RRB13Q016_20-_20IT_20Research 1 .docx

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION NO. RRB13Q016 PAGE 25 OF 25

IT RESEARCH SERVICES

I. OVERVIEW

A. RRB General Information

The U. S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is an independent Federal agency that administers a retirement and survivor benefits program for railroad employees and their families. The RRB was established by the Railroad Retirement Acts of 1937 and 1974. Its benefits program was the forerunner of the more familiar Social Security System. The Railroad Retirement System is unique inasmuch as it is the only federally administered benefits program covering a single private industry. The RRB also administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, which provides unemployment and sickness benefits to railroad employees.

The purpose of this services solicitation is to obtain proposals from offerors to provide critical research and advisory assistance to the RRB’s CIO and the staff of the Bureau of Information Services (BIS) in support of the RRB’s mission requirements and the professional development of Information Technology (IT) staff. These services will ensure the CIO and BIS staff receives direct access to fact-based, accurate, and objective IT research and advice. The RRB’s ultimate objective is to award an agreement, to the contractor that demonstrates the best value to the RRB, for a basic year starting September 30, 2013 and with three one year option periods.

Annual Subscription for IT Research Services for RRB CIO and 2 designated Users per SOW section III

Base Contract Year Sept. 29, 2013 – Sept 30, 2014

1st Option Year Sept. 29,2014 – Sept 30, 2015

2nd Option Year Sept. 29, 2015 – Sept 30, 2016

3rd Option Year Sept. 29, 2016 – Sept 30, 2017

YR

III. STATEMENT OF WORK

The contractor shall provide, at a minimum, all of the following required research subscription services to the RRB:

A. The contractor shall provide services to ensure that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and BIS management receives the latest information, advice, and consultation needed to support sound decision-making and the implementation of optimum IT solutions within acceptable costs with minimal risks. The services shall provide tools and templates to enhance, validate, and accelerate IT decision-making for the RRB. The services should also expose the risks and benefits of researched methods and paths as well as present options for mitigating the defined risks.

B. The contractor shall provide an objective and independent validation of decision making through the exposition of best practices for BIS management consideration. This shall include providing input to strategic planning efforts and recommending change-management plans that reflect industry best practices, and offering short-term advice for time-sensitive decisions that will help identify potential cost-savings to the RRB.

C. The contractor shall ensure that the RRB receives critical, updated information on technology solutions, technology vendors, and the best practices for acquiring, sourcing, implementing and/or building those solutions that provide an advantage to the RRB.

D. The contractor shall provide that the RRB CIO and designated users shall have direct access to a minimum of 100 individual Information Technology analysts who are full-time employees of the contractor and possess, on average, a minimum of 10 years professional experience in the IT industry. These analysts shall have demonstrated abilities in the business field and in information technologies similar to those in use at the RRB to meet the RRB’s mission requirements. The RRB access to these analysts shall be Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central Time

· Application Development and Integration

· Application and Database Security

· Application Strategy and Governance

· Data Center Operations and Management

· Data Management and Integration

· Emerging Trends and Technologies

· Executive Briefs

· High-Performance Workplace

· IT Asset Management

· IT Management

· IT Operations

· Networking and Communications Services

· Network Operations and Performance Management

· PCs, Laptops, and Handheld Devices

· Platforms, Languages, and Frameworks

· Presentation Strategies

· Project Management

· Records and Content Management Technology

· Regulatory Compliance

· Results-Oriented Enterprise Architecture

· Risk Management and Compliance

· Roles

· Security Concepts, Techniques, and Approaches

· Security and Privacy

· Service Oriented Architecture and Integration Strategies

· Software Development Lifecycle Strategies

· Technologies and Standards

· Servers and Storage

· Web Services

[--Item I. is intentionally omitted--]

J. Sensitive Attachment Information

Attachment 1 provides information on the RRB’s IT Infrastructure which contain sensitive but unclassified information or Privacy Act Data. For security reasons, this document shall be provided to interested offerors only upon request. Offerors request must be on company’s letterhead. This attachment will not be released publically with this solicitation document. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution of this attachment is prohibited. All inquiries shall be addressed, Emailed (velinda.nix@rrb.gov) and/or faxed (312/751-4923) to:

IV. CLAUSES and PROVISIONS

A. Security Provisions and Clauses

1. Security Information:

The RRB is a social insurance agency. Privileged information for railroad employees and dependent beneficiaries is accessible from all mainframe terminals, terminal sessions on desktop PC workstations, and VLAN/WAN servers. Privileged information is also available in paper form, data disks, and data tapes throughout the Chicago headquarters facility and remote offices. Access to, and use of, this information is covered under the Privacy Act of 1975 and other U.S. Codes. The provision of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) section 52.239-1, Privacy or Security Safeguards (Aug 1996), is hereby incorporated by reference.

No copies of railroad employee or beneficiary information can be removed from a RRB site or retained by any member of the contractor staff in any transferable media, be that paper or electronic.

With the exception of cellular/digital telephones owned and used by the Contractor staff, no communications line other than those analog lines and data links installed and approved by the RRB will be allowed.

All CDs and diskettes used by the Contractor in the course of this project will be retained by the RRB at the end of the work.

2. PRIVACY ACT NOTIFICATION (APR 1984) FAR 52.224-1

The Contractor will be required to design, develop, or operate a system of records on individuals, to accomplish an agency function subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, Public Law 93-579, December 31, 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and applicable agency regulations. Violation of the Act may involve the imposition of criminal penalties.

3. PRIVACY ACT (APR 1984) FAR 52.224-2

(a) The Contractor agrees to -

(1) Comply with the Privacy Act of 1974 (the Act) and the agency rules and regulations issued under the Act in the design, development, or operation of any system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function when the contract specifically identifies -

(i) The systems of records; and

(ii) The design, development, or operation work that the contractor is to perform;

(2) Include the Privacy Act notification contained in this contract in every solicitation and resulting subcontract and in every subcontract awarded without a solicitation, when the work statement in the proposed subcontract requires the redesign, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals that is subject to the Act; and

(3) Include this clause, including this subparagraph (c), in all subcontracts awarded under this contract which requires the design, development, or operation of such a system of records.

(b) In the event of violations of the Act, a civil action may be brought against the agency involved when the violation concerns the design, development, or operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function, and criminal penalties may be imposed upon the officers or employees of the agency when the violation concerns the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function. For purposes of the Act, when the contract is for the operation of a system of records on individuals to accomplish an agency function, the Contractor is considered to be an employee of the agency.

(c)(1) "Operation of a system of records," as used in this clause, means performance of any of the activities associated with maintaining the system of records, including the collection, use, and dissemination of records.

(2) "Record," as used in this clause, means any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency, including, but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and that contains the person's name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a fingerprint or voiceprint or a photograph.

(3) "System of records on individuals," as used in this clause, means a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual.

4. PRIVACY OR SECURITY SAFEGUARDS FAR 52.239-1 (AUG 1996)

(a) The Contractor shall not publish or disclose in any manner, without the Contracting Officer's written consent, the details of any safeguards either designed or developed by the Contractor under this contract or otherwise provided by the Government.

(b) To the extent required to carry out a program of inspection to safeguard against threats and hazards to the security, integrity, and confidentiality of Government data, the Contractor shall afford the Government access to the Contractor's facilities, installations, technical capabilities, operations, documentation, records, and databases.

(c) If new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either the Government or the Contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately bring the situation to the attention of the other party.

(d) Each agency has its own rules regarding privacy and security of data. The RRB’s rules are summarized in the following publications:

(1) Privacy Act Information

(2) RRB’s Privacy System of Records http://www.rrb.gov/bis/privacy_act/sornlist.asp

(3) Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Publication 1075, Tax Information and Security Guidelines for Federal, State and Local Agencies http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf

(e) Anticipated threats and hazards that the contractor must guard against:

(1) Data stored on equipment following the completion of the project.

(2) Data removal process not including eradication methods.

(3) Contractor employees not fully versed in responsibilities with respect to Privacy and Security.

(4) Contractor accessing RRB data from unauthorized sites.

(f) Safeguards that the contractor must specifically provide include:

A contractor having access to RRB data should have in place preventive measures to assure that:

(1) Accessed data is not retained in contractor files or on contractor’s equipment.

(2) Data temporarily housed on contractor’s equipment must be eradicated, the space not just marked for reuse.

(3) All contractor staff members are made aware of their responsibilities with respect to Privacy and Security.

(4) Contractor access to RRB data is limited to RRB approved sites.

5. Standard for Security Configurations

(a) The Contractor shall configure its computers that contain RRB data with the applicable United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) ( see http://usgcb.nist.gov/ ) and ensure that its computers have and maintain the latest operating system patch level and anti-virus software level.

NOTE: USGCB is applicable to all computing systems using Windows 7TM, including desktops and laptops—regardless of function—but not including servers.

(b) The Contractor shall apply approved security configurations to information technology (IT) that is used to process information on behalf of RRB. The following security configuration requirements apply:

NOTE: The Contracting Officer shall specify applicable security configuration requirements in solicitations and contracts based on information provided by the RRB Senior Chief Information Security Officer.

(c) The Contractor shall ensure IT applications operated on behalf of RRB are fully functional and operate correctly on systems configured in accordance with the above configuration requirements. The Contractor shall use Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)-validated tools with USGCB Scanner capability to ensure its products operate correctly with USGCB configurations and do not alter USGCB settings— see http://scap.nist.gov/validation/. The Contractor shall test applicable product versions with all relevant and current updates and patches installed. The Contractor shall ensure currently supported versions of information technology products meet the latest USGCB major version and subsequent major versions.

(d) The Contractor shall ensure IT applications designed for end users run in the standard user context without requiring elevated administrative privileges.

(e) The Contractor shall ensure hardware and software installation, operation, maintenance, update, and patching will not alter the configuration settings or requirements specified above.

(f) The Contractor shall (1) include Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 201-compliant ( see http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips/fips201-1/FIPS-201-1-chng1.pdf ), Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) card readers with the purchase of servers, desktops, and laptops; and (2) comply with FAR Subpart 4.13, Personal Identity Verification.

(g) The Contractor shall ensure that its subcontractors (at all tiers) which perform work under this contract comply with the requirements contained in this clause

(h) The provider of information technology shall certify applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) (see http://usgcb.nist.gov/). This includes Internet Explorer configured to operate on Windows 7. For the Windows 7 settings, (see http://usgcb.nist.gov/usgcb/microsoft/download_win7.html).

(i) The standard installation, operation, maintenance, update, and/or patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the approved USGCB configuration. The information technology should also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default “program files” directory and should be able to silently install and uninstall.

(j) Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges.

6. Employment Eligibility Verification (Jan 2012) 52.222-54

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause—“Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item”—

(1) Means any item of supply that is—

(i) A commercial item (as defined in paragraph (1) of the definition at 2.101);

(ii) Sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace; and

(iii) Offered to the Government, without modification, in the same form in which it is sold in the commercial marketplace; and

(2) Does not include bulk cargo, as defined in section 3 of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. App. 1702), such as agricultural products and petroleum products. Per 46 CFR 525.1 (c)(2), “bulk cargo” means cargo that is loaded and carried in bulk onboard ship without mark or count, in a loose unpackaged form, having homogenous characteristics. Bulk cargo loaded into intermodal equipment, except LASH or Seabee barges, is subject to mark and count and, therefore, ceases to be bulk cargo.

“Employee assigned to the contract” means an employee who was hired after November 6, 1986 (after November 27, 2009 in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), who is directly performing work, in the United States, under a contract that is required to include the clause prescribed at 22.1803. An employee is not considered to be directly performing work under a contract if the employee—

(1) Normally performs support work, such as indirect or overhead functions;

and

(2) Does not perform any substantial duties applicable to the contract.

“Subcontract” means any contract, as defined in 2.101, entered into by a subcontractor to furnish supplies or services for performance of a prime contract or a subcontract. It includes but is not limited to purchase orders, and changes and modifications to purchase orders.

“Subcontractor” means any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that furnishes supplies or services to or for a prime Contractor or another subcontractor.

“United States”, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(38), means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

(b) Enrollment and verification requirements.

(1) If the Contractor is not enrolled as a Federal Contractor in E-Verify at time of contract award, the Contractor shall—

(i) Enroll. Enroll as a Federal Contractor in the E-Verify program within 30 calendar days of contract award;

(ii) Verify all new employees. Within 90 calendar days of enrollment in the E-Verify program, begin to use E-Verify to initiate verification of employment eligibility of all new hires of the Contractor, who are working in the United States, whether or not assigned to the contract, within 3 business days after the date of hire (but see paragraph (b)(3) of this section); and

(iii) Verify employees assigned to the contract. For each employee assigned to the contract, initiate verification within 90 calendar days after date of enrollment or within 30 calendar days of the employee’s assignment to the contract, whichever date is later (but see paragraph (b)(4) of this section).

(2) If the Contractor is enrolled as a Federal Contractor in E-Verify at time of contract award, the Contractor shall use E-Verify to initiate verification of employment eligibility of—

(i) All new employees.

(A) Enrolled 90 calendar days or more. The Contractor shall initiate verification of all new hires of the Contractor, who are working in the United States, whether or not assigned to the contract, within 3 business days after the date of hire (but see paragraph (b)(3) of this section); or

(B) Enrolled less than 90 calendar days. Within 90 calendar days after enrollment as a Federal Contractor in E-Verify, the Contractor shall initiate verification of all new hires of the Contractor, who are working in the United States, whether or not assigned to the contract, within 3 business days after the date of hire (but see paragraph (b)(3) of this section); or

(ii) Employees assigned to the contract. For each employee assigned to the contract, the Contractor shall initiate verification within 90 calendar days after date of contract award or within 30 days after assignment to the contract, whichever date is later (but see paragraph (b)(4) of this section).

(3) If the Contractor is an institution of higher education (as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001(a)); a State or local government or the government of a Federally recognized Indian tribe; or a surety performing under a takeover agreement entered into with a Federal agency pursuant to a performance bond, the Contractor may choose to verify only employees assigned to the contract, whether existing employees or new hires. The Contractor shall follow the applicable verification requirements at (b)(1) or (b)(2) respectively, except that any requirement for verification of new employees applies only to new employees assigned to the contract.

(4) Option to verify employment eligibility of all employees. The Contractor may elect to verify all existing employees hired after November 6, 1986 (after November 27, 2009, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), rather than just those employees assigned to the contract. The Contractor shall initiate verification for each existing employee working in the United States who was hired after November 6, 1986 (after November 27, 2009, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), within 180 calendar days of—

(i) Enrollment in the E-Verify program; or

(ii) Notification to E-Verify Operations of the Contractor’s decision to exercise this option, using the contact information provided in the E-Verify program Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

(5) The Contractor shall comply, for the period of performance of this contract, with the requirements of the E-Verify program MOU.

(i) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Social Security Administration (SSA) may terminate the Contractor’s MOU and deny access to the E-Verify system in accordance with the terms of the MOU. In such case, the Contractor will be referred to a suspension or debarment official.

(ii) During the period between termination of the MOU and a decision by the suspension or debarment official whether to suspend or debar, the Contractor is excused from its obligations under paragraph (b) of this clause. If the suspension or debarment official determines not to suspend or debar the Contractor, then the Contractor must reenroll in E-Verify.

(c) Web site. Information on registration for and use of the E-Verify program can be obtained via the Internet at the Department of Homeland Security Web site: http://www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.

(d) Individuals previously verified. The Contractor is not required by this clause to perform additional employment verification using E-Verify for any employee—

(1) Whose employment eligibility was previously verified by the Contractor through the E-Verify program;

(2) Who has been granted and holds an active U.S. Government security clearance for access to confidential, secret, or top secret information in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual; or

(3) Who has undergone a completed background investigation and been issued credentials pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors.

(e) Subcontracts. The Contractor shall include the requirements of this clause, including this paragraph (e) (appropriately modified for identification of the parties), in each subcontract that—

(1) Is for—

(i) Commercial or noncommercial services (except for commercial services that are part of the purchase of a COTS item (or an item that would be a COTS item, but for minor modifications), performed by the COTS provider, and are normally provided for that COTS item); or

(ii) Construction;

(2) Has a value of more than $3,000; and

(3) Includes work performed in the United States.

(End of clause) B. Other Contract Clauses or Provisions:

1. Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (FEB 1998) FAR 52.252-1 This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

https://www.acquisition.gov/Far/

· Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (FEB 2012) FAR 52.212-4

2. Availability of Funds (APR 1984) FAR 52.232-18

Funds are not presently available for this contract beyond September 30, 2009. The Government’s obligation under this contract is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for this contract and until the Contractor receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

3. Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year (APR 1984) FAR 52.232-19

Funds are not presently available for performance under this contract beyond September 30, 2009. The Government’s obligation for performance of this contract beyond that date is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise for performance under this contract beyond September 30, 2009, until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for performance and until the Contractor receives notice of availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer.

4. Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999) FAR 52.217-8

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within the period specified in the Schedule.

5. Conflicts of interest

The offeror agrees not to have any direct or indirect financial or familiar interest, or engage in any activity, which conflicts substantially, or appears to conflict substantially, with the offeror’s duties under this contract. The offeror further agrees that the RRB shall have the exclusive right to determine whether such a conflict of interest exists, and whether it is substantial. Failure of the offeror to adhere to this provision will, at the discretion of the RRB, result in the immediate termination of the contract without any further liability of the RRB.

6. Post-award conference

In order to codify the implementation and procedural issues attendant upon contract performance, a post-award conference will be held at the RRB headquarters facility in Chicago, IL no later than ten calendar days after contract award. The Contractor must attend this conference and be prepared to discuss the project milestone events and schedule. The Contractor will be responsible for all costs related to attending this conference. The RRB may agree to conduct this conference via telephone.

7. TECHNICAL DIRECTION

a. Performance of the work under this contract shall be subject to the technical direction of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR). The term “technical direction” is defined to comprise the following:

1) Directions to the contractor which redirect the contract effort, shift work emphasis between work areas or tasks, require pursuit of certain lines of inquiry, fill in details or otherwise serve to accomplish the contractual statement of work.

2) Provisions of information to the contractor which assists in the interpretation of drawings, specifications or technical portions of the work description.

3) Review and, where required by the contract, approve technical reports, drawings, specifications and technical information to be delivered by the Contractor to the Government under this contract.

b. Technical directions must be within the general scope of work stated in the contract. The COR does not have the authority to and may not issue any direction which (1) constitutes an assignment of additional work outside the general scope of the contract; (2) constitutes a change as defined in the contract article entitled “Changes”; (3) in any manner causes an increase or decrease in the estimated cost or the time required for contract performance; or (4) changes any of the expressed terms, conditions, or specifications of the contract.

c. The Contractor shall proceed promptly with the performance of technical directions duly issued by the COR in the manner prescribed by this Section and within his authority under the provisions of this Section. If, in the opinion of the Contractor, any instruction or direction issued by the COR is within one of the categories as defined in (1) through (4) above, the Contractor shall not proceed but shall notify the Contracting Officer within five (5) working days after receipt of any such instruction or direction and shall request the Contracting Officer to modify the contract accordingly. Upon receiving such notification from the Contractor, the Contracting Officer shall issue an appropriate contract modification or advise the Contractor in writing that, in his opinion, the technical direction is within the scope of this Section and does not constitute a change under the Changes article of the contract. The Contractor shall thereupon proceed immediately with the direction given. A failure of the parties to agree upon the nature of the instruction or direction or upon the contract action to be taken with respect thereto shall be subject to the provisions of the contract article entitled “Disputes” as contained in FAR 52.212-4 Contract terms and Conditions Commercial items.

8. Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items (JAN 2013) FAR 52.212-5

(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 items:

(1) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Feb 2009) (22 U.S.C. 7104(g)).

___Alternate I (Aug 2007) of 52.222-50 (22 U.S.C. 7104(g)).

(2) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553).

(3) 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Pub. L. 108-77, 108-78).

(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 items:

__ (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995) (41 U.S.C. 253g and 10 U.S.C. 2402).

X_ (2) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Apr 2010) (Pub. L. 110-252, Title VI, Chapter 1 (41 U.S.C. 251 note)).

__ (3) 52.203-15, Whistleblower Protections under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (June 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 (Aug 2012) (Pub. L. 109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (5) 52.204-11, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—Reporting Requirements (Jul 2010) (Pub. L. 111-5).

__ (6) 52.209-6, Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment. (Dec 2010) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).

__ (7) 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Feb 2012) (41 U.S.C. 2313).

__ (8) 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (May 2012) (section 738 of Division C of Pub. L. 112-74, section 740 of Division C of Pub. L. 111-117, section 743 of Division D of Pub. L. 111-8, and section 745 of Division D of Pub. L. 110-161).

__ (9) 52.219-3, Notice of HUBZone Set-Aside or Sole-Source Award (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (10) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns (JAN 2011) (if the offeror elects to waive the preference, it shall so indicate in its offer) (15 U.S.C. 657a).

__ (11) [Reserved] __ (12)(i) 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Nov 2011).

__ (iii) Alternate II (Nov 2011).

__ (13)(i) 52.219-7, Notice of Partial Small Business Set-Aside (June 2003) (15 U.S.C. 644).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Oct 1995) of 52.219-7.

__ (iii) Alternate II (Mar 2004) of 52.219-7.

__ (14) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Jan 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)).

__ (15)(i) 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Jan 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Oct 2001) of 52.219-9.

__ (iii) Alternate II (Oct 2001) of 52.219-9.

__ (iv) Alternate III (Jul 2010) of 52.219-9.

__ (16) 52.219-13, Notice of Set-Aside of Orders (Nov 2011)(15 U.S.C. 644(r)).

__ (17) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)).

__ (18) 52.219-16, Liquidated Damages—Subcontracting Plan (Jan 1999) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)(F)(i)).

__ (19)(i) 52.219-23, Notice of Price Evaluation Adjustment for Small Disadvantaged Business Concerns (OCT 2008) (10 U.S.C. 2323) (if the offeror elects to waive the adjustment, it shall so indicate in its offer).

__ (ii) Alternate I (June 2003) of 52.219-23.

__ (20) 52.219-25, Small Disadvantaged Business Participation Program—Disadvantaged Status and Reporting (Dec 2010) (Pub. L. 103-355, section 7102, and 10 U.S.C. 2323).

__ (21) 52.219-26, Small Disadvantaged Business Participation Program— Incentive Subcontracting (Oct 2000) (Pub. L. 103-355, section 7102, and 10 U.S.C. 2323).

__ (22) 52.219-27, Notice of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 657 f).

__ (23) 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Apr 2012) (15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)).

__ (24) 52.219-29, Notice of Set-Aside for Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) Concerns (Apr 2012) (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (25) 52.219-30, Notice of Set-Aside for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Concerns Eligible Under the WOSB Program (Apr 2012) (15 U.S.C. 637(m)).

__ (26) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755).

__ (27) 52.222-19, Child Labor—Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Mar 2012) (E.O. 13126).

X_ (28) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999).

X_ (29) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246).

X_ (30) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Sep 2010)(38 U.S.C. 4212).

X_ (31) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Oct 2010) (29 U.S.C. 793).

X_ (32) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Veterans (SEP 2010) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

X_ (33) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O. 13496).

__ (34) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (JUL 2012). (Executive Order 12989). (Not applicable to the acquisition of commercially available off-the-shelf items or certain other types of commercial items as prescribed in 22.1803.)

__ (35)(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.)

__ (36) 52.223-15, Energy Efficiency in Energy-Consuming Products (DEC 2007) (42 U.S.C. 8259b).

__ (37)(i) 52.223-16, IEEE 1680 Standard for the Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products (DEC 2007) (E.O. 13423).

__ (ii) Alternate I (DEC 2007) of 52.223-16.

X_ (38) 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (AUG 2011) (E.O. 13513).

__ (39) 52.225-1, Buy American Act—Supplies (Feb 2009) (41 U.S.C. 10a-10d).

__ (40)(i) 52.225-3, Buy American Act—Free Trade Agreements—Israeli Trade Act (Nov 2012) (41 U.S.C. chapter 83, 19 U.S.C. 3301 note, 19 U.S.C. 2112 note, 19 U.S.C. 3805 note, 19 U.S.C. 4001 note, Pub. L. 103-182, 108-77, 108-78, 108-286, 108-302, 109-53, 109-169, 109-283, 110-138, 112-41, 112-42, and 112-43).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Mar 2012) of 52.225-3.

__ (iii) Alternate II (Mar 2012) of 52.225-3.

__ (iv) Alternate III (Nov 2012) of 52.225-3.

__ (41) 52.225-5, Trade Agreements (NOV 2012) (19 U.S.C. 2501, et seq., 19 U.S.C. 3301 note).

__ (42) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) (E.O.’s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury).

__ (43) 52.226-4, Notice of Disaster or Emergency Area Set-Aside (Nov 2007) (42 U.S.C. 5150).

__ (44) 52.226-5, Restrictions on Subcontracting Outside Disaster or Emergency Area (Nov 2007) (42 U.S.C. 5150).

__ (45) 52.232-29, Terms for Financing of Purchases of Commercial Items (Feb 2002) (41 U.S.C. 255(f), 10 U.S.C. 2307(f)).

__ (46) 52.232-30, Installment Payments for Commercial Items (Oct 1995) (41 U.S.C. 255(f), 10 U.S.C. 2307(f)).

X_ (47) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Central Contractor Registration (Oct 2003) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

__ (48) 52.232-34, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer—Other than Central Contractor Registration (May 1999) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

__ (49) 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party (Feb 2010) (31 U.S.C. 3332).

__ (50) 52.239-1, Privacy or Security Safeguards (Aug 1996) (5 U.S.C. 552a).

__ (51)(i) 52.247-64, Preference for Privately Owned U.S.-Flag Commercial Vessels (Feb 2006) (46 U.S.C. Appx. 1241(b) and 10 U.S.C. 2631).

__ (ii) Alternate I (Apr 2003) of 52.247-64.

(c) The Contractor shall comply with the FAR clauses in this paragraph (c), applicable to commercial services, 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 items:

[Contracting Officer check as appropriate.] __ (1) 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965 (Nov 2007) (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

__ (2) 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires (May 1989) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

__ (3) 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act—Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Option Contracts) (Sep 2009) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

__ (4) 52.222-44, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act—Price Adjustment (Sep 2009) (29 U.S.C. 206 and 41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

__ (5) 52.222-51, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Act to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment—Requirements (Nov 2007) (41 351, et seq.).

X_ (6) 52.222-53, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Act to Contracts for Certain Services—Requirements (Feb 2009) (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

__ (7) 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (JAN 2013) (E.O.13495).

__ (8) 52.226-6, Promoting Excess Food Donation to Nonprofit Organizations (Mar 2009) (Pub. L. 110-247).

__ (9) 52.237-11, Accepting and Dispensing of $1 Coin (Sept 2008) (31 U.S.C. 5112(p)(1)).

(d) Comptroller General Examination of Record. The Contractor shall comply with the provisions of this paragraph (d) if this contract was awarded using other than sealed bid, is in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold, and does not contain the clause at 52.215-2, Audit and Records—Negotiation.

(1) The Comptroller General of the United States, or an authorized representative of the Comptroller General, shall have access to and right to examine any of the Contractor’s directly pertinent records involving transactions related to this contract.

(2) The Contractor shall make available at its offices at all reasonable times the records, materials, and other evidence for examination, audit, or reproduction, until 3 years after final payment under this contract or for any shorter period specified in FAR Subpart 4.7, Contractor Records Retention, of the other clauses of this contract. If this contract is completely or partially terminated, the records relating to the work terminated shall be made available for 3 years after any resulting final termination settlement. Records relating to appeals under the disputes clause or to litigation or the settlement of claims arising under or relating to this contract shall be made available until such appeals, litigation, or claims are finally resolved.

(3) As used in this clause, records include books, documents, accounting procedures and practices, and other data, regardless of type and regardless of form. This does not require the Contractor to create or maintain any record that the Contractor does not maintain in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to a provision of law.

(e)(1) Notwithstanding the requirements of the clauses in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this clause, the Contractor is not required to flow down any FAR clause, other than those in this paragraph (e)(1) in a subcontract for commercial items. Unless otherwise indicated below, the extent of the flow down shall be as required by the clause—

(i) 52.203-13, Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (Apr 2010) (Pub. L. 110-252, Title VI, Chapter 1 (41 U.S.C. 251 note)).

(ii) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Dec 2010) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)), in all subcontracts that offer further subcontracting opportunities. If the subcontract (except subcontracts to small business concerns) exceeds $650,000 ($1.5 million for construction of any public facility), the subcontractor must include 52.219-8 in lower tier subcontracts that offer subcontracting opportunities.

(iii) 52.222-17, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers (JAN 2013) (E.O. 13495). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (l) of FAR clause 52.222-17.

(iv) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246).

(v) 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Sep 2010) (38 U.S.C. 4212).

(vi) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Oct 2010) (29 U.S.C. 793).

(vii) 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010) (E.O. 13496). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (f) of FAR clause 52.222-40.

(viii) 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965 (Nov 2007) (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

(ix) 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Feb 2009) (22 U.S.C. 7104(g)).

___Alternate I (Aug 2007) of 52.222-50 (22 U.S.C. 7104(g)).

(x) 52.222-51, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Act to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment-Requirements (Nov 2007) (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

(xi) 52.222-53, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Act to Contracts for Certain Services-Requirements (Feb 2009) (41 U.S.C. 351, et seq.).

(xii) 52.222-54, Employment Eligibility Verification (JUL 2012).

(xiii) 52.226-6, Promoting Excess Food Donation to Nonprofit Organizations (Mar 2009) (Pub. L. 110-247). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (e) of FAR clause 52.226-6.

(xiv) 52.247-64, Preference for Privately Owned U.S.-Flag Commercial Vessels (Feb 2006) (46 U.S.C. Appx. 1241(b) and 10 U.S.C. 2631). Flow down required in accordance with paragraph (d) of FAR clause 52.247-64.

(2) While not required, the contractor may include in its subcontracts for commercial items a minimal number of additional clauses necessary to satisfy its contractual obligations.

V. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION

A. Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Items (Feb 2012)

(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code and small business size standard for this acquisition appear in Block 10 of the solicitation cover sheet (SF 1449). However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.

(b) Submission of offers. Submit signed and dated offers to the office specified in this solicitation at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation. Offers may be submitted on the SF 1449, letterhead stationery, or as otherwise specified in the solicitation. As a minimum, offers must show—

(1) The solicitation number;

(2) The time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers;

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

(4) A technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(5) Terms of any express warranty;

(6) Price and any discount terms;

(7) “Remit to” address, if different than mailing address;

(8) A completed copy of the representations and certifications at FAR 52.212-3 (see FAR 52.212-3(b) for those representations and certifications that the offeror shall complete electronically);

(9) Acknowledgment of Solicitation Amendments;

(10) Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and other relevant information); and

(11) If the offer is not submitted on the SF 1449, include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the solicitation. Offers that fail to furnish required representations or information, or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from consideration.

(c) Period for acceptance of offers. The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 30 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers, unless another time period is specified in an addendum to the solicitation.

(d) Product samples. When required by the solicitation, product samples shall be submitted at or prior to the time specified for receipt of offers. Unless otherwise specified in this solicitation, these samples shall be submitted at no expense to the Government, and returned at the sender’s request and expense, unless they are destroyed during preaward testing.

(e) Multiple offers. Offerors are encouraged to submit multiple offers presenting alternative terms and conditions or commercial items for satisfying the requirements of this solicitation. Each offer submitted will be evaluated separately.

(f) Late submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals of offers.

(1) Offerors are responsible for submitting offers, and any modifications, revisions, or withdrawals, so as to reach the Government office designated in the solicitation by the time specified in the solicitation. If no time is specified in the solicitation, the time for receipt is 4:30 p.m., local time, for the designated Government office on the date that offers or revisions are due.

(2)(i) Any offer, modification, revision, or withdrawal of an offer received at the Government office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers is “late” and will not be considered unless it is received before award is made, the Contracting Officer determines that accepting the late offer would not unduly delay the acquisition; and—

(A) If it was transmitted through an electronic commerce method authorized by the solicitation, it was received at the initial point of entry to the Government infrastructure not later than 5:00 p.m. one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of offers; or

(B) There is acceptable evidence to establish that it was received at the Government installation designated for receipt of offers and was under the Government’s control prior to the time set for receipt of offers; or

(C) If this solicitation is a request for proposals, it was…