Amendment 0006_90MC0026R00040006_SSS_Website Modernization Project_UPDATE_070126.pdf

Offers must acknowledge receipt of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended, by one of the following methods:

(a) By completing items 8 and 15, and returning or (c) By separate letter or electronic communication which includes a reference to the solicitation and amendment numbers. FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted, such change may be made by letter or electronic communication, provided each letter or electronic communication makes reference to the solicitation and this amendment, and is received prior to the opening hour and date specified.

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not is required to sign this document and return copies to the issuing office.

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION/MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT 1. CONTRACT ID CODE

2. AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION NUMBER 3. EFFECTIVE DATE 4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQUISITION NUMBER 5. PROJECT NUMBER (If applicable)

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than Item 6) CODE

STANDARD FORM 30 (REV. 11/2016)

Prescribed by GSA FAR (48 CFR) 53.243

FACILITY CODE

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NUMBER

9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of Offers

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required) copies of the amendment; (b) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted;

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS.

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NUMBER AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

CHECK ONE A. THIS CHANGE ORDER IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER

NUMBER IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation data, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14, PURSUANT TO THE AUTHORITY OF FAR 43.103(b).

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

15C. DATE SIGNED

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print)

16C. DATE SIGNED

16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print)

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT/MODIFICATION (Organized by UCF section headings, including solicitation/contract subject matter where feasible.)

PAGE OF PAGES

6. ISSUED BY CODE

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (Number, street, county, State and ZIP Code) (X)

CODE

15B. CONTRACTOR/OFFEROR

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

16B. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

Previous edition unusable

1 2

90MC0026R00040006 07/01/2026

90MC0026R0004

90MC00

AMENDMENT CONTROL NUMBER : 90MC0026R0004

SUMMARY OF CHANGES : The purpose of this amendment detail to the Small

Business requirements, Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ) and Addendum 52.212-1 and 52.212-2. The extension for submittals is 3:00 PM EST on 06 July 2026. Offerors please review these updates for reference.

Except as provided herein, all terms and conditions of the document referenced in Item 9A or 10A, as heretofore changed, remains unchanged and in full force and effect.

Same As Issuing Office SSS National Headquarters (NHQ) Selective Service System, 1501 Wilson Blvd., Suite 700 Arlington, VA 22209, US

90MC00

X i

90MC0026R00040006

Summary of Changes

Section IV: List of Documents, Exhibits, and other Attachments The following attachments are added:

Updated Addendum 52-212-1 and 52-212-2

52.212-1 ADDENDUM- PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS TO

OFFERORS-COMMERCIAL ITEMS (DEC 2006)

1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

a. Addendum to Paragraph (c) Period for acceptance of offers: Paragraph (c) is changed to read as follows: The Offeror agrees to hold the prices in its offer firm for 120 calendar days from the proposal due date, unless another time is specified in an amendment to the solicitation.

b. Addendum to Paragraph (h) Multiple awards. Paragraph (h) is changed to read as follows:

Selective Service System intends to award a single contract because of this solicitation.

Multiple awards will not be made because of this solicitation.

c. Addendum to Paragraph (g) Contract award. Paragraph (g) is changed to read as follows: The Government intends to award without discussions. Therefore, the offeror's initial proposal should contain the offeror's best approach/terms for all the evaluation factors (technical, past performance, and price). However, despite this intent, the Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Source Selection Authority (SSA) determines they are necessary. If the SSA determines that discussions are necessary, a competitive range will be established. If a competitive range is established, the Government may conduct discussions with those offerors whose proposals are included in the competitive range. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of proposals included in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals. In the event, issues pertaining to this award cannot be resolved to the SSA's satisfaction, the Government reserves the right to withdraw and cancel the solicitation. In such event, offerors will be notified in writing.

d. Addendum to Paragraph (I) Debriefing. Paragraph (I) is changed to read as follows: The offerors are reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal without discussions. The Contracting Officer (KO) will notify unsuccessful offerors of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR 15.503. Upon such notification, unsuccessful offerors may request and receive a debriefing. Offerors desiring a debriefing must make their request in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.505 or 15.506, as applicable. Unsuccessful Offerors are only entitled to one debriefing. This includes offerors who submit multiple proposals. However, if discussions are required, the KO will notify offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range;

whereupon they may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505.

Offerors excluded from the competitive range may request a pre-award debriefing or they may choose to wait until after the source selection decision to request a post-award debriefing. Offerors excluded from the competitive range are entitled to no more than one debriefing. The KO will notify unsuccessful offerors in the competitive range of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR 15.506. Upon such notification, unsuccessful offerors may request and receive a debriefing. Offerors desiring a debriefing must make their request in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.505 or 15.506, as applicable.

e. Addendum to Paragraph (b) Submission of Offers: In addition to those requirements as stated in paragraph (b), the following are added and shall apply to the submission requirements in response to this solicitation:

a. The Offeror is expected to examine this entire solicitation document. Failure to do so will be at the offeror’s own risk. The Offeror’s proposal must be clear, concise, and include sufficient detail for SSS’s effective evaluation, and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements but rather provide convincing rationale to address how the offeror intends to meet all the stated requirements. Offerors should assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their capabilities and experience. Accordingly, please note that the Government will base its evaluation solely on the information presented in the offeror’s proposal. Additional portions of the successful offeror’s proposal may be incorporated into the contract as an attached in the award document at the Government’s discretion.

b. The Government may make award based on initial offers received, without discussion of such offers. Proposals shall set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this solicitation package. The penalty for making false statements in proposals is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

c. An Offeror submitting restricted data shall mark it as follows in accordance with FAR 52.215-1, Instructions to Offerors-Competitive Acquisition, which is incorporated by reference. FAR Clause 52.215-1 states: “Restriction on disclosure and use of data.

Offerors that include in their proposals data that they do not want disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall:

i. Mark the title page with the following legend:

This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to evaluate this proposal. If, however, a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of-or in connection with-the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resulting contract. This restriction does not limit the Government’s right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]; and

ii. Mark each sheet of data it wishes to restrict with the following legend:

Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal.

d. The Government assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose the data for any purpose. Unless restricted, information submitted in response to this request may become subject to disclosure to the public pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 551).

e. This procurement is conducted under the procedures of FAR Part 15.

f. Discrepancies: If an offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the offeror should immediately notify the KO in writing prior to the close date of the RFP.

g. Electronic Reference Documents: All referenced documents for this solicitation are available on the SAM.gov website at Home | SAM.gov . Prospective offerors are encouraged to subscribe for real-time email notifications to stay apprised of when information has been posted to the website for this solicitation.

h. Communications: Exchanges of source selection information between the Government and offerors will be controlled by KO or CS. Evaluation notices and responses will be transmitted as emails and will be treated as source selection information.

Prospective

2. GENERAL INFORMATION:

a. SUBMISSION OF OFFERS: Each offer shall be provided to the Government in five (5) separately electronically submitted bound Volumes and shall contain the following:

1. Volume I: Administrative Proposal, to include Cover Letter

2. Volume II: Technical Proposal (Reference: PWS – Attachment 1)

3. Volume III: Factor 3: Past Performance (Reference: PPQ

Attachment 2) or Reference*

4. Volume IV: Factor 4: Price

5. Volume V: Contract Documentation to include Small Business

b. PROPOSAL STRUCTURE AND DETAILS:

The Offeror shall submit each Volume as indicated in table 1 below:

TABLE 1

Volume Title Description Page Limit Per Section I Cover Letter-Administrative Proposal 10 Pages II Technical Proposal 80

Pages

III Factor 3. Past Performance/Attachment

20 Pages

IV

Factor 4. Price (Pricing for CLINs on SF 1449 Schedule B, and completion/submission of the contractor’s pricing sheet via an Excel spreadsheet to include Government-requested backup documentation).

N/A

V

Factor 5 – Contract Documentation (as specified in the section.

N/A https://sam.gov/

Any pages submitted beyond the page limitations will be removed and not evaluated.

c. ADMINISTRATIVE PROPOSAL (VOLUME I)

Volume I contains administrative information. This volume shall contain the following:

1. Transmittal/Cover Letter

The offeror’s Transmittal/Cover Letter for the proposal shall include the following information:

• The Prime Contract Number and identification of the Offeror’s POC for any matters or issues related to this requirement and its proposal to include POC name, title, phone number and email address.

• The Offeror shall submit a statement that the contractor under which this proposal is being submitted has been registered in SAM.gov and all information is up to date.

• Offeror’s complete Business Mailing Address

• Tax Identification Number (TIN)

• Unique Entity Identification (UEI) (replaces DUN & Bradstreet Number (DUNS) designation)

• CAGE code/NAICS code

• In addition, Offerors shall fill out the FAR Clause 52.204-24 contained in this solicitation, complete the requested entry information, and submit the completed filled out clause with their proposal.

NOTE: OFFER AND AWARD (SF1449)

Unless otherwise specified, one page is one side of a U.S. Letter size (8.5” x 11”) piece of paper. All electronic files shall be in Microsoft Word or Excel formats.

Any documents shall be submitted using the same file format. Printed pages must maintain 12-point Times New Roman font and be single spaced. Printed pages (except for Excel and PowerPoint) must maintain one-inch margins.

Excel files must maintain margins of no less than 0.7 inches, and PowerPoint files must maintain margins of no less than 0.5 inches. Headers and footers may be of a font larger than 12 points but shall not be smaller than ten-point font. Charts/Graphics/Tables embedded in the proposal will count toward page limitations.

Charts/Graphics/Tables must maintain a minimum of ten-point Times New Roman font. Ledger size (11” x 17”) paper may be used in the Project Staffing Plan when providing charts/graphics/tables. A single side of an 11” x 17” piece of paper will be counted as two pages where page limitations apply. Items such as a Title Page, Table of Contents, Cover Letter, List of Figures, and Acronym

Lists are excluded from page counts below, unless they are inclusive of a document (e.g., a Table of Contents within the Draft Transition-In Plan), in which case it would count toward the stated page limitations. PDF files will be allowed for executed documents such as a Cover Letter.

When completed and signed by the Offeror, Standard Form (SF) 1449, “Solicitation, Offer, and Award,” constitutes the Offeror’s acceptance of the items and conditions of the proposed order. Therefore, the form must be executed by representatives of the Offeror authorized to commit the offeror to contractual obligations. The Offeror shall sign SF1449 in Block 17. All Offerors must submit their proposals electronically to the named Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist.

d. SUBMISSION OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (VOLUME II)

Volume II is the Technical Proposal and shall contain the following:

i. FACTOR 1-Technical Capability to include Project Schedule

ii. FACTOR 2-Management Approach to include:

1. Management Plan

2. Submittal Verification

3. Key Personnel and Project Manager and Alternate

iii. Technical Assumptions (if any)

The offeror shall not include any price data in Volume II of the proposal.

e. SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

A reading of the Offeror’s technical proposal should leave an evaluator with a detailed, clear understanding of all aspects of the technical proposal and approach. Use the check boxes below to ensure that the technical evaluation factors are thoroughly addressed. The Offeror’s attention is invited to view the PWS (Attachment 1), which describes the Government’s minimum requirements. At minimum, the technical proposal shall address the following information in separate sections.

1. FACTOR 1-TECHNICAL CAPABILITY: As part of the technical capability, the offeror shall provide the following:

☐ A comprehensive statement of the Offeror’s understanding of the work required in the PWS to include the Offeror’s approach to attaining the contract objectives and how the offeror will meet the task requirements (PWS Sections 2.1 and 2.2.) identified in the PWS. It should describe processes, manpower, resources, certifications, and schedules, along with any other significant category being proposed to ensure that all requirements in the PWS are properly performed to the standards required by the Government’s PWS.

☐ NOTE: PROJECT SCHEDULE: The Government requires all work under this contract to be substantially completed no later than September 25, 2026. This completion date is based upon mission-critical operational requirements and is considered a material requirement of the solicitation.

Offerors shall submit a detailed project schedule demonstrating their ability to complete all required tasks, deliverables, testing, acceptance activities, and project closeout by September 25, 2026. The schedule shall identify key milestones, critical path activities, staffing assumptions, subcontractor involvement (if applicable), and any dependencies or Government-furnished information required to support performance

Offerors shall clearly identify any assumptions, constraints, or risks that could affect timely completion and describe mitigation measures to ensure successful performance within the required timeframe. Failure to demonstrate a credible and achievable approach for completing the requirement by September 25, 2026, may result in the proposal being evaluated unfavorably or determined unacceptable.

2. FACTOR 2-MANAGEMENT APPROACH:

☐ a. 1-Management Plan. The Offeror shall provide a narrative that describes the Offeror as an organization, and their ability and experience to manage the requirements of the solicitation to include the Offeror’s approach to providing qualified personnel to perform the requirements of the PWS. The narrative should also explain the organizational structure and include an Organization Chart that shows the management and leadership positions, and lines of authority. The offeror shall tailor the Management Approach to achieve the unique requirements as identified in the PWS.

☐ b. 2-Submittal Verification.

The Contractor shall provide verification of compliance with the following security compliance, access and authentication requirements, found at Part 2.4 of the PWS:

1. Provide a FedRAMP-authorized cloud infrastructure (Azure only).

2. Provide a FedRAMP-authorized cloud environment at Moderate baseline or higher.

3. Provide proof that cloud infrastructure follows federal cybersecurity standards.

4. Provide CMS and Plugin Security Management.

5. Provide proof that the website loads quickly, operates efficiently, and delivers seamless user experience by improving speed, reducing resource usage, while maintaining responsiveness under varying traffic conditions.

6. Meet Federal regulations, standards and industry, best practices for enterprise information systems and data management, including:

Compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications 800-53, 800-37, 800-30, 800-47, 800-207, 800-161, 800-63, and 800-218, as well as Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-21-31, Binding Operational Directive (BOD) 19- 02, and Executive Order (EO) 14028.

7. Provide a solution that is fully compliant with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA).

8. Provide a formal Authority to Operate (ATO) at FIPS 199 Moderate impact level for the entire period of performance, governed by the NIST Risk Management Framework (SP 800-37).

9. Provide a comprehensive System Security Plan (SSP) that maps directly to the required NIST SP 800-53 security control baseline. Any cloud-based components of the solution must possess FedRAMP Authorization at an equivalent impact level.

10. Provide software that adheres to secure development practices as defined in NIST SP 800-218.

11. Provide a formal attestation of compliance as required by OMB M-22-18.

12. Provide a robust continuous monitoring program that satisfies the logging and investigative support requirements of OMB M-21-31.

13. Provide documentation required for audits and compliance reviews under frameworks tied to OMB M-22-18, NIST controls and related federal security requirements.

14. Provide Security Documentation Package that Includes SSP support artifacts, control implementation evidence, security boundary diagrams, inherited/shared control matrix, and required RMF documentation support materials.

15. Provide Section 508 Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) using the most current Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) available at the time of delivery.

16. Provide documentation that the Chatbot solution is FedRAMP-authorized.

☐ c. Key Personnel and Project Manager and Alternate

1. The offeror shall provide a detailed resume of the proposed key personnel (Program Manager, and Alternate), to include experience, certification, training, and qualifications;

that fully demonstrates the key person’s ability with the project staff to successfully manage and perform the requirements of the contract. (The resume is a separate document and will not be counted in the page limitation count.)

2. The offeror shall discuss its project staffing approach, describing the project staffing strategy rationale for the proposed labor mix, and the experience, skill, and qualifications of the proposed personnel to include submitting a complete Project Staffing Plan incorporating the positions requested in the PWS and solicitation.

3. The offeror shall address its approach to hiring, retaining, and replacing appropriately experienced and cleared personnel throughout the duration of the contract.

TECHNICAL ASSUMPTIONS

The offeror shall identify and address any assumptions affecting the technical proposal citing the components(s) of the proposal to which they pertain. All technical assumptions and Basis of Estimate assumptions shall be included in the technical volume. This shall include any non-Price information that serves as the basis of a Price assumption identified in the offeror’s Price Proposal.

The Government reserves the right to reject any proposal that includes any assumption that adversely impacts the Government’s requirements.

f. VOLUME III-FACTOR 3-PAST PERFORMANCE & Capability Statement

The offeror shall provide one (1) Past Performance reference using the Past Performance Questionnaire at Attachment 2 or a structured reference. The reference shall be from relevant and recent contracts, on-going contracts, subcontracts and/or task/delivery orders accomplished within the past three (3) years. Relevant efforts are defined as any efforts that are of similar size and scope as the tasks in the PWS. Recent efforts are defined as those performed to any extent within the last three (3) years prior to the closing date of the solicitation.

Those efforts shall be the same or similar in type, size, and complexity as the requirements of this contract.

The offeror shall list the reference in their submittal proposal package to include the filled-out information for the reference for items requested below.

1. Company or Organization receiving the goods and/or services.

2. Point-of-Contact with knowledge of the goods and/or services received and the offeror’s performance:

a. First and Last name

b. Job Title

c. Phone Number(s)

d. Email Address

3. Description of the deliverable(s) and/or service provided and included the location of the service and its relevancy to the requirements of this solicitation effort.

4. Contract/Task Order Number, if any.

5. Date(s) or Period of Performance services were provided.

6. Total contract and/or delivery or task order value of the resources or services provided.

7. Copy of letter sent to company authorizing the Point-of-Contact (POC) to discuss contract performance with Government evaluators.

*In addition to the Past Performance Questionnaire, offerors shall add and submit a Capabilities Statement describing the types of relevant contracts (using the “relevant” definition as described above in this section) and the type of positions currently employed or have employed in the past 3 years along with the number of personnel on a particular project.

SUMMARY - Past Performance Submission Requirement

The Offeror shall submit evidence of relevant past performance for the contract identified in its proposal. For each referenced contract, the Offeror shall provide either:

a. A completed Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ); or

b. A customer reference, including the name, title, organization, telephone number, and email address and contract information of an individual knowledgeable of the Offeror's performance under the referenced contract.

If a customer reference is provided in lieu of a completed PPQ, the Government may contact the reference and conduct a past performance interview using the PPQ questions or other relevant inquiries to obtain performance information.

Offerors are responsible for ensuring that all reference contact information is current and accurate. The Government reserves the right to obtain past performance information from any source it deems appropriate, including customer interviews, CPARS, PPQs, or other available sources.

The failure of a reference to return a PPQ shall not, by itself, result in an adverse evaluation, provided the Government is able to obtain sufficient past performance information from references or other sources.

*NOTE: The offeror shall also send the Past Performance Questionnaire at Attachment 2 to the one designated reference and have them complete it and the offeror shall submit the completed Attachment 2 questionnaire to the Government with their proposal package by the submittal closing date or send it in advance to the named Contracting Officer or Contract Specialist named herein. The offeror is responsible for ensuring that the PPQ or reference is provided with their proposal package either in advance or included with their proposal package.

**Please note that if an offeror does not have one (1) past performance reference to submit in accordance with the above submittal requirement, the Offeror shall note this information in their proposal.

g. SUBMISSION OF THE PRICE PROPOSAL (FACTOR 4-VOLUME IV)

Volume IV contains Price Proposal information. This volume shall contain:

a. Supplies or Services and Prices (CLIN sections of the Solicitation)

b. Price Excel Spreadsheet provided by the offeror

c. Price Supporting Documentation for sub-areas – Breakout of all pricing via a separate excel spreadsheet.

d. Pricing Assumptions

The offeror shall fully support all proposed prices. An offeror’s proposal is presumed to represent the offeror’s best efforts in response to the solicitation. Any inconsistency, whether real or apparent, between promised performance and price, shall be explained in the proposal.

The offeror shall submit all proposed prices using Microsoft Excel software utilizing the formats without cells locked and including all formulas.

a. PRICE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

The price supporting documentation is required to enable the Government to perform realistic price analysis. The offeror shall provide the following price supporting documentation:

1. Summary schedule (Section B-Supplies or Services and Price/Costs) which provides the total firm-fixed-price (FFP) or not-to-exceed (NTE) amount for each CLIN and the total FFP or NTE price offered.

2. Full back-up documentation for the CLINs for the period of performance and each task area using the offeror’s own Excel spreadsheet or workbook. The back-up documentation shall detail the labor categories to be used, labor hours proposed by category back-up detail for each category.

3. Price Assumptions The offeror must submit all (if any) assumptions upon which the Price Proposal is based.

h. VOLUME V – CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION

a. The offeror's proposal shall include a signed copy of the solicitation and any amendments issued.

b. Small Business Set-Aside Requirements

This acquisition is a Total Small Business Set-Aside

Offerors shall comply with FAR 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, and all applicable Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations governing contract performance by small business concerns.

As part of their proposal submission, Offerors shall provide a brief narrative describing their intended approach to contract performance, including the anticipated use of subcontractors, teaming partners, and similarly situated entities, if any.

The narrative shall identify:

(a) The prime contractor's role in contract performance;

(b) Any anticipated subcontractors, teaming partners, or similarly situated entities;

(c) The general scope of work anticipated to be performed by each participant; and

(d) The Offeror's acknowledgment that contract performance will comply with FAR 52.219-14 and applicable SBA regulations.

The information provided under this section is for purposes of understanding the Offeror's proposed performance approach and does not constitute a separate evaluation factor.

b. SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS:

Offerors are requested to submit questions grouped by solicitation Section and refer to the Section/Sub-section or Page number.

Questions/comments on the solicitation are due no later than the date indicated below. Questions submitted after the deadline may not be answered. Questions/comments will only be considered and responded to if received via email to the contracting officer and contract specialist listed in the solicitation.

Questions relating to this acquisition shall be submitted using the following table format:

EXAMPLE: QUESTION FORMAT – TABLE 2

# Question* Solicitation Section # Solicitation Page

*NOTE: One question per row

Questions must be received before the date/time of June 12, 2026, at 2:00PM Eastern Standard Time. All questions shall be received via email and sent to the Contracting Officer, Georgette Hendricksen (georgette.hendricksen@sss.gov) and Contracting Specialist, Shimere Cooper (scooper@sss.gov) with the SUBJECT LINE: “SSS Website Modernization- Questions-Contractor Name”

Questions or requests for extension submitted after the indicated question cut-off date will not be considered. Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning this mailto:georgette.hendricksen@sss.gov mailto:scooper@sss.gov solicitation will be furnished promptly to other prospective offerors as an amendment to the solicitation.

c. DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS

The offeror shall submit proposals in accordance with the instructions identified in the Cover Page of the SF-1449. Proposals not received by or before the submission stated date noted in Box 8 on the first page of the SF-1449. (July 6, 2026 @ 3:00PM Eastern Time (ET) will not be considered.

d. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

The proposals shall be sent electronically via email only to the Contracting Officer, Georgette Hendricksen (georgette.hendricksen@sss.gov) and Contract Specialist, Shimere Cooper (scooper@sss.gov) with the SUBJECT LINE: “SSS WEBSITE

MODERNIZATION PROJECT-CONTRACTOR NAME.”

E-mail submissions cannot exceed 35MB.

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to follow up with the Contracting Officer after submitting questions and proposals to ensure receipt.

*NOTE: The Selective Service System (SSS) has a size limitation of 35MB for each e-mail to an SSS e-mail address. Electronic files shall be clearly labeled and compatible with Windows 11, Microsoft Office 365, and Adobe Acrobat.

e. PERIOD OF ACCEPTABILITY OF PROPOSALS:

Proposals and pricing shall be valid for a period of not less than 120 calendar days from the date of delivery unless another time is specified in an amendment to the solicitation.

For proposal/planning purposes only, offerors shall use a Project Start date of 20 July 2026.

52.212-2 EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES (NOV 2021)

(a) Evaluation: See FAR 52.212-2 Addendum below.

(b) Options. The Government will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

(c) A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer’s specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

(End of provision)

52.212-2 ADDENDUM-EVALUATION-COMMERCIAL ITEMS (DEC 2006)

Paragraph (a), Evaluation:

I. BASIS FOR AWARD:

mailto:georgette.hendricksen@sss.gov mailto:scooper@sss.gov

1. The Government anticipates awarding a Contract to the offeror whose proposal is the most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Technical proposals will be evaluated based on the factors described in the submittal and evaluation sections (Reference 52.212-1 and 52.212-2 Addendums). Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the factors set forth in the submittal and evaluation sections of this solicitation, including the instructions in the 52.212-1 Addendum and the evaluation criteria in the 52.212-2 Addendum.

The Government will conduct a best value tradeoff source selection in accordance with FAR 15.101-1.

Award will be made to the responsible Offeror whose proposal is determined to represent the greatest overall value to the Government, considering the relative importance of technical factors and price.

Only technical proposals receiving an overall technical rating of “GOOD” or higher will be eligible for award. All evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are significantly more important than price.

Award may be given to the offeror whose proposal is determined to be the best value for the Government.

This acquisition is being conducted under FAR Part 15 best value trade-off. Accordingly, the Government reserves the right to do any or all the following:

a. Award on initial proposals, without discussion.

b. The Government may make award based on initial offers received or the Government may make award after clarification of some aspects of the proposal or discussions related to the proposal.

c. Have communications, ask clarifying questions, request corrections relative to minor errors in the price proposal, or request price substantiating documentation to facilitate the Government’s final evaluation of price proposals with one or some offerors. These communications, clarifications, or requests for corrections or substantiating documentation will not materially change the offeror’s proposal in terms of conformance to the Contract requirements, constitute discussions, or materially change pricing.

d. The Government reserves the right not to consider for award any proposal that does not adhere to the administrative requirements presented in the Instructions to Offerors of this solicitation.

e. Proposals shall set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by this complete solicitation package. The penalty for making false statements in proposals is prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

f. NOTE: The Government intends to establish a competitive range consisting of the most highly rated proposals based on the evaluation factors identified in this solicitation and that have been determined to have a reasonable chance of being selected for award. In determining the competitive range, the Government will consider the relative technical strengths, weaknesses, deficiencies, significant weaknesses, evaluated performance risk, and evaluated price and price-related factors and relative standing of proposals against all evaluation factors. Accordingly, the Government reserves the right to reduce the number of proposals in the competitive range for purposes of efficiency pursuant to FAR 15.306(c), and limit it to the most highly rated proposals to enhance efficiency in the conduct of discussions and the source selection process.

g. Only proposals determined to be eligible for award will be included in the competitive range.

The receipt of an evaluation rating of NOT ACCEPTABLE in any single Factor will result in the overall proposal being determined NOT ACCEPTABLE and, therefore, ineligible for award.

2. The Government will evaluate proposals to determine the extent to which each proposal demonstrates an understanding of the requirements and capability to successfully fulfil the contract.

During the evaluation process, the Government may identify strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, deficiencies, and risks associated with each proposal. For purposes of this evaluation:

• Strength means an aspect of a proposal that enhances the probability of successful contract performance or provides a benefit to the Government.

• Weakness means a flaw in the proposal that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

• Significant Weakness means a flaw in the proposal that appreciably increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance.

• Deficiency means a material failure of a proposal to meet a Government requirement or a combination of significant weaknesses that increases the risk of unsuccessful contract performance to an unacceptable level.

• Risk means the potential for disruption of schedule, increased cost, degradation of performance, or the need for increased Government oversight.

3. The Government will evaluate proposals using the following factors:

Factor 1 – Technical Capability and Project Schedule

Factor 2 – Management Approach

Factor 3 – Past Performance

Factor 4 – Price

4. Relative Importance of Factors:

The following factors will be used to evaluate proposals:

1. Technical Capability and Project Schedule

2. Management Approach

3. Past Performance

4. Price

Factor 1, Technical Capability and Project Schedule, is the most important factor and is significantly more important than Factors 2, 3, and 4 combined.

When combined, the non-price factors are significantly more important than Price.

The Government will place substantial emphasis on an Offeror’s demonstrated ability to successfully execute the requirement and achieve the required completion date. Technical approaches that reduce performance risk and increase confidence in meeting the required schedule will be more favorably evaluated.

For purposes of this solicitation:

• An “Acceptable” rating indicates the proposal meets minimum requirements but may contain moderate performance risk.

• A “Good” or “Outstanding” rating indicates the proposal exceeds minimum requirements and provides increased confidence in successful performance, including reduced risk and/or enhanced technical approaches.

• Risk is an integral part of the evaluation and is not separate from the adjectival rating.

Ratings are further defined in the table below:

Technical Evaluation Ratings for Factors 1 and 2 and their respective areas:

Table 3 for Combined Technical/Risk Ratings FACTORS 1 and 2 will be evaluated using the following combined technical/risk adjectival ratings:

Rating Description Outstanding Proposal indicates an exceptional approach and understanding of the requirements and contains multiple strengths, and presents a low risk of unsuccessful performance.

Good Proposal indicates a thorough approach and understanding of the requirements and contains at least one strength, and risk of unsuccessful performance is low to moderate.

Acceptable Proposal meets requirements and indicates an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements, and risk of unsuccessful performance is no worse than moderate.

Marginal Proposal has not demonstrated an adequate approach and understanding of the requirements, and/or risk of unsuccessful performance is high.

Unacceptable Proposal does not meet requirements of the solicitation, and thus contains one or more deficiencies, and/or risk of unsuccessful performance is unacceptable. Proposal is not awardable.

The adjectival ratings reflect the Government’s assessment of both technical merit and performance risk.

Ratings of “Acceptable” represent proposals that meet minimum requirements but may contain moderate performance risk. Ratings of “Good” or “Outstanding” reflect proposals that exceed minimum requirements and provide increased confidence in successful performance, including reduced risk and/or enhanced technical approaches as described above.

Proposal Eligibility for Award

To be eligible for award:

• A proposal must receive an overall technical rating of “Good” or higher, and

• A proposal must not receive a rating of “Unacceptable” in any evaluation factor, which will render the proposal ineligible for award.

Proposals that do not meet this minimum eligibility standard will not be further considered for award.

1. FACTOR 1: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY AND SCHEDULE

To perform this portion of the evaluation, the Government will review the information provided by the offeror related to its understanding of the requirements. The Government will evaluate the following:

a. The relevancy and comprehensiveness of the offeror’s proposal Technical Approach to meeting the risk requirements of the PWS and the resultant Contract.

b. The technical approach will also be assessed to determine the degree to which the offeror include the planned steps in describing the processes, manpower, resources, certifications, and schedules to ensure fulfillment of the standards required in the Government’s PWS.

c. The evaluation of the offeror’s technical approach will also determine the degree to which the approach is clear, logical, practical, efficient, cost effective, and complete.

d. The offeror’s proposal will also be reviewed to assess the risks associated with the proposed approach and the risk mitigation measures.’

e. SCHEDULE: Further, the Government will evaluate the extent to which the offeror demonstrates a clear, realistic, and achievable approach to the completion of all required work by September 25, 2026.

Evaluation will consider:

1. The completeness and feasibility of the proposal project schedule.

2. The adequacy of staffing and resource allocation

3. Identification and management of performance risks

4. The likelihood that the offeror can successfully complete all requirements by

September 25, 2026.

5. The offeror’s demonstrated understanding of schedule-critical activities and mitigation strategies.

PROPOSALS THAT FAIL TO PROVIDE A CREDIBLE APPROACH FOR MEETING THE

REQUIRED COMPLETION DATE MAY BE RATED LOWER OR FOUND UNACCEPTABLE.

2. FACTOR 2: MANAGEMENT APPROACH

The management approach will be evaluated to assess the degree to which it reflects an effective, efficient, feasible, and practical level of understanding of the operating environment in accomplishing the tasks and deliverables of this contract from a management perspective, particularly those areas described in the submittal section with minimal risk.

The Government will also evaluate the following areas under FACTOR 2 - Management Approach:

a. Management Plan-The plan will be evaluated to assess the offeror’s ability and experience to manage the requirements of the solicitation to include providing qualified personnel to perform the requirements of the PWS and the offeror’s organizational structure and management and leadership positions and lines of authority to achieve the requirements of the PWS.

b. Submittal Verification – The contractor credentials and validation confirmation will be evaluated for compliance with the Government’s security, access and authentication requirements in the PWS.

c. Key personnel and project manager and alternate. The documentation will evaluate the extent to which the Offeror demonstrates the capability to effectively manage and execute the requirements of the PWS. Specifically, the Government will evaluate:

Key Personnel:

• The relevance, depth, and quality of experience of proposal key personnel

• The extent to which proposed personnel possess experience performing work of similar size, scope, complexity, and technical requirements

• Professional certifications, resumes, education, and specialized qualifications relevant to the requirement.

• The demonstrated ability of Key Personnel to successfully lead comparable projects and achieve required outcomes.

• The staffing plan demonstrating that the offeror understands the scope, quality control processes, and risks of the requirement and personnel necessary to meet required milestones and schedule requirements.

d. FACTOR 3-PAST PERFORMANCE:

The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s past performance to assess the Offeror’s probability of successful performance and ability to perform the contract successfully based on relevant past performance information. This assessment is based on the Offeror’s record of relevant and recent past performance information that pertains to the requirements outlined in the solicitation. Past performance will be rated as indicated in the Table below. The Government reserves the right to consider data available: 1) through the Past Performance Questionnaire, 2). Customer reference interview, and 3) in the statistical reporting module of the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) regarding the offeror’s past performance history for the services being purchased or any other sources available to the Government, other Federal databases;

references from Program Managers and Contracting Officers; past customers; Government agencies and activities and other sources deemed necessary.

Relevancy-Past performance evaluation will consist of three elements. The first element is relevancy. Relevancy is defined as a similar scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires. An evaluation of the offeror's past performance is done to determine how relevant a recent effort accomplished by the offeror is to the effort to be acquired through the source selection. Recent is defined as a performance that is no older than three years from the date the solicitation is issued. Past performance information from an offeror or its subcontractors for which the offeror or its subcontractors were not listed as a prime will not be considered relevant.

In conducting a performance relevancy assessment, each offeror shall be assigned one of the ratings in Table 4.

Confidence Assessments - The second element of the past performance evaluation is to determine how well the contractor performed on the previous relevant contracts. The Government will review past performance information and determine the quality and usefulness as it applies to performance confidence assessment.

Table 4. Past Performance Relevancy Ratings

Rating Definition Relevant Present/past performance effort involved similar scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

Not Relevant Present/past performance effort involved little or none of the scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

In conducting a performance confidence assessment, each offeror shall be assigned one of the ratings in Table 5.

Table 5. Performance Confidence Assessments

Rating Description Substantial Confidence Based on the offeror's recent/relevant performance record, the Government has a high expectation that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

Satisfactory Confidence Based on the offeror's recent/relevant performance record, the Government has a reasonable expectation that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

Neutral Confidence No recent/relevant performance record is available, or the offeror's performance record is so sparse that no meaningful confidence assessment rating can be reasonably assigned. The offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on the factor of past performance.

Limited Confidence Based on the offeror's recent/relevant performance record, the Government has low expectations that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

No Confidence Based on the offeror's recent/relevant performance record, the Government has no expectation that the offeror will be able to successfully perform the required effort.

NOTE: Offerors without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or is so sparse that a past performance rating cannot be reasonably assigned will not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance and as a result, will receive a “Neutral” rating for the Past Performance factor. However, the Government reserves the right to decide that a “Satisfactory” past performance rating is worth more than a “Neutral” past performance rating in a best value determination.

The Government may reject a proposal if it is found that the offeror deleted, misrepresented, or withheld any information that might have a negative impact on its past performance record.

e. FACTOR 4-PRICE PROPOSAL EVALUATION

1. The offeror’s price proposal will be evaluated to assess price realism and reasonableness. Prices that are excessively high or low (without sufficient justification) may be considered unrealistic and unreasonable and may receive no further consideration. Any proposal that is not within the total estimated level of effort cited in the PWS shall include an explanation that specifically draws the Government’s attention to any unique technical aspects of the proposal the offeror would like the Government to consider as the justification for the deviation from the range. In addition, price will be evaluated and considered in the source selection decision. However, the Government is willing to pay a price premium for proposals that provide demonstrable advantages in

Technical Capability and Project Schedule when those advantages are determined to provide meaningful, realistic value and reduced…