Inactive

Update (July 10, 2024): Please find attached an updated and final questions and answers document, dated 7.10.24. New questions are numbered 14 through 27 on pages 5 through 9. Please also find an amen... Update (July 10, 2024): Please find attached an updated and final questions and answers document, dated 7.10.24. New questions are numbered 14 through 27 on pages 5 through 9. Please also find an amended version of Attachment 1 - Statement of work, and Attachment 2 - Price template, both dated 07.10.24. Phase I quotes remain due by Monday, July 22, 2024, at 4:30pm ET. Update (June 28, 2024): DFC is reopening this solicitation. Per the changes below, Phase I quotes are now due by Monday, July 22, 2024, at 4:30pm ET. Any inquiries are requested by Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 4:30pm ET. Update (June 20, 2024): The description for the capabilities and approach evaluation factor is revised to clarify that key personnel resumes will be evaluated under this factor, as shown in paragraph (i)(2) below. All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. Phase I quotes remain due by June 25, 2024, at 4:30pm ET, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Update (June 17, 2024): Please find attached an updated and final questions and answers document, dated 6.17.24. Phase I quotes are due by June 25, 2024, at 4:30pm ET, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Update (June 13, 2024): Please find attached an updated questions and answers document, dated 6.13.24. Please submit any questions by 4:30pm ET this Friday, June 14, 2024, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Update (June 11, 2024): Please find attached an updated questions and answers document, dated 6.11.24. Please submit any questions by 4:30pm ET this Friday, June 14, 2024, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Update (June 10, 2024): Please find attached the initial questions and answers document, dated 6.10.24. Please submit any questions by 4:30pm ET this Friday, June 14, 2024, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. (a) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Please note that this combined synopsis/solicitation supersedes all information provided before, during, or after the pre-solicitation meeting held on May 16, 2024. (b) The solicitation number is 77344424Q0143. This solicitation is being issued as a request for quotations (RFQ) under the authority of FAR Part 13. (c) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2024-05. (d) This acquisition is unrestricted and is not set-aside for small business concerns. (e) Description. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Office of Development Policy (ODP) requires a contractor to recommend and support DFC’s implementation of a comprehensive plan to further incorporate appropriate client protection standards (CPS) strategy into the DFC investment process, from origination through underwriting, informed by benchmarking against other development finance institutions. This includes developing guidance documentation, documented through standard operating procedures and other materials, and resources for DFC on CPS. The contractor shall subsequently disseminate this information by providing various virtual and/or hybrid interactive training courses to educate responsible parties at DFC on their roles and responsibilities to include detailed training on the CERISE+SPTF client protection auditing process and interpretation of data submitted in the CERISE+SPTF Client Protection Self-Assessment. The contractor shall provide virtual/hybrid training, develop course material, and conduct participant evaluations. See Attachment 1, statement of work. DFC contemplates the award of a single purchase order resulting from this solicitation. (f) Contract line items (CLINs). (1) CLIN: 0001 (i) Description: DFC Client Protection Procedures Implementation & Training. Time-and-materials line item. To be invoiced in accordance with paragraph (i) of FAR 52.212-4 Alt I. Period of performance: Two years from the award date. (ii) Quantity: 1 Ea (iii) Price: $____ (2) CLIN: 0002 (i) Description: Travel in support of hybrid training. The contractor shall obtain written approval from the COR prior to undertaking any travel. All travel will be reimbursed at-cost in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). Cost only. Period of performance: Two years from the award date. (ii) Quantity: 1 Ea (iii) Price: $____ (g) This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions and contract 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. The vendor is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the vendor and submitted with its quotation. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the vendor 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 or contract clause may be accessed electronically at the following address: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far. (h) The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. The following addenda apply to this provision: (1) Vendors must be registered in SAM.gov when submitting a quote. If a vendor submits a Phase I quote and is not registered in SAM.gov, that quote shall be rejected. Vendors that have their Phase I quote rejected by DFC will not receive any further consideration; they will not be permitted an opportunity to revise their quote and will not be permitted to participate in Phase II. Please see FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management. Vendors shall include their unique entity identifier (UEI) on all submissions. (2) This procurement will be conducted in two phases. DFC will conduct an advisory downselect between phases. (3) Phase I question-and-answer (Q&A) period. Any inquiries regarding this solicitation must be sent to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Please submit any questions by 4:30pm ET on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. DFC may not answer questions received after this date. DFC intends to answer all submitted questions by Monday, July 15, 2024, although this date is subject to change. (4) Phase I. In the first phase, vendors shall submit an experience paper and past performance references: (i) Experience paper. A brief discussion of the vendor’s experience (1) working with CPS and (2) working with development finance institutions (DFIs), to include the design and implementation of policies and procedures and any work with DFIs on CPS. This paper is limited to five pages. This document shall be formatted on 8.5-inch x 11-inch pages. The five-page limit does not apply to any cover pages, tables of acronyms, and tables of contents submitted with the paper. These elements will be read but not evaluated. The five-page limit includes any submitted cover letters, executive summaries, or any other element not specifically exempted. To calculate the five-page limit, DFC will begin counting pages with the first page in the submission and count subsequent pages in order. Pages which are explicitly exempted from the five-page maximum will not be counted. Once this count reaches the maximum allowable five pages, DFC will stop reading the quote with that final, fifth page. DFC will not consider any pages submitted in excess of the maximum allowable pages. The minimum font size is 10 points for all elements of the document (e.g., body text, graphics, tables). (ii) Past performance references. A list of three past performance references, including the name of the customer organization, contract number (if applicable), a short description of the services provided, the name and e-mail address for a customer point of contact, the dollar value of the contract/project, and the period of performance of the contract/project. References should be for contracts/projects that are either on-going or completed no longer than three years ago as of the due date for Phase I quotes. Vendors are required to submit a response to this requirement. If a vendor does not have relevant past performance references, the vendor shall so state. There is no formatting or page length requirements for the past performance references. (iii) Phase I quotes are due by Monday, July 22, 2024, at 4:30pm ET, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Vendors may either combine the experience paper and the past performance references into a single document, provided that each element is clearly labeled, or submit the experience paper and the past performance references in two separate documents. Any documents submitted in addition to the experience paper and the past performance references will not be evaluated. If a vendor fails to submit either the experience paper or the past performance references, in accordance with the above instructions, then DFC may find the Phase I quote unacceptable and reject the quote. Vendors that have their Phase I quote rejected by DFC will not receive any further consideration; they will not be permitted an opportunity to revise their quote and will not be permitted to participate in Phase II. Late submissions will not be accepted. (5) Advisory downselect. DFC will evaluate Phase I quotes under the experience evaluation factor using the vendor’s experience paper. Following this evaluation, DFC will issue advisory downselect notices to all remaining vendors who submitted a Phase I quote. DFC anticipates providing the advisory downselect notices on or about Friday, July 26, 2024, but this date is subject to change. The advisory notice will advise the vendor of DFC’s recommendation for the vendor to proceed or not proceed with a Phase II quote, based on the evaluation results in Phase I. The advisory downselect process is designed to reduce the costs and burden to industry to participate in the earliest phase of the acquisition while providing an opportunity for vendors who stand little to no chance of receiving an award to minimize their bid and proposal costs by not continuing to Phase II. Vendors must submit a Phase I quote to participate in Phase II. (6) Phase II Q&A period. Vendors participating in Phase II will be provided an opportunity to submit additional questions in writing. All questions must be sent to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. Questions will be due by 4:30pm ET on Monday, August 12, 2024. DFC may not answer questions received after this date. DFC intends to answer all submitted questions by Wednesday, August 14, 2024, although this date is subject to change. (7) Phase II. Vendors remaining in the competition will participate in Phase II, which has three parts: an oral presentation, key personnel resumes, and price. (i) Oral presentation. (A) Vendors shall provide a one-hour oral presentation to DFC. The presentation shall address: (1) A brief case study regarding the vendor’s experience designing and implementing policies and procedures at a DFI. The case study shall focus on one project at a DFI and include a discussion of the goal of the project, the vendor’s approach, challenges encountered, and results achieved. DFC is interested in learning about the vendor’s experience designing and implementing policies and procedures at a DFI through this project-specific case study and what lessons the vendor has learned through that experience. The selected project need not focus on CPS directly but should be related to environmental and social policies, financial inclusion, or the DFI investment process. (2) The vendor’s capabilities and qualifications to implement CPS. (3) The vendor’s technical approach to this requirement, including the vendor’s understanding of the requirement and strategy for accomplishing each task, including the phasing of tasks and methods to be used. (4) The vendor’s approach to staffing this project, including estimated labor categories and estimated labor hours per labor category per each of the three tasks for this project. The vendor shall include a discussion of the qualifications of its proposed key personnel as well as the qualifications of any non-key personnel. (5) The vendor’s management approach, including organizational structure; management of staff and any subcontractors; stakeholder management; project schedule/timeline; resources proposed, including information technology; communications plan; and quality assurance. (B) The oral presentation will occur on either Wednesday, August 28, 2024, or Thursday, August 29, 2024. The specific date and time will be scheduled with each remaining vendor following the advisory downselect. (C) Vendors must submit a slide deck to accompany the oral presentation. The slide deck is due by Friday, August 23, 2024, at 4:30pm ET, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. (D) DFC intends to hold the oral presentations virtually via a Microsoft Teams meeting. Once the oral presentation is scheduled, DFC will provide the vendor with a meeting invite link. After the Microsoft Teams meeting starts, the vendor’s briefer will be asked to share their screen to deliver the presentation. (E) During the oral presentation, DFC may ask clarification questions or engage in interactive dialogue. Exchanges between DFC and the vendor are viewed as a component of the oral presentation itself and do not constitute negotiations. (F) The vendor is not restricted in the number of briefers that are used to deliver the oral presentation or respond to DFC’s questions. The vendor’s proposed project manager/lead must attend the oral presentation. The vendor’s briefer(s) must be an employee of the vendor or a proposed subcontractor. A vendor may only attend one oral presentation, whether for itself as the proposed prime contractor or as a proposed subcontractor for another vendor. (G) DFC intends to record the oral presentation. The recording will be saved to DFC’s file as the record of the oral presentation. DFC does not intend to share the recording with the vendor. (ii) Key personnel resumes. Please submit a resume or CV for your proposed key personnel to be listed in section 5.0 of the statement of work. (A) DFC contemplates that the following key personnel will be needed to perform this requirement, but quoters may propose alternative key personnel: (1) Project Manager/Senior Specialist. (2) Development Finance Institution Specialist. (3) Client Protection Standards Specialist. (B) Irrespective of the key personnel labor categories proposed, DFC desires the following qualifications of the key personnel: (1) Ten of more years’ experience supporting DFIs and/or multilateral development banks in the development and implementation of environmental and social policies and procedures. (2) Experience developing financial inclusion metrics with various financial service providers. (3) Experience with DFI incorporation and implementation of CPS in screening, diligence, and monitoring. (4) Knowledge of past and present client protection paradigms and data resources including the SMART Campaign, CERISE+SPTF, MFR Global Rating, ATLAS, and others. (5) Knowledge of global contextual and legal requirements related to client protection. (6) In depth knowledge and expertise of various client protection principles including appropriate product design and delivery, preventing over-indebtedness, transparency, responsible pricing, fair and respectful treatment of clients, privacy and confidentiality of client data, mechanisms for complaint resolution, and governance and human resources. (7) Familiarity with the IFC Performance Standards and related environmental, social, and human rights standards applied in the development finance context. (8) Excellent verbal and written communication and grammatical skills. (C) Key personnel resumes are due by Friday, August 23, 2024, at 4:30pm ET, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. (iii) Price. Vendors shall submit pricing information for contract line items (CLINs) 0001 and 0002 by submitting Attachment 2, price template, and a price narrative. (A) CLIN 0001, DFC Client Protection Procedures Implementation & Training. This CLIN will be priced on a time-and-materials basis. (1) For the labor estimate, please complete tab (a) of Attachment 2, price template, by providing your proposed labor categories, labor rates, and labor hours per task area. A labor rates table will populate in tab (b) of Attachment 2, price template, based on the information entered on tab (a). This labor rates table will be included in any resulting purchase order award and govern the rates paid for the respective labor category. (2) The materials estimate includes direct materials, subcontracts for supplies and incidental services for which there is not a labor category proposed under the labor estimate, other direct costs, and applicable indirect costs. If any of these costs are proposed, please complete tab (c) of Attachment 2, price template, by providing your material item, quantity, and unit price. (B) CLIN 0002, Travel. Travel may be proposed to conduct hybrid training (i.e., training provided in-person with the option for simultaneous virtual attendance). This CLIN provides funding for estimated travel costs and will be paid at cost. All travel costs will be paid in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). Vendors shall provide an estimated travel cost, based on the rules in FTR, corresponding to their proposed approach for any on-site travel to DFC’s headquarters to conduct hybrid training. If travel costs are proposed, please complete tab (d) of Attachment 2, price template, by providing a list of proposed trips and estimated costs for airfare/transportation, per diem, and miscellaneous expenses for each trip. Further guidance for developing the travel estimate is provided in tab (e) of Attachment 2, price template. An example of a completed travel estimate is provided in tab (f) of Attachment 2, price template, for reference. (C) The vendor’s price per CLIN and total proposed price will calculate on tab (g) of Attachment 2, price template. (D) In addition to submitting Attachment 2, price template, vendors shall also submit a brief price narrative. The narrative shall address the rationale for the proposed pricing and any assumptions the vendor has made in developing its prices. If materials or travel is estimated, please include the basis for the estimates provided, including items such as subcontractor quotes or airfare estimates (including the basis for any cost escalation applied to estimates). There is no formatting or page length requirements for the price narrative. (E) Pricing is due by Friday, August 23, 2024, at 4:30pm ET, by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at joshua.houston@dfc.gov. (i) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies. The specific evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of that provision are as follows. This is a best value acquisition using a tradeoff process. The non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than price. (1) Experience. DFC will evaluate this factor using the experience paper submitted in Phase I. This factor will be evaluated based on the vendor’s experience working with CPS and working with DFIs, to include the design and implementation of policies and procedures and any work with DFIs on CPS. (2) Capabilities and approach. The Government will evaluate this factor using the oral presentation and key personnel resumes submitted in Phase II. This factor will be evaluated based on the vendor’s experience designing and implementing policies and procedures at a DFI; capabilities to implement CPS; the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the vendor’s proposed technical approach to this requirement; the vendor’s proposed staffing approach to this requirement, including the suitability, experience, and skill set of the proposed key personnel and other staff, and the sufficiency of the estimated level of effort; and the feasibility and effectiveness of the vendor’s proposed management approach to accomplish this requirement. (3) Past performance. DFC will evaluate this factor using information obtained from the past performance references submitted by the vendor in Phase I, and any past performance information obtained from other sources. This factor will be evaluated based on the vendor’s record of recent successful past performance on similar requirements. (4) Price. (i) DFC will evaluate this factor using the price submitted in Phase II. (ii) DFC will evaluate price for reasonableness by adding together the vendor’s proposed prices for CLINs 0001 and 0002. DFC will only make an award at a fair and reasonable price. (iii) DFC will evaluate the realism of the materials cost proposed under CLIN 0001 and the travel costs proposed under CLIN 0002 to ensure that these proposed costs are realistic and in line with the vendor’s technical approach to the requirement. DFC may reject a quote if the costs estimated for materials and/or travel are determined to be unrealistic. (j) DFC seeks quotes with a price for less than or equal to $180,000. Vendors should not interpret this figure as a ceiling or floor on quotes; rather, this information is provided as a courtesy to prospective vendors. DFC may select a quote for award with a price below, at, or exceeding this figure, if DFC determines that the quote provides the best value and funds are available. (k) DFC intends to make an award without entering into negotiations with vendors. DFC reserves the right to open negotiations with vendors if negotiations are determined by DFC to be necessary, however. (l) Once DFC determines the vendor that is best suited for the requirement (i.e., the apparent successful vendor), DFC reserves the right to communicate with only that vendor to address any remaining issues for negotiation. These issues may involve technical matters and price. If the parties successfully negotiate all remaining issues, DFC will finalize a purchase order with that vendor. If the parties cannot successfully negotiate all remaining issues, as determined at the sole discretion of DFC, DFC reserves the right to communicate with the next best-suited vendor based on the original evaluation results to address any remaining issues for negotiation with that vendor. (m) DFC anticipates making award of a purchase order on or about Friday, September 6, 2024. This date is subject to change. (n) Vendors are advised to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, with their Phase I quote. If the vendor has completed FAR 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the vendor does not need to provide a completed copy with its quote. (o) The following provisions also apply to this solicitation: (1) FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (Oct 2018). (2) FAR 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020). (3) FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021). (4) FAR 52.216-31 Time-and-Materials/Labor-Hour Proposal Requirements—Commercial Acquisition (Nov 2021). (5) FAR 52.229-11 Tax on Certain Foreign Procurements—Notice and Representation (Jun 2020). (p) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. (q) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. See full text of this clause in Attachment 3, Full text of FAR 52.212-5. (r) The following clauses also apply to this solicitation: (1) FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018). (2) FAR 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020). (3) FAR 52.204-21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (Nov 2021). (4) FAR 52.224-1 Privacy Act Notification (Apr 1984). (5) FAR 52.224-2 Privacy Act (Apr 1984). (6) FAR 52.224-3 Privacy Training (Jan 2017). (7) FAR 52.227-17, Rights in Data-Special Works (Dec 2007). (8) DFC.003 GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL MONITOR. See full text of this clause in Attachment 4, Additional clauses. (9) DFC.009 CONFIDENTIALITY. See full text of this clause in Attachment 4, Additional clauses. (11) DFC.026 ELECTRONIC INVOICING AND PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS - INVOICE PROCESSING PLATFORM (IPP). See full text of this clause in Attachment 4, Additional clauses. (12) DFC.028 SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENTS. See full text of this clause in Attachment 4, Additional clauses. (s) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) does not apply to this acquisition. Attachments: 1 - Statement of work. 2 - Price template. 3 - Full text of FAR 52.212-5. 4 - Additional clauses.