SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- BUYUSA.Com Contracted Partnerships U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service
- Notice Date
- 11/5/2002
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acquisition and Grants Office, SSMC4 - Room 7601/OFA61 1305 East West Highway, 7th Floor, Silver Spring, MD, 20910
- ZIP Code
- 20910
- Solicitation Number
- BUYUSA2002
- Archive Date
- 2/5/2003
- Point of Contact
- Diane Husereau, Contracting Officer, Phone 301-713-0839 x102, Fax (301) 713-0809,
- E-Mail Address
-
diane.c.husereau@noaa.gov
- Description
- REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL BUYUSA.COM CONTRACTED PARTNERSHIPS UNITED STATES & FOREIGN COMMERCIAL SERVICE I. Background The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service ("US&FCS" or "U.S. Commercial Service") is the worldwide client service delivery arm of the International Trade Administration (ITA), operating over 100 U.S. Export Assistance Centers (USEACs) domestically, and approximately 150 Commercial Posts in 80 countries overseas. The US&FCS is statutorily mandated to provide export promotion and facilitation services, products and programs to small and medium-sized U.S. business enterprises (SMEs) globally. Commercial Officers and Specialists in our overseas posts, and Trade Specialists in our USEACs in the United States, counsel such firms; offer strategic export planning expertise; assist with trade mission and event participation; and develop and deliver client-requested market intelligence and trade data. The US&FCS also provides on a cost recovery user-fee basis a wide range of market research, trade contacts, matchmaking (i.e., U.S. seller with foreign buyer) and business facilitation products and services. The BuyUSA program of the US & FCS is specifically structured to connect the BuyUSA.com web site users to the global network of US&FCS trade experts, thereby offering U.S. exporters and international buyers and distributors Internet-based export services and customized export solutions. The BuyUSA.com web site is fully US Government-owned, and is located at www.buyusa.com II. Purpose This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued to obtain responses from firms interested in working cooperatively with the US&FCS to structure and implement public-private partnerships resulting in increased marketing, promotion and subscription sales for the BuyUSA.com website and program. The US&FCS specifically does NOT seek to fund such activities, and partnerships are to be proposed at no cost to the US&FCS. Where a proposal seeks to obtain revenue for the partner submitting the proposal, such revenue may be sought through a sharing, between the partner and the US&FCS, of the subscription income generated by that partner's marketing activities. Increased marketing, promotion and sales activities under this RFP should include all or some but not necessarily be limited to the following, all of which are part of the US&FCS/BuyUSA program: 1. Placement of the BuyUSA logo, and accompanying text, on the marketing partner's web site in an area viewed by large numbers of small and medium-sized businesses engaged in, or likely to be interested in, exporting U.S.- made goods and services. 2. Creation of web site links from various partner web sites to BuyUSA.com for the specific purpose of bringing potential users of and subscribers to BuyUSA.com to the appropriate links or location(s) on BuyUSA.com and/or other relevant US&FCS websites. 3. Creation of web site links from BuyUSA.com to various partner web sites where the link clearly adds value to US&FCS efforts to demonstrate the potential value of BuyUSA.com to business seeking to export from the U.S. or increase U.S. exporting activities. 4. Direct mail, email and similar direct marketing activities that publicize and promote BuyUSA.com to appropriate U.S. exporters and encourages such businesses to become BuyUSA.com members. 5. Development of export education seminars, conferences and other outreach activities, either independently or in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, that include publicizing, promoting and marketing the U.S. Commercial Service and its programs, including BuyUSA.com when appropriate. 6. Offering US SMEs, through BuyUSA.com or other cooperative Partner/US&FCS activities, export assistance products and services not offered by the US&FCS, and which through the partnership, allow the US&FCS to reach greater numbers of US exporters, or add clear value to existing US&FCS programs. III. Scope This solicitation seeks public-private partnership proposals including as described above from U.S. firms that are: 1. Currently engaged in Internet based business activities which can clearly enhance one or both of the below and are pursuing such activities wholly or in part via a dedicated Internet business model or presence, and 2. Currently engaged in the facilitation of buying, selling, or promoting U.S. goods and services; and/or 3. Currently engaged in promotion and/or facilitation of exporting of goods and services from the United States. Number/Length of Partnerships The Department of Commerce reserves the right to make multiple awards as a result of this RFP while also reserving the right to limit new awards when it determines that a desired competency has been satisfied. The period of performance for each resulting award will be not less than a one (1) year period and not more than a three (3) year period of service with the option to renew by agreement of both parties. The Department of Commerce reserves the right to decline proposals from entities that currently have contracts or agreements in areas that potentially overlap with the subject of this RFP, (e.g., agreements for U.S. export promotion facilitation, including exporter referral and matching services and U.S. exporter databases). In the alternative, the Department may require the termination of such contracts or agreements prior to or as a precondition to the initiation of a contract or agreement resulting from this RFP. Partnership Activation Schedule Because this solicitation may result in multiple awards and partnerships of differing natures, selected partners may be incorporated in the BuyUSA program and activated on the BuyUSA.com site at anytime following selection, subject to considerations such as the value of partner's offerings to BuyUSA subscribers, ease and cost of integration, compatibility of partner's offerings with BuyUSA capabilities and brand, and others. Detailed plans and timelines will be agreed upon mutually between the US&FCS and each selected partner. IV. Business Considerations Related to this Solicitation. In order to assist firms considering or preparing a response to the RFP, the following areas will be of interest to the US&FCS in the formation and operation of any business relationship (s) resulting, and will be addressed in any subsequent implementation of partnerships. 1. Revenue Generation. As noted above, such US&FCS partnerships will be on a no-cost basis to the Department of Commerce; i.e., partners will not be paid with US Government funds for their services. Rather revenues under partnerships resulting from this RFP may be derived by a sharing of subscription revenue between the partner and the US&FCS. Apportionment of revenue shares will be agreed upon between the US&FCS and contracted partners prior to incorporating partner offerings into the BuyUSA program. 2. Data and Related Rights. All rights in data, trade and service marks, materials, logos licensing and other Intellectual Property Rights issues arising from contracted partner offerings, will be expressly agreed upon between the US&FCS and such partners prior to incorporation of these offerings into the BuyUSA program and web site. V. Evaluation Criteria Proposals submitted will be evaluated using these evaluation criteria, which are listed in order of importance. 1. Company's demonstrated sustained operation for at least two (2) years, in combination with a sustainable business plan and model. 2. Proposal's consistency with the US&FCS Statutory Mandate (included at end of this document) and commitment to working under all applicable U.S. Government statutes, regulations, policies and priorities. 3. Company's/Proposal's suitability for presence on a U.S. Government web site, which will be evaluated in terms of, but not limited to, the following considerations: criminal or civil violations charged or pending; debarment or suspension actions; documented unfair trade practices; inappropriate or illegal business practices; reasonable potential for embarrassment to the U.S. Government; or any other consideration which could jeopardize the US&FCS mission of promoting U.S. exports abroad or the objectives of BuyUSA.com. 4. Company's demonstrated success in the development and operation of internet-based services and tools that provide at least one type of export assistance to U.S. businesses. 5. Proposing company is widely recognized by U.S. firms as having expertise in various elements essential to exporting, including export education, market research and other export intelligence, trade promotion, trade partner matchmaking, trade finance, export shipping and logistics, export compliance, export risk management, and international financial transactions and settlement. 6. Proposing company has established business relationships with large (eg. 5000 or more) client databases that include companies that are appropriate targets for BuyUSA.com promotional campaigns. Where multiple respondents offer similar marketing activities, preference may be given to respondents who are better able to demonstrate a greater reach in terms of raw numbers and the greater reach to exporting or export ready U.S. SME's. 7. Compatibility of the partner's mission, programs, products and services with US&FCS programs; specifically, the respondent must be engaged in providing export assistance to significant numbers of US businesses and demonstrate current, active selection of export-related products and services intended and appropriate for small and medium-sized firms. VI. Instructions to Interested Firms (Note: This supersedes previous Request for Proposals) Proposals will be accepted for 90 (ninety) days from the date of issuance. Any proposals submitted after the date and time for receipt will be considered if a programmatic need still exists and US&FCS resources permit. E-mail response is preferred and should include the subject: "BuyUSA.com Contracted Partnerships". Email responses should be submitted to the following individuals: 1. To: Diane C. Husereau, Contract Officer email: Diane.C.Husereau@NOAA.Gov 2. Cc: Thomas Panek, BuyUSA.com Project Manager email Thomas.Panek@mail.doc.gov 3. Cc: Stephanie Seega, BuyUSA Alliance Manager email: Stephanie.Seega@mail.doc.gov If you intend to submit a written proposal, please submit an original and 5 copies to: Diane C. Husereau, Contracting Officer (Original) NOAA 1305 East West Highway OFA 613 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 Stephanie M. Seega, (4 copies) E-Business Development Unit U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service 14th and Constitution Ave., Suite 2202 Washington, D.C. 20230 Your proposal shall be prepared in a format and in a manner that clearly addresses the stated purpose of this RFP, which is contained in Section II above. Awards will be made to those offerors proposing the best solution to the US&FCS in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth. Awards will be made at no cost to the Department of Commerce. Please use email for inquiries, directed to: On contract/procurement matters: Diane.C.Husereau@NOAA.gov On other matters: Stephanie.Seega@mail.doc.gov VIII. Additional Information on Selection Process. 1. Non-exclusivity. The US&FCS can not under this process provide or warrant to any contracted partner exclusive rights to offer any type of product, service, or capability within the BuyUSA program; thus multiple awards for the same or similar export-enhancing offerings may result. 2. Partner Selection and Implementation. Selection will be made by the US&FCS based on (1) assessment of offeror responses against criteria provided above; and (2) direct discussions between the US&FCS and offerors addressing business, programmatic, technical and business aspects of possible contracted partnerships. Resulting partnerships may be implemented at any time mutually agreed upon by the US&FCS and selected partner(s) and need not await the closing date of this solicitation and/or consideration of all proposals received. USFCS STATUTORY MANDATE: The following is the relevant section of the US&FCS statutory mandate (15 USC 4721(b)): Statement of purpose. The U.S. Commercial Service shall place primary emphasis on the promotion of exports of goods and services from the United States, particularly by small businesses and medium-sized businesses, and on the protection of United States business interests abroad by carrying out activities such as-- (1) Identifying United States businesses with the potential to export goods and services and providing such businesses with advice and information on establishing export businesses; (2) Providing United States exporters with information on economic conditions, market opportunities, the status of the intellectual property system in such country, and the legal and regulatory environment within foreign countries; (3) Providing United States exporters with information and advice on the necessary adaptation of product design and marketing strategy to meet the differing cultural and technical requirements of foreign countries; (4) Providing United States exporters with actual leads and an introduction to contacts within foreign countries; (5) Assisting United States exporters in locating reliable sources of business services in foreign countries; (6) Assisting United States exporters in their dealings with foreign governments and enterprises owned by foreign governments; (7) Assisting the coordination of the efforts of State and local agencies and private organizations which seek to promote United States business interests abroad so as to maximize their effectiveness and minimize the duplication of efforts; (8) Utilizing district and foreign offices as one-stop shops for United States exporters by providing exporters with information on all export promotion and export finance activities of the Federal Government, assisting exporters in identifying which Federal programs may be of greatest assistance, and assisting exporters in making contact with the Federal programs identified; and (9) providing United States exporters and export finance institutions with information on all financing and insurance programs of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Trade and Development Program, and the Small Business Administration, including providing assistance in completing applications for such programs and working with exporters and export finance institutions to address any deficiencies in such applications that have been submitted.
- Record
- SN00199988-W 20021107/021105213256 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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