RFI - Mail management system_Final.docx

By this is a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION only, pursuant to FAR Part 10.002(b)(2)(iii) and (viii) (market research), the purpose of this notice is to:

1) Determine the commercial practices of companies engaged in providing the needed service;

2) Determine feasibility of use of General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) pursuant to FAR Part 8, FAR Part 12, and/or FAR Part 15;

3) Determine availability of service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and VOSB set aside pursuant to FAR Part 19.

This notice in no way obligates the Government to any further action.

Requirement:

This notice is issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Strategic Acquisition Center, Frederick, MD (SAC-F), to identify sources capable of providing the services described in the attached DRAFT statement of work (SOW). Additionally, vendors are requested to ask questions or provide comments on the draft SOW to address any potential vague or ambiguous language or provide insights into areas the Government has not considered.

Anticipated NAICS Code/Size Standard:

The applicable NAICS Code is 561499 - Mail Management, Systems, Processing Equipment, and Related Solutions. The small business size standard is $21.5 million.

Submission Information:

All responses must be submitted to Brandi.Luna@va.gov and Brian.Tedesco@va.gov by the date listed with an email titled Industry Market Studies and Reports. Responders will receive an electronic confirmation acknowledging receipt of a response, but will not receive individualized feedback on any questions. If your company has the potential capability to perform these contract services, please respond to this request for information (RFI) by providing a capability statement. The number of pages is limited to a total of 10 pages; size shall be no greater than 8 1/2" x 11". The top, bottom, left, and right margins shall be a minimum of one inch each. Font size shall be no smaller than 12-point. Times New Roman fonts are required.

Disclaimer:

This RFI is for market research purposes only and does not constitute a request for quotation (RFQ). It is not considered to be a commitment by the Government to award a contract, nor will the Government pay for any information provided. No basis for a claim against the Government shall arise from a response to this RFI or Government use of any information provided. Failure to submit information in sufficient detail may result in considering a company as not a viable source and may influence competition and set-aside decisions. Regardless of the information obtained from this RFI, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as deemed appropriate for this requirement. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this RFI.

Please see the attached performance work statement (PWS) for requirement definitions and information.

Quoter’s Business Questions

1. Provide a brief corporate profile of your company to include the following:

a. Organization's official name and DBA name, if applicable;

b. Length of time the organization has been in business;

c. Types of services provided by your organization;

d. Types of clients by industry (i.e., federal, commercial, local government, etc.);

e. Whether the organization is U.S.-based or international;

f. If the organization is a subsidiary of another organization;

g. DUNS number and CAGE number;

h. Organization's website address;

i. Main point of contact name, phone number, and email address;

j. SBA size designation information and small business concern type (if applicable);

k. Number of employees in the organization;

l. Organization's most recent annual receipts amount as defined by the SBA.

m. Tax identification number

n. Any applicable socio-economic classification(s): 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, women-owned, and small disadvantaged business.

2. What contract vehicle do you recommend for this requirement?

3. What pricing structure do you recommend?

4. Does your organization have an existing GSA schedule for the services included in this requirement?

5. Is the current NAICS code appropriate? Are there any additional NAICS codes your company recommends for this action?

RFI Requirement Questions

6. Do you feel the requirements are clearly defined in the draft documentation provided?

7. What information needs to be added, changed, and/or reworded within the draft documentation provided to support the acquisition?

8. What key questions do you need to see answered in a future SOW before you decide to respond to the solicitation?

9. In what format and what kind of supporting documents would be most helpful to include as exhibits in a future SOW?

10. Which type of resources would be required to support this task, and which of these resources would you consider most important?

Quoter’s Solution Questions:

11. Has your company currently or in the recent past provided a similar solution?

If so, please provide details on the nature of the services provided, including, at a minimum, length of time; the name(s) of the organization(s); and specific contractor citation and your role (prime vs/ sub). If the role was a subcontractor, please provide your area(s) of responsibility on the contract.

12. What do you foresee as the biggest risks in performing the tasks in the draft documentation to meet our requirements?

13. What additional information would your company need to deliver training on your solution?

Software Requirement Questions:

14. Per section 5.3.1 of the PWS, software shall automatically determine the most economical delivery method for letters, flats, and parcels by examining criteria such as applied business rules, delivery time, priority, and transportation method, and then produce the carrier-compliant label. Do you possess, or are you able to procure, software that will meet these requirements?

15. 5.3.6 and 5.3.7 in the PWS define requirements for a cloud-storage solution for VACO, which shall allow compatible VACO mailroom equipment to automatically transmit data to the cloud and provide a web-based portal for accessing the data stored on the cloud. Based on equipment compatibility, data shall be transmitted to the cloud hosting service on a transactional basis within twenty-four (24) hours of transaction completion or manually, based on equipment compatibility. This data shall be accessible and downloadable to VACO systems for data analysis and reporting. Do you possess the required cloud-based data capabilities to meet this requirement?

16. Do you currently have software that has been approved for use on VA systems?

17. Would you add any requirements to section 5.3 of the PWS in regard to current software solutions you utilize?

Mail System Accessory Requirements Questions:

18. Section 5.4 of the PWS has 7 specific requirements for mail system accessories. Would you add any other services/abilities that could provide a better end-user experience?

Maintenance and Support Requirements Questions:

19. The required turnaround time to resolve any maintenance issue is 24 hours (during the business hours noted in section 3.3 of the PWS). Is 24 hours enough time to procure necessary parts/labor to resolve issues that may arise with either the software or physical accessories of the mail system?

Training Requirements Questions:

20. Section 5.8 defines the required training. Are there any specific equipment- or software-related activities not covered that you feel should be included to ensure VACO representatives are able to troubleshoot issues quickly to avoid potential downtime, when possible?