In accordance with FAR Part 10, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is conducting marketing research by issuing this request for information to locate Small Businesses capable of providing administrative, technical and logistical support services for HRSA's Objective Review Committee Face-to-Face Meetings and for HRSA's Objective Review Committee Teleconference and Field Review Meetings. Support is required to plan, direct and execute the independent review of applications for HRSA grants and cooperative agreements. The contractor should have the staff, facilities, equipment and capabilities to perform the following: 1. Assist HRSA in securing and assigning review participants into review groups called panels. 2. The pick up, inventory, assignment, and mail out of review materials. 3. Arrange travel, lodging, and reimbursement for review participants. 4. Arrange and pay for meeting logistics. 5. Deliver final electronic and paper copies of documents to HRSA after the meeting. 6. Use general and specific security measures as appropriate to safeguard government information, documents, and equipment used for review meetings. 7. Prepare various administrative, financial and progress reports. Specifically, the tasks included in any resultant contract are included in four areas: Pre-Review Planning; Reviews; Post-Review; and Closeout. Pre-Review Activities include: selecting qualified review participants; receiving and processing applications; confirming the review approach; making logistical arrangements; assigning applications to individual review participants; preparing and transmitting review materials to review participants; assigning review participants to panels; informing review participants of confidentiality requirements; and conducting a pre-review orientation with review participants. Conduct of the Review Activities include: preliminary reviewer assessments; review of applications; scoring of applications and determining eligibility for funding factors; budget discussion, proposed award conditions, and recommendations. Post-Review Activities include: calculating overall scores; generating rank order lists; submitting a draft and final Summary Statement; transmitting review results; holding debriefings; completing the official review file; and compensating review participants. Closeout Activities include: scanning and copying documents to CDs. Capability statements should demonstrate experiences with and the ability to perform grant and cooperative agreement reviews and logistical services. Organizations should demonstrate capability to administer and coordinate interrelated tasks in an effective and timely manner as well as organizing and managing resources and personnel effectively. Organizations should demonstrate competence in starting projects quickly, conducting multiple projects concurrently, completing tasks within short time frames, and assuring quality of products. Organizations should also possess financial, accounting and reporting systems as well as an IT infrastructure capable of supporting the project. Staff should be competent with DHHS independent grant review processes, meeting logistics, meeting preparation, and meeting travel for health-related programs similar to those administered by HRSA. Documentation may include Government and commercial contracts, providing references (with names, telephone numbers, and email address) and any other information serving to document the organization's capability. In accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3, Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes, (a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this notice or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the FAR; (b) Although proposal and offeror are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal; (c) This notice is issued for the purpose of conducting market research. Any Small Businesses may submit a letter of interest and/or capability statement, and it must be received in this office by 10:00 a.m. on November 16, 2007 by post office mail, email, or fax to the following address: DHHS/HRSA/DPM; Attn: Diane Coger; 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13A-19; Rockville, MD 20857; voice (301) 443-2583; fax (301) 443-5462;
[email protected]. THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. RATHER, THE MARKET RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE CAPABLE SMALL BUSINESSES TO PERFORM THE CONTRACT. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT COMMITTED TO AWARD A CONTRACT PURSUANT TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. RESPONSES SHALL NOT INCLUDE COST OR PRICING INFORMATION.