Incubators and Accelerators Subject of Upcoming SBA Study

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - December 01, 2015) - The Small Business Administration (SBA) Acquisition Division and the National Woman's Business Council (NWBC), intends to procure a Purchase Order for Research on Women's Participation in Incubators and Accelerators.

This solicitation is a request for quotation (RFQ). The NAICS classification is 541990 All Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. The small business size standard is $15M.

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation prepared in accordance with the format in Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This procurement is being conducted under Simplified Acquisition procedures pursuant to the authority in FAR Part 13, and FAR Part 12, Acquisition of Commercial Items (Title VII of the Federal Acquisition Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355)).

According to the solicitation, the SBA and NWBC hopes to identify the types of entrepreneurs who are selected to participate in Incubators and Accelerators, to make sure that these programs are not missing women entrepreneurs with business models that would provide a strong return on investment; to find out if women are participating as effectively or at the same rates as their male peers; and if they are experiencing higher rates of attrition.

When completing research on Women's Participation in Incubators and Accelerators, the contractor shall be responsible for all aspects of collecting survey data, conducting interviews, and analyzing results, and then also must present a clear and complete view of this topic in a comprehensive written report and a PowerPoint deck.

The contractor shall complete the data collection for three Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved surveys: One survey that focuses specifically on women's experiences as business owners; a second survey geared toward female incubator and accelerator graduates; and a third survey targeting the program managers of business incubator and accelerator programs. The contractor will need to survey additional women graduates and program managers from incubator and accelerator programs to meet the participation requirements of these surveys.

The contractor almost must conduct two in-depth interviews, using questions that the NWBC prepares, and also must arrange and conduct expert panels. Participants in the expert panels shall include representatives of incubators, accelerators, entrepreneurs, economic development agencies, non-profits, and other experts.

Contractors will perform work off-site (not at SBA headquarters) for a base period of three months from date of award. The SBA and NWBC may extend the contract by an additional four months, which will begin the day after the base period of three months ends.

Responses must include a section on technical approach, which should define the scope of work and resources necessary to execute the work; past performance, including documentation and references for projects completed within the previous three years; and a price quote.

The SBA and the NWBC will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price of the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

Responses are due by no later than 8:30 a.m. Mountain Time on December 4, 2015 via email to Contract Specialist John Babcock, john.babcock@sba.gov. The solicitation number (SBAHQ-16-Q-006) and subject title (Research on Women's Participation in Incubators and Accelerators) must be included in the subject line of the email submission.

To respond to this solicitation, or to any other government contracting opportunity, you must have a valid and current System for Award Management (SAM) Registration. US Federal Contractor Registration, the world's largest third-party government registration firms, helps businesses complete and maintain SAM Registration. For more information, call 877-252-2700 ext. 1 or visit uscontractorregistration.com.