Scholarly Journals in the Biological, Chemical, and Bio-Medical Disciplines

The purpose of this amendment is to provide responses to questions received from industry.  All other terms and conditions remain the same.


1) Question: To quote correct prices for online titles, we need the following information:

a. Number of potential users
b. Number of FTEs (full-time employees)
c. Do you want a site license? If yes, number of sites and their physical addresses

1) Response: The estimated number of potential users is 50. The number of full time employees is 189. We will require a site license for one location. The address will be E2900 Ricketts Point, Rd. Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood MD 21010

2) Question: Will you accept supplemental invoices for publisher price changes that might occur during the year? Or, are you looking for a firm-fixed subscription prices?

2) Response: We are looking for firm fixed price quotes for annual subscriptions.

3) Question: Regarding Clause 52.232-12 Advanced Payments, Are Advanced Payments required? We prefer to submit invoices via WAWF as services are rendered.

3) Response: Advanced payments are not required. The Government would also prefer WAWF invoices be submitted as services are rendered, however advanced payment arrangements are an option.

4) Question: One CLIN is provided. Since ordering, tracking, obtaining missing publications, etc. are done by a customer service representative (CSR), would the government accept pricing by three CLINS?
a. CLIN 001 Publications (1 unit) FFP
b. CLIN 002 Shipping - CR - invoice/reimburse only IF charged by the publisher for shipping
c. CLIN 003 CSR (12 units) FFP

4) Response: The Government will consider multiple CLINS, however all quotes must be firm fixed priced. No portion of the contract will be cost reimbursement.

5) Question: Pricing for online access is determined by the number of users (tiered pricing). What is the size of the user-base within USAMRICD?

5) Response: The user base is estimated to be 50 employees.

6) Question: How many IP addresses will be accessing the ONLINE journals?

6) Respose: An estimate of 50 IP addresses will be accessing the online journals.

7) Question: Are the IP addresses static? Or do they rotate?

7) Response: The IP addresses will rotate.

8) Question: RFQ W81XWH-18-Q-0078 references titles on the list that are designated for 'drop-shipment' that would be shipped directly to Aberdeen Proving Ground from the publisher rather than through the Consolidation Service. The title list does not designate which titles are for drop-shipment. Can you please provide that information?

8) Response: The following subscriptions should be drop shipped: Army Times, Federal Times, Nature, Nature Medicine, and Science



9) Question: One publisher has requested your IP address so they can match their subscriptions to your account and provide the correct price. Can you please provide?

9) Response: Our IT Department is not comfortable releasing IP addresses until a vendor has been selected. If it helps, I can tell you that the previous contract was awarded to American Overseas Book Company in 2013. The delivery address remains the same, except for the building number. It was previously 3100 Ricketts Point Road, Edgewood MD 21010. The new address is E2900 Ricketts Point Road.

10) Question: Has USAMRICD subscribed to these publications previously? Through which company?

10) Response: USAMRICD has subscribed to these publications previously. The previous awardee was American Overseas Book Co.

11) Question: This acquisition is being competed as 100% small business set aside. Can you please share the specific details of this set aside and what it means to vendors.

11) Response: The below clause appears on page 8 and states that the small business size standard would be 500 employees, since you would be furnishing items which your company did not manufacture itself.

52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2015)
(a) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code and small business size standard. The NAICS code and small business size standard for this acquisition appear in Block 10 of the solicitation cover sheet (SF 1449). However, the small business size standard for a concern which submits an offer in its own name, but which proposes to furnish an item which it did not itself manufacture, is 500 employees.