PSTSS 2.0 RFP Amendment 001 11.20.2024.pdf

Amendment Issue Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Kristel Turansky Contracting Officer

OA/DEA/NIAID/NIH/DHHS

5601 Fishers Lane Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9821

Rosemary Gomes, Contracting Officer Email Address: Rosemary.Gomes@nih.gov

Kristel Turansky, Contracting Officer Email Address: Kristel.Turansky@nih.gov

Proposal Due Date/Time: 3:00pm ET on Monday, December 16, 2024

RFP Reference Question Answer

Attachment 10

There are multiple references to a spreadsheet that needs to be filled out as part of this opportunity but the only place this seems to be is in the PDF of the opportunity. Will the government provide this spreadsheet or does the proposer need to extract Attachment 10 from the PDF and insert it into an Excel workbook?

The Government will not be providing an Excel sheet as a template. Offerors should create an Excel workbook containing all of the requested information.

Attachment 10

The attachment does not include the Project Director labor category and potential other labor categories required for the Program Management Office staff to properly respond to TORFPs, produce and submit deliverables, and properly provide management and oversight of contract performance.

Please clarify if the government intends program management functions and staff to be a direct bill cost. If so, would the government allow Offerors to include additional labor categories in Attachment 10?

The Government intends for program management functions and staff to be included in an offer's overhead. There will not be a Labor Category for these costs and they will not be accepted as either Direct or Other Direct Costs.

Attachment 10 - Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices

Various labor category hours (quantity - column 2 of the table) for base and option periods. Can the government confirm if the quantity (hours) listed for each labor category is definitive or just an approximate for the base year and the option years.

The Quantity/Number of Hours listed on Attachment 10 is for evaluation purposes only.

Attachment 10 - Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices

Various labor category hours (quantity - column 2 of the table) for base and option periods. Can the government provide the locations where these labor categories will be providing support. Please provide location for each labor catergory and/or group

The Quantity/Number of Hours listed on Attachment 10 is for evaluation purposes only. The proposed fully loaded hourly rate should be valid for any possible location as described in the Statement of Work.

Attachment 10 - Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices

Various labor category hours (quantity - column 2 of the table) for base and option periods. Based on government's planning for the new period of performance (2025 to 2030), can government tell us the labor catergories that are absolutely essential in the base year and the option years

The Quantity/Number of Hours listed on Attachment 10 is for evaluation purposes only. Offerors should be capable of providing all labor categories and levels at any time during the Period of Performance.

Attachment 11 - Offeror's Points of Contact: Proposed Principal Investigator

Is the Offeror required to provide this information as this Principal Investigator is not a key personnel requirement

On this form, please include the information for the proposed Key Personnel in the "Proposed Principal Investigator" field.

Attachment 18 PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm the years experience for the Chemical Engineer 3. The table says Five (3) – Six (6) years of work experience with recombinant protein expression or purification. Demonstrates expertise with bioreactors or chromatography systems.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 18 PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm the years experience for the Chemical Engineer 7. The table says Five (3) –Nine (9) years of work experience with recombinant protein expression or purification. Demonstrates expertise with bioreactors or chromatography systems.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Points of Contact:

Issued By:

Offerors must acknowledge receipt of this amendment by identifying this amendment number and date of the amendment on each copy of the proposal submitted. Failure to receive your acknowledgement may result in the rejection of your proposal. Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the solicitation remain unchanged and in full force and effect.

The purpose of this amendment is to answer questions from potential offerors regarding the solicitation. Please note that we do NOT intend to extend the due date for submission of proposals as a result of this Amendment. The date specified for receipt of proposals remains unchanged.

Amendment Number 001 RFP Number 75N93024R00013

Title: NIAID PROFESSIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES (PSTSS)

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 1

Attachment 18 PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm that the Laboratory Manager 5 years’ experience substitution is “Four (4) years of specialized experience plus a BA/BS degree is equivalent to a Master’s degree”.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 18 PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm that the Laboratory Manager 5 years’ experience substitution is “Four (4) years of specialized experience plus a BA/BS degree is equivalent to a Master’s degree”.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 18 PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm that the Paralegal 2 years experience requirement is 2-4 years of patent paralegal experience in a law firm and not 3-4 years.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 18

PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm the Pharmacy Technician Specialist 4 experience requirements is 1-3 years of experience in clinical research or related field, hospital pharmacy experience preferred. Knowledge or proficiency with the implementation or utilization of USP Guidance Chapters <795>, <797>, and <800>. Knowledge of Good Pharmacy Practice, Good Clinical Practice, and Human Subjects Protection.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 18 PSTSS Labor Category Catalog. Please confirm the Research Nurse 2 experience requirement is Four (1)

– Six (6) years of nursing experience with CPR certification. Experience in clinical research setting with protocols and clinical trials. Strong diagnostic and clinical skills.

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 19: PSTSS Labor Categories

Within the minimum education column for Chemical Engineer levels 5 – 8, it is stated “Doctoral (PhD) degree in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, or related life sciences engineering discipline. Six (6) years of specialized experience plus a BA/BS degree is equivalent to a PhD degree.” All other Labor Categories with Ph.D requirements allow a Master’s Degree and 3 years of specialized experience to substitute the Ph.D. Is that an allowable substitution for the Chemical Engineers 5 – 8?

The requirements for this Labor Category remain unchanged.

Attachment 2 - Proposal Intent Response Sheet

Can the government please clarify if a subcontractor can be added after this intent to bid is submitted? Yes, a subcontractor can be added after the Intent to Propose is submitted.

Attachment 3 - Statement of Work Is the offeror required to provide both onsite(government site) and Offsite(Contractor Site) pricing to support this? Please confirm. If Yes, we request the government to provide a new pricing template and allow offeror to submit both onsite and offsite pricing

The proposed fully loaded hourly rate should be valid for any possible location as described in the Statement of Work.

Attachment 3: 1.4. General Description of Scientific and Technical Support Services

“Activities also include providing support for scientific research on viral agents (Ebola, Zika, MERS, adenoviruses, and flaviviruses and others), some requiring high containment (BSL-3 and BS- 4), to understand transmission, pathogenesis, and host immune responses. Contractor personnel supporting BSL-3 and BSL-4 environments must have required security and medical clearances in accordance with NIH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulations and must be certified to work with select agents.” Question: Can the government clarify what specific certifications are referred to when working with select agents.

Any specific certifications will be specified on a Task Order basis.

Attachment 4

Additional Technical Proposal Instructions, Format for Technical Proposal, and Table of Contents Section 5 Management Approach requires that the respondents “Outline how the Project Director (PD) or Project Manager will communicate with the COR and Contracting Officer.” Are these roles considered two separate positions or are they interchangeable?

For the purposes of this RFP, the terms Project Director and Project Manager are used interchangeably.

Attachment 8

Attachment 8 block titled “Type of Contract Proposed” presents four response options: Cost- Reimbursement, Fixed Price, Cost-Plus Fixed-Fee, and Other. Since this proposal is for an IDIQ contract under which the Government may issue Task Orders of different types, how should Offerors respond in the “Type of Contract Proposed” block?

Please select "Other."

Attachments 5 and 10: RFP Attachment 5, Section 3 Additional Business Proposal Instructions, D.

Total Price for Evaluation Purposes;

and RFP Attachment 10

Attachment 5 states “An offeror’s proposal must clearly state its total price for evaluation purposes, which is inclusive of the sub-total prices for all five years of contract performance;” however, Attachment 10 also includes pricing for 52.217-8 (6 Month POP). When calculating the Total Price for Evaluation Purposes, are Offerors to include the pricing for the potential 52.217-8 6-month extension?

Offerors should include the Total Proposed Cost Per Period and the Total Proposed Cost (inclusive of the 5 years plus 6-month option)

Equipment Will the government confirm that the awardee will be responsible for providing all equipment? And If so, will the government provide specifications as to what applications, tools need to be installed?

No vendor-supplied equipment is anticipated at this time.

F - Deliveries of Performance: 2.Task Order Procedure, e. Fair Opportunity

- i.) & ii.)

Will any other criteria other than the total dollar value for the task order base and option periods be considered when determining whether or not a task order will be set aside for small business? If yes, what other criteria will be considered?

No.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 2

F - Deliveries of Performance: 2.Task Order Procedure, e. Fair Opportunity

- i.) & ii.)

Does the Government intend to release task orders above the SAT for bid by small businesses first before large businesses can bid? Or will task orders above the SAT be released to all IDIQ contract holders equally at the same time?

Task orders above the SAT will be released for proposal to all IDIQ contract holders equally at the same time.

General Instructions; 7. Page and Formatting Limitations (RFP page 96); Attachment 1 – II. Formatting and Page Limitations; A. Formatting for Proposals (Attachment 1 page 2)

Please confirm that the font size of graphics and tables may be less than 10 to 12 points as long as the content of each are legible.

Font size must be 10 to 12 points for all text, including graphics and tables.

M - Evaluation Factors for Award Will the Government allow companies to submit offers as members on multiple teams? For example, could a small business submit an offer as a prime and also team with a large business prime offeror as a subcontractor?

No.

HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and IT Procurements is included and contains language with A&A packages, SSP, POA&M and other requirements due after contract award. Please clarify if this is only applicable for awarded Task Orders that would require ATOs and not at the IDIQ level.

Correct.

Page 10: SOW Section C All paragraphs - A through E. HHS Security and Privacy Language for Information and IT Procurement.

Our understanding is this entire section is not pertaining to this PSTSS contract. Please confirm

This is part of the RFP and is applicable.

Page 101: Section L. Information Security and/or Physical Access Security

The RFP requirement in Section L appears to be duplicative of previous RFP sections pertaining to information security. Please confirm this is intentional as this information appears to be for informational purposes rather than a specific proposal requirement.

Correct. This is intentional and is for informational purposes rather than a specific proposal requirement.

"2. Assessment and Authorization" Does the government intend for resources to work outside of the Governments network?

No.

The only key personnel listed is the Project Director. Are there any additional key personnel to be named, or are we naming who we deem key to this work?

The Project Director is the only Key Personnel to be named.

Page 118: Section L. Resumes Please confirm that the Project Director is the only Key Personnel as defined by the FAR Correct.

Would the government please provide a description of the materials (including raw materials), purchased parts, and special equipment that might be required for this contract?

The government does not anticipate any materials being required for this contract.

If the only price components being evaluated in Attachment 10 are labor rates used to develop a TEP, how should offerors provide the information called out on page 120 such as materials, raw materials, purchased parts, etc.?

The government does not anticipate any materials being required for this contract.

Page 120: BUSINESS PROPOSAL

INSTRUCTIONS

Could the Government please confirm that only Attachment 10, Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices needs to be completed rather than an additional time-phased breakdown?

Correct.

Page 124: Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Does the Small Business Plan referenced refer to Attachment 9, or is a separate plan required as part of our response at the IDIQ level?

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Submission through SBCX will be required at a later time. Additional details will be provided at that time.

Page 124: Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Can the Government please clarify if the instructions provided through the SBCX portal require preparation and submission of material in addition to a completed Attachment 9?

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Submission through SBCX will be required at a later time. Additional details will be provided at that time.

Page 124: Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Can the Government please clarify whether the Small Business Plan requirements, including completion and submission of Attachment 9, the SBCX portal instructions, and the instructions listed on page 124 are required at the IDIQ proposal level and/or TO proposal level? Please provide guidance for each.

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Submission through SBCX will be required at a later time. Additional details will be provided at that time. These are requirements at the IDIQ level, not the TO level.

Can the Government please provide a Total Compensation Plan template so that all potential offerors provide the same format so that proposals can be evaluated fairly?

No, this will not be provided.

RFP Section I – Contract Clauses includes 52.219-4 Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns as does page 128. Is the HUBZone price preference being applied to this procurement?

FAR 52.219-4 is applicable as prescribed in FAR 19.1309(b).

Page 128: Total Compensation Plan

a. Instructions Paragraph 1 fringe benefits

Is there a predetermined/mandated plan for all contractors such as PTO time and contractor covered employee health benefits etc?

No.

Page 129: Proposals offering total compensation levels less than currently being paid by the predecessor Contractor for the same work will be evaluated

Will the Government be providing the predecessor Contractor pay rates? If not, how can offerors provide benchmarks that can be evaluated fairly and not provide an advantage to incumbents?

Business proposals should indicate fully loaded hourly rates for each Labor Category and skill level at what the offeror believes to be a fair market rate.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 3

Page 133: E. Facilities Capital Cost of Money, FAR 52.215-16, (Jun 2003).

This and other instances of clauses are located throughout the instructions. Can the government please clarify instruction requirements for these clauses?

Please refer to the instructions included on Page 133 of the RFP. If you are a commercial organization and elect to claim Facilities Capital Cost of Money, the offeror shall specifically identify or propose it in the cost proposal for the contract by checking the appropriate box as indicated on Page 133 of the RFP and including it in their proposal. if the prospective Contractor does not propse this cost, the resulting contract will include the clause Waiver of Facilities Capital Cost of Money.

If prime offeror is managing 100% of the contract utilizing teaming partners on as needed basis, we request govt to remove the requirement of submitting the "complete cost proposal in the same format as the offeror's cost proposal"

Only the prime contractor is required to submit a complete cost proposal. Subcontractors do not need to submit a complete cost proposal.

Page 135: h. Subcontractors Please confirm that offerors are not required to submit subcontractor Letters of Commitment for the IDIQ level submission.

Per the RFP, if subcontractors are proposed, please include a commitment letter from the subcontractor including the details specified in the RFP, with the exception of "A complete cost proposal in the same format as the offeror's cost proposal." The Government does not need a separate cost proposal from the subcontractor. During negotiations, if additional information is needed, subcontractors may send proprietary information directly to the Government. A copy of the proposed subcontractor agreement with the prime is required at the time of proposal.

Page 135: h. Subcontractors Please confirm that offerors are not required to submit subcontractors’ complete cost proposals at the IDIQ level submission.

The Government does not need a separate cost proposal from the subcontractor. During negotiations, if additional information is needed, subcontractors may send proprietary information directly to the Government. A copy of the proposed subcontractor agreement with the prime is required at the time of proposal.

Page 135: Subsection h.

Subcontractors, item j

Please confirm that subcontractors may submit their complete cost proposal under separate cover to the Government to protect propriety cost build-up information.

The Government does not need a separate cost proposal from the subcontractor. During negotiations, if additional information is needed, subcontractors may send proprietary information directly to the Government. A copy of the proposed subcontractor agreement with the prime is required at the time of proposal.

page 135: Subsection h.

Subcontractors, item j

As a subcontractor, our cost narrative will contain CUI due to security markings on our business system and rate approval letters and requires an encrypted submittal method. Can the Government please confirm if eCPS is equipped to handle CUI, and if so, may subcontractor cost proposals may be submitted via eCPS? If not, may subcontractors exchange encryption certificates with the proposal point of contact in order to appropriately submit our documents?

The Government does not need a separate cost proposal from the subcontractor. During negotiations, if additional information is needed, subcontractors may send proprietary information directly to the Government. A copy of the proposed subcontractor agreement with the prime is required at the time of proposal.

Page 14: Section K Please provide a valid link. https://oamp.od.nih.gov/nih-document-generation-system/dgs-workforminformation/attachment-files-section-j

The site referenced in the Question is for Attachment 16 (Page 66 of the RFP) and appears to be working.

Can the government clarify the "medical surveillance program to ensure proper screenings" language in the corporate experience paragraph on page number 140, fifth paragraph. What medical surveillance program is govt referring to here?

Please see Section K in the Statement of Work (RFP Page 152). The medical surveillance program is in reference to the offeror's ability to meet those requirements. The offeror must have a contract/agreement in place with a medical facility that can provide any required testing, vaccinations, etc.

Page 140: Ref. Section M. Criterion 4 Please confirm that costs associated with processing the requisite VISAs are billable to the government.

Costs associated with obtaining VISAs are generally allowable Other Direct Costs. This will be addressed on a Task Order level and will require CO approval prior to costs being incurred.

Page 142 refers to an "Excel workbook". Is this the "Attachment 10" pricing sheet (pages 170-172)? Is government referring to put all the LCATs with base + 4 option years into an Excel sheet and add the hourly pricing in it?

Yes.

Page 142: Attachment 1: Packaging and Delivery of Proposals for Use With eCPS

Would the government confirm that graphics and tables may use a font size smaller than 10 point as long as it is legible?

Font size must be 10 to 12 points for all text, including graphics and tables.

For the majority of the task orders an individual Contractor’s principal place of work will be in Bethesda or Rockville, Maryland and Hamilton, Montana locations, and in Contractor leased spaces in the Washington, DC metro area. However, some task orders may be carried out in other locations in the United States and outside the United States in locations such as Canada, Europe, India, Southeast Asia or Africa. Also, for some task orders, the Contractor shall be allowed to fulfill the services sought under the task order with support personnel working remotely (Contractor facility or telework). Question: Can the government clarify what type of work is anticipated to be performed remotely at the contractor facility or leased spaces in the Washington, DC metro area?

Additional specifications will be provided on a Task Order basis.

Page 147: Attachment 3 SOW - 1.5 Specific Requirements

Page 147 states, “Regarding the support services to be provided, the Statement of Work does not seek support services outside of the Task Area descriptions provided below.” It also states, “all added labor categories shall be for services which fall within one of the task areas.” Can the government please clarify what is meant by Task Areas?

Please disregard the reference to Task Areas throughout the entirety of the RFP, including any attachments.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 4

Page 147: Section 1.5. A

Is the statement "The Contractor shall provide services under the Statement of Work (SOW) only to the NIAID" simply stating who the client is for the services under this specific contract OR does this mean that if awarded, contractors are only allowed to provide these types of services to NIAID during the period of performance.

This statement is simply stating who the client is for the PSTSS contract. PSTSS provides services to NIAID only.

Page 148: Attachment 3: Statement of Work, Section 1.5 Specific Requirements, B.

SOW indicates that some roles may need to travel overseas. Will each Task Order specify which roles will be required to travel?

Travel will be addressed on a Task Order basis.

Page 15: C.1.k, Government Access for Security assessment, Pages 106 - 107, Page 114

Please confirm if the government is willing to accept modification of this requirement to allow the contractor to conduct/provide scans without requiring granting external access for vulnerability assessment/scanning to HHS?

Per the RFP, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must follow the standards outlined by the government. Substitutions are not allowed unless otherwise specifically stated.

Page 152: Attachment 3: Statement of Work, Section I, Place of Performance

Can the Government provide a percentage of anticipated work to be performed between Washington, DC metro area and Hamilton, MT?

This will be determined on a Task Order basis.

Page 158: Attachment 4, Section 5 – 4e

In addition to Travel specific to individual TORFPs, could the government please provide history or projections for international temporary duty or long-stay travel (destinations, purpose, etc.)?

International temporary duty or long-stay travel is anticipated to be rare and/or inapplicable, however specific travel rquirements will be determined on a Task Order basis.

Page 16 The link to Section 508 Annual Report is not valid. Can the Government please provide a valid link?

Please refer to the following site:

https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/web/508/contracting/technology/section_508_annual_rep ort.doc Going to this site should result in a download of the Word Document called "section_508_annual_report."

Page 161 RFP : D. Consultants What type of consultant services does NIH estimate will be needed in this contract? This will be determined on a Task Order basis.

Is a small business prime offeror required to submit the HHS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN as there is no requirement to subcontract to other small businesses if the offeror is a small business?

Small Businesses under NAICS Code 541990 are exempt from submitting a Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

Page 163: Attachment 9: Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Does submission of Attachment 9 at the IDIQ level fulfill the requirement for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan, or is something else required ?

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Submission through SBCX will be required at a later time. Additional details will be provided at that time.

Page 163: Attachment 9: Small Business Subcontracting Plan

Can the Government please provide a basis for the financial information required in Attachment 9, as there is award at this time.

We recommend using the figures from your Cost Proposal for this Attachment.

Page 170: Attachment 10: Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices

Should the offeror supply Attachment 10 in Excel format in addition to PDF format? Yes.

Page 171: Attachment 10: Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices

Scientific Program Analyst 4 has 24,960 hours in Year 5 and 19,960 hours in FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend. Should the FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend hours be 12,480, half of the Year 5 hours?

Please propose as indicted. The number of hours listed remains unchanged.

Page 173: Attachment 11 Considering the Solicitation only defines requirements for a Project Director, will the Government please clarify which role would be expected to be identified as the Principal Investigator on the Offeror's Points of Contact form?

On this form, please include the information for the proposed Key Personnel in the "Proposed Principal Investigator" field.

Do we have to complete the disclosure of lobbying activities form, if there is no lobbying done and we have nothing to report.

If there is no lobbying done and therefore nothing to report, please make note of that in your response, therefore explaining the lack of inclusion of this form.

Page 2: Attachment 4; Section 2.3 Section 2.3 states, “A brief description of other resources to be made available by the offeror and any proposed subcontractors.” Can the Government clarify the types of resources referenced in this section?

Please include a brief description of any other resources you and/or any proposed subcontractors intend to be made available as applicable in accordance with the Statement of Work.

Page 216: Statement of Work Section 1.9. Property Rights

At what point during the task order solicitation would different arrangements be discussed for Property Rights?

Should different arrangements be established by an individual task order for work under that task order, that would be addressed on a Task Order basis.

Item 2(e)(1)(iv) details FAR 16.505(b)(1)(iv) in reference to orders over $5.5 Million; however, the FAR clause references orders over $6 Million. Please clarify if the intent is to apply the criteria outlined in FAR 16.505(b)(1)(iv) to orders over $5.5 Million and not the $6 Million established in the FAR. And confirm if page 24 item 2(e)(1)(iii) will also remain at $5.5 Million or be revised to $6 Million.

Correct. The limit specified in FAR 16.505(b)(1)(iv) is $6 million. The reference to $5.5 Million in items iii) and iv) on Page 24 of the RFP should be $6 Million instead.

Page 24: G.2.e.1.iii-iv The FAR 16.505(b)(1)(iv) sets the limit at $6 million, but this document states $5.5 million. Will this limit be updated to $6 million?

Correct. The limit specified in FAR 16.505(b)(1)(iv) is $6 million. The reference to $5.5 Million in items iii) and iv) on Page 24 of the RFP should be $6 Million instead.

Page 28: Key Personnel Our understanding is the offeror is required to provide the resume of a Project Director. Please confirm if this is the only key personnel that the offeror is required to submit with the proposal at the IDIQ level on 12/16/2024

Correct.

Page 3: Attachment 4 Can the Government clarify the distinction between Project Director (PD) or Project Manager, or are they one and the same?

For the purposes of this RFP, Project Director and Project Manager are one and the same.

Page 30: 7.b In the event of technical difficulties with the SBCX portal can vendors submit the required Attachment 9: HHS Subcontracting Plan to the Contracting Officer via email?

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Submission through SBCX will be required at a later time. Additional details will be provided at that time.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 5

Page 30: Section H - Special Contract Requirements, 7. Subcontracting Provisions, b. Subcontracting Reports, item 1

The RFP states, “1. An offeror is to submit their respective subcontracting plan electronically using the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Small Business Customer Experience (SBCX) system at https://osdbu.hhs.gov.” In the same section, under item 3, it states, “If an offeror's subcontracting plan is not confirmed as received within the SBCX system by the proposal submission date specified in the solicitation, it will be considered late in accordance with subparagraph (c)(3) of FAR Clause 52.215-1, Instructions to Offeror-Competition Acquisition.” However, the RFP provides the HHS Subcontracting Plan Template in Attachment 9, pages 163-169. Would NIAID kindly confirm that offerors may submit the subcontracting plan by completing the template provided in Attachment 9 of the RFP and include it in their PDF business proposal, to be submitted by the RFP submission deadline of December 16, 2024, and that offerors do not need to also submit their subcontracting plan electronically via the HHS SBCX system

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Submission through SBCX will be required at a later time. Additional details will be provided at that time.

Page 30: SOW Section G

a. Small Business Subcontracting Plan and b. Subcontracting Reports. Our understanding is this Small Business Subcontracting Plan requirement is not applicable to a Small Business concern that's a prime offeror to PSTSS. In other words, a Small Business that is bidding on PSTSS is not required to submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. We request the government to confirm if our understanding is correct

Correct. Small Businesses under NAICS Code 541990 are exempt from submitting a Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

Page 32: C.8.A.2.iv HHS SECURITY

AND PRIVACY LANGUAGE FOR

INFORMATION AND IT

PROCUREMENTS; Also Pages 37 - 38 (C.8.A.4.2.iii and v) and Page 101

C.8.A.2.iv states that the contractor should “Report any discovered or unanticipated threats or hazards by either the agency or contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function immediately after discovery, within one (1) hour or less, to the government representative(s).” A similar requirement is included at C.8.A.4.2.iii and v, as well as section L.o. Please confirm if the government is willing to modify the one (1) hour requirement to a 24-hour requirement.

No, this requirement cannot be modified.

Can the Government please confirm no PHI/PII specification on page 33 applies at the IDIQ level and if individual TOs deviate, offerors will be permitted to provide relevant details in their TO responses?

Confirmed.

Page 33: C.8.A.5, Controlled Unclassified Information and Page 40: C.8.A.9.1

This article imposes protection obligations for controlled unclassified information. Can the government please confirm if CUI is expected to be delivered or generated from this contract and, if so, provide a description of what specific CUI categories will be included?

CUI is defined by Executive Order 13556 as "information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information."

Some examples of CUI could be personal data, security information, or intellectual property. Should any such information be generated or furnished in connection with this contract and/or resulting Task Orders, the Contractor must comply with Executive Order 13556 as specified in the RFP.

Page 35: C.8.A.12, Standard for Encryption and Page 109

These articles outline a number of encryption standards for contractor systems. Please confirm of the government is willing to accept equivalent industry-accepted encryption standards, such as Bitlocker and Oracle TDE, and CIS configuration/hardening, as applicable

Per the RFP, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must follow the standards outlined by the government. Substitutions are not allowed unless otherwise specifically stated.

Page 35: C.8.A.8, Internet Protocol Version 6

Please confirm of the government is willing to accept equivalent industry-accepted internet protocol standards?

Per the RFP, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must follow the standards outlined by the government. Substitutions are not allowed unless otherwise specifically stated.

Page 36: C.8.A.12.v, Standard for Encryption and Page 109

This article requires the contractor to “Use the Key Management system on the HHS personal identification verification (PIV) card or establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to encrypt/decrypt information and recover encryption keys https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/.” Please clarify the operations related to this requirement, in terms of any required vendor IT support or ownership.

No vendor-supplied IT support or ownership is anticipated.

Page 37: C.8.4, Incident Response and Pages 113 - 114

This article requires the contractor to “Comply with OMB M-17-12, Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information, and HHS/NIH and NIH privacy breach response policies when handling PII breaches.” Please confirm if the government will accept equivalent industry-accepted standards.

Per the RFP, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must follow the standards outlined by the government. Substitutions are not allowed unless otherwise specifically stated.

Page 6: Attachment 3: Statement of Work; Section N

Would the government further define "geographic location" as noted in Section N? Is each NIH location (Main Campus, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Hamilton, etc.) considered a separate geographic location for the purposes of identifying whether on-site Contractor Management may be required?

Please propose the on-site contract management approach to these georgraphical locations as you believe to best address the requirements of the SOW.

Page 6: B.2.a The maximum ceiling is listed as $3,000,000,000, is this supposed to be $3 Billion or $300 Million?

The Programmatic ceiling will be $3 Billion. This means that the total ceiling for the entire contract portfolio will be $3 Billion. There will not be an individual contract ceiling per vendor. Please note that this will be a multi-award IDIQ and that the total value will not exceed $3 Billion.

Page 6: Prices/Costs Please confirm whether the maximum total portfolio ceiling (all contracts combined) value will be Three Billion Dollars ($3,000,000,000).

Correct.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 6

Page 6: Ref. 3. Provisions Applicable to Direct Costs

“This article will prohibit or restrict the use of contract funds, unless otherwise approved by the Contracting Officer. The following is a list of items that may be included in the resultant contract as applicable. 1) Conferences & Meetings, 2) Food for Meals, Light Refreshments & Beverages, 3) Promotional Items….” Please clarify if the cited items are allowable or unallowable direct costs.

Other Direct Costs will be addressed on a Task Order Basis.

Page 64: Ref. 4. Small Business Administration – 8(a) Program Clauses

Please explain the applicability of this clause as the anticipated PSTSS contract is not specified as an 8(a) contract.

Please disregard.

Page 84: FAR 52.230-7 Please confirm that this disclosure also does not apply to small businesses similar to FAR 52.230-1. Correct.

Page 89 RFP Section L (f)(11)(iii) Will ranking be established for this procurement? Per FAR Part 15, proposals may be ranked.

Page 9: C.1 Where should the hard copies of the monthly and annually reports delivered?

All reports shall be submitted electronically unless otherwise directed. Reporting requirements will be indicated on a Task Order basis.

Page 9: Ref. 1. Reporting Requirements

Please describe the content of the Technical Progress Report and identify who will receive the monthly and annual reports.

The required components of the Technical Progress Reports will be defined on a Task Order basis.

They will be submitted electronically to the COR and CO as prescribed in each Task Order.

Page 90: Ref. Section L. Type of Contract and Number of Awards

“To be considered for an award under this solicitation, the Offeror is required to certify….” Please confirm that the required certification is a self-certification.

Correct. Please refer to Page 132 - 133 (Adequate Accounting System) for additional details.

Page 92: f. TASK ORDERS UNDER

MULTIPLE AWARD INDEFINITE

DELIVERY CONTRACTS; d.

Competitive Ordering Process

Contractors will be provided an adequate time to prepare and submit responses based on the Contracting Officer's consideration of the estimated dollar value and complexity of proposed task order. Please define what the Government considers as “an adequate time to prepare and submit responses based on the Contracting Officer's consideration of the estimated dollar value and complexity of proposed task order.”

Turnaround times on Task Order Request for Proposals (TORFPs) averages 14 calendar days but can be shorter. A shorter turnaround time is not uncommon. Additionally, oftentimes multiple TORFPs are sent out simultaneously with a shorter turnaround time.

Page 92: Ref. Section L. Requesting Task Order Proposals + Competitive Order Process

The RFP requirement in Section L appears to be duplicative of Section 2 on p.21. Please confirm this is intentional as this information appears to be for informational purposes rather than a specific proposal requirement.

Correct.

Page 92: Section L

Page 92 states “All Contractors within a technical area will receive e-mail notification advising of the availability of each proposed task order requirement.” Can the government please clarify what is meant by “All Contractors within a technical area? Does the government intend to make awards to other than the entire scope and full set of LCATS specified in the RFQ?

"All Contractors within a technical area" is standardized language that was included in the RFP.

Please disregard, as there are not separate Task Areas or Technical Areas for PSTSS. All offerors must be able to perform the entire SOW and provide all Labor Categories and Levels.

Will the government please consider submission electronically by email? (per Government efforts to minimize paper due to impact on the environment)

Proposals must be submitted via the electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) website. Please see Attachment 1: Packaging and Delivery of Proposals for Use With eCPS for details.

Page 95: d. Separation of Technical and Business Proposals; See SECTION J, Attachment entitled, TECHNICAL PROPOSAL COST

SUMMARY.)

The attachment titled “Technical Proposal Cost Summary” is missing from the Section J Attachments.

Would the government please provide this attachment.

Please disregard. This attachment is not included as part of the RFP.

Page 95: RFP Section L, 1. General Instructions, Paragraph d

Page 95 states “(See SECTION J, Attachment entitled, TECHNICAL PROPOSAL COST SUMMARY.)” We are unable to locate an RFP attachment with this title. Please advise where we may find this attachment.

Please disregard. This attachment is not included as part of the RFP.

Page 96: Alternate Proposals – Section f. Alternate Proposals is excluded from the RFP

There is a bookmark for Alternate Proposals but no language under the General Instructions, Section f.

Please provide language for this section or confirm that the bookmark was included in error.

The bookmark was included in error. Please disregard.

Page 96: Instructions to Offerors , Section 7 - Page and Formatting Instructions

Please confirm if the offeror can use any font between 10 and 12 points size for text Font size must be 10 to 12 points for all text, including graphics and tables. Required font style is not specified.

Page 96: Instructions to Offerors , Section 7 - Page and Formatting Instructions

Please confirm if the offeror can use small sized fonts for graphics and tables. Tables 10 points and Graphics 8 points

Font size must be 10 to 12 points for all text, including graphics and tables.

Page 97: j. Privacy Act - Treatment of Proposal Information

This clause is included within section L instructions? What is required? This clause is provided for information purposes only. No action is required by the offeror.

" The competitive range will be comprised of all of the most highly rated proposals." Can you confirm what components will be evaluated to determines vendors are in the competitive range?

Please see Section M - Evaluation Factors for Award, beginning on Page 139 of the RFP

Pages 101 - 115: n. HHS SECURITY This content under instructions seems to be possibly extraneous or meant for another section of the solicitation. Can the government please clarify instructions for what is required to submit in the proposal related to this section?

This is a required solicitation inclusion. The offeror is not required to include anything in their proposal directly related to this section.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 7

Pages 103 - 105; 106-110

Our understanding is the reference to A&A , ATO, A&A Packages, SSP, SAP/SAR, Independant Assessment, , Contigency Plan, Contigency Plan Testing, Continous monitoring, Configuration Baseline , Standard of Encryption, Applicability etc are not applicable to PSTSS. In other words, since PSTSS is not an enterprise IT/Cyber risk management program, the requirement for all the above is not applicable to PSTSS. Please confirm if our understanding is correct

Correct.

Pages 119 - 120, Page 160: A. Basic Cost/Price Information B. The data submitted shall be at the level of detail described below; Attachment 5, Section C

Page 119 at 3(a) and B (page 120) indicate that the cost/price information should include travel, materials (including raw materials), subcontracts, purchased parts, shipping, and special equipment.

Further page 160 at Attachment 5 (page 2) in Section C indicates that profit on ODCs is limited to 10% of estimated costs. However, Attachment 10, Table of Labor Rates and Unit Prices allows for only full billable rates to be populated along with the total price based on the hours provided. Please confirm that the government only wants labor rates for the proposal submission (Attachment 10) and the other items will be priced at the TO level as stated on page 161 at Attachment 5 (page 3), Section 4: Uniform Cost Assumptions.

Correct. The Government is only requiring fully loaded labor rates for the proposal submission (Attachment 10). Any other costs would be addressed at the Task Order level.

Pages 12 & 3 of the SOW

On page 12, the government provides a blanket position sensitivity designation of “Tier 2S with Subject Interview: Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT)” for all LCATs and Position. On page 3, the government states “Contractor personnel supporting BSL-3 and BSL-4 environments must have required security and medical clearances”. Can the government clarify that Tier2S designation fully meets these requirements or if additional security clearances will be required. If additional clearances are required can the government specify their nature and the LCATs to which these requirements apply?

No additional clearances will be required unless specified on a Task Order basis.

Pages 120 - 121 At this IDIQ level solicitation, There are no materials, raw materials, purchased parts, special equipment etc , We request government to clarify these components to be submitted in the business proposal.

The government does not anticipate any materials being required for this contract.

Pages 127 & 163: Small Business Subcontracting Plan and Attachment 9: HHS Subcontracting Plan Template

Page 127 lists a minimal goal of 32% for small business, but page 163 lists 33.25%. Will the Government please clarify which is correct?

33.25% is correct, per the HHS Subcontracting Plan Template (Attachment 9)

Pages 130 - 131 Would the government confirm "Other Administrative Data" section is referencing physical facilities/office space and is separate from Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) such as laptops that may be required for contractor staff?

Confirmed.

Pages 135 - 136: Subsection j. Travel Costs/Travel Policy

Can the Government please confirm what type of information is required for the Travel Policy? Is this essentially an employee handbook style policy, or is more detailed information required?

Per the RFP, please provide a copy of the offeror's (and any proposed subcontractor's) written travel policy in the business proposal. If an offeror (or any proposed subcontractor) does not have a written travel policy, the offeror shall so state. The Government has not provided a standard format for this information or a list of required inclusions.

Pages 147 - 148: Specific Requirements

The RFP says, “Individual task orders may seek different skill levels or levels of qualifications within a single labor category.” Can the government clarify if this means that a specific labor category (e.g., Animal Biologist 1) may be used in different Task Orders with different skill levels and levels of qualifications? Or does this mean that different levels within a job family (e.g., Animal Biologist1 and Animal Biologist 2) may seek different skill levels and levels of qualifications?

This means that if a Task Order includes more than one (1) contractor position, that a combination of Labor Categories and Levels may be required.

Pages 170 - 172 Based on the number of total hours in solicitation, It approximately equates to 3600 FTEs (1300 FTE Biologists). Can you please confirm if this is the projected need (pages 170-172)?

The Quantity/Number of Hours listed on Attachment 10 is for evaluation purposes only.

Pages 22 and 91: Requesting Task Oder Proposals and Task Orders Under Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery Contracts: f.4.4. Keep submission requirements to a minimum

Due to the anticipated quick turnaround for Task Order Request for Proposals (TORFP), and especially given the level of due diligence conducted and proposal content required at the IDIQ proposal phase related to capabilities and past performance, will the Government please consider a more streamlined approach to the subsequent TOPR process (e.g., removal of corporate experience and past performance requirements)?

Corporate experience and past performance submissions are generally not required inclusions for Task Order proposals. Specific requirements will be determined on a Task Order basis.

Pages 30 & 124: Subcontracting Provisions and Business Proposal Instructions

Page 30 of the RFP says the Small Business Subcontracting Plan is to be submitted separately from the Technical and Cost Proposals. Page 124 lists instructions for the Small Business Subcontracting Plan under the Business Proposal Instructions. Will the Government please confirm the Small Business Subcontracting Plan should be submitted in the Business Proposal, not as a separate document?

Please provide Attachment 9 with your Business Proposal. Your cost proposal should be submitted as a separate Excel file.

RFP Number 75N93024R00013, Amendment Number 001 8

Pages 39 - 40: C.8.8, Contract Initiation and Expiration, Page 14, and Page 111

These articles include various general security requirements for Enterprise Performance Life Cycle and HHS System Development Life Cycle. Please confirm if the government will accept equivalent industry-accepted standards?

Per the RFP, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must follow the standards outlined by the government. Substitutions are not allowed unless otherwise specifically stated.

Pages 6 - 7, B. 3 Are the list of items that may be included in the resultant contract priced at the task order level? Other Direct Costs will be addressed on a Task Order Basis.

Pages 81 - 84 FAR 52.230-1 and FAR 52.230-7. Are these disclosures only required of the Offeror/Prime Contractor, or will subcontractors also be required to provide these…