Sol_140M0122Q0025_Amd_0001.pdf

(x)

140M0122Q0025 x x 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.

x

M10

Sterling VA 20166-9216 45600 Woodland Road, VAE-AMD

BOEM-HQ

08/12/20220001

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

08/02/2022

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.)

The following is the purpose of Amendment 0001:

1. Provide responses to submitted questions which is on the following page.

2. Amend the solicitation based on the responses when applicable.

3. Amend the solicitation for minor word changes.

Changes to the solicitation are done in a track changes format and are reflected on pages

1, 10, 11, 52 and 53. The entire amended solicitation is attached.

Period of Performance: 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2027

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)

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 .

Questions submitted to 140M0122Q0025 and Responses

Number Question Response 1 Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like,from India or Canada) No, see 11.6 on page 26 2 Whether we need to come over there for meetings? No. This question was submitted in relation to question 1. Therefore, see response to question 1.

3 Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada) No, see 11.6 on page 26.

4 Can we submit the proposals via email? Yes, see section 4.2.

5 Would you kindly confirm if this is an entirely new effort or is there an incumbent currently providing these services? If so, would you please provide the incumbent contract details?

Incumbent, CGI Federal Inc. under contract D13PC00021 order number D15PD00623.

[Referring to Item 10 (Authentication and Security) of Section 2.4 (Auction Software Requirements)] Would it be acceptable for BOEM personnel and Contractor personnel to log in using the same multi-factor authentication approach as Bidder representatives?

Yes, as long as the login provider supports PIV as well as non-PIV logins.

Generally, the anticipated contract is a Firm-Fixed-Price contract. However, CLINs 00240 and 00340 are anticipated to be Labor-Hour line items. Would the Government consider instead awarding CLINs 00240 and 00340 on the basis that they may be exercised on either a Labor-Hour basis (with ceiling) or a Firm Fixed Price basis? For example, this could be done as follows:

CLIN 00240/00340 Task 5: Special Projects (Not to Exceed Total) This CLIN represents an optional contract line item that the Government may exercise an unlimited number of times in the contract year. Each item and exercise directs work for a Special Project. When exercised and directed as a time and materials effort, the CLIN and project will be subject to a ceiling amount. With agreement of the Contractor, the CLIN may also be exercised as a Firm-Fixed-Price optional contract line item.

Yes, section 3.11 added.

8 Section 4.3.1.2 states that “The Quoter shall provide resumes for the Project Manager and all other key personnel along with letters of commitment (limit the length of each resume to two pages).” However, Section 4.3.1.1 states that “The Technical volume is limited to 20 pages, not including the title pages, the table of contents, Project Manager Resume, and Past Performance forms.”

a.Will the resumes of key personnel other than the Project Manager and le ers of commitment for key personnel also not be included in the 20-page limit for the Technical volume?

b.Is there any suggested wording for the le ers of commitment?

a. No, the resumes of key personnel other than the Project Manager and letters of commitment for key personnel are also not included in the 20-page limit for the Technical volume. 4.3.1.1. has been amended.

b. No.

End of questions and responses.

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 1 of 86

SYNOPSIS:

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AS IT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY NOTICE

THAT WILL BE ISSUED. This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This solicitation is a Request for Quote (RFQ). This RFQ is an Unrestricted Competitive Solicitation. The solicitation and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular 2022-06 effective 04/26/2022.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), on behalf of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), has a requirement for a full cloud stack, including IaaS, PaaS, and a cloud based “Software as a Service (SaaS)” lease auction application services to conduct and support auction operations for individual offshore wind lease sales. The estimated period of performance for this requirement is twelve (12) months for the Base Period, with four (4) twelve (12) month-Option Periods.

The purpose of this combined synopsis/solicitation is to solicit quotes as described in the attached solicitation. The Government anticipates awarding a hybrid Firm-Fixed-Price (FPP)/Labor Hour (LH) contract. This procurement is being conducted in accordance with FAR Part 13.5, "Simplified Acquisition Procedures – Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial Products and Commercial Services" and FAR Part 12, “Acquisition of Commercial Items”. The North American Industrial Classification Systems (NAICS) code is 511210, Software Publishers, with a small business size standard of $41.5 Million. This solicitation is being issued on an unrestricted basis.

All potential quoters must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) in order to receive Government contracts.

The point of contact for this procurement is William Rilee, Contracting Officer, BSEE, Acquisition Operations Branch, 45600 Woodland Rd., Sterling, VA 20166. Responses to this solicitation must be submitted electronically via email to William.Rilee@bsee.gov no later than the closing date and time referenced in the solicitation. All email correspondence must reference “RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025” in the subject line.

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 2 of 86

SECTION 1

PRICING

1.1 GENERAL

This acquisition is conducted under the authority of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 13, "Simplified Acquisition Procedures" and FAR Part 12, “Acquisition of Commercial Items”. The North American Industrial Classification Systems (NAICS) code is 511210, Software Publishers, with a small business size standard of $41.5 Million. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) intends to award a hybrid Firm Fixed Price (FFP)/Labor Hour (LH) Contract Software as a Service (SaaS) as specified under Section 2 Statement of Work.

1.2 LINE ITEM/PRICING

The specific details and description of the contract Line Item Number (CLIN) is described as follows (Quoter shall provide * information as part of their quotation):

CLIN DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT UNIT

PRICE

TOTAL

PRICE

00010 Task 1, 4 – Contract Management & Technical support

Firm Fixed Price

Base Period: 01/01/2023 – 12/31/2023

1 Job * *

00020 Optional Task 2: Auction Service

Firm Fixed Price

Base Period: 01/01/2023 – 12/31/2023

CLIN 00020 is an optional Fixed-Price per Unit line item for an auction service per auction as needed by BOEM in accordance with Section 2.3.2. with a not to exceed quantity of 3. The Fixed-Price per Unit shall be equal to or less than the Contractor’s published unit price at the time of purchase. The contractor shall not proceed with an auction service as described in Task 2 until the unit is funded on contract.

1 Job * *

00030 Task 3: Software and Hosting Services

Firm Fixed Price

1 Job * *

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 3 of 86

Base Period: 01/01/2023 – 12/31/2023 00040 Optional Task 3: Software and Hosting

Services – Third Party assessor (Reference

2.3.3 – Item (2) third party assessor to validate that the security controls in place are conforming to the latest version of NIST 800-53 requirements including annual NIST continuous monitoring.

Firm Fixed Price Period: 01/01/2023 – 12/31/2023

1 Job * *

00110 Task 1, 4: Contract Management & Technical support

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 1: 01/01/2024 – 12/31/2024

1 Job * *

00120 Optional Task 2: Auction Service

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 1: 01/01/2024 – 12/31/2024

CLIN 00120 is an optional Fixed-Price per Unit line item for an auction service per auction as needed by BOEM in accordance with Section 2.3.2. with a not to exceed quantity of 3. The Fixed-Price per Unit shall be equal to or less than the Contractor’s published unit price at the time of purchase. The contractor shall not proceed with an auction service as described in Task 2 until the unit is funded on contract.

1 Job * *

00130 Task 3: Software and Hosting Services

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 1: 01/01/2024 – 12/31/2024

1 Job * *

00210 Task 1, 4: Contract Management & Technical support

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 2: 01/01/2025 – 12/31/2025

1 Job * *

00220 Task 2: Auction Service

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 4 of 86

Option Period 2: 01/01/2025 – 12/31/2025

CLIN 00220 is an optional Fixed-Price per Unit line item for an auction service per auction as needed by BOEM in accordance with Section 2.3.2. with a not to exceed quantity of 3. The Fixed-Price per Unit shall be equal to or less than the Contractor’s published unit price at the time of purchase. The contractor shall not proceed with an auction service as described in Task 2 until the unit is funded on contract.

00230 Task 3: Software and Hosting Services

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 2: 01/01/2025 – 12/31/2025

1 Job * *

00240 Task 5: Special Projects (Not to Exceed Total)

Labor Hour Category of Engineering Subject Matter Expert at an hourly rate of

*$XXX.XX

Option Period 2: 01/01/2025 – 12/31/2025

1 NTE N/A $80,000.00

00310 Task 1, 4: Contract Management & Technical support

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 3: 01/01/2026 – 12/31/2026

1 Job * *

00320 Task 2: Auction Service

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 3: 01/01/2026 – 12/31/2026

CLIN 00320 is an optional Fixed-Price per Unit line item for an auction service per auction as needed by BOEM in accordance with Section 2.3.2. with a not to exceed quantity of 3. The Fixed-Price per Unit shall be equal to or less than the Contractor’s published unit price at the time of purchase. The contractor shall not

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 5 of 86 proceed with an auction service as described in Task 2 until the unit is funded on contract.

00330 Task 3: Software and Hosting Services

Option Period 3: 01/01/2026 – 12/31/2026

00340 Task 5: Special Projects (Not to Exceed Total)

Labor Hour Category of Engineering Subject Matter Expert at a hourly rate of *$XXX.XX

Option Period 3: 01/01/2026 – 12/31/2026

1 NTE N/A $80,000.00

00410 Task 1, 4: Contract Management & Technical support

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 4: 01/01/2027 – 12/31/2027

1 * *

00420 Task 2: Auction Service

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 4: 01/01/2027 – 12/31/2027

CLIN 00420 is an optional Fixed-Price per Unit line item for an auction service per auction as needed by BOEM in accordance with Section 2.3.2. with a not to exceed quantity of 3. The Fixed-Price per Unit shall be equal to or less than the Contractor’s published unit price at the time of purchase. The contractor shall not proceed with an auction service as described in Task 2 until the unit is funded on contract.

1 * *

00430 Task 3: Software and Hosting Services

Firm Fixed Price

Option Period 4: 01/01/2027 – 12/31/2027

1 * *

TOTAL PRICE, IF ALL OPTIONS ARE EXERCISED: $______*______

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 6 of 86

1.3 AUTHORIZED BILLING RATES

CLINs 00240 and 00340 are Labor Hour (LH) line items with a period of performance of 12 months in accordance with Section 3.2. The Not To Exceed (NTE) ceiling amount will be funded on an as-needed basis up to the ceiling amount specified in section 1.2, and that if exceeded is at the contractor’s own risk. The following table contains the labor categories and rates that may be billed under the contract for CLINs 00240 and 00340 for task 5. All unit prices are fully-loaded (i.e., inclusive of all direct costs, indirect costs, and profit/fee,).

Labor Category Unit of

Measure

Option Period 2

Fully Burdened

Hourly Rate

Option Period 3

Fully Burdened

Hourly Rate

Engineering Subject Matter Specialists

Hour $* $*

[* = Quoter shall provide the hourly rate for each period in the Business/Cost Quote.]

1.4 Partial Delivery Payment Schedule for Tasks 1, 3 and 4

Payment will be made to the Contractor based upon delivery and acceptance of tasks performed as proposed and agreed to by the Government, in accordance with FAR Clause 52.232-1. The payment arrangement based upon partial deliverables whereby payments are made for distinct portions of the work completed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government is detailed below:

CLIN 00010

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount

1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00030

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00040

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 7 of 86

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00110

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00130

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00210

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00230

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00310

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00330

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00410

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

CLIN 00430

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 8 of 86

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) Payment Amount 1 [To be proposed by Quoter] $TBD*

2 $TBD*

3 $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN VALUE $TBD*

* = Quoter shall provide * information as part of their quotation

1.5 Delivery Payment Schedule for Task 2

Payment will be made to the Contractor based upon delivery and acceptance of tasks performed as proposed and agreed to by the Government, in accordance with FAR Clause 52.232-1. The payment arrangement based upon partial deliverables whereby payments are made for distinct portions of the work completed by the Contractor and accepted by the Government is detailed below:

CLIN 00020

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) per quantity of 1 Payment Amount 1 Pre-PSN Consultation $TBD* 2 Auction Application Configuration $TBD* 3 Public Post-PSN Seminar $TBD* 4 Review Draft FSN $TBD* 5 Conduct Mock Auction $TBD* 6 Conduct Monetary Auction $TBD* 7 Auction Final Report $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN Value $TBD*

CLIN 00120

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) per quantity of 1 Payment Amount 1 Pre-PSN Consultation $TBD* 2 Auction Application Configuration $TBD* 3 Public Post-PSN Seminar $TBD* 4 Review Draft FSN $TBD* 5 Conduct Mock Auction $TBD* 6 Conduct Monetary Auction $TBD* 7 Auction Final Report $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN Value $TBD*

CLIN 00220

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) per quantity of 1 Payment Amount 1 Pre-PSN Consultation $TBD* 2 Auction Application Configuration $TBD* 3 Public Post-PSN Seminar $TBD* 4 Review Draft FSN $TBD* 5 Conduct Mock Auction $TBD*

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 9 of 86

6 Conduct Monetary Auction $TBD* 7 Auction Final Report $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN Value $TBD*

CLIN 00320

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) per quantity of 1 Payment Amount 1 Pre-PSN Consultation $TBD* 2 Auction Application Configuration $TBD* 3 Public Post-PSN Seminar $TBD* 4 Review Draft FSN $TBD* 5 Conduct Mock Auction $TBD* 6 Conduct Monetary Auction $TBD* 7 Auction Final Report $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN Value $TBD*

CLIN 00420

Payment No. Deliverable(s) / Milestone (s) per quantity of 1 Payment Amount 1 Pre-PSN Consultation $TBD* 2 Auction Application Configuration $TBD* 3 Public Post-PSN Seminar $TBD* 4 Review Draft FSN $TBD* 5 Conduct Mock Auction $TBD* 6 Conduct Monetary Auction $TBD* 7 Auction Final Report $TBD*

TOTAL CLIN Value $TBD*

* = TBD. This amount is to be determined upon award based upon the price accepted by the Government.

For task 2, if BOEM decides later to not hold the sale, the remaining uncompleted auction steps do not get invoiced and the residual funds are de-obligated from the contract and returned to

BOEM.

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 10 of 86

SECTION 2

SPECIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

2.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has the authority to issue leases, easements, and rights-of-way on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) using a competitive or a non-competitive process. When BOEM uses a competitive process, it awards offshore wind energy lease areas through a simultaneous ascending clock auction format using a configurable web-based application in a cloud hosted environment.

For each lease sale, the number and configuration of lease areas to be offered is determined by BOEM. BOEM anticipates at leastup to three sales each year within this effort and resulting Period of Performance, however, no number of auctions are guaranteed.

For each lease sale, BOEM publishes a Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) in the Federal Register, followed by a 60-day comment period. The PSN includes a statement of the proposed auction format and related parameters and procedures. During the PSN comment period, BOEM and the auction services provider host a public auction seminar to discuss the auction process and format.

After an undetermined period of comment review, BOEM publishes a Final Sale Notice (FSN) in the Federal Register, followed by a 30-day waiting period before an auction may take place.

The FSN provides the detailed auction rules, parameters, and procedures, and it reflects any changes to the PSN in response to public comments received or further internal review by

BOEM.

Bidders at BOEM’s renewable energyoffshore auctions are required to be legally, technically, and financially qualified in advance of the auction. Bidders submit their qualification applications directly to BOEM. A list of qualified bidders is transmitted by BOEM to the auction services provider approximately five days after the FSN is published in the Federal Register.

The auction services provider configures the auction system based on information provided by BOEM and conducts the lease sale auction. Following the conclusion of the auction, the auction services provider closes the auction and provides final data and reporting services to BOEM.

Winning bidders are notified in writing by BOEM of bid acceptance in writing following the auction.

BOEM seeks a Cloud Service Offering to provide both cloud web hosting and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)/Platform as a Service (PaaS) technical support with the requisite IT security services along with auction services and auction software to hold ascending auctions for outer continental shelf acreage.

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 11 of 86

2.2 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

BOEM requires a vendor to provide a full cloud stack, including IaaS, PaaS, and a cloud based “Software as a Service (SaaS)” lease auction application services to conduct and support auction operations for individual offshore wind lease sales.

The SaaS operations include pre-auction support, including consultation services, reporting, system configuration and administration, security confirmation and training.

2.3 SPECIFIC TASKS

The following requirements pertain to expectations of the system and services provided by the Contractor.

2.3.1 Task 1: Contract Management

2.3.1.1 Contract Kickoff Meeting

The Contractor’s Project Manager shall hold a post-award meeting within one week of award at the location approved by the Government. The meeting shall provide an introduction between the Contractor personnel and Government personnel who will be involved with the contract. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss roles, responsibilities, working relationships, major milestones, and deliverables.

2.3.1.2 Project Management Plan (PMP) and Project Plans

The Contractor shall document all support requirements in a PMP. The PMP shall describe the proposed management approach for each of the items in the Contract. The PMP shall detail Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all items, to include the methodology for the design, development, integration, testing, and training. At a minimum, the PMP shall:

Provide for information on the Contractor’s management organization and internal management policies and procedures.

Describe the approach and method for the identification, assessment, and mitigation of program risks.

Identify milestones, tasks, and subtasks required for all supplies and services.

Identify all documentation to be produced as part of the project Provide a Project Plan.

The Contractor shall provide the Government with a draft PMP within 10 business days after contract award. BOEM shall have an opportunity to comment and the final PMP shall be completed within 20 business days after contract award. The PMP is evolutionary documents and shall be reviewed monthly and weekly.

The Contractor shall provide sufficient detail in its Project Plans to demonstrate that all sections of the work are appropriately resourced, thoroughly planned, proceeding according to

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 12 of 86 requirements, and documented. Upon submission and approval by BOEM, the schedule(s) shall be become the baseline project plan. Project plan updates shall be made frequently, or as designated by the COR. Changes to scheduled baseline milestones shall be documented by the Contractor and formally authorized by BOEM.

The Contractor shall provide a Project Plan to the COR within 10 business days of the award of a project. The COR will review submitted and resubmitted Project Plan(s) within 5 business days and will either accept the Plan as delivered, or request changes. When applicable, the Contractor must incorporate the COR's changes within 2 business days of receipt, and then resubmit the Plan to the COR.

2.3.1.3 Contract Management Reports

On a monthly basis prepare a Contract Management Report (CMR) along with a Contract Funds Attachment. The report will be a consolidation of all currently exercised options with work reported separately by tasks. The purpose of the CMRs shall be for BOEM to review Contractor performance and the contract status.

2.3.1.4 Contract Funds Attachment

For other than fixed price tasks, as an attachment to the invoice (Contract Funds Attachment), the Contractor shall provide a monthly detailed breakdown of expenditures on the contract. At a minimum, this shall include a breakdown of labor hours (by labor category) used by the Contractor and any subcontractors, associated labor costs, and any other direct costs incurred.

The report shall include both reporting period and cumulative expenditures.

2.3.1.5 Project Management/Auction Services Meetings

The Contractor shall convene on a bi-weekly basis, or as directed by the COR as necessary, project management/auction services meetings with the BOEM COR and other key Government stakeholders. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure all stakeholders are informed of the project’s activities and status report, provide opportunities to identify other activities, establish priorities, and coordinate resolution of identified problems or opportunities. The Contractor shall report all work and resource assignments of projects, activities, and deliverables on a continuing basis. The Contractor shall provide the following bi-weekly status documentation for these meetings:

Updates to the Project Plan Updated Risk Report for all open risks. The Contractor shall use common Project

Management Institute (PMI) risk management practices and tools, as agreed to with the

BOEM COR.

Updated Issues Report for all open issues. The Contractor is obligated to escalate issues for resolution before impact on cost or schedule baseline.

Updated Action Item Report for all open action items Meeting minutes

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 13 of 86

2.3.2 Task 2: Auction Services

It is anticipated that there could be up to 3 lease sales per period (CLINs 00020, 00120, 00220, 00320 and 00420). The steps required for each lease sale under this task are:

2.3.2.1 PSN Consultation

BOEM will consult with the Contractor and request an initial auction rules and system configuration recommendation prior to the publication of the Proposed Sale Notice (PSN). In its request, BOEM may explain any key auction issues that might affect the recommendations.

Within 7 days of being provided the electronic draft PSN by BOEM, the Contractor will provide written comments about any auction-related issue in it, reflecting their knowledge of auction implementation, helping to ensure against omissions of key information, and preventing misunderstanding among bidders.

2.3.2.2 Auction Application Configuration

The contractor will configure its auction system to accommodate the auction format and the corresponding rules determined by BOEM, the auction configuration recommendation and any addition information provided by BOEM (such as list of qualified bidders or the asking price increments).

2.3.2.3 Public Seminar

The Contractor will help to provide a public seminar about the auction with BOEM. This will take place during the PSN comment period, at a place and time announced by BOEM in the PSN. The purpose of the seminar is to introduce potential stakeholders to the auction format provided in the PSN, explain the auction rules, and demonstrate the auction process through examples. The Contractor will work closely with BOEM staff to coordinate the agenda, speaking assignments, and presentation materials to be provided, which will be posted to BOEM’s website.

2.3.2.4 Auction Configuration and Rules Report

Following the conclusion of the comment period for the PSN, the Contractor will write detailed auction rules for inclusion in the FSN consistent with the stipulated format identified by BOEM and provide additional consulting on any auction issues raised in the PSN. The Contractor will identify any potential issues with the proposed auction format presented in the PSN or revised by BOEM reflecting comments and will recommend alternatives to address with BOEM.

2.3.2.5 Configuration Verification

BOEM may request a live interactive demonstration of the configured auction software to confirm it works correctly. The interactive demonstration will include functions such as verification of the rules, configuration, or server and communications performance. This

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 14 of 86 demonstration will be based on the auction specification provided in either a past lease sale or a PSN or FSN for an upcoming sale, at BOEM’s discretion. The Contractors’ demonstration will include a scripted trial auction with at least ten (10) government personnel participating as surrogate bidding agents or monitors.

The Contractor can lead the demonstration remotely or from either its own facility or BOEM’s offices depending on specific needs. The demonstration auction must be conducted using the same cloud platform as will be used in the actual auction with BOEM staffers logging into the system via the internet from multiple locations. Examples of phone bids must be included in the demonstration. Following the demonstration auction, BOEM will notify the Contractor of any problems or concerns identified during the demo. The Contractor must resolve these matters prior to the upcoming auction. BOEM may request another demonstration auction to verify the revised system works as needed.

2.3.2.6 Review Draft FSN

Within 7 days of being provided the electronic draft FSN by BOEM, the Contractor will provide written comments about any auction-related issue in it, reflecting their knowledge of auction implementation, helping to ensure against omissions of key information, and preventing communication issues with bidders.

2.3.2.7 Mock Auction for Bidders

The Contractor will conduct a mock auction for bidders shortly before the monetary auction to:

give qualified bidders a hands-on opportunity to learn based on realistic bidder specifications and conditions using the same auction software to be used in the actual auction.

ensure qualified bidders can connect to the auction system from multiple locations/devices prior to the start of the mock auction.

provide the opportunity for BOEM to gain experience in monitoring the auction environment in real time.

Scripted bidding scenarios are preferred, and any scripts for the bidders will be developed by the Contractor. The mock auction must follow format and procedures specified in the FSN.

2.3.2.8 Conduct Monetary Auction

The Contractor is expected to conduct the lease sale monetary auction, with participation of designated government personnel, and determine provisional winning bids and prices based on all the specifications provided in the FSN, including the auction format, parameter specifications, and bidding procedures.

The auction will be directed and conducted in a secure, cloud environment following criteria described in section 2.3.4.3 – Security, 2.4 – Auction Software Requirements, and 2.8 Security Objectives and Service Level Agreements.

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The Contractor shall also provide a secure room to conduct the auction.

2.3.2.9 Auction Reports and Data Files

Following the sale, the Contractor must complete and provide the following:

Auction Validation Report Validate the auction results are consistent with the inputs received from bidders at the conclusion of the auction. The deliverable will be a letter or short report certifying the provisional winning bid results and providing analysis to assist BOEM in identifying issues that could provide cause to reject bids, such as anti-competitive behavior, auction system errors, or the presence of unusual bidding patterns.

Complete Auction Data File The Contractor will provide an electronic file to BOEM with all auction data including all data inputs provided by the bidders (including telephone recordings or transcripts), bidder information, bid data, results, and audit tracking data collected during the auction by the auction environment, including but not limited to data and time stamps for each bid. This electronic file will be used to fulfill records management purposes. The file must be provided in common office automation format agreed upon by the Contractor and

BOEM.

This file will be delivered following any security protocols defined in section 2.3.4.3 - Security and 2.4 – Auction Software Requirements.

Auction Final Report

The Contractor will provide a summary of auction operations, confirm auction results are authentic and accurate, and identify any lessons learned or potential best practices based on the conduct of the auction within 10 business days.

Auction Close-Out All data are property of the government. The Contractor is to restrict Bid Representative access to the auction online site within 24 hours of the completion of the auction. BOEM is to continue to have access to the auction cloud site for 30 days following the completion of the auction for purposes such as downloading reports. The Contractor is not permitted to disseminate any BOEM information beyond what is permitted in this order without explicit written notice from the Contracting Officer’s Representative

(COR).

Auction Shut-Down After the 30 days, the Contractor will shut down access to the lease sale cloud system and ensure no information is accessible after this time. Upon completion of the work related to the contract, the Contractor must provide evidence that all government (bureau) data has been purged from any systems used. Auction data must be permanently removed from the cloud system, from all development or test systems and any backups or images wiped according to criteria in 2.4 – Auction Software Requirements.

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2.3.2.10 Ad Hoc Reports and Review

BOEM may request that the Contractor provide additional reports/information on an as-needed basis before and/or after the completion of the auction as well as review any related documents.

2.3.2.11 Overlapping Schedules

The Contractor must be able to conduct multiple tasks at the same time in the event BOEM has overlapping sales schedules. An example of this is performing Pre-PSN Consultation tasks for one auction in the same week of a Mock Auction for another auction.

2.3.2.12 Additional Consulting Services

The Contractor may be called upon from time to time to provide subject matter expert consulting services and other activities necessary to support an active auction process not anticipated at the time this SOW was prepared.

2.3.2.13 Request to Halt Work

The potential tasks supporting a single sale are covered in this section. However, BOEM may request to stop work on an auction task if the corresponding lease sale is cancelled.

2.3.3 Task 3: Software and Hosting Services

Contractor shall provide a license for the Software as a Service (SaaS) capable of meeting the requirements in Section 2.3.4 and 2.4 below. Contractor shall provide maintenance and software updates and enhancements.

Contractor shall propose and provide one of two solutions as follows:

1) A full SaaS stack that is FedRAMP authorized, hosted and maintained on the Contractor’s IT infrastructure and provides a fully elastic and on-demand SaaS environment at the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) Moderate level.

2) If a FedRAMP authorized full SaaS stack is not available, Contractor shall propose a customized private SaaS solution on a FedRAMP IaaS/PaaS that includes a plan to coordinate with BSEE/BOEM Security Branch personnel to achieve and maintain an Agency ATO. The Contractor shall include in their quote an optional task to provide a third-party assessor to validate that the security controls in place are conforming to the latest version of NIST 800-53 requirements including annual NIST continuous monitoring.

A reference table is below with the breakout of the cloud environment.

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2.3.4 Task 4: Technical Support

2.3.4.1 Operation and Maintenance

The Contractor shall perform all operations and maintenance (O&M) activities for the hosting service and all systems within the hosted service. The Contractor shall provide ongoing support for all the operations, maintenance, and security of the deployed infrastructure, which includes, but is not limited to:

Facilities Infrastructure as a Service Network and Server Operations Platform as a Service

System and Environment administration Host-based intrusion detection Network-based intrusion detection Backup and recovery Monitoring of operating system, database, applications, and network Support for installation of application patches and service packs Physical database support and management User IDs and passwords resets System software patches and upgrades Hardware life cycle replacement Maintaining Environment to qualify for Authority to Operation (ATO) certification Guaranteeing system availability Reporting service level metrics

2.3.4.2 Ongoing Support

The Contractor shall submit recurring monthly, quarterly and annual reports, including security assessments, in accordance with NIST SP-800 37 rev2, NIST SP-800 53 rev 5 (or latest version), and the requirements of this contract.

Contractors must provide Ongoing Reports and their frequency according to the FedRAMP CSP Continuous Monitoring Strategy Guidance. See Appendix B in the FedRAMP CSP Continuous Monitoring Strategy Guide

Cloud Stack Cloud Stack Component System Component

Software Application - FedRAMP SaaS

Data Data is owned by BOEM

Application Simultaneous Ascending Clock Auction

Software Application Platform -

FedRAMP PaaS Middleware

Operating System

Infrastructure - FedRAMP IaaS

Virtualization

Servers Storage

Networking

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(https://www.fedramp.gov/assets/resources/documents/CSP_Continuous_Monitoring_Strategy_ Guide.pdf) for control reporting requirements grouped by frequency, and Appendix C for additional information on monthly reporting requirements. For controls that do not have a check in either the CSP authored deliverable or 3PAO authored deliverable columns in Table 2, the CSP is required to provide evidence of compliance minimally during annual assessment and upon request.

2.3.4.3 Security

The auction application and supporting system must meet or exceed all security requirements.

See Section 2.4, 2.6, and 2.8 for further details on requirements. This auction application is a FISMA Moderate system according to its FIPS-199 classification. At all times, Contractor shall comply with the FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST, DHS and OMB Circular A-130 as applicable.

Contractor shall provide an experienced Information System Security Officer (ISSO) to oversee security activities, assessments, and reports, as well as work with the BOEM's Chief Information Security Officer on developing methodologies and procedures for security necessary to validate IT systems, infrastructure, and data as required and provide security documentation.

Contractor shall provide the following:

The Control Implementation Summary (CIS) showing control responsibility in each cloud platform level

Provide the Customer Responsible Matrix of controls BOEM is responsible for Provide Max.gov and/or alternate secure location where the cloud ATO package documentation is stored for access by the BOEM Information System Security Officer

2.3.5 Task 5: Special Projects

When special situations arise, this task allows BOEM to obtain additional auction implementation services, such as software modification for additional auction designs or functionality. This Special Project services do not include work on or related to software to provide the capabilities described in SOW Section 2.3 and 2.4 that the Contractor promised to provide upon award. Payment under this item shall be determined by Time and Materials Labor Categories and Rate schedule.

2.4 AUCTION SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

The software security controls must meet or exceed FISMA requirements for information systems categorized as FIPS-199 defined Moderate or shall meet FISMA requirements within six months of award or a date approved by the contracting officer or contracting officer’s representative. In the event the contractor fails to meet minimum requirements, the correction of such failure shall not be rectified via a change request, request for equitable adjustment, or other mechanism in which additional funding is anticipated to be provided via the contract. The risk

RFQ No. 140M0122Q0025 | Auction SaaS Page 19 of 86 relies on the contractor to correct the failure under this FFP CLIN.

Minimum Software Requirements

1 General Parameters/Auction Configuration

1.1 The system shall provide the ability to handle simultaneous ascending clock auction format (SACA) without package bidding and support multiple factor auctions, including BOEM’s current formulation of bidding credits.

1.2 The system shall provide the ability to run an auction containing one or more lease areas as well as lease areas having a regional component where restrictions can be placed on the number of lease areas bidders can win within a region.

Scale: The system shall accommodate the submission of bids by at least 25 qualified bidders (companies), 10 lease areas, and be able to handle 2 regions at a time.

Any maximum constraints on the number of bidders, lease areas, and regions shall be set forth by the Contractor in their quote.

1.3 The Contractor shall provide their auction and economic expertise and work with BOEM to identify and configure the auction parameters and bidding rules. The Contractor is also expected to have processes and algorithms in place to determine how to ethically, fairly, and legally resolve any bidding situations that may arise during or after the auction.

1.4 Business rules regarding on the bidding for lease areas will be defined and agreed upon by BOEM and the Contractor.

1.5 The system shall provide the ability to display and organize lease data for an auction.

These data may include but are not limited to:

● Number of lease areas in the auction

● Cash bonus price bid (for each lease)

● Bidding credit and/or discount percentage (for each lease)

● Number of rounds

● Number of bids placed in round

● Qualified Bidders/Bidder Representatives that can bid on each lease sale (see

Section 2 Bidder Configuration for more details) 2 Bidder Configuration

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2.1 “Qualified Bidders” refer to the companies that have undergone a review process by BOEM and are eligible to participate in a lease sale auction.

“Bid Representative” is a Qualified Bidder company representative with an authorized user id to the auction application for the purposes of participating in the bidding process.

The Contractor will use the following information provided by BOEM to configure the Qualified Bidders/Bid Representatives in the auction application:

● List of Qualified Bidders.

● For each Qualified Bidder, their Bid Representative’s contact information.

● The number of lease areas the Bid Representative for each Qualified Bidder can bid on.

● Qualified Bidders’ credit and/or discount percentages.

2.2 The Contractor is responsible for creating and securely delivering a unique log-in ID (i.e., named account) and corresponding information to the specified Bid Representatives.

2.4 The Contractor is responsible for verifying with the Bid Representative that the log-in is configured correctly prior to the auction. This is to be done with sufficient time for BOEM and the Contractor to remedy any discrepancies noted by the Bid Representative.

2.5 Each Qualified Bidder (Company) must have at least one Bid Representative participating in a lease sale auction. Bidders must have flexibility to bid from different locations and different computers. Contractor may propose alternative bidder participation arrangements or auction software configurations.

2.6 The system shall provide the ability for the Contractor to remove a Qualified Bidder and corresponding log-in IDs from an auction. For instance, the Contractor may be requested by the BOEM to do this if an otherwise qualified bidder fails to submit a required bid deposit.

3 Auction and Bidding Process

3.1 Bidding will be conducted on the bid price for each lease area offered.

3.2 The system will provide an opening bid for each lease area. The admin user inputs the amount of the opening bid prior to the auction day.

3.3 Each Qualified Bidder can submit bids on one or more lease areas based on the bidder’s eligibility and auction rules at the opening of each round. As the auction continues, a bidder’s eligibility is determined by the number of bids it submitted in the round prior to the current round.

3.4 For any number of lease areas included in the auction, provide the ability for a Qualified Bidder to submit exit or intra-round bids for each of the lease areas bid on.

3.5 The auction application must validate bids to ensure they do not violate auction parameters and bidding rules.

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3.6 In the event auction parameters and/or bidding rules are violated, the system shall return an accurate, relevant error message to the Bid Representative. If possible, the message will provide suggestions how to make the bid valid.

3.7 The system will provide confirmation when a valid bid has been entered.

3.8 When a bidding phase of a round ends, the system must prevent Bid Representatives from modifying the bid for their Qualifying Bidder.

3.9 The system shall provide the ability for the Auction Manager to temporarily block access to the system for bidders. This is used in an emergency where the Auction Manager needs to ensure all bidders have access to the same information.

3.11 The system shall provide a timer to provide Bid Representatives and monitoring accounts alerts of auction timeframes (e.g., how much time is left in a round). The system shall provide bidding status updates consistent with the auction rules.

3.12 All events shall be noted in a comprehensive audit log.

3.13 If bidding credits or discounts are used in the auction, the bidder’s display should show the asking price, cash bid component, and the credit/discount component.

In the event of a credit, the credit is calculated as a percentage of the cash bid, which is then added to the cash bid to make the asking price. The display should be able to show the calculated cash portion and awarded credit.

In the event of a discount, the discount is calculated as a percentage of the asking price, which is then subtracted from the asking price to calculate the cash bid.

The display should show the cash portion as bid price minus discount amount.

3.14 The system shall allow for configuration to meet auction rules and procedures, such revisions to the bidding credit or discount calculations.

3.15 The Contractor will be involved in setting up, running, and closing out the auction on the auction application. The Contractor will be monitoring the state of the auction application and systems and perform the necessary support services should any system issues arise.

4 Determining the Winning Bids/Offers

4.1 The system shall provide the ability for winner assignment/determination:

As appropriate to auction design, the Contractor shall determine the appropriate algorithm and optimizing software to determine the provisional winning bid.

Taking into account bidding credits and other adjustments to bids.

5 Determining the Prices

5.1 The system shall determine the price for each winning bid/offer according to the auction design.

6 Interface Requirements - Browsers

6.1 At a minimum, Contractor shall ensure compatibility with most current versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Safari.

6.2 The system shall not require installation of any special software or plug-ins.

7 Interface - User Access/Data Display

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7.1 The system shall provide the ability for users to be configured with different access, functionality and viewing options. This may include but is not limited to:

● Bid Representative for each Qualifying Bidder

● Government Personnel

● Auction Managers

The Contractor will work with BOEM to determine varying access levels allowed by User Roles.

7.2 At least 10 Department of the Interior Government Personnel log-in credentials are required with access sufficient to enable live monitoring of the auction, including access to bid information, auction round summaries, and lease area prices.

Any maximum constraints on the number of Bid Representatives or monitoring accounts shall be set forth by the Contractor in their quote.

7.3 The information…