Attachment 4 - Instructions to Offerors.pdf

Addendum to FAR 52.215-1 – Instructions to Offerors (ITO) – Competitive Acquisition

A. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS:

This Solicitation is a competitive 100% small business set-aside. This acquisition will result in a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract consisting of one 12-month base period, four 12-month option periods, and a six-month option to extend services in accordance with (IAW) FAR 52.217-8.

1.0 General Information:

1.1 The Offeror's proposal must include all data and information requested by this Solicitation and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. By submission of its offer, the Offeror agrees to all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or subfactors. Offers that fail to furnish required information or reject the terms and conditions of the solicitation may be excluded from further consideration.

1.2 The Offeror's proposal shall 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 that the Government has no prior knowledge of their experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the Offeror's proposal.

The Offeror's proposal must convey to the Government that the Offeror is capable; possesses sufficient technical expertise and experience; possesses sufficient resources; and is able to plan, organize, and use those resources in a coordinated and timely fashion such that technical requirements will be achieved and costs will be controlled.

1.3 The Offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to make award without discussions. Therefore, the Offeror's initial proposal should contain the Offeror's best terms from a technical and cost or price standpoint. The Government reserves the right to conduct discussions if the Contracting Officer determines them to be necessary. If discussions are deemed necessary, a competitive range may be established for efficiency purposes.

1.4 It is our intent to award a single contract provided that one proposal presents the best overall value to the Government as a price fair and reasonable determination may confirm. The proposal instructions are designed to assist the Offeror in preparing a complete response that reflects a full understanding of the approach proposed to accomplish all work required herein.

1.5 The Contracting Officer (CO) has determined there is a high probability of adequate price competition in this acquisition. Upon examination of the initial offers, the CO will review the determination and if, in the contracting officer's opinion, adequate price competition exists, no additional data will be requested and certification under FAR 15.406-2 Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data will not be required. However, if at any time during this competition the CO determines that adequate price competition no longer exist, Offerors may be required to submit cost data to the extent necessary for the CO to determine if the price is fair and reasonable.

1.6 During the proposal phase, limit all inquiries pertaining to the subject RFP to the Contract Support, Mr. Ryan Amos at ryan.amos.5.ctr@us.af.mil and the Contracting Officer (CO), Mr.

David Warner at david.warner.27@us.af.mil. Offerors shall address questions, concerns, or requests for clarification in writing (via e-mail) to the points of contact listed above by no later than 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time (ET) on 21 October 2019. Telephonic inquiries will not be accepted.

1.7 If an Offeror believes that the requirements in these instructions contain an error, omission, or are otherwise unsound, the Offeror shall immediately notify the CO in writing with supporting rationale as well as the remedies the Offeror is asking the CO to consider as related to the omission or error. The Offeror is reminded that the Government reserves the right to award this effort based on the initial proposal, as received, without discussions. Accordingly, Offerors are advised to submit initial proposals that are well defined and clearly acceptable without additional information and additional or substitute pages.

1.8 Proposals shall be submitted electronically via e-mail to the points-of-contact identified in Para 1.6 (above) no later than 1 October 2024, 04:00 PM ET. Except for reproduced sections of the solicitation document, text shall be no smaller than 12-point font. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by section. Margins on all four sides of each sheet will be at least one inch.

Audio/Video or Digital recordings, or any other electronic media, to include responses to this solicitation (e.g. CD, tape, etc.) will not be accepted.

1.9 System for Award Management (SAM). Offerors will not be eligible to receive a contract award from a Department of Defense (DOD) activity unless they are registered in SAM. Offerors must be registered in the SAM Database prior to award of any contract. Firms must register on a one-time basis and annually confirm accuracy and completeness of registration information.

Online registration and instructions can be accessed at https://www.sam.gov.

1.10 The security classification for all positions on this contract is Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance to include Special Intelligence (SI), Talent Keyhole (TK), GAMMA (G), HUMNIT Control System (HCS) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization

(NATO).

1.11 It is the responsibility and at the discretion of the offeror regarding format and clarity of subcontract information. However, separate submissions of subcontracting information that is proprietary and sensitive should, at the minimum, clearly indicate the corresponding offer. The proposal submission requirements apply to all elements of the proposal, including all separate submissions or Joint-Venture arrangements that are part of the offer.

1.12 If this RFP is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged.

Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment(s) to this RFP by the date and time specified in the amendment(s). Failure to acknowledge any amendment(s) could result in the offeror being excluded from award.

2.0 General Instructions.

2.1 To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, Offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. The proposal must be complete, self-sufficient and respond directly to the requirements of this solicitation. The response shall consist of three (3) separate parts, Part I - Technical Capability, Part II - Past Performance and Part III - Price.

2.1.1 Proposal Organization: The offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table below. The titles and contents of the volumes shall be as defined in the table, all of which shall be within the required page limits and with the number of copies as specified.

Each volume identified in the table below shall be individual documents.

The content of each proposal volume is noted in the Table 1 below:

Proposal Organization Table Volume Volume Title Page Limit I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 Pages I. FACTOR I: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 50 Pages II. FACTOR II: PAST PERFORMANCE 40 Pages III. FACTOR III: PRICE PROPOSAL Unlimited

2.1.2 Electronic Copies: Do not compress any files. Electronic copies of the proposal shall be submitted in the following formats: Microsoft (MS) Word 2010 (or later), MS Excel 2010 (or later), MS Power Point 2010 (or later), or Searchable Portable Document Format (PDF), as applicable. Offerors must ensure that pricing information is only included in Volume III.

2.1.3 Page Limitations: Page limitations shall be treated as maximums. If exceeded, the excess pages will not be read or considered in the evaluation of the proposal. Blank pages, title pages, cover pages, table of contents, tab indexing, glossaries, list of tables and figures, subcontractor consent letter(s), Cross Reference Matrix, and resumes are not included in the page limitation.

Legible tables, charts, graphs and figures may be used to depict organizations, systems and layout, implementation schedules, plans, etc.

2.1.4 Page Size and Format: A page is defined as each face of a sheet of paper containing information. When both sides of a sheet display printed material (double-sided), it shall be counted as two pages. Page size shall be 81/2 x 11 inches. Pages shall be single-spaced and typed, except for displays and the reproduced sections of the solicitation document. The font shall be Times New Roman and no less than 12 point in size. Use at least 1 inch margins on the top and bottom. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. When text is included within displays, it may be no smaller than 10 point, but must be clearly legible without magnification. The size of any displays shall not exceed the page size as defined above. Fold out pages are accepted for Volume III, FACTOR III: PRICE. The page size and format restrictions shall also apply to responses to clarification or communications if necessary.

2.1.5 Title Page: Each volume must include a title page and will not count against page limitations IAW Table 1 (above). The title pages must show:

(1) Solicitation Number

(2) Name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address of the offeror (only one copy for all required volumes)

(3) Cage Code/ DUNS

2.1.6 Cross-Referencing: The proposal volumes shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated without cross referencing to another volume.

2.1.7 Indexing: Each volume shall contain a detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections and will not count against page limitations IAW Table 1 above.

2.1.8 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms: Each volume shall contain a glossary of all abbreviations and acronyms used, with an explanation for each. Glossaries do not count against the page limitations for their respective volumes.

2.1.9 Cross Reference Matrix: Offerors shall identify the specific location of the proposal requirements and verify that full compliance has been achieved and that the Compliance Matrix is complete and accurate.

3.0 PROPOSAL VOLUME INSTRUCTIONS:

3.0.1 The Offeror shall submit a copy of its approved Security Clearance Certifications for facility and personnel at the time of proposal submission.

3.1 Volume I - Executive Summary and Factor 1 - Technical:

3.1.1 Executive Summary: The executive summary of the entire proposal should be concise, to include addressing and highlighting any key or unique features, excluding price. The salient features should tie in with evaluation factors/subfactors. Any summary material presented here shall not be considered as meeting the requirements for any portions of other volumes of the proposal; it will be considered for informational purposes only and will not be evaluated for award.

3.1.2 Factor I: Technical Approach (Acceptable/Unacceptable)

3.1.2.1. Contractors shall provide supporting rationale on their ability to perform the requirements in the PWS by addressing the following technical subfactors:

Technical Approach: Demonstrate ability to operate and maintain equipment and systems detailed in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) Tasks (see PWS Section 3).

Staffing Plan: Demonstrate ability to recruit and retain personnel IAW PWS requirements (including transition) (see PWS 10.2, 11.1 and 11.2)

Mission Essential Plan: Demonstrate ability to mobilize mission essential personnel during an emergency response (see PWS 3.15)

Note: Only "Acceptable" technical proposals will proceed to Factor II (Past Performance).

3.1.3 Volume II - Factor II: Past Performance

a. Past Performance. Offeror shall provide past performance information up to the maximum number of prime and subcontract work listed in paragraph 3.1.3 b. of this instruction. To be recent, the effort must have at least six (6) months of contract performance within the last three (3) years from the date of issuance of this solicitation. Offerors shall submit information on contracts deemed relevant in demonstrating the ability to perform the full range of capabilities of the PWS.

Key personnel will not be evaluated in this volume. The offeror's proposal shall provide examples of past performance that indicates a high expectation that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

b. Past Performance Contract Citations. The offeror shall provide a maximum of 5 contracts for the prime contractor and a maximum of 3 contracts for each proposed major subcontractor that will be performing key or critical portions of the effort and/or performing greater than or equal to 15% of the proposed effort based on the total proposed price. For past performance on an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, a single task order will count as one citation. The following information should be included for each identified contract and subcontract. Offerors are cautioned to ensure that information is current and accurate with respect to the listed points of contact.

(1) Contract Number

(2) Contract Level (prime or subcontract) and Cage Code

(3) Contractor name, address, and point of contact

(4) Type of contract (CPFF, FPIF, FFP, etc.) and dollar value per year and lifecycle cost

(5) Date of award, period of performance and completion date

(6) Current name, organization, mailing address, voice/fax telephone numbers and e-mail:

i. PCO

ii. ACO

iii. Program Manager / Contracting Officer Representative (COR)

(7) Original and current contract dollar amount (if different provide brief description of the reason)

(8) Contractor Performance (Description of effort as prime or key subcontractor/team/partner/participant). In describing contractual performance, include specific details in meeting requirements in the following areas: (1) Technical Subfactors 1 through 3 (Technical Approach, Staffing Plan, Mission Essential Plan) and (2.) Task specific elements in accordance with the PWS. Include the total cost/price of the effort and annual value. Explain any differences between original and current contract dollar values. Offerors may include a discussion of problems encountered on prior contracts and corrective actions taken. In describing contractual effort, provide information on efforts accomplished to resolve problems encountered on prior contracts as well as efforts to identify and manage program risk even if other team members performed this area on the provided citation.

c. Other Past Performance Documentation (not counted towards page count).

(1) The offeror shall provide recent, relevant and quality past performance information. Relevant information is that of any contract that included the same or similar requirements to the PWS in support of the customer's day-to-day operations. The past performance of companies associated through proposed contractor subcontractor or joint-venture arrangements may be used to count towards recent and relevant past performance. Such agreements will be compliant with this solicitation.

(2) Offerors will send out Past Performance Questionnaires (PPQ) (see attachment 7 to each reference identified in the Past Performance Volume (excluded from page limitation). The responsibility to send out the Past Performance Questionnaires rests solely with the Offeror. The information contained in completed questionnaires will be considered sensitive and will not be released to the Offeror. The Government reserves the right to contact the references provided by the Offeror and any other references generated by the Government to discuss the Offeror's past performance. The offeror should make its best effort to send out a sufficient number of PPQs to reasonably expect the CO will receive at least one questionnaire on each cited contract/work effort. Offerors shall not complete any information in PPQs and questionnaires received directly from offerors will not be evaluated. References will return completed questionnaires via email directly to the Contracting Officer and Contract Specialist, listed above, no later than 04:00 P.M.

ET on 1 October 2024.

(3) The offer shall provide a list of questionnaire recipients with the Point of Contact (POC) and phone number for each contract reference provided as part of the Past Performance Volume to the POCs listed above. The Offeror is solely responsible for the accuracy of the contact information provided. The Government reserves the right to contact the references provided by the Offeror and any other references generated by the Government to discuss the Offeror's present and past performance.

(4) Subcontractor past performance information cannot be disclosed to the Prime Offeror without the subcontractor's consent. Provide a letter in the Past Performance Volume from all Subcontractors consenting to the release of their past performance information to the Prime contractor The written consent(s) should be submitted as part of the Past Performance Volume.

Should the Offeror not submit consent, the Government will only discuss past performance information directly with the prospective subcontractor or teaming partner that is being reviewed.

If there is an issue with the proposed subcontractor's or teaming partner's past performance, the Offeror can be notified but no details may be discussed without the subcontractor's/teaming partner's permission.

(5) In the event that commercial contracts are presented as sources of information, the Offeror will issue a client authorization letter with the request to complete a Past Performance Questionnaire.

(6) If a joint venture is contemplated, provide a summary as to the overall arrangement, including any relevant and recent past performance information on previous teaming arrangements with the same partner. The joint venture arrangement summary shall be included in Volume II - Past Performance.

3.1.4 Volume III - Factor III: Price

3.1.4.1 All unit and extended prices provided shall be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

Extended prices must be divisible by the number of units proposed. Offerors shall provide both unburdened and burdened rates. Offerors shall provide other than certified cost or pricing data required to evaluate whether prices proposed are complete, balanced, fair and reasonable including a realistic Professional Employee Compensation Plan (PECP). Price proposals should be sufficiently detailed to support the CO's determination. The burden of proof for credibility of proposed prices rests with the Offeror. Compliance with the instructions herein is mandatory and failure to comply may result in rejection of the proposal. Do NOT include any Pricing information in Volume I or Volume II.

3.1.4.2 The information submitted should fully support the PWS requirements for each major functional element specified in the PWS. Offerors shall use the attached pricing sheet to provide a breakdown which shows the skill mix, labor categories, labor rates and position descriptions.

Information shall be segregated by the performance periods, individual performance locations, and the total price for each CLIN as specified in the solicitation. Information shall also show the consolidated total price for performance.

3.1.4.3 Offerors and first-tier subcontractors shall submit for evaluation a PECP providing company policies and procedures that explain how employee salary is determined and the applicable fringe benefits such as holidays, healthcare, pension, 401K, etc. for professional employees working on the contract. The Offeror and first-tier subcontractors shall support the PECP by providing unburdened labor rates for each labor category proposed. The PECP will be evaluated in accordance with FAR Provision 52.222-46 (Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees) to determine if the compensation level proposed are realistic in relation to the various labor categories for the National Capital Region. Failure to comply with the requirements in FAR Provision 52.222-46 may constitute sufficient cause to justify rejection of the proposal.

3.1.4.4 The price proposal must include prices for a 12-month base, plus four, one-year options, and a 6-month option to extend services in accordance with (IAW) FAR 52.217-8. If the extension of service clause (FAR 52.217-8) is exercised, it will be at the exact same rates and terms, other than length of performance, as the base or option period being extended. The price of the six-month extension will be included in the Total Evaluated Price (TEP). The anticipated Period of Performance is as follows:

Period of Performance STARTS ENDS Base Period 15 Jan 2025 14 Jan 2026 Option Year 1 15 Jan 2026 14 Jan 2027 Option Year 2 15 Jan 2027 14 Jan 2028 Option Year 3 15 Jan 2028 14 Jan 2029 Option Year 4 15 Jan 2029 14 Jan 2030

1. USE OF NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISOR

(a) Offerors are advised that technical and cost/price data submitted to the Government in response to this solicitation may be released to non-government advisors for review and analysis. Note: A Contracting Officer will review all analysis and approve all contractual documents. The non-government advisor support may be provided by: Peridot Solutions, LLC 7927 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 2150, McLean, VA 22102.

(b) Submission of proposal will constitute acceptance of the statement in paragraph (1) of this section or a written objection to disclosure as indicated in paragraph (2) shall be provided.

(1) "I understand technical and cost/price data submitted to the Government in response to this solicitation may be released to non-government advisors. I consent to release of any (unless objection is provided in (b)(1) above) proprietary, confidential, or privileged commercial or financial data provided by the firm(s) named above in response to this solicitation, to non-government advisors for review and analysis."

(2) Any objection to disclosure:

(i) Shall be provided in writing to the contracting officer within five (5) days of RFP issuance; and

(ii) Shall include a detailed statement of the basis for the objection. The detailed statement shall identify the specific portions of the proposal the Offeror objects to disclosure to non-government advisors.

(c) The Contracting Officer shall evaluate any objection to disclosure and make a determination whether the non-government advisor(s) shall be permitted to participate in the source selection.

The Contracting Officer shall inform the objecting Offeror of the final determination, and, if the use of non-government advisors has been changed, shall inform all Offerors of the change.