DEVELOPMENT OF AFGHANISTAN COMMERCIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER (ACDR)

Date: May 7, 2015 To: All Prospective Offerors From: U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Acquisition Management, Acquisition Solutions Division Subject: Request for Quote (RFQ) # SA1301-15-RP-0009 for DEVELOPMENT OF AFGHANISTAN COMMERCIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER (ACDR) The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Office of Acquisition Management, Commerce Acquisition Solutions Division is issuing this competitive RFQ to solicit quotes for a DEVELOPMENT OF AFGHANISTAN COMMERCIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION CENTER (ACDR). The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) will conduct this acquisition using Part 12 and 13 under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. This requirement is open to full and open competition. Quotes are due no later than 2:00 P.M, May 26, 2015. Submissions shall be made via email to Tonisha Tripp contact@example.gov, who can also be reached by phone on +1 (555) 000-0000. Failure to submit a response by the time and date established will result in the proposal not being considered. Contractors are requested to notify Ms. Tripp via the above email address of their intent to submit a proposal as soon as possible. Quote expiration date. Quotes in response to this Solicitation shall be valid for a period of 60 calendar days. NOTE: Due to email and server limitations, please limit the size of each email to no more than 3 MB. By submitting proposals, contractors agree to comply with all terms and conditions as set forth in this solicitation/request for quotation, including the Statement of Work (SOW). Quote Submission and Evaluation Criteria Proposals shall be comprised of TWO separate submissions. The first shall contain copies of the pricing submission and the second shall contain the technical submission. The following evaluation criteria will be used. The non-price (technical) factors are Technical Understanding and Approach, Arbitration Experience Commercial, ADR Relevance Foreign, ADR Relevance Commercial, ADR Relevance Facility Accessibility, and Past Performance. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price. Technical Quote (Non-price factors) - Offerors shall submit the following technical (non-price) information. Factor A - Technical Understanding and Approach The Contractor must demonstrate a complete understanding of the project's intent and requirements. The vendor's demonstration of a clear and concise technical approach mitigates performance, cost and schedule risks to meet Contract objectives and ensure successful completion of all Contract requirements. The technical approach is specific, detailed, and complete to fully demonstrate that the Contractor thoroughly understands the intent of the requirement, together with proposed solutions. Factor B - Arbitration Experience Commercial The Contractor has a minimum of 100 domestic commercial arbitrations administered annually and 20 international commercial arbitrations administered annually. Factor C- ADR Relevance Foreign Contractor has conducted training for commercial ADR case managers and neutrals in at least three (3) countries within the last 10 years on the administration of commercial arbitrations and mediations. Factor D - ADR Relevance Commercial Contractor has trained or advised administrators of at least three (3) foreign commercial ADR centers within the last 15 years on the development of operational procedures, arbitration and mediation rules, and strategic business development. Factor E - ADR Relevance Facility Accessibility Contractor has access to commercial ADR facilities located in the Persian Gulf region, can make qualified training personnel available at such facilities and sufficient to host the training activities outlined in the deliverables. Note: If facilities located in the Persian Gulf Region are not under the full ownership or control of the Contractor, access may be shown by reference to a contract, memorandum of understanding, or other proof of affiliation with such facilities. Factor F- Past Performance Past performance information will be evaluated to assess the extent of the Contractor's abilities to perform the Contract successfully in terms of quality of products and services, timeliness of performance, cost controls, problem resolution, and overall customer satisfaction. Past performance information is to be provided via the attached questionnaire from the reference for most recent service; and/or similar work performed within the past (2) years. Scores shall be no less than 3 out of 5. The Government reserves the right to fully investigate all relevant past performance information. All of the past performance references shall reflect projects similar in size, scope and complexity to the work specified in this solicitation. The Offeror shall submit a maximum of three (3) projects/contracts for evaluation. Where teaming arrangements are proposed, an additional maximum of three (3) projects for the subcontractor or other partner shall be submitted. For each submitted project/contract, the Offeror shall include references with current points of contact (telephone number and email address). The Government reserves the right to obtain information for use in the evaluation of past performance from sources other than those identified by the Offeror to upgrade or downgrade the Past Performance rating. An evaluation of relevance will be done for no more than three projects submitted by the Offeror. The Offeror is therefore cautioned to submit only its three most relevant efforts. If the Offeror submits more than three projects for consideration, only first three as displayed within the quote from front to back will be considered. The Government will determine the relevance of a past performance project/contract by the size, scope and complexity in relation to the required services. Price Quote: Price Quote shall be submitted in a separate file from the information provided on the technical (non-price) information described above. Using the Price Schedule provided within Section B of this RFQ, Offerors are required to submit firm fixed prices for each line item listed. To be considered for award, rates must be submitted for each and every line item listed on the pricing schedule and failure to submit rates for any line item shall render the quote(s) incomplete, uncertain, and unacceptable. DOC will evaluate the price offered by extending the unit price by the estimated total units for each performance period (base and additional ordering periods, as appropriate). The total price for each period will be added to determine a total overall price. Prices will be examined to determine reasonableness to perform the requirements as established in the RFQ. All evaluation factors other than cost or price, when combined, are more important than cost or price. Selection of the firm to perform this task order will be based on Commerce's assessment of the best overall value to the Government. Questions Please submit any questions regarding this requirement immediately via email but no later than May 15, 2015 to contact@example.gov . Any prospective Offeror may contact us while preparing a quote to obtain clarification of our specification or other information needed to prepare a quote. We will provide pertinent information in that regard to Offerors, as appropriate.