SOLICITATION_Combined_Synopsis_Mnuscript_Handling.pdf

Manuscript Handling

RFP #NIEHS2015051

NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Solicitation No: NIEHS2015051 Date Issued: November 4, 2015

Due Date: Friday, November 20, 2015 by 1:00 pm edt

Issued by: Christopher Fisher, Contracting Officer

E Mail: christopher.fisher@nih.gov

Telephone: 919-541-0428

Overnight Delivery-FedEx USPS Mail Delivery

NIH/NIEHS/Office of Acquisitions NIH/NIEHS

Attn: Christopher Fisher Attn: Christopher Fisher

Keystone Office Bldg., Rm. 1047 Office of Acquisitions

530 Davis Drive P.O. Box 12874, MD K1-04

Morrisville, NC 27560 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Goods/Services to be purchased:

EHP seeks to update its manuscript submission and tracking system services for five (5) years consisting of a one (1) year base period and four (4) one year option periods via an Firm Fixed Price

(FFP) Contract. The Base Year will cover the estimated period of performance January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016 for Manuscript Handling. Services are to be provided in accordance with the Statement of Work (SOW).

Place of Performance: Offsite

NOTICES:

1. This is a Combined Synopsis/Solicitation.

2. ISSUED AS FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

NAICS Code/size standard: 519130 / 500 Employees

3. Any questions regarding this announcement must be submitted in writing no later than

Monday, November 12, 2015 by 1:00 pm edt to Christopher Fisher via email at christopher.fisher@nih.gov.

mailto:christopher.fisher@nih.gov mailto:christopher.fisher@nih.gov

SECTION I – COMBINED SYNOPSIS & SOLICITATION

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The Solicitation Number is NIEHS2015051. This solicitation document incorporates all mandatory commercial item provisions and clauses that are in effect through Federal

Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-83 dated July 2, 2015.

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION – NAICS Code/SIZE: 519130 / 500 Employees

SECTION II - INSTRUCTIONS

Only written requests for additional information will be accepted. Notification of any changes shall be made only on the FedBizOpps website.

Proposals submitted in response to this notice shall include the Solicitation Number, Company Name and Address, Phone Number, Email Address, DUNS and Tax ID/Employer Identification Numbers, payment terms, and be signed and dated and submitted via one of the addresses listed on Page 1 of this package. Responses will be accepted via e-mail or hard copy. Responses will not be accepted by facsimile.

Vendors not registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database at the time the requirement is to be awarded will not be considered. Vendors may register with SAM by going to the website – www.sam.gov

NOTE: If your company was previously registered in Central Contractor Registration (CCR), you do not need to register in SAM as the information was transferred from CCR to SAM.

FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (NOV 2013) is included by reference (full text is available electronically at http://www.acquisition.gov/far. A completed copy of this provision must be included with response. Offeror shall complete only paragraph (j) of this provision if the offeror has completed the annual representations and certifications electronically at http://orca.bpn.gov. If an offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically at the ORCA website, the offeror shall complete only paragraphs (b) through (i) of this provision.

SECTION III BASIS FOR AWARD

The Government intends to award an order resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose proposal represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the non-price Evaluation

Factors in the solicitation. Evaluation Factors are http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.acquisition.gov/far

Flexibility with manuscript handling system 35%

Robust and timely customer service 30%

Experience with scholarly publishing 25%

Past Performance 10%

See Section V “EVALUATION AND BASIS FOR AWARD” for details

SECTION IV – SUPPLIES, PRICES AND DELIVERY

The Contractor shall furnish and deliver all required personnel, labor, materials, and supplies to prepare, execute, and complete the required Manuscript Handling in accordance with the

Statement of Work (SOW) (page 6) and all other terms and conditions specified herein.

Base Year, covering the period TBD through TBD

Set up Fee, to include Data Migration and any initial training $___________

Annual Fee for up to 1,600 submitted manuscripts $____________

(To be invoiced/paid monthly, 12 months @ $______ per month)

Option to Increase Quantity: the Government may Exercise Option to Increase

The number of submitted manuscripts above 1,600 by up to 200 @ $________

Per submitted manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

(If Option is exercised, this increase will be invoiced/paid over the

Remaining months of the Period of Performance)

Production for up to 350 manuscripts $____________

The number of Production Manuscripts above 350 by up to 100 @ $________ per Production Manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Customer Support for 12 months $____________

Ithenticate plagiarism checking tool with set up $____________

Base Year Total $____________

OPTION PRICING:

IF FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend Term of the Contract is exercised:

Furnish and deliver, as required by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, at the following fixed price(s):

Option Period One (1), covering the period TBD through TBD

Annual Fee for up to 1,700 submitted manuscripts $____________ the number of submitted manuscripts above 1,700 by up to 125 @ $________ per submitted manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Production for up to 350 manuscripts $____________ the number of Production Manuscripts above 350 by up to 125 @ $________ per Production Manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Ithenticate plagiarism checking tool $____________

Data storage, transfer and/or archiving fees $____________

Option Period One Total $____________

Option Period Two (2), covering the period TBD through TBD

Annual Fee for up to 1,780 manuscripts $____________ the number of submitted manuscripts above 1,780 by up to 200 @ $________ per submitted manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Production for up to 375 manuscripts $____________ the number of Production Manuscripts above 375 by up to 125 @ $________ per Production Manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Option Period Two Total $____________

Option Period Three (3), covering the period TBD through TBD

Annual Fee for up to 1,906 manuscripts $____________ the number of submitted manuscripts above 1,906 by up to 150 @ $________ per submitted manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Production for an estimated 400 manuscripts $____________ the number of Production Manuscripts above 400 by up to 125 @ $________ per Production Manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Option Period Three Total $____________

Option Period Four (4), covering the period TBD through TBD

Annual Fee for estimated 2,058 manuscripts $____________ the number of submitted manuscripts above 2,058 by up to 150 @ $________ per submitted manuscript during the Period of Performance $____________

Production for up to 425 manuscripts @ $_____ per manuscript $____________ the number of Production Manuscripts above 425 by up to 125 @ $________ per Production Manuscript during the final Period of Performance $____________

Option Period Four Total $____________

TOTAL BASE & ALL OPTIONS $___________

Statement of Work (SOW)

Manuscript Submission and Tracking System for EHP

Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), a publication of the National Institutes of Health/National

Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH/NIEHS), is a scholarly online-only journal published once a month. Since it is a publication supported by the Federal government, content published in

EHP is completely open access, and is free of any author publication charges or page fees.

The flow of new manuscripts is vital to the life of a journal. Without content, a publication can’t succeed. The manuscript submission and tracking system is the first interface that an author is presented with once they have decided to publish with the journal, so it is critical that they have a positive user experience. Likewise, the journal staff and its contractors must interface with this system on a daily basis to keep work moving between the editorial office, the Associate Editors, Reviewers, and the authors themselves. Any breakdowns or inefficiencies will be felt by a vast number of parties, and could delay the sensitive metric of time to publication.

EHP seeks to update its manuscript submission and tracking system. This document outlines the requirements of the system and the company that will support it.

Technical Requirements

The following technical requirements must be met in order for the system to be considered for use by

EHP:

1. The system must accept manuscripts in both Microsoft Word and TeX (LaTeX, RevTeX, etc., and their associated BibTex and style files) formats and successfully build them into a preview

PDF with other file formats automatically.

2. The system must accept a wide variety of figure file formats, including PDF, TIFF, EPS, BMP, and JPG, and must successfully build them into a preview PDF with the manuscript and other file formats automatically.

3. The system must accept supplemental material uploads from authors: these will include text documents, figures, tables, video, audio, and data sets, among others. There should be no restrictions on the file types that authors can provide. These materials must also be accessible to the Associate Editors and Reviews during the peer review process.

4. Ability for EHP to build custom submission questions and fields for authors, and to make changes to these questions directly without intervention from the provider’s tech support staff.

5. The system must allow EHP to define required metadata fields, both during initial setup of the product and during the normal use of the product, without intervention from the provider’s tech support staff.

6. The system must offer a role-based permissions system for users, so new users can be assigned permissions to perform their job function quickly and easily.

7. The system must log email correspondence sent to the editors, reviews, and authors, including attachments.

8. The system must track all dates associated with the submission, peer review, and acceptance of the paper.

9. The system must provide a mechanism for creating and using email templates for each peer review and production task. These emails must allow for the use of URL links and merge data to automatically pull relevant manuscript metadata (titles, authors, manuscript number, DOI) into the emails.

10. The system must allow user self-service options for updating contact information and resetting passwords.

11. The system must be capable of sending automated reminder messages to authors, editors, associate editors, and reviewers on a schedule that is defined by EHP. Configuration options must allow these reminders to be sent both before and after the assignment is due.

12. A robust administration portal is needed to ensure that EHP can directly modify the workflow, author upload requirements, and various staff interfaces.

13. The system must allow easy assignment of peer review tasks to reviewers and Associate

Editors.

14. The system must contain an integrated Production module to track and administer production tasks after manuscript acceptance.

15. Reviewers and Editors must be able to insert unavailable dates that will restrict the flow of new assignments to them during these times.

16. The system must be capable of exporting manuscript files (Word or TeX documents, figures, supplemental materials, and all associated files) in a Zip bundle, along with XML metadata

(JATS XML must be supported), and transmitting it as a bundle via ftp to an external server.

17. The system must allow EHP to define the production workflow steps, and allow EHP to directly modify those steps as needed. The system must also provide an overview of all manuscripts in production, with relevant dates that each step was completed.

18. The ability to directly upload manuscripts to the iThenticate/CrossCheck system is required.

There must be options for both automatic upload of all content, and manual upload of selected manuscripts only. The resulting “similarity score” must be displayed within the user interface of the system.

19. A system for compiling articles into an issue must be included in the production module.

20. The system must include a People database for allowing users to register and keep basic contact and login information on file. It must also allow for a data transfer from the People database of our current system, ensuring that accounts for current users are transferred to the new system.

21. Custom flags for both manuscripts and people must be supported.

22. The system must be capable of assigning DOIs to all articles, using the preferred format of the publisher.

23. ORCiD integration is required. Authors must be able to key-in and lookup their ORCiD IDs

(and the IDs of their co-authors) from within the submission interface, and users should also be allowed to log into the system using their ORCiD IDs.

24. Ringgold integration is required. Authors must be able to select their institution from the

Ringgold database during submission of their paper.

25. Co-author verification must be supported, whereby co-authors will be prompted by the system via email to confirm that they have acted as an author on the uploaded manuscript.

26. The system must be web-based and hosted by the provider (either directly or via a hosting agreement) – NIEHS will not host this system on our servers. As a web-based system, uptime is critical, so scheduled maintenance periods must be communicated to the government well in advance, and unscheduled maintenance periods must be kept to a minimum.

27. A robust reporting system must be included in the package. The reporting system should offer both “canned” reports and the ability to create ad-hoc reports. Such reports must be run and delivered to users on a schedule.

28. The provider must include an online Help system for users, with documentation on all major features. Help videos should also be accessible online.

Any systems that do not substantively meet these requirements will not be considered for use.

Customer Service

Robust and responsive customer service is essential to the success of any product. Questions and problems always occur, and timely, accurate responses must be provided in those scenarios. A Project

Manager/Customer Support contact must be assigned to the EHP account at all times, and direct phone and email contact information for this individual (and for a backup) must be provided to the government. In the event that our support contact will change, at least two (2) weeks’ notice must be provided to the government.

Timeline and Transition

EHP seeks to launch this system in Fall 2015, providing approximately two months of overlap with our current provider to ensure a seamless transition. The system will be administered by EHP staff and contractors, and initial training will need to be provided to this group. Training materials must include documentation, web-based information, and a set of remote-learning instructional classes.

Sample invoices and billing schedule.

References with contact information for other scholarly/scientific journal customers that are successfully using your system.

SECTION V – EVALUATION AND BASIS FOR AWARD

FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Items (JAN 1999)

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

Flexibility with manuscript handling system: 35%

Can the submission system be customized to EHP’s workflow during setup?

Does the production system meet the need to work with both staff and external contractors? (Ability to traffic files into and out of the system via ftp with XML metadata?)

Can the system customization be changed during the life of the contract without a modification?

What is the process for customizing the system during normal operations (after initial setup)? How quickly does this process move, and what requirements are placed on the customer?

What self-service options exist (if any) for customizing the system? Does this extend to workflow modifications and metadata storage/acquisition, or just to presentation and communication options?

How frequently are updates issued to the system?

How are feature requests handled?

Robust and timely customer service: 30%

What is the process for contacting customer service agents? Will we have multiple contact options (email, phone, help tickets – list all that apply).

Will a single point of contact/account manager (plus backup) be assigned to our account to ensure continuity of service?

What is the expected response time for getting in touch with a customer service agent/account manager?

What is the expected response time for acknowledging a potential problem with the system?

How are reported errors tracked?

How are potential problems communicated to the customer?

What escalation options exist, in the event that first-level support is unable to resolve the problem?

How are program updates and changes communicated to the customer? Are support reps available to deal with questions about these changes, and to provide training if needed? And is there a cost for such training?

To what extent are training materials provided? Is there a cost to access these materials

(including webinars)?

Experience with scholarly publishing: 25%

How many STEM (scientific, technical, engineering, medical) journal customers are currently using the system?

What is the percentage of customers with one journal versus the percentage with multiple journals?

How many years has the company been developing and supporting this software?

Does the platform integrate with other important resources in the journal publishing community (ORCID, FundRed, Ringgold, iThenticate/CrossCheck, etc.)? List all that apply.

How does the company solicit feedback from the larger journals publishing ecosystem?

Past Performance: 10%

Provide past/current performance information for those companies or installations where your firm has recently (during the past three years) provided similar services for the type instruments specified in the SOW. Provide the following information for each reference:

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

Contracting Officer’s Name and Telephone Number

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

Technical and past performance, when combined, are of equal importance to price.

(b) 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).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

SECTION VI – CONTRACT CLAUSES AND PROVISION

1. Period of Performance

a. The period of performance of this contract shall be from

To Be Determined through To Be Determined

b. If the Government exercises its options pursuant to Contract Clauses and Provisions, FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services, the period of performance will be increased as listed below:

Option Option Period

Option Period 1 To Be Determined through To Be Determined

Option Period 2 To Be Determined through To Be Determined

Option Period 3 To Be Determined through To Be Determined

Option Period 4 To Be Determined through To Be Determined

2. FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998)

This contract incorporates one or more clauses 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. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this address:

http://www.acquisition.gov/far.

3. The following clauses are included by reference:

FAR 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform

Employees of Whistleblower Rights (SEPT 2013)

FAR 52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Recycled Paper (MAY 2011)

FAR 52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel (JAN 2011)

FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations & Certifications–Commercial Items (MAR 2015)

FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms & Conditions-Commercial Items (MAY 2015)

FAR 52.223-5 Pollution Prevention and Right-to-Know Information (MAY 2011)

FAR 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or

Transactions Relating to Iran – Representation and Certifications (DEC 2012)

FAR 52.228-5 Insurance-Work on a Government Installation (JAN 1997)

FAR 52.232-39 Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations (JUN 2013)

FAR 52.233-3 Protest after Award (AUG 1996)

FAR 52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004)

FAR 52.237-2 Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, and Vegetation (APR 1984)

FAR 52.246-4 Inspection of Services-Fixed Price (AUG1996)

Addendum to FAR 52.212-4:

1. Stop Work Order, FAR Clause 52.242-15 (August 1989)

(a) The Contracting Officer may, at any time, by written order to the Contractor, require the

Contractor to stop all, or any part, of the work called for by this contract for a period of 90 days after the order is delivered to the Contractor, and for any further period to which the parties may agree. The order shall be specifically identified as a stop-work order issued under this clause. Upon receipt of the order, the Contractor shall immediately comply with its terms and take all reasonable steps to minimize the incurrence of costs allocable to the work covered by the order during the period of work stoppage. Within a period of 90 days after a stop-work is delivered to the Contractor, or within any extension of that period to which the parties shall have agreed, the Contracting Officer shall either—

(1) Cancel the stop-work order; or

(2) Terminate the work covered by the order as provided in the Default, or the Termination for

Convenience of the Government, clause of this contract.

(b) If a stop-work order issued under this clause is canceled or the period of the order or any extension thereof expires, the Contractor shall resume work. The Contracting Officer shall make an equitable adjustment in the delivery schedule or contract price, or both, and the contract shall be modified, in writing, accordingly, if—

(1) The stop-work order results in an increase in the time required for, or in the Contractor’s cost properly allocable to, the performance of any part of this contract; and

(2) The Contractor asserts its right to the adjustment within 30 days after the end of the period of work stoppage; provided, that, if the Contracting Officer decides the facts justify the action, the

Contracting Officer may receive and act upon the claim submitted at any time before final payment under this contract.

(c) If a stop-work order is not canceled and the work covered by the order is terminated for the convenience of the Government, the Contracting Officer shall allow reasonable costs resulting from the stop-work order in arriving at the termination settlement.

(d) If a stop-work order is not canceled and the work covered by the order is terminated for default, the Contracting Officer shall allow, by equitable adjustment or otherwise, reasonable costs resulting from the stop-work order.

(End of clause)

FAR Clause 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS (APRIL

2014)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, and small business size standard. The NAICS code and small business size standard for this acquisition appear in Block 10 of the solicitation cover sheet (SF 1449). However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(b) Submission of Offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers may be submitted on the

SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, offers must show---

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the offeror;

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-

3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and con-dictions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government and returned at the sender's request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions or commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted shall be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, 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 offers or revisions are due.

(2) (i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer 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—

(A) 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 offers; or

(B) 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

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was the only proposal received.

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

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

(4) If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal Government processes so that offers cannot be received at the Government office designated for receipt of offers by the exact time specified in the solicitation, and urgent Government requirements preclude amendment of the solicitation or other notice of an extension of the closing date, the time specified for receipt of offers 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.

(5) Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers. Oral offers in response to oral solicitations may be withdrawn orally. If the solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for receipt of offers, subject to the conditions specified in the solicitation concerning facsimile offers. An offer may be withdrawn in person by an offeror or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for receipt of offers, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the offer.

(g) Contract award (not applicable to Invitation for Bids). The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror's initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting

Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

(h) Multiple awards. The Government may accept any item or group of items of an offer, unless the offeror qualifies the offer by specific limitations. Unless otherwise provided in the

Schedule, offers may not be submitted for quantities less than those specified. The

Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit prices offered, unless the offeror specifies otherwise in the offer.

(i) Availability of requirements documents cited in the solicitation.

(1) (i) The GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions, FPMR Part 101-29, and copies of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained for a fee by submitting a request to--GSA Federal

Supply Service Specifications Section, Suite 8100, 470 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20407, Telephone (202) 619-8925, Facsimile (202) 619-8978.

(ii) If the General Services Administration, Department of Agriculture, or Department of Veterans

Affairs issued this solicitation, a single copy of specifications, standards, and commercial item descriptions cited in this solicitation may be obtained free of charge by submitting a request to the addressee in paragraph (i)(1)(i) of this provision. Additional copies will be issued for a fee.

(2) Most unclassified Defense specifications and standards may be downloaded from the following

ASSIST websites:

(i) ASSIST (https://assist.dla.mil/online/start)

(ii) Quick Search (http://quicksearch.dla.mil.)

(iii) ASSISTdocs.com (http://assistdocs.com)

(3) Documents not available from ASSIST may be ordered from the Department of Defense Single

Stock Point (DoDSSP) by–

(i) Using the ASSIST Shopping Wizard (https://assist.dla.mil/wizard/index.cfm);

(ii) Phoning the DoDSSP Customer Service Desk (215) 697-2179, Mon-Fri, 0730 to 1600 EST; or

(iii) Ordering from DoDSSP, Building 4, Section D, 700 Robbins Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111

5094, Telephone (215) 697-2667/2179, Facsimile (215) 697-1462.

(4) Nongovernment (voluntary) standards must be obtained from the organization responsible for their preparation, publication, or maintenance.

(j) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. (Applies to all offers exceeding $3,000, and offers of $3,000 or less if the solicitation requires the Contractor to be registered in the

System for Award Management (SAM) database. The offeror shall enter, in the block with its name and address on the cover page of its offer, the annotation “DUNS” or “DUNS +4" followed by the DUNS or DUNS+4 number that identifies the offeror's name and address. The

DUNS +4 is the DUNS number plus a 4-character suffix that may be assigned at the discretion of the offeror to establish additional SAM records for identifying alternative Electronic Funds

Transfer (EFT) accounts (see FAR Subpart 32.11) for the same concern. If the offeror does not have a DUNS number, it should contact Dun and Bradstreet directly to obtain one. An offeror within the United States may contact Dun and Bradstreet by calling 1-866-705-5711 or via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. An offeror located outside the United States must contact the local Dun and Bradstreet office for a DUNS number. The offeror should indicate that it is an offeror for a Government contract when contacting the local Dun and Bradstreet office.

(k) System for Award Management. Unless exempted by an addendum to this solicitation, by submission of an offer, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the SAM database prior to award, during performance and through final payment of any contract resulting from this solicitation. If the Offeror does not become registered in the SAM database in the time prescribed by the Contracting Officer, the

Contracting Officer will proceed to award to the next otherwise successful registered Offeror.

Offerors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the

SAM database accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423 or

269-961-5757.

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

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

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

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

(4) A summary of the rationale for award;

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

(6) 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.

FAR Clause 52.212-5:CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO

IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR EXECUTIVE ORDERS—COMMERCIAL

ITEMS (MAY 2015)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or

Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items:

(1) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Dec 2014).

(2) 52.233-3, Protest after Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553).

(3) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Public Laws 108-77 and

108-78 (19 U.S.C. 3805 note)).

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the

Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items: [Contracting Officer check as appropriate.] x (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (SEP 2006), with

Alternate I (OCT 1995) (41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 2402).

__ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (APR 2010) (41

U.S.C. 3509).

__ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections Under the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (JUN 2010) (Section 1553 of Pub.L. 111-5). (Applies to contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009).

x (4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards

(JUL 2013) (Pub.L. 109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (5) [Reserved]

__ (6) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (JAN 2014) (Pub. L. 111-

117, section 743 of Div. C).

__ (7) 52.204-15, Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery

Contracts (JAN 2014) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C).

x (8) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with

Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (AUG 2013)

(31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (9) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility

Matters (JUL 2013) (41 U.S.C. 2313).

__ (10) [Reserved]

__ (11) (i) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (NOV 2011)

(15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (ii) Alternate I (NOV 2011) of 52.219-3

__ (12) (i) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business

Concerns (JAN 2011) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer) (15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (ii) Alternate I (JAN 2011) of 52.219-4

__ (13) [Reserved]

__ (14) (i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (NOV 2011) (15 U.S.C.

644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (NOV 2011).

__ (iii) Alternate II (NOV 2011).

__ (15) (i) 52.219-7, Notice of Partial Small Business Set-Aside (JUNE 2003) (15

U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (OCT 1995) of 52.219-7.

__ (iii) Alternate II (MAR 2004) of 52.219-7.

x (16) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (OCT 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637 (d)

(2) and (3).

__ (17) (i) 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (OCT 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)

(4)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (OCT 2001) of 52.219-9.

__ (iii) Alternate II (OCT 2001) of 52.219-9.

__ (iv) Alternate III (OCT 2014) of 52.219-9.

__ (18) 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (NOV 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644(r)).

__ (19) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (NOV 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(a) (14)).

__ (20) 52.219-16, Liquidated Damages–Subcontracting Plan (JAN 1999) (15U.S.C.

637(d) (4) (F) (i)}.

__ (21) 52.219-27, Notice of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside

(NOV 2011) (15 U.S.C 657f).

x (22) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (JUL 2013) (15

U.S.C. 632(a) (2)).

__ (23) 52.219-29 Notice of Set-Aside for Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned

Small Business (EDWOSB) Concerns (JUL 2013) (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (24) 52.219-30 Notice of Set-Aside for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)

Concerns Eligible Under the WOSB Program (JUL 2013) (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

x (25) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (JUNE 2003) (E.O. 11755).

x (26) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (JAN 2014)

(E.O. 13126).

x (27) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015).

x (28) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (APR 2015) (E.O. 11246).

x (29) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (JUL 2014) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

x (30) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUL 2014) (29

U.S.C. 793).

x (31) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (JUL 2014) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

x (32) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations

Act (DEC 2010) (E.O. 13496)

__ (33) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (AUG 2013). (Executive Order

12989). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items or certain other types of commercial items as prescribed in 22.1803.)

x (34) (i) 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (MAR 2015) (22 U.S.C. chapter

78 and E.O. 13627).

___ (ii) Alternate I (MAR 2015) of 52.222-50 (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O.

13627).

__ (35) (i) 52.223-9, Estimate of Percentage of Recovered Material Content for EPA-

Designated Items (MAY 2008) (42 U.S.C. 6962(c) (3) (A) (ii)). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items.)

__ (ii) Alternate I (MAY 2008) of 52.223-9 (42 U.S.C. 6962(i) (2) (C)). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items.)

__ (36) (i) 52.223-13, Acquisition of EPEAT® -Registered Imaging Equipment (JUN 2014)

(E.O. 13423 and 13514)

___ (ii) Alternate I (JUN 2014) of 52.223-13.

__ (37) (i) 52.223-14, Acquisition of EPEAT® -Registered Televisions (JUN 2014) (E.O.s 13423 and

13514).

___ (ii) Alternate I (JUN 2014) of 52.223-14.

__ (38) 52.223-15, Energy Efficiency in Energy-Consuming Products (DEC 2007) (42 U.S.C.

8259b).

__ (39) (i) 52.223-16, Acquisition of EPEAT® -Registered Personal Computer Products (JUN

2014)

(E.O. 13423 and 13514).

___ (ii) Alternate I (JUN 2014) of 52.223-16.

x (40) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving

(AUG

2011)(E.O. 13513).

x (41) 52.225-1, Buy American --Supplies (MAY 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 83).

__ (42) (i) 52.225-3, Buy American--Free Trade Agreements--Israeli Trade Act (MAY

2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 83, 19 U.S.C. 3301 note, 19 U.S.C. 2112 note, 19 U.S.C. 3805 note, 19 U.S.C. 4001 note, Pub. L. 103-182, Pub. L. 108-77, 108-78, 108-286, 108-302 109-53, 109-

169, 109-283, 110-138, Pub. L.112-41, 112-42 and 112-43).

__ (ii) Alternate I (MAY 2014) of 52.225-3.

__ (iii) Alternate II (MAY 2014) of 52.225-3.

__ (iv) Alternate III (MAY 2014) of 52.225-3.

__ (43) 52.225-5, Trade Agreements (NOV 2013) (19 U.S.C. 2501, et seq., 19 U.S.C.

3301 note).

x (44) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (JUN 2008) (E.O.’s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the

Department of the Treasury).

__ (45) 52.225-26, Contractors Performing Private Security Functions Outside the United

States (Jul 2013) (Section 862, as amended, of the National Defense Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 2008; 10 U.S.C. 2302 Note.)

__ (46) 52.226-4, Notice of Disaster or Emergency Area Set-Aside (Nov 2007) (42

U.S.C. 5150).

__ (47) 52.226-5, Restrictions on Subcontracting Outside Disaster or Emergency Area

(Nov 2007) (42 U.S.C. 5150).

__ (48) 52.232-29, Terms for Financing of Purchases of Commercial Items (FEB 2002)

(41 U.S.C. 4505, 10 U.S.C. 2307(f)).

__ (49) 52.232-30, Installment Payments for Commercial Items (OCT 1995) (41 U.S.C.

4505, 10 U.S.C. 2307(f)).

x (50) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—System for Award

Management (JUL 2013) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

__ (51) 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer--Other than System for Award

Management (JUL 2013) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

__ (52) 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party (MAY 2014) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

__ (53) 52.239-1, Privacy or Security Safeguards (AUG 1996) (5 U.S.C. 552a).

__ (ii) Alternate I (DEC 2007) of 52.223-16.

__ (54) (i) 52.247-64, Preference for Privately Owned U.S.-Flag Commercial Vessels

(FEB 2006) (46 U.S.C. Appx 1241(b) and 10 U.S.C. 2631).

__ (ii) Alternate I (APR 2003) of 52.247-64.

(c) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (c), applicable to commercial services, that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items: [Contracting Officer check as appropriate.]

__ (1) 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (MAY 2014) (E.O.13495).

__ (2) 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards (May 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

__ (3) 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (MAY 2014) (29

U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

__ (4) 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards--Price

Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (MAY 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C.

chapter 67).

__ (5) 52.222-44, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Labor Standards--Price

Adjustment (MAY 2014) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

__(6) 52.222-51, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment--Requirements (MAY 2014) (41

U.S.C. chapter 67).

__ (7) 52.222-53, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services--Requirements (MAY 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67)

__ (8) 52.222-55, Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 (DEC 2014)

(Executive Order 13658).

__ (9) 52.226-6, Promoting Excess Food Donation to Nonprofit Organizations. (MAY 2014)

(42 U.S.C. 1792).

__ (10) 52.237-11, Accepting and Dispensing of $1 Coin (SEP 2008) (31 U.S.C. 5112(p)

(1)).

(d) Comptroller General Examination of Record. The Contractor shall comply with the provisions of this paragraph (d) if this contract was awarded using other than sealed bid, is in excess of the simplified acquisition thresh¬old, and does not contain the clause at 52.215-2, Audit and Records-Negotiation.

(1) The Comptroller General of the United States, or an authorized representative of the

Comptroller General, shall have access to and right to examine any of the Contractor's directly pertinent records involving transactions related to this contract.

(2) The Contractor shall make available at its offices at all reasonable times the records, materials, and other evidence for examination, audit, or reproduction, until 3 years after final payment under this contract or for any shorter period specified in FAR Subpart 4.7, Contractor Records

Retention, of the other clauses of this contract. If this contract is completely or partially terminated, the records relating to the work terminated shall be made available for 3 years after any resulting final termination settlement. Records relating to appeals under the disputes clause or to litigation or the settlement of claims arising under or relating to this contract shall be made available until such appeals, litigation, or claims are finally resolved.

(3) As used in this clause, records include books, documents, accounting procedures and practices, and other data, regardless of type and regardless of form. This does not require the Contractor to create or maintain any record that the Contractor does not maintain in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to a provision of law.

(e) (1) Notwithstanding the requirements of the clauses in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this clause, the Contractor is not required to flow down any FAR clause, other than those in this paragraph (e)(i) in a subcontract for commercial items. Unless otherwise indicated below, the extent of the flow down shall be as required by the clause—

(i) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (APR 2010) (41 U.S.C. 3509).

(ii) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (OCT 2014) (15 U.S.C. 637(d) (2) and (3)), in all subcontracts that offer further subcontracting opportunities. If the subcontract (except subcontracts to small business concerns) exceeds $650,000 ($1.5 million for construction of any public facility), the subcontractor must include 52.219-8 in lower tier subcontracts that offer subcontracting opportunities.

(iii) 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (MAY 2014) (E.O.13495). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (l) of FAR clause 52.222-17.

(iv) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (APR 2015)

(v) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (APR 2015) (E.O. 11246).

(vi) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (JUL 2014) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

(vii) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (JUL 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793).

(viii) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (JUL 2014) (38.U.S.C. 4212)

(ix) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (DEC

2010) (E.O. 13496). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (f) of FAR clause 52.222-40.

(x) 52.222-41, Service Contract Labor Standards, (MAY 2014), (41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

(xi) (A) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (MAR 2015) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O.

13627).

__ (B) Alternate I (MAR 2015) of 52.222-50 (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627).

(xii) 52.222-51, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment--Requirements (MAY

2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

(xiii) 52.222-53, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services--Requirements (MAY 2014) (41 U.S.C. chapter 67).

(xiv) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility…