Sources Sought Notice - Pandemic Preparedness Plan Evaluation

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is the "Indian Health Service Buy Indian Act Indian Economic Enterprise Representation Form." It serves as a self-certification for enterprises responding to solicitations, sources sought, or RFIs under the Buy Indian Act. It requires the offeror to represent whether they meet the definition of an "Indian Economic Enterprise" with "Indian Ownership."

• Self-certification statement regarding meeting the definition of an "Indian Economic Enterprise."
• Requirement to meet the definition throughout the offer, award, and performance periods.
• Fields to provide: Name of Federally Recognized Tribal Entity, Name of the 51% owner of IEE Firm, Business Name, Certifying Signature, Print Name, and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number.
• Legal penalties for submitting false or misleading information are cited.

This form is crucial for any bidder intending to claim status as an "Indian Economic Enterprise" under the Buy Indian Act. Bidders must accurately complete this form to certify their eligibility. Failure to meet the criteria or provide accurate information can lead to penalties and disqualification. It also highlights the requirement for ongoing eligibility throughout the contract lifecycle and the potential need for documentation and SAM registration.

Sources Sought Notice

This Sources Sought Notice (SSN) is for market research to assess industry capabilities for evaluating and improving the Indian Health Service (IHS) Pandemic Preparedness Plan. The IHS aims to raise AI/AN health status by ensuring tribal health security and resilience during crises. This SSN seeks information to determine appropriate acquisition methods, potentially including set-asides for Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE), Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE), or small businesses.

The core objectives involve:

• Discovery Phase: Understanding the current plan's history, assumptions, gaps, and strengths through discussions with SMEs and reviewing the 2025 plan.
• Evaluation Phase: Assessing preparedness, conducting stress tests (e.g., tabletop exercises), and identifying plan strengths and gaps.
• After-Action Report: Creating a comprehensive report detailing strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities, with recommendations specific to IHS and AI/AN communities.
• Dissemination: Hosting a meeting to share findings and recommendations.

Deliverables include a Discovery Summary, Plan Stress Tests, a Final After-Action Report, and a Final Meeting.

• Estimated Period of Performance: July 2026 – August 2027.

• Place of Performance: Off-site, at the contractor's facility.

• Government Furnished Information/Property: Access to reporting systems, documentation, SMEs, stakeholders, and existing reports. No Government-Furnished Property (GFP) will be provided.

• Travel: Not required, but if necessary, must be approved in advance.

• Response Format: A tailored capability statement (max 10 pages, excluding past performance) in Word or PDF format.

• Required Content: Cover page, Executive Summary, Technical Objectives, Past Performance (max 5 examples), and optional other information.

• Key Information to Include: Company Name, Designation (ISBEE/IEE/SB), Type of Business, UEI, POC, NAICS Code (primary is 541611), existing contracting vehicles, and SAM registration status.

• Due Date: May 14, 2026, by 5:00 PM EST.

• Submission Method: Email to cynthia.cason@ihs.gov with the subject line "Pandemic Plan – Your Company Name".

• Only ISBEE, IEE, or small business concerns are encouraged to respond.

• Organizations not meeting these criteria should not submit a response.

• Generic capability statements are insufficient.

• This is for market research only and does not obligate the Government to award a contract.

• Responses are voluntary and will not be returned.

• No payment for costs incurred in preparing a response.

• The Government reserves the right to use non-proprietary technical information.

• No classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included.