Attch 1 - Instruction to Offerors.pdf

Attachment 1 – Instructions to Offerors

General Content Requirements

It is requested that all interested parties submit their proposals via e-mail to Michele Coccovizzo at coccovizzoml@state.gov and Jamie Goewey at goeweyja@state.gov by 5:00 pm EST, on

Monday, January 9, 2023.

The proposal (Volumes I and II) shall include a signed and dated cover letter. The cover letter shall include the following: The Request For Proposal (RFP)/Solicitation reference number; date the RFP was issued; the DoS issuing office, location, and contact person; the closing date and time of the RFP (for submission of quotes); and the name, address (street, city, state, zip) of the contractor submitting the proposal. However, the cover letter(s) shall contain no pricing or technical information. Any such information provided in the cover letter will not be evaluated.

The cover letter shall also acknowledge amendments, as applicable, to the RFP. Please note: The

Department of State Seal is intended for use on official government documents only.

Each page within each volume and section shall be numbered using a consistent numbering scheme. This scheme shall also be used for all supporting documentation, such as charts, figures, diagrams, etc. that are included in each volume. Page numbering schemes that are difficult to track are not acceptable. The page limitations by volume are described below.

Volume I – Technical Proposal

There is a thirty (30) page limit imposed on Volume I. This is not inclusive of tables, Project

Management Plan, sample outreach materials and executive summaries/capabilities statements.

Should the Contractor submit more than 30 pages, the CO can deem anything over 30 pages not be considered for evaluation

Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal

There is no page limit on Volume II, Cost/Price.

Exclusions from the Page Limitations

Following are the exclusions from the page limitations:

Volume I – Technical Proposal

Cover Letter

Table of Contents

Resumes

Key Personnel

Information on Past Performance

Contractors shall ensure that the technical Proposal, including the cover letter, does not include any information that should be contained in Volume II, Cost/Price Proposal. Any cost/price mailto:coccovizzoml@state.gov mailto:goeweyja@state.gov information placed in Volume I will not be passed on to the Cost/Price Team and such will not be evaluated at all.

Volume II – Cost/Price Proposal:

There is no page limit on the submission requirements for Volume II. However, contractors shall ensure that the cost/price proposal, including the cover letter, does not include any information that should be contained in Volume I, Technical Proposal. Any technical information placed in Volume II will not be passed on to the Technical Evaluation Team and such technical information will not be evaluated at all.

General Format

Following is the specified format for Volume I, Technical Proposal:

12-point size type shall be used. The font shall be Times New Roman or Arial. The font size for tables and figures, and any other type of inserts can be no smaller than 8 point; The font size for any graphics as it appears on the printed page can be no smaller than 8 point; margins shall be one-inch at top/bottom and left/right of the page and pages may not be reduced form. Headers and footers are allowed in the margins and their font size can be no smaller than 10 point.

Following is the specified format for Volume II, Cost/Price Proposal:

12-point size type shall be used. The font shall be Times New Roman or Arial. The font size for tables and figures, and any other type of inserts can be no smaller than 8 point; The font size for any graphics as it appears on the printed page can be no smaller than 8 point; and margins shall be one-inch at top/bottom and left/right of the page and pages may not be reduced form. Headers and footers are allowed in the margins and their font size can be no smaller than 10 point.

Formulas shall be included for evaluation purposes.

Caution: Proposals submitted that do not conform as enumerated above may not be evaluated.

Text and graphics with font size smaller than the minimum specified may be excluded from award and found as non-compliant with the RFP instructions. The page limitations apply to the initial offer, revisions and final quote submission (if applicable).

Each volume shall contain the following additional items:

Cover: The cover shall indicate the following:

Title of the Acquisition

Proposal Category (Technical, or Cost/Price)

Volume Number

RFP/Solicitation Number

Name and Address of the Contractor

Original or Copy Number

Table of Contents: Each volume shall contain a Table of Contents, which shall provide sufficient detail in order that all the important elements are easily located. The use of tables and dividers is encouraged. No content within these pages will be considered for evaluation.

Contractors shall ensure these document pages are used solely for organization of the Proposal.

Requirements for Style: Each contractor shall submit a proposal that clearly and concisely describes and defines the contractor’s response to the requirements contained in the RFP. Use of general or vague statements such as “standard procedures will be used” or “good engineering practices” will not satisfy this requirement. Simply repeating or paraphrasing the RFP requirements without substantive, meaningful discussion will not be acceptable. Unnecessary elaboration or presentation beyond that which is sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal is not desired and may be construed as an indication of the contractor’s lack of understanding of the requirements or cost consciousness. Elaborate artwork or visual or other presentation aids is neither necessary nor desired. The desire is for clear succinct pictorials, graphs, etc.

At a MINIMUM, proposal package must include:

• Technical Approach: The offeror shall submit a technical approach that demonstrates logical and feasible methods for meeting the requirements and product specifications

(including any Section 508 requirements) described in the Performance Work

Statement/Statement of Work Tasks, Deliverables and meeting the performance objectives outlined within the solicitation. If the offeror is proposing subcontractors, the offeror shall clearly identify what aspects of the work will be performed by the prime and what aspects of the work will be performed by each subcontractor in its technical approach.

• Management Plan: The offeror shall submit a Management Plan that is clear, concise, and demonstrates that it will result in meeting the objectives and requirements contained within the PWS. The management plan is required to provide:

o key positions/roles and responsibilities (position/role and not individuals to be named to such position/role);

o proposed subcontracting arrangements and reporting relationships of all subcontractors, if applicable;

o a plan that demonstrates successful communication and coordination between the contractor and the government personnel/roles;

o schedules of all tasks and subtasks, meetings, and deliverables;

o clear lines of authority from the top of the organization to all those working on this effort

• Past Performance:

The offeror shall submit a total of three (3) relevant past performance contracts within the past five (5) years that include the following information:

o Company name (Client).

o Project start date.

o Project completion date.

o Project description.

o Project cost.

o Project point of contact name.

o Point of contact email.

o Point of contact telephone numbers.

• Price (Non-Technical): The offeror shall submit a price proposal that is consistent with the requirements set forth in the PWS and in the format requested in the solicitation’s price schedule. The labor rates shall be fully loaded. A breakdown of labor hour costs, by labor category, shall be submitted for consideration. Equipment shall be price as fixed price per unit and include the following: Item Description, Name of Manufacturer, Model

Number, Serial Numbers, Quantity, Fixed Unit Price, and total.

The Government contemplates awarding a contract using commercial item procedures under

FAR Part 12 and 13. A single award will be made to that responsible Offeror whose total proposed evaluated price is the lowest and whose proposal meets or exceeds all technical and past performance evaluation criteria (Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable - LPTA).

Offerors are hereby notified that the Government intends to use outside contractors to assist in the evaluation of proposals. Those contractors will have access to any and all information contained in the offerors’ proposals and will be subject to appropriate conflict of interest, standards of conduct, and confidentiality restrictions. It is the intent of the Government to make an award based on the initial proposal without discussions.

Point of Contact

Exchanges of source selection information between Government and Offerors will be controlled by the Contracting Officer (CO). Email may be used to communicate with offerors. All emails must include “191NLE23R0001 Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 and 3.104” in the Subject line. Email: goeweyja@state.gov.

Non-Government Advisors

Non-Government Advisors will not provide ratings for proposals received in response to the solicitation. Their expertise is required for document preparation, training, advisory, and electronic source selection support. The use of Non-Government Advisors as defined above does not warrant a formal determination by the head of the agency as prescribed in FAR 37.204 (a).

Company names of Non-Government Advisors are:

Universal Strategy Group, Inc.

Pre-Award Survey

The Government may, at the Contracting Officers discretion, conduct pre-award surveys in accordance with FAR 9.106.