USDA Forest Service, P&P, Room 706 RP-E, P.O. Box 96090, Washington, DC 20090-6090

D -- ON-LINE NEWS CLIPPING SERVICES SOL WO-98-13 DUE 080598 POC Yolanda A. Harris 703-235-1691 This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation that will be issued and proposals are being requested. The solicitation number is WO-98-13 and is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ). This solicitation, incorporated provisions, and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-05. Description of services: The USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC, is in search of businesses to provide news clippings to the Forest Service work force (Agency Wide) on the intranet. Offerors are to manage the on-line clip service; determine equipment need; set up the sytem; provide service on the system interface; and train in-house office staff on use of the system. Offerors should be capable to receive business news from a selection of newspapers, publications and wire services and organize an index for file and load thefile on the FS web. The search should include national, regional, and local newspapers and wire services daily for articles published on topics of importance to the Forest Service. Key words will be provided on a daily basis for the outcome of the articles. The form in which the newsclippings are delivered should have the capacity to be compatible to the Forest Service electronic information delivery system. Some newspapers or wire services can be eliminated, but it is essential to survey national newspapers, the Associated Press wire service, and the Oregonian. The articles that will be provided should be in a searchable format such as ascii or html (upload via ftp). Offeror will need to provide articles by 10:00 a.m. EST each day. The time period for this service will be on a three month basis with the option to extend for a longer period of time. NOTE: The materials provided will be placed on the agency intranet (an internal website available to each member of the work force). The provision ar 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items is applicable to this acquisition; as a minimum, offers must show- 1) the solicitation number; 2) the time specified in the solicitation for receipt of offers; 3) the name, address, and telephone number of the offeror; 4) a technical description of the items being of the services being provided in sufficient detail to evaluate compliance with the requirements in the solicitation; 5) Price and any discount terms and 6) "Remit to" address, if different than mailing address. The provision at 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items is applicable and the following is included as the evaluation criteria: The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers: 1) Technical capability of the service requested to meet the Government needs; 2)Price; and 3) Offeror's past performance. Offerors will need to include a completed copy of the provision at 52-212-3, Offeror Representations and Certification-Commercial Items, with the offer. The following clauses at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items applies to this acquisition: 52-222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-41, Service Contract Act of 1965, as amended. Additional clauses include: 52.236-7 Permits and Responsibilities and 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services. Offers are due August 5, 1998 at 2:30 p.m., USDA Forest Service, Room 706, 1621 North Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209. If you need additional information please contact Yolanda Harris at 703-235-1691. Posted 07/21/98 (W-SN226290). (0202)

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