RECOVERY -- Surveillance Support Services for the National Cancer Institute

This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice (SS). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small business; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relative to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The NAICS code for the project is 541990. The small business size standard is $7M. Background: The Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports an integrated extramural program of cancer epidemiologic, genetic, behavioral, social, health services and economics, outcomes, and surveillance research. A major objective of this program is to monitor and explain patterns in the national cancer burden, including trends in cancer incidence, mortality, survival, risk factors, and the delivery of preventive and therapeutic health services. The primary approach for obtaining information about cancer trends is through the conduct of surveys and evaluation studies, and the development and validation of methods for surveillance activities. DCCPS staff performs a variety of surveillance and related methodological activities in order to measure and evaluate cancer control activities related to the NCI=s mission and objectives. Purpose and Objectives: The purpose of the proposed acquisition is to identify qualified organizations who can provide support to the NCI in a variety of cancer control surveillance activities, with minimal delay while maintaining the highest quality standards for the research. The award to be made pursuant to this RFP will be a Task Order Contract. It is anticipated that multiple Basic Administrative Contracts will be established as a result of this solicitation. When the Government develops a Task Order requirement, a Task Order Monitor will provide a Statement of Work and enough information for the purpose of soliciting proposals and selecting the most advantageous offer from among the multiple contract awardees. Upon award of a Task Order, the Contractor shall coordinate and implement the requested support services or specialty survey(s)/study(ies), including data collection, processing, and reporting for surveillance activities to be designed and developed by NCI alone or in collaboration with other organizations. The Contractor shall function in a supportive technical role carrying out specific tasks, and shall not engage in independent research as part of this contract. Project Requirements: The proposed acquisition will involve the following types of activities: (1) Plan the survey/study and serve as a liaison between NCI staff and staff of any collaborating institutions. (2) Serve as the coordinating center for developing procedures and instruments used in conducting the survey/study and analyzing data. (3) Coordinate clearance procedures such as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals. (3) Conduct the survey/study using techniques such as paper and pencil, internet-based, personal interviews, telephone interviews, mail or Internet questionnaires, and/or abstracting data from existing sources. For some studies, physical measurement and the collection and analysis of biological specimens may be necessary. (4) Prepare datasets for analyses and appropriate corresponding documentation. (5) Process information and produce statistical reports related to survey/study progress and outcome(s). (6) Assure protection of human subjects and confidentiality of information. (7) Assure compliance with the NIH Policies on Inclusion of Women and Minorities, and NCI Policies on Inclusion of Children. Anticipated Period of Performance: The anticipated period of performance for this proposed acquisition will be from February 2010, through February 2015; for a period of five years. The contract will be awarded with a Base Year, plus four one-year Option periods. It is anticipated that the first Task Order awarded under this acquisition will be an - NCI ARRA-Funded Proposed Project. Other Important Considerations: Sources are expected to have personnel and corporate history adequate for the fielding of large scale surveys and epidemiological investigations. Capability Statement/Information Sought: Respondents must provide, as part of their responses, information concerning (a) staff experience, including their availability, experience, and training; (b) current in-house capability and capacity to perform the work; (c) prior completed projects of similar nature; (d) corporate experience and management capabilities; and (e) examples of prior completed Government contracts, references, and other related information. Interested qualified small business organizations should submit a tailored capability statement for this requirement, not to exceed 20 single-sided pages (including all attachments, resumes, charts, etc.) presented in single-space and using a 12-point font size minimum, that clearly details the ability to perform the aspects of the notice described above. Statements should also include an indication of current certified small business status; this indication should be clearly marked on the first page of your capability statement, as well as the eligible small business concern's name, point of contact, address and DUNS number. Information Submission Instructions: All Capability Statements sent in response to this SOURCES SOUGHT notice must be submitted electronically (via email) to Erin C. Lange, Contract Specialist, at langee@mail.nih.gov in MS Word, WordPerfect, or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), by October 5, 2009, 3:00 PM, EST. All responses must be received by the specified due date and time in order to be considered. Disclaimer and Important Notes: This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Federal Business Opportunities. However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation. Confidentiality: No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information in any resultant solicitation(s).