Crypto Class 1 - Attachment 3. Instructions to Offerors.pdf

(Attachment # 3)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

CRYPTOCURRENCY MANAGED SERVICES CLASS 1

SOLICITATION NO.: 15M50024QA4400002

FAR 52.212-1- INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS (ADDENDUM)

The enclosed RFP is to provide support for the United States Marshals (USMS), Asset Forfeiture

Division (AFD), Cryptocurrency Managed Services Class 1 requirement. The Government is issuing a competitive solicitation under the Asset Forfeiture Program to a qualified vendor for the purpose of entering into a contract with a Base and four (4) one (1) year Option periods. The Government will conduct this acquisition in accordance with FAR 12 Acquisition of Commercial Products. Interested parties should submit their proposal in accordance with the following instructions. Proposals must be clear, coherent, and prepared in sufficient detail for effective evaluations of the Offeror’s proposal against the evaluation criteria. Also, proposals shall cover all aspects of this solicitation. Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the Offeror intends to accomplish the project and must include convincing rationale and substantiation of all claims. A proposal with significant informational deficiencies will be rated as low confidence, and an Offeror’s extensive restating of an RFP’s requirements will be considered as evidence of the Offeror’s failure to demonstrate a clear understanding of those requirements.

The Offeror shall describe its proposal, through the use of charts, diagrams, and narrative, in sufficient detail for the Government to understand and evaluate the nature of the approach and the validity of the solution. In its evaluation and confidence assessment, the Government will consider the degree of substantiation of the proposed approaches in the proposal volumes and in response to any discussions.

Offeror’s proposal will be evaluated rated against the following criteria:

Factor 1 Experience/Oral Presentation

Factor 2 Technical Capability/Resumes

Factor 3 Price

Factor 4 Subcontracting Plan, Teaming Agreement, Quality Control Plan (QCP)

Proposals that are incomplete will not be eligible for award. See FAR 52.212-2 “Evaluation –

Commercial Items (Oct 2014) under Attachment #4 in the Evaluation Factors for Award section. Each area/section of Factor 1 Experience must be addressed in the Oral Presentation; each area/section of

Factor 2 Technical Capability/Resumes must be addressed in the Written Proposal.

The Government is not liable for any expenses incurred by the Offerors in developing and submitting proposals for this solicitation.

The Government anticipates selecting the best-suited Offeror from initial responses, without engaging in exchanges with Offerors. However, the Government reserves the right to engage in exchanges at the sole discretion of the Contracting Officer (CO). Therefore, offerors are strongly encouraged to present their best technical solutions, price, quality control in response to this RFP. The Government reserves the right to communicate with only the apparently successful Offeror to address any remaining issues, if necessary, and finalize with that Offeror. These issues may include but are not limited to price and responsibility matters. If the parties cannot successfully address any remaining issues, as determined pertinent at the sole discretion of the Government, the Government reserves the right to communicate with the next best-suited Offeror based on the original analysis and address any remaining issues. Once the Government has begun communications with the next best-suited Offeror, no further communications with the previous

Offeror will be entertained until after award has been made. This process shall continue until an agreement is successfully reached and award made.

FAR 52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

The Government contemplates award of a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity

(IDIQ) contract resulting from this solicitation. Only one (1) award will be made as a result of this notice.

The Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract without discussions with offerors.

However, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if later determined by the CO to be necessary.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The resulting award period of performance is a based period of 12 months with four (4) 12 month option periods, unless the period is extended by modification to this task order. Option periods are subject to availability of funds and may be unilaterally exercised by the Government.

(Dates subject to changes based on award)

Base Period: June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025

Option Period 1: June 1, 2025 – May 31, 2026

Option Period 2: June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027

Option Period 3: June 1, 2027 – May 31, 2028

Option Period 4: June 1, 2028 – May 31, 2029

ESTIMATED SCHEDULE

An estimated schedule of the phased approach to the evaluation process is provided below:

Event Date

RFP Release 3/4/2024

Questions and Answers (Q&A) 3/8/2024

Factor 1 Experience/Oral Presentation TBD – Oral Presentations will be scheduled during the week of 4/1 to 4/5 2024.

Factors 2, 3, 4 4/1/2024

REQUEST FOR PRESENTATION TIME AND PRESENTATION SCHEDULE

Offerors shall request a presentation time via email request to the Christopher Ottie at christopher.ottie@usdoj.gov no later than 12:00 PM EST on 3/8/2024. Offerors will be provided three options of presentation times for the week. When submitting the time preferences, the Offeror must provide two Authorized Corporate Representatives and include the following information: Company

Name, Entity ID from SAM.gov, Authorized Corporate Representatives names, titles, emails, and phone numbers. Presentation times will be established on a first come first serve basis.

To the maximum extent practicable, Offerors will be provided with a meeting invitation link to one of their three time slots. If one of the three time slots cannot be accommodated the CO will work with the

Offeror to coordinate an alternate date and time. The alternate date and time must be within specified options in the Presentation Time and Presentation Schedule.

mailto:christopher.ottie@usdoj.gov

SOLICITATION TECHNICAL INQUIRIES AND QUESTIONS

Offerors must read the entire solicitation document, including all attachments, prior to submitting questions and/or preparing the response. All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted on

At tachment #8 Q&A Excel form via email to eliana.york@us.doj.gov , christopher.ottie@us.doj.gov and AFP.PROCUREMENT@usdoj.gov no later than 3/8/2024. Questions with the Government’s responses will be posted to www.sam.gov. Please be advised that the Government reserves the right to transmit those questions and answers of a common interest to all prospective

Offerors.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Organizational Conflicts of Interest

Per FAR Subpart 9.5, the Offeror must warrant that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances that would give rise to an organizational conflict of interest. If there is such rise, the offeror must disclose all such relevant information to the CO, Eliana York via email at eliana.york@usdoj.gov.

Proposal submission:

The Offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 180 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of offers. Proposals must be submitted electronically via email on or before the RFP closing date of 4/1/2024. Please reference the solicitation number in the subject line of emails (e.g.

15M50024QA4400002 Cryptocurrency Managed Services Class 1). If sending more than one email, please ensure that each email is documented with the appropriate solicitation number.

General Instructions for Written Submissions

(1) Electronic Files. Each written submission shall be in the form of an electronic file as specified in this solicitation, with no passwords, security features, encryptions, macros, and so forth.

Hyperlinks are allowed only internal to the electronic file, and only for table of contents or index purposes. Each electronic file is limited to a size of 3 MB. Each electronic file shall be named

“Cryptocurrency Managed Services Class 1 –Volume #– Offeror Name.

(2) Page Limitations. All pages, excluding the cover letter of the Proposal, title page in any section of any Volume, table of contents, table of figures, list of tables, and glossary of abbreviations & acronyms are counted within page count limitations. Proposal contents that exceed the stated page limitations will be removed from the proposal by the CO, prior to turning the proposal over to the Government evaluation teams and will not be considered in the evaluation.

(3) Page Format. Pages shall be numbered consecutively at the bottom of each page “Page of ”.

Proposals shall be typed, double-spaced on standard- sized paper (8.5” x 11”) with 1” margins on all sides with 12-point Times New Roman font.

However, the Offeror shall not make formatting changes in the Excel (.xlsx) Pricing Spreadsheet submission. Any page citing “This page intentionally left blank” will not be included in the page count.

(4) Cover Page. The first page of each volume shall be a cover page (letter of transmittal) prepared on the Offeror’s letterhead stationery. The cover letter shall identify all enclosures being transmitted and shall be used only to transmit the proposal and shall include no other information. The cover page shall be in accordance with FAR 52.215-1, paragraph (c)(2).

However, the cover page is not required for the Excel (.xlsx) Pricing Spreadsheet submission.

mailto:eliana.york@us.doj.gov mailto:Christopher.ottie@us.doj.gov mailto:AFP.PROCUREMENT@usdoj.gov http://www.sam/ mailto:eliana.york@usdoj.gov

(5) Submittal. The Offeror shall submit all volumes to the Government’s POC identified above. The

Offeror shall submit its volumes as e-mail attachments. Each e-mail’s subject line shall include

“Cryptocurrency Managed Services Class 1– Vol. n–Offeror Name.” In the body of the e-mail, the Offerors shall include the following information: • Name of Offeror. • Email contents/list of attachments. • Offeror Point of Contact (name, phone number and email address) for any questions regarding submission.

The below table shows the page limits to which offerors’ submissions must adhere to.

Proposal should contain the following information:

Evaluation

Factor

Volume

Reference

Page Limit

Signed and Dated SF-1449 and Completed

Offeror’s Information Page.

N/A

Signed and Dated Standard Form SF-30

(Amendment of Solicitation/Modification Of

Contract) [If any amendments were issued]

The Representations and Certifications with all fill-ins completed or SAM

Experience/Oral Presentation/Power Point

120 minutes

Cover Letter

Technical Capability/Resumes

25 pages+resumes (unlimited)

Price unlimited

Subcontracting Plan, Teaming Agreement, Quality Control Plan (QCP) unlimited

FACTOR 1 - EXPERIENCE/ORAL PRESENTATION (VOLUME I)

Factor 1 Experience, which will consist of 1. prepared questions, to include specific security requirements and the related implementation, 2. a demonstration from the offerors of their understanding and capability to offer and/or create a solution for the USMS based on the PWS, 3. on-the-spot challenge questions. The purpose of this section is to establish requirements for the format and content of the presentation so that all presentations contain essential information and can be evaluated equitably.

NO PRICING INFORMATION SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THE ORAL PRESENTATION

Time Limit:

A total of 2 hours will be allotted for the oral presentations. The estimated time frames are 5 minutes for introductions, 80 minutes to brief Oral Presentation questions provided below, 25 minutes for the offerors to demonstrate their understanding and capability to offer/create a solution for the USMS based on the

PWS, and 10 minutes to answer on-the-spot challenge questions. The estimated time frames for responses are provided as informational only for preparing for the oral presentation. All responses within the 2-hour time limit will be accepted and considered. Any response that exceeds the 2-hour time limit will not be considered.

Number of Slides:

Offerors have the discretion of the number of slides and the format as long as it meets the time limit criteria.

Formatting:

Offerors shall ensure that the print, graphics, and fonts are easily readable. Slide presentations shall be submitted in a format readable by Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT).

a. Questions and Topics to be Addressed in the Oral Presentation (Estimated to be 80 Minutes

Maximum):

The following prepared questions must be answered within the estimated 80-minute oral presentation.

i. Detail your company’s experience managing and liquidating cryptocurrency assets similar to the requirements in the Performance Work Statement (PWS). How long, and in what capacity has your company been involved in the cryptocurrency industry?

ii. Describe the different portfolios your company has experience managing and liquidating

(e.g., individual vs institutional investor portfolios, value of portfolios, types of cryptocurrencies included in portfolios, etc.).

iii. Describe your company’s experience providing insurance coverage for cryptocurrency assets. What type and amount of coverage does your company typically provide?

iv. Key Personnel in the solicitation consist of a Program Manager, Security Officer, and

Compliance Officer. Explain your company’s experience recruiting, hiring, and maintaining personnel with the requirements included in the PWS.

v. Some of the expertise required to fulfill the requirements of the PWS are everchanging and evolving. What does your company plan to do to ensure that it will be able to stay up to date on industry changes and retain the expertise your company determines it will need to successfully complete the requirements of the PWS?

vi. Provide an overview of your company’s security architecture that is currently used to safeguard cryptocurrency portfolios. Describe in detail your strategy for security, monitoring, hardening, failover and disaster recovery of cryptocurrency assets and data.

vii. Describe the security protocols and internal controls that you will implement for the custody, storage, and access of USMS cryptocurrency assets in your custody to prevent the loss of Government cryptocurrency assets including but not limited to theft, human error, system failures, unauthorized access, bankruptcy, and acts of nature.

viii. Describe how your cybersecurity processes are in line with industry’s best practices.

ix. Describe the plan for logging and controlling access to cryptocurrency assets, data, and management systems. Provide specifics of how you will secure and log the access to cryptocurrency assets in your custody and the data derived from USMS activities.

x. SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II audits are mandatory, and reports are required in place and current as of the release date of this solicitation. Describe the Cybersecurity

Framework used to conduct your annual third-party audits. Describe the use and implementation of SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II audits in support of this solicitation.

xi. When was your last third-party SOC audit conducted? Provide the dates of your most recent annual third-party audit and are those dates within the last year?

xii. How do you prepare for and support annual SOC audits? Provide a descriptive plan of your annual third-party audits including preparation activities and audit timeframes.

xiii. Provide an overview of the deficiencies or findings resulting from your most recent third-party audit, and how you are working to remediate or mitigate those findings.

xiv. What cybersecurity focus or concentration areas did the deficiencies or findings identify?

Describe their current deficiencies, grouping them by cybersecurity focus or concentration areas (Access Control, Configuration Management, Vulnerability

Management, Identification and Authentication, Incident Response, Maintenance, etc.)

xv. Outside of third-party annual audits, describe your cybersecurity self-assessment and continuous monitoring activities. Describe their holistic cybersecurity program and how it addresses various cybersecurity focus or concentration areas.

xvi. Describe your approach and how frequently you monitor your own cybersecurity operations for effectiveness to include how frequently you conduct self-assessment activities.

xvii. Describe your cyber ops tempo including the ongoing activities that support continuous monitoring, incident response, vulnerability management and maintenance.

b. Demonstration of offerors’ understanding and capability to offer/create a solution for the

USMS based on the PWS (Estimated to be 25 Minutes Maximum)

Offerors have the discretion regarding the format of the demonstration as long as it meets the time limit criteria. The USMS does not intend for offerors to develop any modules for the purposes of this demonstration. The demonstration should be similar to USMS/PWS requirements and must address the following items:

i. Describe how easily and comprehensively customizable your system would be by the USMS, in the areas of workflows and reports, in addition to adding/modifying things like multi account access and roles and data points for tracking and reporting.

ii. Describe/demonstrate how your system processes requests for cryptocurrency wallet addresses; including how your system ensures the correct type of cryptocurrency wallet address is generated and provided.

iii. Describe how your system handles cryptocurrency assets sent to provided wallet addresses without memos and/or tags.

iv. Describe how your system supports and allows for the quick and efficient liquidation of cryptocurrency assets.

v. Describe how the system reports on and tracks system access, cryptocurrency wallet addresses requested/issued, cryptocurrency types and units received, cryptocurrency types and units liquidated, and proceeds withdrawals.

vi. Describe how your system stores and exports data. Additionally describe how data retention requirements are managed within your system (e.g., timeframe data needs to be retained, holds on deletion timeframes, etc.).

vii. Describe how your system ensures compliance with regulations and laws related to the selling of cryptocurrency assets.

viii. Describe any instance where the proposed solution promises to exceed the

Government’s requirement in a meaningful way(s). Does your system offer additional capabilities and/or areas of operation over what is requested in the

PWS and its attachments. Will these additional capabilities allow for growth on the system to take on additional activities.

c. On-the-Spot Challenge Questions (Estimated 10 minutes Maximum):

Two (2) on-the-spot questions will be presented to Offerors by the Evaluation Board. These questions shall be addressed at the end of the Oral Presentation.

Recording:

The presentations will be recorded in Microsoft Teams. The recording is procurement sensitive and will be handled accordingly. The Offeror retains full responsibility for ensuring its participants are able to gain access to Microsoft Teams.

Points of Contact:

The Offeror’s Authorized Corporate Representatives provided when submitting time preferences shall be the primary and secondary points of contact (e.g. program manager) who will be closest in contact with the USMS if awarded.

Participants:

The Offeror’s participants in on-the-spot oral questions shall be limited to the designated Program

Manager for the requirement as well as the authorized corporate official. No more than five (5) total

Offeror Participants shall attend.

Rules of Engagement:

a. The Offeror may not generally ask questions during the Oral Presentation or On-The-Spot Challenge questions. Any questions asked must be directed to the Contracting Officer and should only deal with logistics and conduct of the oral presentation. Clarification or rereading of the questions may be asked.

b. Oral presentations do not constitute discussions. The Government will not ask questions that will invite or allow the Offeror to change its offer. The Offeror shall not volunteer any information that might be construed as changing its offer. Oral presentations are distinct from the Government’s reserved right to conduct exchanges.

c. The Offeror participants shall not reach back, by telephone, e-mail, or any other means, to any other personnel or persons for assistance during the oral presentation.

Oral Presentations Estimated

Total time allotted

Introductions and Rules of Engagement 5 minutes

Offerors presentation of the seventeen (17) questions provided in solicitation

80 minutes

Demonstration of the offerors’ understanding and capability to offer/create a solution for the

USMS based on the PWS

25 minutes

On-The-Spot Challenge Questions

* The Government intends for this component to be an interactive dialogue between the

Offeror and the Government. These do not constitute discussions.

10 minutes

COVER LETTER

A cover letter shall accompany the proposal. This cover letter may be used to set forth any information the offerors wishes to bring to the attention of the USMS.

FACTOR 2 - TECHNICAL CAPABILITY/RESUMES (VOLUME 2)

Proposals under Factor 2 Technical Capability/Resumes shall address the following subfactors:

(1) Facility and Staffing

(i) Describe the Phase-In/Phase-Out Plan for contract and asset transition.

a. The offeror shall provide their process for the contract phase-in/phase-out at both the start and end of the contract. This plan shall fully define the actions at contract onset to transfer existing assets from the incumbent location to the new storage platforms/devices, and the actions to close out asset inventory at the conclusion of the contract period. Details provided shall, at a minimum, include time frame, security, equipment, and personnel.

(ii) Describe how the offeror’s workforce (including sub-contractors), will meet the requirements of the PWS.

a. The offeror shall provide a list of job titles and descriptions for all personnel who will be working on the proposed contract. The offeror shall also provide summaries of their proposed Key Personnel showcasing related experience and any applicable professional certification(s), licenses, and education required to perform the contract actions as assigned. Include any subcontractor(s) proposed for use. The offeror shall address how Key

Personnel changes will be implemented and shared during the duration of the contract.

(iii) Describe the offeror’s approach to insurance coverage and what processes are in, or will be in, place to ensure USMS is made whole in the event of loss.

a. The offeror shall describe their current ability, or intention to obtain the ability, to provide commercial crime and cybercrime insurance coverage for the duration of the contract. The offeror shall also provide a description of what measures are in place to make USMS whole in the event of a loss not covered, and/or not completely covered, by the offeror’s insurance coverage.

The offeror shall produce documentation showing current coverage, including coverage amount, or a statement showing approval for coverage and coverage amount.

(2) Initial Intake

(i) Describe the initial intake process of a newly seized cryptocurrency asset.

a. The offeror shall provide their process for how they would intake a cryptocurrency asset to be held in cold storage. This process should detail how the request should be made to them, the specifics needed to create the wallet address, and how confirmation of the transfer would be communicated to USMS.

(ii) Describe how the platform that will be provided creates cryptocurrency wallet addresses and monitors cryptocurrency wallets.

a. The offeror shall detail how the cryptocurrency wallet addresses are created and the systems in place to verify the wallet addresses prior to distribution.

The offeror shall also describe how their platform monitors wallet addresses once distributed.

(iii) Provide a sample confirmation of transfer document.

a. The offeror shall provide a sample confirmation of transfer document that details the amount and type of cryptocurrency transferred, when the cryptocurrency was received, and a link to the blockchain transaction.

(3) Storage and Management

(i) Describe the cold-storage methods the offeror will provide.

a. The offeror shall describe the method(s) of cold storage it will employ to custody Government cryptocurrency assets. The offeror shall also describe how private keys will be generated, verified, backed-up, and safeguarded.

(ii) Provide a plan for how complete and accurate accounting of cryptocurrency assets will be implemented.

a. The offeror shall describe how the assets are accounted for by individual transfers, cases, and grouped into individual portfolios by cryptocurrency type. The plan shall ensure that specific transfers/assets can be easily identifiable.

(iii) Provide a description of the web-based Asset Management Solution.

a. The offeror shall describe their web-based Asset Management Solution that allows individual profiles for the same account. The solution shall track all wallet addresses, transfers, assets in the offeror’s custody. The solution shall also provide instant, exportable, reporting at any time in various formats (e.g., PDF, Excel, etc.)

(iv) Describe the platform and processes for monitoring Government cryptocurrency assets in their custody including how suspicious activities, movement of cryptocurrency, and additional transfers of cryptocurrency are identified.

a. The offeror shall describe, in detail, how they are alerted of any suspicious activities, unauthorized movements of cryptocurrency, and the receipt of additional cryptocurrency assets. The offeror shall further describe the actions taken once notified, and the protocols in place to alert USMS. The offeror must provide timelines for notifying USMS of incidents occurring during and after business hours.

(v) Provide a plan for ensuring USMS and/or Treasury Executive Office for Asset

Forfeiture (TEOAF) cryptocurrency assets are kept in the same manner they are received.

a. The offeror shall provide a plan that details how they will ensure cryptocurrency assets are not swapped, staked, pledged, hypothecated, borrowed, assigned, etc. The offeror shall provide documentation on how they will ensure that USMS and/or TEOAF cryptocurrency assets are not made available to creditors and/or other third parties.

(4) Disposal

(i) Describe the platform for liquidation of cryptocurrency assets.

a. The offeror shall describe the platform provided that allows for quick and efficient liquidation of cryptocurrency assets. The offeror shall identify how their platform is in line with industry best practices, ensures the best price is obtained, guarantees the market isn’t affected, and is economical.

(ii) Describe the platform for the return of cryptocurrency assets.

a. The offeror shall describe the platform provided that allows for the quick, efficient, and safe return of cryptocurrency assets. The platform shall allow for returns to an Investigating Agency, owner, or other third party in a method that ensure accurate and timely transfers.

(iii) Present a sample recommendation the offeror would provide for liquidating a large amount (in value) of cryptocurrency.

a. The offeror shall provide a sample liquidation recommendation that details the best way to liquidate a large value cryptocurrency asset. The recommendation shall list the most important factors in the liquidation and alternatives if applicable.

(5) Resumes

Proposals shall include resumes for Key Personnel. Copies of professional certifications, Key Personnel resumes, sample confirmation document are not included in the written proposal twenty-five (25) page maximum.

FACTOR 3 - PRICE (VOLUME 3)

Under Factor 3 Price Volume 3, Offerors must submit one (1) original Price Schedule as per Attachment

#7. The pricing schedule will be submitted in Microsoft Excel.

The resulting contracting will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and will use range/band pricing. For this proposal and under the range/band approach, a single quantity within each band/range is used to establish the unit price for the entire range of quantities in each band/range. For the Monthly Managed Services, the minimum band/range is $250,000.00 while the max value is $25B+. For the Disposal Services, the minimum band/range is $10,000 while the max value is $400K+. Each band/range will be evaluated for a determination of fair and reasonable price.

The Government projects the value of the Crypto portfolio by month for each given year (including option years). The portfolio value is used in conjunction with the pricing schedule to estimate the cost of

SOC 25715 for each month based on proposed range pricing.

Once the monthly basis points price is entered for a line item, an automatic calculation will occur for the total price of the line item. The total amount for each year will also be automatically calculated, as well as the total price of the contract. There are six (6) tabs at the bottom of the excel spreadsheet.

The pricing schedule also includes a Not-To-Exceed Travel Contract Line Item (CLIN) in the amount of

$10K.

Pricing shall be completed on the excel spreadsheet only. FAR 52.217-8 tab will be calculated by using

50% of Option Year 4.

FACTOR 4 - SUBCONTRACTING PLAN, TEAMING AGREEMENT, QUALITY CONTROL

PLAN (QCP) (VOLUME 4)

Under Factor 4 Subcontracting Plan, Teaming Agreement, Quality Control Plan (QCP) Volume 4, Offerors must include the following:

PROOF OF COMMERCIAL CRIME AND CYBER INSURANCE, OR CAPABILITY OF

OBTAINING THE SAME.

Exceptions/Deviations/Conditional Assumptions. Any exception/deviation/conditional assumption relating to any part of the RFP shall be submitted in Volume V. Any exception/deviation/conditional assumption taken must contain sufficient amplification and justification to permit evaluation. All benefits to the Government must be fully explained for each exception/deviation/conditional assumption taken. Such exceptions/ deviations/conditional assumptions will not, in itself, automatically cause an offer to be deemed unacceptable. A large number of exceptions/deviations/conditional assumptions or one or more significant exception/deviation/conditional assumption not providing benefit to the Government, may, however, result in rejection of your offer as unacceptable.

Quality Control Plan (QCP). The Offeror shall provide a Quality Control Plan (QCP) not to exceed ten

(10) pages. The plan must describe quality control procedures that ensure the deliverance of acceptable performance in accordance with the PWS.

The QCP procedures must show how the Offeror will:

i. Monitor personnel performance to ensure personnel are performing the services required;

ii. Identify trends, problems, or issues in personnel performance;

iii. Resolve and prevent quality assurance problems;

iv. Document personnel performance, record resolution of personnel issues, and report quality-of-work-related problems;

v. Identify deficiencies before the level of services become unacceptable.

The Government reserves the right to review the quality controls established, and to appraise their effectiveness in how performance of the order and requirements have been met. It shall be the responsibility of the Offeror to enforce all Quality Control Plan requirements for any and all

Subcontractor(s). The Offeror’s quality control processes shall become incorporated into the order at time of award.

At a minimum, the Offeror’s Quality Control Plan shall include:

i. An inspection system for required services. Job titles and all positions of individuals who will conduct inspections must be specified.

ii. A method to identify and procedures to correct any deficiencies in services that may occur.

iii. A secure file that documents all inspections and other quality and internal control actions, including the purpose of the inspection, the results of the inspection and any corrective action taken as a result of the inspection. Upon request, this file shall be made available to the CO or

COR during the period of performance.

iv. Description of procedures to be used to ensure that deliverables shall be accurate and timely. The

Offeror is responsible for the inspection of all Offeror-prepared materials prior to delivery to the

Government.

v. Description of how Contract Personnel assigned to the Quality Control (QC) function shall ensure that deliverables are accurate and do not include any subjective interpretation.

Subcontracting Plan (if applicable). Plan must utilize Attachment #9 – USMS Subcontracting Plan

Template. Offerors are encouraged to maximize opportunities for subcontracting with Small

Businesses, HUBZone small, Small Disadvantaged, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small

Business, and Women-Owned Small Business concerns. In accordance with FAR Subpart 19.704, Offerors which are not small business concerns shall submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

If applicable, the Offeror’s Small Business Subcontracting Plan must be approved by the Contracting

Officer prior to award. Offerors which are small business concerns are not required to submit a subcontracting plan.

Teaming Agreement (if applicable). Offerors participating in teaming/partnering arrangements for this acquisition shall submit their teaming/partnering agreements with their Phase II proposal. The agreements shall address the following:

i. Be signed by the parties and shall demonstrate the relationship between firms and identify contractual relationships and authorities to bind the firm and the team/partnership.

ii. Offerors proposing major subcontracts (subcontracts exceeding 10% of the overall prime contract value) shall submit signed letters of commitment from the subcontractors which:

Define the contractual relationship and identify contribution to the planned arrangement in terms of the type and proportion of work to be performed.