Cover Letter - SWIPS 1-12-2024 Signed.pdf

January 12, 2024

TO: All Prospective Offerors

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP), Solicitation No. 80GSFC23R0035, for Space Weather Next L1 Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS)

You are invited to submit a proposal in response to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center’s (GSFC) Space Weather Next L1 Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) solicitation. The principal purpose of this requirement is to design, analyze, develop, fabricate, integrate, test, calibrate, evaluate and support launch and on-orbit check-out of the Solar Wind Plasma Sensor (SWiPS) instrument as part of the Space Weather Next L1 Series project Observatory. The Space Weather Next L1 Series project will provide NOAA with the continuity of solar wind data and coronal mass ejection (CME) imagery, the National Weather Service's highest priority for space weather observations.

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a full and open competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 336414 and the small business size standard is 1,300 employees.

This competitive acquisition will result in a Cost-Plus-Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract. The contract will have a period of performance from contract effective date through January 2034.

The anticipated contract award date is 09/30/2024, with an immediate contract effective date.

The contract will be performed 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. The Government will make available Government Furnished Property (GFP) for offsite use at the Contractor’s facility as described in the RFP.

2. NASA has determined that this acquisition may give rise to an Organizational Conflict of

Interest (OCI). Accordingly, the attention of the offeror 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. Offerors must submit an OCI Avoidance plan in accordance with the instructions in Section L. The proposed OCI Plan shall be consistent with all other areas of the proposal. Offerors should pay

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771 special attention to the OCI Assessment in the OCI Data Requirements Description (DRD), Attachment P of the RFP, and ensure that the proposed OCI plan consists of the content outlined in these instructions.

3. 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. Responses to questions received to the pre-solicitation notice have been posted as an additional attachment to the notice. Offerors should carefully review the RFP in its entirety.

4. Be advised, in accordance with provision GSFC 52.215-231. Offerors need to encourage their references to submit their Past Performance Questionnaires directly to the Contracting Officer prior to proposal due date.

5. 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, Charis Murray, these individuals shall not be contacted regarding this acquisition. The Government may change personnel associated with this acquisition at its discretion.

SSA

Candace Carlisle, Code 418

Voting Members Charles Hudson DeLee, Code 493 Dr. Irfan Azeem, Code 490 Gene Martin, Code 490 “Skip” Clark V. Owens III, Code 599

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

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 clause GSFC 52.215-221, COST VOLUME INSTRUCTIONS

(MAY 2022).

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 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 February 12, 2024 at 5:00PM EST. 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.

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, via email, to Charis Murray, Contracting Officer, at charis.m.murray@nasa.gov on or before January 22, 2024. Please CC Tammy Seidel at tammy.e.seidel@nasa.gov. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration.

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

Charis Murray Contracting Officer