SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- International Priority Airmail Presorting Services
- Notice Date
- 3/13/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21207-5279
- ZIP Code
- 21207-5279
- Solicitation Number
- SSA-RFQ-02-0131
- Response Due
- 4/15/2002
- Archive Date
- 4/30/2002
- Point of Contact
- Maria Hill, Contract Specialist, Phone 4109659532, Fax 4109669310,
- E-Mail Address
-
maria.hill@ssa.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The Social Security Administration (SSA) requires the services of a contractor to provide International Priority Airmail (IPA) presorting services to qualify for IPA discount program through the United States Postal Services (USPS). This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items (as defined by FAR 2.101) prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. This acquisition is subject to FAR subpart 13.5 regarding the application of simplified acquisition procedures. This is a 100% small business set-aside, issued as a Request for Quotations Number SSA-RFQ-02-0131. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 561499. The standard size is $5 million. Quotations received from other than small business will be deemed unacceptable and given no further consideration. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-05. Proposals in response this RFQ shall be submitted by 3:00 p.m. local prevailing time, April 15, 2001. BACKGROUND: SSA needs an experienced Contractor to furnish all personnel, vehicles, equipment and mail sorting production facilities and transportation services (except as provided by the U.S. Postal Service [USPS]) required to prepare International Priority Airmail (IPA) to earn postage discounts. The letter-size mail will be presented in USPS trays and will include a statement with each pickup, which contains the total number of mail pieces and the total weight. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this acquisition is to acquire the services of a Contractor to presort international mail, originating at two SSA sites located in the Woodlawn, MD, area to earn postage discounts. Contractor may also be required twice annually to presort SSA mail which is produced by a printing contractor. STATEMENT OF WORK: Tasks 1.0: The Contractor shall perform the following tasks Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week, excluding Federal holidays. 1.1 Collect international mail no later than 4 p.m. on the specified days from The following two SSA central office locations: Annex Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235 and Security West Bldg.,1500 Woodlawn Dr., Baltimore, MD 21241. 1.2 Pick up mail one additional time per week in April and May at the Security West Building upon 24-hour advance notification from SSA to accommodate the Foreign Enforcement Mailing which may include up to 10,000 pieces per day. 1.3 Pick up or receive by air freight from a printing contractor two additional IPA workloads per year, upon at least one week's notification from SSA. Each workload may include up to 250,000 pieces. This mail will arrive from the printing contractor in envelopes with a permit imprint, sorted and boxed by country. The Contractor must perform the additional sorting and processing required to ensure that these workloads are delivered to the Gateway Post Office of the Contractor's choice within three (3) work days after receipt. 1.4 Furnish all personnel (to include a uniformed driver), vehicles, equipment and mail sorting production facilities and transportation services (except as provided by USPS) required to prepare IPA to qualify for postage rate discounts under the USPS IPA discount program. 1.5 Sort the mail, affix their permit imprint for the appropriate rate of the destination country, bundle, sack, prepare documentation and present the mail to USPS as required under USPS IPA guidelines. Contractor must comply with all applicable USPS regulations, to include the International Mail Manual. 1.6 Deposit the processed IPA mail at the Gateway Post Office of the Contractor's choice by 7 a.m. of the morning following the day of receipt, including a Saturday morning delivery of Friday's pickup of SSA mail. 1.7 Guarantee USPS acceptance of the volume generated by SSA no later than the next USPS acceptance day (Monday through Saturday, excluding Federal holidays) following turnover of the product to the Contractor. 1.8 Prepare a receipt at each pick-up site at the time SSA's mail is collected. The receipt will state the weight of the shipment and the number of trays of mail as indicated by the SSA representative. A copy of the receipt will be provided to SSA's designee at each pick-up site. 1.9 Return ineligible mail, e.g., domestic mail (including APO/FPO mail), insufficient address, via the Contractor's uniformed driver to the original pickup point with the next pickup. 1.10 Notify the Project Officer or Alternate Project Officer immediately if Contractor is unable to make a timely pick-up of SSA's mail due to inclement weather, vehicle breakdown or any other reason. 1.11 Weigh all mail picked up from SSA to assure that the contents received at the Contractor's facility are equal to those picked up from SSA. The Contractor will notify SSA immediately of any weight discrepancy (more than one pound), but no modification of the weight may be made by the Contractor without the permission of SSA. If a problem is discovered after the close of SSA business, the Contractor will contact the project officer or alternate project officer at the start of SSA's next regular business day. 1.12 The SSA Project Officer or Alternate Project Officer (named at the time of award) will notify the Contractor of any emergency situations where pick-up will not be required, e.g., SSA closing due to bad weather. Tasks 2.0 SSA International Mail Workload: 2.1 A chart detailing the SSA Headquarters workloads is attached. All of the items fall into the category of letter mail. 2.2 The estimated annual mail volume for IPA from the two SSA facilities is 536,000 pieces of mail. This volume includes heavy mailings in May and June of approximately 135,000 pieces. The volume from printing contractors may total 250,000 pieces from two workloads or 500,000 pieces annually. The contract must allow for potential growth of 25 percent above this volume. CONTRACT DELIVERABLES: 3.0 The daily receipt from each SSA location as validated at the contractor's processing facility. 3.1 A monthly billing for fees and meter charges for number of pieces processed shall be presented directly to the SSA project officer for payment within 5 days after the end of each month. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Services shall be performed at the Contractor's facility. SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: The contractor shall submit within 30 days of contract award, to a security survey to be performed by SSA Protective Security Personnel at the expense of the Government, i.e., the salaries and travel expenses of Government personnel to perform the security survey will not be the responsibility of the Contractor. These individuals, to be designated by the project officer, will have the right to visit the Contractor's facility at any time during the performance of the contract. Provide for the security of all SSA mail picked up and take all necessary precautions to insure against damage, loss or theft of SSA mail while it is in the Contractor's possession or at any time while SSA's mail is in the Contractor's facility. The Contractor will be responsible for maintaining supervision, proper control and handling of the mail in order to prevent access to the mail by unauthorized individuals. SSA considers its mail to be in the Contractor's possession from the point it is picked up by the Contractor at SSA until it is accepted by the USPS at the gateway post office. This is a critical requirement because SSA mail includes Social Security Number cards. (The mail will not contain checks or other negotiable instruments.) Provide a building that is properly secured in order to ensure adequate protection against theft of SSA mail. The facility will include: Physical security and access control systems, including alarms which only allow authorized personnel access to the facility and are capable of detecting and alerting security personnel of unauthorized entry attempts; immediate follow-up action must be taken in response to security alarm activations; Automatic fire detection system that is capable of detecting the incipient stages of a fire, which will include, at a minimum, combustion sensors, temperature rate-of-rise sensors, thermal sensors, and smoke sensors. When the fire detection system is activated, it will identify the zone in which the fire is located and will activate an audible alarm to sound throughout the facility. In addition, the audible alarm will sound in at least one constantly supervised location, such as a guard station or local fire department. Immediate follow-up action must be taken in response to fire alarm activations. At least one Class C portable fire extinguisher, with a capacity of 15 pounds or greater, will be located within 50 feet of any point where SSA mail is being processed or staged. Fail-safe and override provisions will be provided for all electro-mechanical security devices (alarms, mantrap double door entries, access control systems, etc.), which can be activated in the event of an emergency. Adequate outside lighting of the facility, including all entrances and loading dock areas will be provided. Provide secure vehicles to transport SSA mail. Vehicles will be equipped with a high security lock to deter compromise. The vehicle will be locked at all times when SSA mail is contained within it. Report any damage, loss or theft of SSA mail to the Project Officer or Alternate Project Officer immediately. The Contractor's payments for SSA claims for monetary loss will be subject to verified SSA documentation. Maintain the security of SSA's mail by assuring that it is not opened or in any way tampered with, including that it is at no time left unattended unless it has been secured against possible tampering or theft. Also, the Contractor will provide additional protective measures as follows: Secure all perimeter entrances to prevent unauthorized access from the outside, e.g., via locking hardware, spot-welding hinge pins, or similar method; Maintain in operation an intrusion detection system (IDS) to include perimeter alarms and motion detectors at the storage/work location. This IDS is to annunciate at a monitoring station that will require a security force to investigate the alarm activation. The Contractor will conduct monthly tests of this system and maintain a record of the test results on file, to be reviewed on request by Government security personnel. Maintain written procedures for protecting the mail in the event of an emergency, e.g., natural and man-made disasters, to be reviewed on request by Government security personnel. SECURITY CLEARANCES: Contractor personnel who require access to SSA facilities shall be required to undergo a background investigation, which will be conducted by the Government. Such investigation shall require that Contractor employees submit a statement of personal history. Non-U.S. citizens shall be required to provide a photocopy of their work authorization permit and Social Security card. Accordingly, the contractor should select only those persons who are likely to meet the suitability requirements in order to reduce the likelihood that employee(s) will be found unsuitable and not be allowed to work under the contract. The Government shall have and exercise full and complete control over granting, denying, withholding or terminating clearances for contractor employees. Forms for background investigations will be made a part of the resultant contract. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: SSA anticipates awarding a firm-fixed price contract with four (4) successive, one-year options, if exercised. The period of performance shall be June 1, 2002, or date of award, which ever is later through May 31, 2003. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The provisions of FAR 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions--Commercial Items (FEB 2002) and FAR 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statues or Executive Orders--Commercial Items (FEB 2002) are incorporated by reference. FAR 52.212-5 applies as follows:(a)(1)and (2);(b)(1),(5),(7),(12),(13),(14),(15),(25); (c)(1),(2) and (3). FAR clause 52.217-9 Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000) is applicable. Special attention to the following paragraphs (a) at any time; (b) 60 days; and (c)60 months. FAR Clause 52.217-8 (NOV1999) Option to Extend Services is also applicable to this solicitation, insert with 10 days. FAR Clause 216-21 Requirements (OCT 1995) insert 60 months. FAR Clause 52.216-18 Ordering (OCT1995, (a) No minimum ordering requirements; anytime; FAR Clause 52-216-19,Order Limitations (OCT 1995) paragraphs: (b)(1) estimated quantities shown in addednum B for any period of performance and (d) 10 days. In addition FAR 52.219-6 (JUL 1996) Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside applies. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING OFFERS: At a minimum, offerors shall submit the following: completed SF 1449; separate pricing page; representations and certifications; experience and past performance information, all as specified herein. Offers which fail to include all required information may be rejected without further consideration. The provisions at FAR 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors--Commercial Items (Oct 2000) are incorporated by reference. Offerors shall follow the instructions set forth therein. Special attention is directed to the following paragraphs: (b) Standard Form 1449 shall be used for the submission of offers; (b)(10) All information required by this paragraph shall be submitted. Past performance information should be limited to current projects and/or projects completed within the past 3 years; (b)(11) does not apply; (c) Period of acceptance for offers 60 calendar days; (d) does not apply (e) does not apply. Certifications as required by FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items (FEB 2002) shall be submitted with the offer (1 original copy of the reps and certs shall suffice). EVALUATION CRITERIA: FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (JAN 1999) has been tailored pursuant to FAR 12.301(c) by the substituition of a similar provision in the following addendum: (a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, and represents the best overall value, price and other factors considered. The Government will determine the value of an offer/proposal on the basis of its acceptability and how well the offeror complies with the solicitation instructions and requirements. The following factors will be used to evaluate offers as "acceptable" or "unacceptable": 1) Evidence that the offeror thoroughly understands the requirement of the Statement of Work; 2) the sufficiency of the explanation as to the approach to accomplish the IPA and sortation (material should clearly describe the process); 3) the sufficiency of the explanation of the billing and accounting procedures (material should clearly describe the means to track the mail pieces through the entire process, track sortation qualifications and reconcile the billing as to postage and fees); 4) the sufficiency of the explanation of the organization qualifications; 5) the sufficiency of the explanation of the professional staff qualifications; 6) facility and transportation which will be used in support of the contract (offeror shall indicate whether they currently possess the proposed facility); 7) the sufficiency of the security plan which sets forth how the offeror intends to meet the security reqirements. An award will be made in the aggregate. Offerors must submit a price on all items in the RFQ. Failure to submit a price on any item shall be cause for rejection. An award will be made to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to this solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, and represents the best overall value, price and other factors considered. AWARD: A written contract or notice of award will be mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror, within the timeframe for acceptance of offers. ATTACHMENTS: There are five (5) attachments as follows: Attachment 1-Cover Letter; Attachment 2-SF1449; Attachment 3-contract pricing tables; Attachment 4-Representations and Certifications; Attachment 5-Current Wage Determination 94-2455 Rev.16. This contract is subject to the Service Contract Act. The Contracting Officer will request wage determinations for additional places or areas of performance if asked to do so. All are available on the Federal Business Opportunities (Feb Biz Opps/FBO) website. If you are reading this in the CBD, you must download the attachments from the fedbizopps.gov. You can download FAR clauses from http://www.arnet.gov. Potential offerors are responsible for accessing the FedBizOpps website to check the status of this requirement and to keep current with any amendments that may be issued. Interested parties must respond to the solicitation in order to be considered for award of any resultant contract. There is no written solicitation document available, telephone requests will not be honored and no bidders lists will be maintained. Potential offerors are requested to direct all questions via email to Maria.Hill@ssa.gov. See Note 1.
- Record
- SN00042249-W 20020315/020313213356 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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