SOLICITATION, OFFER AND AWARD

1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED

ORDER UNDER DPAS (15 CFR 700)

RATING PAGE OF PAGES

1 145

2. CONTRACT NUMBER 3. SOLICITATION NUMBER

693JK427R500001

4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION

X NEGOTIATED (RFP)

5. DATE ISSUED

10/28/2026

6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER

7. ISSUED BY CODE M-63-MOWERY 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)

US Department of Transportation

OST Acquisitions Services M-63

1200 New Jersey Ave S.E.

James H. Mowery III, CO

Washington DC 20590

NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder".

SOLICITATION

9. Sealed offers in original and copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in Item 8, or if hand carried, in the depository located in until 11:30 PM EST local time

(Hour)

12/3/2027 (Date)

CAUTION: LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

10. FOR

INFORMATION

CALL:

A. NAME

James.mowery@dot.gov

B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) C. E-MAIL ADDRESS

AREA CODE

NUMBER

EXT.

11. TABLE OF CONTENTS

(X) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S) (X) SEC. DESCRIPTION PAGE(S)

PART I - THE SCHEDULE PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES

X A SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM X I CONTRACT CLAUSES

X B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH.

X C DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT X J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

X D PACKAGING AND MARKING PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

X E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE X

K

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS

X F DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

X G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA X L INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

X H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS X M EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror)

NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period.

12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule.

AWARD (To be completed by government)

19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION

22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION:

10 U.S.C. 2304 (c) ( ) 41 U.S.C. 253 (c) ( )

23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN

(4 copies unless otherwise specified)

ITEM

24. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 7) CODE 25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODE

26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

James H. Mowery III james.mowery@dot.gov

27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

28. AWARD DATE

IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

Previous edition is unusable

STANDARD FORM 33 (Rev. 9-97)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)

13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See Section I, Clause No. 52.232.8)

10 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS (%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS (%) CALENDAR DAYS (%)

14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMENDMENTS

(The offeror acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):

AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO. DATE

15A. NAME

AND

ADDRESS

OF

OFFEROR

CODE FACILITY 16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER

(Type or print)

15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER 15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS

IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER

SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.

17. SIGNATURE 18. OFFER DATE

AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.

mailto:James.mowery@dot.gov mailto:james.mowery@dot.gov

PART I—SCHEDULE

SECTION A – SOLICITATION / CONTRACT FORM

See Form 26 above

SECTION B - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 OVERVIEW

This Solicitation No. 693JK427R500001 is for Graphic Design Services for the U. S. Department of

Transportation (DOT).

Proposal-Submission-Deadline: 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, December

3, 2027.

Proposal-Submission-Method: E-Mail. All proposals must be received by DOT, via E-

MAILED submission, by this Solicitation’s Proposal-Submission-Deadline. All proposals shall be e-mailed to all of the following DOT E-Mail addresses: james.mowery@dot.gov ; and

Jeffrey.McLean@dot.gov and Briyanah.Harris@dot.gov

Competitive Woman-Owned Small Business Set Aside: This Graphic Design

Solicitation is a competitive Woman-Owned SMALL-business-set-aside acquisition.

Ambiguity Regarding This Solicitation’s Controlling NAICS

Code: As of the October 28th, 2026 publishing-date of this Solicitation in SAM.gov, the SAM.gov system’s drop-down NAICS Code selection-field was not acknowledging the existence of Graphic Design NAICS

Code 541430-----which DOT had intended to designate as this Solicitation’s controlling NAICS Code. But the

SBA’s published table of NAICS-Codes-and-Small-Business-size-standards was acknowledging the existence of that NAICS Code 541340 on October 28th, 2026. Accordingly-----and in order to get this Solicitation

PUBLISHED in SAM.gov on October 28th and thereby avoid any unnecessary prolongation of this procurement’s calendar-processing-time-frame, this procurement’s Contracting Officer, James Mowery, made a decision, on October 28th, 2026 , to designate this Solicitation, in SAM.gov, as being controlled by NAICS Code

541340----whose existence is acknowledged in SAM.gov’s drop-down menu of choose-able NAICS Codes.

The contracting officer’s updated research, performed on October 28, 2026, indicated that NAICS Codes 541430 and 541340 do BOTH have the SAME Small-Business-Size-Standard: less than $9,000,000 of average annual gross revenue as counted across a company’s five most-recently-completed company-fiscal-years. Prospective mailto:james.mowery@dot.gov mailto:Jeffrey.McLean@dot.gov mailto:Briyanah.Harris@dot.gov offerors are encouraged to e-mail, to james.mowery@dot.gov, and to Jeffrey.McLean@dot.gov, any clarifications they can think of, which might serve to RESOLVE the NAICS Code ambiguity described above in this paragraph. And this Solicitation’s contracting officer does hope to be able to resolve that NAICS-

Code-ambiguity by publishing, in SAM.gov, a Solicitation AMENDMENT specifying a clarified NAICS

Code for this procurement.

Note 1: QUESTIONS Regarding this Solicitation: No phone calls, please. All prospective offerors / bidders are asked to please do their best to e-mail their QUESTIONS concerning this Graphic Design Support Services Solicitation numbered 693JK427R500001, by

11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time November 15, 2026, to all of the following addresses:

james.mowery@dot.gov ; and to Jeffrey.McLean@dot.gov and to Briyanah.Harris@dot.gov . It is very important that each particular set of questions and comments be e-mailed

SIMULTANEOUSLY to ALL of the e-mail addresses given above. DOT is not promising to answer any questions posed after 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time November 15, 2026.

Note 2: COMPRESSED Proposal-Submission-Calendar-Time: Since

DOT’s needed Graphic Design-contractor-support-services, as described in this

Solicitation, are fundamentally COMMERCIAL in nature, this Solicitation exercises Federal-procurement-agency-rights given—anywhere in: (A) the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), such as, but not limited to, the commercial-procurement-sections of the Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR); and (B) FAR Parts 12 and 13 and 15; and (C) the Revolutionary

FAR Overhaul (RFO)—to SHORTEN this Solicitation’s allowed proposal-submission-calendar-time, in accordance with the proposal-submission-deadline specified above.

Questions and comments are highly encouraged, but DOT is not promising to answer any question(s) received by DOT after 11:30 PM EST November 15th, 2026. Please show this Solicitation’s identifying number (693JK427R500001) in the subject-line of your e-mail that poses your question(s) to DOT. When submitting questions and comments, please, in each particular question posed, also refer to the specific relevant text of this Solicitation. Each prospective offeror e-mailing questions to DOT should attempt to state each question in such a way that the offeror would have no objection to DOT’s publishing that precise question (and its answer) in a formal Amendment to this Solicitation. That is, each prospective Offeror should attempt to word each question in such a way that the publication of that question (and its answer) would not divulge any information that the prospective offeror considers to be proprietary or confidential. Further, any question concerning any apparent error or omission or ambiguity in this Solicitation, or concerning any problems or ambiguities in interpreting the specifications, terms or conditions or instructions or evaluation criteria in this Solicitation, shall include the questioner’s supporting rationale as well as a description of the remedies that the questioner is asking DOT to consider. All questions that DOT decides to answer will be collectively answered in writing, via DOT’s issuance of one or more Amendments to this Solicitation. Questions will not be attributed to the submitting companies.

BACKGROUND

mailto:james.mowery@dot.gov mailto:Briyanah.Harris@dot.gov

DOT intends to award one and only one stand-alone contract from this Solicitation.

B.2 SUPPLIES / SERVICES

Graphic Design Support Services for DOT. For additional detail, please refer to the Statement of Work given below in this Solicitation.

Pricing Proposal (Cost Proposal): Each offeror’s Cost Proposal shall show, and shall price out. precisely the configuration of staffing-hours which is displayed in the Pricing Table given below. And each offeror’s Cost Proposal shall show a fully-LOADED-hourly-billing-rate for each particular labor-category (job-title) for each particular project-year. Accordingly, each offeror’s Cost

Proposal shall display a filled-in-by-the-offeror version of the following Graphic Design Support Services Pricing Table (in which the abbreviation “OY” stands for “Option Year”):

Item List of Labor Categories

Quantity (Staffing-

Hours)

Unit Price Per Staffing-Hour (Fully-Loaded Hourly Billing

Rate)

Extended Price = Staffing-Hours x

Fully-Loaded Hourly Billing

Rate

1 Graphic Designer Levell II - Base Year 1920 $ $

2 Graphic Designer Level II - Base Year 1920 $ $

Graphic Design Project Management - Base Year 40 $ $

On Call Graphic Designer Level II -Base Year 200 $

10001 Graphic Designer Level II - OY1 1920 $ $

10002 Graphic Designer Leve II - OY1 1920 $ $

10003 Graphic Design Project Management -

OY1 40 $ $

10004 On Call Graphic Designer Level II – OY1 200 $

20001 Graphic Designer Level II - OY2 1920 $ $

20002 Graphic Designer Level II - OY2 1920 $ $

20003 Graphic Design Project Management -

OY2 40 $ $

20004 On Call Graphic Designer Level II – OY 2 200 $

30001 Graphic Designer Level II - OY3 1920 $ $

30002 Graphic Designer Level II - OY3 1920 $ $

30003 Graphic Design Project Management -

OY3 40 $ $

30004 On Call Graphic Designer Level II – OY 3 200 $

40001 Graphic Designer Level II - OY4 1920 $ $

40002 Graphic Designer Level II - OY4 1920 $ $

40003 Graphic Design Project Management -

OY4 40 $ $

40004 On Call Graphic Designer Level II – OY 4 200 $

Total Price - Base + 4 Option Years $

FIXED Hourly-Billing-Rates: In this Solicitation’s resulting awarded contract-document, the winning offeror-company’s proposed Fully-Loaded-Hourly-Billing Rates will be FIXED-rates (i.e., non-changeable).

The Contractor may only bill DOT for Staffing-Hours Actually-WORKED: Although this Solicitation’s displayed Pricing-Table (i.e. estimated configuration of needed staffing-hours (labor-hours) per-project-year) is DOT’s best good-faith-estimate, this Solicitation’s resulting contract-awardee-company will be able to bill DOT for only the numbers of contractor-staffing-hours actually worked, for DOT, in the contractor’s performance of this Solicitation’s resulting Graphic Design contract.

Accordingly, the contract awarded from this Solicitation will show a separate specified CEILING-Price-dollar-figure for each separate project-year.

B-3 CLAUSES AND PROVISIONS

A. Clauses and provisions from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) are incorporated in this document by reference and / or in full text. Those incorporated by reference have the same force and effect as if they were given in full text.

B. Clauses and provisions in this document are numbered in sequence but will not necessarily appear in consecutive order.

C. Sections K, L and M, as set forth in this Solicitation, will be removed from any resultant contract award, but Section K will be deemed to be incorporated by reference in that contract award.

(End of Section B)

SOLICITATION SECTION C ---STATEMENT OF WORK

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of Facilities, Information, and Asset Management – Graphic Design Services

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

A. Overview

The primary mission of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) is to serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. The top priorities at DOT are to keep the traveling public safe and secure, increase their mobility, and ensure that our transportation system contributes to the nation's economic growth.

DOT employs approximately 55,000 people across the country within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST) and its operating administrations and bureaus, each maintaining its own management and organizational structure. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration (OST-M) serves as the administrative support workgroup for OST.

Within OST-M, the Office of Facilities, Information, and Asset Management (OFIAM) provides national planning, coordination, and oversight for DOT’s real property (facilities) and personal property assets.

Additionally, OFIAM provides oversight for building operations, lease/project/space management, and administrative support services for the DOT Headquarters building and field facilities.

OFIAM supports all Operating Administrations (OAs) within the Department. Under this office, the Chief Printing Publications Management Office (CPPMO) provides a full range of graphics services, digital services, printing services, and technical advice to all OAs, serving as the central control point for computer graphics, printing specifications, and special designs.

B. Objectives

OFIAM seeks assistance from a contractor to provide comprehensive printing and visual information support.

The contractor shall perform a variety of activities involving the creation of technical and general information through written, printed, and visual mediums.

This solicitation seeks the awarding of a Fixed-Price stand-alone contract which will specify fixed fully-loaded hourly billing-rates for:

• Two (2) full-time, on-site Level II graphic designers; and

• One (1) on-call graphic designer Level II to assist with increased demand, workload surges, and after-hours requests; and

• One (1) Graphic Design Manager

C. Contractor Personnel Requirements

1. Hours of Operation

The normal hours of operation for the CPPMO are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding Government holidays. The two on-site designers shall cover these hours in 8-hour shifts (with a 30-minute unpaid lunch) scheduled as follows:

• 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

• 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Occasionally, specific customer requests may require ongoing production outside of normal working hours (e.g., night shifts, weekends, and holidays). The contractor must remain flexible enough to support these activities.

Important: No overtime is authorized without advance approval from the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). The contractor shall provide the COR with an advance estimate of the additional time required for any overtime production.

2. Staffing and Training

The contractor shall provide and maintain two adequately trained, knowledgeable Level II graphic designers to meet all CPPMO requirements detailed in this SOW. The contractor shall ensure its staff is thoroughly trained on current software, hardware, and systems used at DOT, as well as any future technology upgrades or changes. The contractor must also provide alternate backup personnel to ensure seamless coverage.

Key Qualifications & Requirements for Level II Graphic Designers

1. Education & Experience for Level II Graphic Designers

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communications, Fine Arts, or a related field. (In some public/civil service classifications, a Master's degree in visual design or equivalent work experience satisfies senior/level 2 prerequisites).

• Work Experience: Typically 2 to 5 years of professional graphic design experience (agency or in-house).

• Portfolio: A strong, versatile portfolio demonstrating applied layout design, typography, brand alignment, print prepress, and digital asset creation.

2. Technical Skills & Tools for Level II Graphic Designers

• Adobe Creative Cloud Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

• Layout & Prepress Production: Knowledge of color management (CMYK vs. RGB), bleed/crop specifications, binding, paper stocks, and creating production-ready print files.

• Digital & Web Assets: Experience designing for web, social media platforms, HTML/CSS basics, email templates, or motion graphics.

• Data Visualization & Presentation Design: Ability to turn complex statistical data, reports, or charts into clear infographics and formatted presentation decks (e.g., PowerPoint, InDesign reports).

• Modern Design Workflows: Familiarity with UI/UX prototyping tools (e.g., Figma) and emerging AI-assisted creative tools for quick ideation and asset generation.

3. Core Competencies & Responsibilities for Level II Graphic Designers

• Project Autonomy: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines with minimal direct supervision.

• Vendor & Print Management: Experience requesting cost estimates, coordinating directly with commercial printers or external vendors, and verifying proof quality.

• Brand Consistency: Enforcing and maintaining organizational brand standards across all print, digital, and social media channels.

• Communication & Collaboration: Articulating design concepts clearly to stakeholders, incorporating constructive feedback, and occasionally guiding or mentoring lower-level junior designers.

3. Quality Assurance Requirements

The contractor shall provide robust quality assurance for all delivered products and services. Specifically, the contractor is responsible for verifying and validating that all products and services conform to the requirements, methods, and standards established by DOT. Selected graphic designers must develop a strong working knowledge of all Government and DOT regulations and policies to ensure compliance.

4. Creative Design Services

The contractor shall provide design, presentation, and publication support centered on creative, innovative, and inspiring communication ideas.

• Delivery Formats: Products shall be optimized for print publishing, LED digital displays, electronic dissemination, and web publishing.

• Presentation Support: Includes interactive presentations—sometimes incorporating high-quality video—for distribution via electronic media (e.g., PowerPoint, online/distance learning) and physical media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, kiosks).

• Media Production: Support includes still-media production (photography), motion-media production

(2D & 3D animation, digital video, sound), and interactive multimedia production.

• Publication Support: Includes desktop publishing for brochures, newsletters, and marketing collateral, as well as press-ready publishing for books, strategic plans, annual reports, and similar formal documents.

• Technical Capabilities: The contractor must be able to import native Photoshop®, Illustrator®, and

Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. Media must be capable of being repurposed

(reformatted and reused) across both Mac and PC platforms utilizing the most current operating system releases.

• Core Services: Work will involve a combination of creative conceptualization, concept development, research, creative/technical writing, creative direction, graphic design, illustration, interactive development, exhibit design/construction, and large-format printing.

• Resource Management: The contractor shall plan, furnish, and manage the resources required to provide cost-effective black-and-white and color graphics, artwork, editing, printing, multimedia, and photographic services.

5. File Management and Archiving

The contractor shall file, store, and safeguard all generated graphics and publication work on approved media (e.g., electronic disks, hard drives, and file servers). The contractor shall maintain all backup systems on file servers or through other methods approved by the COR to ensure all computer files are completely secure and easily retrievable.

6. Accessibility Compliance (Section 508)

To address accessibility challenges with documents distributed via the internet and intranet, all products and services must comply with all current and subsequent amendments of Section 508 standards. The primary interpretation of DOT compliance is based directly on the specific language of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) until otherwise notified by the Government.

Section 508 compliance work will focus primarily on tagging electronically distributed documents according to the following complexity levels:

• Level 1: Simple text documents derived from original text-based files and completed OCR-scanned documents with limited figures and tables.

• Level 2: Scanned documents with OCR creating hybrid files where unrecognized text is represented graphically.

• Level 3: Text documents heavy with technical tables.

• Level 4: Graphic-heavy documentation that does not follow conventional one- or two-column layouts.

The development of compliant documents through the placement of 508 tags will critically include adding alternate text to non-text elements (images) and accessible formatting (such as creating proper columns, structured tables, and utilizing system fonts for accessibility).

7. Technical Environment and Guidelines

• Software & Hardware: Production support requires the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite of professional design products (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, etc.), alongside Mac and PC utilities.

Contractors will utilize industry-standard personal computers, large-format plotters, digital copiers, digital creasers, flatbed cutters, and heat/cold-set mounting equipment.

• Quality Standard: Product deliveries must match Government customer requirements and consist of items produced within the NASA Communications Material Review (CMR) guidelines for communications materials production.

8. Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

Contractor tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Estimating costs for graphics and printing procurements; establishing work schedules, completion dates, and identifying special design/technical assistance needs.

• Creating specifications for bids to ensure the best quality, price, and production schedules.

• Reviewing and awarding bids based on responsiveness to requirements and best value, while weighing cost, quality, and scheduling factors.

• Completing appropriate Government Publishing Office (GPO) forms for review and signature by the

COR or an approved delegate.

• Documenting project changes and preparing appropriate paperwork in accordance with GPO contract regulations.

• Providing technical advice and guidance to customers regarding printing procedures, production methods, DOT printing/graphics policies, cost estimates, and delivery schedules.

• Managing jobs through final delivery and proactively communicating schedule changes.

• Coordinating proof reviews, timely approvals, sample evaluations, and delivery confirmations.

• Editing, formatting, and proofing artwork for printing; designing artwork for digital displays, social media, or hard copies.

• Maintaining awareness of industry developments and recommending hardware/software packages to support departmental needs.

• Maintaining a comprehensive database of visual information that is easily accessible to authorized employees.

• Outsourcing and coordinating print and/or graphics requests that must be completed off-site.

• Managing workload and providing accurate project updates using the department's job-tracking software.

• Performing other related graphic design duties as assigned.

D. Deliverables The following milestones and deliverables are considered critical to the successful completion of this contract:

Item Number Task Reference Deliverable (D) / Milestone (M) Due Date After Contract Award

1 C.5.1 Kick-Off Meeting (M) Within ten (10) business days

2 F.6.2 Weekly Status Report (D) Every Thursday

3 F.6.3 Monthly Status Report (D) On the last day of the month

Report Requirements The contractor is responsible for generating the following reports at the contract level for active task orders:

• Weekly Status Report: A written report informing the Supervisor of the status of all assigned projects, providing details on accomplishments and project hurdles. The government will provide a template.

• Monthly Status Report: A comprehensive written report informing the Supervisor of overall project health. It must include metrics such as dates received and completed, task categories, problems, delays, and printing vendor invoicing details.

E. Period of Performance

The anticipated period of performance for this contract includes one Base Year beginning on Apri 1, 2027, and four one-year Option-Periods following thereafter.

F. Place of Performance

Primary performance under this contract shall occur on-site at the U.S. Department of Transportation Headquarters building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Occasional situational telework may be supported as coordinated with the COR.

G. Security

• IT Security Training: The contractor shall ensure that all employees are trained annually in Basic IT

Security and complete all required agency training as assigned. The contractor shall submit written confirmation of this training for each employee to the COR.

• Briefing Process: The contractor shall employ an effective method during the onboarding/briefing process to ensure that all employees, including subcontractors, fully understand the IT Security policies and guidance provided by the OCIO.

• Clearances: All contract personnel must be able to successfully pass a background check and obtain a security clearance.

• Citizenship: All contractor and subcontractor personnel working on this task order must be U.S.

citizens.

H. Invoicing Instructions

Payment will be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of accurate invoice using online government invoicing process.

Payment will be made via electronic funds transfer (EFT) to the contractor’s bank account using the banking information supplied by the contractor on SF 3881 (available at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF).

I. Key Personnel

The contractor must demonstrate the ability to provide qualified, experienced personnel who have successfully participated in similar work. All proposed personnel will be interviewed to determine their fit for the government, and final placement on the contract is strictly dependent upon approval by the Program Office and the COR.

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF

1. Required Knowledge and Skills

• Advanced principles of printing, binding, and visual arts methods, techniques, software, and materials.

• Graphic composition, layout, drawing, inking, scaling, photo utilization, and computer graphics.

• Personal computer-based applications and technical design software.

• Comprehensive knowledge of Federal Procurement Regulations, Contract Terms, Joint Committee on

Printing (JCP) regulations, Code of Federal Regulations Title 44, and applicable GPO

Instructions/Notices.

• Clear understanding of the scope, functions, responsibilities, and interrelationships within GPO’s organizational structure.

• Proficiency in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Enfocus Pitstop Pro, Microsoft Office 365, and XMPie.

• Ability to output and save files in various formats (e.g., slides, Section 508 compliant, print-ready, digital imagery, hard copy, and social media formats).

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to deal effectively, diplomatically, and clearly with customers (who may be unfamiliar with design terminology), the GPO, and commercial contractors.

• Ability to analyze subject matter quickly, translate a requestor’s vision into compliant visual media, and rewrite customer specifications into a simple, concise style.

• Ability to accurately analyze prices, bid abstracts, and cost factors from GPO and GPO-approved vendors.

2. Key Personnel Changes

The contractor shall explicitly identify key personnel in the technical proposal and provide contact information for each. Key personnel may not be added to or removed from the task order without the express written approval of the COR . The COR will attach a copy of any such requests and approvals to the Contracting Officer (CO) via electronic mail.

J. Technical Proposal Requirements

Evaluations of vendor proposals will be based on the following criteria:

1. Portfolio: Technical competency demonstrated through work samples (digital and website) and a skillset test administered by the COR.

2. Prior Performance & Customer Service: Proven track record in similar environments.

3. Immediate Availability: Readiness of staff to onboard quickly.

4. Security Standards: Requirements for background clearances and U.S. citizenship.

5. For Proposed Pricing, all offerors shall use the format specified in the Pricing Table given in major-

Sections B and L of this Solicitation.

K. Other Requirements

Managers Contact Information

The OST / M-91 Office point of contact for this project is:

Jeffrey McLean

Printing and Publications Manager Chief Printing and Publications Management Office/Office of the Secretary of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, W58-214 Washington DC 20590 https://www.google.com/maps/search/1200+New+Jersey+Avenue,+SE?entry=gmail&source=g

Type of Contract: One stand-alone contract specifying Fixed Fully-Loaded Hourly Billing Rates for hours actually worked for DOT by contractor-company’s locksmiths.

Travel

USDOT will not be responsible for any mileage/travel charge for on-call service associated with support rendered at the USDOT headquarters facility in Washington D.C.

Changes To Statement of Work

Any changes to this SOW will be authorized and approved only through written correspondence from the CO. A copy of each change will be kept in a project folder along with all other products of the project. Costs incurred by the contractor through the actions of parties other than the Contracting Officer (CO) will be borne by the contractor.

Billing Rates

Contractor will be paid the quoted fully-loaded hourly rate(s) based on actual number of hours worked.

Security Clearances

A. Contractor Day-Visitors To the DOT Headquarters Building

Contractor-staff-members who are merely day-visitors to the DOT Headquarters Building, and who are not work-stationed on DOT premises, will enter that Building by only undergoing the X-Ray-security-screening-process in place in the entrance-lobbies of the DOT Headquarters Building (similar to an airport-security-screening-process).

B. Contractor Staff-Members Who Are Work-Stationed in the DOT Headquarters Building

The contractor’s stationed-on-DOT-premises staff-members (graphic designers) will have to undergo, and pass, FBI Finger print checks, USCIS Immigration status checks, and NCIC checks, as needed.

Period of Performance

Base Year: April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2028

Option Year One: April 1, 2028 through March 31, 2029

Option Year Two: April 1, 2029 through March 31, 2030

Option Year Three: April 1, 2030 through March 31, 2031

Option Year Four: April 1, 2031 through March 31, 2032

SECTION D—PACKAGING AND MARKING

D-1 PACKAGING AND MARKING

The Contractor shall package and mark all items to utilize the best commercial practices to ensure timely delivery to the FOB destination.

(End of Section D)

SECTION E—INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

52.246-2 Inspection of Supplies – Fixed Price AUG 1996 52.256-3 Inspection of Supplies Cost-Reimbursement MAY 2001 52.246-4 Inspection of Services—Fixed-Price AUG 1996 52.246-5 Inspection of Services—Cost-Reimbursement APR 1984

E-1 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

A. GOVERNMENT INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE – Inspection and Acceptance of services or supplies (i.e., On-Site and Off-Site) called for hereunder shall be performed by designated representatives of the Contracting Officer in accordance with Section C, Statement of Work and accepted as specified in each Task Order.

B. Appointed Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) will participate in the administration of this contract specifically to evaluate contractor performance and inspect services for the Government. This designation does not include authority to direct and/or authorize the Contractor to make changes in the scope of the terms of the contract without the written authority of the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer will notify the Contractor in writing of names, duties, and limitations of appointed CORs.

See Section G for the submission of invoices for payment.

(End of Section E)

SECTION F—DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

52.242-15 Alt 1 Stop-Work Order – Alternate I APR 1989 52.242-17 Governmental Delay of Work AUG 1984

F-1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

See above.

F-3 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

DOT’s Headquarters located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, Washington, D. C. 20590.

F.4 OBSERVANCE OF LEGAL HOLIDAYS AND EXCUSED ABSENCE

A. The Government hereby provides NOTICE and Contractor hereby acknowledges RECEIPT that Government personnel observe the listed days as holidays:

New Year's Day January 1 Martin Luther King's Birthday Third Monday in January President's Birthday Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Juneteenth June 19th Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Veterans Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Christmas December 25 Inauguration Day January 20 every four years

B. In addition to the days designated as holidays, the Government observes the following days:

Any other day designated by Federal Statute Any other day designated by Executive Order Any other day designated by the President’s Proclamation C. It is understood and agreed between the Government and the Contractor that observance of such days by Government personnel shall not otherwise be a reason for an additional period of performance, or entitlement of compensation except as set forth within the individual Order.

In the event the Contractor's personnel work during the holiday, they may be reimbursed by the Contractor, however, no form of holiday or other premium compensation will be reimbursed either as a direct or indirect cost, other than their normal compensation for the time worked.

This provision does not preclude reimbursement for authorized premium pay, if applicable to this contract.

D. When the Federal, State, Local and other governmental entities grants excused absence to its employees, the Contractor agrees to continue to provide sufficient personnel to perform critical tasks already in operation or scheduled, and shall be guided by the instructions issued by the Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COR), or the Government’s Task Order’s Representative (TOR).

(END OF SECTION F)

SECTION G—CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

G.1 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

Notwithstanding the Contractor’s responsibility for total management during the performance of this contract, the administration of the contract will require maximum coordination between the Government and the Contractor. The following individuals will be the Government points of contact during the performance of the contract.

G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER

All contract administration will be affected by the Contracting Officer (CO) identified below.

The CO has the overall responsibility for the resultant contract.

The CO alone, without delegation, is authorized to take actions on behalf of the Government to amend, modify or deviate from the contract terms, conditions, and requirements. No changes in or deviations from the scope of work shall be affected without a Supplemental Agreement executed by the CO authorizing such changes. Written communications to the CO shall make reference to the contract and shall be mailed to the address listed below. The CO may delegate certain other responsibilities to his/her authorized representatives or Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

The Contracting Officer (CO) for this contract is:

James H. Mowery III U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary Senior Procurement Executive Acquisition Services Division (M-63) 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.

Washington, DC 20590 Tel: (202) 366-4959 or (703) 836-5924 E-Mail Address: james.mowery@dot.gov

G.3 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)

A. The Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COR) will have general oversight of the contractor’s performance related to the contract, and shall be responsible for the application of technical approaches and program components.

Note: Technical Directions are defined to include:

1. Written directions to the Contractor which fill in details, suggest possible lines of inquiry, or otherwise facilitate completion of work;

2. Provision of written information to the Contractor which assists in the interpretation of drawings, specifications, or technical portions of the work statement;

3. Review and, where required, provide written approval of technical reports, drawings, specifications, or technical information to be delivered. Technical directions must be in writing, and must be within the scope of the work as detailed in Section C.

B. The COR is authorized by designation to take any or all action with respect to the following which could lawfully be taken by the Contracting Officer, except any action specifically prohibited by the terms of this Contract:

(1) Assure that the Contractor performs the technical requirements of the contract in accordance with the contract terms, conditions, and specifications.

(2) Perform or cause to be performed, inspections necessary in connection with a) above and require the Contractor to correct all deficiencies; perform acceptance for the Government.

(3) Maintain all liaison and direct communications with the Contractor. Written communications with the Contractor and documents shall be signed as "Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative" with a copy furnished to the Contracting Officer.

(4) Issue written interpretations of technical requirements of Government drawings, designs, and specifications.

(5) Monitor the Contractor's production or performance progress and notify the Contractor in writing of deficiencies observed during surveillance, and direct appropriate action to effect correction. Record and report to the Contracting Officer incidents of faulty or nonconforming work, delays or problems.

(6) Oversee the contractor’s efforts to obtain necessary security clearances and appropriate identification if access to Government facilities is required.

C. Limitations: The COR is not empowered to award, agree to, or sign any contract (including delivery or purchase orders) or modifications thereto, or in any way to obligate the payment of money by the Government. The COR may not take any action which may impact on the base contract schedule, funds, scope or rates. All contractual agreements, commitments, or modifications which involve prices, quantities, quality, and schedules shall be made only by the Contracting Officer.

D. Contractual Problems - Contractual problems, of any nature, that may arise during the life of the contract must be handled in conformance with specific public laws and regulations (i.e.

Federal Acquisition Regulation and Department of Transportation Acquisition Regulation). The Contractor shall bring all contracting problems to the immediate attention of the Contracting Officer. Only the Contracting Officer is authorized to formally resolve such problems.

The Contracting Officer will be responsible for resolving legal issues, determining contract scope and interpreting contract terms and conditions. The Contracting Officer is the sole authority authorized to approve changes in any of the requirements under this contract.

Notwithstanding any clause contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely with the Contracting Officer. These changes include, but will not be limited to the following areas: scope of work, price, quantity, technical specifications, delivery schedules, and contract terms and conditions. In the event the Contractor effects any changes at the direction of any other person other than the Contracting Officer, the change will be considered to have been made without authority.

E. The COR’s direction shall not include assignments of work outside the scope of this contract, nor be of such a nature as to cause an increase or decrease in the price of this contract or otherwise affect any other provision of this contract.

F.. Failure by the Contractor to report to the Contracting Officer, any action by the Government considered to be a change, within the specified number of days contained in FAR 52.243-7 (Notification of Changes), waives the Contractor's right to any claims for equitable adjustments.

The Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for this contract is:

Jeffrey McLean Printing and Publications Manager Chief Printing and Publications Management Office/Office of the Secretary of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, W58-214 Washington DC 20590 JeffreyMclean@dot.gov

G.4 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Government’s oversight and management of the anticipated contract award will include a Government Contracting Officer and a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).

A. Government Contracting Officer:

The Government’s CO has overall responsibility and ultimate authority consistent with applicable warrant(s) for this contract. The CO will review and approve any all contract modifications.

B. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) The COR will have general oversight of the contractor's performance related to this contract, and the application of technical approaches. The contract COR will:

(1) Monitor the contractor's overall performance related to this contract, and, as necessary, take appropriate steps to address performance issues;

https://www.google.com/maps/search/1200+New+Jersey+Avenue,+SE?entry=gmail&source=g

(2) Review reports required by this contract;

(3) Monitor the contractor's compliance with applicable policies and procedures; and

(4) Monitor the contractor's compliance with reporting requirements.

C. Contractor Responsibility

The Contractor shall integrate its work with DOT centralized best practice policies and procedures, and tools for design, implementation, evaluation, and success/impact reporting so as to avoid duplications of effort, unnecessary redundancies, and/or deviations that are not cost effective for the DOT in aggregate.

The Contractor shall furnish the Government’s cognizant CO with the name of the designated Program Manager (PM) assigned to manage and represent this contract.

The Contractor’s PM is key person (see H.10 “Key Personnel”) for this contract and shall be available for applicable activities at the beginning of the contract.

The Contractor shall designate by name a contract administrator for this contract, who shall be the authorized as the contract administration point of contact for the Government’s CO for this contract. The Contractor’s designated contract administrator is a key person (see H.10 “Key Personnel”) for this contract and shall be available for applicable activities at the beginning of the contract.

The Contractor shall establish and maintain documented internal quality controls ensuring that activities under this are compliant with contract requirements.

G.5 CONTRACT CHANGES

The Government reserves the right to modify resource requirements as work, funding and changing conditions require. Proposed changes in support and funding may occur at the discretion of the Government. Failure of the parties to reach a mutual agreement may be resolved pursuant to the Dispute clause of this contract or by unilateral withdrawal of the specified work by the Government from this contract and applicable funding reductions.

G.6 DRAFT INVOICE

The Contractor shall submit within thirty (30) days after the end of each month a draft copy of each invoice by email to the COR for approval. The COR will review and provide the contractor approval. If no changes are required, the contractor shall submit a final invoice for payment.

(See G.7 Submission of Final Invoices).

Invoices shall contain the appropriate information required to be a proper invoice, including the contract number and applicable line-item numbers (CLIN).

G.7 SUBMISSION OF FINAL INVOICES

The Contractor shall be required to submit final monthly invoices in accordance with the following:

(a) An original of each invoice shall be submitted to the e-mail address specified below

(and one (1) e-mailed copy of each invoice shall be e-mailed to the COR):

U.S. Department of Transportation/FAA Attn: WCF Account, c/o AMZ-160 P.O. Box 25730 Oklahoma City, OK 73125

9-AMC-AMZ-OSTWCF@FAA.GOV.

b. Each invoice submitted to the Government for payment shall include the following:

(1) Contractor Name, Address, Phone, Fax

(2) Contract Number DTOS59-14XXXXX, Modification, Delivery Order number

(3) Contract Federal Tax Identification No.

(4) Invoice Number

(5) Payment Terms

(6) Period of Performance being billed (i.e., Oct 1 – 30)

(7) Applicable Contract Line Item

(8) Description of Supplies/Services

(9) Quantity

(10) Unit Price

(11) Total Price per line item

(12) Total invoice amount

(13) Contractor remit to address

(14) Contractor POC for billing questions

Name:________________________ Phone:________________________ Fax:__________________________

c. Billing shall begin on the first of every month and end on the last calendar day of the month.

Additional Information Relating to this Section G.7:

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF PAYMENT REQUESTS

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause -

(1) Contract financing payment has the meaning given in FAR 32.001.

(2) Payment request means a bill, voucher, invoice, or request for contract financing payment or invoice payment with associated supporting documentation. The payment request must comply with the requirements identified in

FAR 32.905(b), “Content of Invoices,” this clause, and the applicable Payment clause included in this contract.

(3) Electronic form means an automated system transmitting information electronically according to the accepted mailto:9-AMC-AMZ-OSTWCF@FAA.GOV electronic data transmission methods and formats identified in paragraph (c) of this clause. Facsimile, email, and scanned documents are not acceptable electronic forms for submission of payment requests.

(4) Invoice payment has the meaning given in FAR 32.001.

(b) ELECTRONIC PAYMENT REQUESTS. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this clause, the contractor shall submit payment requests in electronic form. Purchases paid with a Governmentwide commercial purchase card are considered to be an electronic transaction for purposes of this rule, and therefore no additional electronic invoice submission is required.

(c) The Department of Transportation utilizes the Delphi eInvoicing web-portal for processing invoices. For vendors submitting invoices, and certain grantees submitting payment requests, they will be required to submit invoices to OST electronically via the Delphi eInvoicing web-portal which is accessed via https://einvoice.esc.gov, and is authenticated via www.login.gov. All persons accessing the Delphi eInvoicing web-portal will be required to have their own unique user Delphi eInvoicing ID and be credentialed through login.gov. See www.login.gov for instructions.

(d) In order to receive payment and in accordance with the Prompt Payment Act, all invoices submitted as attachments in the Delphi eInvoicing web-portal shall contain the following:

(1) Invoice number and invoice date.

(2) Period of performance covered by invoice.

(3) Contract number and title.

(4) Task/Delivery Order number and title (if applicable).

(5) Amount billed (by CLIN), current and cumulative.

(6) Total ($) of billing.

(7) Cumulative total billed for all contract work to date.

(8) Name, title, phone number, and mailing address of person to be contacted in the event of a defective invoice.

If the contract includes allowances for travel, all invoices which include charges pertaining to travel expenses will catalog a breakdown of reimbursable expenses with the appropriate receipts to substantiate the travel expenses.

(e) PAYMENT SYSTEM REGISTRATION. All persons accessing the Delphi eInvoicing web-portal will be required to have their own unique user Delphi eInvoicing ID and password and be credentialed through login.gov.

(1) ELECTRONIC AUTHENTICATION. See www.login.gov for instructions. Click on the following link for instructions on establishing a login.gov account: https://login.gov/help/.

(2) To create a login.gov account, the user will need a valid email address and a working phone number. The user will create a password and then login.gov will reply with an email confirming the email address.

(3) Agency POC’s will be responsible for communicating with vendor POC’s to initiate the Delphi eInvoicing account creation process.