U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Program Contract Service Center (3803R), 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460-0001

L -- OSDBU MBE/WBE FAIR SHARE RULE MAKING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SOL PR-HQ-99-17439 DUE 092499 POC Felicia M. Williams, Contracting Specialist, 202-564-4768 WEB: OSDBU MBE/WBE Fair Share Rule Making Technical Assistance, http://www.epa.gov/oamhopd1/oppts_grp/hq9917439/index.html. E-MAIL: Felicia M. Williams, Contracting Specialist, williams.feliciam@epamail.epa.gov. THIS IS A MARKET SURVEY FOR WRITTEN INFORMATION ONLY FROM SMALL AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES PERFORMING SERVICES IN HUB-Zones AS SPECIFIED IN FAR PART 19. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE FOR ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY FOLLOW-UP INFORMATION REQUESTS. NO TELEPHONE CALLS REQUESTING A SOLICITATION WILL BE ACCEPTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. RESPONSES SHALL NOT EXCEED 40 PAGES AND STANDARD COMPANY BROCHURES ARE NOT DESIRED. INFORMATION SHALL FOCUS ON THE CAPABILITY TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES DEFINED BELOW. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is performing a market search for small and small dis-advantaged businesses in a HUB-Zone possessing the technical capabilities to support the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) in performing work in an effort to further assist the Regions and EPA grant recipients in complying with and understanding the standards that are a result of the Supreme Court ruling in the Adarand Construction, Inc. V. Pena, 515, U.S. 200 (1995). The OSDBU has a need for experienced professional technical assistance in the area of developing, evaluating, conducting and analyzing availability analyses and disparity studies, legal technical support, outreach, and facilitating public hearings. The newly established mandate in the Adarand decision is new to the Federal government procurement process. Over the next 24 months, OSDBU will be undertaking its Rule making process to change the Agency's MBE/WBE program to meet the changes now required given the Adarand decision and the Department of Justice's review of the program. The Agency will also consider changes that will make the program more user friendly and uniform across the Regions, between the states, tribes and territories. Any contractor awarded a contract for this support effort shall provide technical assistance to support the OSDBU's efforts which may include but are not necessarily limited to rule making technical assistance in support of the MBE/WBE Fair Share Initiative by assisting the Regions and EPA grant recipients defined through the contract's statement of works. Examples include: A) Technical assistance responding to comments during the rule making period; B) Identification of the affected business communities in the ten regions; C) National Outreach to the affected business communities to gather input for the Rule Making; D) Coordinating and facilitating meetings with communities to gather input for the Rule Making; E) Meeting with Federal, State, Tribal and Trust Territories to get their input into the Rule Making process; G)Facilitating regional public hearings for the Rule Making process, which should include meeting with majority and the Disadvantaged Business Community; H) Assistance in developing a "How To Guide"/Cookbook on the MBE/WBE program once the Rule becomes final; I) Formal training and technical assistance as required to support the program; J) Additional Rule Making related services as may become necessary as identified during the Rule Making process. This effort will be a HUB-Zone contractual effort. Vendors with the capability of providing these services are invited to submit, in writing, sufficient information within the page limitation (40 pages) which demonstrates their ability to fulfill this requirement. Responses must demonstrate capabilities/expertise in: (1)significant knowledge regarding the legal standards for setting goals thru performing numerous state disparity studies and designing MBE/WBE programs based on the study findings; (2) Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 23, the regulations which govern D/MWBE goals and utilization; (3) developing a training program to develop skills in translating regulations and reviewing recipients' compliance; (4)demonstration of legal skills in working policy for federal agencies; (5) development of Small Business Administration's Section 8(a) and small business programs; (6) training recipients on implementing the regulations and reporting compliance, (7) conducting seminars and symposiums sponsored by state and local governments and trade associations, and experience with the small business community; (8) planning, coordinating, facilitating, and recording public meetings in state and local business communities nationwide; (9) identify and convene target groups and effectively facilitate meetings with diverse groups of business owners; (10) presenting information in an accessible format for all participants. (11) relevant past experience if any over the past three years. Responses, including the vendor's business status (e.g.: small, small dis-advantaged, minority-owned, 8(a), HUB-Zone, etc.) should be mailed to the following address: U.S. EPA; ATTN.: Felicia M. Williams (Mail Code: 3803R); 401 M Street SW, Washington DC 20460. HAND CARRY/COURIER/OVERNIGHT CARRIER ADDRESS: U.S. EPA; ATTN.: Felicia M. Williams (Mail Code: 3803R); Ronald Reagan Building; 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW; Bid and Proposal Room -- Room 61107; Washington DC 20004. Capability statements shall be submitted no later than September 24, 1999. Posted 09/07/99 (W-SN376995). (0250)

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