FENS SIR - Section L - Amendment 10.docx

693KA8-20-R-00022, Amendment 109

SECTION L – INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS

L.1 AMS Clauses and Provisions Incorporated by Reference (July 2019) This screening information request (SIR) or contract, as applicable, incorporates by reference the provisions or clauses listed below with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer (CO) will make the full text available, or offerors and contractors may obtain the full text via the internet at: https://fast.faa.gov/contractclauses.cfm.

L.2 AMS Clauses and Provisions Incorporated in Full Text AMS 3.2.2.3-15 Authorized Negotiators (July 2004) The offeror states that the following persons are authorized to negotiate on your behalf with the FAA in connection with this offer:

Name:________________________ Title:_________________________ Phone number:_________________

(End of provision)

AMS 3.2.2.3-38 Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data or Data Other Than Certified Cost or Pricing Data (January 2022)

(a) Request for exception from certified cost or pricing data requirements.

(1) In lieu of submitting certified cost or pricing data, offerors may submit a written request for exception by submitting the information described in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (ii) of this clause. The Contracting Officer may require additional supporting information, but only to the extent necessary to determine whether an exception should be granted, and whether the price is fair and reasonable.

(i) Identification of the law or regulation establishing the price offered. If the price is controlled under law by periodic rulings, reviews, or similar actions of a governmental body, attach a copy of the controlling document, unless it was previously submitted to the contracting office.

(ii) Commercial item exception. For a commercial item exception, the offeror shall submit, at a minimum, information on prices at which the same item or similar items have previously been sold in the commercial market that is adequate for evaluating the reasonableness of the price for this acquisition. Such information must include-

(A) for catalog items, a copy of or identification of the catalog and its date, or the appropriate pages for the offered items, or a statement that the catalog is on file in the buying office to which the proposal is being submitted. Provide a copy or describe current discount policies and price lists (published or unpublished), e.g., wholesale, original equipment manufacturer, or reseller. Also explain the basis of each offered price and its relationship to the established catalog price, including how the proposed price relates to the price of recent sales in quantities similar to the proposed quantities;

(B) for market-priced items, the source and date or period of the market quotation or other basis for market price, the base amount, and applicable discounts. In addition, describe the nature of the market; or

(C) for items included on an active Federal Supply Service Multiple Award Schedule contract, proof that an exception has been granted for the schedule item.

(2) The offeror grants the Contracting Officer or an authorized representative the right to examine, at any time before award, books, records, documents, or other directly pertinent records to verify any request for an exception under this provision, and the reasonableness of price. For items priced using catalog or market prices, or law or regulation, access does not extend to cost or profit information or other data relevant solely to the offeror’s determination of the prices to be offered in the catalog or marketplace.

(b) Requirements for certified cost or pricing data.

If the offeror is not granted an exception from the requirement to submit certified cost or pricing data, the following applies:

(1) The offeror must prepare and submit certified cost or pricing data, data other than certified cost or pricing data, and supporting attachments in accordance with the information contained at AMS Guidance T3.2.3.G.1 “Instructions for Submitting Certified Cost/Price Proposals for Supplies, Services, or Construction.” which is incorporated by reference with the same force and effect as though it were inserted here in full text. The instructions in AMS T3.2.3.G.1 are incorporated as a mandatory format to be used in this contract.

(2) As soon as practicable after agreement on price, but before contract award (except for unpriced actions such as letter contracts), the offeror must submit a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data that conforms to the instructions contained in the Appendix G1 to AMS Guidance T3.2.3, Cost and Price Methodology.

(End of clause)

AMS 3.2.4-1 Type of Contract (April 1996) The FAA contemplates award of a hybrid indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract resulting from this SIR with a combination of firm fixed price (FFP), cost reimbursable, and time and materials (T&M) contract line item numbers (CLINs) and task orders (TOs), as issued.

(End of provision) AMS 3.6.1-17 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code (January 2021) The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for this procurement are:

517311 Wired Telecommunications Carriers 517911 Telecommunications Resellers

The small business size standard as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) is the following:

· For NAICS codes based on SBA’s calculation of annual receipts, the annual average receipts cannot exceed: N/A

· For NAICS codes based on the number of employees, the average number of employees over the last twelve-month period cannot exceed 1,500 employees.

(End of provision) AMS 3.9.1-3 Protest (January 2020) AS A CONDITION OF SUBMITTING AN OFFER OR RESPONSE TO THIS SIR (OR OTHER SOLICITATION, IF APPROPRIATE), THE OFFEROR OR POTENTIAL OFFEROR AGREES TO BE BOUND BY THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS RELATING TO PROTESTS:

(a) Protests concerning Federal Aviation Administration Screening Information Requests (SIRs) or awards of contracts shall be resolved through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) dispute resolution system at the Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA) and shall be governed by the procedures set forth in 14 C.F.R. Parts 14 and 17, which are hereby incorporated by reference. Judicial review, where available, will be in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 46110 and shall apply only to final agency decisions. A protestor may seek review of a final FAA decision only after its administrative remedies have been exhausted.

(b) Offerors initially should attempt to resolve any issues concerning potential protests with the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer should make reasonable efforts to answer questions promptly and completely, and, where possible, to resolve concerns or controversies. The protest time limitations, however, will not be extended by attempts to resolve a potential protest with the Contracting Officer.

(c) The filing of a protest with the ODRA may be accomplished by mail, overnight delivery, hand delivery, or by facsimile or if permitted by order of the ODRA, by electronic filing. A protest is considered to be filed on the date it is received by the ODRA during normal business hours. The ODRA's normal business hours are from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

(d) Only an interested party may file a protest. An interested party is one whose direct economic interest has been or would be affected by the award or failure to award an FAA contract. Proposed subcontractors are not "interested parties" within this definition.

(e) A written protest must be filed with the ODRA within the times set forth below, or the protest shall be dismissed as untimely:

(1) Protests based upon alleged improprieties in a solicitation or a SIR that are apparent prior to bid opening or the time set for receipt of initial proposals shall be filed prior to bid opening or the time set for the receipt of initial proposals.

(2) In procurements where proposals are requested, alleged improprieties that do not exist in the initial solicitation, but which are subsequently incorporated into the solicitation, must be protested not later than the next closing time for receipt of proposals following the incorporation.

(3) For protests other than those related to alleged solicitation improprieties, the protest must be filed on the later of the following two dates:

(i) Not later than seven business days after the date the protester knew or should have known of the grounds for the protest; or

(ii) If the protester has requested a post-award debriefing from the FAA Product Team, not later than five business days after the date on which the Product Team holds that debriefing.

(f) Protests shall be filed at:

(1) For filing by hand delivery, courier or other form of in-person delivery:

Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition Federal Aviation Administration 600 Independence Avenue SW., Room 2W100 Washington, DC 20591; or

For filing by U.S. Mail:

Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20591 [Attention: AGC-70, Wilbur Wright Bldg. Room 2W100]; or Telephone: (202) 267-3290 Facsimile: (202) 267-3720 Alternate Facsimile: (202) 267-1293; or

(2) Other address as specified in 14 CFR Part 17.

(g) At the same time as filing the protest with the ODRA, the protester shall serve a copy of the protest on the Contracting Officer and any other official designated in the SIR for receipt of protests by means reasonably calculated to be received by the Contracting Officer on the same day as it is to be received by the ODRA. The protest shall include a signed statement from the protester, certifying to the ODRA the manner of service, date, and time when a copy of the protest was served on the Contracting Officer and other designated official(s).

(h) Additional information and guidance about the ODRA dispute resolution process for protests can be found on the ODRA Website at http://www.faa.gov.

(End of provision)

AMS 3.2.2.3-20 Offers (January 2018)

(a) The offeror (you) may submit responses to this SIR by the following electronic means: Offeror Communication Portal (OCP) site. Your offer must arrive at the place and by the time specified in the SIR.

(b) Such offers must refer to this SIR and include, as applicable, the item or sub-items, quantities, unit prices, time and place of delivery, all representations and other information required and a statement specifying the extent of your agreement with all the FAA's (we) terms, conditions, and provisions.

(c) We may decline to consider electronic offers that do not include required information, or that reject any of the terms, conditions and provisions of the SIR.

(d) Send your offer electronically to the Government–established OCP site.

(e) We will not be responsible for any failure attributable to transmitting or receiving the offer, unless it falls under section (a) of AMS provision 3.2.2.3-14 “Late Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals of Submittals”.

(End of provision)

AMS 3.14-8 Non-FAA Information Systems (July 2017)

(a) For all non-FAA information systems (including those from cloud services providers) to be used under this contract, offerors must disclose with their proposal all countries where FAA data and information is to be stored, processed, backed up to, or if the data and information is transmitted through an international processing hub or exchange.

(b) Offerors must disclose to the FAA with their proposal, the country of ownership (if more than 50% foreign-owned) for all subcontractors and third parties that will process, store, or backup the data and information.

(c) If an international processing hub or exchange is involved or there are foreign-owned subcontractors or third parties, offerors must provide to the FAA with their proposal, the details of the security measures for how the contractor, subcontractor, and third party processing facilities will protect the FAA data and information at the subcontractor or third party processing facility.

(End of provision)

L.3 SIR Questions, Concerns, Clarifications, and Discrepancies The CO is the sole point of contact for this acquisition. Offerors must direct all questions, concerns, clarifications, and perceived discrepancies to the CO through the Government-provided OCP site. The process for establishing an OCP account for the FENS procurement is described in Section L.5.1. The due date for the submission of questions, concerns, clarifications, and possible discrepancies pertaining to the FENS SIR is specified in Table L-1.

Inquiries received within the allowed timeframe will be answered in writing through the FENS OCP site. The Government will provide the inquiries and answers to all offerors, without attribution to the questioner, prior to the required date and time for submittal of the offeror proposals in L.5.2. The Government will not respond to offeror questions, concerns, clarification requests, and discrepancies submitted via any means other than through the FENS OCP site.

If no discrepancies relative to the SIR instructions are noted by offerors within the allowed timeframe, it will be determined that there are no discrepancies. If offerors submit discrepancies that are subsequently affirmed by the Government, they will be corrected via an amendment to the SIR.

L.4 Period of Offer Proposals must be binding and valid through March 31, 2023. Offerors may propose a validity period beyond March 31, 2023. If selected for award, all prices, terms, conditions, and other commitments within the proposal are binding upon the offeror relative to the contract execution.

Prime Offerors must separately register for two Government-furnished electronic interface portals that will be used during the screening phase for receipt of proposals and communications with offerors.

The portals are:

OCP: Each FENS Prime Offeror must register for their unique OCP using instructions contained at the following website: https://tinyurl.com/sxxotp4. Each Offeror FENS OCP may have up to five (5) users. Upon commencing registration, a system-generated acknowledgement of the FENS Offeror Communication Portal request will be e-mailed to the individual user. The e-mail acknowledgment is the only communication until the FENS OCP is established. However, if a user does not receive an acknowledgment after three business days from the initial request, the user must resubmit its request and notify the CO, Dennis Scanlon, at 9-AJW-FENSInfo@faa.gov. Offerors will be notified via electronic mail (e-mail) at the time its specific OCP site is established.

Offerors are encouraged to register for their OCP within 15 calendar days following release of the FENS SIR; however, due to the time required to establish an OCP, the FAA has established a registration cutoff date of 14 days prior to submission of proposals. After that date, offerors will be unable to establish an OCP.

AcquServe Portal: Each Prime Offeror must establish user accounts for access to their specific AcquServe Portal using Attachment L-2c, AcquServe Electronic Access Instructions. Each Offeror’s AcquServe Portal may have up to five users. The AcquServe Portal provides electronic access through a secure website to allow potential offerors to complete all required information and submit price proposals (including all attachments) offered in response to the SIR. The AcquServe Portal will also provide access to reference/information tables associated with the Price Proposal Bid Model. The AcquServe Portal is accessed via an internet browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome). For Internet Explorer, version IE11 or newer is required. Offerors must obtain and use a Department of Defense (DoD) External Certification Authority (ECA) certificate to access the AcquServe Portal in order to submit their price proposal. Each individual user supporting the FENS acquisition and requiring access to the AcquServe Portal must have an ECA certificate. No other type of certificate is accepted. If a user already has a valid ECA certificate, it may be used to access AcquServe Portal. The certificate must be purchased from IdenTrust or Operational Research Consultants (ORC).

Each offeror’s OCP and AcquServe Portal sites are strictly confidential and will not be accessible or visible to any party other than the offeror, the CO, and Government support staff.

L.5.2 Submission Requirements Submission Cover Letter – Each offeror’s proposal submission and any subsequent amendments to the offer must include a cover letter signed by an Offeror representative who is duly authorized to bind the Offeror.

Non-Price Proposals – All offeror non-price proposal volumes submitted in response to the FENS SIR must be made via their secure OCP.

The non-price proposal volumes to be submitted through the OCP are as follows:

As indicated in Tables L-1 and L-2, the Technical/Management Volume will have multiple parts and some parts will have different due dates. For example, the Government will provide each offeror with Sample Problems following the SIR release and each offeror will be provided with the same number of calendar days to prepare a written narrative response as well as an Oral Presentation and optional demonstration of its proposed solution to each Sample Problem. The amount of time allowed for the submissions will be based on the number of Sample Problems.

Price Proposal (Volume III) – Offerors must use their secure AcquServe Portal to submit their price proposal.

General Instructions (All Volumes) – Proposals must be submitted no later than 2:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) on February 5, 2021 via the FENS OCP and AcquServe Portal sites. Prior to the proposal submission date and time, offerors may edit documents posted to their assigned FENS OCP and AcquServe Portal sites; however, at 2:00 PM ET on the submission date, all offeror OCP and AcquServe Portal sites will be locked, and files will become final and read-only. The OCP will be unlocked as necessary to allow for subsequent submissions such as the written narrative portion of the Sample Problem Responses and Oral Presentations Slides. Additional instructions on the submission of these items are provided in Section L.8.

With the exception of the Past Performance Survey responses that are submitted to the CO via e-mail, the FAA will not accept any submission made by facsimile, e-mail, or any other means. If the CO does not receive a complete proposal submission by the specified date and time through the FENS OCP and AcquServe Portal sites, it may not be evaluated.

The following table represents the projected procurement schedule; it will be updated with any amendments affecting the dates.

Table L-1: Dates for Key Activities and Milestones

Subsequent offerors: Approximately 2-week intervals

L.6 Expenses Related to Offeror Submissions The Government is not responsible for and will not pay or reimburse any costs incurred by the offeror in the development, submission, or any other part of the offer under this SIR. This also includes any costs to acquire or contract for any services or product relating to the offer under this SIR.

L.7 Communication with Offerors All communications regarding responses to this SIR must be conducted through the FAA CO, as identified in Section L.5.1.

L.8 Oral Presentations Each offeror must provide an Oral Presentation that includes one mandatory component and two optional components:

1. A mandatory presentation of the offeror’s Sample Problem Response.

2. Optional presentation of topics identified by the offeror to describe and reinforce its proposed solutions and capabilities within its Technical/Management proposal (Volume I).

3. Optional demonstration of the offeror’s solutions and capabilities described in its Sample Problem Response. If the offeror chooses to conduct the optional Sample Problem Response demonstration, the offeror may also demonstrate solutions and capabilities described within its Technical/Management proposal (Volume I).

The mandatory presentation of the Sample Problem Response and the optional demonstration of solutions and capabilities described in the Sample Problem Response will be considered only in the Government’s evaluation of Sub-factor 7 (Sample Problem Response) within the Technical/Management Evaluation. Any optional presentation of proposed solutions within the Technical/Management Proposal and any optional demonstrations thereof will be considered only in the Government’s evaluation of Sub-factors 1-6 within the Technical/Management Evaluation.

As part of the Oral Presentation, offerors must not:

· Revise proposed solutions contained within the written proposal or present new material outside the scope of the written proposal, or

· Present any cost or pricing information.

The references above to “the written proposal” are inclusive of the Executive Summary, Technical/Management Proposal, and the written narrative response to the Sample Problems listed in Table L-1 as parts of Volume I.

Offerors have the flexibility to allocate the time available for Oral Presentations to mandatory and optional topics as they choose.

Oral Presentations must be held via video conference using an FAA-provided collaboration tool that supports screen sharing, voice communications, and “live” video streams for each participant. Offeror personnel participating in the Oral Presentations must select the “video on” option within the collaboration tool and must be on camera when speaking or presenting information.

Each offeror will have up to 16 hours over a two-day period to conduct its Oral Presentation. The oral presentation schedule must include the following on each day:

1. Two 15-minute breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon

2. One hour for lunch

3. One hour for a Government caucus session

4. One hour and 30-minute block for Government questions and offeror responses

The date for each offeror’s Oral Presentation will be randomly assigned. The Government anticipates that Oral Presentations will begin approximately seven weeks after receipt of the Technical/Management proposals. Each offeror will be randomly assigned an Oral Presentation date and notified via the FENS OCP site of its scheduled date at least six weeks prior to the conduct of its Oral Presentation. Upon confirmation by the FAA and the offeror of its Oral Presentation date, each offeror will be provided with the FENS Sample Problems via the FENS OCP site. All offerors will be given the same amount of advance notice of the Sample Problems and the scheduled date of its Oral Presentation.

There is no page or slide limit for briefing materials presented during Oral Presentations. Slides and other materials used as part of the Oral Presentation must be titled as such and should align to the written narrative portion of the Sample Problem Response. The written narrative portion of the Sample Problem Response must be uploaded to the FENS OCP site at least 10 business days prior to the start of the applicable Oral Presentation. Each offeror must upload all briefing materials and an Oral Presentation agenda to its FENS OCP site at least 24 hours prior to the start of its Oral Presentation. Briefing materials presented by each offeror during its Oral Presentation must match the version uploaded to the FENS OCP site.

Each offeror’s presenter(s) during Oral Presentations must be proposed as Key Personnel, as defined in FENS Contract Clause H.2, Key Personnel and Facilities, or identified in the proposal as holding a leadership position within the offeror’s proposed organization for the execution of the FENS contract.

Use of pre-recorded segments during the Oral Presentations is allowed except for: (1) the question and answer portion of the agenda (unless the answer requires the replay of a pre-recorded segment); and (2) any optional demonstrations. Offeror personnel narrating or leading any pre-recorded segments must meet the conditions described in the preceding paragraph for “presenters.” While the use of pre-recorded segments is left to the offeror’s discretion when allowed, offerors are advised that use of pre-recorded segments may influence the Government’s judgement of how adequately an offeror demonstrated the capabilities of its proposed solutions.

The Government reserves the right to create a video recording of each offeror’s Oral Presentation. If created, the video recording will be: (1) based on a video capture from the Government-provided collaboration tool; and (2) treated by the Government with the same safeguards as written proposal materials.

L.9 Non-Government Personnel Participation Offerors are advised that individuals from support contractor organizations (including employees, consultants, and subcontractors) may support the evaluation of proposals. These organizations will not be eligible to participate on a FENS offeror team. The FAA currently intends for the following companies to participate in the evaluation, but reserves the right to include others:

Individuals employed by these firms will be required to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and certify that they have no conflicts of interest (COIs) relative to the offeror teams. Support contractor personnel will be authorized to access only those portions of the proposal data, communications, and evaluation materials that are necessary to enable them to provide the required support. If an offeror objects to the disclosure of information to these non-Government entities, it must notify the CO in writing no later than 15 calendar days after SIR release and must include a detailed statement of the basis of the objection. The exclusive responsibility for source selection remains with the FAA.

L.10 Number of Awards The Government intends to award one contract but reserves the right to award multiple contracts or no contract as a result of this SIR.

L.11 Disposition of Proposals Proposal files will not be returned and a copy of each proposal will be retained in the official contract file.

L.12 Solution Guidelines Each offeror’s proposal submission must comply with FENS SIR Contract Clause H.26, Limitations on Capabilities Being Phased-out of Use in the Commercial Marketplace. For responses to this SIR, Contract Clause H.26 applies to telecommunication services and products for which the provider/producer has issued a Grandfathering or End of Support notice as of the Technical/Management Proposal submission due date specified in Section L.5.2.

Each offeror must attest to its compliance with these guidelines in its Submission Cover Letter, as described in Section L.5.2.

L.13 General Proposal Preparation Instructions

(a) Proposals must comply with all instructions in this section. Incomplete proposals or proposals that contain significant deviations from the proposal submission instructions may be excluded from further consideration. General statements that the offeror understands the requirements of the work to be performed or simple rephrasing or restating of the FAA’s requirements without further substantiation will be considered unsupported, may result in lower evaluation ratings, and may be cause for rejection of the proposal.

(b) Any trade secrets, copyright data, or financial information that the offeror or proposed subcontractors do not want disclosed for any purpose other than the evaluation of the proposal must be marked in accordance with AMS Clause 3.2.2.3-16, Restricting, Disclosing and Using Data (July 2004).

(c) The proposal must be signed by an individual who is legally authorized to obligate the offeror to a contract.

(d) Electronic proposals – Each electronic proposal volume must contain all offeror submissions pertaining to that volume unless instructed otherwise. Each volume must include a title page that clearly identifies the volume number, solicitation number, and offeror’s name, an electronic table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, and a list of acronyms. Each proposal volume must be submitted as one or more separate files depending on the size. With the exception of the Price Proposal Bid Model submission, individual files must not exceed 30MB in size. If a particular proposal volume is submitted as multiple files, the offeror must label the individual files accordingly, e.g., “Part 2 of 5.”

Electronic files must be submitted in formats compatible with Microsoft Office Professional 2016. Supporting financial information for a responsibility determination such as financial statements may be submitted in Adobe PDF format only.

Offerors must not submit any electronic files that have been compressed into .zip or similar file-compression programs.

Electronic proposal files must adhere to the following file naming convention:

“[Offeror Name]_FENS Proposal_Volume [#]_[Volume Name]_[Part x of y]” Example: ABC Company_FENS Proposal_Volume I_Technical-Management_Part 1 of 2

Updates or revisions to proposal volumes must be identified as such in the file names, e.g. Rev 1. “Part x of y” may be omitted from the file name if the volume is being submitted as a single electronic file.

(e) For Volume I (Technical/Management), immediately following the List of Tables, offerors must provide a mapping between the proposal sections and the associated instruction in FENS SIR Section L.

(f) The FAA reserves the right to reject any proposal failing to comply with the requirements of this section.

(g) Each offeror’s proposal must conform to the page-limit, formatting, naming, and other requirements specified in Table L-2 below.

(h) A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. Page size must be 8.5” x 11.” The font for graphics, illustrations, tables, and charts must be 8pt or larger. The offeror may use oversize pages (which must be 17” x 11”) where appropriate to contain complex or extensive graphic presentations. Oversize pages count as two pages and margin and font size requirements apply to all oversize pages. When both sides of a sheet display printed material, it is counted as two pages.

The font used for text must be 12-point Times New Roman. Top, bottom, left, and right margins must be no less than 1.0 inch. Margin requirements also apply to foldout pages. The proposal pages for each volume must be numbered sequentially. Any items embedded within a document must be objects only, not links.

(i) Proposal submissions must not exceed any page limitations established for the individual volumes. Any volume submission exceeding a page limitation will only be evaluated up to the established page limitation.

Table L-2: Proposal Volume Requirements

1 page per letter of commitment

· Part B – Completed Past-Performance Surveys – No page limit***

Pricing Narrative – No page limit Bases of Estimate (BOEs) – No page limit Consolidated Material Lists (CMLs) – No page limit

(Large Businesses only) No page limit

*Resumes of proposed Key Personnel are limited to three pages each. Neither Key Personnel resumes nor letters of commitment are included in the 250-page limit for the Technical/Management portion of Volume I. The Title page, Table of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables, List of Acronyms, and mapping to the Section L instructions are also not included within the page limit. The offeror’s proposed FENS Service Catalog is not included within the page limit.

** The allocation of the page limit to responses to the individual Sample Problems is left to the discretion of the offeror.

*** Past Performance Survey Responses (Attachment L-1, Part B) completed by customer points of contact are not subject to a page limitation.

(j) Offerors are not required to address every “must” statement in FENS Statement of Work (SOW) and FENS Functional and Performance Specification (FFPS), Attachment J-1, in their proposals. However, at the time of contract award, the SOW and FFPS, including any FAA-accepted exceptions, completed “TBP” sections, and any other agreed-to changes, will be included in the resulting contract.

(k) Alternate proposals are not authorized to be submitted in response to this SIR and will not be evaluated. Therefore, any exception to any of the terms and conditions of the SIR may make the offer unacceptable. Therefore, offerors are cautioned to consult with the CO before submitting any offer that takes exception to any term or condition of the SIR.

L.14 Detailed Proposal Preparation Instructions The following sections provided detailed instructions for the preparation of each proposal volume.

L.14.1 Volume I – Technical/Management Proposal

L.14.1.1 Executive Summary Each offeror must provide an Executive Summary that summarizes the contents of its Technical/Management Proposal. The Executive Summary must not contain any cost or pricing information.

L.14.1.2 Technical/Management Proposal Each offeror must submit a Technical/Management Proposal that addresses the following six sub-factors. Responses to the seventh sub-factor regarding Sample Problems is to be submitted separately, as instructed in Section L.14.1.5.

L.14.1.2.1 Sub-factor 1 – Technical Architecture In relation to the six elements outlined below, each offeror must describe how its proposed technical architecture meets the requirements for the Communications Services and Enterprise-Level Functions defined in the FFPS in order to achieve the FENS Program Objectives identified in Section 6 of Attachment J-0.

L.14.1.2.1.1 Element 1.1 – Network Design

· Describe how your proposed architecture – inclusive of Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), access, and transport – meets the associated performance requirements in FFPS sections 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 for Network Services.

· Describe how your proposed architecture for Network Services provides the required interfaces defined in FFPS Section 3.7 and meets the Service Interface Performance and Service Flow Performance requirements in FFPS sections 3.8 and 3.9, respectively. Include a service flow diagram showing data flows between equipment items and from the equipment items to access circuits or service delivery interfaces for the following site types in FFPS Table 5-1: Small Radio (with a minimum of 9 AV-4 services and 8 of the 9 services defined as avoided pairs), Small Radar, Medium ATCT (with RTRD FB1-768 services), and a CONUS ARTCC. Identify the types of services and quantities of each type of service assumed for each site type specified in the preceding instruction. Also, for the small site types specified in this paragraph, identify if there are any differences in the equipment configuration and service flows for possible combinations of TDM-based and IP/Ethernet-based service requirements.

· Describe how your proposed architecture for Network Services meets the environmental requirements in FFPS Section 9. Specifically address relative humidity and temperature operating ranges for all powered equipment components installed at Small Radio, Small Radar, and Small Other sites (including VOR, ASOS, and AWOS sites) as defined in FFPS Table 5-1. For each of these site types, provide an Equipment List of the make, part name, and manufacturer’s part number of all powered equipment items and all racks, enclosures, or wall mounts that will be implemented at the site. Also provide an electronic copy of the manufacturer’s technical data sheet for each item comprising the Equipment List and any optional components (e.g., modules, interface cards, etc.) that are part of your proposed network architecture. Equipment items provided by Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) are excluded from the scope of the instructions under this bullet.

· Describe how your proposed architecture meets the associated functional and performance requirements defined in FFPS Section 5.2 for Enterprise Synchronization Services and FFPS Section 5.3 for the Domain Name System (DNS) capabilities.

· Describe how your proposed architecture supports the scope and magnitude of the Network Service requirements listed in Attachment J-5a, FENS Sample Traffic Model (FSTM).

· Describe how your proposed architecture has a demonstrated record of successful implementation to provide the required services, functions, and capabilities in Safety-critical Environments, as defined in FFPS Section 1.2.

· Describe how your proposed architecture has a demonstrated record of successful implementation for networks comparable to or greater than FENS relative to the number of sites, services, and geographic scope.

L.14.1.2.1.2 Element 1.2 – Information Management Services (IMS) Architecture

· Describe how your proposed architecture meets the required availability levels, latency levels, and message loss levels for Layer 7 IMS, as defined in FFPS Section 5.5.1.

· Describe how your proposed IMS architecture (including associated FENS networking and security capabilities) supports the required IMS connection service types and messaging protocols identified in FFPS Section 4.2 and the scope of IMS Business Service Dissemination requirements listed in FFPS Section 5.5. Provide data flow diagrams that depict all transmission (access and transport segments), networking, security, and IMS components supporting the IMS service flow from an FAA internal producer within the CSNC to: 1) External Consumers connected to the EBP; 2) External Consumers connected to a Government-Sponsored Cloud Environment; 3) Internal Consumers within the CSNC; 4) Internal Consumers within the ESNC; and 5) Internal Consumers within the ASNC. Within the data flow diagrams, identify the type of device (e.g. transmission, networking, LEP, WEP, EBP, or IMS) and proposed physical location of all equipment items involved in the processing, transmission, and delivery of the end-to-end IMS Service Flow.

· Describe how your proposed IMS architecture is integrated with the FENS Edge Protection and External Boundary Protection (EBP) capabilities defined in FFPS Section 8.

· Describe how your proposed IMS architecture makes efficient use of capacity and resources at Layers 1/2/3 of the FENS network.

L.14.1.2.1.3 Element 1.3 – Operational Support System (OSS) Architecture

· Describe how your proposed OSS architecture supports the required Network Operations functions defined in FFPS Section 7.

· Describe how your proposed OSS architecture supports the required Security Status Monitoring, Reporting, and Event Management functions defined in FFPS Section 8.7.

· Describe how your proposed OSS architecture supports the required interfaces specified in attachments J-8a through J-8g.

· Describe how your proposed OSS architecture processes and responds to requests initiated by authorized Government users of the Business Operations Function of the FAA User Portal defined in FFPS Section 6.1.2.

· Describe how your proposed OSS architecture is aligned with and supports your proposed concept of operations (CONOPS) for the monitoring, management, and control of the FENS network.

· Describe how your proposed OSS architecture is aligned with and supports your proposed CONOPS for preventing, detecting, analyzing, and responding to cybersecurity incidents.

L.14.1.2.1.4 Element 1.4 – Information Security

· Describe how your proposed architecture for FENS Communications Services, Enterprise-Level Functions, and FENS User Portals complies with the information security requirements listed in FFPS Section 8 and the tailored security controls in attachments J-7a and J-7b.

· Describe how your proposed architecture for the FENS Network Operations Center (NOC), Security Operations Center (SOC), and underlying OSS complies with the applicable tailored security controls defined in attachments J-7a and J-7b.

· Describe how your proposed Edge Protection solution meets the requirements defined in FFPS Sections 8.3.2 and 8.3.4 and provide data flow diagrams that depict: (1) LAN intra-facility and WAN inter-facility service flows between all FENS networking capabilities; and (2) the security controls implemented to support those flows and where the controls are implemented. Identify the physical location(s) where WAN and LAN Edge Protection is implemented.

· Describe how your proposed security capabilities and functions protect FAA systems and user data flows from wide range of possible cybersecurity attacks in accordance with FFPS Sections 8.3.1 and 8.3.3.

· Describe how your proposed architecture complies with the network isolation requirements listed in FFPS Section 8.4.

· Describe how your proposed EBP solution meets the requirements in FFPS Sections 8.5.1 and 8.5.2 and supports current and future usage demands with respect to the number of connections and data throughput. Relative to the requirements in FFPS Sections 8.5.1 and 8.5.2, provide data flow diagrams that depict: (1) service flows between external users and the CSNC, ESNC, and ASNC; (2) service flows between CSNC and ASNC; and (3) the security controls implemented to support those flows and where the controls are implemented. Identify the location(s) where the EBP capability is physically implemented. With respect to (1), include service flow diagrams for external users with dedicated connections to the EBP and external users connecting to the EBP via the Internet.

· Describe how your proposed solutions for secure remote access meet the requirements defined in FFPS Sections 8.5.3 and 8.5.4.

· Describe how your proposed network and OSS architectures meet the integrity requirements defined in FFPS Section 8.6.

· Describe your approach to establishing and maintaining security capabilities and controls during the FENS network establishment.

L.14.1.2.1.5 Element 1.5 – Flexibility, Scalability, and Network Evolution

· Describe how your proposed architecture is flexible and scalable to meet future service needs and traffic volumes with minimal disruption of ongoing operations and minimal impact to the FAA resources.

· Describe how your proposed IMS architecture is flexible and scalable to meet future service needs and traffic volumes with minimal disruption of ongoing operations and minimal impact to the FAA resources.

· Describe how your proposed architecture mitigates potential impacts caused by the discontinuance of Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM)-based access solutions.

· Describe how your proposed architecture: (1) supports the FAA’s transition to Internet Protocol (IP) interfaces; and (2) supports or can evolve to support the FAA Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) vision and future CONOPS for the National Airspace System (NAS), as referenced in Attachment J-0.

· Describe how your proposed architecture supports additional Network Service Flow Performance Levels not listed in FFPS Table 4-1 and additional Interface Types not listed in FFPS Table 3-6 in a manner that minimizes impacts to ongoing operations and FAA resources. Specifically address additional Network Services including, but not limited to additional combinations of service performance, interfaces, protocols, and data rates.

· Describe how your proposed architecture will facilitate the implementation of new capabilities over the program life cycle relative to potential new service flow types for Network Services over the program life cycle with minimal disruption of ongoing operations and minimal impact to FAA resources.

· Describe how your proposed IMS architecture is flexible and scalable to evolve IMS information sharing services, protocols, and capabilities over the life of the contract including, but not limited to the possible IMS enhancements described in FFPS Section 4.2.

· Describe how your proposed architecture will increase the likelihood that the FENS network will keep pace with technology changes in the commercial marketplace over the contract period of performance.

· Describe how your proposed architecture is flexible and scalable to support FAA requirements for Burstable and Scalable Bandwidth (FFPS Sections 5.1.4 and 5.1.5, respectively) and Contingency Services (FFPS Section 5.9).

L.14.1.2.1.6 Element 1.6 – Resiliency, Survivability, Network Diversity, and Avoidance

· Describe the resilience of your proposed architecture – inclusive of CPE, access, and transport – and how it is able to withstand component-level failures and prevent disruption to FENS Communications Services. For the transport portion of your architecture, identify commercial providers utilized, quantities and locations of Network Points of Presence (POPs), any data centers not located at FAA facilities and the connection topology between the Network POPs and any data centers not located at FAA facilities. For the location information required by the preceding instruction, a formal ordering address is not required; the general geographic location (e.g., county, metropolitan area, closest city, etc.) is sufficient. The Numbering Plan Area or Area Code (NPA/NXX) or Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) code (if applicable) are also sufficient for identifying the location.

· Describe how your proposed architecture provides Network Diversity in accordance with FFPS Section 3.1.5 to meet the required availability of AV-1, AV-2, and AV-3 services.

· Describe how your proposed architecture provides Network Diversity in accordance with FFPS Section 3.1.5 for Avoided Service Pairs and meets the associated availability requirements.

· Describe how your proposed architecture makes use of Network Diversity and meets the Survivability requirements defined in FFPS Section 3.2. Describe how Network Diversity is achieved within the Network Control Plane of the Untrusted Portion of your FENS network architecture and any trusted portion of your transport network to prevent Network Infrastructure failures from causing Widespread Service Failures, as defined in FFPS Section 1.2.

· Describe how your proposed architecture provides protection against events that, while having a low probability of occurrence, could have facility-wide impacts or result in a Widespread Service Failure, as defined in FFPS Section 1.2. The description must include both the extent of the protection against such events as well as the range of the different types of events for which protection is provided. Describe how your solution prevents the following from impacting the operation of the Network Control Plane and the Network Data Plane: (1) failures within the Network Management Plane; and (2) anomalous behavior within the Network Management Plane caused by an intentional or unintentional act.

· Describe how your proposed solution for Enterprise Synchronization Services: (1) is sufficiently resilient to withstand component-level failures and prevent disruption to FENS Network Services; and (2) aligns with the resilience and reliability constructs described in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Best Practices, Improving the Operation and Development of Global Positioning System (GPS) Equipment Used by Critical Infrastructure; and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) publication, Time Guidance for Network Operators, Chief Information Officers, and Chief Information Security Officers.

· Describe how your proposed solution for DNS capability is sufficiently resilient to withstand component-level failures and prevent disruption to FENS Network Services.

L.14.1.2.2 Sub-factor 2 – Network Establishment and Life Cycle Support In relation to the four elements below, each offeror must describe its approach to meeting SOW requirements pertaining to network establishment and life cycle support in order to achieve the FENS Program Objectives identified in Section 6 of Attachment J-0.

L.14.1.2.2.1…