THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE IS ISSUED SOLELY FOR INFORMATIONAL AND PLANNING PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION. No formal solicitation documents exist at this present time. Responses to this Sources Sought notice will be utilized by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this Sources Sought notice, a solicitation announcement may be published via SAM.gov | Contract Opportunities. This notice on behalf of the American Battle Monuments Commission constitutes market research for item level digitization and metadata capture of both modern and historical documents and blueprints. Records are required to be digitized and imbedded with associated metadata as part of the OMB/NARA Directive M-19-21: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Transition to Electronic Records Directive. Most documents will be in a letter size format of 8”x10” or legal size of 11”x14”, however, there may be smaller index card size burial records that cannot be run through a feeder scanner. Large format maps and blueprints will also vary in size and require specialized digitization. Some materials may be fragile or need preservation prior to handling for digitization. Rips or tears may be found on oversized maps and blueprints. This project includes the following requirements per NARA guidelines for digitization and metadata capture: Textual Scan Resolution: 300 dpi File format: PDF/A-1 Maps and Blueprints Scan Resolution: 300 dpi File format: JPG Metadata capture The standards issued by NARA’s Metadata Guidance for the Transfer of Permanent Electronic Records, Bulletin 2015-04 shall be followed Bulletin 2015-04 | National Archives File/Item-Level Metadata Elements Agencies should provide the following elements for each file or item included in a transfer (Appendix A, Metadata Element Definitions describes the specific elements and provides examples of their appropriate use): Identifier [File Name] . The complete name of the computer file including its extension (if present). (Please see Appendix B: Recommended File and Folder Naming Conventions.); Identifier [Record ID] . The unique identifier assigned by an agency or a records management system; Title . The name given to the record; Description . A narrative description of the content of the record, including abstracts for document-like objects or content descriptions for audio or video records; Creator . The agent primarily responsible for the creation of the record; Creation Date . The date that the file met the definition of a Federal record; and Rights . Information about any rights or restrictions held in and over the record including access rights such as national security classification, or personally identifiable information, Privacy Act, or Freedom of Information Act, or usage rights relating to copyright or trademark. Estimated magnitude of project: $100,000 - $150,000. REQUESTED INFORMATION . If you are interested, capable, and can provide the required service, please provide the requested information as indicated below: Company name, address, point of contact, size of business, DUNS, and CAGE. Is this service on contract with your GSA, SEWP, other federal contract? If so, provide the contract type and number. Provide business size status and representations for the above NAICS code. Provide any previous contract award information for past similar projects. Provide digitization costs per item (include pricing for various format sizes such as 8”x10”, 11”x14”, bound items, and oversized maps & blueprints. Also include pricing for black/white versus color imaging). Provide metadata capture and embedment costs at the item level for the above seven data elements. Provide detailed descriptions of scanners (make/model) and software used for digitization based on format size (i.e.: 8”x10” versus 36”x48”). Provide a description of quality control procedures typically employed for this type of digitization and metadata project. Describe internal procedures associated with handling of historic documents and the types of scanners used for each different type of record (feeder versus flatbed). All responses to this Sources Sought notice shall be submitted via email to Ms. Anna Nereng at
[email protected]. Telephone, Fax, or any other form of communication inquiries will not be reviewed or accepted in response to this Sources Sought notice. Responses must be received no later than November 1, 2022 by 1300 EDT. DISCLAIMER: All information received in response to this RFI marked as proprietary will be handled in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e). Response to this notice is not an offer and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses incurred responding to this Sources Sought notice.