Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

This is a SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (hereafter referred to as “notice) issued for the purpose of planning and market research. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, ... This is a SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (hereafter referred to as “notice) issued for the purpose of planning and market research. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations and this does not obligate the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award a contract now or in the future. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified small businesses only (including 8(a), service-disabled-veteran-owned-small business (SDVOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business, small disadvantaged business (SDB), veteran-owned small business (VOSB), and women-owned small business (WOSB) to provide Countermeasure Injury Compensation Program (CICP) Reconsideration Panel support Services to HRSA’s Health System’s Bureau (HSB) Associate Administrator. This sources sought is seeking responses from small businesses from the following sources: All qualified sources No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the capability assessment. All information submitted in response to this announcement must arrive on or before the closing date. THIS IS STRICTLY MARKET RESEARCH. HRSA WILL NOT ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RESULTS OF THIS MARKET RESEARCH. REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE HONORED. BACKGROUND The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care by strengthening the health care workforce, building healthy communities, and achieving health equity. HRSA’s Health Systems Bureau (HSB) protects the public health and improves the health of individuals through programs that provide national leadership and direction in targeted areas.[1] The Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP) within HSB administers a compensation program specified by the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act). The PREP Act provides compensation to individuals for serious physical injuries or deaths from pandemic, epidemic, or security countermeasures identified in declarations issued by the Secretary pursuant to section 319F-3(b) of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act) (42 U.S.C. 247d-6d). This Act authorizes the Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to issue PREP Act Declarations. In turn, the CICP Program provides compensation to eligible individuals who sustain serious injuries or deaths directly caused from administration/use of covered countermeasures based on “compelling, reliable, valid, medical and scientific evidence,” tied to a declaration. Requesters have the right to request reconsideration of any or all decision(s) made by the CICP Program regarding their cases. Requests for reconsideration must be addressed to the Associate Administrator, HSB, HRSA, in writing, describe the reason(s) why the decision should be reconsidered, and be postmarked within 60 calendar days of the date of the CICP Program’s written decision. When the Associate Administrator receives a request for reconsideration, a qualified panel convened by a contractor, independent of the CICP Program, reviews the CICP’s decision. The Reconsideration Panel performs its own review of all case documents made available to the CICP Program and the CICP Program’s final decision(s). The Reconsideration Panel meets and discusses the facts in the case file(s) and reaches consensus, which includes its own findings and recommended action(s). The contractor facilitates the meetings and discussions, provides medical professionals to serve on reconsideration panels, summarizes the panel’s findings in draft and final reports and submits the panel’s final report and recommendations to the Associate Administrator. There are three types of reconsiderations: Administrative - If the CICP determined that a requester missed the filing deadline or the countermeasure they received is not a CICP covered countermeasure. Medical - If the CICP determined that a requester is not eligible for compensation because they did not have significant medical evidence to prove that the countermeasure caused their injury or they didn’t sustain serious injury or death directly caused from administration/use of covered countermeasures based on “compelling, reliable, valid, medical and scientific evidence,” tied to a declaration. Benefits - If the CICP’s decision on the type(s) and amount(s) of benefits a requester will receive is in question. PURPOSE The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding qualified and capable vendors that could support the CICP Reconsideration processes. This support would include applying medical and legal knowledge and experience to: 1) schedule; 2) facilitate; 3) staff with health care professionals, including physicians (some with specialties in neurology, immunology, and pediatrics), Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, nurses, Life Care Planners, Vocational Counselors, and individuals with health insurance backgrounds; and, 4) provide all reconsideration follow-up documentation. The objective is to support the HSB Associate Administrator to receive, facilitate and process CICP reconsideration requests. Specifically, HRSA requests that respondents provide information about whether they have the technical ability and resources to provide HSB’s Associate Administrator with all necessary support to manage CICP reconsideration requests. RESPONSES In response to this notice, HRSA is seeking capability statements from businesses who can demonstrate experience, expertise, and capability to perform the following tasks: Task Area 1: Reconsideration Program Support Contractor must provide all resources to support the Government with administration of the Reconsideration Panel program. Examples of services included under Task Area 1 are managing incoming cases through reviewing submissions and sending receipt letters, monitoring cases and maintaining a case tracker, monitoring email and phone lines, responding to status requests, weekly status meetings, monthly reporting, and assistance drafting general program documents like Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and informational documents. Task Area 2: Reconsideration Panel and Case Support Contractor must provide all resources to support the Government with administration, logistics, and facilitation of the Reconsideration Panels and individual cases. Examples of services included under Task Area 2 are panel planning, proposing which cases and members will be included on a specific panel, ensuring panel members have all required case documents, logistics, scheduling panel meetings, facilitation meetings, and per case draft documents and reports. Task Area 3: Volunteer Panel Members Support Contractor must provide all resources to support the Government with administration of the Reconsideration Panel Volunteer Panel Members. Examples of services included under Task Area 3 are supporting administration of the commissioned Corp and other federal volunteers, managing volunteer engagement, ensuring volunteer lists are up-to-date, and drafting Recognition of Service letters. Task Area 4: Non-Volunteer Panel Members Provision Contractor must provide non-volunteer panel members that meet the requirements and standards for reviewing cases and are prepared and able to participate on a Reconsideration Panel. Non-volunteer panel members will be comprised of health care providers, including MDs (some that specialize in allergy/immunology, neurology, hematology/oncology, cardiology, critical care, pulmonology and pediatrics), DOs, PAs, NPs, RNs, Life Care Planners, Vocational Counselors, and individuals with health insurance backgrounds. Examples of services included under Task Area 4 are provide both full and backup non-volunteer panel members, ensure non-volunteer panel members meet minimum requirements, and coordinate non-volunteer panel members involvement including communications, training, documentation, and successful participation. Responses Requested Please submit your responses by 2:00 PM EST on March 22, 2023, to Biji John at bjohn@hrsa.gov in the following format: Microsoft Word (or PDF) document with page size 8.5 by 11 inches, with a minimum of 1” margins. Times New Roman, font size 12 with single spacing between lines. Submission shall not exceed 10 pages. Cover page is not included in the total page count Respondents are requested to state their capabilities and expertise in clear and concise language. Respondents are strongly encouraged to avoid use of excessive marketing and sales language. Note: Language in any resultant RFP will require all small businesses to recertify their size status at the submission of proposal. You are not required to respond to this sources sought notice if you cannot recertify your size as small. Cover Page Vendors shall include the following Business information on the Cover Page: Sources Sought Notice number, title, and date of issuance UEI Company Name Company Address Company Point of Contact, Phone and Email address Current GSA Schedules appropriate to this effort, if applicable Validation of small business status under NAICS: 541990 – All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (Size Standard: $16.5 million). Additional information on NAICS codes can be found at www.sba.gov. Confidentiality No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s). Disclaimer and Important Notes This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed. Information provided will be used to assess alternatives available for the potential requirement and may lead to the development of a solicitation. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this market research. Capability statements will not be returned and will not be accepted after the due date for responses. Teaming Arrangements Firms seeking to respond to this notice as a team or to rely on subcontractors to perform any portion of the work must include the above-requested information and certifications for each entity on the proposed team or each proposed subcontractor. Responses must clearly indicate the nature of the teaming arrangement. The contractor and any subcontractors must not have any relationships or arrangements through business operations or its employees that could be considered as possibly lessening the company’s objectivity concerning any aspect of the proposed tasks. If such relationships or arrangements exist, contractors or subcontractors shall be required, during the procurement process (if one occurs), to identify potential conflicts of interest and discuss how the conflicts will be addressed and mitigated. 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration; Health Systems Bureau, available at https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/hsb