Updated Small Business Sources Sought Notice APIS FINAL VERSION 12-2011.pdf

NIAAA – Small Business Sources Sought Notice (APIS) Page 1

NIAAA-12-04

Notice Type: Small Business Sources Sought Notice

Agency: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

“This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. There is no solicitation available at this time.

The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding : (1) the availability and capability of all qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses;

HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses;

or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification according to the

North American Industry Classification System, (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable

NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.”

Background: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is seeking capability statements from small business organizations (NAICS 519130; small business size standard is 500 employees) with experience in publishing reliable information on a publicly accessible web site about public policies relating to alcohol consumption and related behaviors, specifically laws and regulations addressing various aspects of alcohol beverage production, packaging, transportation, marketing, taxations, sales, and consumption. Many of these policies are established by governments at all levels (Federal, State, County and Municipal).

One contract is envisioned which will provide the continued operation of the Alcohol

Policy Information System (APIS).

The APIS web site (http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov) is an online resource that provides public access to detailed information on a wide variety of alcohol-related public policies. Intended primarily as a tool for researchers, APIS features compilations and tabulations of alcohol-related statutes and regulations. APIS is designed to simplify the process of ascertaining the status of the law for researchers who wish to study the effects and effectiveness of alcohol-relate policies.

APIS inaugurated its public web site in June 2003. Since that time it has been updated on a continuous basis to add new policy topics, update information on policy topics previously covered, add new features and capabilities, and clarify or correct previously http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/

NIAAA – Small Business Sources Sought Notice (APIS) Page 2 published information. Additional information about alcohol-related public polices is available through the links on the APIS Homepage. (http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov).

APIS contributes to the mission of the NIAAA by publishing data on line that supports research to (1) assess the effects of alcohol-related policies, both individually and in combination, on a wide variety of important health, social, and economic outcomes, and

(2) identify and evaluate factors that enhance or inhibit the effectiveness of these polices.

Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of the APIS project is to continue the publication on the APIS web site of accurate, authoritative, detailed, and comparable information on alcohol-related public polices at both the State and Federal level.

Project requirements include:

1. Identifying and acquiring accurate and detailed information on alcohol-related policies adopted at the Federal and State levels through appropriate electronic resources;

2. Describing alcohol-related policies at several levels of detail, including descriptive overviews and detailed characterizations of specific policy provisions, (including the specific dates on which such provisions became or ceased to be effective);

3. Storing the policy information, including all related description, keywords, indicators, and variables in an electronic system that permits on-line search and retrieval of policy information by a variety of flexible criteria;

4. Operation and maintaining the APIS web site; and,

5. Implementing and employing rigorous quality assurance procedures to ensure the utility, reliability and integrity of the system and its various components.

Anticipated period of performance: A Cost Reimbursement type contract (i.e. CPFF, CPIF, CPAF, CR) contract is being contemplated for these services, with a base year and four option years. The anticipated period of performance is January 31, 2013 through December 31, 2017.

Information Requested: Information submitted should be relevant and specifically addressed to each of the following qualifications:

1. Experience: An outline of previous work specific to the requirements and tasks listed above;

2. Personnel: Name, professional qualifications and specific experience of scientist and/or technical personnel who may be assigned as principal investigator and other key positions; and http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/

NIAAA – Small Business Sources Sought Notice (APIS) Page 3

3. Facilities: Availability and description of facilities and equipment required to conduct the analyses.

4. Other: Any other specific and relevant information that would improve the

Government’s consideration and evaluation of the information presented is desirable.

The Capability Statements must demonstrate the ability to:

1. Locate all relevant State laws and regulations bearing on any of the existing

APIS policy topics and to correctly classify the principal features of these laws and policies, which will vary across time.

2. Understand public health research on the effects of alcohol policies on public health outcomes. This includes the ability to recognize which policy measures are likely to have a measurable impact on alcohol related harms and to identify policy areas where further study has the potential to advance existing public health knowledge.

3. Annually review the laws and regulations in all fifty States to identify any changes that may have occurred in the past year with regard to any of the existing APIS policy topics. Ability to interpret and categorize any such changes in a way that is consistent across States and across time.

4. Evaluate proposed new policy topics for inclusion in the APIS system based on:

public health significance, on-going legislative activity, availability of policy outcome data, and feasibility and manageability of the legal research required.

5. Document coding decisions and rules so as to ensure reliable coding among legal researchers and consistent coding across States and across years.

6. Establish a quality control process that minimizes and immediately corrects any errors in the legal information portrayed on a legal information website.

7. Administer and coordinate interrelated tasks in an effective and timely manner.

Past Performance Information: Documentation should include, but not be limited to, a minimum of two contracts (performed for both Government and commercial organizations) references which shall include for each contract: names, titles, contract number, price or cost, the Statement of Work, telephone numbers of Project and

Contracting Officers, and any other information serving to document the organization’s capability to perform the five project requirements.

Information submission instructions: The offeror shall provide three (3) written copies to this notice. Responses shall include the organization’s name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant according to the North American Industrial

Classification Code (NAICS) and must address all the technical information requested.

NIAAA – Small Business Sources Sought Notice (APIS) Page 4

The page limit is 50 pages a font size 10 or larger. Responses will assist the

Government in selecting the appropriate acquisition mechanism.

Additionally, the response must provide answers to the following questions:

1. Is your organization a small business under NAICS code 519130?

2. Does your firm qualify as a small disadvantaged small business?

3. If disadvantaged, is your firm certified under section 8(a) of the Small Business

Act?

4. Are you a certified HUB Zone firm?

5. Are you a woman-owned or operated business?

6. Are you a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned or Veteran Owned business?

This notice is for information and planning purposes only and does not commit the

Government to any contractual agreement. This is not a Request for Proposals. The

Government DOES NOT intend to award a contract based on responses under this announcement. Interested parties shall not be reimbursed for costs associated with preparation of their responses. Any proprietary information should be so marked.

Interested organizations presenting a Capability Statement in response to this Small

Business Sources Sought Synopsis must identify their size status. Please submit written

Capability Statements directly to the NIAAA Contracting Officer on or before January

24, 2012, by 3:00 PM, local time.

Point of Contact: Gwennifer Epps, Contracting Officer, Phone: 301-443-4789; Fax:

301-443-3891; Email: ge50d@nih.gov. Address: 5635 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD.

20852 mailto:ge50d@nih.gov