Enclosure 1 (Read First) - RFP and Instructions.docx.docx

RFP No. 4-B148-P-00218-00

ENCLOSURE NO. 1

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) NO. 4-B148-P-00218-00

RFP INSTRUCTION COVER LETTER, INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS,

AND

NOTICES TO OFFERORS

Part I: RFP INSTRUCTION COVER LETTER

Cully Johnston Procurement Specialist IV Financial Management and Procurement Services Procurement Department Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue, Bldg. 201 Lemont, IL 60439

Phone: 630-252-7049 E-Mail: cjohnston@anl.gov 06-11-2024

To All Prospective Offerors:

Subject: Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 4-B148-P-00218-00 based on Argonne National Laboratory Statement of Work for “Cloud Broker & ATO-Ready Secure Cloud Enclave for AWS and GCP,” dated 06/01/2024

UChicago Argonne, LLC, operator of Argonne National Laboratory (“Argonne” or “Laboratory”) under a prime contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has the responsibility of obtaining the service(s) which are the subject of this Request for Proposal (RFP). You are invited to submit a proposal for meeting this requirement. Your attention is directed to the enclosed documents which constitute requirements for this RFP and should be fully complied with or completed as indicated. Note that this is a request for proposal, not a contract/agreement. The Laboratory intends to issue an award resulting from this solicitation based on the Best Value/Trade-Off methodology.

Enclosure No. 1: RFP Instruction Cover Letter, Instructions for Preparation of Proposals, and Notices to Offerors (this document).

Enclosure No. 2: Contract Articles and General Provisions applicable to any resultant agreement, including:

A. Sample Fixed Price Contract.

B. Appendix "A", Argonne Terms and Conditions for Fixed Price Contracts, dated 12/10/2021.

C. Appendix "B", Argonne National Laboratory Statement of Work entitled, “Cloud Broker & ATO-Ready Secure Cloud Enclave for AWS and GCP“, dated 06/01/2024.

D. Appendix "D-8", Intellectual Property Provisions for Supplies & Services Requiring Delivery of Data, dated 12/12/2023.

E. Argonne National Laboratory PD-133, Progress Payments Based on Milestones, dated 09/02/2015.

Enclosure No. 3: Pricing Proposal Format (Complete and Return).

Enclosure No. 4: Evaluation Criteria.

Enclosure No. 5: Pre-Award Information and Booklet of Representations and Certifications (Complete, Sign, Date, and Return).

Enclosure No. 6: Organizational Conflict of Interest Disclosure/Representation, ANL-548 dated 5/97 (Complete, Sign, Date, and Return).

GENERAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

A. Enclosure No. 1 provides instructions for preparation of your proposal.

B. Enclosure No. 2 represents the anticipated contract format, including standard terms, provisions, and scope of work. This enclosure was provided for your information and review. Unless notified during any subsequent negotiations, these documents will be included in any resultant agreement.

C. Enclosure No. 3 is the pricing format to be used when submitting your price proposal. Instructions are provided below.

D. Enclosure No. 4 sets forth proposal evaluation criteria and their relative importance.

E. Enclosure No. 5 is a questionnaire of Pre-Award Information and a Booklet of Representations and Certifications. This booklet must be completed in its entirety, signed, dated, and returned with your proposal. This booklet is considered essential, and no award will be issued without receipt of a properly executed booklet. Please note that your company must have an active registration on SAM.gov prior to award.

F. Enclosure No. 6 is an Organizational Conflicts of Interest Disclosure/Representation. The Laboratory has determined that the Department of Energy's (DOE's) regulations pertaining to Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) are applicable to the subject requirement. Enclosure No. 6 should be completed and returned with the proposal. The purpose of obtaining the above information is to ensure that there is an avoidance of situations: (1) which place an offeror in a position where its judgment may be biased because of any past, present, or currently planned interest, financial or otherwise, that the offeror may have which relates to the work to be performed pursuant to this solicitation, or (2) where the offeror's performance of such work may provide it with an unfair competitive advantage. (As used herein "offeror" means the proposer or any of its affiliates or proposed consultants or subcontractors of any tier.)

This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the Laboratory to pay any cost incurred in connection with any proposal or to procure or contract for any supplies/services. The Laboratory reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals if that is determined to be in the best interest of the Laboratory. Award may be made without discussion; and hence, your proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms.

Please acknowledge receipt of this RFP by return email to cjohnston@anl.gov.

Regards, Cully Johnston Procurement Official IV cjohnston@anl.gov

Continued on Page 3

Part II: INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS

Proposal Submission Format:

The proposal shall be in three (3) parts: Part I – Business Management Proposal, Part II - Technical Proposal, and Part III – Cost/Price Proposal. Each part shall be separate and complete in itself so that evaluation of one may be accomplished independently of and concurrently with evaluation of the other. In no instance shall Part I, Part II, and/or Part III be bound together or presented in such manner as to make them not severable. The Technical and Business Management Proposals shall not contain any reference to cost/pricing. The Technical Proposal must disclose your project approach in as much detail as possible including, but not limited to, the requirements of the Technical Proposal instructions.

Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired and may be construed as an indication of the offeror's lack of cost consciousness. Elaborate artwork, expensive visual and other presentation aids are neither necessary nor wanted. Proposals should be prepared with maximum economy, consistent with this particular procurement, to ensure that the resources of both offerors and Laboratory evaluators are efficiently utilized. EMAIL SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSAL IS REQUIRED. Proposals shall be e-mailed with each part attached as a separate file: one file for Part I - Business Management Proposal, a second file for Part II – Technical Proposal, and a third file for Part III – Cost/Price Proposal.

Offerors should indicate on the first page and on each subsequent page of their proposal only those pages, sections, paragraphs, or areas, which they consider to be proprietary (do not mark the entire proposal proprietary). Offerors should refer to the enclosure entitled “Pre-Award Information and Booklet of Representations and Certifications,” second page “Notice”. UChicago Argonne, LLC operator of Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne or Laboratory) assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data and may use or disclose such data for any purpose.

Proposal Part I – Business/Management Proposal:

A. Financial Condition and Capability: The offeror's financial condition and adequacy of working capital will be evaluated to determine if adequate resources are available and committed to allow for successful performance. Contractor shall provide their most recently completed quarterly or yearly financial statements, inclusive of notes to the consolidated financial statements, in addition to any other supporting documentation that demonstrates the financial health or viability of offeror’s organization. Financial statements should contain prior period(s) information. Audited Financial Statements are preferred, but not required. Unaudited financial statements may result in additional inquiry and/or required supporting evidence. Preference will be given to offerors that demonstrate minimal financial risk in ability to successfully execute the agreement.

B. Acceptance Period of Proposal: Offeror shall provide a statement that the proposal will remain valid for acceptance for a minimum period of 120 days after the closing date set for receipt of proposals.

C. Authorized Representatives: Offeror shall provide the names, titles, email address, and telephone numbers of the person(s) authorized to negotiate on behalf of the offeror with the Laboratory.

D. Pre-Award Information. Include a fully completed and signed “Pre-Award Information and Booklet of Representations and Certifications” (Enclosure No. 5 to this RFP) with your proposal; inclusion as a separate .pdf file is preferred. In addition, to be considered for award, Offeror must be registered in System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/) prior to award.

E. Organizational Conflicts of Interest. Review Enclosure No. 6, “Organizational Conflicts of Interest Disclosure/Representation” and provide a disclosure/representation, as appropriate, and a statement of any past (within the past 12 months), present, or currently planned financial, contractual, organizational, or other interests relating to the performance of work outlined in the Statement of Work.

F. Exceptions and Deviations. Offeror shall provide comments describing whether or not they accept proposed contract (Enclosure No. 2 to this RFP), its schedule articles, statement of work and general/specific terms and conditions. The exceptions, deviations, or conditional assumptions taken must contain sufficient amplification and justification to permit evaluation(s). Such exceptions, deviations or conditional assumptions will not of themselves automatically cause a proposal to be deemed unacceptable to the Laboratory. However, a large number of exceptions or one or more significant exceptions not providing benefit to the Laboratory may result in rejection of your proposal(s) as unacceptable.

Part II – Technical Proposal:

Part II of your proposal should address the manner in which your firm proposes to perform the requirements established in Appendix "B" - Statement of Work, dated 06/01/2024 (the “SOW”). It should address each of the technical factors described below. The Technical Proposal shall be separate from the documents required for the Cost/Price Proposal and Business Management Proposal. Do not intermingle these documents.

In order to facilitate review of proposals, the information presented shall follow the same format and arrangement sequence as outlined below. At a minimum, ensure your Technical Proposal addresses the following technical factors:

A. Technical Approach

Discuss your firm’s technical approach to implementing the services requested in the RFP as specified in the SOW. Your response should detail the methodologies, tools, and processes your firm will use to ensure successful project execution. Key areas to address include:

1. Project Planning and Management: Outline your approach to project planning, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation. Describe your project management practices and how you will ensure effective coordination and communication with Argonne personnel.

2. Design and Development: Describe your methodology for designing and developing a secure cloud enclave in AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), ensuring compliance with NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP Moderate, and FISMA standards. Include details on how you will utilize infrastructure as code (IaC) to manage configurations, policies, and compliance monitoring.

3. Compliance and Security: Explain how your firm will ensure that all security and compliance requirements are met throughout the project. This should include your approach to producing comprehensive Authority to Operate (ATO) documentation and facilitating reviews by internal and external assessors.

4. Training and Knowledge Transfer: Detail your strategy for educating and training Argonne personnel on the new cloud solutions. Include how you will develop and deliver training materials and conduct training sessions to ensure efficient operation and management of the secure cloud enclave.

5. Integration and Feasibility Assessment: Discuss how you will assess the feasibility of integrating existing cybersecurity solutions and technologies within the new cloud environment to maximize resource use and compatibility.

6. Financial Operations and Chargeback Capabilities: Explain your approach to designing and implementing financial operations (FinOps) solutions, including chargeback billing and cost management.

B. Depth of Qualified Personnel

Discuss your firm’s ability to supply a qualified team with expertise in developing and managing secure cloud environments, particularly within AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Emphasize your firm’s capacity to provide personnel who possess the necessary experience and skills as detailed in the SOW. Highlight the depth of your firm’s talent pool, showcasing the variety of qualified personnel available for selection, and how this allows you to meet the specific level of expertise required for this project. Include information on your process for vetting and selecting candidates to ensure they meet the stringent requirements of working within highly regulated environments, such as those adhering to NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP Moderate, and FISMA standards. Please note that as the cloud enclave may host information with high security requirements, all staff working on the project shall be US Citizens with FedRAMP-compliant background checks.

C. Experience in Performing Similar Work

Provide resumes and discuss the amount, relevance, and quality of experience your firm has in performing similar work. Highlight specific projects where you have developed and managed secure cloud environments, particularly within AWS and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), as outlined in the SOW. Detail your firm’s track record in meeting compliance standards such as NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP Moderate, and FISMA. Include any relevant certifications held by your personnel that demonstrate their capability and expertise in these areas. Describe how past projects align with the requirements of this RFP and showcase your firm’s ability to deliver high-quality, compliant, and secure cloud solutions for federal governmental entities and other highly regulated environments.

Additionally, each offeror shall furnish with their proposal the following information: references from at least three clients for whom your firm has provided incurred services within the previous two years, preferably clients with whom you have performed similar work as that specified in the SOW. Include for each reference the company name, address, telephone number, point of contact, and the contract number. References may be commercial or government customers, provided the work performed was comparable in scope.

D. Timely Response

Response time in completing this requirement is critical to the Laboratory’s needs and will be an important area of evaluation.

1. Describe a situation where your firm needed to complete deliverables on time and on a compressed schedule.

2. Discuss how your firm intends to complete the Laboratory’s requirements on schedule as indicated in the SOW.

E. Sample Deliverables

Provide sample deliverables that demonstrate your firm’s capability to meet the requirements specified in the SOW. These sample documents should include, but are not limited to:

1. Discovery and Documentation Reports: Examples of comprehensive reports detailing decisions and requirements for designing, building, operating, and monitoring secure cloud environments.

2. Design Specifications: Detailed design specifications for secure cloud environments that adhere to compliance standards such as NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP Moderate, and FISMA.

3. Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Configurations: Samples of IaC configurations, policies, and compliance monitoring code.

4. ATO Documentation: Complete Authority to Operate (ATO) documents that demonstrate compliance with relevant security standards.

5. Training Materials: Examples of training materials and documentation used to educate personnel on operating and managing secure cloud environments.

6. Implementation and Validation Reports: Reports detailing the implementation and validation processes for secure cloud environments.

Part III – Pricing Proposal:

A. Price: Each offeror is requested to submit a price proposal including a total price and a breakdown of pricing per deliverable.

Part III: NOTICES TO OFFERORS

A. Explanation to Prospective Offerors

Any prospective offeror desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, statement of work, etc. must request it in an email to cjohnston@anl.gov by 3:00PM CDT, Tuesday, 06/18/2024, to allow a reply to be provided to all prospective offerors. Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning a solicitation will be furnished promptly to all prospective offerors as written addenda to the solicitation if such information is necessary for submission of an offer, or if the lack of the information would be prejudicial against any other prospective offeror. Oral explanations or instructions given before the award of an agreement will not be binding.

B. Submission of Offers

1. Offers shall be submitted via e-mail to Cully Johnston at cjohnston@anl.gov as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 PM CDT, Thursday, 06/27/2024. Please reference the RFP number 4-B148-P-00218-00 in the subject line.

Facsimile, hand delivered, or mailed offers will not be accepted.

2. The first page of the proposal must show—

1. The solicitation number;

2. The name, address, email address, and telephone number of the offeror and

3. Name, title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent should accompanied by evidence of that agent’s authority unless that evidence has been previously furnished to the issuing office.

3. Late Proposals and revisions.

Any proposal received at the email designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of offers will not be considered unless it is received before award is made and it is determined by Argonne to be in the best interest of the Laboratory.

4. Offerors may submit modifications to their proposals at any time before the solicitation closing date and time, and may submit modifications in response to an amendment, or to correct a mistake at any time before award.

5. Following the solicitation closing date, offerors may submit revised proposals only if requested or allowed by the Laboratory Procurement Official.

6. Proposals may be withdrawn by email notice received at any time before award.

C. Selection and Award

1. A proposal may be eliminated from consideration if the proposal is so grossly and obviously deficient as to be totally unacceptable (e.g. should the proposal not represent a reasonable initial effort to address itself to the essential requirements of the RFP or clearly demonstrate that the offeror does not understand the requirements of the RFP).

2. After initial technical evaluations, a competitive range will be established. Offerors within the competitive range will be asked to present their proposals via virtual presentation (Microsoft Teams). Please be prepared to present your proposal via Teams within 5-10 days of the proposal submission date.

Additionally, offerors should be prepared to respond to requests by the Laboratory Procurement Official for oral presentations or written discussions, or both, facility surveys, and other information as may be necessary to assist in the detailed evaluation process. The Laboratory reserves the right, however, to 1) make a selection without discussion with any of the offerors; 2) reject any and all offers; and 3) waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received. It is, therefore, emphasized that each initial offer should be submitted on the most favorable terms to the Laboratory that the offeror can submit.

3. The Laboratory may solicit, from available sources, experience data concerning an offeror’s past performance and will consider such information in its evaluation.

4. The Laboratory intends to award an agreement(s) resulting from this solicitation to one or more responsible offeror(s) whose proposal(s) conforms to this RFP and represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in Enclosure No. 4.

5. If the Laboratory Procurement Official determines that the number of proposals that would otherwise be in the competitive range exceeds the number at which an efficient competition can be conducted, the Laboratory Procurement Official may limit the number of proposals in the competitive range to the greatest number that will permit an efficient competition among the most highly rated proposals.

D. Amendments To Solicitation

If this solicitation is amended, all terms and conditions that are not amended remain unchanged. Offerors shall acknowledge, in writing, receipt of any amendment to this solicitation by the date and time specified in the amendment(s).

E. Proposal Preparation Cost

This Request for Proposal does not commit the Laboratory to pay any cost for the preparation and submission of a proposal, and such costs shall not be paid.

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