C. Attachment 7 - E.1 ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS 071326.docx

CUI//PROCURE

E.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO QUOTERS AND EVALUATION FACTORS

The following are the instructions for Quoters, the explanation of the basis of award and evaluation factors. Quotes that do not adhere to the instructions set forth in this solicitation will be deemed non-responsive and, as such, will not be considered for award. Quotes must be signed and dated to the office specified in this solicitation and submitted at or before the exact time specified in this solicitation.

E.3.1 COMMUNICATIONS AND QUOTE SUBMISSION

To maintain the integrity of the competitive process, communications regarding this solicitation shall be with the Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer only. Communications regarding this solicitation with FERC Staff or anyone other than the assigned Acquisition Services Division (ASD) Contracting Officer is strictly prohibited. All questions, quotes, and communications shall be submitted to the following points of contact. The points of contact for this procurement are:

TABLE 1: RFQ POINTS OF CONTACT

E.3.1.2 QUOTE SUBMISSION

Table 2 indicates the key submission action dates for this RFQ.

TABLE 2: KEY SUBMISSION ACTION DATES

Period for acceptance of quotes: The Quoter agrees to hold the prices in its quote firm for 90 calendar days from the date specified for receipt of quotes.

The Government reserves the right to make award without discussion and based on initial quotation. Therefore, Quoters are strongly encouraged to submit their best terms in their initial submission.

E.3.1.3 QUESTIONS SUBMISSIONS

Questions should be submitted using the attached questions Excel template. (See Attachment 10 – Questions Template). Questions shall not be provided in PDF format(s) and shall not be part of any table formatting. Questions shall cite the solicitation section, page, and paragraph number.

All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted by the due date indicated in Table 2: Key Submission Action Dates via e-mail to RFQ Points of Contact indicated in this solicitation. Any questions received after the Questions due date will not be answered; however the Government reserves the right to answer any questions that it determines would be in the best interest of the Government and the successful award of this solicitation.

E.3.2 QUOTE FORMAT AND SUBMISSIOIN REQUIREMENTS

Quotation shall be divided into two separate Volumes: Technical Quotation (Volume 1) and Price Quotation (Volume 2) and include the following:

TABLE 3: QUOTE FORMAT SPECIFICATIONS

Volume 1:

Technical Quotation

II – Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan

* OCI Questionnaire (Attachment 2)

VII – FERC Non-Disclosure Agreements

* OCI Representation Disclosure Statement (Attachment 3)

* Contractors CEII Non-Disclosure Agreement (Attachment 4)

* FERC NDA Contractors Employee (Attachment 5)

* FERC NDA Contractor MAR 2022 (Attachment 6)

Note: Failure to Complete these forms will render the submission incomplete and Quoter will not be evaluated by the agency.

Volume 2:

Price Quotation

II – Price Related Exceptions and Assumptions

* RFQ 89603026Q0062 Pricing Template (Attachment 8)

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

The technical and price quotes shall be submitted as two separate electronic files. The technical quotation shall be submitted on 8 ½" x 11" pages, using no less than ten (10) point character size and no less than an average of 3/4" around each page for margins. Tables and figures shall use no smaller than ten (10) point character size and shall be clear and readable.

The following items are excluded from the above stated page limitation: table of contents, resumes, organizational and personal conflict of interest plans, blank pages. Resumes are limited to two pages per proposed key personnel. All pages more than the page limits specified in this solicitation will NOT be evaluated. Quotations submitted in software formats not readable by the Government may be determined to be non-responsive to the solicitation and removed from consideration for award.

E.3.2.1 Volume 1: Technical Quotation The Technical Quotation shall demonstrate the Quoter’s OCI Mitigation Plan, technical capability to perform the services in accordance with the requirements of the Statement of Work (SOW), address past performance, address any non-price related exceptions and assumptions, and the required non-disclosure agreements. Quoters must submit a complete, well‑organized, and substantive technical response that clearly reflects their understanding of each element and their ability to execute all required tasks. The submission must address every requirement of the RFQ and provide sufficient detail to permit evaluation in accordance with the stated criteria. The Quoter shall provide evidence/experience in the discipline of dam safety as described in the SOW.

Any quotation that merely restates, paraphrases, or summarizes the SOW or solicitation language—without providing meaningful, Quoter‑developed narrative—will be deemed technically unacceptable. Quoters shall describe their proposed methodology in their own words and present a clear, detailed explanation of how they will meet the technical requirements, including the specific processes, resources, and approaches they will employ to ensure successful performance.

Volume 1 shall NOT contain any price information; failure to adhere to this rule may result in the quote being deemed non-responsive.

The technical quotation shall be structured as follows:

I. Cover Letter The quotation shall include a cover letter that is signed and dated by the Quoter and identifies the following information on the cover page:

1. Title of RFQ

2. RFQ Number;

3. Company name, point of contact information, address, e-mail address. and telephone number;

4. Unique Entity ID, CAGE, and TIN numbers;

5. Acknowledgement of any amendments to this RFQ;

6. A statement that you assent to all terms of this RFQ

II. Factor 1 - Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) The Quoter must submit an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) OCI Questionnaire (Attachment 2) to disclose any OCI’s that may impede their ability to perform services to satisfy the Governments requirements as stated in this solicitation.

III. Factor 2 - Technical Capability The Quoter must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the requirements contained in the RFQ. The Quoter must explain, in their own words, a detailed understanding of the purpose of this RFQ, clearly showing that the objectives and tasks defined in the Statement of Work (SOW) are fully understood. The Quoter shall present a logical and achievable approach for meeting these objectives, reflecting both their knowledge of the RFQ requirements and their method for successfully accomplishing them. In demonstrating the Quoter’s technical capabilities, the Quoter should address the subfactors listed within the technical capability evaluation factor.

Factor 2 shall sufficiently and clearly address each subfactor.

Sub-factor 1 – Management Approach: shall demonstrate the strategy for 1) managing personnel and resources necessary to perform consulting tasks in the SOW, 2) managing and coordinating inspection schedules, and 3) the management approach for quality assurance and quality control of all deliverables.

Sub-factor 2 – Corporate Experience: shall describe Quoter’s experience Dam Safety Consulting Services and environmental support services. Specifically address the Quoters’ ability and experience to successfully perform contracts and/or orders of similar size, scope, and complexity. The Quoter shall demonstrate their capability and relevant experience by providing evidence through the requirements for experience as stated in this solicitation.

Sub-factor 3 – Personnel Qualifications: shall provide the qualified personnel for the labor category as required in this solicitation. The resume shall be limited to three pages. Any resume that exceeds the page limit will only be evaluated up to the three pages. The resume shall describe an individual’s qualifications and experiences in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the Quoter will provide the quality of skilled workforce necessary to successfully meet the requirements described in Attachment 1 - Statement of Work Flood Hydrologist Consultant. Quoter shall thoroughly ensure that the proposed subject-matter expert has the requisite expertise, knowledge, training, appropriate credentials, experience and skills, to meet the requirements of the SOW, and correspond with the following labor category:

a. Flood Hydrologist

The resume for an individual who is not currently employed by the Quoter shall include a statement that the individual is available for work in the event the Quoter is awarded the contract. The Government will accept a signed Letter of Commitment (LOC) from the individual.

IV. Past Performance Past Performance demonstrates the Quoter’s ability to perform successfully by showing the Quoter’s performance history of past contracts of the same or similar work through the quality, timeliness, and customer satisfaction. Quoter must provide three Past Performance references for same or similar work as required by this RFQ, completed within the past five years. Past Performances must be for the same or similar services detailed within the SOW. If the Quoter’s past performance references are with Federal contracts the Quoter should provide a copy of the interim or final Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) for those referenced contracts.

Experience: Provide three examples of work performed within the last three years that is of equal or greater size, scope, and complexity to the work described in this solicitation. The Quoter shall Include the following information:

· Customer (Company) name and address

· Project name and contract/purchase order number (if applicable)

· Description of the work performed and how it is of similar or greater complexity to the work identified in this solicitation

· Description as to how this example is similar in size to the requirements of this RFQ listed in the SOW

· Description as to how this example is similar in scope to the requirements of this RFQ listed in the SOW to the requirements of this RFQ listed in the SOW

· Description as to how this example is similar in complexity to the requirements of this RFQ listed in the SOW

· Location where the work was performed

· A statement as to whether the work was completed on schedule and to the customer’s technical requirements

· Name, phone number, and email of the customer’s point of contact

Note: The government may contact the references to verify the corporate experience and performance.

Each reference should include the following:

· Contract/Task Order Number

· Contract Type and Total Value

· Period of Performance

· Customer Agency/Organization

· Point of Contact (Name, Title, Email, Phone)

· Description of Work Performed

· Description of the Quoter’s role (Prime, Subcontractor, Team Member)

· Performance results, including quality, timeliness, cost control, and customer satisfaction

· A statement regarding any corrective actions taken, if applicable

V. Non-price Related Exceptions and Assumptions This section shall clearly describe all non-price-related exceptions and assumptions the Quoter is taking with respect to the solicitation and its requirements. If the Quoter is taking no exceptions or assumptions, the Quoter shall clearly state that the Quoter takes no non-price related exceptions or assumptions to the solicitation.

Note: The Government reserves the right to determine that a quotation is non-responsive and no longer considered for award if the quote includes any exception or assumption that is unacceptable to the government.

VI. FERC Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) Quoter and its employees must agree not to disclose any privileged, proprietary, or non-public information. The Quoter must complete the OCI Representation Disclosure Statement (Attachment 3), Contractors CEII Non-Disclosure Agreement (Attachment 4), FERC NDA Contractors Employee (Attachment 5), and FERC NDA Contractor MAR 2022 (Attachment 6) forms and submit with quote.

E.3.2.2 Volume 2: Price Quotation Volume 2: Shall NOT contain any technical information; failure to adhere to these rules will result in the Quote being deemed non-responsive.

This refers to the total expected price of performing the requirements in the SOW. Price will be reviewed separately from the Technical Quotation (Volume 1). The Government will review quotes for award purposes by adding the CLIN price to ensure that pricing is not unbalanced. The Government may reject any offer that is evaluated to be unrealistically high or low in price or reflects a failure to comprehend the complexity and risks of the work to be performed. The Government will review the offeror’s total proposed price to determine if the price is fair and reasonable.

Price quotes will be evaluated for completeness, accuracy, compliance with the instructions, and consistency with the Quoter’s technical quotation demonstrating an understanding of the work to be accomplished. Quotes with exceptions to the solicitation requirements may be determined to be non-responsive. The Government reserves the right to determine that an offer is non-responsive and no longer considered for award if the offer includes any exception that is unacceptable to the Government.

The government anticipates awarding a single, fixed‑price labor‑hour contract for the services required by the SOW. Quoter shall provide fixed rate unit prices and extended dollar amounts for each of CLINS identified in Section B.1 “Price Schedule” of the solicitation with pricing for the base and each option period. The Price Quotation shall address each CLIN outlined in SECTION B.1 -PRICE/COST SCHEDULE and the pricing template provided in the solicitation as Attachment 8 – RFQ 89603026Q0062 Pricing Template. The Quoter shall submit a price quote that is consistent with the solicitation requirements and the Quoter’s technical Quotation.

Options: The Government will review offers for award purposes by adding the total price for all options to the total price for the basic requirement. The Government may determine that an offer is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced. Evaluation of options shall not obligate the Government to exercise the option(s).

A written notice of award or acceptance of an offer, mailed or otherwise furnished to the successful offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the offer, shall result in a binding contract without further action by either party. Before the offer's specified expiration time, the Government may accept an offer (or part of an offer), whether or not there are negotiations after its receipt, unless a written notice of withdrawal is received before award.

I. Pricing Template Information Quoter’s pricing shall include a detailed breakout for the base and each option period to include the proposed labor categories and the fully loaded hourly labor rates for the Fixed Price labor categories in the Quoter’s proposal for each category. “Fully loaded labor rates” are defined as direct labor hours at specified fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead, G & A and profit. The Quoter’s price proposal shall be mapped to the proposed labor mix. Quoters are required to submit Attachment 8 – RFQ 89603026Q0062 Pricing Template as part of Volume 2 of their quote.

Quoter is required to complete the pricing structure provided in Attachment 8 exactly as specified in the format of the Excel spreadsheet. The information requested in the spreadsheet must be entered into the tabs as they have been developed and presented within the solicitation. It is imperative that no alterations are made to the requested data or to the format of the Excel sheet. Any modifications to the already established tabs for the requested information or the established format within the spreadsheet tabs will result in the quote being deemed non-responsive. Quoters may add tabs to provide supplemental information and/or an attachment in their pricing submission that provides additional information or detail about their price quote.

II. Price Related Exceptions and Assumptions This section shall clearly describe all price-related exceptions or assumptions the Quoter is taking with respect to the solicitation and its requirements. If the Quoter is taking no exceptions or assumptions, the Quoter shall clearly state that the Quoter takes no price-related exceptions or assumptions to the solicitation.

Note 1: The Government will accept a separate Word document for the Price Related Exceptions and Assumptions.

Note 2: The Government reserves the right to determine that a quotation is non-responsive and no longer considered for award if the quotation includes any exception or assumption that is unacceptable to the government.

E.4 EVALUATION FACTORS

E.4.1 BASIS FOR AWARD

The Government intends to award a single, fixed‑price labor‑hour contract resulting from this solicitation in accordance with the procedures of FAR Part 12.6 prescribed by 41 U.S.C. 1906 using Simplified Acquisition Procedures under FAR Section 13.106, as supplemented with additional information included in the RFQ. The Government will evaluate and award utilizing the best value – trade off to the responsible Quoter whose quotation is determined to be the best value to the government.

To be eligible for award, Quoter must be determined to be responsive and responsible. A Quoter with an incomplete submission package or who receives a low confidence in any non-price evaluation factor will be determined ineligible for award. An award will be made to the responsive and responsible Quoter who provides the best-value solution to the Government. A trade-off analysis of technical/non-price evaluation factors and the price evaluation factor will be utilized to determine best-value. In conducting the trade-off analysis, all technical/non-price evaluation factors, when combined, are greater than price.

In addition, to be eligible for award, the Government must be able to determine that the Quoter’s price is fair and reasonable. Any missing pricing information or incorrect/inaccurate pricing information will result in the quote being determined as unreasonable and ineligible for award. The agency will review offers for materially unbalanced pricing. If unbalanced pricing is found, the agency may exclude the quote. Quotes with significantly over- or underpriced line items may be considered unbalanced and may be evaluated for potential risks to the Government.

E.4.2 EVALUATION FACTORS

Each quotation will be evaluated according to the following price and non-price criteria. The non-price criteria combined are significantly more important than price. Factor 1 – Pass/Fail, Factors 2 and 3 will be Confidence-Ratings.

1. Factor 1 – Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)

2. Factor 2 – Technical Capability

3. Factor 3 – Past Performance

4. Factor 4 – Price

Factor 1 - Organizational Conflict of Interest The Quoter’s Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) will be evaluated on whether there is any OCI’s present that would impede the Quoter’s ability to perform the requirements of this solicitation. Using the OCI Questionnaire (Attachment 2), the government will evaluate the submission on a pass/fail basis. Notwithstanding any other evaluation of the quotation, a Quoter that submits a plan that is unacceptable at the time of evaluation, quote will not be eligible for award.

Factor 2 - Technical Capability Quoter’s Technical Capability will be evaluated on a Confidence-Ratings basis. Technical Capability will be evaluated on the following sub-factors:

Sub-factor 1 – Management Approach: Quoter’s approach demonstrates a clear strategy for managing personnel and resources necessary to perform the requirements, timely deliverables, and a sound quality assurance and quality control approach.

Sub-factor 2 – Corporate Experience: Quoter will be evaluated as to whether their corporate capability and experience demonstrates that they can meet or exceed the Government’s requirements as stated in this RFQ. This includes assessing if the following are addressed:

· Quoter provided three examples of work performed within the last three years that is of equal or greater size, scope, and complexity to the work described in this solicitation.

· Customer (Company) name and address, project name and contract/purchase order number, location where the work was performed, name, phone number, and email of the customer’s point of contact.

· Quote demonstrates the Quoter’s ability to successfully handle the workload and complexity of the requirements as outlined in the SOW.

· Quote specifically addresses the Quoter’s ability and experience to successfully perform a contract of similar size, scope, and complexity.

· Quoter’s capability and relevant experience demonstrate the ability to have successful performance with low risk of performance issues.

Note: Please note that for Sub-factor 2 we are looking at the work the company has done, not how well the work was done.

Sub-factor 3 – Personnel Qualifications: Quote will be evaluated as to whether the personnel qualifications and experience of the proposed personnel required in the RFQ meet or exceed the Government’s requirements. This includes assessing if the following are addressed:

· Quoter provides qualified personnel for each labor category in the solicitation.

· Quoter provides a different labor category from the Government labor category.

· The subject-matter expert’s expertise, knowledge, training, appropriate credentials, experience and skills and experience meet or exceed the minimum requirements for Key Personnel in E1. — Statement of Work Flood Hydrologist Consultant.

· Quote provides a signed Letter of Commitment (LOC) from the individual who is not currently employed by the Quoter.

Factor 3 – Past Performance In addition to the information provided by Quoter in Volume 1, the government may review records found in other databases such as CPARs, FPDS-NG, DUNS, etc. The Quoter’s Past Performance will be evaluated on a Confidence-Ratings basis.

· Quoter’s past performance is evaluated to determine the Quoter’s risk for unsuccessful performance based on past contracts and experience. If the Quoter has no relevant past performance, the quote will receive a rating of “Unknown Confidence”. An “Unknown Confidence” rating will not hinder a Quoter’s eligibility to be acceptable. This includes assessing if the following are addressed:

· Past Performance demonstrates the Quoters ability to perform successfully by showing the Quoters performance history of past contracts of the same or similar work through the quality, timeliness, and customer satisfaction.

· The Quoter provided three Past Performance references on same or similar work as required by this RFQ, completed within the past five years.

· Quoter provided a copy of the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) for all Federal Contracts referenced.

· Each reference included the required information requested:

· Contract/Task Order Number

· Contract Type and Total Value

· Period of Performance

· Customer Agency/Organization

· Point of Contact (Name, Title, Email, Phone)

· Description of Work Performed

· Description of the Quoter’s role (Prime, Subcontractor, Team Member)

· Performance results, including quality, timeliness, cost control, and customer satisfaction

· A statement regarding any corrective actions taken, if applicable

Factor 4 – Price Quotations will be evaluated with price and non-price related factors as criteria in a trade-off analysis to determine the best-value to the Government. The Government will evaluate the Quoter’s total price to determine if the price is fair and reasonable to qualify for award. Total price refers to the total quoted price for all CLINs and quantities in the pricing model, including all the quantities across all option periods.

Quoters are cautioned that price quotes with unbalanced pricing of CLINs within a base or option period or across base or option periods; that contain inconsistencies or pricing errors in addition or multiplication; or leave any CLIN pricing fill-ins blank will eliminate a Quoter from consideration for award. If unbalanced pricing is found, the agency may exclude the quote. Quotes with significantly over- or underpriced line items may be considered unbalanced and may be evaluated for potential risks to the Government.

In evaluating FAR 52.217-8 option to extend services prices, the Government will include in the total evaluated price the same rates as those proposed by the Quoter for the last performance period (using either the base period or option period). The evaluation of options does not obligate the Government to exercise the option. The Government may determine that a quote is unacceptable if the option prices are significantly unbalanced.

Minor Irregularities The government reserves the right to waive minor irregularities in quotes.

Exchanges with Offerors The Government intends to make an award based on initial submissions. However, after receipt of quotes, the Government reserves the right to request clarification or amplification of any aspects of quotes through an exchange process consistent with ordering procedures under FAR 13.1 These exchanges may also occur after initial evaluation, consistent with ordering procedures under FAR Subpart 13.1.

Additional information The Government may reject any offer that is evaluated to be significantly not compliant with the solicitation requirements or reflects a failure to comprehend the complexity and risks of the work to be performed.

PROCURE