SOURCES SOUGHT
U -- HBCU Access Project
- Notice Date
- 3/7/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 611710
— Educational Support Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 105, Bethesda, Maryland, 20894, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20894
- Solicitation Number
- NIHLM2013700-SES
- Archive Date
- 4/2/2013
- Point of Contact
- Shari E. Shor, Phone: (301)496-6546, Robin Hope, Phone: 301-496-6546
- E-Mail Address
-
shorse@mail.nlm.nih.gov, Robin.Hope@nih.gov
(shorse@mail.nlm.nih.gov, Robin.Hope@nih.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This is a Small Business Sources Sought Notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service- disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement as a set-aside based upon responses to this Notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Library of Medicine (NLM) is conducting a market survey to help determine the availability and technical capability of qualified small businesses, HUBZone small businesses; service- disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses capable of serving the needs identified below. Background The National Library of Medicine (NLM) is the premier institution dedicated to delivering authoritative health information to the general public. NLM's mission includes collecting, organizing and disseminating biomedical information for the good of the public's health. The Library disseminates its information resources through many channels to try to reach all populations. One of the factors contributing to the striking disparity in the burden of illness and death experienced by minorities is a lack of awareness of where and how to access vital biomedical information. As scientific and medical breakthroughs are discovered, health care professionals, researchers, and consumers benefit from access to reliable, up-to-date medical information available quickly and conveniently. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer a unique opportunity to positively impact the environmental and human health of a critical mass of African Americans. They have performed the remarkable task of educating almost 40% of this nation's Black college graduates at either the undergraduate or graduate level and 75 percent of all Black PhDs. HBCUs are excellent partners to increase awareness and utilization of the NLM resources as well as to increase interest by their students in biomedical careers. The Specialized Information Services (SIS) Division of NLM proposes to partner with an organization that provides outreach to minorities and specifically to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for capacity building and technical assistance in a program with the main goal to improve access to and use of quality health information on the campuses and the surrounding communities. On campus, NLM wishes to reach HBCU faculty, staff and students in both academic and extracurricular settings. Use of NLM resources in courses, homework, student and faculty research, student health centers, or student clubs and other activities would be beneficial. In the community NLM wishes to foster collaborations with community organizations, faith-based organizations, and libraries. In addition to enhancing use of quality health information, NLM also wishes to promote health and medicine, both practice and research, as potential careers for students. By partnering with the NLM, the contractor will enhance the mechanisms of research and training at HBCUs through linking pre-health professional students and faculty to information, information technology and informatics research available at or through the NLM. Objectives The objectives of the program are to incorporate NLM information resources into HBCU courses and other activities focusing on smaller HBCUs that do not have major medical programs. In addition, the program focuses on increasing awareness, knowledge, and use of NLM health information resources; increasing awareness and knowledge about health status and health disparities; and increasing the ability of HBCU faculty and staff to apply for and obtain NLM and other Federal funding. NLM recognizes that using quality health information resources and understanding their benefits can assist communities in improving their health status. The program itself has several components and different objectives may apply to each of those. In addition to these overall objectives for the program, NLM recognizes that to be effective in the long-term, sustainability must be built in to the appropriate components of the program. Project Requirements The proposed project is intended to build the capacity of students, faculty and community partners to access and use quality health information on HBCU campuses and in the community. The overall annual program would consist of the following components: (1) capacity building activities for HBCU faculty, staff and community partners to include a variety of training on NLM resources and programs, preparing proposal, project management and others; (2) funding of outreach projects to include preparing a solicitation, promoting the awards and reviewing proposals, as well as, developing a funding mechanism; (3) technical assistance to award recipients to include training, maintaining communication and identifying needs; and (4) program management including receiving written reports, organizing oral presentation by award recipients to NLM staff and others, evaluating the overall program and working with an advisory committee. Anticipated Period of Performance The period of performance is estimated to be twelve months from the date of award with two twelve-month option periods. An award is anticipated to be made on or about June 15, 2013. All awards made for this requirement will be subject to availability of funds. NAICS Code and Size Standard In the event a solicitation is issued, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 611710 with a size standard of $7.0 million dollars is being considered. Capability Statement NLM seeks capability statements from interested sources that are considered small businesses under NAICS code 611710. All responsible sources may submit a capability statement which will be considered by the National Library of Medicine. This Sources Sought Notice is not a Request for Quotes (RFQ), nor is an RFQ available. Interested firms responding to this Sources Sought Notice must provide a capability statement that adheres to the following: (a) The capability statement must demonstrate relevant experience, skills and ability to fulfill the Government's requirements for the above. In addition, please provide a statement addressing your organization's ability to perform as a prime contractor the work described. The capability statement should contain enough sufficient detail for the Government to make an informed decision regarding your capabilities; however, the statement should not exceed 10 pages. (b) The capability statement must identify the responder's: company name; address; DUNS number; NAICS code; and technical and administrative points of contact, including names, titles, addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. (c) The capability statement must be submitted electronically no later than 12:00pm eastern standard time on Monday, March 18, 2013 to Shari Shor, shorse@mail.nlm.nih.gov. It would be helpful for the capability statement to address the following questions and requests: 1) Is your company a small business under NAICS code 611710-Educational Support Services? 2) Is your company a Small Disadvantaged Business? 3) Is your company a certified 8(a) Participant? 4) Is your company a certified HUBZone Participant? 5) Is your company a certified Women-Owned or Women-Operated Participat? 6) Is your company a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned or Veteran Operated business? 7) Document your firm's experience developing and delivering face-to-face, culturally relevant health information outreach and capacity building programs to faculty and staff at small and large HBCUs, especially those with no medical programs. 8) Document your firm's experience in developing and conducting a variety of health information training sessions using face-to-face, web conferences or webinars, learning management system, boot camp or other methods. 9) Describe your firm's expert knowledge and experience using and providing training on (NLM or similar) online health information databases. 10) Document your firm's experience in overseeing or developing culturally relevant HBCU community-campus outreach projects to increase awareness of, access to and use of quality online health information resources through training, health information dissemination or curriculum development and infusion. 11) Document your firm's experience in managing a sub-contracting program including RFP development and promotion, technical review, funding mechanisms, awardee support, program evaluation and reporting and describe how this would work with small and large HBCUs. 12) Describe your firm's experience in providing onsite and offsite technical assistance e.g., project management, report writing, evaluation, etc., and support services to awardees and other community stakeholders. 13) Describe your firm's experience in establishing and working with an advisory committee experienced with health information outreach, health informatics, underserved communities and health disparities. 14) Describe your firm's experience in using new media and emerging technologies to reach small and large HBCU staff and students, increase exposure of program goals and objectives, develop community interest, and communicate with program or community stakeholders. 15) Document your firm's experience in convening meetings, both face-to-face and online. 16) Document your firm's experience with administering evaluations using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods. Disclaimer and Important Notes This Sources Sought Notice is for informational and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation or commitment by the Government. This notice is intended strictly for market research. This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/NIH/OAM/NIHLM2013700-SES/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Vendor Site, United States
- Record
- SN03006266-W 20130309/130307234631-2e3ac5dfd79e78e72364ddef511ff7f8 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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