Instruction_to_Offerors_Evaluation_Criteria.docx

ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1 - INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

In addition to FAR 52.212-1, “Instructions to Offerors – Commercial Items” and any other instructions contained elsewhere in this solicitation, the following instructions are provided.

The Government intends to award a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract as a result of this solicitation in accordance with FAR Part 8 and FAR Part 12. Award will be made to the quoter whose quote is most advantageous to the Government under the selection criteria set forth in this solicitation. The Government intends to evaluate quotes and award a contract based on initial quotes. Therefore, the quoter’s initial quote should contain the quoter's best terms from a IBM Certification and Price standpoint.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS OF QUOTES:

(1) Quote shall be submitted electronically no later than the due date of the solicitation via the FedBid Portal.

(2) Quoters shall comply will all portal instructions for uploading attachments and inserting CLIN amounts. This includes the following:

i) Uploading the IBM Reseller Certifications, and Price

ii) Insert CLIN dollar amounts Quote shall include the following legend on each page:

Source Selection Information FAR 2.101 and FAR 3.104

QUOTE CONTENT:

The quote should contain the following items in addition to other information required by this solicitation.

The cover page should indicate the following:

· Request for Quote Number

· Name and Address of Quoter, Cage Code, DUNS, and applicable TAX I.D Number (TIN)

· Point of Contact name, telephone number, and email address

· Proposal valid of 120 days following the solicitation closing date

Factor I – GSA Schedule Holder

Quoters shall be authorized GSA Schedule Holders. The quote shall include GSA contract number.

Factor II – IBM Reseller Certification

The quote shall provide proof that it possesses an IBM Authorized Value Added Reseller (VAR) certification.

Include as an attachment to the solicitation. There is no page limitation.

Factor III – Price

The Price Quote shall include the completed solicitation documents. The price quote shall include all elements of price and such other price information considered appropriate to support the quoter’s quote. The pricing information shall be completed in accordance with the following:

(a) All supplemental information to support proposed price, to include but not limited to fully burdened labor rates, and estimated level of effort by labor category

(b) Unless completed in SAM, 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certification – Commercial Items - Completed by the quoter.

The price submission is not page limited, but is strictly limited to price information.

ADDENDUM TO 52.212-2 - EVALUATION--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2014)

The Government intends to award a Firm Fixed Price Contract resulting from this solicitation in accordance with FAR Part 8 and FAR Part 12. Award will be made to that quoter quote is most advantageous to the Government and represents the best value after the evaluation in accordance with the factors in the solicitation. The Government intends to evaluate quotes and award a contract based on initial quotes. Therefore, the quoter’s initial quote should contain the quoter's most favorable terms from a IBM Certification and Price standpoint.

The selection of a quoter for award will be conducted in two phases. Phase I will consist of Factor I – GSA Schedule Holder. Quoters receiving a rating of “Acceptable” in Phase I shall move on to Phase II Factor II – IBM Reseller Certification. Quoters receiving a rating of “Acceptable” in Phase II shall move on to Phase III. Phase III will consist of Factor III – Price.

The selection of a quoter for award will be conducted on a lowest price technically acceptable basis. This will be done by ranking quotes which moved on to Phase III according to price, inclusive of all option pricing. A quoter’s proposed prices will be determined by adding all extended amounts for the CLINS. If the lowest priced quote is evaluated, that quote represents the best value for the Government and the evaluation process stops at this point. Award shall be made to that quoter without further consideration of any other quotes.

Phase I

Factor I – GSA Schedule Holder

Factor I will be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis on its submission a valid GSA contract number. This will be evaluated during Phase I on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis in accordance with the Technical Acceptable/Unacceptable ratings Table 1 below. Failure to submit the required GSA contract number will result in a rating of unacceptable.

Phase II

Factor II – IBM Reseller Certifications

Factor II will be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis on its submission of the proof of possessing its IBM Authorized Value Added Reseller (VAR) certification. This will be evaluated during Phase II on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis in accordance with the Technical Acceptable/Unacceptable ratings Table 1 below. Failure to submit the required certifications will result in a rating of unacceptable.

Phase III

Factor III – Price

Total price will be evaluated taking into the account the total FFP for the base year and option period. Price analysis will be used to evaluate price reasonableness.

The Government may evaluate any and all information submitted by the vendor to support the reasonableness of prices proposed. The method of evaluation used by the Contracting Officer is solely within the discretion of the Contracting Officer.

Option will be evaluated pursuant to solicitation provision FAR 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

A written order in response to the vendor’s quotation will be e-mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful vendor. The Contracting Officer may ask the vendor to provide written acceptance of an order. In other circumstances the vendor may indicate acceptance by proceeding with the services ordered.

Vendors responding to this solicitation are advised that, prior to award, the government may request vendors to submit additional information/data to support price reasonableness such as copies of paid invoices for the same or similar items, sales history for the same or similar items, price list with effective date and/or copies of catalog pages along with any applicable discounts. Failure to submit the requested information may result in disqualification of the submitted quote.

Rating Tables

Technical Acceptable/Unacceptable Ratings Table

These ratings will be used in the evaluation of the Factor I IBM Reseller Certifications.

TABLE I