D -- TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES

Notice Date

October 3, 2000

Contracting Office

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Contracts Management Division (MD-33), Attn: OARMSC, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711

ZIP Code

27711

Solicitation Number

RFQ-RT-1-00001

Response Due

October 18, 2000

Point of Contact

Contact Joel P. Smith, (919) 541-0184/Contracting Officer, Cheryl Saliby-Puszynski (919) 541-3053

E-Mail Address

Joel P. Smith, Contract Specialist (smith.joel@epa.gov)

Description

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTES ARE BEING REQUESTED AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. The Request for quote number is RFQ-RT-1-00001 and the solicitation is being issued as a Request for Quote solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-19. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates that the contract will be awarded as a result of full and open competition. A firm-fixed-price purchase order is anticipated to result from the award of this solicitation and pertains to telecommunication network point-to-point services at the EPA's various Research Triangle Park and Chapel Hill, North Carolina area facilities. EPA is an information-intensive Agency and has made a substantial investment in Information Technology (IT) resources. This investment includes a "private", point-to-point dedicated data telecommunications network consisting of local and long-distance circuits and equipment. The long-distance circuits and equipment are leased from the FTS2000E contract under AT&T and currently number as follows (Refer to the attachment for the specific locations): o Approximately 46 analog "9.6bps" D1-conditioned circuits to state Agencies and other external locations. These circuits run IBM SNA/SDLC protocols only. o Four 56kb/sec "DSO" circuits. o Five fractional T1 circuits operating at 256kb/sec., one 384kb/sec. circuit and one 768kb/sec. circuit. o Sixty DS1 ("T1") circuits operating at 1.544 megabits/sec. o One DS3 ("T3") circuit operating at 45. megabits/sec. From time to time, the above list of circuits is changed to add / remove circuits to allow for normal move and change in the EPA dedicated circuit internal network. This network currently includes AT&T provided termination equipment, consisting mainly of CSU/DSU units and rack "cages" for the DS1 circuits. In addition to the AT&T circuits, about fifty metro-area DS1 circuits are leased from local telephone companies under different procurement arrangements. Many of these circuits terminate in CSU/DSU equipment and share the rack cages being leased from AT&T under FTS2000E in a cooperative arrangement that has provided considerable savings to the Agency over the past 5 to 7 years. Any replacement of AT&T's circuits will also require a replacement / buy-out of the rack cages so as to continue to house the terminations for the local circuits. The objective of this procurement is to continue to provide the above noted services to the specified locations and to provide similar services to other locations as required. The contract will be a firm-fixed price, performance based service contract. The Contractor shall furnish everything needed to provide telecommunication services in accordance with the contract requirements. The contractor shall be licensed under all applicable city, county, state, and federal regulations required to operate in the Research Triangle Park, Chapel Hill, and surrounding areas, in the state of North Carolina (if necessary). The term of this contract is for a Base period of twelve (12) months plus one (1) twelve month option year. Services to begin November 15, 2000. The NAICS Code is 513310 and the Small Business Size Standard is 1,500 personnel. The complete, Statement of Work, DTS Network Overview, and any amendments will be available via the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd. A best value award will be made considering price and the evaluation criteria outlined in the Statement of Work. Evaluation criteria to be included in paragraph (a) of provision 52.212-2 can be found in the Statement of Work. The following FAR provisions (which can be downloaded at the following site: http://www.epa.gov/oamrtpnc/spclaus/index.htm) apply to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Evaluation-Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Item. All Offerors are to include with their offers a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror representations and Certification-Commercial Items. The following FAR clause applies to this acquisition: 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-commercial Items. The following additional FAR clauses which are cited in clauses 52.212-5 are applicable to the acquisition: 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I: 52.203-10, Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity; 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Special Disabled and Vietnam Era Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Handicapped Workers: 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; 52.225-3, Buy American Act -- Supplies. Cost and technical information should be submitted to Joel P. Smith, Contract Specialist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, MD-33, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. Courier Delivery Address is: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Receptionist-Administration Bldg. Lobby, Attn: Joel P. Smith, 79 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. All offers are due by October 18, 2000, 4:00 PM ET. No telephonic requests will be honored. Firms are encouraged to access the solicitation and amendments via the Internet. If you obtain a copy of the solicitation via the Internet, it will be your responsibility to frequently check the same site where the solicitation is posted for any amendment. Firms who do NOT have the capability to obtain the solicitation from the Internet may submit a written request for a diskette with the solicitation in WordPerfect 8.0 format from the contact point at the address above. However, only those firms who do NOT have the capability to obtain the solicitation from the Internet should request a copy of the diskette. Diskettes will not be sent to those firms who have Internet access. If you request a diskette of the solicitation, you will receive amendments by mail, unless you notify us otherwise. Telephone and fax request will not be honored. Only one copy shall be sent to a corporate entity, regardless of the number of requests from one or more different geographic locations. All responsible sources may submit a proposal which shall be considered by the Agency.

Web Link

U.S. EPA, Contracts Management Division, Research Triangle (http://www.epa.gov/oam/rtp_cmd/)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20001005/DSOL008.HTM (W-277 SN503206)