STIPDG DRAFT RFQ 693JJ324Q000067v2 8_8_24.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)

Issuing Office: United States Department of Transportation (US DOT)

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Acquisition & Grants Management (HCFA)

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590-0001

Agency Contact:

Myla Wyatt, Contracting Officer

Email: Myla.Wyatt@dot.gov Telephone: (202) 366-4247

Solicitation Number: RFQ- 693JJ324Q000067

Title: Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups

(STIPDG)

Release Date: August TBD 2024

Questions Due Date: August TBD 2024

Quotation/Submission Due Date: 3:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) Wednesday, August 28, 2024 mailto:Myla.Wyatt@dot.gov

PART 1

INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QUOTATION

RFQ INFORMATION

IAW 19.502-2(b)(1)&(2) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) this Request for Quote (RFQ) is one hundred (100%) percent set-aside for Smal Business (SB). This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial products and/or commercial services. The RFQ number is 693JJ324Q000067. This solicitation is prepared in accordance with FAR Part 12- Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services in conjunction with the policies and procedures for solicitation, evaluation, and award as prescribed in FAR Part 13-Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP).

This solicitation is a small business set-aside and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 541618 Other Management Consultant Services, size standard is $19 million.

A responsible Quoter is one whose submission conforms to the solicitation and will be most advantageous to the Government. It is the contractor’s responsibility to be familiar with applicable clauses and provisions.

FAR Provisions and Clauses may be viewed and/or downloaded from http://www.acquisition.gov/far.

All Quoters must have a current active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) www.SAM.gov at the time of Quote submission in order to be eligible to receive an award under this RFQ. This requirement includes that the contractor must complete all required representations and certifications in SAM.gov.

The provisions at FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors–Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies to this acquisition; an addendum to FAR 52-212-1 is provided in the RFQ document.

The provision at FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation–Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies to this RFQ; an addendum to FAR 52-212-2 is provided in the RFQ document.

Quoters shall include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications- Commercial Products and Commercial Services with its Submission/Quote. If the Quoter’s annual representations and certifications are current in the U.S. Government System for Award Management (SAM), the Quoter(s) may merely state that the Quoter’s Representations and Certifications are available through SAM.gov in lieu of submitting the annual representations and certifications as part of the Quoter’s submission.

FAR clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions–Commercial Items applies to this procurement. An addendum to 52-212-4 is provided in the attached solicitation document.

FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders– Commercial Items, applies to this RFQ and is included below. Additional FAR (FAR) and other clauses applicable to this acquisition are included in the attached solicitation document.

Addendum FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Sep 2023) http://www.acquisition.gov/far http://www.sam.gov/

1.1 INTRODUCTION

IAW FAR Part 13.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services, this procurement will be a small business set-aside, and Quoters are required to submit written quotes/submissions and Past-Performance Questionnaires (PPQs). All PPQ’s must be submitted directly from references to FHWA by the RFQ deadline. The Government will utilize the tradeoff process. The evaluation factors are:

Factor 1: Technical Factor 2: Past Performance Factor 3: Price

NOTE TO QUOTERS: The Government anticipates, but does not guarantee, to make an award by September 19, 2024.

NOTE TO QUOTERS: In 2019 to meet this requirement, the Government awarded a single contract which included one 12-month base and 4 12-month option years to the company/firm below:

Contract #693JJ319C00013- The Washington Center for Academic Excellence (TWC)

1.2 QUESTIONS

All questions concerning this RFQ shall be submitted electronically to Myla.Wyatt@dot.gov copy to Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov and HCFA-32SRI@dot.gov via e-mail no later than TBD in order for responses to be conveyed in a timely manner.

Quoters shall direct all communications to the attention of the Contracting Officer. Communications with other Government officials may compromise the competitiveness of this acquisition, and result in the disqualification of the Quoter and/or cancellation of the solicitation.

Format for Questions: Each prospective Quoter e-mailing questions to the Contracting Officer should attempt to state each question in such a way that the Quoter would have no objection to the Government publishing that precise question (and its answer) in a formal Amendment to the RFQ on SAM.gov. Each prospective Quoter shall not word or formulate questions in such a way that the publication of the question (and its answer) would divulge any information that the prospective Quoter considers to be proprietary or confidential.

This RFQ is being transmitted electronically. Quoters are reminded that if copies of this or any other solicitation are downloaded, amendments to the RFQ/ solicitation(s) will not automatically be received. It is the Quoter’s responsibility to check back frequently to the download source to confirm if any amendments have been issued to the RFQ/solicitation. All RFQ amendments will be posted to and downloadable from www.SAM.gov.

1.3 RFQ CLOSING DATES AND IMPORTANT DELIVERY INFORMATION

mailto:Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov mailto:HCFA-32SRI@dot.gov http://www.fbo.gov/ http://www.fbo.gov/

All Quotes/Submissions (to include the receipt of PPQ’s from all references) are due no later than 3:00 PM Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Failure to furnish all information required in this RFQ may result in the quote/submission being considered non-responsive and being removed from further consideration.

Quotes/Submissions and PPQ’s shall be transmitted via email to of the following email addresses:

Myla.Wyatt@dot.gov Copy to Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov and HCFA-32SRI@dot.gov

The timeliness of a quote/submission is determined by the time of receipt and not just the time submitted. It is the Quoter’s responsibility to ensure that the quote/submission email is received to include 3rd party PPQs, not just submitted to, at the email addresses listed above by the designated cut-off date and time.

Quotes/Submissions including 3rd party PPQ’s shall be received by the due date and time on in RFQ Section

1.8. above. Failure to furnish all information required in this RFQ may result in the quote/submission being considered non-responsive. In accordance with FAR 52.212-1 -- Instructions to Offerors-Quotes/Submission and 3rd Party PPQ’s received after the specified due date and time will be considered a late, paragraph (f).

Early submission is encouraged.

This is an electronic procurement. Paper solicitations will not be sent. Hard copies of quotes/submissions will not be accepted. Please reference the RFQ number and title: RFQ- 693JJ324Q000067 Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG) on all correspondence including the subject line of any e-mails related to this procurement.

NOTE TO QUOTERS: The Government intends to, but does not guarantee, confirm receipt of proposals.

Due to the submission format requirements, hard copy or faxed proposals will not be accepted.

1.4 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF QUOTES/SUBMISSIONS

Clarity and completeness are of the utmost importance in quotes/submission. The Quoter’s approach to performing the requirements and its capability to successfully perform the contract will be evaluated. . With the exception of responsibility determinations and past performance evaluations, only material contained within the quote/submission will be considered in the source selection evaluation and selection process

NOTE TO QUOTERS: The Government’s evaluation criteria are outlined below. Quoters are advised to carefully review evaluation criteria in preparing quotes/submissions.

1.5 QUOTE/SUBMISSION FORMAT

The format of the quote/submission volumes are as follows:

1. Quotes/submission shall be formatted on an electronic 8½ x 11-inch page.

2. All text, including in tables and graphs, shall use a Times New Roman or Arial font, size no less than

11-point font. Footnotes, legends, or labels associated with tables or diagrams, and other information that is ancillary to the main text, may be presented in a font size no less than 10-point font, provided that any such smaller font is fully legible.

3. Page margins (exclusive of headers and footers) shall be a minimum of 1-inch top, bottom and each side. Columns shall not be used.

4. No specific requirements are provided for line spacing. Quoters shall use their best judgement to ensure proposal legibility.

5. PAGE LIMITS: Quotes/Submission volumes shall adhere to the page count limitations listed below.

The page limit includes all narrative, figures, tables, appendices, and all other ancillary materials.

mailto:Myla.Wyatt@dot.gov mailto:HCFA-32SRI@dot.gov

EXCEPTIONS ON PAGE LIMITS: The following items do NOT count against the proposal page limitations.

• Proposal Covers;

• Title Pages;

• Blank Divider pages;

• Tables of Contents;

• Lists of acronyms;

• Resumes (limited to one page each); and

• Letters of Intent to participate from proposed subcontractors, consultants, partners, and proposed new hires. Letter of intent are limited to one page each.

Proposal Volumes Electronic Quote Format

Volume I-Technical Quote/Submission

Technical and Price Volumes MUST be in one email labeled AS separate email attachments- Vol I Technical

Quote- DO NOT combine Volumes I&II into one document.

Email (less than 8MB) with each submission part attached as individual files.

The subject line must read: RFQ- 693JJ324Q000067 Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups

(STIPDG)

*Do not zip or compress files. Do not include personal identifiable information.

Volume II- Business and Price Proposal

Technical and Price Volumes MUST be in one email labeled as separate email attachments- Vol II Business and

Price Quote/Submission- DO NOT combine Volumes I &II into one document.

1.6 QUOTE/SUBMISSION CONTENT AND CONFIGURATION

Quotes/Submissions shall be submitted in two (2) separate Volumes to include the required parts as described below:

Volume I – Technical Quote/Submission (Parts I-III) shall consist of the following:

1. Part I – Key Personnel and Staffing Plan – Staffing submission is limited to six (6) narrative pages not including a one (1) page per staff submitted resume.

2. Part II – Management Approach – Not to exceed three (3) pages.

3. Part III - Technical Approach – Not to exceed TBD pages.

Volume II – Business and Price (Parts I-V) shall consist of the following:

1. Part I: Price Information – See Attachment-TBD

2. Part II: Subcontracts/Consultants – No page limit.

3. Part III: Other Financial/Organizational Information – No page limit.

Past Performance Questionnaires PPQ’s- See Attachment-TBD Must be submitted by 3rd party reference by RFQ quote deadline. Reference must complete Attachment 1 (no substitutions) and submit via email directly to Myla.Wyatt@dot.gov Copy to Carolyn.Lethert@dot.gov and HCFA-32SRI@dot.gov

NOTE TO QUOTER: In the event a Quoter exceeds the stated page limit(s) established for each quote section; the Government will evaluate the total pages for each section based on the stated page limit.

Volume I – Technical Quote/Submission

Volume I – Technical Quote (Parts I-III) shall be provided in one electronic (Adobe PDF) document, and shall consist of the following:

Volume I Part I – Key Personnel and Staffing Plan

Quoters shall provide a staffing plan, which denotes the staffing levels, Key Personnel (See Statement of Work(SOW) 3.4 DELINATION OF TASKS Task B) , project roles and duties, capabilities, credentials.

Additionally, the Quoter shall provide a staffing plan to replace Key Personnel over the entire term of the contract including all option periods. The staffing plan must demonstrate that the Quoter has the ability replace Key Personnel quickly without any adverse impact on contract performance and delivery of services. As a part of the staffing plan the quote/submission must demonstrate a recruitment and hiring plan to fill positions key positions- to include Key Personnel as a result of vacancy.

Separate resume(s) (limited to 1 pg.) shall be submitted for all Key Personnel. Resumes shall include technical qualifications; academic background; project management experience, relevant subject matter expertise; relevant project level experience; professional affiliations, licenses, designations, or national committee appointments. Resumes do not count towards the page limits for this section.

Volume I Part II – Management Approach

After carefully reviewing the requirements and tasks listed in Section 3 Statement of Work (SOW), as well as the other sections of this RFQ, please include a detailed discussion of the elements described within "Management Approach" in RFQ Part 2 -Evaluation and Award . Quoters shall demonstrate an adequate, innovative, and efficient management approach of proposed staff to include nut no limited to Key Personnel to perform the tasks as detailed in the SOW and RFQ. Quoters shall provide an approach that demonstrates the ability to resolve complex questions and/or challenges that may be encountered with student interns such as reasonable accommodations, travel and housing complexities, and/or communication and interaction challenges between interns and with interns and mentors. Quoters must include a narrative description of a specific situation/challenges/issue and a detailed approach, that demonstrates the Quoter’s ability to resolve the conflict or question which results in a favorable outcome.

mailto:HCFA-32SRI@dot.gov

Volume I Part III – Technical Approach After carefully reviewing the requirements and tasks listed in RFQ Section 3 SOW, the technical evaluation criteria listed in RFQ Section 2, as well as the other sections of this RFQ, include a detailed discussion of the approach for facilitating a Summer Internship Program and outline a plan specifically related to the following interdependent program elements:

1. Program Administration,

2. Program Delivery,

3. Information Management and Security,

4. Event Planning,

5. Financial and Payroll Management,

6. Housing and Travel coordination.

Quoter(s) plan(s) shall provide evidence of how the technical approach supports STIPDG’s requirements and provide documentation to support professed examples of any such methods, tools, or plans to be used. Quoters shall also include any assumptions, deviations, and exceptions (as necessary).

Volume II – Business and Price Proposal

Volume II – Business and Price (Parts I-V) shall be provided in one electronic (Adobe PDF) document, and shall consist of the following:

Part I – Price Information

NOTE TO OFFERORS: Discounts for prompt payment will not be accepted. Quoters shall not propose discounts for prompt payment.

1) Executed SF 1449 (Attachment TBD)

• Signature Authority – The person signing the Standard Form (SF) 1449 must have the authority to commit the Quoter to all of the provisions of the RFQ, fully recognizing that the Government has the right, by terms of the Solicitation, to make an award without discussion if it so elects.

• Acceptance Period – The acceptance period shall not be less than ninety (90) days.

• Quoters should monitor www.SAM.gov for any amendments to the RFQ. If any amendments are issued, the Quoter must acknowledge each amendment.

• The Quoter’s Legal Name and Address on the SF 1449 must match the information for the Offeror in SAM.GOV at http://www.SAM.gov including the corresponding Commercial and Universal Entity Identification (UEI) and Commercial Government Agency (CAGE) Code Number

2) Completed Schedule of Services (Attachment TBD)

• The pricing information provides an overall price by the Quoter’s staff/team and the details and assumptions that are included in the Quoter’s price. It is requested that the Quoter adhere to and fully complete the pricing structure established in Part 3_. The Quoter are required to provide fully detailed supporting information to demonstrate how the proposed CLIN amounts to include individual tasks were derived. Estimated travel and other direct costs (ODCs) amounts are provided as Not to Exceed (NTE) amounts by option period. For the for firm-fixed price CLINs, Quoters may propose a milestone payment schedule, if desired, tied to task or deliverable completion and acceptance.

• List any assumptions or conditions upon which the price quote is based. If using negotiated labor rates from GSA or other federal government contract, please provide contract number and expiration date. Note that assumptions or conditions that are non-conforming to the Government terms and conditions may result in a determination of non-responsiveness.

3) Standard Form LLL (Attachment TBD )The Quoter shall submit a completed Standard Form

LLL(Attachment 3), Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (available online https://www.gsa.gov/reference/forms/disclosure-of-lobbying-activities If Quoter has no lobbying activity to report, the Quoter shall complete the form and indicate “Not Applicable” on block 10 of SF LLL. Quoter may also include a statement in Volume II- Price Proposal indicating that the SF LLL is not applicable. This applies to the Prime Quoters only (not subcontractors).

Part II – Subcontracts / Consultants

If subcontractors and/or individual consultants will be used in carrying out any of the requirements of this contract please provide the following minimum information concerning the proposed subcontractors/consultants:

(a) Name, address, UEI, CAGE Code, primary point of contacts, email, and telephone number for each proposed subcontractor or consultant.

(b) Names and positions of personnel who will work on the project.

(c) Identify any part of Tasks A, B, C, or D as detailed in Section 3 SOW to be performed by subcontractor(s) . As a friendly reminder this RFQ is 100% set-aside for small business and in accordance with FAR 19.505(b)(1)(i) Limitations on Subcontracting applies to this

RFQ.

Part III – Other Financial / Organizational Information

(a) Company/Firms Point(s) of Contact (First & Last name, telephone number, email address, business/mailing address)

(b) Federal Tax Id Number (TIN) Nine digits

(c) Unique Entity ID number (UEI)

(d) Terminated Contracts – List any contract that was terminated for convenience of the Government within the past (3) three years, and any contract that was terminated for default within the past three (3) years. Briefly explain the circumstances of each instance. Indicate any cure notices within the last (3)three years and explain the circumstances of each instance. This applies to the prime Quoters only (not subcontractors).

https://www.gsa.gov/reference/forms/disclosure-of-lobbying-activities

(e) A completed copy of ________ Offeror Representations and Certifications), if the Quoter is not registered in SAM with completed representations and certifications in SAM. This applies to the prime Offeror only (not subcontractors).

(f) Conflicts of Interest - The Offeror shall provide a brief statement in its proposal that describes in a concise manner all past, present or planned organizational, contractual or other interest(s), which may affect the Offeror’s and/or any subcontractor’s (as applicable) ability to perform the proposed contract in an impartial and objective manner. The CO will review the statement and may require additional relevant information from the Offeror. In accordance with FAR Subpart 9.5, all such information, and any other relevant information known to the Government, will be used to determine whether an award to the Offeror may create an actual or potential conflict of interest. If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the CO may (a) disqualify the Offeror, or (b) determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the Government to contract with the Offeror and include appropriate provisions to mitigate or avoid such conflict in the contract awarded.

(g) The Quoter shall state that they agree to all terms and conditions of the model contract of this

RFQ which consists of the RFQ Parts 1-5 including all documents, exhibits, and all other attachments that are incorporated therein by reference and made a part thereof, or provide an explanation for any exceptions. This applies to the prime Quoter only (not subcontractors).

(h) Subject to FAR 52.222-37 Quoters shall state that they have submitted the most recent annually VETS-4212 report(s). The Quoters shall provide a copy of the Department of Labor automated email confirmation of the submittal. This confirmation notification will be used as verification of submission. This applies to the prime Offeror only (not subcontractors).

Past Performance- Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ’s)- Please see Attachment TBD _Instructions.

All PPQs must be completed and submitted by Quoters’ references to the Contracting Officer via email at myla.wyatt@dot.gov with a copy to _____________Contractor by the quote/submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO QUOTERS- REVISED QUOTES/SUBMISSIONS: All revised quotes/submissions must be received by the respective due date and time as stated herein. All quote/submission revisions must be clearly marked on each title page to include revision number (i.e., rev 1, 2, 3, etc.) and revision date. Additionally, revision notification email must include RFQ name/title and revision number in the subject line.

NOTE TO QUOTERS: The Government intends to, but does not guarantee, confirm receipt of quotes/submissions.

NOTE TO QUOTERS: The Government’s evaluation criteria are outlined below in Part 2 EVALUATION AND AWARD. Quoters are advised to carefully review evaluation criteria in preparing of mailto:myla.wyatt@dot.gov quotes/submission in response to this RFQ.

1.7 PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY ACT REQUIREMENTS

Your attention is directed to the provision 52.215-1(e) and FAR 3.104-5 for a discussion on marking and protecting quote/submission information. Quoters should put the following notice on the cover page (i.e., first page) of each volume of the proposal:

This quote/submission shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this Government notice shall be applied to any reproduction or abstract, thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices that the submitter places on this proposal shall also be strictly followed.

Disclosure of this proposal outside the Government for evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by, and in accordance with law.

1.8 AWARD

Until a formal notice of award is issued, no communication by the Government, either written or oral, shall be interpreted as a promise that an award will be made.

The Contracting Officer (CO) is the only individual that can legally commit or obligate the Government to expend public funds. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract can be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract or specific written authorization from the CO.

(End of Addendum to FAR 52.212-1)

Addendum FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Products and Commercial Services (Nov 2021)

PART 2 - EVALUATION AND AWARD

QUOTERS SHOULD READ VERY CAREFULLY

2.1 PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES

This procurement is conducted under FAR Part 12 Commercial Products and Commercial Services and FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

2.2 EVALUATION—

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Quoter whose quote/submission conforming to the RFQ/solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes/submissions:

1. Technical

2. Past Performance

3. Price

Technical is more important than the Past Performance and when the two non-price factors are combined, they are approximately equal to the Price. The more equal quotes may be with respect to non-price factors, the more important the price factor will become.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(a) Award will be made to the Quoters(s) whose quotes/submissions conform with the solicitation requirements; is determined responsible in accordance with FAR Subpart 9.1 by possessing the financial and other capabilities to fulfill the requirements of the contract, and whose quote/submission is determined, by an integrated assessment of price and non-price evaluation factors that provide the best value to the Government. The Government may make awards using the tradeoff method to other than the lowest priced responsive Quoter(s) or the Quoter(s) with the highest technical rating if the Source Selection Official determines that to do so would result in the best value to the Government.

(b) The Government intends to make an award without exchanges with Quoters and reserves the right to award on initial quote(s)/submission(s). Quoters should be aware that the Government does not intend, subject to its discretion, to hold exchanges. Therefore, each Quoter shall include the most favorable and most advantageous technical and price quote/submission that the quoter can provide.

If initial quote(s)/submission(s) do not provide the Government with a satisfactory total solution, the Government reserves the right to conduct exchanges if the Contracting Officer (CO) deems it to be necessary. The determination whether to conduct exchanges will be made at the unilateral discretion of the Contracting Officer.

(c) Except as described in (d) below, if exchanges are held, the CO will establish a competitive range comprised of the most highly rated quotes/submissions. If the CO determines that the number of quotes that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the CO may limit the number of quotes in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated quotes/submissions. Only Quoters in the competitive range will be offered an opportunity to participate further in the procurement.

(d) The CO will engage in exchanges with all Quoters in the competitive range. After exchanges, a final common cut-off date for submission of final quote revisions will be established. Quoters remaining in the competitive range will be invited to submit Final Quote Revisions. A final quote/submission evaluation will be performed after receipt of Quote Revisions.

2.3 EVALUATION FACTORS

Each quote/submission will be evaluated according to the following price and non-price factors.

Further explanation of factors is provided below:

1) TECHNICAL

2)

3) All Subfactors listed below are of equal importance.

a) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan.

• Demonstration that proposed personnel has the relevant experience, education, and expertise to successfully perform the work required in the RFQ- See Part 3 Statement of Work (SOW).

• Demonstration of a sound, adequate, clear, and realistic proposed project team to perform the work required in the RFQ.

• Demonstration of effective staffing plan to include short timeline to replace Key Personnel (as necessary).

• Demonstration of successful relevant prior corporate experience of similar size, scope and complexity to the work required under this RFQ.

b) Management Approach

• Demonstration of a plan to manage interdependent program elements, while managing all personnel and maintaining close coordination with the COR.

• Demonstration of the ability to resolve complex questions and/or challenges that may be encountered with student interns such as reasonable accommodations, travel and housing complexities, and/or communication and interaction challenges between interns and with interns and mentors.

c) Technical Approach -Adequacy, Efficiency and Effectiveness

• Demonstration of a plan to develop and organize accurate records of independent program elements such as intern rosters, databases, reports, invoices and demographic analytics, including examples of technological resources that will be used to aid in documentation and reporting efforts.

• Demonstration of the adequacy, logic, and practicality of the Quoter’s submission/plan to provide travel and housing coordination for an internship program for up to 85 college interns annually of varying ages and academic levels, including addressing potential housing and travel problems or emergencies, to all parties’ (intern, Mentor, COR) satisfaction, within 24 hours of complaint.

• Demonstration of a plan to coordinate, moderate, lead, and execute STIPDG-sponsored events identified in Part 3 SOW including the adequacy, logic, and practicality of internship events, the associated educational content to be presented throughout the program, and providing uniform guidelines and procedures for those events to interns, mentors, and the COR.

• Demonstration of a plan to provide financial and payroll management services, including monitoring budgets, developing financial reports, allocating reserves, processing, and distributing payments, withholding appropriate payroll taxes and other required deductions, resolving payroll issues, and offering benefits for student interns during the program (i.e., health, etc.).

• Demonstration of a plan to market and recruit for the program utilizing professional job networks, college career center boards, and social media.

4) PAST PERFORMANCE

The Past Performance evaluation will include the results of past performance questionnaires (PPQs) (See Part Attachment TBD_____ Quoter must have reference submit directly to the CO by RFQ deadline ),which may be verified by contacting references as deemed necessary by the Government and evaluated based on the relevance of the information presented. In rating this factor, The Government will consider the relevance of the size and scope of each contract listed to the tasks and requirements of the SOW as described in this RFQ. Past performance for contracts that are similar in size and scope to the requirements described in this RFQ may be given more weight in the evaluation.

As such, the work description must be sufficiently detailed for the Government to make this determination.

The Government may obtain and evaluate Past Performance information from sources other than those identified in the quote. Failure to provide the required Past Performance information will result in the assignment of the lowest possible rating for this Factor at a minimum. It may result in the quotation not being considered. The Government will use its discretion to determine if the past performance information is relevant. Past Performance information will generally be determined to be relevant if the performance involves work performed within the past three (3) years that is the same or similar in size, scope, and complexity to the services being procured under this RFQ If the Quoter does not have a history of relevant contract experience, or if past performance information is not available, the Quoter will receive a neutral past performance rating.

The Quoter’s past performance as found in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) will be evaluated to determine, as appropriate, the performance risk associated with its quote as it relates to the requirement for this RFQ/solicitation. The evaluation may take into account past performance information regarding predecessor companies, key personnel who have relevant experience or subcontractors that will perform major or critical aspects of the requirement. The Government reserves the right to assess the past performance of proposed subcontractors.

Past Performance will be determined to be Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. If Quoter does not have a history of relevant contract experience, or if past performance information is not available, the Quoter will receive a Neutral past performance rating.

5) PRICE

Quoted prices will be evaluated but not given an adjectival rating or score. The price evaluation will determine whether the quoted prices are fair and reasonable in relation to the RFQ requirements and market rates. Quoted prices must be entirely compatible with the technical quote/submission and consistent with the pricing requirements listed in the RFQ/solicitation.

2.4 EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

Technical will be evaluated using the adjectival ratings listed in the table below.

RATING DEFINITION

Outstanding Quote/Submission meets requirements and indicates an exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements. Strengths far outweigh any weaknesses. Risk of unsuccessful performance is very low.

Good Quote/Submission meets requirements and indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements. Quote contains strengths which outweigh any weaknesses. Risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

Satisfactory

Quote/Submission meets requirements and indicates an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. Strengths and weaknesses are offsetting or will have little or no impact on contract performance. Risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate.

Marginal

Quote/Submission does not clearly meet requirements and has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements. The quote/submission has one or more weaknesses which are not offset by strengths. Risk of unsuccessful performance is high.

Unacceptable Quote/Submission does not meet requirements and contains one or more deficiencies.

Quote/Submission is unawardable.

Past Performance will be evaluated using the ratings listed in the table below.

RATING DEFINITION

Satisfactory Quoter’s performance met contractual requirements. Performance was accomplished with some minor problems for which any required corrective actions taken were satisfactory.

Past performance indicates a moderate to low risk of unsuccessful performance to the Government.

Neutral No relevant past performance record is identifiable upon which to base a meaningful performance risk prediction. A search was unable to identify any relevant past performance information for the contractor or their key personnel. This is neither a negative or positive assessment.

Unsatisfactory Quoter’s performance did not meet one or more critical contract requirements.

Performance was not successfully accomplished or a contract was terminated for default.

Past performance indicates a very high or unacceptable risk of unsuccessful performance to the Government.

(End of Addendum to 52.212-2)

PART 3- STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

3.1 BACKGROUND

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) manages the annual Summer Transportation Internship Program for Diverse Groups (STIPDG) (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/education/stipdg.cfm). For over two decades, STIPDG has served as a succession-planning tool to provide a pool of qualified candidates to fill mission critical occupations and positions within US DOT/FHWA. The intent of STIPDG provide summer employment opportunities to students and promote the entry of Women, Persons with Disabilities, and Members of other Diverse Groups s1; and racial and ethnic diverse individuals with summer employment opportunities in the field of transportation.

The ten (10) week STIPDG provides undergraduate, graduate and law students with opportunities to sharpen their research, writing , and oral presentation skills while receiving hands-on work experience. Interns participate in field trips to national transportation projects and facilities, conferences, workshops, decision-making meetings, and special events specific to their work assignments.

STIPDG is managed by FHWA’s Office of Discretionary Grants and Workforce Programs. Although the duration of STIPDG is at total of ten (10) weeks, which begins yearly the first week of June and ends the second week of August, several months up to a year of administration and planning efforts by FHWA and the Contractor precedes each annual STIPDG term. The Contractor provides non-personal, professional support services to FHWA by administering and facilitating the program. STIPDG interns are not federal employees and do not serve in federal positions. The Contractor obtains the services of the interns who will complete on-the-job training assignments under the daily direction of federal or state government employees who serve as STIPDG mentors. Interns are paired mentors and their respective assignments based on their respective academic majors and areas-of-interest.

Each year, STIPDG and its formal application are publicly advertised by the Contractor on its website from October through January of the following year, and the application deadline is in January. After the announcement period, applications are evaluated by the Contractor and submitted to FHWA. Ongoing selections and notifications to interns are made throughout the Spring and early summer prior to the start of the STIPDG ten (10) week session.

1 “disabilities” shall be defined as set forth in the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/education/stipdg.cfm

3.2 OBJECTIVE

The objectives of the contract are:

1. Provide eligible college/university students with work experience and on-the-job training while working on current transportation-related topics and issues;

2. Offer STIPDG interns an opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and develop skills which enhance their academic pursuits, strengthen understanding of the transportation industry, and prepare interns for future public service opportunities; and

3. To support US DOT and associated organizations by providing qualified women, persons with disabilities, and members of diverse groups with summer employment opportunities in transportation, where these groups have been traditionally under-represented.

3.3 DETAILED REQUIREMENT

The Contractor shall be responsible for the daily management and administration of STIPDG by:

(1) managing and coordinating housing and travel logistics for approximately 80 - 82 college interns by extending offers to up to 85 college interns (specific number of student interns will be finalized each year no later than the first week of May;

(2) coordinating and providing academic and professional development training sessions and field trips;

(3) Keep, update, and maintain an accurate record of intern(s) and mentor(s) information ( which includes but is not limited to: intern and US DOT mentor contact information, work site info, housing information, emergency contacts etc.… ;

(4) Primary point of contact for interns and mentors (5) Communicate and disseminate STIPDG guidelines and expectations to interns and mentors, and (6) provide FHWA with program-related data and reports.

The Contractor shall use contract funds for products or services that directly benefit interns and pay for authorized and approved expenses/costs interns incur during STIPDG. Examples of acceptable products and/or services include but are not limited to: intern stipends , housing, travel/transportation, workshops, seminars and field trips, personal protective equipment (PPE) (e.g. work boots, hardhats and other safety equipment); and other logistical support; including reasonable accommodations for persons with targeted disabilities2. Reasonable accommodations are defined as any adjustments within a work or housing site that allow an otherwise qualified employee or student with a disability to perform the necessary tasks required.

2 “targeted disabilities” shall be defined as set forth on the form for self-identification of disability, Standard Form 256 (SF 256), issued by the Office of Personnel Management, or any replacements, updates, or revisions thereto.

3.4 DELINEATION OF TASKS

Task A. Contract Management

The Contractor shall participate in a mandatory post-ward kick-off meeting (in-person or virtual) with the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and Contracting Officer (CO) and other FHWA staff as appropriate. The purpose of the kick-off meeting is to discuss the Contractor’s technical approach to meet the requirements and objective in order to ensure that desired outputs and outcomes are understood and achieved.

Prior to the kick-off meeting, the Contractor shall submit a proposed meeting agenda. At the kick-off meeting the Contractor shall discuss the approach to meeting the project schedule and how the required tasks will be completed to meet the timetable outlined in the deliverables schedule. Following the kick-off meeting, the Contractor shall submit a meeting summary that captures the discussion of the kick-off meeting within fifteen

(15) calendar days after the meeting.

The Contractor shall provide weekly briefings to the COR on the status of administrative and STIPDG planning activities. The briefings shall be held via telephone, virtually, or in person at the discretion of the COR. The Contractor shall prepare and disseminate an email summary of weekly briefing within one (1) business day. Email summaries of any ad-hoc meetings and/or conference calls shall also be prepared and emailed to the COR within one (1) business day.

The Contractor shall submit monthly progress reports to the COR and the subject matter expert (SME) (if applicable). Progress reports shall be prepared monthly and submitted within the first five (5) business days of each month following the reporting period. Progress reports shall be in a format as directed by the COR and shall include the following items at a minimum:

• A specific, detailed summary of all work performed under each task during the reporting period;

• An outline/summary of the work to be accomplished during the next reporting period (typically following month); and

• A detailed description of any issues/problems/or concerns encountered that may or is anticipated to adversely impact the completion of any work within the timeframe set, together with recommended solutions to resolve the issues/problems/concerns. Documentation is required statement that no problems are encountered.

Task B. Program Administration and Management The Contractor shall:

1) Provide a STIPDG Program Manager (Key Personnel).

The STIPDG Program Manager is required to:

1) provide daily administrative management of intern and mentor assignment activities;

2) receive and handle all calls and inquiries from the COR;

3) provide guidance, answer questions, and resolve problems; and

4) respond to inquiries within one (1) business day of receipt.

STIPDG Program Manager is the 24-hour emergency contact during the summer operation periods of STIPDG (June-August, annually), and be responsible for continuously securing and maintaining all emergency contact information for all STIPDG interns. This requirement shall be met by an actual person(s); and I nit authorized to be substituted by voice mail, answering service, or answering machine.

The STIPDG Program Manager shall be on-call, and shall immediately respond to all intern-related emergencies, including, but not limited to, medical and personal emergencies. Medical and personal emergencies shall be defined as situations involving one of the following:

• Immediate threats to life, health, property or environment;

• Already caused loss of life, health detriments, property damage or environmental damage; and/or

• Incidents having a high probability of escalating to cause immediate danger to life, health, property or environment.

2) Prepare and distribute Mentor Guidelines (Guidelines) to all STIPDG mentors. The Guidelines shall state the responsibilities of mentors for the duration of the program, including a list of “do’s and “don’ts.”

The Guidelines shall also include the Contractor’s designated points of contact, should mentors have any questions related to their responsibilities. Mentor Guidelines shall be finalized by April 30 of each year, but the Contractor shall submit a draft version to the COR by March 31 of each year to allow adequate time for review and/or approval. The COR will provide the mandatory changes or approval within fourteen (14) days after receipt. An amended final version shall be due to the COR within seven (7) days from the date that the COR returned the list of mandatory changes to the Contractor.

3) Coordinate and facilitate Mentor Orientations (Orientations) for all STIPDG Mentors located both regionally and in DOT Headquarters. The Orientations shall explain the Guidelines prepared as part of Task A.3 and emphasize the responsibilities of mentors for the duration of the program. The Orientations shall also include a program overview and the Contractor’s designated points of contact. The Orientations shall also include an overview of important dates to remember, a review of the intern assessment requirements, and academic expectations of STIPDG interns. Orientations may be hosted via virtual teleconference or web conference. These mentor meetings shall occur no later than May 15th of each year.

4) Coordinate all correspondence with STIDG applicants throughout the application process, which may include, but is not limited to, notifying applicants if their application materials have been received, requesting any missing information from applicants (as necessary), providing applicants with status updates, informing applicants whether they have been selected for the program, answering any application related questions, etc.

5) Serve as a liaison between interns and COR, which includes attending any meetings or other events as directed by the COR.

Task C. Program Documentation and Reporting

1) Collect internship candidate applications via an online application portal for all interested candidates.

Applications for the Internship Program are to be accepted from October 1 –January 31. Students must have the option to apply online. The application shall collect the following information:

• Name, Gender, Citizenship Status, Date of Birth, Permanent Address, Current Address, Primary email, Secondary email, Current Phone Number, Mobile Phone Number, Emergency Contact Information, Academic Status and Year, Grade Point Average, Diversity Survey Information, Veteran’s Status, Designation of Disability, and License to Drive (including Issuing State/Jurisdiction and expiration date) ;

• Preference-Transportation-Related Interest Areas (Top 3);

• Preference- Geographical Locations (Top 3);

• Copy of the most recent Transcript/Grade Record/Report;

• At least one written reference (with comments) from a department chair, professor, advisor, employer using the attached 1-page Reference Form;

• Current 1-page Resume, reflecting work experience (including paid and unpaid), volunteerism, awards, leadership, and extra-curricular activities;

• For Undergraduate Student/Applicants: A one-page, double-spaced, minimum 12-point, typed essay discussing student(s) transportation interests, describing how participation in STIPDG will enhance academic and career plans/goals;

• For Graduate Students/Applicants: A writing sample representing academic and career plans/ goals;

• For Law Students/Applicants: A Legal Writing Sample; and

• Applications must conform to the FHWA Privacy Policy. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/privacy.cfm

Contractor is required is required to transfer all student application submissions/information and documentation to FHWA at the conclusion of the application period. Only student applications/submissions that include the required information and documentation for STIPDG participation will be considered “complete” and thus make an applicant eligible for consideration.

Only applications of students that meet the eligibility criteria will be considered eligible.

NOTE: The Contractor shall be responsible for collecting STIPDG internship applications. The Contractor shall transfer the application packages to FHWA within seven (7) after the close of the application.

A FHWA appointed committee will review the applications of eligible candidates and forward along select applicants for further review to participating US DOT mentors. The Contractor is not required to review or select intern candidates for placement.

Once STIPDG interns have been selected for placement, the Contractor is required to verify that all selected interns are currently enrolled in a qualifying academic program for the subsequent school year. Proof of enrollment shall be submitted to the COR by April 30 prior to the start of the STIPDG session. . The COR will review all student enrollment and required documentation and provide final approval for intern candidates t to begin the security the security/background check process.

The Contractor shall coordinate with STIPDG intern candidates, COR, and FHWA security team (as necessary) to ensure that the necessary information is provided to facilitate that all interns are able to successfully complete a basic…