This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with FAR Subpart 12.6. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a paper solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is MCC-08-0045-RFQ and is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ), with incorporated provisions and clauses in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-21. A firm fixed price contract is anticipated. The period of performance is one year with options for four additional years. This requirement is being synopsized under the North American Industry Classification System code 511110, Newspaper Publishing, and the size standard is 500 employees. This acquisition is restricted to small businesses only. Description: The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), 875 Fifteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005 intends to acquire five (5) user licenses for on-line subscription service to obtain data on forty-eight (48) countries. More specifically, the Policy and International Relations staff at MCC requires access to analyses and forecasts of the political, economic, and business development in developing countries to fulfill its mandate to evaluate eligible threshold and candidate country performance. The information and/or data shall be utilized by MCC employees from various locations and should consist of two components: (1) country reports and, (2) country risk model and risk briefing. This is a brand name or equal solicitation for services provided by Business International Corporation (mailing name: The Economist Intelligence Unit). See http://store.eiu.com/ The 48 Countries are: Armenia, Albania, Bolivia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Jordon, Kirguiz Republic, East Timor, Indonesia, Cape Verde, Guyana, Moldova, Georgia, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru, Lesotho, Philippines, Cameroon, Madagascar, Sao Tome & Principe, Dominican Republic, Mali, Tanzania, Guatemala, Mongolia, Uganda, Liberia, Morocco, Yemen, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Zambia, Mauritania, Nicaragua, Gambia, Columbia, Senegal, Namibia, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Vanuatu, and the Ukraine Deliverables: The Contractor shall provide internet accessible information and articles from MCC locations and locations outside of the MCC. Period of Performance: Base Year: February 1, 2008 through January 31, 2009 Option Year 1: February 1, 2009 through January 31, 2010 Option Year 2: February 1, 2010 through January 31, 2011 Option Year 3: February 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012 Option Year 4: February 1, 2012 through January 31, 2013 Place of Performance: The Contractor shall provide access to the country reports and country risk model and risk briefing via the internet. The provisions at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation?Commercial Items (JAN 1999) apply to this Solicitation and are hereby incorporated as follows: FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation?Commercial Items (JAN 1999) (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers in descending order of importance: - Technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement; and - Price. (b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). (c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer?s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (End of provision) NOTE: All quotes MUST include price(s), payment terms, and a point of contact (POC), name and phone number. Each response must clearly indicate the capability of the offeror to meet all specifications and requirements. To be eligible for award, offerors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), as required by FAR 52.204-7, Central Contract Registration. The database can be accessed at http://www.ccr.gov. If you are already registered in the CCR, you are advised to review your information to ensure that your registration is complete and verified. FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offers-Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. Each offeror shall include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, including Alt I, Offeror Representations and Certifications?Commercial Item (Nov 2006). If you have an updated version of Representation and Certification at the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) website, you can include a statement reflecting this in your offer rather than sending a copy of the Representations and Certifications. FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes of Executive Order-Commercial Items (Mar 2007) is incorporated by reference. The referenced clauses may be viewed at http://www.arnet.gov/far. Quotes are due by January 28, 2008 no later than 12:00 p.m. EST, at Millennium Challenge Corporation, 875 Fifteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005. Fax or e-mail quotes are also acceptable. Fax number: (202) 521-3947 or e-mail:
[email protected]. Point of Contact: Dorothy D. McKelvin, Sr. Contract Specialist (phone: 202-521-3731).