MODIFICATION
R -- Packaged Television News/Feature Reports
- Notice Date
- 3/24/2006
- Notice Type
- Modification
- NAICS
- 512110
— Motion Picture and Video Production
- Contracting Office
- Broadcasting Board of Governors, Associate Director for Management, Office of Contracts (M/CON), 330 C Street, SW, Room 2500, Washington, DC, 20237
- ZIP Code
- 20237
- Solicitation Number
- BBGCON3406S5855
- Response Due
- 4/1/2006
- Archive Date
- 4/16/2006
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- Amendment No. 3 is issued to: 1) extend the deadline for receipt of proposals to 2:00pm, EST, Monday, April 10, 2006, and 2) provide the answers to questions that were received in response to Solicitation No. BBGCON3406S5855. Please be advised that 115 questions were received in response to our requirement. Amendment No. 2 provides answers to the first sixty (60) questions, and Amendment No. 3 provides answers to the remaining fifty-five (55) questions. Following are the remaining questions received along with their corresponding answers: Q61. Do the written scripts need to adhere to Avstar or any other VOA format? A61. Yes. Q62. Specifically how long will be the wait for approval from VOA before material not included in the delivered package and/or additional b-roll be repurposed to other entities? A62. Upon submission of the finished product, VOA will approve within 24 hours. Once VOA has officially accepted the package, the Contractor is free to repurpose to other entities, the material not included in the delivered package. Q63. For submission with the proposal, what format does VOA want the work samples on? A63. Beta SP. Q64. Can you elaborate on the specific information you want included from at least three (3) international news organizations that currently use TV material on a regular basis. Do you want the organizations to provide a written reference for the contractor? A65. The RFP requires the offeror to provide 3 references along with their contact information. If you would like, you may also provide a written reference from the news organization, but it is not required. Q65. In reference to the above questions, how do you define ?regular basis?? A65. At least once a month. Q66. Other than name, contact name, address, telephone and fax number, e-mail address, what are the specifics on the ?other relevant information? VOA requires? A66. ?Other relevant information? is whatever else the offeror?s wishes to provide in their proposal regarding their relationship with the news organization. Q67.If a contractor has low qualifications and a low price vs. high qualifications and a higher price, how will VOA specifically determine who receives the award? A67. Refer to Section (ix) of the RFP. Q68. If qualifications are equal, and a contractor bids high on the packages from 1:30 to 2:30 in length, and low on packages from 2:30 to 4:00 minutes in length (or vice-versa), what will determine who gets the contract? A68. As stated in the RFP, ?The Government will award a contract?to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.? Q69. Can you specifically define the criteria for ?sound journalism experience?? A69. See A1 above. Q70. Will the 5 to 6 submitted samples be the only contact VOA has with the contractor before awarding the contract? A70. See A31. Q71. Will the 5 to 6 submitted samples be the main criteria used in determining if the selected contractor has ?sound journalism experience?? A71. See evaluation criteria, RFP Section (ix). Q72. Given that the contract period is for 5 years, and technology for news gathering, news production and transmission and distribution is changing at a rapid pace, can VOA provide any strategic plans for dealing with changing technology in the next 5 years and how that will affect this contract? A72. VOA presently has no strategic plan to deal with this issue. Q73. Will any provisions be made to alter the contract, if technology requires changes, and how will that be addressed? A73. There is no provision for technology changes for delivery of stories. Q74. Will there be a requirement for the contractor to produce packages in high definition? A74. No. Q75. If there is a requirement for the contractor to produce stories in HD, how will the additional cost for HD production be accounted for? A75. There is no requirement for HD. Q76. Can you explain what it means for an award to ?be made without discussions (negotiations?)? And how does that affect/differ the earlier statement in the RFP that a ?single contract will be awarded using the contracting by negotiation procedures.? A76. All offerors are encouraged to submit their best proposals because one proposal may be selected as being most advantageous to the Government and selected for contract award without going back to all offerors for contract submission. Q77. What will be the determining factor or factors if an award is ?made without discussions (negotiations?).? A77. See RFP Section (ix). Q78.How should proposals be submitted? Is an email acceptable? A78. Proposals should be made via surface delivery to the mailing address provided in the RFP. Submission by email is not acceptable. Q79. Do the reporters used for packages have to have on-air experience? A79. No. The English track is for reference only and will never air. Q80. Can the reporters appear on any outlets, or are they exclusively for the use of VOA? A80. We do not want a reporter on camera, so therefore we do not require any exclusivity. Q81. Is there a prohibition for reporters to appear on other news outlets as commentators? A81. No. Q82.Are they any contingencies for either party to cancel the contract? A82. Yes, there are provisions for the Government to terminate for convenience. Q83. In the section entitled ?WORKFLOW?, solicitation states: ?Once VOA approves the story idea, VOA is obligated to pay for the package even if it is not used, unless.....the content of the story is not what was promised?. Question: Who will determine whether the content is not as promised, and in the event that the Contractor disagrees with that finding, what arbitration procedure will follow? A83. The Parties would work together to reach a mutual resolution on the issue. Q84. In the solicitation section entitled ?CONDITIONS: VOA?, item h) reads: ?...VOA will have the right to offer the TV packages to affiliates outside of VOA/IBB?. Questions: a) Will VOA furnish the Contractor with a list of existing affiliates outside of VOA/IBB? b) Will VOA agree to seek the Contractor's consent before new affiliates are offered the TV packages, in order to avoid providing material to networks already served by the Contractor, or to networks competitive with the Contractor's existing clients? A84. No to both questions. Q85. Does VOA have a start-date in mind for the commencement of supply under this solicitation? A85. As soon as possible after contract award. Q86. Confirm that pricing for each segment (based on duration) needs to factor in travel, per diem, accommodations, and sustenance. A86. Correct. Q87. How has Item #1 been done in the past for other contracts where it is unclear where services will emanate from (domestic vs. international)? A87. This is a new requirement. See A9 above. Q88. Can a variety of on-camera talent be used or is the VOA looking for the same reporter? A88. The Contractor must not put talent on camera, but a variety of reporters off-camera is fine. Q89. Confirm all B-roll is to be provided by the contractor. Does this have to be taped by the contractor or can be coordinated by acquiring footage from local media agencies for example? A89. All b-rolls do not have to be shot by the Contractor. Q90. Confirm all tape stock and transmission services (internet, satellite, etc.) are the responsibility of the Contractor. A90. Correct. Q91. Would any stories be accepted in via a non-live or instantaneous delivery system such as mailing or express servicing videotapes? A91. Yes. Q92. Does the contractor need to provide any translator services at all or is English the only language needed on the stories? A92. See Section (vi) of the RFP. Q93. Will the contract be awarded to one contractor or could several contractors be retained to provide this service to VOA? A93. As stated in the RFP, the resultant contract will be awarded to one (1) contractor. Q94. What television news services does the BBG have broadcast rights to that can be used in the Packaged Television News/Feature Reports, i.e. CBS, ABC, NBC, APTN, Reuters? A94. See A28 above. Q95. Questions about travel expenses: because travel is distance sensitive and varies from city to city, are travel expenses to be included and somehow averaged into the CLIN items? Or will travel be negotiated on a case-by-case basis as stories are pitched and accepted by the BBG? A95. Travel must be included and averaged into the CLIN item. Q96. The solicitation states ?The contractor is responsible for all travel and transmission costs incurred to produce and submit a finished Packaged TV Report.? I interpret this to mean that the contractor is responsible for all normal travel costs within the normal commuting area where the contractor has personnel and this cost is part of the cost for a Packaged TV Report. The reason for this interpretation is that, under FAR regulation 31.205-46, the government is responsible for expenses incurred separately. For example, if by mutual agreement there is a story to be produced in a small town in the United States or an out of the way foreign location beyond where we have established offices, we presume that FAR regulations apply. A96. For this requirement, travel costs are not reimbursable. Travel and all items required to produce stories are factored into the price of each story. Q97. In the original solicitation (Number BBGCON3606S5797), the VOA had sized task requirements by intending to award multiple BPAs to industry to satisfy future work. However, in the new solicitation the task requirements remain at the earlier levels but the wording indicates just one award to be made. If this is correct, we would like the VOA to explain the sudden change in intension to make just one award. If the VOA decides to stick to its decision of making just one award, it raises addition questions. a) In a government contracting culture that continues to embrace awarding multiple awards as a means to attract the best prices and talent, why would the VOA want to keep out other deserving small businesses for a long period of time by awarding just one contract when empirical evidence suggests it could do otherwise? b) Has a company emerged with whom the VOA has had communication with or business with prior to the release of this new solicitation that has potentially helped the VOA conclude that a single contractor is optimal? A97. VOA has only a requirement for a single Contractor. Q98. Clause (ii) states, ?? a single contract will be awarded using the contracting by negotiation procedures. ? while, Clause (x) states, ??Offerors are encouraged to submit their best technical and price offer initially, because an award may be made without discussions (negotiations).? Is ?(x)? the prevailing or expected procedure? A98. See A76 above. Q99. As this is a new venture for VOA, is the mission statement of Voice of America a good guide for the forthcoming News Reports? A99. Yes. Q100. Are the current VOA website video streams examples of the expected work? A100. A difficult question. We stream a great many videos and I don?t really know what videos you are referring to so I don?t really have an answer for you. Q101. (vi) STATEMENT OF WORK: REQUIREMENT: a) Who will supply the templates and file various legal forms; i.e., release forms or announcer union reports? Who will supply the lead-in music? VOA or the Contractor? A101. If you are talking about a script template, VOA will supply that. A paperwork related to the report will be the Contractor?s responsibility. VOA does not want music on any of these reports. Q102. WORKFLOW: Do you anticipate using any aspect ratio besides 4:3 or using HD? A102. No. Q103. Could you please give some examples of training as stated under: ?CONDITIONS: VOA (i) VOA can provide training for Contractor?s personnel, if necessary, on minor aspects of script or video delivery.? and ?CONDITIONS: contractor (h) Contractor can provide training for VOA personnel, if necessary, on minor aspects of script or video delivery. ? A103. It could be showing the vendor how to file the script or video via MPEG 2. Q104. (vii) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Do you have an anticipated schedule to begin broadcasts or when the first packages will be due? A104. No. Q105. Considering Clause (x), ??two (2) copies of technical, and two (2) copies of the price proposal, bound separately.? Should the technical and price proposals, other support print materials and references be bound together as one (1) and then, (2) copies (each containing everything) be made of this packet? A105. The technical section of your proposal should separate and bound from your cost section which should also be bound. Both sections should be submitted as a complete proposal packet. Thus, (1) complete original proposal packet and (1) complete copy of the proposal packet. Q106. What are the locations for shooting these 1:30-4 minute productions? A106. They could be shot nearly anywhere. Q107. Should the proposal incorporate all production costs including actors A107. Yes. Q108. Is the proposal ideally including basic breakdowns of production charges? I?m just unclear as to how flexible our proposal should be because the post notes that travel costs cannot be added. A108. Breakdown of pricing is not required. We want a price per story, inclusive of all costs. Q109. Provide a list of items, schedules of requirements, scope of work, terms of reference, bill of materials required. A109. The RFP, as posted on the FBO website, contains all necessary information for this requirement. Q110. Provide soft copy of the tender document through email. A110. See A109 above. Q111. Provide names of countries that will be eligible to participate in this tender. A111. N/A. Q112. Provide information about the tendering procedures and guidelines. A112. See A109 above. Q113. Provide estimated budget for this purchase. A113. No. Q114. Will there be any extension of bidding deadline? A114. Yes, the deadline for receipt of proposals has been extended. See top of this notice for the date. Q115. Will there be any addendums or Pre-Bid meeting minutes? A115. No. Please be mindful that the last day for questions was March 7, 2006. Proposals are due at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, Office of Contracts, ATTN: Marlene Brooks, 330 C Street, SW, Room 2527, Washington, DC 20237 on Monday, April 10, 2006 at 2:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time.
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