REL_-_Instructions_to_Offerors.docx

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY (REL) PROGRAM

I. Introduction

All proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals (RFP) will become a part of the official contract file. The RFP does not commit the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of a proposal. In addition, the Contracting Officer is the only individual who can legally commit the Government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with this proposed acquisition. The Department will not be obligated to provide any equipment or a work site.

Offerors shall prepare separate technical and business/cost proposals in response to this RFP. The technical proposals shall not contain reference to specific costs, although resource information may be included so that the offeror’s understanding of the scope of the work may be evaluated. Cost information is restricted to the business proposal (with the limited exception of contract value data that offerors may include in the past performance volume explained in greater detail below). Each proposal shall be separate and complete so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of the other. The proposed costs shall also be commensurate with the proposed technical solution set forth in the technical proposal.

Submission Information:

The offeror shall submit their proposals as four separate digital files:

(1) Technical Proposal (including appendices and résumés),

(2) Business Proposal (narrative volume and price information)

(3) Excel workbook of cost/price information contained in the narrative volume

(4) Past Performance Volume.

Offerors must submit files electronically as PDFs and unlocked Excel spreadsheets. All pages shall be 8 ½ x 11. All pages shall be numbered.

Vendor Questions:

The Department will accept solicitation questions. Offerors must submit all questions to Jonathan E. Bettis (Jonathan.Bettis@ed.gov) with a cc to Heather Watroba (Heather.Watroba@ed.gov) no later than 1 PM Eastern on February 16, 2016. The Department will not accept or respond to questions submitted via mail, facsimile, or telephone. The Department cannot guarantee responses to questions submitted after the stated deadline.

Proposal Submission:

The Department will only accept electronic proposals submitted in accordance with the instructions below. The Department will not accept or review proposals submitted by mail (public or private) or facsimile.

Electronic copies of proposals shall be emailed to Jonathan.Bettis@ed.gov with a cc to Heather.Watroba@ed.gov no later than 1 PM Eastern April 5, 2016. The Department’s email servers cannot guarantee delivery of emails larger than 15MB. This size restriction accounts for possible expansion of file size due to certain Microsoft Cloud properties. Offerors must submit PDF versions of the Technical and Business Proposals, and Past Performance Reports. Cost and price data should also be submitted as a Microsoft Excel file (additional information is provided below). If attachments are too large for one individual email then offerors may submit more than one email as long as the email subject line clearly indicates that multiple emails will follow (e.g. “REL XX Proposal: One of Four”). If a subcontractor is not willing to share its proprietary information with the prime contractor, the subcontractor may submit subcontractor packages directly to the contacts listed above by the deadline listed above.

II. Volume I: Technical Proposal (Page Limit: 75 Pages)

General instructions:

The offeror must completely address all of the tasks described in the Performance Work Statement (PWS) and provide sufficient detail on the proposed approach for each task to allow a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) to adequately evaluate that approach. All information necessary to evaluate the technical soundness and management capabilities of the offeror will be contained in the technical proposal. The TEP will not make assumptions or guesses.

Technical proposals shall be no more than 75 double spaced pages (8 ½ x 11) in length, using a 12 point font and 1 inch margins. Appendices do not count towards the 75 page limit. Logic models may be size 10 font and single spaced and may be presented in landscape orientation. Below are some details about what may or may not be included in an Appendix:

· Tables and figures:

· Gantt charts for project timelines may be single spaced and in an Appendix. The font shall not be smaller than size 10 font and the orientation may be landscape. There is no page limit.

· Organizational charts may be single spaced and size 10 font. These should appear in the body of the technical proposal, not in an Appendix. The orientation of this chart may be landscape.

· Deliverable Schedules may be in an Appendix. They shall have size 12 font and be double spaced. There is no page limit. The orientation of this chart may be landscape.

· The Tables of Time Commitments of Staff may be single spaced. It shall have size 10 font and shall appear in an Appendix.

· All other tables and figures must have size 12 font and be double spaced. These should appear in the body of the technical proposal, not in an Appendix.

· Résumés may be single spaced. They shall have a size 12 font. There is a limit of 12 résumés of up to 3 pages each. These shall be in an Appendix. No references are required.

· There are no page limits for the letters of commitment for subcontractors and consultants. These shall have a size 12 font and may be single spaced. These shall be in an Appendix.

· Concept papers shall be double spaced and shall have a size 12 font. There is a limit of 3 concept papers of up to 5 pages each. These shall be in an Appendix.

· The Cover Page (including one additional page of information that contains restricted use information in accordance with FAR Clause 52.215-1 in 10-point font), Cover Letter, and Table of Contents are excluded from the page limit. These pages shall have at least a size 12 font and do not need to be double spaced.

· Footnotes shall be no smaller than size 10 font and single spaced.

· Offerors may include certifications associated with EDAR Clause 3452.224-71 NOTICE ABOUT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES INVOLVING HUMAN SUBJECTS in an appendix to the Technical Proposal.

When labeling appendices please keep in mind the concept paper appendix naming requirements discussed in item 10 below. Appendices for information described above should begin with B and continue in sequence.

The Department will not review proposal pages that exceed the maximum page limit.

A résumé shall be included for up to 10 personnel named in the proposal. Each résumé must be no more than 3 pages and shall clearly demonstrate that individuals have the experience and expertise to perform the work for which they are proposed.

While the intent of each task is stated in the PWS, it is the offeror’s responsibility to propose the most effective method for carrying out these tasks in their region. The task specifications contained in this RFP are a starting point; the proposal is expected to build on them by providing examples, where appropriate, rather than simply repeating the language contained in the PWS. Repeating the language of the PWS does not demonstrate an understanding of the requirement. Offerors are encouraged to suggest technical improvements to the work for each task and subtask if appropriate.

Proposals must include the following elements, in the order specified. Offerors can cross-reference between sections in the proposal:

1. Cover Page

The cover page must include the name and address of the entity submitting the proposal and be signed by an officer of the entity. The offeror shall explicitly state the region they are bidding for on the cover page. If the primary address of the offeror is outside of the region for which a proposal is being submitted, firms may add a second address to the proposal with a location or proposed location within the REL region. The cover page does not count against the page limit. Offerors may include a page immediately following the Cover Page but before the Cover Letter that includes any restricted data information in accordance with FAR Clause 52.215-1 if an offeror does not wish to include this information as a disclaimer directly on the cover page. Font size is restricted to 10-point font or larger.

2. Cover Letter

The Cover Letter must contain a clear list of all proposed subcontractors, their small business status, and DUNS numbers of the prime. The cover letter does not count against the page limit.

Additionally, the Cover Letter must include an affirmation of acceptance of the Department’s Rights in Data clause. The Department will include FAR Clause 52.227-17– Rights in Data-Special Works in the final contract. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) affirms its commitment to, and points to its unimpeachable record of, releasing all high-quality scientific research and research-related products promptly and without regard to the nature of the findings. However, IES includes this clause to ensure that only high quality, peer-reviewed work is distributed. The offeror must affirm that, if it is awarded the contract, it will accept this clause in its entirety, without amendment. The Department will not negotiate this clause or its wording. Offerors must include the following affirmation of the offeror’s acceptance of this clause for a REL contract in their region:

[Company name], by submitting this proposal and executing any contract that results from this proposal, affirms that it accepts in full the Department’s inclusion of FAR Clause 52.227- 17– Rights in Data-Special Works in its entirety. We understand that the Department will not waive this clause or issue any contract that does not contain this clause.

3. Table of Contents

The table of contents shall identify key authors of each section. The offeror shall write the proposal in the order shown below. The table of contents does not count against the page limit.

4. Introduction

The offeror shall provide an introduction demonstrating an understanding of the project and a familiarity with the issues relevant to the REL program and the specific region for which the offeror is submitting a proposal. The overview shall briefly describe the technical approach the offeror proposes and provide rationales for why the proposed approach will meet the intent and requirements of the contract. The rationale shall include information on how the offeror gathered information on the needs of the region, including specifying how it sought input from state and local education agencies in the region and identifying key offices that provided input and/or feedback on the proposal. The offeror shall highlight any unique features or approaches included its proposal.

5. Technical Plan

The offeror shall provide details explaining the strategies, operations, and procedures it proposes, by task and subtask. The offeror shall add details and propose specific solutions to demonstrate an understanding of the purpose, requirements, complexities, and difficulties of this contract and how the offeror proposes to respond to them. Offerors shall not re-state the PWS, but shall instead use their expertise and understanding to propose a comprehensive proposal that builds upon the requirements stated in the PWS.

For each task in the PWS, the offeror shall provide the following information:

· A broad description of the work – strategies, operations, procedures, and activities – that the offeror proposes to achieve all task objectives over the five-year contract period, including a schedule of deliverables during the first year (which may be part of the Appendices listed above). Note that the schedule of deliverables will be updated each year with the contractor’s Updated Annual Plan.

· Specific detail on the strategies, operations, procedures, activities and deliverables proposed for each task and subtask in the first year, including any specific ideas on topics for events, research, and training, coaching, and technical support, including a justification for why these strategies are the best option for the program.

· A description of work that the offeror, including key personnel, has conducted in the past that demonstrates that the offeror has the experience to carry out the task as described.

Subtask 3.3 in the PWS indicates that each REL shall be responsible for coordinating, reporting, and promoting REL activities on one topic in education that have both regional and national importance. In the proposal, the contractor shall indicate between one and three topic areas for which they have the expertise and experience to undertake this cross-REL coordination. Topics include but are not limited to: English learners, early childhood education, family and community engagement, transition to college, rural education, school completion, college and career readiness, educator quality, professional development, teacher preparation for instructional improvement, school climate, and research-practice partnerships.

In the proposal, the offeror shall identify 1-3 of the topic areas listed above (or others that meet the criteria of both regional and national importance) and provide information about the offeror’s experience and capacity to serve in a cross-REL coordinating role for those topic areas. In addition, please describe the approaches or strategies that you will use to coordinate and disseminate the work and efforts of the entire REL program on the topics you have selected.

6. Key and Named Personnel

The offeror shall propose a list of up to 12 personnel, including Key Personnel (6) and Named Personnel (up to 6). The six Key Personnel are Director, Deputy Director, and Task Leads for 3, 4, 5, and 6. Key and Named Personnel shall be responsible for large portions of technical direction and oversight and are considered essential to the performance of the work. Any changes in the six Key Personnel require the approval of the Department.

For each individual, the offeror shall include their expected roles, and a description of the experience and expertise that the offeror believes qualifies these proposed staff to successfully complete the REL work. These descriptions shall be no more than one paragraph for each person that points towards the most relevant experience and qualifications that are applicable to the particular task.

In a separate appendix, the offeror shall include résumés for Key and Named Personnel and only these individuals. These résumés should not exceed 3 pages (single space and size 12 font) and should include professional background, including degrees held and specializations, along with relevant experience and related accomplishments.

In addition, this appendix shall contain letters of commitment from all proposed Key or Named personnel not currently employed by the offeror. The appendix must also delineate the nature of each agreement and their commitment to the project if awarded the contract.

7. Time Commitments of Proposed Staff

In Table A (see below), the technical proposal must indicate the time commitments to both federal and non-federal contractual obligations (as well as outside consulting assignments) by all Key and Named Personnel. Key and Named Personnel must be identified by name along with the percentage of their time allocated to those contractual obligations. If proposed personnel are committed to more than 50% of time to another contract or grant, please provide information on how you will transition those personnel to the REL. In Table B, the offeror must indicate the number of proposed hours of all staff by subtask by year for all five years, and also describe the specific responsibilities of each proposed staff person. In addition, the offeror must indicate the number of hours (and proportion of time) committed by each staff person by-year, to encompass the full performance period of the anticipated contract. The Tables of Time Commitment (Tables A and B) shall be included in an Appendix and may be presented in landscape. The contractor shall use the tables below. Table B shall include five tables, one for year of the contract.

Version Date December 30, 2015

Version Date: March 15, 2016

Tables of Time Commitment

Table A. Hour Allocations for Key and Named Personnel

Table B. Hour Allocations and Percentage of Time for all Proposed Personnel by Task and by Year

1.1

1.2

1.3

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

3.1

3.2

3.3

4.1

4.2

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

5.6

6.1

6.2

6.3

6.4

6.5

Version Date March 15, 2016 Note: Table B has been revised to span two landscape pages, but both charts are consolidated onto one page for readability purposes. Offerors may caption the second half of the chart as “Table B. Hour Allocations and Percentage of Time for all Proposed Personnel by Task and by Year Continued” or any other method that the offeror wishes to utilize to ensure that the information is clearly presented. Percentages are not required for Table A.

The offeror shall ensure that the following personnel meet the specified criteria:

· Project Director and Deputy Director. Together, the Project Director and Deputy Director shall represent a combination of expertise in the areas of research, researcher-practitioner partnerships, and project management. Professional publications in applied education research and a project management certification are recommended, but not required. The Project Director shall commit at least 60% FTE to the contract during the first four years of the contract. The total combined FTE of the Director and the Deputy Director shall be at least 1.4 FTE throughout the duration of the contract. The Director and Deputy Director shall be employees of the prime contractor.

· Dissemination Lead (Task 4): The Dissemination Lead shall demonstrate a general expertise in dissemination best practices and expertise in Plain Language guidelines. The Task 4 lead shall also have relevant graphics expertise and sufficient experience in producing graphic summaries of education research for education policymakers and practitioners in an easy to understand format. The Dissemination Lead shall also have experience creating infographics and visually pleasing invitations, newsletters, and data analysis tools. Experience disseminating information within the federal space, including familiarity with the requirements of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Data Center and the IES Newsflash System is recommended, but not required. The Dissemination Lead shall commit at least 50% time throughout the duration of the contract.

· Training, Coaching, and Technical Support for Evidence Use (TCTS) Lead (Task 5): The TCTS Lead shall have significant experience providing similar training and coaching to educators ranging from the school level to state departments of education or equivalent. The TCTS Lead shall have experience in planning and conducting online learning opportunities for adult learners, including webinars, internet chats, and videos, and the ability to imagine new and engaging forms of professional learning opportunities. The lead shall also have experience leading teams that produce graphic summaries of research findings, including creating infographics. The TCTS Lead shall commit at least 60% time throughout the duration of the contract.

· Research Lead (Task 6): The research lead shall have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and/or experience in sociology, psychology, economics, education or a related field and have significant experience conducting education research. The Research Lead shall have expertise working with practitioners to conduct research and have demonstrated scholarly content expertise in high priority areas identified by IES in the PWS or otherwise identified by the offeror and the region. The proposed Research Lead shall commit at least 50% time throughout the duration of the contract.

8. Management Plan and Timelines

The offeror shall provide a summary description of the management control system that will be used internally for planning, scheduling, budgeting, managing, and reporting the accomplishments of the REL. The offeror must describe how the internal management control system will be applied to the work of this proposal as specified in the PWS and the evaluation criteria. The proposed management system should include procedures for the following: (1) effective management of project resources; (2) procedures for controlling the quality of products/services; and (3) procedures for early identification of potential problems in carrying out task activities.

In addition to describing the management system, the offeror shall present the following information:

· An organizational chart for the project showing responsible parties and lines of authority for each task.

· An internal quality control plan that addresses accountability in each task and subtask area must be provided. This shall include the review process for deliverables before they are submitted to the COR and shall include which individuals are responsible for assuring that all work is complete, accurate, and free of errors and omissions. This quality control plan shall be included in the technical proposal and not in an Appendix.

· Sub-contractual or teaming arrangements including the work to be performed, responsibilities for tasks, reporting arrangements, and any other terms of the agreement. This information shall be included in a letter of commitment from the proposed subcontractor(s) delineating the nature of the agreement. This information should be included as an Appendix.

· A schedule of task activities and the delivery of products in calendar weeks and the interrelationship of tasks throughout the first 18 months of the project. This may be the Gantt chart in the Appendix.

In summary, the management approach should provide a clear indication that all tasks can be completed on time and with a high level of quality.

9. Organizational Capabilities, Experience & Resources

This section must describe pertinent corporate experience and qualifications in conducting the tasks/subtasks outlined in the PWS. This section must also briefly identify the organization’s track record of recruiting and maintaining well-qualified researchers and staff, resources (other than personnel), such as facilities and equipment, that are available for use in carrying out the activities of this project.

10. Concept Papers

Each offeror shall submit three concept papers as proposed sample work products that respond in a realistic and regionally-specific manner to the general topics described for each region below. These may respond to a need from different clients. These concept papers shall be a maximum of 5 pages each and shall be included as Appendices A1, A2, and A3. Because these concept papers are included as appendices, they do not count towards the 75 page limit. Based on the topic assigned below to each of the 9 competitive regions, the three concept papers should propose a realistic:

a. Training (5.1) or coaching and consultation (5.2) technical support activities for evidence use (TCTS) for one or more state or local education agencies in the region where this issue is especially salient and high-leverage (Appendix A1);

b. A webinar or video or other virtual learning activity that bridges research and practice on this topic (Appendix A2); and

c. An applied research study on this topic that uses administrative data from one or more state or local education agencies in the region (Appendix A3).

Concept papers shall reflect a targeted, realistic plan that could commence within the first 6 months after the effective award date of a REL contract. Data access agreements shall be included if applicable. Letters of commitment shall be included if the proposed staff are not currently employed by the offeror. Letters of support are required as part of the concept papers requested for A1 and A3. The letters from stakeholders shall demonstrate how this work will address their high leverage need. These letters will not count toward the 5 page limitation. Additionally, the “up to 500-word paragraph of relevant experience” referenced in the Applied Research Concept Paper is not included in the five page limit. Proposals or concept papers that have been previously reviewed by the Department may not be submitted.

Regions have been assigned the following topics for Appendices A1, A2, and A3 (all other appendices may begin with the letter B and continue in accordance with the other provisions of these instructions).

Appalachia: Topic: Increasing high school graduation rates Central: Topic: Improving mathematics outcomes in the middle grades Mid-Atlantic: Topic: Improving adolescent literacy outcomes Midwest: Topic: Improving education outcomes for English learner students Northeast and Islands: Topic: Postsecondary access, persistence, and/or completion Northwest: Topic: Improving high school mathematics outcomes Pacific: Topic: Improving beginning reading outcomes Southeast: Topic: Kindergarten readiness West: Topic: Transition to college and career for rural students

11. Letters Letters of Interest are required to indicate interest in a specific partnership with a potential REL contractor. (Include in Appendix)

Letters of support are required as part of the concept papers requested for A1 and A3. These letters from stakeholders shall demonstrate how this work will address their high leverage need.

Letters of commitment shall be attached to the concept if the proposed staff are not currently employed by the offeror.

Data access letters of agreements shall be included, if applicable.

III. Volume II: Business Proposal (No Page Limit)

Each Offeror’s business proposal must contain enough information for a cost realism determination to be made. Offerors are expected to use their best business judgment in submitting the necessary information. The Source Selection Official (Contracting Officer) can reject an Offeror’s proposal if a negative cost realism determination is made, or if proposed prices are found to NOT be reasonable. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.404-1 states, “Cost realism means the costs in an Offeror’s proposal are a) realistic for the work to be performed; b) reflect a clear understanding of the requirements; and c) are consistent with the various elements of the Offeror’s technical proposal.” As such, Offerors proposals must contain identification of cost or pricing data (i.e., data that are verifiable and factual) and an explanation of the estimating process. When applicable, the following items must be specifically identified; e.g., Other Administrative Data (Refer to FAR 15.408, Table 15-2 I.C.).

Page Limitation

There is no page limitation for the business proposal. Please verify that the contents of the business proposal are mathematically accurate and the supporting data reconcile in the proposal.

All text in a narrative volume shall be in size 12 font and double spaced. All charts in the business proposal shall not be smaller than font size 10. There are no spacing or size restrictions for Excel volumes.

Anticipated Contract Type

The Department anticipates awarding a hybrid Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) and Cost Plus Fixed Fee Type (CPFF) contract. The PWS describes which tasks are FFP and which tasks are CPFF. All travel shall be proposed on a cost reimbursement (CR) basis.

Funding

The Department anticipates awarding a 60 month multiyear contract that will be funded annually on an incremental basis. For planning purposes, assume an annual REL program budget of $52 million broken out in the percentages below. For the proposed regional budget, assume an equal allotment will be given each year and that RELs can carry funds over from year to year, but funds are not interchangeable between CPFF and FFP and CR travel designations. Therefore, it is acceptable to propose higher expenditures in some years, as opposed to others.

The allocation of available funding is:

Table 2.0: REL Funding Estimates

When preparing your technical and budget proposals, please follow these approximate guidelines (+/- 5%) in order to apportion cost for all five years:

a. Tasks 1-3: 20% of yearly budget

b. Task 4: Dissemination – 10% of yearly budget

c. Task 5: Training, Coaching, Technical Support – 40% of yearly budget

d. Task 6: Applied Research: 30% of yearly budget

Please note: the Department expects that each offeror will propose a budget that utilizes the maximum projected funding level for each region. An offeror gains nothing by proposing a lower cost/price than the maximum amount provided in Table 2.0 above. Each offeror is expected to use the maximum amount available to each region to provide the most benefit possible to each region. An offeror with an inferior technical proposal but lower proposed budget will not overtake an offeror with a technically excellent proposal and a budget that proposes to use the maximum regional allocation.

Proposed Costs

The offeror shall submit proposed costs for each task and subtask, and for the project overall, to encompass the entire period of performance. The proposed budget for each task (and subtask) must include the number of hours each staff person is expected to commit. The prices shall be inclusive and reflect the cost of needs sensing.

Offerors must submit the following information with their business proposal:

1. Cover Sheet

The Department requests that offerors provide the following information on the cover sheet of the business proposal:

1) Solicitation Number (ED-IES-15-R-0016)

2) The name and DUNS of offeror and the sub-contractors

3) The percentage of the total proposed budget that will be given to each subcontractor

The cover sheet shall list the names and telephone numbers of persons authorized to conduct negotiations and a statement that your offer is firm for a period of at least 270 calendar days from the date of receipt of offers specified by the Government.

2. Price Information

The business proposal shall include a separate cost estimate for each task and subtask for all five years of performance. Business proposals that do not provide separate breakouts for each task and subtask are unacceptable, and the Department will not consider your proposal for award.

The business proposal shall include detailed cost breakdowns for staff, consultants, subcontractors, travel, supplies, computer costs, etc., for each task (separately). The offeror should provide information on the assumptions underlying estimates of direct costs. The offeror should also provide information on all indirect costs, such as overhead, fee, and G&A, including the categories on which overhead, fees, and G&A will be calculated. Similar business information shall also be submitted for subcontractors.

The offeror shall also provide a Schedule of Deliverables (see the Performance Work Statement Schedule of Deliverables) showing all cost/price for the first eighteen months of performance (note that this is in addition to the Pricing Matrix that outlines Firm-Fixed Prices for all years as described in greater detail below). The offeror shall submit supporting information documenting their price build up by year. The offerors shall submit adequate data to allow complete analysis and evaluation of proposed prices. If necessary, the Department will request other than cost and pricing data to determine that prices are considered fair and reasonable.

Food costs are not allowable under any circumstances, and offerors shall not include food costs in their proposals.

Pricing Matrix for Fixed Price Deliverables:

Offerors must use the attached pricing matrix to provide Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) information for all five years of performance for the FFP tasks only. This matrix will determine the prices for fixed price deliverables (both IT and non-IT). Please note that the pricing matrix is a much more detailed document that the broader Schedule of Deliverables. These prices will apply for each Updated Annual Plan and may only change with formal modification of any resulting contract.

The Department has provided a template to assist with this process. Offerors may add or delete deliverables on the pricing matrix consistent with its technical solution.

Offerors shall also submit the price for each task and subtask and a total for the 60 months of the contract. The Department’s estimated task allocations described above apply to the full five-year contract period; the Department understands that different tasks may be more or less active (and thus represent a higher or lower fraction of resources) in any given year.

Offerors shall identify whether the price for each task and subtask is information technology (IT) or non-IT costs. Offerors must provide a table with the total amount of funds that are IT fixed price and non-IT fixed price by year.

3. Per Diem and Travel

Government per diem rules apply for travel costs. REL contractors are required to comply with the Department’s policies regarding invitational travel. Contractors may use REL contract funds for invitational travel that provides a direct benefit to the Government or for travel in accordance with performance of the contract. Individuals or entities that are recipients of REL services will not receive Federal reimbursement for their expenses. The offeror must include a separate travel estimate that includes the proposed number of trips, origin and destination cities, airfare, per diem, and transportation. The Department understands that it may be difficult to predict travel beyond Year 1, but expects the offeror to use reasonable estimates for travel costs based on the nature of the technical proposal and proposed work for Years 2-5. The travel estimates should be broken out separately from the deliverables.

Note again that offerors may not include fee on travel.

4. Cost Accounting, Estimating, and Purchasing System Information

The offeror must include information on the status of its accounting system, estimating system, purchasing system. If these systems have been reviewed and approved by a Government Agency, include a copy of the approval letter. If they have not, offerors must state so and provide a justification for all proposed costs.

5. Breakdowns for Other Direct Costs and Other Resources

Offerors must submit proposed costs itemized for each task/subtask, as well as a total proposed cost for the entire work to be performed. The proposed budget for each task and subtask must indicate the number of hours being proposed for each staff person and breakdowns of direct charges for materials, supplies, consultants, equipment, telephone, copying, travel, and any other major budget items, as well as indirect cost rates used in preparing the cost estimate. Indirect cost rates shall be proposed in accordance with an offeror’s current provisional billing rate agreement. A copy of current indirect rate agreements shall be provided in the business proposal.

The business proposal must also include costs itemized by project year.

6. Subcontractor Cost(s)

Offerors must submit its price/cost analyses of all subcontractors proposed whose costs exceed the threshold for certified cost or pricing data (as applicable). The following information must be addressed (as applicable):

· In accordance with FAR 52.215-22 Limitations on Pass-through Charges – Identification of Subcontract Effort, if applicable, if the Offeror intends to subcontract more than 70% of the total cost of work to be performed, the proposal must identify (i) the amount of the offeror’s indirect costs and profit applicable to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s) and (ii) a description of the added value provided by the offeror as related to the work to be performed by the subcontractor(s).

7. Labor Rates

Offerors shall submit proposals with fully loaded labor rates. Additionally, offerors must submit data that shows how the fully loaded rates are developed (e.g. base rate and any additional costs that comprise the loaded rate). Offerors are permitted to propose discounted rates to improve the competitiveness of their proposal. The labor mix and labor categories proposed must be consistent with the personnel proposed in the technical proposal.

Labor hours shall be proposed for the development of costs, in the event that it becomes necessary to extend the period of performance for up to 6 months beyond the stated period of performance, in accordance with FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services.

This information may be submitted in chart form.

8. Consultant Costs

Any rate higher than $800 per day for proposed consultants requires a written justification, as well as a statement from the proposed consultant that the proposed rate is what they have charged the Federal Government, or a state or local government within the past 12 months. The hourly rate used to develop the proposed consultant rates must also be provided.

9. Conflict of Interest (COI) and COI Plan

Offerors and all proposed consultants and subcontractors must complete the Conflict of Interest Certification contained in Section K of this solicitation, and include it in their business proposal.

Offerors must submit a Conflict of Interest Plan (Plan), providing details on its policies and procedures to identify and avoid potential organizational or personal conflicts of interest (or apparent conflicts of interest). The Plan must also address procedures taken to neutralize or mitigate such conflicts, if they have not been or cannot be avoided. The Plan should indicate that such policies and procedures are operative throughout the period of performance of the contract. The policies should address, at a minimum, gifts, outside activities financial interests, or other significant connections or identifications that would establish, or give the appearance of establishing, a conflict of interest. A method for periodically reviewing financial interests of employees, subcontractors and consultants, and their immediate families, in order to assess actual or apparent conflicts of interest should be included in the plan. In this clause, the term “potential conflict” means reasonably foreseeable conflict of interest.

The thoroughness, completeness, and effectiveness of the Plan will be evaluated as part of the offeror’s overall proposal. The Plan will be incorporated into the contract awarded to the successful offeror.

10. Small Business Subcontracting Plan

The Department values an approach where substantive work in a meaningful capacity is performed by small businesses more than an approach where only non-substantive work or supply line work is performed by small businesses. A meaningful capacity for substantive work includes work other than courier services, office supplies, or travel services. Therefore, a valued approach will be one which technical, analytical, data collection or significant services, for example, are performed by a small business.

Offerors must state the work to be performed by a small business(es), the name of the small business(es), the socio economic status of each small business concern, and the percentage of work proposed to be performed by each small business concern (by and for each year of performance). While subcontracting costs shall be described elsewhere in the Business Proposal, this information may not be in the subcontracting plan itself other than totals and percentages of total contract effort. Offerors shall submit a summary page with all subcontractors listed by total subcontracting dollars and percentages of subcontracting dollars. Ensure that the prime contractor is proposed to perform more than 50% of the work if the prime contractor is a small business.

All Offerors who are not designated as a small business in the stated NAICS Code for this requirement must submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan for review, to satisfy the applicable requirements of 48 CFR 52.219-9 II. Offerors must submit the template and a small business subcontracting plan that contains all information and elements required by FAR 19.7.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the government agency responsible for ensuring that the Administration meets the statutorily defined goals for small business procurement. Each year, SBA negotiates with agencies to establish individual agency goals that, in the aggregate, constitute the government-wide goals.

The Department’s Fiscal Year 16 small business goals for subcontracting are shown below (note these numbers are different from the Department’s goals for awards to small businesses):

All subcontracting small business goal figures are Percentage of Total Subcontract Dollars.

Subcontracting Small Business – 31% Small Disadvantaged Businesses – 5% Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses – 3% Women Owned Small Business – 5% Historically Under Utilized Business Zones – 3%

These goals are relevant to contractors because we strongly encourage each offeror to submit small business subcontracting plans that meet these subcontracting goals.

Offerors must also submit a copy of their subcontracting data using the Excel form included with this solicitation when submitting your proposal.

IV. Volume III: Past Performance (Page Limit: 25 Pages)

The Department will evaluate an offeror’s past performance. Offerors shall submit narrative information about a selection of up to five of the offeror’s most recent contracts (State, Federal, or private industry), grants, or other comparable project completed in the last three years or currently in process but beyond the first year of performance, which are of similar size, scope, complexity or, in any way, are relevant to the effort required by this solicitation in a separate Past Performance Proposal, The contracts may include those entered into with the Federal Government, agencies of State and local governments and commercial customers. Contracts with the parent company or an affiliate of the offeror may not be used.

Offerors should submit brief summaries of such work and include the names, current affiliations, and current telephone numbers of the customer. The telephone numbers serve as points of contact for a reference check if the Department elects to contact the references. All similar federal contracts should be included (up to five).

The offeror shall provide information on problems encountered on the contracts and subcontracts identified above and corrective actions taken to resolve those problems. Offerors should not provide only general information on their performance on identified contracts.

The offeror may describe any quality awards or certifications that indicate the offeror produces high-quality services and products. If applicable, the offeror shall describe the segment of the company, institution, or organization that received the award or certification and when it was bestowed. If the award or certification is more than three years old, the offeror shall present evidence that the qualifications still apply.

The offeror shall not include cost information for its current proposed technical solution in the past performance volume, but shall include this information in the business proposal. However, the offeror may include the value of each project described in the Past Performance Volume.

The Government reserves the right to contact past performance references to verify the information provided, and the Government also reserves the right to obtain past performance information from other sources such as PPIRS and eSRS. The Government may use eSRS information to determine the contractor’s past performance as it relates to meeting small business subcontracting goals.

The formatting requirements for the Past Performance Volume are identical to those requirements for the Technical Volume.