SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Telephone Answering Services
- Notice Date
- 3/19/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 561421
— Telephone Answering Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Acquisitions and Agreements Section, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail drop 5230, Beltsville, MD, 20705
- ZIP Code
- 20705
- Solicitation Number
- FSIS-17-B04
- Response Due
- 4/9/2004
- Archive Date
- 4/30/2004
- Point of Contact
- Deborah Robertson, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-504-4237, Fax 3-1-504-4276, - Tawana Nathan, Contracting Officer, Phone (301) 504-3996, Fax (301) 504-4276,
- E-Mail Address
-
deborah.robertson@fsis.usda.gov, tawana.nathan@usda.gov
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The Solicitation Number is FSIS-17-B-04 and is issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). This is intended to be awarded as a Single Award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 01-20. The North American Industry Classification Code (NAICS) Code is 561421 and the size standard of $6,000,000.00 applies to this procurement. This requirement is being conducted as a Commercial Item and is set aside 100% Total Small Business. The requirement is for services to provide 24-Hour Answering Service on an ?As Needed Basis? for USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Meat and Poultry Hotline in accordance with attached Statement of Work. The period of performance includes one base year and four (4) option years. The following Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clauses and/or provisions apply to this solicitation as follows: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors?Commercial Items; 52-212-2, Evaluation of Commercial Items.(a)The following factors will be used to evaluate offers: (i) technical capability to meet the Government requirement; (ii) past performance; and (iii) price. Technical and past performances, when combined are significantly more important than price. 52.217-5, Evaluation of Options also applies to this requirement. The Government intends to award without discussions. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions with prospective contractors if it is in the best interest of the Government. The additional FAR clauses/provisions apply: 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items; 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; and 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items. The additional FAR Clauses cited in 52.212-5 are applicable to this acquisition: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alt 1; 52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside; 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-19, Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and other Eligible Veterans; 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; and 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, as Amended; 52.222-42, Statement of Equivalent Rates for Federal Hires; 52.222-43, Fair Labor Standards Act and Service Contract Act-Price Adjustment (Multiple Year and Options Contracts) . Additional FAR clauses are applicable: 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services; 52.217-9, Option to Extend The Term of The Contract; and 52.232-19, Availability of Funds. Wage Determination will be incorporated upon award. The offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at FAR 52.212-3 with its offer. FAR Clauses and Provisions in Full Text can be found at: www.arnet.gov. All responsible small businesses may submit a quotation which will be considered by the agency. Responses shall provide literature, brochures and other such information in order to determine the ability to meet the above stated capabilities. Offerors shall submit References to include such information for the most relevant contracts (completed and/or ongoing) which your company has had within the last three years. Please include Customers, name, address, and telephone number; contract number, type, and total original and present or final contract value; date of contract, place of performance, and delivery dates or period of performance; brief description of work comparable to the proposed effort. To be eligible to receive an award resulting from this solicitation, contractor must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. To register, you may apply through the Internet at www.ccr.gov. Written quotations shall be submitted no later than April 9, 2004 by 2:00pm.Quotes may be sent to Deborah Robertson by facsimile to 301/504-4276, mail, or email to deborah.robertson@fsis.usda.gov. POC for this requirement is Deborah Robertson, Contracting Officer, 301/504-4237. Statement of Work 1. This requirement is for services to provide 24-Hour Answering Service on an ?As Needed Basis? for USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Meat and Poultry Hotline. The contractor shall provide all equipment, labor, management, supplies to perform this service. FSIS intends on awarding a single award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). This BPA will consist of one base year and four (4) option years. Tasks include: (a) Provide live operators and recorded messages in English and Spanish to answer incoming calls (approximately 200 to 500 calls per day) from USDA?s Meat and Poultry Hotline 24 hours per day/7 days per week, including Federal Holidays on ?As Needed Basis?. The contractor shall have the capacity to handle up to 2,000 calls per day. (b) The contractor shall be able to respond within four (4) hours of when the BPA Call is issued. (c) Provide a activity report, on a daily basis, electronically by email to the appropriate Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative (COTR) which will show date of call, responsible call center staff member, subject matter of questions, nature of inquiry, name and telephone number and demographics of the requester if provided upon request, nature of the response give, follow-up necessary and when completed. The contractor shall be able to provide activity reports on an ?Hourly Basis? as needed when requested by the COTR. (d) The contractor shall provide a Project Manager with their phone/fax number and email address. The project manager shall communicate with the COTR on an ongoing basis to resolve technical questions, issues, and problems relevant to the operation of the Call Center and to ensure appropriate information exchange. (e) All responses shall contain FSIS approved information. At no time shall the call center staff respond with opinions, whether they are the personal opinions of the contractor staff members, the opinions of the contractor as a corporate entity, or the personal opinions of the contractor as a corporate entity, or the personal opinions of government officials or representatives who have assisted in providing the response. Contractor staff shall be especially alert to ensure that opinions concerning FSIS policy and interpretations of regulations are not part of any response to persons seeking assistance. Questions in this regard should be addressed to the COTR. (f) When information supplied is not sufficient and/or other food safety questions received not related to a recall or emergency situation, the call center staff shall refer customers back to FSIS?s Meat and Poultry Hotline staff. 2. The COTR will provide and periodically update a list of subject matter contacts within FSIS for the contractor to consult with when handling questions. 3. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INFORMATION: FSIS will provide hard copies of all reference materials and will provide new resources available to the contractor in hardcopy or electronically as they become available. All reference materials are the property of the Government and shall be returned to the Government at the end of the Agreement period.
- Record
- SN00550410-W 20040321/040319211656 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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