Attachment 7 - Section L MODAT.docx

19AQMM20R0073

Attachment 7: Section L – Notice to Offerors

Section L – Instructions, Conditions, & Notices to Offerors

A. Proposal Questions:

1. All proposal questions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO), Mary DiAngelo via email at DiAngeloME@state.gov on March 9th at 10:00 AM, EST. All questions must be submitted using Attachment 9, Q&A. All offeror’s shall separate technical and price questions and clearly identify each question with a reference to the solicitation.

B. Proposal Submission.

1. All proposals shall be submitted electronically via email to the Contracting Officer (CO), Mary DiAngelo at DiAngeloME@state.gov, in the format and per the guidelines outlined in this document. Offerors shall be responsible for ensuring the electronic submission is successfully submitted and received by the CO via email, by the proposal due-date and stated time below. When submitting proposals to the CO via email, the offeror shall request read receipts to ensure the CO receives the offeror’s proposal.

2. An offeror’s complete proposal and all attachments shall not exceed 40MB in total. If an offeror submits multiple emails containing a proposal, the offeror must clearly identify in the email subject line, the following:

· Subject: Vendor Name, Title, Volume number, and Email number (i.e., 1 of 2 or 2 of 2…etc.).

3. Proposals are due no later than 5:00 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on March 23, 2020

4. Offerors are cautioned against “parroting” of the Technical requirements or the Statement of Work (SOW). “Parroting” is defined as imitating the words of the technical requirements or the SOW without articulating a clear understanding of the requirements or capability to perform. Offerors are responsible for including sufficient details to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal. Proprietary information shall be clearly marked.

B. Proposal Organization.

1. The Offeror’s proposal shall consist of three (3) volumes. The volumes are: Volume I – Technical, Volume II – Price, and Volume III – Past Performance. Files shall not contain classified data/information. The use of hyperlinks in proposals is prohibited.

2. Each electronic file shall be clearly labeled with its title and volume number.

3. The following volumes of material shall be submitted:

Contents shall be compatible to Microsoft Office products in order to be viewed properly.

**The cover letter, title page, table of contents, table of figures, list of tables, glossary of abbreviations and acronyms, small business subcontracting plans (if applicable), Recruitment and housing plans for Third Country National (TCN) personnel in accordance with Section H-036, resumes, and commitment letters do not count against page count limitations. All pages shall be numbered and single pages shall not exceed a total of 30 pages. Pages that exceed the required page limitations above will not be evaluated. Pages over the maximum pages allowed shall be marked unacceptable and not be read or evaluated by the Government.

4. Each volume in each set shall be labeled clearly, displaying only the following information:

· Company name, Solicitation Number, Volume Number and Title shall be listed on the front of each binder, along with Offeror’s Point-of-Contact information which must include: Name, Individual’s Title, Mailing Address, E-Mail Address and Phone Number.

· Each volume shall have a Table of Contents with page numbers.

· Each page shall be numbered and have a “header” with the Company Name, Solicitation Number, Volume Number and Volume Title. Sample as follows:

Company A

19AQMM20R0073

Volume 1 – Technical

C. Proposal Format.

1. All files, except for the price tables shall be in MS Word. Printing should be single spaced. Each paragraph shall be separated by at least one blank line. A standard, 12-point minimum font size applies. Arial or Times New Roman fonts are required. Tables and illustrations may use a reduced font size no less than 8-point and may be landscape.

2. MS Word (doc) files shall use the following page setup parameters:

3. All price breakdown information to aide in the price evaluation shall be submitted in Microsoft Office Excel Read/Write format and viewable in Microsoft Excel. All calculations and formulas shall be unprotected and accessible in electronic submission documents.

D. Content Requirements.

1. All information shall be confined to the appropriate file. The Offeror shall confine submissions to essential matters, sufficient to define the proposal in a concise manner, to permit a complete and accurate evaluation of each proposal. Each file of the proposal shall consist of a Table of Contents, Summary Section, and the Narrative discussion. The Summary Section shall contain a brief abstract of the file. Proprietary information shall be clearly marked.

2. Offerors shall state, explain, and justify any deviations, exceptions, or conditional assumptions taken regarding any of the instructions or requirements of this task order in the appropriate volume of the offer. For example, technical assumptions shall be covered under the "Technical Proposal" volume, and price assumptions under "Price Proposal" volume.

3. Proposals not received in accordance with these instructions may be considered unacceptable and rejected. The penalty for making false statements is prescribed in 18 USC 1001. Failure to furnish current and complete information may cause a proposal to be rejected.

4. Assumptions:

(a) Offerors shall state, explain, and justify any deviations, exceptions, or conditional assumptions taken regarding any of the instructions or requirements of this task order in the appropriate volume of the offer.

(b) Failure to explicitly state price assumptions may result in removal from the competition.

5. The following shall be included in the Narrative discussion for each respective volume:

a) Volume I: Factor 1 – Technical Proposal. This volume shall be organized into the following sections and include:

1) Section 1 - Sub-Factor 1: Key Personnel and Staffing Plan: The Offeror shall provide the following:

(a) A detailed staffing plan detailing how all OCONUS Personnel will be deployed within 30-days from the date of contract award, details on proposed staffing reserve capacity (i.e., bench), including how the Offeror will maintain that capacity. The analysis must include at a minimum, the following:

· How the Offeror will ensure staffing requirements are continually met, taking into account training, planned, and unplanned absences and/or loss of personnel.

· A synopsis of the Offeror’s staffing reserve capacity, including how the Offeror will maintain that reserve capacity. Synopsis should outline whether or not reserve staff are trained, vetted, and in possession of valid visas.

(b) A recruitment plan, including the numbers of recruiters and the methods used to identify potential candidates The Offeror must demonstrate the ability to hire and maintain qualified staff, handle personnel issues, retain staff, assemble high quality staff to fill immediate requirements and provide staff with all necessary support and oversight.

(c) A retention plan outlining how the Offeror intends to keep attrition to a minimum, to include incentives and other benefits.

(d) Resumes for individuals identified as key personnel for this solicitation are limited to three (3) pages which are not included in the overall 30 page count limitation. Resumes must demonstrate the individual meets all position requirements for the labor position identified in the solicitation Attachment 1 – Statement of Work. Key personnel include the following positions:

· Senior Ministry of Defense Advisor

· Ministry of Defense Advisor

2) Section 2 - Sub-Factor 2: Technical Approach: The Offeror shall provide the following:

(a) A comprehensive technical approach proposal that identifies innovation and the methods of service delivery to be employed by the Contractor to meet the requirements of this solicitation;

(b) A comprehensive discussion of how the contractor will ensure that the MODAT is able to operate safely and effectively within the Somalia conflict environment, to include life-support providers, secure ground transportation, and personal security detail.

(c) Identify all supplies and equipment required to meet all required core technical specifications, such that no doubt exists that the proposed supplies and equipment will function without technical risk to the Government.

(d) A comprehensive timeline and schedule that serves as the framework for the contractor’s process for delivering quality services and outlining “how” the contractor will achieve results to meet the program and mission requirements.

3) Section 3 - Sub-Factor 3: Mobilization Plan: The Offeror shall provide the following:

(a) A plan for mobilizing services within the time frame specified in the SOW. The plan shall include, but not limited to, a detailed schedule with milestones for reaching Full Operating Capacity (FOC), as well as how the Offeror intends to address contingency staffing requirements. Contingency staffing requirements include short notice and/or surge staffing uplifts, emergency augmentation, and routine expansion of services.

(b) Identify all required licenses, permits, and insurance, and provide a course of action, including a schedule to acquire any required licenses, permits, and insurance not currently in possession.

b) VOLUME II: Factor 2 – Price Proposal. This volume shall consist of all information, required to support prices. All prices shall be in United States currency. There are no page limitations to this volume. Certified cost and pricing data are not currently required; however, the Government reserves the right to request such data prior to award.

1. The Government will evaluate price to ensure that the awarded price is fair and reasonable. The Government intends to use one or more of the proposal analysis techniques identified in FAR 15.404 when evaluating price proposals. As part of its evaluation, the Government will verify, when included, the applicable provisional billing indirect cost rates negotiated in the contract, the not-to-exceed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates negotiated in the contract or a discount of these rates, the proposed profit percentage(s) negotiated in the contract, the proposed fee percentage(s) negotiated in the contract, and the not-to-exceed NTE unit prices negotiated in the contract or a discount of these unit prices.

2. The information submitted in this volume shall comply with FAR 15.4, Contract Pricing and the requirements set forth herein. Offerors shall fill in their proposed pricing in Attachment X, entitled Pricing Spreadsheet in addition to filling in proposed pricing in Attachment X, Direct Equipment which supports all Direct Equipment costs proposed. Specific instructions regarding the submission of Attachment X are identified below under number 7, Direct Equipment.

3. The offeror shall submit a detailed price narrative, supporting each price/cost proposed in the entire pricing spreadsheet (Attachment X). The price proposal narrative must provide a thorough explanation and rationale for all proposed prices and support (match) the pricing table.

Failure to explicitly state cost/price assumptions in Volume II, Cost/Price proposal may result in removal from the competition.

The Government provided Attachment X, Pricing Spreadsheet which contains two (2) tabs with pre-populated formulas in which the offeror may incorporate pricing. The pre-populated formulas automatically calculate the Subtotal, Total, and Grand Totals. However, Offerors shall verify the arithmetic accuracy and make any corrections necessary. Note: Subtotal, Total, and Grand Total prices shall be in whole numbers and shall not contain decimals.

Note, the subCLINs contained in this solicitation are not prescriptive. If contractors wish to add subCLINS to denote further details, they may add them below the appropriate CLIN to indicate further pricing details. Contractors should ensure that any added rows do not disrupt the pre-populated totals in the spreadsheet.

(a) Mobilization (CLIN 00l):

i. This is a firm-fixed price CLIN to be priced during the base year only. The Offeror shall propose all costs for mobilization/transition activities such as travel, labor, and any other mobilization/transition cost required in accordance with the attached Statement of Work (SOW).

ii. The Contractor may invoice under this CLIN on a monthly basis until Full Operational Capacity (FOC).

iii. Any other cost not considered “mobilization/transition” shall be proposed in their respective CLIN(s).

(b) Fully-Burdened Labor (CLIN X02):

i. This is a firm-fixed fully burdened daily labor rate.

ii. The normal workweek for Key Personnel positions (Sub-CLINs: XX201 and XX202) is 48 hours (8 hours per day x 6 days per week) for a total of 288 productive days per year, including four weeks of Rest & Relaxation R&R. Any hours worked beyond a 48-hour work week or a 8-hour day shall be captured under Additional and Emergency (A&E) Labor Sub-CLIN (XX203), with prior approval from the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

iii. Offerors shall submit the build-up of each fixed fully-burdened daily labor rate for labor categories for which local nationals (LNs) and third-country nationals (TCNs) are to perform the work. If U.S. Citizens are to perform the work, the offeror must explicitly state so.

(c) Logistics Support Services (CLIN X03):

i. This is a cost reimbursement CLIN

ii. Costs under this CLIN include ground transportation services required to conduct work in Somalia, both on and off the Mogadishu International Airport. In the technical proposal, the contractor shall include an explanation of the type of vehicle used, whether they will be self-driven or a driver will be hired, and if additional personal protective staff will be hired.

iii. This Cost Reimbursement CLIN also includes Life Support costs which includes, but is not limited to food, water, accommodations, housing, medical supplies and services, and any other costs necessary to sustain OCONUS personnel.

iv. Offerors must show all LSS costs for each period of performance per person, the breakdown of all cost elements, including formulas and the arithmetic process by which they calculated total costs. The Government does not commit to paying the proposed price. Vendors shall invoice for costs incurred, where total invoicing does not exceed ceiling absent a fully executed contract modification.

(d) Other Direct Costs (ODCs) (CLIN X04):

i. This is a cost reimbursement CLIN including but not limited to, (R&R) travel costs for key personnel, other OCONUS travel costs, uplifts (i.e., danger pay, Post Hardship Differential pay), Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance, visas and passports, and any other costs associated with doing business in the particular country.

ii. Offerors must show all ODCs for each period of performance, the breakdown of all cost elements, including formulas and the arithmetic process by which they calculated total costs.

iii. The proposed pricing is for evaluation purposes only. The Government does not commit to paying the proposed price. Vendors shall invoice for costs incurred, where total invoicing does not exceed ceiling absent a fully executed contract modification.

iv. Offerors shall propose a one-time cost to ship all equipment, as requirement in the base year. A detailed breakdown of shipping costs must be included in the offeror’s pricing narrative.

(e) Direct Equipment (X05):

i. This is a firm-fixed price CLIN.

ii. In Attachment X, the offeror shall fill in the appropriate column categories (i.e. quantity, unit price, etc) for each proposed piece of equipment. Attachment X contains formulas which will automatically calculate the total price for each item and calculate the total price for all equipment. The offeror shall ensure the “Total Direct Equipment price” contained at the bottom of Attachment X, is the exact same Total Equipment Price proposed in CLIN 010 of Attachment 9, Pricing Spreadsheet.

2) Demobilization (X06)

(a) This is a firm-fixed price CLIN. Offeror shall capture all possible costs associated with demobilization of the task order. A thorough explanation/rationale must be provided for these costs in the price narrative.

(b) For pricing purposes, the Government requests this be priced in each option year in the event that demobilization occurs before the final option. However, the Government will only pay for demobilization once.

c) VOLUME III: Factor 3 – Past Performance

1) The Offerors shall identify the following information based on programs similar in scope and complexity for the past three (3) years, for which the offeror served as the prime contractor. The offeror is required to submit the following information as follows:

· Customer's name, email address(s) and telephone numbers of customer's Contracting officer and technical personnel or Contracting Officer Representative (COR);

· Contract number and type (if applicable);

· Date of the contract, place(s) of performance, and delivery dates or period of performance;

· Contract size (number of personnel employed by contract year per labor category) and dollar value;

· Brief description of the work, including responsibilities;

· A comparison to the work required under this solicitation;

· Brief discussion of any technical problems and their resolutions;

· Brief discussion of all terminations (partial or complete) and the type (convenience or default) as well as any deficiency notices, show cause notices or cure notices (provide explanatory details); Offeror is required to identify if this information is applicable or not. If so, details shall be provided.

· Identify and provide specific information if an offeror has received any Letters of Concern and/or Deficiency notices.

2) Offerors shall include in Volume III of their Proposal, copies of three different CPARS reports for programs similar in scope and complexity over the past three (3) years, for which the offeror served as the prime contractor.

3) Offerors with no past performance shall type “NO PAST PEFORMANCE” in Bold Letters in Volume II, Past Performance on a blank page in this volume.