Attachment 3-Section L Amendment 001.docx

19AQMM220008

Attachment 3: Section L – Notice to Offerors

Section L – Instructions, Conditions, & Notices to Offerors

A. General Proposal Guidance:

1. All proposals shall be submitted electronically via email to the Contracting Officer (CO), (Mary DiAngelo at DiangeloME@state.gov) in the format provided in Attachment 2 and per the guidelines outlined in this document. Offerors shall be responsible for ensuring the proposal is successfully submitted and received by the CO via email by the proposal due date and time. When submitting proposals to the CO via email, the offeror shall request read receipts to ensure the CO receives the offeror’s proposal. Offerors shall not communicate with anyone but the CO (Mary DiAngelo) regarding this solicitation. Communication concerning this solicitation with any other Government personnel, including offeror support personnel, is prohibited unless specifically authorized elsewhere herein. If such contact occurs, the offeror making such contact may be excluded from award consideration.

2. 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. 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. All proposal documentation shall be submitted in English. Offers received in other languages will not be evaluated nor considered for award.

4. Offerors must assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in its proposal. The Government is not responsible for locating or obtaining any information not identified in the proposal.

5. The Government will not pay for any proposal costs incurred by the Offeror or any costs attributed to the proposal preparation unless the Offeror wins the award, and such costs are part of an established indirect cost pool and determined allowable by the Offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official.

6. All proposal questions shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer, (Mary E. DiAngelo, via email at DiAngeloME@state.gov) no later than 5 pm CDT, November 19th, 2021. All questions must be submitted using Attachment 6, Q&A. All offerors shall separate technical and price questions and clearly identify each question with a reference to the solicitation.

7. Proposals are due no later than 10 am EST December 20th, 2021.

8. The Contracting Officer (Mary DiAngelo) is the ONLY person who is authorized to conduct formal discussions with the Offeror from release of this RFP through the time of contract award. Any such discussions shall be conducted in accordance with the regulations stipulated in FAR part 15. It is the Government’s intent to award this IDIQ without discussions and the decision to have discussions belongs solely to the Contracting Officer.

9. The debriefing of unsuccessful offerors shall be conducted upon written request and within the guidelines of FAR 15.505 and FAR 15.506. The format, time, date and location of the debriefing shall be determined by the CO.

10. All Contract Clauses requiring fill-ins must be completed and returned with the proposal

11. Offerors must complete representations, certification, acknowledgements, and statements. The contractor must have completed available information electronically through the System for Award Management (SAM) website. All remaining Section K requirements must be submitted with the proposal.

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 – Business. Files shall not contain classified data/information. The use of hyperlinks to outside documents or websites 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 or Adobe products in order to be viewed properly.

**The cover letter, title page, table of contents, table of figures, list of tables, glossary of abbreviations & acronyms, manpower charts, small business subcontracting plans (if applicable), resumes, commitment letters, and past performance assessments do not count against page count limitations. All pages shall be numbered and single volumes shall not exceed a total of 50 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 file, 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

19AQMM22XXXX

Volume 1 – Technical

C. Proposal Format.

1. All files, except for the /price tables shall be in MS Word or Adobe PDF. 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 New Times 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 (with the exception of Attachment 2) 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 marked clearly.

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" volume, and price assumptions under "Price" 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:

Section 1 - Sub-Factor 1: Recruitment and Staffing Plan and Key Personnel: The Offeror shall provide a response to the requirements listed in SOW section 17, including the following:

(a) A detailed staffing plan detailing how all personnel will be in place within 45 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 describe how the offeror will ensure staffing requirements are continually met, taking into account training, planned, and unplanned absences/loss of personnel.

(b) A description of the proposed compensation plan for employees to retain talent while representing a realistic compensation scheme for contract performance.

(c) Resumes for individuals identified as key personnel for this solicitation are limited to three (3) pages which are not included in the overall 50-page count limitation. Resumes must demonstrate the individual meets all position requirements for the labor position identified in Appendix A of the SOW. Key personnel include the following position:

· Program Manager (1)

(d) The resume shall include name, education, professional certifications, current security clearance level, technical skills, relevant training received within the past two (2) years and current and relevant professional experience within the past ten (10) years (5 years of which must be project/program management). The Program Manager shall possess the Project Management Institute (PMI®) Project Manager Professional (PMP®) certification or a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Program Management Level II or III certification. A FAC-COR III certificate refers to Contracting Officer Representative qualifications and may not be substituted for a PMP certification. The contractor shall have candidates for all key person positions at proposal submission. The offeror shall describe the roles and responsibilities for each of the key personnel proposed. The offeror shall also provide signed and witnessed employment agreements or Letters of Commitment for individuals whose names are presented and who are not currently employed by the offeror or one of its subcontractors.

2) Section 2 - Sub-Factor 2: Contingency, Draft Implementation, and Mobilization Plans: The Offeror shall provide the following:

Provide an analysis of the anticipated difficulties and problem areas during the course of the contract performance and the recommended actions to minimize the impact of each and maintain acceptable levels of contract performance. This Plan should include a response to all categories included in SOW section 17 for the subject reports.

3) Section 3 – Sub-Factor 3: Sample Task Order Key Personnel

Offerors shall submit resumes for the following contemplated initial Task Order Key Personnel:

· Senior Program Manager

· Prosecution Program Advisor

· Logistics Analyst

· Program Analyst

· Border Security and Ports of Entry Advisor

All resumes shall include the same information required for the IDIQ level Key Personnel from Sub-Factor 1: name, education, professional certifications, current security clearance level, technical skills, relevant training received within the past two (2) years and current and relevant professional experience. Qualifications for each position much match the required qualifications listed in Annex A of the Statement of Work.

4) Section 4 - Sub-Factor 4: Past Performance: The Offeror shall provide the following:

The Offerors shall identify the following information based on programs similar in scope and complexity for the past five (5) years, for which the offeror served as the prime contractor. The offeror is required to submit the following information for up to THREE contract efforts of similar size and scope:

· 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.

In order to qualify as relevant experience, Project must be either ongoing or had been open and active within 5 years from the date proposals are due. Each contract must have at least one year of performance unless one of the following situations exist:

a. The project has an Interim or a Final CPARS/PPIRS.

b. The project has a completed Award Fee Determination.

c. The project had a basic period of performance less than one year and that period of performance is complete.

Only in the event CPARS information is not available will an Offeror be allowed to substitute a Past Performance Survey Attachment 5, similar to the CPARS format. If CPARS information is available for any given relevant project, it must be used for the Past Performance evaluation.

If the Government has interim or final ratings in CPARS, the Offeror shall provide a copy of this rating with their proposal. The Government will retrieve past performance information from the CPARS database in order to validate the Offeror’s submission.

For the purposes of this solicitation, the final past performance information will be used on a relevant experience project. If a final rating is not available, the most current past performance information will be used. Offerors are responsible for verifying whether past performance ratings exist in the CPARs database prior to using Past Performance Surveys.

If the Government has not finalized past performance ratings in the CPARS database; or, if the project(s) are considered Non-U.S. Federal projects; the Offeror shall submit a certified Past Performance Survey using the template in Attachment 5, “Past Performance Rating Form”. No other format or additional proposal documentation will be considered.

Using the Past Performance Rating Form Attachment, the Offeror shall provide the survey directly to each of the references. The Past Performance Rating Form must be completed and signed by a Warranted Contracting Officer with cognizance over the submitted project. For a commercial project, the Past Performance Rating Form must be completed and signed by a Corporate Officer/ of the customer with cognizance over the submitted project.

The Offeror shall instruct each rater to send a completed form directly to the Contracting Officer. The Offeror must follow up with each rater and the CO to ensure the Past Performance Rating Forms were received and completed prior to the proposal closing date. The Offeror must reference all rating forms that have been confirmed submitted to the CO, as applicable, with their proposal submission. In the event the evaluation team discovers misleading, falsified, and/or fraudulent past performance ratings, the Offeror shall be eliminated from further consideration for award. Falsification of any proposal submission, documents, or statements may subject the Offeror to civil or criminal prosecution under Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

For the relevant past performance references, Offerors are strongly cautioned that inability of the Government to contact past performance references directly associated to any survey; or, in the case past performance information is not entered into the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) database; or, in the case of project(s) without a record of past performance, the Offeror will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance, which is otherwise known as a neutral rating.

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

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 is not currently required; however, the Government reserves the right to request such data prior to award.

The information submitted in this volume shall comply with FAR 15.4 and utilize Attachment 2, Pricing Spreadsheet. Contractors shall propose their prices by completing all tabs of this template. The offeror shall submit a detailed price narrative supporting each price/cost proposed in the entire pricing spreadsheet (Attachment 2). The price proposal narrative must provide a thorough explanation and rationale for all proposed prices and support (match) the pricing table. It should also include a breakout of direct costs, indirect costs, as indicated on the IDIQ Prices Tab. Prices at the CLIN level of the Pricing Spreadsheet Tab should be fully burdened.

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

The Government provided formulas calculate automatically the Subtotal and Total prices. However, contractors shall verify the arithmetic accuracy and make any necessary corrections. Note: Subtotal and Total prices shall be in whole numbers and shall not contain decimals.

In Pricing Table 4, the number in the “Hours” column represents the RFP-specified estimated productive hours per year as follows.

a. The 1,864 RFP-specified estimated productive hours for performance by Mexican Nationals (designated with “M”) are based on 1,920 annual hours (accounting for 21 combined U.S. and Mexican holidays) minus 56 paid time off hours.

b. The 1,880 RFP-specified estimated productive hours for performance by US Nationals (designated with “US”) are based on 1,920 annual hours (accounting for 21 combined U.S. and Mexican holidays) minus 40 paid time off hours.

The Six-Month Option to Extend reflects any Government extension of the contract, pursuant to FAR 52.217-8 (Option to Extend Services).

The Contracting Officer will fill in the tables and other blank spaces in Sections B.3, B.4, and B.5 prior to contract award. Because Section B remains in the contract and because the proposed information may not match the awarded information, the corresponding tables of the Attachment 2 Price Volume are the appropriate places for offerors to submit their proposed information.

Certified cost or pricing data, as described in FAR subpart 15.4, are not required and relied upon for award of the contract because the Government anticipates adequate price competition. Instead, where applicable, the Government will require and rely upon data other than certified cost or pricing data.

At this time, the Government does not require submission of (prime) offerors’ or subcontractor offerors’ build-up of the proposed fully-loaded hourly labor rates, but the Government reserves the right to require such information during the source selection process, if necessary.

Offerors are not required to submit information that is not solicited under RFP Section L (Volume II Cost/Price) If offerors submit such information, the Government is not required to review it. However, if the Government reviews it and finds any of it objectionable, offerors run the risk of their proposals being rated unfavorably.

Price Proposal Instructions

The price proposal shall consist of the following, which are described further in this subsection:

a. Narrative (in Word or PDF)

b. Pricing Tables 1-4 (in the same Excel workbook provided by the Government)

c. Supporting Information (in Word or PDF)

Offerors shall prepare one file for each of the above section formats. Therefore, offerors shall prepare at least two files (Word and Excel) for the above subsections.

In Pricing Tables 1, 2, 4, and 5 offerors shall complete the orange-highlighted areas only.

Offerors shall not hide or lock any rows, columns, or cells that contain proposed data.

Offerors shall use for pricing purposes the following period of performance:

Contract Year 1: March 22, 2022 through March 21, 2023 Contract Year 2: March 22, 2023 through March 21, 2024 Contract Year 3: March 22, 2024 through March 21, 2025 Contract Year 4: March 22, 2025 through March 21, 2026 Contract Year 5: March 22, 2026 through March 21, 2027 Six-Month Option to Extend: March 22, 2027 through September 21, 2027

In Pricing Table 1, offerors shall identify their most current indirect cost rates that would be used as the proposed provisional billing rates. Such rates shall match the rates identified in the Supporting Information. See Instruction Supporting Information Indirect Costs below. In Pricing Table 1, the proposed provisional billing indirect cost rates shall not exceed the ceiling indirect cost rates proposed in Pricing Table 2.

In Pricing Tables 1 and 2, offerors shall propose only their own indirect cost rates. Indirect cost rates for subcontractors and/or other entities not proposed as the offeror shall not be included in part or in whole.

In Pricing Tables 1 and 2, the proposed indirect cost rates shall reflect the impact of this potential contract. Therefore, such rates shall reflect the dollar amount the offeror anticipates to receive through the duration of this potential contract (cumulative of all task orders). See FAR 31.203(c) (Indirect Costs) and FAR 42.704(b) (Billing Rates).

In Pricing Tables 1 and 2, offerors shall include all indirect cost rate descriptions that are anticipated to apply under this contract. In Pricing Tables 1 and 2, the proposed indirect cost rate descriptions and allocation bases shall match the respective indirect cost rate descriptions and allocation bases identified in the Supporting Information. See Instruction Supporting Information Indirect Costs below. Each proposed allocation base shall include the unit of measurement (e.g., dollars) after each cost element identified in the allocation base.

In Pricing Tables 1 and 2, offerors shall follow the model provided under “The Following Is For Illustration Purposes” section, including:

a. Add or delete rows as necessary. The number (e.g., “1)”) in the Indirect Cost Rate Description” column signifies a specific indirect cost rate description. For example, an offeror may elect to propose “Fringe Benefits” next to “1)”, “Overhead” next to “2)”, and “G&A” next to “3).”

b. Each row will apply to a different Offeror Fiscal Year Period, which offerors shall identify with month, day, and year in the right-most column.

c. Propose an Offeror Fiscal Year Period for each of the offeror’s fiscal years through the life of the contract. Offerors shall assume that the life of the contract, including any extension, is March 22, 2022 through September 21, 2027. For example, for each proposed indirect cost rate description, if an offeror’s fiscal year is a calendar year, the offeror’s first listed fiscal year shall be January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022, and the offeror’s seventh and final listed fiscal year shall be January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027.

d. Do not list a contract year period in the “Offeror Fiscal Year Period” column unless the offeror fiscal year period matches the contract year period.

In Pricing Table 2, the proposed ceiling indirect cost rates shall match or otherwise not exceed 10% of the respective provisional billing indirect cost rates proposed in Pricing Table 1. For example, if a provisional billing indirect cost rate proposed in Pricing Table 1 is 5.00%, the respective ceiling indirect cost rate proposed in Pricing Table 2 shall be 5.00% or otherwise not exceed 5.50%.

In Pricing Table 3, offerors shall review all of the content, which is presented for illustration purposes as guidance, and replace the content in the table (rows 4 through 9) with the offeror’s fiscal year period and the ceiling indirect cost rates (proposed in Pricing Table 2) that contain lease expenses, etc in the allocation base. Offerors may add rows, if necessary. See Instruction Pricing Table 4 Buildup below.

In Pricing Table 4, under “NTE Rate,” offerors shall propose one not-to-exceed (NTE) fully-loaded hourly labor rate per CLIN per period, regardless of which entity (offeror, subcontractor offeror, and/or other) is anticipated to perform the CLIN.

Note: If an offeror normally allocates indirectly the costs associated with a labor category identified in Pricing Table 4, we remind such offeror that such allocation does not relieve the offeror from complying with each solicitation term, including this instruction.

In Pricing Table 4, the proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates shall be based on a normal workweek of 40 hours (8 hours per day x 5 days per week).

In Pricing Table 4, each proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rate shall be in United States dollars. Pricing Table 4 shows, as part of the CLIN identifier, “US” for U.S. Citizen or “M” for Mexican Citizen.

a. “US” signifies that the associated proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates shall be in US dollars.

b. “M” signifies that the associated proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates shall be in USD. However, the conversion rate utilized shall be specified in the pricing narrative.

The proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates for US positions shall apply only to American Nationals. Such individuals have legal status to work in the United States of America (e.g., United States citizen, United States resident alien, and individual with permit showing authorization to work in the United States).

The proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates for Mexican Positions shall apply only to Mexican Nationals. Such individuals have legal status to work in Mexico (e.g., citizen or permanent resident of Mexico).

In Pricing Table 4, each proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rate shall consist of a proposed unloaded hourly labor rate, any labor-related direct costs (e.g., any direct fringe benefits, any direct bonuses), all costs associated with satisfying any local labor laws, applicable indirect costs, and profit amount. It shall not include any other costs, including ODCs/ non-labor related direct costs.

It shall also not be $0.00 or other nominal amount. It shall be an amount commensurate with the corresponding labor category description identified in RFP Section C (Position Descriptions) and the nationality of the individual(s) proposed to perform the labor category.

Any other costs that are part of the Contractor’s established compensation plan and consistent with FAR part 31 shall be allocated separately as an ODC (other direct cost) (under fixed-price and cost-reimbursement arrangements) or as a direct material (under time and- materials arrangements) at the task order level. Examples of such costs, if applicable, that shall be allocated separately as an ODC or direct material at the task order level, are post hardship differential pay and danger pay.

In Pricing Table 4, the proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates shall not exceed two decimal places.

Instruction Pricing Table 4 Buildup: In Pricing Table 4, offerors shall enter, in whole numbers (i.e., no decimals), their estimated indirect costs in the “Ind $” columns. Such costs shall reflect the applicable ceiling indirect cost rate(s) proposed in Pricing Table 2 (as blended in columns C through H in Pricing Table 3) multiplied by the RFP-specified estimated direct costs. To determine the applicable proposed ceiling indirect cost rates, offerors shall do all of the following:

a. Ensure the RFP-specified estimated direct costs (i.e., lease expenses) are in the allocation base of the selected indirect cost rate description(s);

b. Ensure that the proposed applicable ceiling indirect cost rate(s) are for the offeror fiscal year(s) that coincides with the contract period. When a given contract period traverses two offeror fiscal years, the offeror shall show and compute accordingly for the given contract period the proposed applicable ceiling indirect cost rate(s) for each of the two offeror fiscal years.

c. Follow the guidance in and complete Pricing Table 3 accordingly, including reviewing the formulas in columns C through H.

In Pricing Table 4, the Government provided formulas to calculate automatically each proposed Subtotal, Total, and Overall Proposed Price. Offerors shall verify all formulas and otherwise the arithmetic accuracy of all proposed information. The overtime rates proposed in Table 5 will automatically roll into the ODCs on summary Table 4.

In the Narrative, offerors shall identify, based on their Overall Proposed Price in Pricing Table 4, the:

a. Name of each proposed subcontractor;

b. Total dollars estimated to be subcontracted to each proposed subcontractor;

c. Total dollars estimated to be performed by the offeror; and

d. Percentage of work (based on estimated total dollars) to be performed by the offeror and each proposed subcontractor. “Subcontractor,” in this context, is defined, pursuant to FAR 44.101 (Definitions), as “any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that furnishes supplies or services to or for a prime contractor or another subcontractor.”

In the Narrative, offerors shall identify the name and full contact information, including e-mail address, of their cognizant Federal auditor (e.g., local Defense Contract Audit Agency branch).

In the Narrative, offerors shall identify the name and full contact information, including e-mail address, of their cognizant Federal agency official (CFAO). The CFAO works in the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency, which is normally the agency with which the offeror has the largest dollars in negotiated contracts, including option periods. See FAR 42.003. If the Government has not appointed a CFAO, the offeror shall identify the name and full contact information, including e-mail address, of the contracting officer cognizant of the largest dollars in negotiated contracts, including option periods. Offerors must have an approved accounting system in order to receive cost type contracts.

In the Narrative, pursuant to FAR 52.246-6(f) (Inspection – Time-and-Material and Labor-Hour), offerors shall identify the percentage of the proposed NTE fully-loaded hourly labor rates attributable to profit.

In the Narrative, offerors shall identify each business unit/reporting unit proposed to perform work under this contract and is part of the offeror. A business unit, among other things, has its own indirect cost rate structure. For large business offerors, a reporting unit has its own Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB) Disclosure Statement. “Offeror” is identified in block 15A on Standard Form (SF) 33.

Instruction Supporting Information Indirect Costs - offerors shall submit evidence to support the provisional billing indirect cost rates proposed in Pricing Table 1. Offerors shall submit at least one of the following pieces of evidence, pursuant to the following descending order of precedence:

a. Current forward pricing rate agreement with the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official

b. Current other negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (that contains forward pricing indirect cost rates) with the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official

c. Current forward pricing rate recommendation letter issued by the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official

d. Current provisional billing indirect cost rate agreement with the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official

e. Current provisional billing indirect cost rate recommendation letter issued by the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official

f. Most recent (within the last year) audit report (containing indirect cost rates) from the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or other qualified external auditor

g. Most recent (within the last year) audit report (containing indirect cost rates) from a qualified internal auditor

h. Current indirect cost rate proposal submitted to the offeror’s cognizant Federal agency official and cognizant auditor

i. Identification of the indirect cost pools and respective allocation bases, and breakdown of the cost elements and costs comprising such pools and bases. The Government prefers that the offeror submit such evidence in a format similar to the applicable schedules in Enclosure 6 (Incurred Cost Proposals) of DCAA’s Information for Offerors, which may be found on DCAA’s Web site (www.dcaa.mil) under the “Audit Process Overview – Information for Contractors” link under the Guidance tab at the top of the homepage.

Note 1: If the offeror has one or more of the items under “a” through “h” above but the item(s) does not account for the impact of this potential contract, the offeror shall submit the item(s) along with the information requested under “i” above, which then must account for the impact of this potential contract.

Note 2: The provisional billing indirect cost rates proposed in Pricing Table 1 shall match the respective rates submitted in the above support.

c) Volume III: Business (Informational)

General Information

Includes the offeror's name, address, DUNS and CAGE code, website, and POC email and telephone numbers. Provide a list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of the owners, partners, and principal officers of the Offeror.

Briefly describe your company's history and organization. Explain any changes in ownership and list any corporate name changes.

Business Systems Describe the offeror's estimating, purchasing, accounting, and billing system as the relate to the type of task orders that may be issued under this contract. Indicate if and when each of the foregoing systems have been approved or determined to be adequate by the US Government.

Cognizant Federal Agency Official (CFAO)

Submit the name and full contact information of the Offeror's cognizant Federal agency official (CFAO). The CFAO works in the Offeror's cognizant federal agency, which is normally the agency with which the Offeror has the largest dollars in negotiated contracts, including option periods. Refer to FAR 42.003.

If the Government had not appointed a CFAO, the offeror should identify the name and full contact information including e-mail address, of the contracting officer cognizant of the largest dollars in negotiated contracts, including option periods.

Other Requirements

The offeror must demonstrate its ability to perform this contract. Provide evidence that the offeror operates an established business with a permanent address and telephone listing and evidence that the offeror can provide the necessary personnel, equipment, and financial resources needed to perform this contract. The offeror must address the general standards of responsibility found in FAR 9.104-1.

Provide a current statement of financial condition for the last two (2) years, certified by an independent third party, which includes copies of:

-Income (profit-loss) Statement -Balance Sheet that shows the assets owned and the claims against those assets, or what a firm owns and what it owes.

-Cash Flow Statement that shows the firm's sources and uses of cash during the most recent accounting period. This will help the Government assess a firm's ability to pay its obligations.

- Company Lines-of-Credit- provide copies of the all corporate bank lines-of-credit including the avaliable amounts.

Status of Property Management System

Submit information required per DOSAR 652.245-70 (Status of Property Management System).

Contractor Teaming Arrangement (if submitting a proposal as a CTA)

An Offeror proposing as part of a CTA must have proven experience and performance as an existing Contractor Teaming Arrangement (CTA) in the form of a Partnership or Joint Venture in accordance with the proposal submission requirements. An Offeror may submit a proposal under an existing CTA in the form of a Partnership or Joint Venture only if the existing Partnership or Joint Venture has a corresponding DUNS Number in https://www.sam.gov and all the proposal submission documents are in the name of the existing Partnership or Joint Venture, not the individual members of the Partnership or Joint Venture.

For example: A Company, B Company, and C Company formed a Joint Venture entitled, ABC Incorporated. A relevant experience project in the name of Company A only, is not an eligible project under this solicitation. All relevant experience projects and other proposal submission documents must be in the name of ABC Incorporated.

“Contractor Team Arrangement” pursuant to FAR 9.601(1) means an arrangement in which two or more companies form a Partnership or Joint Venture to act as a potential Prime Contractor. This is the only type of CTA that will be considered as an eligible contractor to the exclusion of all other CTA types that are defined in the FAR, FAR agency supplemental regulations, agency desk guides, or any other form of federal acquisition policy.

For example, the following CTAs are not allowable and will not be considered for Other Than Small Business Offerors:

1. FAR 9.601(2) - This CTA is formed when a potential Prime Contractor agrees with one or more other companies to have them act as its Subcontractors under a specified Government contract or acquisition program. This type of CTA is unallowable because a Prime Contractor’s relationship with a subcontractor does not meet the legal definition of an existing Partnership or Joint Venture.

2. General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule CTAs - CTAs where an established arrangement between two or more Prime Contractors that have worked together to meet agency requirements who had developed a written CTA agreement between team members detailing the responsibilities of each team member that formed the CTA to perform on GSA Schedules. Because the GSA does not permit the legal relationship of GSA Schedule contractors under a CTA to create a joint venture or separate subsidiary, this type of CTA cannot be considered as an existing or established Partnership or Joint Venture. Therefore, this type of CTA is unallowable as a potential contractor.

3. For the purposes of submitting an Offer under this solicitation, an existing CTA as defined in FAR 9.601(1) is allowable in accordance with the following paragraphs. Any Prime/Subcontractor CTA as defined in FAR 9.601(2) is not allowable and will be rejected for any Offeror who is an Other Than Small Business Concern.

Other Than Small Business and Small Business Offerors who are an existing Joint Venture or Partnership may submit a proposal under this solicitation subject to the following conditions:

a. The Joint Venture or Partnership is registered in SAM.GOV at https://www.sam.gov and has a corresponding DUNS Number.

b. The Joint Venture or Partnership meets the definition of a Joint Venture for size determination purposes (FAR 19.101(7)(i)).

c. The Joint Venture or Partnership fills out and submits the Representations and Certifications in Section K.

d. The Joint Venture or Partnership, not the individual team members, must represent all proposal submission documents, including all Relevant Experience, Past Performance, Systems, Certifications, and Clearances, as applicable, under this solicitation.

e. The lone exception to this requirement is for the submission of Systems, Certifications, and Clearances. To receive credit for a system, certification, or clearance, offerors submitting as a CTA must provide evidence of the system, certification, or clearance being in the name of the CTA, or in the name of every member of the CTA. This exception applies to all systems, certifications, and clearances.

f. The Offeror must submit a complete copy of the Joint Venture or Partnership agreement that established the CTA relationship, disclosing the legal identity of each team member of the Joint Venture or Partnership, the relationship between the team members, the form of ownership of each team member, any limitations on liability or authority for each team member, and a specific statement of what resources each team member provides the teaming agreement. In addition, the existing Joint Venture or Partnership must:

i. Clearly identify the entities which make up the Joint Venture or Partnership relationship, including disclosure of the primary point of contact for each of the members of the team.

ii. Disclose whether or not the Joint Venture or Partnership designates a particular entity as the “team lead,” and if so, the Joint Venture or Partnership must clearly explain the specific duties/responsibilities of the “team lead” to the other members of the team and to the Government.

iii. Describe the specific duties/responsibilities of each member of the team as they relate to each other and explain the specific duties/ responsibilities that each team member will have for purposes of contract performance under the Master Contract.

iv. Address the circumstances and procedures for replacement of team members, including the team lead/managing partner.

v. Address the duration of the Joint Venture or Partnership, including when it became effective, when it expires, and the basis for termination.

vi. Submit the Corporate Charter, By-Laws, or Joint Venture or Partnership Agreement. In addition, the teaming arrangements must be identified, company relationships must be fully disclosed and respective responsibilities and method of work must be expressly stipulated. The agreement must include a full discussion of the relationship between the organizations, including identification of the organization which will have responsibility for negotiation of the contract and task orders, which organization will have accounting responsibility, how work will be allocated, and profit or fee, if any, shared. In addition, the parties to the joint venture must agree to be jointly and severally liable for performance of the contract and acts or omissions relating to the contract. Written evidence of such agreement is required to be submitted with the proposal.

Failure to provide the Government with the requested documentation establishing the CTA relationship will be considered a material nonconformity and will result in the Offer being rejected.

Claiming Relevant Experience from an Existing or Previous Joint Venture or Partnership

Under certain conditions specified herein, an Offeror may use a contract or Task Order that was awarded to its existing or previous CTA as Past Performance Experience, but will only receive credit if the Offeror was the only CTA member that performed under the project on behalf of the CTA. The Offeror shall use Contractor Team Arrangement Form for each instance of Past Performance that was performed under an existing or previous CTA and it shall be signed by the majority of CTA members. The CTA agreement shall be submitted as an addendum to Contractor Team Arrangement Form. The Offeror shall not receive credit for the Past Performance Experience if the information entered in Contractor Team Arrangement Form is not signed.

An Offeror may submit a Past Performance example performed under an existing or previous CTA, as its own, subject to the following conditions:

1. If the CTA is still in existence and submits a proposal in response to this solicitation.

2. The Offeror was the only member performing under the project on behalf of the CTA, and

3. The Offeror shall submit the Contractor Team Arrangement Form, signed by all members of the CTA if less than three members or the majority of members in the CTA if greater than three members, not including the Offeror, and

4. The Offeror shall submit a complete copy of the CTA agreement that establishes the CTA relationship, disclosing the legal identity of each team member of the Joint Venture or Partnership, and

5. The Offeror’s performance on the contract, Task Order or purchase order meets the minimum requirements of recent and relevant Past Performance.