Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) Clearinghouse

Description: The Department of Health and Human Services intends to negotiate a contract with The National Center for Appropriate Technology located in Butte, Montana on a sole source basis for the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) Office of Community Services (OCS) for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The acquisition is for a permanent contract for a 60-month period. Program: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Nature of the Acquisition: The nature of the acquisition is the purchase of public facing tools, information and technical assistance services about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for grantees, low income individuals and members of the public. Purpose of the Acquisition: The purpose of the acquisition is to maintain the Office of Community Services (OCS) capacity to provide seamless and timely LIHEAP- related tools and services for the public'particularly people seeking to apply for program benefits'to connect with local intake offices, understand how to apply and what they might be eligible for, and answer other related program questions. Project description: The Contractor shall maintain the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, which: (1) collects and organizes information online regarding LIHEAP administration across states, tribes and territories-- including current energy issues and trends, related low income energy assistance programs, complementary programs that affect LIHEAP- eligible clients, and other areas of interest to LIHEAP grantees; (2) disseminates such information to grantees and the public; (3) maintains a network of peer mentors for grantees; and (4) offers a referral hotline for members of the general public who are interested in applying for assistance. The hotline is a particularly time sensitive service for households that are in a home energy crisis situation, such as a home heat disconnection during winter. Objectives of the Acquisition: The objectives of the acquisition are to procure the following: Maintain operation of the LIHEAP Clearinghouse website which provides LIHEAP technical assistance information, particularly on program eligibility requirements and available benefits; Continue operating the - NEAR telephone hotline for the public to learn how and where to apply for LIHEAP benefits; Collect and report on program inquiries and lessons learned; Update key internal resource documents; Prepare program-related reports; Prepare electronic bulletins to the field; Participate in conferences to provide technical assistance; Conduct focus groups of grantees; Carry out peer-to-peer mentoring among grantees; and, Refer concerns, tips, and complaints about suspected waste, fraud and abuse in the program to the appropriate local, state/tribal/territory, and federal authorities. Authorizing legislation: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Act, Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 97-35, as amended; Demonstration that the proposed contractor(s) unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited. OCS carefully analyzed the current services to determine whether the current work could be accomplished through another method. The analysis indicated that the current contractor is uniquely knowledgeable and staffed to provide interim services in the specific areas identified. Transitioning to a new contractor for interim support will result in a lapse in service and unacceptable risk to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It is recommended that this acquisition be awarded to The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) without competition, under 6.302-1 of the FAR, for the following reasons: The proposed acquisition is an extension of services of the existing LIHEAP Clearinghouse currently operated by NCAT These tasks are essential to HHS successful and timely management of LIHEAP without any gap in public facing services during the peak timing of the program, e.g., the coldest part of the heating/winter season. NCAT has provided these services for approximately 30 years. It has been the sole provider of these contracted services since the 1980's and is well known throughout the home energy assistance network as the LIHEAP Clearinghouse servicer. Congressional committee(s) in the early 1980's mentioned NCAT in the context of LIHEAP T&TA services. NCAT owns data rights to a server with essential information to the LIHEAP Performance Management Website and the LIHEAP Clearinghouse website. NCAT also owns data rights to a server with essential information for the complementary Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Performance Management website. Further NCAT is presently working in conjunction with OCS on the timely renewal of web site operation certificates involving all three web sites. Only the existing contractor owns the data rights to essential information, has the knowledge base, network of contacts, technical ability, and experience with the energy assistance referral hotline and the web site. Likewise, the public and grantees have only known NCAT as the point-of-contact for these services. Therefore NCAT is the only responsible source and no services will satisfy agency requirements. The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), in accordance with FAR Part 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Vendors interested in this acquisition must demonstrate in writing they can meet the Government's requirement. Responses must include a written narrative statement of capability, including detailed technical information and other technical literature demonstrating the ability to satisfy the stated requirements. The written statements of capability (no more than 5 pages in length) should be emailed to the Contract Specialist, Peter Preston, at Peter.Preston@psc.hhs.gov and are due no later than 5:00 p.m. (ET) on August 11th, 2020. Failure to submit adequate documentation will result in the Government proceeding with a sole source award to NCAT. A determination by the Government not to open the requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. No solicitation document is available. The purpose of this announcement is to determine whether there may be other sources with the requisite qualifications to perform the work described above.