QuestionsAnswers_FINAL.pdf

Portfolio Analysis: NIHOD201800027 Amendment#1: Questions/Answers

1. Is this a new requirement or a re-compete of a previous contract? If this solicitation is a re-compete, can you provide the overall value of the previous award?

This is a re-complete however, the existing contract was for three years. Overall value of the previous award is $6,983,271.00.

CLL – The scope of tasks remains the same but the total level of effort has increased.

2. Is there an anticipated award date?

The target award date for this requirement is September 29, 2018.

3. Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services? If there is an incumbent, could you please provide the contract number?

Yes, there is an incumbent. HHSN263201500015C

4. Will names of incumbent employees be provided?

Yes.

5. Please provide the associated NAICS code for purposes of business size determination.

NAICS Code for this requirement is 541990

6. Please clarify solicitation #. P. 3 indicates NIHOD2018000027. FBO posting states NIHOD201800027. (4 zeroes or 3 zeroes)

The Solicitation Number is NIHOD201800027. It has been revised on the RFP.

7. Does Service Contract Labor Standards apply? The RFP appears to have conflicts regarding its applicability and the labor categories.

Yes.

8. Article B.2., Paragraph b mentioned “The fixed price of this contract”…

However, other statements (Article E.1.d. and Article L.5.) indicate this is a time and materials contract. Please clarify whether this is a firm fixed price or time and materials contract.

This is a time and materials type of contract. the fixed price has been replaced with “total value”.

9. Please clarify if this RFP is for a Small Business Set-Aside. The clause in

(14) and (17) appears in conflict with Article B.1.

The following clause has been included:

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

644).

10. The Key Personnel listed on p. 11 indicates the # of required and additional optional positions. How do these required and optional positions align or reconcile with pages 3-4 that provide labor categories and number of persons in each? Section: Key personnel, Pg.11

The table identified the total number of positions and categories for the total effort. The key personnel section now identifies the number of personnel in each category that are required. Non-key personnel positions are optional.

11. The title, Computational Linguist, is included in this section for Key

Personnel. This title is not included in B.3. (Pricing Schedule with Labor

Categories, number of people and hours). Please clarify that this labor category is to be included. Section: G.2. key personnel, pg.16

The table has been updated to include the correct positions and related labor hours. A Computational Linguist has been added.

12. A position for Computational Linguist is included on p. 12. This position is not shown in B.3. Pricing Schedule/Labor Categories. Please clarify that this labor category is to be included. Section Key personnel, Pg. 12.

The table has been updated to include the correct positions and related labor hours. A Computational Linguist has been added.

13. The SOW includes significant experience and past performance in the specific NIH systems (IN-SPIRE, QVR, RCDC, SPIRES, RePORTER, ExPORTER, etc.), “high understanding” of OPA, etc. These criteria appear restrictive and limiting and potentially likely met by the incumbent and extremely few other vendors. How can other competing vendors demonstrate such capability? Section: Task are 2, 3, 6, Evaluation factors and subfactors#3, Pg. 6,7,8,51.

The RFP has been amended to remove the term “considerable experience” to

“experience” regarding NIH related systems and tools. Additionally, each reference to experience with NIH systems and tools uses the term “such as” which means that the systems and tools referenced are examples of such systems and tools.

There is no specific reference in the RFP to having a high understanding of OPA.

However, OPA’s critical mission requires an understanding of OPA’s Trans-NIH

Portfolio Analysis mission and function. Many of OPA’s functions and services are time critical and are well-known throughout the NIH and scientific communities.

OPA tools such as iCite and iSearch are available for use by non-OPA personnel and are used extensively by NIH ICs. In fact, iCite is publicly available.

NIH Portfolio Analysis tools, whether OPA-developed or not, are extensively used by a variety of NIH federal employees and contract staff across the ICs

(e.g. IN-SPIRE, QVR, RCDC, iSearch), and in addition, public-facing NIH

Portfolio Analysis tools are widely used by NIH staff as well as intramural and extramural scientists (e.g. RePORTER, ExPORTER, iCite).