Request for Information_Transcription Services Final.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION/MARKET SURVEY REQUEST

for Combat and Operational Interview Transcript Contract

DESCRIPTION OF INTENT:

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI), A MARKET SURVEY REQUEST IN SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING SURVEY. THIS REQUEST IS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES, AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT, INVITATION FOR BIDS, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS/QUOTES OR AN INDICATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTRACT FOR THE ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS NOTICE. INTERESTED CAPABLE VENDORS ARE INVITED TO PROVIDE RESPONSES. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT REIMBURSE RESPONDENTS FOR ANY COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUBMISSSION OF THE INFORMATION BEING REQUESTED OR REIMBURSE EXPENSES INCURRED TO THE INTERESTED PARTIES FOR REPONSES.

Additionally, your response will be treated only as information for the Government to consider. As previously stated respondents will not be entitled to payment for direct or indirect costs associated with providing information in response to this RFI/market survey and any follow-up information requests. Furthermore, this request does not constitute a solicitation for proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract.

TOPIC:

The US Army Center of Military History (CMH) has and continues to obtain interviews conducted by Army historians deployed to combat zones and at US Army home stations to support its Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) historical research and publications programs. Additionally, CMH has and continue to obtain interviews to support the Center’s Contingency and Cold War histories and other historical projects. These existing and future interviews are required to be transcribed per Army Regulation 870-5 in order for them to become permanent historical record.

It is critical to identify a wide variety of small businesses with the capability to do large amounts of interview transcripts of both classified and unclassified interviews and their transcription rates. The intent of the RFI/market survey is to identify potential sources of services.

MARKET SURVEY RESPONSE AND QUESTIONS:

Each response is requested to include:

1. Part I. Business Information:

a. Company Name:

b. Type and Size of Business:

c. Manufacturer:

d. CAGE Code:

e. Company Point of Contact:

i. Name:

ii. Title:

iii. Telephone:

iv. Email address:

f. Business Address:

g. Web page URL:

2. Part II. Respond to the following:

1. Do you charge by the typed page, a minute of audio, X number of minute increments, or per hour of audio?

2. How many interviews can you take in a single task order?

3. Do you currently have the facilities to store classified materials that meets standards put forth in DOD 5220.22, Industrial Security Program, for the protection of classified information and transcribers with security clearances that can transcribe classified interviews up to and including SECRET? Do you have a facility clearance? We are seeking transcribers who will be ready to receive and transcribe classified interviews on the first day of the contract. (Note that the work on the classified interviews will have to be done at your own facility. No government facilities or equipment will be provided to the contractor.)

4. Can you transcribe from both standard audio cassette and audio sound files?

5. What are the audio formats you can transcribe from, i.e. MP3, AVI, Wave, & Etc.?

6. Describe your company’s procedures/process for receiving digital audio files and/or cassettes and sending completed electronic transcripts and returning audio cassettes to the government agency.

7. What is your company’s experience in providing transcriptions of oral history interviews for the US Army, other military organizations, or the federal government?

8. Describe the familiarity of your transcribers with Army terminology and organization.

RESPONSES DUE:

Responses to this market survey are DUE BY 11:00AM, 15 July 2021. Please submit all completed questionnaires and any questions you may have via email to: Ms. Elida Kellezi, Army Contracting Command-DTA, at elida.kellezi.civ@mail.mil

Please format the subject line of the response email as follows: “[Organization Name] response to Request for Information – Transcription Services”. Provide the email responses in PDF format. Only electronic responses will be accepted. All interested parties and organizations are encouraged to respond to this request for information. All material submitted in response to this RFI must be unclassified and properly marked. No manufacturer/distributor shall be given a copy of another manufacture’s/distributor’s information collected in this survey.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this survey. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. §1905 to protect information qualifying as “CONFIDENTIAL” under this statute. Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any trade secret or confidential restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following:

1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data as trade secret or confidential with the restrictive legend (all caps) “CONFIDENTIAL” with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected.

2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly trade secret or confidential (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as “CONFIDENTIAL” may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are to be protected.

3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data.

4. Confidential data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain any restrictive legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for portions only of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends “CONFIDENTIAL DATA BEGINS” and “CONFIDENTIAL PORTION ENDS.”

5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the government will also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text.

6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain confidential information may receive only limited or no consideration since the Respondent’s marking of data as “CONFIDENTIAL” will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort.

UNCLASSIFIED: Dist A. Approved for public release Page 1