Intento to Sole Source - LIHEAP Technical Support Project

Notice of Intent to Sole Source LIHEAP Technical Support Project Pursuant to the authority of FAR 6.302-1, the Department of Health and Human Services, Program Support Center, Acquisition Management Service, Division of Negotiated Acquisition, intends to negotiate a sole source, firm fixed-price contract with APPRISE, Inc. located at 32 Nassau Street, Suite 200 Princeton, NJ 08542, on behalf of The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Only one award will be made. A firm fixed-price contract will be awarded. The period of performance for the award will be for a 12 month base period, plus one 12 month option period beginning 28 September 2014. The Office of Community Services (OCS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) administers, at the Federal level, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program's purpose is "to assist low-income households, particularly those with the lowest income, that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy, primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs." As part of its Federal responsibilities for LIHEAP, OCS prepares Congressional reports, updates the data that it uses to manage the program, oversees short-term studies related to home energy issues affecting low income households, and responds to technical inquiries. The reports that OCS prepares include the Annual LIHEAP Report to Congress (Annual Report) and the LIHEAP Home Energy Notebook (Notebook). The data that OCS updates includes that which underlies (1) the program's funding allocation formulas; (2) the Annual Report; (3) the Notebook; and (4) Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measures. The purpose for this acquisition is to provide the Office of Community Services (OCS) with the following for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (1) updates to annual LIHEAP reports; (2) updates to the LIHEAP allocation formula; (3) updates to LIHEAP performance measures; (4) short-term studies and analyses; and (5) on-call technical support for inquiries that exceed OCS' in-house capacity. The overall objectives of the contract include the following: Preparing the Notebook; Preparing the Annual Report; Providing data updates; Conducting an annual study on a topic chosen by the government; and Providing technical LIHEAP information in response to episodic requests. OCS needs APPRISE Inc. to carry out the activities that cover these responsibilities. APPRISE Inc. is a politically neutral, non-profit research institute that has unique qualifications in performance measurement. APPRISE Inc. has a distinctive method to analyze program and outcome data to estimate short-term and long-term program impacts. Also, APPRISE, Inc. has the required energy program assistance knowledge, technical proficiency and necessary confidential data access authority. APPRISE, Inc. is under an exclusive agreement with the Department of Energy under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act, which allows them the ability to obtain confidential data. This confidential data is critical to OCS and its LIHEAP program and no other company has access to retrieve this data. Under this agreement they have established existing protocols, procedures, and computer programs which allow them to quickly and efficiently compile large quantities of data. APPRISE, Inc.'s exclusive access to this data enables them to be familiar with data that underlies the development of the following statutorily-required items: o The LIHEAP Annual Report to Congress; o The LIHEAP Home Energy Notebook; o The spreadsheet that calculates the states' allotment percentages; and o A long-term, demonstrated tendency to remain politically neutral. This is not a solicitation for competitive proposals. However, parties interested in responding to this notice shall submit technical data, including cost, sufficient to determine capability in providing the same services. All capability statements received by closing of this notification will be considered by the Government. Each response should include the following business information: a. DUNS. b. Company Name. c. Company Address. d. Current GSA Schedules (if appropriate). e. Type of Company (i.e., small business, 8(a), woman owned, veteran owned, etc.) as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM). f. Company Point of Contact, Phone and Email address All responses are due to the Contract Specialist by 12:00 p.m., EST, September 8, 2014. Email statements are preferred. Email responses directly to Arielle.Douglas@psc.hhs.gov. A determination by the Government not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this Notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive requirement. Contracting Office Address: 12501 Ardennes Avenue Suite 400 Rockville, Maryland 20857 United States Primary Point of Contact: Arielle Douglas Contract Specialist Email: Arielle.Douglas@psc.hhs.gov Phone: 301.443.9453 Fax: 301.443.8488