USHMM RFP 95476724C1801 RTC DANIELS STORY ANIMATION.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

FOR

Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story Animated Video

USHMM RFP #95476724C1801

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: 06/14/2024 5:00PM EST

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: 06/26/2024 5:00 EST

Questions and Proposals to be e-mailed to: magreen@ushmm.org

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The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is currently seeking a contractor to provide Video Production Services. Upon award, the Contractor shall fulfill the Requirements and otherwise perform in accordance with all terms, conditions, and specifications as set out in this Request for Proposal (RFP). The term of any resultant Contract will be one (1) years, which is anticipated to start on or about July 22, 2024. The Museum shall retain the option to renew the Contract on an annual basis by prior, written notice for up to four (4) additional one-year term(s).

Background

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum seeks a video production studio to create an original short film based on the award-winning exhibition, Remember the Children:

Daniel’s Story. Daniel’s Story tells the story of one family’s experiences during the Holocaust from the perspective of a boy growing up in Nazi Germany. After the permanent exhibition, it is the most-visited exhibition at the Museum. While created for children aged 8–11 years old, visitors of all ages report that Daniel’s Story helps them understand the history of the Holocaust.

The Museum offers extensive educational resources for use in middle and high school classrooms and has previously created an animated series that is popular with teachers.

While the Museum generally does not recommend teaching the Holocaust to students under age 12, Museum educators often receive requests for education materials for upper elementary students. Additionally, many states have or have recently added mandates to teach the Holocaust in their public school curriculums. This has led to an increase in requests for appropriate resources for younger students. An animated version of Daniel’s Story will allow the Museum to fill in this resource gap for teachers, as well as allow a much larger audience to experience Daniel’s Story without having to visit the Museum.

Statement of Work

The Contractor will complete an animated video that provides an age appropriate introduction to the history of the Holocaust for audiences ages 8–11 years old. The video should be:

1. An original work of animation;

2. Adapted from the original Daniel’s Story script;

3. Visually compelling for children but able to appeal to audiences of all ages;

4. Developmentally appropriate for children—no graphic imagery and follows educational recommendations for teaching the Holocaust to children; and

5. In a file format appropriate for use in a variety of digital contexts.

Each Offeror should carefully read, review, and address all items in their respective proposals. The Museum reserves the right to accept any proposal as is, following one or more requests for clarification and further information, and/or after negotiation(s). The ultimate definition of Requirements is subject to the Museum’s final approval. Unless

2 | Page https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/museum-exhibitions/remember-the-children-daniels-story https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/museum-exhibitions/remember-the-children-daniels-story https://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/museum-exhibitions/remember-the-children-daniels-story https://www.ushmm.org/teach https://www.ushmm.org/learn/behind-every-name https://www.ushmm.org/teach/fundamentals/where-holocaust-education-is-required-in-the-us subsequently modified by Museum prior to award, the Requirements include deliverable(s):

This includes a general overview of the phases of work the Museum would like to be completed. We hope to see a more detailed plan from Offerors and are open to adjustments based on their recommendations.

Phase One: Discovery and Research

● Visual research / style inspiration

● Options for music and voiceover narration

● Historical references

Phase Two: Storyboarding and Scriptwriting

● Initial storyboard

● Full color animated storyboard

● Script

Phase Three: Illustration Development

● Including a minimum two rounds of drafts + revisions

Phase Four: Video Production

● Main animated video

● Short animated video

● Voiceover narration

● Music

Phase Five: Supplemental Assets

● Still images

● Trailer script and storyboard

● Trailer production

Museum-Provided Resources and Constraints

The Museum will provide a copy of the exhibition script as well as description of the visitor experience and how the story unfolds within a physical space. Photographs of the exhibition can also be provided if desired. The Museum will assign a dedicated project

3 | Page owner and team members who will work with the vendor to develop storyboard, script, and visual style. We will coordinate necessary subject matter experts to review for historical accuracy and age appropriateness. We will also identify stakeholders who will ensure the project remains within scope and budget. We expect the vendor to assign a project manager and other technical staff required to complete the project.

Known constraints at this time include:

● Review by Museum staff (historians, educators, stakeholders) can be somewhat unpredictable. The project team will make every effort to develop a realistic timeline but some flexibility may be required.

Instructions to Offerors Each Offeror shall submit a written proposal which:

1. Confirms and conveys the Offeror’s understanding of and upon award commitment to fulfill all Requirements

2. Describes the Offeror’s proposed approach for fulfilling all Requirements, including:

a. material tasks/services to be undertaken,

b. interim deliverables to be provided,

c. internal resources (personnel, equipment, proprietary technology, etc.) the

Offeror will use,

d. any Museum resources (e.g., personnel, property, intellectual property, etc.)

the Offeror will want to access,

e. the Offeror’s methodology for performing these tasks/services, and

f. any management controls (i.e., warranty, risk management, and/or other quality assurance) Offeror attaches to its performance.

3. Include a timetable/schedule identifying all major performance milestones necessary to fulfill the Requirements

4. Incorporates relevant work product samples (if applicable, and only for material deliverables)

5. Itemizes Offeror’s pricing and preferred payment schedule each in a manner appropriate to the proposed solution.

6. Provides name(s) and contact information for each of Offeror’s five (5) most recent clients in conjunction with three (3) references from similar contracts executed in the past three (3) years.

7. Demonstrates a minimum of three (3) years’ experience in providing goods or services substantially similar to the Requirements

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8. Accepts and adheres to Museum’s standard contract terms and conditions as provided in Attachment A, hereto, or otherwise sets forth any objections, changes, or additions to them, with the understanding that any proposed changes to the Museum’s standard terms and conditions may be grounds for rejection of the proposal.

All responses to this RFP shall be emailed on or before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 2024 to:

Email Address for submission: magreen@ushmm.org Subject line: Proposal in Response to USHMM RFP# 95476724C1801

Any email response sent to an email address other than that listed in the solicitation may not be considered. Offerors bear sole responsibility for proper and timely delivery.

Proposals sent via email transmission should be free of additional brochures or fanfare that is not specifically requested in this Request for Proposal.

The Museum reserves the right to reject or cancel any or all proposals, to waive any informalities in any proposal, to award any whole or part of a proposal, and to select for award the Offeror whose proposal is, at the sole discretion of the Museum, determined to be in the best interest of the Museum.

Evaluation Factors for Award

Offerors will be evaluated for selection on the basis of those most qualified to meet the requirements of this RFP. Major criteria to be considered in the evaluation may include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, the items referred to above and those set forth below.

1. The overall merit of Offeror’s proposed solution.

2. The Offeror’s Proposed project team

3. The quality of the Offeror’s examples of animation and design work, particularly those with a visual style that you might recommend for this project

4. The Offeror’s level of experience in working with similar institutions to the Museum.

Examples of past projects with similar subject matter and target audience, or existing clients in the education or Museum sectors.

5. Reasonableness/competitiveness of proposed fee and/or benefits to the Museum, although the Museum is not bound to select the Offeror who proposes the lowest fees or most benefits for services. The Museum reserves the right to negotiate fees and/or benefits to the Museum with the selected Offeror.

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6. The Offeror’s detailed project estimate broken out by the phased deliverables.

Questions

All inquiries for information regarding this procurement, any procedures and/or proposal submission, shall be directed to Mary Green, via email at magreen@ushmm.org or by calling 202-314-0322.

The last date for questions hereunder shall be 5:00 PM EST on Monday, June 17, 2024.

Museum reserves the right to answer questions in the form of a written addendum issued to all prospective offerors.

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ATTACHMENT A

Museum Standard Terms and Conditions

1. Relationship and Representation

(a) Contractor shall be at all times and for all purposes of this Contract an independent contractor(s). Contractor shall not hold itself out to be the employee, agent, officer, director, or representative of the Museum, nor pursuant to this Contract shall it have the authority to bind Museum or represent that it has the power to do so, except as expressly set forth herein or otherwise subsequently agreed to in writing by the parties' authorized representatives.

(b) Museum has designated representatives and points of contact for the purposes of this Contract shall be the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer’s Representative, as follows:

(i) "Contracting Officer" or "CO" shall mean and refer to the person with the authority to enter into, administer, and terminate this Contract, to make changes to Contract terms and conditions, and to make related determinations and findings.

(ii) "Contracting Officer's Representative" or "COR" shall mean and refer to the person with the authority to provide technical direction on Contract performance. Technical direction consists of any direction that assists the Contractor in accomplishing the statement of work. The COR will receive all reports and deliverables and provide comment and approval of the same. The COR does not have the authority to issue any direction that requires work outside the scope of the Contract, constitutes a change to the Contract, causes an increase or decrease in the estimated cost of the Contract, alters the period of performance, or changes any of the other express terms or conditions of the Contract.

2. Performance

Contractor shall provide all goods, services, labor, materials, and equipment associated with Contractor's services as described herein.

3. Invoices and Payment

(a) Museum will pay Contractor upon acceptance of deliverables and receipt of proper invoices in accordance with the price schedule on the second page of this Contract. To facilitate prompt payment, invoices shall be submitted in English to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Attn: Accounts Payable Division by fax to (202) 314-0375, or by email to AccountsPayable@ushmm.org, and/or if by mail to 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2150 with a copy submitted to the COR.

To constitute a proper invoice, the invoices must include the following information and/or attached documentation:

(i) Name of Contractor and invoice date

(ii) Contract Number

(iii) Description, price and quantity of services delivered or rendered

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(iv) Name, title, phone number, and complete mailing address of responsible person to whom payment is to be sent.

(b) Contractor agrees that no portion of the payments, fees, or commissions earned by it under this Contract will be transferred, directly or indirectly, to any government official, company, individual, or other entity for the purpose of influencing that person or entity to assist either Contractor or the Museum in obtaining, retaining, or directing business to any person or entity.

Contractor further agrees that if such prohibited payments are made, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Contract to the contrary and in addition to any other available remedies, Museum may terminate this Contract.

(c) Contractor agrees that the payment(s) provided to it by Museum hereunder constitute full, adequate, and complete consideration for all services rendered herein.

(d) Taxes. The price or prices stated herein include all applicable taxes. Upon Contractor's request, Museum will furnish tax exemption certificates or other evidence of exemption as has been authorized and will be acceptable to the appropriate taxing authorities.

(e) Hours Billable on Hourly-Based Contracts. For purposes of hourly-based contracts (e.g., contracts invoiced on a time and materials or labor hour basis), a “normal workweek” shall consist of 40 hours, constructed of five “business days” each consisting of no more than eight hours exclusive of meal time. A “contract year” shall not exceed 50 workweeks or 1,920 hours in the 12 month time period beginning with the effective date of any hourly-based contract. Absent the CO’s prior, written authorization, Contractor shall be precluded from billing USHMM in excess of:

(i) Actual hours performed hereunder, and

(ii) Those of the normal workweek, irrespective of total hours worked. No overtime, mealtime, or vacation time billings are allowable under hourly-based contracts.

4. Travel Expense Clause

Travel expenses are to be reimbursed according to Museum’s Travel Policy and GSA Federal Travel Regulations (FTR). All expenses for food and incidentals are solely the responsibility of the Contractor, unless a prior agreement has been reached with the Museum's Program Office Head.

5. Warranty, Indemnification, and Insurance

(a) Contractor warrants that the work provided hereunder will be performed in a professional manner in accordance with the highest applicable professional standards, and shall comply with all specifications and requirements set forth herein. Museum may, at any time, require Contractor to correct any errors or deficiencies in its work product or services within a mutually agreeable time, at no cost to Museum and in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Contract.

(b) To the extent permitted by law, Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless Museum, its officers, agents, employees, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Council from and against any and all loss, damage, liability, expense, claim, or action (including, if necessary, reasonable court costs and attorneys' fees) caused by or arising from any breach of warranty or this Contract by Contractor, its agents, subcontractors or employees; or any act or omission in the execution or

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(c) Contractor shall also indemnify the Museum against any liability, including costs and expenses, incurred as the result of the violation of trade secrets, copyrights, or rights of privacy or publicity, arising out of the creation, delivery, publication, or use of any information furnished under this Contract.

(d) For the life of this Contract, Contractor shall maintain, at a minimum, the standard level(s) of commercial general liability and such other insurance coverage as are standard in Contractor's industry.

(e) If policies are on a "claims made" basis, Contractor shall continue to maintain coverage for a period of three (3) years following the expiration or termination of this Contract. Such insurance shall provide for thirty (30) days advance written notice of any cancellation.

6. Use of Museum Name and Trademarks

(a) Contractor shall not use Museum trademarks, including Museum's name and logo, for any purpose without the express consent of Museum, except for such uses as are strictly required by this Contract.

(b) Contractor shall not to refer to awards from or contracts with Museum in advertisements or promotional announcements in any form or media, in such a manner as to state or imply that the Contractor's services are endorsed or preferred by Museum or are superior to other services. This provision shall apply regardless of whether Museum has consented to Contractor's use of Museum's name, as provided herein.

(c) Contractor shall not issue a news release or other public announcement referring to this Contract or the services provided hereunder without the prior, written consent of the CO.

7. Disputes and Controlling Law

(a) This Contract shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia.

(b) The parties will exercise their best efforts to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to this Contract by mediation. If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute by mediation, it shall be settled by arbitration utilizing the arbitration services of the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals

(CBCA).

8. Privacy and Security Safeguards

(a) Contractor shall establish appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to insure the security and confidentiality of data furnished under this Contract, and to protect against any anticipated threats or hazards to the security, integrity, and confidentiality of the data. These safeguards must meet NIST SP80053r4, ISO 27001/2, or equivalent.

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(b) Contractor shall afford the Museum access to Contractor's facilities, installations, technical capabilities, operations, documentation, records, and databases to the extent required by the Museum to ensure the adequacy of such safeguards.

(c) Contractor shall immediately notify the Museum of any actual or threatened breach of the safeguards or if the existing safeguards have ceased to function.

9. Restriction on Disclosure of Data

Contractor shall not authorize others to or itself use, disclose, release, reproduce, distribute, or publish any information or data first received or produced in the performance of this Contract for purposes other than the performance of this Contract without the express, written authorization of the Museum. As used herein, "information" and "data" shall mean and include all oral and recorded information, regardless of form, which is not in the public domain.

10. Applicability

Contractor shall bind its agents, subcontractors, and employees to the terms and conditions of this Contract (including without limitation those of this paragraph), in the same way that Contractor is bound to Museum. Contractor shall be liable to Museum for its agents', subcontractors', and employees' performance and/or forbearance consistent with the terms and conditions of this Contract.

11. Ownership

(a) As used herein, the term “Subject Data” includes, but is not limited to, literary works;

musical works, including any accompanying words; dramatic works, including any accompanying music; pantomimes and choreographic works; pictorial, graphic and sculptural works; motion pictures and other audiovisual works; and sound recordings, as each of those terms are used and defined by the Copyright Act of the United States (17 U.S.C. §101, et. seq.) and works of any similar nature (whether or not copyrighted) which are included in the material to be delivered under this contract.

(b) General. Contractor hereby irrevocably, exclusively, and in perpetuity grants, transfers, and assigns to Museum all Subject Data first produced in the performance of this contract and all right, title, and interest thereto including without limitation copyright. Museum may register the copyright thereto in its own name. Contractor shall not assert any right at common law or in equity, nor claim to copyright by statute in any Subject Data first produced in the performance of this contract without Museum’s prior written consent. Contractor shall secure Museum’s legal title and interests in and to all work product produced in the performance of this contract by third parties, including without limitation subcontractors.

(c) License for Other Subject Data. Exclusive of Subject Data performance rights, which Museum owns or has already obtained a license for, Contractor agrees to grant, and does hereby grant, to Museum, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable license in any and all copyrighted or copyrightable Subject Data (excluding any and all such Subject Data in which

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Museum already owns copyright) not first produced, composed, or created in the performance of this contract but which is incorporated in the material furnished under this contract, such license to include, but not be limited to, the rights to publish, translate, reproduce, broadcast, distribute, transmit, use, sell, and dispose of Subject Data in any manner, and to authorize others to do so. For all such Subject Data for which the Contractor does not have the right to grant such license, Contractor shall inform Museum of such fact as soon as practicable following the execution of this contract, asking Museum for its written permission to incorporate such Subject Data without granting the requisite license. Without such notification, Museum shall be acting in reliance on this contract and shall presume that it possesses all necessary rights and is free to make whatever use of the Subject Data that Museum determines is in its best interests.

12. Audit and Records

(a) The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or an authorized representative of the USHMM, shall have access to and right to examine any of the Contractor's directly pertinent records involving transactions related to this contract.

(b) The Contractor shall make available at its offices at all reasonable times the records, materials, and other evidence for examination, audit, or reproduction, until 3 years after final payment under this contract.

(c) If this Contract is completely or partially terminated, the records relating to the work terminated shall be made available for 3 years after any resulting final termination settlement.

Records relating to appeals under the disputes clause or to litigation or the settlement of claims arising under or relating to this contract shall be made available until such appeals, litigation, or claims are finally resolved.

(d) As used in this clause, records include books, documents, accounting procedures and practices, and other data, regardless of type and regardless of form. This does not require the Contractor to create or maintain any record that the Contractor does not maintain in the ordinary course of business or pursuant to a provision of law.

13. Termination

(a) For Convenience. Museum may terminate or suspend this Contract, within a minimum of 30-days, in whole or in part, by written notice or verbal notice confirmed in writing, which notice shall be effective when received by Contractor. If this Contract is terminated by the Museum for its convenience, Museum's liability shall be limited to the value of any goods or services received and accepted before the effective date of termination.

(b) For Default. Museum may terminate this Contract for default if, at any time, Contractor fails to perform the required services or deliver the required deliverables in a timely manner, or if Contractor otherwise breaches his or her obligations, warranties, and representations hereunder. Such termination shall be effective immediately upon Contractor's receipt of notice from the CO. At Museum's discretion, Contractor shall deliver to the Museum Contract deliverables created but not delivered before the effective date of termination, and Museum shall render any amounts due for said deliverables.

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(c) Force Majeure. Neither party shall be liable for damages if and when performance of services hereunder is delayed or prevented, by strike or threats of strikes (except those involving the employees or agents of the party seeking the protection of this clause), fire, riot, war, rebellion, insurrection, terrorist acts, failure or shortage of transportation facilities, governmental regulations, acts of God, or other causes beyond the control of the parties. In the event that either party is not able to adequately perform this Contract for any reason included in the above enumerated causes, such party shall so inform the other promptly and in writing whereupon the other party may, at its discretion, terminate the Contract immediately.

(d) Upon termination, this Contract shall cease to have any further effect, except that sections 5 ("Warranty, Indemnification, and Insurance"), 6 ("Use of Museum Name and Trademarks"), and 17 ("Compliance with Laws") shall survive its termination.

14. Term

This Contract shall extend until the conclusion of the project, or otherwise as mutually agreed upon for optional term-based consulting not to exceed one (1) year from the effective date hereof. By written notice to the Contractor at least fifteen (15) days before the Contract is otherwise due to expire the Museum may respectively renew on an annual basis, or else extend the term of this Contract for a period of lesser duration, provided the duration of the Contract including all annual renewals shall not exceed five (5) years from its effective date.

15. No Assignment

Contractor shall not assign any right or obligation nor delegate any duty under this Contract without the CO's prior written consent. Purported assignments or delegations without the CO's prior written consent shall be null and void.

16. Waiver

The waiver of any term or condition of the Contract must be in writing. No such waiver shall be construed as a waiver of any other term or condition except as provided in writing and signed by the CO; nor shall it be construed as a waiver of a subsequent breach of the same term or condition. The failure of Museum at any time to require strict performance of a term or condition of the Contract shall not waive or diminish Museum's right thereafter to demand strict compliance therewith or with any other Contract term or condition.

17. Compliance with Laws

In the performance of this Contract, Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations (including without limitation construction codes) and, when requested, shall furnish evidence satisfactory to Museum of such compliance. Contractor shall indemnify and hold Museum harmless to the full extent of any loss, damage, or expense incurred by Museum resulting from violation by Contractor of any applicable law, ordinance, rule, or regulation.

18. Changes

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Changes to the terms and conditions of this Contract shall only have force and effect when made in writing and signed by the Contractor's authorized representative and the CO. No other modification or amendment to this Contract will be binding upon Museum.

19. Order of Precedence

In the event of any inconsistency in the complete agreement (as defined in Paragraph 23, below), unless otherwise provided herein, the inconsistency shall be resolved by giving precedence in the following order: (a) the terms and conditions of this Contract; and (b) other documents, exhibits, and attachments (including without limitation Contractor's terms and conditions, Contractor's proposal, or Contractor's statement of work) whether incorporated by reference or otherwise.

20. Miscellaneous Charges

No additional charges not specified in this Contract, or any addendum, will be incurred by Museum or its guests for work performed or for services or items provided by Contractor unless Contractor has first obtained prior written permission from an authorized representative of Museum to have the work completed or the service or item provided.

21. Tax Exempt Status

Museum is an independent establishment of the federal government and is tax exempt.

22. Suitability

For those personnel who will need access to Museum property, construction sites, information, and data, full contractor suitability requirements will be provided prior to award, but could include any or all of the following: criminal history check conducted by running fingerprints submitted to the Museum through the FBI; verification of US citizenship or in some cases green card or work permit, employment references, and/or credit rating. Notwithstanding the effective date of the Contract, Museum shall preclude affected personnel from beginning performance hereunder until cleared for work, and Contractor shall be solely liable for any performance delays and lost billables attributable to Museum review of personnel still uncleared as of the Contract's effective date.

23. Complete Agreement

This Contract constitutes the entire and exclusive agreement between the Museum and Contractor with respect to the subject matter contained herein, and shall supersede all previous negotiations, commitments, and writings regarding the same. It shall not include any additional or contrary terms and conditions proposed in an invoice, Contract, acknowledgement, or such other communication, except as specifically accepted and made a part of this Contract by the CO.

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