19. HYSHMAL&M.pdf

NSWCCD Standard Sections L & M – Template Effective February 2021 Page 1 of 19

Section L - Instructions, Conditions and Notices to Bidders

SECTION L - INSTRUCTION, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

1.0 ELIGIBILITY

This solicitation is unrestricted. Offerors who are other than Small Businesses are required to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan in accordance with FAR 52.219-9. If a Subcontracting Plan is required, the offeror shall complete the Subcontracting Plan Cover Sheet (Attachment X) and provide it with their Subcontracting Plan.

1.1 QUESTIONS

It is the Offeror's responsibility to bring to the attention of the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) at the earliest possible time, but prior to the solicitation closing date, any ambiguities, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or conflicts between the Statement of Work (SOW) and other solicitation documents attached hereto or incorporated by reference. All questions shall be submitted in accordance with L-215-H007 within 10 calendar days after issuance of the solicitation. Questions received after this date may be answered at the discretion of the Government.

1.2 START DATE FOR USE IN COST/PRICE PROPOSAL

In order to allow for procurement lead-time and a fair and equal evaluation of all proposals submitted under this competitive procurement, all proposals shall be based on a contract start date 30 June 2023. This date is only an estimate of the anticipated contract start date and will be used for the purpose of proposal evaluation only. The definitive start date will be stated in the contract award document.

2.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

The Government reserves the right to reject any proposal that does not comply with these proposal preparation/submission instructions. Note: Information requested and submitted in one volume will not be considered for purposes of evaluation of information contained in another volume. Cost/price proposal submissions must reflect what is submitted in the technical volume. Proposals for which the cost elements (e.g., number of hours, labor categories, subcontractors) in the cost/price volume do not match those identified in the technical volume may be deemed unawardable.

2.1 General Requirements

Proposals shall be submitted via email or DoD SAFE at https://safe.apps.gov by the solicitation closing date and time specified on the cover page of this solicitation, block 9. Offerors shall comply with the instructions for the format and content of the proposal; proposals that fail to comply may be ineligible for award.

(a) Definitions. As used in this solicitation –

• “In writing” or “written” means any worded or numbered expression which can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and includes electronically transmitted and stored information.

• Proposal modification is a change made to a proposal before the solicitation’s closing date and time, or made in response to an amendment, or made to correct a mistake at any time before award.

• Proposal revision is a change to a proposal made after the solicitation closing date, at the request of or as allowed by a Contracting Officer.

• Day is defined as a calendar day unless otherwise specified. If the last day of a specified period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal Holiday, the period shall be deemed to end on the next Federal work day.

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• Major Subcontractor is defined as a subcontractor performing 30% or more of total proposed burdened labor costs.

(b) Amendments to the solicitation. If this solicitation is amended, terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation by the date and time specified in the amendment(s). The Offeror shall demonstrate that the proposal is in response to the latest amendment.

(c) Proposal submissions, modifications, revisions, and withdrawals shall be sent via email or DoD SAFE under the appropriate solicitation number and its latest amendment (if any).

• Offerors may submit modifications to their proposals at any time before the solicitation closing date and time. In the event of an amendment to the solicitation that requires Offerors to submit proposal modifications, the amendment will provide instructions for submittal.

• After the solicitation closing date and time, Offerors may submit revised proposals only if requested or allowed by the Contracting Officer.

• Proposals may be withdrawn at any time before award. Withdrawals are effective upon receipt of notice by the Contracting Officer.

2.2 Electronic Submission

Offerors shall submit proposals via email or DoD SAFE at https://safe.apps.mil to the Contract Specialist, Sam Keith (sam.a.keith.civ@us.navy.mil), and Contracting Officer, Abeer Ameer (abeer.j.ameer.civ@us.navy.mil), no later than the solicitation’s closing date/time in order to be considered eligible for award. If the Offeror elects to use DoD SAFE, the Offeror shall submit a DoD SAFE request to the aforementioned Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer three business days prior to due date. Failure to submit a complete proposal prior to the solicitation closing date and time will in almost all circumstances render the proposal late and unacceptable. Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer provided such notice is received prior to contract award.

2.3 Proposal Format

All Offerors are required to submit proposals in accordance with the format and content specified herein. The requirements below apply equally to subcontractors. Proposals that do not meet the below requirements may be deemed unacceptable and may not be eligible for award. The electronic proposal shall be prepared with:

• Microsoft Word, Excel, or (searchable) Adobe Acrobat software (note: instructions regarding use of certain electronic products (e.g. Microsoft Office, Excel, Adobe) listed herein shall not be construed as Government endorsement of specified products);

• No hyperlinks to locations outside a document (certain hyperlinks to places within a document, such as table of contents numbers, section headings, and table or figure cross references are acceptable);

• All files named with the Offeror’s company name and title/subject of file content;

• All files named with the file extension .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf;

• Spreadsheet files (workbooks) provided for all prime AND subcontractors shall include all formulas, functions, macros, computations, and equations used to compute the proposed amounts. There shall be no cell references to data or links to files not included in the Technical and Management volume and the Cost/Price volume, submissions, as appropriate. For each workbook, all rows, columns, cells, and worksheets shall be visible (object.visible=true). Zero height/zero width rows/columns in worksheets are not acceptable. Worksheet cells formatted with the font color equal to the fill color are not acceptable.

Print image files or pictures (for example, a picture of an Excel spreadsheet embedded in a Word document) shall not be used;

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• Spreadsheets shall include all calculations in the cells (e.g. show all formulas). The Government MUST be able to determine how all direct and indirect rates are calculated. DO NOT hard enter data where formulas were used to calculate the entered value;

• All files named with the file extension .doc or .docx shall be Microsoft Word 2010 compatible;

• Prime /Subcontractor Cost Summaries shall be submitted using Microsoft Excel (2010 or compatible).

This submission is in addition to the Offeror loading their Section B pricing into the portal via the web form;

• Narratives related to the cost/price summary data may be provided in Microsoft Word;

• Any other attached documents requested herein shall be compatible with Microsoft Office. Compression tools are limited to PKZip or WinZip;

• Offerors shall propose to provide all items in order to be deemed eligible for this award; and

• Offerors shall submit proposals in response to this solicitation in English and in U.S. dollars.

• Restriction on disclosure and use of data. Offerors that include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall mark the title page with the following legend:

"This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. If; however, a contract is awarded to this Offeror as a result of, or in connection with, the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction is contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]"; and

• Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:

"Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal."

Additionally, the electronic proposal shall be prepared so that, if printed, the proposal meets the following requirements:

• 8.5 x 11 inch paper;

• Single-spaced typed lines;

• 1 inch margins;

• 12-point Times New Roman Font text;

• Only graphs/tables/charts as may be necessary to convey a response to the items/information requested in this solicitation. The font size for text contained in embedded graphics (tables and illustrations) shall be no smaller than 9 point Times New Roman font; and

• The spreadsheets (landscape orientation) shall be formatted for printing such that all data is in a font no smaller than 9 point Times New Roman and row and column headings appear on each printed page.

2.3.1 Cover Page and Table of Contents

Each proposal volume shall include a Cover Page and a Table of Contents. The Cover Page shall identify the solicitation number, amendment number (if any), proposal volume and title, and the Offeror’s name. Volume I shall include a Master Table of Contents and Proposal Cross-Reference Table. The Proposal Cross-Reference Table shall indicate the required proposal content and the section/page number where this content appears in the proposal.

Cover Pages, Tables of Contents, and the Proposal Cross-Reference Table will not count against page limitations.

2.3.2 Page Numbering System

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The Offeror shall use a standard page numbering system to facilitate proposal references. All pages shall be numbered. Consecutive pages will be numbered within sections. Charts, graphs, and other insert materials shall be page-numbered as part of the page numbering system.

2.3.3 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

The Offeror may submit a glossary which includes abbreviations, acronyms, and their corresponding definitions.

Glossaries will not count against page limitations.

2.3.4 File Naming Convention

All files must be submitted in the following formats:

• Technical_Company Name_Document Name_Volume # Example: Technical_Company X_Technical_Volume I

• Past Performance_Company Name_Document Name/Attachment #_Volume # Example: Past Performance_Company X_Previous Contracting Efforts_Volume II

• Cost_Company Name_Document Name_Vol #(or Attachment Number) Example: Cost_Company X_Cost Narrative_Volume III Example: Cost_Company X_Cost Summary_Attachment 1

2.3.5 Section L and Proposal Volume Cross-Reference Table

The table below represents a cross-reference of proposal content, volume in which the proposal content shall be submitted, and whether proposal content is included in page limitations for the volumes defined in paragraph 2.3.6.

When there is a page limit for a document that is NOT included in the page limit for the volume it appears in, that will be noted in a parenthetical; if there is no parenthetical, there is no limit.

Cross-Reference Table

Section L Paragraph Required Documentation Volume

Included in Volume Page

Limitation

Page Limitation

2.3.1 Cover Page All N

Volume I:

40 pages

2.3.1 Master Table of Contents I N

2.3.3 Glossaries All N

2.3.5 Section L and Proposal Volume Cross-Reference

Table I N

3.1 Cover Letter N/A N

4.1 Factor 1: Technical I Y

4.1.1 Subfactor A - Technical Capabilities and

Approach I Y

4.1.2 Subfactor B – First Anticipated Delivery Order I Y

4.2

Factor 2: Past Performance

II N

Volume

II:

No page limit

4.2.1 Previous Contracting Effort Narrative II Y Volume

II: 3 page

Effective February 2021 Page 5 of 19 limit per effort

4.2.2 CPARS Reports and Past Performance Questionnaire II N

Volume II: No page limit

4.3 Factor 3: Small Business Commitment Document III N Volume

III:

No page limit

4.4 Factor 4: Total Evaluated Price (TEP) IV N Volume

IV: No page limit

4.5 Contract Fill-ins V N Volume

V:

No page limit

2.3.6 Page Limitations

Page limitations are identified for each volume of the proposal as shown above and will be treated as maximums. If exceeded, excess pages will not be read or considered in proposal evaluation. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it shall be counted as two pages.

2.3.7 General Content Instructions

(a) The Offeror shall not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements in its proposal. The Offeror shall provide sufficient details and convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet the requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of its facilities, capabilities, or approach.

(b) The Offeror shall include sufficient details to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of the proposal.

The proposal shall clearly demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of the requirements and the feasibility of its approaches to meet those requirements. This is solely the Offeror’s responsibility. Proposals that merely offer to perform work in accordance with this solicitation, or which fail to present more than an indication of capability of compliance with the technical requirements without elaboration shall be deemed unacceptable and not considered further. Offerors shall identify technical uncertainties and assumptions within the requirements set forth in the solicitation and provide specific courses of action for their resolution. Offerors are cautioned that failure to provide the necessary information may result in their ratings being downgraded accordingly. Note that the information required by FAR 52.215-22, if applicable to the proposal, is a material requirement; therefore, failure to include the required information in the technical and cost volumes, as appropriate, will render the Offeror ineligible for award.

(c) Offerors are to ensure that all information supporting each factor is contained wholly within the appropriate volume as specified in the Cross-Reference Table, above. In particular, Offerors are cautioned not to include any cost/price information in any non-cost/price volume.

3.0 PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION AND CONTENT

3.1 Cover Letter

Offerors shall provide a cover letter which constitutes the legal offer and contains the following information:

a. The solicitation number, Effective February 2021 Page 6 of 19

b. Name, address, email address, and telephone numbers of the Offeror,

c. Offeror’s CAGE code and/or Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number,

d. List of all enclosures being transmitted as part of the proposal,

e. A statement that the offer is in response to the solicitation and is valid through 180 days after the proposal due date.

f. A statement specifying the Offeror’s unconditional agreement to the terms and conditions of the solicitation and agreement to furnish any and all items upon which prices are offered at the price set for each item.

g. Names, titles, phone numbers and email addresses of persons authorized to negotiate on the Offeror’s behalf in connection with this solicitation.

h. Name, title and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent shall be accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority.

i. DCAA and DCMA points of contact (POC), including branch location, contact name, telephone number, and email address for both the Prime and its Subcontractors.

j. Per HQ L-2-0005 (L-209-H009), NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT(S)

OF INTEREST (NAVSEA), if no conflicts of interest exist, then the Offeror shall clearly state this in its cover letter. If any conflicts exist, the Offeror shall submit a mitigation plan in accordance with the clause as part of Volume IV, Contract Fill-Ins.

4.0 PROPOSAL CONTENT

4.1 Factor 1 – Technical (Volume I)

4.1.1 Subfactor A – Technical Capabilities and Approach

The offeror (including prime and subcontractors) shall describe its technical capabilities and approach to the fulfilling the statement of work, including applicable drawings and specifications.

a. COLUMBIA Class Requirements

i. HYSHMA Qualification. The offeror shall provide NAVSEA-approved documentation demonstrating that they have completed the requirements associated with the qualification to apply HYSHMA as identified in Section C references 3.1.

ii. Technical Approach Narrative. The offeror shall outline their approach to meeting the requirements of Section C 5.3, HYSHMA Application to the CLB Forward Assembly.

This narrative shall provide an overview of the support equipment (fixtures, molds, etc) to conduct the HYSHMA application, and a description of the application procedures.

The narrative response shall address the Offeror’s assumptions and rationale for choosing their preferred approach.

iii. Preliminary Schedule. The offeror shall provide a Gantt chart, showing the major milestone steps to executing the SOW sections 5.1 and 5.3. Major milestone steps shall include NRE, transportation, setup, HYSHMA application, and breakdown of equipment.

iv. Staffing Approach. The offeror shall describe their staffing approach to conduct off-site HYSHMA application activities.

v. Material Procurement. The offeror shall identify its proposed material sourcing strategy to include potential vendors and procurement lead times. The offeror shall describe its facilities for appropriate storage of these materials.

vi. Contractor Furnished Equipment. The offeror shall provide specifications for the processing equipment required to perform the scope of Section C. This equipment shall be consistent with the qualification effort as documented in the response to 4.1.a.i.

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vii. Logistics. The offeror shall provide its approach to transportation, and on-site storage of the equipment to perform the scope of Section C. The offeror shall address the space constraints of reference 3.3.

viii. Quality Assurance/Inspection. The offeror shall describe equipment, personnel and procedures necessary for meeting the testing and inspection requirements of references 3.1-3.5.

ix. Initial Risk Assessment. The offeror shall provide an initial risk assessment to meeting the technical requirements of Section C. The offeror shall propose risk mitigation steps as necessary to address these perceived risks.

x. SOW Compliance. The offeror shall provide a compliance matrix in which the offeror meets or intends to meet all the SOW requirements prior to contract award.

b. VIRGINIA Class Requirements

i. HYSHMA Qualification. The offeror shall provide NAVSEA-approved documentation demonstrating that they have completed the requirements associated with the qualification to apply HYSHMA in accordance with Section C references 3.1 and 3.2.

ii. Technical Approach Narrative. The offeror shall outline their approach to meeting the requirements of Section C 5.4. This narrative shall provide an overview of the support equipment (fixtures, molds, etc) to conduct the HYSHMA application, and a description of the application procedures. The narrative response shall address the assumptions and rationale for choosing the preferred approach.

iii. Preliminary Schedule. The offeror shall provide a Gantt chartshowing the major milestone steps to executing the Section C sections 5.2 and 5.4. Major milestone steps shall include NRE, transportation, setup, HYSHMA application, and breakdown of equipment.

iv. Staffing Approach. The offeror shall describe their staffing approach to conduct off-site HYSHMA application activities.

v. Material Procurement. The offeror shall identify its proposed material sourcing strategy to include potential vendors and procurement lead times. The offeror shall describe its facilities for appropriate storage of these materials.

vi. Contractor Furnished Equipment. The offeror shall provide specifications for the processing equipment required to perform the SOW. This equipment shall be consistent with qualification efforts as documented in the response to 4.1.1.b.i.

vii. Logistics. The offeror shall provide its approach to transportation, and on-site storage of the equipment to perform the scope in Section C. The offeror shall address the space constraints of reference 3.3.

viii. Quality Assurance/Inspection. The offeror shall describe equipment, personnel and procedures necessary for meeting the testing and inspection requirements of reference 3.1 and all other applicable VIRGINIA Class drawings identified in Section C paragraph 3.

ix. Initial Risk Assessment. The offeror shall provide an initial risk assessment to meeting the technical requirements of Section C. The offeror shall propose risk mitigation steps as necessary to address these perceived risks.

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4.1.2 Subfactor B –First Delivery Order

The offeror shall demonstrate their technical approach based on the requirements for the first delivery order (DO). The offeror shall provide a manufacturing plan/approach that meets the requirements set out in Attachment 1-First DO SOW.

4.2 Factor 2 – Past Performance (VOLUME II)

All Past Performance information must be contained within VOLUME II and no cost/price information concerning this requirement may be included in this volume. The Past Performance Volume shall consist of any Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQs) and CPARS Reports the Offeror wishes to submit, plus the completed Past Performance Reference/Previous Contracting Effort Narrative form.

The Offeror shall provide information for up to three Past Performance references (“efforts”) with its proposal to encompass its relevant performance for periods in excess of six months within the last five years prior to the due date of proposals. Information about past efforts shall be submitted using the format provided as Attachment XX. In addition, Offerors shall submit information about one past effort for each major subcontractor, as defined in section 2.1. If no proposed subcontractors meet this 30% total burdened labor cost threshold, at least one past effort shall be provided for each of the three subcontractors performing the largest portions of subcontracted work under this effort (or all subcontractors if fewer than three are proposed).

The Government may use other information, such as Award Fee letters and CPARS data available from Government sources, to evaluate an Offeror’s past performance. The Government may also consider past performance information obtained from sources other than those identified by the Offeror, including Federal, State, and local Government agencies, Better Business Bureaus, published media and electronic databases, and/or personal knowledge. The Government reserves the right to limit or expand the number of references it decides to contact and to contact references other than those provided by the Offeror.

Offerors are encouraged to provide contract reference information for efforts on which they are the Prime contract holder. Offerors shall detail the extent to which they contributed as a subcontractor to the referenced contracts.

4.2.1 Previous Contracting Effort Narrative

For each of the Recent and Relevant Past Performance References submitted, the Offeror shall also complete Attachment XX Each submission shall be limited to three pages or less.

4.2.2 CPARS Reports and Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ)

For each past performance reference identified, Offerors shall submit the most recent completed CPARS report, if available, or a PPQ (provided as Attachment XX), if a completed CPARS report doesn’t exist. If a PPQ is submitted, but an official CPARS evaluation is found for the contract effort in Governmental databases, the official evaluation will take precedence. When CPARS reports are not available, the Offeror shall submit one PPQ to each of its customer POCs identified in the Recent and Relevant Past Performance References. In the case where an Offeror’s past performance is as a subcontractor, the PPQ may be completed by the prime contractor of the contract under which the Offeror performed. In order to expedite the assessment process, the Offeror may complete the “Contract Information” portion of the PPQ for the convenience of the customer POC. The Offeror shall not, however, complete any other section of the PPQ. The questionnaire shall be provided to the customer POC with instructions to complete and submit it directly to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist on or before the proposal due date.

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Provide email addresses to customers for submission of PPQs.

4.3 Factor 3 - Small Business Commitment Document (VOLUME III)

Proposals shall include a Small Business Commitment Document (SBCD) which demonstrates a realistic commitment (in terms of percentages of total labor hour costs*) to achieving the Small Business Participation goals set forth below. Offerors shall provide a SBP with sufficient information to demonstrate the tasks assigned to the selected Small Business subcontractors are meaningful to the overall success of the program in that: a) the type of tasks subcontracted to Small Business are of a technical nature and are not simply limited to administrative positions, and/or; b) it reflects a portion of the key labor categories proposed. The approach shall address use of Small Business Concerns, Small Disadvantaged Business Concerns, Women-Owned Small Business Concerns, HubZone Small Business Concerns, Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns. If it is the prime, a Small Business may submit its own participation toward achieving the objectives. This SBCD shall be separate from Subcontracting Plan submitted pursuant to the clause at FAR 52.219-9. However, any differences between the two plans shall be explained in the proposal. The SBCD will be reviewed by the Government’s Deputy of Small Business Programs.

All percentages are out of total contract value.

Requirement for Total Small Business (all categories of small business) 10% of the subcontract value

Goals per Subcategory:

o Small Disadvantaged Business ___1__% o Hub-Zone Small ___1__% o Woman Owned Small Business ___1__% o Service-Disabled Veteran ___1__% o Veteran Owned Small ___1__%

NOTE: The North American Industry Classification (NAICS) code applicable to the requirements contained within this solicitation is 336611. Therefore, companies proposing as a subcontractor under this solicitation as a Small Business concern must have less than 1250 employees.

4.4 Factor 4 – Total Evaluated Price (VOLUME IV)

Offerors shall ensure that all cost/price information is contained within Volume IV and Section B, as applicable. In addition, ensure that Section B pricing matches the Prime Offeror Cost Summary. No Technical and Management or Past Performance information shall be submitted as part of the Cost/Price Proposal.

THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION APPLY EQUALLY TO THE OFFEROR AND ANY

PROPOSED SUBCONTRACTOR(S) REGARDLESS OF SUBCONTRACT TYPE.

The ceiling of the contract shall be calculated by adding the Government provided ceilings of 0003AA and 0004AA and the offeror proposed prices for SLINS 0001AA -0001AB and 0002AA-0002BD. The Offeror shall only propose cost for SLINs 0001AA, 0001AB, and 0002AA-0002BD on the base contract and propose travel required for DO 1. The initial award as a result of this solicitation will be DO 1 only (SLINs 0002AA, 0002AB, 0002AC, and travel), which will be awarded the same time as the base contract.

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The Cost/Price Proposal shall be a separate volume comprised of the Section B Pricing, the Prime Offeror Cost Summary, and the Prime Offeror Cost Narrative with substantiating cost information. The Prime Offeror Cost Summary shall be provided in the Prime Offeror’s Cost Summary Format. Subcontractors shall also provide their Cost Summary using the Prime Offeror’s Cost Summary Format. All proposed costs/prices shall be in whole dollars.

It is the Prime Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that ALL PROPOSED SUBCONTRACTORS provide information at this same level of detail regardless of the subcontract pricing arrangement, except where specifically noted.

In this procurement, the Government will perform a cost analysis/cost realism analysis of each Offeror’s (and subcontractor’s) proposed costs for SLINs 0001AA, 0001AB, SLINs 0002AA-0002BD, and travel for DO 1. The burden of cost credibility rests with the Offeror to demonstrate the realism of its proposed costs; as such, the Offeror shall submit substantiating cost data for every cost element it proposes (e.g., direct labor, fringe rate, overhead rate, G&A rate, subcontract costs). Providing insufficient information to substantiate the realism of an Offeror’s proposed costs may result in a cost adjustment or in the Offeror no longer being considered for award.

The Offeror’s proposal should represent its best efforts to respond to the solicitation. Any inconsistency between promised performance – e.g., the technical or management volumes and the identified personnel resources – and the proposed cost/price must be explained in the proposal. For example, if the intended use of new and innovative techniques is the basis for an unusually low estimate, the nature of these techniques and the impact on cost or price shall be explained; or, if a corporate policy decision has been made to absorb a portion of the estimated cost/price, that must be stated in the proposal. Any inconsistency, if unexplained, may raise a fundamental question of the Offeror’s understanding of the nature and scope of the work required and may adversely impact the evaluation of the Offeror’s proposal.

The burden of proof as to cost/price credibility rests with the Offeror. Unrealistically low costs may indicate a lack of understanding of the requirements and a high-risk approach to contract performance.

4.4.1 Section B Pricing (Prime Only)

The Offeror shall submit proposed pricing for Section B using the Prime Offeror’s Cost Summary Format. Proposed Price shall be provided for each applicable CLIN identified in the solicitation. Contract award will be made at the proposed Price of the successful Offeror using that Offeror’s proposed Section B pricing.

4.4.2 Direct Labor

The Offeror shall complete the breakout by Prime and subcontractors to realistically reflect the Offeror’s Technical Volume. Failure to provide this information and proposed Direct Labor rate substantiation may result in the Government upwardly adjusting the proposed Direct Labor rates.

4.4.3 Additional Required Information

In its cost analysis/price analysis, the Government will use the most relevant, reliable data available to evaluate the probable cost. Since each Offeror bears the burden of demonstrating the reasonableness of its proposed costs, each Offeror shall substantiate its proposed costs, as presented in its Prime Offeror Cost Summary, with relevant, reliable data that demonstrates the reasonableness of each proposed cost

Effective February 2021 Page 11 of 19 element. Each Offeror shall provide substantiation for the following information to be considered for award:

(a) Current Named Individual Direct Rate Supporting Documentation. The Cost/Price Volume shall reflect actual labor rates expected to be expended in performing the proposed contract; e.g., the rates from the most current Forward Pricing Rate Agreement/Recommendation (FPRA/R), if applicable, or the actual hourly rates for named personnel if such rates will be the basis for billing under the resultant contract. For Prime and major subcontractors, Offerors shall provide a FPRA or FPRR for the direct labor rates proposed. If the prime or a major subcontractor does not have a FPRA or FPRR, they shall provide a screen-capture from the employer's payroll system (i.e. payroll data), incurred within the last three months preceding release of this solicitation, for each current labor category named in the proposal.

The Offeror shall fully explain all pertinent data on a sample screen capture. The Government must be able to derive the individual’s direct rate (both inclusive and exclusive of the impact of uncompensated overtime, if proposed) from the screen-capture information provided by the Offeror.

(b) Unnamed Direct Labor Rate Supporting Documentation. If the offeror does not have a current Forward Pricing Rate Agreement/Recommendation (FPRA/R) and there is no payroll data available for one or more of the individuals proposed, the Offeror shall provide payroll data for a comparable position and a brief analysis of how the proposed position is comparable to the position corresponding to the payroll data supplied. Any additional supporting documentation may be provided at the Offeror’s discretion.

(c) Uncompensated Overtime Supporting Documentation. If any Offeror or major subcontractor proposes uncompensated overtime, it must substantiate any cost reductions to direct labor rates associated with its proposed use of uncompensated effort. This substantiation must include a description of the formulas applied to calculate the decremented rate (and/or decrement factor) and historical data to demonstrate that the proposed level of uncompensated overtime is realistic. Such historical data shall include the company’s historical average annual level of uncompensated overtime from preceding years and/or historical data demonstrating that the company’s proposed decremented rates are equal to or greater than historical actual incurred decremented direct labor rates for corresponding labor categories from preceding years, after adjusting them for annual escalation. In accordance with FAR 52.237-10, IDENTIFICATION OF UNCOMPENSATED OVERTIME, if uncompensated time is included in the offer or any of the supporting cost data, the Offeror shall include a copy of its policy addressing uncompensated overtime with its proposal.

(d) Escalation. Offerors shall provide the basis for proposed escalation rates including formulas for prorating escalation rates, if applicable.

(e) Indirect Rates. If the Offeror or major subcontractor does not have a FPRA or FPRR, the Offeror shall provide the incurred rates for each proposed indirect and general and administrative (G&A) pool for the prior three years, indicating the beginning and end dates for each FY. If the incurred rates are provided for the prior three years, the Offeror shall complete the following chart:

Rate Year Year Year Incurred

Rate Estimated Indirect Rate at Start of Year

Incurred Rate

Estimated Indirect Rate at Start of Year

Incurred Rate

Estimated Indirect Rate at Start of Year

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Fringe Overhead G&A Cost of Money

*Rate column shall be modified based on the Offeror’s indirect rates

This rate information shall reflect those of the Offeror's most recently completed FY even if the rates are considered preliminary and have not been submitted to DCAA for audit. The Offeror shall note whether the incurred rates have been audited by DCAA or any other independent organization, and shall specifically state which indirect rates have been finalized by DCAA/DCMA. Each Offeror shall provide a copy of the provisional billing rate letter from DCAA/DCMA for itself and shall ensure that the Government receives this information for any major subcontractors. The information shall be provided to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer, Each Offeror shall provide a narrative detailing the major cost drivers for proposed indirect rates that are lower than historical rates. If an Offeror, or any of its subcontractors, proposes to cap any of its indirect rates, it shall identify each capped rate and shall propose a legally binding and enforceable clause which shall be included in the resultant contract award.

Any proposed clause shall include a process for verification by the Government.

Note: If an Offeror does not have three years’ worth of actual, incurred indirect data for any proposed indirect rate, the Offeror shall provide the required information dating from the origin of the company.

(f) Forward Pricing Rate Agreement (FPRA) or Forward Price Rate Recommendation (FPRR). If the Offeror or major subcontractor has an FPRA or FPRR with DCAA/DCMA, the Offeror shall provide a copy with their proposal. The Offeror shall clearly explain any deviations from the FPRA or FPRR, including formulas for prorating indirect rates, if applicable. If not evident in the FPRA or FPRR, include contact information for the DCAA/DCMA office that executed the FPRA or FPRR.

(g) Additional Substantiating Information. The Government encourages Offerors to provide additional substantiating information as necessary to demonstrate the cost realism of its proposed costs.

Nevertheless, as with any substantiating cost data, merely providing the substantiating data, without sufficient analysis and explanation of the relevance and reliability of that data in the Prime Offeror Cost Narrative, may not be sufficient to demonstrate cost realism. The Prime Offeror Cost Narrative must clearly explain the reliability of all of the substantiating cost information provided and its relevance to the Offeror’s cost analysis. Providing substantiating cost information, without demonstrating its relevance and reliability, may indicate that the Offeror lacks an understanding of the costs involved in performing the solicitation’s requirements, which would indicate performance risks.

4.4.4 Fee and Pass-Through

Fixed Fee for SLINs 0001AA-0001AB and 0002AA-0002BDs shall be proposed in the separate Prime Offeror Cost/Price volume. The fixed fee may be proposed within this spreadsheet as a percentage of cost, however Fee becomes a fixed dollar amount at the time of contract award and is subject to clause B-232- H003, Payment of Fee(s) (Completion). The Government will establish award fee percentages on a two-tiered structure for the CPIF CLINs. For the first tier the Prime Offeror can propose fee on labor at a rate at which they feel is sufficient for this effort. The second tier fee shall be half of what the proposed first tier fee is and the Prime Offeror will be allowed to be proposed for cost elements such as materials and subcontractor. Fee shall not be proposed on shipping or travel (prime or subcontractor). The fee proposed will be the maximum fee that can be earned on any individual order, not to exceed 10% of total proposed cost for each order. The Government reserves the right to negotiate a lower fee on any order placed after

Effective February 2021 Page 13 of 19 award.

The Government strongly encourages the Offeror to eliminate or mitigate “double pass-through” costs by:

(a) avoiding second tier subcontractors during performance; or (b) where this situation is unavoidable, limiting subcontractor pass-through costs to the Prime Contractor’s pass-through rate under this contract.

4.4.5 Subcontractors

Proposed major subcontractors (as defined in section 2.1) are required to submit Cost Volumes (showing direct labor rates, indirect rates, and fee rate) to the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer, using the Prime’s Cost Summary Format. Cost data provided separately by a subcontractor shall be received by the time and date for receipt of proposals specified within this solicitation. For cost/price summary data provided separately, subcontractors shall place the appropriate restrictive legend on the data and identify the company name, name of Prime, address, point of contact, and solicitation number.

For proposed subcontractors that are not considered major subcontractors (as defined in section 2.1), the Offeror shall include the proposed hours and proposed costs in its Prime Cost Summary calculations.

In accordance with FAR 15.404-3(b), the Offeror shall conduct appropriate price analyses to establish the reasonableness of proposed subcontractor prices and include the results of these analyses in the Cost/Price Volume. The Prime Offeror’s Cost Narrative shall address how price reasonableness was determined for each proposed Subcontractor.

4.4.6 Material and Other Direct Costs (ODCs)

Material and ODCs for SLINs 0001AA-0001AB and 0002AA-0002BD shall be proposed in separate Prime Offeror Cost Summaries Format. The Offeror and its subcontractors shall provide supporting documentation to include quotes, invoices, or historical information for at least 80% of the proposed material and ODC costs. This information may be submitted separately to the Government Contract Specialist and PCO if the subcontractor does not wish to provide this data to the Prime. If submitted separately, the subcontractor’s information shall be provided by the same due date and time as the prime’s proposal.

4.4.7 Travel

Reimbursement for travel will be in accordance with the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) and B-231-H001, TRAVEL COSTS (NAVSEA). The Offeror shall utilize the Government provided ceiling for the base contract travel proposal. The Offeror shall propose the travel required to support DO 1’s SOW. Support for travel costs shall include trip origin and destination, duration, number of personnel, airfare, can rental, meals and incidentals, hotel costs, and any other costs proposed.

The Offeror shall not include subcontractors’ travel and ODCs in the Prime’s portion of the Cost/Price Proposal if only subcontractors will incur ODC expenses.

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EVALUATION FACTORS

M.1.0 EVALUATION FACTORS AND SUBFACTORS

1.1 GENERAL

It is the intention of the Navy to award a Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee (CPIF) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract that includes two CLB HYSHMA Pours per year + Virginia tasking. The ceiling of the IDIQ Contract shall be calculated by adding the Government provided ceilings of 0003AA and 0004AA and the offeror proposed prices for SLINS 0001AA -0001AB and 0002AA-0002BD.

Pursuant to FAR 52.215-1, the Government intends to evaluate proposals and award a contract based upon initial proposals submissions without conducting discussions with Offerors. Therefore, the Offeror’s initial proposal should contain the Offeror’s best terms from the cost/price and technical standpoints. However, in accordance with FAR 15.306, the Government may contact any or all or a limited number of Offerors with questions concerning their responses as permitted under FAR Part 15.

Exchanges with Offerors after receipt of a proposal do not constitute a rejection or counteroffer by the Government.

The Government anticipates a single contract award resulting from this solicitation. However, the Government reserves the right to make multiple awards if, after considering the additional administrative costs, quality of proposals, and availability of funding, it is in the Government’s best interest to do so.

The Government reserves the right not to award a contract, depending on the quality of the proposals received and the availability of funds. The Government reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit cost or prices offered, unless the Offeror specifies otherwise in the proposal.

2.0 Basis for Award

The Offeror’s proposal shall comply in all material respects with the requirements of the law, regulation, and conditions set forth in this solicitation and in the MAC to be eligible for award.

Award will be made to the responsible Offeror whose proposal represents the best overall value to the Government after evaluation based on the factors and subfactors described herein. Best value means the expected outcome of an acquisition that, in the Government’s estimation, provides the greatest overall benefit in response to the requirement (FAR 2.101). A best value trade-off analysis will not be performed or developed for any proposal that is found to be technically unacceptable in any factor or subfactor except for Small Business Participation. A proposal receiving an unacceptable rating in any factor or subfactor except for Small Business Participation will render the Offeror ineligible for award.

A tradeoff analysis may be used when it is in the best interest of the Government to consider award to other than the Offeror with the lowest total evaluated price (TEP) or to other than the highest technically rated Offeror. In order to select the successful Offeror(s), the Government will compare Offerors’ proposals. The comparison will trade off differences in technical merit based on the non-cost factors and cost/price. If one Offeror’s proposal is evaluated as having both superior technical merit and a lower TEP than another Offeror’s proposal, then that Offeror will be the better value. If one Offeror’s proposal has better technical merit and a higher TEP than another Offeror’s proposal, the Government will make a tradeoff determination to decide whether the difference in technical merit is worth the difference in price.

If the Government determines that the difference in technical merit is worth the difference in price, then

Effective February 2021 Page 15 of 19 the more capable, higher-priced proposal will be the awardee. If not, then the less capable, lower-priced proposal will be the awardee.

The Government may require the Offeror to submit a mitigation plan based on the Government’s own information, or upon notice of an OCI by an Offeror pursuant to L-209-H009. Award will only be made to an Offeror that has no OCI (or whose subcontractor has no OCI) as defined in FAR 9.5, or to an Offeror that the Government determines has provided a satisfactory mitigation plan in accordance with clause H-209-H004. Offerors are advised that technical proposals may be evaluated without consideration of any proposed subcontractor which is deemed to have an OCI and for which an unsatisfactory mitigation plan has been proposed. If an Offeror fails to identify a potential OCI or to submit an OCI mitigation plan to address an actual or potential OCI, the Offeror’s proposal shall not be considered for award.

3.0 Evaluation Factors and Subfactors

3.1 Evaluation Methodology

3.1.1 General

The Government will evaluate each Offeror's proposal in accordance with the factors and subfactors contained in Section L and listed in the table below to determine the best value proposal. The evaluation factors and subfactors represent areas of importance to be considered in the source selection decision.

Risk of unsuccessful performance will be assessed within each factor.

Factor Subfactor

1. Technical A. Technical Capabilities and Approach B. First Anticipated Delivery Order

2. Past Performance None

3. Small Business Commitment Document

None

4. Total Evaluated Price None

3.1.2 Relative Importance of Evaluation Factor

Factor 1 is significantly more important than Factor 2. Factor 2 is more important than Factor 3. Factor 3 is more important than Factor 4. Factors 1, 2, and 32 when combined, are significantly more important than Factor 4. The degree of importance of Factor 4 will increase with the degree of equality of the proposals in relation to the non-price factors, or when the difference in evaluated price among Offerors is so great that it diminishes the value of the superiority of the non-price factors.

3.1.3 Technical Factor and Subfactor Definition and Ratings

3.1.3.1 Definitions

• Strength is an aspect of an Offeror's proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that will be advantageous to the Government during contract performance.

• Weakness is a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

Effective February 2021 Page 16 of 19

• Significant Weakness in the proposal is a flaw that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

• Deficiency is a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses in a proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

• Risk is the potential for unsuccessful contract performance. The consideration of risk assesses the degree to which an Offeror’s proposed approach to achieving a technical factor may involve risk of disruption of schedule, increased cost or degradation of performance, the need for increased Government oversight, and/or the likelihood of unsuccessful contract performance.

3.1.3.2 Adjectival Ratings

Factor I - Adjectival Ratings

The Government will perform an analysis of the Technical Volume and assign an adjectival rating as identified below. The Technical evaluation focuses on strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, deficiencies, and risks of the Offeror’s proposal, resulting in the assignment of an adjectival rating, described in the chart below.

Technical Capabilities and Approach Ratings

Ratings Description

Outstanding Proposal indicates an exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements and contains multiple strengths, and risk of unsuccessful performance is low.

Good Proposal indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements and contains at least one strength, and risk of unsuccessful performance is low to moderate.

Acceptable Proposal meets requirements and indicates an…