Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Logistical Support Services for NIAID 75N93022R00007 Sources Sought Reference Number: HHS – NIH – NIAID(AO) – 22 - 007 Type of Requirement New Requirement Follow-o... SMALL BUSINESS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE Logistical Support Services for NIAID 75N93022R00007 Sources Sought Reference Number: HHS – NIH – NIAID(AO) – 22 - 007 Type of Requirement New Requirement Follow-on (Contract No.: ) Other (specify): Recompete 2022 Place of Performance Place of performance is unknown at this time Place of performance is known. Address or general location: Recompetition (if applicable) PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATES, INC. 1880 Campus Commons DR STE 250 Reston, Virginia 20191-1503, United States Contracting Office Address Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Office of Acquisitions, 5601 Fishers Lane, MSC 9821, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9821 Sources Sought Notice Information Introduction This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. This requirement is assigned a code of 541990 in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), and the size standard for such requirements is $15.0 million. Your response to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement as a set-aside based upon responses to this Notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Interested parties are expected to review this Notice and the draft Statement of Work to familiarize themselves with the requirements of this project; failure to do so will be at your firm's own risk. Background The purpose of this contract is to assist the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) with Logistical Support Service. In order to achieve the NIAID’s goals of facilitating research and improving methods for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infectious and immune mediated diseases; and to assist in the dissemination of research results, NIAID requires diverse administrative and logistical support. Due to the dynamic nature of the work conducted by the NIAID, it is necessary to have a support mechanism in place that is flexible, responsive, and timely in order to accommodate changing priorities. Additionally, changes in public health priorities, Congressional emphasis, and changes resulting from ongoing research will impact the administrative and logistical support needs of the institute. In some areas of required logistical support, it is not possible to anticipate the exact work that will be required by the contractor in a given year. The technical requirements outlined below reflect those unknowns as there are base requirements as well as indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract task areas. Purpose and Objectives • Develop Conference Plans and Policies • Providing Planning, Technical, and Logistical Support: • Graphics Support • Operational Logistical Support Project requirements Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity Task Order Areas: Work required within the following task areas will issued to the contractors via task orders. Each task order will provide the specific details and requirements necessary for completion of the work. Each area will have a minimum and maximum number of hours that can be utilized in a single contract year. Task Area I: Meeting and Conference Support 1). Develop Conference Plans and Policies: The rapid expansion and evolving nature of infectious and immune-mediated diseases related research necessitates holding a wide range of domestic and international meetings and conferences each year. The contractor will receive task orders which describe the specific conference or meeting which requires contractor support. In coordination with the Project Officer and Task Order Leader, the contractor will review the task request, identify requirements, identify appropriate pre-meeting materials and produce necessary planning documents and timelines. The contractor shall determine staffing needs to achieve program objectives, which may include identifying outside consultants or subcontractors. The contractor shall participate in frequent and necessary planning meetings with the Project Officer and Task Order leaders. Specifically, the contractor shall be able to provide the following as necessary per each task order: 1. Drafts of all technical meeting materials with minimum errors (no more than three) for review by the Project Officer and Task Leaders. After review and feedback by NIAID staff, the Contractor shall prepare final technical materials and produce sufficient copies for the conference/meeting participants. 2. Pre-meeting materials such as notebooks and background briefing materials. It is estimated that there will be 3-4 pre-meeting notebooks prepared, varying from 50-200 pages each. 3. A high quality tape-recording system and a meeting reporter to ensure the preparation of high-quality transcripts. 4. Secretarial support at meetings to type, proofread, and copy materials from one session for discussion at following sessions. 5. Prepare meeting minutes for all meetings, including weekly planning meetings, action items, summaries or proceedings, which may be highly scientific and narrowly focused or address broad areas of NIAID research, in final publishing form. 2). Providing Planning, Technical, and Logistical Support: It is estimated that support services will be required for approximately 20-40 domestic and international scientific meetings, conferences, and workshops per year. Specifically, the contractor shall be able provide the following as necessary: 1. Assistance in Selecting Participants: (a) For all meetings and conferences, the Project Officer or Task Leader will provide the contractor with a list of potential participants. (b) Final selection of the conference participants shall be made by the Project Officer. The Contractor shall contact all potential participants and determine availability for participation. The Contractor shall provide the Project Officer with a list of conference attendees: names, titles, organizations, addresses, and telephone numbers. 2. Site Selection and Reservation: (a) The Contractor shall arrange for and reserve meeting space at the N IH, if available and suitable, to meet the requirements for each meeting. (b) In the event that NIH pace is not available or suitable, the Contractor shall recommend a number of site/facility combinations in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, preferably within a 10-mile radius of the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. In selecting meeting site other than NIH, the Contractor shall provide the PO/TL at least three (3) possible sites for lodging and/or meeting space. The Contractor shall provide appropriate cost comparisons when submitting recommendations to the PO for selecting hotel and meeting space. The contractor will select hotels that will provide meeting rooms free-of-charge, and that will set aside a block of rooms for attendees at preferred rates. Other considerations in recommending a meeting site shall include: (1) accessibility and convenience to transportation and parking; (2) adequate number of meeting, breakout, and sleeping rooms available on desired dates; (3) meeting rooms adequate in terms of size, lighting, ventilation, and locations; (4) meeting rooms and some sleeping rooms that meet Federal requirements for accessibility to handicapped participants; and (5) a restaurant or catering capability available to handle the expected number of participants (c) In the event that the meeting is to be held other than at NIH or other than the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, the Contractor shall submit to the Project Officer three (3) site selection recommendations, along with cost comparisons for the meeting location as specified by the Project Officer in accordance with the considerations listed in (b) above. (d) Following selection and approval of the meeting site by the Project Officer, the Contractor shall negotiate a contract with the selected facility that will provide the best value to the government in meeting the requirements of the NIAID meeting/conference mission. (e) The contractor shall ensure adequate parking and make parking arrangements for all meetings or conferences at the NIH or at other selected sites. (f) The contractor shall assure that meeting space is handicapped accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 3. Meeting Participant Communication and Travel: (a) Provide to eligible meeting participants, as identified by the PO, and honorarium and reimbursement for travel and per diem expenses (allowed by the Government travel regulations), including economy airfare, train fare, or the Government’s mileage rate for travel by automobile. (b) Prepare all necessary paperwork associated with meeting participant reimbursement procedures, and develop reimbursement procedures for use by meeting participants identified by the PO as eligible for honorarium, travel, and per diem expenses. These services may also be provided when NIAID reimburses for honorarium, travel, and per diem expenses. It is estimated that honorarium, travel, and per diem will be provided for 3-5 meetings of 10-12 non-government participants per year. (c) The contactor shall electronically contact participants to inform them of, and later confirm, each meeting’s location and dates, and to secure the necessary paperwork to confirm their participation, travel dates, and needed accommodations. The contractor shall provide participants with travel confirmations no alter than 7 days prior to the meeting start date including airfare, ground transportation and/or hotel reservation. (d) The contractor shall regularly and systematically remind non-registered attendees to register, without sending reminders to those participants who have already registered. (e) The contractor shall maintain and be able to report to the PO the number of attendees registered for an upcoming meeting from previous meetings and be able to search for specific participants and participant categories. (f) The contractor shall use the latest technology, such as individual bar coding, to expedite the registration process for meetings with 200 or more attendees. (g) The contractor shall provide sign language interpreters if applicable. (h) The contractor shall provide post-conference services including fiscal management, public relations, preparation and submission of the conference proceedings/summaries, and the mailing of thank you letters to the conference speakers. (i) According to the timetable established for the specific meeting task order, the contractor shall prepare, reproduce, and distribute to the attendees by mail prior to the meeting necessary advance materials to include but not limited to: letter of invitation; agenda; itineraries; travel guide information including directions and maps from local airports and points of interest, subway information, parking, taxi fares, limousine service information, and hotel reservation information including addresses, telephone numbers, and rates for suggested hotels; briefing materials; pamphlets; and other background materials provided by the NIAID. The contractor shall draft the letter of invitation and agenda and provide all other related materials. Drafts of necessary advance materials shall require approval by the task leader or project officer prior to mailing. The contractor shall confirm receipt by attendees of advance materials prior to meeting. (j) For meetings requiring presentations by participants, the contractor shall prepare and distribute to presenters (selected by NIAID) a schedule and instructions for preparing and submitting presentations, manuscripts, and reports. The contractor shall coordinate and confirm receipt of these materials, manuscripts, and reports and submit to the PO for review according to the timetable established for the specific meeting task order. 4. Meeting Room Arrangements The contractor shall: (a) arrange for the set-up of meeting rooms, including breakout rooms if required, accounting for details including audio visual equipment, the number and arrangement of chairs and tables, meeting breaks, light refreshments, meals, etc. (b) meet with appropriate hotel staff prior to the meeting to review the requirements for the meeting room arrangements and to ensure that all needs are met. (c) provide, as requested by the PO, a meeting room coordinator who shall attend specified meetings and provide meeting support services to include: set-up of tables, name cards, arrangements of visual aids; provision of pencils, pens, writing pads; ensure availability of grease pens, markers, chalk, flipcharts, blackboards, pointers, etc.; scheduled coffee breaks; and operation of audiovisual equipment. (d) provide, as requested by the PO, audiovisual equipment (such as slide projectors, overhead projectors, etc.) This can be acquired through the conference facility or from the contractor’s own equipment. However, the contractor should utilize whichever method is the most economical for the government. The contractor shall have back-up should the primary equipment malfunction. NIAID will not provide funds for the purchase, lease, or maintenance of contractor property. (e) be responsible for investigating and resolving hotel/meeting reservation confirmation issues. (f) be responsible for ensuring that attrition charges are not incurred. 5. Registration Fees and Materials The contractor shall: (a) Provide for the charge and collection of participant registration fees, if appropriate, to cover the costs of conference luncheons or dinners, or other appropriate costs. The amount and procedures for collection of conference registration fees are subject to PO approval and shall be established in the specific meeting task order proposal. (b) Provide registration materials and services to include: name tags, programs, schedules and background materials. Registration materials shall be organized in folders or binders. (c) Arrange for or provide a registration desk and message center services and staff. 3) . Graphics Support: The contractor shall provide graphic, design, and production for all meeting and conference support materials, including but not limited to conference posters, banner displays, pamphlets, brochures, folders, signage, and abstract books. The contractor’s graphics software must be compatible with NIAID graphics software, unless specifically accepted by the Project Officer. 4). Inventory of Meeting Materials: The contractor shall maintain an inventory of meeting materials as needed for the NIAID contract. The contractor shall develop a shipment record which will be completed as the contractor receives materials. This form will include the name of the item, the item number assigned, the quantity received, the location of the item and the condition upon receipt. The contractor shall provide a report of each material usage, to include but not limited to, the item name and number, purpose for use, quantity and dates of removal. The contractor will provide a report twice a year of all materials in inventory. Task Area II: Operational Logistical Support The contractor shall provide support for operational logistics in support of NIAID analysis projects requested by the task leader. Specific requirements for services, deliverables and schedule will be includes in the task order request. Presently, NIAID is using Office 2003 with the expectation of upgrading to the Office 2007 suite within the next three to six months. The contractor will be required to provide electronic documents and products in formats that are compatible with the software platform in use that the time by the NIAID. The contractor may be requested to perform tasks in the following technical areas: D) PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS The following list is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of labor categories for this contract. However, it is anticipated that the following labor categories will be necessary for completion of contract task orders. Senior Project Manager Minimum of 8 years of management experience and BS/BA degree or the equivalent education and/or experience. Advanced Degree is also required. Meeting Manager Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible conference experience to include conference planning and management. Knowledge of Federal Government Regulations pertaining to contracts, as well as Federal Travel Regulations. Logistics Specialist Minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible conference experience to include conference planning. Knowledge of Federal Government Regulations pertaining to contracts, as well as Federal Travel Regulations. Science Writing Minimum of 5 years of experience in writing documents related to project assignments of highly complex scientific subjects. BS/BA degree in an applicable scientific field of study or the equivalent education and/or experience. Writer Minimum of 3 years of experience in writing documents related to project assignments. BS/BA degree in an applicable field of study or the equivalent education and/or experience. Technical Writer/Editor Minimum of 5 years of experience in technical writing and copy editing including progressively responsible, senior-level experience with projects. BS/BA degree in an applicable technical field of study or the equivalent education and/or experience. Print Production Coordinator Minimum of 5 years of in depth experience in all stages of print production. BS/BA degree or the equivalent education and/or experience. Graphics Designer Minimum of 5 years of experience in graphic design/arts. BS/BA degree in graphic design/art, or a related field of study or the equivalent education and/or experience. Administrative Assistant Minimum of 2 years of applicable administrative experience is required. High School diploma, or the equivalent and/or experience. Word Processor Minimum of 2 years of word processing experience required. High School diploma, or the equivalent and/or experience. E) LEVEL OF EFFORT IDIQ Task Areas: The following chart indicates the minimum and maximum task area hours for all task orders in each contract year. The maximum hours include an estimate of the hours necessary for management of each task order. Task Area Minimum Hours/Year Maximum Hours/Year Meeting and Conference Support 0 15,000 Operational Logistical Support 0 10,000 Anticipated period of performance The task orders will be logical support services for NIAID. The base IDIQ contracts will have for an anticipated one year with four option periods. Page Limitations: Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored Capability Statement not to exceed 10 pages, excluding resumes. Capability Statements must not include links to internet web site addresses (URLs) or otherwise direct readers to alternate sources of information. Font size must be 10 to 12 points. Spacing must be no more than 15 characters per inch. Within a vertical inch, there must be no more than six lines of text. Print margins must be at least one inch on each edge of the paper. Print setup should be single sided on standard letter size paper (8.5 x 11" in the U.S., A4 in Europe). All proprietary information should be marked as such. Required Business Information: • DUNS. • Company Name. • Company Address. • Company Point of Contact, Phone and Email address • Current GSA Schedules and/or Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) appropriate to this Sources Sought. • Do you have a Government approved accounting system? If so, please identify the agency that approved the system. • Type of Company (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.) as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM) located at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/index.jsf. This indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your Capability Statement (preferable placed under the eligible small business concern’s name and address). Number of Copies: Please submit one (1) electric copy of your response as follows: All Capability Statements sent in response to this Small Business Sources Sought notice must be submitted electronically (via e-mail) to both Marvin Barnett, Contract Specialist, at Marvin.Barnett@nih.gov; Kristel Ruch, Contract Specialist, Kristel.Ruch@nih.gov; and Mary Muir, Contracting Officer, mary.muir@nih.gov in MS Word or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). The e-mail subject line must specify HHS – NIH – NIAID(AO) – 22 - 007. Facsimile responses will not be accepted. Common Cut-off Date: Electronically submitted tailored capability statements are due no later than 2:00 PM (Eastern Prevailing Time) on December 8th, 2021. CAPABILITY STATEMENTS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE AND TIME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. 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 to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. 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. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published at beta.SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. 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).”