National Photography Services

Answers to questions submitted. 1. Do you have any idea of the quantity/ work flow for the project? Should I assume that the work will be based on a forty hour work week? You should not assume that the work is based on a forty hour work week. The quantity of a project can vary dramatically depending on the location, type of event or activity. Generally for this contract we hire in half-day and full-day increments. We anticipate about two activities per month. On occasion, a photo assignment may last a number of days where hundreds of images are gathered. Workflow: Please see section 2.3 of the RFQ. 2. In the documentation, it is requested that images meet "Census Bureau requirements and standards". Is there any official documentation that states those requirements? Please see examples from our current Web archives at: http://www.census.gov/pubinfo/www/broadcast/photos/index.html 3. Do you know the types of events that will need to be photographed other than the corporate photography? Although assignments vary, typical photo activities include documentation at news conferences, regional US Census Bureau meetings or operational activities, portrait-style images of stake-holders and US Census Bureau employees, executive staff, etc. 4. Do you have an idea of how remote some of the locations will be? Assignments range across the US, including Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska. In general, activities and assignments occur in and around Washington, DC and the areas of the US Census Bureau Regional Offices: New York, NY Boston, MA Philadelphia, PA Chicago, IL Atlanta, GA Charlotte, NC Dallas, TX Denver, CO Los Angeles, CA Seattle, WA Kansas City, KS Detroit, MI 5. Under (1.) Pricing, what is the annual rate figure if this is a time and materials contract? Please see the Deliverables section. 6. Under (1.) Pricing, there is no box for - day pricing; do you need that pricing for my bid as well. See 6.3. Please provide costs for half-day and full-day rates and any others rates that are relevant services the vendor offers. 7. Under (2.6) Travel it states there is no travel but in (6.3) Pricing it asks for markups for remote locations. These activities are expected to involve services performed in areas outside the contractor's local area. Subcontracting is anticipated and, where possible, required in major areas of Census Bureau operations and activities. The Census Bureau does not anticipate incurring travel and lodging costs for vendor personnel to accomplish assigned activities. 8. In (2.3) Deliverables/Delivery Schedule, it describes the possible need for photo assistants. Will each job dictate different requirements for personnel needed to accomplish the assignment? How do I show this in my pricing? Each job may, in fact, require different personnel for different jobs. Some of these may require the inclusion of additional personnel such as a photo assistant. Vendor should provide ALL relevant half-day and full-day pricing to accommodate the range of documentary activities listed above. 9. What form will final delivery be: DVD or FTP upload. Generally DVD is preferred but access to an FTP site is also acceptable. Task manager will specify per assigned activity. Please see section 2.3. 10. How many actual days of photography work was rendered/performed last year under the previous contract? The number is irrelevant as requirements increase or decrease per activity and region depending on operational activities, news events, etc. It is anticipated that there will be, on average, two documentary assignments per month. 11. Was the Government billed on a daily rate or was it the annual figure requested in question number 1? Billing is on a per-project basis, half-day and full-day rates. 12. When a job is delivered, does the Task Manager expect to have all images from the shoot ready to use in reproduction or will or would the Task Manager look at a "rough edit" version of the entire shoot and request a handful of images to be processed for reproduction? Turnaround times vary by assignment and will be directed by the task manager. However, vendor should be prepared to make selections, edit and transfer images in a timely manner, in some cases immediately following an event (as directed by task manager) or same day of assignment. 13. What does a typical shoot consists of? Is it usually event/photojournalist coverage? What type of events, how often do they occur, etc.? Although assignments vary, typical photo activities include documentation at news conferences, regional US Census Bureau meetings or operational activities, portrait-style images of stake-holders and US Census Bureau employees, executive staff, etc. 14. Clarify what the "Annual Rate" means. See Deliverables section. The estimated total cost of activities, two-per month, for one year. 15. What would be considered "Proof of Contractor's ability to deliver high-quality photographic support within a 24-hour turnaround." Vendor should provide written statements indicating the operating procedures and policy that ensure timely delivery of images, products, etc.