IT Recruiter Solicitation Package.docx

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (THIS IS NOT AN ORDER)

1. REQUEST NO.

75N97020Q00026

2. DATE ISSUED

7/8/2020

3. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUEST NO.

Human Capital Support

5a. ISSUED BY National Library of Medicine, 6707 Dem. Blvd., Rm. 105, Bethesda, MD 20892

6. DELIVER BY (Date)

OTHER

NAME

Karen D. Miller

TELEPHONE NUMBER

AREA CODE

NUMBER

827-6403

9. DESTINATION

a. NAME OF CONSIGNEE

8. TO:

10. PLEASE FURNISH QUOTATIONS TO THE ISSUING OFFICE IN BLOCK 5a ON OR BEFORE CLOSE OF BUSINESS (Date)

07/14/20 3:00 p.m. est IMPORTANT: This is a request for information and quotations furnished are not offers. If you are unable to quote, please so indicate on this form and return it to the address in Block 5a. This request does not commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or service. Supplies are of domestic origin unless otherwise indicated by quoter. Any representations and/or certifications attached to this Request for Quotation must be completed by the quoter.

11. SCHEDULE (Include applicable Federal, State and local taxes)

ITEM NO.

(a)

SUPPLIES/ SERVICES

(b)

QUANTITY

(c)

UNIT

(d)

UNIT PRICE

(e)

AMOUNT

(f)

It is the intent of the National Library of Medicine on behalf of the Center for Information Technology (CIT) to procure Human Capital Support and Sourcing and Identification of Highly Qualified Job Seekers for Mission-Critical Federal IT Positions

Period of Performance:

July 20, 2020 – July 19, 2021 (Base Year);

July 20, 2021 – July 19, 2022 (Option Year 1);

July 20, 2021 – July 19, 2023 (Option Year 2)

The contract is a Firm Fixed Price award.

Base Period – Firm Fixed Price (FAR Part 16.2) -

Option Period 1 – Firm Fixed Price (FAR Part 16.2) -

Option Year 2 – Firm Fixed Price (FAR Part 16.2) -

12. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

CALENDAR DAYS (%)

d. CALENDAR DAYS

a. NAME OF QUOTER

c. COUNTY

AREA CODE

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE

REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS (RFQ) NO. 75N97020Q00026-KDM

PROJECT TITLE

National Institutes of Health

Center for Information Technology (CIT)

HUMAN CAPITAL SUPPORT FOR SOURCING AND IDENTIFICATION OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED JOB SEEKERS FOR MISSION-CRITICAL FEDERAL IT POSITIONS

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

GENERAL INFORMATION

PURPOSE

The purpose of project is to acquire professional Human Capital Support for Sourcing and Identification of Highly Qualified Job Seekers for Mission-Critical Federal IT Positions Services the requirement of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Information Technology (CIT) under FAR Part 12, Commercial Item Acquisition and FAR Part 13.5, Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items.

This requirement is being processed by the Office of Acquisitions, National Library of Medicine (NLM), for CIT.

The required Employee Engagement Support services requirements are described in the attached Statement of Objective (SOO) and Addendum to Terms and Conditions of Task Order, both of which are attached.

QUESTIONS

If you have questions regarding this requirement, please submit your inquiries immediately via email message to kr33v@nih.gov using the solicitation number: 75N97020Q00026 and the project title “Center for Information Technology (CIT) - Human Capital Support for Sourcing and Identification of Highly Qualified Job Seekers for Mission-Critical Federal IT Positions Services.”

METHOD OF ACQUISITION

The Government intends to acquire the necessary services for the Center for Information Technology (CIT) Human Capital Support for Sourcing and Identification of Highly Qualified Job Seekers for Mission-Critical Federal IT Positions Services.”

through the procedures of FAR Part 12, Commercial Item Acquisition and FAR Part 13.5, Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items.

This requirement is being processed under Open Market Procedures - FAR Part 12, Commercial Item Acquisition and FAR Part 13.5, Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Items.

NUMBER OF AWARDS

It is anticipated that one award will be made from this solicitation.

DATE OF AWARD

It is anticipated that award will be made on or about July 19, 2020.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Reference Section 5, PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, of the attached SOO.

COMMITMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS

The Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with the proposed acquisition. Any other commitment, either explicit or implied, is invalid.

COMMUNICATIONS PRIOR TO AWARD

The Offeror shall direct all communications to the attention of:

Karen D. Miller, Sr. Contracting Officer Office of Acquisition Management

Bethesda, MD 20892-5488 301-827-6403 Fax: 301-402-0642 Email Address: kr33v@nih.gov

Communications with other officials may compromise the competitiveness of this acquisition and result in cancellation of the requirement.

A.9 QUOTE ORGANIZATION

The quote submission shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail to evaluate and substantiate the validity of stated claims. Offerors shall assume that the government has no prior knowledge of the company's capability and experience. The quote must provide sufficient detail to clearly and concisely demonstrate that the offeror understands all requirements specified in the solicitation.

Each Offeror’s quote must have the following separate volumes:

· Volume I – Technical Quote

· Volume II – Business Quote

A.10 PREPARATION COSTS

This RFQ does not commit the Government to award a task order or pay for the preparation and submission of a quotation.

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS –

INTRODUCTION

The following instructions will establish the acceptable minimum requirements for the format and contents of the quotation/proposal. Special attention is directed to the requirements for the technical and business quotations to be submitted in accordance with these instructions.

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION [FAR Provision 52.215-1 (January 2017)]

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision--

"Discussions" are negotiations that occur after establishment of the competitive range that may, at the Contracting Officer's discretion, result in the offeror being allowed to revise its proposal.

"In writing", "writing", or "written" means any worded or numbered expression that can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and includes electronically transmitted and stored information.

"Proposal modification" is a change made to a proposal before the solicitation's closing date and time, or made in response to an amendment, or made to correct a mistake at any time before award.

"Proposal revision" is a change to a proposal made after the solicitation closing date, at the request of or as allowed by a Contracting Officer as the result of negotiations.

"Time," if stated as a number of days, is calculated using calendar days, unless otherwise specified, and will include Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. However, if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, then the period shall include the next working day.

(b) Amendments to solicitations. If this solicitation is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation by the date and time specified in the amendment(s).

(c) Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.

(1) Unless other methods (e.g., electronic commerce or facsimile) are permitted in the solicitation, proposals and modifications to proposals shall be submitted in paper media in sealed envelopes or packages (i) addressed to the office specified in the solicitation, and (ii) showing the time and date specified for receipt, the solicitation number, and the name and address of the offeror. Offerors using commercial carriers should ensure that the proposal is marked on the outermost wrapper with the information in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(ii) of this provision.

(2) The first page of the proposal must show--

(i) The solicitation number;

(ii) The name, address, and telephone and facsimile numbers of the offeror (and electronic address if available);

(iii) A statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation and agreement to furnish any17or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item;

(iv) Names, titles, and telephone and facsimile numbers (and electronic addresses if available) of persons authorized to negotiate on the offeror's behalf with the Government in connection with this solicitation; and

(v) Name, title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent shall be accompanied by evidence of that agent's authority, unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

(3) Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals.

(i) Offerors are responsible for submitting proposals, and any modifications or revisions, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that proposal or revision is due.

(ii) (A) Any proposal, modification, or revision received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is "late" and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and--

(1) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of proposals; or

(2) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government's control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(3) It is the only proposal received.

(B) However, a late modification of an otherwise successful proposal that makes its terms more favorable to the Government, will be considered at any time it is received and may be accepted.

(iii) Acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at the Government installation includes the time/date stamp of that installation on the proposal wrapper, other documentary evidence of receipt maintained by the installation, or oral testimony or statements of Government personnel.

(iv) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that proposals cannot be received at the office designated for receipt of proposals by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation, the time specified for receipt of proposals will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal Government processes resume.

(v) Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before award. Oral proposals in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile proposals, proposals may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before award, subject to the conditions specified in the provision at 52.215-5, Facsimile Proposals. Proposals may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or an authorized representative, if the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the proposal before award.

(4) Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, the offeror may propose to provide any item or combination of items.

(5) Offerors shall submit proposals in response to this solicitation in English, unless otherwise permitted by the solicitation, and in U.S. dollars, unless the provision at FAR 52.225-17, Evaluation of Foreign Currency Offers, is included in the solicitation.

(6) Offerors may submit modifications to their proposals at any time before the solicitation closing date and time, and may submit modifications in response to an amendment, or to correct a mistake at any time before award.

(7) Offerors may submit revised proposals only if requested or allowed by the Contracting Officer.

(8) Proposals may be withdrawn at any time before award. Withdrawals are effective upon receipt of notice by the Contracting Officer.

(d) Offer expiration date. Proposals in response to this solicitation will be valid for the number of days specified on the solicitation cover sheet (unless a different period is proposed by the offeror).

(e) Restriction on disclosure and use of data.

(1) The proposal submitted in response to this request may contain data (trade secrets; business data, e.g., commercial information, financial information, and cost and pricing data; and technical data) which the offeror, including its prospective subcontractor(s), does not want used or disclosed for any purpose other than for evaluation of the proposal. The use and disclosure of any data may be so restricted; provided, that the Government determines that the data is not required to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, and the offeror marks the cover sheet of the proposal with the following legend, specifying the particular portions of the proposal which are to be restricted in accordance with the conditions of the legend. The Government's determination to withhold or disclose a record will be based upon the particular circumstances involving the record in question and whether the record may be exempted from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The legend reads:

“Unless disclosure is required by the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, (the Act) as determined by Freedom of Information (FOI) officials of the Department of Health and Human Services, data contained in the portions of this proposal which have been specifically identified by page number, paragraph, etc. by the offeror as containing restricted information shall not be used or disclosed except for evaluation purposes.

The offeror acknowledges that the Department may not be able to withhold a record (data, document, etc.) nor deny access to a record requested pursuant to the Act and that the Department's FOI officials must make that determination. The offeror hereby agrees that the Government is not liable for disclosure if the Department has determined that disclosure is required by the Act.

If a contract is awarded to the offeror as a result of, or in connection with, the submission of this proposal, the Government shall have right to use or disclose the data to the extent provided in the contract. Proposals not resulting in a contract remain subject to the Act.

The offeror also agrees that the Government is not liable for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose the data for any purpose, including the release of the information pursuant to requests under the Act. The data subject to this restriction are contained in pages (insert page numbers, paragraph designations, etc. or other identification).”

(2) In addition, the offeror should mark each page of data it wishes to restrict with the following statement:

“Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the cover sheet of this proposal or quotation.”

(3) Offerors are cautioned that proposals submitted with restrictive legends or statements differing in substance from the above legend may not be considered for award. The Government reserves the right to reject any proposal submitted with a nonconforming legend.

(f) Contract award.

(1) The Government intends to award a contract or contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror(s) whose proposal(s) represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the factors and subfactors in the solicitation.

(2) The Government may reject any or all proposals if such action is in the Government's interest.

(3) The Government may waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received.

(4) The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions with offerors (except clarifications as described in FAR 15.306(a)). Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the offeror's best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer later determines them to be necessary. If the Contracting Officer determines that the number of proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the Contracting Officer may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals.

(5) The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit cost or prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the proposal.

(6) The Government reserves the right to make multiple awards if, after considering the additional administrative costs, it is in the Government's best interest to do so.

(7) Exchanges with offerors after receipt of a proposal do not constitute a rejection or counteroffer by the Government.

(8) The Government may determine that a proposal is unacceptable if the prices proposed are materially unbalanced between line items or sub-line items. Unbalanced pricing exists when, despite an acceptable total evaluated price, the price of one or more contract line items is significantly overstated or understated as indicated by the application of cost or price analysis techniques. A proposal may be rejected if the Contracting Officer determines that the lack of balance poses an unacceptable risk to the Government.

(9) If a cost realism analysis is performed, cost realism may be considered by the source selection authority in evaluating performance or schedule risk.

(10) A written award or acceptance of proposal mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time specified in the proposal shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party.

(11) If a post-award debriefing is given to requesting offerors, the Government shall disclose the following information, if applicable:

(i) The agency's evaluation of the significant weak or deficient factors in the debriefed offeror's offer.

(ii) The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful and debriefed offeror and past performance information on the debriefed offeror.

(iii) The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection;

(iv) A summary of the rationale for award.

(v) For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be delivered by the successful offeror.

(vi) Reasonable responses to relevant questions posed by the debriefed offeror as to whether source-selection procedures set forth in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed by the agency.

(End of Provision)

ORDERING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

· The Offeror must specify the unit price for each Open Market Contract item offered in response to this solicitation.

· Prices offered for this RFQ shall be Open Market Contract prices, or lower prices.

· Prices offered shall be fixed loaded hourly rates per labor category for the proposed audit support services.

· Proposed hourly rates shall be "fully loaded" inclusive of all related costs, including direct labor, fringe benefits, training, overhead, profit, vacation and holiday pay, future pay/benefit increases, overtime and shift differential. The offeror shall invoice only for hours that personnel are on duty and performing productive work.

· The Offeror must indicate the Quantity, Item, and Trade Discounts being offered for each line item.

· By submitting a quote, the Offeror indicates acceptance of the period of performance specified.

TASK ORDER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Any Task Order awarded as a result of this solicitation shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the FAR Part 12 with the rules and regulations of FAR Part 13.5. The attached Addendum to Terms and Conditions of Task Order, both of which shall be made a part of the awarded Task Order.

AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL AND SUBMISSION OF QUOTATION

The quotation must be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization and must stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of this RFQ.

Offerors who are interested in this solicitation must submit their quotation NO LATER THAN 1:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, VIA electronic email message with the solicitation number and title in the subject of the email message. Failure to separate the technical and business proposals will delay the review process. Late submissions, modifications, and withdrawals of bids will be processed in accordance with FAR 52.212-1.

Your quotation shall be organized as specified in Section B., INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS; Section C., INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE TECHNICAL PORTION OF THE QUOTATION; and Section D., INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE BUSINESS PORTION OF THE QUOTATION.

PRIVACY ACT – TREATMENT OF QUOTATION INFORMATION

The Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-579) requires that a Federal agency advise each individual whom it asks to supply information, the authority which authorizes the solicitation, whether disclosure is voluntary or mandatory, the principal purpose for which the information is intended to be used, the uses outside the agency which may be made of the information, and the effects on the individual, if any, of not providing all or any part of the requested information.

The NIH is requesting the information called for in this RFQ pursuant to the authority provided by Sec. 301(a)(7) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and P.L. 92-218, as amended.

Providing the information requested is entirely voluntary. The collection of this information is for the purpose of conducting an accurate, fair, and adequate review prior to a discussion as to whether to award a Task order.

Failure to provide any or all of the requested information may result in a less than adequate review.

The information provided may be routinely disclosed for the following purposes:

· To the cognizant audit agency and the General Accounting Office for auditing.

· To the Department of Justice as required for litigation.

· To respond to congressional inquiries.

· To qualified experts, not within the definition of Department employees, for opinions as a part of the review process.

ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY, HHSAR 352.239-73(a) (JANUARY 2010)

Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility, Section 508 Compliance is applicable to this solicitation and the following information is provided to assist in quotation preparation.

Note to Offerors: The following information shall be addressed in a separate section of the Technical Quotation entitled "Section 508 Compliance".

Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility, HHSAR 352.239-74 (December 2015)

a. Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973(29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all electronic and information technology (EIT) supplies and services developed, acquired, or maintained under this Task Order must comply with the "Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards'' set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the "Access Board'') in 36 CFR part 1194. Information about Section 508 is available at http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 . The complete text of Section 508 Final Provisions can be accessed at http://www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/communications-and-it/about-the-section-508-standards .

b. The Section 508 accessibility standards applicable to this Task Order are identified below. The Contractor must provide any necessary updates to the submitted HHS Product Assessment Template(s) at the end of each contract or order exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (see FAR 2.101) when the contract or order duration is one year or less. If it is determined by the Government that EIT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

c. The Section 508 accessibility standard applicable to this contract is:

1194.41 Information, Documentation, and Support

d. In the event of a modification(s) to this contract or order, which adds new EIT supplies or services or revises the type of, or specifications for, supplies or services, the Contracting Officer may require that the Contractor submit a completed HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the EIT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. Instructions for documenting accessibility via the HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template may be found under Section 508 policy on the HHS Web site: ( http://www.hhs.gov/web/508 ). If it is determined by the Government that EIT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the contract, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

e. If this is an Indefinite Delivery contract, a Blanket Purchase Agreement or a Basic Ordering Agreement, the task/delivery order requests that include EIT supplies or services will define the specifications and accessibility standards for the order. In those cases, the Contractor may be required to provide a completed HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template and any other additional information necessary to assist the Government in determining that the EIT supplies or services conform to Section 508 accessibility standards. Instructions for documenting accessibility via the HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template may be found at http://www.hhs.gov/web/508. If it is determined by the Government that EIT supplies and services provided by the Contractor do not conform to the described accessibility standards in the provided documentation, remediation of the supplies or services to the level of conformance specified in the contract will be the responsibility of the Contractor at its own expense.

(End of provision)

The Government Product Accessibility Template for Electronic Documents (GPAT) is attached by reference.

SOLICITATION PROVISIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE, FAR 52.252-1 (February 1998)

This Solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The Offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the Offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text provisions, the Offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR, CHAPTER 1):

· FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management (October 2016)

· FAR Clause 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options (July 1990)

TASK ORDER TYPE

The Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed Price (FAR Part 16.201).

The Government intends to evaluate the proposal and award a Task order without discussions with the Offeror. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary.

FORMATTING

Page size shall be 8.5 by 11 inches with 1-inch margins. Paragraphs shall be single spaced. Minimum font size/style shall be 10-point Times New Roman font; for Text, 9-point font in the Arial family for Tables; and 8-point font in the Arial family for Graphics. Tables and graphics may be landscape; all other text must be portrait.

If the Offeror uses a different format (font size, margin, etc.), the Government reserves the right to adjust the proposal to fit the parameters of the format as stated in the RFP, and if this results in the proposal exceeding the page limitations in any one area, the Government will not consider those excess pages.

The table below specifies the page limits to which offerors’ submissions must adhere.

NOTES:

The page limits above include the Offeror’s response to the following:

1. “Information and Physical Access Security” section of its Technical Proposal.

2. “Section 508 Compliance” section of its Technical Proposal.

The page limits above exclude employee resumes, letters of commitment, the Offeror’s completed Government Product Accessibility Template for Electronic Documents (GPAT) form, and the copy of the Offeror’s NITAAC CIO-SP3 contract and price sheets.

TRANSMITTAL/COVER LETTER (Volume 1)

The Offeror’s transmittal/cover letter for the quotation must contain the name, phone number, and e-mail address of the person to be contacted concerning any matter related to the solicitation. The Contracting Officer may, for example, contact that individual to schedule and make arrangements for the Offeror’s discussion meetings, if necessary.

The Offeror shall include the following information in its transmittal/cover letter:

a. DUNS number and TIN;

b. Company Name mailing address, and website address;

c. Date submitted and proposal expiration date;

d. All of the above-cited information for each entity on the proposed team, if a team is proposed;

e. Does the Offeror have a Government approved accounting system? If so, please identify the agency that approved the system;

f. Type of Company (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.) as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM). The Offeror must be registered in SAM located at http://www.sam.gov/;

g. Company Point of Contact, Phone and Email address.

The Transmittal/Cover Letter should be no more than two (2) pages long.

SF-18, REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (Volume 1)

The Offeror shall complete Blocks 5 through 16 of the attached SF-18, REQUEST FOR QUOTATION, and submit the form as part of its offer.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE TECHNICAL PORTION OF THE QUOTATION (Volume 1, Section 2)

PREPARING THE TECHNICAL PORTION OF THE QUOTATION

The Offeror shall provide a Technical Proposal that separately addresses each of the following two general areas:

Factor 1:

a. Technical Approach

b. Soundness of Approach

c. Technical Capabilities

Factor 2:

a. Past Performance

Note to Offerors: The two general areas above will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria specified in the Evaluation Criteria section below.

Resumes: In addition to the above submission, but not included in the above maximum page count, the Offeror shall include in its response to the attached SOO a resume for the key personnel proposed for the project. A representative sample of no more than four resumes of the management, technical, and support staff necessary to provide the services and support requested shall also be included. Individual resumes shall be no more than two pages in length.

Resumes shall include the following:

Letters of Commitment: In addition to the above submission, but not included in the above maximum page count, the Offeror shall include in its response to the attached SOO a “Letter of Commitment” from each person proposed as “Key Personnel” if the proposed individual(s) is not currently employed by the Offeror (prime). If the proposed individual(s) is currently employed by the Offeror (prime), that should be noted in the resume or otherwise.

Transition Plan: The Offeror shall include a Transition Plan which should be attached as an Appendix to the proposal and will not be included in the page limit determination.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE TECHNICAL PORTION OF THE QUOTATION

The Offeror shall include in its quotation a discussion of the Offeror's proposed technical approach to respond to the requirements in the attached SOO. The Offeror must propose to provide all the requirements specified in the attached SOO. A quotation that merely offers to conduct the work in accordance with the requirements of the Government’s attached SOO will be considered nonresponsive. The Offeror must submit an explanation of the proposed technical approach in conjunction with the tasks to be performed in achieving the project objectives.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING THE BUSINESS PORTION OF THE QUOTATION (Volume 2)

PREPARING THE BUSINESS PORTION OF THE QUOTATION

The Offeror’s Business Proposal shall be a separate volume from the Technical Proposal. Pricing shall include all anticipated costs to fully perform all objectives as stated in this RFQ including option period(s) pricing.

The key and other personnel is listed within Section 16 of the SOO.

The Offeror’s Business Proposal, including pricing spreadsheets, is not expected to exceed (5) pages.

PRICE INFORMATION

Prices offered shall be fixed unit prices per labor hour for each labor category. Proposed hourly rates shall be "fully loaded" inclusive of all related costs, including direct labor, fringe benefits, training, overhead, profit, vacation and holiday pay, future pay/benefit increases, overtime and shift differential. The Offeror shall invoice only for hours that personnel are on duty and performing productive work.

The Offeror is advised to carefully review the requirements in deriving the estimated effort it determines necessary to perform the work requirements. The Offeror is expected to provide its best solution relative to quantity required to accomplish the work requirements.

The Business Proposal must contain sufficient information to allow the Government to perform a basic analysis of the Offeror’s proposed prices to perform the work requirements specified in the attached SOO.

INFORMATION OTHER THAN PRICING DATA

The Offeror shall submit sufficiently detailed information to permit the Contracting Officer and authorized representatives to evaluate the offer.

EVALUATION

MANDATORY CRITERIA –

NONE

E.2. BASIS FOR AWARD

The evaluation factors include technical and cost/price factors. Technical is paramount, cost and other factors considered. Award will be made on a best value basis. Award will not be made at a significantly higher overall cost to achieve only slightly superior performance. Overall cost to the Government may become the ultimate factor for award as proposals become more equal based on technical factors.

Quotes must contain information sufficient to evaluate based on the detailed factors below.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION

The two technical factors below are essential for completion of this Task.

Evaluation Factor

Factor 1:

Factor 2:

Past Performance

Factor 1 – Technical Approach

a. Understanding of the requirements

The proposal shall address the task area(s) in sufficient detail to demonstrate a clear and firm understanding of the requirements and goals set forth in the statement of objectives (SOO), including the technical aspects, risks, constraints, and potential issues and solutions related to the program. Each requirement shall be addressed with a clearly defined approach.

b. Soundness of approach

The proposal must clearly indicate the proposed approach to each task in the SOO. The proposal should show that the offeror has performed adequate planning to accomplish the tasks set forth in the SOO.

a. The proposal shall include a complete plan to accomplish the task(s).

b. The offeror’s approach for the task(s) shall align with government and industry best practices.

c. The offeror’s proposal shall demonstrate the proper level of effort directed toward each requirement.

c. Technical Capabilities

The proposal shall demonstrate that the offeror has the capabilities and expertise to accomplish the tasks set forth in the SOO. The offeror shall provide evidence of sufficient planning to show that work will be accomplished as required and on schedule, utilizing all available resources.

a. The offeror's proposal shall demonstrate their understanding of recruitment in the IT, leadership and Federal fields.

b. The offeror's proposal shall demonstrate their understanding of highly skilled applicants for IT technical expert and leadership positions in the Federal space.

c. The offeror’s proposal shall demonstrate their understanding of Federal recruitment policies and their plan to avoid infringement on policies which would jeopardize CIT’s recruitment efforts.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL ADJECTIVAL RATINGS

High Confidence The Government has high confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, and will be successful in performing the contract with little or no Government intervention.

Some Confidence The Government has some confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, and will be successful in performing the contract with some Government intervention.

Low Confidence The Government has low confidence that the Offeror understands the requirement, proposes a sound approach, or will be successful in performing the contract even with Government intervention.

Factor 2- Past Performance

The offeror shall provide a list of three (3) contracts completed during the past five years, similar in size and scope to this effort and to the objectives outlined in the SOO. In each example the offeror shall include the scope of the work performed by the contractor, the period during which the work occurred, the dollar value of the work performed, the client and project, client contact information, the specific responsibilities of the offeror, and any quality assurance initiatives.

Offerors may also submit past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition.

Include the following information for each contract or subcontract listed:

· Name of Contracting Organization

· Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime contract number and the subcontract

· number)

· Contract Type

· Total Contract Value

· Description of Requirement

· Contract Period of Performance

· Contracting Officer's Name and Telephone Number

· Program Manager's Name and Telephone Number

· North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code

· Any Quality Assurance Initiatives

The offeror may provide information on problems encountered on the identified contracts and the offeror's corrective actions.

PAST PERFORMANCE PROPOSAL ADJECTIVAL RATINGS:

Rating

Definition

Successfully perform the required effort.

COST/PRICE EVALUATION

In making the award decision, the total cost/price of a One (1) Year base period and Two (2) successive 1-year option (total of a maximum of 36 months performance) will be considered.

Request for Quotations - Center for Information Technology (CIT) Human Capital Support for Sourcing and Identification of Highly Qualified Job Seekers for Mission-Critical Federal IT Positions Services.”