This is a Sources Sought Notice ONLY. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not receive a response. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified small business sources. This notice is strictly for market research and information purposes only. Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice.
NIST is seeking responses from all responsible small business concerns. Small businesses are defined by the size standards under the associated NAICS code for this effort, as follows:
541330 (Engineering Services): with a small business size standard of $25.5 million.
This notice is issued to help determine the availability and type of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting this potential government requirement and to determine the method of acquisition. It is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will NOT be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The notice is strictly for research and information purposes only.
The information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method including small business socio-economic set-aside possibilities and to determine the availability of qualified Small Business companies technically capable of meeting the Government’s potential requirement. All Small Business companies with the capability and availability to perform the requirement under the applicable NAICS code are invited to submit a response to this notice.
NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS EXIST AT THIS TIME.
The Government is performing market research for the anticipated contract to provide the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at NIST with contractor services to provide technical writing support, including graphic visualization, layout, proofreading, and editing support (in both English and Spanish) for the Hurricane Maria National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act investigation and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) study, including aspects of Hurricane Fiona. Additional work may require these services for the investigation of the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, FL under the NCST, and on the effects of Hurricane Ian in Florida under the NWIRP. The period of performance is anticipated to be a base period of two (2) years effective on or around March 1, 2024.
Background Information:
On February 21, 2018, the NIST Director approved the investigation of the impacts of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico under the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act. Three additional projects on Hurricane Maria are being conducted as part of a research study under the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). The NCST investigation and the NWIRP research study of Hurricane Maria also include consideration of aspects of Hurricane Fiona. On June 30, 2021, the NIST Director approved the investigation of the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, FL under the NCST Act. NIST is also conducting a research study on the effects of Hurricane Ian in Florida under the NWIRP Act. The NCST Act requires the issuance of a public report for each investigation, which includes the following:
1. An analysis of the likely technical cause or causes of the building failure investigated,
2. Any technical recommendations for changes to or the establishment of evacuation and emergency response procedures,
3. Any recommended specific improvements to building standards, codes, and practices, and
4. Recommendations for research and other appropriate actions needed to help prevent future building failures.
NIST will be producing multiple technical reports to document the findings of the Hurricane Maria NCST investigation and NWIRP study, including aspects of Hurricane Fiona, the Champlain Towers South NCST investigation, and the Hurricane Ian NWIRP study. NIST will require report preparation, editing, layout, and graphics support to publish professional reports and documents with a logical flow and a consistent, professional layout.
Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this contract is to provide the EL at NIST with contractor services to provide technical writing support, including graphic visualization, layout, proofreading, and editing support (in both English and Spanish) for the Hurricane Maria NCST investigation and NWIRP study, including aspects of Hurricane Fiona. The contractor shall assist NIST in creating professional grade reports and other materials documenting the studies, findings, and recommendations, as described below. Requirements similar to the tasks associated with Hurricane Maria NCST investigation and NWIRP study will be included as optional requirements, which may or may not be exercised, for the Champlain Towers South NCST investigation and the Hurricane Ian NWIRP study.
The report preparation support will include deliverables such as draft reports for internal review and public comment, updates, and final reports. The topics for the Hurricane Maria NCST investigation include hazard characterization, the performance of critical buildings (including their dependence on associated infrastructure systems such as water, power, and transportation), emergency communications and public response, and morbidity and mortality attributed to the event. The topics for the Hurricane Maria NWIRP research study include business disruption and supply chain recovery, the recovery of infrastructure systems, and the recovery of the services provided by schools and hospitals (e.g., healthcare and education services). Each investigation or study will have at least one report volume per topic as well as a summary report. The total combined length of the Hurricane Maria report volumes and the summary report for each study is expected to range between 1400 and 1500 pages. Examples of previous reports can be found at the following website links:
https://www.nist.gov/world-trade-center-investigation/publications-and-reports
https://www.nist.gov/el/disaster-resilience/joplin-tornado-investigation-publications
Requirements & Capabilities Sought:
NIST is seeking contractors with extensive project management capabilities to manage and successfully complete multiple, concurrent tasks regarding different studies/investigations, as well as the technical knowledge and specialized experience required for Technical Writing and Graphic Design across a broad range of scientific and technical disciplines, including structural, civil, and/or mechanical engineering; materials science; meteorology; social science; environmental science; numerical modeling; and statistical analysis, as they relate to the study of disaster events. NIST is specifically seeking contractors with experience and capabilities providing these services related to natural hazards and building failures, as well as evacuation and emergency response. Demonstrated experience should include the development of a set of large reports produced for and published by a Federal Agency, with individual reports of at least 400 pages, including multiple chapters or sections, and a total page count of at least 1,500 pages for the set of reports. Where possible, the Contractor should provide hyperlinks to published reports produced by the Contractor under previous contracts.
As this requirement will include the provision of these services in support of multiple different investigations/studies, the contractor will be required to use separate technical teams to support each of the individual investigations/studies. NIST expects that the contractor will be required to provide the following personnel under the anticipated contract:
A. A Project Manager who would be responsible for overseeing all task order efforts. These efforts potentially include the production of three different sets of reports for investigations and studies of the following events: (1) Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, (2) Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, FL, and (3) Hurricane Ian in Florida.
B. Three different Lead Technical Writers/Editors, each of whom would be responsible for the requirements associated with producing a set of reports for one of the events listed above (1) Hurricane Maria NCST Investigation and NWIRP Study, 2) Champlain Towers South NCST Investigation, and 3) Hurricane Ian NWIRP Study).
C. Three different Graphic Designers, each of whom would be responsible for designing and developing graphics for a set of reports associated with one of the events listed above.
NIST technical experts will generate the report text and technical content, and the Contractor will be responsible for editing, formatting, layout, and graphic design to produce high-quality and visually appealing reports for publication by NIST. The Contractor should be capable of providing technical writers/editors who are fluent in both Spanish and English.
In response to this notice, contractors shall provide a description of their past experience and capabilities in implementing similar requirements to the requirement described in this announcement. Additionally, contractors shall address their ability to provide project management personnel, technical writing/editing personnel, and graphic design personnel with previous experience similar to the previous experience described above.
Below are services representative of those that may be required under the contract:
-Development of report templates,
-Schedule management,
-Proofreading and editing in English and Spanish,
-Development of graphics and data visualizations for NIST-provided data,
-Assembly, formatting, and layout of reports using NIST-provided text and graphics along with some graphical elements developed by the Contractor,
-Management of revisions through to final publication.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE
Questions regarding this SOURCES SOUGHT notice may be submitted via email to Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, at hunter.tjugum@nist.gov. Questions are due by or before 5:00 PM ET on August 30, 2023. Questions will be anonymized and answered via an amendment to this SSN following the question submission deadline.
RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS
All responsible small business sources able to provide the services described above are asked to email a response to Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, at hunter.tjugum@nist.gov by or before 5:00 PM ET on September 5, 2023.
Respondents should include the following information in the response:
1. Name of company authorized to provide services, along with their address and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, and email address).
2. The company’s primary NAICS, size classification, and socio-economic status (i.e., Small Business, Woman Owned Small Business, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, etc.).
3. Specific description of experience and capabilities in relation to the key task areas identified in this notice.
4. Information on any GSA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) or other Government-wide contracts through which the company offers these services, if applicable.
Responses are limited to a maximum total of twelve (12) pages in MS Word or searchable PDF format.
IMPORTANT NOTES
This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.
The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response; however, NIST will recognize as restricted or proprietary data which is clearly marked such.
