R -- Advisory and Assistance Services for the Information Directorate Information Institute

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this announcement. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; PROPOSALS ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation and any amendments thereto will only be available by downloading the documents from the FedBizOpps internet site at http://www.fbo.gov/. Select "Vendors", under Acronym select "USAF", at AFMC select "Locations", at AFRL, Rome Research Site select "Posted Dates." PAPER COPIES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE. All prospective offerors are responsible for monitoring this site for the release of amendments (if any) or other information pertaining to this solicitation. Any prospective offerors interested in submitting a proposal for this solicitation must register on FedBizOpps in order to be placed on the List of Registered Parties. NOTE: You must register as an "Interested Party." Include your company name, address, telephone number and point of contact, fax number, e-mail address, and Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code. A list will be available on the FedBizOpps to facilitate subcontracting and teaming opportunities only. Offerors registering their name on the FedBizOpps internet site should not conclude that they will receive a paper copy of the solicitation in the mail. Technical and contractual questions should be directed to the Contract Specialist, Victoria Jacobson, via e-mail to [email protected] or by phone at (315) 330-1909. Responses must reference the solicitation number and contain the respondent's Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, e-mail address, mailing address, and FAX number. Synopsis/Solicitation FA8751-06-R-0005 is being issued as Request for Proposal (RFP), for a Firm Fixed Price contract for a period totaling approximately fifty-four (54) months (6 months for the base year and four 12-month option years - hours estimated at 500 hours for the base year and 1,000 hours for subsequent option years), incorporating provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2005-07 (effective 02 Feb 2006) and DFARS Change Notice 20060223. Additional information may be obtained at the Fed Biz Opps internet site and FAR/DFAR/AFFAR/AFMCFARSUP on-line, at http://farsite.hill.af.mil, the latter for access to full text of all provisions and clauses. This acquisition is 100% set-aside for small businesses. The NAICS code is 541690 for this acquisition, with a small business size of $5M. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome Research Site (RRS), has a requirement to manage the Information Directorate's Information Institute. The requirements include maintaining current educational partnerships with member institutions, expanding membership, supporting Information Directorate institutes and centers, supporting the Information Directorate Chief Scientist in executing Information Directorate's participation in the National Research Council Fellows Program, supporting the execution of the Information Directorate visiting scientist program, conducting workshops, supporting the management and execution of the Information Directorate Chief Scientist's Research Initiative Program, proposing an Information Institute annual budget for review and approval by the Information Directorate Chief Scientist and Director, representing the Information Institute at Information Directorate meetings and other national and international forums and meetings, and maintaining the Information Institute's pages of the Information Directorate web site. All work will be in accordance with the Statement of Work entitled "ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES FOR THE INFORMATION DIRECTORATE INFORMATION INSTITUTE," dated 22 Feb 2006. See Attachments No. 1 through 4 of the solicitation posted on Fed BizOpps for Statement of Work with Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL), contract line item numbers/items listing and DD 254 Security Form Template. ALERT: Offeror's are STRONGLY cautioned to complete and provide with your proposal all the data requested by FAR 52.212-1. Failure to do so may eliminate you from consideration for award. The clause at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items, is applicable. The following paragraphs are amended to read as follows: (b)(10) "Past performance information, when included as an evaluation factor, to include recent and relevant contracts for the same or similar items, resumes of key personnel indicating education and relevant experience, and other references (including contract numbers, points of contact with telephone numbers, and other relevant information);" and (c) Period for Acceptance of Offers: "The offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for ninety (90) calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers." The following paragraph is added to 52.212-1: "(n) Offerors are REQUIRED to submit a Quality Control Plan with their proposal; limit plan to no more than two pages in length." FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items, is applicable. The second sentence of paragraph (a) is amended as follows: "The factors identified below shall be used to evaluate offers. Qualifications and Past Performance are equally valued and, when combined, are significantly more important than Price. (i) QUALIFICATIONS – Advanced degree in science or engineering, specific experience in managing and directing activities in critical areas of information technology including: information assurance, information fusion, intelligent systems, and signal processing. Offerors must submit resumes of key personnel with the proposal indicating education and relevant experience, to the extent which the offeror demonstrates (1) a current diversified background in research and development state-of-the-art Information Technology, (2) knowledge in current research and development Information Technology with relationship to military application and be familiar with military terminology, (3) experience in developing a consortium of university and government entities and (4) experience in organizing and running a major workshop or conference. (ii) PAST PERFORMANCE - Submit at least two records identifying past or current contracts or projects (to include Federal, State, local government, and private) for efforts similar to this requirement, including reference contact information. Past Performance information shall include the extent to which the Offeror's past performance met customer requirements, adhering to schedules (including the administrative aspects of performance), reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to interests of the customer. In addition, the degree to which the Offeror complies with FAR 52.219-8, "Utilization of Small Business Concerns" will be evaluated based on performance under previous Government contracts containing this clause. (iii) PRICE - Price will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness as it relates to the service offered. Fairness and reasonableness is the degree to which the proposed price compares to the price a reasonable and prudent person would expect to incur for the same or similar goods or services." Award will be made based on the best value to the Government. Include a completed copy of FAR 52.212-3, Alt 1; and DFAR 252.212-7000, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with offer. FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, is applicable, with the following paragraphs amended to read as follows: (g)(1)(iv) "Description, quantity, unit of measure, unit price and extended price of the items delivered – see contract line item number (CLIN) listing provided by Government." (CLIN listing is Attachment 3 to this solicitation.); and (g)(1)(vii) "Name, address of official to whom payment information is to be sent, and dates are as follows: AFRL/IFKO, Attention: Contracting Officer, Captain Lisa Gambrel; 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441; and contract dates of performance are from 01 Apr 2006 through 31 Oct 2006 for the basic year, with four 12-month option years." FAR clause 52.212-5 (Deviation), Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items (June 2005), applies to this acquisition. Additional FAR clauses cited in the clause applicable to this acquisition are: 52,293-3, 52.203-6 Alt I, 52.222-21, 52.222-22, 52.222-37, and 52.232-33. Additional DFAR clauses cited in the clause applicable to this acquisition are: 252.212-7001, 252.225-7012, 252.227-7015, 252.227-7037, 252.232-7003, 252.243-7002, 252.247-7023, and 252.247-7024. The following additional FAR clauses apply: 52.204-2; 52.204-9; 52.217-8, and is amended as follows: "The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor prior to expiration of the current contract year."; 52.217-9, and is amended as follows: "(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the contractor before the contract expires; (b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause; (c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed five (5) years"; 52.219-4; 52.219-8; 52.222-3; 52.222-26; 52.222-35; 52.222-36; 52.222-39; 52.223-05, 52.225-13; 52.228-5; 52.232-18; 52.233-3; 52.233-4; and 52.237-2. Additional DFARS clauses applicable to this acquisition are: 252.204-7004; 252.204-7005; 252.209-7001; 252.209-7002; 252.223-7006, 252.225-7012; 252.232-7010; and 252.243-7002. Additional AFMCFARS clauses applicable to this acquisition are: 5352.204-9000, 5352.215-9000, 5352.223-9001, 5352.223-9003, 5352.235-9001, and 5352.245-9004. The Contractor shall obtain and maintain the minimum kinds and amounts of insurance during performance of this contract as specified by FAR 28.307-2, Liability, and contemplated by FAR 52.228-5, Insurance –Work on a Government Installation. Be advised that to be eligible to receive an award from a Department of Defense (DoD) activity, interested parties must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database (per section (t) of FAR clause 52.212-4). To register, access the CCR Home Page at http://www.ccr.com. The successful contractor must also have an active ONLINE REPRESENTATION AND CERTIFICATION APPLICATION (ORCA). The ORCA website is located at: http://orca.bpn.gov/. All other questions regarding this COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION must be directed IN WRITING to the buyer, Victoria Jacobson, no later than one week before the proposal due date. Proposals are due at 2:30 pm EST on 17 MAR 2006. SUBMIT COMPLETE PACKAGE, BY MAIL TO: AFRL/IFKO, Attention: Contract Specialist, Victoria Jacobson; Solicitation: FA8751-06-R-0005; 26 Electronic Parkway, Rome NY 13441-4514; OR FACSIMILE TO: (315) 330-2555. It is the Offeror's responsibility to monitor this site for the release of amendments (if any), and for downloading their own copy of this combined synopsis/solicitation and amendments (if any) from the FedBiz Opps, Evaluation Criteria, Statement of Work for Advisory and Assistance Services for the Information Directorate Information Institute, and Representations and Certification from the FedBiz Opps internet site. The FedBizOpps offers a registration service that will send an e-mail notification when a change is made to this announcement. To register, click on the "Register to Receive Notification" button at the end of this announcement in the FedBizOpps. This service is provided for convenience only and does not serve as a guarantee of notification. AFFARS 5352.201-9101, Ombudsman clause applies. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Colonel Jeffrey Schmidt, AFRL/PK, Building 12, Room 107, 1982 Monahan Way, Wright-Patterson OH 45433-5209, phone number (937) 255-0432, FAX (937) 255-5036, e-mail at [email protected]. The purpose of the Ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the Contracting Officer or Program Manager, but to communicate contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. Routine questions, such as clarifications of the Statement of Work or the terms and conditions, are not considered to be "significant concerns" and should be communicated directly to the Contracting Officer, Captain Lisa Gambrel, (315) 330-7784, e-mail at [email protected]. All responsible organizations may submit a proposal which shall be considered. See Numbered Note 25. Point of Contact Victoria Jacobson, Contract Specialist, Fax (315) 330-8094, E-Mail [email protected] Email your questions to Victoria Jacobson at [email protected]