AMENDMENT 0001 - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.pdf

Amendment 0001 – Request for Information

The purpose of this amendment includes the following:

1. Extend the response deadline to Friday, January 6, 2023 at 1:00 PM CST.

2. There are no further changes to this Request for Information.

The Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO), Eastern Acquisition Division (EAD) is conducting market research to gain information and determine potential sources capable of providing Marine Debris Removal Services relevant to the requirement needs described herein for the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP). More information on the MDP can be found at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/. This information is sought for planning purposes only.

No solicitation document exists at this time. Issuance of this Request for Information (RFI) does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure these items or services or to issue a solicitation. In addition, the Government is under no obligation to pay for information submitted in response to this RFI, and responses to this Notice cannot be accepted as offers. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such. The intent of this announcement and the information provided in response to this RFI will assist the Government with further defining the requirement and in identifying potential sources, including small businesses and socio-economic sources, capable and qualified to fulfill the requirements identified in this announcement.

The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 562119, “Other Waste Collection.” The small business size standard for this NAICS code is $41,500,000. Size standards define the largest size a business can be to participate in government contracting programs and compete for contracts reserved or set aside for small businesses. Size standards vary by industry and are generally based on the number of employees or the amount of annual receipts the business has. Annual receipts: This is the “total income” (or “gross income”) plus the “cost of goods sold.” These numbers can normally be found on the business’s IRS tax return forms. Receipts are averaged over a business’s latest three complete fiscal years or (except in the Business Loan and Disaster Loan Programs) five complete fiscal years to determine the average annual receipts. If a business hasn’t been in business for five years, multiply its average weekly revenue by 52 to determine its average annual receipts. Please visit www.sba.gov for more information, if needed.

The Government anticipates issuing any resulting contract action (most likely a Blanket Purchase Agreement – BPA or an Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity – IDIQ) with a two-year base period plus three, one-year option periods. Based on results of the RFI, the Government anticipates awarding in FY 2023 (no later than September 2023). The nature of the work pertains to coordinating and executing the rapid removal of marine debris targets in coastal areas on an as-needed basis, and as identified by the MDP, allowing the agency to provide reliable funding and support to such areas as quickly as possible.

For informational purposes, a DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS) is attached to assist in gaining a more in-depth understanding of the overall needs. Firms, who believe they have the capabilities to provide the requirement services stated herein, must furnish detailed information concerning their capabilities and address requested information. Submitted Capability Statements of no more than 20 pages to include the cover page shall include the following:

(1) Company name, address, and website (if applicable)

(2) Unique Entity ID

(3) CAGE Code

(4) Company’s size in relation to NAICS Code 562119 (e.g., large business, small business, 8(a), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and/or women owned small business), as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

(5) Company point of contact - name, title, phone number, and email address

(6) Clear demonstration of capabilities with providing the required services outlined in the DRAFT PWS.

(7) Description and list of the company’s previous experience (including experience working with the Government) providing the services described in this RFI.

(8) Please answer the below:

Is the company interested in subcontracting portions of the requirement? If so, what is the anticipated percentage of work that would need to be subcontracted out? What key elements would likely be subcontracted?

Please provide the company’s service/coverage area and/or satellite office locations with those corresponding service/coverage areas.

How long does the company take to deploy to areas outside of its base location from the time of a debris removal request?

If the company does not deploy itself, does it have other marine debris contacts in place to perform removals quickly?

What barriers are there to being able to respond rapidly throughout the coastal states, territories, and Great Lakes?

Please provide the appropriate licensing and registrations needed related to removing debris from sensitive areas.

A firm-fixed-price contract provides for a price that is not subject to any adjustment on the basis of the contractor’s cost experience in performing the contract. Can these services feasibly be issued under a firm-fixed-price structure? What further information would need to be provided from the Government to estimate accurately the extent or duration of the work or to anticipate costs with any reasonable degree of confidence before awarding the contract?

(9) Published pricing, if available

(10) Relevant information not specifically mentioned above that your company believes is beneficial to the Government to consider to finalize its market research and acquisition strategy.

Standard brochures will not be considered a sufficient response to this notice. Interested sources shall submit an electronic copy of their Capability Statement to Kortney Carter, Contract Specialist, via email at kortney.carter@noaa.gov, and Kevin Buum, Contracting Officer, via email at kevin.j.buum@noaa.gov, no later than 1:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST), Friday, January 6, 2023. The electronic copy of your response must be in .pdf format and readable by Adobe. No phone calls will be accepted. Any questions for this RFI shall be directed to Mrs. Carter via the email address provided no later than 1:00 PM CST, Tuesday, December 13, 2022. The Government will provide responses to questions submitted before that date and time and will post them to the RFI as an amendment. No feedback will be provided regarding individual Capability Statements. Information received will be considered solely to make informed decisions regarding a potential procurement. Responses to the RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by NOAA to form a binding contract. No reimbursement for costs will be made associated with providing information in response to this announcement or follow-up information requests, if applicable. This RFI is serving as market research. If interested vendors decide not to respond to this RFI, it will not preclude them from submitting a response for any subsequent competitive NOAA solicitation.