Graphic design for business plans

Added: Feb 11, 2016 9:23 am Modified: Feb 16, 2016 5:37 pmTrack Changes Amendment 0003 is for the incorporating the Questions and Answers:

Q. Page 4 Technical Proposal ¿ noting only a 10 page limit are the amendment pages and pricing in addition of this limit?

A. No amendments and bid schedule are not part of the 10 page limit

Q. Page 4 Past Performance ¿ the return of reference questionnaires by our clients to you, is the same date (February, 22nd) the same deadline?

A. Yes

Q. To confirm there is no travel anticipated, but that all business can be conducted electronically and via conference call?

A. This is correct, no travel will take place.

Q. How many different versions of the business plan would be required?

A. Unless otherwise specified, we require two accessible PDFs of each plan -- one high-resolution (i.e., for printing) and one low-resolution (i.e., for web posting) versions. As stated in the scope: ¿High- and low-resolution PDF files. The low-resolution PDF should be suitable for posting to a park's website (less than 7 MB) and should be accessible for the visually impaired and others with disabilities.¿

Q. How many different versions of the brochures would be required?

A. Unless otherwise specified, we require two accessible PDFs of each brochure -- one high-resolution (i.e., for printing) and one low-resolution (i.e., for web posting) versions.

Q. How many, on average, graphs would be included in each business plan?

A. For example, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail business plan has: Word Count = 15,208, Photos = 53, Charts/Graphs = 22

Q. Would infographics be required or traditional graphics for business plans?

A. Infographics aren¿t required, but are preferred. As we are not experts in graphics, we prefer a contractor who can develop appropriate graphics based on the data we provide whenever and wherever possible.

Q. Would printing be required or just electronic PDF versions be acceptable?

A. No professional printing is required. As stated in the scope, the deliverables (Section 3.7) are electronic PDFs, two high-resolution full-sized digital printouts, two disks or media with files, and completed GPO forms.

Q. What is the total number of anticipated hours of graphic design for the entire period of performance? Please provide a sample of a previous business plan.

A.

TASK HOURS

Contractor prep for initial consultation with NPS 1

Initial consultation with NPS 1

Contractor internal brainstorming session 2

Business Plan creation 80

Presentation of concepts and discussions with NPS 2

Overall project management 2

TOTAL 88

This is for one business plan and is only an estimate. We do not have a sample business plan.

Q Is this a new opportunity or a continuation of an existing project?

A. This is a new opportunity

Q. If it is an existing project, is there anyway we can know how often the IDIQ vehicle was utilized or historically how many business plans were produced each year by the Business Management Group?

A. This is the first IDIQ being issued for this procurement. The BMG has historically contracted design services for, on average, three business plans per year.

Q. If this is an existing project, who is the incumbent?

A. There is no incumbent

Q. Is the cost information and associated spreadsheets included in the 10 page limit?

A. No the 10 page limit only applies to the Technical Proposal.

Q. Can you provide an estimate of approximately how many plans will be designed over the course of the first year of the contract?

A. We estimate two plans and one brochure.

Q. Will the bulk of the plans be from within one specific NPS region or is this a nationwide initiative?

A. The bulk of the plans will be from one office not NPS-wide.

Q Is this a new requirement?

A. Yes this is a new requirement.

Q. What is the deadline for references to complete and return past performance questionnaires?

A. Past performance questionnaires are due by the end date of the RFP.

Q. Can samples of past work be included as attachments to the proposal? If so, will they be considered in the technical evaluation and will it be counted against the 10-page limit?

A. Samples of past work would be considered part of the technical proposal and part of the 10 pg limit.

Q. Is the Past Experience section (section 2) part of the 10-page limit for the Technical Proposal? If not, is there a page limit on the Past Experience section (section 2)?

A. Past experience references are not part of the 10 page limit. It is its own evaluation criteria.

Q. Is the contractor responsible for incurring the cost of printing and shipping the final plans or for managing the printing and shipping process? If so, how many copies are anticipated and where will the final plans be shipped?

A. The contractor is responsible for shipping the deliverables outlined in the scope (Section 3.7), which entail electronic PDFs, two high-resolution full-sized digital printouts, two disks or media with files, and completed GPO forms, to the BMG in Washington, DC. The contractor is not responsible any other printing or shipping costs.

Q. Must the three past performance questionnaires be provided by the same three references provided in the Past Performance section of the proposal?

A. No

Q. Can the proposer submit Past Performance questionnaires from contracts conducted for non-federal government customers?

A. Yes

Q. Section 3.0 - Work to be Performed states, ¿the contractor shall provide all publication planning, editing, and design services including labor, materials, equipment, and facilities necessary for the development of two printed business plans and one brochure.¿ Does this mean two different printed business plans and one brochure or one printed business plan, one electronic-only version of the same plan, and one brochure?

A. This was a typo and specific to the first task order. The text should read: ¿the contractor shall provide all publication planning, editing, and design services including labor, materials, equipment, and facilities necessary for the development of all plans and brochures.¿

Q. Amendment 000001, item (ix) requests ¿key personnel information.¿ What information would the government like to see and how will key personnel information be evaluated?

A. Key personnel is part of the technical proposal and will be evaluated as identified in the solicitation.

RATING EVALUATION BASIS

Outstanding The OFFEROR demonstrates a proven understanding of the requirements and clear awareness of the contract objectives. Proposal must demonstrate that the offeror is highly knowledgeable on the technical subject matter and can anticipate, avoid, and, when necessary, react appropriately to problems. The proposal must indicate that the offeror has a strong ability to think creatively about displaying complex, analytical data shall rate Outstanding. In the event of a tie between multiple OFFEROR proposals, all OFFERORS shall rate as Outstanding.

Good The OFFEROR demonstrating proven understanding of the requirements and clear awareness of the contract objectives Proposal must demonstrate that the offeror is highly knowledgeable on the technical subject matter and can anticipate, avoid, and, when necessary, react appropriately to problems shall rate as Good.

Acceptable All of the OFFERORS¿s demonstrating proven understanding of the requirements and clear awareness of the contract objectives shall rate as Acceptable.

Marginal The OFFEROR demonstrating proven understanding of the requirements shall rate as Marginal.

Unacceptable The OFFEROR fails to document proven understanding of the requirements and clear awareness of the contract objectives shall rate as Unacceptable.



Q. Is the pricing to be presented in a matrix, with pricing spanning different page-counts across the span of five-years?

A. Please complete the Bid Schedule with your pricing information. Pricing spans over the next five years.

Bid Schedule is available in the base solicitation. If an offeror requires a copy of the bid schedule they may e-mail heather_madsen@nps.gov.

Q. 'The Government intends to make award to the offeror whose proposal offers the best value to the government on a tradeoff basis¿. Can you please elaborate on this point?

A. A tradeoff process is appropriate when it may be in the best interest of the Government to consider award to other than the lowest priced offeror or other than the highest technically rated offeror.

Q. Is the intent to award the IDIQ to one or multiple firms?

A. One firm

Q. What is the timeline for awarding this IDIQ contract?

A. Immediately upon technical evaluation of proposals.

Q. Is there a business plan project ready/schedule for immediately after the IDIQ is awarded?

A. Yes

Q. What is the approximate scope of work per year? In the solicitation it says that the scope expected is 2 reports and 1 brochure. Is this the amount of work expected yearly?

A. The first task order is expected to include two business plans and one brochure. The BMG has historically contracted design services for, on average, three business plans per year.

Q. What are the expected time frames for the completion of each project. Does each project span the time frame of 10 weeks or 12 months?

A. We anticipate each plan taking no more than 2 months to complete. A sample timeline might be:

DESCRIPTION: NOT LATER THAN:

(Calendar Days) APPROVAL (Calendar Days)

Phase 1 ¿ Concept

A. Participate in teleconference with the CO, COR, Contract Specialist and the BMG (Post-Award Meeting). 7 days after award -

Phase 2 ¿ Refinement and Production

B. Submission of Business Plan 1 10 days after post-award meeting (Item A) 5 days after receipt

C. Submission of Business Plan 2 and brochure 10 days after submission of AKRO BP (Items B & C) 5 days after receipt

D. Submission of revised business plans including revised images and text. 10 days after approval 5 days after receipt

E. Submission of final business plan, ready for print, including final images and text. (InDesign files, linked graphics, high- and low-resolution accessible PDFs, and full-sized high-resolution printouts) 5 days after approval

5 days after receipt



TOTAL: NTE 110 DAYS



Q. Is the entire proposal not to exceed 10 pages in length? Or is just the technical part of the proposal not to exceed 10 pages?

A. Just the Technical Proposal.

Q. Can you tell me if the past bid results are available online, if not can you send them to me or if needed please provide me with the FOIA requirements/forms you have.

A. I do not have information on past projects. You can search FPDS-NG and if desiring to submit a FOIA go to foia.gov for more information.

Q. What is the anticipated volume? How many business plans would be produced per year? How many brochures?

A. The first task order is expected to include two business plans and one brochure. The BMG has historically contracted design services for, on average, three business plans per year

Q. Do we understand correctly that every park publishes a business plan every 5 years? Can you provide the current ¿rotation¿ or schedule of which parks have publications upcoming in the next 2 or 3 years?

A. No, parks do not regularly publish or cycle through business plan. We do not have a schedule for upcoming plans. The first task order is expected to include two business plans and one brochure. The BMG has historically contracted design services for, on average, three business plans per year

Q. Can you provide the past spending by year over the last contract?

A. Spending varies by the number of plans completed each year. On average, each plan costs between $7,000-$12,000K, depending on length and complexity. We average about three business plans per year.

Q. Do you have a sample of the electronic version of the business plan? Would it be an interactive pdf? Would it be an eBook?

A. It¿s like an e-book or e-magazine. We do not have one publicly available, however we do have template files to share with the contractor selected.

Q. Will the Government provide images with all necessary rights in place for possible use in each publication? Does each park have a database of images for use?

A. The Government will provide all images, from the NPS library or owned by the park, before the design process.

Q. What is the desired level of interactivity for the PDF? Full 508 compliance? Standard interactivity like bookmarks? Or somewhere in between such as table of contents internal page links or hyperlinks, navigation buttons, embedded multimedia (audio/video), etc.?

A. See attachment: SOW Attachment 2_Graphic Design BMG.pdf

Q. On the Request for Quotation, each CLIN (0010-0060; 0080-0130)) lists a page range. Are we correct to interpret this as a cumulative price? For example, the price for the first 10 pages of the business plan is X, the price for the next 10 pages (CLIN 0020) is Y, the price for the next 10 pages (CLIN 0030) is Z, and so on? Or are you looking, instead, for the price of a 10 page document in full (CLIN 0010), the price of a 20 page document in full (CLIN 0020), the price of a 30 page document in full (CLIN 0030), and so on?

A. The bid schedule requires pricing for a business plan for pages ranging from 1-10, then if the business plan has 11-20 pages we request pricing for that, then if the business plan has 21- 30 pages we request pricing for that and so on.

Q. Is it possible to see samples of the business plan template created by BMG?

A. Antietam NB Business Plan and Pinnacles NP Business Plan

Q. Because the IDIQ contract will be issued as a firm fixed price, and a maximum of $400,000 regardless of quantity, can we have an idea of how often design services might be required?

A. We average about three business plans per year.

Q. Can multiple references from the same contract be used?

A. No

Q. Should these be the same references who will need to complete the Past Performance Questionnaire?

A. No

Q. Will samples of our own company collateral created in-house be acceptable past performance evidence?

A. No

Q. Under Inspection of Services, what constitutes ¿an inspection system acceptable to the Government¿?

A. This was inadvertently included in the RFP and is not applicable to this procurement, we apologize for the confusion.

Q. On page 1, item 10: ¿This Acquisition is¿ has the box for ¿unrestricted¿ checked, but on page 3, under Background Information, it states that ¿This is set aside for small business concerns.¿ Can you confirm that this is a set aside for small businesses?

A. This was issued as restricted, however our procurement data systems transmitted as unrestricted. There is no way to change this in the system. This is a small business set-aside.

Q. On page 16, paragraph 4: For the deliverable of the electric-only plan, is this plan a separate deliverable from the other 2 printed business plans? What technologies should the electronic-only plans be formatted for? Is the content for the electronic-only plan the same as for the 2 printed business plans?

A. Yes, it¿s a separate deliverable and structured like an e-book or e-magazine. We do not have one publicly available, however we do have template files to share with the selected contractor. For a given project or park, we will develop either a printed (including accessible PDFs) version of the business plan OR an e-business plan, not both.

Q. On page 16, section 3.0 Work to be Performed, paragraph 1: Since the scope of work states 2 business plans and 1 brochure are to be delivered, how do we estimate the work involved in the 4th paragraph that states ¿Some business plans may also include the development of brochures or other shorter documents based on the business plan content. The brochure will also be a full-color publication.¿ ? It is unclear the quantity and length of any additional brochures or shorter documents. Can you clarify what additional deliverables, if any, might be required?

A. Not at this time. The specification for 2 plans and 1 brochure was a typo and specific only to the imminent task order. Additional deliverables will depend on the project. The intent of this statement was to indicate all content for shorter documents will be based on the content developed for the longer plan.

Q. On page 23, the Bid Schedule: there are CLINs for one printed business plan and CLINs for one electronic-only business plan - can you clarify if the 2 printed business plans listed on page 16 under section 3.0 Work to be Performed is referring to these two plans? We want to clarify if there are a total of two business plans that are being designed.

A. As outlined in the scope (Section 3.7) the deliverables for each printed business plan include two electronic PDFs (one high-res for printing, one low-res for web posting). Electronic-only business plans are a separate product.

Q. On page 17, Item 4 Original Illustration Services: Approximately how many data visualizations (graphs, infographics, charts,etc.) are anticipated for each business plan?

A: For example, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail business plan in 2014 had: Word Count = 15,208, Photos = 53, Charts/Graphs = 22

Q. Is there anywhere we can find/see the existing business plans that are to be designed?

A. Antietam NB Business Plan and Pinnacles NP Business Plan

Q. The two amendments only need to be acknowledged within our final proposal submission, right?

A. The SF1449 and all Amendments must be signed and submitted. They are not part of the 10page limit for technical proposal.

Q. The government listed the suggested vendor as Graphic Design Business Plans, if that is the case why doesn¿t the government sole source this?

A. This is a competitive procurement and does not qualify for a sole source as there is ample competition.

Q. It seems like the description of the Electronic Business plan in the SOW calls for more than just a 508 compliant PDF?

A. Yes, it¿s a separate deliverable and structured like an e-book or e-magazine. We do not have one publicly available, however we do have template files to share with the selected contractor.

Q.Is there an example of an electronic business plan so offerors can get an idea of how they are different than a simple PDF of the print version?

A. We do not have one publicly available, however we do have template files to share with the selected contractor. It¿s a separate deliverable and structured like an e-book or e-magazine, rather than a simply PDF.

Q. I¿d like to submit a bid on this opportunity, but want to select the best designer for the job. Can you send me a sample business plan that I can use to focus on the needed skillset for the work.

A. Antietam NB Business Plan and Pinnacles NP Business Plan

Q. Can you tell me if the past bid results are available online, if not can you send them to me or if needed please provide me with the FOIA requirements/forms you have.

A. P15PC00101 in the amount of $29,600.00 XNR Productions Inc. If you desire to submit a FOIA go to foia.gov for instructions.