Technical & Management Assistance

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE This SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE is for information gathering and market research purposes ONLY. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILBLE AT THIS TIME. This Sources Sought Synopsis is in support of market research being conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development to identify capable potential sources including small business (SB), 8(a), HubZone, Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned (EDWOSB), Women-Owned small business (WOSB), Serviced Disabled Veteran Owned small business (SDVOSB). In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are Not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does NOT constitute a Request For Quote (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFQ. Furthermore, those who respond to this RFI should NOT anticipate feedback with regards to its submission; other than acknowledgement of receipt - if a request for an acknowledgement is requested by the submitter. This RFI does NOT commit the Government to contract for any supply or service for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (USDA), Rural Development (RD) is NOT at this time seeking quotes. Responders are advised and reminded that the U.S. Government will NOT pay any cost incurred in response to this SSN. All costs associated with responding to this inquiry will be solely at the responding party's expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future SSN. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor the website for any information that may pertain to this SSN. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned. Instructions and attachments are provided below. Interested contractors are asked to respond per the instructions below. Please email your responses by April 10, 2017, by 10:00 A.M. EDT. USDA, RD This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) - Technical and Management Assistance Services; This SSN is for NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS only. Technical and Management Assistance The Contractor (Non-Profit Organizations ONLY) will provide contract services for labor, management, supervision, quality control, materials, equipment, and local transportation necessary to provide training and technical assistance to public or private nonprofit corporations, agencies, institutions, organizations and other associations, including Indian tribes, eligible to receive assistance under the Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Technical Assistance (TA) Grant Program in accordance with 7 CFR Part - 1944 SUBPART I. The objective is to obtain the services of a Non-Profit Organization who can meet the necessary performance standards and outcomes in providing Technical & Management Assistance. USDA/RD has an anticipated future requirement for Technical & Management Assistance Services. Any contract award action that "may" arise from a future solicitation is anticipated to be awarded as a Firm Fixed-Price (FFP) contract, with travel as a cost-reimbursement element. This SSN is conducted to assist in market research and to assist the acquisition office with the following: (1) Determine the availability of vendors capable of providing services, and (2) Determine if there is sufficient competition among Non-Profit Organizations. USDA, RD request information and comments on the following: 1. Is your company capable of performing the services outlined in 7 CFR Part - 1944 SUBPART I, and summarized in Attachment A? 2. The respondent shall provide a brief statement of experience providing the type of services, or similarly related services, as those outlined in 7 CFR Part - 1944 SUBPART I, and summarized in Attachment A. 3. The respondent shall provide company name, point of contact, business size, socio-economic status including HubZone if applicable, and North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) for which your organization qualifies as a Non-Profit Organization. 4. The Government anticipates placing this award in NAICS code 541611 with a size standard of $15.0 million. 5. Is your company likely to submit a proposal on a future solicitation of this type? 6. Which region as outlined in Attachment A does your organization operate in? If your organization can operate in multiple regions indicate such and preferences, if any. 7. If there are any other questions or comments, the respondent is encouraged to submit them along with your response to the Government? Questions regarding this notice should be directed to Gregory Nance at gregory.nance@wdc.usda.gov Responses shall be submitted no later than April 10, 2017 at 10:00 AM EDT. Additional Information: Contracting Office Address: Procurement Management Division Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250-0741 Attachments: Attachment A: Summary Description of Required Services. Sincerely, Gregory Nance Procurement Management Division Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250-0741 Phone: 202-692-0033 A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES IS COVERED IN 7 CFR 1944 SUBPART I. BELOW IS A SUMMARY OF THE PROGRAM Attachment A A Contractor (Non-Profit Organization) shall provide contract services for labor, management, supervision, quality control, materials, equipment, and local transportation necessary to provide training and technical assistance to public or private nonprofit corporations, agencies, institutions, organizations and other associations, including Indian tribes, eligible to receive assistance under the Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Technical Assistance (TA) Grant Program in accordance with 7 CFR Part - 1944 SUBPART I. The objective is to obtain the services of a nonprofit organization who can meet the necessary performance standards and outcomes in providing Technical & Management Assistance. USDA, RD has a requirement for the purchase of technical & management assistance services. Any contract awarded based on a future solicitation could be awarded as a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract with a cost reimbursement for travel. The Self-Help Technical Assistance Grant program funds nonprofit organizations, more commonly referred to as "Grantee" organizations, which are willing to locate and work with low and very low income rural Americans to finance and construct their own homes under the self-help construction method. The "Grantee" organization maintains a staff of administrative and technical professionals to provide day-to-day technical assistance to participants in the self-help program during the construction of their homes. Technical assistance provided includes recruiting participants for the program, assisting them in securing the necessary financing for the purchase of the land and building of their home. Typically, some 4-10 households work together under the guidance of the "Grantee" to construct their homes once each participant's loan has been closed. The "Grantee" organization also provides technical assistance by working with each household on purchasing construction material, teaching them construction skills to use in building of the home, the coordination of funds disbursement and the mutual effort of all participants to complete each home. Program participants typically obtain financing for the construction of their homes through the Rural Development field offices of USDA. Homes can only be financed in eligible "rural areas" of the fifty (50) States including Puerto Rico, the Pacific territories, and the U. S. Virgin Islands. "Rural area" is defined as follows: Open country or any town, village, city, or place, including the immediate adjacent densely settled area, which is not part of or associated with an urban area and which: (1) Has a population not in excess of 2,500 inhabitants; or (2) Has a population in excess of 2,500 but not in excess of 10,000 if it is rural in character; or (3) Has a population in excess of 10,000 but not in excess of 20,000, and- (i) Is not contained within a Metropolitan Statistical Area; and (ii) Has a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Any area classified as rural'' or a rural area'' prior to October 1, 1990, and determined not to be rural'' or a rural area'' as a result of data received from or after the 1990, 2000, or 2010 decennial census, and any area deemed to be a rural area'' at any time during the period beginning January 1, 2000, and ending December 31, 2010, shall continue to be so classified until the receipt of data from the decennial census in the year 2020, if such area has a population in excess of 10,000 but not in excess of 35,000, is rural in character, and has a serious lack of mortgage credit for lower and moderate-income families. There are 47 State Offices nationwide in the Rural Development mission area. In addition, there are field offices below the State level that service local areas, which will vary from State to State and U. S. territories. While the awardee or T&MA Contractor is responsible for the training, monitoring and quality control of the Grantees from their region, State and field offices are responsible for the day-to-day oversight and operation of the Self-Help Technical Assistance Grant program. The awardee will provide continuous learning/training, monitoring, quality control and technical assistance to all funded self-help Grantees in their assigned region of the United States and its Territories. In addition, there may be a need to expand the participation of other outside "Grantee" organizations in the Mutual Self Help Technical Assistance Grant program. RHS is desirous of contracting for the services of nonprofit entity/entities to provide training, technical assistance, and quality control to "Grantee" organizations to improve their performance and ensure their success in working with households in the construction of their homes. The Rural Housing Service (RHS) anticipates awarding four (4) separate contracts, to four (4) different contractors, one covering each of the four (4) regions of the United States and its territories. The number of states and/or territories and operating grantees serviced by each region (in parentheses respectively) and a listing of the serviced state abbreviations are as follows: Region 1: (9 states/13 grantees) Southeast - AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN, PR, and VI Region 2: (11 states/21 grantees) South Central - AR, KS, LA, MO, NE, ND, NM, OK, SD, TX, and WY. Region 3: (21 states/13 grantees) Northeast and Midwestern - CT, DE, IL, IA, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV, and WI. Region 4: (12 states/49 grantees) Western - AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, and W. Pacific Territories. The Contractor shall be held responsible for ensuring that the grantees in their region receive appropriate training and technical assistance to perform the duties specified in the grant agreement in accordance with Rural Development Instruction 1944-I. The Contractor will monitor the performance of their regional grantees and inform the RD State Office of any issues and/or deficiencies noted. The Contractor will work with RD to ensure the grantee completes a successful grant and that quality homes are constructed. The Contractor shall provide services for the following functions (7 CFR Part - 1944 SUBPART I): TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS Inquiries Technical Assistance Grant Application Processing Monitoring/Quality Control Contacts Grant Closeout Training/Workshops/National Self-Help Conference T&MA Annual Contractor Conference Call Grantee Training Handbooks Mutual Self-Help Housing Newsletter Travel Reports This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE neither constitutes a RFQ, nor does it restrict the USDA/RD to an acquisition approach. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents is strictly voluntary.