. The long-term goal of the research is to better understand the biological and behavioral factors contributing to initiation, maintenance, and elimination of SUDs (and associated diseases), and to translate this knowledge into improved strategies for prevention, treatment, and reduction of negative consequences for the individual and for society caused by substance use disorders.

Using volunteer human participants, the IRP clinical program conducts residential and nonresidential research studies that interrelate with pre-clinical laboratory work. In general, these studies include assessment of drug-use patterns, investigation of underlying brain mechanisms, and testing of a variety of SUD behavioral or biomedical treatments. The NIDA IRP provides IT support and services for data to be stored in an electronic clinical records system, the Human Research Information System (HuRIS). HuRIS is on a secure private network. Medical information, recruiting, screening, remuneration and research data, including remuneration and travel for all participants is recorded in HuRIS.

NIDA requires the contracted support services for targeted advertising and marketing services to recruit eligible research participants for inclusion in human research studies conducted by the NIDA IRP as part of their ongoing mission. NIDA IRP seeks to enroll a highly targeted and representative study population of research participants including those with active SUDs (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioids) who are not seeking treatment, those who are seeking treatment, people who occasionally use these substances and healthy controls who match the other populations with respect to characteristics such as age, gender, socio-economic status (SES), IQ, etc. The NIDA IRP is also conducting studies requiring HIV-positive populations. Special attention and consideration needs to be made to the sensitive nature of the data collected when working with these populations.

The Contractor shall recruit clinical protocol participants primarily within the Greater Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC areas unless otherwise directed in a given protocol. For each protocol, the Contractor shall develop a specific, multi-pronged recruitment campaign

2 | P a g e in order to 1) target populations specified in the study, 2) obtain the targeted enrollment numbers for each protocol subject group, and 3) do so in accordance to the study-specific timeline.

The Contractor shall develop flexible, dynamic and creative strategies to implement different and multiple recruitment strategies that are tailored to the specific needs of the NIDA IRP protocols at specific time. The targeted populations and needs of the NIDA IRP protocols vary over time, as they are driven by previously collected data and/or by new gain in scientific and clinical knowledge. Each research protocol defines the number of participants per group needed, the approximate number of subjects/unit time and characteristics of the research participants required.

Prior to implementation of any strategies, the Contractor shall work with the Government to ensure approval is acquired in full compliance with NIH Institutional Review Board (IRB), IRP Clinical Director (CD) and NIDA Public Information and Liaison Board (PILB) requirements. The Contractor shall be in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and regulations relating to vulnerable populations, including the NIH Human Research Protection Program Policies & Procedures SOPs and required trainings (see https://irbo.nih.gov/confluence/display/IRBO/HRPP+Policies+and+Procedures ) at all times. The majority of IRP research participants are adults between the ages of 18 and 65. However, studies involving adolescents (under the age of 18) are occasionally performed..

3. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2020-06, dated 05-06-2020.

4. NAICS Code: The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541810, Advertising Agencies. This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in creating advertising campaigns and placing such advertising in periodicals, newspapers, radio and television, or other media. These establishments are organized to provide a full range of services (i.e., through in-house capabilities or subcontracting), including advice, creative services, account management, production of advertising material, media planning, and buying (i.e., placing advertising). The small business size standard $16,500,000. This requirement is a total small business set-aside. Only those socio-economic business concerns that meet the NAICS code size standard will be considered for the award.

5. Line Items: Through this procurement the NIDA requires Contractor support services for targeted advertising and marketing services to recruit eligible research participants for inclusion in human research studies conducted as described in Attachment 1 – Statement of Work.

NIDA anticipates the use of a Time and Materials / Labor Hour (T&M/LH) type contract as a result of this solicitation. If an award is made as a result of this solicitation, NIDA shall establish a ceiling price for the contract that the Contractor shall not exceed.

NIDA also anticipates the use of Options and Options Quantities in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity – Separately Priced Line Items (Mar 1989); 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999); and 52.217- 9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000).

It is anticipated that this contract will consist of a 12-month Base Period, with two (2)

3 | P a g e additional 12-month Option Periods. The contract will also include additional option quantities. This period of performance will allow for the greatest flexibility given the program needs and funding availability. It is estimated that the Base Period will begin on November 1, 2020 and run through October 31, 2021.

Below is a table that contains the line item number and description of the requirement for the anticipated award of the Base Period.

Line No. Description 1 FY21. Base Period. Targeted Participant Marketing and Advertising Services at the NIDA IRP Clinical Program. 11/1/20 – 10/31/21. N02DA-20-9001.

6. Project Requirement: Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, materials, equipment not otherwise provided by the Government, as needed to perform the following tasks for the targeted advertising and marketing services to recruit research participants for studies at the NIDA IRP Clinical Program.

In accordance with the General Requirements and the Statement of Work (SOW) attached to this combined synopsis/solicitation, labeled as Attachment 1 – Statement of Work; the Offeror shall:

a. Develop and Implement Custom Recruitment Strategies;

b. Monitor performance, analyze the efficacy, and continuously optimize its advertising and marketing strategies; and

c. Provide contract management and administrative services in support of the programmatic requirement.

The Offeror shall protect all sensitive protected health information (PHI) or personally identifiable information (PII) collected while performing the required services. Sensitive PHI/PII shall not be transferred to nor shared with NIDA. Any data collected must be deidentified or coded so that the code cannot be linked to participants by NIDA.

In its response, the Offeror should clearly demonstrate its proposed approach and capability to successfully complete the following:

a. Develop and implement advertising and marketing campaigns that will reach NIDA’s

Targeted Populations, which will ultimately result in identifying, recruiting, and enrolling eligible research participants for inclusion in human research studies conducted by the

NIDA IRP;

b. Develop creative content as needed to reflect new or changes in existing study information;

c. Generate reportable data and utilize evidence-based statistics to create customizable, multi-tiered marketing and advertising campaigns; based on each study’s approved protocol and Inclusion/Exclusion (I/E) criteria;

d. Facilitate the media buying process;

e. Develop and implement strategies to continuously better target qualified subjects; and

f. Develop flexible staffing plans, which include working with existing NIDA staffing to accommodate the various aspects of marketing and advertising initiatives to recruit participants in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

As part of the Technical Quote, the Offeror shall include the following:

4 | P a g e

a. Statement of Understanding – The Offeror shall provide a Statement of Understanding that describes its experience and understanding of the project goals and objectives as described in the SOW. The Statement of Understanding should also demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding and experience in developing and maintaining highly targeted advertising and marketing campaigns to recruit research participants, in the Greater Baltimore-Washington Area. The Offeror should describe the unique challenges in targeting populations with active Substance Use Disorders (SUD)s (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioids) who are not seeking treatment, those who are seeking treatment, people who occasionally use these substances, and healthy controls who match the other populations with respect to characteristics such as age, gender, socio-economic status (SES), IQ, etc.

b. Sample Recruitment Plan (SRP) – The Offeror shall develop a customized sample Recruitment Plan using evidence-based statistics and data for each recruitment strategy to identify successful methods of targeting specific populations based on protocol inclusion/exclusion criteria and with a timeline to reach recruitment goals. In the sample Recruitment Plan please describe the method and frequency of monitoring success of each recruitment strategy to be employed and describe how each will be optimized, in order to reach the target populations NIDA seeks to enroll. A complete sample Recruitment Plan shall also include a description of contingency planning efforts and alternative strategies to overcome potential challenges associated with recruiting qualified participants. The sample Recruitment Plan should be designed to support the following sample protocol:

i. Sample Protocol – For Quote purposes, the Sample Protocol shall last 2-years and will research how stress and craving influence alcohol, tobacco, cocaine and/or opioid use. Offerors should assume the following criteria: recruiting right-handed adults; 18-60 years old; living in the Greater Baltimore-Washington Area;

who have a substance use disorder (opiate, alcohol, cocaine, or nicotine use disorders); but are otherwise healthy (e.g. no chronic health conditions and not taking prescription medications). Participants will be asked to travel to NIDA for up to 12 visits over 24 months. Each visit will consist of filling out various questionnaires and completing various thinking tasks. On 6 of the visits, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans will be done. MRI scans will be about 2 hours long and participants will complete various thinking tasks while inside the MRI. Participants must be able to abstain from caffeine and alcohol for 24 hours before the MRI sessions. On non-MRI visits, participants will have to select foods and drinks while in NIDA’s virtual reality food-mart and bar-lab, while wearing smart devices to measure responses.

Participants who have an opiate or nicotine use disorder will be offered medications. Participants who use cocaine will be asked to participate in a brain stimulation study. The Brain Simulation Study uses a type of brain stimulation called “intermittent theta-burst stimulation” (iTBS) as an experimental treatment for cocaine that will be given to everyone who participates. iTBS stimulates a part of the brain that is thought to play a role in addiction. iTBS uses a magnet to stimulate parts of the brain and is not an invasive procedure.

While not in the clinic, participants will be asked to respond daily to surveys sent to their smartphone (or to the study smartphone provided by NIDA). Some

5 | P a g e participants may be invited to enroll in a social media sub-study. Thus, some of the participants will be required to have social media accounts.

Participants will be paid for their time and each visit will last for about 2-4 hours.

Payment to participants may be in the form of cash, check, gift cards or online payments (e.g. PayPal).

For Quote purposes, Offerors should assume that the enrollment goals are an average of 10-15 qualified participants per month to obtain a total of 20 enrolled participants who complete the protocol, per each of the 5 groups: alcohol, tobacco, cocaine and/or opioid use disorder participants and matched controls (total completer goal is 100 participants over 2 years). Note: NIDA defines recruitment success as enrollment, not just identified potential candidates and recruitment plans should take into account a 10-15% dropout rate.

c. Key Personnel – The Offeror shall identify the proposed key personnel to be assigned to this project and describe their experience in developing multipronged customized recruitment plans, primarily in the Greater Baltimore-Washington area (for some studies, specifically including Baltimore city) and experience within the substance use disorder population.

d. Communication and Management Plan – The Offeror shall prepare a management plan to effectively conduct, manage, and coordinate the resources necessary to successfully perform the SOW. The Management Plan should include the Offeror’s personnel loading chart, milestone chart, and organizational chart delineating lines of authority and reporting responsibilities for staff and any consultants as well as a backup plan to ensure personnel coverage and completion of work in the event of the unexpected personnel challenges.

e. Draft Transition Plans – The Offeror shall prepare a Draft Transition-In and Transition-

Out Plan. Each draft submitted should describe the Offeror’s approach to enable a seamless transition of services from the incumbent to an incoming Contractor/ Government personnel (as required). The Draft Transition Plans shall identify points-of-contact (POC) for liaison between the Government, the prime Contractor, and other contracted industry partners to ensure a proper and orderly transition and transfer of services and assets between the parties cited.

f. Option Quantities – The Offeror shall describe its approach to provide programmatic support through the Option Quantities for additional advertising and marketing support.

The NIDA IRP Principal Investigators (PIs) may require additional financial support separately from the tasks defined in the SOW. The NIDA IRP has multiple primary PIs who may require additional advertising and marketing services individually or jointly as necessary based on current protocol needs. Through these Options for Increased Quantity, the Contractor may be required to provide additional support for advertising and marketing support as described in the SOW.

g. Past Performance Information – The Offeror shall provide a list of at least three (3) contracts completed during the past four years, similar in size and scope to the requirements outlined in the SOW. In each example the Offeror shall include the scope of the work performed, the time period during which the work occurred, the dollar value of the work performed, the results of the project, the project title, client contact

6 | P a g e information, the specific responsibilities of the offeror, and any quality assurance initiatives. Include the following information for each contract or subcontract listed:

i. Name of Contracting Organization

ii. Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime contract number and the subcontract number)

iii. Contract type

iv. Total contract value

v. Description of requirement and results

vi. Contract period of performance

vii. Contracting Officer’s name and telephone number

viii. Program Manager’s name and telephone number

ix. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code

x. Any quality assurance initiatives

xi. The offeror may provide information on problems encountered on the identified contracts and the offeror’s corrective actions.

h. Section 508 Compliance – As applicable the Offeror must demonstrate compliance with the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Provisions" set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the "Access Board") in 36 CFR part 1194 for all electronic and information technology (EIT) products and services developed, acquired, maintained, or used under this contract/order, including EIT deliverables such as electronic documents and reports.

i. Approach to and Compliance with HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and Information Technology – The Offeror shall describe its approach and ability to comply with the with the Security and Information Technology requirements defined in Attachment 2 - HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and IT Procurements.

7. The anticipated period of performance for the order shall be November 1, 2020 through October 31, 2021. All Program and Information Security deliverables are detailed in Attachment #1 – Statement of Work and Attachment 2 - HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and IT Procurements.

8. The provision at FAR clause 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.

9. The award resulting from this solicitation will be made to the responsible Offeror whose Quote is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotations: Technical Criteria, Cost/Price, Options, Past Performance, and Section 508 compliance (if applicable).

A tradeoff process shall be used for this acquisition because it has been determined to be in the best interest of the Government to consider award to other than the lowest priced Offeror or other than the highest technically rated offeror. All evaluation factors and significant sub-factors are listed below in terms of their relative importance. Technical Factors and Past Performance when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price.

Evaluations will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Offeror in relation to the needs of the project. The merits of each Quote will be evaluated carefully.

7 | P a g e

Each Quote must document the feasibility of successful implementation of the requirements of this solicitation. The Offeror must submit information sufficient to evaluate its Quote based on the detailed factors listed below.

The NIDA shall use the following methodology for evaluating each criteria:

Excellent (Risk level: Very low): The proposal has exceptional merit and reflects an excellent approach which will clearly result in the superior attainment of all requirements and objectives. This clearly achievable approach includes several advantageous characteristics of substance, and very few disadvantages, which can be expected to result in outstanding performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is very low as the proposal provides solutions which are unquestionably feasible and practical. These solutions are further considered very low risk in that they are exceptionally clear and precise, fully supported, and demonstrate a clear understanding of the requirements.

Good (Risk level: Low): The proposal demonstrates a sound approach which is expected to meet all requirements and objectives. This sound approach includes advantageous characteristics of substance, and few relatively minor disadvantages, which collectively can be expected to result in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is low as the proposal contains solutions which are considered feasible and practical. These solutions are further considered to reflect low risk in that they are clear and precise, supported, and demonstrate an understanding of the requirements.

Acceptable: The proposal demonstrates an approach which is capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. The approach includes both advantageous and disadvantageous characteristics of substance, where the advantages are not outweighed by the disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages are likely to result in acceptable performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is moderate, as the proposal solutions are generally feasible and practical. These solutions may also be considered to reflect moderate risk in that they may be somewhat clear and precise, partially supported, and/or demonstrate a general understanding of the requirements.

Marginal (Risk level: High): The proposal demonstrates an approach which may not be capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. The approach has disadvantages of substance and advantages, which if they exist, are outweighed by the disadvantages.

Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages present a low or questionable likelihood of resulting in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is high as the proposal contains solutions which may not be feasible and practical. These solutions may also be considered to reflect high risk in that they lack clarity and precision, are generally unsupported, and/or do not demonstrate a complete understanding of the requirements.

Unacceptable (Risk level: Very): The proposal demonstrates an approach which, based on a very high risk, will very likely not be capable of meeting all requirements and objectives. This approach has several disadvantages of substance, and advantages which, if they exist, are outweighed by disadvantages. Collectively, the advantages and disadvantages are unlikely to result in satisfactory performance. The risk of unsuccessful performance is very high as the proposal contains solutions which are not feasible and practical. The solutions may also be considered to reflect very high risk in that they lack any clarity or precision, are unsupported, and/or do not demonstrate an understanding of the requirement.

Neutral (Risk level: Neutral): Only applicable to the past performance factor. In the case of

8 | P a g e an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance

a. Technical Evaluation Criteria

i. Technical Factor 1: Project Understanding

NIDA shall evaluate each Offerors Quote on how well it demonstrates the Contractor’s comprehensive understanding of the project goals and objectives of the Statement of Work (SOW). This includes the Contractor’s description of its experience and understanding of issues surrounding recruitment and enrollment of a highly targeted and representative study population of research participants including those with active SUDs (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioids) who are not seeking treatment, those who are seeking treatment, people who occasionally use these substances and healthy controls who match the other populations with respect to characteristics such as age, gender, socio-economic status (SES), IQ, etc. The NIDA IRP is also conducting studies requiring HIV-positive populations.

ii. Technical Factor 2: Technical Approach

NIDA shall evaluate how clear, concise, feasible, and sound the Offeror’s technical approach and plan are for accomplishing all the tasks and requirements of the SOW. This includes discussion of the steps proposed for accomplishing each task, and alternatives to be considered should difficulties arise during performance of the project. NIDA also shall evaluate each Offeror’s:

a) Description of the methodologies employed to provide the required deliverables.

b) Proposed approach to 1) manage and develop a customized and multi-pronged approach to recruitment campaigns, demonstrating familiarity with NIDA IRP’s target population (or research participants), and tailoring the recruitment plan based on the specified inclusion/exclusion (I/E) criteria of each study, 2) develop creative content (e.g. imagery and text) for the customization of the NIDA recruitment website, online screening, and landing pages specific to individual study campaigns, updating content as needed to reflect new or changes in existing study information and to optimize the look of the website and landing pages (must also be mobile friendly), 3) continuously monitor and optimize recruitment strategies in order to reach target enrollment numbers and timelines and

4) provide digital methodology to facilitate and optimize participant scheduling and reminders for appointments.

c) Description of its proposed strategic recruitment plan that includes contingency plans and alternative strategies to overcome potential challenges associated with recruiting qualified participants, some of whom may be reachable via social media or other online strategies, while many other participants may be reachable only through more traditional means (e.g. print, radio).

d) The Sample Recruitment plan shall be evaluated in terms of the proposed approach, understanding of the population, the methodologies employed, 9 | P a g e the comprehensiveness of the plan, including a description of tracking and performance metrics shall be established and how real-time monitoring and/or continuous optimization of all recruitment strategies shall be conducted. The plan shall also be evaluated based on its adherence and compliance with the sample protocol provided.

iii. Technical Factor 3: Key personnel

NIDA shall evaluate the résumés of proposed key personnel to be assigned to this project based on experiences relevant to providing customized recruitment campaigns including traditional media and digital media methodology in the Greater Baltimore-Washington Area (for some studies, specifically including Baltimore city) and experience within the substance use disorder population.

NIDA shall assess the credentials of any proposed staff given the work requirements defined in the SOW along with their demonstrated experience in recruitment of research participants in the Greater Baltimore-Washington Area (for some studies, specifically including Baltimore city).

iv. Technical Factor 4: Management Plan

NIDA shall evaluate the Offeror’s proposed management plan on its ability to effectively conduct, manage, and coordinate the resources necessary to successfully perform the project. NIDA shall evaluate the feasibility and appropriateness of the Contractor’s personnel loading chart, milestone chart, and organizational chart delineating lines of authority and reporting responsibilities for staff and any consultants. NIDA shall also evaluate the Offeror’s proposed backup plan to ensure personnel coverage and completion of work in the event of the unexpected personnel challenges;

NIDA shall also evaluate the quality of the Offeror’s Draft Transition-In and Transition-Out Plan. Furthermore, NIDA shall evaluate the Contractor’s plan and approach to track remaining funds and provide an accurate accounting of costs incurred to date but not invoiced, in addition to a monthly estimate funds require to accomplish the designated advertising and marketing tasks.

b. Cost / Price Evaluation

Offeror(s) cost/price Quote will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404.

Cost Realism: The specific elements of each offeror(s) proposed costs are realistic when the proposed cost elements are evaluated and found to: 1) be realistic for the work to be performed; 2) reflect a clear understanding of the requirements; and 3) be consistent with the unique methods of performance and materials described in the offeror(s) technical Quote.

Cost Realism will be evaluated only on the offeror(s) inputs which the Government will use to determine the most probable cost to perform the contract in a manner consistent

10 | P a g e with the offeror's Quote. Cost realism analysis will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.404-1(d). The result of the cost realism analysis will be considered in the making the best value tradeoff decision. However, this evaluation will not be conducted on any offeror whose Quote is determined to be technically unacceptable.

c. Evaluation of Options

It is anticipated that any contract(s) awarded from this solicitation will contain option provision(s) and period(s).

In accordance with FAR Clause 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options, (July 1990), the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement, except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government's best interests. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). However, this evaluation will not be conducted on any offeror whose Quote is determined to be technically unacceptable.

d. Past Performance

NIDA will evaluate the Offeror’s Quote based on recent and relevant experiences in providing grassroots community outreach, establishing partnerships with community stakeholders primarily within the Greater Baltimore-Washington Area (for some studies specifically including Baltimore city), and experience with people who currently use alcohol and/or drugs and/or have a current or remitted alcohol and/or substance use disorders. Offeror's past performance information will be evaluated subsequent to the technical evaluation. However, this evaluation will not be conducted on any offeror whose Quote is determined to be technically unacceptable.

The evaluation will be based on information obtained from references provided by the offeror, other relevant past performance information obtained from other sources known to the Government, and any information supplied by the offeror concerning problems encountered on the identified contracts and corrective action taken.

The government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror's record of past performance.

The assessment of performance risk is not intended to be a product of a mechanical or mathematical analysis of an offeror's performance on a list of contracts but rather the product of subjective judgment by the Government after it considers relevant information.

When assessing performance risks, the Government will focus on the past performance of the offeror as it relates to all acquisition requirements, such as the offeror's record of performing according to specifications, including standards of good workmanship; the offeror's record of controlling and forecasting costs; the offeror's adherence to contract schedules, including the administrative aspects of performance; the offeror's reputation for reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and generally, the offeror's business-like concern for the interest of the customer. The Government will consider the currency and relevance of the information, source of the

11 | P a g e information, context of the data, and general trends in the offeror's performance. The lack of a relevant performance record may result in an unknown performance risk assessment, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror.

e. Evaluation of Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility - Section 508

If applicable the Offeror's Quote must demonstrate compliance with the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Provisions" set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the "Access Board") in 36 CFR part 1194 for all electronic and information technology (EIT) products and services developed, acquired, maintained, or used under this contract/order, including EIT deliverables such as electronic documents and reports. However, this evaluation will not be conducted on any offeror whose Quote is determined to be technically unacceptable.

If your Quote does not include a completed HHS "Section 508 Product Assessment Template" (hereafter referred to as the "Template") which demonstrates that EIT products and services proposed support applicable Section 508 accessibility standards, or, if the completed "Template" included in your Quote is considered "noncompliant," and the Government includes your Quote in the competitive range (for competitive Quotes), or if the Government holds discussions with the selected source (for sole source acquisitions), you will be afforded the opportunity to further discuss, clarify or modify the "Template" during discussions and in your Final Quote Revision (FQR). If your "Template" is still considered "noncompliant" by the Government after discussions, your Quote may not be considered further for award.

10. The Offeror is to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR clause 52.212-3, Offeror

Representations and Certifications—Commercial Items, with its offer. Offerors must include the representation at 52.204-24 if it is not in in their completed FAR Representations and Certifications. A copy of that representation is attached as Attachment 3 - Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

11. The FAR clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions – Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and is supplemented by Attachment 4 - 52.212-4 Addendum and Supplemental Clauses.

12. The FAR clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and is supplemented by Attachment 5 - 52.212-5 Addendum.

13. Additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions determined by the Contracting

Officer to be necessary for this acquisition are supplemented by:

Attachment 6 – Privacy Act Attachment 7 – Section 508 Evaluation Template Attachment 8 – Invoice Instructions.

Attachment 9 – Non-Disclosure Agreement Attachment 10 – Roster of Employees Requiring Suitability Investigations

14. This is not a rated order under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS). The resultant purchase order will provide that HHS reserves the right to exercise priorities and allocations authority with respect to this contract, to include rating this order in accordance

12 | P a g e with 45 CFR Part 101, Subpart A—Health Resources Priorities and Allocations System.

15. The response to the combined synopsis/solicitation is due no later than September 2, 2020 at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Offers submitted after the deadline may not be considered. The response should be submitted in a searchable electronic format to the Contracting Officer, Josh Lazarus at Josh.Lazarus@nih.gov. Electronic submittals must include the combined synopsis/solicitation 75N95020Q00228 and the Title in the Subject Line.

In addition, the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and the certification of business size must be included in the response. All offerors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.sam.gov.

The Offeror must submit with their Technical Quote the following information:

a. Transmittal and Quote Cover Page which includes the following information:

i. Solicitation / RFQ Number;

ii. Date of submission;

iii. Quote Due Date;

iv. Company Name mailing address, telephone number, and website address;

v. the Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS), the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

vi. Company Point of Contact, telephone number, and email address (person to be contacted concerning any matter related to the Quote, e.g., Quote revisions, presentations, discussions, etc.).

b. Technical Quote must be clearly labeled and logically structured to identify the following components:

i. Technical Quote;

a. Project Understanding,

b. Technical Approach,

1. Sample Recruitment Plan

c. Key Personnel,

d. Communication and Management Plan:

1. Resumes;

2. Organizational Chart;

3. Communication and Management Plan.

e. Draft Transition Plan

ii. Other Non-Cost/Price Factors;

f. Past performance references for same or similar work,

g. Approach to and Compliance with HHS Security and Privacy Language for

Information and Information Technology,

h. Section 508 Compliance (if applicable), Technical Quotes shall be submitted in accordance with the General Requirement identified in Section 6 of this combined synopsis/solicitation.

The Offeror should submit a separate Business Quote in searchable PDF format and the backup excel documents with calculations. Offerors shall submit a complete price quotation using the format template provided below.

13 | P a g e

A time-&-material/labor-hour (T&M/LH) quote with ceiling prices is requested. The T&M/LH quote shall be based on the prices in the schedule contract and shall consider the mix of labor categories and level of effort required to perform the services described in the statement of work. The Business Quote is submitted separately from the Technical Quote for each task/sub-task as specified in the SOW and for each year / partial year of the base period of performance, and option periods, including a summary of the costs for the ultimate period of performance (base period plus all option periods).

As stated above, NIDA anticipates the use of Options in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000).

All services should identify labor category and position of the proposed personnel; the fully loaded (or burdened) labor rate / unit price for each personnel; the rate discount (if any); the total estimated hours for each personnel; and the total estimated annual cost based on the labor hours and rate identified.

In its Business Quote, the Offeror shall identify the total estimated labor hours, and calculate the average discounted rate per hour based on the proposed costs. The Offeror should also provide a breakdown and justification for any anticipated Other Direct Cost as well as a breakdown for any anticipated costs allocated for consultants and subcontractors.

Furthermore, the Offeror shall add the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirements.

The offeror should complete a separate table for each period of performance proposed in the Business Quote using the following format:

Proposed Staff Labor Category / Position Hourly Rate Labor Rate Discount

Discounted Hourly Rate

Total Labor Hours

Total Labor Cost

Name Title -$ % -$ 0.00 -$

Total Direct Labor Hour Cost 0.00 -$

Cost Category Detailed Description Rate Quantity Unit Total ODC, Materials, etc. Description of Cost -$ 0.00 ea., per, etc. -$

Total Other Direct Costs & Materials -$

Rate Total SUBTOTAL (Direct Labor and Total Other Direct Cost) -$ Indirect Costs / G&A / Fees % -$

Total Cost/Price -$

Direct Labor - Time and Materials

Other Direct Costs & Materials

14 | P a g e

Pursuant to FAR 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity – Separately Priced Line Items (Mar 1989); and 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999) the Contractor may be required to provide additional Grassroots Outreach and Community Partnership support to NIDA IRP Principal Investigators (PIs) separately from the tasks above.

The NIDA IRP has multiple primary PIs who may require additional outreach services individually or jointly as necessary based on current protocol needs. The Optional Quantities will be expended in additional marketing support and costs. In its business Quote the Offeror should differentiate between the administrative costs and the actual funds that would be used for marketing and outreach support. The Offeror should complete a separate table for each Option Quantity and each period of performance using the following format:

The final contract will contain the price/cost provisions agreed upon by the Government and the Offeror. NIDA estimates that the total cost of this contract (inclusive of Option Quantities) is between $665,000 and $815,000 for the Base Period, between $670,000 and $820,000 for Option Period 1, between $675,000 and $825,000 for Option Period 2.

Note: The anticipated award shall include a not-to-exceed cost ceiling that the Contractor shall not exceed.

Any Quote, modification, or revision that is received at the designated Government office after the exact date and time specified for receipt of quotations is “late” and may not be considered. Quotes received “late” may not be evaluated or considered for award and may be returned to the Offeror.

Proposed Staff Labor Category / Position Hourly Rate Labor Rate Discount

Discounted Hourly Rate

Total Labor Hours

Total Labor Cost

Name Title -$ % -$ 0.00 -$

Total Direct Labor Hour Cost 0.00 -$

Cost Category Detailed Description Rate Quantity Unit Total ODC, Materials, etc. Description of Cost -$ 0.00 ea., per, etc. -$

Total Other Direct Costs & Materials -$

Rate Total SUBTOTAL (Direct Labor and Total Other Direct Cost) -$ Indirect Costs / G&A / Fees % -$

Total Cost/Price -$

Direct Labor - Time and Materials

Other Direct Costs & Materials

15 | P a g e

If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that Quotes cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of Quotes by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation closing date, the time specified for receipt of Quotes 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.

The Government reserves the right to award without discussions if the Contracting Officer determines that the initial cost/prices are fair and reasonable and that discussions are not necessary.

16. Questions and requests for clarification should be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer, Josh Lazarus at Josh.Lazarus@nih.gov on or before 3:00 pm August 20, 2020.

Any questions or request for clarification must include the combined synopsis/solicitation 75N95020Q00228 and the Title in the Subject Line.

RFQ No. 75N95020Q00228 Attachment 1 – Statement of Work

Title:

Support for Targeted Participant Marketing and Advertising Services at the NIDA IRP Clinical

Program

Table of Contents

Title:

Section 1 - Background:

Section 2 - Definitions

Section 3 - Purpose and Objectives:

Section 4 - Period of Performance:

Section 5 – General Requirements:

Requirements:

1. Custom Recruitment Strategy Development and Implementation

2. Monitoring and continuous optimization of recruitment strategies:

3. Contract Administrative Services

Section 6 – Option Quantities

A. Option Quantity Task A – Transition-Out Services

B. Option Quantity Task B – Optional Advertising and Marketing Support

Section 7 - Deliverables

Section 8 – Government Furnished Property

Section 9 - Place of Performance

Section 10 - Contract Type

Section 11 - Key Personnel

Section 12 - Privacy and Security Requirements

Section 13 - Section 508 Compliance and Standards:

Section 1 - Background:

The mission of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intramural Research Program (IRP) is to conduct state-of-the-art research on basic mechanisms that underlie substance use disorders (SUDs), and to develop new methods for the treatment of SUDs. Research is supported at the molecular, genetic, cellular, animal, and human clinical levels and conceptually integrates highly innovative strategies and techniques. The long-term goal of the research is to better understand the biological and behavioral factors contributing to initiation, maintenance, and elimination of SUDs (and associated diseases), and to translate this knowledge into improved strategies for prevention, treatment, and reduction of negative consequences for the individual and for society caused by substance use disorders.

Using volunteer human participants, the IRP clinical program conducts residential and nonresidential research studies that interrelate with pre-clinical laboratory work. In general, these studies include assessment of drug-use patterns, investigation of underlying brain mechanisms, and testing of a variety of SUD behavioral or biomedical treatments. The NIDA IRP provides IT support and services for data to be stored in an electronic clinical records system, the Human Research Information System (HuRIS). HuRIS is on a secure private network. Medical information, recruiting, screening, remuneration and research data, including remuneration and travel for all participants is recorded in HuRIS.

There are 10-15 research protocols actively recruiting for 2-4 specific study populations (e.g. a treatment-seeking SUD population, a non-treatment-seeking SUD population, and matched controls to each) at any given time. Each protocol has unique inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Section 2 - Definitions

NIDA’s Targeted Populations: NIDA IRP seeks to enroll a highly targeted and representative study population of research participants including those with active SUDs (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioids) who are not seeking treatment, those who are seeking treatment, people who are occasional users of these substances and healthy controls who match the other populations with respect to characteristics such as age, gender, socio-economic status (SES), IQ, etc. The NIDA IRP is also conducting studies requiring HIV-positive populations. Special attention and consideration needs to be made to the sensitive nature of the data collected when working with these populations.

Recruitment Success: NIDA researchers need to enroll eligible participants into studies at a reasonable rate. Therefore, success is considered meeting enrollment goals per study group within a given protocol.

Enrollment: Enrollment refers to a participant signing consent into a research protocol for which they meet all inclusion criteria to participate.

Principal Investigator (PI): The research scientist who is overall responsible for a given protocol.

Medical Advisory Investigator (MAI): The study physician who is responsible for the safety of individual study participants for a given protocol. The MAI is also responsible for assessing the screening data and is authorized to make a final determination of participant eligibility based on those data and the protocol’s Inclusion/Exclusion (I/E) criteria.

Contract Officer (CO) - authorized to obligate the Government to the expenditure of funds for contracts.

Contract Officer’s Representative (COR) - authorized on behalf of the Contract Office on matters related to monitoring and oversight of the technical and programmatic aspects of the contract.

Biomedical Research Center (BRC) – location of the NIDA IRP research facility situated on the Johns Hopkins Bayview Campus in Baltimore, MD.

Normal business hours - Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 5pm.

After hours note – Although our studies require accommodating participant schedules and can include evening and weekend hours, although we are not a 24/7 operation.

Custom recruitment campaign - each protocol may require the use of one or more mediums, specifically tailored to the target populations, based on protocol Inclusion/Exclusion (I/E) criteria.

Section 3 - Purpose and Objectives:

The purpose of this contract is to obtain Contractor support services for targeted advertising and marketing services for the recruitment of eligible research participants for inclusion in human research studies conducted by the NIDA IRP as part of their ongoing mission. NIDA IRP seeks to enroll a highly targeted and representative study population of research participants including those with active SUDs (e.g. nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, opioids) who are not seeking treatment, those who are seeking treatment, people who occasionally use these substances and healthy controls who match the other populations with respect to characteristics such as age, gender, socio-economic status (SES), IQ, etc. The NIDA IRP is also conducting studies requiring HIV-positive populations.