SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Conversion of Printed Notices
- Notice Date
- 11/12/2009
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 561410
— Document Preparation Services
- Contracting Office
- Social Security Administration, Office of Budget, Finance, and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1st Floor, Rear Entrance, 7111 Security Blvd., Baltimore, Maryland, 21244
- ZIP Code
- 21244
- Solicitation Number
- SSA-RFI-Conversion2010
- Point of Contact
- Cara Rose,
- E-Mail Address
-
cara.rose@ssa.gov
(cara.rose@ssa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is conducting Market Research to determine if there are any sources that can provide alternative means by which printed notices can be provided to the public. SSA currently generates the vast majority of its printed notices in IBM's Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) in mixed mode and AFPDS in 12 point font, and a small portion in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF formats. SSA is seeking sources capable of converting its notices to Braille and/or Microsoft Word on a Data CD and mailing those notices to recipients within 5 business days (excluding government holidays) of receipt of the notice (files) from SSA. SSA anticipates the notices (files) will be provided daily, Monday through Friday, year round. 1. Background: SSA creates and distributes custom designed paper notices for its beneficiaries, in either English or Spanish, with notice length averaging 5 pages. The majority of notices are created in IBM's Advanced Function Presentation (Mixed mode/AFPDS) format, and some notices are created in Microsoft Word or PDF. Some notices are generated as static forms, with fill-in data overlaid on a fixed template. Notices may contain information presented in tables. Tables can range in size from two columns to five columns. Tables can be as small as two rows in length, or can span multiple pages. Approximately 50% of the notices will contain information which is presented in a tabular format. 2. Requirements for notices converted to Microsoft Word 2003: Customized Notice Conversion: SSA is looking for sources who can convert SSA's notices from their original print format to a "read only" Microsoft Word 2003 document. The notices shall be viewable using the following software applications: • Microsoft Word 2003 for Windows • Microsoft Word 2007 for Windows • Microsoft Word Viewer 2003 for Windows • Microsoft Word for Macintosh Screen Reader Compatibility: The converted notices would need to be compatible with the following commercially available screen readers. • Freedom Scientific JAWS http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/fs/jaws-product-page.asp • GW Micro Window Eyes http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/ • Serotek System Access and System Access to Go http://serotek.com/softwaresolutions • NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) http://www.nvda-project.org/wiki/Download/ • Ai Squared ZoomText http://www.aisquared.com/ • Apple Voice Over http://www.apple.com/accessibility/voiceover/ Data CD ROM: Sources should have the capability to copy each notice onto an individual Data CD ROM, along with possibly one or more enclosures, and one "read me" file. 3. Requirements for notices converted to Braille: Notice Conversion: Conversion of SSA notices from their original print format to a Braille document. • English notices must be converted into Grade 2 (contracted) Braille. • Spanish notices must be converted to Spanish Braille. • All notices must conform to the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) Standards. Braille Duplication: Capability to reproduce transcribed Braille characters into face and back (Interpoint) pages. 4. Data Transmission: SSA anticipates that notices will be sent to the contractor via a dedicated T-1 circuit data connection at the contractor's location and SSA's network interface location, or the connectivity method will be through the Internet using an encrypted VPN tunnel. 5. Requested Response: SSA is seeking capability statements from sources who believe they have the capability to convert 50,000 to 1 million notices, in English or Spanish, per year, into Braille and/or Microsoft Word on a Data CD. Capability statements should respond to the following areas and include any other information pertinent to this source sought announcement: • How would you convert the customized and form notices to "read only" Microsoft Word 2003, to prepare the Data CD ROM? • How would you convert the customized and form notices to Braille? • Can you meet the requested turnaround time (5 business days) for Braille and Microsoft Word notices, and at what daily output capability? If the 5-business day turnaround period is not possible, what turnaround time would you be able to support, and what information would be required from SSA to support the turnaround commitment? • What, if any, additional information (beyond a copy of the Notice in AFP, PDF or Word format plus mailing address) be required from SSA in order to convert and mail the notices? • What, if any, obstacles might be anticipated that could adversely impact satisfying these requirements as outlined above? • Does your organization currently hold a GSA Schedule contract that could be used to support the work described herein, and if so, please identify that contract number. • Please provide references that demonstrates past performance for services similar to those outlined in this source sought synopsis. Please submit your capability statement to Cara Rose, via e-mail at cara.rose@ssa.gov, no later than 4:30pm, EST, November 17, 2009.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/SSA/DCFIAM/OAG/SSA-RFI-Conversion2010/listing.html)
- Record
- SN02002562-W 20091114/091112235025-334317a9c52a8b0f9ef2aec113f49115 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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