31310020R0004 Amendment No. 2 Question and Answer April 14, 2020.pdf

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

April 14, 2020

SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 31310020R0004 ENTITLED, "TECHNICAL

ASSISTANCE IN SUPPORT OF NRC NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH FOR

MATERIALS, WASTE, AND REACTOR PROGRAMS”

OFFERORS:

The purpose of this Amendment No. 2 is to answer offerors questions to the solicitation and to clarify various sections in the solicitation:

The following revisions were made to the sections of the solicitation referenced below:

1) Refer to Section 3.1 Thermal Hydraulics Research Support, the scope is hereby revised as follows:

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance for simulations and analyses that include normal operations, anticipated operational occurrences, design basis accidents, and beyond design basis accidents relevant to all currently operating reactor types, as well as new and advanced reactor designs. Such assistance shall be accomplished using the NRC’s computer codes suite designed to perform the respective simulations for the applicable technical disciplines, including thermal-hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), neutronics, severe accidents, radiological consequences, and fuel behavior. Codes used for the thermal-hydraulic analysis of nuclear reactor systems and components contains (but is not limited to) the following NRC computer codes:

The thermal-hydraulic code suite for the analysis of nuclear reactor systems and components contains the following NRC computer codes:

• TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE): Reactor Systems Thermal- Hydraulics

• Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS)

• SNAP – Symbolic Nuclear Analysis Package: Analyses model management and documentation system

• Advanced Gas REactor Evaluation (AGREE): Core Thermal-Hydraulics

• Fuel Analysis under Steady-state and Transients (FAST): Thermal-Mechanical Fuel Performance

2) Refer to Section 3.8 and add the following sentence before the first paragraph.

“Litigation support may be needed for the seven (7) technical support services areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7.”

3) Refer to Section 5.2, table 3.1 delete in its entirety and replace with the following table:

3.1 Thermal Hydraulics Research Support

Educational Requirements Required Experience Minimum Number of

Years of Experience B.S in Engineering or Science

Expertise in thermal-hydraulics and fluid dynamics related to accident progression

15 years

Development of computer code plant specific input models.

10 years

In-depth knowledge of nuclear power plant systems including reactor and containment systems for LWRs.

15 years

Technical reviewer and interpretation of analytical and experimental work conducted domestically and internationally

4) Refer to Section 5.2, table 3.7 and add the following educational qualifications:

3.7 Code Development and Code Support

Educational Requirements Required Experience Minimum Number of Years of Experience

Subject Matter Expert in Symbolic Nuclear Analysis Package (SNAP)

Demonstrated code development experience with Java applications

5 years

Demonstrated code development experience with Python applications

3 years

B.S. in Computer Science or Engineering Experience in Fortran and C/C++

10 years

Experience in the latest (2018) Fortran code development practice, including Object-

Oriented Programming, Parallel programming and MPI

5) Refer to Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices,” item iv and add “and representations found in section K of this solicitation.”, to the first sentence.

iv. The Technical Proposal is limited to 100 pages, excluding the resumes and certifications and representations found in section K of this solicitation. Print shall be a minimum 11-point font size. Offerors are cautioned that any documentation which exceeds the 100-page limitation will not be considered. Resumes shall not exceed four pages, Offerors are cautioned that any documentation which exceeds the 4-page resume limitation will not be considered.

6) Refer to Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices, Volume II- Cost/Price Proposal” item ii and add “Offerors can provide their own format as long as it contains the elements as dented in the cost proposal templates, including in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408.”

ii. Cost/price information must include pertinent details sufficient to show the elements of the total proposed cost/price in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408. Offerors can use their own format. The cost proposal must contain the elements as indicated in the cost proposal templates, including in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408.

7) Refer to Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices,” Volume II, Cost/Price Proposal, section stated as “Other Direct Cost” and add the following sentence to the end of the paragraph, “Any indirect charges applicable to the Offeror’s Other Direct Costs shall be in addition to the amounts above.”

Other Direct Cost: The Offeror shall use a plug-in for Other Direct Costs for the total period of performance Not-to-Exceed (NTE) $250,000 ($50k/per year) in preparing the cost/price proposal. Any indirect charges applicable to the Offeror’s Other Direct Costs shall be in addition to the amounts above.

8) Refer to section M.1.3 Evaluation Criteria and add the following sentence to the beginning first paragraph “By use of narrative and adjectival scoring techniques, proposals are evaluated against the evaluation factors specified below.”

The proposals will be rated using adjectival rating methodology. The non-cost evaluation factors are listed below in descending order of importance.

9) Refer to Attachment No. 8 to change the due date to April 30, 2020 and remove a statement on page 2.

Accordingly, we ask that you complete the enclosed past performance survey and return it directly to the address below, or email to Jeffrey.mitchell@nrc.gov , no later than 2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST), on April 30, 2020.

Remove the following statement: THE COMPLETED PAST PERFORMANCE COVER SHEET AND

PAST PERFORMANCE QUESTIONNAIRE MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH THE PROPOSAL.

mailto:Jeffrey.mitchell@nrc.gov

Below please find the technical questions and responses from offerors in response to solicitation no. 31310020R0004.

Question No. 1: Is the NRC interested in receiving proposals for entire scope of this effort? Can proposals be made for select parts of this work scope only?

NRC Response: As stated in Section L.13, Volume 1 – Technical Proposals Instructions

The written Technical Proposal and Supporting Documentation must be tailored to assure that all information reflects a one-to-one relationship to the evaluation criteria.

In order to receive an award the successful offeror(s) should receive a high technical rating in at least two (2) of the Technical Support Service Areas (TSSA) as outlined in the Statement of Work under Section 3.0. Therefore, Offerors do not have to meet all capabilities for every TSSA outlined in the SOW to receive an award.

At the time of award the NRC will establish vendor pools for each Technical Support Service Areas.

Question No. 2: The RFP states on page 128 “Note: The Government has prescribed the labor categories to be used under this contract and provided the definition and minimum qualification requirements for each category elsewhere in the solicitation. (NO DEVIATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED.)” There are eight categories required to be priced in the Cost Volume: Project Manager, Senior Engineer/Scientist, Mid-Level Engineer/Scientist, Junior Engineer/Scientist, Subject Matter Expert, Senior Technical Reviewer, Technical Reviewer, and Administrative Support. The requirements for the Project Manager are on page 20, but the other categories are not detailed within the solicitation. The PWS does include education, specific experience, and years of experience requirements, but it is broken out by project task element rather than labor categories listed in the Cost Volume. Please clarify the labor categories and the definition and minimum qualifications for each.

NRC Response: The Level of Effort table does not directly relate to one TSSA area or all the TSSA areas. The Level of Effort is provided to create uniformity and for the NRC to have a basis for conducting cost analysis. Offerors shall not deviate from the provided Level of Effort estimated hours even if the offeror is only proposing for 2 or 3 TSSA areas. The required qualifications listed for each TSSA in section C, subsection 5.0 are used for the evaluation of factor 1, only.

Question No. 3: In the RFP, 3.3 Severe Accident and Consequence Analysis Support, several of the required experience items under B.S. in Engineering or Science educational level are repeated for the M.S. or PhD in Engineering or Science educational level. Should different technical staff be shown here at their highest degree level, or should the same person be shown on both B.S. and advanced degree levels since in most cases they would have an undergraduate degree first in Engineering or Science before attaining an advanced degree?

NRC Response: The person does not need to be shown in both places. However, the needs to demonstrate the required experience and meet the educational requirements.

Question No. 4: In the section Evaluation Factor One - Personnel Qualifications [Pass/Fail], pages 124-125 of the RFP, it states “This part of your proposal shall clearly discuss your proposed personnel’s qualifications and experience in performing the work as outlined in the NRC’s Statement of Work for each Technical Support Service Area (TSSA). Offeror’s must submit separate personnel qualifications for each TSSA.” If the same person or persons are proposed for more than one TSSA are separate qualifications for this/these person(s) needed each time but tailored for the TSSA being considered?

NRC Response: No. Separate qualifications are not required for each TSSA, as long as the individual’s qualifications relate to the TSSA and the offeror identifies the TSSA that person is being proposed for.

Question No. 5: The Offeror shall provide past performance references on same or similar services performed and/or completed within the past three (3) years as those required in the Statement of Work. Can we also use past performance from greater than 3 years ago in the body of our proposal or would they consider that as non-responsive to the RFP requirements?

NRC Response: Per Section L.13, Past Performance references shall be within the past 3 years.

References submitted that are past the three (3) year period will not be evaluated.

Question No. 6: Clarification Request No. 1 (TSSA 3.8, “Litigation Support”)

NRC Solicitation No. 31310020R0004, Section B.1, Item (a) presents a Summary Work Description for the Solicitation. The SOW, described in Section C.1, provides a Background description for the SOW activities in Part 1.0. The Work Requirements in Section C.1, Part 2.0 identify a list of Contractor Technical Assistance activities. The SOW Work Scope, presented in Section C.1, Part 3.0, describes the required technical support services for eight Technical Support Service Areas (TSSAs) as outlined in Items 3.1 through 3.8.

TSSA “Litigation Support,” described in SOW Section C.1, Part 3.0, Item 3.8, requests “litigation support at hearings (mandatory or contested), and other similar processes” and further states the following.

“This effort includes, but is not limited to: providing written documentation of work performed during the subject technical reviews; providing expert testimony (written and oral) and reports;

reviewing and analyzing expert testimony/reports provided by other parties in the litigation; and participate in evidentiary hearings.”

(1.1) For the purposes of preparing a Technical Proposal, is it to assume that the above-cited

SOW description of TSSA, “Litigation Support,” in Section C.1, Part 3.0, Item 3.8 should be considered pertaining to the work scope of the remaining seven TSSAs described in SOW Section C.1, Part 3.0, Items 3.1 through 3.7?

(1.2) Related to the question presented above, Section 5.2 of the Solicitation, Technical Disciplines and Specialized Technical Areas, does not outline expectations for Litigation

Support. Can the NRC provide more clarity on the personnel qualifications for Litigation Support?

NRC Response: Section 3.8 is for litigation support of which may be needed for the seven (7) technical areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7. Section 3.8 will not have a qualification list. Offerors do not need to submit a resume for this area.

Refer to Section 3.8 and add the following sentence before the first paragraph.

“Litigation support may be needed for the seven (7) technical support services areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7.”

Question No. 7: Clarification Request No. 2 (Evaluation Criteria)

NRC Solicitation No. 31310020R0004, Section L, Subsection L.13 identifies four evaluation criteria (factors) under the heading “Volume I - Technical Proposal Instructions.” The same criteria are also described in Section M.1.3 of the Solicitation. These criteria are presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Technical Proposal Evaluation Criteria (Factors)

Evaluation

Factor (Criterion)

Heading Evaluation Method

Factor Weight Applicability

1 Personnel Qualifications Pass/Fail Not provided All Offerors

[Evaluation of] Technical Approach and Management Plan

Not provided Not provided All Offerors

3 Past Performance Not provided Not provided All Offerors

4 Small Business Participation Not provided Not provided Not applicable to Small Business Offerors

(2.1) Will a Scoring Evaluation Method relying on assigned scoring ranges (or weighting factors) be applied to Criteria 1 through 4 to arrive at a cumulative score for each Technical Proposal? As applicable, please clarify what scoring range (weighting factor) will be applied to each individual Criterion 1 through 4? Will the same “Pass/Fail” evaluation method be used for all four Evaluation Criteria and, if not, what evaluation methods will be used for Evaluation Criteria 2, 3, and 4?

(2.2) The Evaluation Method for Criterion 1 is “Pass/Fail.” How will the outcome for

Criterion 1 (pass or fail) be accounted for in determining the cumulative score based on Criteria 1 through 4 for each Technical Proposal bid?

(2.3) In evaluating a Technical Proposal covering several selected TSSAs, please clarify the following.

(a) What threshold is required to score a “Pass” for a specific supported TSSA under Evaluation Criterion 1?

(b) If the same “Pass/Fail” evaluation method is used for all Evaluation Criteria, is it possible to receive a “Pass” mark for some TSSAs and a “Fail” mark for other TSSAs, or will there be a single score covering all TSSAs?

(c) How will the evaluation criteria be adopted for submissions that do not cover the work scope of a given TSSA in its entirety?

(2.4) As Criterion 4 is “not applicable to Small Business Offerors,” how will the scoring range, assigned to Criterion 4 and assessed scores for Criterion 4, when applicable, be treated and accounted for when comparing bids from Offerors to which Criterion 4 applies against a bid from a Small Business Offeror?

NRC Response:

As stated under Section M.1.2 Methodology

All evaluation factors other than cost/price, when combined, are significantly more important than cost/price.

Personnel Qualifications will be evaluated on a “Pass/Fail” basis. If a proposal fails to demonstrate that the proposed personnel meet the qualifications as described in Section C, Subsection 5.0, to include appropriate documentation (resume, statement of commitment, etc.), then that proposal will be considered unacceptable and not further evaluated for technical (Evaluation Factor 2, 3, and 4) or cost/price.

Refer to section M.1.3 Evaluation Criteria and add the following sentence to the beginning first paragraph:

Evaluation Factors 2, 3, and 4 will be evaluated using adjectival rating “The proposals will be rated using adjectival evaluations against the evaluation factors specified below.”

As stated under section M.1.3 Evaluation Criteria “The non-cost evaluation factors are listed below in descending order of importance.”

Evaluation factor 4 will only be evaluated for large businesses.

Question No. 8: Clarification Request No. 3 (Technical Proposal Instructions)

NRC RFP Solicitation No. 31310020R0004 Section L, “Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Bidders,” Subsection L.13, states the following under the heading “Volume I - Technical Proposal Instructions.”

“The written Technical Proposal and Supporting Documentation must be tailored to assure that all information reflects a one-to-one relationship to the evaluation criteria.”

Solicitation Section M, “Evaluation Factors for Award,” Subsection M.1.1 states the following.

“In order to receive an award the successful offeror(s) should be rated high in at least two (2) of the Technical Support Service Areas (TSSA) as outlined in the Statement of Work under Section

3.0. Offerors do not have to meet all capabilities in the TSSA to receive an award. At the time of award the NRC will establish vendor pools for each Technical Support Service Areas.”

(3.1) Following the above stated instructions and requirements in preparing a Technical

Proposal, the following two options appear possible.

Option 1: The Technical Proposal is structured based on the evaluation factors, with subsections for each TSSA to which the offeror is responding.

Option 2: The Technical Proposal is structured based on the TSSAs to which the offeror is responding, with subsections for each of the four evaluation factors. In effect, this option would produce a mini-proposal for each TSSA to which the offeror is responding.

Does NRC have any recommendations/preferences as to which of the above described two options (Option 1 or Option 2) should be given a preference in preparing a Technical Proposal?

NRC Response: Yes. Option 1 is the correct description of how the technical proposal sections should be proposed. Evaluation Factor 1 – Qualifications of Personnel addresses qualifications for at least two of the TSSA’s. Evaluation Factors 2, 3 and 4 addresses the entire scope of work and should not be separated out for each TSSA.

Question No. 9: Clarification Request No. 4 (Technical Proposal – Page Limit)

Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices,” Item iv, Page 124 of the Solicitation states that the Technical Proposal is limited to 100 pages, excluding the resumes. Does the page limit include front matter (Title page, Table of Contents, List of Figures, and List of Tables, etc.)? Does the 100-page limit include 100 single-sided (100 total pages) or 100 double-sided pages (200 total pages)?

Section L13, Item v, Page 123 of the solicitation states, “The technical proposal shall include all applicable representations and certifications. This includes the representations found in section K of this solicitation, specifically the Organizational Conflict of Interest certification and current or former NRC employees.” Does the 100-page limit also include completion of Section K of the Solicitation, “Representations and Certifications”?

NRC Response: The 100-page limit is 100 single-sided pages or 100 pages total.

The page limit will include Title page, Table of Contents, List of Figures and List of Tables, etc.

The page limit does not include Section K “Representations and Certifications”

Question No. 10: Clarification Request No. 5 (TSSA 3.1, “Thermal Hydraulics Research Support”)

NRC RFP Solicitation No. 31310020R0004, Subsection C.1, Item 3.1, “Thermal Hydraulics Research Support,” requires the Contractor provide assistance “using the NRC’s computer code suite designed to perform the respective simulations for the applicable technical disciplines, including thermal-hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), neutronics, severe accidents, radiological consequences, and fuel behavior.” Subsection C.1, Item 3.1 further states that “the thermal-hydraulic code suite for the analysis of nuclear reactor systems and components contains the following NRC computer codes,” which are listed as TRACE (reactor systems thermal-hydraulics), PARCS, AGREE (core thermal-hydraulics), FAST (thermal-mechanical fuel performance.

The identified NRC codes comprising the NRC’s “thermal-hydraulic code suite” include two thermal-hydraulic codes (TRACE and AGREE), one neutronics code (PARCS), and one thermal-mechanical fuel performance code (FAST). The Scope of Work description for TSSA “Thermal Hydraulics Research Support” in Subsection C.1, Item 3.1 requires assistance in additional technical disciplines that include: (1) CFD, (2) severe accidents, and (3) radiological consequences.

(5.1) Given the mismatch between the listed technical disciplines and the areas of application of the NRC’s computer codes that are required to be used, will the services under Subsection C.1, Item 3.1, “Thermal Hydraulics Research Support,” require use of additional computer codes?

(5.2) In case it would be required by NRC, which codes are expected to be used to perform the respective simulations for the technical disciplines: (1) CFD, (2) severe accidents,

(3) radiological consequences, and (4) any additional applicable disciplines?

NRC Response: The codes and disciplines listed are not necessarily meant to be all inclusive.

Severe accident and fuel related phenomena, as they affect the Thermal-Hydraulic response, are areas we anticipate may be areas we will need support. Please see the respective sections on Severe Accident and Fuel.

The codes that the NRC anticipates using are provided in the scope.

Refer to Section 3.1 Thermal Hydraulics Research Support, the scope is hereby revised as follows:

The Contractor shall provide technical assistance for simulations and analyses that include normal operations, anticipated operational occurrences, design basis accidents, and beyond design basis accidents relevant to all currently operating reactor types, as well as new and advanced reactor designs. Such assistance shall be accomplished using the NRC’s computer codes suite designed to perform the respective simulations for the applicable technical disciplines, including thermal-hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), neutronics, severe accidents, radiological consequences, and fuel behavior. Codes used for the thermal-hydraulic analysis of nuclear reactor systems and components contains (but is not limited to) the following NRC computer codes:

The thermal-hydraulic code suite for the analysis of nuclear reactor systems and components contains the following NRC computer codes:

• TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE): Reactor Systems Thermal- Hydraulics

• Purdue Advanced Reactor Core Simulator (PARCS)

• SNAP – Symbolic Nuclear Analysis Package: Analyses model management and documentation system

• Advanced Gas REactor Evaluation (AGREE): Core Thermal-Hydraulics

• Fuel Analysis under Steady-state and Transients (FAST): Thermal-Mechanical Fuel Performance

Question No. 11: Clarification Request No. 6 (Required Experience for TSSA 3.1)

NRC RFP Solicitation No. 31310020R0004 Subsection C.1, Item 5.0, “Personnel Qualifications,” Subitem 5.2, “Technical Disciplines and Specialized Technical Areas,” provides tables that identify specific “Educational Requirements,” “Required Experience,” and “Minimum Number of Years of Experience” for the TSSAs described individually in Item 3.0 “Scope of Work” Sub-items

3.1 through 3.8. The Work Scope described for TSSA 3.1 “Thermal Hydraulics Research Support” in Subsection C.1 Item 3.1 requires “technical assistance for simulations and analyses” using “the NRC’s computer code suite designed to perform the respective simulations for the applicable technical disciplines, including thermal-hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), neutronics, severe accidents, radiological consequences, and fuel behavior.” “Required Experience” described in the corresponding table in Subsection C.1 Item 5.1 (on pages 20 and 21 of the Solicitation) for TSSA 3.1 “Thermal Hydraulics Research Support” calls for: (1) “Experience in Fortran and C/C++” (15 years); (2) “Experience in the latest (2018) Fortran code development practice, including Object-Oriented Programming, Parallel programming and MPI” (15 years);

and (3) “Experience with TRACE, SNAP, and PARCS” (3 years).

(6.1) Please clarify the apparent mismatch between the Work Scope requirements to provide

“technical assistance for simulations and analyses” and the above identified experience requirements (1) “Experience in Fortran and C/C++” (15 years) and (2) “Experience in the latest (2018) Fortran code development practice, including Object-Oriented Programming, Parallel programming and MPI” (15 years).

(6.2) Please clarify the apparent inconsistency between the above identified qualification requirement (3) “Experience with TRACE, SNAP, and PARCS” (3 years) and the Work Scope requirements “to perform the respective simulations for the applicable technical disciplines, including thermal-hydraulics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), neutronics, severe accidents, radiological consequences, and fuel behavior.”

NRC Response: Refer to Section 5.2, table 3.1 delete in its entirety and replace with the following table:

3.1 Thermal Hydraulics Research Support

Educational Requirements Required Experience Minimum Number of

Years of Experience B.S in Expertise in thermal-hydraulics and 15 years

Engineering or Science fluid dynamics related to accident progression Development of computer code plant specific input models.

In-depth knowledge of nuclear power plant systems including reactor and containment systems for LWRs.

15 years

Technical reviewer and interpretation of analytical and experimental work conducted domestically and internationally

Question No. 12: Clarification Request No. 7 (Required Experience for TSSA 3.7) NRC RFP Solicitation No. 31310020R0004, Subsection C.1, Item 5.0, Personnel Qualifications,” Subitem 5.2, “Technical Disciplines and Specialized Technical Areas,,” provides tables that identify specific “Educational Requirements,” “Required Experience,” and “Minimum Number of Years of Experience” for the TSSAs described individually in Item 3.0, “Scope of Work,” Sub-items 3.1 through 3.8. The Work Scope described for TSSA 3.7, “Code Development and Code Support,” in Subsection C.1, Item 3.7, identifies 17 technical areas in which the NRC may, at its discretion, issue task orders for work. Of these 17 areas, only the last one pertains to SNAP:

Area 17, “SNAP Development and Support activities.”

The qualification requirements described in the corresponding table in Subsection C.1, Item 5.1 (on page 29 of the Solicitation), for TSSA 3.7, “Code Development and Code Support,” call only for the following “Educational Requirements:” (1) “Subject Matter Expert in Symbolic Nuclear Analysis Package (SNAP)” with the following “Required Experience:” (1) Demonstrated code development experience with Java applications (5 years) and (2) “Demonstrated code development experience with Python applications” (3 years).

(7.1) Please clarify the apparent inconsistency between the provided Work Scope for TSSA 3.7 that includes 17 different technical areas and the above identified qualification requirements for TSSA 3.7 pertaining only to one of these areas: Area 17, “SNAP Development and Support activities.”

NRC Response: Refer to Section 5.2, table 3.7 and add the following educational qualifications:

3.7 Code Development and Code Support

Educational Requirements Required Experience Minimum Number of Years of Experience

Subject Matter Expert in Symbolic Nuclear Analysis Package (SNAP)

Demonstrated code development experience with Java applications

5 years

Demonstrated code development experience with Python applications

3 years

B.S. in Computer Science or Engineering Experience in Fortran and C/C++

10 years

Experience in the latest (2018) Fortran code development practice, including Object- Oriented Programming, Parallel programming and MPI

Question No. 13: Clarification Request No. 8 (Technical Assistance Activities)

NRC RFP Solicitation No. 31310020R0004, Subsection C.1, Item 2.1, “Contractor Technical Assistance,” lists the following activity: “(g) Guidance and technical report development.”

(8.1) Please clarify what type/nature of “guidance” and “technical report” are meant in

Subsection C.1, Item 2.1(g).

NRC Response: The activity (g) Guidance and technical report development may be needed in a Task Order, of which will be defined at that time. This activity relates to a guidance or technical report type deliverable of which will be defined in the Task Order scope of work.

Question No. 14: Clarification Request No. 9 (Past Performance Survey) It is likely that follow-on Solicitations 31310020R0005 and 31310020R0006 will also require references to complete a Past Performance Survey. It is likely that portions of the work performed on contracts for which Past Performance Surveys are submitted for Solicitation 31310020R0004 will be relevant to the other two solicitations. If this situation arises, will it be necessary for the references to submit another Past Performance Survey or can we refer to a Past Performance Survey that was submitted for Solicitation 31310020R0004? The proposal would then discuss the portions of the contract that are relevant to the follow-on solicitation, either 31310020R0005 and/or 31310020R0006.

NRC Response: The offerors will need to request their references to provide another survey for the applicable solicitation. The reference will need to forward the survey to the appropriate NRC Contracting Officer listed in the solicitation.

Question No. 15: [Section C.1 3.0 Scope of Work 5.2 Technical Disciplines and Specialized Technical Areas]

Most of the seven TSSA sections in section 5.2 provide very detailed personnel qualifications.

However, Section 5.2 items 3.1 and 3.7 identify many fewer requirements relevant to a narrow portion of the corresponding TSSA statement of work. For example, the SOW for Section 3.7 contains 17 technical areas, but personnel requirements in 5.2 are only specified in the table for one of them (SNAP-related expertise). Please clarify whether personnel qualifications in the other 16 technical areas within Section 3.7 would count towards the evaluation of bidder qualifications with respect to Section 3.7.

Section 3.8 appears to be an eighth technical area, but has no corresponding list of qualifications in Section 5.2. Please provide required qualification in section 5.2.

NRC Response: Section 3.8 is for litigation support of which may be needed for the seven (7) technical areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7. Section 3.8 will not have a qualification list. Offerors do not need to submit a resume for this area.

Refer to Section 3.8 and add the following sentence before the first paragraph.

“Litigation support may be needed for the seven (7) technical support services areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7.”

Question No. 16: [Section C.1 4.0 Task Order Placement Procedures Section G.3 Section H.19]

Section C.1 4.0 states: “Each task order under this IDIQ contract will be awarded on a competitive basis within the TSSA vendor pool.” Sections G.3 and H/19 state: “The contracting officer is responsible for providing further specificity to supplement the standard information contained in the ordering procedures set forth below to address the specific requirements of each contract.”

Can NRC provide the “further specificity,” -- for example, a task order-specific ordering procedure – suggested by the G.3/H.19 language? Previous NRC RFPs have included, for example, clauses entitled “Fair Opportunity.”

The RFP states that “Contracting Officers may, at their discretion, set aside orders for any of the small business concerns identified in 19.000(a)(3).” What procedure and/or criteria will Contracting Officers follow to make set-aside determinations?

NRC Response: Please see Section H.19, “Fair Opportunity” as stated “The contractor agrees that issuance of an order in accordance with any of the procedures described below is deemed to have provided the contractor a “fair opportunity to be considered” as that phrase is used at FAR 16.505(b)(1).”

Refer to FAR 19.504 entitled “Orders under multiple-award contracts.”

Question No. 17: [Section L.13 Proposal Instructions v.]

This section states: “The technical proposal shall include all applicable representations and certifications.” This is unusual – typically reps and certs are included in the cost or business proposal together with the SF33 and other Solicitation fill-ins.

Please confirm that the reps and certs are to be included with the technical proposal.

The Reps and Certs are 10 pages long. If they are to be included in the technical proposal, please confirm that they are included in the 100-page technical proposal page limitation.

NRC Response: The 100-page limit is 100 single-sided pages or 100 pages total.

The page limit will include Title page, Table of Contents, List of Figures and List of Tables, etc.

The page limit does not include Section K “Representations and Certifications”

The reps and certs can be a separate attachment to the cost proposal.

Question No. 18: [Section L.13 Volume I - Technical Proposal Instructions]

The instructions indicate that “in order to receive an award the successful offeror(s) should receive a high technical rating in at least two (2) of the TSSAs.”

What constitutes a high technical rating?

The SOW in Section 3.0 consists of seven technical areas plus Litigation Support, and the personnel requirements in Section 5.2 correspond to the seven technical areas. Please clarify whether the requirement for a high technical rating in at least two TSSAs allows Litigation Support to be one of the two high-rated TSSAs as the basis for a contract award.

NRC Response:

The proposals will be rated using adjectival evaluations against the evaluation factors specified.

Section 3.8 is for litigation support of which may be needed for the seven (7) technical areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7. Section 3.8 will not have a qualification list. Offerors do not need to submit a resume for this area.

Refer to Section 3.8 and add the following sentence before the first paragraph.

“Litigation support may be needed for the seven (7) technical support services areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7.”

Question No. 19: [Section L.13 Evaluation Factor Three - Past Performance Attachment 8, Past Performance Surveys]

Regarding the past performance surveys, can NRC take a flexible approach regarding the deadline for receiving these from bidders’ clients, some of whom may be facing challenges such as homeschooling while working from home due to the COVID-19 crisis?

NRC Response: Per Amendment No. 1 the proposal due date was revised to April 30, 2020.

Therefore, past performance surveys are now due on April 30, 2020.

Question No. 20: [Section L.13 Volume I - Technical Proposal Instructions Attachments 9 and 10, Cost Templates]

The technical proposal instructions indicate that “in order to receive an award the successful offeror(s) should receive a high technical rating in at least two (2) of the TSSAs.”

Is “Litigation Support” considered a TSSA for cost proposal purposes? If so, may offerors add Task 8 to the CPFF Labor Cost Template?

If an offeror is submitting a proposal for fewer than all TSSAs, we assume that the cost proposal needs to include only those TSSAs for which we are proposing. Please confirm.

NRC Response: Section 3.8 is for litigation support of which may be needed for the seven (7) technical areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7. Section 3.8 will not have a qualification list. Offerors do not need to submit a resume for this area.

Refer to Section 3.8 and add the following sentence before the first paragraph.

“Litigation support may be needed for the seven (7) technical support services areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7.”

Question No. 21: In chapter B.1 it is mentioned that « Other activities for materials and waste facilities include, but are not limited to, technical support for technical reviews of license applications, license renewals, license amendments, exemption requests, and decommissioning” : however these activities are not mentioned anymore in the detailed chapter “C 3 SCOPE OF WORK”: Will there be task orders on such topic related to waste or decommissioning ?

NRC Response: Solicitation 31310020R0005 will cover most of the waste and/or decommissioning scope, there is a chance that a small subset of waste or decommissioning may be part of the larger scope areas identified under section C.3.

Question No. 22: Furthermore does « waste » include all topics related to waste management, including treatment, storage and disposal facilities?

NRC Response: Refer to solicitation 31310020R0005 for the full scope related to “waste”

Question No. 23: Regarding Section C, are there personnel qualifications for Technical Support Service Area 3.8 (Litigation Support)? There are none listed in the staffing qualification tables in Section 5.2 (Technical Disciplines and Specialized Technical Areas).

NRC Response: Section 3.8 is for litigation support of which may be needed for the seven (7) technical areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7. Section 3.8 will not have a qualification list. Offerors do not need to submit a resume for this area.

Refer to Section 3.8 and add the following sentence before the first paragraph.

“Litigation support may be needed for the seven (7) technical support services areas listed in 3.1 through 3.7.”

Question No. 24: Under Section L.13 (Instructions, Conditions, and Notices), Volume 1 (Technical Proposal Instructions), Evaluation Factor Three (Past Performance): Do subcontractors need to have the past performance reference that they are providing to the offeror complete Attachment 8, or is Attachment 8 just for the Offerors references?

NRC Response: As stated in Section L.13 “If the offeror is proposing subcontractors to help perform this procurement, then the offeror should provide at least (1) reference for contracts performed in the past three years that are same or similar services to this statement of work for each subcontractor.”

Question No. 25: Under Section L.13 (Instructions, Conditions, and Notices), Volume 2 (Cost/Price Proposal), Paragraph Direct Labor Rates notes, “The Government has prescribed the labor categories to be used under this contract and provided the definition and minimum qualification requirements for each category elsewhere in the solicitation (no deviations are authorized)”. The level of effort table provides the labor categories (Project Manager, Senior Engineer/Scientist, Mid-Level Engineer Scientist, Junior Engineer/Scientist, Subject Matter Expert, Senior Technical Reviewer, Technical Reviewer, and Administrative Support), however, there don’t appear to be minimum qualification requirements for these categories in the RFP.

The staffing qualification tables in Section C don’t appear to correspond to the labor categories noted above, and are also not consistent within the various technical areas (i.e., some areas may note subject matter expert, or junior/senior researcher, but most do not denote any category). Please clarify the qualification requirements for the labor categories.

NRC Response: The level of effort table is for offerors to use to prepare a cost proposal. The technical disciplines list in the SOW is used for the purposes of evaluation factor 1.

Question No. 26: Do graduate students qualify under the “junior scientist” labor category given on page 127, Volume II, Level of Effort Table.

NRC Response: This will be for the offeror to determine based on the personnel qualifications as outlined in the solicitation

Question No. 27: Section C.3.1 (Thermal Hydraulics Research), lists, among others, the following two computer codes:

• AGREE

• FAST

Will the NRC consider providing both the source and executables of the subject codes in order to examine prior to submitting our proposal.

NRC Response: Offerors will not need the source and executable of AGREE or FAST codes for the purposes of developing a proposal for an IDIQ type contract. At the Task Order solicitation, the NRC will issue the source and executable codes.

Below please find the cost questions and responses from offerors in response to solicitation

no. 31310020R0004.

Question No. 28: Clarification Request No. 10 (Level of Effort – Cost/Price Proposal) The Level of Effort Table in Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices,” Volume II, Cost/Price Proposal, is assumed to reflect a total LOE for all Technical Support Service Areas (TSSA) outlined in the Statement of Work under Section 3.0. For offeror’s who only intend to respond to at least two of the TSSAs (i.e., do not intend to respond to all areas), please offer guidance on how the LOE Table should be adjusted to support the cost proposal development.

NRC Response: The Level of Effort table does not directly relate to one TSSA areas or the all the TSSA areas. The Level of Effort purpose is to create a uniformity in competition and for the NRC to conduct a cost analysis. Offerors shall not deviate from the provided Level of Effort estimated hours.

iv. The offeror's cost/price proposal shall be based on the NRC's estimated level of effort (see Level of Effort Table below). This information provides the Agency’s estimated labor hours for each labor category for determining contract costs over the five (5) year period of performance. The following distribution of hours shall be used in preparing your cost proposal. The hours assigned to each labor category is estimated at 48,000 hours over the five-year period. For purposes of the Government estimate, 2080 hours constitute a staff year.

Question No. 29: Clarification Request No. 11 (Cost/Price Proposal – Other Direct Costs [ODCs]) Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices,” Volume II, Cost/Price Proposal, Page 129 of the Solicitation, states, “Any indirect charges applicable to the Offeror’s direct Travel costs shall be in addition to the amounts below.” Regarding Other Direct Costs (ODCs), should indirect charges also be in addition to the ODC table presented on Page 128 of the Solicitation?

NRC Response: Refer to Section L.13, “Instructions, Conditions & Notices,” Volume II, Cost/Price Proposal, section “Other Direct Cost” and add the following sentence to the end of the paragraph: “Any indirect charges applicable to the Offeror’s Other Direct Costs shall be in addition to the amounts above.”

Question No. 30: [Section L.13 Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal Instructions]

Page 127 includes a “Level of Effort Table” that lists eight labor categories. Page 128 states, under “Direct Labor Rates”: “The Government has prescribed the labor categories to be used under this contract and provided the definition and minimum qualification requirements for each category elsewhere in the solicitation. (NO DEVIATIONS ARE AUTHORIZED.)”

We could not locate any labor category definitions and associated minimum qualifications within the Solicitation. Please provide this information.

NRC Response: The level of effort table is for offerors to use to prepare a cost proposal. The technical disciplines list in the SOW is used for the purposes of evaluation factor 1.

Question No. 31: [Section L.13 Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal Instructions]

Page 127 includes a “Level of Effort Table.”

How should offerors allocate these hours to the different TSSAs? This is important because an offeror may choose not to propose all of the TSSAs. So if NRC does not provide an allocation, offerors’ proposals may not be comparable.

NRC Response: The Level of Effort table does not directly relate to one TSSA area or all the TSSA areas. The Level of Effort is provided to create uniformity and for the NRC to have a basis for conducting cost analysis. Offerors shall not deviate from the provided Level of Effort estimated hours even if the offeror is only proposing for 2 or 3 TSSA areas. The required qualifications listed for each TSSA in section C, subsection 5.0 are used for the evaluation of factor 1, only.

Question No. 32: [Section L.13 Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal Instructions, paragraph iv.

Attachment 9 Cost Template]

Paragraph iv. states: “The offeror's cost/price proposal shall be based on the NRC's estimated level of effort (see Level of Effort Table below)… The following distribution of hours shall be used in preparing your cost proposal.” The Level of Effort table that follows presents hours by labor classification.

Attachment 9 requires proposing hours by category by task.

In order to assure cost comparability among offerors, can NRC describe how it expects offerors to allocate hours within each category among the personnel proposed for specific tasks, given that offerors cannot know specific task order personnel requirements. For example, NRC’s estimate for Senior Engineer/Scientist is 1,000 hours. An offeror might propose 10 different individuals in this category with varying capabilities depending upon task order scope. Should offerors assign equal numbers of hours to each individual, or follow some other allocation methodology?

Are offerors expected to show all proposed personnel in the cost proposal, even if only for minimal hours?

NRC Response: Offerors can provide their own format as long as it contains the elements as provided in the cost proposal templates, including in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408.

The Level of Effort table does not directly relate to one TSSA areas or the all the TSSA areas. The Level of Effort purpose is to create a uniformity in amongst the offerors and for the NRC to determine cost reasonableness of the labor rates. Offerors shall not deviate from the provided Level of Effort estimated hours.

Refer to Attachment No. 9 and remove “Task 1-7” under Column A Row 179 remove Task 1 wording Row 184 remove Task 2 wording Row 189 remove Task 3 wording

Row 198 remove Task 4 wording Row 202 remove Task 6 wording Row 206 remove Task 7 wording Row 180 remove “Task 3.1 Thermal Hydraulics Research Support” wording

Question No. 33: [L.9 52.216-1 Type of Contract Section L.13 Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal Instructions]

Section L.13 i. states: “In accordance with section L.9 offerors shall submit cost proposals in accordance with one of the following contract types (1) cost plus fixed fee (Offerors with reviewed/approved DCAA indirect rates), (2) cost reimbursement (Educational Universities) and

(3) Time and Materials (Offerors who have never been audited by DCAA).

May offerors whose rates have previously been reviewed/approved propose on a T&M basis?

NRC Response: Yes. The offeror can decide the contract type they want to use to propose to this requirement. Under both contract types the supporting information must demonstrate that the indirect rates are approved by DCAA or certified accounting firm.

Question No. 34: [Cost Template]

General

a. The template does not include a facility to show proposed hours for consultants and subcontractors. May offerors modify the CPFF template to show subcontractor and consultant hours by category to show that hours are adding up to NRC’s requirements shown in the Level of Effort Table?

b. The template does not include a facility to show proposed hours and costs for consultants and subcontractors to be added to specific tasks shown in the Labor Cost spreadsheet. May offerors modify the CPFF template to show subcontractor and consultant hours and costs associated with specific tasks?

Summary Sheet

c. The sheet applies overhead to all costs. In many accounting systems, Overhead is applied to only direct labor plus fringe costs. May offerors modify the template to correct this?

d. The sheet applies fee to travel costs. This conflicts with other language in the solicitation that prohibits applying fee to travel costs. May offerors modify the template to correct this?

e. The sheet does not have a mechanism to show different indirect rates that may be part of offeror’s accounting systems. For example, offerors might have a separate materials handling burden to apply to ODCs. May offerors modify the template to correct this?

f. The sheet applies has fee hard-wired to 7%. Please confirm that offerors may change this.

Labor Sheet

g. Please explain the intent of cells D10, D57, D97, D137, and D178. We cannot follow the formulas in these cells.

Indirect Costs Sheet

h. Please explain the intent of row 14, “Firm Fixed Price Rate.”

As an alternative to the above, may offerors use their own formats provided that the elements of the total proposed cost/price are presented in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408?

NRC Response: Offerors can use their own format. The cost proposal must contain the elements as indicated in the cost proposal templates, including in accordance with Table 15-2 of

FAR 15.408.

Question No. 35: [Attachment 10 T&M Template]

a. The template does not include a breakdown by task similar to the CPFF template. May or must offerors modify the T&M template to show this information?

b. The template does not include a mechanism to identify subcontractor and consultant labor costs like the CPFF template. May or must offerors modify the T&M template to show this information?

c. May offerors propose multiple rates within a single labor category (for example, to reflect cost differences among team members)?

As an alternative to the above, may offerors use their own formats provided that the elements of the total proposed cost/price are presented in accordance with Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408?

NRC Response: Offerors can use their own format. The cost proposal must contain the elements as indicated in the cost proposal templates, including in accordance with Table 15-2 of

FAR 15.408.

Yes. Offerors may propose multiple rates within a single labor category. Include the rates on separate line items for that same labor category.

Yes. Subcontractor and consultant labor costs should be separate from offerors prime employees.

Question No. 36: For CPFF cost proposals – do Offerors have to use Attachment 9 (Cost Reimbursement Proposal Template), or can they provide their own format, as long as it contains the elements as denoted in Attachment 9?