Attachment 18- GARB Section L Proposal Instructions .docx

Section L – Instructions, Conditions, and Notices to Offerors L1 GENERAL INFORMATION L1.1. General Information

This section of the instructions to offerors (ITO) provides general guidance for preparing proposals as well as specific instructions on the format and content of the proposal. The offeror’s proposal must include all data and information requested by the ITO and submitted in accordance with (IAW) these instructions. Any offeror who submits an incomplete Request for Proposal (RFP) or does not conform to these instructions may be considered non-responsive and may not be evaluated or considered eligible for award.

Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including the terms and conditions, representations, and certifications. Failure to meet a solicitation requirement may result in an offeror’s proposal being ineligible for award.

The offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the RFP, Performance Work Statement (PWS) (Attachment 1), Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) (Attachment 2), Technical Libraries (Attachment 7 thru Attachment 12), and any additional solicitation attachments. NOTE: Offerors shall make no changes or modifications outside of Section L instructions to the solicitation or its attachment(s). Any such changes or modifications will be rejected and render the proposal ineligible for award.

The Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition, so offerors are advised to submit their best pricing and technical information up-front. Multiple offers will not be accepted. Upon examination of the initial offers, the PCO will determine if adequate price competition exists. No additional price information will be requested and certification under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.406-2, Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data, will not be required. However, if at any time during this competition the PCO determines that adequate price competition no longer exists, offerors may be required to submit information, other than certified cost or pricing data, to the extent necessary for the PCO to determine the reasonableness and affordability of the price.

The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and substantiation of stated claims. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements but shall provide convincing rationale to address how the offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume that the Government has no prior knowledge of their capabilities and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror’s proposal. Elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired.

Proposals must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the nature and scope of work required. The Government will not search for data to cure problems or address inconsistencies in proposals. Each offeror shall submit a complete proposal in accordance with these instructions. The Government may consider any failure to comply with these instructions to be indicative of what could be expected from the offeror during performance and may render the proposal ineligible for evaluation purposes. General statements (i.e., "will comply," "noted and understood," “in accordance with industry best practices/standards,") without supporting narrative are not acceptable. Cursory responses or responses that merely reiterate or paraphrase the language contained within the PWS does not satisfy the requirements of the solicitation.

L1.2 Acceptance Period

The Government requires a minimum acceptance period of 180 calendar days from the date of receipt of offers; however, offerors may specify an acceptance period exceeding the Government’s minimum requirement. The offeror’s proposal must affirmatively state an acceptance period equal to, or greater than, 180 calendar days. Failure to affirm may render proposal ineligible for evaluation purposes.

L1.3 Retainability/Disposal

IAW FAR Subpart 4.8, Government Contract Files, the Government will retain electronic copies of all proposals.

L1.4 Government Points of Contact (POCs)

The Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) is the only person who can bind the Government, enter into a contract for this acquisition. Address any questions, concerns, or requests for clarification pertaining to the RFP, or any of its attachments to the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO) and/or the Contract Specialists (CS) and courtesy copy the PCO. For all things other than the proposal, email is the preferred method of communication. The designated POCs are:

Mr. Juan Martinez, Procuring Contract Officer (PCO) Phone: (210) 816-1748 E-mail: juan.martinez.82@us.af.mil

Ms. Cynthia Stephen, Administrative Contract Officer (ACO) Phone: (765)688-2802 E-mail: cynthia.stephen@us.af.mil

Mr. Thomas Bellamy, Contract Specialist (CS) Phone: (765)688-3838 E-mail: thomas.bellamy@us.af.mil

The deadline for any questions, concerns, and/or requests for clarification is no later than seven (7) calendar days after the pre-proposal conference. The decision whether to respond to questions, concerns, and requests for clarification received more than seven (7) calendar days after the pre-proposal conference shall be at the sole discretion of the PCO.

All timely questions will be answered officially through posting on System for Award Management website https://www.sam.gov and Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), https://piee.eb.mil, Solicitation Module. Failure of a prospective offerors to submit any questions will be construed that the prospective offeror fully understands all requirements of the solicitation.

L1.5 Debriefing

The PCO will promptly notify offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competition or competitive range if a competitive range is established; whereupon the offeror may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505, Preaward Debriefing of Offerors. Offerors excluded from the competition or 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. (NOTE: Offerors excluded from the competitive range are entitled to no more than one (1) debriefing for each proposal submitted.) The PCO will notify unsuccessful offerors in the competitive range of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR 15.506, Postaward Debriefing of Offerors. Upon such notification, unsuccessful offerors may request and receive a debriefing. Offerors desiring a debriefing must make their request IAW the requirements of FAR 15.505, or FAR 15.506, as applicable. See further discussions in M1.2, Competitive Range Determination.

L1.6 Discrepancies

If an offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the offeror shall immediately notify the ACO in writing. The notification shall include supporting rationale and remedies for the ACO to consider as related to the omission or error.

L1.7 Electronic Reference Documents

This is an all-electronic solicitation release. Hard copies are not available. The Government will post all referenced documents for public release for the solicitation and award of this requirement on SAM.gov (Contract Opportunities) website at https://www.sam.gov and Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) (Solicitation Module) website at https://piee.eb.mil *Vendors must be registered in PIEE Solicitation Module with the role of Proposal Manager. https://pieetraining.eb.mil/wbt/sol/Proposal_Manager.pdf.

Certain identified documents within the Technical Library are not suitable for public release and will be made available upon request by emailing the Government POCs as identified in L1.4 or requesting via SAM.gov.

Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Clause 252.204-7012 requires all Department of Defense contractors and subcontractors to implement cybersecurity requirements in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations. Your NIST assessment results must be documented in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) at https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/. We would suggest you go to the SPRS homepage and use the vendor quick reference guides to help you complete the process. There is also an SPRS support number on the bottom of the homepage that you can call for assistance with getting directions on how to complete the process.

It is the responsibility of each offeror to review SAM.gov for posting of amendments and updates or changes to current information. Potential offerors are encouraged to “follow” and/or “subscribe” for real time e-mail notifications and/or monitor SAM.gov and/or PIEE for updates to this solicitation.

L1.8 Oral Presentation

The Government will not utilize nor consider oral presentations for this solicitation.

L1.9 Exchanges with Offerors

Exchanges of source selection information between the Government and offerors will be controlled by the ACO. Exchanges with industry will be via email or DoD SAFE with proper subject lines titled “Grissom BOS – Source Selection Information,” and controls to preserve the integrity of the source selection process.

L1.10 Amendments to the Solicitation

If this RFP is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged and in full force and effect. Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment by providing signed copies of the amendment(s) as part of the offeror’s proposal. Failure to do so may render the proposal ineligible for evaluation review.

L1.11 Submission, Modification/Revision, and Withdrawal of Proposals

Proposals shall be complete and submitted prior to the date and time specified in the SF 33, Solicitation, Offer, and Award, Item 9. The proposal, modification(s)/revision(s) of a proposal shall only be accepted if delivered electronically via PIEE. See paragraph L1.13, Submittal of Proposal, below for instructions on how to submit documents via PIEE. No other means of delivery will be accepted.

L1.12 Proposal Organization and Content

The proposal shall be organized into four (4) volumes: Volume I, Contract Documentation and RFP, Volume II, Technical, Volume III, Past Performance, and Volume IV, Price. The information within each volume shall be organized as described herein and in Table 1, Proposal Organization and Content and Page Limitations, to facilitate evaluation.

TABLE 1. Proposal Organization and Content, and Page Limitations

Volume

Title Electronic Copy (PIEE)

Page Limit

Section 3: Subfactors

Volume

Title Electronic Copy (PIEE)

Page Limit

Section 6: Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

L1.12.1 Page Limitation

Refer to Table 1, Proposal Organization and Content and Page Limitations, for page limitations. Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages occurring after the page limit will be removed and will not be considered. Page limitations may also be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs). The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the notice. Each page shall be counted except the following: title pages, tabs, indexes, and those noted in the proposal organization table as “No Limit”.

L1.12.2 Page Size and Format

A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. Page size shall be 8.5” x 11”. Page line spacing shall be no less than single spacing. Except for the reproduced sections of the solicitation document, the font shall be Times New Roman, and the text size shall be no less than 12-point. Tracking, kerning, and leading values shall not be changed from the default values of the word processing or page layout software. Use at least 1” margins on the top and bottom and 1” side margins. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume with the exception of Volume II Technical. Pages may be made by Subfactor for Volume II. The page size and format restrictions shall apply to responses to ENs. These limitations shall apply to all electronic proposals and revisions. Any page(s) that do not meet this requirement will not be considered in the evaluation.

L1.12.3 Tables, Charts, Graphs, and Figures

Legible tables, charts, graphs, and figures shall be used wherever practical to depict organizations, systems and layout, implementation schedules, plans, etc. These displays shall be uncomplicated and shall not exceed 11” x 17” in size. For the Technical Volume, text intended for evaluation within all tables, charts, graphs, and figures, to include imbedded images, shall be no less than Times New Roman 8-point font. These limitations shall apply to all electronic copies. Any text within tables, charts, graphs, and figures that do not meet this requirement will not be considered in the evaluation.

L1.12.4 Title Page

A title page shall be included in each volume, clearly marked as to the volume number and title, solicitation title and number, offeror’s name and email address, and marked “ORIGINAL” or if a revised volume, “REVISION 1,” “REVISION 2,” etc.

L1.12.5 Table of Contents

Each proposal volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that proposal volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections. Include an indexed list of tables, charts, graphs, figures, and drawings, as applicable. Table of contents pages do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

L1.12.6 Labeling

Apply all appropriate markings on proposals including those prescribed in FAR 52.215-1(e), Restriction on Disclosure and Use of Data, and FAR 3.104-4, Disclosure, Protection, and Markings of Contractor Price or Proposal Information and Source Selection Information.

For PIEE submissions: Offerors shall title PIEE Title Names to be marked “Solicitation #, “CUI” and “Source Selection Information IAW FAR 2.101 and FAR 3.104”.

L1.12.7 Team List

A team list of the offeror’s primary points of contact (POCs), significant subcontractors, teaming partners, and/or mentor-protégé shall be submitted in the Technical Volume. A significant subcontractor is defined as an entity (subcontractor and/or teaming contractor), other than the offeror itself that will perform any tab within the PWS in its entirety. The list shall include the persons full name (first and last), street address, telephone number, fax number, and email address. The team list pages do not count against the page limitations for Technical Volume II.

L1.12.8 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Each proposal volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used within that volume with an explanation for each. Glossaries do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

L1.12.9 Cross-Referencing

Offerors shall write each volume on a stand-alone basis so that the Government may evaluate its contents without cross-referencing to other volumes of the proposal. Information required for proposal evaluation, which is not found in its designated volume, will be assumed to have been omitted from the proposal.

L1.12.10 Price Information

All pricing information shall be addressed ONLY in Volume IV, Price, and Volume I, Contract Documentation, of the proposal.

L1.13 Submittal of Proposal

Electronic copies of each volume shall be submitted through the Solicitation Module of the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) suite at https://piee.eb.mil/piee-landing/. Proposals submitted by any other method will not be evaluated. Proposals sent through proprietary or third-party File Transfer Protocol (FTP) sites or DoD SAFE will not be retrieved and will not be evaluated. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to confirm receipt of proposals, with the ACO and CS via email. All proposals received after the exact time specified for receipt shall be treated as late submissions and will not be considered except under facts and circumstances allowed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). For instructions on how to post an offer on PIEE, please refer to the Posting Offer demo: https://pieetraining.eb.mil/wbt/xhtml/wbt/sol/solicitation/proposals.xhtml.

It is the Offeror’s responsibility to obtain written (email) confirmation of receipt of all electronic files of the full proposal by the 434th Contracting office ACO or CS. In the event that the Solicitation Module is down, additional information will be provided via SAM.gov for alternative submission methods as necessary.

Offerors are responsible for ensuring electronic copies are virus-free and shall run an anti-virus scan before submission. Electronic copies of each volume shall be compatible with the following software products: latest Microsoft (MS) Word, MS Office Excel, MS Office Power Point for Microsoft 365, or Adobe PDF. Narrative portions of the proposal shall be in Adobe Acrobat portable document file (pdf) searchable text format. The Offeror shall not embed sound or video (e.g., MPEG) files. Electronic files shall be clearly identified for each volume, section, and item.

Each proposal shall include four (4) volumes containing all of the required information in Table 1, Proposal Organization and Content and Page Limitations. The electronic copy shall not be linked to any other document. Any proposal with sound/video files embedded will not be evaluated.

L2.0 VOLUME I. CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION and RFP

L2.1 General

The Contract Documentation and RFP Volume provides information to the Government for preparing the contract document and supporting file.

L2.2 Contract Documentation and RFP Volume Organization and Content

The Contract Documentation and RFP Volume shall consist of the following sections:

Section 1: Table of Contents Section 2: SF 33 and Amendment(s) Section 3: Representations and Certifications Section 4: Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements Section 5: Authorized Offeror Personnel Section 6: Company/Division Address, Identifying Codes, and Applicable Designations Section 7: Financial Capability Section 8: Teaming Agreement/Letter of Intent Section 9: Facility Clearance Proof Section 10: Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Section 1: Table of Contents

The offeror’s proposal shall include a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within the Contract Documentation Volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections. Include an indexed list of tables, charts, graphs, figures, and drawings, if applicable.

Section 2: SF 33 and Amendments

Offerors must provide a signed copy of the official solicitation SF 33 with Items 15a through 18 completed by the Offeror and all issued amendments must be acknowledged in Item 14 with Amendment Number and Date completed by the Offeror for each amendment issued. Additional amendments may be acknowledged by addendum.

Section 3: Representations and Certifications

The offeror shall complete the annual representations and certifications electronically via the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov. After reviewing the SAM database information, the offeror verifies, by submission of this proposal, that the representation and certifications currently posted electronically are correct. Any missing information or incorrect data may render a proposal non-responsive and ineligible for award. This becomes crucial if the Government determines to award without discussions.

To ensure the offeror acknowledges the requirements in FAR 52.204-8(d), Annual Representations and Certifications, we request that the offeror insert ‘none’ in Section 3, Representations and Certifications, if applicable.

Section 4: Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements

Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, to include the terms and conditions, representations, certifications, and PWS requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or subfactors. Failure to meet a requirement may result in an offer being ineligible for award. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation requirements and provide complete supporting rationale in the Contract Documentation Volume. Each exception shall specifically cite a PWS paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. Provide rationale in support of the exception and fully explain its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, cost, and specific requirements of the solicitation. The Government reserves the right to determine any such exceptions unacceptable, and the proposal, therefore, ineligible for award.

Section 5: Authorized Offeror Personnel

Provide the full name (first and last), title, email address, street address, and telephone number of the company/division POC regarding decisions made with respect to the offeror’s proposal and who can obligate the offeror’s company as a signatory on a contract of this magnitude. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government.

Section 6: Company/Division Address, Identifying Codes, and Applicable Designations

Provide company/division’s street address, county, facility code, CAGE code, Unique Entity Identifier, and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). This same information must be provided if the work for this contract will be performed at any other location(s). List all locations where work is to be performed and indicate whether such facility is a division, affiliate, or subcontractor, and the percentage of work to be performed at each location.

Section 7: Financial Capability

In order to determine contractor responsibility IAW FAR 9.104-1, General Standards, and in compliance with DFARS 232.072, Financial Responsibly of Contractors, the offeror shall explain how it plans to maintain adequate financial capability for a contract of this scope, magnitude of effort, and duration. Offeror shall submit a completed financial institution reference sheet from their financial institution. (See Attachment 21, Financial Institution Reference Sheet). Incomplete financial institution reference sheets may not be accepted and may cause an offeror to be ineligible for award. Offerors must provide the last three (3) years financial statements and Statements of Cash Flows for the firms or corporations proposed, and year-to-date financial information through the last quarter available. The year-end financial statements must be certified by an independent accounting firm, if practicable, or at least by an authorized officer of the organization.

The above information shall be provided for the prime offeror and significant subcontractors, joint venture partners, teaming partners, and/or mentor-protégé partners who are proposed to perform on this effort. If the offeror is a combination of firms (including joint venture partners, teaming partners, and mentor-protege, individual companies which comprise the proposed organization, and/or key and significant subcontractors), the proposal shall discuss the financial responsibilities among the companies.

Significant subcontractors and teaming partners may submit the Financial Capability and any other sensitive information separately. The information must be submitted on or before the proposal due date. Those significant subcontractors and teaming partners shall email (preferred method) or request a DoD SAFE drop-off request via email to the ACO and CS three business days prior to proposal due date. Note: DoD Safe drop-off request codes are only valid for 14 days. Codes are one-time use only. In the submission comments, ensure to state which proposal the information shall be a part of, the company’s name and CAGE code.

Section 8: Teaming Agreement/Letter of Intent If a teaming arrangement/joint venture is contemplated, provide complete, verifiable information detailing the arrangement, to include any relevant and recent information on previous teaming arrangements/joint venture with same partner. Submit information relative to the formation, organization and operation of the business unit. Additional information to be submitted shall include cost and revenue sharing agreements and any other information which describes the business arrangement. Disclose existing or planned agreements between and among the principals, each company’s responsibility for financial management of the venture, the business systems contemplated for use by the entity and their location. The Government will verify the offeror and its first-tier subcontractors or joint venture as a whole when a signed Teaming Agreement, Letter of Intent or Joint Venture Agreement committing all parties to performance under this contract are submitted. Unsigned Teaming Agreements, Letters of Intent, or Joint Venture Agreements that do not comply will not be accepted by the Government and will result in an offeror’s proposal being ineligible for award.

Section 9: Facility Clearance Proof

Offeror will provide proof of their current facility clearance. Facility Clearance must be at the same level as the DD254 (Attachment 5, DD-254). Offerors must show that the prime offeror has

(1) at least a SECRET final facility clearance level, or (2) at least an interim SECRET facility clearance, or (3) an existing facility clearance sponsorship letter and documentation that reasonably demonstrates that the process is in the final stages and likely to be completed no later than 1 December 2023. Proposals that do not satisfy one of the above criteria will be ineligible for award. In the case of Teaming Arrangements, all teaming partners requiring access to classified material must satisfy one of the three (3) above criteria and provide proof of their current facility clearance.

Section 10: Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

The offeror’s proposal shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used within this volume and provide an explanation for each.

L3.0 VOLUME II. TECHNICAL

L3.1 General

The written technical proposal shall be clear, concise, and include all the information required by this provision in sufficient detail for effective evaluation. The proposal should not simply rephrase or restate the Government’s requirements, but rather shall provide convincing rationale to address how the offeror intends to meet these requirements. Offerors shall assume the Government has no prior knowledge of their capabilities, work processes, facilities, and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror’s technical proposal.

L3.2 Format and Specific Content

The following information shall be provided in the written technical proposal and will be evaluated to assess technical acceptability in accordance with Section M, Evaluation Basis for Award. In the Technical Proposal, offerors shall address their proposed approach and technical solution for meeting the Government’s minimum performance or capability requirements of each technical subfactor, and any assumptions used to prepare the response.

The following paragraphs provide instructions for each subfactor.

L3.3 Technical Volume Organization and Content The Technical Volume shall be organized according to the following outline: Section 1: Table of Contents Section 2: Team List Section 3: Subfactors Section 4: Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Section 1: Table of Contents

The offeror’s proposal shall include a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that proposal volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections. Include an indexed list of tables, charts, graphs, figures, and drawings, as applicable.

Section 2: Team List

The offeror’s proposal shall include a team list of the offerors primary POCs, to include full name (first and last), street address, telephone number, fax number, and email address of the prime contractor, significant subcontractors, joint venture partners, teaming partners, and/or mentor- protégé partners.

Section 3: Subfactors

Subfactor 1: Mobilization Approach

The Offeror shall propose a Mobilization approach to integrate with the incumbent service provider during the 60-day Mobilization/De-Mobilization period to accomplish all areas/criteria identified in PWS A11, Mobilization Period. The Mobilization Plan shall fully describe, at a minimum, the Offeror’s approach to the following: (1) Establish the Project Management Office (PMO) and recruit, retain, and hire necessary personnel; (2) Obtain all required certifications and clearances, including personnel security clearances; (3) Develop a systematic and disciplined approach to achieve an efficient and effective transition; (4) Participate in joint (Government, incumbent contractor, and successor contractor) inventories and sign for Government property; (5) Develop and submit all required contract deliverables; (6) Attend post-award meetings as required; (7) Accomplish PWS required training prior to the contractor performance start date; and (8) Describe procedures to obtain vehicles, equipment, tools, supplies, materials, and other items necessary to perform day-to-day BOS operations.

Subfactor 2: Program Management Approach

The Offeror shall provide a written narrative that demonstrates a sound and thorough plan which clearly outlines their management approach to meeting the requirements in each tab of the PWS. This includes: (1) a strategy that addresses coverage of Key Personnel positions with trained, qualified and/or certified personnel; (2) a description of the proposed roles and responsibilities, to include position qualifications/descriptions for each organizational element (i.e., work center or shop) and the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) for each Tab; (3) an Organizational Chart; (4) plans for staff cross-utilization as well as your staffing plans for one-deep positions meeting changed, unscheduled, urgent, and surge requirements; (5) strategy for the continuous recruitment, retention, training and retaining of a qualified/certified and capable workforce; and (6) a cross- reference matrix which includes a description of subcontractor teaming arrangements or joint ventures that addresses organizational relationships and responsibility divisions between the prime contractor and subcontractor(s) as applicable. These arrangements must be fully identified, and company relationships must be fully disclosed.

Subfactor 3: Mission Essential Services Continuation Plan

Mission Essential Services are identified in the PWS consisting of Base Operations Support Services. In accordance with DFARS 237.7602 and DFARS PGI 207.105(b)(20)(C)(3), offerors shall submit a written Mission Essential Services Continuation Plan, for how it will provide the continuity of essential services. Grissom ARB, IN will be responsible for facilities and equipment required for continuity of operations; therefore, the offeror’s plan shall address how the offeror will provide the continuity of mission essential services of the PWS with as little as 4-hours notification while continuing to meet contract performance standards. The plan shall include the offeror’s proposed capabilities of performing the work with an increased workload at minimum of 25% for a full shift.

Section 4: Glossary of Abbreviations & Acronyms

The offeror’s proposal shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used within this volume and provide an explanation for each.

L4.0 VOLUME III. PAST PERFORMANCE

L4.1 General

The Past Performance Volume addresses the offeror’s recent, relevant, and quality efforts. The efforts may include contracts with Federal agencies, state, or local governments, and/or commercial sources. The offeror shall submit a minimum of two (2) but no more than five (5) efforts of Past Performance Information that meet the recent, relevant, and quality definitions below. The offeror shall submit past performance information for itself and any significant subcontractor(s), joint venture partners, teaming partners, and/or mentor-protégé partners IAW L4.3 of these instructions. Of the efforts submitted, the offeror must have been the prime contractor on least one (1) of the efforts. The offeror is encouraged to submit in Section 2, FACTS Sheet the applicable Performance Work Statement (PWS), Statement of Work (SOW), or Statement of Objectives (SOO) for all efforts submitted for past performance evaluation. *Submission of PWS/SOW/SOO will not count against the FACTS Sheet page limitations.

L4.2 Past Performance Volume Organization and Content The Past Performance Volume shall consist of the following sections: Section 1: Table of Contents Section 2: FACTS Sheet Section 3: Subcontractor/Teaming Partners Consent Letter(s) Section 4: Client Authorization Letter(s) Section 5: Lack of Relevant Past Performance Section 6: Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

L4.3 Format and Specific Content L4.3.1 Recency Recent is defined as an active or completed contract effort where at least 12 months of the effort/contract’s period of performance have been completed within the past seven (7) years from the date this RFP was released. Provide any information currently available (e.g., letters, metrics, customer surveys, independent surveys, etc.) which demonstrates customer’s satisfaction with overall job performance and quality of completed product for relevant past efforts/contracts that are similar in scope, complexity, and magnitude of effort that this RFP requires.

L4.3.2 Relevancy

Relevant performance is based on the degree of similarity between the offeror's past performance and the requirement as identified in the PWS. Joint venture partners are considered the same as a prime offeror. The Government is not bound by the offeror’s opinion of relevancy. Consideration will be given to the extent that the effort/contract is similar in scope, complexity, and magnitude of effort that this RFP requires.

L4.3.3 Quality

Quality of performance is based on the overall quality of the offeror’s past performance. There is no separate quality assessment rating; however, the Performance Confidence Assessments Rating Method (See Attachment 19, Section M Evaluation Basis for Award, Table 4 Performance Confidence Assessments Rating Method) will be based on the offeror’s overall record of recency, relevancy, and quality of performance.

L4.3.4 Ordering-Type of Contracts Submission

In an ordering-type contractual vehicle, performance is demonstrated at the order level (i.e., a Delivery/Task Order). Therefore, if the effort/contract being submitted for Past Performance evaluation is an ordering type contractual vehicle (for example, an Indefinite Delivery “D” type contract per FAR Subpart 16.5, Indefinite-Delivery Contracts), the offeror shall submit the individual Delivery/Task Order (or series of orders) of the same continuous technical scope for evaluation, in lieu of the basic ordering contract itself. The Government will use the information submitted for each order (or series of orders) under one Ordering Contract to evaluate the effort recency, relevancy, and quality for that Ordering Contract. The Government reserves the right to request additional information from the offeror’s POC to verify a series of orders.

L4.3.5 Series of Orders

If a series of orders is submitted for Past Performance evaluation, the offeror shall provide the total dollar value, total period of performance, and type and complexity of data deliverables for each order in the series. All orders (Delivery/Task) associated with a basic ordering contract shall be counted as one contract for the purposes of evaluation.

The Government will add up all total dollar values in the series of orders to arrive at a total dollar value for the series of orders, to be used in the evaluation. The Government will add up the period of performance of each order to calculate the total period of performance for the series of orders, to be used in the evaluation. Only orders that meet the recency definition in paragraph L4.3.1 will be evaluated.

The total period of performance for the submitted effort’s series of orders, as well as the scope, complexity, and magnitude of effort of the effort, will be evaluated to arrive at a recency, relevancy, and quality rating for the total effort.

L4.3.6 Organization Structure Change History

Many companies have acquired, been acquired by, or otherwise merged with other companies, and/or reorganized their divisions, business groups, subsidiary companies, etc. In many cases, these changes have taken place during the time of performance of relevant present or past efforts or between conclusion of recent past efforts and this source selection. As a result, it is sometimes difficult to determine what past performance is relevant to this acquisition. To facilitate this relevancy determination, include with the proposal volume a “roadmap” describing all such changes in the organization of your company. As part of this explanation, show how these changes impact the relevance of any efforts you identify. Since the Government intends to consider past performance provided by other sources as well as that provided by the offerors, your “roadmap” should be both specifically applicable to the efforts you identify and general enough to apply to efforts on which the Government receives information from other sources.

Section 1: Table of Contents

The Past Performance Volume shall include a detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within the Past Performance Volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections. Include an indexed list of tables, charts, graphs, figures, and drawings, as applicable.

Section 2: FACTS Sheet

The offeror/joint venture member or significant subcontractor shall focus its FACTS Sheet responses so that they clearly correlate past performance with the requirements of this RFP. The FACTS Sheet responses must clearly describe the relevance of the effort to the work proposed. The answering space on the FACTS Sheet may be expanded so that the filled-in FACTS Sheet for each relevant contract covers no more than both sides of three (3) 8 ½ x 11-inch pages (i.e., no more than six (6) pages.) Provide the most current information for the Points of Contact (POCs) identified on the FACTS Sheets. At least two of the following (in descending order of availability) should be identified as current POCs on the FACTS Sheets:

(a) Procuring Contracting Officer/Contract Negotiator or equivalent

(b) Program/Project Manager, or equivalent

(c) Administrative Contracting Officer/Contract Administrator or equivalent

(d) Other (As specified in your FACTS Sheet)

If problems were encountered during the performance of the identified contracts, provide evidence of the ability to isolate the root causes of problems and include in the FACTS Sheet a description of programs or actions taken to resolve those causes. Problems not addressed in the FACTS Sheet but found by the Government during the evaluation of the information in this volume, will be assumed to still exist. Note: In the case of Contractor Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS) evaluations, if the offeror has already provided input in CPARS, and the rationale/circumstances have not changed, DO NOT repeat them here.

The FACTS Sheet shall also indicate the percentage and type of work the offeror and each significant subcontractor, joint venture partners, teaming partners, and /or mentor-protégé partners have performed on this effort.

The offeror is encouraged to submit the applicable Performance Work Statement (PWS), Statement of Work (SOW), or Statement of Objectives (SOO) for all efforts submitted for past performance evaluation. *Submission of PWS/SOW/SOO will not count against the FACTS Sheet page limits.

Past Performance Questionnaire(s) (PPQs)

The Past Performance Questionnaire (Attachment 23, Past Performance Questionnaire) is one means used by the Government to obtain past performance information. The questions on the PPQ have been specifically formulated for this requirement to address the Governments primary concerns on prior efforts. Submission of the completed Attachment 23 PPQs is of relative importance to the overall performance confidence assessment rating and must be submitted as solicited. Based on the PPQ responses received from the effort POCs, the Government may determine that additional and/or follow-up questions may be necessary to clarify responses. As such, the Government reserves the right to change, alter, and/or supplement the questionnaire without further notice to the offeror(s).

Past Performance Questionnaires should be sent directly to the ACO and the CS on efforts that the offeror considers recent and relevant IAW the definitions in paragraph L4.3.1 thru L4.3.2 above, in demonstrating the offeror’s ability to perform the proposed effort. The offeror shall complete Section I, Contract Identification, on all PPQ submitted with the proposal. PPQs received will not be returned to the offeror for submission with their proposal.

The offeror and their significant subcontractor(s), joint venture partners, teaming partners, and/or mentor-protégé partners, as applicable, shall forward the PPQ to the effort/contract POC(s) responsible for monitoring the effort/contract performance. The responsibility to track the completion of the PPQs rests solely with the offeror, the offeror shall not delegate this duty to any other entity. In addition, it is the sole responsibility of the offeror to ensure that the Government receives the completed PPQs no later than the date and time established in the RFP for receipt of proposals.

The effort POCs shall submit their completed PPQ via email DIRECTLY to the ACO and the CS. The email subject shall include the following, “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104.”

NOTE: Once the PPQs are completed by the effort POCs, the information contained therein shall be considered source selection sensitive and shall not be released to you, the offeror. Therefore, any exchange/contact between the offeror, significant subcontractor, joint venture partners, teaming partners, and/or mentor-protégé partners and the effort POCs in regard to comments made on the questionnaire is not permitted. Any PPQs received from the Offerors shall not be reviewed and evaluated.

The Past Performance evaluation will be based on the offeror’s, significant subcontractor’s, teaming partner’s, joint venture partners, and/or mentor-protégé partner’s firm present/past performance and NOT on the past performance of specific individuals.

Once the Past Performance Questionnaires are completed by your effort POCs and submitted to the Government the information contained therein is Controlled Unclassified Information and shall be considered source selection information IAW FAR 2.101, Definitions – Source Selection Information, and 3.104, Procurement Integrity, and will not be released to the offeror. Therefore, any exchange/contact between the offeror, joint venture partners, teaming partner, mentor-protégé partners, and/or significant subcontractor and its own contract effort POCs in regard to comments made on the questionnaire is not permitted. Offerors are to send questionnaires to their joint venture partners, teaming partner, mentor-protégé partners and/or significant subcontractor POCs and provide their best efforts to ensure completion of the PPQs and submissions are directly sent to the ACO and the CS.

The Government may conduct follow-up discussions with any of the individuals identified in the offeror’s Past Performance Volume. The Past Performance Team evaluation is not limited to review of the information provided in the offeror’s Past Performance Volume. The Government may obtain other information by sending out additional questionnaires and/or through other sources. Past Performance information shall be obtained from the Government’s Contractor Performance Acquisition Retrieval System (CPARS); Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS); Electronic Document Access (EDA), or other databases; and interviews/questionnaires with Program Managers, COs, and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), and commercial sources. Submitted Attachment 23, Past Performance Questionnaires must include the following legend at the top and bottom of each page:

SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104 CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

Section 3: Subcontractor/Teaming Partners Consent Letter(s)

In addition to the past performance information provided by the offeror, teaming partner(s), and/or significant subcontractor(s), the offeror must submit a consent letter using Attachment 24, Sample Subcontractor/Teaming Partner Consent Letter, executed by each of its proposed teaming partner or significant subcontractor authorizing release of adverse past performance information to the prime offeror to allow the offeror an opportunity to respond. The offeror will be held responsible for the consequences of a teaming partner or significant subcontractor who does not complete the consent letter. The consent letter must be completed by the teaming partner(s) and/or significant subcontractor(s) identified in the proposal. The completed consent letters should be submitted by the offeror as part of the Past Performance Volume.

Section 4: Client Authorization Letter(s)

Past performance information concerning private sector contractors, significant subcontractors, teaming partners, joint venture partners, and/or mentor-protege cannot be disclosed to the Government without their consent. For each identified effort for a commercial customer, the offeror shall submit a completed Client Authorization Letter using Attachment 25, Sample Client Authorization Letter, as a guide, authorizing release of the requested information on the offeror’s performance to the Government. The Government requires this consent prior to contacting commercial customers to assess the offeror’s past performance.

Section 5: Lack of Relevant Past Performance

In the case of an offeror without a record of relevant past performance or for whom information on past performance is not available or is so sparse that no meaningful past performance rating can be reasonably assigned, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on past performance [see FAR 15.305(a)(2) (iv)]. Therefore, the offeror shall be determined to have unknown (or “neutral”) past performance [see FAR 15.305(a) (2) (iv)] and will receive a “Neutral Confidence” rating. Offerors will not receive an overall past performance confidence assessment rating of “Satisfactory” or “Substantial” if they have no recent and/or relevant coverage for all technical areas. In the context of confidence ratings, a “Satisfactory” or “Substantial Confidence” record of relevant past performance may be considered more advantageous to the Government than a "Neutral Confidence" rating.

Section 6: Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

The offeror’s proposal shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used within the Past Performance Volume and provide an explanation for each.

L5.0 VOLUME IV PRICE

L5.1 General

This Price Volume will be evaluated IAW the evaluation criteria in Section M of this RFP for the Government to evaluate the completeness, fair and reasonableness, and balance. Government reserves the right to evaluate price realism. Compliance with the Instructions to Offerors (ITO) is mandatory and failure to comply may result in the proposal being ineligible for award. Information beyond that is required by these instructions shall not be submitted unless it is considered essential to support the price position. Unbalanced pricing may pose an unacceptable risk to the Government and may be a reason to reject an offeror’s proposal. Proposals should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate price is complete, fair and reasonable, balanced, and realistic (if necessary).

All information relating to the proposed price, including all required supporting documentation, shall be included in the section of the proposal designated as the Price Volume. Under no circumstances shall this information and documentation be included elsewhere in the proposal with the exception of the Attachment 4 ITO Pricing Workbook. Price information in the attachment is the only price information that shall be included in the Contract Documentation Volume. The burden of proof for credibility of proposed prices rests with the offeror.

L5.2 Price Information Requirements

The PCO has determined adequate price competition is expected for this acquisition.