Attachment 3 prooposalprepinstructions 01-11-2012.doc

Attachment 3

IFB NIHCL2011096R-Linen Replacement

Offer Preparation Instructions

a. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

INTRODUCTION

The following instructions will establish the format and contents of Offers. Special attention is directed to the Fixed Price for technical and business offers to be submitted in accordance with these instructions.

1 Contract Type and General Clauses It is contemplated that a Firm Fixed Price Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract will be awarded. Any resultant contract shall include the clauses applicable to the selected offerors organization and type of contract awarded as required by Public Law, Executive Order, or acquisition regulations in effect at the time of execution of the proposed contract.

2 Authorized Official and Submission of Offers The offer must be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization and must stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of this IFB. Your offer shall be submitted in the number of copies, to the addressees, and marked as indicated in the Attachment entitled, PACKAGING AND DELIVERY OF OFFER. Offers will be typewritten, paginated, reproduced on letter size paper and will be legible in all required copies. To expedite the offer evaluation, all documents required for responding to the IFB should be placed in the following order:

I. COVER PAGE

Include IFB title, number, name of organization, identification of the offer part, and indicate whether the offer is an original or a copy.

II.

TECHNICAL OFFER

It is recommended that the technical offer consist of a cover page, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Technical Offer Instructions.

III.

BUSINESS OFFER

It is recommended that the business offer consist of a cover page, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Business Offer Instructions.

3 Separation of Technical and Business Offers The offer must be prepared in two parts: a "Technical Offer", and a "Business Offer" (maybe contained in one binder with two separate sections). Each of the parts shall be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of, and concurrently with, evaluation of the other. The technical offer may include direct cost and resources information, such as labor-hours and categories and applicable rates, materials, subcontracts, travel, etc., and associated costs so that the offerors understanding of the project may be evaluated, but should not include pricing data relating to individual salary information, indirect cost rates or amounts, fee amounts (if any)., and total costs. The technical offer should disclose your technical approach in as much detail as possible, including, but not limited to, the Fixed Price of the technical offer instructions.

NOTE: THE TECHNICAL OFFER AND OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO HOW THE OFFEROR INTENDS TO CONDUCT THE WORK SCOPE OF THIS IFB SHALL NOT EXCEED 30 SINGLE-SIDED PAGES.

This page limitation does not include the cover sheet, abstract, table of contents, personnel, facilities, equipment and resources, other considerations, schedule, other support, cost information, and literature cited. Pages in excess of the limitation will be deleted and will neither be read nor evaluated. Each page of the technical offer must be numbered sequentially. Offerors are encouraged to limit the overall size of the technical offer, inclusive of appendices

4. Evaluation of Offers The Government will evaluate technical offers in accordance with the criteria set forth in ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-1, EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

5. Potential Award Without Discussions The Government reserves the right to award a contract without discussions if the Contracting Officer determines that the initial prices are fair and reasonable and that discussions are not necessary.

6. Privacy Act The Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-579) requires that a Federal agency advise each individual whom it asks to supply information, the authority which authorizes the IFB, whether disclosure is voluntary or mandatory, the principal purpose or purposes for which the information is intended to be used, the uses outside the agency which may be made of the information, and the effects on the individual, if any, of not providing all or any part of the requested information.

The NIH is requesting the information called for in this IFB pursuant to the authority provided by Sec. 301(a)(7) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, and P.L. 92-218, as amended.

Providing the information requested is entirely voluntary. The collection of this information is for the purpose of conducting an accurate, fair, and adequate review prior to a discussion as to whether to award a contract.

Failure to provide any or all of the requested information may result in a less than adequate review.

In addition, the Privacy Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-579, Section 7) requires that the following information be provided when individuals are requested to disclose their social security number.

Provision of the social security number is voluntary. Social security numbers are requested for the purpose of accurate and efficient identification, referral, review and management of NIH contracting programs. Authority for requesting this information is provided by Section 301 and Title IV of the PHS Act, as amended.

The information provided by you may be routinely disclosed for the following purposes;

a. to the cognizant audit agency and the General Accounting Office for auditing.

b. to the Department of Justice as required for litigation.

c. to respond to congressional inquiries.

d. to qualified experts, not within the definition of Department employees, for opinions as a part of the review process.

7.

Selection of Offerors a) The acceptability of the technical portion of each contract offer will be evaluated by a technical review committee. The committee will evaluate each offer in strict conformity with the evaluation criteria of the IFB. The committee may suggest that the Contracting Officer request clarifying information from an offeror.

b) The business portion of each contract offer will be evaluated for reasonableness of the Offerors firm to supply the Linen required.

c) The selection for award will be done via a reverse auction, of all vendors who are determined to have met the salient requirements set forth in the IFB and have the ability to supply the linens required.

8.

Past Performance Information a) Offerors shall submit the following information as part of their BUSINESS offer.

A list of the last three ( 3) contracts completed during the past three (3) years and ALL CONTRACTS currently being performed that are similar in nature to the IFB work scope. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial concerns. Offerors may also submit past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement when such information is relevant to the instant acquisition. For the purposes of this IFB, a major subcontract is defined as a subcontract that exceeds $500,000.

Include the following information for each contract or subcontract:

1. Name of Contracting Organization

2. Contract Number (for subcontracts, provide the prime contract number and the subcontract number)

3. Contract Type

4. Total Contract Value

5. Description of Requirement

6. Contracting Officer's Name and Telephone Number

7. Program Manager's Name and Telephone Number

8. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code

The offeror may provide information on problems encountered on the identified contracts and the offerors corrective actions.

b) The Government is not required to contact all references provided by the offeror.

9. IFB Provisions Incorporated by Reference, FAR 52.252-1 (Feb 1998) This IFB incorporates one or more IFB provisions 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. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text provision, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a IFB provision may be accessed electronically at this address: http://www.arnetgov/far/.

FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (48 CFR CHAPTER 1):

52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items (June 2008)

b. DETAILED TECHNICAL OFFER INSTRUCTIONS The technical offer should clearly demonstrate the offerors capabilities, knowledge, and corporate capability and experience related to furnish linens as described in the Statement of Work. The technical offer should be in as much detail as is considered necessary to provide straightforward, concise delineation of the approach the offeror will use for accomplishing the work and how the project is to be managed and staffed. Stating that the offeror understands and will comply with the technical specifications is not adequate. Similarly, phrases such as standard procedures will be employed or a well-known technique will be used are also inadequate.

Linen samples are to be included as part of the technical offers.

c. BUSINESS OFFER INSTRUCTIONS

Basic Cost/Price Information The business offer must contain sufficient information to allow the Government to perform a basic analysis of the reasonableness of the Offeror to supply the required linens. This information shall include a current financial statement of the firm responding.

(1) Offer Cover Sheet (if separate from Technical offer) The following information shall be provided on the first page of your pricing offer:

1.

IFB number;

2.

Name and address of Offeror;

3.

Name and telephone number of point of contact;

4.

Name, address, and telephone number of Contract Administration Office, (if available);

5.

The following statement: By submitting this offer, the offeror, if selected for discussions, grants the contracting officer or an authorized representative the right to examine, at any time before award, any of those books, records, documents, or other records directly pertinent to the information requested or submitted.

6.

Date of submission and name and title of authorized representative;

This cover sheet information is for use by offerors to submit information to the Government when cost or pricing data are not required but information to help establish price reasonableness or cost realism is necessary. Such information is not considered cost or pricing data, and shall not be certified in accordance with FAR 15.406-2.

(2) Other Administrative Data

a) Property

(1) It is DHHS policy that Contractors will provide all equipment and facilities necessary for performance of contracts. Exception may be granted to furnish Government property (Government-furnished or Contractor-acquired), but only when approved by the Contracting Officer. If the offeror requests that Government property/facilities be provided other than that specified under the Statement of Work (Attachment No. 1 to the combined synopsis/IFB-NIHCL2011084) , the offer must include a comprehensive justification addressing the following items:

a.

State why the property is essential to contract performance and whether the property will be used exclusively for this contract.

b.

Describe other alternatives (e.g., purchase, lease, etc.) pursued and why they were not viable options.

(2) The management and control of any Government property shall be in accordance with the HHS Publication entitled, A Contractors Guide for Control of Government Property A, which can be found at: http://knownet.hhs.gov/log/AgencyPolicy/HHSLogPolicy/contractorsguide.htm.

(3) Subcontractors If subcontractors are proposed, include a commitment letter from the subcontractor detailing:

a.

Willingness to perform as a subcontractor for specific duties (list duties).

b.

What priority the work will be given and how it will relate to other work.

c.

The amount of time and facilities available to this project d.

A complete cost offer in the same format as the offerors cost offer.

(4) Proposer’s Annual Financial Report A copy of the organization’s most recent annual report must be submitted as part of the business offer.

(5) Representations and Certifications One copy of the Offerors Representations and Certifications, FAR clause 52.212-3, (Aug 2009) shall be completed and be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization. Additionally, a completed copy of the Representations and Certifications shall be submitted from any proposed subcontractor.

01-11-2012