Source Sought Notice _DME.docx

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and market research planning purposes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD), has a tentative requirement for Development, Modernization, and Enhancement (DME) of RD Automated Systems, as further defined in the attached DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS). As part of this market research, the USDA will determine if there is an adequate number of qualified and interested firms capable of fulfilling this requirement.

This RFI shall not be construed as an obligation on the part of the Government. This is NOT a Request for Quotations or Proposals (RFQ or RFP). The draft PWS describes only the contemplated possible scope of services and may vary from the final PWS included in any subsequent RFQ or RFP. No solicitation document exists, and the Government may or may not issue a formal solicitation as a result of the responses received to this RFI. No content in this RFI shall be interpreted as a commitment of the Government to enter a contract with any respondent or to make any procurement.

Failure to respond to this RFI will not preclude participation in any future solicitation. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capabilities.

The Government’s explicit intent through this RFI is to obtain general information. The Government is not requesting and does not want to receive from respondents any proprietary data, trade secrets, business sensitive information, or information considered CONFIDENTIAL under 18 U.S.C. §1905. The Government’s constraint does not in any way relieve contractors from their responsibility to properly mark proprietary data when it is provided, nor does it alleviate any requirement for the Government to protect marked data. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data.

The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned.

The Government will not pay for any response or demonstration expenses. By submitting a response to this RFI, each respondent agrees that any cost incurred in responding to this request, or in support of activities associated with this RFI, shall be the sole responsibility of respondent. The Government shall incur no obligations or liabilities whatsoever, to anyone, for any costs or expenses incurred by the respondent in responding to this RFI.

SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION

Respondents are required to complete an online questionnaire. The questionnaire associated with this RFI can be accessed at: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5zZb7e4BvE6GfuA8-g1Gl6sQUwWSrNJJnamnLup5fdRURTVBUFExRzlTUFMxTFE2Qk42MVFLNkFIUi4u

Responses to this questionnaire must be completed by the date and time set forth in this RFI notice.

An unfillable PDF version of this survey is available at the SAM.gov website, along with the RFI notice. You may use it to prepare answers for your responses, but the online survey must be used to submit your responses.

The Questionnaire includes questions seeking the following information:

· Company information (Business name, address, Cage Number, SAM.gov Unique Entity Identification (UEI) Number).

· Point of contact for respondent (name, title, e-mail, and phone number)

· Identify any GSA contracts that your company holds that are applicable to this requirement.

· Identify your Business Size/ Socio-Economic Status and Certification

· Brief Description of your company

· Does your company have the capability to perform all required services in the Draft PWS?

· Do you provide this service commercially?

· Does your company have similar or previous experience performing the type of work outlined in the Draft PWS?

· Does the Draft PWS contain sufficient information that would enable you to adequately respond to an RFP? If not, why?

· Has your company directly supported USDA programs?

· Provide a summary of your company’s experience directly supporting USDA programs. Include applicable contract numbers.

· The Government intends to use NAICS code 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services, for this requirement. Please provide the NAICS code(s) you determine are appropriate for this requirement.

· Based on the provided information, would your company submit a quote/proposal if a solicitation was issued?

Any additional information can be emailed directly to SAD2Acquisitions@usda.gov with the subject line "RD DME.”

Responses to this RFI must be submitted at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=5zZb7e4BvE6GfuA8-g1Gl6sQUwWSrNJJnamnLup5fdRURTVBUFExRzlTUFMxTFE2Qk42MVFLNkFIUi4u and to SAD2Acquisitions@usda.gov no later than 3:00 PM EST, July 1, 2024.