Publishing, Public Affairs, and Knowledge Transfer Communications Support for OCKT

Contents

PART I
   Section A: Solicitation
   Section B: Supplies or Services & Prices/Costs
   Section C: Description/Specification/Work Statement
   Section D: Packaging and Marking
   Section E: Inspection and Acceptance
   Section F: Deliveries or Performance
   Section G: Contract Administration Data
   Section H: Special Contract Requirements
PART II
   Section I. Contract Clauses
PART III
   Section J: List of Attachments
PART IV
   Section K: Representations and Instructions
   Section L: Instructions, Conditions & Notices to Offerors
   Section M: Evaluation Factors for Award
Attachments
   1. Past Performance Questionnaire
   2. Performance Standards
   3. Statement of Annual Workload
   4. Proposal Intent Response Sheet
   5. Breakdown of Proposed Estimated Cost (Plus Fee) and Labor Hours 89-90

 

PART I—THE SCHEDULE

                                                   Request for Proposal No. AHRQ-08-10032

SECTION A—SOLICITATION FORM

                                                                                                Date Issued:   May 27, 2008

                                                                                                Date Questions Due: June 5, 2008

                                                                                                Date Notice of Intent Due: June 11, 2008

                                                                                                Date Proposals Due: July 1, 2008

                                                                                                Time Due:  12:00 Noon EST

You are invited to submit a proposal to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for Request for Proposal (RFP) No. AHRQ-08-10032, entitled "Publishing, Public Affairs, and Knowledge Transfer Communications Support for OCKT."  Your proposal must be developed and submitted in accordance with the requirements and instructions of this RFP.

NOTICE OF SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE:   This requirement is set-aside 100% for 8(a) small business concerns under NAICS Code 511120.  Offerors are solicited only from 8(a) small business concerns.  Offers received from organizations that are not 8(a) small businesses shall be considered non-responsive and will be rejected.

A Cost reimbursement, performance-based contract is contemplated for a period of three years with 2 one-year options.

The Government anticipates awarding 1 contract from this solicitation.

Offerors shall submit the following:

A. Technical Proposal (See Section L.10) (Original and 9 copies)

B. Past Performance Information (See Section L.11) (Original and 4 copies)

C. Business Proposal (See Section L.12) (Original and 4 copies)

Your technical proposal must be concisely written and should be limited to 100 typewritten pages (double-spaced, single sided), exclusive of personnel qualifications (i.e., resume, etc., see Section L.10 for additional details).  Your appendices are limited to 100 pages (single sided) including all resumes, bibliographies, exhibits and attachments.  This limitation is for administrative purposes only and exceeding the limitation shall not, of itself, be considered a basis for rejection of your proposal.

Offerors are required to provide one electronic copy of the entire proposal on CD.  This can be provided in either Adobe (.pdf) or in Microsoft® Word (.doc).  If the proposal is provided in Microsoft® Word please save as 2003 version or earlier.  AHRQ cannot open documents saved in Microsoft® Word that are in a version later than 2003.

Your proposal must provide the full name of your company, the address, including county, Tax Identification Number (TIN), DUN and Bradstreet No., and if different, the address to which payment should be mailed. 

YOUR ATTENTION IS CALLED TO THE LATE PROPOSAL PROVISIONS PROVIDED IN SECTION L.3 OF THIS RFP.  YOUR ATTENTION IS ALSO DIRECTED TO THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED IN SECTION L.10 OF THE SOLICITATION.

If you intend to submit a proposal in response to this solicitation, please inform the Contracting Officer of your intent by completing the Proposal Intent Response Form (Attachment 4) and submit the form no later than June 11, 2008.  Please fax it to 301-427-1740, Attention: Jessica Alderton, Contracting Officer or E-mail to jessica.alderton@ahrq.hhs.gov.

All questions regarding this solicitation shall be received in this office no later than June 5, 2008 (See Section L.7).   All questions shall be submitted electronically by E-mail to Jessica Alderton, Contracting Officer at the following E-mail address: jessica.alderton@ahrq.hhs.gov the subject line should be marked "Proposal Questions RFP No. AHRQ-08-10032."  Answers to questions will be provided in the form of an Amendment to this solicitation and will be posted on AHRQ's Web page: www.ahrq.gov under "Funding Opportunities," "Contracts" and the Federal Business Opportunities Web page: www.fedbizopps.gov.  It is your responsibility to monitor the Web sites where the RFP will be posted to learn about any amendments to the solicitation. 

Discussions with any other individual outside the Division of Contracts Management, may result in rejection of the potential offeror's proposal.

The proposal shall be signed by an authorized official to bind your organization and must be received in our Contracts Office no later than 12:00 Noon EST, July 1, 2008. Your proposal must be mailed to the following address:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Division of Contracts Management
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, Maryland  20850

The RFP does not commit the Government to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of a proposal.  It is also brought to your attention that the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with the proposed acquisition.

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2001-16, all contractors must be registered in the central contractor registration (CCR) database in order to conduct business with the government [See Section I—FAR clause 52.204-7 Central Contractor Registration (OCT 2003), Alternate 1 (Oct 2003)]. As stated in paragraph (h) of this clause, additional information can be obtained at http://www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423, or 269-961-5757.

Requests for any information concerning this RFP should be referred to Jessica Alderton, (301) 427-1783.

Jessica Alderton,
Contracting Officer
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

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SECTION B—SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

"Publishing, Public Affairs, and Knowledge Transfer Communications Support for OCKT."  See Section C for a complete description.

B.2 ESTIMATED COST

1. The estimated cost (exclusive of fees) for performance of the work under this three year (3) year contract, including direct and indirect costs is $ (TO BE NEGOTIATED).
2. The fixed fee for this contract is $ (TO BE NEGOTIATED).  The fixed fee shall be paid in installments based on the percentage of completion of work, as determined by the Contracting Officer.  Payment shall be subject to the withholding provisions of the Clause ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT and FIXED FEE incorporated herein.
3. The maximum amount of award fee that may be earned for this contract is $ (TO BE NEGOTIATED).  Award fee earned shall be based upon an evaluation and determination by the Government as to the Contractor's level of performance in accordance with the following procedures:
   1. The Contractor's performance shall be evaluated on a semi-annual basis, during the performance of the contract.  The award periods and maximum amounts for each are listed in Section H, Special Contract Requirements, H.1 Performance Evaluation and Award Fee.
   2. The criteria set forth in the Performance Standards—Attachment 2, shall be used to evaluate the Contractor's performance.
   3. The Contractor further agrees that the final determination as to the amount of Award Fee earned will be made by the Contracting Officer, taking into consideration an analysis and evaluation of the Contractor's performance made by the Evaluation Group described in Section H.1, and shall not be subject to the terms of the "Disputes" clause of this contract.  The Contractor shall be advised in writing of the decision setting forth reasons why the Award Fee was earned or why it was not earned, in order that the Contractor may improve its performance during the next six (6) month period, if the latter is applicable.
   4. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this contract, the fee for performing this contract shall not exceed the statutory limitations prescribed in the first sentence of Section 304(b) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act (41 USC 254(b)) for services other than research, development or experimental work.
   5. Authorization to claim and be reimbursed for award fee under this contract will be accomplished by a signed Contracting Officer's Authorization (COA) letter, issued when the award fee is determined to be due.  The COA letter shall set forth the amount of award fee to be paid and shall indicate the performance period evaluated.  Upon receipt of the COA letter, the Contractor may submit a public voucher for payment of the total award fee earned for the period evaluated.  Payment of the award fee shall be subject to the withholding provision of the clause entitled "Fixed Fee."
4. The Government's maximum obligation, represented by the sum of the estimated cost plus the fixed fee and award fee obtainable for the contract period is as follows:  (TO BE NEGOTIATED).

    

   Period of Performance	Estimated Cost	Fixed Fee	Maximum Award Fee	Total Estimated Cost Plus All Fees
   Year 1 08/15/08-08/14/09
   Year 2 08/15/09-08/14/10
   Year 3 08/15/10-08/14/11
   TOTAL

    

5. Total funds currently available for payment and allotted to this contract are $(TO BE NEGOTIATED) of which $ (TO BE NEGOTIATED) represents the estimated cost, and of which $(TO BE NEGOTIATED) represents the fixed fee and $(TO BE NEGOTIATED) represents the award fee pool.
6. It is estimated that the amount currently allotted will cover performance of the contract through (TO BE NEGOTIATED).
7. The Contracting Officer may allot additional funds to the contract without the concurrence of the Contractor.  For further provisions on funding, see the LIMITATION OF COST/LIMITATION OF FUNDS and the ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT (AND FIXED FEE) clauses incorporated herein.
8. COST AND PAYMENT (AND FIXED FEE) clauses incorporated into this contract.

B.3 OPTION PERIOD

In the event that the option period is exercised, the total estimated cost, fixed fee and award fee will be increased by the following amounts:  (TO BE NEGOTIATED)

Period of Performance	Estimated Cost	Fixed Fee	Maximum Award Fee	Total Estimated Cost Plus All Fees
Option Year 1 08/15/11-08/14/12
Option Year 2 08/15/12-08/14/13

B.4 PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DIRECT COSTS

1. Items Unallowable Unless Otherwise Provided Notwithstanding the clauses, ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT, and FIXED FEE, incorporated into this contract, unless authorized in writing by the Contracting Officer, the costs of the following items or activities shall be unallowable as direct costs:
   1. Acquisition, by purchase or lease, of any interest in real property;
   2. Rearrangement or alteration of facilities;
   3. Purchase or lease of any item of general purpose—office furniture or office equipment regardless of dollar value. (General purpose equipment is defined as any items of personal property which are usable for purposes other than research, such as office equipment and furnishings, pocket calculators, etc.);
   4. Accountable Government property (defined as both real and personal property with an acquisition cost of $1,000 or more, with a life expectancy of more than two years) and "sensitive items" (defined and listed in the Contractor's Guide for Control of Government Property, 1990, regardless of acquisition value;
   5. Travel to attend general scientific meetings;
   6. Foreign Travel;
   7. Any costs incurred prior to the contract's effective date;
   8. Rental of meeting rooms not otherwise expressly paid for by the contract;
   9. Any formal subcontract arrangements not otherwise expressly provided for in the contract;
   10. Consultant fees in excess of $800/day; and 
   11. Information Technology hardware or software.
2. This contract is subject to the provisions of Public Law (P.L.) 99-234 which amends the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act to provide that contractor costs for travel, including lodging, other subsistence, and incidental expenses, shall be allowable only to the extent that they do not exceed the amount allowed for Federal employees.  The Contractor, therefore, shall invoice and be reimbursed for all travel costs in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 31.205-46.

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