RE: DOI AQD Solicitation No. N10PX18120 - ASACS This notice is being posted under the Franchise Authority of the Department of the Interior, National Business Center, Acquisition Services Directorate for the four component military services of the Department of Defense (US Air Force, US Army, US Navy and the US Marine Corps). This requirement is for medical and psychological counseling services to be provided to adolescents residing on U. S. military bases overseas. Adolescents under counseling frequently have committed offenses that can result their own and their family's removal from overseas bases, the ruining of careers, prosecutions, and other legal ramifications. The counselors are hired to be experts and neutral participants in government programs to reduce drug abuse and related socially undesirable behavior. The host governments of the countries where the counselors work, have currently approved the counselors being "stationed" under the auspices of the Forces in their countries. Under the terms of the Status of Force Agreements, the host countries have the right to approve and disapprove who can practice medicine on their territories and what U. S. companies may operate under the umbrella of the U.S. forces and be exempt from host nation licensing, taxation, residency requirements, etc. The terms of the Status of Forces Agreements limit potential sources by the very existence of the requirement for the host country's approval of the contractor as a provider of technical experts and for its approval of particular individual employees to be considered as assimilated "members of the civilian component of the sending state's forces". It is a costly and time consuming enterprise to secure host country approvals for technical experts to be permitted to be in host countries as assimilated members of the U. S. Forces overseas. In cases where difficulties arise and the host country takes objection to a firm or an objection to one or more of its proposed employees, the process can take an enormous amount of time to acquire these approvals or supply acceptable replacement personnel. Therefore, the counselors must currently be acceptable to host governments as members of the civilian component of the U. S. Force to practice without local licenses under provisions of their treaties. Additionally, the counselors must be US-licensed medical practitioners who are trained to deal with adolescents and who are experienced in military environments outside of the United States.The current order for the provision of these services will lapse on December 31, 2009. The government wishes to recompete the long term requirement and award an Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity service contract in the open market in calendar year 2010. A separate announcement will be posted in the near future pertaining to the recomplete. In order to have time to complete the competition for the longer-term acquisition, the Government intends to solicit and negotiate an interim, short term order for a six month period with SAIC as a logical follow-on to the previously competed effort, in accordance with FAR Part 13.5. SAIC currently has these capabilities and the required approvals under the treaties. No other company providing similar services is known to currently have these required approvals and/or capabilities. However, interested parties may identify their interest and capabilities regarding this requirement by submitting a capabilities statement to the contracting officer by the date specified below. The issuer of the capabilities statement must certify qualification under the NAICS code appropriate for this work. The NAICS Code for this acquisition is 621420 - Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers. The deadline for submission of questions regarding this notice is Thursday, November 12, 2009. Questions will be answered by Friday, November 13, 2009. The Government reserves the right to transmit all questions and answers to all other interested parties. TELEPHONIC QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED OR ADDRESSED. Submit inquiries and final capabilities statements by email to
[email protected]. Any award made pursuant to this notice is subject to receipt of the required agency administrative approvals and availability of funds. The Government will consider all capabilities statements received by Monday, November 16, 2009. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed action based upon responses to this announcement is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive acquisition.