SSN - OCR Recognition Software.pdf

Sources Sought Notice No. 2024021694

“Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Software Solution”

July 29, 2024

Background:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a national laboratory owned by the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE). NREL is the only federal laboratory dedicated to research, development, commercialization, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL is managed and operated for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy (Alliance), the “M&O Contractor”.

NREL processes a large volume of accounts payable invoices and needs to be able to process invoices in a timely manner.

Objective:

The objective of this Sources Sought is to identify potential OCR technology companies that are qualified and capable of integrating with Oracle EBS R12 with reliable invoice data extraction to improve existing NREL Accounts Payable processes.

Project Details:

In the event a solicitation is released, NREL is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that can provide OCR technologies integrated with Oracle EBS R12 for payables invoice processing, whether it is a SaaS or On-Premise solution.

Key Considerations:

1. Accuracy - Importance of high accuracy rates in OCR technology for reliable data extraction.

2. Recognition Capabilities - Considerations for document types, languages, and character sets supported by OCR.

3. Flexibility and Customization - Ability to customize OCR configurations to adapt to different invoice layouts and formats.

4. Integration with Oracle EBS R12 - Seamless integration with Oracle EBS R12 for automated data entry and workflow management.

Additional Considerations:

5. Speed and Performance - Importance of fast processing speeds, especially in high-volume environments.

6. Scalability - Ability to scale OCR solution to handle growing document volumes and business needs.

7. Ease of Use - User-friendly interface and intuitive configuration options for non-technical users.

8. Security and Compliance - Considerations for data security, privacy, and compliance with regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

9. Support and Maintenance - Availability of support services, updates, and maintenance for the OCR technology.

10. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - Evaluation of total cost of ownership including licensing, implementation, and ongoing expenses.

Request Details:

The Alliance intends to competitively solicit for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Software Solution, dependent on the volume of qualified responses received.

Step 1 - Sourcing (SSN): Parties that meet the minimum criteria outlined herein are encouraged to submit their capabilities statements. Submitted capabilities statements that meet the Alliance’s stated criteria will be considered for inclusion in the source list to receive notice of the planned RFP. The Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion.

Step 2: Qualifying (RFQ): Once the source list is compiled (the Alliance reserves the right to add additional sources to the source list at its discretion), the Alliance will send each qualified source the solicitation document [choose: Request for Qualification (RFQ) or Request for Proposals (RFP)]. Sources will then be asked to submit in accordance with that formal solicitation document. The Alliance will then evaluate the submitted qualifications against the selection criteria.

Step 3 - Proposal & Selection (RFP): In the third and final step, offerors will be asked to demonstrate their technical approach to the project as well as a firm price to perform the work. This step may include oral presentations as a part of the final selection.

Small-Business Requirements: Sufficient, qualified responses to this SSN will determine if a total small business set aside is appropriate for a resultant RFP. The NAICS code applicable to this SSN is 513210.

The following links are being provided for convenience:

• https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards

• https://www.sba.gov/size-standards https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards https://www.sba.gov/size-standards

Period of Performance: This project is anticipated to have a base period of performance totaling twelve (12) months or 365 days, plus four one-year option periods totaling twelve (12) months of 365 days. The total Period of Performance, if all options are exercised, shall not exceed sixty (60) months.

Anticipated Lead/Delivery Time: The Alliance program anticipates the lead time to be November 2025.

Location of Work to be Performed: Offerors shall be able to demonstrate their capability to perform in these locations:

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) South Table Mountain Campus (STM)

15013 Denver West Parkway Golden, CO 80401

Submission Requirements:

For companies interested in competing for the “Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Software Solution” RFP, please submit the following to Rachel Province at ASP.Responses@NREL.gov on or before 5:00 p.m. (MST), 08/12/2024. Your submission response is limited to 2-5 pages:

1. Company Name, Address, and Company URL (include bona-fide location as stated above).

2. Point of Contact Information (Email, Direct Phone Number).

3. Company’s Capability Statement that provides a narrative of the Offeror’s expertise with projects of similar scope, size, and complexity as identified below:

Equipment/Services Capability (including optional capabilities): Alliance is seeking a subcontractor that has demonstrated success with similar projects, has experience with federally funded projects, is knowledgeable with challenging schedules on project delivery, and is well versed and skilled in effectively integrating with all project team stakeholders.

Please complete the following table.

1 Capabilities Experience:

Yes/No

Years Experience (if applicable)

1.1 Oracle EBS R12 Integration

1.2 Support and Maintenance

1.3 Scalability (flexibility & customization)

1.4 Security and Compliance (such as General Data Protection Regulation) mailto:ASP.Responses@NREL.gov

4. Rough Order of Magnitude Estimate (ROM Estimate).

5. Estimated Lead Times for implementation after award.

Disclaimer: Responding to this request identifies your company as an interested candidate only.

Your submittal is not in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). This is an SSN, not a Request for Proposal. Verbal replies will not be accepted. All inquiries must be in writing via email. Project related questions will not be entertained at this point in the procurement process. This document represents a market research effort. Any costs associated with the development of a response to this request will not be reimbursed by NREL and submission does not guarantee or otherwise promise inclusion in any forthcoming RFP. In the event a solicitation results from this SSN, NREL reserves the right to set aside in total or in part any resultant award. No award will be made to any subcontractor/vendor that is not registered or in the process of registering with the System for Award Management (SAM). Please visit the SAM website at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration for instructions on how to register.

If a solicitation is conducted and an award is resulting, a SAM registration is required to be active at time of award.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration