VHR BPA Package (08/2009)
June 20, 2011
SSA-RFQ-R03-11-1004
The Social Security Administration, Office of Acquisition and Grants, Division of Eastern Regional Contracting, is seeking contractors to provide services as Verbatim Hearing Recorders for the Office of Disability, Adjudication and Review (ODAR). It is the intent of the Agency to award multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) for a five (5) year period of performance. An evaluation shall be completed annually to determine if the requirement is necessary.
Successful contractors shall record andtranscribe testimony of claimants appealing the denial of Social Security Disability Benefits. Disability hearings are convened by an Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) and heard in ODAR hearing office and permanent remote sites located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware and Washington D.C. (see Attachment for a complete list of these sites).
Interested individuals shall submit a quote no later than 1 P.M. on July 20, 2011to the following address:
Social Security Administration
Office of Acquisition and Grants/Resource Management Team/7th Floor
300 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia P A 19123
Attention: Linda Seidle/SSA-RFQ-R03-11-1004
GOVERNMENT FRANKED ENVELOPES SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. FAXED OR EMAILED RESPONSES SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Your quote will be evaluated on price, experience and past performance; therefore you should provide all therequired information in order for your quote to be acceptable. The manner in which offers shall be evaluated is set forth on pages63-65 of this package. Please read the instructions carefully and ensure that all requested information is included with your submission. Evaluators will neither make assumptions nor draw conclusions regarding missing or incomplete data. Missing or incomplete data could result in the elimination of youroffer from further consideration.
I. Prior to the submission of a quote, offerors are encouraged to read the Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) in its entirety. Questions regarding this solicitation may be presented by email . All inquiries and responses shall be shared with all potential offerors on the following Government Point of Entry (GPE) website:
NOTE TO SMALL BUSINESS COURT REPORTERS AND INDEPENDENT COURT REPORTERS, NO TRANSCRIPTS SHALL BE REQUIRED. THE COMPLETED PRODUCT SHALL BE UPLOADED TO SERVER AFTER HEARING OR MAILED.
All Potential Contractors shall note the following:
- All potential contractors shall agree to the Terms and Conditions of the Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). No alternate terms and conditions shall be incorporated into the agreement.
- No transcripts shall be ordered or required. The CD and Verbatim Notes produced during the hearing shall be the only product, which the contractor(s) shall be required to provide. Depending on the location, the final product may either be mailed, at the contractor’s expense, or uploaded to the mainframe.
- No appearance fee
- No per page rate are acceptable. Note that there are no transcripts required
- No wait time
- No cancellation fee other than that which is outlined in the Blanket Purchase Agreement is acceptable.
- No exhibit fee- Exhibits are part of the total price.
CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS:
- The contractor shall be required to take accurate, complete and legible notes throughout the proceedings. These notes are used by the Decision Writers to process the adjudicated disability claim. Good grammar and spelling are essential.
- Contractors shall be required to operate a Personal Computer (PC) and digital recording equipment to carry out the Verbatim Hearing Recorder duties. This includes the use of the Social Security Administration computer program and the uploading of the completed documents to the mainframe.
- For the remote sites, the contractor shall be required to assist in the resolution of minor computer problems.
- Past Performance or relevant extensive experience in occupations such as, Court Reporter, Verbatim Hearing Recorder, Clerical, Secretarial, Paralegal or Management Analyst is required. The contractor shall provide Professional References, which show that they have the required experience in one of the above or similar occupations.
- Contractors submitting proposals for this opportunity shall provide Professional References. These references are those individuals to whom the contractor has provided a work product and can attest to the contractor’s abilities.
- Contractors are required to provide their own supplies including postage and envelopes to return the completed product to the home office. SSA supplies and postage shall not be authorized for use by the Verbatim Hearing Recorder.
- The size of the brown Kraft envelope can either be a, 9 x12 or 9 ½ x 12 ½ and the weight shall be 28 lbs. These envelopes are commercially available through Staples, Office Depot or a similar commercial vendor and the average cost is between $18-20 for a box.
- A High School Degree or GED is required. The contractor is required to self-certify providing the name and date of graduation.
- Post High School is preferred. The contractor shall self-certify. If post High School is claimed, then the name of the technical school or college and date of attendance or graduation is required.
- Contractors are advised to read the BPA purchase order in its entirety prior to submitting a quote.
- Contractors may claim travel fees for remote sites only if the mileage is seventy-five (75) miles or more from their home base. No hotel, motel, airfare or Amtrak fees shall be accepted. Contractors shall be required to provide proof of their travel prior to submitting claims.
- All proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the instructions outlined in the solicitation. Failure to submit the proposals correctly shall result in their rejection.
- Contractors and/or their employees are subject to a Security and Suitability Clearance prior to the start of work. The Security and Suitability clearance is valid for five (5) years.
- Contractors are required to have an active Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) Number and anactive and current registration in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database.
II. Submission of Quotes
A. All offerors shall be responsible for providing the following documents
when submitting their quotes. The evaluators will neither make assumptions nor
draw conclusions regarding missingor incomplete information. Missing or incomplete
information may result in theelimination of your quotation from further consideration.
1. Page 7 of this solicitation shall be completed including name, address,
telephone number(s) and DUNS number and Tax Identification Number.
Your Social Security Number may be used as the Tax Identification Number.
2. Page 9- A separate quotation page shall be submitted for each sitefor which
the offeror would like to be considered. Ouotes shall be provided for each of the 5
year periods of performance. Offerors must provide pricing for all periods of
performance or the quote shall be rejected.
3. Page 49- Social Security Administration (SSA) Security Awareness: Contractor
Personnel Security Certification
4. Page 53-Acknowledgement Form- Sign, date and return with your package.
For the purposes of evaluating this solicitation, the Government will evaluatepricing
for all years to determine if they are fair and reasonable. If the pricing is determined to
unbalanced or exceeds the Independent Government Estimate, then the
offeror shall not receive an award.
5. The contractors shall use Attachment 1 to select their sites. The contractor shall prepare one
Sheet (page 9) for each selected site. The contractor shall provide pricing for each of the years
on each sheet submitted. Failure to follow the instructions shall result in the rejection of the
quote.
B.Résumé Include all relevant employment or contract experience for the last three (3)
years includinga complete description of the duties associated with the position or contractor opportunity.
Provide the namesand telephone number(s) of the supervisor(s) or employer(s).If
self-employed, identifythe business and type of product or service provided as well as the names and telephone numbers of the individual for whom the service was provided.
C.Professional References. Offers will be evaluated on past performance, experience and price. In order to evaluate past performance, the offeror shall provide at least three(3) professional referencesforwork currently in process or completed within the past 3 years.These professional references shall adequately demonstrate the offeror's relevant past performance completing similar services. The past performance information submitted SHALL contain an adequate description of the work that was performed in order for it to be evaluated. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that all names andtelephone numbers of the cited references are accurate.
The Government is only obligated tocontact the cited references twice. Failure to
provide references or inaccurate or incompleteinformation may result in the elimination of the quote from further consideration.
TO OBTAIN A DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBERING SYSTEM NUMBER
(DUNS NUMBER)
Offerors shall obtain a Data Universal Numbering System Number (Dun & Bradstreet Number-DUNS Number). This number is free of charge to all existing and potential Government Contractors. The offeror may apply online to obtain this number.
TO REGISTER IN THE CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION-CCR
Upon receipt of the DUNS number, the offeror shallregister in the Central Contractor Registration Database (CCR). All individuals doing business with the federal government must register in CCR. This database interacts with the Social Security Administration Office of Finance and Procurement Database as well as the Internal Revenue Service. Payments will be made via Electronic Funds Transfer also know as direct deposit to the vendor’s designated financial institution. This registration is free-of-charge and may be completed online at For assistance with this registration, please contact Customer Service at the following telephone numbers.
Federal Help Desk- 8 AM to 8 PM EST
866-606-8220
334-206-7828
DSN: 809-463-3376 (then dial toll free number)
NOTE: This program validates through the Internal Revenue Service, therefore all personal information including your name and address must be consistent with your income tax filings.
TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(TIN)
The offeror may use their social security number or obtain a Tax Identification Number (TIN).
PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING NAICS AND SIC CODES TO REGISTER IN THE CENTRAL CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION DATABASE (CCR):
NAICS Code- 561492
SIC CODE- 7338
This RFQ does not commit the Government to pay any costs for the preparation and
submission of a quotation. Also, the Contracting Officer is the only individual who
can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection
with this proposed procurement.
For questions, please contact Linda Seidle at 215-597-9143 or by email at .
Linda Seidle
Contract Specialist
All quotes shall be received at the address noted on Page 1 no later than
July 20, 1 PM local time.
You shall not fax your quote or use Government envelopes or equipment to forwardyour quote(s).
BPA number(not applicable)- completed by SSA / Effective Date
(completed by SSA)
Business Name / Payment Terms- Direct Deposit only!
Point of Contact Name / Tax Identification Number or Social
Security Number
Postal Address (street address)
Post Office Box address is acceptable, but
Street address must also be provided. / City, State and Zip Code
Telephone Number including area code / Cell Phone number and Fax number:
Cell:
Fax:
DUNS Number + 4 number / Email Address(es)
Pricing Schedule
Instructions. The VHR Contractor will submit a quote for delivery of the products specified in accordance with the BPA. SSA does not accept hourly or per page quotes. VHR Contractors are advised that the average length of a hearing is 1.5 hours. In determining the amount of his or her quote, the potential VHR Contractor should incorporate into the quote the cost of travel and all other expenses required to perform under this BPA.
(1) Furthermore, in bidding on a remote hearing site, a potential VHR Contractor should incorporate into his or her quote the cost for all travel associated with performance at the remote site to include travel to and from the local district office in order to obtain access, background material, or recording equipment as necessary
-OR-
(2 ) Furthermore, in bidding on a remote hearing site, a potential VHR Contractor should insert in the pricing schedule his or her cost for all travel associated with performance at the remote site to include travel to and from the local district office in order to obtain access, background material, or recording equipment as necessary.
(Choose either (1) or (2) above for travel costs)
Note: Travel costs for permanent remote sites shall be separated from the proposed hearing cost to facilitate evaluation
I hereby submit the following quote(s), understanding that the quote(s) includes mycost of travel, transportation and supplies which may include postage and envelopes:
______
Price Per Verbatim Hearing Recording
1/1/12- 12/31/2012 / $
Price Per Verbatim Hearing Recording
1/1/13- 12/31/2013 / $
Price Per Verbatim Hearing Recording
1/1/14- 12/31/2014 / $
Price Per Verbatim Hearing Recording
1/1/15- 12/31/2015 / $
Price Per Verbatim Hearing Recording
1/1/16- 12/31/2016 / $
Travel Cost –Remote Sites only.
Travel Cost for remote site are paid on a daily basis and NOT for each hearing performed.
If a VHR lives within the commuting distance of a remote, site and does not to
transport equipment, travel costs shall NOT be paid.
Travel costs mileage shall be shown as a separate line item and shall not exceed 75 miles round trip. All VHRs shall submit proof of their mileage claims.
Date: ______
Contractor Signature
EIN/SSN: ______
______
DUNS:______Contractor Name
______
Street Address
______
City, State and Zip Code
______
Telephone Number (include area code)
BLANKET PURCHASE AGREEMENT
VERBATIM HEARING RECORDINGS
I. Description of Agreement
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is awarding Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) in order to, on an as needed basis; acquire Verbatim Hearing Recordings (VHR) for the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR). All orders placed against this BPA are subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement. The VHR Contractor shall deliver the final product, if and when requested by the Contracting Officer or other Authorized Ordering Official. The Place(s) of Performance are listed in the Pricing Schedule.
II. Contract Period
The performance period will be from approximately (fill in date) or date of award, whichever is later, and will be in effect for 12 months plus an additional (up to four) one-year option periods, if the government chooses to exercise the option periods.
- Option to Extend the Term of the BPA
(a) SSA may extend the term of this BPA by written notice for (up to 4) additional years, provided that,at least 30 days before the BPA expires, SSA gives the VHR Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend. However, the preliminary notice does not commit SSA to an extension.
(b) If SSA exercises this option, the extended BPA shall be considered to include this option clause.
(c) The total duration of this BPA, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed (up to five) years.
IV. Contract Specifications
- Description of Product Specifications
The VHR Contractor for an SSA hearing, before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), is responsible for the delivery of a final product consisting of:
1. Complete, legible and accurate notes, in the Agency provided softwareformat for digital proceedings, summarizing all aspects of hearing testimony and Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) directives at each hearing proceeding before an SSA ALJ;
2. A complete set of proposed and admitted exhibits offered by the claimant on the day of the hearing, along with any background records associated with the record available at the sites;and
3. A complete audible digital recording, on compact Disc (CD) and computer hard drive, of the verbatim record for each hearing proceeding before an SSA ALJ, labeled with the claimant’s name, social security number, hearing date and digital recording identification.
At remote sites, the VHR Contractors may be required to gain access and prepare the site for performance of a video hearing session, including setting up, and repacking hearing-related equipment, if not already in place. Hearing-related equipment includes digital recording, video teleconferencing equipment and, electronic folder viewing equipment, if applicable. The VHR Contractors may be required to transport digital recording equipment to and from the location where the equipment is stored. At these sites, the VHR Contractors shall have access to building and room keys as indicated in technical guidance provided by the Hearing Office Director or National Hearing Center (NHC) Director or his/her designee, case files and verbatim hearing equipment. In addition, in furtherance of delivering a final product, the VHR Contractors will be authorized to make copies and transmit faxes of files and other documentation. They will also accept or initiate the video teleconferencing session if necessary. When justified, the VHR Contractors shall be allowed to make emergency phone calls.
The Hearing Office or NHCs are in the process of moving to an electronic file system. The VHR Contractors shall treat the electronic file in the same manner as a physical file. At remote sites, the VHR Contractor is responsible for presenting the case file to the claimant for their review. Whether this is a physical file or an electronic file recorded on a Compact Disc is irrelevant.
The VHR Contractor will make delivery of the final product in accordance with the delivery order instructions provided by the Contracting Officer or other Authorized Ordering Official placing the order.
B. Hearing Site and Time
SSA generally will conduct hearings on Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., at locations specified by the Contracting Officer or other Authorized Ordering Official placing the order.
C. Responsibilities for Supplies
SSA will provide the VHR Contractor access to, and use of, its recording equipment and a CD, pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulations on providing government-furnished equipment to contractors, codified at 48 C.F.R. Subpart 45.3. However, the VHR Contractor shall provide his or her own note paper and pens/pencils.