RFQ_Instructions.pdf

SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS - For Technical Problem Analysis Including Emerging Markets and Transformative NASA Research Opportunities RFQ 80LARC704330Q

INSTRUCTION FOR VENDOR: ANY INFORMATION

REQUESTED IN THIS SECTION MUST BE SUBMITTED TO

THE CONTRACTING OFFICER

(a) Amendments to this RFQ. It is the vendor's responsibility to monitor the solicitation for the release of any amendments to this RFQ.

(b) Costs/Price of quote preparation. This RFQ is not an order. This is a request for information, and quotations furnished are not offers. This RFQ does not commit the Government to pay any costs/price incurred in the preparation of the submission of this quotation or to contract for supplies or services.

(c) Additional GSA contract information. If quoting on item(s) on a GSA contract, the quoter shall include all other pertinent GSA contract information, if available, and show all applicable discounts for each line item

(e) Warranty information. Please indicate the warranty on the item(s) you are offering.

(f) If the end product(s) offered is other than a domestic end product(s) as defined in the clause entitled "Buy American Act -- Supplies," the offeror shall so state and shall list the country of origin.

(g) The offeror selected for award must submit a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3 (Oct 2018), Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items, when requested by the contracting officer if not registered in https://www.sam.gov. The provision may be obtained via the internet at URL: https:/www.acquisition.gov. These representations and certifications will be incorporated by reference in any resultant contract.

EVALUATION

*Interested vendors MUST include the solicitation number in the subject line of their emailed quote in order to be considered for award.*

Basis for award: NASA LaRC will award a purchase order on a “Best Value” basis considering the evaluation factors of Technical Merit, Past Performance, and Price. Award will be made to the offeror’s quote who represents the best value to the Government considering all evaluations factors.

Price will be considered approximately equal to all factors when combined. Please refer to the evaluation criteria section below.

Proposal Format: The quote/offer shall be submitted in 3 parts: Technical, Past Performance, and Price. The technical and past performance parts shall not exceed 25 pages, and shall be no less than 11 pt. font. The price portion has no limit but shall address all price elements.

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Technical Merit: The offeror shall submit a technical plan describing its approach to conduct the technical problem analysis by using innovation methods, process, and tools (innovation MPTs). The approach will analyze the Technical Problem Area (TPA) identified in paragraph 2. The Technical Problem Area: Weather Tolerant Operations (WTO) for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and other Domains of the SOW. The plan shall also address the following:

a. Problem Analysis: The offeror shall describe its innovative problem analysis of WTO for UAM and other domains. Also, the offeror shall describe how it will work with NASA to identify and describe four or more specific issues and problems that NASA aeronautics is or may become uniquely qualified to address, that if solved, could lead to disruptive, game-changing opportunities in aeronautics nationally and globally.

b. Innovation Methods, Processes and Tools (MPTs): The offeror shall describe the Innovation MPTs and how it will use these Innovation MPTs to explore and understand the expressed and latent needs and challenges of individuals, markets, industries, etc. to elicit the most important aspects of the technical problem area.

c. Staffing: The offeror shall identify its team members by describing each member’s core expertise, depth and breadth of experience to include but not limited to formal training, skill and method of problem diagnosis, which resulted in a successful impact to an analogous project. Further, the offeror shall describe how each team member’s expertise applies to the complexities of aeronautics, conducting the problem analysis of WTO in UAM and other domains, applying innovation MPTs, and analyzing new and emerging markets. (Note: these members, if proposed and selected for award, shall be used for this requirement).

d. Schedule: The offeror shall provide a detailed project schedule to accomplish the

SOW.

2. Past Performance: The vendor shall identify three analogous contracts that have been performed within the last five years and provide the following information: contract number, total dollar value, and customer point of contact. The contractor shall also provide a short narrative of the general scope of work for the three identified contracts.

3. Price Quotations: The price quotation shall include:

(1) Table providing the proposal rate for each labor category

(2) Other Direct Cost to include subcontractor cost

(3) Relevant G&A, Overhead, and travel fees

(4) Payment Terms plus any rate discounts that will apply

(5) Invoicing schedule

(6) Total Fixed Price

ADDITIONAL SOLICITATION INFORMATION

INSTRUCTION FOR VENDOR: ANY INFORMATION

REQUESTED IN THIS SECTION CAN BE SUBMITTED VIA

EMAIL TO THE CONTRACTING OFFICER

ADDITIONAL SOLICITATION INFORMATION FAR CLAUSE 52.204-7, SYSTEM FOR AWARD

MANAGEMENT (JUL 2013) is incorporated by reference.

FAR 52.212-4, CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS COMMERCIAL ITEMS (MAY 2015) is applicable.

Addenda to FAR 52.212-4 are as follows:

1852.215-84 OMBUDSMAN. (NOV 2011)

(a) An ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and contractors during the preaward and postaward phases of this acquisition. When requested, the ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the ombudsman is not to diminish the authority of the contracting officer, the Source Evaluation Board, or the selection official. Further, the ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of formal contract disputes. Therefore, before consulting with an ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the contracting officer for resolution.

(b) If resolution cannot be made by the contracting officer, interested parties may contact the installation ombudsman, whose name, address, telephone number, facsimile number, and email address may be found at: http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html. Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations which cannot be resolved at the installation may be referred to the Agency ombudsman identified at the above URL. Please do not contact the ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer or as specified elsewhere in this document.

(End of clause)

2.5 1852.237-73 RELEASE OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION. (JUN 2005)

(a) As used in this clause, "sensitive information" refers to information, not currently in the public domain, that the Contractor has developed at private expense, that may embody trade secrets or commercial or financial information, and that may be sensitive or privileged.

(b) In accomplishing management activities and administrative functions, NASA relies heavily on the support of various service providers. To support NASA activities and functions, these service providers, as well as their subcontractors and their individual employees, may need access to sensitive information submitted by the Contractor under this contract. By submitting this proposal or performing this contract, the Contractor agrees that NASA may release to its service providers, their subcontractors, and their individual employees, sensitive information submitted during the course of this procurement, subject to the enumerated protections mandated by the clause at 1852.237-72, Access to Sensitive Information.

(c)(1) The Contractor shall identify any sensitive information submitted in support of this proposal or in performing this contract. For purposes of identifying sensitive information, the

Contractor may, in addition to any other notice or legend otherwise required, use a notice similar to the following:

Mark the title page with the following legend:

This proposal or document includes sensitive information that NASA shall not disclose outside the Agency and its service providers that support management activities and administrative functions. To gain access to this sensitive information, a service provider's contract must contain the clause at NFS 1852.237-72, Access to Sensitive Information. Consistent with this clause, the service provider shall not duplicate, use, or disclose the information in whole or in part for any purpose other than to perform the services specified in its contract. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use this information if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The information subject to this restriction is contained in pages (insert page numbers or other identification of pages).

Mark each page of sensitive information the Contractor wishes to restrict with the following legend:

Use or disclosure of sensitive information contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal or document.

(2) The Contracting Officer shall evaluate the facts supporting any claim that particular information is "sensitive." This evaluation shall consider the time and resources necessary to protect the information in accordance with the detailed safeguards mandated by the clause at 1852.237-72, Access to Sensitive Information. However, unless the Contracting Officer decides, with the advice of Center counsel, that reasonable grounds exist to challenge the Contractor's claim that particular information is sensitive, NASA and its service providers and their employees shall comply with all of the safeguards contained in paragraph (d) of this clause.

(d) To receive access to sensitive information needed to assist NASA in accomplishing management activities and administrative functions, the service provider must be operating under a contract that contains the clause at 1852.237-72, Access to Sensitive Information. This clause obligates the service provider to do the following:

(1) Comply with all specified procedures and obligations, including the Organizational Conflicts of Interest Avoidance Plan, which the contract has incorporated as a compliance document.

(2) Utilize any sensitive information coming into its possession only for the purpose of performing the services specified in its contract.

(3) Safeguard sensitive information coming into its possession from unauthorized use and disclosure.

(4) Allow access to sensitive information only to those employees that need it to perform services under its contract.

(5) Preclude access and disclosure of sensitive information to persons and entities outside of the service provider's organization.

(6) Train employees who may require access to sensitive information about their obligations to utilize it only to perform the services specified in its contract and to safeguard it from unauthorized use and disclosure.

(7) Obtain a written affirmation from each employee that he/she has received and will comply with training on the authorized uses and mandatory protections of sensitive information needed in performing this contract.

(8) Administer a monitoring process to ensure that employees comply with all reasonable security procedures, report any breaches to the Contracting Officer, and implement any necessary corrective actions.

(e) When the service provider will have primary responsibility for operating an information technology system for NASA that contains sensitive information, the service provider's contract shall include the clause at 1852.204-76, Security Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources. The Security Requirements clause requires the service provider to implement an Information Technology Security Plan to protect information processed, stored, or transmitted from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or use. Service provider personnel requiring privileged access or limited privileged access to these information technology systems are subject to screening using the standard National Agency Check (NAC) forms appropriate to the level of risk for adverse impact to NASA missions. The Contracting Officer may allow the service provider to conduct its own screening, provided the service provider employs substantially equivalent screening procedures.

(f) This clause does not affect NASA's responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act.

(g) The Contractor shall insert this clause, including this paragraph (g), suitably modified to reflect the relationship of the parties, in all subcontracts that may require the furnishing of sensitive information.

(End of clause)

52.212-5 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR

EXECUTIVE ORDERS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS. (JAN 2016) is applicable and the following identified clauses are incorporated by reference: 52.204-10, 52.219-8, 52.219-9, 52.219-28, 52.222- 3, 52.222-19, 52.222-21, 52.222-26, 52.222-36, 52.223-18, 52.225-1, 52.225-13, 52.232-33, 52.247-