U.S. Information Agency, Office of Contracts, 301 4TH STREET SW, Room M27, Washington, DC 20547

D -- SATELLITE SPACE SEGMENT SERVICES INTO BOSNIA AND SERBIA SOL IA0300-S8234765-MB DUE 112597 POC Marlene Brooks, Telephone: 202-205-9664; Fax: 202-205-5466 D -- SATELLITE SPACE SEGMENT SERVICES INTO BOSNIA AND SERBIA, SOL. NO. IA0300-S8234765-MB. DUE DATE -- 11/25/97. POC: Marlene Brooks, Contracting Officer, Phone: (202) 205-9664; Fax: (202) 205-5466. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR 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 is RFP No. IA0300-S8234765-MB. Prospective offerors shall obtain a copy of all exhibits cited herein via fax from the Contract Specialist above. Requests should be made immediately. This RFP document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 97-01, dated 10/21/97. This is a full and open competition, SIC No. 4899, Communication Services, Not Elsewhere Classified. We expect RFP No. IA0300-S8234765-MB will result in a firm-fixed price contract with a one-year base period beginning January 1, 1998, plus six (6) one-year options to extend the term of the contract. The FAR provisions at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items, FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercials; FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract; FAR 52.232-18 Availability of Funds; and FAR 52.237-3 Continuity of Services, apply to this RFP. The Government expects to award a contract resulting from this RFP to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the RFP will be the most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors, in descending order of importance, shall be used to evaluate offers: (1) Offerors proposed technical approach and understanding of effort; (2) Offeror's proposed management approach; (3) Offeror's past performance; (4) Offeror's proposed price; and (5) Offeror's organization qualifications and background. The offeror shall include a completed copy of the FAR provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items. Offerors are advised that FAR provision 52.232-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The deadline for receipt of offers is November 25, 1997, 12:00pm EST. The proposal shall be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization. Submit one (1) copy with price and technical proposals bound separately to: U.S. Information Agency, Office of Contracts, ATTN: Marlene Brooks, M/KC, 301 4th Street, SW, Room M-22, Washington, DC 20547. RFP No. IA0300-S8234765-MB offers may be submitted on letterhead and at a minimum shall show: (1) RFP number; (2) The date and time specified in the RFP for the receipt of offers; (3) The name, address and phone number of the offeror; (4) A technical description of the offer in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation; (5) Price (6) "Remit To Address," if different from mailing address; (7) a completed copy of the representation and certificates at FAR 5.212-3; (8) Acknowledgment of RFP Amendments, if any; (9) Include a statement specifying the extent of agreement with all terms, conditions, and provisions included in the RFP; and (10) Provide a list of escalation procedures, names and 24-hour contact numbers with the proposal. Our award may be made without discussion. DESCRIPTION OF THE REQUIREMENTS: The U.S. Information Agency's International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) requires satellite space segment services and ground station reception and transmission facilities to support critical analog video broadcast requirements into Bosnia, Serbia and the surrounding region in support of multinational peace keeping efforts. The Contractor shall provide a certified ground station reception facility to receive the existing Atlantic Ocean Region (AOR) WorldNet EastNet video signal and associated subaudio channels. Contractor shall provide a certified ground station satellite gateway facility and retransmit the AOR EastNet signal to the EutelSat 10 Degree East Satellite, transponder 22 with sufficient power to saturate the transponder. Transponder/transmission specifications and schedule are as follows: EutelSat II F2 -- 10 Degrees East; Transponder 22 -- Widebeam; Downlink Frequency -- 11,163.3 MHZ Center; Audio SubCarrier -- 6.6 MHZ and Preemphsis -- J17. BOSNIAN (7 Days/Week): January 1 -- March 29, 1998 -- 2230-2255 UTC Daily; March 30 -- October 24, 1998 -- 2130-2155 UTC Daily; October 25 -- December 31, 1998 -- 2230-2255 UTC Daily. SERBIAN (Monday through Friday): January 1, -- March 27, 1998 -- 2200-2230 UTC M -- F; March 30 -- October 23, 1998 -- 2100-2130 UTC M -- F; and October 26 -- December 31, 1998 -- 2200-2230 UTC M -- F. Contractor shall provide the EutelSat satellite space segment defined above. This satellite space segment is usedto transmit Agency program material to independent media organizations within Bosnia and Serbia. The Agency has no data regarding the ability of receive stations to receive signals via any other satellite. Accordingly, if an offeror proposes other than the exact satellite and transponder identified, it will be the responsibility of the offeror to clearly demontrate the ability of the receive stations to receive that signal, including consideration of local obstructions, local station interferences, etc., before the offer may be considered. In addition, the cost of re-aiming and/or retuning to any alternate satellite and/or transponder, shall be a cost evaluation factor. The Agency has no data available concerning the ability of in country receive stations to receive the signal of any other satellite and transponder. Contractor shall immediately notify IBB's Network Control Center (NCC) of link failures in any portion of the Contractor's responsible link from the loss of AOR reception through the EutelSat retransmission. Contractor shall maintain a link availability of the entire Contractor supplied link from the AOR satellite receiption antenna through the EutelSat satellite uplink and the EutelSat satellite space segment at a minimum availability of 99.97%. Availability shall be calculated based on 24 hours/day/365 days/year. Interruptions that exceed 99.97% shall be credited to the Agency for the full amount of the entire link. For example, if there is a failure of the EutelSat space segment that exceeds 99.97%, the credit to the Agency will be for the EutelSat space segment and all ground station facilities for the affected services. The 99.97% availability is for the entire link, end-to-end, as a unified system, not individual components. Interruptions as a result of any failure or activity of the Agency to deliver the signal to the AOR satellite downlink demarc point are excluded from link availability or Contractor rebates for interruptions. Contractor shall respond to the NCC for any matter concerning theentire Contractor supplied link with the exception of actions that could cause harm to living beings, damage Contractor supplied equipment, or exceed the operating limitations of subcontractor supplied services or equipment. The Contractor shall coordinate planned downtimes with the NCC Manager or in his absence Deputy Manager at least 5 business days prior to the downtime. If emergency maintenance is required on the link, coordinate the downtime as soon as possible prior to link interruption. Emergency downtimes must be scheduled with the on duty NCC operations staff in the absence of the Manager and Deputy Manager. Downtimes not coordinated in advance will be treated as service interruptions and will be handled in accordance with requirements defined above in the RFP. Contractor shall provide a list of escalation procedures, names and 24-hour contact numbers with the proposal. The Agency is responsible to deliver the required programming to the AOR INTELSAT 332.5 Degree East Satellite, WorldNet EastNet video distribution link. The Agency is responsible for the transmission to the 332.5 Degree Satellite and the 332.5 Degree Satellite transponder/space segment. Offeror shall provide prices for all necessary labor, management, materials, supplies, services, documentation and facilities (except for those facilities provided by the Government) required to perform all services described herein: CLIN 1: Base Year- (January 1, 1998 through December 31, 1998): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment; CLIN 2: Option Year One -- (January 1, 1999 through December 31, 1999): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment; CLIN 3: Option Year Two -- (January 1, 2000 through December 30, 2000): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment; CLIN 4: Option Year Three -- (January 1, 2001 through December 30, 2001): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment; CLIN 5: Option Year Four -- (January 1, 2002 through December 30, 2002): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment; CLIN 6: Option Year Five -- (January 1, 2003 through December 30, 2003): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment; CLIN 7: Option Year Six -- (January 1, 2004 through December 30, 2004): Provide Video and Subcarrier audio reception and transmission facility and EutelSat satellite space segment. CLIN 8: Per minute, or fraction thereof, price credit for service interruptions. Contractor shall submit quarterly invoices, in duplicate. (0311)

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