Phone Systems Support

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding solicitation 1232SA26Q0252.

• Incumbent Support: Yes, an incumbent is currently supporting the environment and will maintain all licensing through June 2026. Transition support will be required.
• Response Time: Support requests should be addressed ASAP, within 24 hours.
• Service Hours: The system shall be serviced during ERRC normal business hours (7:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday).
• Contractor Responsibilities: The contractor shall interface with the purchaser's long-distance provider for issue resolution and provide all necessary labor, supervision, equipment, and parts to ensure the system supports the ERRC mission 24/7.
• Government Furnished Resources: The government will provide workspace, computer, and telephone access between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
• On-site Presence: Support is primarily on an as-needed basis, not requiring dedicated on-site presence.

These clarifications provide specific details on incumbent support, response times, service hours, contractor responsibilities, government-furnished resources, and the nature of on-site presence, which bidders should consider when preparing their proposals.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

To provide maintenance and support services for the Eastern Regional Research Center's (ERRC) VoIP Mitel telephone system, ensuring 24/7 availability, including software and hardware troubleshooting, repair, and upgrades.

• Maintenance and support for an existing system with 208 Analog/Generic SIP devices, 6905 Phones, 203 6920 Phones, 48 SIP Trunks, and 10 Mitel Mivoice conference phones.

• Support for the system, PBX, and wiring terminals located in room 0016, including two EPIK PRIs with 23 trunks each.

• Maintenance of the Attendant console, "red" emergency phone, call accounting/reporting, and 911 call alerting.

• Support for the on-premises server, utilizing the existing ERRC network, and fully supporting the SIP protocol and commonly used video conferencing protocols.

• Maintenance of voicemail services, including at least 16 ports and licensing for at least 330 users with email.

• System warranty for a minimum of one year, with a service contract for maintenance and software upgrades for at least two years.

• Support for Mitel Advantage Software Assurance (SWA), including security patches and one major release update per year.

• Local technicians must be able to program the system; ERRC personnel can add/remove phones. Features like call forwarding are user-programmable.

• Service to be provided during ERRC normal business hours (7:30-16:30, Monday-Friday), with 24/7 support for the mission statement.

• Contractor to interface with the long-distance provider/local operating company for issue resolution.

• Period of Performance: 04/01/2026 – 03/31/2031 (Base year plus 4 OPTION years).

• Place of Performance: ARS Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC), 600 E Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038.

• Contractor personnel require USDA facility access approval and must be U.S. Citizens.

• Adherence to the Privacy Act and applicable agency rules and regulations.

• Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act for all Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products and services, including accessibility standards, conformance requirements, and reporting (ACR/VPAT).

• All deliverables involving IT must comply with IPv6 standards and interoperate with IPv4 and IPv6 systems.

• Protection of sensitive but unclassified USDA network information is required.

• Contractor must provide a cost proposal for labor, services, licenses, or hardware for projects and upgrades.

• Required submittals include VoIP phones, conference phones, servers, and software for review and approval.

• Quarterly status reports on changes and upgrades, including software/hardware upgrades, repairs, and associated costs.

• Government will provide workspace, computer, and telephone access.

• Contractor's Key Personnel must adhere to all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulations, codes, technical specifications, manufacturers guidelines, USDA, REE, and ARS mission.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a solicitation for "ERRC Phone Systems Support Contract" services. The government is procuring support for phone systems.

• The contract includes support for phone systems.

• Specific deliverables include "ERRC Phone Systems Support Contract" services.

• The contract is structured with a base year and multiple option years.

• Base Year: 04/01/2026 - 03/31/2027

• Option Year 1: 04/01/2027 - 03/31/2028

• Option Year 2: 04/01/2028 - 03/31/2029

• Option Year 3: 04/01/2029 - 03/31/2030

• Option Year 4: 04/01/2030 - 03/31/2031

• Delivery is FOB Destination.

• The solicitation number is L232SA26Q0252.

• The offer due date is 04/06/2026 at 1600 CT.

• The solicitation is issued by USDA ARS SEA AAO ACQ/PER PROP.

• The North American Industry Classification Standard (NAICS) code is 811210 with a size standard of $34.

• The acquisition is listed as "UNRESTRICTED" with no specific set-aside mentioned.

• Standard Form 1449 is used for this solicitation.

• FAR clauses 52.212-1, 52.212-3, and 52.212-4 are incorporated by reference.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document outlines the terms and conditions for a solicitation for Phone Systems Support services. The Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) requires maintenance and support for its VoIP Mitel telephone system, including 24/7 onsite troubleshooting, repair, and upgrades.

• Maintenance and support services for a VoIP Mitel telephone system.

• 24/7 onsite troubleshooting, repair, and upgrades.

• Services include software and hardware.

• Anticipated award type: Firm-fixed price requirements contract.

• Period of Performance: One (1) one-year base period and four (4) one-year option periods, not to exceed five (5) years total.

• Submission Deadline for Questions: March 27, 2026, at 4:00 PM Central Time.

• Quote Submission: Electronic copy via email to Jessica Pacheco (jessica.pacheco@usda.gov) in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

• Quote Requirements: Must include pricing, SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), acknowledgement of amendments (SF-30), active SAM.gov registration, and a technical package detailing capability, management approach, and experience.

• Evaluation Criteria: Award will be made to the offeror representing the best value to the Government, based on Price and Technical Acceptability. Lowest price technically acceptable criteria will be used.

• Price: Quotations will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness.

• Technical Acceptability: Evaluated as "acceptable" or "unacceptable" based on the offeror's ability to meet requirements and demonstrate understanding of the SOW.

• Past Performance: May be evaluated using references, USDA data, and CPARS.

• Offer Acceptance Period: Offerors agree to hold prices firm for 90 calendar days from the offer receipt date.

• The document references various clauses related to small business concerns, HUBZone, and other set-asides, but specific set-aside information for this solicitation is not explicitly detailed in the provided pages.

• The solicitation incorporates numerous FAR and AGAR clauses by reference. Full text is available upon request or at https://www.acquisition.gov/far-overhaul/far-part-deviation-guide/far-overhaul-part-52.

• The document includes detailed instructions for offerors, including specific formatting and content requirements for quotations.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is a Wage Determination (No. 2015-5791, Revision No. 30) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, under the Service Contract Act. It establishes the minimum wage rates and fringe benefits required for various occupations performing work in Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties, Pennsylvania.

• Lists numerous occupational codes and titles, along with their corresponding minimum hourly wage rates.
• Specifies fringe benefits that must be provided, including Health & Welfare benefits ($5.55 per hour or $222.00 per week) and Paid Sick Leave (EO 13706, $5.09 per hour or $203.60 per week).
• Includes notes on Executive Orders 13706 (Paid Sick Leave) and 13658 (minimum wage adjustments).
• Outlines vacation and holiday policies.
• Provides guidance on the conformance process for unlisted classifications.

This document is critical for bidders to understand the labor costs associated with the opportunity. It dictates the minimum wages and benefits that must be paid to employees performing work under the contract, directly impacting proposal pricing and overall cost management. Bidders must ensure their proposed wages and benefits meet or exceed these requirements.