ATMOS FINAL RFP Cover Letter.pdf

TO: All Potential Offerors

SUBJECT: Request for Proposal (RFP), Solicitation No. 80GSFC24R0037, for Atmosphere Support (ATMOS)

You are invited to submit a proposal in response to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)’s Atmosphere Support (ATMOS) solicitation. The principal purpose of this requirement is research support that conducts a comprehensive atmospheric science research and technology development program directed towards observing, monitoring, characterizing, modeling, understanding, and advancing knowledge of the Earth’s atmosphere. The research program is aimed at understanding the structure, dynamics, and radiative properties of clouds, aerosols, and precipitation; understanding atmospheric chemistry, especially the role of natural and anthropogenic trace species on the ozone balance in the stratosphere and troposphere; understanding the influence of solar variability on the Earth’s climate; and advancing our understanding of the physical properties of the Earth’s atmosphere including its interaction with the Earth’s surface.

NASA will conduct this acquisition as a Small Business Set-Aside competition. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541715 and the small business size standard is 1,000.

This competitive acquisition will result in an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) with the ability to issue CPFF task orders. The contract will have an effective ordering period of 5 years from the contract effective date. The anticipated contract award date is April 30, 2025, with a June 1, 2025 contract effective date. The contract will be performed onsite at NASA GSFC.

Alternate places of performance may be specified in individual task orders issued.

Potential offerors should pay close attention to all solicitation instructions; however, the following requirements list is summarized to assist in proposal development. Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and the solicitation terms and conditions and provisions in sections L and M take precedence:

1. A 30-day Phase-in period will be conducted. A Phase-in period will be conducted under a separate purchase order during the 30-day period prior to the effective date of the contract.

2. The Government will make available existing Installation-Accountable Government Property (IAGP) for onsite contract performance and Government Furnished Property (GFP) for offsite use at the Contractor’s facility as described in the RFP.

3. NASA has determined that this acquisition may give rise to a potential organizational conflict of interest (OCI). Offerors should refer to clause H.2 1852.209-71 Limitation of Future Contracting, for a description of the potential conflict(s) and any restrictions on future contracting.

Offerors should also refer to clause L.8 Notice of Potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest for OCI plan instructions. The attention of prospective Offerors is invited to FAR Subpart 9.5 --Organizational Conflicts of Interest. The Contracting Officer (CO) shall not award a contract until NASA determines any OCI is reasonably resolved. The proposed OCI Plan shall be consistent with all other areas of the proposal. Material inconsistencies between the OCI Plan and other proposal areas may render the proposal invalid, resulting in an unacceptable proposal that is ineligible for award.

4. NASA GSFC appreciates the comments received in response to the release of the Draft

RFP. These comments resulted in improvements to the quality and content of the overall RFP. Offerors should review the RFP in its entirety, as its content has changed from the Draft RFP version. The following list identifies some areas where significant changes or clarifications have been made from the Draft RFP to this final RFP that may not have been addressed in the Draft RFP questions and responses:

• H.2 has been replaced with Limitation of Future Contracting Clause L.8, NOTICE OF POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF

INTEREST (OCT 2021) has been added.

• Provision L.14: Change in “recent” Past Performance Volume Requirement from three (3) years to five (5) years.

• Provision M.4: Change in “recent” Past Performance Evaluation Requirement from three (3) years to five (5) years.

• Removal of the Total Compensation Plan requirement and corresponding exhibits

• Provision L.12, Subfactor B, paragraph B.5 has been revised to incorporate language requesting potential offerors to submit their plans for retaining incumbent employees.

• Clause B.3 has been updated to include five (5) additional deliverables (Items 23-27).

• Included the Government Property List, Attachment I.2, in Section J.

• Updated the Government Pricing Model, Enclosure BB

This list is not intended to cover all changes nor describe all RFP requirements. Offerors should carefully review the RFP in its entirety.

5. Be advised, in accordance with provision L.14, Offerors need to encourage their references to submit their Past Performance Questionnaires directly to the Contracting Officer prior to proposal due date.

6. Below is a list of the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and voting members along with their associated NASA GSFC organizational codes, for the Source Evaluation Board (SEB). The names provided are for informational purposes only and other than the Contracting Officer, Michelle R. Padfield, these individuals shall not be contacted regarding this acquisition. The Government may change personnel associated with this acquisition at its discretion.

SSA

• David L. Pierce, Code 100

Voting Members

• Yuekui Yang, Code 613

• Natalya A. Kramarova, Code 614

• Glenn R. Jaross, Code 614

• Frank G. Coleman, Code 670

7. Offerors are required to have a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code that matches the corporate address submitted with its proposal.

8. The ATMOS online Reference Library can be found at www.SAM.gov, Notice ID

80GSFC24R0037.

Offerors are encouraged to refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision 52.215-1, INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS–COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION, in particular paragraph (f)(4) which discusses the Government’s right to award a contract without discussions.

In order to control and protect sensitive data owned by the Government and its Contractors, NASA policy required all acquisition-related documents be released in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). While the RFP’s Cost Volume exhibits are in PDF format, the Offeror’s Cost Volume proposal shall include completed Cost Volume exhibits in Microsoft Office Excel format with working cell formulas. Instructions for converting from PDF format to Excel format can be found in the provision GSFC 52.215-201 PROPOSAL PREPARATION -

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS. (APR 2022).

Documents related to this acquisition, including this letter, the solicitation, attachments, exhibits, any amendments and links to online reference/technical/bidders library will be attainable electronically from the World Wide Web through the Government-wide point of entry website at www.SAM.gov. Potential Offerors are requested to periodically monitor the websites for updates.

NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) clause 1852.215-84, OMBUDSMAN, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/Procurement-Ombuds-Comp-Advocate- Listing.pdf

This RFP does not commit NASA GSFC to pay any proposal preparation costs, nor does it obligate NASA GSFC to procure or contract for these services. This request is not an authorization to proceed and does not authorize payment for any charges incurred by the offeror for performing any of the work called for in this solicitation.

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation shall be due no later than November 27, 2024, 4PM EST. Proposals for this solicitation are required to be submitted through NASA’s Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box), a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform.

Potential offerors, especially those that have not previously submitted a proposal utilizing NASA’s EFSS Box, are encouraged to review the solicitation instruction entitled “Electronic Proposal Delivery - Proposal Marking and Delivery Through NASA’s EFSS Box” which provides instructions related to the submission of proposal via EFSS Box. Offerors are encouraged to check with their corporate IT staff to determine if there are firewall restrictions that would need to be addressed prior to the submission of proposal files through NASA’s EFSS Box.

In accordance with NFS 1815.201(f), a “Blackout Notice” has been issued to NASA personnel. All inquiries/communications pertaining to this acquisition shall be directed only to the Contract Specialist listed below.

All questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing, electronically to Jeffrey Kirk Contract Specialist at Jeffrey.S.Kirk@nasa.gov on or before November 13, 2024. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions as soon as possible for consideration.

Thank you for your support. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Ayana A. Briscoe Contracting Officer