SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Support Which Implements Fast Transition - SWIFT II
- Notice Date
- 10/28/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Agency for International Development, Washington D.C., USAID/Washington, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Room 7.10-006, Washington, DC, 20523
- ZIP Code
- 20523
- Solicitation Number
- M-OP-03-050
- Point of Contact
- Sharon Welch, Contract Specialist, Phone 202-712-4486, Fax 202-216-3132, - Amanda Downing, Contract Specialist, Phone 202-712-5945, Fax 202-216-3132,
- E-Mail Address
-
swelch@usaid.gov, amdowning@usaid.gov
- Description
- The Agency for International Development (USAID) intends to negotiate and award multiple Indefinite Quantity Contracts (IQCs) (of which the Government proposes to award one (1) contract to a Small Business Set Aside) unitizing Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) or Firm Fixed Price (FFP) task orders to provide technical assistance and logistics support to meet the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTIs) objectives worldwide. The purpose of the IQC Support Which Implements Fast Transitions (SWIFT II) is to enhance OTIs quick response capacity and field management. To implement and manage Political Transition Grants (PTGs). This procurement is solicited under full and open competition. Any awards to large businesses will require a goal of 15% of the total estimated cost to be subcontracted to small business firms. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541611 and the small business size standards is $5.0 million. The contract period will be for five (5) years. The preferred method of distribution of USAID procurement information is via the Internet. If access to the Internet is not possible, an offeror may request the solicitation on a 3.5 floppy disk (WordPerfect 5.l/2.2 format). This Request for Proposals (RFP) and any future amendments thereto can be downloaded from http://www.fbo.gov. The World Wideweb Address is http://www.info.usaid.gov. It is the responsibility of the recipient of the solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) in its entirety and USAID bears no responsibility for data error resulting from transmission or conversion processes. For those without INTERNET access, a diskette will be made available from USAID upon receipt of a written request either by U.S. mail or by facsimile. Background: This IQC is directed towards organizations that have experience working in countries in political transitions and/or in post-conflict environments that have: administered small grants (to local groups), procured goods and services (for in-kind grants, mobilizing initial team to the countries (in 72 hours) to set-up offices/hire (local) staff and have sufficient liquidity of funds (up to $1.5 million). Since its creation in 1994, the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in the Bureau for Democracy Conflict Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) of USAID has developed and implemented programs which address the post-conflict period in the transition from war to peace. OTI responds rapidly to assess, design and implement programs that have characteristics of being fast, flexible, innovative, tangible, targeted, catalytic and overtly political, focusing on the root causes of the crisis. OTI was established precisely to overcome the temporal problems of providing aid to societies where the fighting has stopped, but the resources to move forward were often delayed. Countries experiencing a significant transition or are emerging from civil conflict have a unique need for timely and targeted assistance that will promote and consolidate peaceful, democratic advances. The SWIFT-II IQC employs institutional contractors to provide technical assistance and logistics support for implementation of a small grants program during this transition period. Contractors will be working in an environment where they will have to overcome significant challenges, destroyed or damaged infrastructures, scarcity or lack of banking & currency exchange institutions, and the lack of adequate communication services. The types of in-kind grants that have been issued under SWIFT in the past have included, but are not limited to: Enhancing Citizen/Local Government Communication: examples - grants supporting electronic media in the form of Public Service Announcements (PSA's), politically-oriented talk shows and investigative documentaries; and publishing and distributing information through newspapers and magazines. Political Initiatives: examples - grants supporting public meetings, information campaigns, and elections-related efforts; enabling community reconstruction projects. Elections Planning/Elections: examples - get out the vote campaign; printing; elections monitoring and polling; and post-elections information campaigns. In the field, OTI works with local indigenous groups; cooperatives; associations; informal groups; Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs); local, regional and national governments; Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs); student groups; media; international organizations; private sector and coalitions of these entities. Activities may include efforts to: promote reconciliation, conflict resolution and prevention; advance an economic recovery with employment and vocational training; promote independent media with journalist training and law reform; demobilize and reintegrate ex-combatants; increase land access with demining efforts; provide nation-wide training to regional and local elected officials; promote national messages using television, radio and newsprint; reactivate critical NGOs with start-up grants; promote governance with elections support; develop a strong civil society; and initiate rural infrastructure rehabilitation projects with community participation. Services Required: Prime contractors shall establish and staff field offices and provide all of the administrative and technical assistance and logistics support to manage these offices and a small grants program for the Office of Transition Initiatives. The contractor will be responsible for the start-up and implementation of the field potential program performing such tasks as office set-up and staffing, locating grantees assessing grantee worthiness and issuing in-kind grants. As such the contractor will be required to procure the necessary equipment for office set-up, to procure in-kind good and services, issue the grants, monitor the progress of the grant project and close out the grant when the grant project is complete, including paying outstanding vendor invoices. Critical to the SWIFT-II IQC is a contractors capability to maintain a sufficient liquidity to make expeditious rentals and purchases during start-up and ensure timely procurement and delivery of in-kind goods to grantees. Equally important is the contractors capability to mobilize and deploy within 72 hours of award and to have operational set-up/grant making requirement completed in four weeks. It is anticipated that multiple five-year IQCs contracts will be awarded under the prospective RFP. The task orders will be issued under the various pricing arrangements: Cost Plus Fixed Fee, Cost Reimbursement, Cost Plus Incentive Fee, Cost Plus Award Fee. The total value of the acquisition is estimated at $400M. A critical component for the success of this program is the contractors capability to obtain a line of credit ($1.5M, and expenses higher as program the progresses) sufficient to finance required grants and operations for approximately 90 and prior to contractor receipt of payment of monthly vouchers. It is required that during the performance of a Task Order the contractor maintain a bake account in the cooperating country or in the region that allows for easy and swift access to funds. Prerequisites: A prospective prime contractor must have relevant international experience providing the kinds of services described in this synopsis in countries experiencing political transitions and/or in post conflict environments. USAID manages programs and supports assistance in the following geographic regions, Europe and Eurasia, Africa, Asia and Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean. Point of Contact Questions regarding this notice shall be submitted in writing to swelch@usaid.gov. The period for accepting questions will be 5 days (November 4, 2002). No numbered/non-numbered notes apply. No phone calls will be accepted.
- Place of Performance
- Address: WORLDWIDE
- Record
- SN00194605-W 20021030/021028213035 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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