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Overview of NTC

The mission of the NTC is to conduct firearms tracing and associated programs and processes accurately and efficiently for International, Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies to provide investigative leads. The NTC serves as the central repository of all crime gun trace data, multiple handgun sales information, Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) theft/loss of firearms information, Interstate theft/loss of firearms information, and over 800 million firearms transaction records submitted by out of business FFLs. The purpose of firearms tracing is to (1) link a suspect to a firearm in a criminal investigation; (2) identify potential firearms traffickers, and (3) to identify recurring patterns and trends indicative of illegal firearms trafficking. Analysis of the collective crime gun trace histories assists law enforcement in developing focused strategies to violent gun crime.

The NTC requires contractor support of NTC operations in Martinsburg, West Virginia

at the National Services Center. These activities include several broad tasks; Firearms Tracing; Out-of-Business Records (OBR) Processing; Stolen Firearms Program; Data Entry (for Firearms Trace Requests, Reports of Multiple Sales for Handguns; Demand Letter 1, 2, and 3 responses); Firearms Services; Coding and Quality Assurance support; Tracing Operations support; NTC Connect support; and IT Support Customer Service Line Support.

NTC operates under the statutory authority of the Gun Control Act, which restricts ATF from capturing and maintaining a database of individual firearm owner information. This restriction prevents ATF from leveraging full Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology as part of the document imaging process, which is common practice in most large-scale document conversion operations. Records that are processed using OCR software are capable of being searched for specific character strings, which in the case of firearm records would include the whole document.

Justification for scanner

The National Tracing Center Division (NTC) needs two (2) additional IBML Fusion HD 8300 high-capacity scanners to image hard physical paper copies and have them entered into ECM, (Enterprise Content Management) system for retrieval. At the present time, the National Tracing Center (NTC) is utilizing its existing scanners to image a high number of documents. However, with the massive influx of Out-of-Business records, (OBR), OBR has been receiving a much larger volume of OBR records. We are currently using Imaging Business Machines LLC (IBML) model FUSiON HD 8300 machines. We will need brand name or equal scanner, software, maintenance, and support services that shall provide the ability to prepare for digital imaging. Contractor shall provide high-capacity scanner, software, maintenance, and support services at a Firm Fixed Price. Due to the projected future move from the National Service Center to the new Murall Drive location, the NTC needs additional scanners to reduce the current backlog.

Brief description of documents to be scanned

Out-of-Business Records (OBR) Processing involves the receipt, inventory, and processing of incoming documents, imaging, and quality control processes, as well as an electronic records component and associated processes.

NTC operates under the statutory authority of the Gun Control Act, which restricts ATF from capturing and maintaining a database of individual firearm owner information. This restriction prevents ATF from leveraging full Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology as part of the document imaging process, which is common practice in most large-scale document. We are restricted from using OCR software. If are capable of being searched for specific character strings, which in the case of firearm records would include Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

Currently hard copy documents are imaged using IBML scanners and converted to a PDF file format. No metadata shall be captured as part of the current process due to volume and regulatory stipulations. NTC does not OCR the applications and permits to avoid the creation of a searchable database using PII. The contract staff and/or government employees create target sheets for each application or permit in accordance with an internal policy on the order of documents and then prepares and scans the images for upload into ECM. The documents consist of an application, permit, and supporting documentation such as fingerprint cards, hunting license, employee possessor questionnaire, government contract, sporting invitational letters (Olympics), envelopes, etc.

Section L and M

Section L&M for Solicitation - 15A00025Q00000116

Section L

The Offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters, sufficient to define the proposal and provide an adequate basis for technical evaluation. Offerors are responsible for including sufficient details, in a concise manner, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal. Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall contain the following:

Non-Price Factors:

• Factor 1: Technical Capability


• Factor 2: Past Performance

Price Factor:

• Factor 3: Price

Non-Price Factors Description:

Factor 1: Technical Capability - (5 page maximum).

The offeror shall provide a technical capabilities product description of the proposed Brand Name or Equal item to IBML Fusion 8300. This capabilities description must show proof the machine meets the minimum technical specifications of Section 2.1 of the Statement of Work (SOW).

The offeror needs to provide proof of ability to provide a warranty as described in Section 2.1 of the SOW.

Offeror shall provide narrative description demonstrating ability to meet Section 2.2 brief description of documents to be scanned under the Scope of Work.

Factor 2: Past Performance (6 page maximum):

Offerors shall list and describe three (3) recent and relevant contracts/projects performed for the Federal Government that are similar with respect to size, scope, and complexity of the SOW. For the description, the offeror should include Contract Number, Contract point of contact, the Government contracting and/or technical point of contact (POCs) with current phone numbers, e-mail addresses and titles, project dollar value, and a brief narrative regarding the project’s size, scope, and complexity to allow the Government to verify experience and past performance information contained in the proposal.

The Government may contact those references during the evaluation. For the purpose of this factor, recent is defined as furniture design and installation services provided and completed within the last three (3) years. Additionally, the Contacting Officer may use other Government sources which may include Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), the Contracting Officer’s knowledge of and previous experience with the service, or any other reasonable basis.

Note: If the offeror is without a record of relevant and recent past performance, it shall affirmatively state that it possesses no relevant and recent past performance. In such a situation, an offeror lacking relevant and recent past experience fails to provide an affirmative declaration may be found to have failed to provide a solicitation requirement, the Government may reject their proposal. If the offeror has no past performance readily available, it will be evaluated as Not Relevant.

Price Factor Description:

Factor 3: Price

• The price proposal shall be submitted separately on company letterhead from the offeror’s technical proposal.


• The offeror pricing proposal shall include the following:
  
  
  
  • Breakout of all equipment/material costs
  
  
  • Maintenance
  
  
  • Software
  
  
  
  


• SAM UEI Number:


• DUNS Number:

Section M

The Government will award a Purchase Order resulting from this solicitation to the offeror whose proposal is the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA). The following factors shall be used to evaluate technical acceptability of offers:

Non-Price Factors:

• Factor 1: Technical Capability

• Factor 2: Past Performance

Price Factor:

• Factor 3: Price

Non-Price Factors:

• Factor 1: Technical Capability

The Government will evaluate the Technical Acceptability of the proposal by verifying the offeror provided the following:

• The offeror provided a technical capabilities product description of the proposed Brand Name or Equal machine that meets or exceeds proposed IBML Fusion 8300. The capabilities description showed proof the Scanner met the minimum technical specifications of Section 2.1 of the Statement Of Work (SOW).

• The offeror provided proof of ability to provide a warranty as described in Section 2.1 of the SOW.

• Factor 2: Past Performance

The Government will evaluate an offeror's Past Performance to determine the extent to which their performance demonstrates the likelihood of successful performance in providing requirements similar in size, scope, and complexity of this solicitation.

If the offeror is without a record of relevant and recent past performance, it shall affirmatively state that it possesses no relevant and recent past performance. In such a situation, an offeror lacking relevant and recent past experience that fails to provide an affirmative declaration may be found to have failed to provide a solicitation requirement, the Government may reject their proposal.

In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance. Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown (or “neutral”) past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, a neutral rating shall be considered acceptable.

Price Factor:

Factor 3: Price

If more than one proposal is received, competition will determine price reasonableness, and a price evaluation will not be completed.

If one proposal is received, price evaluation will proceed. The purpose of the price evaluation is to provide an assessment of the reasonableness of the submitted price in relation to the solicitation requirements.

Price will be evaluated based upon the following:

• Equipment – Will be compared to commercially available pricing.


• Maintenance


• Software

The Government intends to evaluate offers and award a contract without discussions with offerors. Therefore, the offeror's initial offer should contain the offeror's best terms from a price and technical standpoint. However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the Contracting Officer to be necessary. The Government may reject any or all offers if such action is in the public interest; accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party.

EVALUATION PROCEDURES

Acceptable/Unacceptable Rating

Offeror’s Technical and Past Performance will be rated using an Acceptable/Unacceptable rating system.

Technical Capability

Table 1: Technical Capability - Personnel Requirements Ratings

Adjectival Rating

Description

Acceptable

Proposal meets the requirements of the solicitation.

Unacceptable

Proposal does not meet the requirements of the solicitation.

Past Performance

Table 2

Relevancy Rating Chart

Adjective

Definition / Description

Acceptable

Based on the offeror’s performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort, or the offeror’s performance record is unknown.

Unacceptable

Based on the offeror’s performance record, the Government does not have a reasonable expectation that the offeror will be able to successfully perform the required effort.

Price Analysis

If more than one proposal is received, competition will determine price reasonableness.

If only one proposal is received, the price evaluation is to provide an assessment of the reasonableness of the proposed price in relation to the solicitation requirements.

Price Evaluation: The total price will be evaluated by the Contracting Officer.

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