This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation document, D15PS00742, is a Request for Quotes (RFQ) and incorporates FAR provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-83. The associated NAICS code is 519130; small business size standard is 500 employees. This requirement is for the following commercial item: 1. REQUIREMENT: Electronic Environmental Daily News Service Subscription for Public Land Managers 1.1 Topics covered will include current global event coverage of relevant energy and environmental issues, industry trends, markets, scientific advances, and local, state, federal, and international governmental policy and political happenings. 1.2 Subscription issues shall be delivered electronically to Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Office of Wildland Fire subscribers. Subscription recipient office will have log-in and password access to archived material hosted by the subscription provider. 1.3 Daily news updates will be provided via email to the end-user account. Updates will be provided to multiple recipients daily, a minimum of Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays, on a variety of environmental topics. 1.4 Exemplar subscription samples or electronic links to samples offered may be included with solicitation response. 1.5 Electronic subscription shall be provided for the base period of January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016. If any options are exercised, subscriptions shall continue without lapse. Offeror shall quote prices for base year and for each option year. Base Year - January 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016. Option 1 - January 1, 2017 - December 31, 2017. Option 2 - January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018. Option 3 - January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018. 2. OFFEROR REQUIREMENTS 2.1 This solicitation is set-side for small businesses. 2.2 The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is 519130 -Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals), with a small business size standard of 500 Employees. (The small business size standard is the largest that a concern can be and still qualify as a small business for Federal Government programs. For the most part, size standards are the average annual receipts or the average employment of a firm. More information may be obtained from the Small Business Administration website located at www.sba.gov. SBA Small Business Size Standards website is https://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-size-standards.) 2.3 One firm-fixed-price contract will be awarded. The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Comparative evaluations of offers will be conducted to determine which product is most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government will apply the annual subscription prices in acceptable offers, including option year unit prices. The totals for each subscription year annual price for all years will be added together to arrive at the estimated evaluated price for each offeror. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 2.3.1 Technical acceptability of offer, 2.3.2 Past performance, 2.3.3 Relevant organizational experience, and 2.3.4 Price. The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial, applies to this acquisition. If there is any conflict between 52.212-1 and this combined synopsis/solicitation, the combined synopsis/solicitation shall take precedence. 2.4 The quote shall include a description of the items being offered in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation. This may include product literature or other documents if necessary. The quote may include past performance information, but it is not required. 2.5 If offeror is a GSA schedule holder, all information requested must be provided, not just the offeror¿s schedule number. 2.6 Vendors interested in receiving an award to this solicitation must be able to demonstrate their qualifications to provide services required. 2.7 Interested offerors must be registered in the Government¿s contractor data base called System for Award Management located at www.sam.gov. Interested vendors may respond without being registered, however their registration must be completed prior to award of a contract. 2.8 Interested offerors must be willing to bill Department of the Interior electronically online using the U.S. Treasury¿s Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) system located at http://www.ipp.gov/ or to accept a Government charge card in payment for services rendered (Vendors not already registered with IPP will not be able to register until after contract award.) 3. INTERESTED OFFERORS shall submit their responses to the Contracting Officer: Helen Watson Phone 208-890-5448 Email
[email protected] 4. RESPONSES are due by 1700 (5:00PM MT), August 31, 2015. 5. SOLICITATION & CONTRACT PROVISIONS & CLAUSES 5.1 Department of the Interior Clauses: The following Department of the Interior clauses and regulations apply to this procurement and are incorporated by reference with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text: 5.1.1 Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation 1452.215-71, Title "Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information" April 1984. The full text of this clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.doi.gov/pam/programs/acquisition/pamareg.cfm. 5.1.2 Department of the Interior Acquisition Policy Release (DIAPR) 2013-04, Subject: Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) (April 2013). IPP website for vendor registration is http://www.ipp.gov/. Note: IPP registration is not difficult, but initiating process 7-10 days prior to submission of first invoice allows Treasury personnel to verify user data so that new user profile is set up before user is ready to invoice. The full text of this clauses may be accessed electronically at http://www.doi.gov/pam/programs/acquisition/diapr.cfm. 5.2 Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.252-01 Solicitation Clauses Incorporated by Reference ¿ Clauses are those in effect with Federal Acquisition Circular FAC-2005-83. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions 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 offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror 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 may be accessed electronically at this/ these address(es): https://www.acquisition.gov/far/ Provisions: 52.204-7 System for Award Management (Jul 2013); 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors¿Commercial Items (Apr 2014); 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (Mar 2015); The Offeror shall complete only paragraph (b) of this provision if the Offeror has completed the annual representations and certification electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) website accessed through http://www.acquisition.gov. If the Offeror has not completed the annual representations and certifications electronically, the Offeror shall complete only paragraphs (c) through (p) of this provision. Clauses: 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Jul 2013); 52.212-2 Evaluation¿Commercial Items (Oct 2014); 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions¿Commercial Items (May 2015) 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders¿Commercial Items (May 2015). The Contractor shall comply with the following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clauses, which are incorporated in this contract by reference, to implement provisions of law or Executive orders applicable to acquisitions of commercial items: 52.204-10 Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (Jul 2013) (Pub. L. 109-282) (31 U.S.C. 6101 note). 52.209-10 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations (Dec 2014) 52.219-6 Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside (Nov 2011) (15 U.S.C. 644). 52.219-28 Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jul 2013) (15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2)). 52.233-3 Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553). 52.233-4 Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Pub. L. 108-77, 108-78). 52.222-3 Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755). 52.222-19 Child Labor¿Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2014) (E.O. 13126). 52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Apr 2015). 52.222-26 Equal Opportunity (Apr 2015) (E.O. 11246). 52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (JUL 2014) (29 U.S.C. 793). 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons (Mar 2015) (22 U.S.C. chapter 78 and E.O. 13627). 52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging While Driving (Aug 2011) (E.O. 13513). 52.225-3 Buy American Act¿Free Trade Agreements¿Israeli Trade Act, Alternate I , (May 2014) 52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) (E.O.¿s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury). 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer¿System for Award Management (Jul 2013) (31 U.S.C. 3332). 52.232-36 Payment by Third Party (May 2014) (31 U.S.C. 3332). (END 52.212-5) 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran--Representation and Certifications (Dec 2012) 52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Dec 2013) 5.3 OPTIONS 52.217-5 Evaluation of Options. (JULY 1990) Except when it is determined in accordance with FAR 17.206(b) not to be in the Government's best interests, the Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). Contract Period and Funding Contract Period - The contract period is base year plus three option years. 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (48 CFR 52.217-9, Mar 2000) (a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor at least 30 days prior to expiration of the contract. (b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause. (c) Options exercised prior to the availability of funds for a new fiscal year are subject to FAR 52.232-18 Availability of Funds, which is incorporated by reference. (d) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 4 years. 52.232-19 Availability of Funds for the Next Fiscal Year. (Apr 1984) Funds are not presently available for performance under this contract beyond the base year. The Government¿s obligation for performance of this contract beyond that date is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for contract purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise for performance under this contract beyond September 8, 2015, until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer for performance and until the Contractor receives notice of availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. 6. DEPT. OF THE INTERIOR - INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER GREENING CLAUSE: (a) Almost every service requires the use of some sort of product. While providing services pursuant to the Requirements Document in this contract, if your services necessitate the acquisition of any products, the contractor shall use its best efforts to comply with Executive Order 13514, and to acquire the environmentally preferable products that meet the requirements of clauses at FAR 52.223-2, Affirmative Procurement of Biobased Products under Service and Construction Contracts, 52.223-15, Energy Efficiency in Energy Consuming Products, and 52.223-17 Affirmative Procurement of EPA-Designated Items in Service and Construction Contracts. (b) Additionally, the contractor shall use its best efforts to reduce the generation of paper documents through the use of doublesided printing, double-sided copying, and the use and purchase of 30% post consumer content white paper to meet the intent of FAR 52.204-4 Printing/Copying Double-Sided on Recycled Paper.