MEP_CSS_revised.pdf

CLASSIFICATION CODE: R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services

TITLE: - MEP Panel Review Process Consultant Services

SOLICITATION NUMBER: SB1341-15-RQ-0006

RESPONSE DATE: February 09, 2015

CONTACT POINTS: Robert Cowins, Contract Specialist, (301) 975-8335 Todd Hill, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-8802

DESCRIPTION:

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement for Panel Review Process Consultant Services to be utilized by NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL

SERVICES PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6

STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR

COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY

SOLICITATION; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A SEPARATE WRITTEN

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. THE SOLICITATION IS BEING

ISSUED USING SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES UNDER THE AUTHORITY

OF FAR PARTS 12 AND 13. This solicitation is a Request for Proposal (RFP). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-78.

1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010)

Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to robert.cowins@nist.gov. Questions should be received no later than 10 calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation.

Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract.

(End of Provision)

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541618 with a small business size standard of 14 million dollars.

*** This acquisition is being procured as 100% Small Business Set-Aside.

All offerors shall provide a proposal for the following line items:

Line Item 0001: Base Period Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: Each Description: Consultant Support for NIST MEP (See PWS for detailed requirement) Period of Performance: 1 year from date of award

Line Item 0002: Base Period Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: Lot Description: Travel Expenses (See PWS for detailed requirement) Period of Performance: TBD

Line Item 0003: Option Period I Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: Each Description: Consultant Support for NIST MEP (See PWS for detailed requirement) Period of Performance: One year after option exercised

Line Item 0004: Option Period I Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: Lot Description: Travel Expenses (See PWS for detailed requirement) Period of Performance: TBD

Line Item 0005: Option Period II Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: Each Description: Consultant Support for NIST MEP (See PWS for detailed requirement) Period of Performance: One year after option exercised

Line Item 0006: Option Period II Quantity: 1 Unit of Issue: Lot Description: Travel Expenses (See PWS for detailed requirement) Period of Performance: TBD

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

I. Background

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) started in 1989 with centers in three states – South Carolina, Ohio, and New York. Today, MEP is a national network of affiliated manufacturing extension centers and field offices serving small manufacturers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. MEP centers and field offices are staffed by experienced field engineers and manufacturing specialists; they are not federal employees. MEP Centers provide resources to transform manufacturers to compete globally, support greater supply chain integration, and provide access to technology for improved productivity.

MEP establishes cooperative agreements with various organizations across the US and the review process is set up to analyze the organization’s performance. The reviews analyze the financial, strategic and operating components of the organization. These reviews are also conducted to improve delivery and quality of the services provided by the organization. The reviews will identify and provide recommendation on issues like center performance, performance measurement, and strategic planning as well. MEP’s need to conduct effective and productive reviews is essential for our and Department of Commerce’s mission to help the organizations better aid the manufacturers become more competitive in the current market place.

II. Objective/Purpose

Continuous improvement to the MEP Centers and small businesses, including services associated with the application of MEP Panel Review Strategic Criteria, are necessary to the MEP program.

The MEP Panel Review Strategic Criteria which are comprised of Market Understanding, Business Model, Financial Viability, Partnership Development and Metrics are critical tools in transforming the MEP system into high-performance service delivery enterprises. The MEP Criteria were developed to help centers and the entire MEP network move towards performance excellence. These Criteria were developed uniquely for MEP based on the award winning Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) which reflects validated, leading-edge management practices against which an organization can measure itself. With the national acceptance of BPEP as the model for performance excellence, the MEP Criteria represent a common language for communication among MEP Centers for sharing best practices. It assists centers in the application of Criteria for Center Performance Excellence to their operations.

III. Specific Tasks

The Support for Center Panel Reviews will be critical to continuing to develop MEP Centers, and the entire nationwide network, toward performance excellence. The contractor shall provide expertise and knowledge in support of a formal review process of the MEP Centers over the course of one year. The reviews will identify and provide recommendations on issues such as center performance, performance measurement, and strategic planning as well. Duties for each review include:

a. Serve as a Center Review Panelist for at least 6 with a maximum of 10 center panel reviews to directly comment on improvements to the Center’s performance. The contractor will be notified of the review dates 60 days prior to the Panel Review.

a. Review and analyze the financial, strategic and operating components of the Center Progress Report provided by the Government Representative and prepare comments to be shared at the Pre-Panel Review conference call.

b. Attend and participate in a one hour Pre-Panel Review conference call to provide comments and feedback about the Center Progress Report.

c. Attend and participate in a four-hour Panel Review. The contractor shall participate in discussion/questions during the presentation portion as well as provide feedback and comments during the caucus and feedback portion of the review.

d. Provide and discuss the content of the draft and final panel report that will be provide by NIST MEP in regards to how the report reflects outcome of actual panel review communication.

b. The contractor shall provide panel review process improvement and quality assessment services to the NIST MEP Program.

a. Make approximately three to four presentations annually on quality to selected manufacturing audiences, MEP Center leaders, and organizations affiliated with small and medium-size U.S. manufacturers. These presentations may be made in person or via electronic “Webinar.” The location of these presentations and the size of the audiences for these presentations may vary.

b. Develop and modify educational materials on quality tailored to the needs of MEP Centers and small businesses.

c. Review educational and assessment materials and provide written and oral comments to the NIST MEP Program Office.

d. Review quality-related practices of selected MEP Centers to determine key needs and to make recommendations.

e. Develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) which will provide ongoing guidance for the Center Support role.

IV. Deliverables and Deliverable Due Dates

a. The contactor shall provide written documentation to support the Panel Review

Process.

a. Provide content and comments to a word document draft report letter that is sent electronically within 14 calendar days of panel review

b. Provide content and comments to a word document final panel report that is sent electronically no more than 10 calendar days after request is given by Panel Chair.

b. The contractor shall provide panel review process improvement services to NIST MEP. This deliverable is ongoing.

a. Develop a multifaceted comprehensive training curriculum content that will be used for internal NIST MEP staff, panelist and MEP Center training. A draft of the training program will be due 90 days after the award. During each option year, the training program will be reviewed and updated as identified by the technical point of contact. The training curriculum includes but is not limited to the following:

i. Panel Review Process

ii. MEP Strategic Plan

iii. MEP Center cooperative agreement competitive award process

b. Provide feedback for Center support services directly to MEP program office on issues identified by the program. This deliverable is ongoing and may be either via written communications or written communication.

c. State key needs and make recommendation regarding quality-related practices to the Panel Review Manager. This deliverable is ongoing and performed via written communications via email or handwritten notes.

d. One month prior to each presentation, the contractor shall submit presentation to the MEP Program Office for approval.

V. Transition- Phase-In/Phase-Out

During the contract phase-in, the contractor shall participate as an observer in no less than two scheduled Panel Reviews at the outset of the contract award period to familiarize themselves with the Review process and also become familiar with the required feedback/deliverables of that process. Transition phase in shall last no longer than two months.

During contract phase-out at the end of the contract’s period of performance, the contractor shall provide assistance with the transition to a new contractor by developing and preparing process standard operating procedures and a transition plan for use during the two month transition period. During phase-out, the contractor shall continue to provide Panel Review panelist and advisory services to the MEP program for a period not to exceed two months in order to facilitate the integration of a new contract awardee.

VI. Minimum Qualifications/Key Personnel

a. The Contractor key personnel shall meet the minimum qualifications for their respective position identified below. The Government has determined that key personnel must possess the following minimum qualifications (skills, experience and technical competencies) that are critical to the successful performance of this task.

Support for Center Panel Reviews Required and Preferred Skills:

a. 10+ years relevant experience in U.S. manufacturing--particularly with small or mid-sized manufacturing firms (i.e., less than fifty total manufacturing employees)

b. 5+ years of experience or involvement with Quality Systems (preferably with

Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP))

c. 5+ years of involvement with the MEP Center system (preferred); or

d. Interaction/coordination at the state, regional, or local level with small/mid-sized manufacturers (optional).

VII. Period of Performance and Place of Performance

Base Period of Performance – One year form date of award Option Period 1 – One year from date of option exercised Option Period 2 – One year from date of option exercised

Work shall be primarily performed at the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, MD, unless traveling to make presentations to MEP Centers.

VIII. Government-Furnished Property, Data and/or Information

While on the NIST/MEP campus, the Government will provide laptop, desk, and phone to complete tasks referenced above in the PWS.

The Government will provide contractor with access to MEP's Enterprise Information System (MEIS) database or equivalent system(s) as necessary to conduct research and assess performance of MEP Centers.

IX. Performance Standards

Performance Requirement Performance Standard Monitoring Method

Review quality-related practices of selected MEP Centers to determine key needs and to make recommendations.

Applies knowledge of the BPEP and the MEP Criteria for Center Performance Excellence to the network of Centers within the Manufacturing Extension Program and provides handwritten or electronic feedback as necessary.

Evaluation by Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Panel Review Manager

Provide Support for Center panel review services to the NIST MEP Program and to others at the request of this Program.

Assist with systemic input/feedback to improve the panel review and quality process by attending meetings and review documentation as necessary.

Evaluation by Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

Serve as a Center Review Panelist to directly comment on improvements to the Center performance.

Provide analysis and feedback to draft Panel Review Report Letter within 14 days.

Provide analysis and feedback to final Panel Review Report Letter within 10 days.

Evaluation by Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)

Develop and modify Create a draft of the program due 90 days Evaluation by the

Performance Requirement Performance Standard Monitoring Method

Training program quality tailored to the needs of MEP Centers and small businesses.

after the award. Each option year, the program will be reviewed/updated under technical direction.

Technical POC, Project Manager and Contracting Officer Representative

Develop a draft SOP for the Panel Review Advisor position.

Create a SOP within the first six months of the award.

Evaluation by the Technical POC, Project Manager and Contracting Officer Representative

X. Travel

Travel shall attend no more than 5 meetings which will consist of Quarterly Update Meetings and Training Conferences. The contractor will be notified by the Technical POC/Project Manager/COR when travel is necessary. Travel shall be conducted and reimbursed in accordance with the Federal Travel regulation. The Contractor shall not exceed funding for travel as specified in this contract.

XI. PRODUCTIVE Direct Labor Hours

The contractor can only charge the Government for “Productive Direct Labor Hours,” which are defined as those hours expended by the Contractor personnel in performing work under this effort. This does not include sick leave, vacation, Government of contractor holidays, jury duty, military leave, or any other kind of administrative leave such as acts of God (i.e. hurricanes, snow storms, tornadoes, etc.), Presidential funerals or any other unexpected government closures. Any deviations must be authorized by the COR in advance.

PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES:

The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html.

Provisions

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options

Offerors shall complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items.

If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required.

http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html

Clauses

*52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Items 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders— Commercial Items (APR 2010)-- including subparagraphs:

52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government 52.209-6 Protecting the Government’s Interest when subcontracting with Contractor’s Debarred, Suspended or proposed for Debarment 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Aside 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Representation 52.222-3, Convict Labor;

52.222-19 Child Labor – Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies;

52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities;

52-222-26, Equal Opportunity;

52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities;

52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans 52.222-40 Notification of Employee RightsUnder the National Labor Relations Act 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving 52.232-7 -- Payments Under Time-and-Materials and Labor-Hour Contracts.

52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer— System for Award Management

*52.237-2 Protection of Government Buildings, Equipment, And Vegetation *52.247-34 F.O.B. Destination *1352.201-70 Contracting Officer’s Authority As prescribed in 48 CFR 1301.602–170, insert the following clause:

Contracting Officer's Authority.

The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to make or approve any changes in any of the requirements of this contract, and, notwithstanding any provisions contained elsewhere in this contract, the said authority remains solely in the Contracting Officer. In the event the contractor makes any changes at the direction of any person other than the Contracting Officer, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract terms and conditions, including price.

(End of clause)

[75 FR 10570, Mar. 8, 2010; 75 FR 14496, Mar. 26, 2010]

*1352.201-72 Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) As prescribed in 48 CFR 1301.670–70, insert the following clause:

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) (APR 2010)

(a) ___________ is hereby designated as the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). The COR may be changed at any time by the Government without prior notice to the contractor by a unilateral modification to the contract. The COR is located at:

Phone Number:____________________ E-mail:____________________

(b) The responsibilities and limitations of the COR are as follows:

(1) The COR is responsible for the technical aspects of the contract and serves as technical liaison with the contractor. The COR is also responsible for the final inspection and acceptance of all deliverables and such other responsibilities as may be specified in the contract.

(2) The COR is not authorized to make any commitments or otherwise obligate the Government or authorize any changes which affect the contract price, terms or conditions. Any contractor request for changes shall be referred to the Contracting Officer directly or through the COR. No such changes shall be made without the express written prior authorization of the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer may designate assistant or alternate COR(s) to act for the COR by naming such assistant/alternate(s) in writing and transmitting a copy of such designation to the contractor.

(End of clause)

[75 FR 10570, Mar. 8, 2010; 75 FR 14496, Mar. 26, 2010] *1352.246-70 Place of Acceptance As prescribed in 1346.503, insert the following clause:

Place of Acceptance (APR 2010)

(a) The Contracting Officer or the duly authorized representative will accept supplies and services to be provided under this contract.

(b) The place of acceptance will be:

NIST

100Bureau Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20899

*1352.271-83 Government Review, Comment, Acceptance, And Approval As prescribed in 48 CFR 1371.114, insert the following clause:

Government Review, Comment, Acceptance and Approval (APR 2010)

(a) Documentation, including drawings and other engineering products and reports, required by the contract to be submitted for review, comment, acceptance or approval will be acted upon by the Government within 30 calendar days after receipt by the Government, unless another period of time is specified.

(b) The Government shall respond to Condition Reports, as defined in the Specifications, within five (5) working days, unless the Government notifies the contractor that a longer period of time will be required. If the contractor requests a response in less than five (5) working days, the Government will attempt to accommodate the request, but does not guarantee a response in less than the time limits stated above.

(c) Review, comment, acceptance or approval by the Government as required under this contract and applicable specifications shall not relieve the contractor of its obligation to comply with the specifications and with all other requirements of the contract, nor shall it impose upon the Government any liability it would not have had in the absence of such review, comment and acceptance or approval.

(End of clause)

*1352.237-71 Security Processing Requirements - Low Risk Contracts

System for Award Management

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award.

Due Date for Proposals

Offerors shall submit their proposals so that NIST receives them not later than 12:00 p.m.

Eastern Time on Friday February 09, 2015. FAX and hard-copy proposals shall not be accepted. E-mail proposals shall be accepted at robert.cowins@nist.gov. Offerors’ proposals shall not be deemed received by the Government until the proposal is entered into the e-mail address inbox set forth above.

ADDENDUM TO PROVISION 52.212-1 - PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

1) Price Proposal: The pricing proposal shall be separate from any other portion of the proposal. In accordance with the PWS the vendor must provide a fully burdened hourly labor rate for each proposed labor category and a total number of estimated hours to be worked for each labor category.

2) Technical Capability: The technical proposal shall address the vendor’s detailed technical approach for satisfying the PWS requirements. The technical approach shall address how the vendor will (a) perform and manage individual tasks required by the SOW; and (b) ensure that Contractor services and deliverables comply with the requirements of the PWS (c) resume for each person proposed as key personnel, to include name, education, experience, and country of citizenship. If a candidate is not a US citizen, then the proper documentation, as required by CAR clause 1352.237-73, must be provided with the proposal.

Experience: The offeror shall demonstrate the extent of the experience attained providing a similar service.

Past Performance: The offeror shall provide past performance information regarding relevant contracts over the past five (3) years with Federal, state, or local governments, or commercial customers. If the offeror intends to subcontract with another firm(s) for part of this requirement, that firm’s past performance information shall also be provided. If the offeror has no relevant past performance, it may include a statement to that effect in its proposal. The government reserves the right to consider data obtained from sources other than those described by the offeror in its proposal. It is recommended that approximately 3-5 contracts be referenced.

The description of each contract/order described in this section shall not exceed one half page in length. For each contract/order, the offeror shall provide the following information:

1. Contract number;

2. Description and relevance to solicitation requirements including dollar value;

3. Period of Performance – indicate by month and year the state and completion (or “ongoing”) dates for the contract;

4. Reference Contact – If a non-Government contract, identify the name and address of the client with current telephone number and email address of a point of contact of the client responsible for the contract;

5. Contracting Office – If a Government contract (Federal or state), identify the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), administrative mailto:robert.cowins@nist.gov

Contracting Officer (ACO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and their names, current telephone numbers and email addresses.

6. Problems Encountered – include information regarding information regarding any problems encountered on the contracts described above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for services as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this solicitation that will include the clauses set forth herein. The proposal should include one of the following statements:

“The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition.”

OR

“The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following:

Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s)

Note: This procurement is not being conducted under the GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) program or another Government-Wide Area Contract (GWAC). If an offeror submits a proposal based upon an FSS or GWAC contract, the Government will accept the proposed price.

However, the terms and conditions stated herein will be included in any resultant Purchase Order, not the terms and conditions of the offeror’s FSS or GWAC contract, and the statement required above shall be included in the proposal.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION:

Evaluation Factors

Award shall be made to the offeror whose proposal offers the best value to the Government price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate proposals based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability 2) Experience, 3) Past Performance, and 4) Price.

Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Experience, when combined, are more important than price. Technical capability is more important than past performance and experience.

Evaluation of technical capability shall be based on the information provided in the proposal.

NIST will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed services meets or exceeds all minimum requirements. Proposals that do not demonstrate the proposed services meet all requirements will not be considered further for award. If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed services meet a certain minimum requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. NIST will give preference to offerors who demonstrate that their proposed service exceeds NIST’s requirements.

Experience: NIST will evaluate the extent of the offeror’s experience providing a similar service. NIST will give preference to offerors who demonstrate they have experience delivering the same service they are proposing for the current requirement.

Past Performance: The Government will evaluate the Offeror's past performance information and, if appropriate, its proposed subcontractors' past performance to determine its relevance to the current requirement and the extent to which it demonstrates that the offeror has successfully completed relevant contracts in the past three years. In assessing the offeror's past performance information, NIST will evaluate, as appropriate, successful performance of contract requirements, quality and timeliness of delivery of goods and services, cost management, communications between contracting parties, proactive management and customer satisfaction..

Evaluation of this factor will be based on information contained in the technical portion of the proposal and information provided by references. The Government will evaluate past performance information by contacting appropriate references, including NIST references, if applicable. The Government may also consider other available information in evaluating the Offeror’s past performance. The Government will assign a neutral rating if the offeror has no relevant past performance information.

NOTE -- If an offeror does not have a history of relevant contract experience, or if past performance information is not available, the offeror will receive a neutral past performance rating; however, an offeror without a history of relevant experience may receive a lowered rating for the Experience Factor.

Price: The Government will evaluate price for reasonableness.

Past Performance, Experience, and Price shall not be evaluated on proposal that are determined technically unacceptable under the Technical Capability Evaluation factor.

Non-Governmental Acquisition Support

The Government may utilize non-Governmental acquisition support for processing of proposals submitted in response to this solicitation. These individual(s) will have access to the proposal information and will be assisting the Contracting Officer in the procurement process by performing services including, but not limited to, preparing the proposals for submission to the technical evaluators, performing past performance checks, and preparing award documents. The non-Governmental acquisition support will not conduct technical evaluations of any proposal and will not be involved in the final decision as to the awardee under this procurement.

1352.233-70 AGENCY PROTESTS (APR 2010)

(a) An agency protest may be filed with either: (1) the contracting officer, or (2) at a level above the contracting officer, with the appropriate agency Protest Decision Authority. See 64 Fed. Reg. 16,651 (April 6, 1999)

(b) Agency protests filed with the Contracting Officer shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: TODD HILL, CONTRACTING OFFICER

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640 Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(c) Agency protests filed with the agency Protest Decision Authority shall be sent to the following address: NIST/ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT DIVISION

ATTN: HEAD OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICE (HCO)

100 Bureau Drive, MS 1640

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

(d) A complete copy of all agency protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel within one day of filing a protest with either the Contracting Officer or the Protest Decision Authority.

(e) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230.

FAX: (202) 482-5858

1352.233-71 GAO AND COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS PROTESTS (APR 2010)

(a) A protest may be filed with either the Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the Court of Federal Claims unless an agency protest has been filed.

(b) A complete copy of all GAO or Court of Federal Claims protests, including all attachments, shall be served upon (i) the Contracting Officer, and (ii) the Contract Law Division of the Office of the General Counsel, within one day of filing a protest with either GAO or the Court of Federal Claims.

(c) Service upon the Contract Law Division shall be made as follows:

U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the General Counsel Chief, Contract Law Division Room 5893 Herbert C. Hoover Building 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20230.

FAX: (202) 482-5858

All offerors shall provide a proposal for the following line items: