BAA-RQKS-2015-0008-Amd2.pdf

BAA-RQKS-2015-0008, “Avionics Vulnerability, Assessment, Mitigation, and Protection

(AVAMP)” Amendment 2

SUBJECT: Questions from Industry with Government Responses

1. Based on the Government’s anticipated number of awards, can an offeror successfully be awarded an IDIQ contract without also being awarded one of the two initial Task Orders?

Answer: No; an offeror cannot be awarded a Basic IDIQ contract without being awarded one of the two initial task orders. It is possible to be awarded a task order that reflects a portion of the offeror's task order proposal. An offeror must be awarded at least one task order in order to be awarded a Basic IDIQ contract.

2. Does the Government anticipate awarding each Task Order to only one offeror? Or, will the

Government consider awarding one or both Task Orders to multiple bidders?

Answer: The Government anticipates awarding one task order for each Basic IDIQ contract, but reserves the right to award all, part or none of the proposals received. The answer to the second question depends on the proposals we receive and our budget limitations.

3. Please provide instructions for hand delivery of proposal submissions.

Answer: If you would like to hand-deliver the proposal, please arrange a drop-off time with

Maureen Grandon or Shayla Wray and we will be happy to accept it.

If your company has base access, the proposal can be hand-delivered to Building 45 in Area B and one of us will meet the courier in the lobby.

If your company does not have base access, we can meet at Gate 1B on Springfield Pike which has a small parking lot just outside of the gate.

4. Please specify which two days of the week US Postal mail is delivered.

Answer: All incoming USPS mail to Bldg. 45 is delivered at approximately 2:00 PM on

Wednesdays and Fridays.

5. Does my company need to have top secret facility clearance and top secret safeguarding capability in order to submit a proposal?

Answer: This effort requires a TOP SECRET facility clearance and TOP SECRET safeguarding capability. It is anticipated that the Basic IDIQ and TO2 will require TS/SCI/SAP and TO1 will require TS/SCI/SAP. A solicitation-ready DD254 is included as Attachment 5. See DD254 --

Offerors must verify their Cognizant Security Office information is current with Defense Security

Service (DSS) at www.dss.mil. For smaller CPFF “C” type awards, a facility cleared to the

SECRET level may be required. If required, AFRL would sponsor the clearance.

6. Would a proposal at the unclassified or secret level [instead of Top Secret] be considered under the AVAMP BAA?

Answer: No classified technical proposals or cost volumes are expected. Offerors are encouraged to keep all elements of the proposal package unclassified. In the rare case where an offeror has a need to submit a classified appendix, please contact the technical POC listed in Section VII for delivery instructions.

7. How do we format the proposal if we are just going for a C contract as opposed to the whole

IDIQ?

Answer: The formatting instructions are on pages 13 - 17 of the BAA under paragraph IV.

Specific "C" contract proposal requirements are discussed within this section.

See paragraphs: IV.2.c.1)a); IV.2.c.2); and IV.2.d. Reference the March 2015 BAA Guide for

Industry if additional formatting guidance is desired.

8. Should we follow the March 2015 BAA Guide for Industry when formatting our proposal?

Answer: The AFRL BAA Guide is general tool to help offerors organize their proposal but if you wish to structure your proposal differently that is okay as long as all the requirements of the

AVAMP BAA are captured. The formatting and font size, etc. stated in the AVAMP BAA are absolutely required.

9. Is it a requirement to use the section layout as specified on page 18 of the AFRL BAA Guide for

Industry? Or, is that specific list of sections just a guideline / suggestion?

Answer: Following the AFRL BAA Guide for Industry section layout is not a requirement. It's a general tool to help offerors organize their proposal but if you wish to structure your proposal differently that is okay as long as all the requirements of the AVAMP BAA are captured. The formatting and font size, etc. stated in the AVAMP BAA are absolutely required.

10. Pages 15-16 of the BAA call out some specific things to address in the Technical / Management

Proposals, including … “a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach.” Do we need to fit the "nature and scope of research" information into one of the sections specified in the AFRL BAA Guide for Industry?

Answer: It depends on how you structure your proposal. If you follow the AFRL BAA Guide for

Industry then yes. If you structure your proposal differently, then it can go in the section you feel is appropriate. All the requirements of the AVAMP BAA must be captured in your proposal.

11. Do you really want no names of the key personnel as part of the resumes provided with the proposal as suggested by the AFRL BAA Guide for Industry (pages 18 & 20)?

Answer: We usually see names on resumes, but it is understandable why the AFRL BAA Guide for Industry would say not to include them. We will leave that up to you to decide.

12. Where is it appropriate to indicate that my proposal is for a C contract and not the whole IDIQ?

Answer: Identify your proposal as being for a "C" contract in your cover letter and on the cover page of your proposal(s).

13. For a C contract, does the offeror only submit a technical proposal, SOW, and business proposal for whichever task order the offeror is proposing to? Is a Basic IDIQ proposal is unnecessary?

Answer: For a "C" contract proposal, the Government requires a 'Technical/Management' proposal (which includes the SOW) and a 'Business/Cost' proposal. The offeror does not need to submit a Basic IDIQ proposal with a "C" contract proposal.

14. In the solicitation it states that this contract would be unlimited rights. We would like to leverage some of our technology in our proposal and retain our data rights. Would it be possible to negotiate the retention of our data rights?

Answer: Please reference page 10, section I.5.e., “Data Rights Desired.” The fifth paragraph states, “Offers that propose delivery of technical data, non-commercial software [NCS], or NCS documentation subject to Limited Rights, Restricted Rights, or Specifically Negotiated License

Rights will be considered. Proposals should fully explain what technical data, NCS, or NCS documentation developed with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a government contract will be incorporated and how the incorporation will benefit the program.”

15. On page 8 of the BAA, paragraph 5c, “Voluntary Protection Program (VPP),” states "Contractors must also provide a copy of their Safety and Health Plan and corresponding site checklist with their proposal . . ." Are the Health Plan and checklist part of the 45 double-spaced page limit?

Answer: No; this documentation is part of the Business Proposal, which has no page limitation.

16. On page 2, under “Anticipated Number of Awards,” the BAA states, "The Air Force anticipates awarding multiple awards for this announcement. The Air Force anticipates awarding multiple (2 or more) IDIQ Basic awards with CPFF task orders."

a. Is it the intent to award all three items to 2 or more awardees or will the TOs be awarded in some other manner? We perceive the possibility of having three TO1 awardees which would seem to indicate that the anticipated TO1 award pool of $5.8M could be split into smaller pieces thus making it difficult for any one bidder to try and determine how extensive its prospective research should be.

b. Do you have any guidance so as to allow bidders to provide the best benefit proposal within reasonable financial limits?

Answer: We anticipate awarding two (2) Basic IDIQ contracts and one (1) task order to each awardee. We need to maintain flexibility in our language because we don’t know how the proposals will come in (in terms of dollar amounts and proposed technology). It is our anticipation that each task order will go to 1 awardee and then the future task orders will be competed between the 2 awardees.

There is also the possibility that a small business could propose on a portion of task order 0001 or

0002 and we can award a separate "C" type contract to them. As long as they offer a different approach, it may not take away from the value of the Task Order for the main awardee, but it will take away from the overall IDIQ ceiling.

17. Since both Task Order 0001 and Task Order 0002 require use of the testbed and upgrades to that testbed, how should material/equipment costs for the two task orders be estimated?

Answer: Each task order proposal should stand on its own. However, the Government will not pay twice for the same equipment. Since upgrades to the testbed will benefit both Task Orders, actual equipment purchased will be determined based on proposals received and based on needs during execution of each task order.

18. How do I format my proposal if my company is offering more than one solution for one task order?

Answer: You may submit multiple task order proposals without re-writing the Basic ID/IQ proposal for each solution. Each task order proposal would be individually subject to the page limits (or, said another way, offerors do not need to fit multiple task order solutions into the page limit required for one response).

19. Can the Government extend the proposal due date?

Answer: No; the proposal due date and time stated in the BAA will not be extended.

20. In order to have the determination to use base support “included as such in the proposal” (per page 8 of BAA), do we need to –

a. Price out the cost of such support by having our Supplier Management request cost information from the Air Force, and

b. Do we need to add any such costs to our cost proposal?

Answer: No to both questions, a and b. Please ensure you state in your proposal whether you plan to use the base support provided in accordance with I. 5. b. of the BAA.

21. Besides the information in the Industry Day presentation, are there any additional details about the architecture and the equipment located in the lab space?

Answer: No additional details are available aside from what was presented at Industry Day.