HSBP1010R0027A0001.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

PAGE OF PAGES

3. EFF. DATE 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

FACILITY CODECODE

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and Zip Code)

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers is extended, is not extended. Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods: (a) By completing Items 8 and 15, and returning copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (Such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc. ) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103 (b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) copies to issuing office.

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

A0001 5/06/2010 0020054125 70050800

DHS - Customs & Border Protection Department of Homeland Security 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Procurement Directorate - NP 1310 Washington DC 20229

DHS - Customs & Border Protection Department of Homeland Security 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Procurement Directorate - NP 1310 Washington DC 20229

HSBP1010R0027

05/06/2010

1 2

NSN 7540-01-152-8070

PREVIOUS EDITION UNUSABLE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 16C. DATE

SIGNED

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 15C. DATE

SIGNED BY

(Signature of Contracting Officer)(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15A NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

Hyun Jung Koo Contracting Officer

The purpose of this amendment is to extend the proposal due date to Monday, May 24, 2010 12:00 PM EST and revise the RFP as highlighted in the subsequent pages. Please reference original RFP (Solicitation) for all applicable clauses and provisions.

All questions must be submitted by email to hyun.koo@dhs.gov no later than Friday, May 14, 2010. Each question submitted shall reference the specific section and paragraph of the RFP as appropriate. All CBP responses to all questions will be posted on FedBizOpps.

The proposal documentation shall be sent electronically to Hyun Koo at hyun.koo@dhs.gov. In order to be considered complete, the proposal documentation shall include (1) Standard Form 1449 (original solicitation) completed, signed and dated by the offeror(2) Standard Form 30 (amendment A0001) signed and dated by the offeror, (3) Technical proposal, and (4) Price

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT - Continuation

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

PAGE OF PAGES2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 3. EFF. DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

2 2A0001 5/06/2010 0020054125

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 10-83)

proposal.

The attachments shall in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or PDF format. The email subject line shall include the RFP number.

Email is the preferred method of submission, but proposals may be submitted in hardcopy form to the following address:

US Customs and Border Protection Hyun Jung Koo, Contracting Officer National Place Building 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Suite 1310 Washington, DC 20229 RFP Number: HSBP1010R0027

A Pre-Proposal conference call will be held on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:00 AM EST. Please notify via email if you will be participating on the call no later than 12 PM EST (noon) Monday 10, 2010. Upon receipt of your response, a call-in and pin number will be provided for the call.

All other provisions are hereby unchanged and in full force and effect.

ATTACHMENT: Quarterly Sales Activity Report (revised)

HSBP1010R0027A0001

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table Of Contents

SECTION I SCHEDULES

I.1 STATEMENT OF WORK

SECTION II CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION III SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

III.1 ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

SECTION I SCHEDULES

I.1 STATEMENT OF WORK

DHS Department-Wide/Component-Wide Acquisition

Notice Title:

DHS Canine Dog Supplies

Notice Type:

Combined Synopsis/Solicitation

Synopsis:

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation;

quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation is issued as a request for proposal. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-38 effective February 1, 2010. This is a partial Small Business Set-Aside Competition with a North American Industrial Classification Systems (NAICS) of 453910 – “Pet and Pet Supplies Stores.” The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 453910 has a Small Business Size Standard of $7.0 million and shall remain open for responsible sources to respond. Contractors are required to identify their company’s business size.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to establish multiple no cost BPAs to fulfill this requirement;

however, the Government reserves the right not award any BPA and does not guarantee any order placements. The resultant Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) award(s) will be for a three year period with an aggregate total not-to-exceed ceiling amount of $8,000,000.00 amongst the BPAs. The fixed price per unit will be determined based on a breakdown of all costs and delivery to various CONUS locations. The Government anticipates award of BPAs within 60 days of receipt of quotes. The Government is obligated only to the extent of the authorized purchases made under the

BPA.

DESCRIPTION OF AGREEMENT

The Supplier shall furnish dog supplies for three years to DHS and its organizational components within an aggregate total not-to-exceed ceiling amount of $8,000,000.00 amongst the BPAs. Dog supplies shall be furnished if and when requested by a warranted DHS Contracting Officer or authorized Government Purchase Card Holder acting within their scope of delegated procurement authority.

SECTION I: Requirement Information

All DHS Organizational Components, Directorates, and Offices are authorized to order under this BPA.

SECTION II: Purpose

Product, Service or Outcome Needed:

DHS and its organizational components require dog supplies for Federal proprietary canine teams at various CONUS locations. The desired outcome is to establish Department-wide/Component-wide contract vehicles that meet this need while concurrently reducing costs, streamlining processes, eliminating duplication, and improving customer service.

Scope of the Product, Service, or Outcome:

The scope is to provide DHS and its organizational components various types and brands of dog supplies for delivery to various CONUS locations.

SECTION III: Background

DHS and its organizational components currently have over 2,000 canines located in over 170 cities throughout the United States. DHS organizational components and offices that use canines include:

--Customs and Border Protection (CBP) --Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) --Federal Protective Service (FPS) --Transportation Security Administration (TSA) --U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) --U.S. Secret Service (USSS)

DHS currently spends approximately $1.5M in dog supplies on an annual basis. DHS expects this spend to steadily increase over the next five years based on the planned growth of the canine workforce.

Through this BPA, DHS and its organizational components seek to purchase dog supplies. Orders will be placed by a warranted DHS Contracting Officer or authorized government purchase card holder acting within their scope of delegated procurement authority. Government purchase card holders may include DHS canine training center staff, canine program managers, and individual canine handlers. DHS and its organizational components have a requirement for the purchase of various types and brands of dog supplies for delivery to CONUS locations.

SECTION IV: Requirements

The Contractor shall deliver a wide-variety of dog supplies. The dog supplies most commonly required by DHS are listed below:

--Bowls --Brushes --Choke chains --Collars --First aid supplies --Grooming supplies --Harnesses --Kennels / crates --Kongs --Leads --Leashes --Muzzles --Reward bags --Toys

Other dog supplies that DHS may purchase include, but are not limited to, those listed below:

--Balls --Beds --Bones --Dog houses --Supplements --Tags --Toothpaste --Training aids --Treats --Vitamins

Deliverables:

Individual orders will detail the respective brands, quantities, and delivery location(s). The contractor will fulfill the order within the time period specified by the contractor but no later than two (2) calendar weeks after issue of each individual order. Exceptions can be made on the delivery schedule based on requirements of the Program office and will be negotiated at the individual order level.

The contractor shall provide a current order status at any time as requested by DHS organizational components within 12 hours of receipt of request.

Reporting:

The contractor shall provide a Quarterly Sales Activity Report indicating purchases by all DHS organizational components within 15 calendar days after the end of the quarter. Each Monthly Sales Activity Report shall provide the following information: (1) quarterly summary of orders under the BPA from the previous quarter by organizational component, (2) cumulative summary of orders under the BPA to date by organizational component, (3) price paid compared to GSA or commercial list price and the resulting savings, and (4) any issues that need attention.

The Quarterly Sales Activity Report shall be provided by the contractor to DHS using the format in the Excel file entitled Attachment 1- Quarterly Sales Activity Report and must contain, at a minimum, the fields identified. The Quarterly Activity Report must include line item detail for each product purchased in a purchase order. For example, if one order consists of four (4) products, there shall be four (4) entries under one order ID. A data dictionary is also included with the Quarterly Sales Activity Report detailing the required entries for each field.

Quarterly Sales Activity Reports shall be provided in electronic format and emailed to the BPA Contracting Officer (CO), the BPA Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) and the DHS Strategic Sourcing Program Office (SSPO).

The subject line of the email notice presenting the submission of the monthly report shall be annotated with – Contract Number, Quarterly Sales Activity Report (state the quarter and year).

DELIVERABLE MATRIX

# Deliverable Due Date Deliverable

Recipient (include contact information)

Deliverable Format

Acceptance Criteria

1 Dog Supplies - Brands, quantities, and delivery location(s) as indicated on each order.

To be specified by vendor. No later than 2 calendar weeks of order.

As indicated on each order.

N/A Quality, quantity, and the condition of tendered supplies

2 Order Status As requested As requested Phone or Electronic Delivery via email.

Timeliness

3 Quarterly Sales Activity Report

Within 15 calendar days after the end of the quarter

BPA

Contracting Officer, BPA COTR, and Strategic Sourcing Program Office

Spreadsheet Document, Electronic Delivery via email.

Timeliness, accuracy, and quality of product

Special Delivery Instructions:

Unless otherwise specified, all items to be delivered under this contract shall be preserved, packaged, and packed in accordance with normal commercial practices to meet the packing requirements of the carrier and ensure safe delivery at destination. Preservation, packaging and packing shall provide adequate protection against physical damage during shipment for all deliverable items. Legal title to the goods (ownership) transfers from the contractor to the government at the time of acceptance of quality, quantity, and the condition of tendered supplies. Acceptance is the act of an authorized Government agent which formally determines that the supplies submitted by a contractor satisfactorily discharge the contractor’s duty of performance under the delivery order.

All initial packing, marking and storage incidental to shipping of supplies to be provided under this contract shall be at the Contractor’s expense.

Performance/ Delivery Period:

Order

Procedures:

Orders will be competitively awarded with each BPA Contractor afforded a fair opportunity to be considered for orders in excess of $3,000. Individual orders shall not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold in accordance with FAR 13.303-5 (b). However, in accordance with FAR 16.505(b)(1), the Contracting Officer need not contact each Contractor to order a particular item under a delivery order if the Contracting Officer has information available to ensure each Contractor is provided a fair opportunity to be considered for each order.

The Contracting Officer may use information provided from the initial offer to the BPA, past or present performance under the BPA, or other information available to the Contracting Officer.

The Request for delivery order quotes will include (1) the quantity and type of supplies required, and (2) any unique quote preparation instructions.

The Government intends to give the Contractor(s) three business days to develop their quotes. The specific due date for quotes will be specified in the Request for Delivery Order Quotes.

The Contracting Officer’s award decision may be based on a determination of which Contractor provides the Government with the best value based on factors such as capacity, delivery conditions, and price or Lowest Price Technically Acceptable based on the immediate needs of DHS organizational components. The Evaluation Criteria at the delivery order level will be stated in each subsequent Request For Quote.

Funding:

ITEM

NO.

SCHEDULE OF

SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT

PRICE

TOTAL

YEAR 1 (PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE TO BE

DETERMINED)

All prices shall be in accordance with or discounted from GSA or commercial catalogs. Funding shall be obligated at the order level only.

n/a n/a n/a n/a

1001 YEAR 2 (PERIOD OF

PERFORMANCE TO BE

DETERMINED)

All prices shall be in accordance with or discounted from GSA or commercial catalogs. Funding shall be obligated at the order level only.

n/a n/a n/a n/a

2001 YEAR 3 (PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

TO BE DETERMINED)

All prices shall be in accordance with or discounted from GSA or commercial catalogs. Funding shall be obligated at the order level only.

n/a n/a n/a n/a

This BPA does not obligate any funds nor authorize any deliveries. The Government is obligated only to the extent of funds obligated on authorized delivery orders issued under this BPA by the DHS organizational components Contracting Officers or authorized Purchase Card Orders.

The volume of purchases through this BPA will have no minimum limit. The Government is under no obligation to the BPA holder to purchase any specified quantity of products. The fixed price per unit is based on a breakdown of all costs and delivery to various CONUS locations.

Accounting and Appropriation Data:

Accounting and appropriation data will be provided at the delivery order level.

BPA Ceiling:

The BPA(s) will have an aggregate total ceiling amount of $8,000,000.00. DHS organizational Components may issue orders for up to $8,000,000.00, but not-to-exceed (NTE) this amount amongst the BPA(s).

Price Reductions:

The Contractor may offer on this BPA at any time, temporary, one-time, or intermittent price reductions of any CLIN end product stated in the BPA Pricing Table.

Location of Delivery:

Location of delivery shall be set forth in individual orders.

Delivery will be to various DHS CONUS locations throughout the United States.

Anticipated Requirements:

DHS organizational components expect to spend approximately $1.5M in dog supplies on an annual basis. DHS expects this spend to steadily increase over the next five years based on the planned growth of the canine workforce.

The Contractor shall coordinate delivery times and quantities with the requesting components of DHS. Contractor shall provide additional emergency deliveries upon request of the requesting components of DHS.

Special Requirements:

The Contractor shall attend or call in to a contract post-award conference with the BPA CO, COTR, and members of the DHS Organizational Components Program Offices in Washington D.C. The contract post award conference will cover the terms and conditions of the BPA, the partnering and working relationship, contract administration, and other administrative concerns. The contract Post-Award Conference is to-be-determined, but not later than two (2) weeks after date of contract award. The Contractor will be contacted by the Contract Specialist to coordinate the post-award conference.

SECTION V: Government Furnished Resources and Information

No portion of this requirement is predicated upon the use of government-owned equipment unless specifically defined in this document. The Government will facilitate vendor contact with government POCs.

Should a need arise; the contracted vendor will work with the DHS organizational components to establish availability and schedule for delivery of government furnished information.

SECTION VI: Contract Administration Data

BPA Contracting Officer (CO):

Hyun J Koo Phone: 202-344-3769 Email: hyun.koo@dhs.gov

BPA Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR):

To Be Provided Upon Award

SUB-CONTRACTING OFFICER’S TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE (Sub-COTR)

BPA order level sub-COTRs assigned to each DHS Organizational Element will handle all issues at the order/component level. The BPA CO and COTR will handle all issues that are left unresolved.

SECTION II CONTRACT CLAUSES

SECTION III SOLICITATION PROVISIONS

III.1 ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION TO OFFERORS

REQUIREMENTS FOR TECHNICAL AND PRICE SUBMISSIONS

The vendor shall submit all information required by this paragraph in the following format:

PART I: Technical Submission --Capability --Capacity --Past Performance --Socioeconomic Support

PART II: Pricing Submission --Pricing --Shipping and Handling --Additional Incentives Program

The technical and price submission must address all requirements. Partial submissions may be rejected.

Capability

Capability refers to a vendor’s ability to provide reasonable catalog breadth, efficient order processing and delivery, and otherwise meet the qualification requirements addressed in the SOW. Vendors shall demonstrate their capability to meet DHS needs by providing the following information:

--What dog supplies the vendor offers --Where and how DHS may electronically access a copy of the vendor’s catalog that serves as the basis for the pricing submission --4 electronic copies of their current catalog described above with a sheet identifying which, if any, items are on a GSA or FSS contract --GSA contract number (if applicable) --A description of the vendor’s electronic systems used for order processing --Shipping and delivery policy and the time required to fulfill an order --Return policy --If the vendor has any physical stores, the number and location of these stores --The method in which the offeror intends to track and compile multiple orders from the various DHS organizational components and agencies --Proposed methods of tracking and reporting of required deliverables. Specify whether the vendor can provide data requested under the Quarterly Sales Report fields.

Capacity

Capacity refers to a vendor’s throughput – the number of customers, orders, and line items the vendor is able to process in a year for comparison to the DHS program at maximum usage. To demonstrate capacity, the vendor shall provide the following information:

--the number of current customers served annually --the number of orders filled annually and the average number of lines on each order --the location of customers --the dollar value of the average order --the average order ship time

Past Performance

The vendor will submit a listing of its top ten largest commercial contracts or customers based on annual sales volume.

The following information should be provided for each contract/customer:

a) Name of the customer or government agency

b) Point of contact, telephone number, and email address

c) Period of performance

d) Overall scope of contract

e) Annual sales volume

f) Types of dog supplies purchased

g) Purchase method (e.g. purchase card, electronic invoice, etc.)

h) Delivery locations

The vendor shall also provide relevant past performance information regarding their GSA contract (if applicable), similar to the above.

The past performance information provided by the vendor may be verified. DHS may obtain and use past performance information from sources other than those identified by the vendor.

Socioeconomic Support

The NAICs Code is 453910, “Pet and Pet Supplies Stores” and the small business size standard is $7.0 million. Vendor shall state their size status (if a team or consortium, if it represents small businesses only). It is the policy of the Federal Government to encourage the full participation of small businesses in the procurement process. In order to maximize Small Business (SB) participation, DHS is seeking qualified small businesses, including consortiums and teams.

All large business quoters with a subcontracting plan will submit copies of their approved subcontracting plan and their latest annual subcontracting report (Standard Form 295). Any large business that does not have a subcontracting plan may submit evidence of a substantial commitment to the Government’s policy for consideration.

Price

Pricing: Vendors shall state what, if any, additional pricing discounts are quoted beyond their commercial catalog pricing and/or GSA Schedule pricing. For ease of administration, the Government desires that a single percentage discount from the catalog pricing be submitted for all items; however, vendors may submit alternate approaches as long as they are understandable and administratively practical. If the vendor has physical stores, the vendor shall specify if the discounts are available through in-store purchases, catalog purchases, or both. When proposing a single discount from its commercial catalog or GSA Schedule contract pricing, include a statement as follows in the pricing submission:

_____ % Discount from Catalog Prices _____ % Discount from GSA Schedule Contract Prices

Shipping and Handling: Vendors shall state their pricing for shipping and handling. Vendors shall specify available shipping methods (e.g. economy, standard, ground, expedited, etc.), the estimated delivery times, and the applicable rates. Vendors shall state if their rates are based on size, weight, or flat rates, and shall identify any applicable surcharges.

Additional Incentives Program: DHS expects discounts as addressed above and/or other incentives as consideration for award of a BPA. Incentives programs are used to enthuse customers and optimize their patronage. Vendors shall develop and submit to DHS their incentives program and any other additional incentives offered. Consider the DHS to be your “most favored” customer. Provide an explanation of your incentives/quantity discounts/rebate or other incentives and demonstrate how the value can be quantified for the purposes of evaluation.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Technical Evaluation: Vendors’ technical submissions will be evaluated by a qualified team of procurement and program personnel based on the following criteria:

--Capability. Offerors must demonstrate satisfactory capability to provide the dog supplies required by DHS in a timely and efficient manner. Offerors demonstrate ability to provide reporting and deliverable requirements. Those failing to demonstrate capability may no longer be considered for a BPA. To limit the number of BPA awards made, DHS may give heavier weighting to suppliers that offer a broader range of dog supplies. However, DHS will also consider awarding to specialty suppliers that offer single or select dog supplies, as necessary, to ensure the needs of DHS are met.

--Capacity. Offerors must demonstrate reasonable capacity meet DHS requirements in light of the size of the DHS canine program. Those failing to demonstrate sufficient capacity may no longer be considered for a BPA.

--Past Performance. The past performance information will be verified as deemed necessary by DHS by contacting references and evaluated based on the relevance of the information submitted and a reasoned judgment regarding the quality of the vendor’s performance. DHS may obtain and use past performance information from sources other than those identified.

--Socioeconomic Support. It is the policy of DHS to encourage the full participation of small businesses in the procurement process. Small business quoters will receive the maximum for this evaluation factor. All large business quoters with a subcontracting plan will submit copies of their approved subcontracting plan and their latest annual subcontracting report (Standard Form 295).

DHS will consider their performance under the subcontracting plan and determine whether it is acceptable. Any large business that does not have a subcontracting plan may submit evidence of a substantial commitment to the Government’s policy for consideration. Large businesses that are considered to have acceptable subcontracting histories will receive a satisfactory rating on this factor.

Price Evaluation: The price factor will be evaluated based on price competitiveness and price reasonableness, as determined by any discounts, rebates, or other incentives proposed by the offeror and that can be quantified.

SELECTION AND AWARD

The BPA award(s) shall be made to that responsible offeror(s) whose offer represents the best value to the Government.

The Government shall determine the best value based on the factors described herein: Within the Technical Factor, the following sub-factors are listed in descending order of importance – capability, capacity, past performance, and socioeconomic support. The Technical Factor is more important than the Price Factor.

DHS reserves the right to discuss submissions with any or all vendors providing a technical and price submission if it is determined advantageous to DHS. However, DHS is not obligated to conduct discussions and may eliminate a vendor from consideration or award a BPA without discussions if deemed appropriate.

DHS will award the optimum number of BPAs to meet its anticipated needs consistent with small business objectives and efficiency of use. Specifically, 30 percent of the BPAs are set aside for Small Businesses. BPAs will be awarded that are judged to be most advantageous to DHS based on the factors and the assessment described herein.

A minimum or maximum number of BPAs is not established; the number of BPAs will be determined during the process of evaluation based on an iterative and integrated assessment of DHS needs, the technical factor (capability, capacity, past performance, socioeconomic support) and price. It is anticipated that not all vendors responding will be awarded a BPA.

Once technical and price factors have been evaluated and an integrated assessment made, the contracting officer will then determine how many BPAs are needed, including a reasonable factor for redundancy and peak usage requirements, to satisfy DHS requirements. This will be done through an iterative process of BPA awards to the most advantageous submissions until the contracting officer is satisfied the needs of DHS are met considering small business objectives and the objectives of economy and efficiency.

Below are the adjectival ratings that will be used during the evaluation process.

ADJECTIVAL RATINGS WITH DEFINITION

Outstanding (O): Proposal significantly exceeds requirements in a way that benefits the Government or meets requirements and contains at least one exceptional enhancing feature which benefits the government. Any weakness is minor.

Highly Satisfactory (HS): Proposal exceeds requirements in a way that benefits the government or meets requirements and contains enhancing features which benefit the Government. Any weakness is minor.

Satisfactory (S): Proposal meets requirements. Any weaknesses are minor and will have little or no impact on contract performance.

Marginal (M): Proposal contains weaknesses or minor deficiencies which could have some impact if accepted.

Unsatisfactory (U): Proposal does not comply substantially with requirements.