FACA Verbatim Transcription Services

The contract seeks specialized transcription and reporting services for two congressionally mandated Medicare advisory panels—the Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Tests Panel and the Hospital Outpatient Payment Panel—under a small business set-aside classified under NAICS code 541611. The contractor is required to produce verbatim transcripts, detailed meeting reports, and compiled lists of recommendations, all delivered in 508-compliant digital formats, with performance centered in Baltimore, Maryland. The base period runs from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027, with four optional one-year extensions through May 31, 2031, structured under a firm fixed price model and billed using a level of effort units framework. All deliverables must meet strict accuracy standards, adhere to HHS and CMS accessibility policies, and comply with federal information security regulations including HIPAA, FISMA, NIST, and FedRAMP, with personnel required to hold PIV credentials and pass FBI fingerprint-based background checks. The solicitation employs a Lowest Price Technically Acceptable evaluation method, where offers are assessed first for technical acceptability against criteria detailed in an unprovided attachment, with award going to the lowest-priced proposal meeting minimum standards. Proposals must be submitted in two separate volumes: a technical volume limited to five single-spaced pages and a business volume containing the mandatory pricing table in PDF format, with no electronic portal specified—submissions are to be mailed to a designated Baltimore address by April 30, 2026. Invoicing must occur exclusively via the IPP system, with contractors required to apply correct AAC, TAS, and ACRN codes. All contractors must certify small business status, provide a UEI, and comply with a comprehensive set of FAR clauses covering ethics, whistleblower protections, cybersecurity prohibitions on foreign equipment, subcontractor reporting, and labor standards. The contract enforces stringent information security protocols, including restrictions on overseas work without prior approval, mandates for secure equipment handling, and full compliance with Section 889 and Executive Order 13940, with the COR overseeing performance and acceptance directly from CMS headquarters in Baltimore.