ATTACHMENT C- SEWP Contractor Holder User Manual.pdf

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Contact Information:

If you have any questions please contact the

Contract Holder Help Desk:

chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov

301-286-4555 mailto:chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov

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Table of Contents General Overview ............................................................................................................................................................... - 5 -

Contract Holder Personnel ............................................................................................................................................. - 6 -

Finance ................................................................................................................................................................ .................... - 6 -

Provider Submission Guidelines .................................................................................................................................. - 8 -

Technology Refreshment (TRs) ................................................................................................................................. - 10 -

End of Life (EOL) all CLINs from a Single Provider ...................................................................................... - 13 -

TR Responses ............................................................................................................................................................... - 13 -

Backup Data ................................................................................................................................................................ ....... - 14 -

Email Addresses ............................................................................................................................................................... - 15 -

Variably Priced CLINs .................................................................................................................................................... - 16 -

Quote Request Types ..................................................................................................................................................... - 16 -

General SEWP Rules ....................................................................................................................................................... - 17 -

SEWP Quoting Rules ....................................................................................................................................................... - 18 -

Order Processing ............................................................................................................................................................. - 20 -

SEWP Order Process.................................................................................................................................................. - 20 -

Ordering Guide ................................................................................................................................................................. - 22 -

Debrief Guidance ............................................................................................................................................................. - 23 -

Customer Requirements/Quotes Outside of the QRT ...................................................................................... - 23 -

Excessive Discounts ........................................................................................................................................................ - 24 -

Credit Card Policy ............................................................................................................................................................ - 25 -

Prohibited Technology .................................................................................................................................................. - 26 -

Sensitive/Classified Information .............................................................................................................................. - 26 -

Atlassian Marketplace Guidance ............................................................................................................................... - 27 -

Contracting Requirements ........................................................................................................................................... - 28 -

Assignment of Claims (See FAR 32.802(e)) ..................................................................................................... - 28 -

Approved Contractors .............................................................................................................................................. - 28 -

Contract Performance Assessment Reports (CPARs) .................................................................................. - 28 -

Contract Modifications ............................................................................................................................................. - 29 -

Debarment/Suspension ........................................................................................................................................... - 29 -

Delivery Orders with Options (DOWOs) ........................................................................................................... - 29 -

ESRS Reporting ............................................................................................................................................................ - 30 -

End-User License Agreements .............................................................................................................................. - 30 -

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Limitations on Subcontracting .............................................................................................................................. - 31 -

NAICS Codes .................................................................................................................................................................. - 31 -

Novation Agreements ............................................................................................................................................... - 31 -

Agreements ................................................................................................................................................................... - 32 -

Small Business Jobs Act of 2013 ........................................................................................................................... - 32 -

Subcontracting Plan ................................................................................................................................................... - 33 -

System for Award Management (SAM) ............................................................................................................. - 33 -

Re-representation (5 Year) .................................................................................................................................... - 34 -

Trade Agreements Act .............................................................................................................................................. - 34 -

VIP Database ................................................................................................................................................................ . - 35 -

Contract Holder Off-Ramp ...................................................................................................................................... - 35 -

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General Overview

The SEWP Contract is a dynamic set of contracts that enables the federal government to purchase the latest in IT equipment with ease.

The Contract Holder User Manual is designed to give SEWP Contract Holders practical guidance on how to use the SEWP contract to meet the needs of the federal government while maintaining the integrity of the contract and following the rules set forth by the SEWP program office.

This manual also provides:

• A detailed description of how to use the Contract Holder Only Page (CHOP) and its many tools

• Help the Contract Holder stay informed

• Report to the SEWP Program Management Office (PMO) as required by their SEWP contract

• Provide quotes to the government

• Understand Performance Requirements to remain in good standing with the PMO

It is required that all quotes from all Contract Holders for any RFQs issued by the government through the SEWP Quote Request Tool pass through the Quote Tool on the CHOP. The CHOP should be the Contract Holder’s primary tool in responding to customer’s order changes and Request for Quotation RFQs.

This manual should be used to enhance the Contract Holder’s experience while using SEWP. This manual will be updated periodically to remain in accordance with contractual and policy updates.

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Contract Holder Personnel

The Contractor Holder Program Office will consist of, at the very least, a designated Program Manager (PM) and Deputy Program Manager (DPM). The PM and DPM will serve as the main Points of Contact between the Contract Holder (CH) and the SEWP PMO. The POCs are responsible for ensuring all contractual and program requirements are fulfilled. The PM’s & DPM’s full contact information must be provided and maintained on the SEWP Home website and at the SEWP PMO.

The Program Manager & Deputy Program Manager must be dedicated solely to a single Contractor.

The Program Manager’s duties are as follows, but not limited to:

• Attending annual SEWP Program Manger’s meetings

• Ensuring all Contract Holder staff and partners are adequately trained

• Ensuring all reports are on time and accurate

• Respond to SEWP Program Requests in a timely manner

• Respond to SEWP customer issues in a timely manner and ensure an adequate resolution has been reached

• Sending all financial reports and quarterly payments to the SEWP PMO

• Granting CHOP access to all Contract Holder employees

Finance

Administrative Handling Fee:

The SEWP contract agreement A.1.27 Contractor Collection of Agency Administrative Handling Fee

An Agency Administrative Handling Fee, not to exceed 0.34% of the total price of the delivery order, shall be applied to all orders under the SEWP V contracts. The SEWP V website will post the Agency Administrative Handling Fee percentage, and the Contractor shall be notified via email by the SEWP PMO. The handling fee’s collection shall be done in accordance with the procedures outlined below.

Contractor Responsibilities:

(a) In providing quotations to agencies, the Contractor shall be responsible for including the SEWP fee within the total amount of the quote inclusive of all costs including handling, and travel costs.

The fee may be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

(b) The fee shall NOT be listed separately on quotes or orders. The fee must be included within the price of the quoted offerings.

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(c) The fee will apply to all such orders. These include, but are not limited to, original orders, modifications to orders, etc. On modifications that reduce the original price of an order, a credit for the handling fee may be included in the new total amount.

- If a fee cap exists, the cap applies to each order and each separate modification to the original order. This includes any modification that exercises an option or provides additional funding. The fee cap is applied on an individual invoice basis

(d) The Contractor shall invoice the ordering agency for the entire amount of the order (including the handling fee).

(e) Quarterly, the Contractor shall be responsible for sending a payment to NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, SEWP, Code 700, reflecting the total administrative handling fee collected during that period. The Contractor will be only responsible for forwarding payment on handling fees actually invoiced and collected. The Contractor shall determine the timing of the initial quarterly payment.

The payment is to be made via electronic methods payable to NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, at the following website:

https://www.nssc.nasa.gov/fm

(f) Coinciding with the payment, the Contractor must send an “Agency Administrative Handling Fees Collected” report electronically to the SEWP Program Office. The report must be an Excel Spreadsheet and include the SEWP Tracking Number (STN) and/or Agency Order number, the Total Order Amount, and the administrative handling fee collected for each order reflected in the total payment. The report must be sorted by STN or by Agency Order number. The report must have totals for the Total Order Amount and the Agency Administrative Handling Fee Collected. This report must be submitted electronically to gsfc-dl-sewp-finace@mail.nasa.gov. Reports should be submitted as described in Attachment D, Contractor /Government Communications Requirements, Section D.6.

Before a Contract Holder processes their first electronic payment they must contact the SEWP Financial Department at and get their unique customer number. If you have any questions about the above process, please contact gsfc-dl-sewp-finace@mail.nasa.gov.

Surcharge Statements

The Contractor Holder can run Surcharge statement reports at any time through the CHOP tools. This report shows all outstanding orders and partial payments that are showing due to the SEWP office. This Statement is to be used to reconcile your finance records with the statement and let the finance office know of any issues or corrections. This statement is NOT an invoice and will not be an acceptable reason for your payment being late to the SEWP Office. All individuals pulling reports of the CHOP must have a company email address. (example: no AOL, YAHOO or Gmail).

https://www.nssc.nasa.gov/fm https://www.nssc.nasa.gov/fm mailto:gsfc-dl-sewp-finace@mail.nasa.gov mailto:gsfc-dl-sewp-finace@mail.nasa.gov

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Fee Calculation

The fee is not 0.34% of the total order amount which would mean SEWP is charging a fee on top of the fee. The .034% is applied against the total order amount minus the fee. So the percentage against the total order amount (including the fee) is 0.003388479170819215.

Provider Submission Guidelines Prior to requesting the addition of a technology to a contract, the provider (original Provider / service provider) of that technology must first be authorized by the SEWP COR or his/her Technical Specialist.

1) if the provider is not on the currently approved SEWP provider list, the contractor must request approval of the provider using the SEWP Provider Request tool available at the SEWP Contractor-only website. At a minimum, the provider request will include:

a. Provider name (Parent company name)

b. Provider description

c. Provider address (Address of the Parent Company)

d. URL of Provider’s website (if it exists)

e. Aliases for the provider’s name (optional)

f. Flag indicating if contractor is an approved reseller (optional). If the contractor is an approved reseller, the following Provider contact information will also need to be included:

i. Contact name

ii. Contact phone number

iii. Contact e-mail address

2) if the provider is on the currently approved SEWP provider list, then the contractor may provide the following information:

a. Aliases for the provider’s name (optional)

b. Flag indicating if contractor is an approved reseller (optional). If the contractor is an approved reseller, the following Provider contact information will also need to be included:

i. Contact name

ii. Contact phone number

iii. Contact e-mail address

Submissions

1. Do not send in names of companies in all capitals.

2. Do send in the name of the company in the full form as the name of the parent company – you can usually find the official parent name at the bottom of the page or in the legal section.

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3. Do not send in names of products as names of companies – i.e. Casecomplete is the software product. That should be entered as a searchable product name; not the company or alias name

4. Supply Chain Relationships are not required but encouraged. You do not need to have an identified relationship with a provider to offer their products. However, providing false information will result in an Information Distribution strike in program performance.

Supply Chain levels are as follows:

i. Manufacturer - Contract Holder is the manufacturer of the products. The SEWP PMO will make this designation.(Contract Holders cannot set this designation using the Provider Tool)

ii. Approved Reseller - Contract Holder is an Approved Reseller for all items produced by the provider, meaning that the provider is aware that the Contract Holder is selling product whether through direct sourcing from the Provider themselves or a second or third tier relationship that they provider is aware of. *(Must provide Provider POC)

iii. Subset Reseller - Contract Holder is an authorized reseller for a clearly identified subset of items produced by the provider. If you are only approved for a subsidiary company and not the parent company, you should use this designation as well. * (Must provide Provider POC and used in conjunction with TR keywords)

iv. Unknown (Default status) The Contract Holder obtains the products from an unidentified or unknown source.

*Point of Contact must be identified and contact information provided.

** Default Status

5. Do not put http:// in front of URLS. If you look at the screen it lists http:// and then the text box – start with the address after the //’s, for example:

a. Company name requested: Serlio Software Development Corp. not CASECOMPLETE

b. Aliases are acceptable but do so in Initial capitals not all caps; e.g. correct alias:

Serlio Software ; Incorrect alias: SERLIO SOFTWARE

Required Provider Fields:

• Company Name

• Parent Company’s Headquarters Physical Address

• Website URL

• Company Description

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Technology Refreshment (TRs)

Technology Refreshments (TRs) are the process in which Contract Holders update their offerings on the SEWP contracts.

In order to provide technology refreshments to the Contract, the Contractor must be able to provide a technology refreshment report. The technology refreshment report will be provided via:

1) An email submitted to TBD or uploaded via the Contract Holder Only Page (CHOP) with the technology refreshment request in textual format (.txt). The text must follow a keyword - value format with predefined keywords. The keywords and values must be separated by an agreed upon delimiter ([). When submitting, email should contain no other attachments, logos, html or social media links.

2) Other mutually agreed upon electronic format

Upon receipt of a valid TR, the SEWP COR or his/her Technical Specialist will review the TR for scope and verify pricing information. At that time, either the TR may be accepted in its entirety, rejected in its entirety, or accepted with some CLINs disallowed. A detailed report indicating the outcome of each TR will be forwarded to the contractor.

TR requests can:

- Add products to contract.

- End-of-Life (EOL) products from contract.

- Increase or Decrease pricing

- Update product Description

TR requests must follow these limitations:

• No larger than 5,000 line items

• One regular TR a day

• Up to 10 Provider TRs a day. (2 during business hours 7:30 AM ET to 6:00 PM ET daily)

A provider TR is a TR of 5,000 line items from one single provider

• If an item is excluded, TR may be sent in that day to fix the issues that caused the exclusion (e.g. to improve the description)

TR Submissions Guidelines

1) Multiple TRs a day should be limited to a reasonable number. Reasonable would be typically 1 to 2 regular TRS; 1 to 2 “fixer” TRs (e.g. to fix CLINs that were denied); and 1 to 2 “bundle” TRS (TRs containing only bundle).

mailto:sewpvtr@sewp.nasa.gov

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2) Companies sending in more than a reasonable number of TRs a day will be monitored and notified if we find a pattern of unreasonable number of submissions. If a company, after notification that they are exceeding the reasonable TR limit, continues to do so, their TRs will only be processed at the rate of 2 per day – no matter how many they send in.

3) If you occasionally need to send in a third or even fourth TR, just do so. Point number 2, listed above, is for companies that continuously send in large numbers of TRs a day. Do not send us emails asking for permission to send in a TR because you forgot something, or for any other reason. Submit as needed. We will let you know if there is an issue.

4) Provider TRs (formerly Catalog TRs) during business hours, 7:30 AM ET – 6:00 PM ET are limited to two (2). You are still allowed to submit ten (10) total for the day, however, the other eight (8) must be submitted between 6:00 PM ET – 7:30 AM ET.

5) Consolidate your TRs and try to avoid any TR with one or two line items.

(See Exhibit-1.A on page 37 for template, For a bundle TR See Exhibit-1.C on page 42)

TR Tips

TRs should be limited to a reasonable number. Reasonable would be typically 1 to 2 regular TRS; 1 to 2 “fixer” TRs (e.g. to fix CLINs that were denied); and 1 to 2 bundle-only TRS.

Consolidate your TRs. Try to avoid any TR with one or two line items. Pick a time for your company to put all new CLINs together into one TR.

Travel CLINs

• Do not submit travel-related CLINs. Use TRAVEL-Z to quote travel.

Delivery CLINs

• Do not submit delivery-related CLINs. Use DELIVERY-Z to quote shipping or delivery charges.

Training CLINs

• The following information must be provided.

o Class name or list of topics covered.

o Length of class.

o Number of students.

• The required information can be provided in the long description or through backup data.

Labor CLINs

• Labor rates must be added to the contract first.

• Labor rates must be either hourly or daily.

• CLINTYPE for labor rate CLINs must be “L”.

• Any labor CLIN for more than a day needs to be a bundle.

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Labor Bundles

• A statement of work (SOW) must be submitted to chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov and approved and the CLIN long description must contain a short statement of the work to be done. For minor work, the long CLIN description can be sufficient if detailed.

• Labor Bundle should then be submitted for the specific requirement.

• CLINTYPE for labor bundles is “S”.

• BACKUPDATAFLAG should be set to the ticket number of the approved SOW (if necessary).

Maintenance CLINs, including non-returnable disks

• If one product is being supported.

o CLIN long description must contain the following:

Product supported.

Period of performance.

If price is not fixed, data must be provided that shows how the price was derived.

o CLINTYPE must be “M”.

• If multiple products are being supported.

o Submit backup data containing:

Complete list of products being supported.

Period of performance for the support.

Detailed data that shows how the price was calculated.

o When backup data is approved.

Submit CLIN for approval.

CLINTYPE must be “M”.

BACKUPDATAFLAG should be set to the ticket number of the approved backup data.

Non-returnable disk example:

Non-Returnable Disk Plus - (24) 800GB SSD Hard Drives for EF5X0 Enclosure - 36 Month Service - Media Retention

Reinstatement Fees

• Submit backup data containing:

o Product(s) whose support has lapsed.

o Period of the lapse.

o Detailed data that shows how the reinstatement fee was calculated.

• When backup data is approved.

o Submit CLIN for approval.

o CLINTYPE must be “M”.

o BACKUPDATAFLAG should be set to the ticket number of the approved backup data.

End-of-Life (EOL) CLINs

• To remove products from your contract submit the CLIN on your contract with the EOLDATE filled in.

• If you mistakenly EOL a CLIN it can be re-added via your TR.

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Zero Dollar ($0) CLINs

• Contract Holders cannot quote a CLIN at zero dollars ($0) if the CLIN has a contract price greater $0. If you intend on quoting an item and there is already a version of that CLIN on your contract with a price, you will need to add a new $0 version of that CLIN to your contract.

*When you are required to submit “What is covered?” by a CLIN i.e. maintenance serial numbers will not suffice. You must submit either the actual description of the product or the part number.

Additional Tips

• If a part has a variable price to it because of different configurations, support options, or other differences, then each time that part is added, you must use a new CLIN and the description must provide distinct and specific information indicating what the price is based on.

• You CANNOT have a CLIN on contract that you reuse for different configurations, pricing strategies, support options, etc. If we find that you are using a single CLIN to quote different pricing and instances of a variable priced part, you will receive a downgrade in contract adherence for each time you do so. Each CLIN must be distinct and priced based on a specific requirement.

• If you have a quantity – such as months or years of warranty – if possible, add a single unit

CLIN and the set the bundle CLIN to indicate the quantity. This will reduce many denials we now send because of apparent pricing issues.

End of Life (EOL) all CLINs from a Single Provider In order to end-of-life (EOL) or remove, a single provider’s entire set of CLINs from your contract a Contract Holder can submit a one CLIN TR with the CLIN listed as ‘EOL-ALL-MFR’ and identify the provider they desire to EOL in the provider keyword field. They must also include the EOL Date they want the products removed from their contract. (See Exhibit 1.B - Page 41 for example)

TR Responses TR Responses Meaning

“Test TR Received…” The TR has been received by our Test system if no issues are present and FORWARDNOERRORFLAG set to Y, TR will be forwarded to the production system. If errors present, they will be identified in this email.

“TR Received…” The TR has been received by our production system and is in queue for review

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“Possible Problem CLINS…” Identifies CLINs they will face additional scrutiny during review. No action is necessary.

“TR Approved in Full…” All CLINs on TR have been approved and have been added to your contract.

“TR Approved with Deletions…” All CLINs EXCEPT the ones identified at the top of the email response have been added.

Denied CLINs should follow the instruction given in the TR response for that specific CLIN.(i.e. submit for backup data, correct PROVIDER or CLINTYPE etc.

“TR Overwritten…” No CLINs on the TR have been added to your contract. Review instruction for resubmission if you so choose.

Backup Data

1. Send in your BACKUP DATA request to chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov. CLINs requiring SOWs are as follows:

a. Maintenance Bundle– Any maintenance that includes a long list of items to be covered by the support. Please include the list of products covered, quantity and cost for each, maintenance level for each product, and period of performance.

b. Labor Bundle – reviewed for scope to ensure service provided falls within the SEWP scope.

c. CLINs denied via TR- submission should include denial email as well as supporting documentation as to why CLIN should have been approved.

d. Provider backup data- If a Provider has been denied or you are unsure if Provider is in scope, Contract Holders can submit back up supporting why provider/supplier should be added.

2. WAIT FOR THE SUBMISSION TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY SEWP. You will get an email response from SEWP to your SOW request that says “Approved”. However, if more documentation is needed, it will be detailed in the response.

3. After your Backup Data request has been approved, send in your TR and set the backup data flag to include your ticket number. (Only the numbers after the hyphen are required)

Example: CASE 12345

On your TR include the following keyword as a separate line for the CLIN in question:

BACKUPDATAFLAG[12345

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Failure to follow step 2 above will result in the entire TR being overwritten.

*Pricing information provided to SEWP will not be shared with any additional parties*

Backup Data Tips

• If you are sending backup data in advance of a TR, please state that this is in advance of a

TR.

• When an item is denied because the price is too high or because it needs backup data, please do not send us a quote you received from a manufacturer, distributor or partner unless there is more information in that quote than you provided on the TR. We are not concerned with the price that was quoted to you. We are reviewing if that price is within a similar range to others and/or if we can tell from the description how the price was derived. If the price is higher than others, you will need to provide an explanation (not a quote) as to why the price is higher. If we request backup data, we usually require more information – not a repeat of what was provided in the TR.

• If you are submitting a maintenance / warranty requirement for one or a small number of items, do not send backup data. Submit each instance as a separate CLIN and fully describe each CLIN. Then you can create a bundle, if necessary.

• If you have a large number of items (e.g. pages/spreadsheets of line items) to be warranted in a single bundle, then you can send backup data in advance for review and approval.

• If you are sending backup data in response to a TR denial, you are required to include the TR rejection email. If you do not do so, we will not review the backup until the rejection email is submitted.

• When submitting Backup data for a large dollar amount of services Contract Holders are required to submit written requirements that clearly document the services being requested by the customer. When Backup Data is requested by the PMO for large dollar amount CLINs, SEWP will not accept that the requirements were based on a phone call or conversation with the customer. The SEWP PMO will need to see the actual written requirements to ensure that what is being requested is in scope. Without the proper documentation the SEWP PMO will not approve the Backup Data in order for the CLIN to be submitted on your TR.

Email Addresses

These are the emails to use for any correspondence you are to have with the SEWP Program Management office. Each address listed below has its specific function.

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Email Address for Requests and Questions:

chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov – Questions regarding SEWP procedures, policies, and orders.

Email Addresses for SEWP Reports:

TBD – Submission of Technology Refresh orders01@sewp.nasa.gov – Order receipt acknowledgement.

sewporders@sewp.nasa.gov – Order submission. (In the event a customer sends the Contract Holder an order without having sent it to the SEWP office first, the Contract Holders should email the customer and CC this email address with a copy of the order attached.)

Variably Priced CLINs The following CLINs and their descriptions will be added to the Contract to cover non-product line items which have a varying price associated with them: When, utilizing these CLINs the quote must clearly state the dollar amount and fully describe the specific use of the CLIN for the given quote.

1) TRAVEL-Z: Travel expenses based on the current Government rates for per diem and transportation. Any other travel cost related to an order fulfillment e.g. installation, shall be negotiated on a per order basis. Travel will be reimbursed at actual cost in accordance with the limitations set forth in FAR 31.205-46.

Profit shall not be applied to travel costs. Contractors may apply indirect costs to travel in accordance with the Contractor’s usual accounting practices consistent with FAR 31.2.

2) CREDIT-Z: Credit Discount. Any credits such as trade-ins. This must always be quoted as a negative dollar amount and is the only contract line item that can be quoted as a negative amount.

3) DELIVERY-Z: Delivery Fee. See Section A.1.25 of your SEWP contract.

4) GOVERNMENTAL-Z: External Government imposed fees such as California Waste fee, tariffs, etc). Additional costs imposed by a Governmental entity not directly specific to the SEWP contracts. Detailed description must be included on the quote. Supporting documentation may be requested by the ordering agency as the ordering agency will assess the impact of the tax laws of its jurisdiction.

5) PURCHASECARD-Z: surcharge for Government payment using a Government Purchase Card or similar authorized credit card. Use of this CLIN must follow the requirements in Clause Section A….<?>

Quote Request Types

Request-For-Quote (RFQ): Contains specific requirements. CLINs must be on contract at time of quoting, quote must include verification file. Generally results in an award.

Request-For-Information (RFI): General in nature, does not have specific requirements.

CLINs do not have to be on contract at time of quoting, verification file not required.

mailto:chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov mailto:sewpvtr@sewp.nasa.gov mailto:orders01@sewp.nasa.gov mailto:sewporders@sewp.nasa.gov

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Market-Research-Request (MRR): Customer is researching specific requirements. CLINS must be on contract at time of quoting, quote must include verification file.

Sharing of RFQ information

Government issued RFQs are not to be shared or “directly fed” to the public. They should only be provided to companies for whom you accept contractual and programmatic responsibility and oversight and with whom you have a business relationship in order to have them work with you and assist you in responding. Formal source selection for the SEWP V contracts contained requirements that discussed the various “relationship” levels that are an important aspect of the SEWP Program. In addition, the Supply Chain Risk Management portion of the Program specifically addresses the different levels of the supply chain and reinforces the importance of “relationships” between a SEWP V Contract Holder and Industry.

You are responsible for how the information you share is used and all actions by any companies related to those RFQs. If a company obtains a SEWP RFQ from you and uses that information for any reason other than to assist you with a quote, your performance rating will be negatively impacted. Examples of misuse would include contacting the customer without your knowledge and oversight, providing quotes or other information outside SEWP, questioning the customer on their requirements, requesting information concerning awards, contacting the customer post-award to complain about their selection, etc. All communications must be coordinated through and with your company.

Since the subject of sharing RFQs can be sensitive due to possible proprietary information, sensitive and/or classified requirements, etc. we are concerned about any “direct feeding” of RFQs to the public and/or any fees that a SEWP V Contract Holder may be charging to provide that direct feed service. The practice of not only direct feeding to the public, but of possible fee charging for this service can lead into legal, contractual, and program performance concerns if a Contract Holder is found doing so.

General SEWP Rules

1. Contract Holders (CH) are required to have no less than one representative at every

Program Manager’s (PM) Meeting.

2. Two POCs should be listed on the SEWP website at all times for each Contract Holders, this includes the Program Manager and Deputy Program Manager. Each must have individual contact information, no email aliases.

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3. For help questions, Contract Holders (CH) are to e-mail chhelp@sewp.nasa.gov. CH sales reps should contact their PM first prior to using the chhelp email address.

4. If you receive Government contact information from the SEWP Program you cannot use that contact info to populate any marketing database. It can only be used for the purpose of corresponding with the customer on the matter at hand.

5. Do not in any form coerce, demand, or harass the customer about the date a Request (RFQ/RFI/MRR/RFAC) closes.

6. Contract Holders can begin fulfillment of orders only after they have received the order, which has been assigned an STN, from the SEWP PMO.

7. Customers may request that an order or modification be signed by the Contract Holder prior to the order being submitted to the SEWP PMO. Once the order is signed, the Contract Holder should send the order back to the customer who should then submit the order to the SEWP PMO. The Contract Holder shall not, under any circumstances, begin fulfillment of the order until they have received confirmation from the SEWP office that the order has been processed and assigned a SEWP Tracking Number (STN). Processing an order or modification without it first being processed by the SEWP PMO will result in a Program Performance strike.

8. Once an RFQ has closed Contract Holders are allowed business like contact of the customer to inquire about the status of an RFQ. Continued contact may be construed as harassment, and will result in a customer satisfaction strike in program performance.

9. If a customer sends you an order or modification to you, you are allowed to send the order to sewporders@sewp.nasa.gov. You should not direct the customer under any circumstance to send the order to you directly.

10. As a prime Contract Holder your company is solely responsible for the fulfilment of the order regardless if you are utilizing sub-contractors to assist you in the complete fulfillment.

All communication should be with the prime Contract Holder and you should be involved in every step of the process.

SEWP Quoting Rules

1. When a request is issued vie the Quote Request Tool(QRT) the contract holder must respond via the Contract Holder Only page(CHOP) with a quote in a an image file, MS Word, or Excel document or mutually agreed upon format. The quote must be accompanied verification file listing all CLINs quantities and prices matching exactly what was in the quote.

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2. The SEWP Program Office has ZERO TOLERANCE for sending quotes outside the SEWP

Quote tools when that is where the request originated. If the RFQ, RFI, MRR or RFAC was issued through the SEWP Quote-Request-Tool, and if the customer requests a quote to be emailed to them, the SEWP Program will encourage the customer to use the “Request Updated Quote” Feature of the SEWP QRT.

If the customer asks for a revised quote you must tell them that you can only send them a revised quote through the SEWP system using the “Request-Updated-Quote” feature. Be clear with the customer that this does not reopen the RFQ. It is a process that allows SEWP to verify the CLINS on your quote are on contract and properly priced. But you cannot send a quote to them even if the customer has requested it. If the customer insists that they want a revised quote and will not re-open the RFQ, you only have 2 options:

i. Decline to provide them a quote.

ii. Have the customer contact the SEPW PMO for further guidance at help@sewp.nasa.gov

iii. Only if the customer requests a courtesy copy can you send them the quote via email, but it must match exactly what you have uploaded to the CHOP quote tool first.

iv. If this is a credit card micro-purchase and the customer contacted you directly for a quote and you provided a quote to the customer, then you can send them an updated quote via email even if they may have used the SEWP tools.

3. All quotes must indicate the period they are valid for.

4. The CLIN checker must be used on all CLINs, including the five variably priced “Z” CLINs:

TRAVEL-Z, CREDIT-Z, DELIVERY-Z, GOVERNMENTAL-Z and PURCHASECARD-Z.

5. If you quote it, you must be able to provide it.

6. Sales people are not to force customers to re-open RFQs or change Fair Opportunity selections.

7. Partial quoting is only allowed if explicitly stated by the customer. If you are unable to respond to the entire solicitation the Contract Holder must provide a no-bid for the opportunity.

8. Each individual item on a quote should be clearly marked with its Trade-Act-Agreement (TAA) status. Items whose statuses are unknown should be clearly marked as non-compliant.

mailto:help@sewp.nasa.gov

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9. Once an order has shipped, Contract Holders must provide the customer with the shipment tracking number.

10. “No bids” are not required but encouraged.

11. All questions, comments or other correspondence with customers during the RFQ process must only be through the Q & A feature; if the customer has turned the feature off, then and only then should the “Would Quote” option be used. Direct e-mails or phone calls to the customer during an RFQ will be considered a customer satisfaction strike, unless the customer initiated the correspondence or indicated clearly in their RFQ that direct communication was allowed.

12. If the customer selects Market Research Request (MRR) and there is no pricing information induced in the contract holder’s response. The contract holders should use the credit-Z CLIN at the price of Zero dollars ($0) as their verification file submission. Ex. Credit-Z|$0|1

Order Processing

SEWP Contract Holders shall not begin fulfillment of an order until it has been assigned a SEWP Tracking Number (STN) by the SEWP Program office.

The order or order modification (mod) should be submitted by the customer or contract holder to the SEWP PMO via fax (301-286-0317) or to sewporders@sewp.nasa.gov.

Once received from the customer, SEWP will log the order and check that the order total matches the verification file at time of quoting.

If total does not match or customer did not use quote request tool, the Contract Holder will be required to provide an updated or new verification file* via order review tool on the CHOP (Contract Holder Only Page).

SEWP Order Process

1. Customers or Contract Holder must submit all Delivery Orders and delivery order modifications to the SEWP Program via email (sewporders@sewp.nasa.gov) or via fax 301-286-0317 in one of the following for mats.

a) Plain text

b) PDF

c) Microsoft Excel

d) Microsoft Word

e) Other mutually agreed upon format

2. SEWP PMO enters order into system and assigns the order a case number.

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3. If an RFQ number is provided with the order, the CLIN list provided by the Contract Holder during quoting is re-verified against the order total and assigned a SEWP Tracking Number (STN).

*If the totals do not match or the RFQ number is not provide the Contract Holder will have to renter the CLIN verification file using the CHOP order tool, within one(1) business day. An STN will not be assigned until the CLIN list is verified. (A CLIN list is required for all new orders and order modifications that change the dollar amount of the order)*

4. Once the order has been verified the Contract Holder is sent an email that an order has been entered by the SEWP PMO

5. The Contract Holder must then acknowledge receipt of the order by replying directly to the order email, or using the “Mark as Received” button on the CHOP, within one (1) business day.

The following Information is required for each Delivery order:

• Date of order

• Signature (direct, electronic, or implied through pre-approved method) of authorized

Government Ordering Official;

o Contracting Officer for Order o Credit Card Holder Name for credit card orders

• Name and phone number of authorized Government Ordering Official

• Name of Issuing Agency

• Name of Ordering Agency (if different from Issuing Agency)

• Order Number o Unique order number for the Ordering Government entity - Ordering Agency determines the Order Number

• Contractor Name and SEWP Contract Number

• Appropriation and accounting data

• Billing and Invoice Address

• Shipping Address

• SEWP CLINs (Contract Line Item Numbers) and product descriptions to be delivered

• Total order amount

• Additional mutually agreed upon Terms and Conditions, Statement of Work, etc.

• Period of performance for any associated services

CLIN Verification Reports

Prior to the assignment of an STN and therefore prior to the contractor processing an order, Contractors are required to supply to the SEWP PMO a CLIN Verification file that matches the product and price information on the order and/or mod. The following information is required in the verification file:

a. Unique identifier (if the verification file is associated with a quote provided in the SEWP Quote Request Tool, this will be the SEWP RFQ Number)

b. For each item ordered: CLIN, unit price, quantity

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The total of the items listed in the verification file must equal the total amount of the order.

For order modifications/updates, a new verification file must be provided that includes all information associated with the original order and all subsequent modifications to date.

To avoid delays, contractors can submit verification files at the time of a quote, even if the quote is provided outside the SEWP on-line Quote Request Tool.

If a contractor has not provided a verification file or the total in the verification file does not equal the order amount, the order will not be assigned an STN and cannot be processed until a verification file that matches the order is provided. Any resultant delay will count against the contractor’s delivery performance if the reason for the delay is caused by the contractor.

(See Exhibit-2 on page 43 for template)

Order Status Updates

Contractors are required to supply to the SEWP PMO an order status report via the CHOP within two business days of a status change to an order. Status changes include, at least, the following changes:

a. Update to expected delivery date

b. Ship date

Ordering Guide

The Contractor shall publish an electronic ordering guide suitable for downloading and printing by SEWP customers. The guide shall be available prior to placement of the first delivery order after contract award. Updated versions shall be available no later than 10 business days following each contract modification. The ordering guides should contain the following components:

1) Program support information including:

a) How to obtain a quote for hardware, software, or services, including names, telephone numbers and email addresses of appropriate sales representatives.

b) Policy and procedural information regarding installation, basic warranty, extended warranty, technical support, software support, and other post-delivery issues. This will

- 23 -include the names, telephone numbers and email addresses of appropriate support staff.

c) How to troubleshoot a problematic order including names, telephone numbers and email addresses of appropriate support staff.

2) Overview information about the Contractor and the SEWP contracts.

*There is no defined template.

Debrief Guidance Once an RFQ has closed Contract Holders are allowed business like contact of the customer to inquire about the status of an RFQ. Continued contact may be construed as harassment, and will result in a customer satisfaction strike in program performance.

• Orders less than $6 Million o Post-award debriefs and award notification are at the Issuing Agency’s discretion o Quote Request Tool includes optional Award Notification function

• Orders of $6 Million or more o Post-award debriefs shall be provided upon request o Contracting Officer shall notify unsuccessful bidders

• Protests (FAR 16.505(a)(10): No protest under subpart 33.1; except o Protests that the order increases the scope, period, or maximum value of the contract o Orders over $10 Million for agencies other than NASA, DOD, USCG o Orders over $25 Million for NASA, DOD, USCG

Customer Requirements/Quotes Outside of the

QRT

SEWP does not review or control information and processes defined by our customers during Request for Quote (RFQ)/Quote interactions.

Some customers, due to concerns about the transmission of classified/sensitive data, utilize a different mechanism from the normal Quote Request Tool (QRT)/CHOP process. For example, if the customer has a classified/sensitive request for which they are obtaining SEWP quotes, the SEWP process allows the customer to notify Contract Holders via the QRT or another mechanism of their choice. This helps the customer directly and securely submit that material to the Contract Holders via their own agency method.

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If you receive an RFQ that requires a direct response to the customer to obtain a Statement of Work or Bill of Materials, follow the directions as provided by the customer to obtain that information and submit your quote by the method they have identified. All CLINs on that quote must still be on your SEWP contract. If they require you to submit any documentation via SEWP that verifies you have submitted your quote to them through the means they have identified, submit that documentation via the CHOP and include a verification file that uses CREDIT-Z, Quantity 1, $0.00.

Excessive Discounts The SEWP PMO reviews orders where SEWP has determined an unjustified excessive discount was given based on the contract holders SEWP price. Oftentimes contract holders are giving discounts upwards of 90%, or using CLINs as ceiling CLINs, which means the Contract Holder is adding the CLIN at high price and then quoting various prices for the same CLIN on multiple orders, both of which are not allowed.

The SEWP PMO will assess program performance penalties for contract holders using ceiling CLINs and contract holders who are frequent offenders of excessively discounting CLINs. Any contract holder found using ceiling CLINs will receive an automatic downgrade in contract adherence for each individual instance of ceiling CLIN and the CLINs will be immediately End-of-Lifed (EOL’d) from your contract. For contract holders receiving e-mails from the SEWP PMO with more than 3 orders a week where CLINs are excessively discounted the contract holder will receive a strike in contract adherence.

However, the SEWP PMO does understand there may be times were a contract holder may have special or registered pricing for an order that is a justified reason for offering such a discount. If you are contacted by the SEWP PMO for an excessively discounted CLIN(s) on an order and inform the SEWP PMO that this is a registered deal, SEWP will allow the discount to remain, but the CLIN can only be quoted once for that particular order and should not be found on any other orders. If the SEWP PMO can identify the CLIN being quoted multiple times then that indicates to the SEWP PMO this particular CLIN is not a “registered” deal and you will need to add a separate CLIN for each instance of that part number.

Once you are contacted by our office and it is determined you will need to add a new CLIN to your contact…