NCI_CIS_Pre-solicitation_Notice_2.docx

Pre-Solicitation Notice: 75N91024R00007

THIS IS A NOTICE OF INTENT, NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. A SOLICITATION WILL BE ISSUED ON A LATER DATE.

Note: This synopsis follows a Small Business Sources Sought notice that was released on January 5, 2024, under 75N91024R00007.

Title: NCI Cancer Information Service

Background:

The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Contact Center, also known as NCI’s Cancer Information Service (CIS), is a federally funded program that was established in 1975 as an essential part of NCI's cancer education and information efforts. NCI’s Contact Center serves as a critical element of NCI’s communications infrastructure to disseminate evidence-based cancer information and fulfill the NCI’s Congressional mandate to “…provide and contract for a program to disseminate and interpret, on a current basis, for practitioners and other health professionals, scientists and the general public, scientific and other information respecting the cause, prevention and diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.” (National Cancer Act Amendments, 1974)

Purpose and Objectives:

The purpose of this non-R&D acquisition is to continue the activities for NCI’s Contact Center. The Contractor shall operate the NCI’s Contact Center to handle inquiries on behalf of NCI by providing evidence-based cancer education and information to patients, their families and friends, physicians, other health professionals, and the public. The Contractor shall provide information about NCI programs/grants to researchers/investigators and specialists to address first tier questions of the research community. Additionally, the Contractor shall also provide and manage a bilingual (English and Spanish) omni-channel contact center in support of the following scope of work:

· Cancer information and case management along the cancer continuum.

· Clinical trials information, education, recruitment, and case management.

· Nicotine and tobacco cessation counseling, information, and case management.

· Information about NCI and its Divisions, Offices, and Centers (DOCs), programs, priorities, and activities.

Specific tasks to be performed by the Contractor include the following:

Task 1: Customer Experience Create a customer experience designed to meet or exceed the needs and expectations of its customers by meeting quality assurance standards for services access, service quality and customer satisfaction. The Contractor shall also address such topics as customer effort, end-to-end customer experience with NCI products and services, and post-interaction experience and resolution.

Task 2: Provide customer-centric cancer and clinical trials information and other types of cancer research study information.

The Contractor shall provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable cancer information that is easy to understand. Information Specialists shall provide personalized responses to a broad range of questions, including cancer research and clinical trials, including case management for clinical trials, how to find cancer treatment centers, cancer prevention, risk factors, symptoms, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, living with cancer, tissue/ biospecimen donation, and survivorship.

Task 3: Provide nicotine/tobacco information and counseling.

Provide nicotine and tobacco information and resources to users seeking to quit smoking or stay quit, as well as to reduce the burden of nicotine and tobacco products. The Contractor shall provide tailored, customer-centric service. Nicotine and tobacco cessation information inquiries from customers may be highly complex and sensitive in nature.

Task 4: Training Develop, implement, and evaluate training for Contact Center staff. The Government will provide existing NCI-approved initial training modules at the start of the contract. Development of new training modules and updating of existing modules shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

Task 5: Ownership of Data/Materials Create and maintain trainings and other materials used to support the operations of the Contact Center (e.g., knowledge base entries, standard responses, business rules, quality tools, and other standard operating procedures).

Task 6: Pilot Projects Collaborate with NCI Divisions, Offices, and Centers (DOCs) to support NCI-directed pilot projects.

Task 7: Strategic Outreach In consultation with the COR, the Contractor shall work collaboratively to review existing communications plans and develop a working document that outlines strategic outreach opportunities that advance the work of the NCI Contact Center, including engagement strategies and evaluation measures to assess progress.

Task 8: Management Manage personnel, financial, communications, and material resources to ensure that all contract requirements are satisfied, and a high-quality, innovative service is provided to the public. The Contractor shall ensure that program objectives and quality assurance standards are clearly communicated and strictly enforced.

Task 9: Data Collection, Reporting and Analysis Collect data routinely on an ad-hoc basis using only NCI-approved data collection tools and systems and complete Electronic Contact Record Form (ECRF) for each contact at the time of the inquiry.

Task 10: IT and Telecommunications Use systems compatible with Government Provided Information Technology (IT) and communication support. Current systems in use include Microsoft Windows 10 and all security updates, supported browsers (Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and all security updates, Microsoft Office 2010, complete with all security upgrades. Any future upgrades of computers and/or software shall be the Contractor’s responsibility. The Contractor shall use applications, software, and databases specified by the Government.

Task 11: Security Assure the security of any facilities used to conduct the work of the contract and the security of all Government-furnished equipment and systems. The Contractor shall provide a physically secure facility for people, equipment, and documentation. All security requirements apply to the Contractor facility, alternative facility, or any subcontractor facilities.

Task 12: Transition Planning Conduct transition-in plan.

Mandatory Requirements:

The Offeror must provide documentation for the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) who will staff the Contact Center by providing a copy of the certification OCN staff hold from at least one of the following accreditation organizations: OCN®, CPON®, AOCNP® and/or AOCNS® at the time of receipt of the Final Proposal Revision (FPR).

Due to Privacy Act and IT security concerns, the Offeror’s business and staff proposed for this contract must reside within the United States.

Additional Information:

The Government anticipates that one (1) contract will be awarded with an anticipated period of performance, inclusive of options, of May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2030. The NAICS Code is 561422.

The RFP will be available electronically at a later date and may be accessed through www.SAM.gov. WE ENCOURAGE ALL RESPONSIBLE SOURCES, PARTICULARLY SMALL BUSINESSES, TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL, WHICH WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE AGENCY. This notice does not commit the Government to award a contract. No collect calls, facsimile or email transmissions will be accepted. IT IS THE OFFEROR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR THE ABOVE-MENTIONED SITE FOR THE RELEASE OF THE SOLICITATION AND ANY AMENDMENTS.

Primary Point of Contact:

Grace Wang Contract Specialist Nien-tzu.Wang@nih.gov Phone: 240-276-7473

Secondary Point of Contact:

Kari Peterson Contracting Officer & Team Lead Kari.Peterson@nih.gov Phone: 240-276-7480 CIS Pre-solicitation Notice Page 1 of 2