RFP 75N93022R00003 Amendment 2 - QA Final.pdf

NIAID Human Capital Management and Development Support

RFP 75N93022R00003

Amendment 2 – Questions & Answers Dated 05/04/2022

NIAID’s responses are provided in the bold and italicized text

NOTE: References to the RFP page numbers below are based on the original solicitation dated 04/06/2022.

1. Is there an incumbent performing all or a portion of the tasks? If so, who is/are the vendor(s) and what is/are the contract number(s)?

Golden Key Group is the incumbent contractor under contract no. HHSN272201800042C

2. What is the place of performance?

Place of performance will vary. Offeror should be flexible to support delivery of services across various on-site locations in Bethesda, MD, Rockville, MD, Hamilton, MT, and virtually. Some performance may be portable (i.e., successful performance can be delivered remotely);

however, customers may require on-site presence for successful delivery of select components

- we expect this to vary over time.

3. Page 60 of the RFP

a. Section b. Notice of Small Business Set Aside:

i. Please confirm that Task Area 2 is a separate multiple award IDIQ for small business (SB) vendors only?

Yes, that is correct.

b. Section d. Type of Contract and Number of Awards:

i. What is the anticipated number of SB contract awards for Task Area Two?What is the anticipated number of contract awards on the Task 1 multiple award IDIQ? The RFP states that multiple awards will be made. Will the government provide a range of awardees for Task Area One and Task Area Two?

As stated in Section L, 1. General Information, a. Instructions to Offerors, f.

Contract Award, if the Contracting Officer determines that the number of proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which competition can be conducted, the Contracting Officer may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals. At this time, the number of contract awards is not definite.

4. Some pages in the RFP pages 1-99 appear to be duplicative. Would the government please review and revise the package to mitigate confusion for bidders?

To confirm, pages 1 – 99 of the RFP are not duplicative. The RFP Cover pages can be found on pages 1 and 2; the Table of Contents on pages 3 and 4 and; the body of the RFP on pages 5-99.

Attachments begin on page 100 of the PDF file.

5. Attachment 1, pg. 2 of 2:

a. Is Past Performance/Pertinent Contract information included in the 30-page technical response page limitation?

The 30-page technical response includes everything except for what is noted in Attachment 1, page 2 of 2, II.B.2. and 3.

b. Are resumes/CVs included or excluded in the 30-page technical response page limitation?

Resumes/CVs will be excluded from the 30 page technical proposal page limitation.

6. Attachment 3 – SOW Task 2, pg. 13 of 16:

a. Regarding the cadre of training personnel, what are the topics in which they are expected to be knowledgeable with qualifications and certifications?

Refer to Attachment 6 (Additional Business proposal Instructions and Uniform Cost Assumptions) for a sample listing of internal and COTS trainings. Also reference page 8 and 9 of the SOW (attachment 7).

b. Are the training personnel required to have expertise in NIAID subject matter or will NIAID provide all SMEs?

Reference page 8-11 of SOW (attachment 7). Facilitators must have experience providing training in both in-person and virtual formats to extramural and intraural reasearch communities and administrative offices. NIAID SME will be provided to support content development.

7. Attachment 3 – SOW Task 2, pg. 14 of 16:

a. Please provide examples of the types of COTS training anticipated to be required by

Task 2 vendors.

Examples of COTS trainings anticipated to be required in Task Area 2 can be found in Attachment 6 on pg. 6-7.

b. How is pricing for the COTS training, assessments, etc. be addressed?

Commercial available off-the-shelf items are priced in the commercial marketplace.

8. Is there a requirement for a key resource/personnel?

Please see Attachment 5 and 6 for Key Personnel resources..

9. How many task orders does the government anticipate awarding under Task Area 1 during the base period, beyond Sample Task Order 1?

At this time, Sample Task Order 1 is the only anticipated award under Task Area 1.

10. Attachment 6, Sample Task Order 1, Section 3, 1) Technical Cost Assumptions, Task Area C:

Would the government permit hybrid or virtual work for the Senior Consultant position as outlined on page 3 (page 135 of the PDF)?

The Government can permit hybrid work.

11. Would the government consider extending the due date for proposal submissions beyond May 6th, 2022? Taking into consideration the breadth and depth of the details requested for this RFP response, would the government consider extending the submission deadline by one week?

The proposal submission deadline has been extended to May 20, 2022.

12. Attachment 6: Sample Task Order 1, Section 3 Uniform Cost Assumptions (Pg. 2-7) and Sample Task Order 2, Section 3 Uniform Cost Assumptions (Pg. 9): Are the Sample Task Order 1 and Sample Task Order 2 labor category level of effort hours representative of the expected hours for each of these task orders?

Yes, the Sample Task Order 1 and Sample Task Order 2 labor category level of effort hours are representative of the expected hours for each of these task orders.

13. Since most of the labor categories are not full-time positions, can one person be used under more than one labor category? General Comment: With so many labor categories only requiring fractions of full-time equivalent hours, please keep in mind it will be challenging for small businesses to employ part-time employees who are not eligible for health benefits; this is a critical factor when recruiting. RFP Reference, Paragraph and Page Numbers listed below.

a. Attachment 5 – Sample Task Order 1, Section 4 Project Manager, Key Personnel, and Staff Plan; Pages 3-4

b. Attachment 5 – Sample Task Order 2, Section 4: Project Manager, Key Personnel, and Staff Plan; Pages 6-7

c. Attachment 6: Sample Task Order 1, Section 3 Uniform Cost Assumptions; Page 2-7

d. Attachment 6: Sample Task Order 2, Section 3 Uniform Cost Assumptions; Page 9

If an individual meets the qualifications, and the staffing plan and technical approach demonstrates the Offeror’s understanding of the work, it is possible for them to be used under more than one labor category.

14. For Sample Task Orders 1 and 2, Section 3 and Section 4 both require descriptions of the Offeror’s program and project management plans and systems, and these requirements seem to overlap. Given the page limitations for the Technical Proposal, could the program and project management requirements be consolidated into either Section 3 or 4? RFP Reference, Paragraph and Page Numbers listed below.

a. Attachment 5: Sample Task Order 1 and 2, Section 3 Technical Plan/Approach for Each Task Area; Pages 3, 6: “The proposal should include the offeror’s Program Management Approach Plan… the proposal shall provide a Project Management Plan…”

b. Attachment 5: Sample Task Order 1 and 2, Section 4 Project Manager, Key Personnel, and Staff Plan; Pages 4, 6: “1. A description of the project management systems that will be used… 2. An outline of how the Project Manager will communicate…”

The Offeror may choose to consolidate the project management requirements of each Sample Task Order into either Section 3 or 4 as long as it is clear for evaluation purposes. As stated in the RFP, proposals for Sample Task Orders 1 and 2 must be separate.

15. Attachment 5, Sample Task Order 2, Section 4 indicates that CVs can be 2-3 pages, whereas the earlier requirements in Attachment 1 and Attachment 5, Sample Task Order 1, Section 4 indicate that CVs must be no more than 2 pages. Please clarify.

a. Attachment 1, II. Formatting and Page Limitations; Pg. 2

b. Attachment 5, Sample Task Order 1 Section 4; Pg. 3

c. Attachment 5, Sample Task Order 2 Section 4; Pg. 6

Resumes/CVs are limited to 2 pages. Revisions were made on Pg. 131 of the RFP/ Pg. 6 of Attachment 5.

16. How many people are currently receiving coaching? How many are anticipated to need coaching? Does coaching align with your organization design strategy?

NIAID averages 25 clients per month some of whom may meet more than one time in the month. Of those 25 clients 2-3 are new clients. Coaching clients are allotted up to 15 hours for the engagement. Reference attachment 6: Additional Business proposal instructions and Uniform Cost Assumptions page 5.

The Government is not clear on what is meant by "organization design strategy". Executive coaching is a component of NIAID's leadership development strategy.

17. Can you confirm if the statement of work for Sample Task Order One (OWER Human Capital Management and Development Support) reflects the statement of work for Task Area One? It appears that the information is the same as what is included in the IDIQ, is this correct? If not, could you please confirm the statement of work for Sample Task Order One?

Sample Task Order 1 was developed from Task Area One with increased specificity of requirements.

18. Please verify if the pricing information should be included in the technical or business proposal.

Page 65 states that, “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.

However, the technical proposal should not include pricing data relating to individual salary information, indirect cost rates or amounts, fee amounts and total costs.” HOWEVER, page 85 states “The business proposal must contain sufficient information to allow the Government to perform a basic analysis of the proposed cost or price of the work. This information shall include the amounts of the basic elements of the proposed cost or price. These elements will include, as applicable, direct labor, fringe benefits, travel, materials, subcontracts, purchased parts, shipping, indirect costs and rate, fee, and profit."

Please provide all pricing information in the Business Proposal.

19. In the Business volume instructions, number 11 part f, the Government is requiring all subcontractors to submit full cost disclosed packages in the same format as the Prime. Can the Government confirm that subcontract offerors for commercial items aren't required to submit cost disclosure in accordance with 52.244-6?

Please provide a detailed, itemized budget for the proposed subcontract (i.e. applicable cost categories - direct labor hours and rates, fringe benefits, supplies, equipment, travel, consultants, other direct costs, overhead, F&A). If the services to be provided are commercially available, please provide pricing information such as a cost price list or quote confirming that the services are available to the general public and that the price proposed is the price paid by all in the general public, unless a government discount has been provided.

Please ensure that any commercial services are those defined as such in accordance with FAR 2.101.

20. In Attachment 10, ‘Labor Category Proposed Rates’, is it the Government’s intent that these rates will set ceilings for rates on future TOs? If so, can LCATs be added post-award as needed to fulfill requirements on future TOs?

Yes, it is the Government’s intent that these rates will set ceilings for future task orders.

Additional LCATs may be added for all contract awardees if it is the Government’s need and is not a material change.

21. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors; Pg. 82;

a. Would the deliverable schedule be counted towards the page limit of the Technical

Volume?

Yes, the deliverable schedule is part of the Technical Volume and will count towards the page limit.

b. Can the government please clarify if this language applies to having multiple Project Directors for this contract, and if so, 1) would the offeror have to submit a Leadership Plan in addition to the Project Management and Staffing Plan and 2) would the Leadership Plan be counted towards the 30 page limit of the Technical Volume?

Please confirm where this leadership plan should be placed in the proposal.

As required in the RFP, offerors proposing multiple Project Directors will need to submit a Leadership Plan as part of the Technical Proposal and will count towards the page limit.

22. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors; Pg. 83

a. Can the government clarify expectations for key personnel? Is it an accurate understanding that the Project Director and Management Consultant Leads (referenced on page 129) are considered "key personnel", and that the offeror may propose other key positions for consideration?

Yes, and the offeror may propose other highlighted positions for consideration as stated on page 129.

23. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors, Pg. 84

a. Can the government clarify if the intention is to list all other personnel that the offeror considers to be "key personnel", rather than all individuals that might participate in the project?

Yes, that is correct. Please list all other personnel that the offerors consider to be “key personnel” in addition to the Key Personnel requirements outlined in Attachments 5 and 6.

b. Are letters of commitments required for 1099's? Are letters of commitment required for subcontractors?

Yes, letters of commitment are required for 1099s and subcontractors.

c. Are letters of commitment only required for new recruits to this program? In other words, if personnel have been on staff already, is a letter of commitment required?

Letters of commitment are required for all staff.

d. 4. Additional Personnel: "List names, titles, and proposed duties of additional personnel, if any, who will be required for full-time employment, or on a subcontract or consultant basis. The technical areas, character, and extent of subcontract or consultant activity will be indicated and the anticipated sources will be specified and qualified." Please indicate what character means. Please indicate what sources means. We do not understand what information is required to be included.

Character refers to the nature or scope of work to be completed. Anticipated sources refer to the type of additional personnel: employee, consultant, subcontractor.

24. Attachment 5 – Additional Technical Proposal Instructions; Pg. 2

a. Are the sample-task proposals for evaluation purposes only, or does the Government intend to award these task orders?

The Government anticipates awarding Sample Task Order 1 and using Sample Task Order 2 for evaluation purposes.

25. Attachment 6 – Business Proposal Instructions; Pg. 133-135

a. Attachment 6, Business Proposal, Table of Contents, requires offerors to map fully loaded hourly rates to the provided LCATs included in the IDIQ and across sample task orders. The provided LCATs include education or experience minimums outlined in Attachment 9. Will the government allow offerors to propose alternative LCATs assuming our proposal alternatives meet the minimums in Attachment 9?

Yes, as long as the education and experience minimums outlined in Attachment 9 can be met under another labor category.

b. May offerors adjust the government's estimated project hours according to our own proposed technical solutions?

Please refer to NIAID’s response to Question 12. Offerors may not adjust the government’s estimated hours.

26. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors; Pg. 60

a. We believe this should be a commercial item contract. Can the Government clarify what type of contract will be awarded?

The Government intends to award an IDIQ base contract with Time & Materials and Firm Fixed Price task orders.

b. Under FAR 16.601(d), a Time-and-Materials type contract should only be used if no other contract type is suitable. This procurement appears to be suitable as a commercial item Firm Fixed Price contract because the types of services sought by this acquisition are regularly provided to both commercial companies and Executive agencies as commercial items and on a fixed-price basis. Based on the Statement of Work, there does not appear to be a significant difference between the types of consulting services being acquired under the NIAID procurement and the types consulting services provided to commercial entities and other government customers.

In this regard, over 367 contractors already provide business transformation services to the government on a commercial fixed-price basis via the GSA Schedules. See, e.g., GSA Multiple Award Schedule – Professional Services, Schedule 541611. Moreover, we believe it is possible to accurately estimate the extent and duration of the work and to anticipate costs with a reasonable degree of confidence. Accordingly, this procurement should be a FAR Part 12 Commercial Item Firm Fixed Price procurement. Can the Government amend the contract accordingly? If not, can the government clarify why this is not a FAR Part 12 Firm Fixed Price contract?

The Government intends to award Sample Task Order 1 as T&M since it is not possible to estimate accurately the extent or duration of the work or to anticipate costs with any reasonable degree of confidence based on the structure of NIAID and to meet the changing requirements and fluctuating needs of NIAID’s objectives. Commercial services should only be structured as Firm Fixed Price or Time & Materials. Since the requirement cannot be defined as well as FFP requirements, and base requirement being awarded as an IDIQ, Sample Task Order 1 will be awarded as Time & Materials and FAR Part 12 procedures will not be used.

c. As indicated above, these types of services are regularly provided to both commercial companies and Executive agencies as commercial items and on a fixed-price basis.

Based on the Statement of Work, there does not appear to be a significant difference between the types of consulting services being acquired under the NIAID procurement and the types consulting services provided to commercial entities and other government customers. Accordingly, this procurement should be a Firm Fixed Price commercial item procurement. Can the government amend the Solicitation accordingly? If not, has the government made an affirmative determination that this is not a commercial item procurement?

Since the base requirement/SOW is an IDIQ type contract, FAR Part 12 procedures will not be used.

d. As indicated above, this procurement can be conducted as a commercial services procurement. However, the RFP does not include FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions—Commercial Products and Commercial Services or 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services. Would the Government amend the Solicitation to incorporate the appropriate FAR Part 12 provisions?

Since the base requirement/SOW is an IDIQ type contract, FAR Part 12 procedures will not be used.

27. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors; Pg. 85

a. These elements are applicable to a cost contract but inconsistent with a FAR Part 12 commercial item contract. Task Order 1 is anticipated to be a Time-and-Materials task order, see RFP, Attachment 6, page 2, while Task Order 2 is anticipated to be a Firm Fixed Price task order, see RFP, Attachment 6, page 8. As indicated above, Task Order 1 can be issued as a commercial services Firm Fixed Price task order. Please confirm that the cost or price elements in RFP § L(2)(c)(1) do not apply to Task Order 1.

The cost or price elements in RFP § L(2)(c)(1) do not apply to Task Order 1. If you are submitting a proposal for Task Order 1, please specify fixed hourly rates in its offer that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit in accordance with FAR 52.216-31. As stated under Section L(3)(a), “Data submitted shall be sufficient to permit the Contracting Officer and authorized representatives to determine price reasonableness or cost realism, e.g., data to support an analysis of material costs (when sufficient data on labor and overhead rates is already available), or data on prices and quantities at which the offeror has previously sold the same or similar items.

Data submitted must support the price proposed. The offeror shall include sufficient detail or cross references to clearly establish the relationship of the data provided to the price proposed. The offeror shall support any data provided with explanations or supporting rationale, as needed, to permit the Contracting Officer and authorized representative to evaluate the documentation.”

28. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors; Pg. 87

a. Can the Government confirm that this limitation is only applicable to cost-type contracts?

Yes, that is correct.

29. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors; Requires offerors to certify that they possess adequate accounting systems for a cost-type contract. Pg. 93-94

a. This requirement is not normally required for commercial items contracts. Would the Government add the commercial items contract clause? Additionally, would the Government delete this requirement or confirm it is self-deleting for those contractors offering a firm-fixed price?

The requirement of an adequate accounting system is only for cost contracts and is not required for firm-fixed-price and time and materials contracts. If proposing FFP, the Offeror will not be required to comply.

30. Section C – Description/Specifications/Work Statement; Pg. 8

a. This procurement does not appear to be an Information or IT acquisition. Please confirm that these clauses do not apply to Task Order No. 1.

This procurement is not for IT acquisitions. However, these clauses apply when contractor personnel may require access to HHS-controlled facilities and/or information systems.

31. Attachment 6 – Additional Business Proposal Instruction; Pg. 2 of attachment

a. Attachment 6, page 2, the language at the bottom of the page is not legible. This language states: “Each option must be budgeted separately within the [illegible] shall be made for proposal purposes.” Can the Government please clarify this language?

“Each option must be budgeted separately within the Business Proposal. The following assumptions shall be made for proposal purposes:…” Corrections have been made.

32. Section M – Evaluation Factors for Award; Pg. 97

a. RFP § M(2), page 97, states “Offeror(s) cost/price proposal will be evaluated for reasonableness. For a price to be reasonable, it must represent a price to the government that a prudent person would pay when consideration is given to prices in the market. Normally, price reasonableness is established through adequate price competition, but may also be determined through cost and price analysis techniques as described in FAR 15.404.” This procurement can be accomplished as a commercial services Firm Fixed Price contract. Will the Government amend the Solicitation to provide that the cost/price evaluation will be conducted in accordance with FAR Part 12.209?

Since the base requirement/SOW is an IDIQ type contract, FAR Part 12 procedures will not be used.

33. Attachment 6 – Business Proposal Instructions – Pg. 2 of attachment

a. RFP, Attachment 6, page 2, states that “Sample Task Order 1 is anticipated to be a Time and Materials (T&M) type task order with a total of a three-year task order period of performance.” In addition, the RFP § L(18)(f), page 81, includes the FAR 52.216-31 Time-and-Materials/Labor-Hour Proposal Requirements—Commercial Acquisition (Feb 2007). However, RFP § L(2)(c), page 86–87, requests information that is not consistent with commercial item Time-and-Materials task orders, such as materials, raw materials, purchased parts, indirect costs, special equipment, travel, and other costs. As indicted above, this procurement can be accomplished as a FAR Part 12 commercial item services Firm Fixed Price contract. Should the Government agree, please amend accordingly. If the Government disagrees, will the Government amend the RFP to require only the information necessary for a commercial services Time-and-Materials contract, set forth in FAR 52.216-31 Time-and-Materials/Labor-Hour Proposal Requirements—Commercial Acquisition (Feb 2007)?

If you are submitting a proposal for Task Order 1, please specify fixed hourly rates in its offer that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit in accordance with FAR 52.216-31. The Government does not intend to amend the solicitation.

b. As indicated above, we do not believe this should be a Time and Materials contract, but rather a FAR Part 12 Firm Fixed Price contract. Does the government agree and will it amend the Solicitation accordingly? If the Government disagrees, please confirm that the listed cost assumptions in RFP Attachment 6 are the only cost elements that must be included in offerors’ proposals.

The Government intends to award a Time and Materials Task Order 1. Only those cost elements per FAR 52.216-31 are required.

34. Attachment 10, Pg. 177-185

a. The RFP, pages 177–185 of 187, includes Service Contract Act minimum wages. If an offeror proposes only exempt employees, how are the Service Contract Act minimum wages implicated, if at all?

Please refer to FAR 52.222-53 Exemption from Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services-Requirements to ensure such an exemption applies. If so, SCA would not apply. The McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) covers contracts entered into by federal and District of Columbia agencies that have as their principal purpose furnishing services in the U.S. through the use of “service employees.” The definition of “service employee” includes any employee engaged in performing services on a covered contract other than a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional employee who meets the exemption criteria set forth in 29 CFR Part 541.

35. Part II Contract Clauses; Pg. 37

a. The RFP incorporates by reference FAR 52.244-6, pertaining to commercial items subcontracting, and FAR 52.215-12 Subcontractor Certified Cost or Pricing Data (Aug 2020), requiring subcontractors to submit certified cost or pricing data unless an exception applies. See RFP, Part II, page 37. If an offeror intends to utilize a subcontractor to provide only commercial products or commercial services, will the subcontract be required to submit certified cost or pricing data?

In accordance with FAR 15.403-1(c)(3), “Commercial products and commercial services.

(i) Any acquisition that the contracting officer determines meets the commercial product or commercial service definition in 2.101, or any modification, as defined in paragraph (3)(i) of the commercial product definition, that does not change a commercial product to other than commercial, is exempt from the requirement for certified cost or pricing data. If the contracting officer determines that a product or service claimed to be commercial is not, and that no other exception or waiver applies (e.g., the acquisition is not based on adequate price competition; the acquisition is not based on prices set by law or regulation; and the acquisition exceeds the threshold for the submission of certified cost or pricing data at 15.403-4(a)(1)) the contracting officer shall require submission of certified cost or pricing data.”

36. Attachment 3, Statement of Work, Subtask Area A, page 104 of 187 (SOW page 2 of 16) and Attachment 7, Statement of Work, pages 144-145 of 187 (SOW pages 2-3 of 15)

a. For Task Area A, Does NIAID have a Human Capital strategy in place? If yes, does the Government anticipate contractor(s) need to assess/ upgrade current strategy?

Yes and yes. Strategy assessment is on a rolling basis.

37. Attachment 3, Statement of Work, Task Area D: Learning and Development and Organization Development overview; Section on Classroom-based, Virtual and Blended training, Paragraph #5, page 110 of 187 (SOW page 8 of 16)

a. What kind of qualifications are you looking for regarding item 1 (see below)?

i. 1. Provide a cadre of training personnel with the breadth and depth of knowledge to conduct classroom-based, virtual instructor-led, and blended training that is internally designed. The training personnel shall have demonstrated qualifications and certifications and previous experience teaching the programs for the courses they are responsible for delivering.

The offeror can refer to the descriptors articulated in the SOW as well as attachments 6 and 9. Attachment 6 lists a sample of internal and COTS trainings.

38. Attachment 3, Statement of Work, Subtask Area D: Learning and Development and Organization Development overview, Classroom-based, Virtual and Blended training, Paragraph #5, page 111 of 187 (SOW page 9 of 16)

a. What does the scope of the term "Provide" in number 5 in the "Classroom-based, virtual and blended training" section?

These would be procured, modified, and/or delivered as necessary; reference attachment 6 for the sample listing of COTS trainings.

39. Attachment 7, Statement of Work, Task Area D: Learning and Development and Organization Development overview, Paragraph # 4, page 150 of 187 (SOW page 8 of 15)

a. Can the customer provide more clarity on the definition of career lattice?

This term is an accepted industry standard/terminology. Suggest researching through reputable sources if unsure.

40. Attachment 14, Pricing attachment, page 53 of 187

a. The NIH lists their pricing attachment in Section J. Given the anticipated contract type of the Task Orders under this contract, Time and Materials and Firm Fixed Price, and that the Attachment 14 is meant for developing Cost Plus Fixed Fee estimates. Please confirm offerors may use their own pricing formats to respond to Sample Tasks 1 and 2 if the formats contain the necessary detail for NIH to perform their analysis.

Can the Govt please confirm that this attachment is not applicable to the solicitation's quoting requirement as reflected in Attachment 6 which requires both T&M and FFP pricing. Can the Gov't please provide a template which contains T&M and/or FFP Labor Hour line items to align with the quoting requirement?

Recommend rewording slightly to state, “ Offerors are encouraged to use Attachment 14 and only the cost elements that are applicable to T&M and/or FFP task orders.

Pricing information may also be submitted in the Offerors’ own format as long as it clear and includes all required information.”

41. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors, c. Submission, modification, revision, and withdrawal of proposals, page 56 of 187; Attachment 5: ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT FOR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, and TABLE OF CONTENTS, pages 126-127 of 187

a. Will the Government please clarify that Contractors should structure proposal response and follow instructions using Attachment 5 and disregard Instructions solicited in Attachment 3?

Attachment 5 provides additional technical proposal instructions specific to the sample task orders. Offerors are expected to propose according to the standard Section L instructions and specific instructions provided in Attachment 5.

42. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors, b. NOTICE OF SMALL BUSINESS SET- ASIDE, page 60 of 187

a. The solicitation states that the IDIQ will be awarded to multiple contractors. What are the specific evaluation criteria and Instructions for an IDIQ award?

IDIQ awards will be based on the offerors’ proposals to the Sample Task Orders. Please refer to Section M for the evaluation criteria.

b. Will the Government award the IDIQ to multiple contractors?

The Government anticipates multiple IDIQ awardees based on the proposals that demonstrate acceptable capability and the best value to the Government.

c. After the IDIQ award, will the Government award the Task Area 1 to only One Contractor?

The IDIQ award may result in multiple awardees for Task Area 1. The Government intends to award Sample Task Order 1 to one contractor.

d. Although the current small business size standard for the 541990 NAICS is $16.5M, will the government consider raising the size standard to $17M since the proposals are due on May 6th and the new NAICS size standards go into effect on May 2nd?

The size standard for NAICS 541990 was $16.5M when the solicitation was posted;

therefore, the Government will not raise the size standard.

43. Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors, c. Competitive Ordering Process,

a. Please confirm Offerors should follow Instructions listed in Attachment 5 only.

Offerors must follow instructions provided in Attachment 5 when proposing to Sample Task Order 1 and/or Sample Task Order 2. Section L (c) Competitive Ordering Process outlines the process of future task orders once the IDIQ contract(s) is awarded.

44. Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Notice, page 80 of 187; Section 508 accessibility standards for HHS Web Site Content and Communications Materials, page 85 of 187 And 5. EVALUATION OF ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY - SECTION 508, page 98 of 187

a. Will the Government confirm Section 508 form is to be completed and included as part of Business Proposal in an Appendix? Will the Government provide Section 508 template?

Yes, a HHS Section 508 Product Assessment Template is required to be submitted with the proposal and is provided as Attachment 24 of the solicitation.

45. 2. Instructions to Offerors, 15. Past Performance Information, page 69 of 187; Section 10, Qualifications of the Offeror, pages 94-95 of 187

a. Past Performance Information, page 69 of 187 states, “a. Offerors shall submit the following information as part of their Business proposal. A list of the last 5 contracts completed during the past Three years and all contracts currently being performed that are similar in nature to the solicitation workscope. Contracts listed may include those entered into by the Federal Government, agencies of state and local governments and commercial concerns..” Please confirm that offerors are required to submit past performance information in its Business Proposal as part of its Sample Task Order submission.

Yes, past performance is part of the Business Proposal.

b. Will the Government please confirm between these three references, whether there are 2 separate sections for past performance and corporate experience. Secondly, will the Government please confirm the format that must be presented for these sections in the proposal.

Past performance information should be included in the Business Proposal. Corporate experience should be included and demonstrated in the Technical Proposal as explained in the Technical Proposal Instructions and Section M Evaluation Criteria.

c. In Section 10, page 95, of the Business Proposal Instructions offerors are requested to provide a) General Experience, b) Organizational Experience Related to this RFP, c) Performance History, d) Pertinent Contracts, and e) Pertinent Grants. To avoid redundancy, will the Government consider removing these requirements as it is similar to Past Performance Information? How does this differ from the separate Corporate Experience requirements in Attachment 5 on page 4 and the past performance requirements on page 69 of the solicitation. Where should this section be placed?

The past performance information requested on page 69 of the RFP is not the same information as requested in Section 10, page 95 of the RFP. Offerors should provide all required information in their proposal.

d. Can we use past performances from our small business partner to be included as one of the 5 past performances?

Offerors must propose their own past performance if they are intending to serve as the prime contractor.

46. Separation of Technical and Business Proposals, page 65 of 187

a. Please confirm that Technical Proposal should not include pricing cost/rate related information. Will the Government consider removing the requirement “and applicable rates” from Technical Proposal?

Yes, that is correct. All pricing information must be included in the Business Proposal, not Technical Proposal. Section L provides of the solicitation provides a standard set of instructions applicable to all NIH solicitations, so we will not be revising this language.

47. Attachment 5, SECTION 2: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL OVERVIEW (2-page maximum), page 127 of

a. Will the Government confirm Technical Proposal Overview is not part of 30-pages page limit?

The Technical Proposal Overview is included in the 30 pg. page limitation for the Technical Proposal. Please see specific page limitations for the Technical Proposal Overview for each Sample Task Order in Attachment 5.

48. II. FORMATTING AND PAGE LIMITATIONS, B. Page Limitations, page 101 of 18

a. To adequately respond to all solicitation requirements, will the Government consider increasing Technical Proposal page limit to 50 pages?

The Government will not consider increasing the Technical Proposal page limit to 50 pages. However, CVs/resumes will not be included in the 30 page limitation.

b. The previous contract technical proposal requirements allowed for a 50 page limit.

Given the number of requirements for this bid, will the Government consider allowing the technical volume to be 50 pages?

The Government will not consider increasing the Technical Proposal page limit to 50 pages. However, CVs/resumes will not be included in the 30 page limitation.

49. Attachment 5, SECTION 3: TECHNICAL PLAN/APPROACH FOR EACH TASK AREA, page 128 of 187

a. For Task Area 1, will the Government please clarify which SOW to respond to, 1) SOW

Attachment 3, pages 103-114 of 187, or 2) SOW Attachment 7, pages 143-157 of 187?

Task Area 1 Offerors shall propose to the Attachment 7 SOW: Sample Task Order 1:

OWER Human Capital Management and Development Support (pg. 143-157 of the

RFP).

50. b, Technical Proposal Instructions, b Personnel, pages 82-84 of 187

a. Solicitation requires to describe the experience and qualifications of 1. Single Principal

Investigator/Project Director; 2. Multiple Principal Investigators; 3. Other Investigators;

4. Additional Personnel, who will be assigned for direct work on this program. However, this requirement contradicts with Key Personnel requirements listed under Attachment 5, SECTION 4: PROJECT MANAGER, KEY PERSONNEL, AND STAFF PLAN pages 128-129 of

187. Additionally, 1. Single Principal Investigator/Project Director; 2. Multiple Principal Investigators; 3. Other Investigators; 4. Additional Personnel LCAT description/education/experience requirements are not provided under Attachment 9.

Will the Government consider removing requirements under b. Personnel, pages 82-84 of 187, or provide clarification on how to incorporate these Personnel requirement under Attachment 5, SECTION 4: PROJECT MANAGER, KEY PERSONNEL, AND STAFF PLAN pages 128-129 of 187? Please confirm whether these are Key Personnel, and additionally, where they should be placed in the proposal. Can they be included in Section 4 as defined in the additional proposal instructions?

The labor categories that are applicable to this RFP are listed under Attachment 9. As stated in Attachment 5: Additional Technical Proposal Instructions, “While Section L of the solicitation provides a generic set of Technical Proposal instructions applicable to all NIH solicitations, these instructions are tailored to the specific requirements of the RFP.” Please tailor your technical and business proposals to RFP and include the required information for experience and qualifications of personnel proposed. All Key Personnel positions are identified as such in the Statement of Work.

51. Business Proposal Instructions, 5. Small Business Subcontracting Plan, page 88-90 of RFP

a. Will the Government please confirm whether a Small Business Subcontracting Plan should be submitted as part of the proposal submission on May 6, 2022?

All Offerors should submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan as a part of their proposal. Please note the proposal submission deadline was extended to May 20, 2022.

b. Will the Government please confirm that given the currency, size, scope, and complexity of Task Orders, that Large Businesses are not required to meet these goals for this Procurement (Task Order 1)?

In accordance with FAR 19.702(a)(1)(3), Each contract modification that causes the value of a contract without a subcontracting plan to exceed $750,000 ($1.5 million for construction), shall require the contractor to submit a subcontracting plan for the contract, if the contracting officer determines that subcontracting opportunities exist.

c. Are the Offerors required to submit copies of subcontracting teaming agreement as part of proposal response?

Yes, refer to Pg. 85, Section L, 1. General Information, b. Technical Proposal Instructions, 2. Other Considerations.

d. Please confirm if there is specific location within the proposal format where the Small Business Subcontracting plan should be placed within the Business Volume.

Please include your Small Business Subcontracting Plan as an attachment to your business proposals clearly identified as such.

e. The table in the solicitation refers to a 3% goal for veteran owned or service disabled veteran owned businesses while the attachment in section J includes a table that does not list veteran-owned. We do note that the form states fiscal year 2017, therefore, should we use the goal listed in the solicitation?

Yes, please refer to the goals listed in the solicitation.

f. The small business subcontracting attachment indicates requirements to show dollar values planned for the various categories of small businesses. Please indicate whether we should use the ceiling value of $25M as our point of reference for these calculations.

Should the small business subcontracting plan be based on the IDIQ ceiling value or on the offeror's estimated price for the task order?

The small business subcontracting plan shall be based on the IDIQ ceiling value.

g. Will the Government allow a previous subcontracting plan used for another contract to be included with this proposal rather than creating a new one, if one such plan exists?

No, submitting a previous subcontracting plan is not acceptable. Please submit a current plan which is tailored to this requirement.

52. Instructions to Offerors, 2. Authorized Official and Submission of Proposal, page 64 of 187

a. Since this is an electronic submission via eCPS on May 6, 2022, 3:00pm local time, will the Government please consider removing references related to Original, Copy/Copies, and 30 percent post consumer fiber paper throughout the solicitation?

Yes, all proposals must be submitted electronically to eCPS. References related to Original, Copy/Copies, and 30 percent post consumer fiber paper on Page 64 has been removed.

b. Please confirm whether the proposal shall be emailed or produced in hard copy format and mailed to a location. If so, please confirm that location.

All proposals must be submitted electronically to eCPS. Proposals submitted via email or mail will not be accepted.

53. Technical Evaluation Factors, page 97 of 187; ATTACHMENT 5: ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT FOR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, and TABLE OF CONTENTS, pages 126-130 of 187

a. For Task Order 1, the factors below are listed in the order of relative importance with weights assigned for evaluation purposes. Subfactors are listed in order of relative importance: Criterion 1: CORPORATE EXPERIENCE, 40 points, Criterion 2: TECHNICAL and MANAGEMENT APPROACH, 30 points; Criterion 3: Qualifications of Personnel, 30 points. However, Attachment 5 states to follow the instructions in Section L of the solicitation, and include the information as follows: Section 1: Proposal Title Page and Table of Content, Section 2: Technical Proposal Overview, 2-pages; Section 3: Technical Plan and Approach for Each Task Area, etc. Will the Government consider aligning Technical Evaluation Factors to ATTACHMENT 5: ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, FORMAT FOR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, and TABLE OF CONTENTS or vice versa?

The appropriate structure for proposals is outlined in attachment 5 and the evaluation factors provide the order of relative importance with assigned weights for evaulation purposes.

54. Attachment 6, page 5; Level of Effort for Task Area D

a. Row 2 of the table lists an ICF Certified Coach Coordinator/SME 3 at 168 hours for each year, while Row 3 lists an IC Certified Coach Coordinator at 381 hours for each year. Is the government anticipating that these will be 2 separate FTEs, or as split duties for 1 FTE? Should these LCATs be combined?

The LCAT for the SME3 and the Coaching Coordinator are different. The Coaching Coordinator at 381 hours is identified at the Labor Category of Business Analyst 3/Coaching Support. Reference Attachment 9 for the LCAT description.

55. Attachment 6, page 5; Attachment 7, page 12; OD Consultant Coordinator vs OD Consultant Manager

a. Attachment 6 refers to an OD Consultant Coordinator at 8 hours a month, while Attachment 7 refers to an OD Consultant Manager. Should both of these sections refer to the same LCAT, and if so, which LCAT is correct?

The OD Consultant Coordinator and the OD Consultant Manager are the same position. (1 OD Consultant Coordinator at 8 hours/month).The LCAT is listed as Senior Management Consultant/Organization Development Consultant in attachment 9.

56. Technical Proposal Requirements, Pg. 81

a. Will offerors be permitted to bid on both task areas in either a prime or subcontractor capacity?

Yes, it is permissible to propose as a Prime Contractor on one Task Order and then be proposed as a subcontractor on another Task Order; however, all proposal must be submitted by the Prime Contractor.

b. There are multiple Statements of Work in the proposal. Which one are we responding to for if responding to Task Area 1? Which one are we responding to if responding to Task Area 2?

If proposing to Task Area 1, please propose according to Sample Task Order 1: OWER Human Capital Management and Development Support. If proposing to Task Area 2:

please propose according to Sample Task Order 2: DEA University.

57. Attachment 5 and Attachment 6; Pg. 126 and pg. 133

a. Will the government confirm that proposal responses are limit to task order responses?

In other words, an IDIQ technical and price volume is not required?

Yes, that is correct. Proposal responses are according to the sample task orders.

58. 5. Small Business Subcontracting Plan; Pg. 88

a. Are OTSB offerors required to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan with its

Business Proposal for Sample Task Order 1?

As outlined on Pg. 88, if the proposed contract exceeds a total estimated cost of $700,000, offerors must submit an acceptable subcontracting plan. This provision does not apply to offerors who are small business concerns.

59. Section 11, part F, pg. 95

a. Are subcontractors allowed to submit a sealed package submission in order to protect proprietary pricing information?

All Proposals must be submitted by the Prime Contractor, but if there is proprietary information to be provided by a subcontractor, that information may be sent to the individuals listed on page 2 of the RFP.

60. Attachment 6, Sample Task Order 1, Technical Cost Assumptions, Task Area D on page 137 and Attachments 9&10 on pages 164 and 174, respectfully; pg. 137, 164, 174

a. Is the ICF Certified Coach Coordinator a separate Labor Category from the ICF Certified Coach Coordinator/SME 3? There are separate hours listed for ICF Certified Coach Coordinator/SME 3 and a ICF Certified Coach Coordinator, but there is no ICF Certified Coach Coordinator on the LCAT listings in Attachment 10 or in the LCAT descriptions of Attachment 9.

The LCAT for the SME3 and the Coaching Coordinator are different. The Coaching Coordinator at 381 hours is identified at the Labor Category of Business Analyst 3/Coaching Support. Reference Attachment 9 for the LCAT description.

61. Attachment 5, Sample Task Order 1, Section 5; Pg. 1 of attachment

a. Attachment 5, Sample Task Order 1 indicates that "The Offeror shall demonstrate corporate experience in strategy development, project management, needs assessment, program design, program development, and program implementation for organizations that are outlined in the SOW for a scientific, academic, or research organization." Please clarify if other quals can be used from other industry / government domains, as limiting experience to "scientific, academic, or research organization" limits competition.

The complexities of the science research environment are nuanced and unique from other industries/environments. Offeror should describe how other industry/government domains support establishment of credibility with a scientific/research/academic environment. Past performance with credibility established in the scientific, academic, or research domain is a requirement of successful performance and delivery of services to our organization. Audience receptiveness and buy-in are critical components of change management; in an environment where duration and magnitude of educational investment on behalf of those in the most mission-essential roles is substantial, the ability to customize services that will land successfully with a scientific research organization is responsibly prescribed.

62. Technical Proposal Instructions (p81); Attachment 5 (p31)

a. The Technical Proposal Instructions (p81) provide a high-level outline of the content to be included in the technical response (Objectives, approach, methods, schedule).

Sample Task Order 1 and 2 provide a different high-level outline for the technical plan (capabilities, action plan, program management approach, etc.). Please clarify the appropriate structure for the technical response.

The appropriate structure for…