Legislative Subscription for the DFC Office of External Affairs

UPDATE (12/8/2023): Questions and answers are posted. There are presently no outstanding questions. Phase I quotes remain due by Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time (ET). __________ (a) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. (b) The solicitation number is 77344424Q0005. This solicitation is being issued as a request for quotations (RFQ) under the authority of FAR Subpart 13.5. (c) The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-06. (d) This acquisition is not set-aside for small business concerns. (e) Description. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), Office of External Affairs (OEA) has a requirement for access to a subscription database to provide congressional news, legislative tracking, information on Members of Congress, and stakeholder management. DFC's need is for a base service level of 12 individual user accounts, with an option for up to an additional eight individual user accounts. See Attachment 1, Price quote template, for the list of line items, quantities, and options. See Attachment 2, Statement of work. (f) DFC contemplates the award of a purchase order with firm-fixed-price line items resulting from this solicitation. The period of performance is January 16, 2024, through January 15, 2029, inclusive of a one-year base period and four, one-year option periods. The principal place of performance is the contractor's site. Payment will be made monthly in arrears. (g) This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions and contract clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The vendor is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the vendor and submitted with its quotation. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the vendor may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision or contract clause may be accessed electronically at the following address: https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far. (h) The provision at FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. The following addenda apply to this provision: (1) This procurement will be conducted in two phases. DFC will conduct an advisory downselect between phases. (i) Phase I. In the first phase, vendors shall submit: (A) Product literature. Existing product literature for their proposed subscription database, which shall describe the product's features and functionality and any service level standards. (B) Past performance references. A list of three past performance references, including the name of the customer organization, contract number (if applicable), a short description of the services provided, the name and telephone number and/or e-mail address for a customer point of contact, the dollar value of the contract/project, and the period of performance of the contract/project. References should be for contracts/projects that are either on-going or completed no longer than three years ago as of the due date for Phase I quotes. Phase I quotes are due by Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time (ET), by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at contact@example.gov. (ii) Advisory downselect. DFC will evaluate Phase I quotes under the form, fit, and function evaluation factor. Following this evaluation, DFC will issue advisory downselect notices to all vendors who submitted a Phase I quote. The advisory notice will advise the vendor of DFC's recommendation for the vendor to proceed or not proceed with a Phase II quote, based on the evaluation results under the form, fit, and function evaluation factor. The advisory downselect process is designed to reduce the costs and burden to industry to participate in the earliest phase of the acquisition while providing an opportunity for vendors who stand little to no chance of receiving an award to minimize their bid and proposal costs by not continuing to Phase II. Vendors must submit a Phase I quote to participate in Phase II. (iii) Phase II. Vendors remaining in the competition will participate in Phase II, which has four parts: (A) Product demonstration. (1) Vendors shall provide a one-hour demonstration of their proposed subscription database to DFC. (2) The product demonstration will occur on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, or December 20, 2023. The specific date and time will be scheduled with each remaining vendor following the advisory downselect. (3) DFC intends to hold the product demonstration virtually via a Microsoft Teams meeting. Once the oral presentation is scheduled, DFC will provide the vendor with a meeting invite link. Once the Microsoft Teams meeting starts, the vendor's briefer will be asked to share their screen to deliver the demonstration. The demonstration will be performed entirely by the vendor. (4) During the product demonstration, DFC may ask clarification questions or engage in interactive dialogue. Exchanges between DFC and the vendor are viewed as a component of the product demonstration itself and do not constitute discussions or negotiations. (5) The vendor is not restricted in the number of briefers that are used to deliver the product demonstration or respond to DFC's questions. The vendor's briefer(s) must be an employee of the vendor or a proposed subcontractor. A vendor may only attend one product demonstration, whether for itself as the proposed prime contractor or as a proposed subcontractor for another vendor. (B) Trial account(s) for DFC end users. Following the product demonstration, vendors shall provide trail account(s) for DFC end users to - test drive the proposed subscription database. The trial account period shall run from January 3, 2024, through January 8, 2024. Vendors shall provide as many accounts as necessary for four end users. Vendors may provide only one account if the account can be shared simultaneously among the four end users. If the account cannot be shared simultaneously among the four end users, separate trail user accounts shall be furnished. (C) Price. Vendors shall submit a price quote using Attachment 1, Price quote template. Please input unit prices in column H of the template. The price quote is due by Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time (ET), by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at contact@example.gov. (D) Representations and certifications. Any required representations and certifications, including, as applicable, FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, and FAR 52.204-24, Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. Representations and certifications are due by Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time (ET), by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at contact@example.gov. (i) DFC seeks quotes with a price for the base service level in the base year (CLIN 0001 - 12 individual user accounts, January 16, 2024, through January 15, 2025) of less than or equal to $40,000. Vendors should not interpret this figure as a ceiling or floor on quotes; rather, this information is provided as a courtesy to prospective vendors. DFC may select a quote for award with a price below, at, or exceeding this figure, if DFC determines that the quote provides the best value and funds are available. (j) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Products and Commercial Services applies. The specific evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of that provision are as follows. The non-price factors, when combined, are significantly more important than price. (1) Form, fit, and function. DFC will evaluate this factor using the product literature submitted in Phase I. This factor will be evaluated based on the ability of the product's features and functionality to meet DFC's needs as described in the statement of work. (2) Product demonstration and evaluation. The Government will evaluate this factor using (i) the vendor's product demonstration in Phase II and (ii) DFC's evaluation of the end user experience during the trial account period in Phase II. This factor will be evaluated based on the ability of the subscription database to meet DFC's needs as described in the statement of work and the user experience using the platform. (3) Past performance. DFC will evaluate this factor using information obtained from the past performance references submitted by the vendor in Phase I, and any past performance information obtained from other sources. This factor will be evaluated based on the vendor's record of recent successful past performance on similar requirements. (4) Price. DFC will evaluate this factor using the price quote submitted in Phase II. In accordance with FAR 52.212-2, DFC will evaluate price by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the base year. DFC may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. (k) Once DFC determines the vendor that is best suited for the requirement (i.e., the apparent successful vendor), DFC reserves the right to communicate with only that vendor to address any remaining issues for negotiation. These issues may involve technical matters and price. If the parties successfully negotiate all remaining issues, DFC will finalize a purchase order with that vendor. If the parties cannot successfully negotiate all remaining issues, as determined at the sole discretion of DFC, DFC reserves the right to communicate with the next best-suited vendor based on the original evaluation results to address any remaining issues for negotiation with that vendor. (l) DFC may elect to incorporate into the purchase order service level standards that are proposed by the apparent successful vendor in its quote. The incorporation of service level standards would be negotiated with the apparent successful vendor before award of a purchase order. (m) Vendors are advised to include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, with their quote, as described in paragraph h(1)(iii)(D) above. If the vendor has completed FAR 52.212-3 at www.sam.gov, then the vendor does not need to provide a completed copy with its quote. (n) The following provisions also apply to this solicitation: (1) FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (Oct 2018). (2) FAR 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (Aug 2020). (3) FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021). (o) The clause at FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. (p) The clause at FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Products and Commercial Services, applies to this acquisition. See full text of this clause in Attachment 3, Full text of FAR 52.212-5. (q) The following clauses also apply to this solicitation: (1) FAR 52.204-13 System for Award Management Maintenance (Oct 2018). (2) FAR 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (Aug 2020). (3) FAR 52.204-21 Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems (Nov 2021). (4) FAR 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity-Separately Priced Line Item (MAR 1989). See full text of this clause in Attachment 4. (5) FAR 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (Mar 2000). See full text of this clause in Attachment 4. (6) DFC.003 GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL MONITOR. See full text of this clause in Attachment 4. (7) DFC.026 ELECTRONIC INVOICING AND PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS - INVOICE PROCESSING PLATFORM (IPP). See full text of this clause in Attachment 4. (8) DFC.028 SECURITY AND PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENTS. See full text of this clause in Attachment 4. (r) The Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) does not apply to this acquisition. (s) Phase I quotes are due by Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 4:30pm Eastern time (ET), by e-mail to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at contact@example.gov. (t) Any inquiries regarding this solicitation must be sent to Joshua Houston, Contracting Officer, at contact@example.gov. Please submit any questions by December 6, 2023. DFC may not answer questions received after December 6, 2023. Attachments: 1 - Price quote template. 2 - Statement of work. 3 - Full text of FAR 52.212-5. 4 - Additional clauses.