SOLICITATION NOTICE
70 -- Forensic Workstations
- Notice Date
- 7/25/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541512
— Computer Systems Design Services
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, G-C-7 East High Rise Building 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD, 21235
- ZIP Code
- 21235
- Solicitation Number
- SSA-RFQ-05-1565x
- Response Due
- 8/4/2005
- Archive Date
- 8/19/2005
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The Social Security Administration is seeking quotations for forensic workstations. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. A written request for quotation will not be issued. This procurement is being conducted as a simplified acquisition in accordance with FAR Part 13. The solicitation document and incorporated providions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-04. The North American Industry Classification System code for this acquisition is 541512. The small business size standard is $21 million. FAR Subpart 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors Commercial, applies to this acquisition. See specific instructions below. All vendors shall include with their quotation, a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications Commercial Items. FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. In accordance FAR Subpart 5.203(b), quotations are due no later than 1:00pm, Thursday, August 4, 2005 and must be submitted electronically to Stacey.Walker@ssa.gov. The files shall be compressed into a single file that is capable of extraction using WinZip Computing WinZip software version 8.0. If the ?zipped? file is too large for transmission via electronic mail (SSA?s limitation is 10 megabytes), multiple compressed files may be submitted. Questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted in writing only. Phone calls will not be accepted. Delivery shall be made within 30 days after the receipt of order (ARO) to the delivery locations listed on attachment number three. ITEM DESCRIPTION This requirement is for a quantity of six (6) forensic workstations per the attached salient characteristics. INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS Along with your price quotation, you must submit technical literature in order for the government to verify that your products are technically acceptable in accordance with the minimum salient characteristics in this RFQ. GENERAL: Past Performance: (Past performance is a measure of how well a company performed under previous opportunities.) The Government intends to make a subjective assessment of how well the contractor(s) has performed in the past The Government?s policy is to use information about a contractor?s past performance when making its determination on which GSA contractor represents the best value and lowest overall cost alternative. This policy is based on the notion that a contractor?s past experience and record of satisfying its customers in the past is indicative, though not necessarily determinative, of the likelihood that it will do so in the future. Therefore, vendors shall submit the following references in order to assist the Government in making its best value determination. Experience: (Experience is the opportunity to learn by doing and previous opportunities indicate the breadth, depth and relevance of a company?s abilities.) The Government intends to make a subjective assessment of the ability of the contractor(s) based on their past experiences with similar requirements. The ability of the contractor(s) to perform this requirement correlates to the degree of risk for non-performance the Government will be exposed to. The vendor must have experience in providing forensic workstations within the past three years. The vendor shall provide three (3) references, including company/agency name, contact person, and phone number. The vendor shall provide the following additional information: Federal Tax ID Number: GSA Schedule Contract Number: Tax ID: DUNS Number: Expiration date of GSA schedule SECTION 508: 1. Requirements for Section 508 Evaluation Template Any products and/or services the Government intends to acquire based on this RFQ must allow the Government to support its obligations under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The text of the applicable standards, are identified in Attachment number two to this RFQ. A completed Section 508 Evaluation Template (see http://www.ssa.gov/oag/acq/oagacq_508.htm) will be required for each product and service indicated in the statement of work. In cases where a service is being purchased (e.g., Contractor Support Services), the contractor shall complete any sections of the template that correspond to the service?s provided ?deliverables?. Items that qualify as ?deliverables? would be presentations, troubleshooting manuals, user guides, training information, etc. When a contractor completes the Section 508 Evaluation Template they must state exactly how their product/service does or does not meet the applicable Section 508 standards. Merely stating that a product/service is compliant or noncompliant with the applicable Section 508 standards, without explicitly stating how, may result in that product/service being removed from consideration in the award of the contract. Contractors are cautioned to address each standard individually and with specificity. Contractors will also find a link to ?SSA?s Guide to Completing a Section 508 Evaluation Template? at the site indicated above for a completed Section 508 Evaluation Template. 2. Instructions Relative to Accessible Product Documentation The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires that all documentation provided with a product be in an electronic accessible format. In order for SSA to adequately evaluate this documentation, please provide this documentation labeled "accessible documentation" on a separate CD, in an appropriately labeled folder with the product, or through a link to a web site where the link specifies the accessible documentation separate from the standard documentation. If the standard documentation provided commercially is already in an accessible format please state that explicitly in your response. 3. Instructions Relative to Section 508 Standards and Equivalent Facilitation To be considered eligible for award, contractors must propose products and/or services that meet the applicable provisions of the Section 508 standards as identified by the Agency. Alternatively, contractors may propose products and/or services that provide equivalent facilitation. Equivalent facilitation is a recognition that technologies may be either developed or used in ways not envisioned by the technical provisions in Attachment two, but still result in the same or better functional access as would be provided by strictly meeting the provisions in Attachment two. Functional outcome, not form, is the key to evaluating whether a technology results in ?substantially equivalent or greater access.? If a contractor proposes to meet Section 508 standards in this manner, they must address Section 1194.31, Functional Performance Criteria, of Section 508. Furthermore, any associated costs must be identified. Such quotes will be considered to have met the provisions of the Section 508 standards as identified in Attachment two, for the feature or component providing equivalent facilitation. 4. SSA?s Right to Perform Testing on a Contractor?s Product SSA reserves the right to perform testing on a contractor?s product in order to ensure the accuracy of their documentation regarding Section 508 and SSA?s accessibility requirements. If requested, the contractor will provide SSA with a copy of the product being considered for purchase so that we may validate any of their claims of accessibility within our own testing lab. The product being provided for testing purposes must be equivalent to the final commercially available release version in terms of functionality and features. Demonstration and/or Trial versions of a product, therefore, will NOT be considered for testing purposes. This is necessary since limits imposed in the functionality and features would detract from accurate testing of a product?s ?level of compliance? with Section 508 and SSA?s accessibility requirements. In addition to the actual product, any documentation (i.e. training guides, user manuals, etc.) and a Test Plan illustrating a ?typical? user scenario(s) must be included in order to ensure fair and accurate testing by SSA. Upon award, the product(s) provided for testing by all unsuccessful contractors will be returned, at the contractor?s expense. The successful contractor?s product(s) will be retained and will be accounted for in any resultant order, if applicable. If an order is not imminent, the successful contractor?s products(s) shall also be returned, at the contractor?s expense. 5. Contents of Quotation Technical: For each product offered, the contractor must discuss how each mandatory requirement or specification is met. This is especially true for the SSA?s Accessibility Standards and Section 508 Accessibility Standards. If this acquisition is for a product(s), contractors are requested to submit hard copy technical publications, glossy brochures, etc. regarding the characteristics of the proposed product(s) to support their compliance with the requirements contained in this RFQ. If this acquisition is for services, or contains service requirements, the contractor shall provide written acknowledgement for each requirement stating that they have read and agree to comply with the requirements stated. As applicable, contractors must also indicate how each requirement shall be met and identify the service provider. Cost: The contractor shall break out any additional costs which may be associated with meeting the requirements of Section 508 or SSA?s Accessibility Requirements which are not incorporated in the tables. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY AND RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION FACTORS Contractors will be evaluated by following the step process outlined below. First, the quoted product(s) will be evaluated to determine if they are technically acceptable, which means that the offered product(s) must meet all mandatory technical specifications. As part of this step, in addition to reviewing the contractor?s written description of how the offered products meet the technical specifications, the Government may perform a hands-on technical evaluation to independently verify the technical acceptability of the offered products. Second, provided an offer meets all of the technical requirements, product(s) shall then be evaluated for compliance with the applicable requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and SSA?s Accessibility Requirements. The evaluation will consist of reviewing the information in the contractor?s response and utilizing the document, entitled ?SSA Guide to Applying Section 508 Standards,? to determine compliance (refer to http://www.ssa.gov/oag/acq/oagacq_508.htm). The evaluation may also include a hands-on evaluation, which SSA will conduct using an internally developed evaluation system to assess the product?s ?level of compliance? with Section 508 and SSA?s Accessibility Requirements. Award will be made to the contractor who is fully 508 compliant (including SSA?s Accessibility Requirements). If more than one contractor quotes fully 508 compliant products in this manner, SSA will conduct the best value analysis set forth in the third step below to determine which of the fully 508 compliant quotes will receive the award. If there are no fully 508-compliant quotes as described above, SSA will award to the most 508-compliant quote. If a hands-on evaluation is used, most compliant will be determined according to the internally developed evaluation system. If there are two or more contractors whose responses are considered to be equally 508 compliant (as described above), SSA will conduct the best value analysis set forth in the third step below to distinguish between those equally 508 compliant quotes. NOTE: (1) Award will not be made to a contractor meeting all or some of the applicable Section 508 standards if award would impose an undue burden upon the Agency. Third, in the event two or more contractors are considered equally Section 508 compliant as described above, award will be made to the contractor whose solution represents the best value considering price and other factors in accordance with FAR Subparts 8.404 and 8.405.
- Record
- SN00854260-W 20050727/050725212458 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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