REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

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Overview

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), through the World Technology Evaluation Center, Inc. (WTEC), is interested in contracting with an organization to provide data and analysis on U.S.-based companies (and, as available, foreign companies with significant U.S. operations) offering nanotechnology-based products and services on a commercial basis.

Organizational Background

The NNCO provides technical and administrative support to the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). NSET is the interagency body responsible for coordinating, planning, implementing, and reviewing the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). NSTC is one of the principal means by which the President coordinates science, space, and technology policies across the Federal Government.

WTEC supports the NNCO through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The work will be performed under a subcontract to WTEC, under the provisions of that NSF grant.

Project Description

NNCO seeks overview information and statistics about the commercialization of nanotechnology by U.S.-based companies, including current status and trends in the number and types of firms that offer nanotechnology-based products or services, number and classification of nanotechnology-enabled products on the market, nanotechnology-related revenues, and nanotechnology-based employment in the U.S. economy.  The contractor will generate an annual report listing all companies with significant U.S. operations that involve providing nanotechnology-based products or services, as well as any data that can be gathered and verified on their nanotechnology-enabled products, revenues, and employment.  The report will also include an analysis of trends over time with respect to the data being presented as well as a brief public executive summary.  Other special reports may be requested by NNCO (as additional options, to be performed on a time and materials basis).

NNCO would prefer that the database developed under this subcontract be consistent with and comparable to data produced under a previous subcontract with another vendor; these data are available for visual inspection at the NNCO office on request. Alternative (particularly improved) formats can also be suggested as options to the bid.

Bidders should specify a price for two options:  (1) a single annual report and (2) two reports per year.

This will be a one-year contract, with options to extend to a second and third year.

Target Audience

NSET member agencies and the public.

Required Deliverables

The annual report (or bi-annual reports, depending on which option is exercised) shall include the following:

1. A list of companies and other organizations that offer nanotechnology-based (or -enabled) products and services or that have other activities consistent with the definition of nanotechnology adopted by the NNI (see  http://nano.gov/html/facts/whatIsNano.html). Organizations for which data will be collected include:
   • R&D, manufacturing, and applications companies, including firms that supply R&D or manufacturing equipment
   • Financial services companies (e.g., venture capital firms that do a substantial amount of work with nanotechnology) as well as firms that provide other types of professional services to nanotechnology companies
   • Government organizations (Federal, state, and local agencies)
   • Non-governmental organizations and geographically-focused entities (e.g., regional, state, and local nanotechnology “initiatives” organized outside of government auspices)
   • Industry organizations and institutions
   Data to be collected on each organization including website URL, email address, phone number, mailing address, year founded, number of employees, number of employees in nanotechnology-related jobs (if available), organization description, key activity area, description of nanotechnology-related products or services offered, categorization of product or service (e.g., manufacturing equipment, raw material, consumer product, etc.), revenues from nanotechnology-related products or services (if available), primary target industry, other target industries, collaborations/collaborators, and leadership team.
2. A list of nanotechnology-based products or services currently on the market organized by product category (e.g., manufacturing equipment, raw materials, consumer products, etc.) – derived from data in item (1) above.
3. Estimate of total nanotechnology-related revenues, aggregated from data in item (1) above.
4. Estimate of total nanotechnology-based employment in the U.S. economy, aggregated from data in item (1) above.
5. A detailed analysis and graphical representation (at least 10 pages including appropriate charts and graphs) showing significant findings and emerging trends in the data.
   1. This analytical section should also include highlights of information on new industry participants, new products, strategic partnerships and distribution/licensing agreements, financial/funding events (IPOs, VC, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies), government activities (legislative and economic development initiatives), patent highlights, and milestone company and industry news.
   2. This analysis should include an estimate of total “pure play” nanotechnology-based employment in the United States and an estimate of total nanotechnology-based revenue that these firms are generating – based on data from item (1) above and any other credible sources available in the open literature.
6. An introduction explaining the methodology used to gather the data, including any cautions or caveats concerning how the data should be used or interpreted.
7. An executive summary consisting of at least two pages of text summarizing the overall findings of the report, e.g., total number of companies, products, and employment, particularly trending information.
8. Special reports may be requested by NNCO at additional cost, on a time and materials basis.

Assumptions and Agreements

• Qualified bidders are assumed to possess existing data that are current through at least 2005 and that will be updated, modified, or enhanced and analyzed for the purposes of this subcontract, therefore the U.S. Government will not be commissioning (or asking WTEC to commission) a new survey subject to the stipulations of the Paperwork Reduction Act..
• Bids should include separate prices for each of the deliverables (1-7) specified above, with the understanding that NNCO may elect to eliminate one or more deliverables in order to bring the price within the amount included for this task in NNCO’s annual budget. Bids should also call out sub-tasks (bullets) or types of requested data or analysis within each of the deliverables above that may be particularly difficult or expensive to carry out, as well as suggestions for how to alleviate these issues either by modifying the deliverable in some way or eliminating it.
• Deliverables 1-4 above are to be provided to NNCO in machine-readable database format (i.e., Excel, or specify in the bid what other format can be provided). Analytical reports (i.e., deliverables 5-8) are to be delivered in machine-readable format also (i.e., MS Word or Rich Text Format, or specify in the bid what other format can be delivered).
• NNCO may manipulate raw data (deliverables 1-4) for internal use and will consult with subcontractor on citation and/or publication of analyses of the raw data; the raw data itself will not be distributed in machine-readable format outside of the NNCO office staff. Printouts of raw data and of analytical reports may be distributed to NSET Subcommittee members only. The subcontractor also will make all data and analysis developed for deliverables 1-7 under this contract available to the public (if not free, then at a reasonable cost to be specified in the bid; specify also what format(s) the materials will be offered in, proposed pricing for public dissemination of each of the deliverables, etc.). Following review by NNCO, the Executive Summary (deliverable 7 above) may, at NNCO’s discretion, be posted for open public dissemination on the NNI website (nano.gov).
• Copyright to raw data (deliverables 1-4) shall be retained by the contractor. WTEC, Inc. (on behalf of NNCO, subject to the U.S. Government’s license) and the contractor shall each have an undivided interest in any copyright to analytical reports. With the exception of deliverable 5 (executive summary), WTEC will not make any of these materials available to the public other than by mutual agreement with the contractor. Similarly, the contractor will need agreement from NNCO (represented by WTEC) to make any changes to its plans for pricing or dissemination of deliverables to other parties. Any revenues generated by sale of deliverables to outside parties or the public will reside with the contractor, not WTEC or NNCO.
• Bids will specify the basis (e.g., hourly labor charges, associated overhead, G&A fees, etc.) to be charged for optional special reports that may be requested by NNCO (i.e., item 8 above).
• The initial project must be completed by December 31, 2007, with options for yearly extensions.
• The proposal should include plans for providing public access to the data by subscription or report product pricing.
• Reports and updates produced by the vendor will be in standard American English.
• All report/update data fields will be approved by NNCO.
• NNCO will appoint one person to serve as a project coordinator/manager.
• At the conclusion of the project, all materials developed by the project team will become the exclusive property of the subcontractor, with stipulation that summary reports and analysis (but not company-specific data) remain subject to the U.S. Government’s non-exclusive and non-transferable license, and that the subcontractor also make summary reports available to the public, either gratis or for sale at a reasonable price.
• This will be a fixed price contract for the delivery of the Annual Report described above under “required deliverables;” all expenses necessary to produce and deliver that report are to be covered within the fixed price. All expenses charged to the subcontract within the fixed price (or added to the contract price as part of a special report assignment) are auditable under Federal regulations, and subject to the same rules and limitations (e.g., Federal per diem rates for travel reimbursement) that apply to WTEC’s grant from the National Science Foundation. It is suggested therefore that bidders familiarize themselves with the NSF General Grant Conditions (http://www.nsf.gov/awards/managing/general_conditions.jsp) and the Office of Management and Budget’s Governing Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a122/a122_2004.html, OMB Circular A-122).
• Proposals should specify proposed schedule for delivery of the first annual report and (if the contract is extended for a second and third year) subsequent annual reports.
• Proposals should include a separate bid for delivery of two reports per year instead of just one.
• Billing for services and products will be tied to deliverables; detailed schedules and amounts are negotiable; bidders should indicate their preferences in their proposals. However, after a contract is signed by both parties, WTEC will make an initial payment to the contractor of 20% of the total annual cost of the first year of the contract.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals and select the winning bidder. The criteria listed below are not listed in any particular priority order; bids will be evaluated according to their overall responsiveness to this RFP including as many as possible of the following criteria:

• Price (25%)
• Responsiveness of the bid to the RFP; quality of methodology proposed for obtaining and verifying data obtained (25%)
• Experience of the bidder and proposed project staff in performing the types of tasks outlined in the RFP (15%)
• Access of the bidder to existing data, and comparability of those data to that provided to NNCO under the previous WTEC subcontract to Small Times Media (15%)
• Reputation of the bidder for delivering quality work, on time, and within budget (10%)
• Objectivity and independence of the bidder from outside influences that might affect how objectively data are gathered or interpreted (10%)

Required Proposal Format

The proposal must contain a (1) Technical section and (2) a Time-Cost section.

Technical Proposal

In the Technical section, the vendor should include time-lines, projected required personnel, and schedules for completing the project. Resumes of key personnel who will be working on the project should be appended to the proposal. This section should also outline the existing data and other resources that the proposer will have access to as a starting point for completing this work.

Time-Cost

In the Time-Cost section, the vendor must detail the time and costs that will be required to complete the project.

Additional Documentation (optional)

Request for References (optional)

Submission Deadline: July 30, 2007

Submit Proposal To:

Geoff Holdridge
WTEC, Inc.
4800 Roland Avenue, Suite 201
Baltimore, MD 21210-2393
gholdrid@wtec.org
703-292-4532

For additional information or clarification, contact Mr. Holdridge. Award of a subcontract is subject to review and approval by the National Science Foundation, and is subject to availability of funds and suitability of proposals submitted in response to this RFP.