From: Jasmine Mitchell, Contracting Specialist, GSA FAS AAS NCR
Subject: Request for Quotation (RFQ)
Project Title: e-QIP Prototype Development
Date: September 6, 2016
Reply By: September 20, 2016, 3:00PM EST
To: Agile Blanket Purchase Agreement (aBPA) Pool 3 Holders
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), Assisted Acquisition Service (AAS), National Capital Region (NCR) hereby issues this Request for Quotation (RFQ) on behalf of the GSA’s Technology Transformation Service (TTS)-18F to provide user research and software development as outlined in the Performance Work Statement (PWS).
This solicitation will be accomplished using the terms and conditions of the Agile BPA (aBPA), awarded under the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), also known as Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract, Schedule 70, General Purpose Commercial Information Technology Equipment, Software, and Services, under Special Item Number (SIN) 132-51, Information Technology Professional Services.
1. General. Please submit your quotation in accordance with the instructions specified in this RFQ letter and the terms and conditions of your aBPA. Please ensure that your response includes all requested information and that your technical response clearly demonstrates your company’s capability to perform the objectives and requirements specified in the PWS. The Government intends to award based on initial offers. Therefore, it is critical that you are fully responsive to the solicitation and submit your best offer initially.
Questions or comments regarding this RFQ shall be submitted as issues within the GitHub repository at https://github.com/18F/bpa-opm-eqip no later than September 13, 2016 at 3:00PM EST, to allow the Government sufficient time to respond. All questions and comments will be publicly available. Please subscribe to the repository if your firm would like updates about changes and comments. Questions or comments received after the required deadline will not be answered. Any changes to this RFQ or attachments will be posted as an amendment on GSA eBuy.
All offers must be received electronically through the eBuy web portal by the official closing date and time identified above. Late quotations will not be considered for award. It is each offeror’s responsibility to learn how to navigate the eBuy system, find attached documents, and/or submit their quotation. If an offeror is unsure about any eBuy feature, the offeror is instructed to contact the eBuy help desk and/or search the eBuy web portal for the appropriate assistance.
REMINDER: In accordance with the terms and conditions of the aBPA, if the aBPA holder does not intend to submit a quotation for a call order under the aBPA, the aBPA holder shall place a “No Quote” in eBuy and shall include a brief explanation as to the reason for “No Quote”. No penalty will occur for the aBPA holder choosing to place a "No Quote" on a given order.
2. Administration. The resultant aBPA call order will be issued and administered via GSA’s AAS Business Systems Portal (also knowns as IT Solutions Shop (ITSS)). Please ensure your firm and points of contact are registered in this system and that your registration includes your FSS contract number and aBPA number. Please go to https://portal.fas.gsa.gov/web/guest for registration information and to verify your account is active and current. Failure to be registered or have an active account will result in a delay in the award or no award.
3. Period of Performance. The Period of Performance (POP) includes a base period of 3 months, with 5 additional option periods, each 3 months in duration. The POP is expected to begin within 10 days after award. A contingency period of up to 6 months is included via FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services.
4. Type of Contract. The Government contemplates award of a labor hours (LH) order.
5. Special Instructions.
a. Quotation Validation Date. Quotation must be valid for at least 60 calendar days after quotation response date.
b. Communications Prior to Award. The offeror shall direct all communications to the Contracting Specialist. Communications with other officials may compromise the competitiveness of this acquisition and result in removal of the offeror from award consideration or cancellation of this requirement.
c. Potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest Statement. Before award of this call order, offerors shall provide a signed Organizational Conflict of Interest statement with their quotation submission, if applicable, which describes concisely all relevant facts concerning any past, present, or planned interest (financial, contractual, organizational, or otherwise) relating to the work to be performed under the proposed call order and bearing on whether the offeror has a possible organizational or personnel conflict of interest with respect to:
i. Being able to render impartial, technically sound, and objective assistance or advice, or
ii. Being given an unfair competitive advantage.
Offerors may also provide relevant facts that show how its organizational structure and/or management systems limit its knowledge of possible organizational conflicts of interest relating to other divisions or sections of the organization and how that structure or system would avoid or mitigate such organizational conflict.
No call order award shall be made until any potential conflict of interest has been neutralized or mitigated to the satisfaction of the CO. Refusal to provide the requested information or the willful misrepresentation of any relevant information by an offeror shall disqualify the offeror from further consideration for award of a call order under this solicitation. If the CO determines that a potential conflict can be avoided, effectively mitigated, or otherwise resolved through the inclusion of a special contract clause, the terms of the clause will be subject to negotiation.
6. Quotation Instructions. Submittals in response to this solicitation shall only include two separate attachments, a technical file and a pricing file, unless an organizational conflict of interest statement also applies. Quotations that fail to include any of the items identified below will not be considered for award. Inclusion of caveats, assumptions, or exceptions to the requirement of any kind, in any part of the quotation, will result in the quotation no longer being considered for award.
a. Format. Quotations shall be formatted for viewing/printing using 8.5 by 11 inch paper size, single sided, and in a common format. Information provided in the quotation shall be concise, specific, and complete.
b. Page Limits. The Technical Quotation (including any attachments) must be provided in a separate file from the price quotation to facilitate an independent evaluation. Your technical quotation shall not exceed a total of 7 pages, excluding the cover letter and a table of contents, if included. Resumes and letters of intent that are excluded from the 7-page limitation should be submitted as an appendix/attachment to the technical quotation. Screenshots of prior work/similar experience can also be added as addendums to the proposal and are excluded from the 7-page limitation. Offerors that exceed the page limitations as specified herein will not be considered for award.
c. Cover Page. Your technical quotation and price quotation must include a cover page. In most instances, the cover page shall be no more than one (1) page. Your cover page is not included as part of your 7-page limitation. The following introductory information is required on the first page of each section:
(i) RFQ number and title
(ii) Company name, physical address, website address, telephone number
(iii) TIN number, DUNS number, CAGE number
(iv) FSS 70 contract number, aBPA number
(v) Name, telephone number & e-mail address of main point-of-contact
(vi) Name, title and signature of authorized representative
(vii) Date of submission
d. Technical Understanding and Approach. The offeror shall succinctly describe level of knowledge, technical expertise and overall understanding of the requirement as set forth in the PWS. Technical understanding and approach description is included as part of your 7-page limitation.
e. Staffing Plan. The offeror shall submit a Staffing Plan which describes the offeror’s understanding of the requirements and details the number of personnel by skill level/labor category needed to satisfy the objectives and requirements of the PWS. All proposed skill levels/labor categories shall be consistent with the aBPA. Staffing plan is included as part of your 7-page limitation. Resumes and letters of intent are not included as part of your 7-page limitation.
At a minimum, provide:
i. Description of your staffing methodology based on your understanding of the requirements.
ii. A breakdown of labor categories, including the title, number of personnel, and hours.
iii. A list of Key Personnel by name, title, contact information, proposed duties and roles, and resumes for each proposed Key Personnel in accordance with Personnel section of the PWS. Resumes should include a description of the experience and capability for all Key Personnel proposed for the offeror’s project team. Resumes should also address the individual’s technical background, education, work experience, and accomplishments related to the activities described in the attached PWS. The proposal of any key personnel not currently employed by the offeror or teaming partners shall be accompanied by letters of intent signed by proposed Key Personnel in accordance with the PWS.
f. Similar Experience. The offeror shall provide two examples of open source, web-based information gathering platforms. The project must have been delivered by either a) the offeror itself or, alternatively, b) a teaming partner that is proposed in response to this RFQ, or, alternatively, c) any Key Personnel that is being proposed in response to this RFQ. In the project summary, be sure to identify how the offeror’s team was involved in the development. The project(s) submitted for Similar Experience is included as part of your 7-page limitation, unless noted otherwise below.
At a minimum, provide:
i. Recent and similar technical scope is past experience with building usable, responsive, consumer facing website built within the past three (3) years.
ii. The summary shall include links to the public Git repository that includes the source code that was developed and accepted for the project. Actual access to a publicly available Git repository is strongly encouraged over screenshots of private repositories. The summary should also include live links of the final product or current staging environment. If live links are not available, screenshots can be provided, along with a brief explanation as to why the project is no longer live. Note that screenshots will not be counted towards your 7-page limitation; please provide screenshots as attachments. The projects should be recent and similar to the size and technical scope of this requirement.
g. Price Quotation. The Government hereby seeks further price reductions and Most Favored Customer (MFC) pricing for all price services. Provide your best discounted rates. Pricing quotation shall be a separate attachment and it is not included as part of the 7-page limitation. The offeror shall submit a separate price quotation that includes the following, as one file:
i. Pricing Schedule. Include a pricing schedule utilizing the attached Pricing Template. All proposed labor rates shall be consistent with or lower than your aBPA rates and must be fully burdened (inclusive of profit, fringe benefits, salary, indirect rates, and the GSA Contract Access Fee (CAF)).
ii. Pricing Narrative. The pricing narrative should describe your basis of pricing for the required services and other costs used in the development of the proposed pricing. The pricing narrative should also indicate if any additional discounts off of your aBPA are being offered. Include any basis of estimate or narrative in the Pricing Template provided to this RFQ.
Note that Price Quotation will not be reviewed prior to Oral Interview.
7. Oral Interview. Each offeror will be provided the questions, via e-mail, approximately 60 minutes prior to their Oral Presentation. The Government is much more interested in the informational content of the offeror’s answers rather than the particular style or technique used in delivering the answers. The Government may take notes during the presentation at its discretion and exclusive right and property, and may use such notes in the evaluation. No copies will be provided to the offeror.
| Agenda Item | Time Allocated |
|---|---|
| Government Provides Questions to Offeror | Approximately 60 Minutes Prior to Oral Presentation (via e-mail) |
| Introductions | Approximately 5 Minutes |
| Offeror Orals - Q&A on Technical Factors | 25 Minutes Maximum |
| Break for Offeror & Government Questions | 5 Minutes Maximum |
| Government Follow-Up Q&A | 15 Minutes Maximum (if needed) |
a. Rules. The oral presentation consists of an initial question and answer session on technical factors, and a follow-up question and answer session (if necessary), associated with this RFQ does not and will not constitute discussions or negotiations as defined in FAR part 15. The Government is not obligated to determine a competitive range, conduct discussions, and solicit or allow revised quotes. The entire oral presentation will be conducted remotely via video and audio. Offerors shall not bring or present slides, graphs, charts or any other written presentation materials nor will the Government accept or receive offeror handouts.
b. Part One. Part One of the offeror’s oral presentation will consist of the offeror answering the Government’s core questions related to the technical factors identified in the Request For Quotation (RFQ). While the technical factors are identified in the RFQ, the core questions are not. All offerors will be asked the same core questions related to the technical factors. The questions are related to the offeror’s technical understanding and approach of the requirements identified in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and quality control measures for overseeing performance. This part of the oral presentation of answers will not exceed 25 minutes, and may go shorter.
c. Part Two (only if necessary). The Government will allocate 15 minutes for follow-up questions following the offeror’s answers to the initial core questions on technical factors. During this time, the Government may ask questions on any information that had been presented by the offeror that the Government feels is unclear or needs elaboration. The Government’s questions may differ among the offerors based on what needs elaboration. If the Government has no follow-up questions with a particular offeror, then this part of the session will not take place. The answers given in this session are part of the offeror’s oral presentation.
d. Location. The oral presentation sessions will be conducted by video chat, though audio may be substituted as needed. The Government will coordinate and set up the meeting space accordingly (providing dial in or links using a tool such as Acano or Adobe Connect).
e. Date and Time. The Government will schedule the date and time of the oral presentations with each offeror after the RFQ closing date and receipt of offeror quote submissions. The Government reserves the right to reschedule any offeror’s orals date at the discretion of the contracting officer.
f. Participants. Offerors may include as many participants as it feels is necessary. Offerors are advised to have technical personnel present since the Government will ask technical questions during the oral presentations. Type and number of participants included is at the offeror’s discretion and is the full responsibility of the offeror. All proposed Key Personnel currently employed by the offeror or its teaming partners shall attend the session - the Government is most interested in hearing from staff that will have a direct role in performing on the task. The letter(s) of intent and resume(s) will suffice for Key Personnel currently not employed by the offeror or its teaming partners.
After the presentations, offerors shall provide an email to confirm attendance with names of participants to the meeting organizers.
8. Basis of Award and Evaluation Criteria
This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR Subpart 8.4, Federal Supply Schedules. This is not a FAR Part 15, Contracting by Negotiation, procurement. All submissions in response to this RFQ are considered quotations and not proposals or offers, even if labeled as such. The offerors agree to and are bound by all instructions, procedures and rules of this RFQ. The Government is not obligated to determine a competitive range, conduct discussions, solicit final revised quotations, and use other techniques associated with FAR part 15. The contracting techniques associated with FAR Part 15 do not apply.
The final award for this requirement will be based on best-value principles, utilizing the trade-off process. Accordingly, award will be made to the responsible and technically acceptable offeror whose quotation provides the greatest overall value to the Government, price and other factors considered.
The Government is more concerned with obtaining superior technical and management capabilities than with making awards at the lowest overall price to the Government. However, the Government will not make awards at a significantly higher overall price to achieve slightly superior technical value. Offerors are advised that the technical evaluation factors combined are significantly more important than price.
a. Evaluation Process. The Government intends to utilize a multi-phased approach for this procurement as described below. To be considered for award, offerors must successfully pass through each phase.
Phase 1 (Pass/Fail): Quote Compliance Check - A compliance check will be conducted to ensure that offerors submit a complete technical quotation and a price quotation following the instructions set on this RFQ letter. Only the offerors that receive Pass will advance to Phase 2.
Phase 2 (Adjectival): Technical Compliance Check - Review of Written Technical Quotations to ensure that offerors meet technical requirements as outlined in the RFQ and the PWS. Only the six (6) highest rated offerors, with Acceptable rating or higher, will advance to Phase 3.
Phase 3 (Adjectival): Oral Interview - Offerors that are considered in Phase 3 will be notified of the time and date of the oral interview. The oral interview will be focused on the offeror’s experience and skills with open source software development, human-centered design, and continuous deployment methods.
Phase 4: Pricing Schedule and Pricing Narrative Check - Review of Price Quotations.
b. Technical Evaluation Factors. The Government will evaluate Phase 2 and Phase 3 for an offeror’s performance or capability acceptability based on the following non-price technical factors which are of equal importance to each other:
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Technical Understanding and Approach: The Government will evaluate the offeror’s technical approach: level of knowledge, technical expertise, and overall understanding of the requirement. The Government will also evaluate the offeror’s skills with open source software development, human-centered design, and continuous deployment methods.
-
Staffing Plan: The Government will evaluate the offeror’s proposed staffing methodology and skill levels/labor categories as well as the availability and relevant work experience demonstrated by Key Personnel.
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Similar Experience: The Government will evaluate the offeror’s experience in performing projects of similar scope and complexity. The Government will also evaluate the offeror’s experience with open source software development, human-centered design, and continuous deployment methods.
c. Price Evaluation Factors. Each offeror’s price quotation will be evaluated separately from the technical quotation and oral interview. The Government will evaluate the offeror’s pricing schedule as well as pricing narrative after the Oral Interview to ensure that the offered price is fair, reasonable, and realistic. Pricing shall reflect reasonableness, consistency with industry standards, and be in compliance with rates and terms and conditions of the aBPA. Note that as submissions become more technically equal in their merit, the evaluated price becomes more important. Therefore, provide your best discounted rates.
d. Scoring Plan
The evaluation of Phase 1 above shall be accomplished using the Pass/Fail method.
The evaluation of Phase 2 and Phase 3 above shall be accomplished using the adjectival scoring method, for which definitions are provided below:
Outstanding: (O) – Very significantly exceeds and/or addresses all of the elements of the evaluation factors. With respect to the evaluation factor, the response surpasses an “Exceeds” rating. The offeror has clearly demonstrated an understanding of all aspects of the requirements to the extent that timely and highest quality and cost effective performance is anticipated.
Exceeds: (E) – Fully meets and/or addresses most elements of the evaluation factors. With respect to the evaluation factor, the response exceeds an “Acceptable” rating. The areas in which the offeror exceeds the requirements are anticipated to result in a high level of efficiency, performance and/or quality and cost effectiveness.
Acceptable: (A) – Meets and/or addresses many elements of the evaluation factors. With respect to the evaluation factor, the response is considered comprehensive and exemplifies an understanding of the scope and depth of the requirements as well as the offeror’s understanding of the Government’s requirements.
Unacceptable: (U) – With respect to the evaluation factor, the technical response has many deficiencies and/or omissions and does not adequately address the evaluation factor.
9. Contract Clauses Incorporated By Reference
FAR 52.227-17 Rights in Data -- Special Works (DEC 2007)
FAR 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options (JUL 1990)
10. Contract Clauses Incorporated in Full Text
FAR 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. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): (http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm)
(End of Provision)
FAR 52.252-2 -- CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (FEB 1998)
This contract incorporates one or more clauses 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. Also, the full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): (http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm)
(End of clause)
FAR 52.203-98 -- PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS-REPRESENTATION (DEVIATION 2015-02) (APR 2015)
(a) In accordance with section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Resolution Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), Government agencies are not permitted to use funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) under that or any other Act for contracts with an entity that requires employees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.
(b) The prohibition in paragraph (a) of this provision does not contravene requirements applicable to Standard Form 312, Form 4414, or any other form issued by a Federal department or agency governing the nondisclosure of classified information.
(c) Representation. By submission of its offer, the offeror represents that it does not require employees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.
(End of provision)
FAR 52.203-99 -- PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES THAT REQUIRE CERTAIN INTERNAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS (DEVIATION 2015-02) (APR 2015)
(a) The Contractor shall not require employees or subcontractors seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign or comply with internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.
(b) The contractor shall notify employees that the prohibitions and restrictions of any internal confidentiality agreements covered by this provision are no longer in effect.
(c) The prohibition in paragraph (a) of this clause does not contravene requirements applicable to Standard Form 312, Form 4414, or any other form issued by a Federal department or agency governing the nondisclosure of classified information.
(1) In accordance with section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Resolution Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), use of funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) under that or any other Act may be prohibited, if the Government determines that the Contractor is not in compliance with the provisions of this clause.
(2) The Government may seek any available remedies in the event the recipient fails to comply with the provisions of this clause.
(End of clause)
FAR 52.217-8 -- OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)
The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 10 calendar days before the contract expires.
(End of clause)
FAR 52.2147-9 -- OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)
(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 5 days provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 15 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.
(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.
(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 18 months.
(End of clause)
GSAR 552.217-71 – NOTICE REGARDING OPTION(S) (NOV 1992)
GSA has included an option to extend the term of this contract in order to demonstrate the value it places on quality performance by providing a mechanism for continuing a contractual relationship with a successful Offeror that performs at a level which meets or exceeds GSA’s quality performance expectations as communicated to the Contractor, in writing, by the Contracting Officer or designated representative. When deciding whether to exercise the option, the Contracting Officer will consider the quality of the Contractor’s past performance under this contract in accordance with 48 CFR 517.207.