Provide Internet Services at CRSU

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR INDIAN SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES (ISBEE) / NATIVE OWNED SMALL BUSINESS (NOSB) – THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSAL AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS NOTICE.

Project Title: 75H71222Q00031 Sources Sought Provide Internet Services at CRSU

THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals; submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary; the government assumes no financial responsibility for any costs incurred. 

The Indian Health Service (IHS), Phoenix Area Office (PAO) is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support this requirement for the following requirement:

Indian Health Service, Phoenix Area Office, Division of Acquisition Management on behalf of Colorado River Service Unit may need a contractor to provide internet services that utilize a dedicated high speed Ethernet based line of 100 megabytes per second. The contractor will provide the infrastructure to support the capabilities on a continuous basis and to support the operation on a 24 hour basis 365 days per year health care facility and outlaying health clinics in a tristate area (Arizona, California and Nevada.) with Base Year and Four Option Year Service.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 517110with an associated small business size standard of 1,500 employees. 

An e-mail letter of interest that includes your firm’s Capability Statement highlighting past performance for similar deliveries performed within the past 5 years and indicate the following social economic status information is all that is required at this time.

Please identify if your firm is Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise/Native Owned Small Business.

BUY INDIAN ACT

The IHS Contracting Officer will give priority for all purchases, regardless of dollar value, by utilizing ISBEE set-aside to the maximum extent possible. Each acquisition of supplies, services or construction that is subject to commercial items (FAR 12.209) or Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) (FAR 13.106) must be set-aside exclusively for ISBEEs.

Definition(s):    INDIAN ECONOMIC ENTERPRISE (IEE) - Any business activity owned by one or more Indians, Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, or Alaska Native Corporations provided that:

• The combined Indian, Federally Recognized Indian Tribe or Alaska Native Corporation ownership of the enterprise constitutes not less than 51%;
• The Indian, Federal Recognized Indian Tribes, or Alaska Native Corporations must, together, receive at least 51% of the earnings from the contract; and
• The management and daily business operations must be controlled by one or more individuals who are Indians.

Definition:        INDIAN SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC ENTERPRISE (ISBEE) – An IEE that is also a small business concern established in accordance with the criteria and size standards of 13 CFR Part 121.

The government will evaluate market information to ascertain potential market capacity to provide supplies consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated.

BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR ISBEE/NOSB OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, and a single award MAY be made. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

Submission Instructions: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the above-listed supplies are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by 07/10/2022 12:00 EST. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to Nestor.Noble@ihs.gov with email Subject Title: “75H71222Q00031 Sources Sought Provide Internet Services at CRSU.”

All interested firms who can meet the requirements stated above should respond, in writing, INCLUDING ALL THE FOLLOWING:

1. Company name.

2. Point of contact (name/title/telephone number/e-mail address).

3. FSS / SEWP Contract number, if applicable.

4. SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number .

5. Tax ID number.

6. Indication of which business category (IEE or ISBEE) for which the organization qualifies.

7. A capability statement that addresses the organizations qualifications and ability to provide the requirement depicted above.

9. Documentation from manufacturer (i.e., correspondence from manufacturer) of your firm being an authorized distributor for the manufacturer.

Additionally, since IHS must conduct sufficient market research in determining if there is reasonable expectation of obtaining offers from two or more Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE), for every commercial contract opportunity, in accordance with HHSAR 326.603-1.

To identify and support responsible IEE/ISBEE(s) and prevent circumvention or abuse of the Buy Indian Act, interested, qualified, vendors must provide the following:

• Representation must be made on the designated IHS Indian Economic Enterprise Representation form (attached) through which the offeror will self-certify eligibility; and,
• Identify the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe or Alaska Native Corporation upon which the offeror relies for its IEE status.

Interested firms are reminded that in accordance with FAR 4.12, prospective contractors shall complete electronic annual representations and certifications in conjunction with FAR 4.1102 required to be registered in the Systems for Award Management (SAM) at the time an offer or quotation is submitted in order to comply with the annual representations and certifications requirements. The Government will use responses to this notice to make an appropriate acquisition decision. This is the only notice: no other copies of this notice will be provided.