R -- Educational Campaigns and Materials

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to determine the availability and capability of small businesses (including certified 8(a), Small Disadvantaged, and HUBZone firms; veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and women-owned small businesses) to provide Development of Educational Campaigns and Materials for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).The role of FDA?s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN?s) Office of Food Defense, Communication, and Emergency Response (OFDCER) has evolved over the years to include information and outreach on CFSAN programs for producers, transporters, operators of retail establishments, health professionals along with extensive, hands-on food safety and nutrition education programs for consumers including children, older Americans, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. Education is critical because consumers are the ?final link? in the food chain that runs from the farm to the table. Over the years, FDA?s education campaigns have kept pace with burgeoning new technology, scientific advances, new risks and potential pathogens, and types of foods being offered to U.S. consumers. The agency continues to inform consumers about safe food handling and preparation, and gives them the information they need to prepare healthy, nutritious meals for themselves and their families. CFSAN?s food safety education efforts typically support the Partnership for Food Safety Education?s Fight BAC! and Be Food Safe messages, for food safety, various guidelines and good manufacturing practices documents developed by CFSAN for sectors of the food industry, or focus on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the nutrition facts label, for nutrition. Educational materials are targeted to a variety of audiences including, but not limited to, the media, schools, health professionals, and specific groups of consumers who are at-risk for nutritional deficiencies or foodborne illness, including pregnant women, young children, senior citizens and those who are immunocompromised. Educational materials must take into consideration such factors as reading ability and language requirements and design preferences. Determining the most effective communication strategies, e.g., brochures, video, video news releases, public service announcements, and/or web-based, is also critical to effectively conveying the food safety message. Under FDA?s new Food Protection Plan CFSAN is given major responsibilities for educating consumers and the food industry about prevention of foodborne illness, communicating with the public during food emergencies, and improving the effectiveness of recalls of human and pet food products. The objective of the contract is to develop educational campaigns and materials covering food safety and nutrition. The contractor will be required to: 1) recommend, coordinate, and administer research-based educational strategies to reach particular target audiences or to convey specific messages; 2) write and/or design materials for review and make changes/corrections based on comments from CFSAN. This process may take up to three iterations before final work is approved. These materials include, but are not limited to web content, brochures, press kits, fact sheets, videos, classroom materials, patient handouts, and promotional items; 3) prepare print or audio-visual materials for duplication by delivering finished materials in an appropriate format (i.e., disk, beta-tape, etc.) with all required forms completed and 4) review printing and/or production processes when requested by checking proof sheets or onsite monitoring of the printing process. Contractors must submit a capability statement (five page limitation) describing their company?s experience and ability to: 1. Conduct independent education campaigns 2. Provide information on a broad range of food safety, nutrition, and related public health topics 3. Include target audience analysis and state of the art research methods 4. Provide details on how the education campaigns were conducted/managed 5. List experience as a multidisciplinary education campaign organization that covers food safety and nutrition. An indefinite delivery indefinite quantity type contract is expected with a base year with four one year options. The NAICS code for this effort is 541820 with a size standard of $6.5 million. Interested offerors must provide (1) company?s name, mailing address, e-mail address, telephone and fax numbers, website address, and point of contact (2) a summary list of similar work previously performed or being performed; (3) the professional qualifications and specific experience of staff who may be assigned to the requirement; resumes for proposed key personnel should be included; (4) if qualified as an 8(a) firm (must be certified by SBA), Small Disadvantaged Business (must be certified by SBA), Woman-Owned Small Business, HUBZone firm (must be certified by SBA), and/or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (must be listed in the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages) (submit copies of any documentation such as letters or certificates to indicate the firm?s status); (5) DUNS number, CAGE Code, Tax Identification Number, and company structure (Corporation, LLC, partnership, joint venture, etc.). (6) Companies must be registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR at www.ccr.gov) to be considered as a potential source; (7) identification of the firm?s GSA Schedule contract(s) by Schedule number and contract number and SINs that are applicable to this potential requirement are requested and (8) if the company has a government approved accounting system, identify the agency that approved the system. This notice is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, a Request for Proposals, a Solicitation, a Request for Quotes, or indication the Government will contract for the work contained in this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement and any follow-up information requests. Responses to this announcement will not be returned, nor will there be any discussions or debriefings of any responses. This announcement is Government market research, and may result in revisions in both its requirements and its acquisition strategy based on industry responses. Responses must be sent to this notice no later than 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time on April 7, 2008 submitted by email, courier or U.S. Postal Service to the attention of Megan Gnall, Contracting Officer at the above stated address.