Amendment 1 - Synopsis/Solicitation - Next Generation Biometrics at Sea System (NGB) Device

Amendment 1

1 - Posting of Vendor Questions and Answers

2 - Extension of Due Date to Monday, 12 September 2022 at 9:00AM EST

2 - Revisions to the Following Documents: (Revisions are highlighted in yellow within the attachments)

    Solicitation_70Z0G322QB33418

    Attachment 1_Minimum Standards_BASS FINAL

    Attachment 2 Invoice Instructions and Clauses

THIS SECTION BELOW HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT CHANGES FROM AMENDMENT 1:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Coast Guard C5ISC Operations Systems Center located at 408 Coast Guard Drive, Kearneysville, WV, has a requirement for the Next Generation Biometrics at Sea System (NGB) hardware devices. NGB is the primary biometric collections system for the Coast Guard’s Alien Migrant Interdiction Operations (AMIO) and Enforcement of Laws and Treaties (ELT) providing mobile biometrics collection and analysis capability to operators in the maritime environment and remote areas where the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operates. NGB aids in identifying individuals interdicted at sea and provides decision makers with information to assist in the determination of courses of action in USCG law enforcement interdictions; (e.g. repatriate, arrest, refer for prosecution, etc.), by providing additional identifying information of interdicted persons not available without NGB collection and analysis.  

Due to the extreme conditions the devices will operate in, and the sensitive networks the devices will interface with, only six (6) devices will be purchased on the contract that results from this contract. The USCG is including a clause and line item for an optional purchase of an additional 134 devices. This option will only be exercised after the USCG puts the initial six (6) devices through a testing process to verify the devices will function under the conditions experienced in the field and on the networks used by the USCG and DHS. After successful testing the option will be exercised for the additional 134 devices. If the testing finds the devices to not meet the USCG’s needs the option will not be exercised.

The contract resulting from this solicitation will be a Firm Fixed Price type contract with an optional additional quantity above the initial quantity. 

Delivery: 20 calendar days or less for the initial 6 devices. The Optional 134 devices can be delivered upon a mutually agreed upon scheduled, with all devices being delivered no later than 90 days after the option is executed.  FOB Destination

This is an unrestricted solicitation, NAICS Code 334118.

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; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.  This is a request for quotation (RFQ), solicitation # 70Z0G322QB334118.  The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are thus in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-04. 

PRICING SCHEDULE

Contract Line Item (CLIN)               Quantity                   Description 

0001                                                             6                     Next Generation Biometrics at Sea System (NGB) hardware devices

0002                                                                                    Warranty (Only designate if a 1 year warranty is not included)

0003                                                          134                    Option: Remaining Next Generation Biometrics at Sea System (NGB) hardware devices

0004                                                                                   Warranty of Optional Quantity of 134 (Only designate if a 1 year warranty is not included)

RESPONSIBILITY

All of the components listed must be able to be integrated and work together with each other to complete the functionality of this request. This purchase order shall be awarded only to a responsible prospective Contractor. To be determined responsible, a prospective Contractor must have adequate financial resources to perform the contract, or have the ability to obtain them, as well as:

1. Be able to comply with the required or proposed delivery or performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing commercial and governmental business commitments;
2. Have a satisfactory performance record;
3. Have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics; Have the necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and technical skills, or the ability to obtain them (including, as appropriate, such elements as production control procedures, property control systems, and quality control measures applicable to materials to be produced or services to be performed by the prospective Contractor and Subcontractors;
4. Have the necessary production, construction, and technical equipment and  facilities, or the ability to obtain them; and
5. Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations.

QUOTATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Submit One (1) electronic copy of your quotation no later than the specified time listed.

Quotations shall reference 70Z0G322QB334118.

Quotations shall be submitted via email to Becky M. Edgar, Contracting Officer at becky.m.edgar@uscg.mil and Laura L. Logreco, Contract Specialist, at laura.l.logreco2@uscg.mil by 2:00 PM EST, Thursday, 8 September 2022. 

QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE QUOTE

1. All questions concerning this solicitation must be submitted in writing to the Contracting Officer, for information about any aspect of the solicitation.  Prospective Offerors are warned against contacting any USCG personnel outside the Procurement Department prior to award of a contract resulting from this solicitation. If such a contact occurs and is found to be prejudicial to competing vendors, the vendor making such a contact may be excluded from award consideration.
2. Questions will be submitted by email to Becky M. Edgar, Contracting Officer at becky.m.edgar@uscg.mil and Laura L. Logreco, Contract Specialist, at laura.l.logreco2@uscg.mil. Answers to inquiries/questions will be provided to all vendors being solicited, giving due regard to the proper protection of proprietary information.
3. No information concerning this solicitation will be provided in response to telephone calls.
4. Prospective offerors are asked to submit their questions grouped by solicitation section and making reference to the particular paragraph.  Questions must be submitted no later than Thursday, 1 September 2022 by 2:00 PM EST. Any questions received after that may not be answered before the solicitation closing date.

CONTRACTOR’S WRITTEN QUOTATION

The contractor shall provide its quote in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria outlined herein. The contractor is urged to examine this solicitation in its entirety and to ensure that its offer contains all necessary information.

TECHNICAL ACCEPTABILITY: The Offeror shall detail how the recommended Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product will meet the salient characteristics outlined in the minimum standards in Attachment 1. The page count for the technical portion of the proposal shall not exceed 15 pages.

Additionally, provide a copy of the required contractor completed clauses in Attachment 2. Completion of Attachment 2 does not count towards the Technical Acceptability page limit.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE: Each Offeror shall provide a maximum of three (3) examples of recent (within the past 5 years) experience during which the Offeror provided similar solutions to public or private sector clients. Examples shall include project title, length of project, similarities of project to the USCG’s requirement. The page count for each prior experience example shall not exceed 3 pages.

PRICE: The Offeror’s quotation must include pricing for each of the CLINs listed on the Pricing Schedule. Offerors are encouraged to provide a breakdown of price per device if multiple attachments or modules are included to support a system that meets all minimum standards.  This can be demonstrated by breaking down the CLIN’s into sub-CLIN’s to illustrate individual price elements if attachments or modules are included to support a system that meets all the standards.  CLIN’s can be broken out into sub-CLIN’s to illustrate individual price elements if attachments or modules are included to make a working system. CLIN’s can be broken out into sub-CLIN’s to illustrate individual price elements if attachments or modules are included to make a working system. *Note: The government expects, at a minimum, a full warranty for a year after purchase to be included with the pricing of the device. If this is not included please add CLIN 0002 and CLIN 0004 for pricing of 1 year warranty.

METHOD OF AWARD

The Government will award a firm-fixed price contract to the Offeror whose proposal conforms to the requirements outlined in this request for quotation and is determined to be the best value to the government based on a tradeoff between Technical, Prior Experience, and Price. Offeror’s whose proposal is found to be technically unacceptable will not be further considered:

1. Technical Acceptability:

   1. The Government will evaluate on an acceptable (meets all standards) or unacceptable (does not meet all standards) basis.
2. Prior Experience: The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s prior experience delivering biometrics devices with similar requirements to establish confidence in the Offeror’s ability to successfully deliver the proposed solution.
3. Price: The Offeror’s total price will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness. Total price is the sum of all four CLINS in the Pricing Schedule.

The Technical Acceptability and Prior Experience are equally important and when combined are more important than Price. Offeror’s whose proposal is found to be technically unacceptable will not be further considered. Offeror’s whose technical proposal is found to be acceptable will be evaluated for Prior Experience and Price. The Government plans to award a single purchase order for the entire requirement without exchanges with Offerors. However, the Government reserves the right to enter into exchanges if deemed necessary by the Contracting Officer.

Please see the attached documents to this solicitiation for further information:

    COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION  (contains 508 Requirements)

    ATTACHMENT 1: Minimum Standards

    ATTACHMENT 2: Invoicing Information & Provisions/Clauses