https://sam.gov/opp/3e3cc2fb030040a6bcffd8a460db75c9/view?keywords=&sort=-modifiedDate&index=opp&is_active=true&page=1

RFQ: USAGM-21-Q-0006AM

US AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA

VOICE OF AMERICA

TELEVISION PROGRAMMING

STATEMENT OF WORK

COOKING SERIES

Date of Solicitation: July 8, 2021

Date Solicitation Closes: July 29, 2021

Additional Questions Asked/Answered 7/23/2021

Procurement

The USAGM conducts this solicitation in accordance with FAR Part 13 for Simplified Acquisition Procedures for Motion Picture and Video Production an industry comprised of This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in producing, or producing and distributing motion pictures, videos, television programs, or television commercials.

This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. No other request for proposals will be issued under this solicitation. Any responsible entity under NAICS code 512110 may respond to this notice.

The government intends to award a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) contract award as a result of this solicitation. All services under provided under this announcement shall be performed from the entity’s facilities, unless a contract specifies otherwise.

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All questions regarding this announcement should be directed to the assigned Contract Specialist, Ms. Rehema Daya at [email protected] and Ms. Alisa Martine at [email protected]

STATEMENT OF WORK

Persian Cooking Series - Farsi

INTRODUCTION:

The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is an independent federal agency and the parent organization of Voice of America (VOA). VOA provides trusted and objective news and information in 47 languages to a weekly audience of more than 237 million people around the world. For over 75 years, VOA journalists have told American stories and supplied content that many people cannot get locally: objective news and information about the U.S., their region, and the world.  VOA connects with audiences on five continents showcasing the thoughts and institutions that make America unique.

VOA uses broadcast and digital platforms, including web and mobile media to engage viewers, listeners, users, and friends. Radio and television broadcast to approximately 3,000 affiliates, and satellite transmissions reach countries where free speech is banned or where civil society is under threat.  VOA’s mobile apps have registered more than one million downloads and cater to users on all major mobile platforms. With the largest audience of all U.S. international media, VOA continues to be a beacon of hope for underserved audiences who yearn for information about freedom of expression, civil society, and change.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

The Voice of America’s Persian Service, Persian News Network (PNN), has a requirement for content which will continue to improve its television programming to increase viewership. The VOA PNN seeks a vendor (hereinafter referred to as “Contractor”) to produce an Iranian/ American television cooking series. The cooking series will be the first Iranian/American cooking show hosted by VOA and PNN.

The cooking series will increase PNN viewership, targeting the Persian home cook, especially women between the ages of 18 and 34 years. This objective is in line with the PNN mandate to avoid eroding the audience in the USAGM-mandated 18–34-year-old demographic bracket. To be effective, the Contractor should have the ability to provide full production services as well as a recognizable host who is well-known in the Persian/American community.

Competition for this award is limited to Contractors with an adequate filming venue in California. California is where many Iranian guest celebrities and influencers are concentrated. Producing the show there reduces the burden of booking quality guests for each episode and reduces the associated travel costs. Should there be any cancelations or other complications with scheduled guests, it will be much easier to identify last minute replacements and avoid major production issues.

SCOPE:

The Contractor shall produce a professional, broadcast-ready series of a cooking entertainment show that will air for 30 minutes each week, for 10 weeks appealing to the Farsi-speaking Iranian/American community. The Contractor must provide all services and materials necessary to plan, organize, facilitate, manage, host, and produce the cooking series. The series must be aesthetically pleasing and entertaining for the Farsi-speaking Iranian/American, focusing on a range of easy-to-make and healthy dishes achievable for any home cook.

The Contractor must provide a full range of services to meet VOA/PNN’s specifications herein to plan, organize, coordinate, conduct, and record the 10-part cooking series including: locating an adequate venue, securing the venue and necessary equipment; procuring the ingredients and tools necessary to prepare the traditional dishes; booking talent including the host and celebrity co-host(s); writing, directing, facilitating, and managing the filming of each episode; coordinating and executing the graphics, music, and creative vision for each episode with consideration of seasonal themes; and executing pre-production, production, and post-production of the broadcast-ready series.

TASKS:

The Contractor shall perform the following tasks in producing the professional, broadcast-ready episodes of the ten (10) episode cooking series:

1. Provide a show that includes a minimum of one (1) on-air talent as the Lead Host who speaks Farsi and English fluently. There must be one consistent “lead host” who will be the focus of every episode, with the option to have co-hosts or guests join the lead host. The Contractor must obtain Government approval before replacing the lead host for any reason. The Government has the right to accept or reject the proposed lead host within the 60-day notice period. This person is considered Key Personnel.

1. Provide all materials and services required to write, produce, edit, and deliver a total of ten (10) 30-minute cooking episodes in Farsi hosted by the Government-approved talent. The show must target the home cook (especially women) in the 18- to 34-year-old demographic audience.

1. Develop a schedule of episodes to include the traditional dishes to be featured, any applicable guests/co-hosts, and episode theme, if applicable.

1. Develop and post (publish) two (2) 30-second social media promos about the series and one social media promo each week after the pilot episode premiers, and prior to the airing of each episode for a total of 11 social media promos. VOA must be tagged in any social media posts.

1. Develop an opening montage (video, audio, and graphics), not longer than 30 seconds, that will be used at the beginning of every episode.

1. Deliver each episode in High Definition (16 x 9, 1080p, NTSC, 60 frames per second [fps]). This should include professional quality filming using a combination of fixed and handheld cameras. The Contractor must adhere to the highest standards of professional broadcasting in all aspects of the show’s creation and production. The Contractor must be responsible for the creative vision and format of the show. Pursuant to FAR 52.227-17, VOA shall own the copyright of any data produced in the performance of this contract. VOA retains all rights to this project. The contractor is expressly prohibited from distributing any episode of the series to entities other than VOA, including but not limited to the contractor’s own social media accounts. This content will be digitally distributed like any other VOA Persian show.

1. Deliver edited, final episodes to VOA as an .mp4 file via File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The delivered product must have a total run time that is within 20 seconds of the required 30-minute run time.

1. Manage all payment(s) of any and all costs associated with the series including but not limited to venue, equipment, travel, and performance.

The Contractor must provide all personnel in connection with the production and delivery of the series. This includes, but is not limited to, camera operators, lighting crews, audio engineers, hosts, co-hosts, and a team of professional and experienced writers, directors, producers, and editors. All personnel in connection with the planning, facilitation, management, and production of the series including but not limited to scheduling and administrative, marketing, production and post-production, and finishing must be sufficient in number and experience to produce the broadcast-ready series.

The Contractor must use its own staff, resources, sets, equipment, vehicles, and insurance for all aspects of planning, facilitation, management, conduct, hosting, and content production including but not limited to on-location or in-studio video production and post-production video editing. The Contractor must secure any and all needed permissions for any elements of music, text, illustrations/graphics, photos, video, designs, trademarks, or other artwork that are included in the show’s production. The Contractor must provide a copy of all permissions, releases, and clearances to VOA upon request.

The Contractor is responsible for undertaking all tasks to complete each episode, such as acquiring equipment or subcontracting, in order to deliver a finished product. The quantity and the quality of the shows shall be reviewed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to ensure that the Contractor is meeting the requirements of PNN.

The Contractor shall be responsible for all of the production costs including travel and miscellaneous costs for all participants and production crew as well as all efforts required to write, record, produce, edit, create graphics, and deliver the required series.  

The series shall be without any political bias or advertising and shall be mindful of Iranian/American culture and sensitivities. Programming must not contain visual or audio content of any offensive nature to the target audience.

The Contractor must not register a trademark for any marks, names, logos, or slogans associated with this show and must agree to fully cooperate with Agency efforts to seek trademark registration, if any.

KEY PERSONNEL:

1. Lead Host:

The Contractor shall furnish a Lead Host to serve as Key Personnel, as the Host will be critical to the execution of the cooking series.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Speaks English and Farsi fluently
• Has extensive experience on film or television
• Existing social media following
• Demonstrated connections with Persian/American population (with cultural celebrities preferred)
• Demonstrated knowledge of Iranian/Persian culture
• Demonstrated ability to prepare Iranian/Persian cuisine

2. Contract Manager:

The Contractor must designate one official as the Contract Manager. The Contract Manager will serve as the Contractor’s main Point of Contact with the Government for purposes of the contract. The Contractor shall provide the name, telephone number, facsimile number, and email address of the individual to the Contracting Officer in writing upon award of the contract. Contractors have the ability to name the Lead Host as the Contract Manager if desired.

The Contract Manager will be the Contractor’s primary contact for coordination with the Government, and he/she shall have delegated authority to make binding decisions for the Contractor without recourse for higher authority.

No changes can be made to the Contract Manager/Lead Host without first providing 60-day written notice and obtaining written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

The Contractor will be responsible for compiling the additional team members necessary to deliver the TV-ready episodes in accordance with this scope of work.

DELIVERABLES:

The following items shall be delivered under this contract:

Delivery Schedule:

Item

Description

Qty

Due Date

Government Turnaround Time

A

Schedule of episodes

1

NLT 10 business days from award

Approval within 3 business days of receipt

B

Opening montage

1

NLT 20 business days from award

Approval within 3 business days of receipt

C

30-second social media promos

2

NLT 30 business days from award

Approval within 3 business days of receipt

D

Pilot/premier 30-minute episode

1

NLT 30 business days from award

Approval within 3 business days of receipt of the pilot episode

E

Weekly social media promos

9

At least 3 days prior to airing of each episode

Approval within 2 business day of receipt

F

Weekly 30-minute episodes

9

5-days after delivery of each episode following the premier

Approval within 3 business days of receipt

No later than 10 business days from award, the Contractor must submit a schedule of episodes that will outline the traditional food dish(es) to be featured, if there will be any co-host or guest host, and any theme (if applicable) that the episode will pertain to.

The Contractor must provide VOA with a rough-cut copy of the opening montage, to be used for each episode, at least 10 business days prior to delivering the pilot program for VOA’s editorial review, edits and approval to finalize. The Contractor must be responsible for any revisions that are requested by VOA.

The Contractor must deliver a pilot/premier, 30-minute episode within 30 business days of award, and one episode per week following the submission of the pilot/premier episode for a total of 10 episodes. The Contractor must include the up to 30-second opening montage on each episode with no more than 30 seconds of program credit and acknowledgement as part of the closing of each episode. At the same time, the Contractor must provide the government with two (2) 30-second social media promos. At least three (3) days prior to the airing of each episode, the Contractor must furnish the government with one social media promo.

The Government will review submissions and return any requests for edits or changes within three (3) business days for deliverables A-D, and within two (2) business days for deliverables E.

CONTRACT TYPE:

This contract will be a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract. All work performed under this contract must be completed by the time agreed upon by the Government and the Contractor and must not exceed the firm-fixed price of the contract proposed to fulfill this requirement, i.e., the Contractor is responsible for undertaking all tasks necessary to complete the project.

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: N/A

Other Unique Requirements and Considerations: 

Each episode of the delivered series will adhere to the latest VOA Best Practices Guide and Journalistic Code and those documents are incorporated here by reference. Hard copies of said documents are attached to the solicitation.

Confidentiality Requirements: 

Contractor shall not disclose to any third party (other than its respective employees, in their capacity as such and only on a need-to-know basis), any confidential business information concerning VOA that was acquired or derived in the course of performance.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

The primary place of performance will be at the Contractors’ facility and at the venue location where filming is conducted.

The Contractor’s filming venue must be based in California.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT (GFE):

The Government will not provide any government-furnished property.

ACCEPTANCE:

All work will be completed in accordance with standard procedures and guidelines provided orally or in writing by the COR who will be appointed at the time of award. Submissions should be made using standard business software used by the USAGM, such as Excel, MS Word, and/or PowerPoint (see deliverables).  

All deliverables will be sent to the COR and/or designated Government official in accordance with the delivery schedule. Any issues with the delivered product will be addressed by the COR as soon as practicable upon receipt. All deliverables submitted during a billing cycle should be listed on the invoice. Delivery method will vary depending on the deliverable, options including:

• Email as preferred delivery method for texts, scripts and any project correspondence.
• Email or any digital file transfer service for downloads over the internet as preferred delivery method for low resolution draft/intermediate videos 
• Physical hard drive (readable on MacOS and Windows) via courier service (FedEx, UPS) as preferred delivery method for final deliverables of full resolution, full quality finished video

The USAGM has the authority to reject any episode delivered as part of the series and program deliverable(s) if it is deemed unsuitable for broadcast in accordance with VOA mission. In the event that any deliverable(s) is rejected, the contractor must send a replacement within 5 business days for broadcast. VOA reserves the right to reject, edit, and adjust any submitted video.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

The period of performance of this contract will be for a five-year ordering period, which will commence on or about August 9, 2021 through August 8, 2026. Individual call orders will be issued for each season which consists of 10 episodes. The government is only obligated to the extent of each call order issued. There is no minimum or maximum number of seasons guaranteed.

RIGHTS:

FAR 52.227-17 Rights in Data-Special Works

applies to this requirement.

INVOICING:

1952.232-91 Electronic Invoicing and Payment Requirements - Invoice Payment Platform (IPP) (April 2016)

Payment requests for all new awards must be submitted electronically through the U. S. Department of the Treasury's Invoice Payment Platform System (IPP).  

"Payment request" means any request for contract financing payment or invoice payment by the Contractor. To constitute a proper invoice, the payment request must comply with the requirements identified in FAR 32.905(b), "Payment documentation and process" and the applicable Prompt Payment clause included in this contract.  The IPP website address is: https://www.ipp.gov.   

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS:

Offerors shall submit quote(s) by 5:00pm EDT on Thursday, July 29, 2021 via email to Rehema Daya [email protected] and Alisa Martine [email protected]  The subject of the email should include the RFQ Number [USAGM-21-Q-0006AM]. There will be no exception to the time and date on which quote(s) are due, unless determined otherwise by the Government. The Price Proposal shall be submitted separate from the technical and past performance. 

Questions or Clarifications:

All questions regarding the RFQ shall be submitted via email to Rehema Daya [email protected] and Alisa Martine [email protected] no later than 2:00pm on Thursday, July 15, 2021. Please reference the RFQ number in the subject line of email communications. Responses to any questions received will be posted through the solicitation.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION:

Offerors must provide two volumes as part of their Quote submission:

Volume I: Technical/Past Performance

1) Technical Proposal (maximum of 20 pages):

1. Cover Letter (does not count towards the page limit)
   • • DUNS number and TIN;
     • Company name, mailing address, and website address
     • Socio-economic status as validated by the System for Award Management (SAM). All offerors must register in SAM located at https://www.sam.gov/
     • Company Point of Contact, Phone, and Email address
2. Description of the Offeror’s concept for the series, offeror format is acceptable.  For example, provide a metered, storyboard layout of the concept.
3. Technical approach to assembling a team and conducting end-to-end production of a television-ready series including digital media.
4. Lead Host Resume (max of 3 pages)
   • The Contractor’s proposed Lead Host with demonstration as to the extent of his/her qualifications and experience as described in the SOW and with respect to the function they are proposed to accomplish/manage.
   • Demonstrate experience with success in booking talent.

2) Past Performance (max of 10 pages):

• Provide three (3) past performance examples on relevant projects performed during the last five (5) years, that are similar in complexity and scope to the work described in the SOW.
• Past performance of any relevant subcontractors will be considered.
• In each of the past performance samples listed above, provide the following information:
  • Name of Project
  • Customer
  • Period of Performance
  • Number of Episodes
  • Summary of the work performed

Volume II: Price Proposal

3) Price Quote (unlimited pages):

Offeror shall provide fully-burdened, firm-fixed price (FFP) rates per episode to USAGM

Firm-fixed price per episode shall be inclusive of any/all travel costs; talent bookings and production costs to deliver a TV-ready episode to USAGM.

Offerors are advised that the Government will not pay for costs incurred for preparation and submission of a proposal, demonstration materials, or attendance to meetings.

This solicitation and the resultant contract will include a clause entitled “Key Personnel”. No changes in the Key Personnel can be made without first providing a 60-day written notice and obtaining written authorization from the Contracting Officer.

 There shall be no assumptions which have cost/price implications outside of the quoted FFP. The Price quote shall be submitted in an email separate from the Technical and Past Performance

EVALUATION (CRITERIA) FACTORS FOR AWARD:

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.

1. Technical

• Technical Approach: The Government will evaluate the degree to which the Offeror’s concept will be suitable and enjoyable for the target audience.
• Key Personnel: The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s proposed Key Personnel for the extent of their qualifications and experience with respect to the functions they are proposed to manage.
  • Speaks Farsi fluently
  • Has extensive experience on film or television
  • Existing social media following
  • Demonstrated connections with Persian/American population (with cultural celebrities preferred)
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Iranian/Persian culture
  • Demonstrated ability to prepare Iranian/Persian cuisine
• The extent to which the Offeror demonstrates an existing online or television audience and ability to attract engaged viewers. Track record of publishing successful cooking videos on television or social media.
• The extent to which the Offeror demonstrates its technical approach to assembling a team and conducting end-to-end production of a television-ready series including digital media.

2. Past Performance

• The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s past performance to determine the extent to which it demonstrates the likelihood the offeror can successfully perform the requirements of the Scope of Work.

3. Price

• The Offeror’s price quote will be evaluated to determine fairness and reasonableness.