ESES IV Draft Request For Proposal (DRFP) Cover Letter.pdf

Rev.: 8/2020

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771

January 12, 2023

Code 175

TO: All Potential Offerors

SUBJECT: Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP), Solicitation No. 80GSFC21R0051, for Electrical Systems Engineering Services (ESES) IV

You are invited to review and comment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)’s Electrical Systems Engineering Services (ESES) IV solicitation. The principal purpose of this requirement is to provide support to the NASA/GSFC Engineering and Technology Directorate (ETD). ETD is comprised of five engineering divisions: the Mechanical Systems Division (MSD), the Software Engineering Division (SED), the Instrument Systems and Technology Division (ISTD), the Electrical Engineering Division (EED), and the Mission Engineering and Systems Analysis Division (MESA). ETD is an end-to-end science mission operation that is instrumental in designing missions, building satellites and instruments, operating and controlling spacecraft, and acquiring and distributing data to the world-wide science community. The purpose of the ESES IV contract is to provide electrical/electronic engineering support services and related work to EED, ISTD, SED, MESA, MSD, related organizations and other NASA Centers and locations specified in task orders, for the study, design, development, fabrication, integration, testing, verification, and operations of space flight, airborne, and ground system hardware, including development and validation of new technologies to enable future space and science missions.

Specifically, the ESES IV contract will provide the following contractor support services for these functions: a) Pre-Formulation and Formulation Services: a) Preliminary Analysis and Systems Definition Studies, b) Implementation Phase Services, c) Research and Technology Services, d) Parts and Materials Program Services, e) Maintenance Services, f) Sustaining Engineering Services, and g) Standards and Process.

Potential offerors are encouraged to comment on all aspects of the draft solicitation, including the requirements, schedules, proposal instructions, and evaluation approaches, any perceived safety, occupational health, security (including information technology security), environmental, export control, and/or other programmatic risk issues associated with performance of the work.

Potential offerors should identify any unnecessary or inefficient requirements and are also encouraged to comment on any unique terms and conditions, the clarity of the Representative Task Order (RTO) requirements and their ability to effectively complete the Government Pricing Model (GPM) Cost Volume, and the Section M Evaluation Criteria.

This competitive acquisition will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity requirement with the ability to issue CPAF task orders. The contract will have an effective ordering period of 5 years from the contract effective date. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 54175 and the small business size standard is 1,000 employees.

Potential offerors should ensure its company is listed in the online database(s) for the following:

(1) System for award management: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/

(2) U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, VETS-4212

Reports: https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/

(3) Date Universal Numbering System (and the transition to the US Government’s unique entity identifier (UEI)): https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

The successful offeror must pass an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) clearance before contract award (See FAR 22.805).

The current planned release date for the Final Request for Proposal (RFP) is on or about March 21, 2023, with proposals being due approximately 30 calendar days thereafter.

The anticipated contract award date is March 5, 2024, with a May 5, 2024, contract effective date. The contract will be performed onsite at NASA GSFC and offsite at the Contractor’s facilities.

The following additional information is provided to assist in understanding this acquisition:

1. A Phase-in period will be conducted under a separate contract or purchase order during the 60-day period prior to the effective date of the contract.

2. The Government will make available existing Installation-Accountable Government Property (IAGP) for onsite contract performance and Government Furnished Property (GFP) for offsite use at the Contractor’s facility as described in the DRFP.

3. NASA has determined that this acquisition may give rise to a potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Offerors should refer to NFS clause 1852.209-71 Limitation of Future Contracting, for a description of the potential conflict(s) and any restrictions on future contracting.

Due to potential organizational conflicts of interest, NASA will provide potential offerors the opportunity to submit their OCI mitigation strategies after the draft RFP is released.

Offerors are encouraged to provide mitigation strategies addressing potential Organizational Conflicts of Interests (OCI) identified in L.25, Notice of Potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest, of the Draft RFP. Offerors should submit their strategies via e-mail to the Contracting Officer by January 27, 2023. Feedback on the Offerors’ draft mitigation strategies will be provided before the issuance of the Final Request for Proposal. Offerors will not be considered “ineligible” from competition if https://vets4212.dol.gov/vets4212/ https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update mitigation strategies are not provided at this point, prior to the proposal submission. However, all OCI areas identified in the solicitation will be considered in the proposal evaluation, based on the final solicitation instructions and evaluation criteria.

4. Please note a Top-Secret facilities clearance is required for this acquisition in accordance with the DD Form 254, Contract Security Classification Specification. Interested vendors shall have an established Top-Secret facilities clearance at the time of proposal submittal for performance of this contract and this clearance shall be maintained throughout the life of the contract. For proposals submitted as Joint Ventures, a facility clearance is required in accordance with L.27(c)(8).

5. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise

File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform.

Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box.

Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there are firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

To control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy requires all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments and links to online reference/technical/bidders library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Ombudsman for this acquisition is Raymond “Ray” Rubilotta, Associate Director, Raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov, 301-286-5867.

This DRFP is not a solicitation and NASA is not requesting proposals. This DRFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for this requirement. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Any comments regarding the DRFP should be submitted electronically in writing, to Shani L.

Smith, Contracting Officer, at shani.l.smith@nasa.gov, within 14 calendar days after the release of this DRFP. If a respondent believes their comments contain confidential, proprietary, competition sensitive, or business information, those questions/comments shall be marked appropriately. However, questions that are marked as containing confidential, proprietary, mailto:Raymond.j.rubilotta@nasa.gov mailto:shani.l.smith@nasa.gov competition sensitive or business information will not be provided a government response. The Government will consider all comments received in preparation of the Final RFP. To the extent a comment leads the Government to revise the acquisition approach or requirements, the change will be reflected in the Final RFP. Some DRFP questions and comments may receive a posted response to the GPE if the Contracting Officer determines that a response would facilitate additional understanding of the solicitation. The Government may also respond via the GPE to comments and/or questions received following the issuance of the Final Request for Proposal

(RFP).

Shani L. Smith Contracting Officer

Enclosure:

Draft RFP 80GSFC21R0051