ESES IV Final Request for Proposal (RFP) Cover Letter.pdf

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, MD 20771

April 20, 2023

Reply to Attn of: 175

TO: All Prospective Offerors

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

You are invited to submit a proposal in response to 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.

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a small business set-aside competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541715 and the small business size standard is 1,000 employees.

This competitive acquisition will result in a Cost-Plus-Award-Fee (CPAF), Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) 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 anticipated contract award date is March 29, 2024, with a May 28, 2024 contract effective date. The contract will be performed onsite at NASA GSFC and offsite at the Contractor’s facilities.

Potential offerors should pay close attention to all solicitation instructions; however, the following requirements list is summarized to assist in proposal development. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the solicitation terms and conditions and provisions in sections L and M take precedence:

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 RFP.

3. NASA has determined that this acquisition may give rise to a potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Offerors should refer to clause H.9 1852.209-71 Limitation of Future Contracting, for a description of the potential conflict(s) and any restrictions on future contracting.

Offerors should also refer to clause L.24 GSFC 52.209-301 Notice of Potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest for OCI plan instructions. The attention of prospective Offerors is invited to FAR Subpart 9.5 Organizational Conflicts of Interest.

The Contracting Officer (CO) shall not award a contract until NASA determines any OCI is reasonably resolved. The proposed OCI Plan shall be consistent with all other areas of the proposal. Material inconsistencies between the OCI Plan and other proposal areas may render the proposal invalid, resulting in an unacceptable proposal that is ineligible for award.

4. A Top-Secret facility clearance is required for this acquisition in accordance with the DD

Form 254, Contract Security Classification Specification. Offerors shall, at a minimum, have an established Secret facility clearance at the time of proposal submittal. If the selected Offeror does not have a Top-Secret facility clearance at the time of selection, the offeror shall obtain one prior to performance of any tasks requiring a Top-Secret facility clearance. This clearance shall be maintained throughout the life of the contract. For proposals submitted as Joint Ventures, the lead small business partner to the joint venture must possess the required facility security clearance.

5. NASA GSFC appreciates the comments received in response to the release of the Draft

RFP. These comments resulted in improvements to the quality and content of the overall RFP. Offerors should review the RFP in its entirety, as some of its content has changed from the Draft RFP version. The following list identifies some areas where significant changes or clarifications have been made from the Draft RFP to this final RFP that may not have been addressed in the Draft RFP questions and responses:

• Anticipated Phase-In start date is March 29, 2024.

• Mission Suitability Page Limitation increased by 5 pages from 70 to 75 pages.

• Attachment B has been updated to remove CY6.

• Section L.27(c) (8) Contract Security Classification has been updated to revise the security clearance requirement. Required facility clearance level at time of proposal submittal has been reduced from Top-Secret to Secret.

• Section L.31(a) and M.5 have been updated to decrease the threshold for a proposed significant subcontractor from an average annual cost/fee of $20M to an average annual cost/fee of $10M.

• Sections L.31(a) and M.5 have been updated to clarify the utilization of past performance from a small business performed as a first-tier subcontractor as a viable past performance reference.

• Enclosure BB - Representative Task Orders has been updated per feedback from Industry. Please read it in its entirety to see reflected changes.

• Enclosures CC and DD have been updated.

• Cost Volume Forms (Exhibits 2B and 2D) have been updated.

This list is not intended to cover all changes nor describe all RFP requirements. Offerors shall carefully review the RFP in its entirety.

6. Be advised, in accordance with provision L.31, Offerors should encourage their references to submit their Past Performance Questionnaires directly to the Contracting Officer prior to proposal due date.

7. Below is a list of the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and voting members along with their associated NASA GSFC organizational codes, for the Source Evaluation Board (SEB). The names provided are for informational purposes only, and other than the Contracting Officer, Shani L. Smith, these individuals shall not be contacted regarding this acquisition. The Government may change personnel associated with this acquisition at its discretion.

SSA

Christyl Johnson, Code 100

Voting Members

Beverly Settles, Chairperson, Code 560 Julio Diaz Perez, Code 391 Agbontaen Imasuen, Code 596 Jason Upchurch, Code 583 Porfirio Beltran, Code 565

8. Offerors are required to have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code that matches the corporate address submitted with its proposal.

9. The ESES IV online Reference Library can be found at www.SAM.gov, Notice ID 80GSFC21R0051 – ESES IV E-Library Documents.

Offerors are encouraged to refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision 52.215-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION, in particular paragraph (f)(4) which discusses the Government’s right to award a contract without discussions.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy required all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). While the RFP’s Cost Volume exhibits are in PDF format, the Offeror’s Cost Volume proposal shall include completed Cost Volume exhibits in Microsoft Office Excel format with working cell formulas. Instructions for converting from PDF format to Excel format can be found in the provision GSFC 52.215-201 (ALT I) PROPOSAL

PREPARATION – GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS (ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL DELIVERY)

(MAR 2020).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments and links to online reference/technical/bidder’s 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 Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html.

This RFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for these services. 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.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be due no later than May 19, 2023, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time (ET). 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.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html

In accordance with NFS 1815.201(f), a “Blackout Notice” has been issued to NASA personnel.

All inquiries/communications pertaining to this acquisition shall be directed only to the Contracting Officer listed below.

All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Shani L.

Smith, Contracting Officer, at shani.l.smith@nasa.gov on or before May 4, 2023. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration.

Thank you for your support. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Shani L. Smith Contracting Officer