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140G0321R0001 x

1 copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted ; or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE

RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR

OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted , such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

GSB

SACRAMENTO CA 95819-6027

MODOC HALL, CSUS

USGS OAG SACRAMENTO ACQUISITION BR.

GSB

SACRAMENTO CA 95819-6027

3020 STATE UNIVERSITY DRIVE EAST

MODOC HALL, CSUS

USGS OAG SACRAMENTO ACQUISITION BR.

05/10/20210003

13. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO MODIFICATION OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS. IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) is not extended.is extended, Items 8 and 15, and returning

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended , by one of the following methods: (a) By completing

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

FACILITY CODE CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, county, State and ZIP Code)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6)CODE 6. ISSUED BY

PAGE OF PAGES

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.3. EFFECTIVE DATE2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO. 5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable)

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

03/29/2021

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority) appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return __________________ copies to the issuing office.

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

Science Collaboration and Applications Support III contract (SCAS III) - Amendment 003.

(CLOSING DATE AND TIME IS NOT EXTENDED).

This is Amendment 03 which publishes questions and answers relating to the Amendment 002, step 2 of the solicitation process. Amendment 003 provides the following documents:

1 - Q&A Document (5 pages)

2 - Revised Exhibit A and Exhibit B worksheet files (excel file)

3 - Revised Section 3 instructions in "track changes" mode for clarifications associated with the Q&A.

There are no other changes to the solicitation at this time.

Continued ...

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR 16C. DATE SIGNED

(Signature of person authorized to sign) (Signature of Contracting Officer)

Donald Shannon

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Previous edition unusable

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9 A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect .

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

2 3

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

140G0321R0001/0003

PLEASE NOTE: 1. The closing date and time announced with the Amendment 002 of 06/04/2021 at

1430 PD is not extended and remains unchanged.

2. As previously announced in both the presolicitation announcement, and the Step 1

RFP, and the Amendment 002 (for Step 2 instructions), this solicitation is being conducted under a multi-step submission and evaluation process. ONLY OFFERORS WHO

PARTICIPATED IN STEP 1 SUBMISSION AND EVALUTIONS

ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION UNDER STEP 2.

Submissions from ineligible parties will not be accepted, and will not be considered.

-- Solicitation Amendment 002 Language follows --

As previously announced in both the presolicitation announcement, and the Step 1 RFP, the solicitation is being conducted under a multi-step submission and evaluation process.

ONLY OFFERORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN STEP 1

SUBMISSION AND EVALUTIONS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR

CONSIDERATION UNDER STEP 2. Submissions from ineligible parties will not be accepted, and will not be considered.

THE CLOSING DATE NOTED IN BLOCK 8 of this

Amendment 002 form of the SF-1449 is the closing date and time for the Step 2 proposal submissions.

The format of the solicitation and the resultant contract is in accordance with FAR Part 12

"Commercial Services" as follows:

SF 1449

Section 1 - Specification (Statement of Work)

Section 2 - Contract Clauses

Section 3 - Solicitation Provisions

Section 4 - Attachments, Exhibits, Etc.

See "Section 3 - Solicitation Instructions" for the guidance on the required Step 2 submittals, page limitations, and formatting.

Offerors shall fill in Block 17 firm information, and sign (Block 30) of this SF-1449 and submit with your Step 2 response/submissions. Pricing information submittals is included in Section 3 instructions; do not fill in pricing information

Continued ...

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

ITEM NO. SUPPLIES/SERVICES QUANTITY UNIT UNIT PRICE AMOUNT

NAME OF OFFEROR OR CONTRACTOR

3 3

CONTINUATION SHEET

REFERENCE NO. OF DOCUMENT BEING CONTINUED PAGE OF

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F)

140G0321R0001/0003 on the SF-1449 form. No other information on the

Form SF-1449 is required to be populated by the offeror for this Step 2 submission.

-- end of Amendment 002 Language --

The period of performance (PoP) dates noted below are the estimated PoP of the resultant contract.

Period of Performance: 08/01/2021 to 07/31/2026

Offerors shall address all questions in writing to dshannon@usgs.gov.

Q&A's will be published via Amendment to the solicitation for benefit of all interested parties. Questions must be submitted as soon as possible to allow time for the government's response and consideration of the answers for all concerned. Questions submitted after 5/20/21 will only be answered at the discretion of the contracting officer. After that there is insufficient time to answer question via amendment for full consideration by all interested parties.

NSN 7540-01-152-8067 OPTIONAL FORM 336 (4-86)

Sponsored by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.110

140G0321R0001 Amendment 003

Amendment 003 Attachment List

Item Description

1 Q&A Document (5 pages)

2 Revised “EXHIBIT A - ORDERING PRICES BY LABOR CATEGORY” (excel file)

3 Revised “EXHIBIT B – RAMPED UP PRICE MATRIX” (excel file)

4 Revised Section 3 – Solicitation Provisions (Instructions on pages 61, 62, 64 and 69 revised in “track change mode” as clarifications in response to Q&A’s)

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 50 of 91

Section 3 - Solicitation Provisions

52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference. Feb 1998 This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its quotation or offer. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es):

https://www.acquisition.gov/FAR/ (End of provision)

52.204-7 System for Award Management Oct 2018 52.209-7 Information Regarding Responsibility Matters Oct 2018 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items Jun 2020 52.216-27 Single or Multiple Award Oct 1995 52.222-46 Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees Feb 1993 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Engaging in Certain Jun 2020

Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran-Representation and Certifications

Solicitation Provisions – In Full Text

52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items Feb 2022 (attached at the end of Section 3)

52.216-01 Type of Contract Apr 1984

The Government contemplates award of an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract resulting from this solicitation.

(End of provision)

1452.215-71 Use and Disclosure of Proposal Information—Department Apr 1984 of the Interior

(a) Definitions. For the purposes of this provision and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.

552), the following terms shall have the meaning set forth below:

(1) “Trade Secret” means an unpatented, secret, commercially valuable plan, appliance, formula, or process, which is used for making, preparing, compounding, treating or processing articles or materials which are trade commodities.

(2) “Confidential commercial or financial information” means any business information (other than trade secrets) which is exempt from the mandatory disclosure requirement of the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552. Exemptions from mandatory disclosure which may be applicable to business information contained in proposals include exemption (4), which covers “commercial and financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential,”

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 51 of 91 and exemption (9), which covers “geological and geophysical information, including maps, concerning wells.”

(b) If the offeror, or its subcontractor(s), believes that the proposal contains trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, (5 U.S.C. 552), the cover page of each copy of the proposal shall be marked with the following legend:

“The information specifically identified on pages ______ of this proposal constitutes trade secrets or confidential commercial and financial information which the offeror believes to be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The offeror requests that this information not be disclosed to the public, except as may be required by law. The offeror also requests that this information not be used in whole or part by the government for any purpose other than to evaluate the proposal, except that if a contract is awarded to the offeror as a result of or in connection with the submission of the proposal, the Government shall have the right to use the information to the extent provided in the contract.”

(c) The offeror shall also specifically identify trade secret information and confidential commercial and financial information on the pages of the proposal on which it appears and shall mark each such page with the following legend:

“This page contains trade secrets or confidential commercial and financial information which the offeror believes to be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act and which is subject to the legend contained on the cover page of this proposal.”

(d) Information in a proposal identified by an offeror as trade secret information or confidential commercial and financial information shall be used by the Government only for the purpose of evaluating the proposal, except that (i) if a contract is awarded to the offeror as a result of or in connection with submission of the proposal, the Government shall have the right to use the information as provided in the contract, and (ii) if the same information is obtained from another source without restriction it may be used without restriction.

(e) If a request under the Freedom of Information Act seeks access to information in a proposal identified as trade secret information or confidential commercial and financial information, full consideration will be given to the offeror's view that the information constitutes trade secrets or confidential commercial or financial information. The offeror will also be promptly notified of the request and given an opportunity to provide additional evidence and argument in support of its position, unless administratively unfeasible to do so. If it is determined that information claimed by the offeror to be trade secret information or confidential commercial or financial information is not exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, the offeror will be notified of this determination prior to disclosure of the information.

(f) The Government assumes no liability for the disclosure or use of information contained in a proposal if not marked in accordance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of this provision. If a request under the Freedom of Information Act is made for information in a proposal not marked in accordance with paragraphs (b) and (c) of this provision, the offeror concerned shall be promptly notified of the request and given an opportunity to provide its position to the Government.

However, failure of an offeror to mark information contained in a proposal as trade secret information or confidential commercial or financial information will be treated by the

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 52 of 91

Government as evidence that the information is not exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, absent a showing that the failure to mark was due to unusual or extenuating circumstances, such as a showing that the offeror had intended to mark, but that markings were omitted from the offeror's proposal due to clerical error.

52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. (OCT 2020)

The Offeror shall not complete the representation at paragraph (d)(1) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument" in paragraph (c)(1) in the provision at 52.204-26, Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation, or in paragraph (v)(2)(i) of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items. The Offeror shall not complete the representation in paragraph (d)(2) of this provision if the Offeror has represented that it "does not use covered telecommunications equipment or services, or any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services" in paragraph (c)(2) of the provision at 52.204-26, or in paragraph (v)(2)(ii) of the provision at 52.212-3.

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—

component have the meanings provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

(b) Prohibition.

(1) Section 889(a)(1)(A) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2019, from procuring or obtaining, or extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain, any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Nothing in the prohibition shall be construed to—

(i) Prohibit the head of an executive agency from procuring with an entity to provide a service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements;

or

(ii) Cover telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(2) Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) prohibits the head of an executive agency on or after August 13, 2020, from entering into a contract or extending or renewing a contract with an entity that uses any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. This prohibition applies to the use of covered telecommunications equipment or services, regardless of whether that use is in performance of work under a Federal contract. Nothing in the prohibition shall be construed to—

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 53 of 91

(i) Prohibit the head of an executive agency from procuring with an entity to provide a service that connects to the facilities of a third-party, such as backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements;

or

(ii) Cover telecommunications equipment that cannot route or redirect user data traffic or cannot permit visibility into any user data or packets that such equipment transmits or otherwise handles.

(c) Procedures. The Offeror shall review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for "covered telecommunications equipment or services".

(d) Representation. The Offeror represents that—

(1) It □ will, □ will not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract or other contractual instrument resulting from this solicitation. The Offeror shall provide the additional disclosure information required at paragraph (e)(1) of this section if the Offeror responds "will" in paragraph (d)(1) of this section; and

(2) After conducting a reasonable inquiry, for purposes of this representation, the Offeror represents that—

It □ does, □ does not use covered telecommunications equipment or services, or use any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services. The Offeror shall provide the additional disclosure information required at paragraph (e)(2) of this section if the Offeror responds "does" in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.

(e) Disclosures.

(1) Disclosure for the representation in paragraph (d)(1) of this provision. If the Offeror has responded "will" in the representation in paragraph (d)(1) of this provision, the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offer:

(i) For covered equipment—

(A) The entity that produced the covered telecommunications equipment (include entity name, unique entity identifier, CAGE code, and whether the entity was the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or a distributor, if known);

(B) A description of all covered telecommunications equipment offered (include brand;

model number, such as OEM number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable); and

(C) Explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications equipment and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b)(1) of this provision.

(ii) For covered services—

(A) If the service is related to item maintenance: A description of all covered telecommunications services offered (include on the item being maintained: Brand; model number, such as OEM number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable); or

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 54 of 91

(B) If not associated with maintenance, the Product Service Code (PSC) of the service being provided; and explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications services and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b)(1)

(2) Disclosure for the representation in paragraph (d)(2) of this provision. If the Offeror has responded "does" in the representation in paragraph (d)(2) of this provision, the Offeror shall provide the following information as part of the offer:

(i) For covered equipment—

(A) The entity that produced the covered telecommunications equipment (include entity name, unique entity identifier, CAGE code, and whether the entity was the OEM or a distributor, if known);

(B) A description of all covered telecommunications equipment offered (include brand;

model number, such as OEM number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable); and

(C) Explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications equipment and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b)(2)

(ii) For covered services—

(A) If the service is related to item maintenance: A description of all covered telecommunications services offered (include on the item being maintained: Brand; model number, such as OEM number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number; and item description, as applicable); or

(B) If not associated with maintenance, the PSC of the service being provided; and explanation of the proposed use of covered telecommunications services and any factors relevant to determining if such use would be permissible under the prohibition in paragraph (b)(2) of this provision.

52.204-26 Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services-Representation. (OCT 2020)

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision, "covered telecommunications equipment or services" and "reasonable inquiry" have the meaning provided in the clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment.

(b) Procedures. The Offeror shall review the list of excluded parties in the System for Award Management (SAM) (https://www.sam.gov) for entities excluded from receiving federal awards for "covered telecommunications equipment or services".

(c)

(1) Representation. The Offeror represents that it □ does, □ does not provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as a part of its offered products or services to the Government in the performance of any contract, subcontract, or other contractual instrument.

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 55 of 91

(2) After conducting a reasonable inquiry for purposes of this representation, the offeror represents that it □ does, □ does not use covered telecommunications equipment or services, or any equipment, system, or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services.

52.233-2 Service of Protest Department of the Interior (Jul 1996) (Deviation)

(a) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from:

Donald Shannon, Contract Specialist U.S. Geological Survey 3020 State University Drive East, Suite 2002 Sacramento, CA 95819 Email: dshannon@usgs.gov

(b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO.

(c) A copy of the protest served on the Contracting Officer shall be simultaneously furnished by the protester to the Department of the Interior Assistant Solicitor, Acquisitions and Intellectual Property, 1849 C Street, NW., Room 6511, Washington, DC 20240.

(End of Provision)

GS2150 Proposal Format and Submission Instructions (General)

Note: There are three format and instruction sections. This provision GS2150 is the “general instructions”. Provision GS2150-1 is the specific Step 1 instructions, while GS2150-2 is the specific Step 2 instructions. The GS2150-2 instructions will be added by solicitation amendment following the Step 1 evaluations and advisory notices.

(a) Proposals will be submitted electronically, via email. Proposals not conforming to the electronic file (eFile) formats specified below will be unacceptable and will not be considered.

Proposals shall be transmitted via email on or before the closing date to the Contracting Officer, Donald Shannon, at dshannon@usgs.gov.

(b) Offerors are encouraged to transmit as early as possible on or before the closing date and time so that the contracting officer can verify successful transmission and receipt of the eFiles by the closing date and time. Email submissions not received on or before the closing date/ time will be considered late. Date and time determinations will be based on the system email date/time of the Contracting Officer’s email account.

(c) Contact information is provided here for information of the offerors. Do not send or ship physical copies of proposal materials to this address. Submissions will not be accepted at the office in hardcopy.

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 56 of 91

c. Contact information is provided here for information of the offerors. Do not mail proposals/offers to this address. All proposal submissions are to be made electronically.

US Geological Survey Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG)-Sacramento Branch Attn: Donald Shannon, Contracting Officer 3020 State University Drive East, Suite 2002 Sacramento, CA 95819 Email: dshannon@usgs.gov Phone: (916) 278-9342

(d) Proposals must conform to the page limitations listed. Fonts shall be Times New Roman and no smaller than 11 point for narrative sections of the proposal, in both native and PDF-converted final format. All eFile submittals shall be converted to PDF format prior to submission to avoid inadvertent file modification by the government when viewing open files such as word, rtf, etc.

(e) Offerors are cautioned to ensure that no pricing information is embedded or included in the non-price sections of their submission. Such information will be redacted prior to providing the proposal to the technical evaluation team. Such redactions could adversely affect the readability and cohesiveness of the applicable eFile involved, to the detriment of the offeror.

GS2150-1 Proposal Format and Submission Instructions (Step 1) (Modified)

(a) Phased Evaluation Process.

(1) The USGS intends to utilize a phased evaluation process for this selection. The RFP will require phased submittals by offerors, with Step 1 responses being the first required submittal. This phased approach is intended to increase efficiency and reduce time and costs for both the government, and firms interested in the procurement. In summary, Step 1 of the process will require offerors to submit information that should largely already exist, and thus be minimally burdensome to produce and submit – and in a relatively short amount of time (10 days). Thereafter, the government would evaluate information submitted, also in a relatively short amount of time (10 days). The evaluation will result in a tiering of offers based on the Step 1 submittals, either: among the most highly rated; or, not among the most highly rated.

(2) As a result, offerors will receive one of two advisory notices:

(i) The offeror is among the most highly rated (based on the information submitted and our evaluation), and is invited to participate in the RFP’s subsequent step(s); or,

(ii) The offeror is not among the most highly rated (based on information submitted and our evaluation) and is seen as unlikely to be a viable competitor. An offeror in this tier would also be advised of the general basis for our opinion. These offerors would further be advised that notwithstanding our opinion, they may continue to participate in the subsequent step(s) of the RFP should they chose to do so.

(3) The Step 1 advisory process is intended to provide useful information to offerors for consideration in making an informed decision whether to continue, or not, with the substantial proposal effort that will be required under the remaining solicitation response step(s).

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 57 of 91

(4) After the advisory notices are issued, the solicitation will be amended to establish the closing date and time, along with additional/updated instructions for the remaining (Step 2) RFP response requirements.

(5) Detailed instructions for the Step 1 proposal information submission requirements are noted below

(b) Step 1 General Instruction. As an 8(a) set-aside, we recognize that most offers will likely come from an 8(a) offeror as the lead in some sort of sort of team arrangement due to the size, scope, and scale of our requirement. We are interested in prior experience performing and managing contracts of similar size, scope, and complexity. For Step 1, we are focusing on the lead 8(a) contractor’s experience and capabilities as the 8(a)-managing entity for the contractor response and performance. For ease of discussion, we refer to the 8(a)-lead contractor/managing entity, which we are referring to as the “prime contractor” here. For a team proposing under a “prime/sub” team construct, the definitions of prime and sub are traditional. For a team offering under an 8(a) Joint Venture construct, we will consider the JV’s 8(a) managing partner the “prime” while other JV members are subs. For a JV the managing partner is the qualified 8(a) firm which bears primary performance and management responsibility and is generally required to receive the largest percentage of dollars for contract performance under the limitation of subcontracting rules.

(c) Step 1 Submission Instructions: The following information is required for Step 1 submittal:

(1) - Prime Contractor Experience – Two Case Studies

(i) Submit the ATTACHMENT-EXP data sheet and narrative information as indicated on that form. Most instructions are self-explanatory. (See ATTACHMENT-EXP).

Submit information on the two most relevant prior experience contract examples. We are calling each contract example a “case study” for ease of writing and reading these instructions. Fill in the Attachment and combine/organize materials from case studies into two single pdf portfolios.

Each portfolio would include the ATTACHMENT-EXP as the front material, followed by supporting materials as described on the EXP form. An overall Table of Contents (TOC) may be submitted for each case if it helps you organize the submittal, or would help us locate supporting material, but it is not required. (TOC does not affect page count limits and will not be evaluated).

(ii) The case studies for Step 1 are two (2) only, from the Prime contractor’s portfolio of similar, recent, relevant projects. While you may have more than two, pick the two you feel are the most relevant, and would persuade us of your expertise and ability to perform, manage, and lead a nationwide team to support the scope, size, breadth, and complexity of our requirement.

(ii) The two case study attachments and supporting materials will provide basic information to support our Step 1 evaluations. It is recognized that there is a degree of “self-scoring” in the nature of the information you are summarizing and reporting to us in these submittals. We do intend cross-check and verify the information presented at some level, based upon our interviews and discussions with your cited customer POCs, and review of the applicable contract documents involved. (In subsequent submittals after Step 1, these same contract examples will be the subject of Past Performance evaluations and deeper relevance testing as necessary.

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 58 of 91

(2) – In addition to the two case study packages, please submit a Prime Contractor’s Introduction of Team and Qualification Summary as follows:

i. (3 pages max) Provide a brief overview of your firm (prime contractor). Existing line card type document is acceptable. In addition, if not already indicated on your line card, please highlight industry credentials held by the Prime contractor (Ref SOW Section E.3). Hand write on the line card the SOW E.3 information

ii. (4 pages max) Provide a brief summary of the other firms on your team, and the team structure you will be using (e.g., prime/sub team or 8(a) JV). For prime/sub teams, please introduce all significant subcontractors involved, and the currently anticipated role(s) to be performed or supported on your team. For purposes of this solicitation, “significant” is a subcontractor expected to participate at 10% or more of the total contract amount. Provide DUNS numbers for all members of your team. You may not change team members after this Step, as this information will be carried over into the Step 2 evaluations.

iii. Provide copies of team agreement(s) or other evidence of commitment from team members as applicable. If your team structure is an SBA 8(a) Joint Venture structure, provide SBA JV approval notice (or estimate of when that would be available).

If team agreements are not available, please advise.

(c) – Table Listing. In summary, as delineated above, the following information is required in the Step 1 RFP response. The Step 1 submittal is also referred to as “Volume 0”. (Volumes I and II will be submitted under Step 2). Efile naming conventions are noted in the table below for each section.

Volume 0 Advisory Step 1 Efile name Submission

Factor A

Subfactor A.1

Experience

Prime Contractor Experience

0A11-CaseStudy- <offeror>.pdf

(pdf portfolio)

0A112-CaseAttachs- <offeror.pdf>

(pdf portfolio)

PDF files including:

1 – Attachment-EXP form and data sheet for two (2) case studies.

2 – Narrative statement for each case (3 page max per case, as per EXP form instructions).

3 – (optional) one chart/table, as per EXP form instructions

4 – Attachments as specified on EXP form

a. Contract face/signature page

b. SOW/PWS (annotated as req’d)

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 59 of 91

0A121-TeamIntro-- <offeror>.pdf

Instruction item 2i, ii, iii (above):

1- brief summary your Firm (2 pages) of other firms on your team (3 pages max) [Ref 4a above]

A122-teamagrmts<offeror>.pdf

PDF or portfolio of all team agreement commitments, JV agreements, etc. Ref 4c

GS2150-2

Proposal Format and Submission Instructions (Step 2)

(Modified)

a. Proposals will be submitted electronically, via email. Proposals not conforming to the electronic file (eFile) formats specified below will be unacceptable and will not be considered. Proposals shall be transmitted via email on or before the closing date to the Contracting Officer, Donald Shannon, at dshannon@usgs.gov.

b. Offerors are encouraged to transmit as early as possible so that the contracting officer can verify successful transmission and receipt of the eFiles by the closing date and time. Email submissions not received on or before the closing date/ time will be considered late. Date and time determinations will be based on the system email date/time of the Contracting Officer’s email account.

c. FAR 52.212-1 general proposal instructions are incorporated by reference. Please note those instructions

d. Contact information is provided here for information of the offerors. Do not ship or

US Mail proposal/offer documents to this physical address. All proposal submissions are to be made electronically.

US Geological Survey Office of Acquisition and Grants (OAG)-Sacramento Branch Attn: Donald Shannon, Contracting Officer 3020 State University Drive East, Suite 2002 Sacramento, CA 95819 Email: dshannon@usgs.gov Phone: (916) 278-9342

e. Proposal Organization: Proposals shall be submitted in two volumes, “Volume I - Technical/Management” and “Volume II - Business/Price”; as detailed below. Proposals shall be submitted electronically in PDF format, with a separate Electronic Files (eFile) for each item as shown in the table below. Files may be combined into zip files for ease of transmission; however, do not combine Volume I and Volume II eFiles in the same zip.

The eFile filenames shall follow the convention shown below. The table below summarizes the organization of the proposal and page limitations. The narrative section below the table describes additional detail about each element in the table as a guide to the content and organization.

f. Proposals submitted must address the full scope of the solicitation and address the necessary requirements of the SOW and the instructions herein. Proposals, which address only part of the solicitation, have major omissions, do not address the required elements of FAR 52.212-1 and -3, or do not separate price information from the technical section as

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 60 of 91 required, will be considered unacceptable. Proposals must affirmatively state acceptance of all SOW requirements and contract terms and conditions.

g. Proposals must conform to the page limitations listed. Fonts shall be Times New Roman and no smaller than 11 point for narrative sections of the proposal, in both native and PDF-converted final format. All eFile submittals shall be converted to PDF format prior to submission to avoid inadvertent file modification by the government (e.g. word, rtf, etc.).

For the Volume II spreadsheet files, submit the files in both PDF as well as native Excel format where Excel files are indicated.

h. Volume 0 is considered to have already been submitted under the Step 1 procedure and has already occurred. For Step 2, there will be two additional volumes, Volume I and Volume II.

i. Volume I will contain submittals for the remaining (post-Step 1) Factor A

Experience subfactors; as well as Factor B Technical/Management and Factor C Past Performance submittals.

j. Volume II will contain the business and pricing proposals. Offerors are cautioned to ensure that no pricing information is embedded or included in their Volume I submission.

Such information will be redacted prior to providing the proposal to the technical evaluation team. Any such redactions could adversely affect the readability and cohesiveness of the applicable eFile involved, to the detriment of the offeror.

k. For purposes of our evaluation, the Step 1 instructions (GS2150-1 (b)) defined the term “prime” as the prime contractor for a prime/sub team; or the “managing partner” firm (aka managing venturer) for a JV team. And the term “subcontractor” was defined as team members and JV partners “other than the prime”. This definition is still operative for Step

2. The terms “prime” and “sub” are used herein for proposal instruction purposes only, as an aid to guide our information requests for particular target information given the differences in possible team arrangements and the associated differences in roles and responsibilities involved. We intend to consider work done and qualifications held individually be each team member or JV partner as the case may be, as well as any work done by the team or JV itself in the past (within the limits of page counts and information requested).

l. There are many ways of obtaining experience, past performance and reference information, and we reserve the right to consider relevant information not listed in your proposal that the USGS may be aware of or is otherwise obtained or developed from other government or public sources.

m. The tables below depict the efile names for the various sections of the proposal as depicted in the instructions. The table reflect the evaluation factors along with the submission requirement and page limits. Detailed instructions for each section follow the table.

STEP 2 Submission Table Summary.

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 61 of 91

Volume I Technical and Management Proposal eFile Name Submission Instructions

Factor A Experience eFile A<Offeror Name> (Note: all files converted to pdf format, unless otherwise indicated)

Subfactor A.1 “Prime” contractor’s experience

N/A This was Volume 0 information from Step 1 and is data already submitted. Do not resubmit.

STEP 2 see instructions if prime elects one additional case study for prime in lieu of sub cases. (Same formatting and pages limits as Step 1 prime A1 submittals)

Not applicable in Step 2. “Prime” contractor/managing venturer information already submitted under Step 1. Do not resubmit.

If prime elects to submit one additional case study here, submit as case #3 (see instructions). Use same format as Step 1 for Case #3 if applicable. (i.e., pdf portfolio for A11-CaseStudy3 and A112- Case3-Atachs)

Subfactor A.2 Prime contractor’s key personnel experience eFile A2-Part1-KP <Offeror Name> eFile A2-Part2-KP resumes <Offeror Name>

KP Rationale (3 pages max)

KP Resumes (2 pgs max per KP), plus 1 pg max for LOI/commitment doc if applicable

Subfactor A.3 Other team members’ experience

Other team members’ key personnel eFile A3-Part 1-Sub- CaseStudy#x Other <Offeror Name>; and A3Part1-Sub- CaseStudy#x- Atchs<OfferorName>

(Use same formatting and page limits as Step 1 prime case submittals) eFile A3-Part2 -KP-Other <Offeror Name>

Up to 3 Additional relevant cases. Step 1 case studies 1 and 2 already submitted.

These would be Cases 3,4,5 with same format/instructions as in Step 1. (Case 3 MAY be a third prime case as noted in instructions. If so, sub cases would be only for Case 4 and 5).

KP Resumes (2 pgs max per KP), plus 1 pg max for LOI/commitment doc if applicable

Factor B Technical/ Management (Note: all files converted to pdf format, unless otherwise indicated) Sub-Factor B.1 Offeror and Offeror’s

Team Structure

Technical/Management B.1.1, B.1.2, B.1.3 eFile B.11-3 <Offeror Name>

Do not Resubmit Step 1 0A1210- TeamIntro and 0A122-Team Agreements

Narrative 12 pages max; with 3 pages max chart/graph/table. 15 pages max combined submission.

B.1.4 – SB Participation Plan eFile B14 SBPP <Offeror

3 pages max (inclusive of any table/graph/chart)

B.1.5 – 8(a) ) Compliance eFile B15 8a Comp <Offeror

2 pages max (+ “Exhibit” attachment(s) if necessary)

B.1.6 – Professional Compensation Plan eFile B16 PECP <Offeror

10 pages max (inclusive of any table/graph/chart) SUBMIT WITH

VOLUME II

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 62 of 91

B.2 Task Orders Technical Approach and Staffing

Sub-Factor B.2.1 TO#1 – eFile B21-TO1Technical <Offeror Name> .pdf

Technical, Management and Staffing Proposal for Task Order #1 (Limit 8 pages) (Note: Pricing submitted with Vol II)

Sub-Factor B.2.2 TO#2 – eFile B22-TO2Technical

Proposal for Task Order #2 (Limit 8 pages)

Sub-Factor B.2.3 TO#3 – eFile B23-TO3Technical <Offeror Name> . pdf

Proposal for Task Order #3 (Limit 8 pages)

Factor C Past Performance Past Performance

Questionnaires PPQ’s Submitted directly to Contracting Officer by third parties (selected by offeror)

Volume II Business/Price Proposal Business Business Proposal eFile D1<Offeror Name> Cover Letter and statements re:

acceptability of governments terms and conditions

Forms eFile D2Forms<Offeror

Completed (and signed) SF 1449, and SF 30’s (if appropriate), with applicable signature pages scanned to pdf after signature.

Reps and Certs eFile D3Reps<Offeror Name> FAR 52.212-3, Contractor Certifications and Representations

B.1.6 – Professional Compensation Plan eFile B16 PECP <Offeror Name>.pdf

10 pages max (inclusive of any table/graph/chart)

Exhibit A eFile E1-ExA—Exhibit A eFile E1-ExA-Exhibit A <Offeror Name> .xls

Submit two files. One pdf, and one the filled-in and populated excel file.

Exhibit A – Contract Prices (Labor Category Price Matrix). Provide both pdf and excel file versions.

RUP Matrix eFile E2-RUP Matrix<Offeror Name> .xls

Completed Ramped-Up Price (RUP) Matrix. Fill in rates (per Exhibit A) and submit as excel file

TO#1 eFile E3a TO1-pricing <Offeror Name> . xls eFile E3b-TO1 BOE

TO#1 Price Proposal (P3a - Spreadsheet Matrix – 1 Excel File;

P3b - basis of estimate/rationale as applicable. required)

TO#2 eFile E4a TO2-pricing eFile E4b-TO2-BOE <Offeror Name> .pdf

TO#2 Price Proposal (P4a - Spreadsheet Matrix – 1 Excel File;

plus P4b - basis of estimate/rationale as required)

TO#3 eFile E5a TO3-pricing eFile E5b-TO3-BOE

TO#3 Price Proposal (P4a P5a - Spreadsheet Matrix – 1 Excel File; plus P4b P5b - basis of estimate/rationale as required)

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 63 of 91 eFile E7<Offeror Name> FAR required “Commercial Pricing” supporting detail (See Provision GS2180).

See Provision GS2180 at the end of these instructions for this file

Step 2 Instruction Table 1

n. Step 2 Submission Narrative Instructions (follows format of table above):

Volume I – (Experience, Technical/Management, Past Performance)

A. Factor A: Experience

The Government will examine the recent, relevant experience of the offers. The evaluation will be a subjective assessment of the offeror's relevant experience of work performed of similar nature, scope, complexity, and difficulty to that which must be performed under this contract. The evaluation factor speaks to experience both in performing the work as well as managing the work at the scale and complexity called for in our requirement.

“Recent contracts” are considered to include work done within the last three years. For this procurement, a significant subcontractor is defined as a subcontractor that will be performing at least 10% of the total proposed labor hours.

How do the cited examples compare for things such as:

• Contract size, staffing size, contract scope, period of performance, as well as the variety and level of complexity of professional IT services and support provided.

• Simultaneous performance on multiple separate task orders, for different task managers, in different SOW skill pools, and in different parts of the country.

• To what degree was a nationwide geographically diverse, enterprise-wide infrastructure and user base of ~10,000 or more users, across ~15,000 or more.

• and to what degree did your effort involve dynamic staffing involving multiple task orders large and small across the portfolio in terms of start, stop, or adjust, based on shifting priorities, funding, or agency technology decisions.

Information submitted should include:

A.1 - Prime contractor’s experience In Step 1, offerors submitted experience case studies for the two cases the offeror deemed most relevant. In Step 2 the offeror will submit experience case studies for up to three more cases. Do not repeat or resubmit the information you provided in Step 1.

There will be a maximum of 5 total case studies for the experience Factor. Two have already been submitted. This leaves 3 more that MAY be submitted, either: a – one more from the prime, and two more from the subs; or b – no more from the prime, and three more from the subs. As this decision affects your submission under Subfactor A-3 below, this instruction and the A-3 instruction must be read together when deciding what to submit.

(Again, the terms “prime” and “sub” are as defined above).

USGS Solicitation 140G0321R0001 (Amendment 002003) Page 64 of 91

A.2 - Prime contractor’s key personnel experience

Part 1 – Project Key Personnel (KP) Rationale (3 pages max). Describe up to eight skill-sets that you have identified as key or critical for your team to support our SOW requirements, and describe why you deem these as critical and the significance of this to our requirements. Eight is a “total team number” that you believe are would be important, key, or critical to support your overall team’s approach (not necessarily just the prime’s personnel).

This is “up to” eight (with any mix between prime and sub firms). Note that eight is a number chosen to limit the scope of our evaluations to a reasonable number. Eight are not required and we are not dictating eight or implying that eight is necessarily the correct number given your team’s proposed approach.

Part 2 – Prime KP persons. Attach resumes (2 pages max) for each of identified prime contractor’s KP being proposed, which could be any number of the eight, but not exceeding eight. Where one or more of the eight is contributed by other team member firms, those KP submittals would be made under A-3 (below).

In addition to the individual KP person’s technical qualifications, the resume shall also reflect the person’s current employer and immediate prior employer (if not an existing employee of the offeror for at least 12 months). Where an individual is not a current employee of the offeror firm, attach a letter of intent (LOI) or similar indication of commitment to join your firm after contract award.

A.3 - Other team members’ experience and key personnel.

Part 1. Firm experience. In Step 1, offerors were to submit two “prime” experience case studies, that the prime deemed most relevant for this requirement. For Step 2, the offeror will submit experience case studies for up to three more cases. As described in the A-1 above, these 3 additional cases may con of either 1 “prime” and 2 “sub” cases; or 3 “sub” cases. The team may choose any combination which they feel is most suitable for their team membership and the requirements of our contract. Do not resubmit information from Step 1. Again, prime and sub are as defined above.

Part 2. Other team members’ KP persons.

A-1 2 Part 1 of your proposal, as instructed above, describes the procedure for identifying up to eight KP’s for the team. To the extent your approach contemplates one or more of the eight will utilized from team members other than the prime, those individual resumes would be submitted in this section.