SPECIAL NOTICE
B -- AGRA EUROPE
- Notice Date
- 7/12/2016
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 518210
— Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Agricultural Research Service - National Capital Region Business Service Center
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- 807657
- Archive Date
- 7/30/2016
- Point of Contact
- Marcos A. Ocadiz, Phone: 301-504-1749
- E-Mail Address
-
marcos.ocadiz@ars.usda.gov
(marcos.ocadiz@ars.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This notice is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. In accordance with FAR 6.302-1 and 41 USC 25(c)(1), the service needed by the USDA is available from only one responsible source and no other type of service will satisfy the needs of the USDA. This notice is not a request for competitive quotations. No solicitation document is available and telephone requests will not be honored. Potential sources who believe they can provide the services listed are invited to submit substantiating documentation in writing to the identified point of contact. Information received will be considered solely for the purposes of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government to compete this proposed contract based on responses to this notice is solely at the discretion of the Government. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Economic Research Service (ERS), intends to award a sole source contract to Agra Europe for global coverage of food and agricultural policies, trade, WTO issues, data, and summaries of analyses and policies important to U.S. food and agricultural trade. 1.0 Introduction ERS plays a strategic role in developing the USDA Baseline doing research and analysis of the implications to U.S. agriculture and food security of shocks both in the United States and around the world. In undertaking such a role, the analysts at ERS need to draw on a variety of data from outside of the USDA. One such tool required is a comprehensive system of economic and financial data, such as the Agra Europe system. Such a tool, which can be used on a desktop computer, facilitates doing a variety of analyses. ERS does not have the internal resources to develop and maintain such a data system. It is therefore necessary that we purchase such from an outside vendor. 2.0 Background ERS publishes monthly and quarterly reports containing consistent U.S. and international nonagricultural data with a data history from the inception of the data source. The monthly forecast and reports about history require documentation to support ongoing reports and staff analysis done for the Secretary of Agriculture and other policymakers. The data needs to be developed on a basis consistent with the source entity to assure reliability in performing complex analyses of policy decisions, as well as reflect the interdependence of individual countries in the global market in Windows-based PC software such as Microsoft Office. The organization providing this has to have at least a 25 year track record 3.0 Scope This Statement of Work covers the provision of data from July 24, 2016 - July 23, 2017. The agency's main objectives for this service is to improve its function in providing the USDA with analyses and policies important to U.S. food and agricultural trade from a European perspective. In depth information and analysis of European agriculture are available daily, covering commodities, policies, and topical issues such as the environment, food safety, ecology, biofuels, climate change, animal disease and welfare, water shortages, weather, and other topics of interest. For these activities, we need: 1) A Windows-compatible global database system that is usable in generating tables, graphs, and spreadsheets. The database system needs to be installable on standard PCs, and the ERS LAN with the ability for users to look at data both graphically and in spreadsheet format to be manipulated by users. In addition, the data should be well documented. 2) The database needs to be available within an hour of release by the source entity to ERS and electronically via the internet including the updated historical data set used in outlook and research. This data set needs to be updated as new data become available. 3) Training, documentation, and technical support for these products and services. This includes up to 2 training sessions at ERS's discretion. 4.0 Required Data Agra Europe provides comprehensive global coverage of food and agricultural policies, trade, WTO issues, data, and summaries of analyses and policies important to U.S. food and agricultural trade-from a European perspective. In depth information and analysis of European agriculture are available daily, covering commodities, policies, and topical issues such as the environment, food safety, ecology, biofuels, climate change, animal disease and welfare, water shortages, weather, and other topics of interest. Examples of research where Agra Europe was used and was the only source of information available include the following: • Agra Europe is an online intelligence service for the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy, as well as providing expert coverage of global agricultural policy, legislation and trade in farm commodities. Agra Europe is a well-established source of information, providing ERS staff with information to assist in informing agriculture professionals, officials, and policy makers for over 25 years. Agra Europe provides daily, week ly, monthly, and quarterly prices of key agricultural commodities dating back to 1997, and a platform where experts address specific questions raised by users of news and analysis produced by Agra Europe reporters and analysts. • Agra Europe provides information to ERS staff that helps in formulating models and analysis related to EU agricultural policy. • ERS staff have use Agra Europe articles for context and qualitative information on issues related geographical indicators, Agra Europe provided detailed information about the treatment of geographical indicators in the Canada-EU free trade agreement. • ERS staff use Agra Europe regularly to keep up to date on EU domestic and trade policy developments. • ERS reports on fruit and vegetable trade relied extensively on Agra Europe resources to document developments in the EU and other fruit and vegetable markets. • Agra Europe provides in-depth commodity and policy reports that are used extensively by ERS staff in the International Demand and Trade Branch, as well as staff who focus on specific commodities important to the U.S. trade.
- Web Link
-
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- Record
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