SOURCES SOUGHT
70 -- Certification, Accreditation, Registration, Permitting, and Other Licensing (CARPOL) Solutions No-Cost Model
- Notice Date
- 5/16/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541512
— Computer Systems Design Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Administrative Services Division\PPPB, 14th & Independence Ave, Room 0756, South Building, Washington, District of Columbia, 20250
- ZIP Code
- 20250
- Solicitation Number
- APHIS-SS-CARPOL-NoCostModel-002
- Point of Contact
- Estela M. Diaz, Phone: n/a
- E-Mail Address
-
CARPOL@aphis.usda.gov
(CARPOL@aphis.usda.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) for No-Cost Contracts Sources Sought: Seeking information regarding a possible no-cost model contract for the delivery of certification, accreditation, registration, permitting, and other licensing (CARPOL) activities to the public. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services (MRPBS) is considering the possibility of entering into a no-cost contract to deliver CARPOL-related services to the public. The agency is contemplating reducing the cost of maintaining existing systems by shifting the delivery of CARPOL services to industry. The vendor would be required to comply with Federal security requirements, remain in compliance with all requirements regarding access to personally identifiable information (PII), and meet certification and accreditation (C&A) requirements under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). The vendor would also be required to consider APHIS mission-related requirements governed by applicable appropriations, authorizing legislations, and other Federal laws under which the agency is required to operate. No-cost contracts are not subject to either the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) or the Agriculture Acquisition Regulations (AGAR). The terms and conditions for a no-cost contract will be negotiated in accordance with FAR Part 12 (Commercial Contracts) to protect the rights of both parties. A no-cost contract does not violate the Anti-deficiency Act because the Government would not incur financial liability for any CARPOL-related services provided by the vendor. APHIS would apply statutory requirements under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) for procurements by Federal agencies (property or services) applicable to civilian agencies (41 U.S.C. § 253). Agency Background Information: APHIS is organizationally located under USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP). MRP's mission is to facilitate domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and ensure the health and wellbeing of animals and plants. The overarching goals of the USDA MRP agencies are: •Faster delivery of services and products •Improved customer relations •Incorporation of efficiency and innovation to streamline operational solutions •Perpetuation of effective change management APHIS' mission is threefold: (1) provide leadership in ensuring the health and wellbeing of animals and plants, (2) improve agricultural productivity and competitiveness, and (3) contribute to the national economy and public health. In supporting USDA's mission to protect American agriculture and natural resources, APHIS issues CARPOL authorizations of various forms to allow the movement of specifically regulated agricultural commodities into and through the United States. APHIS currently provides a Web-based system for users to apply for permits, check the status of their permit applications, and view issued permits. The system is integrated with the U.S. Department of Treasury www.pay.gov site to process payments of any fees. Federal import permitting officials use the APHIS system workflow capabilities to review the applications and issue permits. In addition, Federal and State enforcement officials use the APHIS system to verify the validity of import permits. The system users include APHIS import permitting officials; other Federal Government employees; State agriculture officials; and private individuals, universities, and businesses. The system exchanges data with separate systems utilized by other Federal Government agencies that are also involved in the inspection and movement of imported commodities under APHIS' regulatory authority. These other agencies include the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Internally, Plant Inspection Stations and Investigative and Enforcement Services staff use the system to validate permits and exchange data with several IT systems. In addition to the current Web-based system, APHIS has other CARPOL processes that interact with the import permitting process as well as other electronic sources of structured CARPOL data. The USDA and its cooperators issue approximately 550,000 permit-type certificates per year. APHIS' primary goal is to have one flexible, expandable system that will fulfill its common data needs for CARPOL services and that optimizes user productivity, maximizes data value, and is compliant with all applicable U.S. laws, regulations, and directives. APHIS seeks to expand and improve its sharing, reporting, and analytical capabilities of CARPOL data and business processes. The foundation of a replacement system or service will be improved business processes identified in a business process assessment and reengineering final product produced by APHIS. An additional goal is to leverage, where possible, current technology and other resources. All interested sources in the market WITH or WITHOUT experience in no-cost model contracts, are encouraged to provide the following information: 1. Name of source (company/organization) including point of contact to include name, address, telephone number, and email. Include business status (small, large, or other). 2. Corporate or organization technical capabilities. 3. References for three contracts (Government, commercial, or other) within the past 3 years for similar CARPOL-related systems or services (not necessarily under a no-cost model). 4. Approximate net worth of company capitol for assessment of financial strength. 5. If referenced source is under a no-cost model, please provide contact information for at least three applications under this contracting model that you have provided to customers (at least one Government customer) to include: a. Name of entity and customer contact information. b. Include data when application was created and how long operated. c. Explain how the no-cost model works in referenced source. d. How are costs recovered (i.e., what is the third-party pricing structure)? Sources responding to this posting are responsible for appropriately marking any information that is proprietary in nature. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). Therefore, no proposals will be accepted. No contracts will result from any submission. The Government will not award a contract based on the information received; nor will we reimburse participants for information provided. Information requested is strictly voluntary and is for informational purposes only. Responses must be emailed to CARPOL@aphis.usda.gov and include the phrase "CARPOL Solutions No-Cost Model" in the subject line. No telephone communication will be accepted. Sources responding to this notice will not be entitled to the results.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USDA/APHIS/PPPB/APHIS-SS-CARPOL-NoCostModel-002/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: TBD, United States
- Record
- SN02750204-W 20120518/120517000737-9e3c5ace035191ab3a0af3cf1a58861e (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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