Attch 8_Section L_LF Grounding Points.pdf

SECTION L

INSTRUCTIONS, CONDITIONS, AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS OR RESPONDENTS

1.0. Information to Offerors (ITO) and Instructions for Proposal Preparation

1.1. To assure timely and equitable evaluation of proposals, offerors must follow the instructions contained herein. Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, including terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or subfactors. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. The response shall consist of three (3) separate parts;

Part I – Price/Required Documents, Part II – Technical Requirements, and Part III – Past Performance Information. These three (3) parts MUST be submitted in paper only.

No form of electronic proposal documents (fax, email, etc.) will be accepted by this Contracting Office.

1.2. Upon examination of the initial offers, the contracting officer will review this 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 contracting officer determines adequate price competition no longer exists; offerors may be required to submit cost or pricing data or other than certified cost or pricing data to the extent necessary for the contracting officer to determine the reasonableness and affordability of the price.

2.0. General Instructions

2.0.1. The offeror's proposal must include all data and information requested by this ITO and must be submitted in accordance with these instructions. The offer shall be compliant with the requirements as stated in the solicitation. Non-conformance with the instructions provided in this ITO may result in an unfavorable proposal evaluation.

2.0.2. The proposal shall be clear, concise, and shall include sufficient detail for effective evaluation and for substantiating the validity of stated claims. The proposal will 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 facilities and experience and will base its evaluation on the information presented in the offeror's proposal.

2.0.3. Elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed artwork, or other embellishments are unnecessary and are not desired. However, if used, elaborate brochures or documentation, binding, detailed artwork or other embellishments must be incorporated within the page limitation set forth by this ITO.

2.0.4. The proposal acceptance period is specified in Section A of the solicitation. The offeror shall make a clear statement in Section A of the proposal documentation volume that the proposal is valid through this date.

2.0.5. In accordance with FAR Subpart 4.8 (Government Contract Files), the

Government will retain one copy of all unsuccessful proposals. Unless the offeror requests otherwise, the Government will destroy extra copies of such unsuccessful proposals.

2.1 General Information

2.2. Point of Contact

Written requests for clarification may be sent to the Contracting Officer (CO) and Contract Administrator (CA) at the address located in Section A of the solicitation.

The primary POC for this acquisition is the Contracting Officer (CO), TSgt Karla Michelle Freeling (406) 731-4463 or karla.freeling@us.af.mil; the secondary POCs are Mr. Adam Schilling (406) 731-4353 or adam.schilling@us.af.mil and Mr. Cody Babinecz (406) 731-4608 or cody.babinecz@us.af.mil. Address any questions or concerns to both of the Secondary POCs, Adam Schilling and Cody Babinecz.

Note: Questions submitted after 26 May 2022 WILL NOT be answered. Please ensure timely submission of questions.

2.3. Debriefings

The CO will promptly notify offerors of any decision to exclude them from the competitive range; whereupon, they may request and receive a debriefing in accordance with FAR 15.505.

Offerors excluded from the 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.

However, offerors excluded from the competitive range are entitled to no more than one debriefing for each proposal. The CO will notify unsuccessful offerors in the competitive range of the source selection decision in accordance with FAR 15.506. Upon such notification, unsuccessful offerors may request and receive a debriefing. Offerors desiring a debriefing must make their request in accordance with the requirements of FAR 15.505 or 15.506, as applicable.

2.4. 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 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 discussion. This reservation includes matters of additional or substitute pages of the initial proposal.

2.5. Electronic Reference Documents

All referenced documents for this solicitation are available on the System for Award Management website (SAM) at http://www.sam.gov. Potential offerors are encouraged to subscribe for real-time e-mail notifications when information has been posted to the website for this solicitation.

2.6. Communications

Source selection information between Government and offerors will be controlled by the CO.

Email may be used to transmit such information to offerors only if the email can be sent and received encrypted and includes “Source Selection Information – See FAR 2.101 & 3.104” in the Subject line. Otherwise, source selection information will be transmitted via FAX.

2.7. Organization/Number of Copies/Page Limits

The offeror shall prepare the proposal as set forth in the Proposal Organization Table (Table 2.2 below). The titles and contents of the volumes shall be as defined in this table, all of which shall be within the required page limits and with the number of copies as specified in Table 2.2. The attachments identified in the table shall be separately bound in three-ring, loose-leaf binders, as necessary. The contents of each proposal volume are described in the ITO paragraph as noted in the table below:

Table 2.7 - Proposal Organization

VOLUME ITO Paragraph Number

VOLUME TITLE COPIES PAGE LIMIT

I 3.0 Price and Required

Documentation 1 Original 3 Copies

5 Pages

II 4.0 Technical Risk 1 Original 3 Copies

2 pages for the Technical Narrative description

III 5.0 Past Performance 1 Original 3 Copies

2 Pages per Citation no more than 5 Citations

2.7.1 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 and excess paper copies will be returned to the offeror as soon as practicable. Page limitations may be placed on responses to Evaluation Notices (ENs). The specified page limits for EN responses will be identified in the letters forwarding the ENs to the offerors. Each page shall be counted except the following: Cover pages, Tables of Contents, Tabs, Glossaries or Resumes.

Past Performance citations for IDIQ contracts shall be handled as follows: each delivery order will be considered a separate citation.

2.7.2. 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, it shall be counted as two pages. Page size shall be 8.5 x 11 inches, not including foldouts. Pages shall be no less than single-spaced. Except for the reproduced sections of the solicitation document, the text size shall be no less than 11 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-inch margins on the top and bottom and ¾-inch side margins. Pages shall be numbered sequentially by volume. The same page size and format restrictions shall apply to responses to ENs.

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, legible, and shall not exceed 11 by 17 inches in size. Foldout pages shall fold entirely within the volume, and each 8.5 x 11 surface of a foldout shall be counted as a separate page. Foldout pages may only be used for large tables, charts, graphs, diagrams and schematics not for pages of text. For tables, charts, graphs and figures, the text shall be no smaller than 8 point.

2.7.3 Cost or Pricing Related Data

All pricing information shall be addressed in the Pricing/Required Documentation volume, in Section B of the Schedule of the RFP. Information shall be limited to Contract Line Item Number (CLIN), Subcontract Line Item Number (SLIN), including unit and extended pricing, as specified in Section B of the RFP.

2.7.4 Cross-Referencing

To the greatest extent possible, each volume shall be written on a stand-alone basis so that its contents may be evaluated with a minimum of 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 having been omitted from the proposal.

Cross-referencing within a proposal volume is permitted where its use would conserve space without impairing clarity.

The offeror shall provide a Solicitation Cross Reference Matrix indicating by ITO, SOW/SOO/PWS, and/or specification paragraph number, the corresponding proposal paragraph in that section which addresses the referenced item.

2.7.5 Indexing

Each volume shall contain a more detailed table of contents to delineate the subparagraphs within that volume. Tab indexing shall be used to identify sections.

2.7.6 Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms

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

2.7.7 Binding and Labeling

Each volume of the proposal should be separately bound in a three-ring, loose-leaf binder permitting the volume to lie flat when open. Staples shall not be used. A cover sheet should be bound in each book, clearly marked as to volume number, title, copy number, solicitation identification, and the offeror's name. The same identifying data should be placed on the spine of each binder. All unclassified document binders shall have a color other than red or other applicable security designation colors. Be sure to apply all appropriate markings including those prescribed in accordance with FAR 52.215-1(e), Restriction on disclosure and use of data, and FAR 3.104-4, Disclosure, Protection, and Marking of Contractor Bid or Proposal Information and Source Selection Information.

2.8 Distribution

Volumes I (Price/Required Documents), II (Technical Risk) and III (Past Performance) MUST be submitted in paper form only. No form of electronic proposal (fax, email, etc.)

will be accepted by this Contracting Office. All proposals must be received no later than 02 June 2022 at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on and shall be delivered to the Contracting Officer (CO) at:

341 CONS/PKA (Attn: TSgt Karla Michelle Freeling) 7015 Goddard Drive Malmstrom AFB, MT 59402-6863

This proposal is "Controlled Unclassified Information" and "Source Selection Information.

NOTE: Hand carried deliveries shall be received and accepted at the address shown above.

Delivery may be accomplished from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm on the date set forth for receipt and up to one week prior. Please call the CO at least two hours prior to your anticipated arrival time to ensure there will be personnel available to receive your proposal. Offerors should speak personally with one of the individuals listed below and not rely on voice mail. Contractor personnel delivering proposals are advised that they may be unable to access Malmstrom, AFB without a valid U.S. Uniformed Services Identification Card or DoD Force Common Access Card (CAC) that has been through the Biometrics process. Be advised your vehicle may be subjected to random vehicle searches, and/or you may encounter unexpected delays at the gates and plan accordingly. Phone numbers for the Contracting Office are as follows:

Contract Administrator: Cody Babinecz – (406) 731-4608 Contract Administrator: Adam Schilling – (406) 731-4353 Contracting Squadron Front Office – (406) 731-3744 Contracting Officer: TSgt Karla Michelle Freeling – (406) 731-4463

3.0 Volume I – Price/Required Documentation

3.1 General Instructions

3.1.1 Cost/Price Reasonableness and Realism

This section is to assist you in submitting data other than certified cost or pricing data that is required to evaluate the reasonableness and realism of your proposed cost/price. Compliance with these requirements is mandatory and failure to comply may result in rejection of your proposal. Note that unrealistically low or high-proposed costs or prices, initially or subsequently, may be grounds for eliminating a proposal from competition either on the basis that the offeror does not understand the requirement or has submitted an unrealistic proposal.

Additionally, unbalanced pricing poses an unacceptable risk to the Government and may be a reason to reject an offeror’s proposal. Offers should be sufficiently detailed to demonstrate their reasonableness and realism. The burden of proof for credibility of proposed costs/prices rests with the offeror.

3.1.2 Rounding

All dollar amounts for all CLINs/SLINs should be proposed in whole dollar amounts rounded to two decimal points, for example: $1,423.78.

3.2 Volume Organization

Insert proposed unit and extended prices in Section B for each Fixed Price Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) as broken out in Attachment 11: LF D-02 Bid Schedule. Offerors must propose on every contract line item, even if it is $0.00, in order to be considered for award.

3.3 Solicitation Representations and Certifications

The purpose of this volume is to provide information to the Government for preparing the contract document and supporting file. The offeror's proposal shall include a signed copy of the solicitation and Sections A through K.

3.3.1 Section A - Solicitation/Contract Form

Completion of blocks 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 and signature and date for blocks 20A, 20B and 20Cof the SF 1442. Signature by the offeror on the SF 1442 block 20B constitutes an offer, which the Government may accept. The "original" copy should be clearly marked under a separate cover and should be provided without any punched holes.

3.3.2 Section B - Supplies or Services and Costs/Prices

Completed pricing information in Section B of the solicitation.

3.3.3 Section H - Special Contract Requirements

This project contains Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI); specifically the drawings for this project are classified as CUI and distribution of the drawings are to be controlled.

Therefore, Prime Offerors are not authorized to distribute drawings to potential Sub-offerors via Builder’s Exchange or any other medium. Prime Offeror’s wishing to obtain a CD copy of the project drawings MUST attend the pre-proposal conference on the date and time as identified in the solicitation. Offeror’s will be required to receive a briefing on the receipt, handling, and reproduction of the CD drawings. Offeror’s will be required to sign for the CD copy of drawings and only the awardee of a contract will be authorized to keep a copy of the drawings for the duration of the contract. All other Offeror’s will be required to return all

CD copies of the drawings to the Government within 10 calendar days after notice of non-selection for contract award.

3.3.4 Section K - Representations, Certifications, and other Statements of Offerors Completed representations, certifications, acknowledgments and statements.

3.3.5 Acknowledgement of all Amendments.

Each offeror must sign and return one copy of the Standard Form (SF) 30 by the date specified on the form.

3.4 Exceptions to Solicitation Requirements

Offerors are required to meet all solicitation requirements, such as terms and conditions, representations and certifications, and technical requirements, in addition to those identified as evaluation factors or subfactors. Offerors must clearly identify any exception to the solicitation terms and conditions and provide complete accompanying rationale. Each exception shall be specifically related to each 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. This information shall be provided in the format and content of Table 3.4.

Table 3.4- Solicitation Exceptions

Solicitation Document

Page/ Paragraph

Requirement/ Portion

Rationale

SOO, SOW, SPEC,

Model Contract, ITO, etc.

Applicable Page and Paragraph Numbers

Identify the requirement or portion to which exception is taken

Describe why the requirement can/will not be met

3.5 Other Information Required

3.5.1 Authorized Offeror Personnel

Provide the name, title, and telephone number of the company/division point of contact regarding decisions made with respect to your proposal, and who can obligate your company contractually. Also, identify those individuals authorized to negotiate with the Government.

3.5.2 Company/Division Address, Identifying Codes, and Applicable Designations Provide company/division's street address, county and facility code; CAGE code; DUNS code;

TIN; size of business (large or small); and labor surplus area designation. 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.

3.5.3 Teaming Arrangement.

If a teaming arrangement is contemplated, provide complete information as to the arrangement and relationship and copies of any teaming or joint venture agreements.

3.5.4 Financial Data.

Submit financial data in this volume to include the following:

3.5.4.1 Names address and points of contact for all financial institution organizations utilized to determine if the contractor has adequate financial resources to perform the contract or the ability to obtain them.

3.5.4.2 Written authority to contact the provided financial institution.

4.0 Volume II - Technical Risk

4.1 General

The Technical Volume should be specific and complete. Legibility, clarity, and coherence are very important. Your responses will be evaluated against the Technical subfactors defined in Section M, Evaluation Factors for Award. Using the instructions provided below, provide as specifically as possible the actual methodology you would use for accomplishing/satisfying these subfactors. All the requirements specified in the solicitation are mandatory. By your proposal submission, you are representing that your firm will perform all the requirements specified in the solicitation. It is not necessary or desirable for you to tell us so in your proposal.

Do not merely reiterate the objectives or reformulate the requirements specified in the solicitation.

4.2 Format and Specific Content

Volume II – Technical Risk

FACTOR 1 – Technical Capability

Offeror must provide a detailed narrative description of the technical approach that will provide, as specifically as possible, the actual methodology you would use for accomplishing/satisfying the work, and address your technical solution for meeting or exceeding the Government’s minimum performance or capability requirements. Specifically, the technical narrative must address the trenching at three feet (3 ft.) or greater below grade, splicing cable, and grounding cable resistance testing requirements.

4.2.1 Volume Organization

The Technical volume shall be organized according to the following general outline:

(1) Table of Contents

(2) List of Table and Drawings

(3) Glossary

(4) Cross Reference Matrix

(5) Factor One

5.0 Volume III - Past Performance

5.1 General

Each offeror shall submit a past performance volume with its proposal, containing past performance information in accordance with the format contained in Attachment 6: Past Performance Questionnaire (PPQ). This information is required on the offeror and all subcontractors, teaming arrangements, and/or joint venture partners who are proposed to perform 25% percent or more of the proposed effort based on the total proposed priceor perform aspects of the effort the offeror considers critical to overall successful performance. Offerors are cautioned that the Government will use data provided by each offeror in this volume and data obtained from other sources in the evaluation of past performance.

Along with the information required in this paragraph, the offeror shall submit a consent letter executed by each subcontractor, teaming partner, and/or joint venture partner, authorizing release of adverse past performance information to the offeror so the offeror can respond to such information. For each identified effort for a commercial customer, the offeror shall also submit a client authorization letter, authorizing release to the Government of requested information on the offeror's performance.

Offerors will submit information for Sections 1-3 only of Attachment 6 of this solicitation for the required number of PPQ’s from paragraph 5.3 with necessary information from recent and relevant project (as defined in para. 5.3) to the 341st Contracting Squadron (341 CONS) before the deadline set forth in paragraph 5.2. 341 CONS will then reach out to the customers of the submitted previous projects to submit information regarding the previous recent and relevant project. Once this step has been completed, 341 CONS will present all recent and relevant PPQ’s to the Source Selection Evaluation Board for Evaluation.

NOTE: Past performance citations, not submitted using Attachment 6 SHALL NOT be considered for evaluation or counts towards the number of citations submitted. Failure to submit the required number of past performance information will not result in offeror disqualification.

5.2 Questionnaire Deadline

Each offeror is requested to submit the information shown in Attachment 6: Past Performance Questionnaire for each relevant contract seven (7) days prior to the date set for receipt of proposal.

5.3 Recent and Contracts

Submit information in accordance with Attachment 6: Past Performance Questionnaire on no more than five (5) recent contracts that you consider most relevant in demonstrating your ability to perform the proposed effort. Recent is defined as completed or ongoing projects within the last three (3) years. Relevant is defined in paragraph 2(a)(3)(b) of Section M of the solicitation.

Include rationale supporting your assertion of relevance. For a description of the characteristics or aspects the Government will consider in determining recency and relevance, see Section M, para.

2(a)(3).

5.4 Specific Content

Offerors are required to explain what aspects of the contracts are deemed relevant to the proposed effort and to what aspects of the proposed effort they relate. This may include a conversation of efforts accomplished by the offeror to resolve problems encountered on prior contracts as well as past efforts to identify and manage program risk. Merely having problems does not automatically equate to a limited or no confidence rating, since the problems encountered may have been on a more complex program, or an offeror may have subsequently demonstrated the ability to overcome the problems encountered. The offeror is required to demonstrate clear management actions employed in overcoming problems and the effects of those actions in terms of improvements achieved or problems rectified. This may allow the offeror to be considered a higher confidence candidate. For example, submittal of quality performance indicators or other management indicators that clearly support that an offeror has overcome past problems is required. Categorize the relevant information into the specific Technical subfactors and Cost/Price factor used to evaluate the proposal.

5.5 Organizational 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 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 in this proposal volume a "roadmap" describing all such changes in the organization of your company. A pamphlet or other commercial document describing such reorganizations may suffice. As part of this explanation, show how these changes affect the relevance of any efforts you identify for past performance evaluation or performance confidence assessment. Since the Government intends to consider past performance information provided by other sources as well as that provided by the offeror(s), 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.