DLA Procurement Notes.docx

C02 Manufacturing Phase-Out or Discontinuation of Production, Diminishing Sources, and Obsolete Materials or Components (DEC 2016) The contractor shall notify the contracting officer immediately upon determining the unavailability of obsolete materials or components. The contractor may recommend a solution to include the impact on the contract price and delivery. The contractor shall not initiate any item redesign or incur any additional costs without the express, written authorization of the contracting officer.

In the event that manufacturing phase-out or discontinuance of production of such items is contemplated, the contractor is required to notify the contracting officer and publish the discontinuance in the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP), where feasible; and to provide immediate advance notice of production phase-out to DLA DMSMS at dscc.dmsms@dla.mil.

C03 Contractor Retention of Supply Chain Traceability Documentation (JUN 2023)

(1) By submitting a quotation or offer, the contractor, if it is not the manufacturer of the item, is confirming it currently has, or will obtain before delivery, and shall retain documented evidence (supply chain traceability documentation), as described in paragraph (2) of this procurement note, demonstrating the item is from the approved manufacturer and conforms to the technical requirements.

(2) At a minimum, the supply chain traceability documentation for the item shall include: basic item description, part number and/or national stock number, manufacturing source, manufacturing source’s Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and clear identification of the name and location of all supply chain intermediaries between the manufacturer to the contractor to item(s) acceptance by the Government. The documentation should also include, if available, the manufacturer's batch identification for the item(s), such as date codes, lot codes, or serial numbers. In addition, the contractor will obtain and supply any quality requirements necessary to prove the material meets the technical description. Evidence of quality consist of test results, material certifications, and manufacturing process sheets, identified by the technical data.

(3) Contractors can find examples of acceptable supply chain traceability documentation at the Counterfeit Detection and Avoidance Program (CDAP) website (http://www.dla.mil/LandandMaritime/Business/Selling/Counterfeit-Detection-Avoidance- Program/).

(4) The contractor shall immediately make documentation available to the contracting officer upon request. The contracting officer determines the acceptability and sufficiency of documentation. The contractor shall retain supply chain traceability documentation for six years after final payment under this contract for audit and other valid government purposes. If the contractor fails to retain or provide the documentation, or the contracting officer finds the documentation to be unacceptable, the contracting officer may take corrective action, including, but not limited to, cancellation of undelivered orders or rejection of delivered supplies.

C14 Correction of Nonconforming Packaging or Marking (MAY 2020)

(1) The Government may correct nonconforming packaging or marking for receipts of DLA- owned materiel if the estimated costs of correction are $1,000 or less. The contracting officer will advise the contractor of the discrepancy and that the Government has corrected the packaging or marking. The contracting officer will make a determination concerning appropriate reimbursement by the contractor for the Government’s costs to correct the deficiencies. Upon determining that reimbursement is required, the contracting officer will send a notice to the contractor. Upon receipt of notice from the contracting officer, the contractor shall reimburse the Government for the costs incurred by the Government to correct the deficiencies.

(2) If the estimated costs of correction for receipts of DLA-owned materiel are more than $1,000, the contracting officer will advise the contractor of the discrepancy and have the materiel returned to the contractor for correction/resubmittal; or, if there are urgent requirements, have the Government remediate the discrepancy at the contractor’s expense. If the Government remediates the discrepancy, the contracting officer will make a determination concerning appropriate reimbursement by the contractor for the Government’s costs to correct the deficiencies. Upon determining that reimbursement is required, the contracting officer will send a notice to the contractor. Upon receipt of notice from the contracting officer, the contractor shall reimburse the Government for the costs incurred by the Government to correct the deficiencies.

C20 Vendor Shipment Module (VSM) (JUL 2024)

(1) The DLA Vendor Shipment Module (VSM) is a web-based system for DLA contractors to obtain current shipping addresses, two-dimensional bar-coded shipping labels in accordance with MIL-STD-129, bills of lading, packing lists, and other shipping documentation. Contractors using VSM do not need to contact the transportation office prior to shipping items. Contractors shall use VSM to print labels for f.o.b. destination contracts; and to print labels and arrange for shipping for f.o.b. origin contracts. All contractors will use VSM to obtain shipping labels no more than two (2) days prior to shipment to ensure the current destination address is used.

(2) To obtain information for contracts administered by DLA or to register as a VSM user, the contractor shall contact the DLA VSM Helpdesk at (800) 456-5507 or via email to delivery@dla.mil.

(a) Before contacting the Government to advise that material is ready to ship, the contractor shall complete its VSM profile, to include regular business hours and observed holidays. The Government may request reimbursement for occurrences when the Government sends carrier equipment but is unable to pick-up a shipment because the material was unavailable, or the contractor facility was closed.

(3) To obtain information for contracts administered by DCMA, the contractor shall contact the DCMA that are for contracts where the ultimate destination is outside the contiguous United States, hazardous material, foreign military sales (FMS), or contracts requiring Transportation Protective Service, the contractor shall contact the DCMA Transportation to determine the cognizant Transportation Office at dcma.stlouis-mo.hq.mbx.transportation-inbox@mail.mil.

(b) Shipping instruction request (SIR). The SIR is DCMA’s contractor interface which automates the shipping process by reducing data entry and cycle time and facilitates data collection for management of the process. Suppliers use SIR to send requests for shipping instructions to the DCMA Transportation Office. The SIR is designed to improve DCMA's ability to track and efficiently field requests to improve the timing and quality of shipments from contractors.

(1) Contracting officers at DLA Aviation, DLA Land and Maritime, and DLA Troop Support shall include procurement note C21 in solicitations and contracts if DCMA administers the contract and any of the following apply:

(i) Contracts where ultimate destination is outside the contiguous United States;

(ii) Hazardous material (HAZMAT) contracts;

(iii) Foreign Military Sales (FMS);

(iv) Contracts requiring Transportation Protective Service.

E05 Product Verification Testing (MAY 2020)

(1) Product verification testing (PVT) under this procurement note will only apply when the contracting officer specifically invokes it in writing. The contracting officer may invoke PVT at or after contract award. If the contracting officer invokes PVT at contract award, the contract will explicitly state this testing requirement. If the contracting officer invokes PVT after contract award, the contracting officer shall notify the contractor and the cognizant DCMA ACO. The Government will perform PVT testing at a Government-designated testing laboratory.

(2) The contractor shall not ship or deliver any material until it receives notification of the acceptable PVT results, unless the contracting officer directs it to do so in writing The Government will provide the PVT results to the contractor within 20 business days after receipt at the Government testing facility, unless the Government specifies otherwise in writing.

(3) The contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to the Government in accordance with FAR Clause 52.246-2 or 52.246-3; and maintain and make available all records evidencing those details if requested by the Government. When the Government finds evidence of risk associated with the contractor’s sampling process, the Government may witness and evaluate the contractors sampling process. The contractor shall randomly select samples from the production lot(s), unless the contracting officer specifies otherwise in writing. The contractor shall ship the selected PVT samples with a copy of the system of record receiving report (i.e., WAWF, DD Form 250, or commercial shipping document) and the contractor’s signed DD Form 1222. The contractor shall prepare the shipping container(s) by marking the external packages in bold letters, “Product Verification Test Samples – Do Not Post to Stock," Contract Number [contractor insert] and Lot/Item Number [contractor insert]” adjacent to the MIL-STD-129 (latest revision) identification markings. The contractor shall use a hard copy of the system of record receiving report as a packing list, in accordance with DFARS Appendix F. The contractor shall mark the exterior of the shipping container in accordance with MIL-STD- 129 (latest revision), paragraph 5.11. The contractor shall send samples by traceable means (e.g., certified or registered mail, United Parcel Service, Federal Express). The contractor shall include the following in the interior package:

(a) Hard copies of the contract;

(b) Material certifications/process operation sheets; and

(c) Drawings used to manufacture the units and return shipping information.

(4) The Government will return samples that pass testing and are not destroyed during evaluation to the contractor at the Government's expense for the contractor to include as part of the total contract quantity to be delivered under the contract. The contractor and Government may agree to dispose of samples not destroyed when the cost of the item does not justify the shipping expense. If the Government does not return approved samples that pass testing to the contractor, the Government will consider those samples as part of the contract quantity for payment and delivery.

(5) If samples fail testing, the Government may reject the entire contract lot from which the contractor took the samples. The Government may, at its discretion, retain samples that fail testing without obligation to the contractor.

H10 Requires No Access to DLA Controlled Technical Data or Information for Contract Performance (FEB 2020) Awardee has confirmed it will not require access to DLA controlled technical data or information for contract performance, and it will provide items that conform to the current revision of applicable technical data.

L06 Agency Protests (DEC 2016) Interested parties may file an agency level protest with the contracting officer or may request an independent review by the chief of the contracting office (CCO). Independent review by the CCO is an alternative to consideration by the contracting officer and is not available as an appellate review of a contracting officer decision on a protest previously filed with the contracting officer. Absent a clear indication of the intent to file an agency level protest with the CCO for independent review, protests will be presumed to be protests to the contracting officer.

L08 Use of Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) in Past Performance Evaluations *Reinstated in DLAD 12.301(S-111) and 15.303(c)(3)(i) 07/18/2024

Awardees/Contractors (https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Awardee.pdf) and the SPRS Government User Guide (https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Government.pdf) provide instructions for accessing SPRS classifications. Contractors have access to SPRS for their own classifications only. Suppliers are encouraged to review their own classifications; the SPRS reporting procedures and classification methodology detailed in the SPRS Software User's Guide for Awardees/Contractors (https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Awardee.pdf); and the SPRS Evaluation Criteria (https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_DataEvaluationCriteria.pdf). The SPRS Software User's Guide for Awardees/Contractors (https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/pdf/SPRS_Awardee.pdf) provides the method to challenge a rating generated by SPRS.

L31 Additive Manufacturing (JUN 2018)

(1) Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of joining materials to make objects from three- dimensional (3D) model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies, which remove material from areas where it is not desired, or other traditional manufacturing technologies, such as molding or stamping.

(2) Unless AM is specifically authorized in the solicitation/contract, quotes/offers may not include parts or supplies made using the additive manufacturing process. The Government will not evaluate offers that include an item or items produced using AM, and such offers are not eligible for award for the current procurement. A quoter/offeror proposing to supply an AM- produced item may submit a request to the contracting officer for approval of the item for evaluation by the Engineering Support Activity (ESA) for acceptability for future procurements of the same items.

(3) If an item produced using AM is presented to the Government for inspection and acceptance that was not authorized in the solicitation/contract, the Government may reject the item as nonconforming.

M05 Evaluation Factor for Unused Former Government Surplus Property (SEP 2016)

(1) All offers for unused former Government surplus property shall have a $200 evaluation factor.

(2) All offers for CSI require evaluation by the ESA(s). An evaluation factor of $600 shall be applied for coordination with each ESA.

(3) If the contracting officer cannot determine acceptability and coordinates with the ESA(s) on other than CSI, an evaluation factor of $600 shall be applied for each ESA.