[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39025-39029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14175]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Technical Information Service

[Docket No.: 160608001-5001-01]


Opportunity To Enter Into a Joint Venture With the National 
Technical Information Service for Data Innovation Support

AGENCY: National Technical Information Service, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) requests

[[Page 39026]]

proposals from interested for-profit, non-profit, or research 
performing service organizations to enter into a Joint Venture 
Partnership with NTIS to assist Federal agencies to develop and 
implement innovative ways to collect, connect, access, analyze, or use 
Federal data and data services.

DATES: Proposals are due on or before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 
1, 2016. An informational session and webinar is scheduled at 9:00 a.m. 
Eastern Time on Thursday, July 7, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Proposers must submit their written submissions 
electronically with the subject line ``Opportunity to Enter into a 
Joint Venture Partnership with the National Technical Information 
Service for Data Innovation Support'' via email to 
[email protected] with an email copy to Kenyetta Haywood 
at [email protected]. If you plan to participate in the informational 
session and webinar, send an email to [email protected], 
subject line: ``Informational Session and Webinar Attendance Request 
for the Opportunity to Enter into a JVP with NTIS.'' NTIS will provide 
registration information by email together with information on location 
and site access for those planning to attend in person. The venue for 
the in-person informational session will be either in Washington DC or 
at NTIS offices in Alexandria, VA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Hagen at 703-605-6142, or by email 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Introduction/Background

    NTIS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is seeking 
proposals from potential joint venture partners (JVPs) that can work 
with NTIS to assist Federal agencies to improve access, data 
interoperability, search, or use of Federal data and data services to 
drive innovation and business outcome. Activities conducted by joint 
ventures may include: (1) Designing, testing, analyzing, or 
demonstrating the application of Federal data and data services, either 
alone or in combination with non-Federal data; (2) leveraging the 
private sector's knowledge and expertise in managing data and data 
sets, including data collection by the Federal government; (3) 
facilitating the creation, based on Federal data or the use of Federal 
data in some combination with non-Federal data, of suites of products, 
platforms, and services that meet the needs of businesses, innovators, 
government agencies, and others; or (4) otherwise enhancing data 
discovery and usability, data interoperability and standards, data 
analytics and forecasting, or data infrastructure and security. These 
activities support several federal priorities for the Data Economy such 
as Big Data, Open Data, Open Access, Cyber-Physical Systems, Smart 
Cities, and Internet-of-Things.
    The business opportunities described in this notice are joint 
ventures, which require investments by partners and may provide a 
revenue-sharing opportunity. NTIS has statutory authority to operate as 
a permanent clearinghouse of scientific, technical, and engineering 
information and to collect and disseminate such information, codified 
in chapter 23 of title 15 of the United States Code (15 U.S.C. 1151-
1157), specifically 15 U.S.C. 1152. Section 1153 of this chapter 
provides NTIS' authority to charge fees for its products and services 
and to recover all costs through such fees ``to the fullest extent 
feasible.''
    The authority was restated and expanded in the National Technical 
Information Act of 1988, codified at 15 U.S.C. 3704b. This act gave 
NTIS the authority to enter into joint ventures and declared the 
clearinghouse to be a permanent federal function that could not be 
eliminated or privatized without Congressional approval.
    The National Technical Information Act of 1988 was amended by the 
American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991 (Pub. L. 102-245), which 
directed NTIS to focus on developing new electronic methods and media 
for information dissemination.
    In addition, following a rigorous review of NTIS mission and 
operations, the Secretary of Commerce set a new strategic direction for 
NTIS in May 2015 that will meet a 21st Century national need: To 
promote the Commerce Department's and Federal data priorities, 
including Open Access and Open Data.
    The new strategic direction for NTIS is aligned with the Commerce 
Department's Data Goal, which is one of five goals in the Department's 
Strategic Plan. The Department collects, stores, and analyzes a wealth 
of information, including data on the Nation's economy, population, and 
environment. These data are at the core of the Department's mission, 
and are used to protect life and property and to grow the economy. 
Businesses use the Department's data to make investment and hiring 
decisions. State and local governments mine the Department's data to 
warn of coming danger, position first-responders, and construct high-
tech classrooms. The Federal Government uses the Department's data to 
allocate funds and to make critical decisions on fiscal and monetary 
policy. As ``America's Data Agency,'' \1\ the Department of Commerce is 
using its data to spur innovation inside and outside the Federal 
Government and promote greater prosperity across the country.
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    \1\ America is Open for Business, Strategic Plan FY 2014-2018, 
Version 1.1, U.S. Department of Commerce, 2015. (https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/media/files/2014/doc_fy2014-2018_strategic_plan.pdf).
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    The potential economic value of Federal Government data is 
significant. In a 2014 report,\2\ the Department of Commerce's 
Economics and Statistics Administration estimated that Federal 
Government data have the potential to guide up to $3.3 trillion in 
investments in the United States annually. The report estimated that 
the Decennial Census and American Community Survey data alone guide 
$400 billion in federal spending annually. The report also states that 
28 Federal Government programs which distribute more than $300 billion 
annually use regional income and product estimates from the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis, derived from Department data. Further the report 
finds that government data-intensive private firms generate annual 
revenues with an upper estimate as high as $221 billion.
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    \2\ Fostering Innovation, Creating Jobs, Driving Better 
Decisions: The Value of Government Data, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, July 2014. 
(http://esa.gov/sites/default/files/revisedfosteringinnovationcreatingjobsdrivingbetterdecisions-thevalueofgovernmentdata.pdf.)
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    There are different data types, standards, methodologies, Web 
sites, architectures, platforms, and formats that make it difficult to 
access, analyze, and use data. Few people know the extent of Commerce's 
or other Federal Government data sets, and even fewer know how to build 
innovative, useful tools from them. Partnering with the private sector 
will allow NTIS to leverage industry knowledge and expertise in 
delivering data to end users. Joint venture partnerships will also 
increase the capacity of NTIS to develop and disseminate data in common 
standards and architectures that will make it easier for the public to 
access, analyze, and use the data, either alone or in combination with 
non-Federal data.
    It is at the intersection between the Federal agencies and the 
private sector where NTIS will deliver exceptional value by serving as 
a center of excellence in meeting a 21st Century national need. NTIS 
may enter into Joint Ventures to enable partnerships involving the 
Commerce Department or its Bureaus, or other Federal agencies.

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Specifically, NTIS will accelerate (1) private sector use of government 
data, either alone or in combination with non-Federal data, to develop 
and use new and improved data products and services, and (2) government 
use of data to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of programs. 
NTIS will remain a self-supporting agency without federal 
appropriations that recovers its operating costs from fees and the use 
of the NTIS Revolving Fund. 15 U.S.C. 1153 and 3704b note.

II. General Scope

Technical Requirements

    Proposals must address at least one of the following areas of 
innovation. The proposer must explicitly state in the proposal which 
area(s) are addressed.
    1. Providing innovations in the use of data and data services. The 
proposal must include a description of how the proposer would 
contribute innovations in the use of data and data services and the 
resources, such as staff, partnerships, contracts, other technologies, 
they would use to achieve these innovations. The proposal should also 
provide examples of prior instances of similar innovative work 
conducted by the proposer. The scope of this area includes data science 
and engineering innovations associated with (a) making it easier to use 
data, and (b) combining, analyzing and using data, either alone or in 
combination with non-Federal data, in new ways, and (c) data 
infrastructure and security such as advancements for data inventories, 
data capture, cloud-based data solutions, cybersecurity, and assistive 
technologies.
    2. Providing new, more effective and/or efficient methods for 
sharing data. The proposal must include a description of how the 
proposer would improve data sharing and provide examples where 
applicable. The proposal must include a description of the resources, 
such as staff, partnerships, contracts, and other technologies, the 
proposer would use to achieve these innovations. The scope of this area 
includes data science and engineering innovations associated with (a) 
data discovery and usability such as search engine optimization, 
interactive visualization and query management, and user analytics, (b) 
data interoperability and standards such as data cleansing, metadata 
practices, application programming interfaces, and developer platforms, 
and (c) simplifying and streamlining delivery of data services.
    3. Advancing ways to analyze, interpret, and understand data as 
well as apply it in meaningful ways. The proposal must describe how the 
proposer would use technologies, processes and techniques to improve 
the analysis, interpretation, understanding, and application of data 
and provide examples where applicable. The proposal must include a 
description of the resources, such as staff, partnerships, contracts, 
and other technologies, the proposer would use to achieve these 
innovations. The scope of this area includes data science and 
engineering innovations associated with data analytics and forecasting 
such as data visualization, geospatial analysis, comparative and 
predictive analytics, and statistical methods.
    4. Developing technologies, techniques, and processes that can lead 
to deep understanding from and new insights into data. The proposal 
must include a description of how the proposer would significantly 
improve the value of data, how such deep understanding and new insights 
may be applied and the potential benefits and impacts of these 
innovations. The proposal must include a description of the resources, 
such as staff, partnerships, subcontracts, and other technologies, the 
proposer would use to achieve these innovations. The scope of this area 
includes data science and engineering innovations associated with data 
analytics and forecasting such as machine learning, cognitive 
analytics, artificial intelligence, and other computer science 
advancements. The proposal may focus on data from the Federal 
Government alone, or in combination with non-Federal data.
    NTIS pursues joint ventures as a means of improving access to, or 
analysis, collection, or use of Federal data and data services, either 
alone or in combination with non-Federal data, that can be best 
developed and delivered through the combined resources of NTIS and one 
or more joint venture partners. The NTIS joint venture program is 
focused on (1) making it easier to collect, access, analyze, and use 
data; (2) combining and using data in new ways; (3) leveraging advances 
in data science, software development, and standards; and (4) 
simplifying and streamlining delivery of data services. NTIS joint 
venture projects involve innovation, speedy execution, and one or more 
of the following attributes: (a) First or early use of emerging 
technology, (b) complexity of solution architecture, interoperability, 
and/or security; (c) agile applications development and systems 
operations which require adaptive scoping; and/or (d) custom solutions 
to meet unique requirements without commercial-off-the-shelf solutions.
    The NTIS joint venture partnership program enables NTIS to 
structure joint venture partnership agreements and Federal agency 
agreements that offer the best combination of speed and performance for 
delivering innovative data services or systems. NTIS manages joint 
venture projects in a highly flexible, interactive, and collaborative 
manner with its customer Federal agencies and joint venture partners.
    As NTIS operates on a cost-recovery basis, proposals should address 
proposed business terms for revenue sharing between NTIS and the 
proposed joint venture partner. Proposals should demonstrate the 
benefits of collaboration between the proposed joint venture partner 
and NTIS.
    Joint ventures are not procurements and do not result in contracts 
under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Joint ventures involve 
the investment of resources by NTIS and its partners, with a formal 
agreement for the sharing of resources associated within the venture. 
Both the joint venture partner and NTIS will share opportunities for 
potential returns in the form of revenue from projects with other 
Federal agencies. NTIS envisions separate joint venture partnership(s) 
with multiple organizations. The joint venture partnership(s) will 
provide data services that allow customer federal agencies to further 
their missions rapidly in innovative and creative ways by enabling 
businesses, government agencies, and the public to access, analyze, 
collect, synthesize, disseminate, or use data.
    NTIS will provide data services that support the development of 
solutions with its joint venture partners. NTIS will also provide 
technical guidance and oversight for joint venture partnerships.
    NTIS will enter into joint venture agreements in accordance with 
all relevant provisions of applicable federal laws. Any proposal that 
has the appearance of circumventing FAR or other agency acquisition 
requirements will be determined to be non-responsive to this 
Opportunity Announcement during the initial phase of the selection 
process and will not be considered further.
    Proposers must acknowledge and address the following in their 
proposals:
     Data received from a Federal agency and from non-Federal 
organizations as part of a project performed by NTIS with a joint 
venture partner may only be accessed and utilized for project purposes 
consistent with all applicable statutory and regulatory protections and 
all relevant agreements.

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     Federal agencies and private sector organizations that 
provide data as part of a project performed by NTIS with a joint 
venture partner will retain ownership of the data rights. Federal 
agencies and private sector organizations may be requested to provide 
licenses to use the data for the purposes of a project.
     Systems, programs and applications included in the 
proposal must comply with the documented security assessment and 
authorization (A&A) policies issued by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), standards and guidance issued by National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Federal Information Security 
Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) before the systems, programs and 
applications are offered to Federal agencies under a joint venture 
partnership.
     Proposers must have the ability to accept electronic fund 
transfers.
     NTIS will not guarantee that any revenue will be generated 
for the joint venture partner merely by entering into a joint venture 
partnership with NTIS.
     Proposers must have the ability to fund their portion of 
any projects commenced pursuant to a joint venture partnership 
agreement for a period of time, which may differ on individual 
projects, due to federal accrual accounting practices. NTIS does not 
allow (and has never offered) financial incentives in entering into 
joint venture partnership agreements. NTIS will not provide advance 
payments to joint venture partners.

III. Requested Response

    NTIS seeks to enter into joint venture partnerships with one or 
more partners to assist Federal agencies further their missions in 
innovative and creative ways by enabling businesses, government 
agencies, and the public with improved access to, or analysis, 
collection, or use of Federal data and data services, either alone or 
in combination with non-Federal data. NTIS provides data services for 
speedy execution of innovative projects, typically involving one or 
more of the following attributes: (a) First or early use of emerging 
technology; (b) complexity of solution architecture, interoperability, 
and/or security; (c) agile applications development and systems 
operations which require adaptive scoping; or (d) custom solutions to 
meet unique requirements without commercial-off-the-shelf solutions.
    Proposers are encouraged to include proposed teams of more than one 
private sector organization, including small and medium enterprises and 
start-ups. Proposals should describe any proposed teaming arrangements, 
including the relationships among the parties, how the team would 
function, and how the team may be augmented to fill missing 
capabilities. NTIS will evaluate each proposal and may solicit oral 
presentations from some or all proposers. Upon entering into a JVP 
agreement, NTIS expects the proposed services to be available solely to 
Federal agencies and only through agreements between NTIS and the 
customer Federal agencies.

Proposal Submission Information

    a. The proposal is a word-processed document of no more than thirty 
(30) double-spaced pages responsive to the evaluation criteria set 
forth below. Any pages submitted beyond the 30-page limit will not be 
considered. Each proposal page layout should be 8.5 inches by 11 inches 
with 1-inch margins. The font for the proposal should be Times New 
Roman 12 point or similar font in readable size (no less than 10 
point). All submissions must be made in electronic format and submitted 
to [email protected] with a copy to Kenyetta Haywood at 
[email protected]. All proposals are subject to the False Claims Act, 
31 U.S.C. 3729 and 18 U.S.C. 287, as well as the False Statements Act, 
18 U.S.C. 1001. In accordance with Federal appropriations law, an 
authorized representative of the selected proposer(s) may be required 
to provide certain certifications regarding federal felony and federal 
criminal tax convictions, unpaid federal tax assessments, and 
delinquent federal tax returns.

Proposal Technical, Administrative and Business Information

    The proposal must address each of the evaluation criteria set forth 
in the following section and should include all of the information set 
forth in this section. Each section of the proposal should include a 
brief title or description of its content.
    (1) The proposal must include a technical plan that identifies and 
describes the technical capabilities of the proposed joint venture 
partner and its team. The proposal must include (a) a description of 
technical capabilities in each area of data innovation that the joint 
venture partner and its team will address, (b) examples of up to three 
major projects where the proposed joint venture partner and, where 
applicable, its team have demonstrated data innovations using the 
technical capabilities; if the joint venture partner and, where 
applicable, its team, have not conducted projects in which they have 
demonstrated data innovations using the technical capabilities, they 
should include instead a description of how they would go about doing 
so, and (c) a description of the professional accomplishments, skills, 
certifications, and training of the personnel proposed to provide the 
technical capabilities and perform the work proposed in the proposal, 
including each individual whose innovative technical capabilities are 
critical to the development or execution of joint venture projects in a 
substantive and measurable way. This information will be considered 
against evaluation criteria 1, 2 and 3 below.
    (2) The proposal must include a business plan that identifies and 
describes how services may be offered through NTIS via a joint venture 
partnership. The proposal must include a short description of how the 
proposer and NTIS could jointly develop and deliver the proposed 
technical capabilities to Federal agency customers. The proposal also 
must address why and how the proposed capabilities will result in 
innovative data applications, data delivery, or data collection based 
on advances in data science, engineering, or best practices. This 
information will be considered against evaluation criteria 1, 2 and 4 
below.
    (3) The proposal may include any other information that the 
proposer thinks will assist reviewers in their evaluation of the 
proposal against the evaluation criteria described below.
    To the extent permitted by law, including the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, NTIS will not disclose 
confidential or proprietary information provided and clearly marked in 
any proposal submitted in response to this notice without providing the 
organization that submitted such information the opportunity to object 
to the potential release of the information. If NTIS receives a request 
for disclosure of confidential information, it will promptly notify the 
submitting organization in writing and give it an opportunity to 
demonstrate that NTIS should withhold the information in accordance 
with Department of Commerce FOIA regulations (15 CFR part 4).

Evaluation Criteria

    The evaluation criteria for the proposals are as follows:

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(1) Rationality (0-25 Points)
    The logic and soundness of the proposer's approach to provide 
innovations that are relevant to NTIS and other Federal agencies in one 
or more of the following areas: (a) Using data and data services; (b) 
sharing and enhancing the usability of data and data services; (c) 
advancing the analysis and interpretation of data; and (d) developing 
deep understanding from and new insights into data.
(2) Technical Merit of Contribution (0-35 Points)
    The potential technical effectiveness of the proposed capabilities 
and work and the value it would contribute to the fields of data 
science, engineering, or best practices relevant to NTIS as described 
in the General Scope section of this announcement.
(3) Qualifications of Technical Personnel (0-25 Points)
    The professional accomplishments, skills, certifications, and 
training of the personnel proposed to provide the technical 
capabilities and perform the work proposed in the proposal, including 
all individuals whose innovative technical capabilities are critical to 
the development or execution of joint venture projects in a substantive 
and measurable way as identified in the proposal.
(4) Resources Availability (0-15 Points)
    The extent to which the proposer has access to the necessary 
equipment, tools, and facilities and overall support and resources to 
accomplish proposed objectives and work jointly with NTIS to accomplish 
project goals.

Evaluation and Selection Process

    All proposals received by the due date set forth in the DATES 
section of this notice will be reviewed to determine whether they are 
submitted by a for-profit, non-profit, or research performing service 
organization (eligible), contain all required technical, business and 
administrative information (complete), and are responsive to this 
Opportunity Announcement. Proposals determined to be ineligible, 
incomplete, and/or non-responsive based on the initial screening will 
be eliminated from further review. However, NTIS, in its sole 
discretion, may continue the review process for a proposal that is 
missing non-substantive information that can easily be rectified or 
cured.
    All proposals that are determined to be eligible, complete, and 
responsive will proceed for full reviews in accordance with the review 
and selection process set forth below. At least three (3) objective 
individuals knowledgeable about the particular technical areas 
described in the proposal will review the merits of each proposal based 
on the evaluation criteria. The reviewers may discuss the proposals 
with each other, but scores will be determined on an individual basis, 
not as a consensus. NTIS may solicit oral presentations from some or 
all proposers.
    The Selecting Official, who is the NTIS Deputy Director or 
designee, in consultation with the NTIS Director and the NTIS Oversight 
Board, will make final proposal selections, taking into consideration 
the results of the reviewers' evaluations, relevance to the scope and 
objectives described in this Opportunity Announcement, the distribution 
of proposals across technical areas, and the distribution of proposers 
among large, medium and small organizations. The NTIS Oversight Board 
is a group of senior Department of Commerce executives, appointed by 
the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, to guide 
the evolution of NTIS toward a focus on the Department of Commerce's 
data mission and transition away from services not aligned with the 
Department's and/or Federal data priorities. For proposals from 
international organizations, NIST will follow applicable U.S. laws and 
policies.

Notification of Results

    Unsuccessful proposers will be notified in writing. Proposers whose 
proposals are selected will be notified and will be provided with the 
standard NTIS Joint Venture Partnership agreement for execution. Each 
Joint Venture Partnership agreement entered into between a selected 
proposer and NTIS will incorporate the selected proposer's proposal by 
reference. NTIS will not be responsible for any costs incurred by any 
proposer prior to execution of a Joint Venture Partnership agreement.

    Dated: June 9, 2016.
Gregory Capella,
Deputy Director, National Technical Information Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-14175 Filed 6-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-04-P