Modification 1 (07.26.23) . This modification makes the following revisions to this RFQ: (a) Adds a Questions and Answers document. (b) Revises Attachment 2 - Statement of Work to read “ISO 17025:2017” for every instance of the term “ISO 17025” for clarity and consistency. (c) Revises Attachment 2 - Statement of Work to read “certificate of calibration or certified calibration report” in every instance of the term “certificate of calibration” for clarity and consistency with the Questions and Answers document. (d) Revises the requirement for original manufacturer’s parts in Attachment 2 - Statement of Work. (e) Adds a Phase II quote requirement related to a vendor list for repair parts if other than original manufacturer’s parts for repair are proposed. (f) Adds an element to the technical approach evaluation factor related to the use of original manufacturer’s parts and other than original manufacturer’s parts for repair. The Questions and Answers are provided in “Questions and answers_07.26.23.pdf,” which is attached to this notice. The revised version of Attachment 2 - Statement of Work is provided in “Attachment 2 - Statement of work_updated 07.26.23.docx,” which is also attached to this notice. Revisions to the Statement of Work are shown through tracked changes. ___________________________ (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. (b) The solicitation number is 75D30123Q76743. This solicitation is being issued as a request for quotations (RFQ) under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.5. (c) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-04. (d) This acquisition is a total set-aside for women-owned small business (WOSB) concerns . The NAICS code is 811210 and the small business size standard is $34.0 million. (e) Description. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Influenza Division requires the calibration, preventative maintenance, and repair of its pipettes, repeaters, and motorized pipette controllers. See Attachment 1, Supplies or services and prices/costs , for the list of line items, quantities, and options. See Attachment 2, Statement of work , and Appendix 1 to Attachment 2, Pipette inventory and calibration schedule . The Government contemplates the award of a purchase order with firm-fixed-price and time-and-materials line items resulting from this solicitation. (f) The period of performance is September 8, 2023, to September 7, 2025, inclusive of a one-year base period and one-year option period. The principal place of performance is Building 17 of the CDC Roybal campus located at 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. (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 these addresses: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far https://www.acquisition.gov/hhsar (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) The vendor’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) must be included in its Phase I quote. All vendors must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. Either the vendor’s sam.gov registration must reflect its designation as a certified WOSB concern, or the vendor must have a pending application for certification in the Small Business Administration’s Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). (2) This procurement will be conducted in two phases. The Government will conduct an advisory downselect between phases. (i) Phase I quotes . In the first phase, vendors shall submit a three-page paper describing their experience and capabilities. The document shall be formatted on 8.5 inch x 11 inch pages; there are no other formatting requirements. Phase I quotes are due by Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time (ET) . The paper shall address: (A) Whether the vendor is accredited to ISO 17025:2017, ISO 8655, and ANSI/Z540.3. Vendors are required to be accredited to ISO 17025:2017. Accreditation to ISO 8655 and ANSI/Z540.3 is preferred but not required. (B) The vendor’s experience providing on-site calibration, preventative maintenance, and repair services for a similar number and type of pipettes, repeaters, and motorized pipette controllers compared to this requirement, in a GLP environment. (C) The vendor’s experience and capabilities to calibrate and service a large volume of equipment (over one hundred pieces) during a single on-site session. (D) The vendor’s experience and capabilities to repair pipettes, repeaters, and motorized pipette controllers of the type in this requirement. (E) 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 telephone number and/or 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. (ii) Advisory downselect . The Government will evaluate Phase I quotes under the experience and capabilities evaluation factor. Following this evaluation, the Government will issue advisory downselect notices to all vendors who submitted a Phase I quote. The advisory notice will advise the vendor of the Government’s recommendation for the vendor to proceed or not proceed with a Phase II quote, based on the evaluation results under the experience and capabilities evaluation factor. 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. (iii) Phase II quotes . Vendors remaining in the competition will submit Phase II quotes. Phase II quotes are due by August 18, 2023, at 4:30pm ET. Phase II quotes shall include three parts: a slide deck, price proposal, and any required representations and certifications. (A) Slide deck. Vendors shall submit a slide deck in .ppt or .pdf format in advance of an oral presentation. The slide deck shall address the vendor’s approach to accomplish the tasks of this requirement. The vendor shall specifically address (but is not limited to) the vendor’s proposed approach to and schedule for on-site visits; the vendor’s calibration process; the vendor’s preventative maintenance process, and the services that are included in preventative maintenance; any warranties the vendor proposes; the vendor’s process for training its technicians; and the vendor’s background checks of its staff. If the vendor proposes to use other than original manufacturer’s parts for repair, the vendor shall include its vendor list for repair parts in its slide deck. (B) Price proposal. Vendors shall submit a price proposal using Attachment 1, Supplies or services and prices/costs. This workbook contains three tabs to be completed by the vendor: (a) Base Period tab. Vendors shall provide firm-fixed-price, per service unit prices in column D (“Unit Price”) for sub-CLINs 000101 through 000112. (b) Option Period 1 tab. Vendors shall provide firm-fixed-price, per service unit prices in column D (“Unit Price”) for sub-CLINs 100101 through 100112. (c) Repair labor rates tab. Vendors shall provide the labor category and corresponding labor rates for the labor category that will perform repair services under this purchase order. Labor rates are required for both the Base Period and Option Period 1. (C) Any required representations and certifications, including, as applicable, FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services ; FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment ; FAR 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation ; FAR 52.222-48, Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment-Certification ; and CDC42.0001, Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Requirements . (iv) Phase II oral presentation . An oral presentation will be held with each vendor participating in Phase II. (A) The oral presentation will be scheduled on August 22, 2023, or August 23, 2023. The Government will schedule the oral presentation following the advisory downselect. (B) The Government intends to hold the oral presentation virtually via a Microsoft Teams meeting. Once the oral presentation is scheduled, the Government will provide the vendor with a meeting invite link. (C) The oral presentation session will be scheduled for 60 minutes. The vendor will have no more than 45 minutes to deliver its presentation. The Government may ask clarification questions or engage in interactive dialogue both during and after the vendor’s presentation. Exchanges between the Government and the vendor are viewed as a component of the oral presentation itself and do not constitute discussions or negotiations. At minimum, the vendor’s proposed project manager or equivalent position shall attend the oral presentation. The vendor is not restricted in the number of briefers that are used to deliver the oral presentation or respond to Government questions. 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. A slide deck must accompany the oral presentation. The Government will display the slide deck submitted with the Phase II quote during the meeting and will advance the slides at the direction of the vendor. The Government may record the oral presentation. (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. The non-price factors, when combined, are approximately equal in importance to price. (1) Experience and capabilities. The Government will evaluate this factor using Phase I quotes. This factor will be evaluated based on: (i) whether the vendor is accredited to ISO 17025:2017, ISO 8655, and ANSI/Z540.3; (ii) the vendor’s experience and capabilities to provide on-site calibration, preventative maintenance, and repair services for a similar number and type of pipettes, repeaters, and motorized pipette controllers compared to this requirement, in a GLP environment; (iii) the vendor’s experience and capabilities to calibrate and service a large volume of equipment (over one hundred pieces) during a single on-site session; (iv) and the vendor’s experience and capabilities to repair pipettes, repeaters, and motorized pipette controllers of the type in this requirement. (2) Technical approach. The Government will evaluate this factor using the vendor’s oral presentation during Phase II, including any exchanges between the Government and the vendor during the oral presentation. This factor will be evaluated based on the feasibility and potential efficiency and effectiveness of the vendor’s proposed approach to accomplish the tasks of this requirement. The Government will specifically evaluate: (i) the vendor’s proposed approach to on-site visits; (ii) the vendor’s calibration process; (iii) the vendor’s preventative maintenance process, the services that are included in preventative maintenance, and the value that these services provide to the Government; (iv) any warranties the vendor proposes and their benefit to the Government; (v) the quality of the vendor’s training of its technicians; (vi) the vendor’s background checks of its staff; (vii) and the degree to which the vendor will use original manufacturer’s parts for repair or, where original manufacturer’s parts will not be used, the quality of the other than original manufacturer’s parts proposed. (3) Past performance. The Government will evaluate this factor using information obtained from the past performance references submitted by the vendor in its Phase I quote, and any past performance information obtained from other sources. This factor will be evaluated based on the vendor’s record of successful past performance on similar requirements. (4) Price. (i) For CLIN 0001, the Government will sum the vendor’s proposed extended firm-fixed-prices for sub-CLINs 000101 through 000112 to arrive at a single price for CLIN 0001. (ii) For CLIN 1001, the Government will sum the vendor’s proposed extended firm-fixed-prices for sub-CLINs 100101 through 100112 to arrive at a single price for CLIN 1001. The Government will include the proposed pricing for this option period in its price evaluation. (iii) Please note that the Government intends to award CLIN 0002 and CLIN 1002 with a value of $26,000, which will be used for repair parts and labor. This will not , however, be the evaluated price for these CLINs. For CLIN 0002 and CLIN 1002, the Government will apply the vendor’s proposed labor rates to an estimated number of hours to arrive at a total evaluated price for CLIN 0002 and CLIN 1002. The Government will include evaluated pricing for the option period in its price evaluation. The Government will sum the vendor’s proposed price for CLIN 0001 and CLIN 1001, and the Government’s evaluated price for CLIN 0002 and CLIN 1002, to arrive at a single total evaluated price for each vendor, which will be used for the price factor. (j) The Government may perform a comparative evaluation (comparing quotes to each other) to select the contractor that is best suited and provides the best value, considering the evaluation factors in this solicitation. (k) Once the Government determines the vendor that is best suited for the requirement (i.e., the apparent successful vendor), the Government 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, the Government will finalize a purchase order with that vendor. If the parties cannot successfully negotiate all remaining issues, as determined at the sole discretion of the Government, the Government 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. (l) The Government may elect to incorporate service level standards or warranties for calibration, preventative maintenance, or repair services that are proposed by the apparent successful vendor in its quote. The incorporation of service level standards or warranties would be negotiated with the apparent successful vendor before award of a purchase order. (m) 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 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. (n) 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 Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021). See full text of this provision in Attachment 3. Vendors must complete and return a copy of this representation with their Phase II quote. (4) FAR 52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation (Oct 2020). See full text of this provision in Attachment 3. Vendors must complete and return a copy of this representation with their Phase II quote. (5) FAR 52.222-48 Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment-Certification (May 2014). See full text of this provision in Attachment 3. Vendors must complete and return a copy of this representation with their Phase II quote. (6) CDC42.0001 Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Requirements (Aug 2021). See full text of this provision in Attachment 3. Vendors must complete and return a copy of this representation with the business volume. (o) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. (p) 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 4, Full text of FAR 52.212-5. (q) 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 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (4) FAR 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Contractors (Mar 2023). (5) HHSAR 352.222-70 Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (Dec 2015). (6) HHSAR 352.232-71 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (February 2, 2022). (7) CDC0.G008 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) (Jul 2017). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (8) CDC0_G018 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer (Feb 2018). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (9) CDC0.H022 Smoke Free Working Environment (May 2009). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (10) CDCA.H037 Observance of Legal Holidays and Administrative Leave (Government Facilities Performance) (Jul 2021). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (11) CDCA.H042 Records Management Obligations (Jun 2020). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (12) CDC37.0001 Non-Personal Services (Jun 2020). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (13) CDC42.0002 Evaluation of Contractor Performance Utilizing CPARS (Aug 2021). See full text of this clause in Attachment 3. (r) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) does not apply to this acquisition. (s) Any inquiries regarding this solicitation must be sent to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at
[email protected]. Please submit any questions by July 25, 2023 . The Government may not answer questions received after July 25, 2023. (t) Phase I quotes are to be submitted by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at
[email protected], no later than July 27, 2023, at 4:30pm ET . Attachments: 1 - Supplies or services and prices/costs. 2 - Statement of work. Appendix 1 - Pipette inventory and calibration schedule. 3 - Additional provisions and clauses. 4 - Full text of FAR 52.212-5.