Attachment 3_RFP.pdf

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT

1. CONTRACT ID CODE

N/A

PAGE

OF PAGES

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NO.

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

January 19, 2021

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE

REQ. NO.

5. PROJECT NO. (if applicable)

6. ISSUED BY CODE

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 5) CODE

National Cancer Institute Office of Acquisitions 9609 Medical Center Drive Room 1E620, MSC 9705 Bethesda, MD 20892-9705

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., street, city, county, State and ZIP Code)

TO ALL POTENTIAL OFFERORS

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

75N91019R00007

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

December 14, 2020

10A. MODIFICATION OF

CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

CODE

FACILITY CODE

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offersis extended, is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing Items 8 and 15 and returning ___ copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted; or (c) By separate letter or telegram which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by telegram or letter, provided each telegram or letter makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (if required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO FAR 52.243-2. THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT

ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B.THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b) and Contract ARTICLE B.4.

C.THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D.OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor _ _ is not X is required to sign this document and return 1 _ copies to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions posed by potential Offerors.

All other terms and conditions of this RFP as amended, including closing date and time, remain unchanged.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER

Rachel Weiszer

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

BY ______________________________________________

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C. DATE SIGNED

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

BY _____________________________________

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C.DATE SIGNED

NSN 7540-01-152-8070 30-105 STANDARD FORM 30 (REV 10-83.)

PREVIOUS EDITION UNUSABLE Prescribed by GSA

FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

Amendment 3 – RFP 75N91019R00007: Biomedical Computing, Analytic and Data Management Services

The period for submitting questions to the RFP has ended. This is a partial list of questions/answers to questions that have been received. A subsequent amendment will be issued.

TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

1. QUESTION: Under Section J, Attachment, there is no reference to “Technical Proposal Cost Summary”. Is the government referring to Attachment 13: Breakdown of proposed estimated costs with the excel spreadsheet? If not, please provide the attachment in question. (page 73)

RESPONSE: The Technical Proposal Cost Summary is attached to this amendment and added to the Attachments on Page 61 under Technical Proposal Attachments. Please use this form for both Task Orders 1 and 2. In addition, please follow the instructions as stated in the document:

1. Do not include any individual salary information.

2. Do not include any indirect cost or fee

3. Do not submit the total amount of proposal

4. Submit this information as a portion of the technical proposal, for both task orders 1 and 2.

QUESTION: Please explain why the solicitation asks for the technical proposal to include direct costs and applicable rates? Is the government asking for the offeror to include unburdened costs in the technical proposal? (page 73)

RESPONSE: Please refer to the question and attachment above.

2. QUESTION: Please confirm the following differences in the Task Areas between the SOW and Sample Task Order 2.

Sample Task Order 2 – Task Area 2 does not include: “E. Develop a searchable, public-facing online catalog for NCI biobanking programs.”

Sample Task Order 2 – Task Area 5 does not include: “NCI Biobanking” in the list of web and maintenance services.

RESPONSE: Sample Task Order 2, of Sample Task Area 1 does not include “E. Develop a searchable, public-facing online catalog for NCI biobanking programs.”.

Correct, Sample Task Order 2, of Sample Task Area 5, does not include “NCI Biobanking”.

3. QUESTION: Page 160 of the RFP states “ALL OFFERORS MUST RESPOND TO THE BASE SOW, TASK ORDER 1 and TASK ORDER 2. ALL OFFERORS MUST SUBMIT A TECHNICAL

PROPOSAL FOR THE BASE SOW.” Is the response to the Base SOW meant to be an overview of the technical capabilities related to the associated tasks, while the response to Sample Task 2 is more detailed related to the reference Task Areas 1-6 descriptions that are duplicated in the Base SOW?

RESPONSE: The Sample Task Order 2, technical proposal, does not need to be submitted as a stand-alone proposal. In other words, offerors may reference sections of the IDIQ Technical Proposal, rather than repeating in the technical proposal for sample task order 2 information that is already included in the IDIQ Technical Proposal.

4. QUESTION: Are there components of the existing infrastructure, including systems and tools, at the incumbent contractor that will be transferred to the successful Offeror? If so, please describe.

RESPONSE: All code development under the previous contract is owned by the Government.

System code may to provided but it’s the awardee responsibility to make that code work on their infrastructure. Systems and tools including a clinical trials tracking system, data sharing website, multiple public and internal facing websites.

5. QUESTION: Can the Government please provide any uniform budget assumptions for the number and type of servers, environment requirements (e.g. on premises vs.

cloud) and the data storage capacity that will be needed to support DCEG websites and datasets?

RESPONSE: No, Under the current model the Government paid for storage and processing on the Contractor’s infrastructure. The contractor is responsible for configuring the correct number and type of server to support this activity.

6. QUESTION: What information does the Agency require in the Project Objectives section?

RESPONSE: Information/documentation that clearly demonstrates the offer understands the objectives/requirements that the Government is requesting to be performed under this procurement.

7. QUESTION: Can you confirm the following websites represents the scope of websites/portal for Task Area 5 – Website Development and Maintenance?

National Cancer Institute (NCI) – https://www.cancer.gov/

RESPONSE: No, this website is not included in the scope of this request.

National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) – https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/research/nlst

RESPONSE: No, this website is not included in the scope of this request.

NCI Division of Cancer Prevention – https://prevention.cancer.gov/ https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/research/nlst https://prevention.cancer.gov/

RESPONSE: Yes, this website is included in the scope of this request.

Interactive Diet and Activity Tracking in AARP (iDATA) – https://prevention.cancer.gov/research-groups/biometry/interactive-diet-and-activity

RESPONSE: Yes, this website is included in the scope of this request.

PIO Clinical Trail System (PIO-CTS) – https://prevention.cancer.gov/clinical-trials/clinical-trial-management/protocol-information-office

RESPONSE: Yes, this website is included in the scope of this request.

Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) – https://prevention.cancer.gov/major-programs/prostate-lung-colorectal-and-ovarian-cancer-screening-trial

RESPONSE: Yes, this website is included in the scope of this request.

Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research – https://frederick.cancer.gov/

RESPONSE: No, this website is not included in the scope of this request.

NCI Cancer Data Access System – https://cdas.cancer.gov/

RESPONSE: Yes, this website is included in the scope of this request.

NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NICORP) – https://ncorp.cancer.gov/

RESPONSE: Yes, this website is included in the scope of this request.

NCI Biorepositories and Biospecimen Research Branch (BBRB) – https://biospecimens.cancer.gov/default.asp

RESPONSE: No, this website is not included in the scope of this request.

DCP Dashboard – https://sites.google.com/view/dilgcebuprov/home?authuser=0

RESPONSE: This website is not correct. The DCP Dashboard is not public.

8. QUESTION: For Sample Task Order 1, the kick off meeting, do we need to include Scientific and Technical Personnel, Resources Management and Staffing Approach, Organizational Experience and Capabilities, and Facilities and Equipment sections or can this proposal be limited to the technical approach and staffing for the kick off meeting

RESPONSE: This proposal should be limited to the technical approach and staffing for the kick-off meeting.

9. QUESTION: Under Sample Task 2, Task Area 4, the SOW discusses maintenance of a variety of servers, operating systems and licenses. Please provide additional https://prevention.cancer.gov/research-groups/biometry/interactive-diet-and-activity https://prevention.cancer.gov/research-groups/biometry/interactive-diet-and-activity https://prevention.cancer.gov/clinical-trials/clinical-trial-management/protocol-information-office https://prevention.cancer.gov/clinical-trials/clinical-trial-management/protocol-information-office https://prevention.cancer.gov/major-programs/prostate-lung-colorectal-and-ovarian-cancer-screening-trial https://prevention.cancer.gov/major-programs/prostate-lung-colorectal-and-ovarian-cancer-screening-trial https://frederick.cancer.gov/ https://cdas.cancer.gov/ https://ncorp.cancer.gov/ https://biospecimens.cancer.gov/default.asp https://sites.google.com/view/dilgcebuprov/home?authuser=0 information to support uniform cost assumptions. Are any of these servers government furnished equipment? Please provide counts of servers and class of servers as well as the number and types of licenses that need to be supported. All data and systems will be housed/stored on the Contractor’s infrastructure.

RESPONSE: The number of servers and types of licenses are based on what the Contractor determines to be appropriate to perform the requested task.

10. QUESTION: For budgeting purposes, please provide an average number of helpdesk issues addressed by the current contractor?

RESPONSE: A current number is approximately 275 per year.

11. QUESTION: What kind of work does the government require to be completed on the NIH/CIT computer facility versus the data center discussed under Task Area 4?

RESPONSE: All work will be done on the contractor infrastructure.

12. QUESTION: Can the Government provide metrics on the number of data sets to be managed, the size of those data sets and where and how they are stored?

RESPONSE: The number and size depend on what is being requested. We receive approximately 300 data requests per year. The contractor is responsible for determining the best way to store and protect these datasets.

13. QUESTION: Does the study data contain PII?

RESPONSE: It could contain PII.

14. QUESTION: How many organizations is data to be collected from?

RESPONSE: It could be more than 30.

15. QUESTION: Do any of the data sources have an API to connect to?

RESPONSE: That will be determined by the contractor.

16. QUESTION: Can the Government list the file types that are used in the import/export process?

RESPONSE: The contractor’s infrastructure should support the commonly used file types (MS Office files, PDF, SAS, etc.)

17. QUESTION: Is the data backed up on the NCI data center or in cloud service providers? How many data sources are to be backed up?

RESPONSE: No data is backed up on the NCI data center or in the cloud.

18. QUESTION: Is the help desk requirement providing Tier 1, 2 and 3 support or just Tier 2 and 3 support?

RESPONSE: This is for the Contractor to decide/recommend.

19. QUESTION: How many websites are to be developed and maintained?

RESPONSE: Approximately 10 or more

20. QUESTION: What is the technical architecture of each of the sites that are to be maintained?

RESPONSE: All websites must comply with NCI CBIT standards.

21. QUESTION: What are the applicable SLAs for each website?

RESPONSE: It depends on the website. This information is not shared publicly.

22. QUESTION: Can the government provide an estimate of how many systems will be developed in a year?

RESPONSE: Approximately three (3) last year; however, the actual number of systems depends on the type and number of projects funded by NCI.

23. QUESTION: How many systems need maintenance? Does this include only the operating system and above, or lower level infrastructure such as a SAN switch?

RESPONSE: The Contractor is expected to maintain all systems and tools under this contract.

Currently there are less than 15 systems being maintained to support this activity, however, new systems may need to be developed/retired.

24. QUESTION: Are there currently existing disparate systems with redundant data?

RESPONSE: No, there is not currently existing disparate systems with redundant data.

25. QUESTION: How many systems house the same type of data and what type of data is redundant?

RESPONSE: There is no redundant systems or data.

26. QUESTION: Is there a single source of truth for each type of data that can be referenced for data accuracy?

RESPONSE: Yes

27. QUESTION: Do business rules exist regarding tolerance levels for data accuracy?

RESPONSE: Yes

28. QUESTION: Is there an existing metadata management tool in place? If so, which tool?

RESPONSE: This is the responsibility of the contractor. Existing metadata management tool may not apply.

29. QUESTION: Will the offeror have to provide attachment 10 for each task order or just one for the base contract submission? (NIH-2043)

RESPONSE: NIH 2043 is only required to be submitted with the base contract proposal submission.

30. QUESTION: Can the government please confirm that Task Order 1 (FFP) should be submitted in the offeror’s own format and TO2 (Cost plus) should be provided in Attachment 13? Breakdown of proposed estimated costs spreadsheet.

RESPONSE: Yes, Offerors may propose Task Order 1 in their own format, making sure all the information that is requested is provided in the proposal for Task Order 1.

Please use Attachment 13 for Task Order 2.

31. QUESTION: The sentence below is not included in the Evaluation Factors on Page 106. Will it be evaluated under Criterion 1 as a newly added lettered item F or under Criterion 4 under lettered item A regarding data security?

“Offeror’s proposal must describe proposed methods for compliance with FISMA security for databases, documentation, related software, and all necessary elements.”

RESPONSE: This is included in Criterion 4, a. and b. on page 107:

“Criterion 4: Facilities and Equipment

a. Data security (e.g. Adequacy of resources to ensure compliance with requirements for information systems security)

b. Disaster recovery for systems and operations

32. QUESTION: Can the government describe how task area 2 and task area 8 differ?

RESPONSE: Task area 2 mainly deals with data (dry data) and task area 8 mainly focuses on specimen (wet data)

33. QUESTION: To better focus our response, can the government provide examples of past evaluation and program review activities procured under contract which aligns to task area 9 (evaluation of NCI data and products)?

RESPONSE: The contractor should be knowledgeable about evaluating government programs, creating reports, and recommendations.

34. QUESTION: To better focus our response, can the government provide examples of past activities procured under contract which aligns with task area 11 (statistical methodology and programming support)?

RESPONSE: The contractor should be knowledgeable about current and proven statistical models and statistical packages to validate and support NCI clinical cancer research programs.

35. QUESTION: How many websites/portals are currently managed by NCI?

RESPONSE: Approximately 8.

QUESTION: What CMS is being currently used? Is NCI looking to move to a new CMS platform?

RESPONSE: The contractor is responsible for recommending what CMS platform to use.

36. QUESTION: Page 81 has the requirement - “A security control assessment must be conducted by a FedRAMP third-party assessment organization (3PAO) for the initial ATO and annually thereafter or whenever there is a significant change to the system's security posture in accordance with the FedRAMP Continuous Monitoring Plan.” However, the requirement is not in the section on Cloud security. As FedRAMP only applies to cloud implementation, does the above assessment requirement also pertain only to cloud infrastructures?

RESPONSE: Yes, the above assessment requirement also pertains only to cloud infrastructure.

37. QUESTION: How will the technical proposals for the sample task orders be evaluated (e.g., scored similar to the Base SOW or as pass/fail)?

RESPONSE: Similar to the base SOW

38. QUESTION: Criterion 2 only mentions key personnel (2.b.). Will non-key personnel be scored as part of the evaluation criteria?

RESPONSE: Yes, all personnel.

39. QUESTION: Is a rate card for the overall IDIQ required? If yes, what labor categories does the government expect offerors to propose at the IDIQ level?

RESPONSE: IDIQ-level labor category rates are not required; they are only required for the specific Task Orders.

40. QUESTION: The linked workbook does not appear to accommodate multiple pricing buildups as would be required for the Base Contract and two Sample Task Orders. Should offerors prepare a separate Excel Workbook for each of the 2 Task Orders? If IDIQ rates are required, should offerors provide a third for the overall IDIQ Contract?

RESPONSE: Yes, Contractors should provide separate cost proposals (excel spreadsheets) for each task order. No, IDIQ-level labor category rates are not required.

41. QUESTION: Should the labor categories provided on page 71 be considered illustrative and therefore offerors should propose their own labor categories?

• If not, will the government clarify whether they only expect three labor categories?

• Or should offerors propose their own labor categories that can be grouped into the three overarching categories (Professional, Professional Support, and Administrative Support)?

RESPONSE: Yes, each offeror should provide their own labor categories. The three general labor categories are provided as an example.

42. QUESTION: Attachment 13 requires a CPFF build-up by individual person. However, in the technical proposal instructions and Section F, the solicitation indicates that Labor Categories should be proposed. For the Sample Task Orders, please clarify whether offerors are to bid individuals with a cost-plus build up (as in Attachment 13), or should offerors provide a buildup of hours by labor categories, as indicated in the technical proposal instructions (Attachment 7) and Section F.3.

RESPONSE: See Question #1 on page 1 of this amendment. Complete the spreadsheet for labor categories and hours and submit it with the Technical Proposal. However, do not provide any salary information by name, or any indirect costs or fee.

(Please refer to the attached excel spreadsheet, “Technical Proposal Cost Information/Summary of Labor and Direct Costs”. (On Page 73, under Separation of Technical and Business Proposals, it states “The technical proposal must include direct cost and resources information, such as labor-hours and categories and applicable rates, materials, subcontracts, travel, etc. and associated costs so that the offeror’s understanding of the project may be evaluated”).

43. QUESTION: Is it mandatory to provide the information requested below that is found in Attachment 7, Page 2, under Technical Approach?

d. Offerors should demonstrate an understanding of statistical modeling and oncology cancer clinical research.

e. Offeror’s proposal must describe proposed methods for compliance with FISMA security for databases, documentation, related software, and all necessary element

RESPONSE: Offerors should submit any information that they feel is important regarding their approach to be evaluated against the evaluation criteria.

44. QUESTION: The RFP contains both set of instructions for providing Data Other Cost or Pricing Data and Certified Cost or Pricing Data. Would the government clarify which format should be followed? (Data Other than Certified Cost or Pricing Data, page 93).

RESPONSE: Please refer to FAR 15.408. Certified Cost or Pricing Data is not required with proposal submission but may be required at a later time.

45. QUESTION: Since there is an expectation of adequate competition for this RFP, Certified Cost or Pricing Data should not be required. Would the government consider removing the requirements for certified Cost or Pricing Data? (Requirements for Certified Cost or Pricing Data and Data Other than Certified Cost or Pricing Data, FAR Clause 52.215-20, page 94).

RESPONSE: Please refer to question 44 above.

BUSINESS QUESTIONS

1. QUESTION: Will a References section count against the page limit? Should this be included as an Appendix?

RESPONSE: There is no page limitation on the business proposal; however, there is a 50-page limit on the technical proposal. Attachment 1 of the RFP states:

“B. Page limitations:

1. The total page count of the Technical proposal shall not exceed 50 pages.

2. Total page count does not include:

a. Title and Back Page; Table of Contents; Section Dividers that do not contain information other than title of Section; and

b. The Human Subject and Clinical Trial Information Form, if required by the solicitation.

c. Resumes

3. Pages exceeding limitations will be removed from the proposal and will not be considered.”

2. QUESTION: Please confirm the Table of Contents is excluded from the page count. Page 100

(Attachment 1, page 2) excludes the table. Page 160 (Attachment 7, page 2) does not exclude the table.

RESPONSE: Yes, the table of contents is excluded from the word count (Attachment 1, page

2)

3. QUESTION: Please confirm a font smaller than 12 point and spacing smaller than 15 characters per inch is acceptable for tables, figures, and text boxes.

RESPONSE: Font size is preferred to be 12 point but can be between 10- and 12-point font.

For tables, figures and text boxes, spacing should be no smaller than 15 characters per inch.

4. QUESTION: Please confirm printed copies are not required for submission. Page 73 of the

RFP (Section L.2.2 page 73) provides specifications for printed copies.

RESPONSE: Printed copies are not acceptable; this was an error in printing on Page 73. All proposals must be sent electronically through eCPS (See Attachment 1).

5. QUESTION: Does the page limit of 50 pages include all narrative for the base SOW and both sample tasks? If so, is there a preferred page limit for each sample task?

RESPONSE: The 50-page limit should include all narrative for the base and sample tasks. The

Government does not have a preferred page limited for each sample task.

6. QUESTION: Will the evaluation and scoring for the sample task orders be included in the evaluation and scoring of the full proposal?

RESPONSE: The scoring for the sample task orders is included in the evaluation and scoring of the full proposal.

7. QUESTION: Page 161 of the RFP (Attachment 7, page 2) requires the title of each sample task order on the title page. Please confirm the title page requires the title page of the solicitation and not the titles of the two sample task orders.

RESPONSE: Attachment 7, page 2, the title page, should include; the RFP title and number, name of organization, and DUNS number. The title page should also include; the Sample task order titles. (Section 1: E.) In accordance with Attachment 7, Page 1, “All Offerors must submit a Technical Proposal that identifies a separate, clearly labeled section for each technical response (for the Base Contract SOW, for Sample Task Order 1 SOW and for Sample Task Order

2 SOW.)”

8. QUESTION: Does the 50-page limit include the required Project Objective section?

RESPONSE: Yes, the project objectives are included in the 50-page limit.

9. QUESTION: Does the 50-page limit include the required NIH-2043 form?

RESPONSE: No, the NIH-2043 is an attachment that is not included in the page limit.

10. QUESTION: What criteria will be used to evaluate the section “Qualifications of the

Offerors” in the Business Proposal?

RESPONSE: The “Qualifications of the Offerors” will be evaluated along with the rest of the business proposal.

11. QUESTION: Section L.2.c.12 Subcontractors (p. 104) and Attachment 1, Section I. Proposal Submission, Subsection A. eCPS, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the RFP address subcontractor proposal submission requirements. The RFP requires each subcontractor to submit “complete cost proposal in the same format as the offeror's cost proposal.” The RFP also states “Proposals must be submitted via the electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) website at https://ecps.nih.gov.” and “Proposals submitted by facsimile or e-mail will not be accepted.” For subcontractors who do not wish to disclose their proprietary and confidential cost information directly to the prime offeror, by what method may the subcontractor submit a sealed cost proposal directly to NIH?

RESPONSE: Offerors may submit a total cost for any subcontractor. During negotiations, the government will then request the detailed subcontract cost proposal directly from an offeror’s proposed subcontractor to protect proprietary data, if necessary.

https://ecps.nih.gov/

12. QUESTION: Please clarify whether the cost proposal for Sample Task Order 2 should include a cost breakdown by task area.

RESPONSE: No, the cost breakdown for TO2 does not have to include a cost breakdown by task area.

13. QUESTION: Please confirm the single Principal Investigator/Project Director is the only Key Personnel identified in the RFP?

RESPONSE: The Project Director and Deputy Project Director are designated as Key Personnel; however, the Contractor may propose additional key personnel as well.

14. QUESTION: Please confirm the Government expects a total of 6 references?

RESPONSE: Please provide as many references as you feel would contribute to your proposal.

15. QUESTION: The General technical proposal instructions included in Section L do not align with the evaluation criteria provided in Section M. Therefore, would the government consider removing the technical proposal instructions from Section L (RFP pages 89-91) and allowing offerors to follow the tailored instructions in Attachment 7?

RESPONSE: No, the technical proposal instructions will not be removed in Section L but offerors may reference back to any part of their proposal that they feel is appropriate to respond.

16. QUESTION: Please clarify where offerors should address the items noted under Technical Discussion on RFP pages 89-91 (Objectives, Approach, Methods, Schedule, Personnel, and Other Considerations)?

RESPONSE: Offerors should address the items described in the instructions (pages 89-91) in their technical proposal.

17. QUESTION: With the exception of the organization focus (NCI vs. DCEG), the Tasks Areas listed in Sample Task Order #2 are identical to Task Areas 1-6 included in the Base Contract Statement of Work. To minimize duplicative text, may offerors reference between the Base SOW and Sample Task Order technical proposals?

RESPONSE: Yes, offerors may reference back to the base and Task Orders.

18. QUESTION: The “Other Considerations” section seems to request duplicative content. Could the government please clarify whether this section is required as part of the offeror’s response?

RESPONSE: This section is added for offerors to provide additional information in their proposal.

QUESTION: May this section, “Other Considerations”, be included at the end of the Technical Proposal and be excluded from the 50-page limit?

RESPONSE: If the offeror has “other considerations” to add to their proposal, it may be added at the end of the Technical Proposal and it will count towards the page limit.

19. QUESTION: Since this is not a grant submission, please confirm references are not required for key personnel resumes.

RESPONSE: References are not required for key personnel resumes.

20. QUESTION: Most of the requirements in 11, Qualifications of the Offeror, are duplicative of the information requested in Past Performance and Criterion 3. Organizational Experience and Capabilities. Therefore, would the government consider removing the required general summary information requested in 11.

Qualifications of the Offeror?

RESPONSE: Offerors may reference back to the base and task orders.

21. QUESTION: Since the proposals will include up front materials (i.e., proposal title page, NIH- 2043 form, TOC, etc.) prior to page 1 of the technical approach, may offerors use consecutive numbering (i.e., page 1 of X for main proposal; and A-1, B-1, C-1 for appendices) rather than PDF page numbers? This will aid in the evaluator’s review of each section and make it easier to confirm page limits are met.

RESPONSE: Yes, offerors may use their own numbering system as long as it is clear to the Government.

22. QUESTION: Please confirm all pages listed in Section 1 of the Instructions are omitted from the 50-page limit (This includes title page, objectives, proposal summary and data record, and table of contents).

RESPONSE: Yes, all pages listed in Section 1 of the instructions are omitted from the page limit.

23. QUESTION: Please confirm the information requested on RFP page 64 should be included in the transmittal letter (rather than the first page of the proposal) and excluded from the page count.

The information on page 64 of the RFP may be included in the transmittal letter, see the following question/answer below:

There are several instructions noting what is required on the first page of the proposal. Could the government please confirm which section offerors should follow?

- Page 64: Section L, 1. General Information, c. 2.

- Page 92: Section L, c. Business Proposal Instructions – 2. Proposal Cover Sheet

Follow the instructions on page 92 (most of the requirements on page 64 are also included on page 92)

- FAR 15.408; instructions to table 15-2 as required to follow when providing Certified Cost or Pricing Data required on pages 94- 95.

The Certified Cost or Pricing Data is not required with proposal submission.

Please see Question 44 of the technical questions for this amendment for further clarification.

RESPONSE: Yes, all information requested on the RFP, page 92 should be included in the transmittal letter.

24. RESPONSE: Please follow the instructions on Page 92; Proposal Cover Sheet.

25. QUESTION: The NIH-2043 form contains cost-related information. Please clarify whether this form should be included with the Business Proposal or the Technical Proposal.

RESPONSE: The NIH-2043 should be completed with the business proposal.

26. QUESTION: Can the government confirm that offerors are allowed to use their own template for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan and that Attachment 12 is provided for example purposes only?

RESPONSE: No, offerors must use the template in the RFP, Attachment 12.

27. QUESTION: Is there a maximum size limit for the technical proposal pdf, business proposal pdf and business.xlsx?

RESPONSE: There is no maximum size limit for proposals.

28. QUESTION: Should all technical proposal pdf, business proposal pdf, and business proposal xls documents be submitted following the 508 standards while submitting the proposal?

RESPONSE: Yes, all documents must be 508 compliant.

29. QUESTION: Should the offerors company be registered in the beta.sam at the time of submitting a proposal?

RESPONSE: Yes, the offeror should be registered in beta.sam before submission of a proposal.

30. QUESTION: Should the offeror submit the reps and certs froms along with the proposal even if the offeror has registered in beta.sam?

RESPONSE: Yes, the offeror should submit the reps and certs form.

31. QUESTION: Can the offeror partner with subcontractors and submit a response? If yes, how many subcontractors offeror can partner with? Should all subcontractors the offeror partner with be registered in sam.gov? Should they also submit the reps and certs?

RESPONSE: Yes, the offeror can partner with a subcontractor and submit a response. There is no limit on subcontractors. Only the offeror must be registered in beta.sam at the time of proposal receipt and submit their reps and certs.

32. QUESTION: Should we sign and submit all amendment of solicitation/modification of contract along with the proposal? Will these amendments be counted towards the page count?

RESPONSE: Yes, all amendments must be signed and submitted with the proposal and will count towards the page limit.

33. QUESTION: Is it mandatory that an offer should have prior federal government experience for responding to this RFP? And should be in the last three years?

RESPONSE: No, offerors do not have to have prior federal government experience.

34. QUESTION: Is it mandatory that at least one of the contracts listed should be of the federal government or state and local governments to show case the past performance?

RESPONSE: No, it is not required that any of the contracts listed should be of federal, state or local governments.

35. QUESTION: Can we include the subcontractors experience as the past performance?

RESPONSE: Yes, offerors can include the subcontractors experience as past performance.

36. QUESTION: Is it mandatory that the offeror must respond to the base SOW, TO1 and TO2?

That is you will consider the proposal of only the offerors who have responded to all three?

RESPONSE: Please refer to page 160 of the RFP, Attachment 7, Page 1.

“ALL OFFERORS MUST RESPOND TO THE BASE SOW, TASK ORDER 1 AND TASK

ORDER 2. ALL OFFERORS MUST SUBMIT A TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FOR THE BASE

SOW.

All Offerors must submit a Technical Proposal that identifies a separate, clearly labeled section for each technical response (for the Base Contract SOW, for Sample Task Order 1 SOW and for Sample Task Order 2 SOW.”

37. QUESTION: Proposals submitted shall be a “searchable” PDF format to the maximum extent practicable and must adhere to the page limits. Pages that exceed the specified limitations will be removed prior to evaluation.

The 50 PAGE limit is for the entire technical proposal? Or 50 pages each for Base SOW, Task Order 1 AND Task Order two separately?

RESPONSE: The 50-page limit is for the entire technical proposal.

38. QUESTION: It is recommended that the business proposal consists of a cover page, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Business Proposal Instructions and as specified in SECTION J, List of Attachments.

Should we prepare the business proposal in excel and then convert it to pdf?

How do we convert to the cover page, a table of contents and the information requested in the Business Proposal Instructions and as specified in SECTION J, List of Attachments to an xls format?

RESPONSE: Please refer to page 109, Attachment 1 of the RFP for instructions on uploading to eCPS.

39. QUESTION: Proposal Summary and Data Record (NIH-2043) The Offeror must complete the Form NIH-2043, attached, with particular attention to the length of time the proposal is firm and the designation of those personnel authorized to conduct negotiations. (See SECTION J, Attachment entitled, PROPOSAL SUMMARY AND DATA RECORD). Is it mandatory to fill in the Name and address of the Cognizant Government Audit Agency information?

RESPONSE: If available, please include the Cognizant Government Audit Agency.

40. QUESTION: Attachment 1 states the 50-page limit does not include title page, table of contents, or resumes. Attachment 7 (page 160) states that appendices also do not count towards the page limit. Are appendices counted towards the page limit?

RESPONSE: No, Appendices are not counted towards the page limit.

41. QUESTION: Should we submit the PROPOSAL INTENT RESPONSE FORM RFP even if we are not submitting a response to this RFP?

RESPONSE: No, a proposal intent response form is only if an offeror intends to submit a proposal, but it is not mandatory.