CLPS_QA_09262018_Final.pdf

Commercial Lunar Payload Services

RFP Questions and Answers

September 26, 2018

Q.1 Is it necessary or helpful for offerors to submit supporting financial information in order to verify the financial capability of the guarantor(s) under a letter of commitment for funding the

CLPS project? If so, is it permissible to submit such information directly to the Contracting

Officer in cases where such information is personal and/or proprietary? May such direct submissions be made via email?

Govt Response: Section 1.d requires a general plan on how the offeror will obtain or already has the resources or revenues to conduct the first mission of 10Kg or less of payload, for an intact landing on the lunar surface. A plan that shows an overview of how the finances and resources will be obtained is sufficient. The plan could include a revenue report that shows the company has available sources for financing if necessary. The plan could include a D&B Credit rating report that shows the company is credit worthy and has a plan for acquiring a credit line or such.

A credible plan could show how the company intends/plans on financing the effort required for the services through a single or multiple sources. The detailed personal assets/supporting data of a guarantor need not be provided. All submissions should be delivered in accordance with the instructions in the RFP and will not be accepted via email. All provided proprietary info should be marked accordingly.

Q.2. Would NASA consider requiring offerors to submit only electronic copies of proposals?

Govt Response: No, the proposal submission should be in accordance with the instructions in the RFP.

Q.3. Can NASA clarify under what circumstances it intends to use the clause FAR 52.227-17

Rights in Data – Special Works, instead of FAR 52.227-14 Rights in Data – General, with

Alternates II and III? Based on FAR 27.405-1, it does not seem that 52.227-17 would apply.

Govt Response: NASA does not expect to see many circumstances that FAR clause 52.227-17 applies. Compilation of data for the Government is an example of potential applicability. The clause will be used for any copyrighted work containing data first produced in the performance of the CLPS contract. First, the choice to deliver limited rights over data first produced under the contract rests with the contractor. Second, the Rights in Data clause (52.227-14) does not jeopardize the contractor’s existing proprietary rights and thus the contractor’s commercial IP remains uncompromised. NASA is not obtaining rights in preexisting contractor Intellectual property, even with these clauses included in the contract. The clauses would only apply to new inventions developed with the use of government funding at the government’s direction under the contract. Special Works clause (52.227-17) may be required during the course of the contract and will not be removed.

Q.4 Would NASA remove the clause at 52.223-6? Based on FAR 23.501(b), subpart 23.5, including 52.226-6, does not apply to commercial item contracts.

Govt Response: Amendment 1 will be issued to remove FAR Clause 52.223-6 from the RFP.

No changes were made regarding FAR Clause 52.226-6, see page 50 of the RFP (B) Alternate I is not checked so the clauses beneath it are not applicable.

Q.5 In order to answer the financial plan section 1.d, do we need to state the cost of the DRM so that reviewers can judge whether the financial plan is acceptable?

Govt Response: No, we do not need this level of specificity. The financial plan should be a credible plan to obtain resources. See the response to Q1 above.

Q.6 Can you provide more specifics on what is being requested of a thermal budget in 4.c? Are you looking for combined Mass/Power margins, thermal control during mission phases or specifics on component or subsystem overall temperatures?

Govt Response: The Government is looking for vendor proposals to identify the thermal analyses they have performed on their design reference mission and the key margins identified to ensure thermal constraints are being managed.