Broadcast TV and Digital Multimedia Reporter in London UK

Request For Proposal (RFP)Issue Date: July 21, 2023Proposals Due: August 7, 2023Issued by: The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM)RE: Overseas Stringer – Broadcast TV and Digital Multimedia Reporter in London, UKNAICS Code: 711510 – Independent Artists, Writers, and PerformersQuestions Regarding RFP: All questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted by email to Alisa Martine and Rony Guija at VOARFQCON@voanews.com. Questions must be received no later than 2:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, July 27, 2023. All questions presented prior to this deadline are addressed. No further questions will be taken.Due Date and Time for Receipt of Vendor’s Proposal: The hour and date for receipt of Proposals are due August 7, 2023 at 12:00 PM EDT.Offerors shall request confirm receipt of their proposal prior to the solicitation close date,August 7, 2023.Electronic copies delivered to

href="mailto:VOARFQCON@voanews.com">VOARFQCON@voanews.com attention to: Alisa Martine and Rony Guija with the solicitation number in the subject line. Hard copies will not be accepted.Proposals shall be limited to thirty (30) pages. This page limit excludes any cover page(s) or table(s) of contents.Proposals shall contain three (3) separate volumes:Volume I: Technical Approach Volume II: Past Performance Volume III: PriceEvaluation Methodology:The Government shall determine the best value based on the Technical, Past Performance and Price factors.Descriptions for each factor may be found in Section B of the RFP.SECTION ADescriptionThis is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR subpart 12.106 in conjunction with FAR subpart 13.501 as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested, and a written solicitation document will not be issued.The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) intends to award a single award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for an Overseas Stringer – Broadcast TV and Digital Multimedia Reporter in London, UK. The United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM)/Voice of America (VOA) requires a Contractor to provide objective hard news and feature stories in Persian language for broadcast on satellite television and digital streaming platforms.The ordering period under this BPA is two (2) years from the award date. NAICS Code: 711510 – Independent Artists, Writers, and PerformersPlace of Performance: Work will be performed at the contractor work site.CONTRACT TYPEFirmed Fixed Price (FFP)PERIOD OF PERFORMANCEThe ordering period of this blanket purchase agreement is from on/about September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2025. If an option is exercised, the period of performance shall be extended through the end of that option period.Work on Orders issued during the effective period of his BPA may extend beyond the effective period of this BPA. However, no new Orders may be issued once the period of performance of the BPA has expired.Orders issued under this BPA may contain optional periods of performance that the Government can exercise, subject to the terms of FAR 52.217-9. The Government may extend this BPA or orders placed under it subject to the terms of FAR 52.217-8.PLACE OF PERFORMANCEThe primary place of performance will be in London, UK and its surrounding areas. Contractor must reside in London. USAGM will not reimburse the contractor for any relocation costs.SECTION B EVALUATION FACTORSThe Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be the “best value” and most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered.Factor 1 – Technical Approach:The offeror's technical approach and capability will be evaluated to determine if the offeror understands the requirements and possesses the specialized knowledge and skill to provide objective hard news and feature stories in Persian language for broadcast on satellite television and digital streaming platforms. The Contractor shall identify, and cover stories related to U.S. foreign policy, international affairs, human rights, women’s and social issues, arts and entertainment; conduct on-camera interviews; write, edit, narrate video and appear on live and/or recorded broadcasts. The Contractor shall establish sources in local and national government, diplomatic community and outside official channels in order to report on a wide variety of subjects focusing on politics and economics to include breaking news stories, in meeting short deadlines required by VOA. The Offeror’s technical proposal shall address:Strong on-camera breaking news reporting skills with the ability to read narration effectively and ability to work under time pressure deadlines and in high-stress situationsSolid news judgment, with knowledge of current international news and newsmakersKnowledge of VOA programming and target audiencesStrong journalistic and broadcast television reporting skillsDynamic on-air personality and professional live reporting skillsFull proficiency in Persian language; ability to communicate in EnglishStrong understanding of Persian language target area media market, including social media platformsProven experience working on multimedia projects including extended investigative report (min-documentaries)Possession of a fully functional and active mobile smart phone connected to a wireless service provider; know-how to take/send professional pictures as well as compose photo galleries and videos and send same to VOA.The Offeror must include a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume confirming:At least 3 years of prior experience working as an on-camera news reporter covering foreign policy-related issues for a reputable TV channel broadcasting in Persian languagePossess a current/valid UK-issued Press Card identifying the cardholder as a news gathererPrior experience of accreditation at and news coverage of a recent major international policy events (Exe: G7 Leaders Summit or NATO Leaders Summit)Prior experience in live, on-air, on-camera reporting during ENG assignmentsPrior experience with investigative reports (mini-documentaries)The Offeror must provide samples of:2 recent on-air TV news report or package with reporter’s narration and on-camera standup in Persian language2 recent written news report or article published in a reputable digital news outlet in Persian languageThe Offeror must provide a copy of their active registration in SAM.gov https://sam.gov/content/homePer FAR 52.204-7Factor 2 – Past Performance:Offeror(s) shall provide (3) three past performance references, considering similar scope within the last 3 years. Past Performance shall include name of the customer/media organization, point of contact; period of performance and the summary of work performed.The Government reserves the right to obtain information for use in the evaluation of past performance from any and all sources including sources outside of the Government. Offerors lacking relevant past performance history will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance, i.e. offerors lacking relevant past performance information will receive a neutral rating. However, the proposal of an offeror with no relevant past performance history, while not rated favorably or unfavorably for past performance, may not represent the most advantageous proposal to the Government and thus, may be an unsuccessful proposal when compared to the proposals of other offerors. If an offeror fails to provide any past performance information which meets the requirements detailed in the RFP or fails to affirmatively state that it possesses no relevant directly related or similar past performance, the offer may not be acceptable for award. The assessment of the offeror’s past performance will be used as a means of evaluating the relative capability of the offeror to successfully meet the requirements of the RFP. The Past Performance factor will be used to determine the risk of non- performance, defective performance, and/or late performance by evaluating each offeror’s reported quality of work and relevant experience with the type of services being solicited. In determining the rating for the past performance evaluation factor, the Government will give greater consideration to the references which the Government determines are most relevant to the requirements in Section C.Factor 3 – Price:Offerors are required to furnish a firm-fixed price to this requirement. Offeror shall submit a price proposal separate from their written Technical proposal (See Attachment A).The Government will evaluate the total price for accuracy, completeness and reasonableness. The Government reserves the right to reject an offer that contains unbalanced pricing pursuant to FAR 15.404-1 (g) (3).The Offeror's responses will be evaluated for technical adequacy of the response in conjunction with the total price and to determine whether it is realistic.EVALUATION OF PROPOSALSThe Government shall evaluate all factors using four qualitative rating definitions (Excellent, Good, Acceptable, or Unacceptable). If a technical factor is rated Unacceptable, it will result in an overall rating for all factors, when combined of, Unacceptable. Past Performance shall be evaluated using three qualitative rating definitions (Acceptable, Unacceptable, and Neutral). Past Performance assessments will help predict how an offeror will perform based on contract performance on requirements of similar type, size, and complexity. An offeror without any past performance will receive a neutral rating. Price will be evaluated accuracy, completeness and reasonableness.DETERMINATION OF BEST VALUEUSAGM will award a contract to the offeror that is judged, by an integrated assessment of all of the evaluation factors, to be the “best value” to the Government.The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers in descending order of importance:TechnicalPast PerformancePriceFactors 1 and 2 are more important than Factor 3.The Government reserves the right to make one award or no awards, depending upon the quality of the proposals submitted and the Governments need.USAGM will not, in any case, make award to an Offeror it considers to have substandard capabilities or unreasonable prices.If the offeror’s proposal is determined unacceptable in any of the technical evaluation factors and/or subfactors, the proposal may not be considered for award. The Government reserves the right to award the contract to other than the lowest priced offeror.Rating System: Rating StandardExcellentAn excellent proposal significantly exceeds specified performance or capability in a beneficial way to the Government and has no weakness. The proposal exceeds the performance and technical capability requirements defined in the SOW/PWS/SOO. The evaluator has no doubt that the offeror will successfully achieve the requirements in the PWS based on the proposed technical approach. The offeror acknowledges risks and develops an approach that proactively identifiesand mitigates risks, and looks to reduce or eliminate future risks.GoodA good proposal exceeds specific performance or capability in a beneficial way to the Government and has few weaknesses. The offeror’s proposal meets the performance and technical capability requirements as defined in the SOW/PWS/SOO. The evaluator has a high degree of confidence that the offeror can successfully achieve the requirements based on the proposed technical approach. The offeror acknowledges technical or schedule risk and develops an approach capable of mitigatingall apparent risks effectively.AcceptableAn acceptable proposal contains strengths that outweigh any existing weaknesses. The offeror’s proposal meets the performance and technical capability requirements defined in the SOW/PWS/SOO. The evaluator is confident that the offeror can successfully achieve the requirements in the PWS based on the proposed technical approach. Past Performance met contractual requirements. The contractual performance contains some minor problems for which corrective actions taken by the offeror appearor were satisfactory.UnacceptableAn unacceptable proposal does not meet one or more of the solicitation requirements. The approach contains significant weaknesses and deficiencies. The evaluator is confident that the offeror will be unable to successfully complete the required tasking. The proposal does not adequately acknowledge or address risk, mitigate risk, or may actually introduce risk. Past Performance did not meet many contractual requirements and recovery was not timely. The contractual performance contained serious problem(s) for which the offeror’s corrective actions were ineffective.Neutral (N)*No past performance available for evaluation.SECTION C STATEMENT OF WORKUNITED STATES AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA VOICE OF AMERICASTATEMENT OF WORK Overseas Stringer – Broadcast TV and Digital Multimedia Reporter in London, UKVOA PersianBACKGROUNDThe 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 311 million people around the world. For over 80 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 internet and social media to engage viewers, listeners, and users. 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 1 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.C. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICESC.1 PURPOSEThe Voice of America’s Persian Language Service (VOA Persian) has a requirement for a Stringer/Broadcast TV and Digital Multimedia Reporter based in London, UK, (hereinafter referred to as “Contractor”) to initiate and develop for VOA audiences and viewers original broadcast TV and digital multimedia news, features and extended investigative reports covering ongoing UK, EU and NATO support to Ukraine over Russia’s invasion. C. 2 SCOPEThe United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM)/Voice of America (VOA) requires a Contractor to provide objective hard news and feature stories in Persian language for broadcast on satellite television and digital streaming platforms. The Contractor shall identify, and cover stories related to U.S. foreign policy, international affairs, human rights, women’s and social issues, arts and entertainment; conduct on-camera interviews; write, edit, narrate video and appear on live and/or recorded broadcasts. The Contractor shall establish sources in local and national government, diplomatic community and outside official channels in order to report on a wide variety of subjects focusing on politics and economics to include breaking news stories, in meeting short deadlines required by VOA.C. 2.1 SPECIFIC PERSIAN LANGUAGE KNOWLDEGE, SKILLS, & REQUIREMENTSStrong on-camera breaking news reporting skills with the ability to read narration effectively and ability to work under time pressure deadlines and in high-stress situationsSolid news judgment, with knowledge of current international news and newsmakersKnowledge of VOA programming and target audiencesAt least 3 years of experience working as a reporter for a broadcast TV channelStrong journalistic and broadcast television reporting skillsDynamic on-air personality and professional live reporting skillsFull proficiency in Persian language; ability to communicate in EnglishStrong understanding of Persian language target area media market, including social media platformsProven experience working on multimedia projectsPossession of a fully functional and active mobile smart phone connected to a wireless service provider; know-how to take/send professional pictures as well as compose photo galleries and videos and send same to VOA.C.3 TASK OVERVIEW The Contractor shall perform the following:Provide news coverage during work week, on weekends, holidays and uncommon working hours, as determined to meet the requirements of each task order/deliverableGenerate ideas for news reports and feature stories including news pegsResearch a given topic for a specific project/story/interview or programConduct interviews, cover newsworthy events and prepare reports based on research, interview and/or event coverageDevelop, write, edit and update scripts and other material for pre-recorded and live on-camera reports and storiesWork with assigned cameraperson/video editor on live reports, live and recorded interviews, live and recorded standups, TV packages, TV feature stories and other broadcast productsWork with copy editors, managing editors, producers and other authorized personnel for pre-recorded output and work with TV studio personnel during live broadcastsEnsure all reporting is suitable for final release, post, distribution and/or broadcastMeet or comfortably beat all reporting/program delivery broadcast deadlines and timelinesDevelop, write, edit and update news and features reports and other material for distribution on digital platformsWork with digital copy editors, managing editors, producers and other authorized personnel for digital multimedia outputC.3.1 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS The Contractor’s news reports, interviews and features shall:Conform to VOA Style and follow VOA reporting and coverage guidelinesAlways maintain balance, objectivity, comprehensiveness and avoid biasInclude real actualities, details and background ambience to assigned coverageC.3.2. DEFINITION OF COMPLETE VIDEO PACKAGES - HARD NEWS STORIES.Complete Broadcast News Packages – (Hard News Videos)Hard News- Based on Current events or News derived from an investigation based on current news.Editorial guidance will be provided by the Service Chief or an authorized VOA editor to meet the criteria and desired angle of subjectTopics could be varied but must always include data or facts to support the information provided.Broadcast News Packages may but should not be longer than 4 minutesC.3.3 COMPLEX VIDEO PACKAGES FEATURING EXCLUSIVE VIP INTERVIEWSComplete Video Packages that include exclusive interviews with the top officials and key newsmakers, including visiting foreign officials and diplomatsEditorial guidance will be provided by the Service’s Executive Producer or an authorized VOA Persian editor to meet the criteria and desired angle of subjectTopics could be varied but must always include data or facts to support the information provided.Packages with exclusive VIP interviews may but should not be longer than 10 minutesC.3.4 COMPLETE COMPLEX VIDEO FEATURES PACKAGES. Feature Stories and Reports are based on special newsworthy or current events that are of generic interest and could be used anytime.Pace and rhythm of story is slower but punchier and involves more creative and dynamic technical resources.Topics could be varied and can relate to people, places, events or newsworthy developments but will be presented in a more creative/streaming format.Stories can be up to 6 minutes longC.3.5 LIVE TV REPORT A live video television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, to a VOA TV newscasts and other programming.Editorial guidance will be provided by the Service’s Executive Producer or an authorized VOA editor to meet the criteria and desired angle of subjectTopics could be varied but must always include data or facts to support the information provided.Live video reports may but should not be longer than 5 minutesC.3.6 MULTIMEDIA NEWS STORIES FOR DIGITAL PLATFORMS Written news stories or short feature reports up to 300 words with related Photographs(s)Editorial Guidance will be provided by the Service’s Executive Producer or an authorized VOA Persian editorTopics are to be discussed with the Service’s Executive Producer or an authorized VOA Persian editor so they can be in accordance with Hard News or Feature News Packages.Topics could be varied but must always include data or facts to support the information providedC.3.7 PHOTOGRAPHS Can accompany multimedia news story to support informaticsMust be original and include a short captionCreative input is welcomed to present image in the best possible wayIndex information of location, city, etc. is necessaryC.3.8 EXTENDED INVESTIGATIVE REPORT (MINI-DOCUMENTARY)Original, ready-to-air, thoroughly researched and verified investigative reports on special topics that are newsworthy and pegged to current events that are of specialized interest and could be used as a stand-alone broadcast products.With additional depth and factual components, the pace, rhythm and story format is that of a mini-documentary and involving additional creative and dynamic technical elements.Topics could be varied and can relate to notable personalities, major events, places, or developments but will be presented in a documentary-style investigative TV reporting format.Investigative reports (mini-documentaries) can be up to 15 minutes longC.4 DELIVERABLE(S)The Contractor shall provide deliverables that are responsive to the statement of work and/or specifications described in each individual task order. The Contractor shall submit all deliverables to the COR identified herein for dissemination to USAGM subject matter expert(s) for review and comments. Final inspection and acceptance of all work performed and deliverables will be performed by the COR. The following deliverables are required for the successful completion of this contract. The Contractor shall submit the required deliverables to the COR in accordance with the following schedule:One assignment includes coverage of a news or feature story and may include the following in any combination as directed by COR:Combination of all assignments requested shall not to exceed 25 assignments per month -Assignment type to be determined by the new cycle and the CORComplete Video Packages / Hard NewsComplete Video packages featuring exclusive interviews with VIPs and key newsmakersComplete Complex TV/Video FeaturesLive TV reports into a VOA TV programMultimedia news stories/news reportsPhotographs Extended Investigative Report (mini-documentary) C.5 VOA CONTROL OF THE WORK While VOA encourages initiative in discovering, pursuing and developing stories, etc., until VOA accepts a story, etc., VOA will not pay the Contractor for any story, etc. VOA follows Voice of America journalistic guidelines and standards available at https://www.insidevoa.com/p/5831.html and VOA Best Practices. The Contractor and those reporting stories are responsible for errors or material breaches of these journalistic guidelines. Material errors or breach are grounds for VOA to refuse to provide further work to the persons breaching these standards and can be the basis for a termination for default of this agreement in whole or part. The remedies in this clause are cumulative and do not restrict any other actions VOA may have under the agreement, at law or in equity.VOA is not responsible for the safety or health of the Contractor and its stringers when pursuing any story. The Contractor and the involved stringers must determine on their own the risks and are at liberty to stop and exit any story or situation when they reasonably believe they are at risk of injury, particularly if any person or persons, know or unknown, are reasonably believed to be seeking to inflict harm on journalists.If VOA/COR does not accept a deliverable from the Contractor due to inferior quality, errors, etc., the Contractor may, depending on the type of deliverable, be entitled to resubmit the deliverable at VOA/COR’s sole discretion. For example, if the item submitted was a breaking news item and its publication is time sensitive, VOA will not accept resubmission of that breaking news item. In any event, the Contractor must obtain approval in writing from VOA/COR before resubmitting a deliverable that VOA/COR deemed unacceptable.DATA RIGHTSAll rights to data and work produced under this contract shall be allocated in accordance with FAR 52.227-17 Rights in Data-Special Works.https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.227-17C.6. CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Contractor’s performance shall be evaluated quarterly to ensure that the Contractor is meeting the requirements of the VOA.The Government may terminate this contract within 30 calendar day’s prior notice in the event of discontinued need for the Contractor’s services or with less prior notice as may be appropriate in the event of unsatisfactory performance or improper conduct on the part of the Contractor.C.7. SECURITY CLEARANCEProspective contractors may be pre-screened prior to beginning performance. If so, Contractors must undergo and complete a successful background investigation to be deemed fit. It is the contractor’s responsibility to comply with all investigative requirements or risk termination or suspension of contract.Prospective contractors shall provide proof of identity and legal authority to reside and work in the United States (US passport, Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Card). For all work performed outside of the United States, all prospective contractors shall provide proof of identity (government issued identification card, driver’s license and/or passport)Please note, visas issued from other employers may not be transferrable or acceptable for direct contract arrangements with USAGM.C.8 PAYMENT*Note: The Contractor shall submit invoices only for work that has been submitted to the COR inspected and accepted by the CORExpenses incurred in gathering and filing incumbent's reportage are included in the monthly payment. The Contractor will use of VOA's equipment and communications if possible. The incumbent may not enter into contracts or incur financial liabilities on behalf of VOA or the U.S. Government.C.8.1 REIMBURSABLE ITEMS(a) Travel and Per Diem - The terms and conditions of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) shall apply to all travel and travel-related matters authorized herein. The Contractor shall be reimbursed at cost for travel-related expenses.(b) The USAGM will not reimburse costs associated with “Local Travel” to/from the Contractor’s office to/from or for parking during working hours. (c) The USAGM will reimburse the Contractor for costs associated with out of the Contractor’s home province, to participate in training sessions or to cover peculiar stories if applicable. This reimbursement will include transportation mileage (at FTR rates),Expenses related to travel outside the Contractor’s home province area- such as tickets, car rental, hotel, telephones and internet costs related to VOA work and per diem shall be paid separately through an invoice with all supporting receipts for reimbursement. There will be no profit in these expenses.(d) The Contractor shall obtain prior written approval from the COR identified in the Contract before incurring any of the above reimbursable expenses.C.9 INVOICING INSTRUCTIONS To receive payment, the Service Provider shall submit monthly proper invoices (in arrears) through the Government’s invoice processing platform (IPP) at www.ipp.gov. The Service Provider shall submit a monthly activity report with each invoice. The report must show the level of effort the Service Provider devoted to the contract during the month and a description of the Service Provider’s activities.C.10 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATIONC.10.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The estimated period of performance for this blanket purchase agreement has an ordering period of two (2) years from the date of award.C.10.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCEContractor shall perform all assignments in the field in London, UK area unless otherwise mutually agreed to by the VOA Persian Service and the Contracting Officer.C.10.3 CONTRACTING OFFICERThe USAGM Contracting Officer (CO) is the only government representative with the sole authority to direct changes to the awarded contract and serves as the arbiter of disputes arising during execution of the contract. The Contracting Officer for this contract is Alisa Martine.C.10.4 CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVEThe COR is the government representative responsible for technical administration of the contract and assures proper Government surveillance of the Service Provider’s performance. The COR is not empowered to make any contractual commitments or to authorize any contractual changes on the Government’s behalf. Any changes that the Service Provider deems may affect contract price, terms, or conditions shall be referred to the Contracting officer for action. The COR for this contract is Aurea Nascimento, and the alternate COR is Arash Sigarchi.C.10.5 DESIGNATED POINTS OF CONTACT All work shall be assigned and coordinated through the designated COR or ACOR. [END OF SECTION C]SECTION D PROVISION AND CLAUSESThe following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and are hereby incorporated by reference. All FAR clauses may be viewed at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.htmlProvisions52.204-7 – System for Award Management52.204-16 – Commercial & Government Entity Code Reporting 52.204-17 – Ownership or Control of Offeror52.212-1 – Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items52.212-3 – Offerors Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items 52.214-35 – Submission of Offers in U.S. Currency52.203-98, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements—Representation (DEVIATION 2015-02)Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements— Representation (FEB 2015)In accordance with section 743 of Division E, Title VII, of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Resolution Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), Governmentagencies are not permitted to use funds appropriated (or otherwise made available) under that or any other Act for contracts with an entity that requires employees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.The prohibition in paragraph (a) of this provision does not contravene requirements applicable to Standard Form 312, Form 4414, or any other form issued by a Federal department or agency governing the nondisclosure of classified information.Representation. By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it does not requireemployees or subcontractors of such entity seeking to report fraud, waste, or abuse to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements prohibiting or otherwise restricting such employees or subcontractors from lawfully reporting such waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information.(End of provision)Clauses52.204-13 – System for Award Management52.212-4 – Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items52.212-5 – Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders- Commercial Items52.222-19 – Child Labor – Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies (Jan 2014)(E.O. 13126)52.222-26 – Equal Opportunity (Mar 2007) (E.O. 1124652.222-36 – Affirmative Action For Workers with Disabilities (Oct 2010) (29 U.S.C. 793) 52.222-50 – Combatting Trafficking in Persons (FEB 2009)(22 U.S.C.7104(g))52.233-3 – Protest After Award (AUG 1996) (31 U.S.C. 3553)52.233-4 – Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim52.223-18- Encouraging Contractor Policies to Ban Text Messaging while Driving (Aug 2011)(E.O 13513)52.225-13 – Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases (June 2008)(E.O.’s, proclamations, and statues administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury 52.232-33 – Payment By Electronic Funds Transfer – System for Award Management (Jul 2013) 931 U.S.C. 3332)52.225-25 – Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran – Representations and Certifications52.232-39 – Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations52.232-40 – Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Contractors52.203-99, Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements (DEVIATION 2015-02)52.204-27 - Prohibition on a ByteDance Covered Application52.227-17 Rights in Data - Special Works (DEC 2007)Definitions. As used in this clause -Data means recorded information, regardless of form or the media on which it may be recorded. The term includes technical data and computer software. The term does not include information incidental to contract administration, such as financial, administrative, cost or pricing, or management information.Unlimited rights means the rights of the Government to use, disclose, reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, in any manner and for any purpose, and to have or permit others to do so.Allocation of Rights.The Government shall have -Unlimited rights in all data delivered under this contract, and in all data first produced in the performance of this contract, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this clause.The right to limit assertion of copyright in data first produced in the performance of this contract, and to obtain assignment of copyright in that data, in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this clause.The right to limit the release and use of certain data in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause.The Contractor shall have, to the extent permission is granted in accordance with paragraph (c)(1) of this clause, the right to assert claim to copyright subsisting in data first produced in the performance of this contract.Copyright – (1) Copyright—(1) Data first produced in the performance of this contract. (i) The Contractor agrees not to assert, establish, or authorize others to assert or establish, any claim to copyright subsisting in any data first produced in the performance of this contract without prior written permission of the Contracting Officer. When claim to copyright is made, the Contractor shall affix the appropriate copyright notice of 17 U.S.C. 401 or 402 and acknowledgment of Government sponsorship (including contract number) to such data when delivered to the Government, as well as when the data are published or deposited for registration as a published work in the U.S. Copyright Office. The Contractor grants to the Government, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license for all such data to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government.(ii) If the Government desires to obtain copyright in data first produced in the performance of this contract and permission has not been granted as set forth in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this clause, the Contracting Officer shall direct the Contractor to assign (with or without registration), or obtain the assignment of, the copyright to the Government or its designated assignee.(2)Data not first produced in the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall not, without prior written permission of the Contracting Officer, incorporate in data delivered under this contract any data not first produced in the performance of this contract and that contain the copyright notice of 17 U.S.C. 401 or 402, unless the Contractor identifies such data and grants to the Government, or acquires on its behalf, a license of the same scope as set forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this clause.Release and use restrictions. Except as otherwise specifically provided for in this contract, the Contractor shall not use, release, reproduce, distribute, or publish any data first produced in the performance of this contract, nor authorize others to do so, without written permission of the Contracting Officer.Indemnity. The Contractor shall indemnify the Government and its officers, agents, and employees acting for the Government against any liability, including costs and expenses, incurred as the result of the violation of trade secrets, copyrights, or right of privacy or publicity, arising out of the creation, delivery, publication, or use of any data furnished under this contract; or any libelous or other unlawful matter contained in such data. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply unless theGovernment provides notice to the Contractor as soon as practicable of any claim or suit, affords theContractor an opportunity under applicable laws, rules, or regulations to participate in the defense of the claim or suit, and obtains the Contractor's consent to the settlement of any claim or suit other than as required by final decree of a court of competent jurisdiction; and these provisions do not applyto material furnished to the Contractor by the Government and incorporated in data to which this clause applies.52.217-8 Option to Extend Services (NOV 1999)The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 3 days.(End of clause)52.217-9 Option Extend the Term of the Contract (MAR 2000)(a) The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 15 days provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least _30 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.(b) If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.(c) The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 24 months.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.