Historiography_Curator Support_RFI_050522 Final.docx

Request for Information (RFI) Historiography and Curation Support

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Strategic Acquisition Center – Frederick (SAC-F) on behalf of the VA History Office (VAHO) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) in accordance with FAR Part 10.002(b)(2)(iii) and (viii) (Market Research). The agency does not intend to award a contract but rather gather information on capability, delivery and other market information pertinent for acquisition planning. This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement and identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support this requirement for the following:

1. BACKGROUND

The VAHO was established on April 10, 2020, at the direction of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. VAHO’s mission includes the establishment of a VA history program and the National VA History Center (NVAHC), the VA’s archives and museum under development on the Dayton VA campus. This contract position supports VAHO and its two missions, with a focus on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Research and Development (ORD).

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of this non-personnel services contract includes providing the VAHO with historiography support and the NVAHC with curation support to include museum artifact research, preservation, description, and cataloging. The government estimates the need for one full-time senior historian and one part-time junior curator.

Historiography support includes:

· conducting archival research for inquiries and written materials; responding to historical inquiries

· creating bibliographies

· reviewing footnotes for proper content and format

· gathering and captioning illustrations

· creating indexes, researching, and writing short monographs

· assisting with logistics and facilitation of oral history capture

· research and authoring of information papers Curation support includes:

· developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling incoming artifact shipments in accordance with industry best practices, and with respect to the limitations of the historic buildings in which the Museum currently resides

· handling incoming artifact shipments

· physical maintenance and cataloging of artifacts

· planning and rearranging storage space

· research assistance for specialists

· collection records maintenance, coordinating those records with the Archives.

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capabilities information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. It is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract.

No basis for a claim against the Government shall arise from a response to this Request for Information or Government use of any information provided. Failure to submit information in sufficient detail may result in considering a company as not a viable source and may influence competition and set-aside decisions. Regardless of the information obtained from this Request for Information, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as deemed appropriated for this requirement. Respondents are advised, the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this Request for Information. Your responses may be shared with all stakeholders, thus the information received will not be considered proprietary.

If your organization has the potential capacity to perform these contract services, please provide the following information:

Cover Sheet – 1 page

Please provide the following information:

1. Organization name, address, and web site.

2. Point of contact to include e-mail address and telephone number.

3. Business size (large or small). If small, please provide type of small business.

4. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) that best fits these task areas.

5. If applicable, GSA contract number, schedule, and SIN category.

Index – 1 page

Please provide an index to assist the Government in identifying where you have addressed each question below in your Capabilities Statement and Market Information. Please provide question number and corresponding page and section heading and/or paragraph number.

Capabilities Statement and Market Information

1. Provide a brief statement of core business competencies.

2. Can you perform the tasks required in the Performance Work Statement (PWS)?

3. Do you have expertise in providing the services required in the PWS?

4. Do you have three or more years’ experience providing the same or similar services?

5. Do you have a General Services Administration (GSA) schedule offering the required services?

6. Provide a brief summary of why your organization is the best fit for the needs outlined in the PWS.

7. Do you subcontract work to third parties?

8. Please provide your socioeconomic status on your response, include DUNS number and System for Award Management (SAM) Unique Entity ID Number.

9. In the event a solicitation is issued, how likely are you to submit a response?

STRUCTURE AND SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

Vendors should respond to this RFI by May 19, 2022 by 12:00PM EST via e-mail to Gary.Ruc@va.gov and Melissa.Maloy@va.gov. Limit all responses to 10 pages (including cover/title pages).