FBODaily.com | FedBizOpps: MOD | A | MENA In-Depth Interviews and Online Monitoring Panels

FBO DAILY - FEDBIZOPPS ISSUE OF MARCH 30, 2016 FBO #5241
MODIFICATION

A -- MENA In-Depth Interviews and Online Monitoring Panels

Notice Date: 3/28/2016
Notice Type: Modification/Amendment
NAICS: 541910 — Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling
Contracting Office: Broadcasting Board of Governors, Director, Office of Contracts, Office of Contracts (CON), 330 C Street, SW, Room 4300, Washington, District of Columbia, 20237, United States
ZIP Code: 20237
Solicitation Number: BBG50-Q-16-0021
Point of Contact: Seneca B. Belinfontie, Phone: 2022034944, Herman Shaw, Phone: 202-382-7856
E-Mail Address: sbelinfo@voanews.com, hshaw@bbg.gov
(sbelinfo@voanews.com, hshaw@bbg.gov)
Small Business Set-Aside: N/A
Description: BBG50-Q-16-00021 IS HEREBY MODIFIED TO POST THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF THIS SOLICITATION SHALL REMAIN THE SAME. Question 1. Has the BBG or any of its agencies, including MBN or others, contracted for similar research work in the pastIf so, can you please provide the name(s) of the vendor(s)? Answer 1. No, this is a new requirement. Question 2. The section “Additional Requirements for Offeror Proposal” on page 5 of the solicitation lists four pricing options (a-d), each providing the number of monitoring panel participants and duration. Question: Are we correct to assume that the duration provided for the monitoring panel should be divided to account for each the two groups? For instance, a. Option 1 "includes 150 monitoring panel participants (75 for each round), 6-weeks of monitoring panels…” Does each panel of 75 last 3 weeks (for a total of 6 weeks)? Answer 2. There should be 2 separate groups of participants or “rounds” for any of the options you propose. If you propose 4 weeks of monitoring panels, each of the 2 separate groups would monitor content for 2 weeks. If you propose a 6 week monitoring panel, each of the 2 separate groups would monitor content for 3 weeks. Question 3. The section “Methodology” 1.d. states “Offeror will be required to recruit 2 separate panels with separate demographic profiles" (emphasis added). Question: Can you clarify what you mean by “separate demographic profiles”Does the BBG want to have different groups with different demographic profiles participating in each session; or should the panels be recruited in a similar fashion? Answer 3. This means each group should have different participants with the demographic profiles as indicated in the screening criteria. So yes, the two different panels can be recruited in a similar fashion. Question 4. The section “Methodology” 2.a. on page 2 states “an interview guide BBG/MBN will provide after contract award.” Will the BBG/MBN also be providing language for the close-end questions for the questionnaire to be used in the online monitoring panels? Answer 4. Yes. Question 5. For the online monitoring panels, is the BBG/MBN’s intent to have the questionnaire consistent for both panels and throughout the survey period? Answer 5. Yes, the Questionnaire will remain the same throughout the research. Question 6. Because this is being issued using simplified acquisition procedures, is it the BBG/MBN’s belief that it can acquire these services as listed in the four firm-fixed price options for under $150K, with Option 1 being the biggest panel and longest running, for under $150K. Answer 6. This requirement is being processed under the Sjmplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). Question 7. Should all parts of this study include Iraqis? Answer 7. Yes, even though Iraqis were not listed under the screening criteria for monitoring panels. Question 7a. Will we be given all materials for the panels prior to launching them, or will content be changed during the course of the panel? If the latter, how often will content be changed and how much notice will be provided Answer 7a. All materials for the first monitoring panel will be provided prior to the launching of the first panel. Materials for the second panel will be provided no longer than 2 weeks after the start of the first monitoring panel. Other than this, content will not be changed during the course of the panels. Question 8. Our understanding of the brief is to start the research with quantitative interviews followed by qualitative in-depths. Given the research needs, quantitative respondents will be recruited face to face and invited to evaluate stimulus & daily surveys sent to them online (via email) for a certain period of time. A handful of respondents will then be handpicked to be interviewed qualitatively. Please let us know you prefer a different quantitative approach here. Answer 8. It is up to the vendor to identify the approach they believe would work best for this project. Question 9. The potential countries in question are citizens & residents of Iraq, Morocco, Egypt and KSA. Given the situation in Syria, Syrians can be covered across those four countries where they currently reside. We are still in talks with our field team across these countries to ensure it would be feasible to locate Syrians who are stable enough to have access to the internet. Answer 9. The project requires the inclusion of Syrian participants, be they Syrians in Syria or refugees. Question 10. Given the sensitivity to news in the region, can you please indicate what topics will be covered in the stimulus/campaigns to be evaluated? Answer 10. Typical news and current events stories widely available on Arab broadcast media. Question 11. In the brief, there is mention of 2 – 4 weeks of fieldwork as well as 4 – 6 weeks of fieldwork. Can you please advise the basis on which this is suggested? Is it the number of campaigns/stimuli in question? And which duration are you most interested in? Answer 11. Our preferred duration will depend on the cost, but the minimum we will accept for each panel is 2 weeks (for a minimum of 4 weeks). Question 12. We are requested to recruit 2 separate panels with different demographic profiles: Are you looking to test different campaigns/stimuli in each panel? Answer 12. Yes Question 12a. Can we assume that the total sample size will be split between the two panels? Answer 12a. Yes Question 12b. Is each panel expected to commit to the surveys for 2 – 3 weeks (5 days/week)? Answer 12b. Yes Question 13. Based on our experience, this region is challenging when it comes to committing to daily interviews over a long period due to short attention spans and overall willingness to commit. They could also show more reluctance when it comes to answering questions about news. We would therefore suggest each respondents commits to this for a period of 5 days only and test one stimulus/survey a day. Is this an approach you’re open to work with? If so, please advise if campaigns/surveys can be reduced to 5 instead? Answer 13. Each panel should last a minimum of 2 weeks (10 days) as indicated in the SOW. It is up to the vendor to ensure participants remain committed to the exercise and over-recruit where necessary to compensate for drop outs. Question 14. Will the links to the stimuli direct them to Facebook or are you happy for us to embed the stimuli/videos within our online surveys? Answer 14. Either option Question 15. Should the quantitative phase be deemed unfeasible, would you be happy for us to suggest a qualitative approach only? We can always have respondents evaluate stimulus before each interview. Answer 15. No Question 16. We understand you require daily email summaries of the main findings of the previous day’s surveys + a written analytical report (10 -15 pages) for options 1 & 2. With regards to the analytical report, please confirm that this is expected at the end of research as the final quantitative deliverable. Also, can we assume the report would only cover a summary of each campaign’s performance? Answer 16. As indicated in the SOW, the final analytic report should detail the findings from the in-depth interviews as well as incorporating insights from panel exercises. Vendor is expected to deliver an SPSS file with the data from the online panels. END OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. MENA In-Depth Interviews and Online Monitoring Panels (MENA-OMP-16-MBN) Combined Synopsis/Solicitation BBG50-Q-16-0021 i) THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR A COMMERCIAL ITEM PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6 AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This combined synopsis/solicitation is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ) to establish a Purchase Order. (ii) Solicitation No. BBG50-Q-16-0021 is issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) and a Purchase Order will be issued using Simplified Acquisitions Procedures, Subpart 13 and 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items. This acquisition is being issued under the authority of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13. (iii) This solicitation document and incorporated provision and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-87, effective March 7, 2016. (iv) This is a small business set aside. The North American Industry Classification Systems (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541910. (v) The Offeror will be responsible for the following: •1) Provide an online platform through which respondents can easily view Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Inc., (MBN) print and video content and take short surveys on a daily basis. •2) Formatting MBN online content and online survey as necessary to ensure it remains of the highest quality for monitoring panel exercises. •3) Recruiting monitoring panel and in-depth interview participants - Offeror will recruit all participants according to the screening criteria listed above (including any minor adjustments made by the MBN Research Director). At least 3 weeks prior to the start of online survey and 2 weeks prior to the In-depth Interviews (IDI) Offeror will provide a detailed description of their recruitment methods. Offeror should recruit additional participants for both monitoring panels and in-depth interviews in case any participants cancel or drop out during the evaluation period. •4) In-depth interviews (IDI) -- Offeror will provide trained and experienced interviewers to conduct IDIs with 10 or 20 participants. In their proposal, Offeror should specify whether they believe it is necessary to include different interviewers for respondents of different nationalities. The goal is to make the participants as comfortable as possible. Offeror can conduct in-depth interviews via Skype or face to face. All IDI's should be recorded with recording provided to the client at the end of research term. Client will observe some or all of the Skype and phone calls and possibly convey questions to moderator during interview session. •5) Formatting and translating daily survey questionnaire, screeners, and in-depth interview guides. Providing feedback on the best wording for the daily survey questionnaire, in-depth interview guides, and screener. Translations will be completed in Modern Standard Arabic unless Offeror suggests otherwise. Offeror should provide a justification for alternative translation approaches. Offeror shall seek approval for all translated materials from the MBN Research Director at least 1 week prior to them being used in the field. •6) Data Processing. For the Monitoring Panel survey, the Offeror shall be responsible for data entry, cleaning, and processing. The Offeror shall supply data to BBG as a clean, fully labeled SPSS "*.sav" with variable names clearly and completely labeled. SPSS file should include screening variables. •7) Technical report - 2-5 pages highlighting any challenges encountered during research including recruitment methods for online survey and in-depth interviews, the number of drop outs and replacements, if any. Technical report should also detail the methods Offeror users to interview in-depth interview participants and provide a list of key demographic characteristics of each in-depth interview participant based on screening criteria indicated by MBN Research Director. •8) In-depth interview transcripts - Offeror will provide detailed transcripts of IDIs in standard Arabic. Interviewer questions should be included in red and respondents' in black for easy differentiation. Transcripts will include a short summary (approx. 10-20 sentences) of each interview participants' response to 2-4 week monitoring exercise. Client reserves the right to request revisions to transcripts if they are not in standard Arabic or unclear. •9) Recordings of in-depth interviews -- Offeror will provide client with audio or video recordings of each in-depth interview. • 10) Daily email summaries of monitoring panel results. •11) Incentives to monitoring panel and IDI participants to encourage participation and completion of exercise. •12) Written Analytical Report (Options 1 and 2 only) -a written analytic report of approximately 10-15 pages detailing the findings from in-depth interviews as well as incorporating insights from panel exercises. Offeror will provide up to 3 revisions of final paper to ensure it adheres to client requirements. SEE STATEMENT OF WORK FOR MORE DETAILS vi) Objectives of Research - Understanding of what makes the most appealing online content and assess how/if online content preferences vary among Iraqis, Moroccans, Syrians, Egyptians, and Saudis. (vii) The period of performance will begin at time of the award, April 2016. Place of deliver is Broadcasting Board of Governors, Washington, D.C. (viii) The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision FAR 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors-Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation. Full text of all FAR clauses and provisions are available electronically at the following Internet address: (http://www.arnet.gov/far). Interested offerors who are capable of providing the above requirements (in accordance with the Statement of Work) should submit a proposal demonstrating their ability and experience in providing the required services. (ix) The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation. The Government will award a Commercial Item, Firm-Fixed-Price, contract resulting from this RFQ to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the RFQ will provide the best value to the Government, based on Technical, past performance and price. When combined, technical evaluation factors are significantly more important than cost/price. The following factors listed in descending order of importance shall be addressed in the technical proposals and shall be used to evaluate proposals: a.) Previous Experience-successfully deploy a similar product in content management system that must maximize internal use and enhance overall work flow as described in the Statement of Work (SOW). EXPERIENCE - The Offeror shall provide recent examples (with the past three (3) years) demonstrating its experience in providing the services required under this Solicitation to Governmental and/or commercial customers. The Offeror shall have demonstrated experience in regularly being engaged in providing a library of broadcast, multimedia, general business, and leadership online courses to Governmental and/or commercial customers and e) PAST PERFORMANCE: The Offeror's Technical proposal shall contain detailed information on past performance and relevant contracts for same and/or similar services with a minimum of three (3) references including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers and email addresses (i.e., the point of contact who can verify performance). The BBG shall evaluate the Offeror's Past Performance pursuant to FAR 15.305(a)(2). Each Offeror's Past Performance shall be determined to be favorable or unfavorable. Pursuant to FAR 15.305(a) (2) (iv), in the case of an Offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available, the Offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance, and e) PRICE: Interested offerors shall provide a Separate Price Proposal showing a price breakdown for the CLIN above. INTERESTED OFFERORS RESPONDING TO THIS SOLICITATION SHALL SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING ITEMS TO THE CONTRACTING OFFICER: (1) Technical Proposal that addresses the technical factors described below in (ix) and (2) Price Proposal in accordance with (ix). The Price Proposal must contain a copy of the attached SF1449, and it must be filled out and signed by the interested contractor. The Government plans to award without discussions, but may conduct discussions if it deems it is in the Government's best interest. The Price Proposal must contain Attachment A entitled "Service and Price Schedule" which must be filled out by the offeror and a signed copy of the SF 1449 which is attached to this notice. Offerors are cautioned that failure to address each of the above evaluation factors may deem their proposal unacceptable. (x) Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items with its offer. Offerors may either submit a paper copy of FAR Clause 52.212-3 or submit this information through the System of Award Management (SAM) at HTTPS://WWW.SAM.GOV/PORTAL/PUBLIC/SAM/. Proposals must also include contractor's DUNS Number, prompt payment terms, and correct remittance address, if different from mailing address. THE SUCCESSFUL OFFEROR MUST BE REGISTERED ONLINE IN THE SAM WEB SITE PRIOR TO CONTRACT AWARD. (xi) The FAR clause 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition with addendum to the clause. The addendum in addition to the language contained in Attachment B is as follows: CONTRACTING OFFICER's REPRESENTATIVE: The Contracting Officer will appoint by letter an Authorized Representative of the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) who will have the responsibility of ensuring that the work conforms to the requirements of the contract and such other responsibilities and authorities as may be specified in the letter of authorization or this contract. It is understood and agreed, in particular, that the COR shall not have authority to make changes in the scope or terms and conditions of the contract unless and only to the extent that such authority is specified in the letter of authorization or the contract. THE RESULTANT CONTRACTOR IS HEREBY FOREWARNED THAT, ABSENT THE REQUISITE AUTHORITY OF THE COR TO MAKE ANY SUCH CHANGES, IT MAY BE HELD FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES NOT AUTHORIZED IN ADVANCE, IN WRITING, BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER, MAY BE DENIED COMPENSATION OR OTHER RELIEF FOR ANY ADDITIONAL WORK PERFORMED THAT IS NOT SO AUTHORIZED, AND MAY ALSO BE REQUIRED, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO THE GOVERNMENT, TO TAKE ALL CORRECTIVE ACTION NECESSITATED BY REASON OF THE UNAUTHORIZED CHANGES. INVOICE SUBMISSION (a) The Contractor shall submit an original monthly invoice to the COR via email. The COR will be identified at the time of award. (b) The Contractor's monthly invoice shall list: (1) name and address of Contractor, (2) invoice date and invoice number, (3) BBG contract number (e.g., BBG50-P-16-0000) and (4) the number of deliverables submitted and accepted. (c) Pursuant to the Prompt Payment Act, the BBG will pay the invoice within 30 days of either: (1) receipt of proper invoice or (2) acceptance of deliverables; whichever is later. Note: The BBG intends to change its current invoicing procedures to the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) system. The Contractor may be required in the future to register and submit invoices through the IPP system. Any costs associated with complying with the invoice change will be at the Contractor's expense. Please visit https://www.ipp.gov/ for more information. (xii) FAR clause 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation by reference and proposed subsequent contract as well as the following clauses contained within FAR clause 52.212-5: 52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006) with Alternate I (Oct. 1995); 52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013); 52.209-6, Protecting the Government' Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Aug 2013) ; 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Jul 2013); 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2014); 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Jul 2013); 52.222-3 Convict Labor (June 2003); 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015); 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Apr 2015) (E.O. 11246); 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jul 2014); 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014); 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Veterans (Jul 2014); 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010); 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015);52.222-54 Employment Eligibility Verification (Aug 2013); 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving (Aug 2011); 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) and 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013). (xiii) Additional FAR provisions and clauses incorporated by reference and applicable to this solicitation and the proposed subsequent contract are: 52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement To Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (Apr 2014); 52.204-19 Incorporation by Reference of Representations and Certifications (Dec 2014); 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Jul 2013); 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (Nov 1999); 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000); 52.222-56 Certification Regarding Trafficking in Persons Compliance Plan (Mar 2015); and 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Dec 2013). There are no other additional contract requirement(s) necessary for this acquisition other than those consistent with customary commercial practices. (xiv) A Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) assigned rating is not applicable to this acquisition. (xv) Notice of Delay - If the event the Contractor becomes aware of a potential delay, the Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer and COR by via email. Such email shall include the nature of the delay and whether it will have any impact (positive or negative) on the Contract. (xvi) There are no additional contract requirement(s) necessary for this acquisition other than those consistent with customary commercial practices. (xvii) Failure to provide any of the above-required technical and price proposal information may result in the rejection of your proposal. Full text of all FAR clauses and provisions are available electronically at the following Internet address: http://acquisition.gov/far. Price Proposals shall be in writing and must be signed by an official who is authorized to bind the organization. Oral proposals will not be accepted. Questions must be submitted in writing to Seneca Belinfontie at sbelinfo@voanews.com. Written questions must be submitted by 12:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time on March 23, 2016. Oral questions will not be accepted. Responses to questions will be posted no later than March 25, 2016. Technical proposals shall be submitted with an original and three (3) copies. Price proposals shall be submitted with an original and one (1) copy. Proposals may be sent via courier or overnight delivery before the closing deadline below. Proposals are due to Seneca Belinfontie, Contract Specialist, Broadcasting Board of Governors, Office of Contracts, 300 Independence Ave, S.W., Room 4300, Washington, DC 20237 before 12:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time on April 5, 2016. (xviii) Contact: Seneca Belinfontie, Contract Specialist, email: sbelinfo@voanews.com or telephone: (202) 203-4944. All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by the Agency. Primary Point of Contact. Seneca B. Belinfontie, Contract Specialist sbelinfo@voanews.com Phone: (202) 203-4944 Fax: (202) 382-7877 Secondary Point of Contact: Herman Shaw, Contracting Officer hshaw@bbg.gov Phone: (202) 382-7856 Fax (202) 382-7877 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE The Contracting Officer will appoint by letter a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) who will have the responsibility of ensuring that the work performed by the Contractor conforms to the requirements of the contract and such other responsibilities and authorities as may be specified in the letter of authorization or in this contract. It is understood and agreed, in particular, that the COR shall not have the authority to make changes to the scope or terms and conditions of the contract unless and only to the extent that such authority is specified in the letter of authorization or in the contract. THE CONTRACTOR IS HEREBY FOREWARNED THAT, ABSENT THE REQUISITE AUTHORITY OF THE CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (COR) TO MAKE ANY SUCH CHANGES, IT MAY BE HELD FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES NOT AUTHORIZED IN ADVANCE, IN WRITING, BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER; MAY BE DENIED COMPENSATION OR OTHER RELIEF FOR ANY ADDITIONAL WORK PERFORMED THAT IS NOT SO AUTHORIZED; AND MAY ALSO BE REQUIRED, AT NO ADDITIONAL COSTS TO THE GOVERNMENT, TO TAKE ALL CORRECTIVE ACTION NECESSITATED BY REASON OF THE UNAUTHORIZED CHANGES. (End of Clause) CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION The Contractor shall designate below a company official whom the BBG may contact during the period of performance of this contract for prompt contract administration: NAME: TITLE: ADDRESS: E-MAIL: PHONE: FACSIMILE: The Contractor shall also designate below a company official responsible for reviewing performance evaluation entered into the Contractor performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). NAME: TITLE: ADDRESS: E-MAIL: PHONE: FACSIMILE: INVOICE SUBMISSION (a) The Contractor shall submit an original monthly invoice to the COR via email. The COR will be identified at the time of award. (b) The Contractor's quarterly invoice shall list: (1) name and address of Contractor, (2) invoice date and invoice number, (3) BBG Purchase Order number (e.g., BBG50-P-16-0000) and (4) the number of deliverables submitted and accepted. (c) Pursuant to the Prompt Payment Act, the BBG will pay the invoice within 30 days of either: (1) receipt of the invoice or (2) acceptance of deliverables; whichever is later. Note No. 1: The BBG intends to change its current invoicing procedures to the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) system. The Contractor may be required in the future to register and submit invoices through the IPP system. Any costs associated with complying with the invoice change will be at the Contractor's expense. Please visit https://www.ipp.gov/ for more information. (xii) FAR clause 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation by reference and proposed subsequent contract as well as the following clauses contained within FAR clause 52.212-5: 52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sept 2006) with Alternate I (Oct. 1995); 52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013); 52.209-6, Protecting the Government' Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (Aug 2013) ; 52.209-9, Updates of Publicly Available Information Regarding Responsibility Matters (Jul 2013); 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns (Oct 2014); 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Representation (Jul 2013); 52.222-3 Convict Labor (June 2003); 52.222-19 Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2014); 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999); 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246); 52.222-35 Equal Opportunity for Veterans (Jul 2014); 52.222-36 Equal Opportunity for Workers with Disabilities (Jul 2014); 52.222-37 Employment Reports on Veterans (Jul 2014); 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act (Dec 2010);52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015); 52.223-18, Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving (Aug 2011); 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) and 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-System for Award Management (Jul 2013). (xiii) Additional FAR provisions and clauses incorporated by reference and applicable to this solicitation and the proposed subsequent contract are: 52.237-3 Continuity of Services (Jan 1991). There are no other additional contract requirement(s) necessary for this acquisition other than those consistent with customary commercial practices. (xiv) No Defense Priorities and Allocation System (DPAS) rating assigned. (xv) Failure to provide the required services for any of the above CLIN may result in the rejection of your proposal. Questions concerning this solicitation must be submitted in writing and must be received by the Contracting Specialist, Seneca Belinfontie, no later than 12PM EDST on March 23, 2016 via email at CONQ&A@bbg.gov. Offerors are cautioned not to direct questions concerning this solicitation to anyone but the Contracting Specialist. No questions will be accepted after the established deadline date. Proposals shall be in writing and must be signed by an official who is authorized to bind the organization. Fax or oral proposals will not be accepted. Proposals shall be submitted electronically via email to Seneca Belinfontie at CONSOL@bbg.gov. All proposals must be received by 12pm EDST on April 5, 2016. Offerors are reminded to submit two separate attachments - a technical proposal and a separate price proposal. Offerors may send one email with both attachments. ALL ATTACHMENTS MUST BE SENT IN "PDF FORMAT" AND THE TOTAL SIZE OF ALL ATTACHMENTS MUST NOT EXCEED 23MB. ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE THE SOLICITATION NUMBER (BBG50-Q-16-0021) IN THE SUBJECT LINE. (xvi) Contact: Seneca Belinfontie, Contract Specialist, email: sbelinfo@bbg.gov. All responsible sources may submit an offer that will be considered by the Agency to CONSOL@bbg.gov, or sbelinfo@voanews.com (v) The contractor shall provide a Firm-Fixed-Price proposal to the Government. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision FAR 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors-Commercial Items, applies to this solicitation. FAR provisions and clauses may be obtained from the Internet Web address at: http://acquisition.gov/far/index.html Interested contractors who are capable of providing these services should submit a proposal identifying capabilities as noted below. The contractor shall demonstrate the ability and experience in providing the required services. (vi) The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), Office of Contracts (CON) located in Washington, D.C., has a requirement for a Contractor to provide services that will support a contract for commercial items for MENA In-Depth Interviews and Online Monitoring Panels. The BBG Office of Research and Assessment (ORA) as described in the attached Statement of Work (SOW) for the Voice of America. The Government will award a Commercial Item, Firm-Fixed-Price, Purchase Order resulting from this RFQ to the responsible offeror(s) whose offer conforming to the RFQ will be most advantageous to the Government, based on technical, past performance, and price in the solicitation. When combined, technical evaluation factors are significantly more important than cost/price. (vii) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation document and the incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-87, effective March 7, 2016. Quote Submission: Separate Quote packages are required for each individual key personnel submitting under this RFQ. Interested contractors are required to submit the below documents to the BBG. 1) The Offeror shall provide their Price Proposal, resume/Curriculum Vitae that includes work experience, education and specialized training. The offeror must display expertise in performing the requirements under the Scope of work in the attached Statement of Work. The resume includes the Offeror's resume/curriculum vitae and evidence of the Offeror's pertinent past performance that can be easily and quickly validated by the BBG. Dates (months/years) and locations for all field experience must also be detailed. a) Past Performance References - The Offeror is required to provide no more than three (3) references from previous customers for same or similar services to the requirement. Offerors shall provide the references with the following information: (i) reference's name and address, email and telephone number of contact person 2) Price Quote: Offeror shall provide a Price Quote that states the Offeror's proposed Total Price 3) Copy of US Citizenship, work permit, photo ID and/or visa. 4) Copy of active CCR Registration in SAM. HTTPS://www.sam.gov a) In the event offerors did not complete the responsibility and certification portion of the SAM registration they shall include completed copy of the provision at FAR Subpart 52.212-3 (Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items) with its offer. This provision can be found at the following website https://www.acquisition.gov/Far/; if requested by an offeror, a copy of FAR subpart 52.212-3 can be obtained by contacting the Contracting Officer. SAM registration must be complete prior to Award. In addition, the offeror must agree to undergo a security background check. If the contractor fails to pass a security background check, the contract shall be terminated. To ensure consideration for the intended position, please reference the solicitation number on each of your proposals. The contract labor categories are considered professional labor and creative services and generally exempt from the Service Contract Act. EVALUATION FACTORS Used to determine the competitive ranking of qualified applicants in comparison to other applicants. The factors are listed in priority order from highest to least. Factor #1 - Technical ability to include work experience, expertise, education and specialized training Factor #2 - Price Factor #3 - Past Performance (referred to in references) Basis for Award The procurement is being conducted under FAR Part 13. Best value is defined as the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Government's estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement, in accordance with FAR 2.101. The Government reserves the right to make a selection based upon the initial proposal submissions so the offeror should submit its best terms in the initial proposal. The Government may also determine to make no award. A single offeror will be selected who is deemed responsible in accordance with FAR 9.104-1 and whose offer provides the Government with a best value solution. 52.252-1 -Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998) This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Provisions incorporated by reference: FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items (Apr 2014); FAR 52. 212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (Oct 2014), FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items (Mar 2015), FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items (Dec 2014); FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (May 2015) QUESTIONS: Questions must be submitted in writing no later than March 23, 2016 by 12:00 p.m. and only via email to Seneca Belinfontie @ sbelinfo@ibb.gov. Please be sure to include the Request Number BBG50-Q-16-0021. No phone or fax questions will be accepted. This combined synopsis/solicitation will close at 12:00pm EST, on April 5, 2016.
Web Link: FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/BBG/ADM/MCONWASHDC/BBG50-Q-16-0021/listing.html)
Place of Performance: Address: 330 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, District of Columbia, 20237, United States; Zip Code: 20237
Record: SN04064906-W 20160330/160328234832-e3880002692f65ccf655eedea8b64bf9 (fbodaily.com)
Source: FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

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