HIV-AIDS_2014_Full_and_Open_(Amendment__5).docx

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Office of Acquisitions National Library of Medicine 6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 105 E Bethesda, MD 20892-5488 QUOTATION RECEIPT DATE: July 15, 2014, no later than 3:00 p.m., (DST) To all Vendors: The purpose of this Amendment is to: (1) change the proposal receipt date from Friday, July 11, 2014 to Tuesday, July 15, 2014; and (2) respond to vendor questions.

VENDOR QUESTIONS

1. What do I need to submit a proposal at this time?

Please refer to Attachment #7 – Checklist for Submission.

2. Should I pay attention to the interested vendor list?

This is a business decision that each organization must make.

3. How do I know if my organization is eligible?

Please refer to Attachment #9. All responsible vendors are eligible to submit a quotation under this solicitation. All responsible small businesses should submit their quotation under RFQ No. NIHLM2014106 (A) Small Business Set-Aside.

4. The RFQ mentions Attachment #13. However, I am unable to locate this attachment.

Attachment 10 was incorrectly cited in the RFQ. Attachment #10 was posted on June 09, 2014 under Amendment #2. Please note, Attachment # 10 is the “Section 508 Evaluation Template.”

5. What are the dates for this award? October 2014 thru September 2015 or September 2014 thru August 2015?

Any award(s) made from this solicitation will have a period of performance of twelve (12) months form the date of award. It is anticipated that any award(s) will be made on or about September 19, 2014.

6. It was not clear from the information in the SOW, if institutions of higher learning fit any of the eligibility criteria to submit a quotation. Can you please tell me which criteria, starting on page 2 of the SOW attachment, if any, we would fall under?

Under the section "Evaluation Factors For Awards", "Mandatory Criteria", the RFQ states that "At least one of the organizations managing the project must be a community-based organization, library or department of public health." Therefore, if the institution of higher learning plans to submit a quotation, one of the above mentioned organizations should be a partner.

7. At one point the RFP states that the narrative description should be no more than 10 pages but at another points throughout the RFQ the narrative is called the statement of work. Just to clarify, the statement of work is the narrative correct?

The "Statement of Work", "Detailed Work Plan,", "Project Description", "Narrative Description" and "Project Narrative" are used synonymously throughout the RFQ. Each term is referring to the information provided under the term "Statement of Work" found in section C.2.b.

8. The summary of general experience, organizational experience, performance history, and pertinent acquisitions should also be included in the 10 page statement of work?

This is a business decision your organization must make. This information can be included in the 10 page Statement of Work or included elsewhere in your quotation submission.

9. Should the entire application less letters of collaboration be 50 pages or less?

In accordance with the RFQ, the Project Description/SOW/Detailed Work Plan shall not exceed 10 pages. The entire quotation shall not exceed 50 pages. Excluded from the page limitations are covers letters and letters from collaborators and consultants.

10. Both the “Full and Open” and “Small Business Set-Aside” RFQs contain language that states: “The small business size standard for this acquisition is $10.0 million.” Is this requirement is a PARTIAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE? Are both RFQ’s restricted to business who have budgets under $10 million?

RFQ No. NIHLM2014106 (A) is a small business set-aside. Only small businesses may submit quotations under this solicitation. RFQ No. NIHLM2014106 (B) is Full and Open. Any responsible organization may submit a quotation under this solicitation.

11. Can you advise us on whether to apply as a Small Business or under the Full & Open Competition? My understanding is that for qualification as a small business we would have to provide corresponding certification. Do we obtain this from our local (City) government or can it be obtained from the national level (sba.gov).

To determine if your business/organization qualifies as a small business, please contact the Small Business Administration at 1-800-827-5722 or visit the following website: http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/contracting/contracting-officials/eligibility-size-standards.

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