US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Division of Procurement Services, Room 517, Washington, DC 20207

G -- OPERATION OF THE CPSC HOTLINE SOL CPSC-P-97-1006. Due 071296. POC Contract Specialist, Peter J Nerret (301) 504-0444/1150, Contracting Officer, Robert J Frost, (301) 504-0444/1142. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is seeking a highly qualified firm under the United States Small Business Administration's 8(a) program to manage and operate the CPSC Consumer Telephone Hotline. This is a performance based competitive procurement. Offerors will be required to present portions of their technical approach partially in a written format and partially in a oral format. The written portion of the proposal should be responsive to the solicitation and not be submitted prior to receipt of the solicitation. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved this competitive procurement and provided a waiver to the competitive value threshold requirement. This requirement is open to 8(a) firms only. Offerors must currently be in the SBA 8(a) program, operating a Hotline under the Standardized Industrial Code (SIC) 8322 entitled ``Individual and Family Social Services.'' The Hotline currently being operated by the offeror must be within a 150 mile radius of the CPSC headquarters located in Bethesda, Maryland. Those offerors meeting the qualifications criteria may be invited to given an oral presentation of their technical approach to operating the Hotline. The Hotline enables the CPSC to provide information to callers about recalled products, banned products and product safety information. It also allows consumers to report safety-related incidents, injuries and deaths associated with consumer products to the CPSC. Based on information gathered during telephone interviews with consumers that call in, a Consumer Product Incident Report is completed and forwarded to agency technical experts. The Hotline has 24 incoming telephone lines connected to an automated answering system, with phonelines going to Hotline staff; a TTY for the hearing or speech impaired and individual work stations for each Hotline representative. The Hotline automated equipment handled routine calls and provides recorded information about product recalls and safety recommendations. The Hotline staff also monitor and administer a fax-on-demand system coordinated with the Hotline operation and provides and maintains related information services. These services will be provided within the context of a performance based contract. A firm fixed price, labor hour type contract is contemplated. The basic period of performance will be from the effective date of the contract 10/01/96 through 9/30/97 and the contract will include four (4) one year option periods. Request for Proposal (RFP) CPSC-P-97-1006 will be issued on or about June 25, 1996 with the written portion of the proposals due on or about July 26, 1996. Written requests for a copy of the solicitation should be mailed to the following address: Consumer Product Safety Commission, Division of Procurement Services, Room 517 Washington, DC 20207. Faxed requests should be sent to (301) 504-0628. No verbal requests will be accepted. (170)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0036 19960621\G-0001.SOL)