TROPICS DRFP RESPONSES.pdf

TROPICS DRFP QUESTIONS & RESPONSES 80KSC020R0036

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Question:

The SF 1449 continuation uses a numbered outline structure instead of the uniform contract format described in FAR 15.204-1. Please consider using the uniform contract format for ease of reference, and also for consistency with the formatting of these comment cards.

Response:

This contract will remain in commercial format. The Comment cards were posted with the incorrect format and have been updated to reflect the correct format moving forward consistent with the contract format posted.

SECTION 1 – CONTINUATION OF SF 1449

1.3 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

In section 1.3, Period of Performance, please change "beginning January 8, 2022" to "between January 8, 2022." This clarifies that the 120-day period may occur between January 8, 2022 and July 31, 2022, and is not required to start on January 8, 2022.

RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

SECTION 2 – ADDENDUM TO FAR 52.212-4, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

– COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2018)

2.2 LISTING OF CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

For FAR 52.227-14 Alternate II, please list the additional purposes for paragraph (a) of the Limited Rights Notice or state "none."

Refer to section 2.2. The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

Please delete FAR 52.227-14 Alternate III. Per 27.409(b)(4), this clause only applies if computer software will be obtained. No computer software will be delivered under this contract.

This clause will be removed. RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

Per NFS 1823.7001(a), clause 1852.223-70 only applies if work will be conducted on federally-controlled facilities. Please confirm that this clause will be removed from the contract if the awardee will not perform work on federally-controlled facilities.

Response:

Clause 1852.223-70 will remain in the contract, but is an “only if applicable” clause. “(if applicable)” will be added to reflect this change in the RFP.

2.3 ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING REGARDING TERMINATION SETTLEMENT

UNDER FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS- COMMERCIAL

ITEMS (OCT 2018)

Would the Government consider amending the final RFP to use the standard FAR 52.212- 4(l) termination for convenience process (in lieu of the proposed pre-negotiated agreement)?

Response:

2.3 ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING REGARDING TERMINATION

SETTLEMENT UNDER FAR 52.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND

CONDITIONS- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (OCT 2018) shall remain.

2.3(c) states in relevant part that “The provisions of this Contract clause shall only apply from Award until the point of intentional ignition of the launch vehicle.”

The RFP, however, contemplates that there may be more than one launch. Accordingly, this provision seems to be unclear. Is it the Government’s intent that the advance understanding regarding termination settlement only applies until the point of ignition of the first launch, even if there are two or more launches?

Refer to section 2.3(c). The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

2.9 MILESTONE PAYMENTS, EVENTS AND COMPLETION CRITERIA

In section 2.9(e), change the second sentence to, "The Contracting Officer’s determination of milestone event completion will be based on the accomplishment criteria listed for the major milestone events set forth in Attachment 3, Milestone Deliverable Descriptions and Requirements." This change clarifies that milestone requirements are described in Attachment 3, not Attachment 1 (the SOW). In addition, all completion criteria should be identified. This change identifies the criteria as those in Attachment 3, CDRL delivery, and previous event completion (see the following sentence in paragraph (e)).

Refer to section 2.9(e). The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

In section 2.9(e), delete the last sentence ("Approval of … the SOW.") The milestone criteria are in Attachment 3, not Attachment 1. In addition, the Government's right to withhold the insertion payments is stated in the note after Table 2.9-1. It is not necessary to refer to it in this paragraph.

Refer to section 2.9(e). The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

In Table 2.9-1, set all amounts in the last column to 10%. The milestone payments align with the contractor's costs for performing the work. Any repayment above 10% will not compensate the contractor fairly for the work done and the preparations made for the terminated portions of the contract, in accordance with the principles of FAR subpart 49.2.

Response:

Milestone 8 will be reduced to 33%, but the other milestones will remain unchanged. The percentages should cover expenses incurred not including hardware since the contractor will be able to use hardware under other missions in the case of a termination for convenience. Therefore, they will not be reduced to 10%. FAR 49.2 does not apply to this acquisition as we are using part 12 procedures.

Regarding Table 2.9-1, Launch Service Milestone Schedule (pg. 13) at 10: Please clarify whether the reference to “Second Orbit Insertion” under “FRR Launch 3 (if required)” should instead be “Third Orbit Insertion.” (emphasis added.)

Refer to Table 2.9-1. The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

2.14 ADJUSTMENTS TO LAUNCH SCHEDULE

Per Table 2.9-1, "Launch Service Milestone Schedule" - if the offeror proposed an alternative milestones, would the proposal be considered non-responsive? If not, would the Government be amenable to an alternative milestones in this section?

Question:

Per Section 2.14 "Adjustments to Launch Schedule" - if the offeror proposed an alternative approach or numbers, would the proposal be considered non-responsive? If not, would the Government be amenable to an alternative approach to this section?

Offerors’ proposals including any changes proposed other than those specifically allowed as instructed will be evaluated in accordance with 7.2.1, VOLUME I, TECHNICAL/MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY, paragraph 4.

SECTION 4 - LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 01 - Statement of Work (SOW)

Please confirm that the payloads will be shipped to the launch site prior to Launch Vehicle Readiness Review (LVRR). Nominally, LVRR is held just before Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) when the payloads have already been integrated.

Question:

Please specify when the TROPICS space vehicles will be made available to the Contractor.

Response:

TROPICS SV’s are currently scheduled to be delivered at L-30 days for each launch. Attachment 1, SOW will be updated to reflect this change.

Question:

What desired true anomalies are required for the SV in each plane?

There is no requirement for true anomalies.

Annex 1 – Launch Services Interface Requirements Document (LSIRD)

Please provide additional information on Section 3.4.9 Acquisition Assistance. Depending on the visibility of the payload, ground station availability, and trajectory, receipt of telemetry can sometimes occur as late as 30 minutes after deployment. Following receipt, time will still be needed to process and verify the state vector.

Response:

The OPM receipt could happened no later than 60 minutes after separation. The LSIRD will be updated to reflect this change.

Annex 1 - TROPICS LSIRD - 3.2.1 - Please clarify that TROPICS has no static load/acceleration specification.

Refer to the LSIRD section 3.3, Environments Interfaces.

In the absence of flexibility on the 120-day duration for insertion, is there any flexibility on the target RAAN?

Response:

Yes, Refer to Annex 1, LSIRD, Table 10.

Attachment 03 – Milestone Deliverables Descriptions and Requirements

Please reconcile the difference between the Milestone Deliverable Descriptions and Requirements (MDDR) document and Table 2.9-1 Launch Service Milestone Schedule in the draft request for proposal document. Currently, the Qualification Data Review (QDR) and Post Flight Data Review (PFDR) are described in the MDDR but are not included in the milestone schedule. Clarification will help Offerors provide a more compliant proposal.

Response:

Not all milestones found in the MDDR have payments. For those that have payments, refer to 2.9, Milestone Payments, Events, and Completion Criteria, (e).

This will be clarified with an update to 2.9, Milestone Payments, Events, and Completion Criteria, Table 2.9-1 to include "payment" in the title.

The MDDR document requires the Post-Flight Quick Look Report 15 days after each insertion, and the Launch Service Milestone Schedule in the draft request for proposal requires it 30 days after insertion. Please reconcile the discrepancy to ensure post-award compliance.

Response:

MDDR will be updated to the following: “thirty (30) days after each insertion, but prior to the next launch (if applicable).” Attachment 2, Table CDRL Index, CDRL 6, Intial Submittal Date, will be updated to the following: “First Orbit Insertion + 30 days”; Subsequent Submittal Date, will be updated to the following: “Second Orbit Insertion + 30 days, and Third Orbit Insertion + 30 days”. The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

SECTION 6 – INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

6.3.4 NFS 1852.215-81 PROPOSAL PAGE LIMITATIONS. (APR 2015)

Please remove the schedule from the page limitations of the Technical/Management Capability volume. This will provide Offerors with the freedom to provide a comprehensive, detailed schedule for the TROPICS missions.

Refer to section 6.3.4 (b). The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

Will Delivery Instructions be included in the final RFP through inclusion of KSC 52.214- 90, Delivery Instructions for Bids/Proposals (Jul 2018) or another Solicitation provision?

Refer to section 6.3.4 (c). The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.

6.7 VOLUME I, TECHNICAL/MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY

In Section 6.7, the Government invites the Offeror to propose updates to the estimated completion column in Table 2.9-1. Please confirm where Offerors should make these changes. Are they to be included in Volume I, Technical/Management Capability as part of the Mission Solution? Should these changes also be made in Volume III by way of suggested edits to Table 2.9-1 of the Model Contract?

Response:

As stated in 6.7, Volume I Technical/Management Capability, offerors may propose updates to the estimated completion column in Table 2.9-1, therefore the proposed change and rationale for deviation shall be included in this volume.

Those changes shall also be reflected in the Model contract. The RFP will be updated to include direction.

SECTION 7 - EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD

7.1 GENERAL CRITERIA

Under 7.1, General Criteria, at (a) it states that “[t]he Government will conduct this commercial, competitively negotiated, acquisition in accordance with FAR 12.203, Procedures for Solicitation, Evaluation, and Award, in conjunction with FAR Part 15.3, Source Selection, and NFS Part 1815.3, Source Selection.” However, this procurement seeks proposals under Technical/Management Capability and Price instead of Mission Suitability, Cost/Price, and Past Performance as contemplated under NFS Part 1815.3.

Please clarify how the Technical/Management Capability will be scored.

Response:

Technical/Management Capability will not be scored as part of the evaluation.

They will be evaluated in accordance with RFP section 7.1 (b) and the evaluation of subfactors as listed under 7.2.1. RFP section 7.1 (b) will be updated to further clarify.

7.2.1 VOLUME I, TECHNICAL/MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY

7.2.1, Volume I, Technical/Management Capability (at pgs. 62-64) establishes 5 subfactors. What is the order of importance of and/or weighting of each of these subfactors?

Question:

Launch Service Milestone 7.2.1 - Schedule and, if any, the benefit to the Government.”

How will any proposed changes be evaluated? Will the proposed changes be evaluated separate from a Subfactor or as part of (1) Mission Solution. If it will be considered under Mission Solution, would the Government consider moving this evaluation criteria under 1, Mission Solution?

Response:

7.2.1, Technical/Management Capability will be changed from "The following subfactors shall be used to evaluate offers" to "All subfactors are considered to hold equal importance for evaluation." The RFP will be updated to reflect this change.