47QFLA24R0013_GREAT Support RFP Appendix 1_Solicitation Sections K-M_2024 11 14.docx

General Services Administration

Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Air Force/Navy/Space Force (AFNSF) Business Unit

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER

47QFLA24R0013

Graduate Research, Education and Technology (GREAT) Support for the

Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT)

Open Market (Competitive) Performance Work Statement (PWS)

541330, Engineering Services

PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

(Sections K, L, and M)

Solicitation Number 47QFLA24R0013 Solicitation Section K - M

PART IV

K

L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

M

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

PART IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS SECTION K:

REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND

OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS or RESPONDENTS

K.1.0 Required Representations and Certifications (Standalone Documents):

The following information contains representations and certifications (REPS and CERTS). Some of these REPS and CERTS will be incorporated by reference (IBR), others will be included by Full Text. REPS and CERTS that require the offeror to Represent, Certify, or provide information will need to be submitted with the offer as a separate file identified as Volume 1 – General Administrative Requirements. All representations and certification documents must be completely filled out and submitted in the correct volume.

K.2.0 FAR PROVISIONS – REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

K.2.1 FAR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

FAR 52.204-17 Ownership of Control of Offeror (Aug 2020) FAR 52.203-11 Certification and Disclosure Regarding Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions (Sept 2007) FAR 52.203-18 Prohibition on Contracting with Entities that require Certain Internal Confidentiality (JAN 2017) 52.222-38 Compliance with Veterans’ Employment Reporting Requirements (FEB 2016) FAR 52.204-24 Representation Regarding Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment (Nov 2021) FAR 52.209-2 Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations-Representation (Nov 2015) FAR 52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications—Commercial Products and Commercial Services – Alternate I (Feb 2024) DFARS 252.203-7005 Representation Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials (Sep 2022) DFARS 252.204-7008 Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls (Oct 2016) DFARS 252.204-7016 Covered Defense Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation (Dec 2019) DFARS 252.204-7017 Prohibition on the Acquisition of Covered Defense Telecommunications Equipment or Services—Representation (May 2021) DFARS 252.225-7055 Representation Regarding Business Operations with the Maduro Regime (May 2022) DFARS 252.225-7059, Prohibition on Certain Procurements from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region—Representation (Jun 2023)

DFAR

GSAM 552.252-5 Authorized Deviations in Provision (Nov 2021)

K.2.2 FAR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN FULL TEXT

FAR 52.204-29 Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders—Representation and Disclosures (Dec 2023)

(3) If applicable, name of the vendor, including the Commercial and Government Entity code and unique entity identifier (if known), that supplied the covered article or the product or service to the Offeror;

(4) Brand;

(5) Model number (original equipment manufacturer number, manufacturer part number, or wholesaler number);

(6) Item description;

(7) Reason why the applicable covered article or the product or service is being provided or used;

(f) Executive agency review of disclosures. The contracting officer will review disclosures provided in paragraph (e) to determine if any waiver may be sought. A contracting officer may choose not to pursue a waiver for covered articles or sources otherwise subject to a FASCSA order and may instead make an award to an offeror that does not require a waiver.

(End of provision)

FAR 52.225-20 Prohibition on Conducting Restricted Business Operations in Sudan-Certification (AUG 2009).

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision- Business operations means engaging in commerce in any form, including by acquiring, developing, maintaining, owning, selling, possessing, leasing, or operating equipment, facilities, personnel, products, services, personal property, real property, or any other apparatus of business or commerce.

Marginalized populations of Sudan means-

(1) Adversely affected groups in regions authorized to receive assistance under section 8(c) of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (Pub. L. 109-344) ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 note); and

(2) Marginalized areas in Northern Sudan described in section 4(9) of such Act.

Restricted business operations means business operations in Sudan that include power production activities, mineral extraction activities, oil-related activities, or the production of military equipment, as those terms are defined in the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-174). Restricted business operations do not include business operations that the person (as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007) conducting the business can demonstrate-

(1) Are conducted under contract directly and exclusively with the regional government of southern Sudan;

(2) Are conducted pursuant to specific authorization from the Office of Foreign Assets Control in the Department of the Treasury, or are expressly exempted under Federal law from the requirement to be conducted under such authorization;

(3) Consist of providing goods or services to marginalized populations of Sudan;

(4) Consist of providing goods or services to an internationally recognized peacekeeping force or humanitarian organization;

(5) Consist of providing goods or services that are used only to promote health or education; or

(6) Have been voluntarily suspended.

(b) Certification. By submission of its offer, the offeror certifies that the offeror does not conduct any restricted business operations in Sudan.

(End of provision) 52.225-25 Prohibition on Contracting With Entities Engaging in Certain Activities or Transactions Relating to Iran—Representation and Certifications (Jun 2020)

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision- Person—

(1) Means–

(i) A natural person;

(ii) A corporation, business association, partnership, society, trust, financial institution, insurer, underwriter, guarantor, and any other business organization, any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group, and any governmental entity operating as a business enterprise; and

(iii) Any successor to any entity described in paragraph (1)(ii) of this definition; and

(2) Does not include a government or governmental entity that is not operating as a business enterprise.

Sensitive technology-

(1) Means hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, or any other technology that is to be used specifically-

(i) To restrict the free flow of unbiased information in Iran; or

(ii) To disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict speech of the people of Iran; and

(2) Does not include information or informational materials the export of which the President does not have the authority to regulate or prohibit pursuant to section 203(b)(3) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(3)).

(b) The offeror shall e-mail questions concerning sensitive technology to the Department of State at CISADA106@state.gov.

(c) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this provision or if a waiver has been granted in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 25.703-4, by submission of its offer, the offeror—

(1) Represents, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that the offeror does not export any sensitive technology to the government of Iran or any entities or individuals owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf or at the direction of, the government of Iran;

(2) Certifies that the offeror, or any person owned or controlled by the offeror, does not engage in any activities for which sanctions may be imposed under section 5 of the Iran Sanctions Act. These sanctioned activities are in the areas of development of the petroleum resources of Iran, production of refined petroleum products in Iran, sale and provision of refined petroleum products to Iran, and contributing to Iran's ability to acquire or develop certain weapons or technologies; and

(3) Certifies that the offeror, and any person owned or controlled by the offeror, does not knowingly engage in any transaction that exceeds the threshold at FAR 25.703-2(a)(2) with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps or any of its officials, agents, or affiliates, the property and interests in property of which are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (see OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List at https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/SDN-List/Pages/default.aspx).

(d) Exception for trade agreements. The representation requirement of paragraph (c)(1) and the certification requirements of paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) of this provision do not apply if-

(1) This solicitation includes a trade agreements notice or certification (e.g., 52.225-4, 52.225-6, 52.225-12, 52.225-24, or comparable agency provision); and

(2) The offeror has certified that all the offered products to be supplied are designated country end products or designated country construction material.

(End of provision)

FAR 52.252-5 Authorized Deviations in Provisions (Apr 1984)

(a) The use in this solicitation of any Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR Chapter 1) provision with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of “(DEVIATION)” after the date of the provision.

(b) The use in this solicitation or contract of any Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (48 CFR 2) clause with an authorized deviation is indicated by the addition of “(DEVIATION)” after the name of the regulation.

(End of Clause)

Solicitation Section K - M

[End of Section K] RFP No. 47QFLA24R0013

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

Controlled but Unclassified Information (CUI) Implementation: GSA’s CUI policy and the requirements of 32 CFR 2002, establishes the policy and framework for the CUI Program at GSA. CUI is defined as unclassified information that requires safeguarding and dissemination controls pursuant to law, regulation, or Government-wide policy, as listed in the CUI Registry. The CUI Program and the CUI Registry are managed by the CUI Executive Agent (EA), the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) within the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Contractors must ensure any documents submitted in response to this solicitation are appropriately marked in accordance with CUI guidance. CUI markings are dependent on the document type. For additional information on appropriate markings reference the CUI Registry.

L.1. General Solicitation Information

This procurement is conducted under the policies and procedures of FAR 12 and FAR 15.3. The proposal submitted in response solicitation must be in compliance with the requirements as stated in this RFP and attachments. All claimed capabilities to meet the requirements should be realistic and are subject to verification by the Government. Proposals should be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The penalty for making false statements in proposals is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001. Do not simply rephrase or restate the Government's requirements, but rather, provide convincing rationale to address how the Offeror intends to meet these requirements. Classified information shall not be submitted with proposal submissions.

All the PWS and solicitation requirements are mandatory (to include all attachments). By their proposal submission, Offerors are representing that they will perform all the requirements as outlined in the PWS and solicitation.

L.1.1 Notice

The U.S. Government may reject any proposal that does not contain all requested information or follow all instructions in this solicitation. Rejected proposals will be determined to be unacceptable and ineligible for award IAW FAR 15.305.

L.1.2 Material Omission & Unresponsiveness

An Offeror’s failure or refusal to follow instructions or assent to any of the terms and conditions of this RFP, imposition of additional conditions, or any material omission may constitute a deficiency, may make the offer unresponsive. Unresponsive offers may not be further evaluated and may be ineligible for award.

L.1.3 Award and Discussions

The Government intends to make award based upon initial proposals. The Government anticipates making a contract award to the responsible offeror whose proposal conforming to the solicitation represents the best value to the Government price and other non-price factors considered. The anticipated award may be made to other than the lowest priced offeror or other than the highest technically rated offeror.

The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if determined necessary but intends to award without discussions. Any discussions will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.306.

L.1.4 Proposal Markings

An offeror submitting restricted data should mark it as follows in accordance with the FAR 52.215-1, Instructions to Offerors - Competitive Acquisition, which is incorporated by reference. FAR Clause 52.215-1(e) states: “Restriction on disclosure and use of data. Offerors that include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall:

(1) Mark the title page with the following legend:

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

(2) Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:

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

The Government assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose the data for any purpose. Unless restricted, information submitted in response to this request may become subject to disclosure to the public pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 551).

L.1.5 Proposal Validity

Proposals shall be valid for at least 120 calendar days from the proposal due date.

L.1.6 Submission of Questions

Any questions regarding this procurement shall be to both the Contracting Officer, wesley.mason@gsa.gov and the Contracting Officer Team Lead (alternate), brittney.wilson@gsa.gov with the subject line “RFP Questions on SOLICITATION #47QFLA24R0013” no later than 12 December 2024 at 10:00 am CST. Questions directed elsewhere will not be accepted or answered. Questions or requests for extension submitted after the cut‑off date may or may not be considered or answered. In posing questions, the offeror must cite the relevant solicitation document, section and page number as outlined in RFP Attachment 8, GREAT Support Question and Answer Template.

Questions should be written in a manner that enables clear understanding of the Offeror’s questions or concerns. Questions must also be written in a manner that allows the government to share the question and response with all other offerors. Questions will be answered on a non-attribution basis to protect the identity of the individual asking the questions, but they will be shared. Statements expressing opinions, sentiments, or conjectures are not considered valid inquiries and will not receive a response. Further, the offeror is reminded that GSA will not address hypothetical questions aimed at receiving a potential “evaluation decision.” Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning this solicitation will be furnished as promptly as feasible to other prospective offerors as an amendment to the solicitation.

L.2. Delivery Instructions/Proposal Submission Date

Offerors shall deliver proposals via GSA ASSIST by Monday, 30 Dec 2024 at 2:00 pm CST. Submissions sent directly to the CO or CS will not be accepted, considered or evaluated. If applicable, subcontractors may submit proprietary cost or pricing data, directly to the Contracting Officer, wesley.mason@gsa.gov and the Contracting Officer Team Lead (alternate), brittney.wilson@gsa.gov. Proposals not received in full, with all volumes included, by the due date and time listed in in the RFP will not be considered. Data previously submitted, if any, will not be used in the evaluation of your response to this RFP. Therefore, do not include previously submitted data in your proposal "by reference."

Prime, team, or subcontract proposal information not received by the due date will not be evaluated and will not be otherwise considered for award. If an offeror experiences any technical difficulties with proposal submission then the offeror shall contact and notify the GSA contracting officer promptly as possible prior to submission closing.

L.3. Submission of Proposals

L.3.1 Submission of Volumes

Each offer shall provide the U.S. Government a proposal that contains the following, in separate electronic files per volume:

10 Page Limit (Element 2)

Volume IV – Cost/Price Information (Factor IV)

No Page Limit (Cost/Price Narrative) No Page Limit (Cost/Price Workbook)

Each volume shall be submitted on or before the due date and by the time indicated in the solicitation. Previously submitted data should not be included in your proposal "by reference" as it will not be considered in the evaluation of your response to this RFP.

L.3.2 Formatting

Each electronic volume shall be submitted as a separately-labeled electronic file. All electronic files shall be in Microsoft Word, PDF, or Excel formats. Unless otherwise specified, one page is one side of a U.S. Letter size (8.5” x 11”) piece of paper. Any documents provided in Section 3, “Description of Services and Solicitation Attachments”), shall be submitted using the same file format.

· Headers and footers may be of a larger font, but shall not be smaller than 10-point font.

· Writing for all documents, to include charts, graphics and tables must maintain a minimum of 10-point Times New Roman font.

· Ledger size (11” x 17”) paper may be used in the Project Staffing Plan when providing charts/graphics/tables. A single side of an 11” x 17” piece of paper will be counted as two pages where page limitations apply.

Excel Files: Excel files must show the calculation formulas that produced the results of each cell if such formulas are being used. PDF files will be allowed for executed documents.

Font: The font size shall be at least 10-point Times New Roman for both the body of the volumes and for charts, graphs, etc. Such charts and graphs will count toward the page limitations.

The title page of each volume, the table of contents, and acronym lists are excluded from the page counts, so long as they are on separate pages and not in the body of the document. For example, a table of contents at the beginning of the technical volume will not count toward the page limitations, but a table of contents in the body of the document would count toward those limitations.

Any pages submitted beyond the page limitations will be removed and not evaluated.

L.4 Volume I – Administrative Information

· Cover Letter: The Offeror shall provide a one-page document on business letterhead that clearly lists the following information

· The Solicitation Number (49QFLA24R0013)

· The Name and Mailing Address of the Offeror

· The Offeror’s primary point-of-contact, with the person’s name, title, current phone number, and current email address

· The Prime Offeror’s Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) codes

· Listed Business Name and UEI number of any subcontractors

· A statement acknowledging all RFP amendment(s) posted

L.4.1.1 Organization Conflict of Interest (OCI)

This requirement has potential for an OCI as identified in FAR 9.5 and DFARS 209.5. The contractor is expected to not engage in any activity that could cause an OCI with the contractor’s position under this contract, impair the contractor’s ability to render unbiased advice and recommendations, or place the contractor in the position of having an unfair competitive advantage as a result of the knowledge, information, and experience gained during the performance of this requirement. After reviewing FAR 9.5 and DFARS 209.5 in their entirety, if the contractor determines their company, including subcontractors and consultants, has an actual or potential OCI, the contractor shall notify the CO, in writing.

i. At the company level, the offeror and each subcontractor, consultant, and teaming partner, involved in proposal development shall complete and sign an Offeror Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Statement (RFP Attachment 6) and an Offeror Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) RFP Attachment 3).

The contractor must represent either that (1) it is not aware of any facts which create any actual or potential OCI relating to the award of this contract, or (2) it has included information in its proposal, providing all current information bearing on the existence of any actual or potential OCI and has included a mitigation plan in accordance with paragraph (ii) below.

ii. If the contractor with an actual or potential OCI believes the conflict can be avoided, neutralized, or mitigated, the contractor shall submit a mitigation plan to the Government for review.

iii. In addition to the mitigation plan, the GSA CO may require further information from the contractor. The GSA CO will use all information submitted by the contractor, and any other relevant information known to GSA, to determine whether an award to the contractor may take place, and whether the mitigation plan adequately avoids, neutralizes, or mitigates the OCI.

iv. If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the GSA CO may determine that the conflict cannot be avoided, neutralized, mitigated, or otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the Government, and the contractor may be found ineligible for award. Alternatively, the GSA CO may determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the Government to contract with the contractor and include the appropriate provisions to avoid, neutralize, mitigate, or waive such conflict in the resulting contract award.

L4.1.2. Prime/Subcontractor Agreement

The Offeror shall provide a written disclosure of any prime/subcontractor agreements as well as any intentions to subcontract. The disclosure must be on the Offeror’s company letterhead and signed by the Offeror’s authorized representative. The requirement is not to disclose the actual agreements themselves, but to simply convey to the Government the composition of an Offeror’s team. It is expected the composition of the Offeror’s team will remain constant throughout the evaluation process. There is no page limit for this document, and it is excluded from the page limitation within this volume.

L.4.2 Volume I – Evaluation Mandatory Requirements (Pass/Fail) The following items shall be provided in the non-price volume. Any single mandatory requirement evaluated as ‘fail’ will result in the proposal being ineligible for award, and no further evaluation of the quote will be completed by the Government. The offeror shall provide the following:

L.4.2.1 ASSIST Registration: A statement that the offeror has been registered in ASSIST and that all information in ASSIST is current and accurate. ASSIST can be accessed by visiting the following webpage: https://assist.gsa.gov/assist-web/registration/contractor/search L.4.2.2 Unconditional Consent: A statement confirming unconditional assent to all the RFP’s terms, conditions, provisions, and clauses, including all attachments and documents incorporated by reference.

L.4.2.3 Statement of Validity: A statement confirming that the proposal will remain valid for 120 calendar days from the proposal due date listed on the solicitation.

L.4.2.4 Required Security Clearance: A statement confirming that the Offeror possesses at least a SECRET facility clearance level (FCL) at the time of proposal submission and is able to perform all DD-254 required security measures. Failure to have a TOP SECRET Facility Clearance Level at the time of proposal submission shall result in your proposal not able to be considered for award.

L.4.2.5 Statement of Accuracy: A statement certifying that all information/data in the Offeror’s proposal is accurate as of the date of proposal submission.

L.4.2.6 Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Statement: The Offeror and each subcontractor, consultant and teaming partner shall complete and provide an OCI statement (RFP Attachment 06) pursuant to this solicitation’s Section C.16.0, “Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and Section L.4.1.1, “Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)”.

L.4.2.7 Completed Representations and Certifications: Any representations and certifications required by this solicitation.

L.4.2.8 EEO Compliance: Offeror shall clearly identify any subcontracts that are valued at over $10 million so the Government can include that information in its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance check.

L.4.2.9 Cyber-Supply Chain Risk Management Compliance (Phase 1) - The Government is concerned about the risks associated with information and communications technology (ICT) products and services that may contain potentially malicious functionality, are counterfeit, or are vulnerable due to poor manufacturing and development practices within the ICT supply chain. These risks are associated with the Government’s decreased visibility into, understanding of, and control over how the technology that they acquire is developed, integrated and deployed, as well as the processes, procedures, and practices used to assure the integrity, security, resilience, and quality of the products and services.

Offerors must fill out and submit the C-SCRM Questionnaire (Attachment 10) which addresses the offeror’s baseline ability to identify, manage and mitigate supply chain and cybersecurity risk. The assessment addresses how hardware, software, firmware/embedded components and information systems are protected from component substitution, functionality alteration, and malware insertion while in the supply chain; and identifies how the offeror will maintain a high level of cybersecurity and C-SCRM readiness for performance of IT services to federal customer

L.5. VOLUME II: Factor 1 – Technical Approach

Clear and Coherent: The Technical Capability Volume shall be specific and complete. Clarity and coherence are very important. Offeror shall not include cost/price information in this volume. Pricing information contained in Volume III will be removed and not evaluated.

Specifics & Methodology : Offerors shall provide the actual methodology they would use for accomplishing and/or satisfying the PWS. Offerors shall not merely reiterate the objectives of the PWS or reformulate its requirements.

Deliverables: All of the PWS and solicitation requirements are mandatory as outlined in the PWS. By their proposal submission, Offerors are representing that they will perform all of the PWS and solicitation requirements.

L.5.1. Volume II: - Page Count Details There is a page limit of thirty-five (35) pages total for Volume II. Element 1 has a 25-page limitation and Element 2 has a 10-page limit.

● Element 1 – Understanding of PWS Requirements (This element includes knowledge, skills and capabilities to perform requirements)

● Element 2 – Small Business Utilization

Each offeror will receive one (1) overall technical/risk rating for Factor 1. The individual elements within Factor 1 are NOT sub-factors and are not separately weighted for evaluation purposes.

Each technical element should be clearly marked so that the Government can ascertain which element the proposed information relates to. Lack of clarity, readability and coherence may result in a lower technical rating.

L.5.2 Volume II – Element 1: Understanding of PWS Requirements

The offeror must clearly and concisely demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to accomplish the technical requirements as outlined in the GREAT Support PWS. The offeror shall identify expertise with each task in the PWS with special emphasis on the following requirements:

· PWS Paragraph C.3.3.8, Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of Excellence (CyTCoE) and Hangar 18 Cloud-Based Software Development

· PWS Paragraph C.3.4.1, Center for Directed Energy (CDE) Atmospheric Effects and Modeling Research Support

· PWS Paragraph C.3.4.6, CDE High Energy Laser Propagation Effects Modeling Research Support

· PWS Paragraph C.3.7.2, AFOT Sensor Scene and Emulation Tool (ASSET) & Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Modeling Research Support

· PWS Paragraph C.3.7.11, Nuclear Enterprise Research and Workforce Development

· PWS Paragraph C.3.9, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Development

L.5.3. Volume II – Element 2 Small Business Utilization All Offerors, except small businesses, shall submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan IAW the goals outlined in Section M and FAR 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan with Alternate II.

· Small businesses are not required to submit Small Business Subcontracting Plans; however, small businesses are required to indicate the amount of effort proposed to be done by a small business either at the prime level or at the first-tier subcontract level.

L.6. VOLUME III: Factor 2 – Management and Staffing L.6.1. Volume III: - Page Count Details There is a page limit of twenty (20) pages total for Volume III. Offerors may divide the page limitation between Elements 1 & 2 at their discretion

● Element 1 – Management Plan

● Element 2 – Staffing Plan

Each offeror will receive one (1) overall technical/risk rating for Factor 2. The individual elements within Factor 2 are NOT sub-factors and are not separately weighted for evaluation purposes.

.Each technical element should be clearly marked so that the Government can ascertain which element the proposed information relates to. Lack of clarity, readability and coherence may result in a lower technical rating.

L.6.2 Volume III – Element 1: Management Plan The offeror shall provide an overall management plan that recognizes possible performance risks, provides a comprehensive and realistic risk mitigation strategy, and details the offeror’s staffing methodology. The management plan shall demonstrate:

· A clear, logical, and detailed process to recruit and retain qualified personnel with all required clearances throughout the proposed effort

· Qualified key personnel proposed are consistent with the PWS and key personnel qualification worksheet .

· A thorough description of the criteria/rationale/strategy/timeline to select successors to fill vacated personnel positions.

· Qualified personnel identified for the work that requires a secret or TS/SCI clearances consistent with the DD254.

L.6.3 Volume III – Element 2: Staffing Plan The offeror shall provide details of the project staffing methodology and describe its methods and approach to meeting the solicitation requirements with a demonstrated level of expertise and successful completion of the PWS tasks and sub-tasks. The offeror shall use the tools below to support their overall staffing plan.

Key Personnel Qualification Worksheet

· The Key Personnel Qualification Worksheet (Attachment 05) must be complete; specifying the individual, their education and experience, and clearly show and substantiate that the proposed individual meets all education, certification, experience, and security clearance requirements as outlined in the PWS and the DRAFT DD254 (Attachment 02). Deviations to any security clearance requirements specified in those Attachments are prohibited and may result in noted deficiencies. A failure of any proposed key personnel to meet the minimum requirements shall result in a deficiency.

NOTE: Key Personnel Qualification Worksheet does not count against total page count for Factor 2.

L.7. VOLUME III: Factor 3 - Past Performance Factor

The past performance shall demonstrate recent and relevant record of performance in providing services directly related to the GREAT Support requirement within the past seven (7) years.

L.8. VOLUME IV: Factor 4 - Cost/Price

Volume IV shall adhere to the following:

· Offerors shall not include any cost/price information in their proposal’s Volume III, “Technical Capability.”

· The proposed pricing shall reflect a clear understanding of the requirements and shall be consistent with the unique methods of performance and any materials described in the Offeror’s technical proposal.

· Offerors shall include adequate information that will allow the Government to perform the required cost and price reasonableness. The Government hereby seeks price reductions and most favored customer pricing for all priced services and such discounts should be clearly explained.

· Offerors shall fully support all proposed costs/prices. A submitted proposal is presumed to represent an Offeror’s best efforts in response to the solicitation. Offerors must use Attachment 1 – GREAT Support Pricing Spreadsheet, and must add additional tabs to provide the additional cost/price detail as required in this section.

L.8.1 Volume IV – Page Count Details There is no page limit for Volume IV. The pricing portion of the proposal shall be submitted using the Government-provided Pricing Template (Attachment 2 – GREAT Support Pricing Spreadsheet)

The standard full-time equivalent (FTE) position is based on 1,912 hours and includes the estimated hours per position.

L.8. Provisions Incorporated by Reference

FAR 52.204-7 System for Award Management (OCT 2018) FAR 52.204-16 Commercial and Government Entity Code Reporting (August 2020) FAR 52.204-18 Commercial and Government Entity Code Maintenance (JUL 2016) FAR 52.212-1 Instruction to Offerors – Commercial Products and Commercial Services (SEP 2023) FAR 52.215-20 Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data (Nov 2021) FAR 52.215-22 Limitations on Pass-Through Charges-Identification of Subcontract Effort (OCT 2009) FAR 52.215-23 Limitations on Pass-Through Charges (OCT 2009) FAR 52.216-31 T&M/LH Proposal Requirements—Commercial Acquisition (Nov 2021) FAR 52.232-22 Limitation of Funds (Apr 1984) FAR 52.237-1 Site Visit (APR 1984)52.232-225 FAR 52.237-10 Identification of Uncompensated Overtime (MAR 2015) FAR 52.232-38 Submission of Electronic Funds Transfer Information with Offer (Jul 2013) DFARS 252.204-7019 Notice of NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements (Nov 2023) DFARS 252.204-7024 Notice on the use of the Supplier Performance Risk System (Mar 2023) DFARS 252.209-7011 Representation for Restriction on the Use of Certain Institutions of Higher Education (Oct 2023) DFARS 252.215-7008 Only One Offer (Dec 2022) DFARS 252.225-7057, Preaward Disclosure of Employment of Individuals Who Work in the People’s Republic of China (Aug 2022) AFFARS 5352.204-9000 Notification of Government Security Activity and Visitor Group Security Agreements (May 2021) AFFARS 5352.209-9000 Organizational Conflict of Interest (Oct 2019) AFFARS 5352.242-9000 Contractor Access to Air Force Installations (Oct 2019) AFFARS 5352.242-9001 Common Access Cards (CAC) for Contractor Personnel (Oct 2019)

L.9. Provisions Incorporated by Full Text

FAR 52.216-31 Time-and-Materials/Labor-Hour Proposal Requirements—Commercial Acquisition (Nov 2021)

(a) The Government contemplates award of a Time-and-Materials or Labor-Hour type of contract resulting from this solicitation.

(b) The offeror must specify fixed hourly rates in its offer that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit. The offeror must specify whether the fixed hourly rate for each labor category applies to labor performed by-

(1) The offeror;

(2) Subcontractors; and/or

(3) Divisions, subsidiaries, or affiliates of the offeror under a common control.

(End of Provision)

FAR 52.233-2 Service of Protest (Sep 2006)

(a) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from

Wesley Mason, Contracting Officer Wesley.mason@gsa.gov 77 Forsyth St SW Atlanta GA 30303

(b) The copy of any protest shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO.

(End of Provision)

FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference (Feb 1998)

This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The offeror is cautioned that the listed provisions may include blocks that must be completed by the offeror and submitted with its proposal. In lieu of submitting the full text of those provisions, the offeror may identify the provision by paragraph identifier and provide the appropriate information with its quotation or offer. Also, the full text of a solicitation provision may be accessed electronically at this/these address(es): www.Acquisition.gov.

(End of Provision)

L.10. GSA IN-depth Feedback through Open Reporting Methods (INFORM) Process

(a) Overview:

This solicitation is part of GSA’s post award communication process called INFORM. The process is designed to enhance the quality and usefulness of post-award communications by providing greater transparency and openness into the procurement process. INFORM seeks to increase GSA-industry communication by providing clearer and more complete information to explain the award decision.

Through the INFORM process, GSA will seek to share additional information with offerors in writing and/or through an oral feedback meeting that is not required by statute or regulation. For Part 15 including mandatory debriefs and Part 16, and in addition to any information required by FAR 15.503 and 15.506, GSA is providing each offeror with the opportunity to participate in the INFORM process as further discussed below.

(b) Detailed Description of the INFORM Process

B.1. Component 1 - Notification of Award

After award and in accordance with any post-award notification timeframes required by regulation (i.e., FAR Parts 15.503(b) and 16.505(b)(6)), the contracting officer will issue written notices to the successful and unsuccessful offerors (the Notification Letter and Evaluation Statement (NLES)). The notices will contain:

INFORM

· All information required by statute or regulation;

· An unredacted copy of the complete technical evaluation for that particular offeror that includes a full description of the unsuccessful offeror’s strengths, weaknesses, risks, and deficiencies;

· An overall technical evaluation summary for that particular offeror and the successful offeror that includes evaluated price; overall technical ranking, rating, or score.

B.2. Component 2 - Request for Oral Feedback Meeting or Written Questions

Within three business days after receipt of the NLES, an offeror may, but is not required to:

· submit a written request to the contracting officer for an oral feedback meeting;

· submit a list of written questions to the contracting officer; or

· take no further action.

If the offeror timely elects to request an oral feedback meeting or submit a list of written questions, GSA will consider any such request to constitute a required debriefing pursuant to FAR 15.506. If an offeror does not request an oral feedback meeting or submit a list of written questions within the three day time period, the receipt of the NLES concludes the INFORM process and satisfies the FAR requirement for debriefs pursuant to FAR 15.506.

If the offeror submits a list of written questions in lieu of the oral feedback meeting, the contracting officer will attempt to respond within five business days of receipt of the written questions. Unless otherwise stated, the contracting officer’s response to the written questions will conclude the INFORM process and any corresponding post-award debriefing as further set forth at FAR 15.506.

If the offeror requests an oral feedback meeting, the offeror should provide the following information:

· Primary point of contact;

· List of participants with titles (e.g., Senior Vice President);

· List of topics to assist GSA better prepare for the oral feedback meeting; and

· Preference for in-person, telephone, or web-based conferencing (if available).

B.3. Component 3 - Oral Feedback Meeting

During the oral feedback meeting, GSA’s objectives are to provide:

· Reasonable responses to written questions submitted by the offeror;

· Explanations for the evaluation conclusions and contract award decisions;

· Any additional information about the fairness and impartiality of the evaluation and why the award decision was rational;

· Reasonable responses to additional questions raised during the meeting;

· Additional transparency into the underlying competition process; and,

· A greater understanding of the evaluation and award process.

GSA will not provide any information that is prohibited by law or regulation.

B.4. Component 4 - Post Oral Feedback Meeting Questions

Within two business days after the conclusion of the oral feedback meeting, the offeror may submit a list of written questions to the contracting officer. The contracting officer will provide a written response within five business days and, unless otherwise noted by the contracting officer, the INFORM process and any corresponding post-award debriefing as further set forth at FAR 15.506 will have concluded.

If the offeror elects not to submit a list of written questions within two days after the oral feedback meeting, the INFORM process and any corresponding post-award debriefing as further set forth at FAR 15.506 is concluded.

SECTION M:

EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

M.1.0 SOURCE SELECTION

M.1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION

The information contained within this Section will be used to evaluate proposals. All information must be clearly marked and submitted within the appropriate Volume to be considered for evaluation. The Government intends to select one (1) offeror. However, pursuant to FAR 15.305(b) the Government may reject all proposals received in response to this solicitation, if doing so is in the best interest of the Government.

M.1.2 BASIS FOR AWARD

The Government anticipates awarding a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Offeror whose proposal conforms to the solicitation/PWS and is the most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The “best value” Offeror is the Offeror whose proposal minimizes the risk of unsuccessful contractual performance while still presenting a fair and reasonable price.

This acquisition is conducted under the guidance of FAR Part 12 and FAR Part 15. The Government reserves the right to ask clarifying questions and award on initial proposals without discussion. After an offeror has been selected for award based upon a best value determination, the Government may negotiate a final reduced price.

M.1.3 INTENT TO AWARD WITHOUT DISCUSSIONS

The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if determined necessary but intends to award without discussions. Any discussions will be conducted in accordance with FAR 15.306.

M.1.4 EVALUATION

FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation—Commercial Items (November 2021):

(a) The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offeror whose offer conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. The following factors shall be used to evaluate offers:

There are four (4) evaluation Factors in this procurement: Factor 1, “Technical Approach"; Factor 2, “Management and Staffing”, Factor 3 “Past Performance”, and Factor I4, “Cost/Price”.

(b) All technical evaluation factors when combined are significantly more important than cost or price. Based on tradeoff, award may be made to other than the lowest price or other than the highest technically rated proposal.

(c) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(d) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award. (End of Provision)

M.1.4.1 LIST OF EVALUATION FACTORS

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

The Government will rate each proposal based on the contractor’s understanding of the requirement as outlined in a detailed quote explaining how the contractor will accomplish each of the tasks listed in the PWS including all the deliverables.

Table 1. Combined Technical/Risk Ratings

Performing the Technical Evaluation

The combined technical/risk rating outlined in Table 1 above will be utilized to evaluate Factor 1, Technical Approach, and Factor 2,…