Combined_Synopsis.doc

Solicitation:

SB1341-17-RQ-0576

Agency/Office:

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Location:

Acquisition Management Division

Title:

Subscription to Industry Studies Description(s):

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). This solicitation document and incorporated clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-95.

Offerors will be responsible for obtaining related amendments to this solicitation, if any, from www.fbo.gov. It is the responsibility of each potential offeror to monitor www.fbo.gov for any amendments or other information related to this solicitation. Any communications regarding this acquisition must be made in writing and forwarded via email to Divya Langhnoja at divya.langhnoja@nist.gov and shall identify the solicitation number, company name, company address, as well as point of contact email address and phone number.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541910 with a small business size standard of $15 million. This requirement is being competed as a small business set-aside. The Government anticipates the award of a firm-fixed-price purchase order to the offeror that offers the best value to the Government using the Lowest-Priced, Technically Acceptable method. The Government intends to make a single award for this requirement but reserves the right to make multiple awards.

The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP), a program of the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is a nationwide network that provides services to assist smaller manufacturers in becoming globally competitive. The network consists of 51 manufacturing extension centers serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Each MEP center is an independent, non-profit organization offering products and services that meet the specific needs of the region’s local manufacturers.

A critical need for centers is to have access to the most current and comprehensive analysis of different industries including to help centers in their work with manufacturing clients to grow their business and develop a stronger, agile, and robust manufacturing sector. These studies should focus on detailed supply chain information, market trends, revenue data; operating strengths and weaknesses; analysis of external drivers including technologies and regulations; the competitive landscape and major players; and industry profit and costs benchmarks. These studies will allow centers to prepare for projects and presentations quickly and provide them with questions and conversation starters that will help highlight how their clients within the industry have been dealing with the challenges they face, both from external economic factors and internal management issues.

The purpose of this procurement is to purchase, on behalf of the network of 51 MEP centers and the over 1200 field staff, access to a “library” of industry studies and other information on industry trends. The studies MEP is most interested in are those focusing on the manufacturing sector and should be as detailed as possible (down to 5-digit NAICS). The Contractor will also work with the centers to establish their own access (user name and password), provide some training on how to use these studies, and provide to NIST MEP quarterly reports on usage by center. In addition, an additional 4 licenses should be available for NIST MEP use. The reports made available should be updated at least annually.

The specifications are as follows:

Ability for centers to extract information including charts and tables with proper attribution of source.

Access to other reports would be a plus

***All interested vendors shall provide a firm-fixed-price quotation for the following:

CLIN 0001

Description: Subscription to Industry Studies in accordance with the minimum specifications listed Period of performance: One year from date of award Quantity: 1 EA

***INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS ***

Interested offerors shall provide firm-fixed-pricing for the above.

The offeror shall hold the prices in its offer firm for 60 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers.

NIST reserves the right to award a purchase order without discussions, based solely on the submission of the Contractor.

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD: The award will be made to the responsible authorized offeror whose technically acceptable quotation is deemed to represent the lowest price. Offers that meet all of the above requirements will be deemed technically acceptable.

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. All Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR) clauses may be viewed at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/VFCARA.HTM.

Provisions:

ADDENDUM TO PROVISION 52.212-1 - QUOTATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All Offerors shall submit all of the following:

(1) Technical description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with requirements in the solicitation. Item MUST meet exact specifications as laid out in the description attached. This may include product literature, or other documents, if necessary;

(2) Firm-fixed price for each CLIN and discount terms;

(3) Acknowledgement of solicitation amendment(s);

***Offerors shall e-mail their quotation to divya.langhnoja@nist.gov so that it is received by the response date/time for this solicitation. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to confirm NIST's receipt of its quotation. NIST reserves the right to award a purchase order without discussions, based solely on the submission of the Contractor.

52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items

52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items

FAR 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-Commercial Items including subparagraphs 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside

52.219-13 Notice of Set-Aside of Orders

52.219-28 Post-Award Small Business Program Re-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 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons 52.223-18 Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management

Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR) Clauses:

1352.201-70, Contracting Officer's Authority 1352.209-73, Compliance with the Laws 1352.209-74, Organizational Conflict of Interest

1352.215-72, Inquiries Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to the Contracting Officer. Questions should be received no later than 12:00 pm EST, 5 calendar days from the posting date. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Requests shall include complete company name, address, telephone and e-mail address. FAX AND OR PHONE REQUESTS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

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 FR 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: ABDUL-KUDUS YAHAYA, 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, NW.

Washington, DC 20230

FAX: (202) 482-5858.

(End of clause)

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, NW.

Washington, DC 20230

FAX: (202) 482-5858.

(End of clause)

NIST Local Clause_04 Billing Instruction NIST prefers electronic Invoice/Voucher submissions and they should be emailed to INVOICE@NIST.GOV. (b) Each Invoice or Voucher submitted shall include the following: (1) Contract Number. (2) Contractor Name and Address. (3) Date of Invoice. (4) Invoice Number. (5) Amount of Invoice and Cumulative Amount Invoiced to-date. (6) Contract Line Item Number (CLIN). (7) Description, Quantity, Unit of Measure, Unit Price, and Extended Price of Supplies/Services Delivered. (8) Prompt Payment Discount Terms, if Offered. (9) Any other information or documentation required by the contract. (c) In the event electronic submissions are not used, The Contractor shall submit an original invoice or voucher in accordance with the payment provisions of this contract to: NIST: Accounts Payable Office 100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 1621 Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1621. (End of clause)

System for Award Management (SAM):

In accordance with FAR 52.204-7, the awardee must be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to award. Refusal to register shall forfeit award.

Due Date and Response Information:

Offerors capable of furnishing the specified equipment in this combined synopsis/solicitation should submit their quote in writing to Divya Langhnoja electronically at divya.langhnoja@nist.gov. FAX and hard-copy quotations shall not be accepted. Offerors shall submit their quotations so that NIST receives them not later than NLT 12:00 pm EST, June 22, 2017.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions: This is an open-market solicitation for equipment 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 quotation 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 quotation based upon an FSS or GWAC, the Government will accept the quoted 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, and the statement required above shall be included in the quotation.