Enclosure 5-INSTRUCTIONS for Preparation of Proposals.doc

RFP No. 1-JV79-P-00090-00

ENCLOSURE NO. 5

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 1-JV79-P-00090-00

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS

AND

NOTICES TO OFFERORS

I.

Proposal Submission Format:

The proposal shall be in two (2) parts: Part I - Technical Proposal and Part II – Cost/Price and Business/Management Proposal (as two separate submittals). Each of the parts 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 and Part II be bound together or presented in such manner as to make them not severable. The Technical Proposal shall not contain any reference to cost. It 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 paper and bindings, and 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. The signed proposal shall be submitted electronically to arriaga@anl.gov for evaluation. The email shall contain separate attachments for the Technical Proposal and the Cost/Price and Business/Management Proposal. Submissions not conforming to all the requirements of this solicitation may result in rejection of your offer.

Offerors should indicate on the forepage and on each subsequent page of their proposal those pages, sections, paragraphs, or areas, which they consider to be proprietary. Offerors should refer to the enclosure entitled “Pre-Award Information and Booklet of Representations and Certifications,” second page “Notice,” and pages 14-16 for more information regarding proprietary markings. Argonne National Laboratory assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked data, and may use or disclose such data for any purpose.

A.

Part I - Technical Proposal:

Enclosure No. 4, Evaluation Criteria, identifies the criteria that will be used to evaluate the merit of the proposals in response to the statement of work. While the Cost Proposal may not be the controlling factor for award, it will be a significant part of the Laboratory’s selection decision. The proposal costs will be evaluated for reasonableness in light of the statement of work requirements and instructions, including completeness/conciseness and clarity of the material presented.

As stated in the Evaluation Criteria, the technical proposals shall be evaluated and adjectivally scored based on Section III. Technical Proposal, consisting of the following sub-sections:

1. Technical Evaluation Criteria

2. Proposal Risk

3. Performance Risk

B.

Part II - Cost/Price and Business Management Proposal:

The Cost/Price proposal and the Business Management proposal should be combined as one document.

1.

Cost/Price: Each offeror is requested to submit a cost/price proposal. Offerors are required to propose rates for a period of a base year and two (2) one year option periods.

Pricing shall be provided in accordance with the format provided in Enclosure 3, Contract Pricing Proposal Format. Note: Only the countries listed in the Pricing Proposal Form shall be considered/evaluated.

The cost section of the proposal will be evaluated by the Laboratory using the provided average hourly labor base/raw rates and average estimated number of hours per country, per year. However, it should be noted that only actual requirements will be requested and that actual usage may exceed or fall short of the estimate. The computed total prices of each offer will be compared to determine the lowest priced proposal received. Rates shall not be specified by individual personnel, nor shall a range of rates for any category be specified. Failure to adhere to this pricing requirement may result in rejection of your offer.

Travel Costs: Offerors shall provide a written statement that it is understood and acknowledged that travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the Argonne Travel Policy detailed in Appendix “A” and a copy included with the sample work order.

The cost/price proposal will not be point scored but will be judged on realistic costs and most advantageous probable cost to the Laboratory, all factors considered. A comparison shall be made of the competitive prices received under this solicitation.

2.

Business Management a.

Provide a narrative history and description of your firm which includes:

i. corporate structure, location of corporate headquarters and regional offices

ii. listing of officers

iii. number of years in business

iv. historical background for providing such services

v. company policy regarding certification of temporary personnel

vi. nature and size of your business total number of customers

vii. describe business nexus i.e., do you have a physical office? Do you own or operate an affiliate or subsidiary in the country? Do you, your affiliate or subsidiary have a partnership, teaming, or other relationship with another entity in that country? If so, please provide further information.

viii. total value of contracts over the last three (3) years

ix. primary client market (academic, corporate, government)

x. future development plans

xi. familiarity with special requirements of Federal Government clients

xii. professional memberships to which your company belong and any other employer of record -related events, conferences, or publications to which your firm has contributed.

b.

Financial Capability.

Provide the most recent certified financial statement with supporting documentation indicating the financial capability of your organization.

c.

Acceptance Period of Proposal:

Provide a statement that the proposal will remain valid for acceptance for a minimum period of one hundred twenty (120) after the closing date set for receipt of proposals.

d.

Authorized Representatives:

Provide the names, titles, and telephone numbers of the persons authorized to negotiate on behalf of the offeror with the Laboratory.

e.

Hiring of Contractor Personnel: From time to time the Laboratory may wish to hire certain Contractor’s employees. The Laboratory will favorably consider those proposals which allow this action at no charge to the Laboratory. If your company does not wish to agree to this arrangement, provide your counter offer.

f.

Pre-Award Information.

Include a fully completed and signed “Pre-Award Information and Booklet of Representations and Certifications” with your proposal. A copy of the Booklet is included as Enclosure No. 2 to this Request For Proposal (RFP).

g.

Organizational Conflict of Interest.

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 assure 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.)

h.

Exceptions and Deviations.

Provide comments describing whether or not you accept proposed contract, 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.

i.

Computation of Amounts Due to Contractor. It should be understood that amounts due to the Contractor for services rendered will be computed by multiplying the hours actually worked by the agreed hourly rate.

II.

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 writing by 1:00 PM CST, Monday, March 15, 2021, 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 amendments 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 a contract will not be binding.

B.

Submission of Offers Offers and amendments thereof shall be submitted via email. An electronic copy shall be received on or before 3:00 P.M., local prevailing time, Wednesday, March 24, 2021:

Attention:

Jackie Arriaga Procurement Specialist III Procurement Department

Email: arriaga@anl.gov

Reference:

RFP No. 1-JV79-P-00090-00 Facsimile offers will not be accepted.

C.

Selection and Award 1.

Evaluation of Options: Except when it is determined not to be the Laboratory’s best interests, the Laboratory will evaluate offers for award purposes by adding the total cost for all options to the total cost for the basic requirement. Evaluation of options will not obligate the Laboratory to exercise the option(s).

2.

Proposal may be eliminated from consideration if the proposal is so grossly and obviously deficient as to be totally unacceptable. For example, if it does not represent a reasonable initial effort to address itself to the essential requirements of the RFP, or clearly demonstrates that the offeror does not understand the requirements of the RFP.

3.

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.

4.

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

5.

The Laboratory may award more than one Basic Ordering Agreement resulting from this solicitation to the responsible offerors whose proposal conforms to this RFP and represents the best value after evaluation in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the solicitation. After awards are made, any future requirements will be competed between the BOA holders.

6.

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 conduced, 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.

Definitions:

As used below:

“Discussions” are negotiations that occur after establishment of the competitive range that may, at the Laboratory Procurement Official’s discretion, result in the offeror being allowed to revise its proposal.

“In writing” or “written” means any worded or numbered expression which can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and includes electronically transmitted and stored information.

“Proposal modification” is a change to a proposal made after the solicitation closing date, at the request of or as allowed by a Laboratory Procurement Official as the result of negotiations.

“Time,” if stated as a number of days, is calculated using calendar days, unless otherwise specified, and will include Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. However, if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, then the period shall include the nest working day.

E.

Amendments To Solicitation:

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

F.

Submission, Modification, Revision, and Withdrawal of Proposals:

1.

Unless other methods (e.g., electronic commerce or facsimile) are permitted in the solicitation, proposals and modifications to proposals shall be submitted in paper media in sealed envelopes or packages (i) addressed to the office specified in the solicitation, and (ii) showing the time and date specified for receipt, the solicitation number, and the name and address of the offeror. Offerors using commercial carriers should ensure that the proposal is marked on the outermost wrapper with the information in paragraphs G.1.(i) and G.1. (ii) of this section.

2.

The first page of the proposal must show—

(i) The solicitation number;

(ii) The name, address, and telephone and facsimile numbers of the offeror (and electronic address if available); and

(iii) Name, title, and signature of person authorized to sign the proposal. Proposals signed by an agent shall be 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 office 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 the Argonne National Laboratory 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.

Offerors may submit revised proposals only if requested or allowed by the Laboratory Procurement Official.

6.

Proposals may be withdrawn by written notice or telegram (including Mailgram) received at any time before award. Proposals may be withdrawn in person by any offeror or an authorized representative, if the representative’s identity is made known and the representative signs a receipt for the proposal before award.

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