Attachment 12 89233120RNA000089 QandA.pdf

Solicitation #89233120RNA000089

NNSA Fourth Generation Escort Vehicles (EV4)

Attachment 12, Questions and Answers (Q&A)

05/06/2021

Questions #1 - #29: Released on 05/07/2021.

1. Question: Is the Executive Summary to be submitted as a separate file outside of the three volumes?

Reference: RFP 89233120RNA000089 OST EV4.pdf - Section L L.2.4 Executive Summary

Answer: A standalone Executive Summary does not count toward the Offeror’s 30-page limit for each variant.

2. Question: Can DOE confirm that the EV4 Technical Requirement Matrix will not count towards the 30-page limit?

The technical proposal has a 30-page limit with two (2) factors.

Factor 1 - EV4 Technical Requirements Matrix. (DOE supplied spreadsheet which contains

198 line items and represents a significant number of pages) Factor 2 - Technical Qualifications and Capability

Reference: RFP 89233120RNA000089 OST EV4.pdf - Section L L.2.6 (6) B (ii) Volume II:

Technical Proposal (30 Page Limit per proposal) Page 96

Answer: The completed EV4 Technical Matrix will not count toward the page limit.

3. Question: Question Redacted

Reference: Escort Vehicle 4th Generation (EV4) Revision 1.0 Section 5.13

Answer: Technical Requirement 11.2 (Attachment 3) and associated sub-requirements discuss all armor requirements for the EV4-A.

4. Question: Given the need to request the Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information

(UCNI) and the restrictions on sharing these files in an unsecured manner, made more challenging with COVID-19 office and travel restrictions, would the government consider a two-week extension? This will increase the competition pool helping to ensure the government receives the best price and technical solution.

Answer: As consideration for the additional time required for the release of UCNI materials and the Question and Answer period, NNSA has extended the Proposal Due Date by a total of two weeks via Amendments 0001 and 0002.

Amendment 0001: The Proposal Due Date was changed from 05/05/2021 to 05/12/2021.

Amendment 0002: The Proposal Due Date was changed from 05/12/2021 to 05/19/2021.

5. Question: Attachment 9 - Price Tables states "In accordance with FAR 52.219-6, Notice of

Total Small Business Set-Aside, this acquisition has been set-aside for small business. As a result, in accordance with FAR 52.219-4(c), at least 50% of the costs incurred (not including material costs) shall be performed by the prime contractor." FAR 52.219-4(c) is for

HUBZones and appears to be included by mistake. In addition, it is our understanding PF

2020-04 Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC) Letter 2019-01 Supplement 1 incorporated the new rule regarding limitations on subcontracting allowing work performed by similarly situated entities to count towards the 50% small business requirement;

specifically, FAR 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting (DEVIATION JUN 2020). Can the government please amend this language to account for the allowance of similarly situated entities under the new deviated clause at FAR 52.219-14?

Answer: The Government acknowledges this discrepancy. As a result of this question, the Government amends the solicitation as follows:

Removed Clauses by Reference:

52.219-6 NOTICE OF TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (MAR 2020)

52.219-14 LIMITATIONS OF SUBCONTRACTING (MAR 2020)

Added Clauses in Full-Text via Attachment 13 in Section J:

52.219-6, NOTICE OF TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (DEVIATION 2019-01)

52.219-14, LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING (DEVIATION 2019-01)

Further, provision L.2.9 Volume III – Proposal Preparation Instructions – Price

Proposal (No Page Limit) paragraph (b)(8) has been updated as follows:

FROM: (b)(8) Small Business Performance Plan: This acquisition is set-aside for small business in its entirety. As a result, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14(c), at least 50% of the costs incurred (not including material costs) shall be performed by the prime contractor.

Offerors shall complete the worksheet titled “SB Performance Plan” in Attachment 9, identifying by team member, the type of contract and the amount of performance dollars for each annual period broken out by personnel and materials. This table will assist the Government in validating the Offerors approach and whether the prime contractor is performing at least 50% of the costs (not including materials costs). The Government baselined amount CLINs shall be excluded from this calculation and this worksheet since the mix of labor and materials is unknown for evaluation purposes.

TO: (b)(8) Small Business Performance Plan: This acquisition is set-aside for small business in its entirety per FAR 52.219-6, NOICE OF TOTAL SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE (DEVIATION 2019-01). As a result, in accordance with FAR 52.219-14, LIMITATIONS ON SUBCONTRACTING (DEVIATION 2019-01), Offerors are required to propose a small business performance approach that meets the requirements of these clauses. Offerors shall complete the worksheet(s) titled “SB Performance Plan” in Attachment 9 for each EV4 variant being proposed and identify by team member, type of contract, business size and the amount of performance dollars for each annual period broken out by personnel and material costs. This table will assist the Government in validating the Offerors performance approach and whether the prime contractor and any proposed similarly situated entities is performing at least 50% of the costs being paid by the Government. The Government baselined amount CLINs shall be excluded from this calculation since the work is unknown at this time.

Lastly, Attachment 9 – Price Tables, specifically the tabs for the “SB Performance

Plan” for both EV-4 variants, has been updated to clarify the requirements related to the limitations on subcontracting and the Class Deviation from the Federal Acquisition

Regulation issued by the General Services Administration (GSA) on April 3, 2019

(CAAC Letter 2019-01) as follows:

FROM: Section J, Attachment 9 – Pricing Tables

TO: Section J, Attachment 9 – Pricing Tables (Revision 1)

6. Question: Attachment 9 - Price Tables is structured to provide unit prices based on 40 units during the period of performance. The Solicitation pages schedule for CLINS 00002, 00003, 00008 and 00009 (pages 2-3, 5-6) references an estimated 40 and a maximum 100 and the

Price Schedule (pages 17, 19) indicates 100 vehicles. Please confirm the order quantity upon which pricing is to be provided. That is, if providing pricing based on 100 units, should the cost of additional units 41-100 be absorbed into the best estimate quantity of 40?

Answer: The Government is unclear what is being asked in this question. However, to try and provide an answer, see the following:

• The order quantity cited in Attachment 9 of 40 production units per EV4 variant over the five-year period is correct. The production units are not inclusive of the first article EV4 variant which has a quantity of one. In total, there are 41 individual units being priced in Attachment 9 for each EV4 variant. Per Section M.5.2, "Total

Evaluated Price: An Offeror's total evaluated price is the sum of all CLINs (inclusive of the Government baselined CLINs) for each EV4 variant being proposed and is based on the Government's best estimated quantities for each vehicle type expected to be ordered under this contract."

• The maximum quantity of 100 is used to establish the overall IDIQ ceiling per EV4 variant as described in Section M.5.2.

• Each EV4 vehicle cost should be independent of each other.

• Based on this question, the Government amends Section M.5.2 as follows:

FROM: M.5.2. Total Evaluated Price: An Offeror's total evaluated price is the sum of all

CLINs (inclusive of the Government baselined CLINs) for each EV4 variant being proposed and is based on the Government’s best estimated quantities for each vehicle type expected to be ordered under this contract. The Government intends to use the Offeror’s proposed unit prices multiplied by the maximum order quantity plus all Government NTE baselined amounts for each annual period to establish an overall IDIQ contract value for each EV4 variant.

TO: M.5.2. Total Evaluated Price: An Offeror's total evaluated price is the sum of all CLINs (inclusive of the Government baselined CLINs) for each EV4 variant being proposed and is based on the Government’s best estimated quantities for each vehicle type expected to be ordered under this contract. To establish the IDIQ’s contract value , for units 1 through 41, the Government intends to use the Offeror’s proposed annual unit prices multiplied by Government’s best estimated quantity plus all Government NTE baselined amounts for each EV4 variant. For Units 42-100, the Government intends to use the Offeror’s proposed year five fixed-unit price for each EV4 variant to establish the overall IDIQ’s contract ceiling.

7. Question: What are the warranty terms for COTS items (not manufactured by contractor)?

For example, COTS alternators, switches, fans, etc.

Reference: Attachment 1 Statement of Work Section O "Warranty"

Answer: Except for the OEM vehicle chassis or standard scheduled maintenance items, all items are covered under the warranty as described in Section O. OST desires high-quality items that will not be prone to manufacturer defect failures over the course of the warranty period.

8. Question: Question Redacted

Reference: Attachment 2 Vehicle Requirements Section 5.13

Answer: The minimum ingress/egress points are defined in Technical Requirement 8.5 and correspond one-to-one with the requirement description in Technical Requirement 11.2.1.

9. Question: If the chassis manufacturer does not provide the fuel consumption rate, is a calculated value acceptable?

Reference: Attachment 2 Vehicle Requirements Section 6.5

Answer: It is expected that the fuel consumption rate (and hence the vehicle range) will likely be a rough estimate during the proposal stage. The contractor should consider erring on the conservative side as this requirement will need to be met for the vehicle in the final configuration during the FPU PVT.

10. Question: Does "minimum payload weight" (2,130#) in 7.1.4 include the "weight of occupants & gear" (1,850# ) defined in 7.1.1, and how do these values compare to the total of the weights in 7.1.2 (2,190#)?

Reference: Attachment 2 Vehicle Requirements Section 7

Answer: The minimum payload weight (if one includes GFE) should read as 2,190 lb. The figure noted in Section 7.1.4 of Attachment 2 is incorrect.

11. Question: What weight density value should be used for other fuels (gasoline, natural gas, etc.)?

Reference: Attachment 2 Vehicle Requirements Section 7.12

Answer: For light trucks, the OEM chassis manufacturer should include as part of its VCW value a full fuel tank in accordance with FMVSS 571.3 and SAE J1100. For heavy trucks, the contractor should inquire with the OEM as to whether fuel is included in its provided

VCW value. A conservative density value for gasoline is 6.3 lb/gal.

12. Question: Can the requirements in subsections 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3, & 5.2.4 be selectable when needed?

Reference: Attachment 3 Technical Requirements Matrix Section 5.2

Answer: The vehicle can come equipped with adjustable ride height to meet the requirements of subsections 5.1 - 5.4.

13. Question: Will the responsibility to provide a test course, run and pay for these tests fall to the government or the contractor?

Reference: Attachment 3 Technical Requirements Matrix Sections 5.4 thru 5.7

Answer: The government will perform all PVT subtests at its own expense, with the exception of ballistic tests for the EV4-A (Technical Requirements 11.2.1 - 11.2.3).

14. Question: Will the government provide a more detailed test plan or example of how this data would be extrapolated? Additionally, the timeframe to test these potentially span over 6 months if tested during winter and summer both for the FPU. Will conditional acceptance of the FPU be granted if both conditions cannot be met due to the FPU build schedule/delivery date requirement?

Reference: Attachment 3 Technical Requirements Matrix Sections 7.2.3, 7.2.4, 7.3.3, 7.3.4

Answer: The test procedures are described under the FPU Requirements Verification column in the Technical Requirements Matrix. For these requirements, the government is most interested in occupant comfort, and a small deviation from the requirement would likely be acceptable if it does not adversely affect the occupant's subjective comfort. As stated in Attachment 1 (Statement of Work) Section F, the Government and the Contractor may agree to Preliminary (conditional) Acceptance for entrance into full rate production pending test results as part of a contracting action at agreed upon terms.

15. Question: What would be an example of severe degradation due to these environments, and how would they be tested if required?

Reference: Attachment 3 Technical Requirements Matrix Sections 7.4 and 7.5

Answer: Examples of severe degradation might include dust/mud ruining bearings or entering fluid reservoirs and prematurely clogging filters. These tests would at most be excursions as part of the operational tests conducted by federal agents as part of missions, and analysis would likely only be a brief inspection for observable degradation; this may be followed up with further analysis (e.g. fluid spectral analysis) if suspicion of degradation exists.

16. Question: Will the contract include any provisions for macro‐economic impacts beyond contractor control? For example, pandemic related lead-time and material cost impacts.

Answer: No. The Government believes that we are in the waning stages of the pandemic and offerors should be able to adequately estimate any impacts.

17. Question: FAT approval consists of Govt conducted PVT. Does Govt have an anticipated schedule and test requirements for PVT?

Reference: Solicitation, sect E, par E.2

Answer: The government intends to perform the PVT over a period of several months following acceptance of the First Production Unit (FPU). Many of the inspection requirements will be assessed when the government accepts delivery of the FPU at the contractor's facility following the Preliminary Design Review. The remainder of the PVT will consist of 1) an operational test (which will consist of the use of the vehicle during the course of a mission or two and subsequent assessment by the federal agents) and 2) verification of test requirements through quick informal tests: if the government has confidence that a requirement has been met through this method then no further testing will be required; if the government believes a requirement might not be met following an informal test, formal testing (which takes significantly more time to) will commence. The government may agree to proceed with full rate production prior to completion of the PVT if both parties agree to move forward under the terms of the contract.

18. Question: Does Govt have an overall Program Milestone schedule?

Reference: General

Answer: Attachment 14 Estimated EV4 Program Milestone Schedule will be incorporated in Solicitation Amendment 0002 in Section J. Note that timeframes and dates are estimates only.

19. Question: With regard to fuel capacity and engine efficiency to achieve a 400 mile range, what are the testing criteria or protocols (speed, weight, road conditions, etc.)?

Reference: Attachment 2, Section 6.5, Page 7

Answer: Testing protocols are described in Column H (FPU Requirements Verification) of the Requirements Matrix (Attachment 3). The verification for Technical Requirement 6.4 has been updated to state that the EV4 will not exceed 75 mph during the test.

20. Question: Requirement states all vehicles must include the installation of shatterguard film on all windows other than the windshield. Will this requirement apply to armored variants as well?

Reference: Attachment 2, Section 5.27

Answer: ShatterGARD (or equivalent) will not be required if and only if a vehicle's windows are designed to meet Technical Requirement 11.2.3.

21. Question: Requirement states that the contractor is responsible for providing 3rd party validated armor testing reports. Will material certifications by armor thickness and type which have been validated by ballistic coupon be acceptable?

Reference: Attachment 1, Section E

Answer: It is expected that verification for armor protection level will be based on ballistic coupon tests for all expected armor materials and thicknesses.

22. Question: This section states that the government may award up to 2 IDIQ contracts in response to the solicitation. Is the governments intent to segregate the armored and non-armored variants in this scenario or will multiple contractors be awarded for both armored and non-armored variants?

Reference: Solicitation 89233120RNA000089 Amd 0001, Section M.1.4

Answer: The government intends to award two contracts, one for the EV4-U and one for the

EV4-A, based on best value to the government. The government does not have a preference whether these two contracts are awarded to the same company or to two different companies, as there are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches.

23. Question: What level of CAD design is needed for the RFP process? Formal design reviews do not begin until we begin the FPU, but FRP wants to ensure design requirements are met.

Reference: Attachment 1, EVS SOW, III, B

Answer: The government expects drawings with the minimal level of fidelity necessary to meet the RFP Initial Design Verification requirements (Column G) in the EV4 Requirements Matrix. The government 1) will evaluate if the contractor has considered the major design elements when bidding for this contract, and 2) intends to use the drawings when determining which proposed platform will best meet its needs. These drawings need not be engineering level, but should be spatially accurate within a reasonable degree. (For example, dimensionally accurate rectangular prisms may be used to show the locations for the comms cabinet and the sleeper bunk.)

24. Question: "At least somewhat unique" "different chassis are desirable", Will the contract holder have to change the chassis for discreteness, even if able to package armor within same common platform?

Reference: Attachment 1, EVS SOW, Section I, Par 2

Answer: It is desirable that any armor solutions be packaged within a standard chassis with minimal visible changes, as this would result in the most discrete design. When using the phrase "different chassis are desirable", the government is stating that all things being equal, it would prefer to award the EV4-U and EV4-A contracts to designs which do not incorporate the same base chassis (regardless of whether these design submissions are from the same or different offerors). The rationale behind this request is to minimize the convoy signature.

25. Question: "should be lightweight and shall not impede the function of the doors" Is there a quantitive way to have door opening max force criteria?

Reference: Attachment 1, EVS SOW, 5.13.

Answer: Technical Requirement 11.2.5 has been created to define door weight limits. The new requirement states that the door force at the natural opening location shall not exceed 20 lbf when the vehicle is on a 5% grade in any orientation. Also, the doors shall have a detent that holds the doors open at grades up to 2%.

26. Question: Will sleeper be used while driving, therefore, need to adhere to FMVSS standards? (restraint/FEA)

Reference: Attachment 1, EVS SOW, 5.16.

Answer: The sleeper will be used when driving. Technical Requirement 8.4.9 has been updated to reflect the restraint design limits of FMCSR 393.76.

27. Question: Can the Government please clarify if the anticipated quantity of 40 vehicles is per variant (armored / non-armored) or if the estimated 40 vehicle quantity will be split so that each variant is of some number less than the 40 outlined over the 5 year IDIQ period.

Reference: General Question

Answer: The estimated quantity for award is 40 full rate production units (41 vehicles including the FPU) per variant. (The combined estimate for both contracts is 82 vehicles inclusive of the FPUs.)

28. Question: Please clarify the requirement for Volume II submissions for offerors intending to submit proposals for both EV4 variants, armored & unarmored. First, we understand that two separate and complete submissions are required.  In the following paragraph copied from the solicitation, page 95, section L.2.6 (6) (B) Note¹, “Overall Arrangement of Proposal”;

Note1: If the Offeror plans to submit a proposal for both the Armored EV4 (EV4-A) and Unarmored EV-4 (EV4-U) variants, the Offeror shall be required to submit two (2) separate Volume IIs for each variant: (1) Volume IIA – Technical Proposal for EV4-A;

and (2) Volume IIB – Technical Proposal for EV4-U.

Therefore, for each variant, the Offeror shall have a maximum page limit of 30 pages.

1. Are both submissions/proposals required to contain both Volume IIA and Volume IIB?

2. If so, is the page limit for each volume IIA & IIB 30 pages each, or is it 30 pages for IIA

& IIB combined?

Answer:

1. No. If an Offeror is proposing on both EV4 variants then two Volume II’s (Volume IIA

– Technical Proposal for EV4-A and Volume IIB – Technical Proposal for EV4-U) are required. However, if an Offeror is proposing on only one EV4 variant then one Volume II (Volume IIA – Technical Proposal for EV4-A or Volume IIB – Technical Proposal for EV4-

U) is required.

2. Each Volume II has a maximum page limit of 30 pages.

29. Question: Please clarify the bidder’s responsibility regarding Attachment 8, “Reporting

Requirements Checklist”. We could find no reference to it in Section L or elsewhere in the solicitation. We noted specifically that “Milestone Schedule/Plan” is checked in Attachment 8, but are unsure if this applies to the bidder or to the “Participant”, and if it applies to this bid or to future proposals after award. There are four other reports checked that we don’t believe apply to the bidder but would appreciate your feedback/confirmation.

Answer: The Offeror is responsible for submitting the indicated reports as specified. For the Milestone/Schedule Plan, the Offeror should indicate the planned schedule for meeting the milestones as provided by the Government in Attachment 14 (Estimated EV4 Milestone Schedule), as well as the production cadence; the Milestone/Schedule Plan will not count toward the proposal page limit.

For Status Reports, those will only be required if specifically requested by the Government following contract award, and would be submitted to the EV4 Program Manager.