SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- External Needs Assessment Program
- Notice Date
- 4/19/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B129, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-1640
- ZIP Code
- 20899-1640
- Solicitation Number
- NB106000-11-00299
- Archive Date
- 5/17/2011
- Point of Contact
- Maria M. Gray, Phone: (301)975-5577, Cheryl Rice, Phone: 3019753696
- E-Mail Address
-
maria.gray@nist.gov, cheryl.rice@nist.gov
(maria.gray@nist.gov, cheryl.rice@nist.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- This is a sources sought for small businesses to assist the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the purpose of conducting market research. A solicitation is not currently available. DRAFT STATEMENT OF WORK - The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has established an external needs assessment workshop series. These workshops will provide an opportunity for customers and stakeholders to lay out external drivers and/or opportunities for specific technology focus areas. The series is intended as a vehicle for building partnerships, defining roles, strategic planning, communications, and most importantly identifying critical technological challenges that if addressed will accelerate the advancement of innovation and technology. NIST provides the measurement science and standards infrastructure that is necessary to support economic competitiveness, and quality of life in the United States. This measurement infrastructure is critical for commercial exchange; national security and defense; protection of health, safety and the environment; innovation; and advancement of science, technology, and trade. To ensure that NIST's research is aligned with the future needs and challenges of industry NIST will work closely with other stakeholders to conduct periodic assessments of specific focus areas and use the resultant outputs to inform not only its planning processes, but the processes of other government and non-government entities as well. Scope of Work - The Contractor shall provide analytical support services for scientific and technological planning and portfolio management at NIST. The Contractor shall perform specific tasks identified as I) subject matter analysis; II) workshop logistics and support; III) workshop development, implementation and reporting; IV) opportunities document development; and V) in-depth analytical, strategic, and project management advice and support. These services include but are not limited to analyses of technologies, emerging trends, and future business environments needed for effective strategic planning and program management. The Contractor shall also provide in-depth analytical, strategic and expert project management support for assessing the current state of specific technology focus areas, and the future needs of industrial and research organizations in developing and manufacturing said technologies. NIST anticipates the issuance of task orders for a broad range of efforts including analytical support, technology monitoring services and analysis, event logistics, workshop development, report development and expert planning advice and guidance. The contract and related tasks are not focused on general business consulting. Work performed under the contract resulting from this performance work statement shall be specified and administered in accordance with the terms and conditions established under each task order. Each service required will be defined and negotiated by the designated Contracting Officer. Each task order will have a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) and Technical Information Contact (TIC) assigned who will be responsible for management of that order. The Contractor shall provide all support for project oversight, equipment, administration and technical execution of this contract. The Contractor is responsible for maintaining accurate records of project activities. The work could include but is not limited to: (I) Subject Matter / Situation Analysis - The contractor shall support the development of a subject matter or situation analysis. These services could include: a) Research the literature and other key sources to develop a cohesive list of reports, roadmaps, and other sources that relate to the NIST-defined technology focus area. These reports shall be reviewed and the results shall form the basis for a situation analysis. b) Contact experts in the field, drawing on the existing network of contacts, to fill in gaps as needed. The Contractor shall monitor and review emerging legislative and policy events and actions to ascertain their impacts on this issue. c) Develop the actual document, which could include: 1) In-depth analysis of major technology and business drivers and opportunities, current state of the technology and business, and technology challenges; 2) Research and analytical support, including focused analyses of key issues, key players, existing roadmaps and workshop reports, technology trends, and commercialization pathways for both established and next-generation technologies; 3) An inventory of technology and measurement issues, policy issues (such as potential or real regulatory challenges), and business/market issues and challenges shall be developed. The situation analysis shall include a detailed description of the methodology and sources used. (II) Workshop Logistics and Support - The contractor will assist NIST in logistical arrangements for the workshop. These services could entail: a. Identification and acquisition of venues for workshops, cafes, or other events, to include hotel search and facility expenses, badges, registration via a website, meeting website development, marketing assistance, badges, name tents and other relevant tasks; b. Administration and support of travel arrangements and reimbursement of compensated workshop participants (per government regulations). (III) Workshop Development, Implementation and Reporting - The Contractor will organize, design and conduct/facilitate a Stakeholder Workshop attended by up to 100 technology and business experts from the technology focus area community. The meeting will include 4-5 breakout sessions in key technology areas related to the specific technology focus area, to be determined by agreement with NIST: a) Level One workshops will be two days and include 80-100 participants; b) Level Two workshops will be one day and include 20-40 participants. Additional contractor support anticipated includes the following services and/or products: 1) Pre-meeting design and planning, including breakout structure, facilitation process, workshop objectives, agenda development, and design of workshop report/outcomes; 2) Planning methodologies and processes. Structure and facilitation of meetings and workshops focused on opportunities in current and emerging technology areas. Integration and synthesis of information and results into reports and summaries outlining key technology and measurement grand challenges, as well as barriers and gaps in the system; 3) Identification of key technology and market leaders within the specific technology focus area; 4) Development of potential participant lists, invitations, meeting flyer, and related materials; 5) Provision of up to five professional facilitators and two assistants during the workshop to guide the groups and reach the desired outcomes using compression planning techniques. The outcome the groups will be working toward is a set of well-defined challenges, technology priorities, and measurement issues. In the case of a Level One workshop, the resultant workshop summary will be the foundation of the opportunities document described in Task 4; 6) Preparation of pertinent materials for participants, including background and objectives of the meeting, agenda, instructions for attendees, process to be followed, and other materials as needed; and 7) Meeting facilitation and supplies and recording of meeting results in real time. The contractor shall prepare a workshop summary recommendations report containing the essential outcomes of the meeting and correlation of relevant information. This could entail: 1) working with NIST to obtain additional introductory materials or text as needed and come to a consensus on the final approved format of the workshop report; 2) Use of the raw results of the workshop, along with introductory materials, to develop a complete workshop report that includes technology, measurement, business and policy challenges, drivers, and priorities for the selected technology focus area (Level One: 50-60 pages: Level Two: 20-30 pages); 3) A draft workshop report will be issued first to a small group for comment, then to a larger group as designated by NIST, if appropriate; 4) The contractor shall incorporate comments and make revisions as needed; 5) Time is provided in the deliverables schedule to accommodate a single 4-week comment and review cycle; 6) This report is to be produced in MS Word and Adobe PDF (not desktop publishing) and will include a professionally designed cover. (IV) Opportunities Document Development - The Contractor shall assist NIST with developing a strategic recommendations or opportunities document (20-40 pages) outlining the proposed technology and measurement challenges for the technology focus area, as well as the context in which they exist (e.g. reference to relevant business, policy, regulatory and other pertinent questions or challenges). This could entail: 1) Development and preparation of a document that reflects the view of customers and stakeholders in a specific focus area, drawing upon various sources including the workshop/event, any subject matter or situation analysis, the workshop summary and other appropriate sources; 2) Input to the design of content and layout. The Contractor will provide advice to NIST staff on the elements of the document and how to best present them (format, visual effectiveness, content, etc) with various concept and materials; 3) A summary of the important outcomes from the workshop report, situation analysis, and other materials, in the form of recommendations going forward; 4) Editing and graphics support as needed to ensure the document is attractive, concise, and compelling, and in a format to enable quick reading and understanding by a diverse audience of decision-makers; 5) Production of a document in desktop publishing format suitable for professional offset printing. This does not, however, include the actual document printing; 6) Support of document roll-out and publicity via transmission of the document together with an introduction flyer or letter to all participants, as well as other identified key technology; market and policy leaders. This may extend to the physical participation in up to five publicity events in the Washington, DC area. (V) In-depth analytical, strategic, and project management advice and support - The contractor shall provide an in-depth analysis of major technical challenges and measurement needs in one or more areas related to the identified technology focus area. This could include: a) A 10-20 page report to provide sufficient details on technology barriers, measurement problems and business, market, and/or policy issues to inform decision making for major strategic initiatives. An expert will use the initial results of the situation analysis and add expert judgment to draw informed conclusions on measurement priorities; b) Advice and expert input on overall project design, sequencing and project management, database development and management, organizational and analytical issues, tools, and processes, including scenario planning and developing technology roadmaps for complex industries with diverse business strategies. Task orders addressing all of the above major areas with the exception of workshop logistics and support will be specific to a technology focus area. Technology focus areas could include: a. Chemical, Physical, and Materials Sciences b. Biotechnology c. Medical Technology d. Manufacturing, Construction, & Physical Infrastructure e. Information Technology Selected technology focus areas may be cross-disciplinary, i.e. they will be subsets of more than one of the above areas. Contractors must demonstrate their ability to provide appropriate expertise in all of the above areas. Workshop Development, Implementation and Reporting will potentially (though not exclusively) be at one of two levels: a. Level One: 2-Day Workshop with 80 - 100 participants b. Level Two: 1-day Workshop with 25 - 50 participants Individual task orders will provide further details. It is anticipated that there will be nominally two Level One and two or three Level Two activities per fiscal year. Anticipated DELIVERABLES AND REPORTS Task I Draft Situation Analysis Document Final Situation Analysis Document Task II: Workshop website with registration mechanism and relevant document repository Participants database with contact information, affiliations, specific technology area interests, and registration / itinerary (where appropriate) information Registrant packages for distribution at the beginning of the workshop to include agendas, participants list, presentations, and other items as mutually agreed upon with NIST. Task III Workshop Conduct and Facilitation Workshop Preplanning Agenda and Other Materials Draft Report for Workshop Final Report for Workshop Task IV Draft Opportunities Document Final Opportunities Document Task V Draft In-depth Analytical Document Final In-depth Analytical Document Any organization responding to this sources sought shall possess the capabilities to provide the services of NAICS code 541990 all Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. The size standard for NAICS code is $7.0 million. Potential sources possessing the capabilities to perform the aforementioned services are encouraged to respond to this notice and provide the following information: 1) Detailed narrative describing the company/organization's current capabilities that are directly relevant to the work described in the statement of work; 2) Description of each similar project completed by your company/organization as a prime contractor or as a significant Subcontractor with the past three (3) years, including as much of the following information as possible: (a) dollar value of the contract; (b) brief description of the technical requirements of the project; (c) contract type used on the project (e.g., firm-fixed price, labor-hour, time and materials, cost-plus-fixed fee, cost-plus award and cost plus-incentives fee); (d) duration of the project from start to completion; and (e) name, address, point of contact and phone number of the customer organization for which the work performed; 3) Current socio-economic status of your company as it relates to North American Industrial Classification System (NAIC) Code listed above; 4) Indication of whether you company currently has an active registration in the Central Contractor's Registration (CCR) at www.ccr.gov. 5) Provide all NAICS codes for which your company is identified in CCR; and 6) Provide your company's DUNS number. Submit your capabilities by email to: cheryl.rice@nist.gov by1:00 PM EST on Monday, May 2, 2011. The capability statements shall be no more than 25 pages on 8.5" x 11" paper, with 1" margins and a 12 point, commonly used font such as Courier New, or Time Roman in length. The Government reserves the right to contact any of the submitters to attain further market research/information. This contact may be in the form of direct Government/Submitter meetings. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AND THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT COMMITTED TO AWARD A CONTRACT PURSUANT TO INFORMATION SUBMITTED. RESPONSES SHALL NOT INCLUDE COST OR PRICING INFORMATION. PLEASE DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE to cheryl.rice@nist.gov BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS APRIL 25, 2011.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NIST/AcAsD/NB106000-11-00299/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899, United States
- Zip Code: 20899
- Zip Code: 20899
- Record
- SN02427969-W 20110421/110419234729-7f4c6976502cdab80df165463ba1c80e (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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