Onlne Access to Lexis Nexis.com or "EQUAL TO"

(i) This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in 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. (ii) The solicitation number is FDA-SOLICITATION-09-1051459 and is being issued as a "Brand Name or Equal To" Request for Quotation (RFQ). (iii) This solicitation and incorporated provisions are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-28. (iv) The NAICS code is 511120 and the small business size standard is 500 employees. The Government intends to issue a fixed price purchase order for a base plus four option years and reserves the right to issue an award without discussions. (v) & (vi): GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Biosciences Library requires online access to LexisNexis.com comprehensive database of all primary and secondary legal, news, business, financial, medical, and public records or "EQUAL TO" online resources. Please see http://w3.nexis.com/sources/ for a complete list of the resources offered. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS The Site license shall provide the following features or "EQUAL TO": - Agency Wide 24/7 Access - Continuous updates - Ability for FDA researchers to create alerts and run these alerts on a regular basis across research areas to receive updates that include content loaded after their initial search was completed - Ability to conduct a search using natural language, Boolean, easy search For the above, the contractor shall provide the following: a. Customer service shall be available to troubleshoot website/connectivity issues via phone, email, etc. b. Researchers and librarians need access to all of the resources below and must be able to search selected resources with one query and one interface. c. Customers require a single access interface to search across multiple fields. This type of simultaneous searching reduces the need for multiple searches and saves the agency time. (vii) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: BASE PERIOD : 01/01/2009 - 12/31/2009 OPTION PERIOD 1: 01/01/2010 - 12/31/2010 OPTION PERIOD 2: 01/01/2011 - 12/31/2011 OPTION PERIOD 3: 01/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 OPTION PERIOD 4: 01/01/2013 - 12/31/2013 DELIVERY: Lexis Nexis.com resources or "EQUAL TO" product shall be hosted on the contractor's server and accessible at the researcher's desktop 24/7. If a plug-in, additional software or recommended software is required for optimal use, please include specific requirements. Contractor will address any questions or problems encountered when using this product with supported software or hardware. The contractor shall provide usage statistics on a monthly basis. The format of the usage statistics is provided either via email or contractor provided login and should include session count, search count and total document retrievals per title. Contractor shall provide online tutorials. Contractor shall also provide on-site training, briefings and updates to FDA researchers, in the DC area as well as selected remote offices. (viii) The provision at FAR 52.212-1 titled, "Instructions to Offerors - Commercial" (JUN 2008), applies to this acquisition and is available at website: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/12.htm#P257_45709. (ix) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, titled, "Evaluation of Commercial Items" (JAN 1999), is applicable to this acquisition. The following factors shall be used to evaluate quotes and are listed in descending order of importance: TECHNICAL UNDERSTANDING: To determine technical merit, each quotation will be evaluated against the requirements listed in this solicitation. All vendors offering an "Equal To" product must provide supporting documentation that their product can meet the requirements listed in this solicitation. 1) The proposals will be graded subjectively with final scores of, - Acceptable, or - Unacceptable. A score of - Acceptable would mean that the proposed product fully met the requirements. An - Unacceptable score means that the offer will not be considered for award. PRICE: The Government will evaluate proposed prices for a base period plus four options. Price is of less importance than technical capabilities and past performance combined. Award will not be automatically made on the basis of the highest technical merit. However price may become an important factor as the degree of equality between technical proposals becomes closer. FAR Provision 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options (Jul 1990) applies to this procurement. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s). PAST PERFORMANCE: Vendors should provide two references of similar efforts performed during the last three years. This will include a description of the project, project title, contract number, contract amount, client identification including agency or company name, contracting and technical reviewing official name(s), address and telephone number. The government is seeking to determine whether an offeror has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and high performance of services. This is a matter of judgment. The government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror's past performance record. Rating of positive, neutral, and poor will be given. A positive past performance will take precedence over neutral or poor past performance. Neutral past performance takes precedence over poor past performance. A contractor with no past performance will be given a score of neutral, which will neither be used to the advantage nor disadvantage of the offeror. The Government will assess the relative risks associated with each offeror. Performance risks are those associated with an offeror's likelihood of success in performing the acquisition requirements as indicated by that offeror's record of past performance. (x) Vendors shall complete FAR 52.212-3, Offerors Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (JUN 2008). This can be done electronically at http://orca.bpn.gov. The contracting officer will review the vendor's online certifications at http://orca.bpn.gov to ensure that they are accurate and complete. If the vendor does not have active representations and certifications registered online they will be disqualified from being considered for award. (xi) The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items (OCT 2008), applies to this acquisition. (xii) The clause FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (OCT 2008), applies to this acquisition as well as the following clauses cited therein: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government (Sep 2006), with Alternate I (Oct 1995)(41 U.S.C. 253g and 10 U.S.C. 2402). 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns (May 2004) (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(2) and (3)). 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Dec 1996)(15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)). 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Rerepresentation (June 2007) (15 U.S.C. 632(a)(2) 52.233-3, Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553). 52.233-4, Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim (OCT 2004) (Pub. L. 108-77, 108-78) 52.222-3, Convict Labor (June 2003) (E.O. 11755). 52.222-19, Child Labor'Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Feb 2008) (E.O. 13126). 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities (Feb 1999). 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 11246). 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006)(38 U.S.C. 4212). 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (Jun 1998)(29 U.S.C. 793). 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans (Sep 2006)(38 U.S.C. 4212). 52.222-39, Notification of Employee Rights Concerning Payment of Union Dues or Fees (Dec 2004) (E.O. 13201). 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Aug 2007) (Applies to all contracts). 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008) (E.O.s, proclamations, and statutes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury). 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer'Central Contractor Registration (Oct 2003) (31 U.S.C. 3332). 52.239-1, Privacy or Security Safeguards (Aug 1996) (5 U.S.C. 552a). Full text of clauses and provisions can be accessed at www.arnet.gov/far. (xiii) In order to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Government asks vendors to complete a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and submit it with their quote. The technical standards applicable to this requirement are: - 1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications - 1194.41 Information, documentation, and support The 508 technical standards are available at http://www.section508.gov/. (xiv & xv) N/A (xvi & xvii) All questions must be submitted in writing to Jody.O'Kash@fda.hhs.gov no later than Wednesday, December 23rd EST. Answers to all questions will be posted as an amendment to the solicitation. Quotes, Technical supporting documentation, and VPAT may be submitted electronically at Jody.O'Kash@fda.hhs.gov no later than Wednesday, December 31 at 3pm EST.