212-1 and 212-2 Addenda_RFO 12_1st DDE Instructor.docx

ADDENDUM TO 52.212-1

INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS – COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Important Items:

Contract Specialist: Bethany Flynn, bethany.l.flynn.civ@army.mil Contracting Officer: William Byrne, william.a.byrne.civ@army.mil

A) Instructions to Quoters.

Quotes shall be submitted via email to Contract and Contracting Officer prior to the deadline posted on RFQ. No other government employees shall be included on the quote email. To do so could endanger the impartiality of the evaluations process, and result in the quote being declared non-compliant.

Contractors shall confirm receipt of all quote submittals. Upon receipt of electronic submissions, the Contract Specialist will acknowledge the quotes were received with a confirmation email; however, time is based on actual quote receipt not on confirmation email. It is the responsibility of the quoter to ensure electronic submissions were properly sent and a confirmation email is received.

Electronic submissions via email is the only acceptable form of quote submission. Faxed submissions will not be accepted.

The sole point of contact responsible for supplying additional information and answering all inquiries is the Contract Specialist. Address all questions or concerns the quoter may have to the points of contact listed in A(1). All questions regarding this solicitation shall be submitted in writing via email (no phone calls shall be accepted). Questions received after this time may not receive responses.

B) General Instructions

(1) The selection of a source for award purposes will be conducted utilizing source selection procedures as delineated in FAR Part 12 (Acquisition of Commercial Items). Quotes will be evaluated using the criteria under FAR Clause 52.212-2 (Evaluation-Commercial Items) with Addendum (below).

(2) The Quote. The submission of the documentation specified below will constitute the quoter’s acceptance of the terms and conditions of the RFQ, concurrence with the Performance Work Statement (PWS), and contract type. Non-concurrence with any portion of the terms and conditions, PWS, or contract type must be clearly stated in the submission package. CLIN structure changes may be permissible at the discretion of the Government.

(3) Instructions outlined in the Quote Preparation Instructions below prescribe the format for the quote and describe the approach for the development and presentation of quote data. These instructions are designed to ensure the submission of necessary information to provide for the understanding and comprehensive evaluation of quotes. It is the Government’s intention to award without discussions. Quoters are encouraged to present their best Technical, Past Performance, and prices in their initial quote submission.

(4) If a quoter believes the requirements in these instructions contain an error, an ambiguity, omission, or are otherwise deemed unsound, the quoter shall immediately notify the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer in writing with supporting rationale.

(5) In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.101 (Contract Files), the Government will retain all unsuccessful quotes.

(6) A vendor may submit multiple candidates/teams, but each must be submitted on separate quotes, complete with Volumes 1-4, even if information is identical. These shall be sent by separate emails.

a) Offers are limited to a single individual or a team of up to two (2). When submitting a team, vendors should keep in mind that each member shall meet the minimum qualifications for this requirement.

C) Quote Preparation Instructions

(1) Quoters are required to submit a completed solicitation (including acknowledgment of all Amendments). Failure to follow the Quote Preparation Instructions may cause your quote to be deemed non-compliant by the Government.

(2) Offeror’s Quote shall consist of four (4) separate volumes. General, Technical, Past Performance, and Price.

(3) File names will be named in the following naming convention format

a) “Company Name – Vol #” for the first submission

b) “Company Name – Vol # – Revision X” with X indicating the number of the revision.

D) Quote Submission Format and Content

(1) Quote Format. The four volumes shall be in the following format:

a) The vendor’s name and SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) shall be located on one of the first two pages of each file.

b) Text shall be single spaced and black text on white paper without watermarks (Black and white requirement does not apply to graphics, photos, etc., Company stationery and logos are acceptable).

c) Printing shall be easily readable (12-pitch type or 10-point proportional spacing.)

d) Pages shall be numbered.

e) Cross references should be utilized to preclude unnecessary duplication of data between sections.

f) Digital copies shall be provided in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and/or Excel format.

g) Excel workbooks/spreadsheets shall comply with the allowable page size requirement; formulas shall be unlocked.

(2) Page limits are as follows:

(3) Quote Limitation. The quote shall not exceed the limits stated above. If the page limits are exceeded, the pages in excess of the limit will not be read or considered for evaluation purposes. The Government will not accept any changes to the contractor’s offer after the closing date of the solicitation.

(4) If discussions become necessary, page limitations may be placed on responses to Evaluation Notice (ENs). The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the Offerors.

(5) Page Limit Includes: All appendices, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, photographs, drawings, resumes, etc.

(6) What Counts as A Page? A page shall be:

a) An 8 ½ X 11” sheet of paper.

b) Single side

c) Letter size and spacing requirements for illustrations and tables can be at the discretion of the Offeror but must be easily readable.

d) Any foldouts exceeding the size identified as what is to be considered a page, will be counted as the appropriate number of pages based on an 8 ½ X 11” sheet of paper.

e) Use at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom and 3/4-inch side margins.

(7) The Contractor shall number each page to eliminate any confusion and fold outs shall not be counted, by the contractor, as 1 page. In the event the contractor creates an ambiguity in their numbering of pages, the Government may exercise its own discretion in counting pages.

VOLUME 1 – GENERAL

E) Volume 1: General

(1) The General section shall include all other information to include acknowledgement(s) and signed Amendment(s), Representation & Certifications, Exceptions, and any other information not applicable to Volumes 2 through 4. This shall include the SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you are submitting your offer under. The Government cannot award a contract without an active UEI from SAM.gov- if your registration is pending, please provide date of submission and the status of your application.

VOLUME 2 – TECHNICAL

F) Factor 1: Technical

(1) The Technical Volume shall be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims in the Quote. Legibility, clarity and coherence are very important. Quoters shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their facilities and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the quotation.

(2) The Technical submission will be evaluated against the Technical Factors of this solicitation. The Government will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Technical submission. Contractors shall detail all their experience and capabilities.

(3) The Technical submission should be prepared in a format consistent with the PWS and the evaluation criteria set forth in this solicitation. The Technical submission should be sufficiently specific, detailed, and complete to clearly and fully demonstrate understanding of the proposed work and the goals of the PWS.

(4) Key Personnel resume(s) shall be included as a part of Vol 2. A letter authorizing use of an individual’s key personnel resume must be provided with resume submission.

(5) Ensure to include a copy of 52.212 Attachment 1-Volume 2- Key Personnel Statement of Intent to the Prime Contractor

VOLUME 3 – PAST PERFORMANCE

G) Factor 2: Past Performance

(1) The Past Performance evaluation will be accomplished by reviewing aspects of an offeror's recent and relevant Past Performance. The evaluation will focus on performance which is relevant to the effort as it directly relates to the work being procured under this solicitation and as defined in Volume 3.

(2) Past Performance information described herein is required on the offeror and all subcontractors, teaming partners, and/or joint venture partners brought to bear or significantly influence the performance of the proposed effort.

a) The offeror shall include documentation regarding its relevant past performance as it directly relates to the work being procured under this solicitation, e.g. contracts and/or subcontract work performed for the same or similar requirement. To be recent, the effort must be ongoing or must have been performed during the past three (3) years from the date of issuance of this solicitation. The past performance data shall document a successful history of past contract performance.

b) In conducting the Past Performance evaluation, the Government reserves the right to use both the information provided in the offeror’s Past Performance Volume and information obtained from other sources, including, but not limited to, Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) or similar systems, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and commercial sources. Offerors are reminded that both independent data and data provided by offerors in their offers may be used by the Government to evaluate offeror past performance. However, the burden of providing thorough, complete, and current past performance information as requested in this paragraph remains with the offerors. Offers that do not contain the information requested by this volume risk rejection or an unacceptable performance rating by the Government. All past performance comments received will be taken into account and could affect the overall rating. The overall past performance evaluation is a subjective decision based on the data received.

c) In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance.

(3) Submission Requirements. The offeror shall submit a Past Performance Volume containing the following (vendor may alternatively use 52.212 Attachment 2-Volume 3- Specific Relevant Contracts Sheet):

a) the source of information, e.g. three points of contact,

b) addresses and telephone numbers,

c) type of contract,

d) contract amount, (award amount plus any increases)

e) period of performance, and

f) comments on any performance problems encountered and the contractor’s corrective actions

(4) Contractors with no prior Government contracts or subcontracts may submit similar information for contract and/or other work performance with State and local Governments, private industries, educational institutions and/or past Government service if applicable.

(5) The submittal shall include rationale on how it was determined that the work performed previously was the same or similar in nature, size, and complexity to the work specified by this solicitation.

(6) There are three aspects to the past performance evaluation: recency, relevancy (including context of data), and quality (including general trends in contractor performance and source of information). Information is required to meet all three standards.

VOLUME 4 – PRICING

H) Factor 3: Price

(1) Price shall be evaluated using price analysis techniques in accordance with FAR 12.204. Price will not be evaluated for quoters with a technically unacceptable rating.

(2) Unless indicated otherwise, all lines shall be quoted for, including all option years, as is required to facilitate FAR Clause 52.217-5. Failure to do so will be cause for the quote to be declared non-compliant without discussions. Pricing shall be provided on the provided Excel spreadsheet template.

(End of 52.212-1 addendum, please continue to 52.212-2)

ADDENDUM TO 52.212-2

EVALUATION – COMMERCIAL ITEMS (Oct 2014)

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

A) Basis for Award: The Government intends to award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose quote, conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 12- Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services, as supplemented by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and the Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS). Award will be made to offeror deemed responsible in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), whose quote conforms to the solicitation requirements.

(1) The Government intends to award one (1) contract as a result of this solicitation. Offers received for less than the stated number of items listed in the SF1449 Continuation Sheet will be considered ineligible for award. As set forth in FAR 52.212-2, the Government intends to evaluate offers and award a firm fixed price contract without discussions. Therefore, the offerors initial offer should contain the offerors best terms from a technical and price standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer determines them to be necessary.

(2) Evaluation Criteria. The quotes will be evaluated under three (3) evaluation factors: 1. Technical; 2. Past Performance; and 3. Price. In order for an Offeror to be considered for award, the quote must receive an “Eligible” rating in every non-price Factor. An offer receiving a rating of “Unacceptable” in any non-price Factor will be disqualified for an award.

VOLUME 2 – TECHNICAL

B) Factor 1: Technical

(1) The Technical evaluation factor is an assessment of the Offeror’s capability to satisfy the Government’s minimum requirements. The Government reserves the right to verify that the Offeror has experience in performing contracts of similar scope, time constraints, complexity, and size as well as the ability to successfully manage and complete this contract. In order to receive an eligible rating, the Technical submissions must meet all requirements stated for key personnel:

Subfactor 1: Military Education.

At a minimum, the candidate must possess a Senior Service College diploma and candidate possesses a Joint Professional Military Education Phase II qualification.

Subfactor 2: Education.

At a minimum, the candidate must possess a minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited graduate degree granting institution in a discipline relevant to the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) curriculum as listed below:

a) Strategic Leadership

b) Applied Ethics

c) National Security Policy and Strategy

d) Theory of War

e) Military History

f) Elements of National Power (Diplomacy, Information, Military, and Economics)

g) Civil-Military Relations

h) Military Strategy, Operational Art, and Planning

i) Materiel Acquisition, Force Development, Human and Fiscal Resources

Subfactor 3: Teaching Experience.

At a minimum, the candidate must have a minimum of five (5) years’ experience as a faculty instructor at either a Senior Service College or an accredited graduate degree granting institution.

· Faculty experience shall be in one of the major fields of studies listed in subfactor 2.

· At least one (1) of the years must have occurred within the last three (3) years as reflected on a curriculum vitae, professional resume, and/or similar documents.

· Each candidate must be knowledgeable in concepts of adult learning, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Seminar Discourse, Seminar Team Building, and Reflective Learning.

Subfactor 4: Relevant Technology Expertise.

The minimum qualifications include, but are not limited to:

· Online teaching experience using a Learning Management System (LMS) recognized in the academic community. Examples include, but are not limited to, Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, etc.

· Microsoft 365 (i.e., Word, Outlook, Power Point, SharePoint Portal), Microsoft Teams, basic writing and editing skills, search/create folders, computer terminology, basic troubleshooting of login and connectivity issues.

· Able to perform word processing and data entry tasks associated with evaluating and electronically annotating student submissions and recording correspondence and conversations in the LMS database.

· Experienced (or able to be trained on site) in the use of visual and automation technology in the individual seminar rooms at Carlisle Barracks (at no additional cost to the government).

· Familiarity with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools recognized in the academic community. Examples include, but are not limited to, ChatGPT, Ask Sage, Grammarly, CoPilot, Perplexity, or other platforms.

Subfactor 5: Battlefield Staff Guide. (Required only if quoting for the associated CLINS)

The minimum qualifications require general American Civil War history for context; specific knowledge of Gettysburg including detailed knowledge of the campaign, leaders, and the battlefield; and the ability to relate strategic leader competencies and course materials studied by USAWC students to events that occurred on the respective battlefield.

Note: Rejection of Subfactor 5 will not count against the candidate, they simply will not be offered this task.

PLEASE NOTE: THE FOLLOWING LAWS APPLY TO THE CANDIDATES OF THIS PROCUREMENT.

· 18 U.S.C. § 205- Military officers working on terminal leave cannot interact with the Government on behalf of post-military employer until their leave has expired- this position does interact with the Government in such a way.

· Candidates who have left federal service (military or civilian) in the last two years are strongly encouraged to obtain and submit a DD Form 2945, Post Government Employment Advice Opinion, especially if they served on a source selection board, assisted in building a requirements package, or were a package approval authority.

Each Quote/Technical submission will receive a Technical Rating as follows:

Quotes that are found Technically Unacceptable will not be evaluated for Past Performance.

VOLUME 3: PAST PERFORMANCE

C) Factor 2: Past Performance

(1) Past Performance is evaluated as a performance risk assessment of the Offeror’s probability of meeting the solicitation’s requirements. In conducting the Past Performance evaluation, the Government reserves the right to use both the information provided in the Offeror’s Past Performance Volume and information obtained from other sources, available to the Government, such as: the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS), Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS), or other databases; the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA); and interviews with Project Managers and/or Contracting Officers, personal professional knowledge, and other sources.

Recency: First, the Government will evaluate each past performance reference to determine recency. To be recent, the effort must have been performed during the three (3) years from the date of issuance of this solicitation. Evaluation will focus only on work experience already performed. Yet-to-be performed work, experience prior to the last three (3) years will not be considered.

Relevancy: Second, the Government will evaluate whether the Offeror’s recent past performance is relevant or not relevant to the required effort. The Government will assess each recent past performance reference submission to determine scope and magnitude relative to this requirement. Evaluation of relevance will include determination of similarity of scope and magnitude.

Quality of Products or Services: The third aspect of the past performance evaluation is to establish the overall quality of the offeror’s past performance. In order to receive an Eligible rating, the Past Performance submissions must also show successful completion of similar work.

Past Performance Recency/Relevancy Rating:

(2) Each offeror will receive a performance confidence assessment rating based on the offeror’s recent past performance, focusing on performance that is relevant to the contract requirements.

a) The Past Performance evaluation will assess the quoter’s probability of meeting the solicitation’s requirements as indicated by that quoter’s record of past performance. Past Performance is assessed at the factor level after evaluating aspects of the quoter’s recent past performance and focusing on performance that is relevant to the item being procured under this solicitation.

b) Past contract performance should demonstrate the selected quoter’s ability to meet project goals as specified in the Performance Work Statement and the Instructions to Quoters. The quoter must demonstrate that he/she has performed work of a similar scope and magnitude of effort.

c) Offerors without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance. Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown past performance. In the context of acceptability/unacceptability, “unknown” shall be considered “Eligible.”

VOLUME 4: PRICE

D) Factor 3: Price

(1) The Price Factor will not be scored or rated. The offer will be evaluated for price reasonableness in accordance with the quote analysis techniques described FAR 12.204.

a) Unbalanced Pricing may be evaluated in accordance with FAR 12.204, as applicable, to assess potential performance risk which could result in unreasonably high prices.

b) Unless otherwise noted, price will be evaluated on a total price basis IAW FAR Provision 52.217-5 and will include base year and all options. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(End of addendum)