Industry Questions and Government Responses.docx

Pre-Solicitation Notice ID - ATAEP-0001

Q1: We assume that the USN went with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) because of the total number of respondents that fit this category. However, the same number are qualified in that category as for the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). Because I am wanting to learn, are you willing to share your rationale as to why you decided to go with SDVOSB?

A2: The Procuring Contracting Officer took several factors into consideration including those identified in FAR 19.203(d) as well as input from NAWCTSD’s Office for Small Business Programs (OSBP) and the Market Research team. Factors considered include: the current incumbent being SDVOSB with satisfactory or better record of performance, receipt of at least two capable whitepapers in response to our Sources Sought Notice from the SDVOSB socio-economic group, as well as NAWCTSD’s overall progress towards SDVOSB goal achievement which fell short in FY22. Please note that the decision was not based on which group has more or less numbers of capable whitepapers, but rather ensuring that the selected socio-economic group met the “rule of two” among the other aforementioned considerations.

Q2: In reference to the paragraph in the letter sent yesterday it states that: “Further, regardless of the Sources Sought Notice results, the capability assessment above does not pre-determine an offeror’s qualifications for any future competition. All companies are eligible to submit a proposal in response to a NAWCTSD solicitation for products described in the Sources Sought Notice referenced herein - as long as the company meets the designate size standards” Can we still bid on this effort as long as we meet the size standards even though we are not a SDVOSB?

A2: No, your firm must be certified as SDVOSB and qualify as small under the size standard associated with the NAICS code assigned to this procurement (541330 exception 1, which carries a $47M small business size standard) to submit a proposal as a prime contractor for this effort. Your firm can also team with an SDVOSB prime. If a non-SDVOSB company were to submit a proposal for this effort, their proposal would not be evaluated.