Della Glenn, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street. Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009

D -- SOLICITATION NUMBER TDA-99-Q-006 -- TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO MAINTAIN THE COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE SYSTEMS POC Della Glenn, USTDA, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131, Tel: (703) 875-4357, Fax: (703) 875-4009 The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) wishes to announce an opportunity for small businesses to bid on a Competitive Total Set-Aside to provide technical support services. The Contractor shall provide on-site technical support to maintain the computer hardware and software systems necessary to support the mission of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) and to accommodate the demands of an Agency characterized by rapid response and reliance on technology. TDA, located in Arlington, Virginia, is a commercially-oriented U.S. Government foreign assistance agency that helps U.S. companies pursue overseas business opportunities. Through the funding of feasibility studies, orientation visits, training grants, and various forms of technical assistance, TDA enables American businesses to become involved in the planning stage of infrastructure and industrial projects in middle-income and developing countries. The information management system at TDA is an essential management tool to support fulfillment of TDA's mission. Key elements of the information system provide senior TDA officials with budget and program information required for effective decision making. The system enables TDA to acquire, manage and disseminate international procurement data to U.S. companies in a timely and efficient manner, and it provides the current and historical basis for tracking TDA activities and evaluating how those activities relate to desired outcomes. The information system at TDA is a cross platform environment that includes and supports both Windows and Apple Macintosh workstations with integrated shared resources connected by a local area network, commercial software products, important customized database applications developed in 4th Dimension, and an external communication platform which supports remote access and connection to external service providers, on-line services and the Internet. This will be a cost-plus-fixed-fee/level-of-effort contract. The work is expected to begin in January 1999. This will be aone base year contract, with four one year options. The Small Business Act, at 15 U.S.C. 644, authorizes procuring agencies to set aside procurements or portions of procurements for the exclusive participation of Small Business Concerns. The Sic Code for this procurement is 7673. Definition: "Small business concerns" for purposes of TDA award of this total set aside contract means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation for which it is bidding. In determining whether dominance exists for TDA's purpose for this contract, consideration is given to annual gross receipts. Any concern that has annual gross receipts above $18 million dollars, averaged over a three year period, is not considered small and is therefore, NOT eligible for award under this contract. All participating organizations involved with supplying professional services must be incorporated or chartered in the United States. Consultants planning teaming arrangements must be U.S. citizens or resident aliens. In accordance with FAR 19.301, offerors will be required to submit self certification relating to business size. The competitive proposals method of solicitation as set forth in Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (48 CFR Chapter 1) shall be utilized for this procurement. This solicitation in no way obligates TDA to award a contract, nor does it commit TDA to pay any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Any explanation desired by an offeror regarding the meaning or interpretation of this solicitation must be requested in writing and with sufficient time allowed for reply to reach the offerors before submission of their offers. All oral explanations or instruction, given before award of this contract will not be binding. Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning the solicitation will be furnished promptly to all prospective offerors as an amendment of the solicitation, if such information is necessary to offerorssubmitting proposals or if lack of such information would be prejudicial to uninformed offerors. TDA will choose a contractor demonstrating proficiency in the provision of technical support to develop and maintain computer networks and system applications in an Apple Macintosh and Windows environment. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will be issued on/about (15) fifteen days after the publication date of this synopsis. Closing date will be thirty (30) days thereafter. Only written requests for the RFP that indicate the businesses size will be honored. U.S. eligible small businesses interested in receiving the RFP should send a fax requesting it to Della Glenn at (703)875-4009 or a letter by U.S. mail to Ms. Glenn at U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA), Contracts Unit at 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22209-2131. Posted 11/13/98 (I-SN271290). (0317)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0018 19981117\D-0004.SOL)