Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract (SPARC) IDIQ

SUBJECT: Strategic Partners Acquisition Readiness Contract (SPARC) IDIQ Draft RFP, Pre-solicitation Notice and Registration Information for Industry Day THIS IS NOT A FORMAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) AND DOES NOT COMMIT THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES (CMS) TO AWARD AN INDEFINITE DELIVERY INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. THIS WILL SERVE AS A PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAR 5.204 FOR THE SPARC IDIQ CONTRACT. CMS is contemplating the release of a solicitation for a multiple award IDIQ. Enclosed with this memorandum is a draft solicitation package associated with this contemplated requirement. The purpose of this memorandum is to request feedback from industry regarding the contents of the draft solicitation package. This draft solicitation is provided in order to facilitate your understanding of the solicitation requirements and your ability to submit a proposal in response to the solicitation requirements in the event a final RFP is issued. CMS is also interested in receiving feedback from its industry partners regarding means to refine the solicitation requirements in order to better achieve the agency's objectives. Vendors should not be providing proprietary solutions in their responses. Comments and questions concerning this Draft RFP shall be submitted in writing via electronic mail to SPARC@cms.hhs.gov no later than 10:00am, local time, June 8, 2015. Please submit all questions in Microsoft Word format and, if applicable, please include reference to the section/page of the solicitation package to which your question/comment pertains. CMS intends to use any information provided by industry for the purposes of refining the solicitation package prior to any future issuance of a final RFP. Vendors are advised that the issuance of this notice does not obligate the government to cover any costs for submission in response to this announcement. CMS also plans to host an Industry Day at CMS headquarters, 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland, 21244, and a webinar several weeks after the Industry Day. CMS will only permit registered attendees entry to the Industry Day. Therefore, please email an attendance request to sparc@cms.hhs.gov to request a reservation to this event by 12:00 pm on June 10, 2015. In the request, please provide the following information: first and last name, whether or not you are a citizen of the United States (only U.S. citizens will be allowed entry to the CMS facility), company name, DUNS number and whether your company is a large business or a small business. If your company is a small business, you must indicate what type of small business (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, etc.). CMS will limit the number of attendees to two (2) people per company. CMS reserves the right to further limit the number of attendees due to the space limitations of the room. A conference call number will be provided to companies that will not be able to attend in person or due to capacity issue of our conference facility. This registration will also be provided through the sparc@cms.hhs.gov email address. Registration information for the post-Industry Day webinar will be provided at a later date. None of the information provided in this letter or its enclosure(s) shall be construed as an RFP, a promise to issue an RFP, an offer (the acceptance of which, for consideration, would result in formation of a binding contract), or that a contract/task order resulting from such an RFP will be awarded. Furthermore, nothing in this memo or enclosures shall limit the ability of CMS to contract for the required services in any manner it sees fit. The information provided in this memo and in the draft solicitation package is for information purposes only. The Government reserves the right to modify the draft RFP in any way, shape or form as it sees fit. Note for facility access: Persons wishing to attend this meeting must register in advance. Persons, who are not registered in advance, will not be permitted access to the CMS Headquarters Facility and thus will be unable to attend the meeting. Persons attending the meeting will be required to show a U.S. Government-issued ID, preferably a driver's license, and are subject to a vehicle inspection prior to entering the complex. If proper identification is not provided, the visitor will be denied access. CMS is a tobacco-free campus and violators are subject to legal action.