SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- Professional Services for the Evaluation of Use of Restaurant Nutrition and Menu Data to Improve Surveillance of restaurant foods in the U.S. market
- Notice Date
- 7/25/2014
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 541690
— Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Office of Acquisitions and Grants Services, 5630 Fishers Lane, Room 2129, Rockville, Maryland, 20857-0001
- ZIP Code
- 20857-0001
- Solicitation Number
- FDA-RFI-1135067
- Archive Date
- 8/16/2014
- Point of Contact
- Juana Quinteros, Phone: 3018276764
- E-Mail Address
-
Juana.Quinteros@fda.hhs.gov
(Juana.Quinteros@fda.hhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- General Information: Document Type: Request for Information (RFI) Release Date: July 25, 2014 Response Date: August 1, 2014 at 4:30pm ET via e-mail to Contracting Specialist Contracting Office Address: Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Juana Quinteros Contract Specialist Juana.Quinteros@fda.hhs.gov Description: Professional Services for the Evaluation of Use of Restaurant Nutrition and Menu Data to Improve Surveillance of Restaurant Foods in the U.S. market This is a Request for Information (RFI) to identify the capabilities of the marketplace of all interested parties. This request is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any future solicitation. No official solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of a solicitation. If in the future an official solicitation is released, there is no guarantee that sources responding to this will be included on the source list. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. The FDA makes no implied or in fact contract by issuing this RFI. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified of the FDA's view of the information received. Do not send any material that requires a non-disclosure agreement or that may be business sensitive. Responses received that include a non-disclosure agreement or identify information that is business sensitive will not be accepted. Responses to this notice will not be returned. According to FAR Part 10, Market Research, the results of the market research will be used to: (i) Determine if sources capable of satisfying the agency's requirements exist; (ii) Determine if commercial items or, to the extent commercial items suitable to meet the agency's needs are not available, non-developmental items are available that- (A) Meet the agency's requirements; (B) Could be modified to meet the agency's requirements; or (C) Could meet the agency's requirements if those requirements were modified to a reasonable extent; (iii) Determine the extent to which commercial items or non-developmental items could be incorporated at the component level; (iv) Determine the practices of firms engaged in producing, distributing, and supporting commercial items, such as type of contract, terms for warranties, buyer financing, maintenance and packaging, and marking; (v) Ensure maximum practicable use of recovered materials and promote energy conservation and efficiency; and (vi) Determine whether bundling is necessary and justified. (vii) Assess the availability of electronic and information technology that meets all or part of the applicable accessibility standards issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board at 36 CFR Part 1194. The extent of market research will vary, depending on such factors as urgency, estimated dollar value, complexity, and past experience. The contracting officer may use market research conducted within 18 months before the award of any task or delivery order if the information is still current, accurate, and relevant. Market research involves obtaining information specific to the item being acquired and should include- (i) Whether the Government's needs can be met by- (A) Items of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace; (B) Items of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace with modifications; or (C) Items used exclusively for governmental purposes; (ii) Customary practices regarding customizing, modifying or tailoring of items to meet customer needs and associated costs; (iii) Customary practices, including warranty, buyer financing, discounts, contract type considering the nature and risk associated with the requirement, etc., under which commercial sales of the products or services are made; (iv) The requirements of any laws and regulations unique to the item being acquired; (v) The availability of items that contain recovered materials and items that are energy efficient; (vi) The distribution and support capabilities of potential suppliers, including alternative arrangements and cost estimates; and (vii) Size and status of potential sources. Mission and Objectives: The following statement of work outlines the need and requirements for the purchase of an Upright Fixed Stage Research Microscope. RFI Instructions: Please complete Part A, Specification Questionnaire, describing your company's capabilities; Part B, Size of Business and Part C, Estimated Dollar Value Range. Responses shall be: * identified with the RFI number ; FDA-RFI-1135067 * no more than five (5) pages in length; * not submit marketing materials; * submitted to the email as indicated above. FDA makes no implied or in fact contract by issuing this RFI. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified of the FDA's view of the information received. Part A. Technical Capability Specification Questionnaire: Can you provide the following: 1. Is your company able to provide access to FDA and collaborators a searchable, report generating menu analysis tool for U.S. chain restaurants to support research and development initiatives. The data should have the ability to review and export complete menus and graphs, make comparisons, conduct customized searches, and should enable the ability to identify trends within specific categories on menus across segments? With ability to access data 24/7, allow concurrent log-ins, and multiple users? 2. The ability to deliver of physical U.S. restaurant menus from 2010-2014 and a descriptive file? 3. Can the Contractor obtain physical and digital copies of menus, or materials containing nutrition information in color for each restaurant for each year from 2010 to 2014 that will be provided in.pdf,.jpg, or.gif format? In addition to the menus/materials containing nutrition information, can the Contractor shall also obtain copies of all customer menus and any additional food item information (e.g. ingredients, allergen, catering, etc.). The Contractor provide a supplementary file, which shall include the restaurant locations and dates collected for each menu? 4. Can the Contractor develop a data package (format to be discussed), including Excel spreadsheets of data containing all menu and nutrition information for the list of U.S. restaurants that are provided by FDA for 2010 to 2014? 5. Can the Contractor provide gram weight data for U.S. restaurant menu items? The contractor shall obtain serving weights (grams) for menu items for which this data is not available and for items that currently do not provide this data on menus. 6. Can the Contractor provide sodium analysis of U.S. restaurant foods? The FDA reserves the option that a subset of the foods (e.g. 20-30 foods) collected and weighed, as referenced in number 5, may be analyzed for sodium content initially. 7. Can the Contractor develop a restaurant product data package including information obtained in number 4 and 5? 8. Can the Contract provide the delivery of data on the restaurant industry? 9. Can the Contractor provide informational data about the restaurant industry to FDA for no more than 100 restaurants? Data shall include, but is not limited to the following information: a. Information on the distribution of restaurant locations in the U.S., including which restaurants are regional, etc. Information on active health or nutrition initiatives for the identified restaurants. b. Information about the use of nutrition or health related claims, icons, or symbols in relation to the restaurant or to specific items. c. Information on how frequently chains change their menus, and their motivation, as well as decisions and practice on implementing seasonal items. d. Information on how restaurants calculate their products' nutrition content (e.g. analysis, calculation, etc.). e. Information on whether nutrients are analytically measured for restaurant foods. f. Information about the frequency of updating nutrition information. g. Information on any research developments and recent reformulation efforts for any of the U.S. restaurants identified, including information on frequency, process, timelines, etc. h. Information on whether the identified restaurants have attempted or already reduced sodium content in their product line in the U.S. and/or in other countries. i. Information about which suppliers/manufacturers/distributors work with the identified restaurants. j. Information about how restaurants work with suppliers/distributors/manufacturers on reformulation efforts. k. Information on whether suppliers/distributors/manufacturers provide nutritional information on ingredients and foods provided to restaurants and if the data is analytical or calculated. 10. Can the Contractor provide documentation on the Menu Analysis Tool as well as methodologies used pertaining to number 2, 4, and 5. Part B. Size of Business The Government is seeking small business opportunities. State whether your company is a small business (and also state your under socioeconomic status), College/University, large business or a non-profit organization. Part C. Estimated Dollar Value Range Based on the government's mission, objectives, and scope of work, what dollar value range would you determine to be the most accurate rough estimate. Under $100K Over $100K but under $150K Over $150K
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/FDA/DCASC/FDA-RFI-1135067/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 4300 River Road, College Park, Maryland, 20740, United States
- Zip Code: 20740
- Zip Code: 20740
- Record
- SN03437985-W 20140727/140725234458-5a4d6811672219923dd965f59b3c4c44 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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