RFI_Instructions_v2.docx

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Background: This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability of small businesses (e.g., 8(a), service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, veteran-owned small business, women-owned small business, and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses) for the anticipated requirement titled “Department of Education Logistical and Administrative Support Services for Grant Competition Peer Reviews.”

Pursuant to 48 C.F.R. Part 10, the Government is conducting market research to:

· Determine what sources exist that are capable of satisfying the Government’s requirements listed below,

· Determine the appropriate NAICS code;

· Determine the capabilities of potential contractors,

· Determine the size and status of potential sources, and

· Determine the level of competition Note: The Government will not pay for the provision of any information nor will it compensate any respondents for providing this information. This notice is NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL and in no way obligates the Government to award any contract. The Department will not be responsible for any costs incurred in responding to this announcement.

Description of Required Services The Department of Education (Department) anticipates the award of a multiple award contract vehicle to obtain logistical and administrative support for peer reviews of various Department grant program competitions. The contractor shall provide administrative and logistical support, and report results for: activities associated with the recruitment, training, evaluation, and management of peer reviewers; conducting peer reviews (via teleconference, e-reader, and on-sight); reviewing and improving the current peer review system; and designing and reproducing guidance documents. Task Orders, both fixed price and cost-reimbursement (or time-and-materials), would be issued from the contract vehicle to support individual program grant peer reviews.

The Department seeks information on the extent to which there are small business sources that possess all of the necessary qualifications (listed in the Capability Statement Instructions below) to complete this work. In response to this draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) (subject to change); the Department seeks capability statements from small businesses only. The qualifications of large businesses will not be evaluated as part of this RFI.

If the Department releases solicitation of this requirement, the solicitation would likely be released in Spring 2015. Award would be made in Spring or Summer 2015.

Capability Statement Instructions In response to the attached draft PWS, the Department hereby solicits capability statements from eligible contractors. These statements shall be no longer than 4 pages (single-spaced, with a minimum of one-inch margins and 12 point font). Vendors may include no more than five resumes in the appendix. Only resumes for key personnel that would work on the contract are to be included. Each resume should clearly document that individuals have the experience and expertise described below. Each resume should be no longer than 4 pages. The resumes will not be counted as part of the 4 page limit for the capability statement.

The capability statement should describe the company’s and key personnel’s collective expertise and experience in ALL of the following areas:

· Knowledge and experience of federal grant systems and providing logistical and administrative support while conducting program specific peer reviews for government organizations;

· Experience coordinating hotel logistics for on-site peer review meetings of varying size including coordinating travel arrangements, room reservations, and hotel space;

· Capable of providing, or capable of obtaining, content expertise on subject matter, such as: teacher quality, school choice, parental options, charter schools, and arts in education, in order to contribute to the recruitment of peer reviewers;

· Experience collecting, analyzing, and consolidating data received during the peer review process;

· Experience conducting e-reader/teleconference panel meetings and providing prompt payment of peer reviewers for their services;

· Experience and/or ability in redaction of private information of documents and creating 508 compliant documents to be published on the internet;

· Capable of complying with the Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO) terms of information technology as stated in PWS.

Additionally, vendors shall:

· Identify if they are a small, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran-Owned, or Hub-Zone business.

· If they are an 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran-Owned, or Hub-Zone business, identify if their socio-economic status is registered or self-certified.

· Identify their preferred contract type for this potential procurement and why.

· Identify the most appropriate contract vehicle for this potential procurement (GSA, ID/IQ, Blanket Purchase Agreement, etc.) and why.

· Identify the most appropriate NAICS code and why.

· Describe, based upon your experience with providing administrative and logistical support for the peer review process, if the PWS, as written, presents any barriers to your participation. If so, please describe how. Please identify any inconsistencies or ambiguities in the PWS that could be revised.

Invitation to Webinar: Interested parties are invited to participate in a webinar on Thursday, January 8, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. ET, when the Department will share its vision and goals for the procurement as well as answer questions. Please RSVP for the webinar to Brigid.Lochary@ed.gov by 2:00 pm ET on Tuesday, January 6, 2015. Please note that you will not receive a confirmation to your email. The details for the webinar will be posted next week.

Capability statements, questions and comments must be provided in writing. Written responses to this notice are due no later than 12:00 pm ET on Monday, January 12, 2015. Responses shall be submitted electronically to Brigid.Lochary@ed.gov. Questions asked in writing by January 6, 2015 may be answered during the webinar. Responses to all questions submitted by January 12 will be posted to this notice no later than January 22, 2015.

Contracting Office Address:

550 12th Street, SW, 7th Floor Washington, District of Columbia 20202

Primary Point of Contact:

Brigid Lochary, Contract Specialist Brigid.Lochary@ed.gov

Secondary Point of Contact:

Pamela Bone, Contracting Officer Pamela.Bone@ed.gov