DESCRIPTION The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hereby conducting market research, pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 10.001 by issuing this Request for Information. The FDA is seeking information from vendors who can provide copier maintenance for the FDA?s current (see attached spreadsheets) and potential inventory of copiers. Copier maintenance is anticipated to include (1) parts and labor for copiers and accessories and (2) consumable supplies (other than paper). A. PURPOSE THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a solicitation (Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quotations (RFQ)) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Interested parties are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding party?s expense. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked PROPRIETARY will be handled accordingly. The Government shall not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly identified. Proprietary information will be safeguarded in accordance with the applicable Government regulations. Proprietary information or trade secrets should be clearly identified. Interested parties are advised that the Government is not obligated to provide comments on any particular submission. The Government, however, may ask for additional information or clarifications as needed. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the Interested Parties in responding to follow-up queries. The Government is also requesting information from small businesses, which includes Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses, HUBZone Small Businesses, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. All small businesses are strongly encouraged to provide responses to this RFI. This will assist FDA in determining the potential levels of interest, competition, and technical capability to provide the required services within the Small Business community. In addition, this information may also be used to assist FDA in establishing a baseline for developing any subsequent potential subcontracting plan small business goal percentages, as necessary. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract or agreement. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any particular acquisition alternative as a result of this RFI. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if one is issued. B. GENERAL The FDA?s Copier Maintenance Commodity Council is chartered to critically analyze FDA?s overall copier maintenance requirements and recommend methods to strategically acquire the necessary services to achieve cost savings, to improve performance in support, and to increase quality of services. The FDA is located in numerous buildings in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area with other offices and laboratories located throughout the United States of America. The attached spreadsheet details these locations, the FDA?s current inventory of copiers with makes and models, and the level of service agreements. The spreadsheet does not, however, include any additional copiers purchased in the 4th quarter of Fiscal Year 2006). The FDA is considering awarding a five-year, fixed-price, blanket purchase agreement(s) (BPA) via the General Services Administration?s Federal Supply Service Program for its copier maintenance requirements. However, this approach will be reviewed in consideration of the responses received from this RFI. Industry comments are requested for consideration to determine the most suitable approach to acquiring the services and items to meet the Government?s requirements. C. DESIRED INFORMATION Vendors with expertise in providing copier maintenance are invited to submit information regarding the FDA?s requirement for copier maintenance and address the following, as well as providing any other helpful information: 1. Vendors should submit capability statements / written documentation which demonstrate the vendor?s ability to fulfill the requirements. Responses should include the vendor?s business size status based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 811212. The vendor should summarize their skills and experience in supporting similar requirements. This summary should also include any ?teaming? or ?subcontracting? arrangements in which the vendor participated in providing services for a requirement of this magnitude. The vendor should provide a customer point of contact (name, address, telephone number) for each experience described and indicate whether the vendor performed as a prime or subcontractor. 2. Vendors should identify any contract vehicles (GSA/FSS, GWACs, etc) that are currently available that can support the requirements contained herein. 3. Vendors should address the feasibility of the Government?s plan to use a BPA as the acquisition tool for its requirements and the degree of interest such a vehicle might generate along with comments regarding other potential approaches. 4. The Vendor should address what percentage of the work can be done with the vendor?s own employees and what percentage of the work would be subcontracted? Or, if the vendor is large business, discuss the subcontracting opportunities that will be made available for small business, service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, or woman-owned small businesses? If no subcontracting opportunities would be made available, please provide the rationale for that decision. 5. The Vendor should address any difficulties or constraints foreseen in providing services to the identified geographically diverse areas or providing services for multiple equipment manufacturers that should be considered by the Government when drafting the requirements. 6. Are there any unique issues applicable to the purchase of these services that the Government should consider when drafting the requirements? 7. Are there innovations in this area that the Government could benefit from and, if so, what are they? 8. At what age is it generally determined that it is no longer cost effective to keep a copier under a maintenance agreement? Is there a white paper or other documentation on customary industry practice? 9. Please provide information on contracts, business size (any small businesses, service disabled veteran-owned small business, etc), scope, plans, performance based statements of work, constraints, etc. If there is any other information that can be provided to assist the Government with drafting the requirements (such as performance based statements of work, repair and escalation of problem time parameters, levels of service available, problem reporting procedures, etc) please provide it as part of your response. D. SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS: ALL COMMENTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL. Responses to this RFI should be submitted using MS Word (12 point font) or PDF files readable by Adobe Acrobat. Proprietary information should be identified as such. Responses to the RFI SHALL include the Company Name, Street Address, City, State, NINE-Digit zip code, Point of Contact (POC), POC Telephone and facsimile numbers, and Status (e.g. women-owned small business or service-disabled veteran owned small business) based on (NAICS) Code 811212 which will be used for determining company size status. If the vendor?s address includes a post office box, the complete street address must also be provided. ALL inquiries regarding this Request for Information shall be submitted electronically. No telephone requests will be honored. Email submissions / inquiries should be sent to: Tawana Parker, Contract Specialist, at
contact@example.gov; Ted.Weitzman, Team Leader, IT Contracts Team, at
contact@example.gov; and Sandra Bellinger, Contracting Officer, at
contact@example.gov . Vendor information must be received by 5:00pm Eastern local time on 2 November 2006. Responses received after this date may not be considered.
