SAMDaily.us | SRCSGT | 99 | NASA Communication Services (NCS), Request For Information/Sources Sought Synopsis

SAMDAILY.US - ISSUE OF JANUARY 24, 2021 SAM #6996
SOURCES SOUGHT

99 -- NASA Communication Services (NCS), Request For Information/Sources Sought Synopsis

Notice Date: 1/22/2021 1:10:33 PM
Notice Type: Sources Sought
NAICS: 541820 — Public Relations Agencies
Contracting Office: NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FL 32899 USA
ZIP Code: 32899
Solicitation Number: 80KSC20NCSRFI
Response Due: 2/23/2021 1:00:00 PM
Archive Date: 03/10/2021
Point of Contact: Timothy Broadous, Joseph Bell
E-Mail Address: agency-nasacommservices@mail.nasa.gov, agency-nasacommservices@mail.nasa.gov
(agency-nasacommservices@mail.nasa.gov, agency-nasacommservices@mail.nasa.gov)
Description: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for the NASA-enterprise wide Communication Services (NCS) contract(s). NASA is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI), for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for the NCS contract. �The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), 8(a), Women-owned Small Business (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SD-VOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWOSB) or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses received. Oral communications are not acceptable responses to this notice. Enterprise Operating Model for the Contemplated Contract (NCS): If a solicitation is issued, it will be for a comprehensive NASA-enterprise solution for communication services. �NCS will standardize requirements and streamline management of such requirements and resulting contracts across all NASA centers, missions, and projects to enable delivery of communication services to the entire agency. �The Government contemplates award of three or four firm-fixed-price (FFP), Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for communication services based on a centralized arrangement of the NASA centers [i.e., East: Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC/HQ), & Langley Research Center (LaRC); South: Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Stennis Space Center (SSC), & Glenn Research Center (GRC); and West: Johnson Space Center (JSC), Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC), & Ames Research Center (ARC)]. �The NCS contracts are anticipated to have a 5-year period of performance. �The estimated award date for the contracts is late fiscal year (FY) 2022. The requirements described in the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached) are applicable to all NASA centers. Requirements contained in�the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements�(Attached) is based on the best information available at the time of publication, is subject to revision,�appliable to all NASA centers, and is for planning purposes only. Interested companies, having the appropriate competencies to perform any or all of the contemplated requirements, are invited to submit a capability statement in accordance with Section 1, and to respond to the requested information identified in Section 2. �Responses to this RFI should be structured in a manner that indicates the section to which your company is responding. �Confidential, proprietary or competition sensitive information should not be submitted in response to this RFI; however, if proprietary data is included in a reply, it must be marked as such. �Responses received may be used by the Government in the development of any resultant acquisition strategy for NCS. Requirements History: Communication services have historically been procured at each of the 10 NASA centers. These services are embedded in numerous support services contracts. A partial listing of contracts and the respective prime contractors applicable to the contemplated NCS is provided below. 80GSFC17C0003, Space & Earth Sciences Data Analysis (SESDA IV) | Prime: ADNET Systems, Inc. 80HQTR19D0032, Greenbelt Visitor Center | Prime: Alexton, Inc. 80KSC017C011, Kennedy Infrastructure Applications & Communications (KIAC) | Prime: ASRC Federal Data Solutions, LLC 80KSC017D0003, KSC Institutional Support Services (KISS IV) | Prime: Apache-Logical, Joint Venture 80LARC18C0002, Langley Administrative, Media, & Professional Services (LAMPS) | Prime: Alutiiq Fusion, Joint Venture NND16AA03B, Center Administrative & Technical Support Services (CATSS) | Prime: Logical Innovations, Inc. NNJ16JA52B, Communications, Outreach, Multimedia, & Information Technology (COMIT) | Prime: MORI Associates, Inc. NNM12AA53C, Office of Strategic Analysis and Communication Support Services (OSAC COMMSS) | Prime: Analytical Services, Inc. 80MSFC19R0024, Strategic Research & Analysis, Communications, Exhibits Services (SRACES) | Prime: Media Fusion, LLC Section 1 � Sources Sought Synopsis | Responses to Part 1 (a-b) and Part 2 (d) of this section are limited to 15 pages and should follow the font requirements stated in the �Response� section below: Interested parties are requested to review the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached) and submit the following: �� 1) A narrative statement of capabilities and qualifications that - �� a. Provides a description of the company�s capabilities and qualifications to perform each of the core activities identified in the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements. For each of the core activities, your narrative statement should identify and describe: �� i. Knowledge, skills, and abilities to include unique capabilities�your company�possesses in relation to the requirements described in the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached) ��ii. Any standard industry tools (e.g., IT capabilities, software, processes, etc.) your company uses that may be used to achieve the requirements described in the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached) ��b. Provides a description of the company�s capability to manage and support communication services requirements at various locations, based on the contemplated centralized arrangement of the NASA centers: �� i. East (KSC, GSFC/HQ & LaRC), �� ii. South (MSFC, SSC & GRC), and �� iii. West (JSC, AFRC & ARC) �� 2) A completed �NCS Relevant Work Matrix� (Attached), which will serve as a listing of relevant customers (Government & Commercial) from the past three (3) years. A completed matrix requires the following information: �� a. Fill-in the name of Agency or Commercial Customer, Contract number, Location(s) of performance, Government/Commercial point of contact for the contract (i.e., name, phone number and email), NAICS, Contract type, and Dollar value of each procurement, �� b. Relevant work performed. Respondents should link relevant work from the contract(s) they are referencing to the related section of the attached Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements�by marking an �X� using the drop-down feature in the matrix �� c. If your company was a prime or subcontractor. Use the drop-down feature in the matrix to select the appropriate status (if performed as subcontractor, please indicate percentage of work or subcontract dollar value) �� d. In addition to completing the matrix, provide a short narrative of the work identified in items a-b above (e.g., specialized, high-profile projects; social media campaigns; exhibits; communications plans; etc.), and identify any industry or Government awards �� 3) A completed �NCS RFI Questionnaire� (Attached). It is requested that all applicable sections be entirely filled-out Section 2 � Request for Additional Information | Responses to this section are not page limited but should follow the page layout and font requirements stated in the �Responses� section below: To assist in formulating a procurement strategy, the following RFI questions are offered for your consideration. Your response shall indicate the numbered section to which your company is responding. [For example, if you would like to respond to paragraph (b) of Part 2 under Section 2 of the RFI/SSS, please title your response �Section 2 � Request for Additional Information, Part 2(b)� in your response] ��1) Acquisition-specific, based on the centralized arrangement of NASA centers � ��Identify and describe: �� a. Potential barriers to competition that could be mitigated to foster a more competitive environment for this procurement �� b. Potential challenges or risks associated with transitioning to an enterprise operating model for communication services �� c. Potential benefits associated with transitioning to an enterprise operating model for communication services �� d. Government resources needed to ensure the lowest possible cost and most effective transition to an enterprise operating model for communication services �� 2) Contemplated NCS Requirements - �� Identify and describe: �� a. Potential cost drivers in performing the contemplated communication services requirements, �� i. Identify the related section of the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached)�in the response �� b. Industry innovations and advancements that may be used to achieve the objectives outlined in the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements �� c. Recommended approaches to handling urgent needs and surge work in an enterprise environment, and cite examples of how your company has handled urgent needs and surge work in the past �� d. Critical requirements your company believes could be added to the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached)�that may result in synergies �� Provide Comments on: �� e. The suitability of the Government�s requirements for Communications services to a classification of a commercial item as defined in FAR 2.101. Respond by indicating Yes or No to its suitability, along with supporting rationale �� f. The suitability of a Statement of Objectives (SOO) or a Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the contemplated requirements [reference FAR 37.602]. Respond by indicating your selection, along with supporting rationale describing the benefits and challenges �� g. The ability of a small business to perform the requirements outlined in the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached), based on the contemplated enterprise-solution. Respond by indicating Yes or No, along with supporting rationale describing the likelihood and any potential barriers/impediments to small business concerns along with measures that could be implemented to maximize small business participation as primes and as subcontractors of any tier, given the transition to an enterprise operating model based on a centralized arrangement of the NASA centers �� h. Recommended small business subcontracting goals to include the following reporting categories SB, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, HubZone, and HBCU/MI for the contemplated contract, along with supporting rationale �� 3) Strategic Approach to Enterprise-Solution � �� Provide Comments on: �� a. The viability of the Government�s contemplated enterprise-solution (i.e., three or four� contracts based on the following notional, centralized arrangement of the NASA centers: East (KSC, GSFC/HQ, & LaRC), South (MSFC, SSC, & GRC), and West (JSC, AFRC & ARC) �� i. Describe any recommended modification(s) and provide detailed rationale �� Identify and describe: �� b. Your company�s recommendation on an enterprise-solution(s) it considers most advantageous to the agency in standardizing communication requirements across the NASA centers �� i. The response shall describe the strategic approach (e.g., number of contracts, centralized arrangement of NASA centers, location of staff, single-award or multiple-award, etc.), its impact on small business participation, measures that could be implemented to maximize small business participation as primes and subcontractors at any tier, and provide detailed rationale. Explain why your company�s recommended strategic approach is the most beneficial approach for the Government �� [Some examples of strategic approaches include single-award contracts based on locations, multiple-award contracts based on the major sections of the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached), one (1) agency-wide contract encompassing all requirements, etc.] �� 4) Contract Type and Performance Standards/Metrics � �� Identify and describe: �� a. The contract type or types considered the best fit for this type of work (e.g., Firm-Fixed- Price, Cost-Reimbursable, IDIQ, Time & Materials, etc.), along with rationale �� i. Identify any sections of the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached) your company deems most appropriate for FFP �� - For the remaining sections, recommend the most appropriate contract type or types ��ii. Identify the contract type or types most appropriate for urgent and surge work, ��iii. Identify sections of the Contemplated NCS Technical Requirements (Attached) your company deems most appropriate for base-IDIQ and Task Orders �� b. Industry best practices, performance metrics and measurements, and innovative delivery methods that can be used to develop measurable performance standards and a method of assessing contractor performance against such standards �� c. An incentive structure, in the event of other than a FFP contract, to include underlying financial incentives appropriate for encouraging the development and implementation of innovative and cost-effective methods of performing the requirements �� Provide Comments on: �� d. The suitability of NAICS 541820-Public Relations Agencies to the contemplated contract, and any potential challenges or risks �� i. Your company may recommend any relevant NAICS it deems more appropriate for this contemplated contract, along with rationale RESPONSES All narrative responses should be provided in MS Word document format via email, abide by the page limitations, include the Reference Number 80KSC20NCSRFI and indicate which section of the RFI/SSS your company is addressing [For example, if you would like to respond to paragraph (b) of Part 2 under Section 2 of the RFI/SSS, please title your response �Section 2 � Request for Additional Information, Part 2(b)� in your response].� A page is defined as one side of a sheet, 8 �� x 11�, with at least one-inch margins on all sides, using Times New Roman font no smaller than 12-point type. All completed attachments should be provided in the format they were provided (e.g., Relevant Work Matrix in MS Excel, NCS Questionnaire in MS Word, etc.). �Please submit responses no later than February 23, 2021, via email to agency-nasacommservices@mail.nasa.gov. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE OR PROPOSAL. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS (SSS) ONLY. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. It is the potential Offeror�s responsibility to monitor the site for the release of any amendments to this RFI or if released, future solicitation documents related to this synopsis. This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. The information received will not be released to the public, but may be used to refine requirements and develop the best approach for any follow-on contract strategy. Information used in such a manner may be recognizable to the interested party who submitted it. Any information submitted in response to this RFI that is marked �Proprietary�, �Confidential�, �Commercial� or �Financial Information� will be considered voluntarily submitted in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act.� Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. An industry day is planned for this acquisition and will be announced as an amendment to this RFI/SSS. As such, interested companies are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any additional information.
Web Link: SAM.gov Permalink
(https://beta.sam.gov/opp/f4fc463a5e884620a3f6e0592ed0ac01/view)
Place of Performance: Address: FL 32899, USA; Zip Code: 32899; Country: USA
Record: SN05898287-F 20210124/210122230102 (samdaily.us)
Source: SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's SAM Daily Index Page |

Loren Data's SAM Daily™

99 -- NASA Communication Services (NCS), Request For Information/Sources Sought Synopsis