D -- ARTICLE DATABASE ACCESS

AMENDMENT 0001 29 JULY 2005 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS QUESTION 1. Is the contractor responsible for the both the technical access to the articles as well as the articles themselves. In other words, is the contractor to provide all of the articles in content form or will those be provided by your agency? ANSWER 1. The contractor is responsible for the retrieval and delivery of requested articles to us. The US Army Special Operations Command has a requirement for article database access. This is a combined synopsis solicitation for a commercial item prepared in accordance with FAR Subpart 12.6 and 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. All persons responding must reference solicitation number H92239-05-T-0047 which is being issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-04. It is the contractor’s responsibility to be familiar with all applicable clauses and provisions. Full text clauses are available at farsite.hill.af.mil. This requirement is unrestricted. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 511210 is $21M. I. REQUIRMENT: The Contractor shall provide article database access, which provides the widest coverage at the most reasonable per article cost. The following are the specific requirements the contractor must meet. 1. The article database will provide the ability to access the broadest possible article retrieval databases, which must include leadership, military, behavioral science, computer simulation and business databases. 2. Centralized, web-based ordering system, which allows searching, and ordering of documents by end users 3. Extremely rapid document retrieval (2-5 business days). Four to six week delivery times are not acceptable. 4 Electronic document delivery in multiple formats including PDF, MS Word, Rich Text Format and TIFF formats II. SCHEDULE CLIN 001- The contract shall provide article database access for the requested performance period, which is not yet determined. III. PRICE Price proposal shall include the per article cost as part of the total cost. PROVISIONS AND CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provisions are applicable to the acquisition: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items: 52.212-2, Evaluation Commercial Items, with the following evaluation factors inserted in paragraph (a) of the provision: EVALUATION AND AWARD: Award will be made to the responsive, responsible offeror whose proposal conforms to this solicitation and is the “Best Value” to the Government. The following evaluation factors in the descending order of importance will be used to evaluate offers: (1) technical acceptability (2) Delivery and (3) Price. Technical acceptability is defined as the contractor’s ability to meet or exceed the requirement. Technical acceptability will be evaluated on a Pass or No-Pass basis. Only those offers evaluated, as Pass will be further evaluated and considered for award. Offers will be evaluated for delivery. Delivery is defined as the capacity of the offeror and affirmation by the offeror to conform with the rapid document retrieval as well as provide the database within the timeframe the customer needs it. Offerors will be evaluated for Price. Price shall be quoted in accordance with the CLIN to be incorporated in the Schedule of Supplies and Services in the event an award is made. The factor of technical capability is significantly more important than delivery and price combined. The factor of delivery is slightly more important than price. Offers shall remain valid for a minimum of 30 days. 52.212-3, ALT I, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. %2.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions, Commercial Items, 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, with the following clauses in paragraph (b) applicable: 52-203-6, 52.219-8, 52.222-19, 52.222-21. FAR 52.222-3, Convict Labor, 52.225-1, Alt 1, Buy American Act-Supplies, 52.247-34, FOB Destination, 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference, 52.252-6, Authorized Deviations in Clauses. DFARS 252.204-7004, Required Central Contractor Registration, 252.212-7001, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Status or Executive Orders Applicable to Defense Acquisitions of Commercial Items, with the following clauses in paragraphs (a) and (b) applicable: 52.203-3. 252.232-7003 Electronic Submission of Payment Requests. PROPOSALS ARE DUE: Quotes shall be received at HQ-USASOC ATTN: AOCO (Valaida Bradford), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 28310, not later than 1:00 p.m. EST, 3 August 2005. Fax submissions will be accepted at (910) 432-9345. E-mail submissions will be accepted at [email protected]. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that the Contracting Officer receives proposals. QUOTES SHALL INCLUDE: (1) letter signed by an individual authorized to bind the organization with a schedule of the offered item to include unit and total price, (2) completed Representations and Certifications, and, (3) acknowledgment of any amendments that may be issued. Questions regarding this acquisition shall be submitted in writing and e-mailed to the Contracting Officer’s address provided not later than 29 July 2005. Telephonic questions pertaining to the technical requirement of this solicitation will not be answered. All answers will be provided via an amendment to the solicitation. Any amendments that may be issued will be published in the FBO the same as this combined synopsis/solicitation. The point of contract for this requirement is Mrs. Valaida Bradford, Contract Specialist at (910) 396-0560, email, [email protected].