Inactive Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

1. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in, and the resources to perform a comprehe... 1. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is issuing this Sources Sought Notice as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in, and the resources to perform a comprehensive assessment of the Academy’s SAPR program, identify areas for improvement, and to provide guidance on the steps necessary to make those improvements. This notice shall not be construed as a formal solicitation or an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. In addition, it does not guarantee that a subsequent solicitation will be issued. Submission of any information in response to this Sources Sought Notice is voluntary and will assist in selecting the appropriate solicitation type/method. Costs associated with any submission shall not be reimbursed by the Government. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT SEEKING PROPOSALS AND WILL NOT ACCEPT UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS. 2. The proposed NAICS for this effort is 541612, Human Resources Consulting Services. Comments on this NAICS and suggestions for alternative codes are welcome and must include supporting rationale. 3. SUBMISSION INFORMATION: A. COVER SHEET - 1 page i. Vendor name, address, website, Data Universal Numbering Systems (DUNS) Number, and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code. ii. Point of contact to include e-mail address and telephone number. iii. Type of business, including socio-economic category (Large, Small, 8(a) Participant, Small Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone, Woman-Owned Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, or Non Profit) iv. If applicable, GSA contract number, schedule, or any IDIQ vehicles this type of service could be ordered against. B. CAPABILITIES STATEMENT & MARKET INFORMATION (Response to Section B should be no more than 8 pages) i. Please describe your capabilities to provide the following: - Assessment of sexual assault prevention and response programs in an institution of higher education. - Analysis and development of Title IX compliant policies and procedures related to reporting and preventing sexual assault, sexual and gender-based harassment, relationship violence, stalking and retaliation at an institute of higher education. - Provide recommendations for infrastructure additions and improvements to better support the proposed policies and procedures. - Generate reports outlining the areas of concern, strengths, opportunities for improvement, and organizational recommendations. ii. Industry feedback is requested on meeting the requirements identified in this Sources Sought Notice. Additionally, the Government seeks answers to the following questions concerning this Notice. Please consider providing responses: - Your opinion about the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirements, possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the marketplace, and information regarding innovative ideas or concepts; - Your staff expertise, including your availability, experience, formal training, and any other training; - Your current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work described. C. BACKGROUND/PAST EXPERIENCE (Response to Section C should be no more than 8 pages) i. Please describe your organization's breadth of experience in the following: - Reviewing and revising Title IX policies to comply with applicable authorities and best and emerging practices in an institute of higher education. - Conducting outreach and information gathering with a variety of stakeholders, including students, to ascertain the nature and extent of sexual assault, sexual and gender-based harassment, relationship violence, stalking and retaliation at an institute of higher education. - Analyzing an institute of higher education’s existing Title IX training and recommending appropriate changes. - Assessing the quality and effectiveness of reporting procedures available to survivors relating to sexual assault, sexual and gender-based harassment, relationship violence, stalking, and retaliation. - Assessing staffing and leadership attitudes at institutes of higher education to determine adequacy of addressing sexual assault, sexual and gender-based harassment, relationship violence, stalking, and retaliation. - Communicating clearly and concisely with leadership, staff and students in a multidisciplinary setting. - Assisting with the implementation of new Title IX policies and procedures ii. Provide the following information on two (2) similar projects in an environment of similar scale completed within the last five (5) years for which your company was a prime or sub-contractor. a. The name and value of each project; b. The name, address, telephone and email address for point of contact; c. A description of each project, including challenges and successes; and d. Your company's role and services provided for each project. 4. All interested and capable contractors are encouraged to respond. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the Sources Sought evaluation. The results of this Sources Sought Notice will assist the Contracting Officer in determining whether an 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB), Certified HUBZone Small Business, Woman-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Small Business set-aside, or full and open competition is an acceptable strategy for this procurement. Responses to this synopsis may be used to aid in establishing realistic, achievable small business participation goals. 5. Interested contractors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to conduct business with the Government. Responders are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this Sources Sought Notice; all costs associated with responding will be solely at the interested party’s expense. All information received in response to this submission that is clearly marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made and submissions to this Sources Sought Notice will not be returned. 6. The information provided in this Sources Sought Notice is subject to change and is not binding on the U.S. Government. 7. RESPONSE DUE DATE: The Government requests that all responses be returned by 12:00 PM ET on March 3, 2022. All responses shall be submitted electronically to: Juebiline Mbandi (juebiline.mbandi@dot.gov).