DIS_Tax_Contract_Technical_Evaluation_Criteria_FY2017.docx

Division of International Services Tax Services Contract Technical Evaluation Criteria Adjectival Rating

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

Adjectival Rating

GENERAL

The major evaluation factors for this solicitation include technical (which encompasses experience, technical approach, corporate and human resources, quality control and past performance factors) and cost/price factors. Although technical factors are of paramount consideration in the award of the contract, cost/price is also important to the overall contract award decision. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. In any case, the Government reserves the right to make award(s) to that offeror whose proposal provides the best overall value to the Government.

Offerors are advised that award will be made to that offeror whose proposal provides the combination of features that offers the best or greatest overall value to the Government. The Government is more concerned with obtaining performance capability superiority rather than lowest overall cost. However, the Government will not make an award at a significantly higher overall cost to the Government to achieve only slightly superior performance. Overall cost to the Government may become the ultimate factor for award of a contract as proposals become more equal based on other factors.

The evaluation will be based on the demonstrated capabilities of the prospective Contractors in relation to the needs of the project as set forth in the RFP. The merits of each proposal will be evaluated carefully. Each proposal must document the feasibility of successful implementation of requirements of the RFP. Offerors must submit information sufficient to evaluate their proposals based on the detailed criteria below.

MANDATORY CRITERIA

Below are mandatory criteria that will have to be met prior to award of the contract:

1) Contractor must demonstrate thorough and current knowledge and experience of the following tax concepts:

· Tax issues as they concern foreign individuals in immigration classifications including (but not limited to) J-1 Exchange Visitor,F-1 Student, H- 1B Temporary Worker, O-1 Alien of Extraordinary Ability, TN (Trade NAFTA) status holders, as well as B-1 and WB Visitors for Business.

· IRS forms including the W-2, 1040NR, 1042-S, 1099, 2106, 3903, 8843, and W-8 BEN.

· The IRS Substantial Presence Test

· World-wide income

· Part-year resident taxation

· Tax treaties and be able to correctly determine the eligibility/ineligibility of foreign individuals at NIH for those treaties based on sources of funding.

· MD forms 502 and 502D, the DC form D-40ES, and the VA form 760ES Domestic tax regulations are complicated; nonresident tax regulations are equally complicated, but completely different.

2) Experience presenting to foreign scientists on nonresident tax matters and tax treaties in a manner that simplifies complicated topics while maintaining accuracy. Prior experience working with federal government agencies, research institutions or universities with a sizable foreign scientist population is also advantageous.

3) Experience creating written guidance to foreign clients in a simple, clear and organized manner.

Ability to properly distinguish between nonresidents for tax purposes and non-immigrants for immigration purposes and understand how the two interact.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

The criteria below are listed in the relative order of importance.

1. Key Personnel and Personnel Management Primary/Lead contractor selected must have staff with at least 5 years of experience with nonresident taxation either at a university or research organization, private nonresident tax. Proof of this experience must be shown upon request. C.V. of personnel assigned to be provided with this solicitation. This proof may include, but is not limited to: redacted 1040NR or 1040NR EZ forms, signed by the professional preparer, printed or online programs announcing the professional nonresident tax presentation to audiences, sample printed or online instructions or handbook to clients.

If the selected contractor has additional staff working on the contract, each individual must have demonstrated nonresident tax expertise, professional presentation experience, and must be well-versed with nonresident tax software programs.

2. Transition Plan The current Nonresident Tax Contract ends on 10/31/2016 and we would like the new contract to begin on 11/1/2016*. The first task (due no later than November 30, 2016) would be to begin the first of 12 monthly “Tax Seminars” to about 20-30 foreign scientists who are new to the U.S. and/or NIH. The second task (due no later than November 30, 2016) would be to develop the “Tax Handbook,” which is a reference to the U.S. and State Tax Systems, posted on the DIS Intranet. By the end of January 2017, the contractor should provide the “Tax Preparation Guide” to DIS for the intranet website. Between March and mid-April 2017, the contractor is to provide “Tax Preparation Workshops” to the NIH foreign community. Throughout the year, the contractor shall provide guidance on complicated tax matters to DIS staff and brief the DIS staff about changes or highlights in nonresident tax issues on at least an annual basis. *Estimated date, possible to change.

3. Corporate Experience and Capabilities Contractors must demonstrate experience in working with foreign salaried employees, foreign contractors and grant recipients.

Experience presenting to foreign scientists on nonresident tax matters and tax treaties in a manner that simplifies complicated topics while maintaining accuracy.

Nonresident tax software capability with the contract is preferred.

4. General Technical Approach Ability to provide written guidance to foreign clients in a simple, clear and organized manner.

Ability to properly distinguish between nonresidents for tax purposes and non-immigrants for immigration purposes and understand how the two interact.

5. Quality Assurance

Contractor must demonstrate how they will evaluate the adequacy and quality of their performance.

Qualified contract staff must have sufficient time during tax season to address nonresident and tax treaty questions within 5 business days of receipt.

ADJECTIVAL RATING

The Government will evaluate the Technical Proposal using the following adjectival rating.

PAST PERFORMANCE

The Past Performance Factor evaluation will assess the relevance and breadth of the Offeror’s experience and the quality of the Offeror’s past performance. The Government is seeking to determine whether the Offeror has experience that will enhance its technical capability to perform and whether the Offeror consistently delivers quality services in a timely and cost effective manner. In evaluating past performance, HHS/NIH will only take into consideration the relevant experience and past performance assessments from the Offeror's customers. However, the HHS/NIH reserves the right to use other relevant past performance information it obtains through other sources including other agency databases.

Relevance of Experience: The Offeror’s experience will be evaluated on the degree of relevance to the requirement on the basis of similarity in size, scope, complexity, technical difficulty, contract type, and period of performance. Only recent experience will be evaluated. Evaluations may include interviews with previous clients of the prime contractor and subcontractors and may include interviews with previous clients of proposed personnel. The Offeror’s experience with and knowledge of issues and problems of large organizations will be evaluated.

Past Performance Assessments: The Offeror’s past performance will be evaluated on the basis of information contained in the Offeror's proposal and the information that the Government obtains through other means. The past performance evaluation will assess the Offeror’s record of providing high quality services of a similar nature in a manner that ensures maximum accuracy, throughput, cost effectiveness and overall client satisfaction.

If some of the Offeror’s experience is relevant and the rest is not, only the relevant experience will be evaluated for purposes of past performance. If no experience is relevant or the experience that is relevant cannot be evaluated due to a reference’s failure to respond, a rating of neutral will be assigned for past performance as defined below.

The Government will evaluate the Past Performance Factor using the following adjectival ratings.

COST/PRICE FACTORS

Offeror(s) cost/price proposal will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404. The Offeror shall submit firm fixed prices for all items listed in Section B (including options).

EVALUATION OF OPTIONS

It is anticipated that any contract awarded from this solicitation will contain option provision(s) and periods(s) In accordance with FAR clause 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options, (July 1990) the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by addition the total price for all options to the total price of the basic requirement, except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government’s best interests. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s)

SELECTION FOR AWARD

Offeror should be aware that the Government shall perform a “best value analysis”, using the trade-off process. The selection for award shall be made to the Offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Government, taking into consideration the technical factors listed above and the total proposed price across all contract periods.

NIH/OD/OLAO/OA 6 of 5