REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Website Hosting & Coding/Mobile Application Services Capabilities Background The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Operational Division (OpDiv) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leads the nation in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of emergencies and disasters by supporting our communities’ ability to withstand adversity, strengthening our health and response systems, and enhancing national health security. The REMM (Radiation Emergency Medical Management; https://remm.nlm.gov) and CHEMM (Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management; https://chemm.nlm.nih.gov) websites and REMM mobile app (REMM: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id372600451 or https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nih.nlm.sis.remm) are examples of preparedness and response tools developed and produced by ASPR, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) , and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) which are geared toward medical practitioners (but have information relevant to planners, responders, healthcare workers and policy makers) to guide preparedness and response to Radiological and Chemical emergency medical management scenarios. The goals of the REMM and CHEMM web sites are to: Provide guidance for healthcare providers (including first responders and first receivers) and planners to plan for, respond to, provide clinical diagnosis and treatment of, mitigate the effects of, and promote recovery from incidents and injuries involving radiation and chemicals, respectively; Provide just-in-time, evidence-based information to make complex issues understandable to those without formal radiation/chemical medicine expertise; and Provide comprehensive, user-friendly, web-based information that is also downloadable in advance, making it available during an emergency if the internet is inaccessible. The goal of the Mobile REMM app is to: Provide mobile access to selected pages on REMM that would be useful for a clinical response to a radiation mass casualty event ASPR will need to transition the current contract for REMM and CHEMM website hosting and coding services, as well as their mobile application maintenance, to a new vendor by/before September 30, 2020. Description ASPR/BARDA is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to identify overall industry capabilities to provide services related to website hosting, including redundant servers in distant areas, maintenance and updates, as well as HTML coding of ASPR provided content for the REMM and CHEMM federal government websites. Maintaining and updating mobile application platforms with ASPR-provided content for REMM and developing and mainting CHEMM mobile application with ASPR content is also desired. The Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for all REMM and CHEMM web-related content will transition from NLM to new servers, and this group will have to work with NLM to provide the URL so that forwarding will be done. Information is being requested in order to understand the current capabilities of industry and to enhance the government’s ability to obtain quality services and products economically. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. This RFI is for planning purposes only and is issued in accordance with FAR Clause 52.215‐3. [WJ(1] No solicitation document exists at this time. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Issuance of this notice does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure the supplies or to issue a solicitation. In addition, the Government is under no obligation to pay direct or indirect costs or charges that arise as a result of Responder submission of responses to this RFI or the Government's use of such information. Responses to this notice cannot be accepted as offers. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any Contractor's input resulting from this RFI. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. ASPR/BARDA has not made a commitment to contract any products or services, and release of this RFI should not be construed as a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such. Information is being requested in order to make potential future requirements better for industry and the Government. Description of the information requested ASPR/BARDA is seeking capability statements from qualified businesses (large or small) having the ability to transfer and provide redundant domain hosting and coding technologies for both web-based domain and mobile applications. Whether the mobile apps are internet-based or self-contained is a renewed point of discussion Mobile application accounts establishment through ASPR are also requested. The narrative (including figures, schematics, diagrams, photographs, etc.) should describe (when applicable) the capabilities and include the following, if applicable: a. Provide domain hosting services with redundant hosting/cloud based service in widely disparate locations, including the ability to permit huge surges in users. Ability to design domain pages/hierarchy/organization that is interaction-design based/user-design-focused to vividly convey highly technical information in a way that is meaningful and intuitive. Work with ASPR content experts on user-centered design. Ability to design web pages for easy access and downloadable content for medical professionals Ensure 508 compliance/option for 508 compliant content (follows US Government requirements for 508 compliance) for domains and mobile apps Mobile access to web sites also follows user-design based design to ensure seamless access Ability to code for compatibility across primary web-browsers (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) so generally all users have the same experience Ability to design and code mobile applications for both iOS and Android following the same principles as above (2 – 4) including architecture, design, organization, application footprint on device Ability to work with highly technical personnel including PhD scientists, physicians, national experts from both Government and private sector for continued curation and updating of site material anywhere from immediately to monthly intervals Work with ASPR personnel to acquire and maintain URLs from GSA/CIO Ability to transition URL/domain to newly established URL/domain Promulgate mobile apps in Apple Store and Android Store(s) and change “owner” from NLM to HHS/ASPR. Provide IT support for user issues Respondents’ opinions are encouraged, regarding the difficulty and/or feasibility of the potential requirements or proposed acquisitions, possible solutions and approaches that may currently exist in the market, and information regarding innovative ideas or concepts relative to this proposed RFI. All capability statements must provide the following: Company name and address Point of contact Phone/fax/email NAICS Code(s) Business size and status Capability information in response to the project requirements and qualifications identified in this notice (Optional) examples of some domains or mobile apps designed by your company that you think best represent your abilities (Optional) examples of some personnel that might be on a team supporting an effort like this (resumes, or brief bios) Key Assumption : Industry will be able to meet all requirements, as addressed. Restrictions : Responses should be limited to 15 pages and may be sent electronically to
[email protected] . Responses are due no later than July 2, 2020 by 5PM US EST. Administrative Information: Contracting Officer: The Contracting Officer is the only person authorized to accept responses to this RFI. All comments and/or questions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer for administration: Name : John Warner Address: 200 C St SW, Washington DC 20515 Phone: 202-730-8654 Email:
[email protected] [WJ(1]Would only reference this if a solicitation is being issued. Otherwise see/reference FAR 15.201