AMENDMENT NOTICE:This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice.The solicitation number is 103101236026 and is issued as an invitation for bids (IFB), unless otherwise indicated herein.The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2005-60. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541519 with a small business size standard of $25.50M.This requirement is a [ Total HUB-Zone ] set-aside and only qualified offerors may submit bids.The solicitation pricing on www.FedBid.com will start on the date this solicitation is posted and will end on 2012-08-23 17:00:00.0 Eastern Time or as otherwise displayed at www.FedBid.com.FOB Destination shall be Arlington, VA 22204 The Department of State requires the following items, Meet or Exceed, to the following: LI 001, Please See Attachment, 1, EA; Solicitation and Buy Attachments ***Question Submission: Interested offerors must submit any questions concerning the solicitation at the earliest time possible to enable the Buyer to respond. Questions must be submitted by using the 'Submit a Question' feature at www.fedbid.com. Questions not received within a reasonable time prior to close of the solicitation may not be considered.*** For this solicitation, Department of State intends to conduct an online competitive reverse auction to be facilitated by the third-party reverse auction provider, FedBid, Inc. FedBid has developed an online, anonymous, browser based application to conduct the reverse auction. An Offeror may submit a series of pricing bids, which descend in price during the specified period of time for the aforementioned reverse auction. Department of State is taking this action in an effort to improve both vendor access and awareness of requests and the agency's ability to gather multiple, competed, real-time bids.All responsible Offerors that respond to this solicitation MUST submit the pricing portion of their bid using the online exchange located at www.FedBid.com. There is no cost to register, review procurement data or make a bid on www.FedBid.com.Offerors that are not currently registered to use www.FedBid.com should proceed to www.FedBid.com to complete their free registration. Offerors that require special considerations or assistance may contact the FedBid Helpdesk at 877-9FEDBID (877-933-3243) or via email at
[email protected]. Offerors may not artificially manipulate the price of a transaction on www.FedBid.com by any means. It is unacceptable to place bad faith bids, to use decoys in the www.FedBid.com process or to collude with the intent or effect of hampering the competitive www.FedBid.com process.Should offerors require additional clarification, notify the point of contact or FedBid at 877-9FEDBID (877-933-3243) or
[email protected] of FedBid: Buyers and Sellers agree to conduct this transaction through FedBid in compliance with the FedBid Terms of Use. Failure to comply with the below terms and conditions may result in offer being determined as non-responsive. If Seller is bidding Cisco brand equipment, Seller certifies that it is a Cisco Authorized Channel as of the date of the submission of its Bid, and that it has the certification/specialization level required by Cisco to support both the product sale and product pricing, in accordance with applicable Cisco certification/specialization requirements.Unless otherwise specified, Seller warrants that the products are new and in their original box(es). The Seller confirms to have sourced all Cisco products submitted in this Bid from Cisco or through Cisco Authorized Channels only, in accordance with all applicable laws and Cisco?s current applicable policies at the time of purchase. If software is provided or included, Seller shall, upon request, provide Buyer with a copy of the End User License Agreement. Seller certifies that all Cisco software is licensed originally to Buyer as the original licensee authorized to use the Cisco Software. This solicitation requires registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award, pursuant to FAR 4.1102 and other applicable regulations and guidelines. Information can be found at www.sam.gov All Bids must be valid for 30 days from the closing date for this solicitation. No exceptions or qualifications. New equipment ONLY, NO grey market or refurbished products. Items must be in original packaging, never used, and not altered in any way. Components of the requested equipment, to include memory, must be manufacturer-approved and may not be compatible, remanufactured, or refurbished equipment. All items must be covered by manufacturer?s warranty and procured through a manufacturer approved distribution channel. Sellers must be able to document their ability to provide items through manufacturer approved distribution channels upon request. The Seller confirms to have sourced all products submitted in this Bid from manufacturer-approved channels for Federal sales, in accordance with all applicable laws and manufacturer?s current applicable policies at the time of purchase. Seller must be able to support both the product sale and product pricing, in accordance with applicable manufacturer certification / specialization requirements. If software is provided or included, Seller shall, upon request, provide Buyer with a copy of the End User License Agreement. Seller certifies that all software is licensed originally to Buyer as the original licensee authorized to use the software. The selected Offeror must comply with the following commercial item terms and conditions. FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial, applies to this acquisition. The selected Offeror must submit a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items. FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses in paragraph (b) of FAR clause 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, will apply: 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-35, 52.222-36, 52.222-37, 52.225-13, 52.232-34. The full text of a FAR clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.acqnet.gov/far. (a) The provider of information technology shall certify applications are fully functional and operate correctly as intended on systems using the Federal Desktop Core Configuration (FDCC). This includes Internet Explorer 7 configured to operate on Windows XP and Vista (in Protected Mode on Vista). For the Windows XP settings, see http://csrc.nist.gov/itsec/guidance_WinXP.html and for the Windows Vista settings, see: http://csrc.nist.gov/itsec/guidance_vista.html. (b) The standard installation, operation, maintenance, update, and/or patching of software shall not alter the configuration settings from the approved FDCC configuration. The information technology should also use the Windows Installer Service for installation to the default ?program files? directory and should be able to silently install and uninstall. (c) Applications designed for normal end users shall run in the standard user context without elevated system administration privileges. (d) The Department of State currently intends to use Vista in Protected Mode in the future when all devices at all worldwide locations have sufficient capacity to permit an upgrade from the XP operating system. Pursuant to the Trade Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 2512(a)) (TAA), Federal acquisitions of supplies may be made only from offerors that will supply products of an eligible country under any of the free trade agreements entered into pursuant to the TAA. An article is considered a product of a country only if it is wholly a product of that country or if it has been ?substantially transformed? in that country into a new and different article of commerce with a name, character, or use distinct from that of the original article(s). Note that any item that is a discreet article as it is sold in commerce, regardless of its ultimate function or use, cannot be considered ?substantially transformed? based solely on its integration into IT or other systems. The Contractor and its employees shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters relating to their duties and functions. They shall not communicate to any person any information known to them by reason of their performance of services under this contract which has not been made public, except in the necessary performance of their duties or upon written authorization of the Contracting Officer. All documents and records (including photographs) generated during the performance of work under this contract shall be for the sole use and become the exclusive property of the U.S Government. Furthermore, no article, book, pamphlet, email, recording, broadcast, speech television appearance, film or photograph concerning any aspect of work performed under this contract shall be published or disseminated through any media without the prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer. These obligations do no cease upon the expiration or termination of this contract. The Contractor shall include the substance of this provision in all contracts of employment and in all subcontracts hereunder. All bid prices must include shipping FOB Destination CONUS (CONtinental U.S.). No partial shipments are permitted, unless otherwise specified by Contracting Officer at time of award. In addition to providing pricing at www.FedBid.com for this solicitation, each Offeror must provide any required, NON-PRICING responses (e.g. technical proposal, representations and certifications, etc.) so that they are received no later than the closing date and time for this solicitation. Submissions can be sent to
[email protected].