DSO-CSO.pdf

Kessel Run DevSecOps (DSO) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

This Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) solicitation is issued in accordance with DoD Class Deviation 2022-O0007 “Class Deviation - Defense Commercial Solutions Opening.”

Federal Agency Name: Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) HBB/Kessel Run

Federal Agencies Capable of Issuing Contracts/Agreements: The DSO CSO is targeted to AFLCMC/HBB and any identified future participants.

CSO Number: FA8730-22-S-C001

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Type: This is an Umbrella CSO issued for Kessel Run. As a Software Pathway program which falls under the authority of DoD 5000.87, Kessel Run routinely seeks DevSecOps services and peripherally related technologies that are widely available in the commercial marketplace. Parties that are interested in utilizing this acquisition approach can do so by executing individual CSO “ Calls”. Meaning this CSO will be “amended” to issue Calls as objectives requiring innovative solutions are identified by various organizations within the AFLCMC/HBB product lines. These Calls will be issued by acquisition teams within the HBB organization, posted on sam.gov in separate instances, and the Calls will reference the DSO CSO. This CSO will preclude the need for formal ASP approval for individual Calls. Since this solicitation vehicle is intended to result in a FAR Part 12 contract, we will use simplified procedures such as those provided for in FAR Part 13 to include FAR subpart 13.5, when applicable. The DSO CSO will remain open for the issuance of Calls until 30 Sep 2027. Contracts and agreements issued against this CSO are considered “commercial” notwithstanding the definition of Commercial Item in FAR 2.101. This document is not a request for a solution, brief, or proposal. Please note, interested parties will not be reimbursed by the Government for any/all costs associated with responding to this CSO, to include responses to Calls issued against this CSO.

Calls: Calls will include areas of interest (AOI) defined by the organizations issuing the calls. Each Call can be designed to meet the needs of the issuing organization.

Descriptions of potential Call structures can be found below. Calls will include (at a minimum):

● instructions to interested parties including the agency’s interest either for an individual program requirement or for broadly defined AOIs covering a full range of the agency’s requirements

● Projected Period of Performance (PoP) as well as expected for solution briefs/proposal submissions

● Selection criteria, their relative importance, and the method of evaluation

● Data rights being sought to meet minimum needs (if any)

Brief Program Summary: The objective of the DSO CSO is to provide a mechanism by which the government can partner with industry to deliver state-of-the-art commercial technology directly to the warfighter. To do so, the government must broaden its horizons – in order to bring innovative solutions required to accelerate the efficiency and effectiveness of our nation’s DevSecOps. Awards and agreements will be issued to industry partners offering “innovative solutions” to the described objectives, desired end states, or capability gaps defined by organizations issuing Calls. To be considered, the solutions offered must meet the definition of an innovative solution. For the purposes of this CSO, innovative means any technology, process, or method including research and development, that is new as of the date of the proposal submission; or any new application of an existing technology, process, or method as of the proposal date.

Additionally, this CSO may result in the award of research and development contracts/agreements ranging from basic research through operational systems development.

Communication Between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives:

Open communication is encouraged. Questions, suggestions, or feedback related to the DSO CSO can be provided to the DSO CSO POC identified within this document.

Calls: Specific communications related to objectives within a Call, will be treated in accordance with instructions provided within that Call. Open communications are encouraged otherwise.

Communications with any of the points of contact shall not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Additionally, only Contracting Officers and Agreements Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

Call Structures:

One-Step: The one-step process is used to request full technical and cost proposals from any interested party. The proposals are evaluated in accordance with the solicitation criteria and an entire proposal, part of a proposal, or none of the proposals may be selected.

Multi-Step: The multi-step process will be used when a large number of proposals are anticipated. Interested parties will be invited to submit (a) descriptive solution brief(s) in lieu of a full proposal(s). The Call must state whether an unfavorable solution brief evaluation will bar the interested parties from further consideration. Full proposals are requested from those interested parties selected in the solution brief evaluation process.

The Government reserves the right to go through multiple phases of down-selection prior to final selection. Individual Calls will specify what methods (e.g. work demos, challenge problems, proofs of concept) the Government will use for down-selection.

When full proposals are received, they are evaluated, and selection decisions are made.

Open: This approach allows for Solution Brief and/or proposal submission at any time within a specified period or at any time during the Call’s availability. A Call of this type issued against the DSO CSO will be available for a maximum of one year. With this approach, Solution Briefs and/or proposals are evaluated as received. Unsolicited solution briefs will not be accepted.

Closed: This approach allows for solution brief and/or proposal submittals at a specified date and time as set forth within the Call. Late bid and proposal provisions (IAW FAR 52.215-1(c)(3)) will be included in the Call.

Solution Briefs/Proposal Submission: Solution briefs and/or proposals must be submitted to the Contracting Point of Contact (POC) identified within each Call.

Solicitation Request: Solution briefs or Proposals are not requested at this time.

Solution briefs or proposals will be solicited via Calls.

Evaluations Factors: The primary evaluation factors for selecting proposals for award shall be technical, importance to agency programs, and funds availability. Price shall be considered to the extent appropriate, but at a minimum, to determine that the price is fair and reasonable. Calls may add to or modify these factors, as appropriate (e.g., past performance).

Debriefings: Debriefings will be handled in accordance with FAR 52.212-1(l). The cognizant Contracting Officer for each Call will determine the best method to provide debriefings (i.e., phone call, in-person brief, or written).

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: NAICS codes will be identified within each Call issued against this CSO.

Type of Contract/Instrument: The government intends to award FAR Part 12, fixed price type contracts and FAR Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures as a result of this solicitation; however, the government also reserves the right to award an Other Transaction (OTs) for Prototype project pursuant to 10 USC 4022 and contracts and agreements under Procurement for Experimental Purposes 10 USC 4023. The government may also award follow-on production contracts related to Other Transaction for Prototype projects issued under this CSO. The government further reserves the right to award all, part, or none of the proposals received.

Estimated Program Cost: There is no cumulative ceiling estimated for this CSO.

However, individual FAR based awards are not anticipated to exceed $100M. Should an offeror desire to submit a solution in excess of this value, the offeror shall contact both the cognizant DSO CSO Contracting Officer and the Call Contracting Officer for the stated area of interest. Detailed estimated cost or funding profiles may be included in Calls and amendments for Open Periods. In regards to Non-FAR based agreements resulting from this Umbrella CSO, individual agreements are not anticipated to exceed $100M.

Anticipated Number of Awards: It is anticipated that organizations will award multiple awards supporting efforts described within Calls. However, organizations issuing Calls reserve the right to award zero, one, or more contracts/agreements for all, some or none of the solicited effort based on the offeror's ability to perform desired work and funding limitations.

Technical POCs: Government technical POCs will be identified within each Call.

Contracting POCs:

Contracting Officer

NAME

EMAIL

Contract Specialist

NAME

EMAIL

Umbrella CSO Primary POC Questions, suggestions, or feedback pertaining to the DSO CSO, as a whole, can be sent to the following email: strategic_innovation@kr.af.mil. This email will be monitored by Kessel Run’s Strategic Innovation Team. This team will not answer specific questions related to Calls issued against this CSO. Interested parties are to direct questions related to Calls to those POCs identified within the Call.

Miscellaneous Information:

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration: SAM is the primary Government repository for prospective federal awardee information and the centralized Government system for certain contracting, agreements, grants, and other assistance related processes. By submission of an offer to a Call under this CSO, the offeror acknowledges the requirement that a prospective awardee shall be registered in the SAM database prior to award, during performance, and through final payment of any contract, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchasing agreement resulting from this solicitation. Contractors may obtain information on registration and annual confirmation requirements via the SAM accessed through https://www.acquisition.gov or by calling 866-606-8220.

Security: Unless otherwise stated in a Call, interested parties shall submit unclassified solution briefs or proposals. If an interested party deems a classified solution brief or proposal is necessary, refer to the POC listed within the Call. Individual Calls will identify whether a Contract Security Classification Specification (DD 254) is applicable to the Call. If a DD 254 is required, offerors must possess all required personnel security clearance, facility clearance, and other infrastructure requirements necessary to perform any proposed classified work in accordance with the referenced DD 254.

Cybersecurity: Offerors should be aware of the provision DFARS 252.204-7019 Notice of NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements and clause DFARS 252.204-7020 NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements. If an offeror is required to implement NIST SP 800-171, the offeror shall have a current assessment (i.e., not more than 3 years old) for each covered contractor information system that is relevant to the offer, contract, task order, delivery order, or agreement. DoD Assessments are described in the NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Methodology located at https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/pdi/cyber/strategically_assessing_contractor_implementat ion_of_NIST_SP_800-171.html.