RFI__-_AF_Trademark_Services.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS AGENCY

TRADEMARK LICENSING PROGRAM

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e) and FAR 52.215-3, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This RFI does not commit the

Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Your response to this RFI will be treated as information only and will not be used as a proposal. No entitlement to payment, of direct or indirect costs, or charges to the Government will arise as a result of a contractor's submission of a response to this announcement or the Government's use of such information.

The information provided may be used by the Government in developing an acquisition strategy, statement of work/statement of objectives, and/or performance specifications to respond to the needs described below. Interested parties are responsible for marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained within their response. [NOTE: Responding to this RFI should not require you to submit any proprietary or competition sensitive information. If proprietary data is submitted, it must be marked IAW FAR 52.215-1(e) an 3.104-4(d) Not responding to the

RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitations, if any. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The Government does not intend to issue a solicitation based on this RFI. The information sought in this RFI includes the

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 533110, Lessors of Nonfinancial

Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works), with a small business size standard $38.5 million.

SUMMARY: AFICA 338 SCONS/PKD is conducting market research to gather information on the contractor’s capability to effectively operate and maintain a robust Air Force brand management and extension program. The objectives of the program are to increase the availability and quality of officially licensed Air Force-branded merchandise and to enhance and promote various elements of the Air Force Brand. Air Force-branded merchandise is currently sold through a variety of distribution channels, including e-commerce, “brick-and-mortar” stores and military outlets such as the military exchanges and Veterans Canteen Services, and through wholesale distributors.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this requirement is to provide a full range of brand management and extension support. This includes such activities as

(1) Brand analysis and assessment; (2) strategic marketing; (3) licensing plan development and execution; (4) Brand guide development and deployment; (5) Licensee/retailer prospecting; (6) license preparation and execution; (7) life-cycle license management; (8) royalty collection and reporting; (9) product research and development guidance, to include product quality control;

(10) infringement tracking and enforcement; (11) factory inspections, licensee accounting audits, legal services; (12) marketing and public relations; and (13) retail support. A contractor would be expected to perform these activities from their site with the Government retaining all concur/non-concur rights at critical touch points in the support process.

The Air Force envisions a contractor to provide a ‘turn-key’ service to the U.S. Air Force to assist in meeting the requirement described in the attached draft Statement of Objectives, which includes the development, management, and operation of the Air Force Brand (a significant part of which will be the licensing and management of a select group of Air Force owned trademarks). A contractor would be expected to evaluate the existing program, and from that evaluation, develop and execute a strategic marketing and licensing plan that prospects, establishes and manages relationships with potential and current licensees who shall in turn create and market goods bearing the Air Force Brand. The contractor shall also develop and execute a strategic brand awareness campaign intended to 1) educate manufacturers and the general public of Air Force trademarks and 2) to reduce the production and purchase of counterfeit products. All tasks shall be performed in such a manner as to preserve the integrity, character and dignity of the United States Air Force and to maintain the reputation of the brand and the Air Force as the world’s premier air, space, and cyber force. A contractor will be expected to build on the Air Force’s existing efforts in the areas described and to actively assist in the growth and management of the Air Force Brand.

RESPONSE FORMAT: Please provide answers for each of the following questions, utilizing the existing numbering scheme for each response and limiting your total response for this RFI to no more than twenty (20) pages. The questions are as follows:

1. Please provide the below information about your company:

A. Company Name & CAGE code.

B. Mailing Address.

C. Point of Contact (to include phone/fax and e-mail).

D. Web site, if applicable.

E. State if your company is registered under NAICS code 533110 or not.

F. State whether your firm is large, small, small disadvantaged, woman-owned small, HUB-Zone, veteran owned, service-disabled veteran owned, or 8(a) certified business concern for NAICS code 533110 or a similar NAICS code.

2. Describe how your process for prospecting new licensees and what vetting criteria your company traditionally considers when reviewing an applicant for licensing.

3. Describe your approach, experience, and/or recommendations in incentivizing licensing to the hobbyist/very small business owners (selling less than $10,000 annually).

4. Describe your approach, experience, and/or recommendations in incentivizing licensing to special populations (i.e. gender equality, minority groups, and disabled veterans).

5. How is the typical commission fee schedule structure for your company and what services are funded through the commission?

6. Aside from prospecting new licensees and negotiating licensing terms, what other suite of services can your licensing agency offer?

7. Do you have experience in monitoring the marketplace for potential intellectual property infringers and track repeat infringers? What is your standard procedure when following up with infringers for non-compliance?

8. Are you familiar with the Standard Manufacturing Practices with domestic and overseas factories? If so, do you have experience with conducting inspections and how often do you conduct inspections?

9. Do you audit manufacturing accounting records? If so, how often?

10. Does your company have experience in monitoring product development, quality control, and product approval? If so, briefly describe your process.

11. Does your company use a license management software program? If so, does it allow remote online access to this program?

12. Provide any comments or questions on the attached draft Statement of Objectives to include if any of the requirement is not standard industry practice.

13. Large businesses will be required to provide a small business subcontracting plan indicating whether or not they can meet DoD minimum subcontracting goals (36% of subcontracts to small businesses, 3% to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, 5% to small disadvantaged businesses, 5% to woman-owned small businesses and 3% to

Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB Zone) small businesses).

Subcontractors include any company that is contracted with for services or supplies that would support this contract. If not, please provide a brief explanation why these goals are not appropriate, what percentage could be subcontracted to each small business category, and the basis of the percentages proposed. Also, provide the percentage of the total contract dollars that could be subcontracted to each small business category and the basis of the percentages proposed. NOTE: Small businesses may be located through the

Dynamic Small Business Search at http://dsbs.sba.gov.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

Small Business (SB) Set-Aside Determination. The Government reserves the right to decide whether or not a SB set-aside is appropriate based on responses to this notice. In order for the

Government to make a SB set-aside determination, it is emphasized that SB concerns provide sufficient written information to indicate their capability to successfully perform and manage all the requirements of this magnitude.

All interested firms that possess the capabilities and capacities addressed herein are encouraged to respond to the notice by providing the information specified above no later than 4:00 PM

(CST), on 31 Aug 2015. Information is preferred in soft-copy form in either Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft PowerPoint and shall be provided via e-mail. You may forward your responses and/or submit questions regarding this RFI to BOTH of the POCs identified below.

Contract Specialist: Carl J. Lynch, Phone: 210-652-6906, Email: carl.lynch.2@us.af.mil

Contracting Officer: Jaclyn G. Rodriguez, Phone: 210-652-4259, Email: jaclyn.rodriguez@us.af.mil http://dsbs.sba.gov/ mailto:carl.lynch.2@us.af.mil mailto:jaclyn.rodriguez@us.af.mil