RFQ 05GA0A24Q0048- News Clipping Service.pdf

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Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 1 of 24

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24 & 30

1. REQUISITION NUMBER

GAO2408060003

PAGE 1 OF

5. SOLICITATION NUMBER

05GA0A24Q0048

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE DATE 4. ORDER NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE

DATE

08/28/2024

7. FOR SOLICITATION INFORMATION

CALL:

a. NAME

MCELRATH, RENEE N

b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (No collect calls) 202-512-2767

8. OFFER DUE DATE / LOCAL

TIME

09/27/2024

12:00 ET

CODE 05GA0A

MCELRATH, RENEE N

ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT

441 G STREET, N.W.

ROOM 7N14U

ATTENTION:

WASHINGTON, DC 20548

9. ISSUED BY X UNRESTRICTED OR SET ASIDE: % FOR

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SERVICE-DISABLED

VETERAN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (WOSB)

ELIGIBLE UNDER THE WOMEN-OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

EDWOSB

8(A)

NAICS: 519290

SIZE STANDARD:

10. THE ACQUISITION IS

SEE

SCHEDULE

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINATION

UNLESS BLOCK IS MARKED 0 Days: 0.00 %

0 Days: 0.00 % 0 Days: 0.00 % 0 Days: 0.00 %

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS

RATED ORDER UNDER DPAS

(15 CFR 700)

13b. RATING

X RFQ IFB RFP

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

CODE15. DELIVER TO CODE 05GA0A16. ADMINISTERED BY

MCELRATH, RENEE N

ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT

441 G STREET, N.W.

ROOM 7N14U

ATTENTION:

WASHINGTON, DC 20548

FACILITY

CODE

CODE

Telephone No.

17a. CONTRACTOR/

OFFEROR

05GA0ACODE18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN

OFFER X SEE ADDENDUM

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK BELOW IS

CHECKED

19. ITEM NO. 20. SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

21. QUANTITY 22. UNIT 23. UNIT PRICE 24. AMOUNT

Request for Quotations (RFQ) for the News Clipping Service

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA

GAO-2024-0107A24DA0-1026AAA000-B03030400-25710-000000-2024

26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA ARE ARE NOT ATTACHEDX

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN 1 COPIES TO

ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH

OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE

TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED.

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF. _____________________________ OFFER

DATED _________________ . YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION (BLOCK 5)

INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE SET FORTH HEREIN,

IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR 31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (TYPE OR PRINT) 30c. DATE SIGNED 31b. NAME OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER (TYPE OR PRINT) Renee McElrath

31c. DATE SIGNED 08/28/2024

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 02/2012)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

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X

X

X

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 2 of 24

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED: _________________________________

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE 32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f. TELEPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

PARTIAL FINAL

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER NUMBER 35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

36. PAYMENT 37. CHECK NUMBER

38. S/R ACCOUNT NUMBER 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER 40. PAID BY

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT 42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 02/2012) BACK

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 3 of 24

Table of Contents

Section Description Page Number

1 Continuation Sheet 1 Submission of Quotations 2 Statement of Work (SOW) 3 Contract Administration 4 Instructions to Vendors 5 Evaluation Criteria and Evaluation Factors

2 Contract Clauses

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 4 of 24

Section 1 - Continuation Sheet

Number Supplies or Services Qty Unit Unit Price Total (Inc. disc., tax, and fees)

0001 Service

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: R422

1.000000 LOT

Period of Performance:09/30/2024 - 09/29/2025

Description:Base Year- Electronic Access to News Clippings & Media Analysis service.

Reference Line:GAO2408060003 - 0001

Pricing Options:

Indicator: Base

Number Supplies or Services Qty Unit Unit Price Total (Inc. disc., tax, and fees)

0101 Service

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: R422

1.000000 LOT

Period of Performance:09/30/2025 - 09/29/2026

Description:Option Year 1- Electronic Access to News Clippings & Media Analysis service.

Reference Line:GAO2408060003 - 0101

Pricing Options:

Indicator: Option Option Period: 1

Number Supplies or Services Qty Unit Unit Price Total (Inc. disc., tax, and fees)

0201 Service

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: R422

1.000000 LOT

Period of Performance:09/30/2026 - 09/29/2027

Description:Option Year 2- Electronic Access to News Clippings & Media Analysis service.

Reference Line:GAO2408060003 - 0201

Pricing Options:

Indicator: Option Option Period: 2

Number Supplies or Services Qty Unit Unit Price Total (Inc. disc., tax, and fees)

0301 Service

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: R422

1.000000 LOT

Period of Performance:09/30/2027 - 09/29/2028

Description:Option Year 3- Electronic Access to News Clippings & Media Analysis service.

Reference Line:GAO2408060003 - 0301

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 5 of 24

Number Supplies or Services Qty Unit Unit Price Total (Inc. disc., tax, and fees)

Pricing Options:

Indicator: Option Option Period: 3

Number Supplies or Services Qty Unit Unit Price Total (Inc. disc., tax, and fees)

0401 Service

Firm Fixed Price

PSC: R422

1.000000 LOT

Period of Performance:09/30/2028 - 09/29/2029

Description:Option Year 4- Electronic Access to News Clippings & Media Analysis service.

Reference Line:GAO2408060003 - 0401

Pricing Options:

Indicator: Option Option Period: 4

1 Submission of Quotations

Basis for Award: This is a combined synopsis/solicitation. The Government will award a contract from this Request for Quotations (RFQ) to the responsible vendor whose quotation conforming to the RFQ will be most advantageous to the Government based on the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) evaluation method. The applicable NAICS for this contract is 519290.

Submit signed and dated quotations, at or before the exact time specified in this RFQ.

All Vendors who submit quotations must be registered in SAM.gov, to be considered for award.

Questions must be submitted in writing and only via email to Renee N. McElrath at mcelrathr@gao.gov and Traenesha L. Jones at jonest3@gao.gov. Written questions must be submitted no later than September 6, 2024 at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time.

All quotations should be submitted to Renee N. McElrath at mcelrathr@gao.gov and Traenesha L. Jones at jonest3@gao.gov. The date and time for receipt of quotations is no later than September 27, 2024, at 12:00PM Eastern Standard Time.

As a minimum, Vendors must show—

(1) The RFQ number;

(2) The time specified in the RFQ for receipt of quotations;

(3) The name, address, and telephone number of the Vendor;

(4) Acknowledgment of RFQ Amendments;

(5) Period for acceptance of quotations. The Vendor agrees to hold the prices in its quotation firm for 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotations, unless another time period is specified in an amendment to the RFQ.

2 Statement of Work (SOW)

Section 1. Background

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) often called the "congressional watchdog,” is an independent, non-partisan agency that works for Congress. GAO examines how taxpayer dollars are spent, and provides Congress and federal agencies with objective, nonpartisan, fact-based information to help the government save money and work more efficiently.

Section 2. Purpose

To understand the agency’s impact and support the Office of Public Affairs, GAO requires a daily, comprehensive, custom, digital report that includes articles and news mentions related to GAO. The media monitoring news-clippings service shall capture mentions of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the current U.S. Comptroller General in the news from all media categories (print, broadcast, web-based, social media, etc.).

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 6 of 24

Section 3. Scope of Work

The news clipping service subscription must be for internal distribution within GAO. The vendor must provide GAO with the following:

Section 3A: Daily News Clipping Report

The vendor must provide the following:

• The news clippings report must be sent to 200 GAO staff by 7:30 AM on business days (Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays) Eastern Standard Time.

• The email must be viewable in iPhone, Android, Blackberry, iPad, and other mobile device friendly formats.

• Permission to post a link to the daily news clippings report on the GAO Intranet for 3500 employees.

• The news clippings report must include the last 24-hours of news clippings prior to the report. Additionally, the Monday report must incorporate the results published after Friday’s report and during the weekend. Additionally, the news clippings report published after a federal holiday must incorporate all days since the last news clippings report.

• Any correction to news clipping results must be provided by noon the same day.

• The news clipping reports must provide a maximum number of thirty-five (35) news items daily. Articles in the briefing must be sorted with results from Tier 1 and Tier 2 sources first. Material from Tier 3 sources must be included if the report has not yet hit the maximum number of items (35).

• Daily human review by a media relations specialist of product content before each delivery to ensure relevancy, accuracy, and compliance with GAO requirements prior to delivering the daily news clippings before 7:30am Eastern Time.

Section 3B: Format of Daily News Clipping Report

The vendor must provide the following format for the daily news clippings report, as described below and shown in the sample in Appendix A.

• For each news item, provide the following data points: title, date, original publication, author, summary, and direct hyperlink.

• The summary must be no longer than 50 words that explains GAO’s inclusion in the news clip and highlight the relevant keyword(s), for example “GAO” or “Government Accountability Office”.

• The publication must be the original news outlet source and NOT an internet-based news aggregator or newswire service (such as Yahoo News, MSN News, AOL.com).

• For syndicated stories, only put in the original without an “Also Mentioned In” note.

• The direct hyperlink must go to the full text, video, or audio content. Provide full-viewing access to streaming broadcast clips (no restrictions on number of viewings).

• The report must be broken into two main sections, Broadcast (television and radio), and Print and Online (newspapers and online news outlets). List articles within these sections according to their Tier. Items covering the same topic should be grouped together, regardless of Tier. The Tiers must include:

• Broadcast Tier 1

• Major national broadcast & cable network news channels measured by largest viewership (a major national network is a centralized producer and distributer of news through a network of owned and affiliated local broadcast stations to a substantial portion of the United States across most U.S.

designated media markets, such as, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, Univision)

• Major national news radio networks measured by largest listenership (a major national radio network is a central broadcasting organization that produces and distributes broadcast news content through via a radio station or stations across most U.S. designated media markets, such as, ABC News radio, CBS News radio, NBC News radio, Fox News Radio, NPR)

• CSPAN clips of Washington Journal, The Communicators, and Capital Insider only.

• Broadcast Tier 2

• Local TV and radio broadcast affiliates (as defined by the geographic confines of the designated media market)

• Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose – Podcast and TV show

• WFED-AM/WTOP-FM/Federal News Network

• Web stories from networks/radio, will be included in broadcast if they include a video or audio with the GAO mention included

• Print and Online Tier 1

• Major national daily newspapers and news organizations with readership across most US designated media markets and measured by largest number of print and digital subscribers

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 7 of 24

• Internet versions of all major national broadcast & cable network news channels (including, the national broadcast TV networks definitions as described above) If video is included in the article, place under Broadcast.

• Internet versions of major national radio (including, the national broadcast radio networks as described above) If audio is included, place under Broadcast.

• Major national weekly news outlets and organizations measured by largest number of print and digital subscribers (such as, Time, Newsweek, Forbes, The Economist, Bloomberg Business Week,

• Major federal government-focused publications (such as, Congressional Quarterly (CQ), National Journal, Roll Call, The Hill)

• Print and Online Tier 2

• Major US local and regional newspapers as defined by the geographic confines of the designated media market

• All other newspapers

• Internet versions of local TV broadcast affiliates (as defined by the geographic confines of the designated media market)

• Major web-based news publications as defined by largest number of viewers and subscribers

• No links directly to GAO reports

• No press releases

• No job postings

• Print and Online Tier 3

• Trade publications specific to a particular industry/audience

• Other web publications not affiliated with a print/radio/TV entity and/or not included above

• Blogs (Business, News, or Niche blogs – do not include personal blogs or affiliate blogs) (Name must identify it as a blog))

• Twitter (X) -- Tweets must come from members of federal, state, or local representatives, industry leaders, news reporters, or other industry stakeholder and be checked that all links in the tweets do not include tweets from bots or automated feeds, ads, promotions, profanity, or marketing/sales pitches.

Section 3C: Daily News Clipping Report Quality Assurance

The vendor must provide the following:

• Documentation of a quality assurance plan describing how the product content will be reviewed by a media relations specialist, on a daily basis, to ensure relevancy, accuracy, and compliance with GAO requirements to include:

• Human review of each daily clippings report

• No duplicate articles

• Working links

• Relevant news articles and news mentions

• Original media outlet sources

• Articles sorted first by Broadcast, then by Print/Online, then by Social Media. Then by relevance and reach within each of those categories.

• Documentation of the process the vendor will use to curate a GAO-focused news clippings newsletter including names and descriptions of media monitoring platform(s) if sourced from an outside platform or a subcontractor.

• Documentation of a search-string strategy that includes all iterations of GAO's name and other appropriate terms.

Keywords: U.S. Government Accountability Office, United States Government Accountability Office, Government Accountability Office, General Accountability Office, General Accounting Office, Government Accounting Office, Comptroller General, Eugene Dodaro, Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General Dodaro, GAO, G.A.O. Office.

Section 3D: Media Analysis The vendor must also provide the following:

A monthly media analytics report sent to five (5) emails on the first business day of each month. The monthly media analytics reports must contain the following data points:

• Analyze news coverage and news headings by articles over time; media type; automated prominence, tone, and “share of voice” (news media unit of measure) audience impressions, and other news media metrics commonly used in the news media industry.

• Statistics should include media type, article coverage over time, top sources, impressions, impact, and “share of voice” metrics.

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 8 of 24

• Pinpoint the location, such as: Designated Market Area (DMA), city, and state, and summary statement describing the overall impact of vendor’s conclusions.

Section 4: Technical Support

The vendor must provide:

• A representative who handles GAO’s account and can be contacted daily for news clipping list modifications, articles or links to include in future news clippings reports, additions or deletions to the GAO distribution list, and technical issues

• At least one media analyst/media relations specialist that provides human review of the news clippings report each day before the report is sent to GAO – Artificial Intelligence programs are not a replacement for human review

• A person or team representative responsive to ongoing feedback or requests to alternations on what is being presented in the daily news clippings report.

• The vendor must allow GAO to:

• Modify the list of media outlets included in the daily news clippings report

• Provide a list of “must include” and “exclude” media outlets

• Alter formatting

• In the case of the media analyst/media relations specialist no longer being employed by the vendor, the vendor must provide information on what media analyst/media relations specialist will be conducting the daily human review of the news clippings report

Section 5. Deliverables

In addition to the data recipients, the deliverables must be sent to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR), the Contracting Officer (CO), and the Contract Specialist (CS). The CO and CS will not need the user accounts but will need to ensure all deliverables are met in a timely manner.

Description Frequency Format Date Completed Provide news clippings report as described in Section 3A-C.

As noted in Section 3A. Emailed to 200 emails as requested in Section 3 and Appendix

Within 2 days after contract award and throughout the life of contract

Provide news clippings report quality assurance plan

As requested As requested in Section 3C Within 5 days after contract award and upon request

Provide technical support Daily As requested in Section 4 Within 1 day after contract award and throughout the life of contract

Provide Media Analytics Report Monthly As requested in Section 3D Start within 30 days after contract award and through the life of the contract

Appendix A

Example Daily News Clippings Report

BROADCAST

FED GOV TODAY - Sun May 19 Francis Rose Shipbuilding Challenges | AI in Defense | Talent Development in the Navy Shelby Oakley, Director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions at GAO, discusses the persistent issues in military shipbuilding.

FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK - Mon May 20 Drew Friedman 2023 Best Places to Work marks a turning point in employee engagement The Government Accountability Office earned the number one spot for midsize agencies.

KGTV-TV - 10News This Morning 8A Sunday - San Diego, CA - Sun May 19 Jim Avila

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 9 of 24

GAO: CBP investigations need independence A new Government Accountability Office report criticizes CBP for hiring former agents to investigate critical incidents.

PRINT & ONLINE

CNN - Sat May 18 Katie Lobosco How one high school is helping students deal with the botched FAFSA rollout The Government Accountability Office has started an investigation into the new forms implementation.

FRONTLINE - Fri May 17 Kaela Malig Where Does School Segregation Stand, 70 Years After Brown v. Board of Education?

Sherri Doughty, GAO's assistant director, also noted the "racial composition of those districts changed" one year after seceding.

MSNBC - Fri May 17 Nicholas Mitchell The joy of the Brown v. Board decision and the 70 years of resistance that's followed Over a third of students attended schools where 75% or more students were of a single race or ethnicity, according to a 2022 GAO report.

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS - Fri May 17 70 years later, schools still unequal Over a third of K-12 public school students attend schools where 75% or more of them are of the same race or ethnicity, according to

GAO.

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL - Fri May 17 Boaz Dvir Is school segregation here to stay, 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education decision?

According to a 2022 GAO report, "schools remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines throughout the U.S."

MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY JOURNAL - Fri May 17 Biden Administration Unveils New Initiatives to Combat School Segregation on Brown v. Board Anniversary Schools “remain divided along racial, ethnic, and economic lines,” according to a 2022 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

ASSOCIATED PRESS - Mon May 20 Rebecca Santana What a blast to work at NASA. Space agency is sky-high again in latest survey of federal employees NASA topped the list of large agencies, while the Government Accountability Office topped the list of mid-size agencies.

BLOOMBERG LAW - Fri May 17 Daniel Seiden Rividium Keeps $249 Million ‘Defender' Cybersecurity Contract The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency reasonably awarded a $249 million cybersecurity services contract to RiVidium, according to GAO.

WASHINGTON TIMES - Mon May 20 Mike Glenn GAO says price tag for F-35 likely to top $2 trillion Mounting costs and delays in the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program will result in a price tag of over $2 trillion, said GAO.

WASHINGTON TIMES - Mon May 20 Jeff Mordock and Alex Miller GOP losing momentum to impeach Biden over shipments The Government Accountability Office concluded that Mr. Trump broke the law because he withheld funding for a "policy reason."

THE DAILY SIGNAL - Fri May 17 Rachel Greszler Bipartisan Proposals Seek Accountability for Hundreds of Billions in Improper Federal Payments This bill includes recommendations from the GAO to impose stricter, more timely reporting requirements for new federal programs.

SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE - Fri May 17 Alex Riggins Feds: Border Patrol teams operated without oversight Seven of nine U.S. Border Patrol sectors along the U.S.-Mexico border operated unauthorized critical incident units, said a GAO report.

ARIZONA DAILY STAR - Fri May 17 Emily Bregel CBP testing facial scans of travelers entering US at Nogales port A GAO report evaluated CBP's efforts to comply with privacy recommendations related to its use of facial-recognition technology in airports.

SHREVEPORT TIMES - Sat May 18

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 10 of 24

Byron Moore What to do if you don’t have a pension GAO has warned, “As life expectancy increases, the risk that retirees will outlive their assets is a growing challenge.”

REDLANDS COMMUNITY NEWS - Sat May 18 Aguilar advocates better support for digital and physical infrastructure at Hispanic-serving institutions GAO has released their inaugural report on the digital and physical infrastructure needs of the nation's Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

THE CENTER SQUARE - Sat May 18 Brett Rowland Taxpayers lose billions to government overlap, duplication Overlap and duplication cost taxpayers billions, according to the Government Accountability Office's annual report.

FEDWEEK - Sun May 19 GAO Calls for Action on Federal Building Footprint, Other Management Issues GAO’s new annual report on opportunities to reduce fragmentation, overlap and duplication in federal programs adds 42 new areas of concern.

GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE - Fri May 17

SEAN MICHAEL NEWHOUSE

ICE might be incorrectly measuring its resources needs, GAO says ICE does not perform required reviews of its budget projection models, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

TASK & PURPOSE - Sun May 19 Nicholas Slayton 18th Airborne Corps orders soldiers on staff duty to get some sleep A GAO report outlined just how sleep deprived service members are, both in general and compared to the wider public.

REASON - Sun May 19 Bruce Yandle AI's Cozy Crony Capitalism A 2023 Government Accountability Office report indicated that 20 of the 23 agencies surveyed reported some 1,200 AI activities.

REALCLEARMARKETS - Sat May 18 James Erwin Making a Case For a Broadband Program That Helps According to the Government Accountability Office, there are currently over 130 broadband programs spread across 15 different agencies.

E&E News | Essential Energy and Environment News - Fri May 17 Mike Soraghan DOE falling short in assessing carbon capture risks, audit says The Government Accountability Office found the Department of Energy's practices may “undermine the likelihood of project success.”

CARBON PULSE - Fri May 17 Allison Gacad DOE funded $19.7 mln “technically unacceptable” CCS project, says US Government Accountability Office GAO found that a carbon storage project funded by the Department of Energy did not meet technical thresholds and is now delayed.

X (TWITTER)/GovExec - Fri May 17 ICE might be incorrectly measuring its resources needs, GAO says A new @USGAO report found that the office responsible for managing ICE’s budget had a staff vacancy rate of 25% in fiscal 2023 X (TWITTER)/Deseret News - Fri May 17 Sen. Mitt Romney wants more oversight for federal employees who work from home That was a question Sen. Mitt Romney had for the U.S. comptroller general and head of the Government Accountability Office, Eugene Dodaro.

3 Contract Administration

For the purposes of monitoring and technical direction, the GAO points of contact for this contract is:

Contractual Contact:

Renee McElrath Contracting Officer

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 11 of 24

U.S Government Accountability Office Acquisition Management: Procurement Operation 441 G Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20548 Phone: 202.512.2767 E-Mail: mcelrathr@gao.gov

Traenesha L. Jones Contract Specialist U.S Government Accountability Office Acquisition Management: Procurement Operation 441 G Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20548 Phone: 202.512.4554 E-Mail: jonest3@gao.gov

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR):

Not Specified U.S Government Accountability Office Information Systems and Technology Services 441 G. Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20548 Phone: Not Specified E-Mail: Not Specified

4 Instructions to Vendors

INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

This acquisition will result in a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract with (1) base year plus four (4) 12-month options.

INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

The Vendor's quotation must include all data and information requested by this Instructions to Vendors and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The Vendor shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in this request for quotation. Non-conformance with the instructions provided in this Instructions to Vendors may result in an unfavorable evaluation. The quotation should not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the Vendor intends to meet these requirements.

System for Award Management (SAM). Vendors will not be eligible to receive a contract award from a Government activity unless they are registered in SAM. Firms must register on a one-time basis and annually confirm accuracy and completeness of registration information. Online registration and instructions can be accessed at https://www.sam.gov

Points of Contact. The Contracting Officer (CO), Renee N. McElrath and the Contract Specialist (CS), Traenesha L. Jones are the points of contact for this acquisition. All questions or concerns should be e-mailed to the CO and CS. The contracting team may be reached via e-mail at mcelrathr@gao.gov and jonest3@gao.gov.

FACTOR REQUIREMENTS

The quotation shall be accompanied by a cover letter prepared on the company’s letterhead stationery. The cover letter shall identify all enclosures being transmitted and shall be used only to transmit the quotation and shall include no other information with the exception of acknowledging amendments as an attachment. If there are amendments to the RFQ, provide, as an attachment to the cover letter, acknowledgment of any amendments. The attachment to the cover letter will only be allowed to address amendments.

Only quotation submitted in accordance with these instructions will be accepted. This cover letter is not included in the page count.

Quotations shall be submitted via e-mail to the CO and CS. Late quotations will be processed in accordance with FAR Provision 52.212-1(f) Late Submissions, Modifications, Revisions and Withdrawals of Offers.

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 12 of 24

Communications. Exchanges of source selection information between Government and Vendors will be controlled by the CO and CS. E-mail will be used to transmit such information to Vendors. The Government intends to send answers to questions by amendment to the RFQ and post to SAM.gov. The Vendors must submit all communications via email to the CO and CS.

Amendments. If this RFQ is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged. Vendors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this request by the day and time specified in the amendment(s). A single memo attached to the cover letter acknowledging all amendments is the preferred method of acceptance. This memo is not included in the page count.

Period of Acceptance of Offers. The Vendor agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 120 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

Organization. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of the quotation, the Vendor must follow the instructions contained herein.

The quotation must be complete, self-sufficient, and respond directly to the requirements of this RFQ. Using one (1) volume, the response shall consist of: Volume I –Technical Factor.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

Page Size and Format. A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it shall be counted as two pages. Page size shall be 8½ x 11 inches. Pages shall be single-spaced and typed, except for displays and the reproduced sections of the solicitation document. The font shall be Times New Roman and no less than 12 point in size. Use at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. When text is included within displays, it may be no smaller than 6 point, but must be clearly legible without magnification, as determined solely by the CO.

The size of these displays shall not exceed the page size as defined above.

Title Page (not included in the page count). The volume must include a title page. The title page must show:

• Quotation Number

• Name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address of the Vendor (only one copy for all required volumes)

• Cage/DUNS

• Acknowledgement of any amendments as an attachment

Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms. Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with an explanation for each. Glossaries do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

Responsive. Documents submitted in response to this RFQ must be fully responsive to, and consistent with the terms and conditions of the RFQ or may result in being rejected as unacceptable and not being evaluated.

Volume Instructions. The following details the specific instructions for Volume I.

FACTOR I: TECHNICAL APPROACH

Technical Approach. The Technical Approach should be specific and complete. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important.

The quotation should not merely reiterate or rephrase the objectives or reformulate the Government’s requirements specified in the RFQ, but should provide rationale to address how the Vendor intends to meet these requirements.

News Clipping Service

The Vendor shall provide a sample of one week of News Clipping Service for August 5, 2024, August 6, 2024, and August 7, 2024 and formatted as three separate emails of the news clippings sample productprior to the solcitation's posting date formatted for delivery via email. The sample shall meet all of the requirements of the News Clipping Service as described in the Factor 1- Technical Approach of the Evaluation Criteria and Evaluation Factors.

Quality Assurance, Media Analysis, and Technical Support The Vendor must provide a response not longer than ten (10) pages that describes how it will meet the all of the Quality Assurance, Media Analysis, and Technical Support requirements in Factor 1- Technical Approach of the Evaluation Criteria and Evaluation Factors.

PRICE

The Vendor shall complete Section 1 of this RFQ with their pricing for each contract year.

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 13 of 24

5 Evaluation Criteria and Evaluation Factors

This is a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) procurement. The Government will make an award to the responsible vendor whose quotation is technically acceptable and lowest-priced. Quotations will be evaluated under the lowest-price technically acceptable (LPTA) source selection process. The quotations submitted will be evaluated with the lowest priced proposal being evaluated first. If the first quotation is reviewed and deemed acceptable, the contract award will be made to the corresponding vendor.

If the first quotation is deemed unacceptable, review will continue to the second lowest-priced quotation, to see if it is acceptable.

After review, if the second quotation is deemed acceptable, the contract award will be made to the corresponding vendor. If the second lowest priced quotation is deemed unacceptable, the process of considering the next lowest-priced quotation will continue until a quotation is deemed acceptable. The award will be made based on the lowest price quotation meeting the acceptability standards for non-cost factors.

Factor 1-Technical Approach

The vendor must provide GAO with a news clipping service subscription for internal distribution within GAO. For the evaluation, the vendor must provide sample news clippings and a proposal as described below.

News Clipping Service

The vendor must provide a sample of three (3) days coverage of News Clippings Service formatted for delivery via email and as described below:

• The sample must be for August 5, 2024, August 6, 2024, and August 7, 2024 and formatted as three separate emails of the news clippings sample product.

• The sample product emails must be viewable in iPhone, Android, Blackberry, iPad, and other mobile device friendly formats.

• The news clippings report must include the last 24-hours of news clippings prior to the report. Additionally, the Monday report must incorporate the results published after Friday’s report and during the weekend. Additionally, the news clippings report published after a federal holiday must incorporate all days since the last news clippings report. For example, August 5, 2024 news clipping must contain news from Friday, August 2, 2024 starting at 7 am Eastern Time through Monday, August 5, 2024 ending at 7am Eastern Time. The August 6, 2024 news clippings must contain news from August 5, 2024 starting at 7am Eastern Time to August 6, 2024 ending at 7am Eastern time.

• The news clipping reports sample must provide a maximum number of thirty-five (35) news items daily. Articles in the briefing must be sorted with results from Tier 1 and Tier 2 sources first. Material from Tier 3 sources must be included if the report has not yet hit the maximum number of items (35).

• The news clippings sample must demonstrate human review by a media relations specialist of product content before each delivery that maintains relevancy, accuracy, and compliance with GAO requirements.

• For each sample news item, provide the following data points: title, date, original publication, author, summary, and direct hyperlink.

• The summary must be no longer than 50 words that explains GAO’s inclusion in the news clip and highlight the relevant keyword(s), for example “GAO” or “Government Accountability Office”.

• The publication must be the original news outlet source and NOT an internet-based news aggregator or newswire service (such as Yahoo News, MSN News, AOL.com).

• For syndicated stories, only put in the original without an “Also Mentioned In” note.

• The direct hyperlink must go to the full text, video, or audio content. Provide full-viewing access to streaming broadcast clips (no restrictions on number of viewings).

• The news clippings report sample must be broken into two main sections, Broadcast (television and radio), and Print and

Online (newspapers and online news outlets). List articles within these sections according to their Tier. Items covering the same topic should be grouped together, regardless of Tier. The Tiers must include items from the following if they are available for the sample days:

• • Broadcast Tier 1

• Major national broadcast & cable network news channels measured by largest viewership (a major national network is a centralized producer and distributer of news through a network of owned and affiliated local broadcast stations to a substantial portion of the United States across most U.S.

designated media markets, such as, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, Univision)

• Major national news radio networks measured by largest listenership (a major national radio network is a central broadcasting organization that produces and distributes broadcast news content through

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 14 of 24 via a radio station or stations across most U.S. designated media markets, such as, ABC News radio, CBS News radio, NBC News radio, Fox News Radio, NPR)

• CSPAN clips of Washington Journal, The Communicators, and Capital Insider only.

• • Broadcast Tier 2

• Local TV and radio broadcast affiliates (as defined by the geographic confines of the designated media market)

• Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose – Podcast and TV show

• WFED-AM/WTOP-FM/Federal News Network

• Web stories from networks/radio, will be included in broadcast if they include a video or audio with the GAO mention included

• • Print and Online Tier 1

• Major national daily newspapers and news organizations with readership across most US designated media markets and measured by largest number of print and digital subscribers

• Internet versions of all major national broadcast & cable network news channels (including, the national broadcast TV networks definitions as described above) If video is included in the article, place under Broadcast.

• Internet versions of major national radio (including, the national broadcast radio networks as described above) If audio is included, place under Broadcast.

• Major national weekly news outlets and organizations measured by largest number of print and digital subscribers (such as, Time, Newsweek, Forbes, The Economist, Bloomberg Business Week,

• Major federal government-focused publications (such as, Congressional Quarterly (CQ), National Journal, Roll Call, The Hill)

• • Print and Online Tier 2

• Major US local and regional newspapers as defined by the geographic confines of the designated media market

• All other newspapers

• Internet versions of local TV broadcast affiliates (as defined by the geographic confines of the designated media market)

• Major web-based news publications as defined by largest number of viewers and subscribers

• No links directly to GAO reports

• No press releases

• No job postings

• • Print and Online Tier 3

• Trade publications specific to a particular industry/audience

• Other web publications not affiliated with a print/radio/TV entity and/or not included above

• Blogs (Business, News, or Niche blogs – do not include personal blogs or affiliate blogs) (Name must identify it as a blog))

• Twitter (X) -- Tweets must come from members of federal, state, or local representatives, industry leaders, news reporters, or other industry stakeholder and be checked that all links in the tweets do not include tweets from bots or automated feeds, ads, promotions, profanity, or marketing/sales pitches.

Quality Assurance, Media Analysis, and Technical Support

The vendor must provide a quotation not longer than ten (10) pages that describes how it will meet the following requirements:

• A quality assurance plan describing how the product content will be:

• Reviewed by a media relations specialist, on a daily basis, to ensure relevancy, accuracy, and compliance with GAO requirements.

• Curated to produce GAO-focused news clippings newsletter including names and descriptions of media monitoring platform(s) if sourced from an outside platform or a subcontractor.

• Using a search-string strategy that includes all iterations of GAO's name and other appropriate terms.

Keywords: S. Government Accountability Office, United States Government Accountability Office, Government Accountability Office, General Accountability Office, General Accounting Office, Government Accounting Office, Comptroller General, Eugene Dodaro, Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General Dodaro, GAO, G.A.O. Office.

• A monthly media analytics report containing the following data points:

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 15 of 24

• Analyze news coverage and news headings by articles over time; media type; automated prominence, tone, and “share of voice” (news media unit of measure) audience impressions, and other news media metrics commonly used in the news media industry.

• Statistics should include media type, article coverage over time, top sources, impressions, impact, and “share of voice” metrics.

• Pinpoint the location, such as: Designated Market Area (DMA), city, and state, and summary statement describing the overall impact of contractor’s conclusions.

• Technical support providing the following:

• A person who handles GAO’s account and can be contacted daily about news clipping list.

• A media analyst/media relations specialist that provides human review of the news clippings report each day before the report is sent to GAO.

• A person or team representative responsive to ongoing feedback or requests to alternations on what is being presented in the daily news clippings report.

Section 2 - Contract Clauses

FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998)

This contract incorporates the following clauses by reference with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the CO will make their full text available. Also, the full text can be accessed electronically at the following internet address:

http://www.acquisition.gov/far/.

FAR Clause 52.202-1 – Definitions.

52.203-5 -- Covenant Against Contingent Fees.

52.203-7 Anti-Kickback Procedures.

52.203-17 – Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights.

52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications.

52.216-25 Contract Definitization.

FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Jan 2022)

(a) The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

(1) 52.203-19, Prohibition on Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements or Statements (Jan 2017) (section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235) and its successor provisions in subsequent appropriations acts (and as extended in continuing resolutions)).

(2) 52.204-23, Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab and Other Covered Entities (Nov 2021) (Section 1634 of Pub. L. 115-91).

(3) 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (Nov 2021) (Section 889(a)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 115-232).

(4) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Nov 2015).

(5) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (Aug 1996) ( 31 U.S.C. 3553).

(6) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (Oct 2004) (Public Laws 108-77 and 108-78

( 19 U.S.C. 3805 note)).

(b) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (b) that the Contracting Officer has indicated as being incorporated in this contract by reference to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial products and commercial services:

_X_ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Jun 2020), with Alternate I (Nov 2021) ( 41 U.S.C. 4704 and 10 U.S.C. 2402).

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 16 of 24

__ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Nov 2021) ( 41 U.S.C. 3509)).

__ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Jun 2010) (Section 1553 of Pub. L. 111-5). (Applies to contracts funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.)

__ (4) 52.204-10, Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jun 2020) (Pub. L. 109-282) ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (5) [Reserved].

__ (6) 52.204-14, Service Contract Reporting Requirements (Oct 2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C).

__ (7) 52.204-15, Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery Contracts (Oct 2016) (Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Div. C).

__ (8) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Nov 2021) ( 31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (9) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Oct 2018) ( 41 U.S.C. 2313).

__ (10) [Reserved].

__ (11) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (12) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (Sep 2021) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer) ( 15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (13) [Reserved]

__ (14) (i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2020) ( 15 U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Mar 2020) of 52.219-6.

__ (15) (i) 52.219-7, Notice of Partial Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2020) ( 15 U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Mar 2020) of 52.219-7.

__ (16) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2018) ( 15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

__ (17) (i) 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Nov 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Nov 2016) of 52.219-9.

__ (iii) Alternate II (Nov 2016) of 52.219-9.

__ (iv) Alternate III (Jun 2020) of 52.219-9.

__ (v) Alternate IV (Sep 2021) of 52.219-9.

__ (18) (i) 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (Mar 2020) ( 15 U.S.C. 644(r)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Mar 2020) of 52.219-13.

__ (19) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 637s).

__ (20) 52.219-16, Liquidated Damages—Subcontracting Plan (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)(F)(i)).

__ (21) 52.219-27, Notice of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 657f).

Document Number: 05GA0A24Q0048 Page 17 of 24

__ (22) (i) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Mar 2020) of 52.219-28.

__ (23) 52.219-29, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business Concerns (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (24) 52.219-30, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Women-Owned Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned Small Business Program (Sep 2021) ( 15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (25) 52.219-32, Orders Issued Directly Under Small Business Reserves (Mar 2020) ( 15 U.S.C. 644(r)).

__ (26) 52.219-33, Nonmanufacturer Rule (Sep 2021) ( 15U.S.C. 637(a)(17)).

__ (27) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (Jun 2003) (E.O.11755).

__ (28) 52.222-19, Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2022) (E.O.13126).

__ (29) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015).

__ (30) (i) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Sep 2016) (E.O.11246).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Feb 1999) of 52.222-26.

__ (31) (i) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jun 2020) ( 38 U.S.C. 4212).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Jul 2014) of 52.222-35.

__ (32) (i) 52.222-36, Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 2020) ( 29 U.S.C. 793).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Jul 2014) of 52.222-36.

__ (33) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (Jun 2020) ( 38 U.S.C. 4212).

__ (34) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O. 13496).

_X_ (35) (i) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Nov 2021) ( 22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Mar 2015) of 52.222-50 ( 22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627).

__ (36) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (Nov 2021) . (Executive Order 12989). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items or certain other types of commercial products or commercial services as prescribed in FAR 22.1803.)

__ (37) (i) 52.223-9, Estimate of Percentage of Recovered Material Content for EPA–Designated Items (May 2008) ( 42 U.S.C. 6962(c)(3)(A)(ii)). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items.)

__ (ii) Alternate I (May 2008) of 52.223-9 ( 42 U.S.C. 6962(i)(2)(C)). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items.)

__ (38) 52.223-11, Ozone-Depleting Substances and High Global Warming Potential Hydrofluorocarbons (Jun 2016) (E.O.

13693).

__ (39) 52.223-12, Maintenance, Service, Repair, or Disposal of Refrigeration Equipment and Air Conditioners (Jun 2016) (E.O. 13693).

__ (40) (i) 52.223-13, Acquisition of EPEAT®-Registered Imaging Equipment (Jun 2014) (E.O.s 13423 and 13514).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Oct 2015) of 52.